Accountability for a steward accused of dishonesty is the theme of this Sunday’s gospel: The steward is ordered by his employer to “prepare a full account” of his stewardship. Voters are calling both presidential candidates to account this week on medical and financial issues as disclosure and trustworthiness emerge as a key theme of the presidential election.

“The public has a right to know if the candidate has a reason to believe he might die in office. Short of that, I think the president has a right to keep his medical and mental health information private.”

From the age of 17 to almost the end of his life, President George Washington had recurrent attacks of malaria. He developed a severe case of smallpox, which ultimately left his skin scarred for life, and later developed tuberculosis from which he took two years to fully recover. He had a tendency to become depressed when ill and was haunted by premonitions of death. Thomas Jefferson wrote that Washington was, in all aspects of his life, "inclined to gloomy apprehensions."