CATHOLICISM AND LGBT DISCRIMINATIONThe Catholic Church can't just congratulate itself on condemning violence toward LGBT people. We need to do better and fight to end discrimination of all kinds.
CERTIFIABLY CATHOLICWant to prove you’re a good Catholic? You’ll have to do more than feed the hungry and teach your children the Lord’s Prayer in at least four modern languages and one or two dead ones.
DIVORCE IS NOT A MORTAL SINThe most serious and most common misrepresentation of Catholic Church teaching is the claim that those who have divorced and remarried are not allowed to receive communion because they are in a state of mortal sin.
DOING VIOLENCE IN GOD'S NAMEWe see countless examples of this in history. From the time that we first gained self-consciousness, we've done violence in God name.
EXAMINING OUR SOCIAL SINSWhat does it mean to embrace honestly an examination of conscience at a time and in a world where racism, violence and environmental degradation are so present?
IS IT TIME FOR A CULTURAL DETOX?The #MeToo movement is driving important dialogue about privilege and sexual abuse, but let’s not pat ourselves on the back for a job well done just yet.
MERCIFUL GOD, MERCIFUL CHURCHIn this wide-ranging exclusive Commonweal interview, Cardinal Walter Kasper discusses mercy, Pope Francis, the CDF, and the Catholic Church's stances on marriage, divorce and communion.
MERCY, TRUTH, AND PASTORAL PRACTICEA huge number of persons today no longer go to church or have a very strained relationship to their churches because what they've met in their churches doesn't speak well of God.
ON RELIGIOUS LIBERTYReligions impact public life; they are not wholly private. But what does religious liberty mean if churches aren't above public laws?
PROPHETIC PRAYER & MORAL RESISTANCEThe Role of the Faithful in the Trump Era... We can slumber through the next four years or wake up to this moment’s encroaching darkness with our spirits on fire.
THE COMMON GOOD PERSPECTIVEImagine a world in which we are able to dialogue about abortion, civil rights, voting requirements, climate change, and a host of other contentious issues without slinging one-liners at one another.
THE DARK NIGHT OF OUR NATION'S POLITICSOur nation’s political campaign has already distinguished itself by its debased level of public discourse. When national politics takes a dark turn, the road to renewal is also at hand.
THE GOSPEL ISN'T SINGLE-ISSUEPope Francis’s new apostolic exhortation
Gaudete et Exsultate warns against elevating any issue, abortion in particular, over all others. And so 'he wants to prevent the faith from being shaped to suit political ideology.' In other words, the Gospel isn’t single-issue.
THE GOSPEL OF NONVIOLENCENeither passive nor weak, Jesus’ nonviolence is the power of love in action for the well-being of all. Is it time for the church to reconsider its approach to peace?
US FIRST!More and more, we are making ourselves the priority and defining ourselves in ways that are not just against the Gospel but are also making us meaner in spirit and more miserly of heart.
WATERED DOWN, OR DRIED UP? FAITH & DISAFFECTIONIn the end, reducing faith to political checklists can neither lift Christianity above the superficiality of bourgeois religion nor reverse the rapidly advancing disaffiliation of the young.
WHEN DOES FAITH DISAPPEAR?Is ceasing to believe in something the same thing as losing one's faith? Not necessarily. Rejecting a set of theological propositions is not the same thing as losing one's faith.
A CHURCH FOR PEACE?The message of fifty years of social teaching is that the entire church’s mission is to celebrate God’s gift of peace.
BLACK LIVES, WHITE CATHOLICSConsulting and collaborating with historians, political scientists, sociologists, psychologists, and theologians can help reveal the scope and tenacity of racism.
NEVER AGAIN IN THE AGE OF TRUMPIn
Gaudium et Spes, the Second Vatican Council made a list of several infamies which degrade humanity and human dignity, including... deportations.
WHAT IS SOCIAL JUSTICE?Few terms have become as unmoored from their Catholic origins, and have thus lent themselves to misunderstanding in contemporary discourse, as has the term “social justice.”
PEACE BY PIECEPeacebuilding is everyone’s responsibility—as a church, in our schools, as individuals. It’s not just something for governments to do.
THE GLOBAL COMPACT FOR MIGRATION We must encourage countries to coordinate more suitable and effective responses to the challenges posed by issues of migration.
POLITICS: OLD AND NEWWhile separation of church and state is an important protection for all religions, it doesn’t mean we as people of faith shouldn’t engage in our civic duties and the political process.
ST. EPHREM’S LAMENTIn an about-face that was as stunning as it was ill conceived, the undisputed symbol of Western supremacy in a war-torn part of the Middle East turned its back on a faithful ally. The year was 363.
THE GOSPEL ECONOMY Basically, to understand the Gospel in its purity and in its transformative power, we have to stop counting, measuring, and weighing.
IT'S TIME FOR OUR BIASES TO GROWFind out the four biases she suggests to counter the toxic kinds that are plaguing U.S. society today. Decorum in differences must be reclaimed, says Sr. Joan Chittister.
THE REVOLUTION OF TENDERNESSThe Emmaus Community is a successful example of how people with various disabilities can be integrated into society.
SANCTUARY CITIES AND THE PRINCIPLE OF SUBSIDIARITYThe idea of sanctuary cities arouses strong moral passions. For some, the term “sanctuary city” evokes images of a local community resisting unjust immigration enforcement, while for others it connotes lawlessness and disorder.
PROMOTING HUMAN DIGNITY IS OUR BAPTISMAL CALLWhen we fail to make what Christ is doing the starting point as we take up the social ministry of the Church, we end up with a distorted view of the Church and our very call to holiness.
NEW YORK CITY’S UNKNOWNS COME ALIVE"Portraits of Immigrants" will showcase 18 of Betsy Ashton's portraits and stories, from refugees to undocumented migrants. It runs from Feb. 14 - March 8 at Divine Mercy Parish in Williamsburg.
PENTECOST DEMANDS A FAITH THAT MOVESThe Spirit sent the disciples out from silence and into the street. This Spirit was the very same Spirit that guided their prayers—the same Spirit that guides ours.
CORONAVIRUS: A NEW RESPONSIBILITYInstitutions can give the money, but they don’t dispense the compassion. That’s up to us. Now is the absolutely worst time for the world to fall apart in petty nationalist squabbling. There is a greater than ever need to pull together and work together.
WHY BLACK DEATHS MATTERWhen we mourn, we understand how hollow the safety and comfort provided by our world really is. We see our own exposure to death, as well as our shared humanity constituted by this vulnerability. The deepest meaning of Black Lives Matter is a call for new life rather than better life.
SIX LESSONS FOR POLICE REFORM FROM THE CATHOLIC CHURCHThe Catholic Church and the U. S. law-enforcement system have something in common: They are both powerful institutions with fiercely loyal agents who have covered up misdeeds — clergy sex abuse and police brutality — and have been in need of reform.
BLIND TO EQUALITY YET?Consideration of racism is grounded in fundamental scriptural beliefs: equal dignity of all people, created in God's image; and Christ's redemption of all. The equality of men rests essentially on their dignity as persons and the rights that flow from it.
AMERICAN EXCEPTIONALISM NEEDS A REBOOTNot only do we need better political leaders, we need more prophets to challenge us and to call us to follow the path leading to a better world for our grandchildren. If we do that, we will be truly exceptional.
ART, RACISM, AND THE PROBLEM OF WHITE JESUS If a society decides to do away with some commercials they deem hurtful and dangerous, they can do that and they probably should. That’s not “erasing history”... It’s part of keeping the public safe, even if it doesn’t look like it to you.
CATHOLIC NUNS AND SOCIAL JUSTICE 50 YEARS ON The change for U.S. Catholic women in religious life between 1960 and the mid-1980s cannot be overstated. It was an historical, theological, sociological and psychological transition of epic proportions – personally, professionally and spiritually.
TAKING FREEDOM TOO FARWhen read carefully, the USCCB’s brief in the Bostock case proves to be only another example of Catholic leaders setting aside the Church’s moral theology for the sake of a “win” in the culture wars.
A CHURCH THAT IS POOR?In many countries, including the United States, the Catholic Church is not only an important advocate for the voiceless, but also literally a lifeline. What are the costs for the poor of having a poor Church?
DON'T PLAY POLITICS WITH PEOPLE'S LIVES DURING A PANDEMICCatholic social teaching recognizes that personal charity is not enough, that just societies must be measured by the degree to which they ameliorate the conditions faced by the poor — not by the amount of money they bestow upon the wealthy.
ONLY RECONCILIATION CAN CANCEL TRANSGRESSIONS Our task––our common task––is to try to desire reconciliation, and reconciliation requires building something together, and building something together requires a forgiveness the likes of which is unimaginable.
A BETTER WAY TO SERVE AND PROTECTPolice militarization has led to excessive use of force, says Tobias Winright, an officer-turned-theologian. We as a church are supposed to be a sacrament to the world, a community of all communities. What can we do to facilitate, to encourage, to be a catalyst for bringing these groups together?
STILL A SIGN OF CONTRADICTIONLiberal, conservative, traditionalist, progressive: Dorothy Day's life defies these conventional, increasingly inadequate categories. Dorothy simply tried to live in accord with the convictions that drew her to the church.
TROLLING THE CATHOLIC VOTEAppealing to voters based on religious identity or values has a long and often inspiring history. What is disturbing about CatholicVote is its apparent cynicism about the intelligence and faith of its prospective audience.
MORAL DISCERNMENT OR (EVIL) GENIUS?How demonization of Catholics with whom we disagree is a detriment to evangelization and undermines Christ's mission, which impedes the important call to reach those who have left the faith or contemplating doing so.
WE NEED TO TALK ABOUT RACISM IN THE CATHOLIC CHURCHIf you are a Catholic in America today, this is your chance. History is offering you an opportunity for conversion and unity. Our identity comes from the theological aspect of the sacrament: We are all one in Christ.
REIMAGINE FAITHFUL CITIZENSHIP, RESTORE THE COMMON GOOD One of the key signs of our times is the fact that the U.S. constitutional republic is facing its greatest stress test since the Civil War. Yet the U.S. Catholic bishops, in their quadrennial reflection on political responsibility, seem oddly out of tune...
POPE TO TAKE COVID CONCERNS TO GLOBAL STAGE AT UN Pope Francis will speak about using the coronavirus crisis as an opportunity to rethink economic, political and environmental policies when he addresses the UN General Assembly via video message on September 21.
READING MATER ET MAGISTRAMater et Magistra, published in May 1961, came at a significant moment in the life of the Church. In tone as well as in content, it was beginning to manifest what would later be called the “Spirit” of Vatican II.
LAND OF THE FREE, HOME OF THE SELF-CENTEREDClearly, the land of the free and the home of the self-centered have a lot to learn from the people of all ages and all countries who manage to wear masks, avoid pool parties and understand that the fines that go with activities like those are in recognition of everybody else's rights.
GOOD POLITICS FOR THE COMMON GOODThe Christian response to the pandemic and to the consequent socio-economic crisis is based on love, above all, love of God who always precedes us. He loves us first...
WORKING FOR JUSTICE MEANS TAKING SIDESEvery Catholic bishop should be willing to take a side, to say without qualification, “Black lives matter,” not just because it’s true, but because that’s what needs to be said now.
THE CORRUPTION OF THE WORDThe word has a performative quality. But so does the lie... We have ample evidence of the damage done by organized, systematic lying in our politics. The impact of it in the Church remains to be seen.
HYPERFOCUS ON ABORTION ISSUE OBSCURES CALL OF COMMON GOODThis hyper focus, paired with the political manipulation of the issue, draws a false line in the sand and creates a litmus test for the role of people of faith in the public square that obscures the multiple ways in which we participate in a culture of death.
VOTING CATHOLIC: SHOULD CATHOLICS EVER BE SINGLE-ISSUE VOTERS?Catholic teaching is always that in your core of your heart, when you are just there with God, after you’ve listened to the teachings of the church, after you’ve listened to other issues.... You sit down and you pray and ask what is God calling you to do?
THE ARCHITECTURE OF PEACEA collection of Catholic theologians, historians, and political theorists offer reflections on different aspects of the Pope’s new encyclical, and the challenge it holds out for our times.
WHY THE POPE'S COMMENTS ON CIVIL UNIONS ARE SO MOMENTOUSSome will say this is a new departure given the Vatican’s past opposition to civil unions, but the Pope has stressed that on the LGBT question he is following the Church's catechism which states that gay people be treated with “respect, compassion and sensitivity”.
HOW TO BE ANTI-RACIST AT WORK: SUGGESTIONS FOR WHITE CATHOLICS If we provide opportunities for dialogue on race, if we practice listening, if we follow up on public pronouncements of solidarity, if we examine our work structures from hiring to retention and if we believe that the image of God is imprinted within all, then our prayers and our acts of faith must honor that.
POPE FRANCIS AND CIVIL UNIONS The confusion around Francis’s comments about same-sex civil unions is not merely a media crisis, but also a moral one. We need clarity, not a media blackout.
WHAT DID THE EARLY CHURCH SAY ABOUT ECONOMIC JUSTICE?In an age when Christianity is comfortably entwined with consumer capitalism, the early Christians’ passion for social and economic justice can come as a shock. From the first... the duty to care for the poor and marginalized was at the center of the gospel.
WHO ARE WE TO JUDGE?It’s something humans are notoriously bad at; Why we should be quicker to judge our own side than we should others. We must recognize that our ultimate confidence lies in God’s judgments, not our own.
WE WILL BE JUDGED ON CHARITY "Lord, when did we see you hungry or thirsty or stranger or naked or sick or in prison, and we didn't serve you?" Jesus answers this question, in the unusual and severe capacity of judge of humanity: "Whatever you did not do to one of these least, you did not do to me."
POPE URGES "TRANSFORMATION" OF ECONOMY POST-COVID "It is time to let 'the poor' and 'the excluded' become protagonists in society." In a video message for the 'Economy of Francesco' event, Pope Francis has urged a "transformation" of the economy post-COVID
DOROTHY DAY'S WRITINGS FROM COMMONWEAL“The most significant, interesting, and influential person in the history of American Catholicism.” A complete collection of her decades of contributions to Commonweal Magazine.
SOCIAL TEACHING | CATHOLIC CENTRAL What do hymns, holy water, and incense have to do with defending human rights around the world? - An entertaining little reminder how much Catholicism's official vision for our society overwhelmingly aligns with progressive values.
THE SUPER RICH, PHILANTHROPY AND POPE FRANCIS'S DREAMSome billionaires have cashed in on COVID. So are they morally bound to share the wealth? And Pope Francis has endorsed the controversial idea of a universal basic income. (The Religion and Ethics Report presented by Andrew West)
POPE FRANCIS, FAKE NEWS, AND POST-TRUTH JOURNALISMAt the heart of the rigidity and self-isolation of groups within the Church—whether on the left or the right—is not an ideological problem but a spiritual one, for which ideology provides the rationale or justification.
REPAIRERS OF THE BREACH: A MEDITATION ON AMERICA If we can’t find some sort of common ground, some shared values or goals, the chasm dividing our nation will continue to widen. How, then, might we begin to repair the breach and to restore the dwellings that our divisiveness has so damaged? How can we make our cracked foundations whole?
THOMAS MERTON'S WRITINGS ON RACE RESONATEHe was a white guy, who spent most of his life alone in the woods in a then-Jim Crow region. But the words Thomas Merton on racial justice resonate as strongly today as they did when they were published more than a half-century ago.
5 THINGS WORTH KNOWING ABOUT EMPATHYEmpathy is a skill that can be learned and enhanced. But it has its limits, and can even promote conflict. Here’s what some experts say about how it works.
HEALING THE WOUNDS OF A DIVIDED AMERICA We cannot will healing into happening. We also can’t expect our elected officials to fix this for us. It’s going to take effort—and in equal measures from individuals across the political spectrum.
WORKERS DESERVE A LIVING WAGE, NOT JUST A MINIMUM WAGEFor more than a century, Catholic social teaching has advocated not for a minimum wage but for a living wage for workers. Sadly, however, the U.S. Congress cannot even increase the minimum wage because of parliamentary rules...
THE POPE IN IRAQ, ARMED WITH A MESSAGE OF PEACEHere was a reminder that the Pope is not a world leader who comes to a country backed by any military or economic power. Judging by the joy of ordinary Iraqis on the streets of Baghdad, his is a message that just might be getting a hearing.
IS FRATELLI TUTTI A “LEFTIST” ENCYCLICAL? A primary purpose of any social encyclical is to correct the errors and excesses present in the ideologies of its day. To assert that Fratelli Tutti promotes a leftist ideology is a serious disservice to the Holy Father’s thought.
"GOD IS ON YOUR SIDE"More Catholic religious orders, schools and institutions have signed onto the Tyler Clementi Foundation statement standing up against #LGBTQ bullying, joining 14 US bishops and over 100 Catholic groups.
VOW OF SILENCE? The silence from Catholic bishops when it comes to systematic, partisan, and racist efforts to undermine voting rights is a failure to apply Catholic social teaching to one of the most brazen injustices of our time.
U.S. BISHOPS CALL FOR 'HEALING' AFTER CHAUVIN VERDICTS "The death of George Floyd highlighted and amplified the deep need to see the sacredness in all people, but especially those who have been historically oppressed. Whatever the stage of human life, it not only matters, it is sacred."
THEOLOGIANS CALL VATICAN STANCE ON SAME-SEX UNIONS UNBIBLICALAn international group of theologians and scholars released an academic statement on May 4 alleging inconsistencies in the Vatican's arguments against same-sex relationships, and urging the church to review its stance in light of modern research.
THIS IS WHY AMERICA NEEDS CATHOLICISMThe idea that Catholic social teaching can inspire secular politics is not new. Today Pope Francis addresses his writings to “all people of good will” rather than to the Catholic faithful alone...
NEVER MORE WARIt would have taken courage to have chosen a different path after the provocation and suffering of 9/11. Twenty years later it is not clear we will have the courage to press for peace when that decision looms before us again.
WHAT CRITICAL RACE THEORY IS — AND IS NOT To hear some describe it, critical race theory is Marxism, a threat to the American way of life, reverse racism and a scheme to indoctrinate children. The reality is less sensationalistic
FORGIVENESS AS A “WORK OF LOVE”?We live in fractious times. Resentment, anger, and injustice seem to abound — a situation that seems to be exacerbated by the apparent desire to be hyper-vigilant in seeking out new ways to take offence, new “wrongs” to unearth.
WOMEN WITNESSES FOR RACIAL JUSTICEThis eries features 15 Black Catholic Women who shaped Catholic tradition as they fought for racial and reparative justice in their religious communities, in the Catholic Church, and in their country.
TO BECOME WHOLLY PRO-LIFE, CARE FOR FRAGILE FAMILIESA decades-long study on vulnerable families aligns closely with the themes of Catholic social teaching. “Being pro-life” means enabling people to be who God created them to be. It is not pro-life enough just to keep someone alive.
POPE WARNS AGAINST 'CANCEL CULTURE'Francis has issued a warning against “cancel culture” saying it is undermining the ability of countries to work together and that misinformation was harming the global response to Covid-19.
WHAT’S RELIGIOUS ABOUT BEING WOKE? Who speaks for the church in this moment of fragmentation and conflict? What does the church stand for? If these questions seem awkward and artificial, that is because they are.
HOLY WEEK PAIN, EASTER HOPE IN UKRAINEThe culmination of these days ahead is not the cross; it is the Resurrection. Beyond the pain there is hope. Hope in Christ; hope in the Spirit that can change hearts and inspire works of peace, justice and love.
NEVER AGAIN, AGAIN The time is right to retrieve world peace from the punchlines of Miss America jokes and restore it to its rightful place atop the wildest dreams and highest aspirations of humankind.
WHAT IS LIBERATION THEOLOGY?Liberation theology often calls for reorganization of social, governmental, and economic structures so that the poor are not merely cared for, but brought into the fullness of human flourishing.
WEAPONIZING THE EUCHARISTInstead of beginning every discussion with “Who do we get to exclude?”, we should, like Pope Francis, preach the good news of the grace and mercy of Christ to every person from conception to natural death.
WHEN TIMING IS PARAMOUNTWhat the public has not heard is a matching statement from the Church’s leaders spelling out the components of a “culture of life” that would protect and empower vulnerable women and children.
RETHINKING OUR METHOD‘Fratelli tutti’ and the need to reconsider the nature and approach of Catholic social teaching and social engagement, May 12, 2022, at Forum Plus, the European Catholic Forum for Social Engagement.
GETTING USED TO ITOne measure of a sick society is how much suffering it can resign itself to. By this measure, the United States isn’t doing very well these days.
PROPHETS WITHOUT ROBES OR STAFFSToday and always, the prophet confronts a dark object, a menacing, enigmatic, obdurate reality affecting the entire community. How to grasp that dark object?
NO ONE CAN DISPOSE OF OR ABUSE HUMAN DIGNITYThe Holy Father's message for the 43rd Meeting for Friendship Among Peoples: A person cannot make the journey of self-discovery alone; the encounter with the other is essential.
A HIDDEN STRUGGLE For many Catholic women experiencing infertility, the Church has not been a welcoming, listening place—and that’s something that needs to change.
WITHOUT THIS VIRTUE, YOUR MORAL LIFE IS UNSTABLEIn the midst of harrowing violence and grave constitutional danger facing the country, the courage of women and men gives both relief and hope. The common denominator in all of these people is courage.
FELLOW BOOMERS: HAVE A LITTLE FAITH IN GEN ZParents always think the world is going to hell in a hand basket, and their kids are the hapless passengers in the front. Parents are usually wrong, but not for the reasons they would think.
WHAT DOES GOD REVEAL IN TRANSGENDER BODIES?An informative conversation on Catholic teaching and gender by two noted female professors of theology with backgrounds in gender studies. The comments that follow the article are just as informative.
CHICAGO PARISHES CO-SPONSOR GUN BUYBACK Cardinal Cupich invites local elected officials, faith communities, businesses and individuals to join in supporting a Gun Buyback Event to reduce the scourge of gun violence, heeding Pope Francis’ appeals against arms trafficking.
ANGER MANAGEMENT AND GUNS Whether for random shootings or the horror of war, individuals or entire nations are picking up guns to solve their real or imagined disputes.
LOOKING FOR LOVE IN ALL THE WRONG PLACESVatican Media presents a story by Dale Recinella, a former Wall Street finance lawyer who, along with his wife Susan, acts as a chaplain for prisoners in Florida.
THE PROMOTION OF JUSTICEThis month marks the 50th anniversary of Fr. Pedro Arrupe’s famous address in which he challenged Jesuit school alumni to form what we now embrace as “people for others.”
WHERE OPPENHEIMER AND POPE FRANCIS AGREENo Western myth of human aggrandizement can account for the evil brought forth by the race for the atom bomb. The road from having nuclear weapons to using them is too short.
CONFLICTING THOUGHTS ON PEACEPeace is a lovely, restful word. It evokes tranquil thoughts. But when we pray for peace it is usually to ask for the end of a terrible war or of inner turmoil of spirit.
WHAT DOES 'RESPECT LIFE' REALLY MEAN?Too many clerics have replaced the Gospel with their personal politics. Until they demonstrate respect for all life, they will continue to be ignored.
HOW TO ABOLISH POVERTY The fact that nearly 40 million Americans live in poverty is a national embarrassment. But it’s also a choice. If poverty exists, it’s because we “wish and will it to.”
DON’T TAKE SCISSORS TO THE SEAMLESS GARMENTLike everything else about discipleship, being pro-life isn’t as simple as checking a box. The more our discernment costs us, the more valuable and genuine it will likely be.
WELCOMING THE STRANGERIt is no surprise that many people, including many who call themselves Christian, have bought into the idea that immigrants are to be equated with “danger.”
REFLECTING ON THOMAS MERTON'S 'THE ROOT OF WAR IS FEAR' TODAY Given the recent atrocities in Israel and Gaza, the terrorist actions of Hamas and the state of Israel's initial retaliation and plans for a massive ground attack, war and escalating violence has been on the minds and hearts of many around the world.
A TWO-STATE SOLUTION IS THE ONLY ANSWERCalls for a ceasefire in Gaza, including from the Vatican, are growing in volume. Without recognising the fundamental causes of the conflict, however, such calls are unlikely to be heeded.
DOROTHY DAY INSPIRES A NEW MEANING OF “SAINT” When Day said all people are called to be saints, she meant all are called to revolutionary holiness. Less often related is that she would also have us get over our narrow churchy notions of what it means to be a saint.
WAKE UP TO INJUSTICES Christians should confront the systems of sin, and the powers that be which created them, bringing to them the justice established by Christ.
ADVENT IN A TIME OF WAROne central problem for Christians now is how to reconcile two of the beatitudes in our lives as citizens—how to be peacemakers while also thirsting for justice.
INCONVENIENT TRUTHS AT CHRISTMASTIME There are too many hurting people frightened today. Can we not quietly and with respect focus on their needs this season and discard the noise and disrespect that fuels the wars large and small? Can we not seek peace?
THE HOLINESS OF ASKING FOR HELPBy letting others in, we enable them to do the work of God. We can enact the holiness of asking for help. Through being the face of God to others, perhaps we can finally accept that God’s love is for us, too.
HOW TO READ ‘FIDUCIA SUPPLICANS’The news coverage of Fiducia supplicans has focused, understandably, on the blessings of same-sex couples. Few have noticed that it also allows blessings to be given to Catholics who are divorced and remarried without an annulment.
LAY DOWN YOUR STONES: FIDUCIA SUPPLICANS AND THE BIBLEThe Vatican’s cautious opening to couples in relationships disapproved of by the Church is "faint-hearted and measly" compared to the expansive generosity Jesus showed to those the religious leaders of his day considered sexual sinners.
THE POPE OF BLESSING – FIDUCIA SUPPLICANS The declaration that a same-sex couple can receive a blessing does not change church teaching – but it is the latest sign of the fundamental change of tone and perspective that has marked the papacy of Francis.
WHAT CATHOLICS NEED TO MODEL THIS ELECTION SEASON We are tasked with bringing new energy to this political melee, while trusting that God is unifying and energizing the world. As Catholics, we have the responsibility to model this reality of unity and energy.
MISSING THE MESSAGE ON SAME-SEX BLESSINGSThere are still going to be clergy and laity who will equate a blessing for a same-sex couple with somehow affirming same-sex marriage. It does not. Yet, trying to make people understand that seems to be a Herculean task.
THE ELUSIVE CATHOLIC VOTE In these fraught times, the Catholic Church could be a source of stability and disinterested wisdom. Instead, the Church is as divided as the country.
DIAGNOSING DISADVANTAGE IN AMERICAPoverty researchers Kathryn Edin, H. Luke Schaefer, and Timothy Nelson explain how centuries of resource extraction and racism have impoverished rural regions.
WHOLE LIFE RISING PODCAST From Millennial, featuring Catholic writers on the most pressing issues of our times in politics, religion, and culture.
LET’S TALK ABOUT IMMIGRATION The subject of immigration is one that immediately elicits passionate responses from people. Often the issue is met with questions such as these: “Why can’t they just wait in line and come here legally like our ancestors did?” and “Why should we let them in? Most of them are drug dealers and criminals.”
WHATEVER HAPPENED TO THE LANGUAGE OF PEACE? Pope Francis finds himself almost entirely alone among world leaders in urging humanity to beat swords into ploughshares; and how, among elite Western opinion especially, his calls are greeted with indifference – that is, when they aren’t met with outright hostility and accusations of “appeasement".
HOW THE CATHOLIC CHURCH IS RESPONDING TO GLOBAL WARFARE Pope Francis has been trying “to put Catholic social teaching, and in particular, the teaching on war and peace, very much at the center of our faith. Our long-term vision for peace calls on all of us to do what we can, where we can.
HUNGER, POVERTY, AND THE EUCHARISTPoverty is a reality of the human condition with as many faces as there are vulnerable conditions. Solomon was more vulnerable than he knew. And his greatest poverty, his greatest vulnerability, we could say, was his not knowing how poor he was.
THE EQUALLY SACRED CHECKLISTNETWORK’s 2024 nonpartisan voter checklist can help research the election through the lens of equally sacred issues that encompass the freedoms needed for a multiracial, multi-faith, inclusive democracy and can help educate voters to know if they are voting for candidates who promote the common good.
JUST POLITICS: HEY LET’S SAVE DEMOCRACYOn this episode of the podcast, the hosts are joined by two of the voices behind NETWORK’s Young Advocates Leadership Lab (Y.A.L.L.) to talk about building momentum for the 2024 election.
OUR UNCOMFORTABLE GOD: POPE’S HOMILY IN TRIESTE, ITALYGod is hidden in the dark corners of life and of our cities, His presence reveals itself precisely in the faces marked by suffering and where degradation seems to triumph. God’s infinity is concealed in human misery.
CHARITY IN TRUTH: SUBSIDIARITY WITH SOLIDARITYPope Benedict made an important change in the discussion of subsidiarity in his 2009 social encyclical, Caritas in Veritate.[1] He described subsidiarity as a particular manifestation of charity, rather than subsuming it under justice, where it had been categorized before.
US BISHOPS BREAK RANKS TO OPPOSE CONFERENCE CUT-BACKSIn a rare display of division, several bishops criticised the decision by the executive committee of the US Conference of Catholic Bishops (USCCB) to halve the staff of its Justice, Peace and Human Development department.
AMERICANS MUST AMPLIFY THEIR COMMON GROUNDBoth sides have to turn back to the noble and honourable task of making the American experiment work, which means amplifying the common ground and seeking the widest possible consensus, as the Founders did. Otherwise the United States is in big trouble.
WHAT’S BEHIND AMERICA’S LONELINESS CRISIS? American society has increasingly asked each of us to stand alone in the void, but humans are not built for that, and we can’t bear it for long. Loneliness is depression’s frenetic cousin, goading us to seek some sense of belonging, however ill-conceived or dangerous.
FEAR AND FAITH IN UNSETTLING POLITICAL TIMESAs we continue to live in challenging and precarious times, we must be attentive to how fear is functioning — rhetorically by politicians and parties, personally within ourselves — in order to resist becoming co-opted means for another's political ends.
RETURN TO FOUNTAIN FULLNESS OF GOD'S BEING The 13th-century Franciscan theologian St. Bonaventure described the created universe as the 'fountain fullness' of God’s expressed being. What kind of Creator are we expressing when we allow millions upon millions of children to die from hunger each year.
BEWARE OF FALSE PROPHETS Jesus calls us to generosity, to forgiveness, to sacrifice. Jesus’ message of love does not compete well against the messages of Madison Avenue and Hollywood where it is all about “me.” We need to pay attention to the true prophets of our time and reject the false prophets who lead us astray.
AFTER HER REMARKS POPE JPII WAS NEVER THE SAME Theresa Kane and her generation paved the way for Catholic women’s efforts to be full members of a church that still doesn’t want us. She did so with extraordinary courage and integrity every step of the way.
THE CHURCH’S BEST-KEPT SECRETPicture the Church’s social doctrine as a throne founded on four pillars: the dignity of the human person, the common good, subsidiarity, and solidarity.
RETURNING RELIGION TO EVOLUTIONSocial justice is not only a human concern but an evolutionary one. We humans are so conditioned by our world that we are unaware of our long biological lineage. Evolution is not merely a backdrop to human history; it is our history.
WE MUST HAVE COURAGE TO DIALOGUEInterreligious dialogue is a risky endeavor that requires great courage. We need courage to listen and to speak. We must be willing to say hard things — and importantly, to hear hard things — from neighbors, colleagues, family and friends.
THE TREE OF LIFE, AN INTERVIEW WITH WANGARI MAATHAIThe Green Belt Movement has planted forty million trees over the last thirty years throughout Kenya. It was for this work, as well as for her advocacy for democratic rights and social justice, that Professor Maathai was jailed and beaten during the despotic regime of Daniel arap Moi.
IF YOU CARE ABOUT FAMILY VALUES, VOTE FOR THE COMMON GOOD It is time for the church to reject all efforts to turn inward and subvert the common good to individual moral norms; it is time to distribute influence away from the patriarchal hierarchy, toward the servant-leaders the church claims to value.
REFUGEES, IMMIGRANTS, AND JESUS On borders everywhere in the world today we find refugees, millions of them. They’re easily demonized, seen as a nuisance, a threat, as invaders, as criminals fleeing justice in their homelands. But mostly they are decent, honest people fleeing poverty, hunger, victimization, and violence.
PRAYER FOR GOOD LEADERSHIPThis prayer by Joan Chittister, osb - “Prayer for Leadership” - outlines the qualities needed in our leaders and asks God to help us choose and support candidates who are ready and able to work for the common good.
BEING AND MAKING PEACE TODAYWhether we are drawn to be activists or not, we need more than just quietly remaining peaceful people. We need God’s grace of courage in the face of injustice.
CATHOLIC BISHOPS SAY THEY WILL DEFEND MIGRANTS Gathering in Baltimore just a week after former President Donald Trump won reelection, leaders of the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops promised to defend immigrants and poor people in the coming years.
CHAPTER 11 HELPS CHURCH OFFICIALS, NOT KIDS OR VICTIMSMany suspect the main reason why church officials find Chapter 11 so attractive is that it helps bishops keep their secrets about abuse secret. Church officials are in bankruptcy court not because they're financially bankrupt, but because they're morally bankrupt.
RELENTLESS COMPASSIONSo many people seem to believe that death, destruction, and domination are the only ways human problems can be solved. This appears to be particularly true for those who wield great political and economic power.
WORLD PEACE GETS MORE ELUSIVE BY THE YEARThe 2024 Global Peace Index reveals the moral cost of violence. It will probably not come as a great shock to discover that peacefulness deteriorated for the fifth year in a row in 2024 as the world suffered through 56 active conflicts.
MEMO TO GOD ON THE FUTURE OF HUMANITY In an exclusive, RNS is publishing the leaked minutes of a heavenly committee on the future of humanity. Despite the danger of suffering from the divine wrath, we feel that publicizing this document is in the public interest. (a satire)
REFLECTIONS ON POPE FRANCIS’ 2025 WORLD DAY OF PEACE MESSAGEAt the beginning of this year, then, we desire to heed the plea of suffering humankind in order to feel called, together and as individuals, to break the bonds of injustice and to proclaim God’s justice. Sporadic acts of philanthropy are not enough. Cultural and structural changes are necessary, so that enduring change may come about.
THE FORGOTTEN EPIDEMIC - CURRENT NUCLEAR POSTURESCan the Church help put nuclear disarmament back on the table? The current nuclear postures of the United States and its adversaries may well be morally bankrupt, but they are also conceptually underdeveloped, outdated, and, given the stakes, “dizzyingly insane.”
HOMELESSNESS REACHES NEW RECORD HIGH AMID AFFORDABLE HOUSING CRUNCHCatholic teaching supports the right to private property, but recognizes that communities and the government have an obligation to ensure the housing needs of all are met, especially poor and vulnerable people and their families. In a time of rising homelessness and when many workers’ wages are stagnant and living expenses are rising, it is important to ensure housing security.”
THE BISHOP WHO PLEADED WITH TRUMP“To plea for mercy is actually a very humbling thing to do,” Bishop Budde said. “I wasn’t demanding anything of him. I was pleading with him, like, can you see the humanity of these people? Can you acknowledge that there are people in this country are scared? If not him, if not the president, could others?”
THE SUFFERING TO COMELying about immigration lays the groundwork for mass deportation. Catholics need to take a proactive and creative role in combatting widespread disinformation about immigrant communities.
CARING FOR MIGRANTS AND REFUGEES IS NOT OPTIONAL FOR CATHOLICSNations have the right to protect their borders, broadly speaking. But this does not absolve the Christians within those borders from doing all they can to help migrants and refugees. To stand with them. To take their side. And telling them “Go home!” is not what Jesus had in mind.
JESUS CHANGES EVERYTHING: WHAT ABOUT WEALTH?To be rich and a disciple of Jesus is to have a problem. Christians have often tried to deal with this by arguing that it is not what we possess that is the problem but our attitude toward what we possess. However, Jesus is very clear. Wealth is a problem.
WEALTH, POWER AND THE CRY OF THE EARTHThe postmodern view that “truth is no longer meaningful” reflects a fundamental shift from belief in objective reality to an emphasis on individual perspectives and power dynamics. In this framework, truth becomes relative and constructed—shaped more by those with power and wealth than by moral or empirical foundations.
NAVIGATING THE TENSION BETWEEN FREEDOM AND OBEDIENCEWhen dealing with obedience, therefore, it is important that those who are in positions of authority, either in society, or in religion, employ their authority for the good of all, making sure that their use of their authority does not undermine but rather promote human dignity and the common good.
NOT ALL RELIGIOUS LEADERS ARE SPINELESS SYCOPHANTS"There are times when taking a side, and a stand, is precisely what’s needed from people of faith. For me, now is such a time. I stand with those engaged in peaceful protest, calling for meaningful change, and especially with young Americans who rightfully wonder if there is hope for their future." - Bishop Mariann Budde
WEAPONIZERS OF FEAR - REVELING IN THE CHAOSFear is the tool of cowards. Only cowards have the need to resort to it, because they can’t admit that their aims are devoid of compassion or concern for human dignity and thus fail on moral grounds.
STRUGGLING WITH ENVY? TWO REMEDIES FOR THE SECOND DEADLY SINThe deadly sins are more accurately called the capital sins because they are the “head” (Latin: capitalis) and root of all the other sins. They are deadly not necessarily because they are worse than other sins, but because they lead to them.
JUBILEE: IN ROME, SOLDIERS, POLICE OFFICERS IN SEARCH OF PEACENearly 30,000 soldiers and police officers flocked to Rome February 8-9 for the Jubilee of the Armed Forces, the second major event of the Holy Year. This was an opportunity for these men and women working in high-stress professions to seek inner peace and for the pope to encourage them to “save lives.”
THE CHURCH & DEMOCRACY AT THE DAWN OF TRUMP IIHow to Recognize ‘What Is Right’? Who speaks for the Catholic Church today? Catholic politicians and political Catholics listen more to influencers and bloggers than to the pope and the bishops. It’s one of the effects of the systematic corruption of the word, in regard to which Church leaders have been culpably silent (or part of the problem).
DOING THE RIGHT THING BECAUSE IT IS THE RIGHT THINGA mature disciple doesn’t calculate or make distinctions as to whether God is inside of a certain situation or not, whether a person seems worth it or not, whether a person is a Christian or not, or whether a person appears to be a good person or not, before reaching out in service.
THE NEW ‘PREEMINENT URGENCY’The Commonweal Podcast: Massimo Faggioli, Kerry Robinson, and Cardinal Blase Cupich discuss the Church’s response to mass deportations in a special podcast episode.
‘SPEAK OUT FOR THOSE WHO CANNOT SPEAK’Have you ever used your voice to ask your leaders to do the right thing on behalf of the poor and needy? Proverbs 31:8–9 tells us that God wants us to do exactly that: to use our voice to speak out for those who might not otherwise be heard.
ON IMMIGRATION: A PASTOR’S CALL FOR COMPASSIONRecently, Pope Francis wrote to the United States bishops about the issue of immigration. His letter garnered both support and criticism among Catholics. Without a doubt, immigration is a politically charged, emotional issue.
TRUMP’S WAR AGAINST TRUTH AND AGAINST FAITHSigns of the times. As Trumpism distorts truth and history, Catholics face a critical choice. The church must resist this assault on facts and morality, reclaiming its role as a truth-telling institution amid rising authoritarianism.
IN A WORLD IN CRISIS, POPE’S ABSENCE WEAKENS OUR HOPEFor journalist and author Michel Cool, Pope Francis' hospitalization has created unease among Catholics, amplified by global uncertainty. He calls this “destabilizing rupture” a profound spiritual challenge, urging the faithful to “demonstrate maturity” in navigating today’s world.
ONE NATION UNDER GOD“If we want to cooperate with our heavenly Father in building the future, let us do so together with our brothers and sisters who are migrants and refugees,” the pope said. “Let us build the future today! For the future begins today, and it begins with each of us.”
HOW WE NEED POPE FRANCISPope Francis is one of the few world leaders who, with both charity and clarity, helps us to recognize the truth—both the truth of our own selfishness and the truth that offers us reasons for hope.
THE BEATITUDES 'TELL US HOW TO BE A HUMAN'What does it really mean to be a peacemaker? To work for justice? To get into "good trouble" for the sake of love? How do we form a happy, holy world? John Dear and Sr. Joan Chittister, OSB explore the Beatutides on the "The Nonviolent Jesus Podcast."
WE NEED TO STOP ‘OTHERING’The time-honored practice of labeling and excluding those who differ from us is eating away at our Christian call to love one another. “It doesn’t take a declaration, or an invasion, to start a war, all it takes is an ‘us’ and a ‘them.’ And a spark.” —Ada Palmer
CARDINAL MCELROY CALLS FOR HOPE, MERCY AND HUMAN DIGNITYWashington’s new archbishop, Cardinal Robert McElroy, encouraged Catholics at his installation Mass on Tuesday (March 11) to have hope and show mercy in a service that included prayers in eight languages, with multiple mentions of the well-being of migrants.
TRAUMA CREATES HOMELESSNESS. WHAT CAN CATHOLICS DO ABOUT IT?Healing from trauma and homelessness takes time, even in a supportive community. Churches and faith communities can and do play a large role here. Short-term shelter programs are vital. But families also need long-term programs where they can really stabilize and grow over 2–3 years.
WELCOMING STRANGERS IN SCRIPTUREFrom beginning to end, God too is portrayed entering our world in the guise of a stranger in need of hospitality. One of the first divine epiphanies is YHWH’s mysterious appearance in the form of “three guests” (Genesis 18:1–8). Abraham and Sarah offer them food, drink, and shelter, and their hospitality occasions the great promise that launches the salvation story of an entire people.
VIOLENCE IS MULTIDIMENSIONALThe gospel imperative is clear: We must put an end to violence. This begins by affirming the inherent sacred worth of all people—and taking deliberate action to make that affirmation a living reality.
OUT OF THE SHADOWS: CONFRONTING VIOLENCE AGAINST WOMENWe need to change laws but we also need to change the culture. And that won't be easy, given the persistent and stubborn shadow of male dominance and patriarchy over most cultures. Men are afraid to lose their power. And so they are pushing back.
THE GOSPEL OF LIFE’ – NEEDED NOW MORE THAN EVER!This year marks the 30th anniversary of one of the most powerfully prophetic social justice and peace encyclicals ever written: Evangelium Vitae (“The Gospel of Life”). The Catholic Church and the world needs the powerful, prophetic wisdom of Evangelium Vitae (“The Gospel of Life”) now more than ever.