There is a rich tradition of dumb comparisons to Adolf Hitler, the Nazis, and the Holocaust. This leads some to set aside these comparisons entirely. But there are certain circumstances where such comparisons are quite clearly useful for illustrating the gravity of the situation at hand: when mass atrocities are occurring, genocide or ethnic cleansing… Read More Is Donald Trump Embracing Nazi-like Policies?
Would Jesus take in refugees? Perhaps it is more helpful to flip that question: would you take Jesus in as a refugee? The relevance of that question lies in the fact that Jesus was a refugee, as he and his family were forced to flee to Egypt to escape violence. Jesus tells us that whatever… Read More Why American Christians Should Support Welcoming Syrian Refugees
John Gehring and Richard Wood have explained what is on the line in this week’s deliberations at the USCCB: Nearly two months after Pope Francis made his first visit to the United States, the US Conference of Catholic Bishops will set its strategic plans for the years ahead and refine a presidential election-year message to… Read More Will the Bishops Embrace or Ignore Pope Francis’ Agenda?
Cardinal Óscar Andrés Rodríguez Maradiaga of Honduras, a key advisor to Pope Francis and chair of his Council of Cardinals, recently spoke at Pope Francis’ Environmental Encyclical: Protecting the Planet and the Poor, an event cosponsored by the Initiative on Catholic Social Thought and Public Life, Georgetown Law Center’s Environmental Law Program and Climate Change… Read More The Climate Cardinal: Cardinal Óscar Rodríguez
Is civil war coming to the Catholic Church over the possible creation of a penitential path back to communion for divorced and remarried Catholics? On its face, this claim seems preposterous, a half-baked fantasy cooked up by a small group of Catholic traditionalists and reactionaries whose enmity toward Pope Francis has reached new heights. I… Read More Will There Be Civil War in the Church?
In his historic speech to a joint session of the US Congress, Pope Francis said that the Golden Rule “reminds us of our responsibility to protect and defend human life at every stage of its development.” This statement was clearly meant to include the lives of unborn children yet a number of conservatives in the… Read More The Whole Life Pope: Francis Has the Right Approach to Abortion
After Mass last Sunday, I saw a young man praying on his knees with his hands clasped tightly and his eyes closed. Even the presence of a typically loud toddler did nothing to break his intense focus. There is an otherworldliness to this type of prayer. And it is not uncommon. I’ve seen it at… Read More A Church for the Broken
Millennial 