Pope Francis pulled no punches in his homily this morning on the perils of greed and attachment to money. Pope Francis notes that this is a “day-to-day” problem. It’s something we all must think about, not just those with exceptional wealth or who want to be a billionaire as bad as Travie and Bruno Mars.… Read More Pope Francis on Greed
Bishop Robert McElroy, the auxiliary bishop of San Francisco, has a new article in America that Michael Sean Winters of NCR has labeled a “game changer” for explicitly and authoritatively challenging “the use, better to say misuse, of Catholic moral theology in discussions of public policy.” As MSW notes, some excellent theologians have addressed these distortions… Read More Church for the Poor: 10 Key Points in Bishop McElroy’s Outstanding Article
Matthew Scully has an excellent, challenging piece in National Review Online, in which he compares the anti-abortion cause to opposing cruelty toward animals (quite convincingly) and makes the case for veganism (not so much). Catholic thought is embedded throughout Scully’s essay. Scully cites Vatican statements from the last three popes that affirm humanity’s responsibility to… Read More Must Pro-lifers Oppose Cruelty to Animals?
Malala Yousafzai, the courageous 16-year-old who has championed education for all in the face of Taliban thuggery, has been awarded the European Parliament’s Sakharov Prize for Freedom of Thought. This comes in the wake of her appearance on The Daily Show last night, where her generosity of spirit was once again on display, as it… Read More Malala wins the Sakharov Prize, Nobel Peace Prize Next?
While Vietnam has liberalized its economy in recent decades, its political system remains brutally repressive, intent on silencing voices of dissent. Dozens of key human rights activists have faced persecution in the past year. The latest is Le Quoc Quan, “a 42-year-old lawyer, outspoken Catholic and blogger” whom the Washington Post described as “one of… Read More Catholic Human Rights Activist Le Quoc Quan Imprisoned in Vietnam
On Tuesday night, Georgetown University hosted the first event of the new Initiative on Catholic Social Thought and Public Life. The topic was The Francis Factor, and it featured an entertaining, engaging discussion with David Brooks, Mark Shields, Kim Daniels, and Alexia Kelley. The moderator was the initiative’s director, John Carr, who spent over 20… Read More The Francis Factor: A Discussion on the First Six Months of Pope Francis’ Leadership
The Republican Party’s slide to the right reached an embarrassing point this week. On Thursday, House Republicans attacked food security by voting to pass deep cuts ($40 billion) in the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP). Yesterday they voted to gut the Affordable Care Act, a policy that would leave millions without health insurance and result… Read More A Preferential Option against the Poor
