Christopher White writes: Thousands of people from around the world began to pay their final respects to the late Pope Benedict XVI on Jan. 2, as his body was transferred into St. Peter’s Basilica from the Vatican monastery where he resided for nearly ten years after his surprise resignation from the papacy in 2013. The… Read More Pope Benedict XVI (1927-2022)

John Gehring writes: Cardinal Robert McElroy of San Diego told me in an email interview that bishops and all Catholics have a responsibility to speak out with more urgency. “We have just come through a two-year period in which the most fundamental elements of our national democracy—the peaceful acceptance of election outcomes, boundaries for attacks… Read More Cardinal McElroy: Catholics Must Reject New Anti-Democratic Culture

via Things Not Seen: In her recent book, The Aesthetics of Solidarity, our guest, professor Nichole M. Flores, explores how Our Lady of Guadalupe has been used as a symbol in democratic campaigns ranging from the Chicano movement and United Farm Workers’ movements to contemporary calls for just immigration reform. The podcast episode is available… Read More Nichole Flores on Our Lady of Guadalupe and the Aesthetics of Solidarity

via the Vatican: The tree and Nativity display are two signs that continue to charm young and old. The tree, with its lights, reminds us of Jesus who comes to illuminate our darkness, our existence often closed up in the shadow of sin, fear and pain. And it suggests to us a further reflection: like… Read More Roots and Contemplation: Pope Francis on the Lessons of the Christmas Tree and Nativity Scene

Christopher White writes: Ukraine’s foreign minister on Dec. 9 said that the Holy See cannot call on both Russia and Ukraine to bring about peace and that if the Vatican wants to play a role in an eventual peace negotiation, it must be willing to “call a spade a spade” and put the responsibility squarely… Read More Pope Francis Must Offer Greater Clarity on Russia’s Invasion of Ukraine

Mike Jordan Laskey writes: As far back as Joe LaHood can remember, there were young people with developmental disabilities at his home. His mother, Cubby, had wanted to stay home with Joe when he was born, and she had experience working with kids with disabilities. So, she started caring for one child at their house… Read More Inclusion and Hospitality at St. Joseph’s House

In an interview with Interfaith America’s Mary Ellen Giess, millennial Catholic Chris Crawford says: The way I approach democracy stems from the way I approach human dignity in general.  My public engagement is rooted in my Catholic faith and the belief in the dignity of every person and that every person is made in the… Read More Why Catholics and Other People of Faith Should Defend Democracy