Pope Francis: All People Have a Right to Religious Freedom, Not Just Christians

Highlights from Pope Francis in chapter 8 of Fratelli Tutti: The different religions, based on their respect for each human person as a creature called to be a child of God, contribute significantly to building fraternity and defending justice in society. (271) We are convinced that “when, in the name of an ideology, there is… Read More Pope Francis: All People Have a Right to Religious Freedom, Not Just Christians

Sister Helen Prejean on Trump’s Execution Spree

Sister Helen Prejean writes: The Trump administration is engaged in a full-court press to execute as many people on federal death row as possible before Jan. 20. Attorney General William P. Barr has already overseen eight executions since July. Five more are scheduled before the inauguration of President-elect Joe Biden, who has pledged to end… Read More Sister Helen Prejean on Trump’s Execution Spree

Quote of the Day

Pope Francis: “It is my desire that, in this our time, by acknowledging the dignity of each human person, we can contribute to the rebirth of a universal aspiration to fraternity.”

Pope Francis: Inequality and Injustice Make Peace Impossible

Highlights from Pope Francis in chapter 7 of Fratelli Tutti: Those who work for tranquil social coexistence should never forget that inequality and lack of integral human development make peace impossible. (235) Nor does this mean calling for forgiveness when it involves renouncing our own rights, confronting corrupt officials, criminals or those who would debase… Read More Pope Francis: Inequality and Injustice Make Peace Impossible

Moving Beyond Our Comfort Zones Can Open Us Up to Fuller, Richer Lives

In Commonweal, Charles Taylor writes: Our relationships, if healthy and authentic, open us to others who expand and enrich us. Nowadays, our noblest social instincts can easily be thwarted by self-centered chats that give the impression of being deep relationships. On the contrary, authentic and mature love and true friendship can only take root in… Read More Moving Beyond Our Comfort Zones Can Open Us Up to Fuller, Richer Lives

The Pro-Life, Pro-Family Case for Economic Justice

Gracy Olmstead writes: This struggle is the focus of two recently published books: Alissa Quart’s Squeezed: Why Our Families Can’t Afford America, which came out in 2018, and Eichner’s The Free-Market Family: How the Market Crushed the American Dream (and How It Can Be Restored), published in January of this year. Both books painstakingly document… Read More The Pro-Life, Pro-Family Case for Economic Justice

Around the Web: Articles on Racial Justice and Reform

Check out these recent articles from around the web: The Challenge of Black Patriotism by Theodore R. Johnson: “Black patriotism does not hold that America is irredeemably racist — it asks if America is interested in redemption. It is forward-looking and informed by history, meshing optimism about the nation’s prospects with a realism about its… Read More Around the Web: Articles on Racial Justice and Reform