The burden of student debt is a crushing problem for the millennial generation. This should be stating the obvious, as total student debt has surpassed one trillion dollars. Countless articles and blog posts have been written about the problem and thousands of speeches call for a solution to end the crisis, but the problem has… Read More Student Debt is a Crushing Problem for Millennials
Why did Pope Francis, who is known for his vivacity and joy, identify himself first and foremost as a sinner when asked to describe himself? And why did he return to this theme earlier today on twitter, where he reminded us that “we are all sinners”? There is always a temptation, perhaps stronger in those… Read More Hopeful Sinners
[This post by Jeremy Zipple, SJ is also featured on The Jesuit Post] I’ll cut straight to the chase: The PBS/Frontline documentary Two American Families is bleak, so bleak it may make you lose all hope in the long-term viability of the American middle class. It is also stunningly thought provoking, and if I were… Read More The Narrow Path to the Middle Class, on “Two American Families”
The Bishops Take a Stand Left-leaning Catholics are used to being disappointed: disappointed by the Republican Party, for its apparent indifference to the economic travails of the working class; disappointed by the Democratic Party, for its slow but steady drift away from a big tent approach and toward the same with-us-or-against-us culture war mentality on… Read More The Bishops: Right on Immigration, Wrong on Immigration Reform
In his first major interview as pope and in his papacy as a whole, Pope Francis is giving us a unique opportunity to hit the reset button on our approach to abortion. He is rejecting the culture war mentality of many members of the hierarchy. At the same time, he has shown no intention to change the… Read More Why Pro-life and Pro-choice Advocates Should Find the Common Ground
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
In April 2011, I examined Rev Jim Wallis and Sojourners magazine’s controversial campaign to protect our social safety net – with the tag line “What would Jesus Cut?” Wallis and his colleagues completed a Lenten fast for hunger and poverty demonstrating their commitment through an organized collection of religious, political and personal activities. Given last week’s… Read More Would You Deny Jesus Food Stamps? (Remix)
Millennial 