Today’s Slaves: The church’s response to the human trafficking crisis
The Vatican’s gardens are lush. Palm trees create a canopy unique to that part of the world, marble buildings punctuate the landscape, often at unexpected turns, and it is not unusual to see members of the papal staff or cardinals scurrying about, either hurrying off to a meeting or pacing in
Building a Better Peace: A future worthy of our faith
The Roman historian Tacitus, writing near the time of Jesus, described how the Pax Romana was experienced by people, like the Celts and Jews, who had been conquered by the Romans: “They make a desolation and call it ‘peace,’” he wrote, quoting Calgacus, a besieged Caledonian
Of Many Things
What people miss when they say, “The bishops should do X”
Statements that refer to “the bishops” often belie a diverse and complex reality.
Letters
Reply All
Troubled StarsRe “Mother and Sister Earth” (Editorial, 7/6): A Sufi teaching instructs: “To pluck a flower is to trouble a star.” Pope Francis’ encyclical, “Laudato Si’,” presents a very comprehensive view of the human impact on earth’s community
Editorials
Economy for the People
How does a nation build up an economy that builds up its people?
Vantage Point
Spires or Tombs?: The editors on Hiroshima and Nagasaki
What defense can there be, then, against the awful forces that have now been unleashed with the utter terror of the atomic bomb?
Books
The Ghosts of Old Reforms
‘Caught: The Prison State and the Lockdown of American Politics,’ by Marie Gottschalk
The Power of Music
‘Leningrad: Siege and Symphony,’ by Brian Moynahan
Christianity’s Contribution
‘Inventing the Individual: The Origins of Western Liberalism,’ by Larry Siedentop
Theater
How Sweet the Sound: The story behind a beloved hymn
The story behind a beloved hymn
Poetry
Ars Poetica, the Art Institute of Chicago
In this fine light the figurationsrise and dielike Attention and the senseand sensuous condition of paintand music God knows Degasknew the waltz of signs,the rhythms of cyan,the chant of the white lead, the Venetianred of The Rape,and the horses at Longchampswith their gorgeous rumpsposing for
The Word
Gospel: you are what you eat.
You are what you eat There is some truth to this in the physical sense as the bloated Western diet can lead us to heart disease and obesity while more nutritious and moderate eating can lead to better health and more energy Yet every physical food in moderation can be transformed into necessar
A Sense of God
As infants prior to the coming of speech we communicate with sounds gestures and facial expressions Long before we can speak to our mothers fathers or older siblings we fall in love with them It is a tactile love based upon the senses of touch hearing smelling and seeing What if this is h
Columns
Pontifex Economicus
The subtitle of Pope Francis’ stunning new encyclical, “‘Laudato Si’, On Care for Our Common Home,” belies the preference of some that a pontiff not venture into economic matters—Jeb Bush, for instance. Etymologically, after all, economics is the discipline of man
Current Comment
Current Comment
Latinos now outnumber non-Hispanic whites in California.
Faith
What people miss when they say, “The bishops should do X”
Statements that refer to “the bishops” often belie a diverse and complex reality.
Living Like Snape: Lessons From Hogwarts
The beauty of Snape’s character is that he does not allow other characters’ doubts to dictate who he is.
Generation Faith
Living Like Snape: Lessons From Hogwarts
The beauty of Snape’s character is that he does not allow other characters’ doubts to dictate who he is.
Philosopher's Notebook
An Elusive Integral Ecology
Pope Francis’ outlook sharply diverges from that promoted by many prominent environmentalists.
Signs Of the Times
Iran Deal Welcomed
The Holy See welcomed Iran’s historic nuclear deal and expressed hopes that other breakthroughs may be on the horizon. Under the new deal, decades-long sanctions would be lifted in exchange for an agreement by Iran to restrict its nuclear program to peaceful purposes. Federico Lombardi, S.J.,
A Year After a Punishing Conflict,Gaza Struggles to Rebuild
One year after war with Israel turned daily life in Gaza into a nightmare, a Catholic priest there said the situation in the besieged Palestinian territory has deteriorated even further. “Compared with a year ago, we’re worse off. Although a truce stopped the war, the blockade of Gaza by
Rising Latinos
More than half of young Catholic families participating in a recent survey identified themselves as Latino or Hispanic, a finding the president of Holy Cross Family Ministries said will require new ways of ministering in the U.S. Catholic Church. Overall, 54 percent of young couples in the 25- to 45
Renewed Push to End Death Penalty
In a message commemorating the 10th anniversary of the Catholic Campaign to End the Use of the Death Penalty on July 16, the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops renewed its opposition to capital punishment. “Our faith tradition offers a unique perspective on crime and punishment, one grounded
News Briefs
The mining industry, especially in the world’s poorest countries, must make a “radical change” to respect the rights of local communities and protect the environment, Pope Francis said on July 17. • Bishops across Mexico expressed incredulity after the escape of the drug kingp
Reviving Haiti, a Tough Job for a New Cardinal
The last time a Roman Catholic priest got involved in Haitian politics, things did not turn out so well.That was the tragic saga of Haiti’s former President Jean-Bertrand Aristide, the erratic cleric who came to power twice, in 1991 and 2001, only to be ousted by coups and protests. The world
Planned Parenthood Video Provokes Calls for Investigation
Recriminations continued to accumulate after the release of a gruesome conversation about fetal remains, recorded by a hidden camera, went viral on the Internet, provoking a national uproar about Planned Parenthood procedures.Produced by the Center for Medical Progress, the video captures Dr. Debora
Vatican Dispatch
Francis of the Poor
I have been on all the foreign trips Francis has made since becoming pope, but his visit in July to Ecuador, Bolivia and Paraguay revealed new dimensions of the man and the impact of his ministry.“We love people, not concepts or ideas,” he declared during a Mass in Santa Cruz, Bolivia. T
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