Of Many Things
Matt Malone, S.J.: The church has no need to apologize for Paycheck Protection Program loans
The church in the United States is not a monolith. It is a network of affiliated but legally and financially independent institutions.
Letters
Letters: Racism and representation in our church
“Religious orders rarely look at their own participation in a racist culture.”
Editorials
Editorial: The Supreme Court can’t solve all our moral disputes. It shouldn’t try.
The court is functioning less as a judicial body than as a relief valve for legislative dysfunction and executive overreach.
Short Take
A prayer for Catholic schools facing the Covid-19 pandemic
Absent relief, more and more private schools will close, hurting local economies on the way.
Dispatches
What can parents expect when Catholic schools reopen in the fall?
As the number of coronavirus cases continues to rise in most states, school administrators are struggling to decide if classes can be held in person, if remote learning is here to stay for a while or if a hybrid of the two is needed.
Are Nigeria’s Christians the target of a genocide?
Increasingly brutal attacks on Christian villages have been explained as the result of conflict over diminishing resources.
Black Lives Matter is inspiring demonstrations all over Latin America
“There’s a common denominator in the United States and Latin America: Human rights violations associated with police abuse many times go unpunished.”
GoodNews
Chicago Catholics tend parish gardens, supply pantries during pandemic
Volunteers work in the gardens on Saturday mornings and produce is donated to the local St. Vincent de Paul food pantry.
Features
Religious ideals shaped the broken U.S. prison system. Can they also fix it?
How the influence of religion and a desire for retaliation have made the U.S. penal system exceptional in all the worst ways
Joe McCarthy’s Controversial Catholic Faith
Senator Joe McCarthy was devoted to his faith but also devoted to an obsessive hunt for Communism in the halls of the U.S. Government.
Faith and Reason
Christianity’s defense against tyrants
Upholding the authority of the law to restrain the chief executive is a core Christian value.
Faith in Focus
Why did Christ choose a fisherman?
Jesus called his followers to be fishers of men. We can understand this better if we consider what it takes to be a fisher of fish.
Julian of Norwich believed ‘All will be well.’ Would she say so today?
All will be well and all will be well: even now?
Books
Hilary Mantel’s case against St. Thomas More
Mantel’s portrait of More is of a self-serving whiner with a death wish. But what must always be remembered is that she is creating fiction.
Flannery O’Connor: A walking contradiction on race
Flannery O’Connor was, like many people of her time, “a walking contradiction when it came to matters of race.”
Scott Cairn’s poetry of immanence
Cairns is a rare figure in American letters: a religious poet free of mawkish piety.
Review: A look at the changing vocation of Catholic laywomen
“The Laywoman Project” is a book primarily about changing concepts of women’s vocation during that rapidly moving decade.
Review: Annalena Tonelli, a humanitarian innovator
Annalena Tonelli moved to Kenya in her 20s to work as a teacher. Her desire was to live among the poor as one of the poor.
Review: Colson Whitehead and the long reach of trauma
Colson Whitehead’s award-winning novel is a timely reflection on who gets to write history…and who gets to erase it.
Poetry
Hospital View
I worried his soul had been out for too long.
against fireworks
they last seconds then dissipate like apologies
The Word
All are welcome to God’s inclusive generosity
Today’s Gospel is another reminder of God’s inclusive generosity.
To experience God, look at the people around you
Today’s Gospel includes events, instructions and revelations that help train the disciples to be future leaders.
The Gospel message is for everyone.
The woman’s persistence contributes to the evolving Gospel message, which ultimately includes all people.
Can Scripture help you discern good leaders?
Scripture provides helpful insights about power and authority.
What makes a good leader? Wisdom from Jeremiah, Paul and Jesus
The readings reveal the importance of openness to hearing the truth and of thinking critically about who is given power.
Last Take
Boston College’s initiative to transform the way we think about racial justice in America
Structural racism must be addressed as a collective, not only an individual, responsibility. A new project at Boston College tackles this challenge. Its inaugural director, Vincent Rougeau, explains.
Faith
Why did Christ choose a fisherman?
Jesus called his followers to be fishers of men. We can understand this better if we consider what it takes to be a fisher of fish.
All are welcome to God’s inclusive generosity
Today’s Gospel is another reminder of God’s inclusive generosity.
To experience God, look at the people around you
Today’s Gospel includes events, instructions and revelations that help train the disciples to be future leaders.
The Gospel message is for everyone.
The woman’s persistence contributes to the evolving Gospel message, which ultimately includes all people.
Can Scripture help you discern good leaders?
Scripture provides helpful insights about power and authority.
What makes a good leader? Wisdom from Jeremiah, Paul and Jesus
The readings reveal the importance of openness to hearing the truth and of thinking critically about who is given power.
Flannery O’Connor: A walking contradiction on race
Flannery O’Connor was, like many people of her time, “a walking contradiction when it came to matters of race.”
Review: A look at the changing vocation of Catholic laywomen
“The Laywoman Project” is a book primarily about changing concepts of women’s vocation during that rapidly moving decade.
Joe McCarthy’s Controversial Catholic Faith
Senator Joe McCarthy was devoted to his faith but also devoted to an obsessive hunt for Communism in the halls of the U.S. Government.
Julian of Norwich believed ‘All will be well.’ Would she say so today?
All will be well and all will be well: even now?
Politics
Faith
Culture
Vatican
Scripture
Podcasts