In Britain we usually begrudge American superiority and prefer not to admit it But a grand exception has been made for Barack Obama Even right-wing media here have heaped praise on the Democratic nominee s oratory presence and power to uplift with his vision of hope and unity This week s e

As the general election takes shape the leading issues have emerged the economy the Iraq War ethics reform global warming A news story may temporarily thrust a new item onto the list but in poll after poll these are the issues that people care about In fact it is an old bit of wisdom that

Why should a Catholic priest avoid preaching about political issues--Republican Democrat or otherwise--in a homily See what you think about one answer at Beliefnet Hint It s got something to do with whose word he s preaching or rather whose Word James Martin SJ

Here s a smart piece by two of the smartest Catholic scholars in this country David O Brien the church historian at Holy Cross College in Worcester Mass and Lisa Sowle Cahill the moral theology professor at Boston College writing on the policy of denying Communion to certain politicians

John McCain has had a four months long head start on unifying the Republican Party around his candidacy but signs remain that the GOP is fractured or unenthusiastic about his bid for the White House Barack Obama has had less than a week to unify the Democrats and the early signs are that the wo

A look back at America's 2008 poetry contest

Barriers or Bridges? The Great Wall of China, Hadrian’s Wall, the Berlin Wall, the Iron Curtain, the Korean Demilitarized Zone. Now we have the 670-mile-long concrete fence between Mexico and the United States, the ever-expanding, 436-mile-long West Bank Barrier intended to protect Israelis fr

One of the least reported stories of the Iraq war is the story of the humanitarian crisis it has spawned. While the media have covered the military debates, the fighting, the lives of soldiers and the politics surrounding the war, they have left largely untold the stories of close to five million di

Intellectuals today lack a depth of dedication to the poor

When Olafur Eliasson installed his work “The Weather Project” in the Turbine Hall of London’s Tate Modern in winter 2003, more than two million people thronged to see it: a giant golden orb hung at the end of the 500-foot-long hall. Actually it was a semicircular steel frame 50 fee

For many days now, British, French and American ships loaded with relief supplies have been sitting off Myanmar’s coast, waiting for permission to enter that country’s ports. The aid is urgently needed. Almost a month after Cyclone Nargis left at least 134,000 people dead or missing in M

Is there a future for Christianity in Iraq?

The challenges of living a long life

Corrections and Clarifications Thank you for publishing the article “Human Bondage” (4/14), of which I am a co-author. I have received many positive responses to it. Because of an editorial error, however, which reversed my meaning, I need to correct and clarify an important point. Once

The government's response created a most unnatural disaster

The world stands out on either side/No wider than the heart is wide.   —“Renascence” Edna St. Vincent Millay Recently, a friend of mine, a professional woman, sent me an e-mail message that she was going to Spain for vacation. Knowing that Spain was almost contiguous to Afric

Meeting the Food Crisis Greater support for the world’s small farmers would enable them to produce more food in a sustainable manner and help address chronic hunger and malnutrition around the globe, the Vatican’s permanent observer to the United Nations said during a meeting of the worl