For just a few days, Washington’s obsession with the “middle class” was broken.
John Carr
John Carr retired on January 1, 2026, from the Initiative on Catholic Social Thought and Public Life at Georgetown University which he founded in 2013. He previously served as Director of the Department of Justice, Peace, and Human Development at the UnitedStates Conference of Catholic Bishops (USCCB) for more than 20 years. He also was a Washington Correspondent for America, Chair of the Board of Bread for the World, and a Residential Fellow at the Institute of Politics at Harvard University.
Posted inDispatches
Washington (Finally) Talks about Poverty
For just a few days, Washington’s obsession with the “middle class” was broken.
Posted inWashington Front
Forming Catholic Voters
We should avoid the temptation to adapt our faith to advance our politics.
Posted inDispatches
Forming Faithful Citizens: Looking to 2016
I believe pundits who talk about “the Catholic vote” don’t know many Catholics.
Posted inWashington Front
A Mess and A Miracle: A foreign policy report card for Congress
Where is the most dangerous place, and what is the greatest challenge for U.S. foreign policy? The terror of ISIS in the Middle East? Nuclear negotiations with Iran? A broken peace process in the Holy Land? Russian aggression in Ukraine? Actually, the most dangerous place for our nation’s fore
Posted inWashington Front
The Lives of David Carr
Even in Washington there are things more important than politics. There are losses more profound than an election defeat or the failure of a piece of legislation. When we lose someone who reminds us of what is important and what is not, there are lessons for personal, public and religious life. For
Posted inIn All Things
Lessons on Second Chances from My Brother, David Carr
Even in Washington there are things more important than politics There are losses more profound than an election defeat or the failure of a piece of legislation When we lose someone who reminds us of what is important and what is not there are lessons for personal public and religious life For
Posted inWashington Front
A Sermon on the Hill
Are our leaders ready for Pope Francis’ challenge to business as usual?
Posted inWashington Front
New Year’s Wishes
The year 2014 was an awful one for Washington, with too little leadership from the president and too much obstruction from Congress. I find liturgical litanies comforting, but 2014’s litany of Washington woes was demoralizing. The year was a roll call of crises, anger and sadness: Ferguson, &l
Posted inWashington Front
Midterm Malaise
On the day after the midterm elections, pundits who misjudged the Republican wave confidently explained what it meant, Democrats played blame games and Republicans debated whether cooperation or confrontation is the best way forward. The sweeping Republican victory was shaped by history, geography a