Dorothy Day may be under consideration for sainthood, but should that not pan out, at least a new Staten Island Ferry will soon bear her name.
Michael J. O’Loughlin
Michael J. O’Loughlin is national correspondent at America and author of Hidden Mercy: AIDS, Catholics, and the Untold Stories of Compassion in the Face of Fear.
Posted inDispatches, Politics & Society
‘It is our duty to love and defend’ LGBT Americans: Bishop Stowe breaks with U.S. bishops on the Equality Act
The U.S. bishops’ conference has made defeating the Equality Act a priority, citing concerns over religious freedom.
Posted inDispatches, Faith
‘It just hurts’: Catholics react to Vatican ban on blessings for same-sex couples
L.G.B.T. Catholics and their allies are reacting with dismay to a statement released Monday by the Vatican prohibiting priests from blessing same-sex unions, in which church officials assert that God “does not and cannot bless sin.”
Posted inDispatches, Faith
‘It is not a sin to get a vaccine’: This Catholic bishop delivers clear and concise Covid messaging.
“The internet is awash in rogue priests, bishops and bloggers presenting incorrect moral teaching,” Bishop Joseph Tyson told America. He wants Catholics to know they should not have moral qualms about receiving any vaccine.
Posted inDispatches, Politics & Society
‘Pastorally dangerous’: U.S. bishops risk causing confusion about vaccines, ethicists say
Recent statements from the Archdiocese of New Orleans and the U.S. bishops’ conference say Catholics should not take the Johnson & Johnson Covid-19 vaccine if other options are available. But some Catholic ethicists and theologians say such messages are unhelpful in the face of this ongoing crisis.
Posted inDispatches, Faith
Catholic foundations worth $48 billion are pushing for stronger sexual abuse protections
A consortium of Catholic foundations is using its collective giving-power to push for stronger safeguarding measures aimed at protecting children and vulnerable adults from sexual abuse, misconduct and harassment.
Posted inDispatches, Politics & Society
How Joe Biden observed Ash Wednesday — and his message for Lent
On Ash Wednesday, Joe Biden urged Americans to hold in prayer those who have suffered from the Covid-19 pandemic while “look[ing] with hope and anticipation toward Easter and brighter days ahead.”
Posted inFaith, News Analysis
The bishops were divided on how to approach Joe Biden. It’s not the first time a dispute has gone public.
Public disagreements among the U.S. bishop are rare but not unprecedented. A contentious debate about the church and AIDS in 1987 is perhaps the situation most similar to the divisions over how to welcome President Biden.
Posted inExplainer, Faith
Explainer: Your bishop said it’s time to come back to church. Is it a sin if you don’t go?
Whenever dioceses choose to lift dispensations, like with other difficult pandemic-related decisions, individual believers will have to decide for themselves when they feel safe going back to church.
Posted inDispatches, Politics & Society
Catholic hospitals launch health equity initiative to fight systemic racism
The plan places a particular emphasis on ensuring equal access to Covid-19 testing, treatment and vaccination.