Explainer: Can a priest or a member of a religious order publicly endorse a political candidate?

by James T. Keane September 3, 2020

Should Catholic priests or members of religious orders be endorsing political candidates? If it is allowed, is it prudent?

Explainer, Faith

Explainer: What is an invalid baptism?

by Molly Cahill August 26, 2020

John Baldovin, S.J., a sacramental theologian and professor at the School of Theology and Ministry at Boston College, offered America explanations for many of the important questions that have arisen as a result of Father Hood’s case.

Explainer, Faith

Explainer: If Donald Trump wins, what does that mean for abortion policies?

by James T. Keane August 26, 2020

If President Donald J. Trump wins a second term in November, what will it mean for abortion policy in the United States?

Explainer, Faith

Explainer: If Joe Biden wins, what does that mean for abortion policies?

by James T. Keane August 19, 2020

What would a Biden/Harris presidential win mean for abortion politics in the United States?

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Explainer, Faith

Explainer: What the church has done to fight clergy sex abuse since 2018’s ‘summer of shame’

by Colleen Dulle August 14, 2020

It has been two years since the Pennsylvania Grand Jury Report was published, documenting in disturbing detail at least 1,000 cases of abuse by 300 predator priests spanning seven decades.

Explainer, Faith

Explainer: 5 takeaways from the Vatican’s new document on parish reform

by Colleen Dulle July 22, 2020

What does the Vatican document on parish life mean for Catholics in the pews?

Protesters burn U.S. flags during a protest in front of Trump Tower, Saturday, July 4, 2020, in New York. (AP Photo/Eduardo Munoz Alvarez)

Explainer, Politics & Society

Explainer: Can President Trump designate ‘antifa’ as a terrorist group?

by Ellen K. Boegel July 13, 2020

Branding “antifa” (short for “antifascist”) or any domestic association as a terror group is problematic, primarily because the United States “does not officially designate domestic terrorist organizations.”

Activists and supporters block the street outside the U.S. Supreme Court in Washington Oct. 8, 2019, as it hears arguments in three major employment discrimination cases on whether federal civil rights law prohibiting workplace discrimination on the "basis of sex" covers gay and transgender employees. (CNS photo/Jonathan Ernst, Reuters)

Explainer, Politics & Society

Are L.G.B.T. employees at Catholic institutions protected by the new SCOTUS ruling?

by Michael J. O’Loughlin June 19, 2020

The short answer is: it is unlikely.

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Explainer, Politics & Society

What does Trump’s reversal of transgender health care policy mean for Catholic providers?

by Kevin Clarke June 17, 2020

The administration’s final rule for section 1557 of the Affordable Care Act was deplored by advocates for L.G.B.T. rights, but welcomed by the U.S. bishops to “restore the rights of health care providers.”