Of Many Things
Could a new religious hymn about America break our polarization?
The values that have guided this country through more than 200 years should not be and cannot be up for debate, Matt Malone, S.J., writes in his ‘Of Many Things’ column.
Your Take
Your Take: John Boehner
John Boehner was the subject of the 2019 America Profile (“A Conversation With Former House Speaker John Boehner,” 12/9/19). The cover story generated a fair amount of feedback, much of it expressing a longing for bipartisanship in the public square.
Editorials
The Editors on the Question of Impeachment
Our civic duty requires us to rise above partisan and sectional interests and to act to preserve the constitutional order.
Short Take
Clergy have helped make economics moral for centuries. Is it time for reboot?
From the defense of moneylending to ethical research methods, theologians have shaped modern economics and finance, writes Paul McNelis. It may be time for them to step in again.
Dispatches
Important dates in 2020
What is coming up in 2020, from Holy Days of Obligation to the presidential election and the Summer Olympics.
As protests continue in Hong Kong, Beijing’s criticism of churches grows louder
In recent weeks, the Chinese government has intensified rhetoric against Christian churches in Hong Kong, portraying them as part of the “foreign hostile forces” that seek to create political unrest aimed at bringing down China’s one-party rule.
After the LeBarón family massacre, can Mexico’s López Obrador stop the violence?
Mr. LeBarón, the family’s spokesperson, said he hopes he can channel the grief and anger over the killings into a broad social movement. “We want to unite the whole country. We want a social movement, not a political one,” he said.
Father Sosa ‘dreams’ of a Society of Jesus that ‘builds a future full of hope’
Father Sosa said the Society of Jesus will also seek to respond to “the concrete requests of Pope Francis” in support of his work for the renewal of the church and its structures.
GoodNews
Lebanese Guides, Scouts hope to raise Christmas hope amid despair
“We want to help people feel the joy of Christmas,” Sabine Bou Serhal, 22, a chief for the group, told Catholic News Service.
Features
These are the monks who still preserve ancient texts around the world
Even though manuscripts—handwritten books— are at least several technological stages behind the ways we access information today, we still rely on them for access to the past.
How economic uncertainty is taking a spiritual toll on today’s young adults
Times of financial stress or uncertainty seem like a natural time to turn to one’s faith, but it can also be one of the most difficult times to do so.
Faith in Focus
My son was diagnosed with Down syndrome at birth. Not knowing earlier was a blessing.
We did not undergo the prenatal testing that can identify the condition when I was pregnant with Dylan. We knew that the results would not change anything, and our doctor was fine with our decision.
Vantage Point
How the Jesuits of ‘America’ heroically defended booze against Prohibition
While Prohibition’s popularity would wane by the end of the decade because of its unintended consequences, at the time of its ratification and implementation, it enjoyed a fair amount of popular support. Except in the pages of America.
Books
Review: The pros and cons of being Extremely Online™
Green’s novel gives a firsthand account of what it is like when a person becomes a brand, when one’s every thought, word and move is scripted, scheduled and scrutinized, ready to be devoured by an audience always demanding more.
Review: Meghan Daum on ‘woke’ culture
In her new book, Meghan Daum recounts how, despite her unimpeachable feminist and liberal commitments, she came to feel not just wrong, but alienated from a new generation of “extremely online” activists.
Review: Pope Francis, the church’s spiritual director
Seeing Pope Francis as spiritual director means seeing that the pope takes himself less seriously than do his critics and defenders.
Review: Is there still such a thing as a Catholic writer?
Can poetry matter? Yes. Can the Catholic writer today matter? Of course. But it is instructive that Gioia’s essay and book title does not ask the latter question.
Theater
Broadway’s love affair with the mixtape
The fall season has given us three wildly different case studies in Broadway’s pop/rock hybrids.
Poetry
The Poisoned Loaf
A crow, legend tells us, took the poisoned loaf the jealous subdeacon had sent to Benedict
The Word
Jesus’ baptism reminds us to live as Christ lived
Who is Jesus? On this celebration of Jesus’ baptism, the Gospel of Matthew provides a clear answer: Jesus is the Son of God.
Who is God calling you to be?
Today’s readings provoke us to self-reflection and action.
Last Take
Kerry Kennedy on the chaos and cruelty at the U.S.-Mexico border
The human rights activist Kerry Kennedy, a daughter of Ethel and Robert F. Kennedy, finds both heartache and heroism during a visit to the U.S.-Mexico border.
Faith
Jesus’ baptism reminds us to live as Christ lived
Who is Jesus? On this celebration of Jesus’ baptism, the Gospel of Matthew provides a clear answer: Jesus is the Son of God.
Who is God calling you to be?
Today’s readings provoke us to self-reflection and action.
These are the monks who still preserve ancient texts around the world
Even though manuscripts—handwritten books— are at least several technological stages behind the ways we access information today, we still rely on them for access to the past.
How economic uncertainty is taking a spiritual toll on today’s young adults
Times of financial stress or uncertainty seem like a natural time to turn to one’s faith, but it can also be one of the most difficult times to do so.
Important dates in 2020
What is coming up in 2020, from Holy Days of Obligation to the presidential election and the Summer Olympics.
My son was diagnosed with Down syndrome at birth. Not knowing earlier was a blessing.
We did not undergo the prenatal testing that can identify the condition when I was pregnant with Dylan. We knew that the results would not change anything, and our doctor was fine with our decision.
Father Sosa ‘dreams’ of a Society of Jesus that ‘builds a future full of hope’
Father Sosa said the Society of Jesus will also seek to respond to “the concrete requests of Pope Francis” in support of his work for the renewal of the church and its structures.
Politics
Faith
Culture
Vatican
Scripture
Podcasts