Of Many Things
Short attention spans, short news cycles and short form Gospels
Being comfortable receiving and processing information faster unfortunately does not correlate with our ability to assess that information for truth, much less for wisdom.
Your Take
Parishes need to prioritize community service more and liturgy less, say America readers
Teenagers and young adults feel more connected to the church when they are rolling up their sleeves and working.
The Letters
Commitment to denouncing anti-Semitism ought not be extraordinary but must be the common, unsurprising position of all Christians.
Editorials
The nuncio reviews Pope Francis’ first four years
The nuncio praised the way Pope Francis has undertaken this responsibility, and noted Francis’ continual emphasis on dialogue, mercy and evangelization.
Criticisms of the Vatican’s sexual abuse commission need to be taken seriously, not written off as clichés
That the lone survivor of abuse active on the papal commission has resigned is tragic.
What’s the Jesuit approach to protesting controversial speakers?
What is needed is a case for civility and engagement across the lines of ideology, race and class—grounded not just in freedom or tolerance but charity.
Short Take
What should guide U.S. immigration policy: self-interest or charity?
Would you not love and admire a country that opened its doors to the tired, the poor, the wretched and the homeless?
Dispatches
Master of wars: U.S. arms sales lead a world of conflict
The United States dominates an annual global weapons export market that has topped $100 billion.
El Salvador holds hope for its saint in waiting, Jesuit Father Rutilio Grande
In El Salvador, there is a yearning that the intercession of Blessed Oscar Romero will help the beatification cause of his martyred Jesuit friend, Father Rutilio Grande.
Cardinal Nichols: Pope Francis’ ‘toughness’ will see the Catholic Church through reforms
“Creating space for a variety of pastoral responses is not decentralization. It’s a response to the realities in which people live.”
Meet the Jesuit priest serving Catholics and Muslims in war-torn Syria
“We find God in every act of mercy we do unto others.”
Features
De-Christianization in the West is a real threat. But Putinism isn’t the answer.
Christianity faces a grave threat from globalization, but Vladimir Putin does not offer the right response.
How St. Agnes church became the first Jesuit parish in America to declare itself a sanctuary
An old Jesuit parish in San Francisco took on a new mission to help its neighbors in need.
Faith in Focus
Confessions of a Porn-Addicted Priest
How loneliness and self-deception led me to rock bottom, and how God’s grace saved me.
Adoration Economy: Where we pay attention, we lend our power.
Whether you are pro-Trump or anti-Trump—you’re still transacting in the attention economy of Trump.
Ideas
A brilliant 17th century nun is brought to life on Netflix
Sor Juana Inés found both tension and sustenance in her religious life.
Books
Timely counsel from America’s first commander in chief
William Lanouette reviews “Washington’s Farewell” by Avlon
St. Augustine’s love life is fleshed out in “The Confessions of X.”
Kristin Gilger reviews “The Confessions of X” by Suzanne M. Wolfe.
What Econ 101 gets completely wrong
Charles R. Morris reviews “Economism: Bad Economics and the Rise of Inequality” by James Kwak.
Assessing diplomat George Mitchell’s plan for peace in the Middle East.
Books by the bushel purport to offer insights that will advance the prospects of a peaceful end to the Israeli-Palestinian conflict Few offer anything fresh or novel A Path To Peace does not number among those few It is difficult to understand what prompted the authors to undertake their project
Art
Searching for George W. Bush in his portraits of the soldiers he sent to war
Bush’s new exhibition features 66 paintings of wounded veterans whom the former president has come to know.
Television
Why are we so fascinated with the lives of the English queens?
If the rich are different from you and me, how much more different, then, are royalty?
Poetry
Embracing the Homeless Woman Selling Papers
her gloveless hands presenting dusty news her crisp brown eyes rising and quickly plummeting to her graying sneakers with each squeaky swipe of the automatic doors as shoppers exit, heavy bags swinging from their elbows this word in front of that word that you hear yourself say to her we suffer when we believe in…
The Word
Pour Out Light Unshadowed
Christ’s resurrection shows us that we no longer have to live under the dominion of fear.
Not My Will, But Yours
When he looked out over the crowds that day in Jerusalem, Jesus saw a humanity worth dying for.
Last Take
What has Pope Francis taught us 4 years into his papacy?
Pope Francis reminds us to get back to basics in a way that is desperately needed.
Faith
Pour Out Light Unshadowed
Christ’s resurrection shows us that we no longer have to live under the dominion of fear.
Not My Will, But Yours
When he looked out over the crowds that day in Jerusalem, Jesus saw a humanity worth dying for.
Short attention spans, short news cycles and short form Gospels
Being comfortable receiving and processing information faster unfortunately does not correlate with our ability to assess that information for truth, much less for wisdom.
Confessions of a Porn-Addicted Priest
How loneliness and self-deception led me to rock bottom, and how God’s grace saved me.
The nuncio reviews Pope Francis’ first four years
The nuncio praised the way Pope Francis has undertaken this responsibility, and noted Francis’ continual emphasis on dialogue, mercy and evangelization.
Criticisms of the Vatican’s sexual abuse commission need to be taken seriously, not written off as clichés
That the lone survivor of abuse active on the papal commission has resigned is tragic.
Adoration Economy: Where we pay attention, we lend our power.
Whether you are pro-Trump or anti-Trump—you’re still transacting in the attention economy of Trump.
What has Pope Francis taught us 4 years into his papacy?
Pope Francis reminds us to get back to basics in a way that is desperately needed.
Magazine
Parishes need to prioritize community service more and liturgy less, say America readers
Teenagers and young adults feel more connected to the church when they are rolling up their sleeves and working.
The Letters
Commitment to denouncing anti-Semitism ought not be extraordinary but must be the common, unsurprising position of all Christians.
Politics
Faith
Culture
Vatican
Scripture
Podcasts