Of Many Things
In the incarnation, the impossible became possible
God’s descent into human life charges our pain with meaning and gives it a transformative power that would otherwise certainly elude us.
Your Take
Every Nativity set has its story
America asked its readers to send us a photo and description of their Nativity set and tell us what makes it special.
Editorials
The Editors: We need to take the threat of nuclear arms more seriously
Why we need to uphold our arms control agreement with Russia and take the existential threat of nuclear weapons more seriously.
The Editors: The impeachment process shows why we need to clarify executive privilege
Why we need legislation to clarify the scope of executive privilege and to establish a streamlined legal process to resolve such claims.
Short Take
We’ve been bishops in 3 death penalty states. It’s time to stop federal executions for good.
A federal judge has placed federal executions on hold. Archbishop Paul S. Coakley, Archbishop Wilton D. Gregory and Bishop Frank J. Dewane write that we should turn back permanently from the path of death.
Dispatches
America’s most-viewed stories of 2019
Articles that tackled perplexing questions (“Why Do Some Catholics Oppose Pope Francis?” “Where Was God When Notre Dame Was in Flames?”) were especially popular with our readers in 2019. But what else made the hit list?
Was there a coup in Bolivia? After Evo Morales, what’s next?
Was Mr. Morales’s departure from La Paz the result of a coup? Or was the president’s removal the result of a more or less defensible process?
Is there a shortage of sacramental care for the elderly in the U.S.?
“Up until the last five or 10 years, Mass was offered every day. Then it was hard to get priests [every day]; then it was hard to get priests on the weekend. There were [fewer priests] in the parishes and they were being stretched thin.”
GoodNews
Pope Francis welcomes refugees to a new life in Italy
Since February 2016, Sant’Egidio has been able to bring 3,026 refugees into Europe using humanitarian corridors. Italy, thanks to the commitment of its episcopal conference and Protestant community, has welcomed the majority of the refugees brought in by Sant’Egidio, reaching a total of 2,448, most of them from Lebanon and Ethiopia.
Features
Poet Mary Szybist: Whose version of Mary am I holding?
A poet reflects in the 2019 George W. Hunt, S.J., Prize essay.
The shrink and the spiritual director: Freud and the Jesuits
Members of the Society of Jesus have been among the relatively few Catholic Christians with a discerning appreciation for Freud.
Faith and Reason
What Lonergan (and Arrupe) can teach us about God, love and being human
Does the famous “Arrupe Prayer” owe a debt of gratitude to Bernard Lonergan, S.J.?
Faith in Focus
The must-have gift this Christmas
Hint: It’s not a toy.
Books
Review: Andrew Krivak’s ‘The Bear’ shows the cycle of life
Andrew Krivak’s new novel is an elegiac tale that resonates deeply with the creation spirituality that has been rising in our collective imagination.
Review: Susan Sontag’s dramatic life (and influence)
One of Susan Sontag’s strengths was that anything that could be said about her by others was said, first and best, by Susan Sontag
Review: The faith that made Mr. Rogers a great evangelist
Asked in 1986 to describe himself, Fred Rogers listed off a long catalog of descriptors, including performer and television producer, but he concluded with “a husband and a father. And I am a minister.”
Review: A brief life of John Henry Newman
In all, Father Collins understands Newman not as “a stainless saint,” but as a dutiful friend and a multifaceted defender of the Catholic faith.
Art
The ‘Holy Angels’ mural heralds the Gospel and one Chicago church‘s vibrant history
Since 1990 a vibrant black parish has worshiped before the marvelous mural by Engelbert Mveng, S.J.
Film
The Jesuit missionaries who inspired Roland Joffé’s ‘The Mission’
The story of a film that became an inspiration to Jesuits and their companions worldwide.
Review: ‘The Two Popes’ is a tour-de-force that takes the Catholic Church seriously
The film addresses the weightiest questions confronting the church—and not just about financial crimes and sexual abuse.
Poetry
Spire
your soul, one drop of dew, magnifies the sun
The Word
We are meant to treat one another as family—not subordinates
We are called to treat one another like family, with dignity and respect.
How can we channel our inner magi year-round?
The magi can represent the openness and universality of the Gospel.
Last Take
Reflections from Christmas in Bethlehem
We bring our hearts with us to Bethlehem. This is what Christmas means.
Faith
Poet Mary Szybist: Whose version of Mary am I holding?
A poet reflects in the 2019 George W. Hunt, S.J., Prize essay.
In the incarnation, the impossible became possible
God’s descent into human life charges our pain with meaning and gives it a transformative power that would otherwise certainly elude us.
The shrink and the spiritual director: Freud and the Jesuits
Members of the Society of Jesus have been among the relatively few Catholic Christians with a discerning appreciation for Freud.
The must-have gift this Christmas
Hint: It’s not a toy.
Every Nativity set has its story
America asked its readers to send us a photo and description of their Nativity set and tell us what makes it special.
Reflections from Christmas in Bethlehem
We bring our hearts with us to Bethlehem. This is what Christmas means.
We are meant to treat one another as family—not subordinates
We are called to treat one another like family, with dignity and respect.
How can we channel our inner magi year-round?
The magi can represent the openness and universality of the Gospel.
What Lonergan (and Arrupe) can teach us about God, love and being human
Does the famous “Arrupe Prayer” owe a debt of gratitude to Bernard Lonergan, S.J.?
Is there a shortage of sacramental care for the elderly in the U.S.?
“Up until the last five or 10 years, Mass was offered every day. Then it was hard to get priests [every day]; then it was hard to get priests on the weekend. There were [fewer priests] in the parishes and they were being stretched thin.”
Politics
Faith
Culture
Vatican
Scripture
Podcasts