Of Many Things
Americans equate beauty with youth. That’s no way to build a country.
In this country, we value youth but we don’t value beauty, mainly because we think they are the same thing. But beauty is related to memory in a way youth cannot be.
Your Take
Tell us: What should President Joe Biden’s first 100 days look like?
When President-elect Joe Biden becomes President Joe Biden on Jan. 20, 2021, what should his first 100 days look like?
Editorials
Who should get the Covid vaccine first? Our answer must not neglect the poor and marginalized.
As Covid-19 vaccines become available, is crucial that all government agencies work through the ethical conundrums of vaccine distribution beforehand—and be prepared to make hard decisions.
Short Take
White Catholics will never change if they don’t encounter their marginalized neighbors
Did Catholic voters consider the marginalized in this year’s election? Shannon K. Evans writes that personal encounters with those whose rights are threatened can make a difference.
The streaming era ruined our free time. Is it too late to reclaim it?
The pandemic has us spending more hours than ever in front of video screens, but Conor Kelly writes that TV steals time we could use to better understand ourselves, our loved ones and God.
Dispatches
The year that felt like a lifetime: What were the biggest stories of 2020?
The year 2020 was dominated by three huge topics: the Covid-19 pandemic, the presidential election and the mass movement against racism. What else got the attention of America readers?
Experts: Seminaries need clear sexual harassment guidelines to prevent clerical abuse
Even decades after McCarrick’s abuse, seminaries are still learning how best to equip their students to recognize and report inappropriate behavior. A new working group wants to help.
How should France respond to latest terror attacks? Look to the Catholic Church.
Could French president Macron’s moves to counter the threat of homegrown Islamic extremism in the end “boomerang,” leading only to greater alienation of Muslim youth from French society?
GoodNews
Inclusive prayer service for people with disabilities marks 30th anniversary of the A.D.A.
An New York City parish organized a fully accessible prayer service for people with disabilities, who even in the church are often forgotten on the margins.
Features
This is Your Soul on Mysticism
What Julian of Norwich can teach us about oneness with God.
A Jesuit guide to pandemic ministry
Does canceling the sacraments show a lack of faith? Jesuits in the 16th century didn’t think so.
Faith and Reason
Screen time is officially part of Catholic Social Teaching. What does it mean for us and our iPhones?
The church needs to pay more attention to the moral impact of screens on our identity, agency and relationships.
Pope Francis wants Catholics to dare to dream of a better way of doing politics
With the much-anticipated release of Pope Francis’s new encyclical “Fratelli Tutti” on Oct. 4, Catholic Christians would do well to revisit his critique of false realism and false nostalgia, and his call for the church to foster a political attitude of faithful and daring dreaming.
Faith in Focus
Why does God allow suffering? A meditation
Why is it this way? It is the child’s most basic question, dealing with the most bewildering thing of all.
The wrong people are in charge of protecting our children from sexual abuse
As a layperson, and as a father, I cannot continue to make myself dependent on ordained men. Not for this.
Books
Review: What does the future of the church hold? Look to China.
A new book of essays on the Catholic Church in China ably captures the evolving turmoil the church faces in a complicated situation.
Our divided world needs a new kind of radical love. St. Benedict can help.
Benedict’s rule—particularly the commitment to stability—offers a way of communal life that can accommodate difference and authentically renew any culture in which Christians find themselves.
Review: Just war theory is out. Gospel nonviolence is the right way to go.
Arthur Laffin, a longtime peace activist and practitioner of Gospel nonviolence, addresses the threat of nuclear war—and what should be done about it.
Review: A new theology to serve a world in need of decisive action
David Tracy’s two-columns collection of previously published essays present a compelling argument for the value of theology in today’s troubled world.
Life can be painful, but it is not without hope.
Anglican theologian and biblical scholar N. T. Wright argues that the only way to real understanding is the revelation of God in Jesus Christ.
What ‘The Lord of the Rings’ can teach us about U.S. politics, Christianity and power
Tolkien’s fiction reminds us that power cannot be controlled; it enslaves you. To act freely is to acknowledge your limits, to see the journey as a long road that includes dozens of future elections, and to fight against the temptation for power.
Poetry
Crossing El Rio San Pedro, Puebla, Mexico
the small Indian village will miss Communion again
The Sorrows of Migration
Skyscraper lights attract them in
The Word
Today’s Gospel reminds us we need good teachers we can trust.
The Gospel shows how Jesus preaches: through words and actions.
Do you know your purpose in life? Scripture can help you discern.
The disciples are at work, fishing or mending nets, and Jesus invites them to embark on a new vocation
How willing are you to accept God’s call?
Samuel and Peter serve as models for how to react to new beginnings and calls to serve.
A transition of power is coming. The magi show us how to resist corrupt leadership.
The Magi’s journey and acts of worship are examples of how we should seek and find Christ in our lives.
Baptism is only the beginning
Receiving the Spirit at baptism is only the beginning, and important work must follow.
Last Take
Tim Shriver: Our religions can unite us if we build them back better
The mystics of all the great traditions teach that the experience of oneness is not only attainable but also essential. And our country needs that unity now more than ever.
Faith
Today’s Gospel reminds us we need good teachers we can trust.
The Gospel shows how Jesus preaches: through words and actions.
Do you know your purpose in life? Scripture can help you discern.
The disciples are at work, fishing or mending nets, and Jesus invites them to embark on a new vocation
How willing are you to accept God’s call?
Samuel and Peter serve as models for how to react to new beginnings and calls to serve.
A transition of power is coming. The magi show us how to resist corrupt leadership.
The Magi’s journey and acts of worship are examples of how we should seek and find Christ in our lives.
Baptism is only the beginning
Receiving the Spirit at baptism is only the beginning, and important work must follow.
This is Your Soul on Mysticism
What Julian of Norwich can teach us about oneness with God.
Americans equate beauty with youth. That’s no way to build a country.
In this country, we value youth but we don’t value beauty, mainly because we think they are the same thing. But beauty is related to memory in a way youth cannot be.
Why does God allow suffering? A meditation
Why is it this way? It is the child’s most basic question, dealing with the most bewildering thing of all.
Inclusive prayer service for people with disabilities marks 30th anniversary of the A.D.A.
An New York City parish organized a fully accessible prayer service for people with disabilities, who even in the church are often forgotten on the margins.
Tim Shriver: Our religions can unite us if we build them back better
The mystics of all the great traditions teach that the experience of oneness is not only attainable but also essential. And our country needs that unity now more than ever.
Experts: Seminaries need clear sexual harassment guidelines to prevent clerical abuse
Even decades after McCarrick’s abuse, seminaries are still learning how best to equip their students to recognize and report inappropriate behavior. A new working group wants to help.
A Jesuit guide to pandemic ministry
Does canceling the sacraments show a lack of faith? Jesuits in the 16th century didn’t think so.
The wrong people are in charge of protecting our children from sexual abuse
As a layperson, and as a father, I cannot continue to make myself dependent on ordained men. Not for this.
Screen time is officially part of Catholic Social Teaching. What does it mean for us and our iPhones?
The church needs to pay more attention to the moral impact of screens on our identity, agency and relationships.
Pope Francis wants Catholics to dare to dream of a better way of doing politics
With the much-anticipated release of Pope Francis’s new encyclical “Fratelli Tutti” on Oct. 4, Catholic Christians would do well to revisit his critique of false realism and false nostalgia, and his call for the church to foster a political attitude of faithful and daring dreaming.
Politics
Faith
Culture
Vatican
Scripture
Podcasts