Of Many Things
It’s time for America to find a shared sense of purpose.
We are not the indispensable nation. We never were. But a shared sense of national purpose is indispensable.
Letters
The Letters
Hoping for Resolution Re “Why Stay?” by Matt Malone, S.J. (Of Many Things, 9/17): I was grateful to read Father Malone’s letter on the abuse crisis and its toll. For this Catholic, it is important to hear from spiritual leaders in the church that they understand and share the degree of anger and sadness the…
Your Take
How has your faith changed since you became a parent?
For some readers, their parish involvement changed because they wanted the best for their children.
Editorials
What a deal for Catholics in China could mean for Uighur Muslims
Pope Francis, in keeping with his predecessors, has sought every opportunity to improve relations with the Chinese government. With the news that a historic agreement is imminent, the Vatican faces a risk and an opportunity.
Catholic schools need the vibrancy of the Latino community
Knowing that the future of the church will largely be in the hands of Latinos, it is paramount that Catholic schools help form them in the faith and help them become our future leaders.
Short Take
The synod of bishops must consider young Catholics’ desire for authenticity
The meeting of the Synod of Bishops on young people is an opportunity for an ongoing conversation between everyday lived experience and church teachings.
Dispatches
Catholic schools challenged by changing demographics
Only about 8 percent of teachers in Catholic schools are Hispanic, compared with 17 percent of students. Low salaries and a weak professional pipeline make it difficult to diversify the teaching staff.
Resignations, Rome meetings and investigations: A week of major developments in the sexual abuse crisis
Cardinal Wuerl seeks to resign, the pope announces a global summit, New York’s attorney general opens new investigations and other developments in the sexual abuse crisis.
Indian nuns demand arrest of bishop accused of rape
A group of Catholic nuns is holding a public protest in south India, demanding the arrest of a bishop whom one nun accused of rape.
A Nicaraguan priest warns of further persecution of the church
The 58-year-old priest and his small parish were caught in the middle of the fighting, ultimately becoming another target of government forces.
Features
The Uncertain Future of Jesuit Education
Jesuit institutions need to offer persuasive alternatives to the dystopian narratives that shape our personal and institutional psyches.
The Jesuit business network fighting poverty in Africa and beyond
The Miller Center at Santa Clara is just one institution in a broader network looking to make a positive social impact.
Faith and Reason
The vocation of the theologian begins with an invitation
Most people just don’t know that their pondering about life, about what really matters, is called theology.
Faith in Focus
St. John Paul II envisioned a big church. So why are millennials feeling excluded?
We have been told we are too gay or too female or too mentally ill or too divorced to serve in the church.
Ideas
The Mission San Xavier del Bac: A Shrine Without Borders
The mission’s founder, an energetic Italian Jesuit named Eusebio Francisco Kino, established several missionary locations in what is now Sonora, Mexico, and southern Arizona, including San Xavier del Bac in 1692, near the village of Wa:k.
Books
Review: Vanessa Hua’s debut novel shows how flawed our immigration system is
Vanessa Hua reminds the reader that no matter how hard you work, our immigration system can and will still fail you.
Review: Spiritual direction for the second half of life
“No matter how long or short our lifespan,” Barbara Lee writes, “we live our spiritual life in the present.”
Review: Birth control and the Church, 50 years later
Mark Massa invites the reader to reconsider not only the church’s teaching on artificial birth control, but also the methodologies used to arrive at that teaching.
Idols, icons, images, illusions: Reviewing Mary Beard’s ‘How Do We Look’
Mary Beard’s new book is about the viewer as well as the viewed. It prompts us to think about how we construct our sense of civilization and the troubling ways that artistic depictions of the human and the divine serve to cement bias and, sometimes, provoke violence.
From Pinterest to cookbooks, how to cook like a Catholic
“The Catholic Cook Book,” published in 1965, is exactly that: a cookbook for Catholics and those who want to learn about Catholicism and how it relates to food.
Film
Review: ‘The Apparition,’ a thriller that’s also a great film about faith
In Xavier Giannoli’s new movie, an intrepid reporter is asked by the Vatican to compile a report on a reputed miracle.
Poetry
Only the Wind
No word enough to contain the “oh” of Shoah.
The Word
How do we listen to Jesus’ call?
Only a life spent pursuing the love of God will leave something that survives the encounter with death.
What is God’s covenant for you?
God’s dream for humanity is bigger than the social realities of the day.
Last Take
Stop saying ‘college isn’t for everyone’
A failure to expand access to higher education will widen the gap between the fortunate few and the disenfranchised many.
Faith
The synod of bishops must consider young Catholics’ desire for authenticity
The meeting of the Synod of Bishops on young people is an opportunity for an ongoing conversation between everyday lived experience and church teachings.
The Mission San Xavier del Bac: A Shrine Without Borders
The mission’s founder, an energetic Italian Jesuit named Eusebio Francisco Kino, established several missionary locations in what is now Sonora, Mexico, and southern Arizona, including San Xavier del Bac in 1692, near the village of Wa:k.
How do we listen to Jesus’ call?
Only a life spent pursuing the love of God will leave something that survives the encounter with death.
Catholic schools challenged by changing demographics
Only about 8 percent of teachers in Catholic schools are Hispanic, compared with 17 percent of students. Low salaries and a weak professional pipeline make it difficult to diversify the teaching staff.
St. John Paul II envisioned a big church. So why are millennials feeling excluded?
We have been told we are too gay or too female or too mentally ill or too divorced to serve in the church.
The Uncertain Future of Jesuit Education
Jesuit institutions need to offer persuasive alternatives to the dystopian narratives that shape our personal and institutional psyches.
What is God’s covenant for you?
God’s dream for humanity is bigger than the social realities of the day.
What a deal for Catholics in China could mean for Uighur Muslims
Pope Francis, in keeping with his predecessors, has sought every opportunity to improve relations with the Chinese government. With the news that a historic agreement is imminent, the Vatican faces a risk and an opportunity.
Resignations, Rome meetings and investigations: A week of major developments in the sexual abuse crisis
Cardinal Wuerl seeks to resign, the pope announces a global summit, New York’s attorney general opens new investigations and other developments in the sexual abuse crisis.
Indian nuns demand arrest of bishop accused of rape
A group of Catholic nuns is holding a public protest in south India, demanding the arrest of a bishop whom one nun accused of rape.
The vocation of the theologian begins with an invitation
Most people just don’t know that their pondering about life, about what really matters, is called theology.
Magazine
The Letters
Hoping for Resolution Re “Why Stay?” by Matt Malone, S.J. (Of Many Things, 9/17): I was grateful to read Father Malone’s letter on the abuse crisis and its toll. For this Catholic, it is important to hear from spiritual leaders in the church that they understand and share the degree of anger and sadness the…
How has your faith changed since you became a parent?
For some readers, their parish involvement changed because they wanted the best for their children.
Politics
Faith
Culture
Vatican
Scripture
Podcasts