Of Many Things
How grace transcends conflict in ‘West Side Story’ (and beyond)
All violence flows in some way from a failure to understand that our infinite desire for love can be satisfied only by the one who alone is the infinite source of that desire, Matt Malone, S.J. writes.
Your Take
Reader Rebuttal: The 10 Greatest Catholic School Movies of All Time
Ciaran Freeman spent last summer, after his year as an O’Hare fellow at America Media, combing through movies about Catholic schools and ranking them. The findings were published here. Since then, readers have written in to let Mr. Freeman know what films he overlooked in his top-10 ranking.
Editorials
After Pope Francis’ Africa trip, stay focused on a ‘poor church for the poor’
Throughout the visit to Africa, we were invited to see what a “poor church for the poor” looks like. Let’s keep our attention there, the Editors write.
Executing shooters will not stop gun violence. The solution requires us to overcome apathy.
The ongoing violence itself is shocking and depressing, but another grim facet of the American plague of mass shootings is the way we have become inured to it, the Editors write.
Short Take
The science is in: Faith can be effective against adolescent depression
All youth counselors should be aware of this connection.
Dispatches
In another journey to Africa, Pope Francis brings hope to the periphery
In all three countries, Pope Francis pleaded for protection of the environment. Mining by foreign companies to extract precious minerals has been a major problem in Madagascar and Mozambique. In Madagascar, deforestation is especially a threat.
In the Amazon, Pope Francis is setting the agenda for a new kind of synod
Catholic bishops, indigenous leaders and experts are preparing to gather in Rome from Oct. 6 to Oct. 27 for the special Synod of Bishops on the Pan-Amazonian Region.
Notre-Dame Cathedral restoration begins amid disagreements
Msgr. Patrick Chauvet, the rector and archpriest of Notre-Dame, would like to restore the cathedral exactly as it had been before the fire. That would mean recreating the great wooden attic, nicknamed “the forest,” that was consumed in the blaze.
GoodNews
Woman religious makes inroads in eradicating cholera in Haiti
Cholera is caused by bacteria ingested with contaminated food or water that infects the intestines, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
Features
What does it mean to pay spiritual and moral attention to the conflicts of our lives?
To listen carefully to an arguing group is to gain a peculiar glimpse into the desires and anxieties of that group.
Catholicism is multilingual, so why aren’t more Catholic schools?
Some Catholic schools are implementing dual-language programs, part of an effort to reflect the reality of life in the church in the United States.
Faith and Reason
What 19th-century German anti-Catholicism can teach us about our own church
Despite the long and illustrious history of the Catholic Church in Germany, in the late 19th century Catholics became the great Other to modernizing, secularizing forces.
Faith in Focus
How St. John Baptist de La Salle brought education to millions of poor kids like me
Who was this brilliant, saintly priest who founded the Christian Brothers? Perhaps now, on the 300th anniversary of his death, it is time for those of us who have benefited so richly from our educations to remember who he was.
Books
Review: How to be holy (hint: You can’t do it on your own)
Colleen Carroll Campbell’s new book is full of insight into what motivates us to attempt to reach holiness through our own strength and how this obsession holds us back from spiritual progress.
Review: The backlash against globalization
In his new book, Ian Bremmer predicts that soon Indonesia, Mexico, South Africa, Egypt, China and many others will all have their own Marie Le Pens and Steve Bannons.
Review: Saint Teresa of Avila’s agony and ecstasy
The Life of Saint Teresa of Ávila is termed an “autohagiography,” a self-justification of saintliness, by Carlos Eire, a professor of history and religious studies at Yale University.
Review: When and where trauma and theology meet
Karen O’Donnell writes her own trauma theology as a “survivor’s gift that is offered as both a comfort and a challenge.”
Art
How art on Catholic colleges complements students’ cultural education
The Museum of Contemporary Religious Art at St. Louis University stands out for its singular focus on art that is genuinely interfaith.
Television
A skeptic and a believer team up on CBS’ ‘Evil’
It is a great set up for a television series—and yes, the comparisons to Scully and Mulder are warranted.
‘GLOW’ reveals the truth of female friendship
“GLOW” celebrates female strength: on the mat, in the producing studio and on the L.A. auditioning circuit.
Poetry
Cloistered
When I was a boy, I considered becoming a nun because I didn’t want to shave part of my scalp
The Word
Are we disciples of Christ, or servants?
Discipleship requires action and conversion, the engagement of both hands and heart.
God’s generosity should inspire our gratitude
The Gospel warns against a mistake disciples can make: treating salvation as an entitlement.
Last Take
What hip-hop can teach us about our Catholic Faith
A theology professor reflects on the spirituality of hip-hop.
Faith
What does it mean to pay spiritual and moral attention to the conflicts of our lives?
To listen carefully to an arguing group is to gain a peculiar glimpse into the desires and anxieties of that group.
Catholicism is multilingual, so why aren’t more Catholic schools?
Some Catholic schools are implementing dual-language programs, part of an effort to reflect the reality of life in the church in the United States.
In another journey to Africa, Pope Francis brings hope to the periphery
In all three countries, Pope Francis pleaded for protection of the environment. Mining by foreign companies to extract precious minerals has been a major problem in Madagascar and Mozambique. In Madagascar, deforestation is especially a threat.
Are we disciples of Christ, or servants?
Discipleship requires action and conversion, the engagement of both hands and heart.
God’s generosity should inspire our gratitude
The Gospel warns against a mistake disciples can make: treating salvation as an entitlement.
How St. John Baptist de La Salle brought education to millions of poor kids like me
Who was this brilliant, saintly priest who founded the Christian Brothers? Perhaps now, on the 300th anniversary of his death, it is time for those of us who have benefited so richly from our educations to remember who he was.
In the Amazon, Pope Francis is setting the agenda for a new kind of synod
Catholic bishops, indigenous leaders and experts are preparing to gather in Rome from Oct. 6 to Oct. 27 for the special Synod of Bishops on the Pan-Amazonian Region.
After Pope Francis’ Africa trip, stay focused on a ‘poor church for the poor’
Throughout the visit to Africa, we were invited to see what a “poor church for the poor” looks like. Let’s keep our attention there, the Editors write.
Notre-Dame Cathedral restoration begins amid disagreements
Msgr. Patrick Chauvet, the rector and archpriest of Notre-Dame, would like to restore the cathedral exactly as it had been before the fire. That would mean recreating the great wooden attic, nicknamed “the forest,” that was consumed in the blaze.
What 19th-century German anti-Catholicism can teach us about our own church
Despite the long and illustrious history of the Catholic Church in Germany, in the late 19th century Catholics became the great Other to modernizing, secularizing forces.
The science is in: Faith can be effective against adolescent depression
All youth counselors should be aware of this connection.
Politics
Faith
Culture
Vatican
Scripture
Podcasts