When Irish people went to the polls on Nov. 29, there had been concerns that the nation would see a far-right surge in the Dáil, or parliament, in keeping with trends within the rest of Europe. But Ireland continues to be an outlier.

We are at a critical juncture in the U.S. death penalty abolition movement. And we as Catholics—including President Biden—can heed the words of Pope Francis and light the way.

At a conference on the Future of theology, the pope stressed the need to expand the role of women in academic theology: “There are things that only women understand, and theology needs their contribution.”

“In Hong Kong, we have our wounds that we need to heal,” Cardinal Stephen Chow, S.J., the bishop of Hong Kong, told America’s Vatican correspondent in this exclusive interview.

Focusing again on the fundamental Christian beliefs outlined by the Council of Nicaea almost 1,700 years ago can help Christians today put Christ back at the center of their lives, Pope Francis said.

“Laudato Si’” and its implementation seem to have stalled in the church. We need to revivify our efforts—and to recognize the Christological perspectives of our care for creation and our common home.

"The Trump administration is going to present real challenges to Catholics," E.J. Dionne says in a conversation with America.

Pope Francis’ encyclicals have drawn from and lead to this truth: What the world needs is heart—not sentimentality, but integration, presence and fortitude to stay in the tensions of our current reality.

Methods of further incorporating “Laudato Si’,” Pope Francis’ 2015 encyclical on care of creation, into the life of the church at the local and national level was a point of discussion for the U.S. bishops in Baltimore during their fall general assembly Nov. 13.

Cardinal Robert W. McElroy of San Diego proposed the task force, which was supported from the floor by Cardinals Blase J. Cupich of Chicago and Joseph W. Tobin of Newark, N.J.