We are not in ultimate control of our faith journeys, any more than we control our ultimate destinies.

For the last decade we have tried to help counter the effects of ideological partisanship by breaking down the echo chambers it relies on; to host a different kind of discourse, a forum for a diversity of viewpoints.

It is crucial that church leaders are trained to be good communicators, which also means being good listeners. This training is especially important for priests, whose communications skills (or lack thereof) often set the tone for a parish.

As the first phase of the worldwide synod concludes, there is great opportunity to consider what graces have been poured out, what we have learned and how we can continue the momentum we have created.

I want this for my own children and their classmates, that they will feel the prayers of their community as they navigate a world that views our faith as old-fashioned, ridiculous and even malicious.

As modern-day evangelists, C. S. Lewis and J. R. R. Tolkien are simply unrivaled.

Must art always promote a particular idea or ideology? Jed Perl argues that “the artist in the act of creation must stand firm in the knowledge that art has its own laws and logic.”

The New Taliban is about the same as the Old Taliban, but punishing the regime indiscriminately could push Afghanistan toward economic collapse and lead to another refugee crisis.

Though family separation at the U.S.-Mexico border has been a much-debated topic in recent years, children in Central America have long faced extended periods away from their migrant parents.

Sean Callahan, president and C.E.O. of Baltimore-based Catholic Relief Services, returned last month from tours and consultations with C.R.S. partners in Ukraine, Ghana and Ethiopia.