When war erupts, the weapons industry benefits from the fears that motivate politicians to budget more money for the military—and investors to sink more capital into armaments.

Yes, the synod on synodality is off to a sluggish start, especially in the United States. But if we are brutally honest about what is broken in the church, we can still have a successful dialogue.

“As we celebrate the strength of women around the world, we’re also seeing women struggle in such heartbreaking ways, trying to keep their families safe…serving the youngest and most vulnerable.”

Called “the Chekhov of the suburbs” for his intimate if painful portraits of American suburban life, John Cheever was a prose master and, said one reviewer, “a boyish scamp.”

Does the “responsibility to protect” doctrine call for Western action in Ukraine? Perhaps not through military intervention, but certainly in efforts toward recovery, reconstruction and reconciliation.

“Our word isn’t racism. It’s relationship.” Those are the words of Lynne Jackson, the great-great-granddaughter of Dred Scott, who joined “The Gloria Purvis Podcast” to discuss the Dred Scott decision and its ripple effects today.

While the church teaches that baptism is indeed necessary for salvation, God does not need us to complete a ritual in order to care for our children.

Where else would we have listened to each other this way? Not online these days. Not at a school board meeting. Not at a political debate. Not at a family gathering. Not even in church.

The United States should not abandon a foreign policy that promotes free self-determination around the globe. But people who have lost faith in democracy at home may be on to something.

A Reflection for the First Monday of Lent, by Joe Hoover, S.J.