As we grapple with fragmentation, political polarization and rising distrust in institutions, a national embrace of volunteerism could go a long way toward healing what ails us as a society.

Falling marriage rates across the globe threaten vulnerable women and children. The Catholic Church can help if we put aside political idolatry and work as different members of the same body of Christ.

“The synod is not a council. It does not take decisions as a council does. Its task is to discern, not decide,” one synod member explained to me.

Pastoralidad is not a normal word in Spanish any more than pastorality is in English. Yet as soon as you hear it, you know what it means, or at least you think you do.

As local newspapers close and newsrooms shrink around the United States, strong local Catholic journalism is increasingly crucial, and Catholic journalism faces additional challenges.

The head of the Ukrainian Catholic Church said Ukrainians were shocked when Pope Francis told Russian Catholic youths to be proud of their heritage and cited two historic Russian leaders that, the archbishop said, are “the worst example of imperialism and extreme Russian nationalism.”

With COP28 in the United Arab Emirates imminent, opinion in the developed world on climate change has become deeply polarized. Perhaps exhausted by the digital news cycle, many people have developed compassion fatigue.

Becquart has been traveling the globe in recent weeks as an ambassador for the Synod on Synodality, planned for October in Rome.

The Rev. James Martin, an advocate for LGBTQ inclusion in the church, has been tapped by Pope Francis to attend the synod.

“Are we done building a culture of life? Is abortion unthinkable? No.” Jeanne Mancini, president of March for Life, said. “So we continue marching at the states, at the national level.”