If we are to differ intelligently and temperately, we must first share a great deal in common. Today, though, claims and counter-claims are made as if they were vindicated by the mere vehemence of their assertion.

Sunday, Nov. 14, marks 25 years since Cardinal Joseph Bernardin’s death. Do Catholics today want a church that is “alive and rooted, public in its service to the city” and the world?

It is not sufficient for contemporary Catholics simply to repeat the formulas of the past.

Pope Francis wants all Catholics to recognize that Vatican II and its reforms are not only authentic actions of the Holy Spirit but also are in continuity with the tradition of the church.

Given the centrality of abortion rights in the feminist movement today, it is no surprise that work–family balance remains such a pressing issue.

Last year, Pope Francis said, “There can be no stepping back" from the church’s opposition to the death penalty. It is time to put this teaching into action and stop executions in the United States for good.