“President Biden’s decision to commute the sentences of 37 prisoners condemned to death was a reminder that even the most heinous of our sins does not mar our human dignity.”
Faith
Posted inFaith, Short Take
Remembering John R. Donahue: a Jesuit New Testament scholar with a passion for justice
When we remember John R. Donahue, S.J., prominent themes that come to mind include his passions for Catholic biblical scholarship, social justice and teaching.
Posted inArts & Culture, Catholic Book Club
A guide for Christmas reading—highlighting the Dickensian fiction of Oscar Hijuelos
Oscar Hijuelos’s ‘Mr. Ives’ Christmas’ doesn’t start out as a cheery story—but in the end, this parable of good will lost and good will regained is a perfect Christmas tale.
Posted inFaith, Faith and Reason
What comes next? A moral theologian’s 5 post-election takeaways
Five matters have been on my mind in the weeks since Donald Trump won the 2024 U.S. presidential election, each of them connected to my work as a moral theologian.
Posted inFaith, News
Pope Francis calls for end to foreign debt, death penalty ahead of Jubilee Year
Pope Francis has called on all nations to eliminate the death penalty, to divert a fixed percentage of arms spending to a global fund to fight hunger and climate change, and to cancel the international debt of developing nations.
Posted inFaith, News
10 things to know about Jubilee 2025—the Holy Year that begins on Christmas Eve
Signs around the Eternal City declare “Roma si trasforma” — “Rome is transformed” as an explanation for the ubiquitous infrastructure projects underway ahead of Jubilee 2025.
Posted inFaith, Features
An atheist’s return to the Catholic Church: a story of death, love and meaning
From Nietzsche and Heidegger to Charles Taylor, Dostoevsky and the Gospels, one believer’s journey to faith.
Posted inFaith, Interviews
Q&A: ‘Wicked’ author Gregory Maguire on his Catholic faith, souls, saints and religion in Oz
“Wicked” author Gregory Maguire talks about his religious upbringing, Elphaba’s search for a soul and why nuns, saints and witches might not be all that different.
Posted inFaith, Faith in Focus
The sorrowful mysteries of the rosary remind us that suffering is sacred
Contemplative prayer challenges us to find meaning in suffering. I view this way of praying as the ultimate act of trust in God.
Posted inArts & Culture, Film
Beyond ‘Conclave’: What really happens when a new pope is elected?
With an all-star cast including Ralph Fiennes and Stanley Tucci, “Conclave“ genereated a lot of Hollywood buzz. It has also raised some questions: How is a pope really elected? Does the movie get it right?