What is the way out of polarization? And why does that question—along with the now-commonplace observation that society suffers from deepening divisions about everything from gun control to abortion to public funding for religious schools—seem so exhausting?

That the Lord seeks not to punish us for our sins but to call us all back to holiness is a conviction so strong among theologians in the church in the modern age that it risks becoming a truism.

“Our communion is unsure of itself.” We must “recover a sense of what holds us together.” The stakes are very high for our church, and listening to one another is the first step on a much longer journey.

How many are willing to have their minds changed, to desire for something from this synodal process that goes deeper than their pre-existing agenda?

Cardinal Wilton Gregory said that Pope Francis has made it difficult for Americans to be comfortable with just one aspect of Catholic Social Teaching—“you’ve got to have them all.”

Since the 2016 election, many have simply stopped trying to understand those with whom they disagree. But we can discuss politics if we ask fair questions and listen, then listen some more.