Bishops
A New Center of Gravity
In winning election as Pope Francis, Jorge Mario Bergoglio defied the papal pundits, even though they should have seen him coming. His rise marks the decisive shift...
Regime Change
[Editor's note: William L. Portier's and Richard R. Gaillardetz's are the final in a special series of stories we are posting as the cardinals gather for the...
Letting Go
For Catholics and non-catholics alike, Pope Benedict's resignation -- a gesture of relinquishing power -- was done for the good of all.
When in Rome...
It's been a long time since I have read a book about the church that made me laugh out loud. In The Vatican Diaries, John Thavis presents many stories that will...
Polarization, Church and Country
What do the Roman Catholic Church and the American political system have in common? Both are divided into factions that neither trust nor understand each other, and...
Shock Therapy
Benedict's resignation forced the church to allow something that has been thought unacceptable for centuries, setting the stage for his predecessor to do likewise.
After Benedict
With the concentration of power in Rome, perhaps the responsibilities of the papacy are not simply too much for a person of Benedict's age, but for any one person.
Benedict's Act of Humility
Benedict’s resignation was a self-denying act of personal humility. What we need now in Rome are acts of institutional humility and self-denial.
The Paradoxes of Pope Benedict
Pope Benedict's resignation shouldn't have surprised us as much as it did. As an institutionalist who believes in the Roman Catholic Church as the carrier of truth...
The Resignation of Benedict XVI
Pope Benedict XVI is resigning on February 28, and Commonweal will continue to cover the story as it develops. This special page features links to our...
This Will Do
On February 1, the Department of Health and Human Services released a “Notice of Proposed Rulemaking” that included two important changes to its controversial...
Peacemaking on Contraception
America's Big Religious War ended on Friday. Or at least it ought to.A little more than a year ago, the Obama administration set off a bitter and unnecessary clash...
