Religion

For a Marxist, religious belief must always conflict with the truly humanist attitude

"There are war criminals in our midst, and what is far worse, we know of them and their deeds—and close our eyes to them."

From the archives: Thomas Merton reminds Catholics to engage freely and fearlessly with the world, rather than retreating from it.

An appeal to end the war in Vietnam from eleven Catholic priests, translated from the French

Christianity is undergoing a modernization in 1950s Asia. But is this what people actually want?

Pope Paul comes to his exalted office with superb qualifications. The range and depth of intellect are notable in his voluminous writings; his warm personal concern for human well-being is clearly manifest.

It is no exaggeration to say that our times are Apocalyptic, in the sense that we seem to have come to a point at which all the hidden, mysterious dynamism of the "history of salvation" revealed in the Bible has flowered into final and decisive crisis.

Within a few short hours the new Pontiff had already impressed the world with a lengthy and vigorous papal address, an address that considered all the problems he saw before him

"We were, frankly, hoping for jail. Perhaps jail, we thought, would put another compulsion on us, of being more truly poor."

"The most powerful medicine against shallow sentimentalism, which breeds secularism, is the word coming on wings of grace."

You can't escape Christmas; you can only escape yourself.

Thomas Molnar reflects on survivors' stories of the final days at the Dachau concentration camp and its hell-like conditions.

Bethlehem is home—even in the significance of its name, the house of bread

From the archives: Art isn't good because its characters are good people or its themes "family friendly." Making good Catholic art means thoughtfully engaging with reality.

"Those whose theology he shares frequently distrust him because of his politics, and those with whom he feels at home politically may doubt him because of his theology."

L. de Coninck reflects on his experience of being incarcerated at Dachau for three years as a Catholic priest.

From the archives: In one of the most popular articles from the 1940s, George H. Dunne recognizes and condemns institutional racism in the Church.

“You,” I told the Blessed Mother, “will have to be her mother.”

French novelist Georges Bernanos wrote for Commonweal in the 1940s. In 2019, his thoughts on poverty have never been more relevant

A manifesto by European Catholics sojourning in America.

The first effort we must make is to unlearn a few things.

Episodes in the life of Pope Pius XII illustrate the piety and dignity, the gentle geniality, zeal and self-discipline of the present Vicar of Christ.

Just before M. Maritain’s last sailing for Europe (December, 1938), the editors of The Commonweal put to him a number of questions

On imagination, faith, and the natural fancy of children

The spread of Christianity in 1930's Japan meets with strong resistance, both political and cultural.