Cathleen Kaveny raises concerns about divisive behavior in religious discourse and critiques efforts by scholars to explain the resulting polarization.
Acknowledging the significance of Populorum progressio and the second confrerence of CELAM is essential to understanding the post-Vatican II Latin-American church
The forced resignation of the widely respected Tony Spence, who had a long history of serving the Catholic press, raises questions about changes at the USCCB.
An interview with Sr. Elizabeth McAlister from 1971, co-founder of Jonah House in Baltimore and member of the "Harrisburg Seven" group of anti-war activists
A full-length biography was on the minds of neither the author nor the subject met. But Roberts asked Chittister about her personal life. They began at the beginning
How media shunned Eastern Orthodox leaders visiting refugees with the pope; Which title Francis prefers; Why U.S. bishops fired Catholic News Service editor-in-chief
Some conservatives tend to confuse fidelity with a one-size-fits-all legalism. If there's one thing you can say about Pope Francis, it's that he's no legalist.
Reflecting on the two Notre Dame graduations clearly reveals that the latest rounds of the culture wars have sputtered to an end—and that we need a new way forward.
To understand Francis and support the direction he has been setting for the Church, we need to think more deeply about the ways and means of “forgiveness.”
Francis regards the sacrament's indissolubility as a “gift” rather than a “yoke,” and chides those whose efforts to defend marriage reduce the gift to a “duty.”
The exhortation is a valiant and powerful exercise in the Petrine ministry of upholding church unity. Is it another starting point in Francis's pontificate?
If John Paul II was the philosopher and Benedict XVI the theologian, Pope Francis is the poet pope, giving voice to the dreams and wisdom of migrants and the poor.
With Pope Francis lifting up what can be called social justice Christianity, clichés that religion lives on the right end of American politics might be overturned.
Remembering responses to the rubella crisis might inform our reactions to Zika. Advocacy for mothers and appreciation for the work of pregnancy should be priorities.
The changes of Vatican II and the turmoil of the civil-rights and anti-war movements made for heady days, and Sister Corita Kent’s art further exemplified the times.
The initial euphoria of Pope Francis's election was being replaced by the realization that we women would continue to be joked about, romanticized, and patronized.
Slots, video poker, and other gambling machines are often described as games, but they're a sinful rejection of the goodness of the world and a failure to rejoice.
Around the dining room table, paisanas from the old country cut and wove strips of palm into intricate crosses and flowers, and Grandpa, eyes shining, told stories.
Antonin Scalia’s impact on the Court was mixed. He will be remembered more for the flamboyance of his dissents than for the reach of his majority opinions.
Jack Mulder seeks to “explain why the Catholic story captivated, and still captivates” so as to enhance Christian dialogue. He succeeds in only one of those aims.
Why did a text so significant to the history of Catholicism get such a muted reception in Protestant thought and practice? Look to early commentaries for answers.
One day after Mass, my devout husband told me that he wanted to sign up for an hour of silent protest outside of the abortion center. I understood, of course.
The move to less philosophy is a mistake. Philosophy is utterly essential for an educated Catholic; pedagogically, anything less than two courses is inadequate.
In Week of Prayer for Christian Unity, traditionalists disagree with Pope Francis's “polyhedron ecumenism”; In the U.S. they highlight the faults of married deacons.
Readers weight in on the debate started by Albert B. Hakim on universal salvation and damnation for the unjust, and fact-check our review of 'Spotlight.'
The environmental movement gets criticized for neglecting social and economic injustice. But California is seeking to align climate and economic policy-making.
At the end of his address to the Roman Curia, Pope Francis quietly invoked the memory of one of the most important reform-minded bishops in the United States.
Almost without exception, students respond favorably to René Girard’s work. In some cases, the encounter with Girard changes their lives--as it has changed mine.
John’s gospel is not a story about shepherds and angels. And for that reason, though it's the assigned reading for Mass on Christmas day, most people won't hear it.
Catholic teaching emphasizes the obligation of nations to help the stranger in need. It is neither statesman-like nor Christian to close the door on Syrian refugees.
