Commentaries
Speaking personally with media is risky for the pope, but worth it
When a reporter got "creative" with Pope Francis' comments about hell, all you-know-what broke loose. Father Thomas Dailey explains that even though it makes him vulnerable, the pope prefers personal dialogue as the best way to communicate today.
Much is given, and much is required
Catholics have been entrusted with so many spiritual gifts, writes Effie Caldarola. We should support and challenge each other to live out radically the calling of these great gifts and mysteries.
Pro-life 2.0: A ‘moral consistency’ for all of today’s issues, above politics
Greg Erlandson senses a growing recognition that being pro-life means caring for more than just the defenseless unborn, because the defenseless born aren't doing too well either. High rates of murder and suicide should be on pro-lifers' agenda.
Three takeaways from the gathering for youth in Rome
There was near-unanimous consensus of thousands of young people in which they called for engaging older mentors, confronting an age of unbelief and inviting non-Catholics and nonbelievers into dialogue.
Find the sweet spots of life and accept the sacrifices
Laura Kelly Fanucci hears a life lesson in the fact that she can't hit the high notes of a soprano; alto is her preferred range. But she can't choose only the smooth parts of life, she must sing the whole song.
Hope continues on, though cross and resurrection
The people of God gather to be with each other and do what we do when we don't know where else to go: call on the name of God. Carolyn Woo writes that in personal hard times, hope swells in shared prayer.
Why Sister Jean and Father Rob matter
Both Catholic chaplains for Loyola-Chicago and Villanova show us that sports are important in life, and there's more to life than basketball, writes an expert in sport and spirituality.
Women religious are Catholic Church’s unsung heroes
Callista L. Gingrich, U.S. ambassador to the Holy See, praises the fearlessness and extraordinary contributions of nuns on the front line of human crises around the world. Too often, sisters' work goes unnoticed and underappreciated.
If denying food to seniors with dementia is treatment, we’re all terminal
People are learning how they can demand in advance that they be starved to death if they develop dementia. Disability rights groups and writer Richard Doerflinger see this trend as troubling, for three reasons.
Liberalism’s crisis point and the church’s response
Today is a moment for religious activity, writes Deacon Eric Banecker. Political forms will come and go, but at the end of the day, only a robust public affirmation of God will bring about renewal in our society.