Commentaries
Despair will not have the last word, Miami archbishop says of shooting
In the wake of the Feb. 14 school shootings in Parkland, Florida, which left 17 people dead, Archbishop Thomas G. Wenski of Miami wrote this spiritual reflection on how we as Catholics deal with such terrible acts.
Wisdom for the digital age comes from the street of broken dreams
A homeless man's conversation with digital advertising pro Brett Robinson led to a random opening to the Bible and a lesson from God, via his humble messenger, on the value of knowledge over information.
In the mutual hostility of tribal America, we need our better angels
The bitter rifts in society and scandalous divisions in the church today point to something dysfunctional that is keeping us from seeking solutions together, writes Greg Erlandson. We must again learn to love one another.
Migration: ‘An act of love’ or license to hunt the unwanted?
In a Lenten act of standing with the poor, Effie Caldarola accompanied a working father in leg shackles, awaiting deportation. Americans favor border security and a humane immigration system, she writes.
Let Lucas break down our prejudices on Down syndrome
Richard Doerflinger writes of little Lucas Warren, the first-ever Gerber baby with Down syndrome. While most people like Lucas are eliminated before they are born, those welcomed into the world have much to teach us.
Invest in young women in the church — they’re our future
Church teachings on abortion and care for the environment are most important to Millennial women, writes Elise Italiano. So it's important to use language that moves beyond the "liberal vs. conservative" framework.
A welcoming spirit, or a sense of the enemy?
A warm welcome can ease one's anxiety, but domination and jealousy can replace kindness, writes Father Eugene Hemrick. A nation's greatness lies not in its power but in how all nationalities bond together.
4 ways that black Catholic sisters rewrote the American story
In the 19th century, the Oblate Sisters of Providence served God against a backdrop of racism, xenophobia and religious intolerance -- not unlike today, writes Diane Batts Morrow. History shows that inclusion benefits the nation as a whole.
Healing the persistent evil of racism in the Catholic Church
Prejudice in the pews continues to scar the body of Christ, writes Michael P. Howard. He knows that staying in a "church with issues" is a kind of Gethsemane, leading to the cross. Yet the church remains a chosen race, "a holy nation."
Why do we still need Black History Month?
It is not too late to correct the miseducation that was spoon-fed to most of us in our youth, writes Donna Grimes. If we are sincere about addressing racism, a natural focal point is Catholic education and catechesis.