The legacy of Benedict XVI
Joseph Ratzinger proved himself a man of surprises. What did he accomplish, and what was left undone, over a pontificate of almost eight years?
Middle East reality check
The humanitarian and strategic disaster of Syria should focus Catholic minds on the hard fact that there is no easy or quick path to peace in the Middle East, a very dangerous part of the world where Christians of all persuasions are at daily risk of their lives.
Confusions about ‘equality,’ ‘discrimination’
The debate over marriage will be at the forefront of American public life for the foreseeable future.
The future of the pro-life cause
“It’s the economy, stupid!”
James Carville’s memorable note-to-self during the 1992 presidential race will be the determining factor in the 2012 campaign, according to the...
The dynamics of Conclave 2013
Cardinal Joseph Ratzinger was the obvious, leading candidate to succeed John Paul II. There is no such clear frontrunner in 2013.
Cross-centered Catholic renewal
In a Sistine Chapel homily, given to the cardinals who had elected him pope the evening before, the new bishop of Rome, reflecting on the dialogue between Jesus and Peter at Caesarea Philippi (Matt 16:13-25), challenged those who had just laid a great cross on his shoulders to deepen their own commitment to Christ crucified.
Another coalition for religious freedom?
In the wake of the Supreme Court’s 1990 decision in Employment Division v. Smith, a broad, bipartisan coalition quickly formed to restore to federal...
Can organ-harvesters be Number One?
Despite some hiccups caused by the sorry state of the world economy, China is still The Future for many global analysts. Thomas Friedman of...
The Church and the end of the welfare state
Throughout the post-Vatican II years, the U.S. bishops’ conference has typically defended the welfare state and not infrequently urged its expansion. Everyone familiar with...
The reasons for ‘partisanship’
Complaints that Washington-is-broken, which seem to have new intensity in recent years, often go hand-in-hand with laments about “partisanship” in politics. And, to be sure, there are reasons to be concerned about the functionality of our political system and its ability to address and solve some very serious problems. The present, sad condition of much of Europe, where a breakdown of (Christian) democratic culture seems to be leading inexorably to a breakdown of democratic politics and the substitution of government by technocratic elites (currently being previewed in Italy), is a cautionary tale for Americans.
