Francis the Pacifist
When is it good to kill another human being? The only correct answer, the one offered by the Church, is “never.” As Jesus said, “You have heard that it was said, ‘An eye for an eye and a tooth for...
Tagged: Fratelli Tutti
The Road to Moundsville
The story of the making of the Moundsville film on PBS, the oral history of an American post-industrial town in West Virginia– and why it doesn’t talk about Trump. The religion of the majority of Americans commands them to love their...
Scandal has lost its shock
There has not been much progress since last Christmas in healing the injustice and suffering in our Church and our society. That is sad, but the difference this year—for me personally, anyway—is that I’m no longer surprised by the scandal,...
The hour of the People: Pope Francis and the Post-Covid moment
Dr. Austen Ivereigh via Zoom to Archdiocese of Boston Social Justice Convocation, November 13, 2021 Perhaps it’s the Gospel readings we’ve been having that make me want to share some ideas about how Pope Francis sees our present moment: in...
Is Pope Francis a Marxist?
Pope Francis is sometimes accused of being a “Marxist.” In particular, the following paragraphs from Fratelli Tutti drew some criticism (emphasis added): 119. In the first Christian centuries, a number of thinkers developed a universal vision in their reflections on...
Existential Isolation
I was recently assigned to read an article about loneliness and existential isolation for a class in my graduate program in clinical mental health counseling. The article presented a view of the human person that closely reflected the Catholic understanding...
Bishop Barron, don’t give up on dialogue
As a parish catechist, I am extremely indebted to Bishop Robert Barron. For years, not a week has gone by when I have not used several resources from his Word on Fire apostolate. Recently, in addition to his catechetical and...
Is it our job to divide?
Is division a necessary part of being a truth-telling Christian? Some Catholics, including clergy, point to Jesus’ statement in Luke 12 as a clear indication that divisiveness is part of our calling as Christians: Do you think that I have...
LGBTQ+ Catholics and the Sacred Heart of Jesus
The Catechism says that the Sacred Heart of Jesus is “the chief sign and symbol” of Christ’s love for “the eternal Father and all human beings without exception” (CCC 478). Along these same lines, Pope Francis makes a radical claim...
The Burden of Co-Responsibility
The Second Vatican Council—specifically in its Decree on the Apostolate of the Laity, Apostolicam Actuositatem and in the Apostolic Constitution Lumen Gentium—affirmed that the laity are co-responsible for the mission of the Church. One narrative of the post-conciliar years has...
NFTs: A Catholic Primer
Why should a Catholic care to know anything about non-fungible tokens (NFTs)? Aren’t NFTs just another iteration of the tried and true formula of taking a thing, putting it on blockchain, and making money? Capitalism in a highly regulated and...
Political Divisions and the Path to Unity
Cardinal Raniero Cantalamessa, the Preacher to the Papal Household, did not mince words during his homily on Good Friday this year. “Fraternity among Catholics is wounded! Divisions between Churches have torn Christ’s tunic to shreds, and worse still, each shredded...
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