A May 2019 Gallup poll found that 43% of Americans think socialism would be a good thing in the U.S. 51% think it would be bad. Those numbers are up from 25% and 40%, respectively, in 1942, according to a Roper poll. However, it seems that … [Read more...]
Overcoming Polarization Within the Church
Reconnecting the Sacraments with the Moral Life
April 28, 2022 by Michael Vacca
Note: This article originally appeared in The Catholic Journal, July 4, 2019. Introduction: Framing the Issue Sadly, our world is more divided than ever before. Even a cursory glance at politics, education, or culture suffices to give one … [Read more...]
The Best Medicine for Racial Healing
May 20, 2021 by Deacon Gerard-Marie Anthony
A physician once said, “The best medicine for humans is love.” Someone asked, “What if it doesn’t work?” He smiled and said, “Increase the dose.” We are at a period in our nation where we need to increase the dose of love when it comes to th … [Read more...]
The Effects of Globalization in the Ivory Coast
A Part-time Missionary’s Impression
April 22, 2021 by Br. Dain Scherber
In his address to the Pontifical Academy of Social Sciences in 2001, John Paul II described globalization as follows: “The globalization of commerce is a complex and rapidly evolving phenomenon. Its prime characteristic is the increasing … [Read more...]
Beyond the Realms of Justice
January 28, 2021 by Brent Withers
The purpose of this essay is to explore what light the deeper truths of our faith can shed on the criminal justice system. The light of faith illuminates reality so we can see all things through the life, death, and resurrection of our … [Read more...]
A Catholic Vote Must Be a Moral Vote
October 1, 2020 by Dcn. Tracy Jamison, OCDS
There was a time not too long ago in our nation’s history when Catholic doctrine positively influenced the outcome of ballot votes by effectively contributing to meeting the perennial need to keep civil law in harmony with moral law. One m … [Read more...]
Some Unpolitical Thoughts in a Time of Crisis
September 7, 2020 by Fr. John M. McDermott, SJ
The former mayor of Chicago and Obama political advisor, Rahm Emanuel, made himself noteworthy by recently reiterating his political principle, “You never want a serious crisis to go to waste. And what I mean by that is an opportunity to do … [Read more...]
No Peace, No Justice
Why the Rioters Are in the Wrong
July 2, 2020 by Richard H. Bulzacchelli, STD
In cities across the country, people are rioting in the streets in response, they say, to the death of George Floyd, who lost his life on May 25, while police, in Minneapolis, apprehended him on suspicion of passing counterfeit currency — a … [Read more...]
Thou Shall Not Steal
The Universal Destination and the Private Ownership of Goods
January 26, 2020 by Dominic David Nalpon
The seventh commandment in the Decalogue, “You shall not steal,” is expounded upon in the Catechism in the following excerpt: [The seventh commandment] commands justice and charity in the care of earthly goods and the fruits of men's lab … [Read more...]
Economic Injustice Hidden in Plain Sight
The Church and Usury
September 29, 2015 by Rob Agnelli
In the modern mind, the Church’s prohibition on usury falls under her many outdated teachings. Some even use it as proof that the Church can change her teachings. What the Church taught half a millennium ago, before the rise of modern c … [Read more...]
Questions Answered
July 27, 2015 by Fr. Brian Mullady, OP
Question: Pope Francis recently questioned the ethics of trickledown economics. Are there principles for governing competition in the workplace? Answer: One of the primary moral problems with a semi-capitalist economy is the relation of … [Read more...]
Laudato? Si!
June 27, 2015 by David Vincent Meconi, SJ
The Holy Father’s recent encyclical on the Christian care of the environment deserves to be read by all the faithful. He takes its name from his beloved Francis of Assisi’s "Canticle," Laudato Si, “Let him be praised.” For too long, the Magi … [Read more...]
The Theological Mind of Laudato Si’
June 27, 2015 by Eduardo Echeverria
In this article, I consciously refrain from considering the parts of Pope Francis’s new Encyclical Letter, Laudato Si’ (hereafter LS) that have been the most contentiously received, namely: his views of a free market system, the nature and e … [Read more...]
Pope Francis and the Just Third Way
June 13, 2015 by Michael D. Greaney, CPA, MBA
This article is now available in Spanish and Spanish-English PDFs. Pope Francis faces many challenges in his efforts to modernize the application of Catholic social doctrine to today’s problems, particularly the growing global wealth, i … [Read more...]
Questions Answered
July 2014
July 10, 2014 by Fr. Brian Mullady, OP
Is socialized medicine ethical? When the Pope recently washed the feet of women on Holy Thursday, does that mean that the liturgical law is changed which prescribes that only men should have their feet washed? Question: Is so … [Read more...]
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