Blessed are the Peacemakers
Blessed are the Peacemakers

The Catholic tradition reminds us that just war thinking is critical to peacemaking.

Pope Francis and the Problem of War in Fratelli Tutti
Pope Francis and the Problem of War in Fratelli Tutti

Pope Francis calls out the language of war. He speaks against “war” as a solution. In this, he echoes many prior popes.

Catholic Bishops Respond to Supreme Court Judgments on Bostock and DACA
Catholic Bishops Respond to Supreme Court Judgments on Bostock and DACA

The United States Conference of Catholic Bishops (USCCB) joined many Americans in expressing strong emotional responses to two Supreme Court decisions, one relating to Title VII protections against discrimination (Bostock v. Clayton County) and the other to the “Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals” or DACA program (Department of Homeland Security v. Regents of the University of California).

A Time for Theologians during COVID-19 Pandemic?

A theologian’s task in time of plague is to show the light and give people hope. In recent years, many of us trained as theologians have traded our office for that of the pundit and scold. That we have so little worthwhile to say now, in this unprecedented time of fear and uncertainty, is yet one more sign of judgment.

Catholic Statecraft’s Disagreements with Realism

Realism and the just war ethic both pursue war in certain contexts, so they can appear to be close cousins. But the just war ethic shares less with realism than realism shares with pacifism.

Rights Abuse: Pompeo’s Commission on Unalienable Rights and the War on Terror
Rights Abuse: Pompeo’s Commission on Unalienable Rights and the War on Terror

If an assessment of and recommitment to human rights protections is the mandate of the Commission on Unalienable Rights, I humbly suggest they study the current status of the most basic rights and lessons to be drawn from the post-9/11 context.

Catholics in Israel Call for One-State Solution
Catholics in Israel Call for One-State Solution

The Ordinaries’ statement is extraordinary, and not primarily for its reorientation away from a two-state solution toward one state.

Does Scripture Really Require Nation-States? Review of Hazony’s The Virtue of Nationalism
Does Scripture Really Require Nation-States? Review of Hazony’s The Virtue of Nationalism

If we follow scripture as understood by Hazony, perhaps then we face his “either nation or empire” mentality. From other Christian perspectives, an appeal could be made to the varying levels of political organization available to polities over time, ranging from the city to the nation-state, to regional federations, and so on. Hazony’s account, however, allows no such appeal.

Pope Francis, World Day of Peace
Pope Francis, World Day of Peace

Since 1967, the Catholic Church has marked January 1 as the “World Day of Peace,” and popes from Pope Paul VI to Pope Francis have used the day to deliver messages of peace to the world. This year, Pope Francis has centered his comments around the timely message of the good of politics.