Category: Essays & Profiles

Matthew T. Eggemeier and Peter Joseph Fritz on “The Politics of Mercy”
An excerpt from a transformative new work, featuring a brief interview with the authors.
February 25, 2021/by tac
A Glorious Presence Out of Place in the World: On Marilynne Robinson by Leonard Engel
The latest installment in the esteemed author's series depicts a blurred line between fate and free will.
February 18, 2021/by tac
Opinion: Biden Eyes Lobbyist Jeff Flake as Ambassador to South Africa—and Why Catholics Should Be Concerned by Ray Mwareya and Nyasha Bhobo
The former senator's past views on apartheid should disqualify him from the ambassadorship.
February 18, 2021/by tac
Get Off of the Couch and Out of the Pew by Stephen B. Kass
The person of prayer is a kind of spiritual athlete, training to grow in holiness.
February 11, 2021/by tac
“Gaze, Consider, Contemplate” – In an Age of Pandemic by Michael Ford
A new album by the Poor Clares of Arundel is helping listeners find solace during the pandemic.
February 11, 2021/by tac
An American Catholic’s Reflections on the US Election by Fr. Louis Arceneaux, C.M.
Broadening conceptions of what it means to be "pro-life" might help explain recent political trends.
January 28, 2021/by tac
Sanctity in a Secular Society by Gene Ciarlo
Finding the right environment to become eminently human, and therefore reaching our highest potential, is what a religion in belief and practice is all about.
January 28, 2021/by tac
A Model of Joyful Activism by Jane Bailey
A profile of Dr. Kathleen Dorsey Bellow, the director of the Institute for Black Catholic Studies at Xavier University.
January 27, 2021/by tac
Scapulars Today by William John Fitzgerald
In the midst of a worldwide pandemic, the mask has become the scapular of our time.
December 15, 2020/by tac
Editorial: Reflect with Contrition: On the Federal Death Penalty
Justice does not preclude mercy, and it is not for us to determine who lives and dies or the limits of forgiveness and repentance.
December 15, 2020/by tac
Losing Our Way to Nazareth by Gene Ciarlo
Two gospels, two genealogies, two emphases on Christ's earthly mission. The way of union is compassion.
December 15, 2020/by tac
Faith, Art, and Bob Dylan: A Portrait for Christmas by Michael Ford
A Catholic painter from northern England, noted for his distinctive Christmas card designs, is making a name for himself in the United States through his innovative use of digital artwork.
December 15, 2020/by tac
From the Archives: Home Churches Attract Diverse Worshippers by Marci Alborghetti
From our archives, an article on the home church movement that takes on new relevance in these times of quarantine and church closures.
December 15, 2020/by tac
Pope Francis, Thomas Merton, and the False Self by Andy Thomas
Reality, under the false-self paradigm, is not the meeting place between the person and their loving Creator. It becomes a disparate set of objects that are given value only insofar as they benefit the selfish needs of this disordered self.
December 15, 2020/by tac