Michael Sean Winters

Distinctly Catholic: Gaudete Sunday anticipates the coming feast, breaking through the penitential season to remind us what is in store at the end of our period of fasting, prayer and almsgiving.

Distinctly Catholic: The easiest way to make sure future generations have less chance of enduring another post-election mess is to eliminate the Electoral College, which turns our national elections into 51 micro-elections.

Distinctly Catholic's roundup of political news and commentary: New jobs have to be climate-healing ones; why are Republicans on a sinking ship still; democracy crisis; want to Parler?

Distinctly Catholic: The emeritus archbishop of Philadelphia has come out of retirement to explain to his benighted brother bishops that an impending scandal looms: Joe Biden might be given Communion. The horror!

Distinctly Catholic's roundup of political news and commentary: Retooling the way Democrats engage voters instead of polling them; disregard of facts isn't only a U.S. problem; idolatry of comfort.

Distinctly Catholic: The implosion of the Trump presidency has its tragic aspect, but it is not a tragedy. It is a farce. It is chaotic, narcissistic, the whole presidency in compact and distilled form.

Distinctly Catholic: The decision in Roman Catholic Diocese of Brooklyn v. Cuomo leads to a frightening conclusion: Five of the Supreme Court justices are ideologues, at least on the issue at stake.

Distinctly Catholic's roundup of political news and commentary: Georgia's secure election process; Obama critics; missile interception technology is here; class consciousness; Michael Sean Winters on the radio

Distinctly Catholic: When Francis expresses his concern about Catholic groups that chart their own path, his words are a challenge to those on both the left and the right who discount thinking with the church.

Distinctly Catholic's twice-weekly roundup of political news and commentary: First Amendment history; last-minute immigration work by outgoing administration; real Mass is best, but no Mass is not the answer

Distinctly Catholic: As the cardinal-archbishop of the nation's capital, Wilton Gregory becomes face of the Catholic Church in the political sphere and the natural point man for dealing with the incoming Biden administration.

A Thanksgiving Day roundup of songs of gratitude: Includes variations of "Te Deum," a trumpet-rich version of Bach's "Now thank we all our God," and "Let All Things Now Living" by the First-Plymouth Church in Lincoln, Nebraska

Distinctly Catholic: Tomorrow is Thanksgiving. We all have lists of things for which we are grateful, but, as Catholic Christians, the first obligation of gratitude is toward God.

A twice-weekly round-up of political news and commentary: Looking at why certain minorities are tilting toward the right; welcoming the stranger and rebuilding immigration policy; Republican leaders cast doubt on voting itself

Distinctly Catholic: It is next to impossible to imagine a Republican Party that is communitarian, but the GOP of the future could embrace liberty in the manner of the great founder of modern conservative politics, Edmund Burke.

Distinctly Catholic: I am not sure how I got on the email list for the Trump-Pence campaign, but I am glad I did.

Twice-weekly roundup of political news and commentary: Bishop Barron's fierce words underwhelm; Politico examines election's hard data, Biden's transition team picks and a major Democratic failure.

Distinctly Catholic: As president of the U.S. bishops' conference, Archbishop Gomez needed to stand up to the pressure for this statement, which was churlish and unbecoming. Instead, he decided to swim with the culture warriors.

Distinctly Catholic: On Day One of the bishops' meeting, we saw all the things that served to cover up the sins of former Cardinal Theodore McCarrick, and that now keep the bishops from acknowledging the sins of John Paul II.

Distinctly Catholic: The fall assembly raises the question again: Will the U.S. bishops continue to resist the direction Pope Francis is trying to steer the church or will they engage his evangelical vision?