Distinctly Catholic

Michael Sean Winters analyzes the worlds of religion and politics and the always fascinating estuary where the two collide.

Voters line up prior to casting their ballots Nov. 6, 2018, at a polling station in Nesconset, New York, on Election Day . (CNS/Gregory A. Shemitz)

Links: Governors' races in the midterms; resigning from the pro-life movement

by Michael Sean Winters

Sep 23, 2021

Michael Sean Winters rounds up political news and commentary: One of the Republicans who voted to impeach Trump will not seek reelection; midterm races may be predictive of Trump's residual electoral strength; Jonah as a prophet for our time.

Tax the rich: It's the right thing to do and it's popular

by Michael Sean Winters

Sep 22, 2021

Distinctly Catholic: Now is the time for Democrats to seize the populist narrative around economic issues and make that, again, the defining hallmark of liberalism in the United States.

Workers wrap fabric on the southwest façade of the Arc de Triomphe in Paris Sept. 12. (Wikimedia Commons/Jean-Pierre Dalbéra)

Links: Russian elections; assisted suicide; reply to McAleese's criticism of Francis

by Michael Sean Winters

Sep 21, 2021

Michael Sean Winters rounds up political news and commentary: Canadian bishops' one-page guide for voters; The Tablet defends sanctity of life; a warning to Democrats; French piques; trade unions of the 12th century.

Gen. Mark Milley, chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, is on the hot seat amid reports about calling his Chinese counterpart to assure him not to worry about then-President Donald Trump starting a war. (CNS/Reuters/Ken Cedeno)

If Milley broke democratic norms – even for the greater good – he must face the music

by Michael Sean Winters

Sep 20, 2021

Michael Sean Winters: After Democrats spent much of the past six years worrying about democratic norms, we cannot simply look away when Gen. Mark Milley, chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, might have violated those norms.

Columns ›

Links: Governors' races in the midterms; resigning from the pro-life movement

Tax the rich: It's the right thing to do and it's popular

Links: Russian elections; assisted suicide; reply to McAleese's criticism of Francis

If Milley broke democratic norms – even for the greater good – he must face the music

Cupich's call for a eucharistic revival offers the bishops a way out of the mess they made for themselves

Links: How Biden can recover; El Paso and COVID; rationing health care

Should critical race theory be taught in our schools?

Links: Bishops' Eucharist document; a pro-family president; racial divides in housing

In solemn silence, Biden leads the nation in remembering September 11

Are Francis' critics scared of the Holy Spirit?

Links: Biden's Catholicism; union organizing at Starbucks; vaccination success

What US culture can learn from the church about COVID-19

A friendly outsider's view of American democracy: critical yet optimistic

New Texas abortion law is a Pyrrhic victory for pro-life cause

Links: A Trump hangover, Biden's numbers and a sedevacantist priest

Having left Kabul, now what? Enough sticks; let's focus on carrots

Links: The Latino vote; conservative wokeism; giant wind turbines

If all politics is local, Biden's approval ratings should bounce back

Activist judge throws monkey wrench in Biden efforts to fix immigration system

Links: Jason Berry, the scientific method and the California recall

If US church is to become synodal, we have a lot of work to do

Links: Critical race theory, culture wars and dog cuddling

As AFL-CIO charts its future, alliance with Catholic Church is vital

National Catholic Bioethics Center still wishy-washy on vaccine mandates

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