Faith Seeking Understanding

Franciscan Fr. Daniel P. Horan writes about politics, culture and theology in this column that appears twice a month.

Trappist Fr. Thomas Merton in 1968 (CNS/Thomas Merton Center at Bellarmine University)

Thomas Merton's wisdom for a church in crisis

Jun 23, 2021

Faith Seeking Understanding: As U.S. bishops imprudently forged ahead with a document on Communion ostensibly targeting Biden, I returned to some of Merton's writings on ecclesial and social crises of the mid-1960s.

Cars and people travel through a business area in 2016 in Accra, Ghana. (CNS/Luc Gnago, Reuters)

The church's complicity in dehumanizing the LGBTQ community in Ghana

by Daniel P. Horan

Jun 9, 2021

Faith Seeking Understanding: Church leaders and self-identified Christians are largely responsible for anti-LGBTQ violence in Ghana, given the population's largely Christian makeup. But this is also a disturbingly Catholic problem that the global church must face.

Pentecost is a time to remember the Holy Spirit's presence throughout all creation

by Daniel P. Horan

May 23, 2021

Faith Seeking Understanding: May we take time during this celebration of Pentecost not only to recall the Holy Spirit's enduring presence in human history, but to come to see more clearly the divine action of the Spirit throughout the broader community of God's creation.

Franciscan spiritual wisdom to navigate the 'digital continent'

by Daniel P. Horan

May 12, 2021

Faith Seeking Understanding: How should Christians engage with the internet and social media? The wisdom of the 800-year-old Franciscan spiritual tradition has some robust and surprising insights for our 21st century context.

Columns ›

Thomas Merton's wisdom for a church in crisis

The church's complicity in dehumanizing the LGBTQ community in Ghana

Pentecost is a time to remember the Holy Spirit's presence throughout all creation

Franciscan spiritual wisdom to navigate the 'digital continent'

Slowing down, seeing anew: the spiritual benefits of film photography

Why the church should fight anti-transgender legislation

Death penalty, pandemic: celebrating the scandalous relevance of 2021's Holy Week

Some church things shouldn't return to 'normal' after the pandemic

The anonymous Christianity of 'Ted Lasso'

Let's go back to basics for Lent during this pandemic year

US bishops could learn a lot from St. Óscar Romero

The church teaches that purpose of government is the common good. Period.

Turn to St. Angela of Foligno for spiritual guidance in the new year

Christmas is about celebrating the humanity of God

Biden administration's climate agenda reflects spirit of Laudato Si'

My reluctant gratitude for technology this Thanksgiving

The audacious return of hope

We can only move forward if we acknowledge 'dangerous memories'

Australian bishops get it right on mental health

Trump's coronavirus response a case study in toxic masculinity

Relationship leads us to peace: Three key Franciscan themes in 'Fratelli Tutti'

Systemic impunity for police parallels clerical protection of abusers

The complicated reality of Catholic bishops on Twitter

This 'Season of Creation' demands attention to environmental racism

Pages