Faith Seeking Understanding

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

President Donald Trump takes off his face mask Oct. 10 as he comes out on a White House balcony in Washington to speak to supporters gathered for a rally on the South Lawn. (CNS/Reuters/Tom Brenner)

Trump's coronavirus response a case study in toxic masculinity

Oct 14, 2020

Faith Seeking Understanding: Trump's obsession with being perceived as "manly" and "tough" has increased erratic behaviors and irresponsibility that is literally toxic, since it exposes others to a deadly disease.

Detail of mural of St. Francis of Assisi and the wolf of Gubbio painted on the St. Francis Inn, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, seen Oct. 1, 2010. (Flickr/Jim McIntosh)

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

by Daniel P. Horan

Oct 4, 2020

Faith Seeking Understanding: Living like Jesus means prioritizing relationship above all else, and in many ways the Franciscan tradition has, as the pope acknowledged, shaped the focus of this social teaching.

Police officers in Louisville, Kentucky, move past city hall Sept. 23 to clear protesters from a plaza ahead of a 9 p.m. curfew. (CNS/Reuters/Carlos Barria)

Systemic impunity for police parallels clerical protection of abusers

by Daniel P. Horan

Sep 30, 2020

Faith Seeking Understanding: Like priests who benefit from a large and powerful institution, police are protected by a system that treats them as a category unto themselves, shielded from criminal liability.

The complicated reality of Catholic bishops on Twitter

by Daniel P. Horan

Sep 16, 2020

Faith Seeking Understanding: Despite canon law's prohibition against political endorsements by clergy, many prelates have entered the partisan fray, resulting in increased division and confusion among the faithful.

Columns ›

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

The heresy of oversimplified Christianity

The importance and challenge of doing nothing

Running while white

The preferential option for the removal of statues

The truth about so-called 'gender ideology'

When will the US bishops address the evil of systemic racism head-on?

If COVID-19 frightens you, you should be terrified by climate change

Naming the dehumanizing agenda of some Christians

We are suffering a crisis of imagination in the church and world

As the suffering of many weighs on me, I'm learning to pray again

For the love of God (literally), stay home, be safe and pray

Communion of saints, an important tenet of our faith, can help during coronavirus times

What we need is an 'integral economy'

Integral ecology requires a larger 'seamless garment'

Commemorating Black History Month as a white Catholic

The ecological significance of the Eucharist

New year, new decade and a new chance for church renewal

Christmas is for all God's creatures

Intellectual and spiritual blindness may be our greatest cultural problem

Pages