John XXIII had a program of updating; John Paul II was seen as bringing a degree of Restoration. How do their two very different legacies relate to each other?
After Arizona Gov. Jan Brewer vetoes bill affecting gay marriage, similar bills in other states will give us another master class in how to hold a culture war.
His choice of the name 'Francis' was a promising sign he would emulate a saint devoted to the poor and to simplicity, and he has only continued from there.
Social and religious conservatives should have been the first to oppose the effort to allow businesses to discriminate against same-sex couples on religious grounds.
Nurse a baby in church and you risk dirty looks. Of course, letting a hungry infant cry is also risking disapproval. It’s enough to make a new mom want to stay home.
To get an inkling of the power of anti-Judaic legacy, I recommend reading a gospel in one sitting. Or better yet, watch 'The Gospel of John' with a Jewish friend.
An interreligious dialogue in which parties explain away their distinctive truth claims can help to improve relations among participants, but at great cost.
Making sure late-term abortions are done only to save the life of the mother—under the safest conditions possible—should be something both sides can agree on.
When even the pope wonders aloud whether it's appropriate for him to judge, you begin to see the difficulty of deciding what "true Christians" ought to believe.
