About 1,600 years ago, the brilliant Doctor of the Church St. Ambrose admonished those of wealth who clung to their sense of entitlement: “You are not making a gift of what is yours to the poor man, but you are giving him back what is his. “You have been appropriating things that are meant to Read more
The core responsibility of those entrusted to govern is to promote the common good. This doesn’t mean just what is best for most people. It means creating the social, economic and ecological conditions which enable all members of society – according to their capacity – to reach their human fulfilment and to contribute to the Read more
As we live through the tragic consequences of the Covid-19 pandemic, it is useful to reflect on the current vaccination process and, in particular, the innovative contribution of Pope Francis’ teaching and action. Michael Rozier, a Jesuit professor of health management and policy, has reflected on the importance of commitment to health care and identified Read more
No doubt we need to listen to those who are protesting against compulsory vaccinations, who feel “bullied” by a State they believe is encroaching on their own intimate space. Our freedoms are a precious commodity. Society must not become the domain of permanent policing and it is to the credit of democracy that these debates Read more
Why are some US bishops of the Catholic Church telling Catholics to avoid the newly approved Johnson & Johnson Covid-19 vaccine? Why did some U.S. Catholic leaders rush to issue warnings about this vaccine even though the Vatican has already said that it can be morally acceptable to receive it? Most importantly, why did these Read more
When the coronavirus epidemic passes, Americans can’t simply return to their old habits, U.S. Sen. Marco Rubio has said. “We won’t properly absorb the lessons from the coronavirus crisis if we fall back into the traditional Republican and Democratic model of politics. We need a new vision to create a more resilient economy,” the Florida Read more
Citing encyclicals from the church’s canon of social teachings for authority, Republican Senator, Marco Rubio last week outlined a political economy that he called “common-good capitalism.” Rubio argued from a basis in Catholic social teaching that businesses should be obliged “to act in the best interests of the workers and the country that made their Read more
Pope Francis said, “Fundamentalism is a sickness that is in all religions … Religious fundamentalism is not religious, because it lacks God. “It is idolatry, like idolatry of money … We Catholics have some — and not some, many — who believe in the absolute truth and go ahead dirtying the other with calumny, with Read more
Pope Francis gave a talk at the TED international conference, which brings in influential speakers, in Vancouver on the evening of Tuesday, April 25. The talk – a surprise for all in the audience – recapitulated the key themes of the Argentinian pope’s view of the human person: We are all related and interconnected; scientific Read more
Pope Francis said, “Fundamentalism is a sickness that is in all religions … Religious fundamentalism is not religious, because it lacks God. It is idolatry, like idolatry of money … We Catholics have some — and not some, many — who believe in the absolute truth and go ahead dirtying the other with calumny, with Read more