Joanne M. Pierce

Joanne M. Pierce, Professor Emerita of Religious Studies, College of the Holy Cross. 

By this Author

AI image, Jesus wears modern garb and has hair tied back, listens warmly.

AI Jesus might 'listen' to your confession, but it can’t absolve your sins − a scholar of Catholicism explains

In the future, a program like AI Jesus could be used to hear confessions around the clock. But with no experience of having a human body, it cannot engage or absolve human sins, writes Joanne M. Pierce. 

Vance at podium, right hand raised in gesture, screen behind.

Childless women − cat ladies or not − have long played key roles in the Catholic Church

JD Vance’s views on childless women are sharply at odds with the attitude of his present Catholic faith. Catholic history is full of childless women respected for their work, many of them members of religious communities. They often contributed to lasting social and cultural change. In fact, the very existence of women’s religious communities is a testament to the value Catholicism puts on childless women’s lives.

Pope Francis meets with comedians at the Apostolic Palace on June 14 in Vatican City.

Before Pope Francis invited comedians to Vatican, humor had deep roots in Catholic tradition

"Since antiquity," writes Joanne M. Pierce, "many theologians, preachers, monastics and other Christians have embraced the role of humor as a valuable part of Christian spirituality.

Pope Francis listens as migrant Daniel Jude Oukeguale speaks of his harrowing journey leaving Nigeria, during a meeting with migrants at the John XXIII Peace Lab in Hal Far, Malta, April 3, 2022. (CNS photo/Vatican Media)

Pope Francis' visit to Malta highlights the role of St. George Preca, an advocate for teaching the gospel

Pope Francis' two-day visit to the tiny European country of Malta put a spotlight on Malta's complicated history and important contemporary concerns.

Pope Francis meets Jose Gregorio Díaz Mirabal, coordinator of an umbrella group of Amazonian Indigenous organizations, during a session of the Synod of Bishops for the Amazon at the Vatican in October 2019. (CNS photo/Vatican Media)

Catholic tradition of care for environment dates back centuries before Pope Francis

Every pope for the past 50 years — except John Paul I, who died after a month in office — has spoken and written about environmental issues.

 

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