Michael Sean Winters

A roundup of political news and commentary: What are meritocrasies good for; can Joe Biden step up; SCOTUS rules in favor of common good; GOP and the case against voting by mail; more safety nets and competence, please

Distinctly Catholic: Only if we understand how totally — and understandably — rejected Jesus was on Good Friday can we grasp how radically different God's verdict was, and so make the joy of that first Easter our own.

Distinctly Catholic: We feel powerless in the face of this pandemic. Jesus chose to be powerless before the Sanhedrin, before Herod, before Pilate, before history. Let us imitate him in his powerlessness.

Distinctly Catholic: On Holy Thursday, we especially celebrate the institution of the Eucharist, the institution of the priesthood and the command to love, all first given at the Last Supper. Those of us who are serious about staying at home so as to do our part and not make things worse for those front-line workers, we are, as it were, washing their feet with our obedience to the common good.

A roundup of political news and commentary: Republican entitlement; rationality and trust in Germany; is deep-state mistrust serving our interests; firing a Navy captain; "essential" workers deserve better pay; rustbelt memoir; religious liberty and shelter-in-place

Distinctly Catholic: It is vital that the Democrats do everything they can to make sure the American people know which party is standing up against executive bonuses and stock buybacks with taxpayer money.

Social service and emergency care providers are pressed to find new ways to address people's needs in a time of health care crisis around the world. How will the pandemic change the way the church's social mission is perceived — and supported — in the future?

Distinctly Catholic: "You never want a serious crisis to go to waste." The spirit of this quote has been resurrected as our political leaders try and figure out how to respond to the COVID-19 crisis.

A roundup of political commentary links: Logic of the scapegoat; don't deny science; we miss Msgr. Lorenzo Albacete; the White House has taken a Darwinian approach to federalism

Global crises can lead to seismic changes or just clarify current challenges and possibilities. What kind of shift is taking place as people experience the Eucharist virtually and apart? NCR surveyed two dozen theologians, social directors, non-profit leaders and pastors. This is Part 2 of three parts and includes six responders.

Distinctly Catholic: It will take more than COVID-19 to kill the ideologies of our day that distort our political landscape. But let's try slaying some of the ideological stupidities the crisis has brought into focus.

It is a time of profound change. NCR surveyed two dozen theologians, social directors, non-profit leaders and pastors, asking them to consider what closed buildings and separation could mean for the church in the long term. This is Part 1 of three parts, focusing on community, and includes seven responders.

Michael Sean Winters rounds up political news and commentary: Texas bishops call out one of their own; senators display ideological blinders; the Times becomes a caricature of itself; and more.

Distinctly Catholic: Who are the 10% of Americans who do not feel that strongly one way or another about President Donald Trump that their attitudes are either unregistered or now in flux?

A roundup of political news and commentary: To open the economy early; making of a stimulus package; Georgetown University pays its food service contractors while closed; solidarity in the time of social distancing

Distinctly Catholic: That the president would be willing to expose unseen thousands of people to an early death in order to increase his reelection prospects is no surprise, but why are Catholics following this libertarian suit against protecting life?

Distinctly Catholic: This week, Senate Democrats refused to be bullied into signing off on a bill with no oversight, and our democracy is a bit more safe.

Michael Sean Winters rounds up political news and commentary: Remembering Archbishop Pilarczyk; full-blown Malthusian ugliness at the White House; Elizabeth Warren still the Democrats' "ideas factory."

Distinctly Catholic: It is up to Biden — and to all Democrats running for office this fall — to remind voters that the party has always believed government can be a force for good in people's lives, a belief that is not utterly self-evident.

Distinctly Catholic: To those who object that it is morally wrong to politicize a crisis, I remind them that the goal of electoral politics is to gain political power so as to achieve particular objectives, the first of which is protecting the citizenry.