Michael Sean Winters

Distinctly Catholic: I have never been much of a fan of the Puritans who first settled New England, nor of the habits of mind and piety that their name describes.

Michael Sean Winters rounds up political news and commentary: Call to save D.C.'s Providence Hospital; debt-free college will cost progressives; Heisman winner apologizes; Tecate dignifies migrants

Distinctly Catholic: Through all my upbringing, studies, scholarship and connections, it never occurred to me that I would live to see in this country the kinds of attacks on democracy we see today.

Distinctly Catholic: Despite the relationship between American civil religion and the Christian faith, the state funeral of President George H.W. Bush demonstrated that the Christian church has something meaningful to say.

Michael Sean Winters rounds up political news and commentary: Consumer Financial Protection Bureau defanged; Ocasio-Cortez earns "four Pinocchios"; workplace discrimination against pregnant women

Distinctly Catholic: When you hear someone say that President George H.W. Bush was such a decent man, remember what he was willing to do to gain the presidency. 

Michael Sean Winters rounds up political news and commentary: Franklin Graham defends Trump; New Age guru considers presidency run; Paul Ryan's legacy; the world's worst boss.

Distinctly Catholic: For several years now, I have been fretting about the disappearance of the holy season of Advent. In faith, we believe that Jesus will come at the end of time to judge the living and the dead.

Distinctly Catholic: Trump's eagerness to blame someone, anyone, for every difficulty is a unique characteristic in the history of the presidency for being so devoid of complexity.

Just as we would be shocked to learn that Catholic hospitals were performing morally objectionable procedures, many of us are profoundly disturbed to learn enormous compensation is being showered on the executives of Catholic healthcare companies. 

Michael Sean Winters rounds up political news and commentary: Tensions in Bosnia; "Trump judges" and "Obama judges"; extremist fringe vs. Canadian church agencies; holding out for a (political) hero.

Distinctly Catholic: You could have a field day comparing what George Weigel wrote about national bishops' conferences during John Paul II's pontificate to what he writes now.  

Distinctly Catholic: It is obvious that Pope Francis "gets" the evil of sex abuse.  But I suspect the pope does not understand the media culture in which the U.S. church operates. In this regard, I suspect he is like many U.S. bishops.

Distinctly Catholic: We all make mistakes. But I fear that a significant part of the Catholic media is engaged in a willful effort to spread falsehoods in the interest of partisan ecclesial objectives.

Michael Sean Winters rounds up political news and commentary: More lessons from the midterms; the Pelosi fight; debt proposals for Puerto Rico get worse; counting white evangelicals.

Distinctly Catholic: Jesuit Fr. Mark Massa's new book examines Humanae Vitae's place in the "regular series of ruptures, rejections, and reinventions" of Catholic theology.

Michael Sean Winters rounds up political news and commentary: Viganò ordered to give money back to family members; pro-life Democrats exist; more on the midterms; Robert Shine makes my point.

Distinctly Catholic: I think this is the question the pope wants them to ask: Whence your credibility as a bishop? While there will always be some ministers who are clueless, how could a culture form that such patterns of evil behavior covering up the crimes of the perpetrators were so widespread?

Distinctly Catholic: Conservative bishops did not say they wanted to focus on homosexuality as a cause of clergy sex abuse, but they hinted at it. Francis supporters did not defend the pope's decision to delay a vote. Today was shadow boxing.

Distinctly Catholic: The Holy See insists the U.S. bishops not vote on any action items regarding the clergy sex abuse crisis, pending the February meeting of the presidents of all episcopal conferences. What is going on?