Michael Sean Winters

Michael Sean Winters rounds up political news and commentary: LifeSiteNews talks Pope Francis; a plea to lessen Puerto Rico debt; conservative and liberal corruption; ethicists on Syria.

Distinctly Catholic: The natural home for religiously-based ideological disposition in the U.S. used to be the Democratic Party, but for the past three decades, the religious right has been the face of Christianity in American public life. Both parties seem unable to restore health to politics.

Distinctly Catholic: San Diego Bishop Robert McElroy's April 18 lecture at Loyola University Chicago opens the debate about how the church should engage politics. He is calling for an approach in which Catholics remember to put their faith first, as the ground of a virtue ethics.

Michael Sean Winters rounds up political news and commentary: A look into EWTN's world; April 17 was tax day, and tax reforms are in the news again; Catholic University of America cutting faculty positions

Distinctly Catholic: There is something to the conservative criticism that while people thought the court was above politics, in fact the court has always been made up of politicians who happen to wear robes.

Michael Sean Winters rounds up political news and commentary: Another bad review of Ross Douthat's book; America magazine gets Syria wrong; shout-out to Eunice Kennedy Shriver; what real charity is (it's not welfare)

Distinctly Catholic: It has been a long time since I have seen a news story about the situation in Puerto Rico, and it seems many are willing to forget about the plight of thousands of people on an island saddled with debt.

Ryan had a reputation as a wonk, someone who understood policy and wanted to understand it. But for all his talk about accomplishing a great deal as Speaker, he knows Congress has accomplished very little that commends itself to the electorate.

Distinctly Catholic: We don't know how President Trump will respond to the chemical weapon attack in Syria, but the character of the response will not resolve the moral conundrum the Syrian situation poses in the first place.

Michael Sean Winters rounds up political news and commentary: A Catholic blogosphere rising star; Pope Francis' authenticity; a takedown of Jordan Peterson and revived masculinity

Distinctly Catholic: Pope Francis' new apostolic exhortation is an encouraging effort to urge all Christians on. Yet some passages appear directed at specific audiences or events in the recent life of the church.

Distinctly Catholic: As Michael Gerson pointed out, the chaos that surrounds this presidency, the multiple story lines, the glaring conflicts, the various brushes with the law, all reflect the president's confidence in his own judgment. 

Distinctly Catholic: Professor Liew's theories illustrate how theologians who support academic freedom need to take the lead in differentiating between pushing an envelope and pushing nonsense.

Michael Sean Winters rounds up political news and commentary: Youth activism; the so-called demise of the left; Saudi prince says Israel should have land; glaciers melting; must-see 'And Still I Rise'

Distinctly Catholic: Martin Luther King did not tell the American people to stop being American. A prophet calls a people to return to their truest selves that they may return to a righteous path.

Michael Sean Winters rounds up political news and commentary: "Jesus Christ Superstar" and evangelization; Democratic strategies; disaster disparity; heralds of misguided economic ideology.

Distinctly Catholic: The fourth 'Pope' episode provoked more ambivalence than the previous three. In its rush to apply history lessons to the situation of today's church, the show became a little ridiculous.

Distinctly Catholic: Instead of his usual political news and commentary roundup, Michael Sean Winters provides required listening for this Easter triduum. 

Distinctly Catholic: What keeps us from the wonderment at these events that so characterized the early followers of Jesus? What prevents us from the depth of conversion they had?

Distinctly Catholic: Cardinal Timothy Dolan's recent, ill-advised op-ed in The Wall Street Journal does nothing to unite Catholics​ polarized by political divisions.