Michael Sean Winters

Michael Sean Winters: The politics of abortion are in great flux. But liberal Catholics should cling to the consistent ethic of life, the only intellectually and morally serious ground upon which to stand when assessing the morality of abortion.

Michael Sean Winters rounds up political news and commentary: Host David Gray disparages the Rev. Martin Luther King Jr.; the U.S. health care crisis is being caused by greed, nurses say; Jan. 26 panel to discuss Pope Francis and schism.

Michael Sean Winters: Republicans are playing with fire, because if they allow the extremists to dominate their primaries, you will not end up with strong candidates, you will end up with Trumpian sycophants.

Michael Sean Winters: Martin Luther King Jr. rekindles the promise of American democracy and taps into the moral force of our egalitarian ideals and articulates them in idioms that are necessarily religious but not sectarian.

The rush by certain conservative media to claim the pope was seconding their views on cancel culture is laughable, not least because conservatives have a long track record of cancelling things to which they object.

Michael Sean Winters: Archbishop Wester's new pastoral letter on nuclear disarmament is a teaching document that seems suited to a synodal church. It is an invitation to mutual reflection and conversation. 

Michael Sean Winters rounds up political news and commentary: Cardinal Pietro Parolin, call your office; Democrats should listen to Kansas City Mayor Quinton Lucas; Republican intransigence on D.C. court vacancies.

Michael Sean Winters: We are not out of the woods yet and the lack of a spirit of social solidarity continues to stalk efforts to contain the spread of the virus. Even if the politics of the pandemic is changing, the morality remains the same.

Michael Sean Winters rounds up political news and commentary: Phil Lawler misquotes Benedict XVI; Fr. Robert Sirico's laughable take on Benedict and John Paul II; a journalistic mess; Connecticut wins best pizza.

Michael Sean Winters: Brian Fraga's reporting on dark money funding some conservative Catholic groups shows how the culture wars have distorted Catholic teaching. This should give every Catholic leader nightmares.

Michael Sean Winters: Why have the bishops failed to sound the alarm for the "values and principles of our democracy" that continue to be threatened? Surely the sanctity of the vote is above partisan politics.

Michael Sean Winters rounds up political news and commentary: Praying for columnist Michael Gerson; tracking the sentences of those convicted for the Jan. 6, 2021 assault on the U.S. Capitol; nothing Catholic about bowing down before Trumpian idols.

Michael Sean Winters: Will the divergence between Pope Francis and the U.S. hierarchy grow in 2022? Or will the U.S. bishops at long last demonstrate an interest in following the lead of the Holy Father?

Michael Sean Winters rounds up political news and commentary: Overturning Roe v. Wade "the wrong way"; new battleground districts in Michigan; let's put electric vehicle charging stations in church parking lots.

Michael Sean Winters: If last year began with the hope that normalcy might return, this year U.S. politics are marked by a fear that the signs of decline in the very fabric of our democracy might become dominant.

Michael Sean Winters rounds up political news and commentary: Archbishop Schnurr, call your office; comparing Trumpism to the Reformation, and the Affordable Care Act to Build Back Better; VP Kamala Harris' home run.

Michael Sean Winters: The life of the Catholic Church in this country in 2021 was characterized by a culture war fit and evidence that Pope Francis will press forward with the reception of Vatican II in ways that will profoundly affect the U.S. church.

Michael Sean Winters rounds up political news and commentary: The rebuilding of Puerto Rico's energy grid could serve as a model; Desmond Tutu was raised up to point the way for us; The Post on clergy who quit.

Michael Sean Winters: The principal political story of 2021 was President Biden's attempt, mostly unsuccessful, to get the U.S. back to normal. But the rhythm of the year was one of one step forward and one step back.

Michael Sean Winters rounds up political news and commentary: Highlighting green jobs; the lionization of Kyle Rittenhouse; reasons for the labor shortage; self-parody from the Women's March; Mary's Magnificat.