Michael Sean Winters

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? 

Distinctly Catholic: At this week's U.S. bishops' meeting, prelates will discern their response to the abuse scandal. This means a choice between two competing theories about what led to the crisis.

Distinctly Catholic: Some profound issues of democratic legitimacy were highlighted on Tuesday, and it is far from clear that our country and its Constitution will prove capable of withstanding the questions those issues raise.

Michael Sean Winters rounds up political news and commentary: Partisan fights loom; Catholic masculinity; how to scare centrist voters; wrongly universalizing the Tree of Life tragedy

Distinctly Catholic: If the Democrats muster the courage to elect new leaders to be the face of the party, and they adopt a big tent on social issues, they might even win some of the rural districts they continued to lose last night.

Michael Sean Winters rounds up political news and commentary: NCR to host a briefing for reporters ahead of bishops' meeting; what ballot measure are up for vote; how abortion plays a role in the attitude of voters

Distinctly Catholic: Last week, Sr. Carol Keehan announced her retirement as president and CEO of the Catholic Health Association, effective June 30, 2019. There can be no real replacing Sister Carol.

Distinctly Catholic: At meetings of the U.S. bishops' conference, one of the staples is the election of new committee chairs and other officers. This year, the bishops must elect a new treasurer, and one of the most interesting contests is for the chairmanship of the Committee on Domestic Justice and Human Development.

Michael Sean Winters rounds up political news and commentary: Central Americans in a non-threatening caravan traveling through Mexico; cultural divide within Democratic Party; attempts to politicize the murder of a young woman from Iowa

Distinctly Catholic: Synodality is a different approach to untying knots, building consensus, being church. As Pope Francis indicated in this splendid sermon, we must leave room for God to act, and be less interested in advancing our own agendas.

Michael Sean Winters rounds up political news and commentary: How we mend our broken country; Democratic majority House could undermine Mueller probe; bishops need to revise voting guide; irregularities with voting machines in minority districts

Distinctly Catholic: In two weeks, the U.S. bishops gather in Baltimore. They must confront their own accountability amid the sex abuse crisis, and their loyalty to Pope Francis. Are the bishops up to it?

Distinctly Catholic: He spoke not because his concern for victims of clergy sex abuse at long last got the better of him. He spoke because he didn't like Pope Francis' approach to theology.