Michael Sean Winters

Distinctly Catholic: Erik Prince's suggestion to the Trump administration about setting up a private intelligence agency is more than mere evidence that this president surrounds himself with people who harbor crazy ideas.

Distinctly Catholic: The idea that Jerusalem is not the capital of Israel is a useful fiction. But diplomatic hyperventilation is not the reason Trump's embassy move worries me.

Michael Sean Winters rounds up political news and commentary: Mockery in the Cakeshop case; #MeToo also means workers in restaurants and hotels; Poland to phase out Sunday shopping.

Distinctly Catholic: Pope Francis received his first sustained and serious criticism from the left during his visit to Myanmar last week.

Michael Sean Winters rounds up political news and commentary: Polling on the new tax reform legislation; Sacramental "rigorism"; Why the president keeps tweeting anti-Muslim items

Distinctly Catholic: Schmitz' recent column reveals the blinders through which certain conservative U.S. Catholics frame the challenges the church faces and the paths forward that she should follow. 

Distinctly Catholic: Conservative Catholics should be especially keen to distance themselves from Project Veritas, which The Washington Post implicates in a fresh false-news scandal.

Michael Sean Winters rounds up political news and commentary: D.C. Archdiocese can't get Christmas ads on metro; University of Connecticut scuffle; pope asks Cupich to visit Puerto Rico.

Distinctly Catholic: Pope Francis gave a few talks recently which, together, fill in the picture of where this pontificate is as we approach the fifth anniversary of his election next March, particularly toward labor and human dignity.

Michael Sean Winters rounds up political news and commentary: Congressional Budget Office scores the latest tax reform; Koch money goes for Time magazine; justice and climate change are interlinked and on a lot of minds

Distinctly Catholic: This week, the Senate plans to debate its tax reform proposals. This is a debate about economics, which has a certain disciplinary integrity that should be respected.

Distinctly Catholic: There is nothing mythic about the idea of gratitude. It is, alongside praise, with which it is intimately linked, the foundation of Catholic spiritual life.

Michael Sean Winters rounds up political news and commentary: The Senate Finance Committee; judicial nominees who are not qualified; corruption in Congress; 'Trump country' travels

Distinctly Catholic: The U.S. bishops' conference calls raising income taxes on the working poor while simultaneously providing a large tax cut to the wealthy "simply unconscionable," yet that's what appears to be happening in Congress right now.

Distinctly Catholic: In Revered and Reviled, the book he finished before his death, Archbishop John R. Quinn renews appreciation for the complementarity of the two Vatican Councils.

Michael Sean Winters rounds up political news and commentary: The president's false statements are adding up; Paula White; Roy Moore; Puerto Rico would lose under tax plan

Distinctly Catholic: Other dynamics within the bishops' conference emerged in the two-day public sessions. Immigration and racism got attention — but not a sense of urgency.

Michael Sean Winters rounds up political news and commentary: Diagnosing the Democrats' problems; along the road to climate catastrophe; conservative evangelicals stand by Roy Moore.

Distinctly Catholic: The Pro-Life Activities Committee has always been led by a cardinal, signaling the priority assigned to that committee. ​But the bishops elected Archbishop Naumann over Cardinal Cupich.

Distinctly Catholic: Immigration is one of the issues that unites the bishops, and during the first day of the bishops' plenary session, speakers endorsed a strong defense of immigrants.