Michael Sean Winters

Michael Sean Winters rounds up political news and commentary: Pope Francis and the hard-hearted; voting straight party ticket blindly; Vatican II is 55; keeping refugees protected; musical soothing

Distinctly Catholic: The Family Research Council's annual event for conservatives had, for the first time, a sitting president at the podium, and what also was different about this year's summit was the openness with which the participants revealed their sympathy for ethnic nationalism. 

Michael Sean Winters rounds up political news and commentary: Preliminary gerrymander reform; flag for the interior secretary; Democrats' contraception trap; stop "othering" poor people

Distinctly Catholic: In the weeks after a major natural disaster, little by little, things get better and over time return to normalcy. This is not the case for Puerto Rico.

Distinctly Catholic: In a recent talk at Notre Dame, the Jesuit editor of La Civiltà Cattolica showed how he's first among equals when it comes to explaining this pontificate.

Michael Sean Winters rounds up political news and commentary: Social media may be too powerful; abortion-ban has support; redistricting equals democracy; small farmers and big grocery clash; a light in Puerto Rico

Distinctly Catholic: Lack of good-faith negotiation about the contraception mandate in the Affordable Care Act means the issue will continue to swing based on who is in the White House.

Distinctly Catholic: At last week's Amoris Laetitia​ conference in Boston, one of the most striking features was what was not said. For example, the phrase "natural law" was uttered not once.

Distinctly Catholic: Looking at the "Amoris Laetitia: A New Momentum for Moral Formation and Pastoral Practice" conference, what specifically does it says about the shape of the debate over this apostolic exhortation?

Distinctly Catholic: The alliance that emerged between James Quinn Buchanan's libertarian mind and Charles Koch's money is not just "interesting history" but has present-day implications on the common good in America.

Michael Sean Winters rounds up political news and commentary: Trump talks about wiping out Puerto Rico's debt; Justice Alito asks erroneous question; Some still won't entertain notion that mass shootings are preventable

Analysis: Even before the two synods on marriage and the family that served as the basis for "The Joy of Love," disputes were arising within the hierarchy over pastoral practice.

Distinctly Catholic: Political economist James McGill Buchanan provided the intellectual framework that the growing libertarian movement needed to pursue their goal of radically changing the political economy of the United States.

Michael Sean Winters rounds up political news and commentary: Great Red Mass homily by Gomez; immigration raids rattle Boston; same-sex marriage debate is over; two Christian football players kneel with different results; senators should not offend nominees

Distinctly Catholic: There is no ambiguity about where the Catholic Church stands on unions, but I am guessing we'll hear more from the bishops about the cake-baking case.

Distinctly Catholic: The only thing standing between the country and a disaster in health care policy is the incompetence of the Senate majority leader, and we face a similar dynamic now with tax reform.

Michael Sean Winters rounds up political news and commentary: Most Americans think kneeling for the anthem is fine, even if they would not do it; will George Weigel's John Paul opinion go away; more on Amoris Laetitia

Distinctly Catholic: Pope Francis' insight, that there is a kind of ecclesiological approach that wants Jesus kept in a box, is lost on the drafters of the recent "filial correction."

Michael Sean Winters rounds up political news and commentary: Clinton's What Happened; Cardinal Dolan advises Louisiana priests; a far-right party's rise in Germany.

Distinctly Catholic: Battered by climate change and debt, Puerto Rico and other poor Caribbean islands are due not only charity, but justice from us in the global north.