Guest Voices

Why are cardinals sequestered during papal elections? Because it took centuries for the church to develop an electoral system free from manipulations and violence — which should resonate with contemporary politics.

Instead of immediate blame or praise for the results, here are five takeaways that Fr. Tom Reese believes political scientists and historians will be pondering for years in an attempt to make sense out of this election.

Alessandra Harris says she is "devastated but not at all surprised" by this country electing Donald Trump as president for a second term.

For Francis, the synodal process was always more important than any decisions the synod made. Synodality requires a spiritual conversion in our attitudes where we have the humility to put aside our agendas and listen to the Spirit in one another.

 New technologies are making people feel overlooked. This has undermined social cohesion and created a "depersonalization crisis" in which workers feel unseen, leading to burnout and despair. 

One Saturday a month, we scour a tiny piece of the New Mexico desert bordering El Paso to the east and Mexico farther to the south. In the last three searches alone, we have discovered eight sites of skeletal remains.

"Many Republicans have resorted to personal attacks and racist dog whistles to undermine Harris’ credibility as a challenger. Whether they are official party members or average American voters, many of these people are Catholics, and their assaults against Harris have rehashed deeply entrenched White stereotypes and caricatures of Black Americans," writes Efran Menny.

It's disappointing that so few Catholic leaders have joined San Juan Archbishop Roberto González Nieves in condemning a comedian's racist jokes at a Donald Trump rally, writes John Kenneth White.