Michael Sean Winters rounds up political news and commentary: The U.S. bishops' own sensum fidelium; approaches to synodality in Australia and Germany; Abbott vs. O'Rourke; Trump vs. DeSantis; beauty from Bach.
Joan Chittister: The seventh beatitude is all about motives, with the real reason for what I do, which, however good it makes me look on the outside, may indeed be poisonous on the inside.
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: 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: A new think tank study is a must-read for everyone interested in politics. "Factory Towns" examines where the Democrats have lost ground since the 2012 election in 10 Midwestern states.
Michael Sean Winters: The stakes could scarcely be higher, and the principal responsibility for saving the country from a Trumpian future and the end of liberal democracy lies with Republican leaders.
Distinctly Catholic: Given the unwillingness of Republicans to resist Donald Trump's anti-democratic schemes, President Joe Biden's approval rating may be key to preserving our democracy.
Michael Sean Winters rounds up political news and commentary: A look at an emerging divide on economics within the Republican Party; Austen Ivereigh looks at "eucharistic coherence" and explains what the zealots among the bishops leave out.
Michael Sean Winters rounds up political news and commentary: Debate on denying Communion; Russian Orthodox metropolitan says refusing vaccine is a sin; Biden's antitrust executive orders; a 2020 election deep dive.
