In the language of Catholic social teaching, we might say that voters doubt whether the political system in which they participate sustains the common good.

The Editors: This moment cries out for the kind of decisive action that perhaps only a lame-duck presidency can bring about: putting the burden of peace on Israel for bringing the war in Gaza to an end.

Especially in places like the United States, where structures like pastoral councils are already relatively common, it is important to hear the synod’s call to ensure that consultation and dialogue are effective and not merely nominal.

The Editors: “Rather than a claim to know conscience’s demands for everyone, it is a challenge for voters to engage in deeper reflection, prayer and dialogue.”

As we approach the anniversary of the Oct. 7 terrorist attacks in Israel, ‘America’ takes a look back at our coverage of the conflict as it unfolded.

Facts are the great enemy of the demagogue, as Senator McCarthy learned so many years ago.

The United States is overdue for a serious conversation not just about possible changes to the Supreme Court, but also about the functioning of our entire system of government.

We need more than cooler rhetoric. We need a politics for the common good.

What is needed, far more than a perfect abortion law, is a clear focus on the moral failure of a society in which abortion rates are rising rather than falling, in which too many women feel afraid, unable or unwilling to carry pregnancies to term and welcome new life into the world.

If Benjamin Netanyahu is unwilling to take the political risk of moving toward a cease-fire, President Biden should respond with a withdrawal of all U.S. military aid used to support Israel’s Gaza offensive.