Catholic life in the United States is deeply rooted in the reforms of the Second Vatican Council. But that might not mean what you think it means.

Instead of looking past the failings of Pope John Paul II, we should look squarely at them.

Immorality destroys the Gospel; sin—yours and mine—is precisely what puts people in the field hospital to begin with.

Why we need a church that is poor and for the poor

Let me propose a general rule for reading “Laudato Si’”: If the idea of evangelical poverty doesn’t make any sense to you, then large parts of the encyclical won’t make much sense either. That’s not to say the converse is true; the issues addressed are varied and

Editor’s note: The historic interview with Pope Francis (Am. 9/30) has generated a great deal of dialogue in the church and in society at large. We asked several writers to offer their reactions to the pope’s words. Selections from these responses are printed below. The full versions of

In his interview with Fr. Antonio Spadaro—the interview—Pope Francis emphasized one point above all others. “The most important thing,” Pope Francis insists, “is the first proclamation: Jesus Christ has saved you.” For one who encounters this improbable, earth-sha