Michael Sean Winters

Michael Sean Winters is the author of Left At the Altar: How Democrats Lost The Catholics And How Catholics Can Save The Democrats (Basic Books, 2008). His biography of the Rev. Jerry Falwell, God's Right Hand: How Jerry Falwell Made God a Republican and Baptized the American Right was published by Harper One in January 2012 to critical acclaim. 

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Australian Cardinal George Pell is seen at a cafe near the Vatican in Rome Oct. 4, 2020. (CNS/Franco Origlia)

Links: Trump fatigue; artist Sam Gilliam dies; meet and greet two cardinals

Michael Sean Winters rounds up political news and commentary: Michael Gerson is passionate without being tendentious; why we need to overcome Trump fatigue; $50,000 to meet Cardinal Pell, $20,000 to meet Cardinal Sarah.

The Supreme Court is seen Nov. 4, 2020, in Washington, with the U.S. Capitol in the distance. (AP photo/J. Scott Applewhite, File)

How will the Supreme Court's decision on abortion affect the midterm elections?

Michael Sean Winters: The Court decision to overturn Roe v. Wade and that "the authority to regulate abortion is returned to the people and their elected representatives" throws a curve ball into this autumn's midterm elections.

Abortion demonstrators are seen near the Supreme Court June 24 in Washington, as the court overruled the landmark Roe v. Wade abortion decision in its ruling in the Dobbs case on a Mississippi law banning most abortions after 15 weeks. (CNS/Tyler Orsburn)

Links: A 'bitterly polarized' America; Cardinal Müller's interview; GOP's future

Michael Sean Winters: Politico offers roundup of responses to Roe v. Wade being overturned; Cardinal Gerhard Müller should be advised against giving interviews to LifeSiteNews; is Gov. Ron DeSantis the future of the GOP?

Pope Francis arrives to open the World Meeting of Families in the Paul VI hall June 22 at the Vatican. (CNS/Paul Haring)

Pope gives master class in ministry at World Meeting of Families

Michael Sean Winters: This World Meeting of Families is not the spectacle we saw in previous years. It has gained in depth anything it lost in breadth, mostly because of what Pope Francis said at the event.

Fourth-grader Richard Blount works on a social studies assignment at Our Lady of Lourdes School in Massapequa Park, N.Y., Jan. 14, 2004. At the time, more than 2.5 million students were enrolled in 8,000 Catholic schools in the U.S.

In praise of the Supreme Court's decision that religious schools can get tuition aid

The U.S. Supreme Court correctly ruled that Maine cannot exclude religious schools from tuition assistance programs. The ruling is not a step toward religious establishment, prohibited by the First Amendment.

Pope Francis greets people during his general audience in St. Peter's Square at the Vatican June 22. (CNS/Paul Haring)

Links: Hoping Francis never retires; GOP primaries; Catholic journalism

Michael Sean Winters rounds up political news and commentary: An evangelical Protestant's view of Pope Francis; Republican Party's post-primary weirdness; people in the ideological center; the Rural Indexing Project.

Pope Francis greets people as he arrives for his general audience in St. Peter's Square June 15 at the Vatican. (CNS/Reuters/Yara Nardi)

Understanding the pope's reforms: Making the church Christocentric

Michael Sean Winters: Pope Francis issued a rescript requiring local bishops to get approval from Rome before giving their blessing to a diocesan religious order. How does this fit in with his call for increased synodality?

Links: Mark Shields' death; universal health insurance; free speech

Michael Sean Winters rounds up political news and commentary: Political columnist Mark Shields dies; billionaire Peter Thiel is no contrarian; the cost of not having universal health insurance; free speech challenges.

In this image from video released by the House Select Committee, Vice President Mike Pence looks at a tweet by President Donald Trump from his secure evacuation location on Jan. 6, 2021.

Jan. 6 hearings put the morality of the nation in spotlight

As we assess the morality of those who committed heinous acts of treason, we should always, always hold out hope for converts, and be prepared to welcome them after they have confessed their crimes against our democracy.

Bishop Michael Barber of Oakland, California, gives the homily at the Basilica of St. Paul Outside the Walls in Rome Jan. 31, 2020. (CNS/Paul Haring)

Contrary to what Oakland's bishop says, Cardinal-designate McElroy abhors abortion

Michael Sean Winters: Oakland Bishop Michael Barber and writer George Weigel both repeated the same meme this week, that the divisions in the U.S. church are rooted in opposing allegiances to different popes. 

(Unsplash/Parker Johnson)

Links: Democrats lose in Texas; gun control effectiveness; Colombian architecture

In the June 14 primary election for the 34th Congressional District in Texas, Republican Mayra Flores defeated Democrat Dan Sanchez. Democrats hoping to capture the Latino vote should take note. 

Paper boats in shallow water (Dreamstime/Gyso4ka)

An invitation to get past the shallow, well-charted waters of 'wokeness'

Michael Sean Winters: Sam Adler-Bell penned an excellent critique of the kind of intellectual approach associated with the word "woke." There is a Catholic dog in this intellectual fight, too.

Starbucks workers march for the right to organize a workers' union on April 23 in Seattle. (Wikimedia Commons/elliotstoller)

Links: French parliamentary elections; Starbucks union fight; Texas census numbers

Michael Sean Winters: The dizzying first round results of the French elections; Starbucks CEO says he won't deal with unions; Supreme Court could strike down climate change regulations.

The U.S. Capitol is seen in Washington June 7. (CNS/Tyler Orsburn)

EWTN failed its viewers by not airing testimony about Jan. 6 attack

Michael Sean Winters: The decision by Fox News and EWTN not to offer live coverage of the June 9 hearing of the U.S. House Select Committee on the January 6 Attack tells us a lot about both organizations' values.

A Ukrainian flag flies in front of the destroyed regional administration building following shelling by Russian troops June 8 in Mykolaiv, Ukraine. (CNS/Reuters/Edgar Su)

Ukraine may not lead the news anymore, but it still needs Western arms

Michael Sean Winters: Other news items have pushed the war in Ukraine off the front page, but that should not lead Western nations to push Ukraine into a negotiated peace that would not meet the challenge posed by Putin.

Seminarians Oscar Romero and Augustine Mang prostrate during the Litany of Supplication at their April 9 ordination as transitional deacons at Sagrado Corazon Church in Nashville's Catholic Pastoral Center. (CNS/Tennessee Register/Katie Peterson)

Links: Primary results; gay pride and the Tampa Bay Rays; Latino priests

Michael Sean Winters rounds up political news and commentary: A look at June 7 primary results; DeSantis vs. Trump; 'MAGA bullies' and the GOP brand; the 2022 class of newly ordained priests.

President Joe Biden takes questions from reporters at the White House May 4 in Washington, after delivering remarks on economic growth, jobs, and deficit reduction. (CNS/Reuters/Evelyn Hockstein)

If only Americans, or even Catholics, knew about Catholic social doctrine

Michael Sean Winters: Voters are getting ready to punish the Democrats for all the wrong reasons, but both parties could use a big dose of Catholic social teaching.

President Joe Biden speaks about gun violence during a primetime address from the White House in Washington June 2. (CNS/Reuters/Leah Millis)

Links: Biden's poll numbers; gun control hopes; the queen's jubilee

Michael Sean Winters rounds up political news and commentary: "Let Biden be Biden"; change of generation vs. change of ideas; pioneering bioethicist James Gustafson; the study of ignorance; Montreal architecture.

Auxiliary Bishop Robert Barron of Los Angeles, right, and other U.S. bishops concelebrate Mass at the Basilica of St. Mary Major while making their "ad limina" visits in Rome in this Jan. 30, 2020, file photo. (CNS/Paul Haring)

Here's hoping Bishop Barron settles in to new job leading a Minnesota diocese

Michael Sean Winters: As Bishop Robert Barron takes leadership of the Diocese of Winona-Rochester in Minnesota, it is time for him to think less about his media ministry at Word on Fire and more about being a bishop.

Pope Francis speaks during his general audience in St. Peter's Square June 1 at the Vatican. That day Francis also gave a talk to an international conference of educators. (CNS/Paul Haring)

Pope Francis warns Catholic educators against false traditionalism

Michael Sean Winters: I recently wrote about the danger of ideology to synodality. As if on cue, the pope gave a talk June 1 that evidenced both my concern and pointed to some remedies which have a wide application.

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