Michael Sean Winters

Michael Sean Winters rounds up political news and commentary: Pope Francis' text may challenge political agendas; the CIA's relationship with Poland; what do you get if you can't get a reuben?

Michael Sean Winters: For a certain kind of Catholic, President Biden provokes fury, and that kind of Catholic also tends to be less than enthusiastic about Pope Francis. Photos of the two together will be too much.

Michael Sean Winters rounds up political news and commentary: Discussing labor, religion and politics at Collegeville; GOP efforts to win over Virginia's Latino voters; on free speech, Andrew Sullivan gets it right.

Michael Sean Winters: In claiming "any suggestion that EWTN is unfaithful to the Church, the Second Vatican Council, or the Holy See is simply vindictive and false," Archbishop Charles Chaput supports the network's continued effort to claim the mantle of orthodoxy for themselves while casting aspersions on the pope's orthodoxy. 

Michael Sean Winters: Strikes at several hospitals, John Deere, Kellogg's and other places illustrate calls for worker solidarity and dignity at the heart of Catholic social doctrine for 130 years. Pope Leo XIII – and every pope since – has pointed to the moral necessity of workers being able to form a union.

Michael Sean Winters rounds up political news and commentary: The failure to build a more sustainable energy grid; the need for affordable child care; how the U.S. can help Latin America recover from the pandemic and decades of ongoing issues.

Michael Sean Winters: Pope Francis' address to the fourth World Meeting of Popular Movements is stunning. No other world leader speaks like this.

Michael Sean Winters rounds up political news and commentary: Video from the insurrection conveys reality; law prof looks at legal issues in assessing the constitutional reach and limits of exemptions from vaccine mandates; Where's George Orwell?

Michael Sean Winters: In calling Sen. Joe Donnelly — U.S. President Joe Biden's pick for Vatican ambassador — a "rogue Catholic," Bill Donohue, head of the Catholic League, once again mistakes Republican credentials for Catholic ones.

Michael Sean Winters: The vaccine phobia that has taken hold of the GOP base is also affecting religious folk. But pastors need to focus not on misplaced moral scruples but on the moral urgency of getting people vaccinated.

Michael Sean Winters rounds up political news and commentary: Report exposes palm oil industry's labor abuses, environmental degradation; Farah Stockman writes about workers who broke barriers but eventually lost their jobs; Elisha Wiesel on Zionism.

Michael Sean Winters: If we as a church are to be a leaven in the world, we must first overcome the polarization within our own house. The world is profoundly divided, but so is the Christian community.

Michael Sean Winters rounds up political news and commentary: Getting past church polarization; David Shor compares Democratic activists and the median voter; Trump and his acolytes come for Brad Raffensperger's job.

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: Supreme Court justices could use inspiration and protection from the Holy Spirit as the new term opens with cases that deal with organized labor, gun rights, abortion rights and race in college admissions.

Michael Sean Winters rounds up political news and commentary: Puerto Rico's people endure power outages; are constitutional reforms headed our way? Mark Silk encourages us to use the pronoun "they" for God.

Michael Sean Winters: A recent "survey" from CatholicVote, the right-wing political organization, displays all that is worst in American politics. The organization is a scandal.

Michael Sean Winters rounds up political news and commentary: Investigation reveals how the global elite hide their riches; the treatment of migrants in Ireland; The Times' disturbing account of donors interfering at Yale

Michael Sean Winters' dog, Damiana: Dad is serious, always talking about theology and politics. I try to remind him about the simple things: belly rubs, treats, walks. Humans seem to be much better tempered when they spend time outside, enjoying nature.

Michael Sean Winters: It is frankly shocking that the U.S. bishops' conference has done so little to help the bishops and people of the church in this country prepare for this synodal process. But their inertia needn't be ours. Start by rereading documents of the Second Vatican Council.