Michael Sean Winters

How many people who watched the first GOP debate had the sensation that Vivek Ramaswamy was proto-fascist, very scary, but could never win, only to recall having the same feeling watching Donald Trump debate in 2015?

The church in Mongolia is the mustard seed, small but with the potential for greatness, not greatness in the calculations of the world, but greatness in the power of faith, writes Michael Sean Winters.

Biden's move to permit Medicare and Medicaid to negotiate prices of drugs is the first step toward ending one of the most illogical policy restrictions ever placed on a government by itself, says Michael Sean Winters.

Bishop Robert Barron criticizes papal biographer Austen Ivereigh of making conversion a "dirty word." It is hard not to conclude that Barron's real target is not Ivereigh, but Pope Francis, writes Michael Sean Winters.

The alleged assassination of a Russian mercenary reminds Michael Sean Winters that state-sponsored violence has a long history — and that civilizations do not only improve, they can decline.

The recently announced investigation of a longtime leader of the Federalist Society raises red flags about how money influences our politics, says columnist Michael Sean Winters.

Tonight's Republican debate is likely to be dominated by one candidate who is not on the stage: Donald Trump. One thing we Catholics know is that no one on the debate stage will be defending Catholic social doctrine. 

Threats of violence against court officials and grand jurors must be condemned, lest our society pass a tipping point toward a descent into political violence, columnist Michael Sean Winters says.

Medical treatment for transgender teens is complicated, and people on both sides of the discussion should be open and kind to other perspectives, says columnist Michael Sean Winters. 

Bishop Robert Barron's criticism of "dumbed-down" Catholicism ignores the reality that a sincere Christian witness is what's really attractive about our faith, says columnist Michael Sean Winters.

As more reports surface about Justice Clarence Thomas' gifts from wealthy businessmen, columnist Michael Sean Winters calls for Congress to pass ethics laws to govern the courts.

Coalition-building might be easier if we acknowledged the divisions in our two parties, says columnist Michael Sean Winters, who argues that both U.S. parties must face the tug of war within themselves.

Pope Francis' style may be more evangelistic than apologetic, but you can hardly argue that he's not Christocentric, despite what some critics of World Youth Day claim, says columnist Michael Sean Winters. 

The real danger Donald Trump and his sycophants — including prominent Catholic media personalities — pose is not that they are immoral, but that they are amoral.  

Poll data show Democrats doing well in college towns, but among Latinos — not so much, says columnist Michael Sean Winters. 

Politicians who play the religion card may succeed politically but they do no favors for religion, says columnist Michael Sean Winters.

Instead of engaging the breadth of the U.S. Catholic experience, the speakers list for the Eucharistic Congress looks like the bishops outsourced the programming to Steubenville, says columnist Michael Sean Winters. 

The Israeli government's decision to overhaul the nation's judiciary should not be viewed through the lens of American politics, says columnist Michael Sean Winters, but it does illustrate Israel's deep divisions. 

People Get Ready "is a thoughtful, insightful book," Michael Sean Winters writes. "It is not given to exaggeration, nor to a facile adoption of a "prophetic stance." 

Apparently, being indicted or censured is a ticket to sizable campaign donations, notes columnist Michael Sean Winters, who analyzes the data from the recent campaign fundraising reports.