Thomas Reese

Jesuit Fr. Thomas Reese's column for Religion News Service, "Signs of the Times," appears regularly at National Catholic Reporter.

Reese entered the Jesuits in 1962 and was ordained in 1974. He was educated at St. Louis University, the Jesuit School of Theology at Berkeley, and at the University of California Berkeley, where he received a Ph.D. in political science. He worked in Washington as a writer and lobbyist for tax reform from 1975 to 1978. He was an associate editor of America magazine, where he wrote on politics, economics and the Catholic Church, from 1978 to 1985 and editor-in-chief from 1998 to 2005. He was a senior fellow at the Woodstock Theological Center from 1985 to 1998 and 2006 to 2013. During the summers, he works as a visiting scholar at the Markkula Center for Applied Ethics at Santa Clara University. 

While at Woodstock, he wrote the trilogy on the organization and politics of the church: Archbishop: Inside the Power Structure of the American Catholic Church (1989), A Flock of Shepherds: The National Conference of Catholic Bishops (1992), and Inside the Vatican: The Politics and Organization of the Catholic Church (1996). He also edited The Universal Catechism Reader (1990), an analysis of the first draft of the Catechism of the Catholic Church, and Episcopal Conferences: Historical, Canonical and Theological Studies (1989). He is also author of a NCR e-book, Caring for Our Common Home: A Readers’ Guide and Commentary on Pope Francis’ Encyclical on the Environment (2015).

In 2014, Reese was appointed by President Barack Obama to the U.S. Commission on International Religious Freedom, an independent, bipartisan U.S. federal government commission that reviews the facts and circumstances of religious freedom violations and makes policy recommendations to the President, the Secretary of State, and Congress. He was reappointed to another two-year term in May 2016, and he was elected to a one-year term as chair of the commission in June 2016. His writings for NCR do not necessarily reflect the views of the commission.

Reese was senior analyst for the NCR from March 2013 to June 2017. He is based in Washington, D.C.

By this Author

Humanae Vitae: Sex and authority in the Catholic Church

Fifty years ago, Pope Paul VI issued an encyclical that shook the Catholic Church to its core by declaring that every use of artificial contraceptives is immoral.

The priesthood, celibacy and sex

Signs of the Times: There is universal agreement that those who have sex with minors should be prosecuted as criminals and expelled from the priesthood. But what about violations with adults? Are there other sexual violations that should be treated by the church with zero tolerance?

Pope Francis teaches discernment for coping with spiritual battles

Spirituality, whether Christian or Muslim, frequently uses the language of battle, so it is not surprising that Pope Francis promotes the Christian equivalent of a spiritual jihad. 

At last, bad news is good news in the Catholic sex abuse scandal

In the Catholic Church’s sex abuse scandals, what seems like bad news for the church — seemingly daily headlines about clergy being disciplined — is actually good news.

Catholic bishops are quick to attack Trump but slow to advise their voters

Signs of the Times: It is ironic that the bishops — who think of themselves as teachers — have an easier time reaching agreement on their opposition to, or support of, specific government programs than in agreeing on a teaching document for their people. 

Cardinal Dolan makes good points but ignores politics of abortion

Cardinal Timothy Dolan of New York makes many good points in his response to my column calling for a new pro-life strategy, but he ignores the political context of the abortion controversy in the United States.

Pope Francis' five loves to combat the ills of today's culture

We can all recognize the dangers Pope Francis sees in today's culture. In answer, the pope gives us five great expressions of love for God and neighbor that he considers particularly important.

Irish vote shows need for new pro-life strategy

The overwhelming vote in Ireland in favor of allowing access to abortion shows that the pro-life movement needs a new strategy. 

Francis cardinals make up almost half of electors of next pope

Soon, Pope Francis will have chosen almost half the men who will pick his successor. On June 29, he will create 14 new cardinals, continuing to break tradition by passing over the archbishops of large European and American archdioceses. 

Vatican document on economic ethics is a dismal read on a timely topic

Now that I've read "Oeconomicae et pecuniariae quaestiones," I can't recommend it to anyone. It is not that I have major disagreements with its conclusions. It is simply horribly written.

Francis does not see holiness as a simple prospect

Signs of the Times: The pope acknowledges that living the Beatitudes means "going against the flow" of the world. Francis urges us to let the Lord's words "unsettle us, to challenge us and to demand a real change in the way we live."

Pope Francis warns of two paths to holiness

Signs of the Times: As a spiritual guide to those seeking to be better Christians, Pope Francis recognizes that many are tempted to follow the wrong paths to holiness. These are not bad people following the path of sin, but good people getting lost in the woods without a map.

Pope Francis, the spiritual guide

Before he was pope, before he was archbishop of Buenos Aires, Francis spent much of his Jesuit life as a spiritual guide to young Jesuits. He was not a great theologian, although he was well read in theology. 

'I have made serious mistakes,' says pope. 'I ask forgiveness.'

The catchphrase "Love means never having to say you’re sorry" was more memorable than the film "Love Story," where it was uttered twice. At first the words sounded nice, but on reflection they made no sense at all, especially to a Christian.

The Vietnam War revisited

When PBS’ documentary “The Vietnam War” first broadcast back in September, I did not want to watch it. I had lived through the war and did not have the stomach to revisit it in a 10-part, 18-hour film, even if it was by award-winning documentarian Ken Burns.

Pope Francis and hell

Social media has been going crazy with reports that Pope Francis denied the existence of hell. Anyone who has followed the pope's talks and sermons would know that something does not smell right here. 

Young Catholics call for an authentic, empowering church

After a weeklong meeting in Rome with Pope Francis, young Catholics called for an authentic and empowering church where they would feel welcomed.

Letter from Benedict brings down Vatican media czar

VATICAN CITY — The ability of church officials to be their own worst enemies has been on display the past two weeks as the Vatican has been rocked by the scandalous handling of a letter from Pope Benedict about a series of books on the theology of Pope Francis.

When Pope Francis asks young people what they think

"Too often we talk about young people without asking what they think," said Pope Francis at the opening of a weeklong meeting with young people from all over the world.

Young people to talk with Pope Francis about future of the church

Signs of the Times: The young people coming to Rome are from this pool of loyal young Catholics, who have been chosen by their national bishops' conferences, religious communities and seminaries to meet with the pope. 

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