Commentary Archives - Page 3 of 80

Debate on conscience may be turning point in South Africa politics

Although South African President Jacob Zuma survived a no-confidence vote this week, it was by a narrow margin. It is significant that the appeal to conscience was part of the discourse, and Christian leaders had issued a statement saying, “the current government has lost all moral legitimacy to lead South Africa.”

Stop bashing converts, and accept us as we are — warts and all

The English convert Ronald Knox observed that converts are rather like a bird that has got into a cocktail party. All the guests are delighted that it is there, but they haven’t a clue what to do about it. Father Dwight Longenecker offers some advice on the topic.

Scottish lessons for the Church in the United States
- Church in the US, Commentary
- August 8, 2017
At a recent meeting of priests in the Archdiocese of Philadelphia, the Archbishop of Glasgow, Philip Tartaglia, spoke about what lessons could be learned in the United States from the Church in Scotland and the rest of the United Kingdom. He also said the Church in America has reason to hope, because the people in the pews haven’t wavered in their faith.
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We need to resist brave new world of ‘Gattaca’ before it’s too late
- Commentary
- August 7, 2017
It became official this week: We can now edit the genetic material of embryos. It’s being hailed as a major breakthrough to fight disease, but as the movie “Gattaca” so brilliantly demonstrated two decades ago, there are numerous, profound ethical questions when such a practice is normalized. If we wait for our grandchildren to resolve them, it will be too late.
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A Latino/a take: Vatican’s ‘ecumenism of hate’ essay is onto something
- Commentary
- August 7, 2017
Theologian and former U.S. Ambassador to the Holy See, Miguel H. Diaz, contends that the central theological insights and socio-political implications for American society voiced by Jesuit Father Antonio Spadaro and Reverend Marcelo Figueroa in a controversial article on U.S. politics in a Vatican-affiliated publication find a home within the hearts of Latinos/as and other “underrepresented” communities in the United States.
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