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Friday, August 29, 2025

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Faith in the Public Arena

Faith in the Public Arena

Seek first the kingdom

Faithful citizenship requires transcending the ideologies and partisan divides of our time and working primarily for the salvation of souls, not for short-term political gain on high-profile issues.
Faith in the Public Arena

Countering infidelity with holiness

The latest round of revelations related to clerical corruption, abuse and sin are yet another inexcusable abomination that soils the garments of the Church. They severely compromise the integrity of our Gospel witness as heralds of Jesus Christ and his kingdom. Even more, they undermine our moral witness in the public arena, and our ability to serve as a voice of conscience in political life.
Faith in the Public Arena

A Catholic judge?

President Donald Trump has selected Judge Brett Kavanaugh to fill the vacancy on the U.S. Supreme Court left by Justice Anthony Kennedy’s retirement. Unless something damaging emerges from his background, Judge Kavanaugh will be confirmed.
Faith in the Public Arena

‘Gaudete et exultate’ teaches civic life as a labor of love

Holiness in politics? Is that an oxymoron? Not for Catholics. In Pope Francis’ recent exhortation “Gaudete et Exultate,” he reminds us that the two are indeed connected.
Faith in the Public Arena

Religious liberty and constructive freedom

Almost 40 years ago, in June 1979, Pope John Paul II traveled to his homeland of Poland, and within nine days ignited a human rights revolution that continues to shape the Church and the world today.
Faith in the Public Arena

Advocacy: More life-giving than you think

As Catholics, we are called to actively live out the Gospel in public life. It’s a call that sometimes solicits the thought, “Do I really have to?”
Faith in the Public Arena

The politics of language

Those defending the indefensible continue to use vague words, abstraction and misleading terms to impose their will. And it can be alarmingly effective because corrupt language obscures the truth and dulls the intellect. As Orwell himself put it, “every such phrase anaesthetizes a portion of one’s brain.”
Faith in the Public Arena

Sports gambling: Leave the money on the table

In the coming weeks, the U.S. Supreme Court might loosen federal restrictions on sports gambling. As a result, many states have proactively drafted bills that would create regulated sports gambling industries at the state level — Minnesota included. The changes could greatly expand legal gambling in Minnesota, for example, by making online gambling accessible 24 hours a day from any computer or smart phone.
Faith in the Public Arena

We are all responsible for helping the poor

Minnesota is ranked the second-best state in the nation overall (after Iowa). This is according to new overall state rankings by U.S. News and World Report, which are based on more than 75 metrics including economy, education, opportunities and quality of life.
Faith in the Public Arena

Overcoming gun absolutism

Five years ago, just after the Sandy Hook massacre, I wrote a highly criticized column on gun control.
Faith in the Public Arena

The inseparable link: Pornography and human trafficking

Every second, people spend $3,075.64 on pornography; every second, 28,258 people view it online; every 39 minutes, a new pornographic video is made in the United States; and every day, approximately 11 million teens access some form of pornography.
Faith in the Public Arena

Fighting fake news with the truth of Christ

Fake news that distorts public discourse and manipulates the public will not be countered effectively by a renewed interest in journalistic ethics or more laws aimed at improving disclosure of the sources of online content. It is a cultural problem.
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