President Ronald Reagan in his first inaugural address in 1981 said, "Government is not the solution to our problem; government is the problem."
I want to recommend two excellent editorials from TheBaltimore Sun on the government shutdown: "The unproductive shutdown" and "Government shutdown is the Republicans' fault -- period."
There is some interesting new research coming out of the Pew Research Center. The survey includes data on a variety of issues, including abortion and in vitro fertilization.
Abortion is considered a moral issue by 49 percent of adults. Only 38 percent consider abortion either morally acceptable or not a moral issue. One would have to say that those arguing against abortion, including, Catholics have had some dramatic impact on public opinion.
The government is still shut down, and the debt ceiling has not been officially raised. Yet there is movement that suggests a deal may be close at hand. It is not too soon to be thinking about lessons to be learned from this experience and steps that could be taken to prevent such crises from continuing to occur over and over.
I believe Pope Francis is working hard to convey an important message to Catholic clergy and laity. That message has not yet been fully understood. That is because we are all busy trying to parse the pope's words to fit into what we want to hear. Conservatives are eager to explain that the pope really hasn't said anything different and doesn't really mean what it sounds like he means. Liberals are desperately trying to find hints of change on issues that are important to them.
I wanted to briefly focus the attention of NCR readers on the latest tragic shooting that took place in a Nevada middle school.
A 12-year-old boy killed a teacher and wounded two middle-school students. He then took his own life by shooting himself in the head.
It is an event almost too horrible to contemplate.
David DeCosse has written an article that sheds significant light on the U.S. Catholic bishops' fight against contraception and its inclusion in the administration's new health care law. He explains how the bishops are utilizing an outdated notion of religious freedom that fails to consider the individual's right to freedom of conscience.
Catholic universities in the United States used to serve as beacons of academic freedom and intellectual curiosity. They explored a variety of ideas and points of view from across the spectrum of thought. Under Popes John Paul II and Benedict XVI, the American bishops have little by little proceeded to exert more and more control over the operation of Catholic institutions of higher learning. They seem more interested in demanding a Catholic identity than in promoting a rigorous and vibrant intellectual community.
Has anything changed with the U.S. Catholic bishops? It is far too early to tell, but there were a few interesting things that occurred last week in Baltimore. First of all, the bishops returned to their normal process for selecting their president by elevating the current vice president to the presidency.
I was walking out of the chapel following a brief visit to the Blessed Sacrament after lunch. I have no recollection of who I was with, as we were supposed to fall in with the first person to walk by in order to avoid particular friendships.
We walked past the statue of the Blessed Virgin Mary and noticed that a student was standing at the top of the wooden staircase overlooking the courtyard. He was saying something to the gathering group of young men below. As we drew closer we heard him say, "The president has been shot."
All agree the Affordable Care Act rollout has been a disaster. How bad is it? Can it be fixed? Why is it important?
The Senate has finally decided to invoke what has been called “the nuclear option.”
The latest papal document is truly remarkable. I have only read the first 50 pages so far, but each page is filled with a richness just waiting to be tapped by the universal church. I believe it is safe to say that there has never been a papal document quite like the apostolic exhortation Evangelii Gaudium.
Pope Francis is adding his voice to the chorus of papal statements fostering social justice.
My last two blogs have engendered some discussion about whether Pope Francis writes and speaks clearly or if he is frustratingly vague in his apostolic exhortation, Evangelii Gaudium.
I want to highlight some of my hopes for the New Year in areas of government and the church. Many of these hopes represent topics which we are likely to be talking about throughout much of 2014.
In the world of government there is much unfinished business. The year ended on a positive note with the budget agreement crafted by Congressman Paul Ryan and Senator Patty Murray. The agreement resolves budget issues for two years and provides an opportunity to move on and address other pressing matters.
Pope Francis brought an undeniably new attitude to the church in 2013. His pastoral approach and focus on the poor is genuine and significant. As we enter 2014, however, the questions become: How much substantive change can we expect? What will it look like?
There are a few areas where Pope Francis has already made clear change will occur: There is an expectation of greater transparency and a reform of the operation of the Vatican bank.
The Little Sisters of the Poor have been a fixture in Baltimore for many years. They are a behind-the-scenes order ministering lovingly to the elderly in the community, including many elderly priests. I'm pretty sure that none of their members or those they minister to has any direct issues related to contraception. Yet they have wound up in the spotlight of the battle with the Obama administration over the mandate to offer contraceptive services as part of the insurance packages offered by the Affordable Care Act.
Noted author James Carroll has written a comprehensive article in TheNew Yorker on the Francis papacy. I would strongly recommend the article as required reading for those who closely follow the workings of the church. Carroll covers both the life of Francis prior to his elevation to the papacy as well as his activities during his first months as pope.
Congress continues to debate the issue of a brief three-month extension of benefits to the long-term unemployed. USA Today explores this issue in a recent editorial and concludes that it is important to extend unemployment benefits not just to assist those who are unemployed, but also to aid in the overall success of the economy.
