Thinking about government as it shuts down
Pat PerrielloNCR TodayPresident Ronald Reagan in his first inaugural address in 1981 said, "Government is not the solution to our problem; government is the problem."
View ArticleMore on government shutdown
Pat PerrielloNCR TodayI want to recommend two excellent editorials from TheBaltimore Sun on the government shutdown: "The unproductive shutdown" and "Government shutdown is the Republicans' fault --...
View ArticleThe church's influence on the morality of Catholics
Pat PerrielloNCR TodayThere 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...
View ArticleLessons to be learned from the government shutdown
Pat PerrielloNCR TodayThe 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...
View ArticlePope Francis calls us to be truly Christian
Pat PerrielloNCR TodayI 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...
View ArticleNevada school shooting buried in the back pages
Pat PerrielloNCR TodayI 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...
View ArticleBishops need to rethink understanding of religious freedom
Pat PerrielloNCR TodayDavid 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...
View ArticleCatholic universities are losing their autonomy
Pat PerrielloNCR TodayCatholic 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...
View ArticleWhat's new with the American bishops?
Pat PerrielloNCR TodayFall bishops' meeting 2013Has 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...
View ArticleKennedy assassination a pivotal event in the lives of a generation
Pat PerrielloNCR TodayI 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...
View ArticleExamining the Affordable Care Act and where it goes from here
Pat PerrielloNCR TodayAll agree the Affordable Care Act rollout has been a disaster. How bad is it? Can it be fixed? Why is it important?
View Article'Nuclear option' opens gate to more functional government
Pat PerrielloNCR TodayThe Senate has finally decided to invoke what has been called “the nuclear option.”
View ArticleSome gems from 'Evangelii Gaudium'
Pat PerrielloNCR TodayThe 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...
View ArticlePope Francis on capitalism
Pat PerrielloNCR TodayPope Francis is adding his voice to the chorus of papal statements fostering social justice.
View ArticleA final look at 'Evangelii Gaudium'
Pat PerrielloNCR TodayMy 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...
View ArticleUnfinished business awaiting action in 2014
Pat PerrielloNCR TodayI 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...
View ArticleLooking for change in the church in 2014
Pat PerrielloNCR TodayPope 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...
View ArticleBehind-the-scenes Baltimore sisters unlikely face of ongoing contraception...
Pat PerrielloNCR TodayThe 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...
View ArticleJames Carroll profiles the Francis papacy
Pat PerrielloNCR TodayNoted 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...
View ArticleThe case for extending unemployment benefits
Pat PerrielloNCR TodayCongress 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...
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