Commonweal

A recently released scorecard from NETWORK, the Catholic political lobby, assesses whether members of Congress support legislation that advances Catholic social teaching.

Catholic Republicans do not perform well.

Read more from Schlumpf: www.commonwealmagazine.org/schlumpf-cat...

Vassalizing Europe With U.S. and Israeli bombs dropping on Tehran, Europe is once again cowed into silence because of its addiction to American power.

With U.S. and Israeli bombs dropping on Tehran, Europe is once again cowed into silence because of its addiction to American power.

@harrstetler.bsky.social: 'Vassalizing Europe'
www.commonwealmagazine.org/europe-trump...

Born Out of Catastrophe Christian Democratic parties rebuilt Europe after World War II. Could a renewed Christian Democracy rebuild the United States after Trumpism?

Christian Democratic parties rebuilt Europe after World War II. Could a renewed Christian Democracy rebuild the United States after Trumpism?

New from @tonyannett.bsky.social:

The Mad King’s War Trump’s war in Iran violates the Constitution, international law, and just-war principles. It has no clear objectives and no exit strategy.

Trump’s war in Iran violates the Constitution, international law, and just-war principles. It has no clear objectives and no exit strategy.

The Editors on the 'mad king's war':
www.commonwealmagazine.org/trump-editor...

The Mad King’s War Trump’s war in Iran violates the Constitution, international law, and just-war principles. It has no clear objectives and no exit strategy.

No clear objective & no exit strategy, Trump's war in Iran also violates the Constitution and just-war principles: from the editors of @commonweal.bsky.social
www.commonwealmagazine.org/trump-editor...

A Passport and a Baptismal Candle This Lent, let us learn from St. Óscar Romero about the meaning of Christian citizenship under a repressive regime.

This Lent, let us learn from St. Óscar Romero about the meaning of Christian citizenship under a repressive regime.

The Mad King’s War Trump’s war in Iran violates the Constitution, international law, and just-war principles. It has no clear objectives and no exit strategy.

"This is the way a mad king wages war. If he wants to stop tyranny, he should start at home."

NEW — The Editors on Trump's irresponsible and childish war in Iran:
www.commonwealmagazine.org/trump-editor...

John Updike’s writing attempted to capture what is ineffably precious and intangible about life. What will be lost if the culture forgets him?

The latest from senior writer Paul Baumann:

Glowing Enigmas A new exhibit at the Metropolitan Museum of Art introduces viewers to Helene Schjerfbeck’s understated, dreamlike paintings.

"The best works by the Finnish painter Helene Schjerfbeck leave you convinced they might vanish from one moment to the next."

Bailey Trela visits the Met's fittingly relaxed introduction to the artist:

The Remaking of Thomas Mann 'The Magic Mountain' testifies to the power of art to transform life. But before he could complete his masterwork, Thomas Mann had to transform himself.

"'The Magic Mountain' makes a strong case for the power of art not just to enrich life, but to remake it altogether."

Costică Brădăţan reviews Morten Hoi Jensen's new book on the transformation of Thomas Mann:

this is fantastic

A Passport and a Baptismal Candle For the second Sunday of Lent, Amiriah Orozco reflects on baptism, citizenship, and lessons from St. Óscar Romero for twenty-first-century America.

"Lent is an act of great hope that God truly is the God of life, despite all the death that surrounds us." — Amirah Orozco

‘Don’t Open the Door—It’s Sanders!' Poet Dan Chiasson's 'Bernie for Burlington' functions as a triple bildungsroman of Bernie Sanders, the city of Burlington, and Chiasson himself.

"Why might a poet be a good person to write political biography? One answer: because a poet, if he’s good, cares less about sweeping assertions than about precision and exactingness."

@tonydomestico.bsky.social on @dchiasso.bsky.social on Bernie:

Beyond Transactional The question facing Trump-supporting Evangelicals in 2026 is whether they’ve so internalized a MAGA political identity that no amount of wrongdoing can shake it.

"The Democratic Party is now cast, in many Evangelical minds, not simply as an opponent in the policy arena, but as a demonic threat to the very moral and spiritual foundations of the nation." — John Fea

A Passport and a Baptismal Candle What does it mean to welcome a new Christian into our community? For the second Sunday of Lent, Amiriah Orozco reflects on baptism, citizenship, and the political dimensions of faith in 21st-century…

What does it mean to welcome a new Christian into our community?

For the second Sunday of Lent, Amiriah Orozco reflects on baptism, citizenship, and the political dimensions of faith in 21st-century America.

The Priesthood’s Ritual Logic I was initially certain the Church’s refusal to ordain women was an archaic bit of chauvinism. But now I'm no longer certain that is the real issue.

I was initially certain the Church’s refusal to ordain women was an archaic bit of chauvinism. But now I’m no longer certain that is the real issue.

An essay by Paul Baumann:
www.commonwealmagazine.org/baumann-wome...

Politics Without Partisanship On the occasion of his retirement, John Carr reflects on fifty years working for peace, justice, and Catholic social thought.

On the occasion of his retirement, John Carr speaks with @heidischlumpf.bsky.social about his five-decade career working for peace, justice, and Catholic social thought.

Beyond Transactional The question facing Trump-supporting Evangelicals in 2026 is whether they’ve so internalized a MAGA political identity that no amount of wrongdoing can shake it.

The question facing Trump-supporting Evangelicals in 2026 is whether they’ve so internalized a MAGA political identity that no amount of wrongdoing can shake it.

John Fea: 'Beyond Transactional'
www.commonwealmagazine.org/fea-trump-ev...

‘Don’t Open the Door—It’s Sanders!' Poet Dan Chiasson's 'Bernie for Burlington' functions as a triple bildungsroman of Bernie Sanders, the city of Burlington, and Chiasson himself.

"The battle of all-against-all giving way to democratic cooperation: this is the alternate political vision Sanders has offered for half a century."

@tonydomestico.bsky.social on Dan Chiasson's 'Bernie for Burlington':
www.commonwealmagazine.org/bernie-sande...

‘Don’t Open the Door—It’s Sanders!' Poet Dan Chiasson's 'Bernie for Burlington' functions as a triple bildungsroman of Bernie Sanders, the city of Burlington, and Chiasson himself.

For my February column @commonweal.bsky.social, I wrote on Dan Chiasson's "Bernie for Burlington"

www.commonwealmagazine.org/bernie-sande...

Commonweal is pleased to announce that Rev. John I. Jenkins, CSC, President Emeritus of the University of Notre Dame, is the 2026 recipient of its biennial Centennial Award!

The award will be presented at the Commonweal Benefit Dinner on October 5, 2026.
www.commonwealmagazine.org/news/announc...

Ashes & Solidarity For worshippers at a Chicago-area Ash Wednesday Mass, Trump's cruelty against migrants is nothing less than a spiritual crisis.

For worshippers at a Chicago-area Ash Wednesday Mass, Trump’s cruelty against migrants is nothing less than a spiritual crisis.

Michelle Nickerson: 'Ashes & Solidarity'

Ashes & Solidarity For worshippers at a Chicago-area Ash Wednesday Mass, Trump's cruelty against migrants is nothing less than a spiritual crisis.

For worshippers at a Chicago-area Ash Wednesday Mass, Trump’s cruelty against migrants is nothing less than a spiritual crisis.

Michelle Nickerson: 'Ashes & Solidarity'

The NETWORK annual scorecard shows that Catholic lawmakers’ votes fall along party lines. My latest at Commonweal: @networklobby.bsky.social

Do Catholic Legislators Vote Catholic? A new scorecard assesses whether members of Congress support legislation that advances Catholic social teaching. Catholic Republicans do not perform well.

A new scorecard assesses whether members of Congress support legislation that advances Catholic social teaching. Catholic Republicans do not perform well.

The latest from @heidischlumpf.bsky.social:
www.commonwealmagazine.org/schlumpf-cat...

"These parents like spending time with children. Not every adult does, but they do. To them, kids are funny and imaginative and precocious."

Kate Lucky reports on the families choosing to have lots and lots of kids:
www.commonwealmagazine.org/large-famili...

The man may be dead, but the ethos of the Epstein network is ascendant in American public life.

For the March issue, the editors reflect on the latest release of Epstein emails.

Read here: www.commonwealmagazine.org/editorial-ep...

The March issue is here! Feat.:
- @regmunch.bsky.social & Patricia Hampl on the crisis in Minnesota
- The Editors on Epstein
- Frederick Bauerschmidt on Erik Varden's theology
- @heidischlumpf.bsky.social interviews John Carr
And more!
www.commonwealmagazine.org/issues/2026-...

She’s Alive! The simple things—music, my community, my rising sourdough—will keep me hopeful in the Easter promise, reminding me that I am indeed alive.

Claudia Avila Cosnahan: Lent calls us to be human—fully human.