Catholic Media Report - Opinion

Seeking a Moral Compass

nsementelli — Thu, 18 Feb 2010 11:35:47 -0600

Mahatma Gandhi admired the Boston Tea Party protesters, fondly referring to them during his campaign against the oppressive salt tax imposed on Indians by their British rulers. To him, such taxes belonged at the top of his sobering list of mankind's seven social sins: commerce without morality, politics without principle, wealth without work, pleasure without conscience, education without character, science without humanity, and worship without sacrifice.

Urges Senators to Oppose 'Dirty Air Act'

nsementelli — Thu, 18 Feb 2010 11:32:35 -0600

As persons of faith, we believe that the health of God’s children is paramount and that we should practice good stewardship of God’s creation. With these two core beliefs in mind, we call on Senators Ben Nelson and Mike Johanns to oppose S.J. Res. 26, commonly known as "the Dirty Air Act."

Vatican's Justice-Peace Head Says What He Thinks

nsementelli — Thu, 18 Feb 2010 11:29:28 -0600

Cardinal Peter Turkson of Ghana was named the new president of the Pontifical Council for Justice and Peace in late October, just as his debut on the global Catholic stage as the relator, or general secretary, of the Synod for Africa ended. It was in some ways a baptism by fire for the 61-year-old Ghanian prelate, introducing him among other things to the press climate in Rome.

A Catholic Tea Party?

nsementelli — Thu, 18 Feb 2010 11:27:08 -0600

Perhaps it is the snow. Yes, here in the Imperial City of Washington, we have been buried under consecutive snow storms that have disrupted life. To cite a small example, this morning, the last three days’ issues of the Post were delivered and we have not gotten mail since Monday morning. So, it is easy to get a little stir crazy.

Immigration Reform: Biblical No-Brainer, Political Non-Starter?

nsementelli — Thu, 18 Feb 2010 11:25:02 -0600

With the future of health care reform still uncertain, faith-based groups are hoping to jump-start a movement for the "other" reform package facing Congress -- an immigration overhaul that has stalled despite President Obama's promise to push it forward this year.

Jobs, Jobs, Jobs

nsementelli — Thu, 18 Feb 2010 10:58:30 -0600

In his encyclical, Caritas in Veritate, Pope Benedict XVI writes that economics should be guided not simply by profits but by "an ethics which is people-centered." This is why he places such an emphasis on employment. "The dignity of the individual and the demands of justice require," he says, "that we continue to prioritize the goal of access to steady employment for everyone" (italics in original).

Who Has Ears to Hear at Davos?

nsementelli — Thu, 04 Feb 2010 16:12:33 -0600

Each year, over one thousand global leaders gather at a retreat center in Davos, Switzerland, to discuss the major economic, political, and technological forces currently at work in the world. Top executives from Google, HSBC, Archer Daniels Midland (ADM), JP Morgan Chase, Bank of America, and Morgan Stanley all gathered in Davos (officially titled the World Economic Forum) last week.

God and Wall Street

nsementelli — Thu, 04 Feb 2010 15:49:38 -0600

It is quite striking that, in the Gospel parables, Jesus more than once uses economics as a framework for his stories: the parable of the talents, the dishonest steward—even, we might say, the vignette of the lost coin. Like our coexistence with the earth, like familial bonds, like the tensions of public political life, economic relationships help us see our humanity in the context of God's actions. Money is a metaphor; our monetary dealings shed light on aspects of our human condition that, rightly understood, tell us something about how we might relate to God.

The Death Penalty -- It's Unworkable

nsementelli — Thu, 04 Feb 2010 15:37:14 -0600

Nearly 50 years ago, as concern grew in the country about the fairness of death penalty laws, the American Law Institute published a "model statute" aimed at helping state lawmakers draft laws to ensure that death sentences were meted out fairly and consistently.

Last fall, the institute withdrew its support for the model death penalty law. The decision was a striking repudiation from the very organization that provided the blueprint for death penalty laws in this country.

Professor George's Gaydar

nsementelli — Thu, 04 Feb 2010 15:35:47 -0600

The American Principles Project (APP), founded by conservative Catholic professor Robbie George, seems to have an inordinate fixation on gay people. In dealing with presidential appointments and, now, with the President’s promise to end "Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell," Professor George’s organization betrays a bigotry that is at the very least unseemly in a tenured professor.