General
On human dignity and the death penalty
Whether human dignity is upheld if we allow no executions remains an open question. As Plato intimated, a case for the execution of certain criminals […]
Pope St. John Paul II
General
Development, not deviation: Evaluating Francis’ modification on the death penalty
We can reaffirm that state executions are not intrinsically evil, even while we join Pope Francis in working toward the abolition of their social application. […]
General
Capital punishment: Intrinsically evil or morally permissible?
What we appear to have on our hands is a case of interpretive undecidability. […]
General
Some questions for defenders of capital punishment
The historical record is less consistent than many suppose and it does not, in fact, support the claim that the Church has committed itself irreformably […]
General
Catechism changes demand the impossible
The new text on capital punishment seems to require Catholics to substitute this Pope’s judgment on this subject for their own. […]
The Dispatch
Edith Stein’s wisdom for a new century
A new anthology explores Stein’s contributions to philosophy and theology, offering insights into her thinking on faith and mysticism, Church-state controversies, the role of women, […]
Features
“We have nothing to fear from the truth”: 25 years of covering clergy sex abuse
Veteran Catholic journalist Philip F. Lawler speaks with CWR editor Carl E. Olson about covering clerical abuse from the early 1990s to today. […]
Analysis
The Truth is Still Splendid: Veritatis Splendor at 25
John Paul II’s great—and most controversial—encyclical, on morality and moral theology, still answers some of the most crucial questions of our time. […]
The Dispatch
Affirming and celebrating Humanae Vitae
Bishops might consider making these six affirmations about Blessed Paul VI’s encyclical, in one form or another. […]
Analysis
Amazon.va?
Germany probably doesn’t have that much concern about the ecclesial mess of Latin America but believes it can use their predicament to move the Church […]