Michael Sean Winters
@MichaelSWinters
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Michael Sean Winters writes for the National Catholic Reporter and The Tablet.
Joined July 2013
Bishops to Trump: If you want to go after migrants, you'll need to go through us.
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The critics of Pope Francis ran into a problem: The things they disliked about the pope were the things about which he was most in line with the Gospel.
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Bishops throw cold water on the most Catholic inauguration in history
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The dubious cardinals posed trick questions to Pope Francis to try and force a particular answer. He wasn't having it.
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Is anyone else tired of outside groups trying to influence the conclave?
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Pope Francis rightly decided to stop subsidizing the opposition. Good for him. The whining about "poor Cardinal Burke" misunderstands something fundamental: He is not poor.
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Great day to be alive! Here is my quick analysis of the appointment of Cardinal McElroy to DC.
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President of the USCCB, Abp Broglio, gave an appalling interview to Raymond Arroyo. His brother bishops need to remind him about the human dignity of migrants.
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Bishop Strickland's removal from office is the elephant in the room at this week's USCCB meeting. The dirty secret? A lot of bishops agree with Strickland's criticisms of the pope, even if they think he went too far.
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Pope Francis' trip to Mongolia was the most counter-cultural visit of his pontificate. In a world obsessed with size and growth, the pope's visit to the little Church in Mongolia points to the different way God thinks from the way we humans do.
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Trump takes office, but divine providence is still operative. How, as Catholics, we can be hopeful on such a dark day.
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Is the @USCCB moving its HQ to @FranciscanU in Steubenville? No, but they might as well do so, looking at the speakers for the Eucharistic Congress.
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Cardinal Burke goes to Bedminster and former Veep Pence goes to Napa. The reduction of religion to ethics and thence to politics continues apace. It is ruinous for our Catholic faith.
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Harris is skipping the Al Smith dinner. It's the right decision. "Never wrestle with a pig. You both get dirty and the pig likes it."
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With his Communion ban, Cordileone harms the church more than Pelosi does
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Bishop Barron frets about a "dumbed down" Catholicism, but I worry he continues to confuse evangelization and apologetics, and that ain't smart.
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My colleague Brian Fraga has the definitive, must-read story on the sacking of Bishop Strickland.
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Weaponizing the Eucharist: The bishops, not Biden, cause scandal
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The final document from the synod is a milestone in the implementation of Vatican II's ecclesiology. There is no going back.
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My take on Olympic ceremony controversy in which I nominate Bishop Barron to be prefect of the Dicastery for Hot Takes:
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Bishop Barron's "Word on Fire" ministry sent a "cease and desist" letter to Commonweal, betraying all the charm of a school-yard bully. What's nest? Threatening the rack?
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Joe Biden gets high marks for standing with UAW workers on strike. All Catholics should support organized labor as it tries to address income inequality and other social ills that are the foundation of so much that is wrong with America today.
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Joe Biden did us Catholics proud (mostly) as President.
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Bishop Barron keeps attacking Pope Francis' allies. Why? Hint: Barron is more complicit in the culture than he lets on.
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US bishops should drop everything and focus on preventing schism
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Francis' choice of new Cardinal McElroy an unmistakable sign for US church
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The US bishops' conference continues its decline into mediocrity. There are still some wonderful staff members, but the leadership has weakened the organization. I wrap up last week's meeting here:
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The leadership of the bishops' conference sandbagged the rest of the bishops. It is an outrage:.
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Many bishops are somewhere between bewildered and appalled by the cuts at the USCCB. And they are speaking out.
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NCR went to USCCB meeting so you didn't have too. It turned out to be a big snooze.
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CNN seemed surprised UAW president Shawn Fain cited his Christian faith when explaining his approach to labor relations. Working with organized labor is the Church's heritage and hope.
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Pope Francis is right. The Catholic Church can't go backwards.
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I love Pope Francis and wish him many more years of service, but he is wrong about Ukraine.
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Isn't it time America has a president willing to release the fourth secret of Fatima? What could go wrong with a Catholic conspiracy theorist in the White House? In this column, I make the case for Taylor Marshall for Prez in 2024.
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The trial of disgraced former nuncio Archbishop Vigano, on the charge of schism, raises questions for those US bishops who have publicly supported him.
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Once again, Francis' critics cast themselves in the role of Javert: "Those who falter and those who fall, must pay the price."
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EWTN failed its viewers by not airing testimony about Jan. 6 attack
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Trump is pushing the envelope, and his attacks on migrants are front and center. How can the Catholic Church resist?
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Of course we can compare Francis with previous popes, but beware those who use such comparisons for ideological purposes. (yes, that means you Abp Chaput)
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Traditional Latin Mass advocates prove Pope Francis was right to suppress the old rite
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In 2021, it became obvious the US bishops and the pope are singing from different hymnals
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Time for another edition of Catholics behaving badly, this time at Archdiocese of Denver and at EWTN:
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So, the pope used a vulgar word. One activist said it was traumatizing. No, AIDS was traumatizing. My take on why the pope's comments on gay issues are not such a big deal.
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Opposition to Francis rooted in opposition to Vatican II
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I wrote this before the verdict came in, but I stand by every word. Trial by jury is one of the things that separates us from the Neanderthals. Questioning jury verdicts is dangerous.
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By closing Catholic News Service, bishops show they've lost interest in civic engagement
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The Arlington Latin Mass Society had a Mass in a conference room in the Capitol building. It was weird.
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The planned execution of Kenneth Eugene Smith tomorrow will bring our country to a new low in barbarism.
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The activists may think the synod is a yawn, but if you are into ecclesiology, and love Vatican II, this synod will be anything but tiresome.
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Conservative RCs complain that Catholics on the Left offer "Catholic Lite" or "Dumbed Down" Catholicism. But there won't be much in the way of Catholic social doctrine on the debate stage tonight.
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Will there still be room for pro-life Democrats?
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Biden's campaign is taking a page from Sr. Simone Campbell: Reaching out to people in some rural, deeply red, areas of the country. Good. It will help him win and help him unite the country.
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First Things' Matthew Schmitz needs church history lesson
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Pennsylvania bishops should speak out about Mastriano's Christian nationalism
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Get vaccinated against lousy Communion arguments at US bishops' meeting
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Mixed results in the elections for USCCB cmte chairs. Of all the contests, the rejection of Abp Cordileone, whose public fights are unseemly, and Bp Conley, from the "Denver mafia," stand out: The rest of the bishops are weary of the culture warriors.
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Gomez's lack of leadership is on full display with statement on Biden
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In March, a group of us held a second ecclesial gatherings of bishops, theologians and other church leaders, this time at Boston College. Our friends at America Media made a beautiful video about the conference and I write about it today.
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As Pope Francis fills some major (arch)dioceses in the US, he should throw long on at least some of them, making legacy appointments of younger men, as he has done elsewhere.
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Selection of Archbishop-designate Fabre brings US church closer to Francis' pastoral vision
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Both the NYTimes and Politico recently ran articles about religion that were uninformed and/or biased. The lack of religious knowledge among mainstream reporters is a real problem.
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The Catholic Church is declining in some places and growing in others. The reasons for each are many and varied. Beware of ideologues who put forward monocausal reasons for either phenomenon.
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In a lecture at Sacred Heart University, Cardinal Wilton Gregory rooted Pope Francis' teachings in Vatican II. We need more of this. Here is my report:
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So, Twitter followers, I just realized there are more than 5,000 of you. I know many journalists have tons more than that, but I do not really tweet. Someone at NCR's home office tweets out my columns. Is it time to start tweeting?????.
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The new Speaker of the House says the Bible is his worldview. He might want to take some courses in exegesis.
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The new Vatican document on blessings for those in irregular relationships is not the game-changer some people are making out out to be.
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The pro-life movement hitched itself to Trump, and now finds itself, like almost every who has associated themselves with Trump, in a miserable state.
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US bishops' meeting: Disrespect and disunity on full display
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The press release announcing the agenda for the @USCCB meeting is out and it makes no mention of synodality. The Catholic Theological Society of America meeting agenda is only a tad better. @MichaelSWinters wonders about what's up with American Catholicism?.
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The Insturmentum laboris for the October synod is rooted in Vatican II. Once again, the critics of the pope and the synod reveal the degree to which their real problem is with the Council.
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The latest attack on CCHD is from George Weigel and it is tendentious.
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The Church is right to stand against assisted suicide laws and for the dignity of those threatened by them.
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Conservative converts to Catholicism: Are they a problem? 'The' problem?
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The criticisms of Dignitas infinita are weak, and the weaker they are, the more tightly they are held. The indignation at Pope Francis reminds me of early capitalist critiques of the pope.
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Annett's 'Cathonomics' should be required reading in Catholic business schools
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Vigano letter exposes the putsch against Pope Francis
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I suppose no one is at their best leaving court, but Trump's tirade on Monday was something else.
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Opposition to Black icon at Catholic University ignores Christ's universality
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The Southern Baptist report exposes some canards about causes of clergy abuse
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Viganò's latest statement part of concerted campaign to attack papacy
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EWTN's voice is powerful, partisan and problematic
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Biden's Oval Office address had some Catholic sensibilities woven through it.
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Swag for the Eucharistic Revival illustrates the confused goals of the event itself. Consumerism is not our friend.
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The Wisconsin Supreme Court thinks Catholic charities are not intrinsic to our faith. They are wrong.
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Instead of embracing John XXIII's hope, Archbishop Gomez projects doom
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Why is Catholic social teaching always called the Catholic Church's "best kept secret"? And where to start breaking out.
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Ever had a boss who "hires down"? Well, now teh whole country has one.
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Complaints that the pope and his allies are insufficiently Christocentric ring hollow, especially at World Youth Day.
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'Give me liberty, or give me (grandma's) death!'
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Contrary to what Oakland's bishop says, Cardinal-designate McElroy abhors abortion
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The Pillar ran a poorly informed article criticizing Ralph McCloud, who has led the Catholic Campaign for Human Development for years. Here is my take on it.
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The Vatican told clergy: "No ad libbing when administering the sacraments." Deo gratias.
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Scandalized by 'Lifestyles of the Rich and Famous' Catholicism
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The political dead-end the pro-life movement has carved for itself is becoming more and more impossible to escape.
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Can't help thinking I could be living the high life like Clarence Thomas if only I had gotten nominated to the court - or had become his travel agent!.
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