…about abortion during the debate. Rather than harking on the same, routine talking points, he should have talked more about his personal opposition to abortion. He should have reiterated his support for the Hyde Amendment. He should have pointed out that overturning Roe v Wade would be a costly process that has a far greater chance of failing than it does succeeding. He should have capped that off by pointing out that even if we were successful in overturning Roe,... Read more

Something interesting is brewing within Catholic culture. Bleeding out from the realms of Distributism and the American Solidarity Party, and no doubt influenced by the heavy CST focus of Pope Francis’ papacy (as well as the absurdity of the Trump campaign), a new Catholic Left seems to be emerging. Though fractured and decentralized, this movement occupies space all over the spectrum—from party affiliated Democrats (Democrats for Life*) to full blown Marxists (The Tradinistas) to the more left leaning independents who... Read more

As a Catholic, I can’t adequately talk about this issue without first referring to the Catechism (there’s a good bit here, but I feel like it’s all pertinent). 2263 The legitimate defense of persons and societies is not an exception to the prohibition against the murder of the innocent that constitutes intentional killing. “The act of self-defense can have a double effect: the preservation of one’s own life; and the killing of the aggressor. . . . The one is intended, the... Read more

I actually wrote this piece a year ago, but due to the recent Trump post going around comparing people to Skittles, I figured now would be a good time to update and re-run it. One of the excuses I’ve always heard in defense of America’s constant military presence in other countries is that as a global leader and superpower, it’s our job to do what we can to protect those who can’t protect themselves. Okay. If that’s who we are,... Read more

I like Tim Kaine. I really do. Besides the fact that I agree with (most) of his politics, he’s a life-long Catholic, educated by the Jesuits, and very open about his faith—and I absolutely love that.

And while I don’t think for a second that he’s any “less Catholic” that I am, he does—as so many Catholic politicians are apt to do—hold some beliefs that are explicitly against Church teaching. For example, his recent comments about same-sex marriage and the possibility... Read more

For pro-life Democrats, there’s a lot to be happy about in the latest draft of the Democratic Platform. So far, we’ve seen language that supports raising the minimum wage, providing a public option for healthcare, paid family and medical leave, and abolishing the death penalty. All of these are great steps towards increasing and sustaining the quality of life in our country. Unfortunately, there’s a lot of discouraging language for the pro-life Democrats, primarily the stupid, pointless proposal to repeal... Read more

For many in the pro-life movement, a Republican/Conservative in the White House means more Conservatives on the SCOTUS bench, which—apparently—spells good news for the fight against abortion. This is generally one of the last (or first) arguments that reluctant Republicans will throw out to justify their support for Trump. And I simply don’t buy it. Not because I don’t trust Trump (I certainly don’t), but because as a pro-life advocate, I honestly don’t care a bit about who is on... Read more

In January of this year, John Bel Edwards assumed office as the 56th governor of Louisiana. Within 48 hours, he had signed an executive order expanding Medicaid as part of the Affordable Care Act—something his predecessor, Bobby Jindal, refused to do. Flash forward 7 months later to the present, over 200,000 people who didn’t have health insurance under the previous administration are now covered. Medicaid expansion remains a provocative topic throughout the country, despite the fact that it seems to... Read more

So before anyone says it, I’m fully aware of the fact that Tim Kaine isn’t exactly pro-life. Yes, he used to be. But when he made the decision to run for Senate, he switched his position to the classic “I’m personally opposed, but…” that we hear from so many moderate, Catholic Democrats. And while I don’t agree with his stance, Clinton’s decision to choose him as a running mate gives me hope as Pro-Life Democrat. I should probably mention that... Read more