During the Second World War, Joseph Stalin is said to have asked, “How many divisions has the pope?” The answer, of course, is none; the pope has neither a brigade nor a battalion. Yet the Vatican does have soldiers, a military...
How can the pope preach peace behind an armed Swiss Guard?
While the church now rightly emphasizes nonviolence, it does not demand that people not defend themselves or others.
New from our staff
September 2026
HIGHLIGHTS FROM THE CURRENT ISSUE
Tainted legacies
Many social justice movements, both within and outside the church, have had to reckon with histories of inequity and abuse. The Catholic tradition has a surprising amount to say about how these movements can remain accountable and create a more liberatory future.
BY CASSIDY KLEIN
Degrees of value
As some colleges are forced to close, the choice to prioritize mission over profit is a risk that many Catholic colleges are still willing to take.
BY JEANNINE M. PITAS
Just a book
The Bible is the book that most shapes civilization, even as we shape its stories to fit our own values, says this theologian.
AN INTERVIEW WITH DAVID DAULT
Strange new home
Catholicism has seen a growing number of adult converts in recent years, but not every conversion story is straightforward.
BY HOJUNG LEE
God still speaks
After removing harmful ideas from your belief system, what’s left for those who still desire a life of faith?
BY CANDICE MARIE BENBOW
“As liberation theologians have told us, without the perspectives of the poor we cannot fulfill our call to mercy as a Christian community.”
Berit Reisenauer Guidotti
