Newman and the new ultramontanism November 5, 2025By George Weigel Syndicated Columnist Filed Under: Commentary, Saints, The Catholic Difference The irony of Newman being given this rare honor just now lies in the fact that the unity of the Church is threatened by recrudescent ultramontanism: not the old, 19th-century reactionary model, but a new hybrid combining Catholic progressivism in the realm of ideas with liberal authoritarianism in Church governance.
A timely anniversary October 29, 2025By George Weigel Syndicated Columnist Filed Under: Commentary, Ecumenism and Interfaith Relations, The Catholic Difference Antisemitism is a malignancy in society. Throughout modern political history, rising antisemitism has been an unmistakable marker of cultural decay.
Dying from compassion October 22, 2025By George Weigel Syndicated Columnist Filed Under: Commentary, Respect Life, The Catholic Difference This descent into emotivism and sentimentality has profound consequences for society as well as for individuals.
An important civics lesson, well taught October 8, 2025By George Weigel Syndicated Columnist Filed Under: Books, Commentary, Supreme Court, The Catholic Difference What I find most impressive in Justice Barrett’s book, however, is not its depth of knowledge or its readability but its tacit display of public service lived vocationally: not as a matter of career enhancement, not as a means of acquiring wealth, and certainly not as performance art.
Catholics and gender ideology September 24, 2025By George Weigel Filed Under: Commentary, The Catholic Difference Bishop Thomas does not hesitate to tell two important truths. First, gender ideology proposes a false idea of our humanity: one that denies the biblical truth about us, reduces us to mere bundles of morally equal desires, and does serious damage to individuals and society. Second, gender dysphoria causes real suffering, but there is no clinical evidence that “transitioning” yields long-term mental health benefits.
A heroic example September 18, 2025By George Weigel Syndicated Columnist Filed Under: Commentary, Sports, The Catholic Difference America needs the example of a real hero: a dedicated hero who enhances natural talents by hard work and takes pride in a craft; an unselfish hero who places team above self.
Let’s make America serious again September 10, 2025By George Weigel Syndicated Columnist Filed Under: Commentary, The Catholic Difference Has the Great Republic lost the capacity for serious public debate? Why is American politics dominated by the screamers and the vulgarizers? Where are the adults in the room?
‘Public’ does not equal ‘state’ or ‘government’ June 18, 2025By George Weigel Syndicated Columnist Filed Under: Commentary, Supreme Court, The Catholic Difference The U.S. Supremes kicked the can down the road in St. Isidore. But the cause of school choice continues. And it will ultimately prevail, because it’s the will of “We, the People.”
Yes, it’s our war, too June 11, 2025By George Weigel Syndicated Columnist Filed Under: Commentary, The Catholic Difference, War in Ukraine Putin’s war on Ukraine is a war to reverse the American and Western victory in the resolution of the Cold War.
Petrocentrism: a problem? June 4, 2025By George Weigel Syndicated Columnist Filed Under: Commentary, The Catholic Difference, Vatican An interest in life at the Church’s administrative center is fine; an obsession with it, fueled by ill-informed blogs and social media, is not.
Europe and America April 30, 2025By George Weigel Syndicated Columnist Filed Under: Commentary, The Catholic Difference, Uncategorized American public officials are more likely to be heard if they call on our parent civilization to reclaim the nobility that defeated fascism, Nazism, and communism: a defense of human dignity in which Americans and Europeans contested for the future shoulder to shoulder.
Lent and the purification of memory March 5, 2025By George Weigel Special to the Catholic Review Filed Under: Commentary, Lent, The Catholic Difference The annual 40-day pilgrimage through the desert of Lent, patterned on the Lord’s forty days in the Judaean wilderness in preparation for his public ministry, is the preeminent moment in the Church’s year of grace for the purification of memory — especially our memories of the successes and failures of living missionary discipleship since Pentecost 2024 closed last year’s season of paschal celebration.
