Would we toss coins at Jesus lying in the street gutter? And how would we, likewise, hold ourselves accountable when serving a noble or princely figure? That is who the poor are and whom we discover in prayer as we discern best how to serve them. We then treat them literally like royalty, as they are“permeated by the presence of Jesus”, Francis says. Read More… In a private audience Francis had yesterday withSt. Peter’s Circle, a social action group serving...

Taking inspiration from a recent CNN town hall which featured Bernie Sanders, Alejandro Chafuen, Acton’s Managing Director, International, offers some pointers inForbes on how to argue against socialism. Such arguments can’t be reduced to slogans or simple black-and-white characterizations, and we should be wary of underestimating our opponents or demonizing their motives. Political campaigns, especially nowadays, are not conducive to intellectual arguments, but it is part of our task to elevate the level of public debate. I recently watched a...

Reading Dylan Pahman’s recent piece, Don’t write off young ‘socialists’, got me thinking about talking and listening. We all talk and listen, with varying degrees of success, every day. Most of the time I do each well enough to muddle through learning something from others while imparting some sliver of wisdom in between boisterous declarations of my opinions and preferences. It’s a work in progress but a vitally important one in that, “A wise man will hear, and will increase...

In his State of the Union address this year, president Trump warned of the dangers of socialism. But is there any substance to that worry? Rep. Ocasio-Cortez (D-NY), a self-declared socialist, has made headlines with her Green New Deal proposal. And more recently, Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-VT), who identifies as a democratic socialist, announced he will again be running for the democratic nomination for president. So perhaps we shouldn’t write off the president’s rhetoric as just a call back to...