The Church has long upheld workers’ dignity. Now is the time to live that principle within its own walls. It’s uncomfortable when a Catholic hospital administrator discourages unionization while a local bishop endorses labor dignity. This contradiction can be resolved. Catholic institutions shouldn’t just accept worker organizing—they should welcome it as true to their identity.... Continue Reading →
From the Inside Out
From the Inside Out Contemplation, Conscience, and the Catholic Vision of a Just World Integrating Thomas Merton, Joseph Cardijn, and Mortimer Adler with the Traditions of Greek Philosophy and Enlightenment Thought Introduction: The Problem of Knowing and Doing There is a temptation, in every age, to separate the life of the mind from the life... Continue Reading →
Merton, Cardijn, Rerum Novarum, and the New Things of Our Time: Magnifica Humanitas
In ten days, we celebrate the 135th anniversary of Rerum Novarum. More than a century ago, Pope Leo XIII wrote Rerum Novarum—”On the New Things”—to address the social upheaval of industrial capitalism. His central message—labor is not a commodity, workers deserve dignity, and justice is essential—remains as urgent today as ever. This text argues that revisiting... Continue Reading →
Water is required for life. Humans come first. By Julie Peller, Ph.D.
Green Junction Quality of life and modernization depend on adequate water sources. In Corpus Christi, Texas, the city’s half-million residents and industries are facing a looming water supply depletion. Industrial users, mostly in the energy/petrochemical industries, that rely on water for cooling systems and steam generation, consume as much as 70 to 80 percent of... Continue Reading →
Between Cloister and Cosmos: How Thomas Merton Found Himself Between Benedict of Nursia and Francis of Assisi
I have been thinking more about Merton lately. My own experiences, and trying to see how it all fits. We tend to forget how open and searching Thomas Merton was at the beginning of his Catholic life. He didn’t arrive with everything neatly decided. In fact, he was first drawn to the Franciscans—so much so... Continue Reading →
Deeper In, Further Out:
What a Trappist Monk and Three Fourth-Century Theologians Want to Tell You About Prayer, Justice, and the Shining Sun Use the See-Judge-Act method to dig deeper into our tradition to see what Joseph Cardijn understood. In 1958, Thomas Merton stepped into a shopping district in Louisville. Something extraordinary happens. “I was suddenly overwhelmed with the... Continue Reading →
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