Recently, the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops (USCCB) announced that it would not renew its longstanding cooperative agreements with the federal government related to refugee resettlement and unaccompanied children’s services. This decision marks an inflection point for Catholic institutional leaders, who must now reimagine how to fulfill their sacred calling to serve the stranger, especially refugees fleeing violence and persecution. Archbishop Timothy P. Broglio, President of the USCCB, acknowledged that recent federal decisions have forced the Church to rethink its posture and partnerships in refugee work. “These are displaced souls who see in America a place of dreams and hope,” […]

There is a sacred dimension missing in public life—not a vague sense of moral loss, but a failure to recognize the presence of the Divine in the institutions, traditions, and bodies that carry moral weight. Sacred-open public life begins with the conviction that every material reality—policies, communities, congregations, land, and law—is spiritually significant. It insists that civic and legal structures must be responsive to more than material needs. They must recognize that to seek the Sacred is to be human. This approach does not avoid difference or complexity. It assumes them. A pluralistic society includes those shaped by diverse religious […]

This article is part of our series exploring the role of faith-based organizations in providing vital support and care to those affected by HIV/AIDS through PEPFAR. Throughout this series, we will highlight the importance of a clean, five-year reauthorization of PEPFAR to ensure the stability and continuity of lifesaving treatment. Comfort to Care: ACT’s Early Days Genet* was only six the first time Alemu visited the room she shared with her mother. He brought food, checked on her health, and ensured that both were taking an antibiotic to prevent pneumonia. Infected with HIV, Genet and her mother were at high risk […]

As part of our family culture, we revisit the Lenten devotional Wild Hope: Stories for Lent from the Vanishing by Gayle Boss each year with our young children. This devotional unfurls the stories of animals on the brink, threatened by mounting negative impacts on their environments. In her introduction, Boss writes about her struggle to fully engage her own young children’s imaginations and hearts in the Lenten season. One approach resonated more than others. She recounts: “I learned that for centuries the church had pointed to Noah’s Ark as a symbol for ‘our Lenten passage.’…Next, the spiritual application: Noah’s story […]

This article is part of our series exploring the role of faith-based organizations in providing vital support and care to those affected by HIV/AIDS through PEPFAR. Throughout this series, we will highlight the importance of a clean, five-year reauthorization of PEPFAR to ensure the stability and continuity of lifesaving treatment. The Current State and History of PEPFAR As of this writing, the President’s Emergency Plan for AIDS Relief (PEPFAR) is facing significant funding cuts. PEPFAR is a vital avenue and program that has facilitated the life-saving treatment of approximately 25 million people around the world, a significant portion of whom are […]

CPJ’s “At a Glance—The White House Faith Office” offers a snapshot of the White House Faith Office initiative in light of CPJ’s Guidelines for Government and Citizenship. This is a plain-language summaryof President Trump’s Executive Order 14205 establishing the White House Faith Office—an important presidential action for both citizens and leaders of diverse faith communities. Executive Orders outline tasks, structures, and goals; as always, citizens and others need to monitor what officials and agencies actually do, not just the words on paper.  Plain-Language Summary of the Executive Order Points to Consider Continuation of Past “Faith-Based Initiative” Models Political Community & […]