Michael Sean Winters (@MichaelSWinters) profile picture

Michael Sean Winters

@MichaelSWinters

Michael Sean Winters writes for the National Catholic Reporter and The Tablet.

 Washington, D.C.
ncronline.org/blogs/distinctly-catholic
Joined July 2013
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Photo by Michael Sean Winters (@MichaelSWinters)Photo by Michael Sean Winters (@MichaelSWinters)Photo by Michael Sean Winters (@MichaelSWinters)Photo by Michael Sean Winters (@MichaelSWinters)Photo by Michael Sean Winters (@MichaelSWinters)Photo by Michael Sean Winters (@MichaelSWinters)Photo by Michael Sean Winters (@MichaelSWinters)Photo by Michael Sean Winters (@MichaelSWinters)Photo by Michael Sean Winters (@MichaelSWinters)Photo by Michael Sean Winters (@MichaelSWinters)
The U.S. Catholic bishops are at a crossroads, but the forces of resistance are trying to hand on to power. ncronline.org/opinion/ncr-vo…
US bishops are at a crossroads as they head into their fall assembly

US bishops are at a crossroads as they head into their fall assembly

Following the lead of Pope Leo is the obvious way forward for the U.S. bishops, Michael Sean Winters writes, but he fears the forces of resistance are still in control.

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Here is why I hope Netanyahu loses his election and El-Sayed loses his. ncronline.org/opinion/israel…
Israel's elections matter for our midterms the next week

Israel's elections matter for our midterms the next week

The upcoming Israeli parliamentary elections are relevant to the U.S. midterms.

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How do we know if we are listening to the Holy Spirit, or only to ourselves? It is a key question in doing theology. ncronline.org/opinion/how-do…
How do we know if we are listening to the Holy Spirit or only to ourselves?

How do we know if we are listening to the Holy Spirit or only to ourselves?

The Catholic tradition is the catalog of Catholics responding to the Holy Spirit in their own time. It is also a catalog of how previous generations of Christians were often blinded by their cultural...

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Most analysts agree that a blue wave is rising - with some big caveats about pollsters undercounting Republicans - but religion is one of the reasons the Dems have some wind in their sails. ncronline.org/opinion/ncr-vo…
Blue wave is rising in Senate races

Blue wave is rising in Senate races

"The blue wave is rising, and while it may not lift all boats, it is apparently lifting some. And religion is part of the story," Michael Sean Winters writes.

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We learned more about Pope Leo's pastoral approach in France. ncronline.org/opinion/ncr-vo…
Leo's emerging style of pastoral leadership

Leo's emerging style of pastoral leadership

"In a noisy and confusing culture, Leo's clarity and precision, as well as his obvious authenticity, break through," writes NCR columnist Michael Sean Winters.

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Pope Leo's speech to the French bishops continues to reveal his approach to governance of the Church. ncronline.org/opinion/ncr-vo…
Pope Leo synthesizes predecessors' style in speech to French bishops

Pope Leo synthesizes predecessors' style in speech to French bishops

When Pope Leo XIV spoke to the French bishops who had gathered at Lourdes this week, his message had echoes of Popes Francis, Benedict XVI and John Paul II.

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Bishop Barron went on EWTN's "World Over" and it wasn't pretty. ncronline.org/opinion/ncr-vo…
Bishop Barron swings and misses, again

Bishop Barron swings and misses, again

"Barron is correct to insist he is not a 'member of the Trump administration' but his selective treatment of the church's teachings convicts him as an apologist for the president," Michael Sean...

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Trump wants to interfere in the midterm elections but the Courts and the Church are in his way: ncronline.org/opinion/ncr-vo…
The court and the church confront Trump on voting

The court and the church confront Trump on voting

The Supreme Court handed President Trump a major defeat, blocking a plan to involve the U.S. Postal Service in screening mail-in ballots. Before the ruling, Archbishop Wenski spoke about elections...

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Donald Trump wants to nationalize the midterms and pretend he is on the ballot. So do the Democrats. ncronline.org/opinion/ncr-vo…
Will Trump's effort to nationalize the midterm elections work or backfire?

Will Trump's effort to nationalize the midterm elections work or backfire?

Trump believes that the only way the GOP can win the midterms is if they make it a referendum on his leadership. Democrats believe his approach is also their best strategy for winning back the House...

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In three religious liberty cases, the Catholic Church is on the side of the angels and on the side of the Constitution. ncronline.org/opinion/ncr-vo…
Fighting (in the courts) over religious liberty is a good thing

Fighting (in the courts) over religious liberty is a good thing

Catholics need to place our constitutional rights within the context of church teachings on life, marriage, family, healthcare, the environment and, most importantly, conscience, writes Michael Sean...

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Labor and the Catholic Church: Rebuilding a once strong relationship. ncronline.org/opinion/ncr-vo…
Happy (Catholic!) Labor Day

Happy (Catholic!) Labor Day

"I do not see how the country can dig itself out of the many holes it is in without a strong labor movement," writes NCR's Michael Sean Winters.

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Pope Leo continues to connect the dots of the Catholic tradition in ways that invite greater unity. ncronline.org/opinion/pope-l…
Pope Leo connects the dots that can unite the church

Pope Leo connects the dots that can unite the church

"Our wonderful pope seems to me to bring the best of our tradition, and the insights of his immediate predecessors, to the Catholics of today, and to make that tradition fresh again," writes NCR's...

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Some bishops are caving to the wrong-headed idea that the tabernacle should be the focal point of a church sanctuary, even in a cathedral. They need to defend the norms of both antiquity and the Second Vatican Council. ncronline.org/opinion/ncr-vo…
Stop moving the tabernacle!

Stop moving the tabernacle!

"I understand that in a small parish church the only realistic place for a tabernacle may be behind the main altar. But in a cathedral?" NCR columnist Michael Sean Winters writes.

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Will the blue wave capture the Senate? ncronline.org/opinion/ncr-vo…
Will the blue wave sweep the Senate?

Will the blue wave sweep the Senate?

Michael Sean Winters surveys the landscape in the contests for control of the Senate.

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The midterm question has changed from IF there will be a blue wave to HOW BIG will the wave be? ncronline.org/opinion/ncr-vo…
The Democratic blue wave is getting taller

The Democratic blue wave is getting taller

In the midterm, will there be a blue wave that carries the Democrats into the majority in the House and, less likely, the Senate? Michael Sean Winters says that question has morphed into: How big...

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The documentary video of our Way Forward conference on evangelization and communications is up. Here is a link to my column about it: ncronline.org/opinion/new-ev…
New evangelization conference video proves a picture really is worth 1,000 words

New evangelization conference video proves a picture really is worth 1,000 words

A documentary video about this year's The Way Forward gathering, held at the University of St. Thomas in Minnesota, easily serves to spark conversation about proclaiming the Gospel in a digital age...

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The Democrats - both the progressives and the establishment wings - need to run to the center on cultural issues and relearn the art of persuasion. ncronline.org/opinion/democr…
The Democratic Party's dilemma: Balancing progressivism and persuasion

The Democratic Party's dilemma: Balancing progressivism and persuasion

"The demand for ideological conformity to extreme views combined with the structural impediment caused by gerrymandered districts results in a party that has lost the art of persuasion," writes...

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The progressive Democrats may be scary but the establishment wing of the party has brought the challenge on themselves. ncronline.org/opinion/proble…
The problems with the Democrats' 'establishment' wing

The problems with the Democrats' 'establishment' wing

The Democratic Party fails "to convince the public that a particular policy would address their problems" and "appears out of touch and devoid of vision," writes NCR's Michael Sean Winters.

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El-Sayed talks about working class voters, but he didn't win them. He is not the champion of the proletariat. He is the champion of the professoriate. ncronline.org/opinion/el-say…
El-Sayed: Champion of the professoriate

El-Sayed: Champion of the professoriate

Michigan's Democratic Senate candidate needs to explain how he intends to achieve his goals, writes NCR's Michael Sean Winters. 

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Its now routine and normal for the pope to meet with prefects and under-secretaries who are women. That is the revolution. ncronline.org/opinion/ncr-vo…
The quiet revolution at the Vatican

The quiet revolution at the Vatican

"The Roman Curia for centuries has been all male, all white, all Italian and all clerical," writes NCR's Michael Sean Winters. "Not anymore and not ever again."

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