McGrath Institute Blog

This past Friday marked the 48th anniversary of the landmark Supreme Court case Roe v. Wade, which legalized abortion in America. This coming Friday marks the 48th annual March for Life, a rally that upholds the sanctity of human life from conception through natural death and protests the tragedy of abortion. While the March for Life is traditionally a large-scale event held in Washington, D.C., due to the coronavirus pandemic, this year it will consist only of a small group of leaders in the pro-life movement, with the rest of the country invited to participate virtually in the national rally.

Throughout the country today, ballots will be cast. Votes will be counted. With all of the mailed-in and absentee ballots, we may not know the results for days, but today marks an end of sorts: an end to the election cycle for the time being. And yet, the aftershocks of this seismic event will continue to rumble, the waves continue to ripple out from the point of impact for the next several weeks, months, even years. 

Over the past few weeks, Fr. Justin Brophy, O.P., Assistant Professor of Political Science at Providence College, has been exploring ideas around Catholicism and politics as the world gears up for the 2020 election. He offers a deeper understanding of politics than the pundits on the 24-hour news channels could ever provide, as well as ways to approach the responsibility of political engagement from a distinctly Catholic perspective.

Looking for new ideas or resources to engage your faith or your ministry? Here are our weekly curated links, including offerings in each of the following categories: Prayer for the Home, Educational Opportunities, Resources (for ministers, educators, parents, etc.), and Flourishing and Fun.

We’ve considered some problems with our contemporary political discourse and made some suggestions about how a “Catholic political discourse” can improve the present situation. We are left to consider: At the end of the day, what can the Catholic truly expect from politics? The great American Catholic writer Walker Percy answers this question best by suggesting that humans both must learn to be at home in their homelessness and find some rootedness in imperfect communities.