NCR Editorial Staff

We say: The response of Bishop James Johnston of Kansas City-St. Joseph, Missouri, to the fallout following his decision to keep musician Dan Schutte from performing in a local parish is disappointing and disheartening. He missed an opportunity.

We say: In early March, Florida passed a red-flag law, which was part of the demands of the students mobilized by the shooting deaths at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School in Parkland, Florida. If a gun-friendly state like Florida can pass this legislation, so can others.

We say: The young — all of us really — are looking for authenticity. Examples of people who walk the faith and live the heart of the Gospel are more convincing than hours of apologetics and glitzy presentations on up-to-date delivery platforms.

The Catholic Church should proudly stand with labor unions in a joint effort to resist the libertarian impulses of our age and reconnect with the values and the policies that enflesh our nation's constitutional commitment to "promote the general welfare."

We say: Young people have the freedom to be single-minded, and we agree with them that it's time to find solutions to the pandemic of gun violence that plagues our nation.

We say: Trump's desire to see tanks and missiles paraded down Pennsylvania Avenue raises the question of what vision he has for America. He misunderstands what has made America great.

We say: Francis has an ambitious reform agenda for the church, an agenda he believes he was elected to implement. His actions in Chile in January weakened his reform efforts. If he can't fix this, his larger agenda will be in jeopardy.

We say: Unfortunately, Pope Francis' defense of Chilean Bishop Juan Barros Madrid is only the latest in a number of statements he has made in his nearly five-year papacy that have hurt survivors, and the whole body of the church. 

We say: Tearing apart families benefits no one. The temporary protected status program, like DACA, needs a long-term solution, but mass deportations are not the answer.

NCR Editorial: President Donald Trump and his staff routinely demonize immigrants. That a nation of immigrants is in danger of turning its back on the immigrants of today is bad enough. That some Catholics participate in that effort is shameful.

NCR Editorial: The boogeyman of communism that haunted Central America in the 1980s is gone, but the institutions and power centers set up in Honduras with U.S. assistance decades ago remain entrenched.

We say: That Francis has allowed this lapse to occur is worrisome. A commission without validly appointed members ceases to be a commission; its members may carry on their work but if they do, they do so as individuals without legal standing or vested authority to back them. 

We say: Now is the time for all of us, but especially for institutions and workplaces, to seize the societal shift these individual stories are creating, to change policy, to trust the accusation first, and to ensure a safe atmosphere for open conversation.

NCR editorial: There are so many things wrong with this tax plan: It was put together in secrecy and then rushed through Congress; it is sloppy; and it favors the wealthy, ignores the poor and hurts the middle class, to name a few criticisms. 

We say: The possibility that nuclear weapons could actually be used and the cataclysm their use would wreak on the planet has never been greater than right now.

We say: Those opposed to gun violence must emulate the gun lobby. Numerous organizations are working against gun violence — many of them interfaith and bipartisan. We urge you to find a group that suits your particular interests and join it.

We say: If any Catholics are feeling confused, it is not because of Francis; it is because of Burke and Weinandy and their ilk. They sow the confusion they condemn. They claim they want dialogue, but they don't. They want to be in charge and they are not.

We say: The bywords for today's Catholic community must be "see," "judge" and "act." They will give us direction for the journey. If adverbs are attached, we would suggest "see clearly," "judge compassionately" and "act together."

We say: Common-sense regulation of gun sales and ownership is an issue of life, and Catholics must fight against the culture of gun violence that pervades our nation.

Editorial: President Donald Trump's reluctance to stay in the accord has nothing to do with reality and everything to do with campaign promises. This cynical stance will only diminish our country's standing in the world.