Building Babel again: Pope Leo XIV and the social dangers of the AI arms race
Briana Jansky opines on the implications of AI development, and whether the pursuit of a superintelligence comes at the cost of human fraternity.
Opinion
Going nuclear: Defending the meaning of family in a rapidly changing world
Efran Menny reflects on new meanings of family in modern society and how Catholics can witness to truth without losing sight of the real world.
A theology of the durag: On being fully Black to God and others
Tulio Huggins on how his Black hair helped him display his full self—especially in times of upheaval.
'Magnificent Humanity' and the riches of Black spirituality
Daryl Grigsby on five central themes from Pope Leo XIV's first encyclical, "Magnifica Humanitas", connecting them to the Black Catholic experience.
Who still needs the Church? When suffering becomes familiar
Fabian Adderley on how Black Catholics are often left out of the U.S. hierarchical vision, in ways well-intentioned and yet dangerously inadequate.
What is liberty? On founding ideals, Black resistance, and the promise of freedom
Tamika Royes unpacks the meaning of freedom, as recently extolled by Pope Leo XIV, and the complex early history of Black Americans and Canadians.
On AI and the poor: A challenge for global solidarity
Dr. Ronald E. Smith on the growing financial cost of artificial intelligence, and how a shift in perspective could offer hope for the less fortunate.
Something about Sacred Heart: How my hometown parish has produced three Black bishops—and so much more
Dr. Alvin Schexnider writes of an African-American parish in Lake Charles, Louisiana, intertwined with the history of Black Catholic leadership.
A time to say sorry: Why 'Magnifica Humanitas' matters for Black Catholics
Tamika Royes unpacks Pope Leo XIV's first encyclical, specifically its shocking apology for the sins of the Vatican in supporting the slave trade.
The Golden Rule and the crisis of Black Catholic belonging in the Church
Dr. Antoinette Reaves on the need to feel at home in the Catholic Church—an experience African Americans have often gone without due to neglect.
500-year-old slave revolt of 1526 redefines freedom as U.S. turns 250
Before 1776 or 1619, enslaved Africans seized freedom in 1526 on land that would become the United States.
My experience at a Chicago justice conference showed me the power of Christian witness.
Daryl Grigsby recounts his time at an ecumenical gathering centered on "holy resistance" and its outworking in the current American moment.
Why the way we understand the South matters, especially in criminal justice.
by Jamiles Lartey, Louisiana Illuminator June 15, 2026 This commentary was published in partnership with The Marshall Project, a nonprofit news organization covering the U.S. criminal justice system. Sign up for The Marshall Project’s newsletters and follow them on Instagram, TikTok, Reddit and Facebook. Last month, members of
What can White pro-lifers learn from the Black community (and Black history)?
Briana Jansky writes that despite shared goals among pro-lifers, there are still large gaps in communication and an undercurrent of anti-Blackness.
The new prayer service from the U.S. Catholic bishops doesn't honor the enslaved. It erases them.
Nate Tinner-Williams says the new text is a cheapened catch-all intended for immigrants—with African Americans as a throwaway half-mention.
'Tuner' review: 'Whiplash' meets 'Save the Last Dance', with the music to make it dance
The new music/heist hybrid film takes viewers on a journey of moral quandary without asking for much in return—other than a listening ear.