Thomas Reese

The Rev. Thomas J. Reese, a Jesuit priest, is a Senior Analyst at RNS. Previously he was a columnist at the National Catholic Reporter (2015-17) and an associate editor (1978-85) and editor in chief (1998-2005) at America magazine. He was also a senior fellow at the Woodstock Theological Center at Georgetown University (1985-98 & 2006-15) where he wrote Archbishop, A Flock of Shepherds, and Inside the Vatican. Earlier he worked as a lobbyist for tax reform. He has a doctorate in political science from the University of California Berkeley. He entered the Jesuits in 1962 and was ordained a priest in 1974 after receiving a M.Div from the Jesuit School of Theology at Berkeley.

All Stories by Thomas Reese

Someone is killing Republicans and Trump voters

By Thomas Reese — December 8, 2021
(RNS) — It is up to conservative leaders to save their own. 

America sacramentalizes guns as God’s gift to the good. This is heresy.

By Thomas Reese — November 30, 2021
(RNS) — Recent high-profile murder cases show America's gun culture overwhelming its ability to protect its citizens.

Happy New Year, it’s Advent

By Thomas Reese — November 26, 2021
(RNS) — The feast of Jesus' birth began by co-opting a pagan holiday. Today, it has been co-opted by pagan capitalism.

At USCCB meeting, American bishops ignore real problems while debating minutiae

By Thomas Reese — November 18, 2021
(RNS) — The church and the world are on fire, but you would not know it watching the bishops’ meeting.

Think we’re living through the Apocalypse? So did first-century Christians

By Thomas Reese — November 15, 2021
(RNS) — If the apocalyptic writers were alive today, they would no doubt draw from the imagery of nuclear war, global warming, melting ice caps, falling asteroids and pandemics.

Gomez, painting Catholics as victims, goes after his woke oppressors

By Thomas Reese — November 9, 2021
(RNS) — Archbishop Gomez, president of the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops, attacked movements of ‘social justice,’ ‘wokeness,’ ‘identity politics,’ ‘intersectionality’ and ‘successor ideology’ as pseudo-religions.

Caught between hope and despair on climate change

By Thomas Reese — November 4, 2021
(RNS) — One source of hope is religious leaders’ almost unanimous support for taking action.

California bishops should ask, ‘What would Junipero Serra do?’

By Thomas Reese — October 28, 2021
(RNS) — Junipero Serra, a Franciscan priest canonized by Pope Francis in 2015, has become the center of a firestorm in California where he was a Spanish missionary for 15 years beginning in 1768.

What will President Biden and Pope Francis talk about?

By Thomas Reese — October 27, 2021
(RNS) — This will not be a pastoral meeting between the pope and one of the Catholic faithful. This is a meeting between the president of the United States and an influential world leader. 

Francis emphasizes social justice in papal Tweetstorm

By Thomas Reese — October 18, 2021
(RNS) — Pope Francis has turned Twitter into a prophetic medium. It is his way of getting the Gospel message out to the world.

Pope should send Greta Thunberg to COP26 in his place

By Thomas Reese — October 12, 2021
(RNS) — Pope Francis should appoint Greta Thunberg to the Vatican delegation to COP26 with full diplomatic credentials so she can go anywhere, attend any meeting and speak out for the children of the world.

Woe to you, Washington! Woe to you, New York!

By Thomas Reese — October 4, 2021
(RNS) — God does not punish us. He tells us when we are punishing ourselves.

Five rules for disagreeing with the pope

By Thomas Reese — September 27, 2021
(RNS) — We are all cafeteria Catholics. The real question is how we avoid a food fight in the cafeteria.

Should Pope Francis get a third COVID-19 vaccine shot?

By Thomas Reese — September 20, 2021
(RNS) — Personally, Francis is a prime candidate, but as pontiff he is more than his medical history.

Pope calls on world to welcome refugees and immigrants

By Thomas Reese — September 14, 2021
(RNS) — During his visit to Hungary and Slovakia, Pope Francis was at his prophetic best, standing up for refugees who have been bloodied by war, starved by famine and displaced by persecution.
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