Catholic Morality and Social Concerns, by James Kalb

By James Kalb, Catholic World Report, June 2, 2026

James Kalb is a lawyer, independent scholar, and Catholic convert who lives in Brooklyn, New York. He is the author of The Tyranny of Liberalism  (ISI Books, 2008), Against Inclusiveness: How the Diversity Regime is Flattening America and the West and What to Do About It (Angelico Press, 2013), and, most recently, The Decomposition of Man: Identity, Technocracy, and the Church (Angelico Press, 2023).

Some reflections on “social justice” Catholics and “culture war” Catholics today.

Pope Leo recently said, in response to a question about the effect of Cardinal Marx’s promotion of blessings for same-sex couples on church unity,

The unity or division of the Church should not revolve around sexual matters. We tend to think that when the Church is talking about morality, that the only issue of morality is sexual. And in reality, I believe there are much greater, more important issues, such as justice, equality, freedom of men and women, freedom of religion …

I won’t comment on the true significance of Leo’s response within his pontificate—it was, after all, an unstudied comment made in a particular situation, and I haven’t followed his doings as closely as many others. But it reflects a tendency of thought among many Catholics, so it seems worthwhile to think about its implications when viewed from that perspective. …

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