Francis X. Maier
Senior Fellow
Francis X. Maier is a Senior Fellow in the Catholic Studies Program at the Ethics and Public Policy Center. Mr. Maier’s work focuses on the intersection of Christian faith, culture, and public life, with special attention to lay formation and action.
Francis X. Maier is a Senior Fellow in the Catholic Studies Program at the Ethics and Public Policy Center. Mr. Maier’s work focuses on the intersection of Christian faith, culture, and public life, with special attention to lay formation and action.
Mr. Maier served as senior adviser and special assistant to Archbishop Charles J. Chaput, O.F.M. Cap., for 23 years in Denver and Philadelphia. He previously served as editor in chief of the National Catholic Register and as a story analyst and screenwriter based in Los Angeles. A graduate of the University of Notre Dame and New York University’s School of the Arts, he is a former Fellow of the American Film Institute’s Conservatory for Advanced Film Studies, and the inaugural Senior Research Fellow (2020–22) at Notre Dame’s Center for Citizenship and Constitutional Government. He is a cofounding board member of the University of Pennsylvania’s Collegium Institute for Catholic Thought and Culture and a board member of the Napa Institute and the Fellowship of Catholic University Students (FOCUS).
His bylined work has appeared in the Wall Street Journal, First Things, National Review, The American Spectator, The Catholic Thing, Crisis, This World, America, Commonweal, the New York Times Sunday magazine, Christian Science Monitor, and other national and foreign outlets. His book True Confessions: Voices of Faith from a Life in the Church, will be released by Ignatius Press in early 2024.
The Child We Wait For
Francis X. Maier
Advent is a time of preparation for the Christ Child at Christmas. But in an age of endless appetites and distractions, it’s worth reflecting on who exactly that Child is.
Articles
The Catholic Thing / December 6, 2023
Light in the Darkness
Francis X. Maier
Exactly 30 years ago this fall, Christopher Lasch delivered the manuscript for his book, The Revolt of the Elites and the Betrayal of Democracy, to W.W. Norton his publisher.
The Catholic Thing / November 21, 2023
Islam and Christian Realism
Francis X. Maier
Islam, despite claims of a common ancestry with Judaism and Christianity stemming from Abraham, and despite its formal respect for Jesus and Mary, has very little in common with Christian faith.
The Catholic Thing / October 25, 2023
“Wild Christianity” and Why We Need It
Francis X. Maier
Much to my surprise, the endpoint of my search turned out to be Christ.
What We Need Now / October 24, 2023
The Work of Remembering
Francis X. Maier
In 2023—at least in the developed world—religion is a sideshow.
The Catholic Thing / October 11, 2023
Fear and Loathing in a Synod
Francis X. Maier
‘Synodality’ will mean what Pope Francis wants it to mean. And that’s likely the point.
Wall Street Journal / October 5, 2023
Laudate Deum Barely Mentions Christ
Francis X. Maier
Laudate Deum (“Praise God”), Pope Francis’s apostolic exhortation on the climate crisis, released in Rome today, has at least one great strength.
First Things / October 4, 2023
The World Beyond Our Window
Francis X. Maier
The world beyond the window of our lives as Christians is a long line of ordinary souls in an extraordinary story; a story of salvation stretching back into history and on into the future toward a loving God.
The Catholic Thing / September 27, 2023
Take the Red Pill
Francis X. Maier
We can’t be the creatures of dignity God made us to be; we can’t be leaven in the world; we can’t serve Jesus Christ and see clearly what needs to be done in the world, if we’re lumps of its sleeping debris.
The Catholic Thing / September 14, 2023
Leaders, Good and Otherwise
Francis X. Maier
Life in the Church is a long way from life in the military. But the basic principles of leading people translate well.
The Catholic Thing / August 31, 2023
