Dr. John Huynh, Director of Social Justice for the Diocese of Des Moines, joins the Catholic Morning Show to unpack Pope Leo XIV's repeated calls for Christian unity amid growing polarization. Dr. Huynh explains why true unity is rooted in the Trinity rather than uniformity, and why Catholic social teaching challenges believers to see the dignity of those they disagree with. He offers practical steps for engaging across divides without compromising truth or retreating into echo chambers.
Dr. John Huynh, Director of Social Justice for the Diocese of Des Moines, joins Bo Bonner for his monthly segment to explore why Pope Leo XIV keeps returning to the theme of unity — from his inaugural Mass in St. Peter's Square to a recent address at the Communion and Liberation gathering. Dr. Huynh distinguishes unity from uniformity, explaining that the theological model for unity is the Trinity: Father, Son, and Holy Spirit as distinct persons who are perfectly one. Genuine communion, he argues, requires real difference — not sameness masquerading as peace.
Dr. Huynh connects Pope Leo's teaching to Catholic social teaching on polarization, noting that division often reflects a wound in the human heart before it's a political problem: sin turns people inward, makes them quick to spot others' faults and blind to their own, and tempts believers to treat those who disagree with them as an "other" rather than a person made in God's image. He's careful to note this doesn't mean every position is equally true — but it does mean judging an idea is different from denying someone's dignity.
Practically, Dr. Huynh recommends three habits for healing division at the personal level: recovering the art of face-to-face conversation instead of arguing online; deliberately maintaining friendships that cross political and social lines; and adopting a "hermeneutics of charity" — assuming the best in others — rather than a hermeneutics of suspicion. Learn more about the work of the Diocese of Des Moines' Office of Social Justice and find upcoming parish events at DMDiocese.org.
Heard on the Catholic Morning Show, weekdays at 7 a.m. Central on Iowa Catholic Radio. More at IowaCatholicRadio.com.
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