“Relativism, that terribly effective bleach, has wiped out everything in its path.” –Robert Cardinal Sarah, The Day is Now Far Spent Precis: The foundations of the good political order are grounded upon, and are faithful to, virtues discovered by right reason and practiced by diligent statecraft. Such virtues are betrayed at grave peril; first…
Pope Francis has announced that beginning on March 19, 2021, an entire year will be dedicated to the “Amoris Laetitia Family” (whatever that means): In his Angelus address Dec. 27, the feast of the Holy Family, the pope noted that March 19, 2021, would mark five years since the signing of Amoris laetitia following synods on the family in…
There’s something rarely heard about the commercialization of Christmas. On the one hand, I can forgive the neo-pagan Marxists for the suppression of Christ—they know not what they do. On the other hand, Catholics, who should know better, have in recent decades anesthetized the Incarnation so as to empty it of all physical reality. The…
Truth is the first casualty of war—so goes an old saying. We see it verified again in the so-called “liturgy wars,” where, at least on the progressive side, no lie is too big or too bald, if only it can be repeated often enough to convince most people. If one can add a certain sacrilegious…
Over at The American Conservative, Rod Dreher devotes an entire post to a “cautionary tale” from a reader about the dangers of soft totalitarianism in unexpected places. The writer shares a good deal, and their whole story is worth reading, but their ultimate warning is different than the one their story prompted in me. Allow…
Editor’s Note: On Saturday, December 19th, an Op-Ed piece from His Excellency Archbishop Carlo Maria Viganò appeared in Italy’s La Verità. In it, the former nuncio addresses themes which have become familiar to readers of his other analyses: the Vatican’s complicity with organizations, ideologies, and goals aligned with the globalist, progressive left; the rise of…
Editor’s Note: by way of a colleague and friend in Italy, we received the following translation for publication. It is a commentary on the much-discussed 2020 Vatican Nativity Scene. Translator’s Note: Vittorio Sgarbi is a very well-known figure in Italian public life, who has served in several political offices, including the ministry in charge of…
The infamous “mystery clause” penned by Justice Anthony Kennedy in the majority opinion of Planned Parenthood v Casey (1992) succinctly summarizes the modernist precept. “At the heart of liberty is the right to define one’s own concept of existence, of meaning, of the universe, and of the mystery of human life.” Kennedy’s definition of liberty…
A few days after the election, an old college acquaintance wrote me – as “a brother in Christ” – to express his concerns that I was not using my online influence to expose evil, and to “spread the Gospel.” I appreciated the gesture (and still do). But, I was also flummoxed, since I had not…
We knew, over a month ago, that it was coming. It hardly softened the blow to see it. The Vatican Nativity scene for 2020 is…well, it’s horrifyingly ugly. This year’s #Vatican Nativity scene, revealed tonight, comes from a town in the Abruzzi region of Italy famous for its ceramics. Its creators say it’s meant to have…
The other day, as I was scrolling through social media, I saw a headline that caught my eye. “China is harvesting thousands of human organs from its Uighur Muslim minority, UN human-rights body hears.” The first thing I did was look at the source. I know the kind of wicked cruelty China is capable of,…
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