The Statio Radiophonica Vaticana — better known in the English-speaking world as Vatican Radio –which reaches all continents with its news and programs in 32 languages, turns 90 today. The broadcasting entity of the Holy See, legally recognized by international courts, is an instrument of communication and of evangelization at the service of the Papacy.…
Eighty years ago this week, on January 12, 1941, James Joyce (Dublin 1882 — Zurich 1941), a great wordsmith, an Irish writer counted among the greatest of the twentieth century, fell into a coma following an operation for an ulcer performed the previous day. On January 13th, he died. He was less than a month…
There is a great deal of grotesquery in the world and in the Church. The controversy over the Vatican Nativity Scene this year — a kind of “art” I have described as “weaponized ugliness” — has certainly driven the point home. (One might quibble with my use of “grotesque,” which implies something comical; that said,…
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…
One of the greatest musicians in the history of mankind, and certainly among the greatest composers of the Western European tradition, Ludwig van Beethoven (1770–1827), was baptized 250 years ago on December 17, 1770. It is fitting on such a momentous anniversary to offer readers a brief overview of his life and work, highlighting several…
Tomorrow marks 250 years since the baptism of the great German composer, considered the last of the Classics and the first of the Romantics: Ludwig van Beethoven (Bonn 1770 – Vienna 1827). Retracing his life as a man and artist, through his family, economic and character problems, the seriousness of his training and his artistic…
Increasingly, I have found myself wondering why the world is so ugly. I do not mean the natural world, which always retains its created splendor, but the art and architecture of the modern world. It seems that almost nothing in modern art can achieve the beauty possessed by numerous cultures before our time. From the…
The Traditional Mass: History, Form, and Theology of the Classical Roman Rite Michael Fiedrowicz Angelico Press 350 pages $32.00 Hardcover; $22.95 Paperback; $9.99 eBook Angelico Press has recently published an excellent book entitled, The Traditional Mass: History, Form, and Theology of the Classical Roman Rite. Written in German by Michael Fiedrowicz and first published in…
On November 28, 1680, 340 years ago, under the reign of Pope Innocent XI, the eleventh pope he served, the genius symbol of Roman Baroque art died in Rome at the age of 81: the architect, sculptor, painter, and set designer, Gian Lorenzo Bernini (Naples 1598 – Rome 1680). Pope Urban VIII (1568-1644), with whom…
The Holy Bread of Eternal Life: Restoring Eucharistic Reverence in an Age of Impiety Peter Kwasniewski Sophia Institute Press 336 pages $17.95 Paperback; $9.99 eBook I feel compelled to provide some context before beginning. Last week my family and I attended an evening daily Mass at our local parish. We live in a small town,…
Live Not by Lies: A Manual for Christian Dissidents Rod Dreher Sentinel 256 pages $15.99 Kindle; $20.49 Hardcover Review by Stephen Morris If The Benedict Option (2017) outlined a tactical Christian retreat, Rod Dreher’s Live Not by Lies (2020) is more of a battle plan for when there is no longer somewhere to retreat to.…
