Roberto de Mattei

Quis ut Virgo?—Who is like unto Mary?—Reflections on the Document of the Dicastery for the Doctrine of the Faith

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Quis ut Virgo?—Who is like unto Mary?—Reflections on the Document of the Dicastery for the Doctrine of the Faith

On October 16, 1793, perhaps the most disgusting crime of the French Revolution occurred: the execution of Queen Marie Antoinette of France, after a show trial before the Revolutionary Tribunal. Plinio Correa de Oliveira wrote of Marie Antoinette: “ Certain souls are great only when the winds of misfortune blow upon them. … Read more

Looking at a High Point of the Middle Ages: The Dictatus Papae of Saint Gregory VII

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Looking at a High Point of the Middle Ages: The Dictatus Papae of Saint Gregory VII

The pontificate of Saint Gregory VII (1073-1085) (born Hildebrand of Soana) constitutes one of the high points of the Christian Middle Ages. The pinnacle of his pontificate is the Dictatus Papae, a collection of twenty-seven statements defining the pope’s prerogatives and his relationship with temporal authority. In it, Pope Saint Gregory proclaimed the pontiff’s … Read more

The Miraculous Conversion of Alphonse Ratisbonne

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The Miraculous Conversion of Alphonse Ratisbonne

Published here on the anniversary of his baptism, January 31, 1842 Everyone knows about the Marian shrines of Loreto and Pompeii, and, in Rome, the great basilicas, but not everyone knows that, in the heart of the eternal city, there is a little parochial basilica, Saint Andrea delle Fratte, also known as … Read more

Adolpho Lindenberg (1924-2024)

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Adolpho Lindenberg (1924-2024)

Brazilian newspapers have prominently remembered the figure of Adolpho Lindenberg, who passed away at the age of ninety-nine on May 2, 2024. The press presented him as a world-famous architect, pointing out that he passed away in the year in which CAL (Constructora Adolpho Lindenberg), the company he created, celebrated seventy years of … Read more

The Tears of Don Bosco and the Hour of Truth

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The Tears of Don Bosco and the Hour of Truth

Among the thousands of travelers who crowd the Termini station in Rome every day, some stop by the nearby Basilica of the Sacred Heart on Via Marsala. The church was commissioned by Pius IX, who laid the foundation stone of the new building in 1870, but due to the annexation of Rome … Read more

Pope Francis and the “Global Conflict” in 2024

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Pope Francis and the “Global Conflict” in 2024

What is the state of the world in this opening of 2024? Pope Francis outlined a broad picture in his Jan. 8 address to ambassadors to the Holy See, gathered for the traditional New Year’s audience. There is a first point that deserves to be emphasized. Pope Francis does not habitually quote … Read more

Pope Francis, the War and the Holy Places

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Pope Francis, the War and the Holy Places

There was great anticipation over the synod that opened at the Vatican on 4 October 2023, but three days later, on 7 October, international attention shifted to the Middle East, bloodied all at once by the brutal attack on Israel by Hamas. This event, preceded by the Russian invasion of Ukraine in … Read more