There is a hearing in a middle school gymnasium in a small, unknown county. A crowd has gathered before a folding table with three zoning commissioners. A woman in the fourth row holds a utility bill that has been folded and unfolded so often that the crease has softened. She is not … Read more
On September 13, Sweden’s Social Democratic Party (SAP) narrowly won the national elections by three seats. After a summer of discontent that saw right-wing parties win by similar margins in elections across Europe and Latin America, many on the left celebrated. Magdalena Andersson is expected to become the new Swedish prime minister. … Read more
Pope Leo XIV has called the presidents of bishops’ conferences to Rome from Oct. 7—14 for a weeklong gathering on Pope Francis’s apostolic exhortation Amoris laetitia. He says: “In light of the changes that continue to impact families, I have decided to convene the presidents of the Episcopal Conferences from around the … Read more
After twenty-four hours without electricity, Havana resident Frank Lorenzo saw the lights return. An hour later, Cuba’s entire grid collapsed. So much for relief. That brief interval of light offers a fitting image of the socialist promise: Relief arrives just long enough to remind people of what they are missing. Then the … Read more
Chinese leader Xi Jinping’s visit is fast fading into the past. After the extravaganza honoring the Chinese Communist Party leader, Americans were left with little to show for the summit that supposedly accomplished a lot. The New York Times account characterized the event as “heavy on ceremony and light on outcomes.” Indeed, … Read more
Saint Jerome was born around the year 347 in Stidon, near Dalmatia. He was the son of wealthy Christian parents. Initially, he studied at home under the guidance of tutors. Soon, however, his parents sent him to Rome to satisfy his intense desire for intellectual knowledge. There, he studied and excelled in … Read more
This article is the fourteenth part of a series about Purgatory, a topic that is rarely discussed today. A knowledge of Purgatory is essential if souls are to avoid the pains of this place of expiation. The previous article can be found here. * * * While not well known today, Saint Catherine de … Read more
The expression “family silver” used to mean a household’s most prized physical assets. Such collections consisted of valued heirlooms gathered over generations, with strong historical and sentimental value in addition to their intrinsic worth. Thus, families handed down the family silver for centuries, believing these things meant something. They were not taken … Read more
It did not take long for New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani to be proven wrong about housing. It was inevitable. Populism does not mix well with Marxist economics, no matter how broad a mayor’s smile might be. Before getting into the details, a definition of private property is in order. This … Read more
Those who believe that the higher education system is broken have a new piece of evidence, courtesy of The Wall Street Journal’s website—“University of Michigan Drops First-Semester Grades to ‘Curb Mental Health Crisis.’” The University will implement the program in the fall of 2027. Pass or No Credit The idea is that … Read more