On August 15–17, 1969, the Woodstock Music and Art Fair was held on a 600-acre dairy farm near Bethel, New York. Today marks the fiftieth anniversary of this monumental cultural event that marked an epoch. Woodstock changed America. It helped usher in a period of moral devastation. The event enshrined free love … Read more
At first glance, nationalism and patriotism seem synonymous. However, the concepts are two poles, two extremes, two irreconcilably antagonistic ideas. Patriotism expresses a sense of fidelity to a people and especially to its traditional authority. It is a virtue close to filial piety, by which children love, honor and serve their parents. … Read more
We often exercise the power of persuasion in very subtle ways. I saw this happen recently when I made a new acquaintance, who I will call Phil, at a Washington eatery. He served our nation during time of war, and we agreed on many issues. He explained that he is Catholic and … Read more
Many people have felt the scorn of liberals when expressing doubts about man-made global warming. Just a slight reservation about this liberal dogma will bring down ire upon the person who will be forever branded a “climate change denier.” Such treatment pales in comparison to that given those that deny Darwin and … Read more
“Communists … are opposing an economic system based on avarice, exploitation and human suffering, afflicting the comfortable and comforting the afflicted.” This phrase could appear in a communist propaganda pamphlet or speech by Fidel Castro, Daniel Ortega or any left-wing demagogue. Yet, it appears in a significant essay in the August 5, … Read more
Until a few years ago, if a man had spoken of indigenous tribalism as a solution to the crisis of the modern world, he would have been laughed at and considered a lunatic. And if someone mentioned a tribalization of the Church as the natural goal of the Second Vatican Council, perhaps … Read more
Does the Amazon Synod represent the “Amazonization” of the Church? Imagine the consequences for civilization and the world’s progress if Saint Remigius would have told Clovis, King of the Franks in 496: “There’s no need to burn the gods you worship because they represent immemorial values of the original culture of your … Read more
Certain poems can be easily registered in one’s memory. This is due as much to the profundity of the words as their rhythmic meter. Such is the case with the following passages of a poem by Fr. Joseph Stedman. Life is short, and death is sure, The hour of death remains obscure. A … Read more
As the Pan-Amazon Synod approaches, the number of concerned voices is growing. Until a few months ago, the Synod seemed like an almost folkloric event, an echo from distant and mysterious lands without any impact on the European continent. Now it begins to be seen in its proper dimension: a threat to … Read more
Catholics had cause for relief on July 8, 2019, when the good news came out that the California legislature is no longer attempting to force priests to break the seal of Confession. This victory came from the efforts of tens of thousands of Catholics who protested. Among those opposing the measure were … Read more