In Virgil’s Roman epic poem, The Aeneid, there is a famous scene when a terrible storm washes up the protagonist Aeneas and his men on the shores of Carthage. The crew is bruised, battered and discouraged by its misfortunes. The men are tempted to give up. Aeneas encourages them, concluding with one … Read more
In this twilight of mud and opprobrium, the whole world, sleepy and ashamed, is allowing itself to slide down the successive abysses of a gradual acceptance of Communism. However, in this panorama of general devastation, Cardinal Mindszenty has risen as the great nonconformist, the international troublemaker whose unbreakable refusal saves the honor … Read more
A colleague told me of an intriguing incident at a conference of accountants that were studying recent changes in tax regulations. One speaker gave a talk on recruiting new staff and how to deal with turnover. An attendee then asked a question remarking that from the context of her presentation, it seemed … Read more
Since Christopher Columbus discovered Cuba in 1492, the island has gone through many transformations. It first went from an obscure island with few inhabitants to the undisputed king of sugar production bustling with agrarian production and enviable economic growth. However, it then fell in 1959 to become a desolate, backward, impoverished prison … Read more
In the twenty-first century, the virtue of duty is paradoxically both greatly admired and shamefully despised. On the one hand, certain forms of duty, such as military service, are still widely appreciated. A common sight in airports, malls, and other public places is that of perfect strangers approaching soldiers in uniform and … Read more
The parable of the Prodigal Son is one of the most memorable and moving of all Our Lord Jesus Christ’s parables. Many who cannot name all Ten Commandments can nevertheless give a rough outline of the story. It has been widely represented in Christian art since the Middle Ages, and even today … Read more
As the anniversary of Roe v. Wade approaches on January 22, those who have long fought the important battle against abortion know that it is not only this issue that must be protested. Connected to abortion is a web of other nefarious practices that make up what has been aptly called the … Read more
The issues now being debated in the 2016 elections are framed as if the country revolved around a great big cookie jar. The benefits and promises candidates offer are like cookies that must be substantial, instantly gratifying and abundant. All the problems the nation faces seem to be reduced to who has … Read more
Alexandre Havard writes in Virtuous Leadership on the importance and relevance of the cardinal virtues – prudence, fortitude (or courage), temperance (or self-control) and justice – to both leaders and organizations. Any person or group that lacks in one or more of these core character traits is doomed to failure. As William … Read more
July 22 started as a bleak and overcast day, somehow fitting for the funeral of Rear Admiral Jeremiah Denton, the great Catholic Vietnam War hero, who endured many a bleak and dreary day during seven years and seven months of torture at the hands of the Communist North Vietnamese. His life was … Read more