These are times of deliberate dramatic change, as witnessed by the “Liberation Day” tariffs, which shook the world and introduced uncertainty into markets. Everyone is trying to make sense of this policy’s back-and-forth changes. Both opponents and supporters admit that it lacks a clear purpose and specific goals. This dramatic change is … Read more
A political myth states that once the Supreme Court has spoken, the issue is definitively settled. Especially when referring to liberal projects, these pronouncements are about as close to secular infallibility as it gets. This was the case of Roe v. Wade. For decades, liberals insisted upon calling the unsettling decision “settled … Read more
After the elections, the transgender movement is in disarray. It is demoralized by the unpopularity of its cause. Some Democrats add to the chaos by rightly pinning part of the blame for the electoral loss on transgender radicalism. The ensuing interliberal clash is revealing. Liberal strategists are asking that transgender radicals tone … Read more
The Vatican Council closed an epoch in the history of the Church. The French Revolution had aroused a reaction throughout Europe. It tried to abolish the old temporal order to strike against Religion more effectively. This hostile action, in turn, laid the groundwork for the appearance of powerful Catholic movements across the … Read more
Council Fathers learned the names of the twenty-four members of the Postulata Commission, appointed by Pius IX; elected the five members of the Judices Querelarum commission; and heard the reading of a new Apostolic Constitution, which regulated the election of the Supreme Pontiff if the pope should die during the works. This … Read more
Pius IX summoned all the general superiors of religious orders and congregations to participate in the First Vatican Council. At the time, many said that the pope did this to ensure the participation of Dom Prosper Guéranger, Abbot of Solesmes, and Superior of the Benedictine Congregation of France. Nothing could have been … Read more
When Pius IX published the bull Aeterni Patris convening the First Vatican Council in 1868, Ultramontanism was practically victorious in France. The Catholic movement had received a vigorous boost from the apostolate of the nineteenth century’s early Ultramontanes. Throughout the century, it advanced and remained steadfastly orthodox despite some leaders’ attempts to … Read more
The Holy Father, Pius IX, distributed an early draft of the Syllabus of Errors to bishops in Rome for the canonization of twenty-six Japanese martyrs in 1862. It was no longer a secret that the Holy See was preparing to officially condemn Catholic liberalism. Alarmed by the project, some governments tried to … Read more
Napoleon III lost the support of the great majority of Catholics between 1864 and 1867 over the Italian unification question. The Emperor abandoned his “wolf in sheep’s clothing” disguise in this matter and likewise sought to do his revolutionary work in France. After 1860, he oriented his policies ever closer to liberalism. … Read more
Across the nation, “smash and grab” robberies make news. A simple search on the Internet for “smash and grab rampages” will yield articles and films depicting small groups of hammer-bearing people going into stores with expensive goods. In broad daylight and in full view of security cameras, the thieves use the hammers … Read more