In early October, I sat down with Chou-seng Tou, former ambassador of Taiwan (the Republic of China) to the Holy See (2004–8), at his residence in Taipei. Ambassador Tou has had a long and distinguished diplomatic career. Continue Reading...
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October 24, 2024
Conclave’s Art Is Great, but Its Doubt Is Dubious
The intersection of religion and politics has always fascinated Hollywood filmmakers, from Becket and A Man for All Seasons to The West Wing. And no wonder. Both religion and politics are two of the biggest commanders of loyalty in their followers, and therefore they wield an enormous amount of power. Continue Reading...
October 23, 2024
You Are Not in Control: The Death of Boethius 1,500 Years On
In a prison dank and dark, somewhere outside the town of Pavia in northern Italy, a middle-aged man whiles away his final days, writing. His execution looms, and he knows it. Continue Reading...
October 22, 2024
The Life-Giving Suffering of Things
Alfred Lord Tennyson’s dramatic monologue “Ulysses” has for nearly two centuries served as the great cri de coeur of all young men whose lives of mediocrity and utility leave them restless and unsatisfied. Continue Reading...
October 18, 2024
Does Reagan the Movie Do Justice to Reagan the President?
There’s never been a major Reagan movie until 2024. Yet there’s a need for such storytelling. The most important president of the 20th century after FDR is in danger of being forgotten with the change of generations, of political conflicts, and even of technology. Continue Reading...
October 17, 2024
Get Your Religion Junk Drawer in Order
I don’t know a ton about guns. I know more than Democrats running for office in red states who tell you they’re avid hunters, but I know less than actual avid hunters. Continue Reading...
October 16, 2024
A Conductor on the Underground Railroad
The Conductor by Caleb Franz conveys the fascinating story of the Reverend John Rankin of Ripley, Ohio, a highly influential figure in the abolitionist cause of the 19th century. Rankin’s story is largely unknown, overshadowed by the more celebrated figures of the antebellum period and the Civil War. Continue Reading...
October 15, 2024
An Interview with Archduke Eduard Habsburg
John Pinheiro: You are the Hungarian ambassador to the Holy See and the Sovereign Order of Malta. When ambassadors write books, we expect them to be about diplomacy, international law, cultural exchange among nations. Continue Reading...
October 11, 2024
Taxing Unrealized Capital Gains Will Realize Less than Nothing
The time for sound economic thinking is now. Reading the economic policy news is a daily head-spinning experience. Price-gouging, “greedflation,” $25K government cash subsidies for new homebuyers, eliminating taxes on tips,expanded child tax credits, and taxing unrealized capital gains top the list. Continue Reading...
October 10, 2024
Anglican Churches No Longer ‘Churches’
What on earth is an “NWC”? Well, options include Northwest College, Wyoming, and the National Water Council, an obscure statutory government agency in Britain. Thanks, Google.
According to a report from the rather grand-sounding Center for Church Planting Theology and Research, based within a Church of England seminary at the University of Durham, NWC means “new worshipping community.” Continue Reading...
