Posts by Michael Severance
May 01, 2020
Today, I am working from Rome. It is Labor Day here–La Festa dei lavoratori–one of those many guaranteed Italian holidays which we are not supposed to spend in the office. Continue Reading...
April 15, 2020
Hope: the theological, economic virtue
On Holy Saturday, I wrote the last of my series of “Lentenomics” articles on virtues and the good economy for the Italian daily La Nuova Bussola Quotidiana. I invited readers to reflect on “Hope: In ourselves and in our exchanges with others and God.” Continue Reading...
April 06, 2020
‘They want to punish the Church’: Italian priest fined for procession to fight coronavirus
The following translation is an exclusive interview that appeared in the weekend edition of the northern Italian daily La Nuova Bussola Quotidiana, which has fiercely defended Italy’s religious freedom throughout the ongoing coronavirus pandemic. Continue Reading...
April 03, 2020
April 02, 2020
Service is love for our God and our clients
For the Italian Nuova Bussola Quotidiana media outlet, I am publishing a series of short reflections on economics, virtue and spirituality during Lent entitled Lentenomics (go here for the first reflection on “sacrifice”). Continue Reading...
April 01, 2020
April Fools’ Day: Italians are not joking around anymore as civil unrest builds
Culturally the first of April – April Fools’ Day – is the same in Italy as in America. It’s a day of practical jokes and laughs. Only here it’s called April Fish Day, because it is related to the ancient end of the Pisces or Fish sign in the zodiac. Continue Reading...
March 31, 2020
Coronavirus quarantine: pontifical universities become enterprising in their instruction
Long gone are the days of Roman aulae magnae packed with 300+ students attending a lectio magistralis or an international conference, as Acton organizes each year with extraordinary success at pontifical universities. Continue Reading...
March 17, 2020
By God’s Grace we will win the COVID-19 race
“By God’s Grace we will win the race.” I love this optimistic expression used by some of my African priest friends in Rome. It is true that only by way of our teamwork with God and earning His Grace that we can triumph over great evil. Continue Reading...
March 13, 2020
Dashed hopes in crisis? Be like Charles Borromeo
When the Israelites wondered aimlessly in the desert, often they got lost, were scared and worshiped false idols to abate their worries. They abandoned Yahweh, but the Lord did not reciprocate. Continue Reading...
January 15, 2020
Why Scruton matters
The late Sir Roger Scruton, the eminent philosopher of aesthetics, politics, liberty, and culture, returned home to his Creator last Sunday.
Scruton was famous, among other things, for running an underground university for Czechoslovakian dissidents during their country’s communist regime while teaching them Western philosophy, history and literature. Continue Reading...