pope john paul ii

December 08, 2021

Christmas 1991: The birth of freedom in the death of the evil empire

“You can have a very quiet Christmas evening,” wished Soviet President Mikhail Gorbachev to American President George H. W. Bush. “I am saying good-bye and shaking your hand.” It was a long-distance handshake, done via telephone. Continue Reading...

May 06, 2021

John Paul II on work, socialism, and liberalism

This year marks the 30th anniversary of John Paul II’s important encyclical, Centesimus Annus. While the average lay person might not pay attention to formal pronouncements by the Roman Catholic Church, papal encyclicals are significant in their affirmation of the church’s social doctrine. Continue Reading...

April 21, 2020

COVID-19 reminds us of the humanizing aspect of work

With “shelter-in-place” orders across the country during the 2020 COVID-19 pandemic, most employees are not allowed to enter their work places unless their work is considered “essential” by their state and local governments. Continue Reading...

November 15, 2019

College student sets himself on fire for socialism

On Friday, November 8, a 22-year-old French college student set himself on fire outside the government agency that administers university housing and living allowances. The reason? The government had revoked his monthly benefits after he failed his courses for the second year in a row. Continue Reading...

September 30, 2019

Farewell Letter from Rome

This will be my last letter from Rome, as I am resigning as director of Istituto Acton, effective tomorrow, October 1. I started writing these monthly pieces in January 2010 to give you some idea of what it’s like to live and work in the Eternal City, with occasional missives from different parts of the world that I visited. Continue Reading...

June 29, 2018

Is Pope Francis’ economic critique holding back the poor?

Earlier this month, Pope Francis addressed a roomful of top oil executives from companies such as BP and Norwegian Oil, imploring them to solve the energy deficit in developing nations, while issuing a challenge to keep that energy clean and renewable. Continue Reading...

June 19, 2018

Video: Rev. Ben Johnson on First Things blaming democracy and capitalism for abortion

Rev. Ben Johnson, editor of the Acton Institute Religion & Liberty Transatlantic project, appears on the Stephen Herreid Show on YouTube to talk about his critique of First Things editor Matt Schmitz’s essay which blamed democracy and capitalism for Ireland’s repeal by referendum of its 8th Amendment, which “recognizes the equal right to life of the pregnant woman and the unborn.” Continue Reading...

July 29, 2016

Remembering Pope John Paul II’s advice: ‘Do not be afraid’

This week, the Catholic Church celebrates World Youth Day in Krakow, Poland. Fittingly, Pope St. John Paul II was chosen as one of the patron saints of the week, both as a figure who fits into the theme of the Year of Mercy and as a beloved Polish Saint who once served as the Archbishop of Krakow. Continue Reading...

May 12, 2016

Faith at Work: A Symposium on Economic Flourishing in the Christian Life

The faith and work movement has grown significantly over the past decade, yielding a range of researchers and institutions that seek to explore the intersections of work, economics, and the Christian life. Continue Reading...

May 02, 2016

What is (and isn’t) Mercy?

In a new essay for the Catholic World Report, Samuel Gregg discusses why it’s dangerous to to overemphasize any one facet of Christian teaching at the expense of a different teaching. Continue Reading...

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