As some Americans in some states are being granted the “permission” to return to church services, Rev. Robert Sirico, president and co-founder of the Acton Institute, reminds us that government bureaucrats will never be more concerned about the personal and spiritual needs of believers than their own pastors. Continue Reading...
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May 28, 2020
A recipe for economic recovery from COVID-19
With the focus on COVID-19 shifting from the health emergency (easing) to getting the economy going again (glimmers of hope), it’s easy to forget just how good the economy was before the pandemic hit. Continue Reading...
May 27, 2020
Acton Line podcast: Is it time for a universal basic income?
For over two years, former Democratic presidential candidate Andrew Yang campaigned across the country, building a coalition along the political spectrum. The main promise driving Yang’s campaign was his “freedom dividend,” a guaranteed income of $1,000 per month for every American citizen. Continue Reading...
May 27, 2020
Rev. Robert Sirico: Churches are ‘the first of the first responders’
During the coronavirus pandemic, the media crowned a new set of heroes: healthcare workers, essential employees, and first responders. But politicians who classify church attendance as non-essential ignore the fact that churches “are the first of the first responders,” says Acton Institute President and Co-founder Rev. Continue Reading...
May 26, 2020
Acton online conference: “Banned” wagon? Why dissenting freethinkers are censured on social media.
The Acton Institute’s Rome office is sponsoring an online seminar on Thursday, May 28, at 7 p.m., Central European Time: “‘Banned’ wagon? Why dissenting freethinkers are censured on social media.” The topic is most timely as independent voices–doctors, scientists, economists, activists, and journalists whose duty it is to be inquisitive–are being silenced by social media giants like Facebook and YouTube. Continue Reading...
May 22, 2020
Minnesota religious leaders resist Gov. Walz’s ban on church gatherings
As Minnesota prepares for its next phase of reopening—which includes malls, casinos, salons, restaurants and bars—local churches have grown frustrated with the lack of clarity and guidance on the expectations for religious communities and houses of worship. Continue Reading...
May 22, 2020
‘Created Equal’: Clarence Thomas embodies the power of a biblical worldview
One must praise conservative material that airs on PBS for the same reason one must take note of shooting stars: for the comparative rarity and brevity of the experience. Yet high praise is due to the taxpayer-funded network for airing the magisterial documentary Created Equal: Clarence Thomas in His Own Words on May 18. Continue Reading...
May 22, 2020
Profitable Vatican museums postpone opening during phase 2
In an article I published today in Catholic World Report, “The profitable Vatican Museums remain closed, look toward a June opening,” I posed some tough questions to Rev. Kevin Likey, a priest of the Legionaries of Christ from Flint, Michigan, who is currently serving as the director of the Vatican Museums Patrons’ Office. Continue Reading...
May 21, 2020
What the Costa Rica Beer Factory can teach us about reopening the economy
Many restaurants still remain closed or constrained due to COVID-19 and the corresponding lockdowns, spurring renewed appreciation for the contributions that such businesses make. Yet in addition to reminding us of the humanizing aspect and social value of these businesses, the lockdowns have also highlighted the vulnerability of local enterprise in the face of onerous rules and regulations. Continue Reading...
May 20, 2020
The Acton Institute encourages 275 million people to embrace liberty
From the Enlightenment to the works of Jean-Paul Sartre and Jacques Derrida, the power of French ideas has radically altered the rest of the world. The Acton Institute has engaged France’s long history as a global thought leader in two new French-language articles, which discuss contemporary French influence on U.S. Continue Reading...