A sub-category of News.
It is so much easier to destroy than to build. It takes barely a second and hardly any effort to tear something down; it requires no imagination, dedication, or moral perseverance. Watch a young child carefully build a crenellated castle out of blocks, an all-day labor of love, then proudly display his work to his…
Interview by Matt Gaspers This year marks the eighth anniversary of The Dictator Pope, a groundbreaking exposé in which you explain how Pope Francis’s election was sought and achieved by the St. Gallen Mafia, a group of progressive prelates led by Cardinal Carlo Maria Martini (d. 2012). How successful do you think Francis was in…
Theresa Ickinger, a post-conciliar champion of the Faith active in many realms, spoke at one of my first Roman Forum meetings in the early 1970s. I cannot remember which of her battles she recounted to us, but I do recall that it took place in Philadelphia. She noted that after discussions with the church authorities…
With the Mass Pro Eligendo Pontifice in the morning and the procession of the Cardinals into the Sistine Chapel, the Conclave of May 7, 2025, officially begins. Cardinal Re, Dean of the Sacred College, gave a speech urging his fellow cardinals not to be guided by personal considerations. I imagine the Cardinals enter with minds…
A few days ago, Catholic and political social media started buzzing. As many Catholics picked up their beads, revisited novenas, and committed to extra prayers for the papal conclave, the White House and President Donald Trump’s official accounts shared an AI image of him dressed as pope. And of course, chaos ensued. The image seemed…
Not long ago, Cardinal Gerhard Müller made some comments during an interview in The Times of London which caught my attention. They echo sentiments he has repeated before but which now, with the conclave to elect a new pope upon us, struck me. “‘No Catholic is obliged to obey doctrine that is wrong,’ he said,…
Pope Francis is gone, and the entire People of God who have spent twelve years under his pontificate (both knowingly and unknowingly) owe the late Pontiff a few last things. Among these, accessible to any Christian acting in good conscience, are the duties of praying for his soul and offering a fair assessment of his…
Last year I made a resolution on Byzantine New Year to try to work on the spirituality of the “sacrament of the moment.” My predominant fault is pride, and my problem is that I become too abstract in my intellect. This abstraction divorces me from reality so that I make an idol out of my…
Sorry for the heavy emphasis on personal history in these messages from the Eternal City, but I must begin my second report by noting that there has never been a moment in my memory that I could consider myself an enthusiastic member of the society in which I lived. My head and heart have never…
Gaming, April 24, 2025 On the Need to Examine before the next Conclave the Formal Accusation of Heresy launched by Archbishop Viganò (and supported by many distinguished theologians, jurists and philosophers world-wide) against Pope Francis Your Eminence, dear Cardinal Dean Giovanni Battista Re, Most cordial Greetings in Christ. I address myself to you, dear and…
