Not long before he was to die on 9 July 1961, at sixty years of age, Whittaker Chambers unknowingly wrote what was to be his final letter to his friend William F. Buckley. Dated 9 April 1961, this letter of … Continue reading
Category: Articles
The Knights of Columbus: Compromise Weakens the Witness
I was given the last two issues of the Knights of Columbus magazine, Columbia, by a friend of mine. And it is an inspiring publication in many ways. The editor, Alton J. Pelowski, does a commendable job in making the … Continue reading
Remembering John Vennari
It was only in late August of 2007 in Brazil that I came more intimately to know John Vennari — and thus to perceive his varied high qualities and warmth of heart — especially because the two of us then … Continue reading
May/June 2017 Mancipia
The March/April 2017 Mancipia is now posted (scroll down for PDF). Back issues of this newsletter are linked from our downloads page. If you would like to receive our bi-monthly newsletter via U.S. mail, please sign up to get it … Continue reading
Nostalgia, Revival, and Restoration
Nostalgia is one of the most powerful emotions in the human psyche, not least because change — so often for the worse — is one of the most powerful realities we all face. Some of this change, be it political, … Continue reading
Humility and Sanity: Glimpses of Chesterton and Waugh
In his 1908 book, entitled Orthodoxy — published fourteen years before he was received into the Catholic Church in the summer of 1922 — G.K. Chesterton speaks politely and acutely about the all-too-pervasive lunacy (and the somewhat diminished sanity) of … Continue reading
It’s All Hebrew To Me
It is an interesting thing to consider why certain words of the New Testament were kept in Hebrew or Aramaic by the inspired authors rather than translating them into Greek, if indeed they were translatable. Our Lord’s cry from the … Continue reading
Reconciling the Gospel Accounts of Mary Magdalene at the Holy Sepulcher
What appears to be discrepancies in the accounts of Our Lord’s Resurrection and the witness of Mary Magdalene are not so; they are reconcilable. The readings for Easter moved me to address the issue. So, with the help of Cornelius … Continue reading
Easter — The “Other” Holiday
Easter is soon to be upon us, after the emotional roller coaster ride of tragedy and triumph that is Holy Week. As with Christmas, Thanksgiving, Hallowe’en, and the Fourth of July, after a certain age the glimmer of nostalgia leads … Continue reading
The Incarnation and Grace
In 1980, just after I had met him for the first time, Father John Hardon, S.J. said something to me privately that also became more and more important in my own later life, especially in my growing understanding of our … Continue reading
A Vindication of Pope Pius XII
A Vindication of Pope Pius XII — A Review of Catholics Confronting Hitler, the Catholic Church and the Nazis by Peter Bartley. Ignatius Press. 2016 In 1963 a vicious anti-Catholic play came upon the literary scene. Written by German Protestant … Continue reading
Getting Rid of Rotten Fruit
Question: What do Death Comes for the Archbishop, Ode to Joy and The Night Watch have in common? Answer: 1) They are all works of art. 2) They can all be identified by a person of culture who will also … Continue reading
Along the King’s Highway
I have done a great deal of traveling in the past few months: October saw me in Cleveland, Ohio, and New England; November brought me to the Hudson Valley of my birth and earliest years; and in February and March … Continue reading
Presumption as a Form of Laxity unto Spiritual Sloth
For many years it has been noticeable to me as a Roman Catholic layman that the deadly sin of presumption and the related sin of sloth are seldom mentioned, much less more deeply and even individually discussed. Consequently, neither is … Continue reading
March/April 2017 Mancipia
The March/April 2017 Mancipia is now posted (scroll down for PDF). Back issues of this newsletter are linked from our downloads page. If you would like to receive our bi-monthly newsletter via U.S. mail, please sign up to get it … Continue reading
