In a recent composition on Dostoievsky himself and on his memorable main fictional character from The Idiot, Prince Myshkin—both of whom (Myshkin and Dostoievsky) inimitably saw “the soul of goodness in things evil”—we also considered “a counterrevolution that is also … Continue reading
In the recent months, Pope Francis has stated repeatedly that one should have more mercy with those Catholics who are divorced and remarried civilly. In the context of the current discussion within the Church about Divorce, and how to deal … Continue reading
After reading together with my wife last night our Austrian friend Friedrich Romig’s carefully crafted and profound review of a 2013 book in German by Botho Strauss, we even started to consider, in light of Dostoievsky’s presentation of Prince Myshkin, … Continue reading
In his most important book, Catholicism, Liberalism and Socialism, the great Spanish Catholic diplomat, statesman and political thinker Juan Donoso Cortes (1809-53), often called “the Spanish de Maistre,” wrote: “Governments seem to be endowed with an unerring instinct which teaches … Continue reading
One dominant feature that is pervasive in holy scripture, testifying to its divine inspiration, is that there is no exaggerating the good nor whitewashing the evil in God’s people. Beginning with Adam and Eve actually trying to hide themselves from … Continue reading
Haiti. What does the average American know of Haiti? We hear about this fellow Western Hemisphere nation when there is a disaster – a terrible earthquake; a direct hit from a tropical hurricane; the lingering aftermath to her suffering people … Continue reading
After recently reading a good contemporary satire by the ostensible (and irrepressible) “Father René Tiepolino,” entitled “Two Plus Two Makes Three: An After-Mass Debate in a Mixed-Use Sacristy,”1 I immediately thought of Hilaire Belloc’s own 1932 Cautionary Verse, entitled “The … Continue reading
Due to the kindness of a benefactor, the Brothers recently came into possession of the book, The Prayer of Love and Silence, which Father David Phillipson had recommended from our pulpit some weeks previously. Its author is “A Carthusian,” so … Continue reading
Cardinal Giacomo Biffi, eighty-six years-old, Archbishop of Bologna from 1984 to 2003, has just had published a series of twenty-two meditations that he composed for Lenten exercises in 1989 for Pope John Paul II and members of the Roman Curia. … Continue reading
Though it’s a horror from which Catholics may recoil, it is a fact that since 2001, the year our continuing war in Afghanistan was begun, more U.S. military personnel have committed suicide than have been killed in action in that … Continue reading
I have always enjoyed reading Sr. Marie Therese’s articles in the “Convent Corner” section of Mancipia. Her writing is concise, clearly presented, and filled with nuggets of wisdom, which are both practical and spiritually insightful. Sister’s most recent article entitled … Continue reading
A number of recent events are rather in my craw at the moment: the entirely secular inauguration of King Felipe VI of Spain; so much of what happens in Rome today; the July 4th celebrations in which we annually tell … Continue reading
While recently on the ocean-seacoast island of my boyhood home, I decided to read again amidst the inspiring cool sea breezes my own fragile first edition of Hilaire Belloc’s 1908 collection of essays, entitled On Nothing and Kindred Subjects, which … Continue reading
The July/August 2014 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 regularly. … Continue reading
A Question for You Have you ever felt like if pulling your hair out was an acceptable way to relieve stress, you would be bald? Are your hands getting raw from desperately clutching the end of your rope for so … Continue reading
Site development: Bonaventure
