Month: February 2022

The Problem of An Urban Eschaton

Whilst escape from the city for the sake of prayer and meditation is a recurring motif of Western literature, and one that plays an important role in the life of Jesus Christ, one of the great achievements of our civilisation has been that of sanctifying the city.

Save the Parish: An Interview with Dr. Alison Milbank

In the wake of the Anglican Church’s move to phase out the parish system, an informal group called Save the Parish is asserting the importance of local worship and of retaining sacred places set aside for devotion.

Pius XII, Just Among the Nations

Pope Pius XII was perfectly aware of the reality of the Shoah, so much so that he created an office within the Secretariat of State specifically dedicated to these issues. Pius XII tried—in vain—to alert the American authorities to what was happening in Europe, but the Americans did not believe it.

COVID Law Rejected in Polish Parliament

A COVID law proposed by Poland’s ruling PiS party has been rejected by the Polish Parliament. While opponents of COVID restrictions celebrate, some members of the opposition predict the downfall of the PiS.

Inflation Continues to Rise

The ECB predicts that for the first three months of 2022, euro-zone inflation will be 3.0%. With 5.1% in January, for their forecast to become reality, a sharp deceleration in consumer prices will have to take place in February and March.

Drawing the Lines for Cold War II

Today’s Russia is not yesterday’s Soviet Union. What Putin does to his country is unacceptable, but unlike the leaders of the communist state of the last century, he does not have an ideology that compels him to eliminate the economic and political system of the West.

Russia and China Issue Joint Statement Calling for a Halt to NATO Expansion

Russia and China Issue Joint Statement Calling for a Halt to NATO Expansion

For the first time in two years, the presidents of China and Russia met in person and used the occasion to reaffirm their shared vision of the future in a joint statement covering multilateralism, restriction of NATO expansion, and moving away from the U.S. dollar.

February 7, 2022
Words as Weapons: Why We Must Stand Our Ground Over Pronouns

Words as Weapons: Why We Must Stand Our Ground Over Pronouns

Language is the first domino in the war over reality—and pronouns have nothing to do with politeness and everything to do with ideological submission.

February 7, 2022
Germany: Asylum Applications Up 56%; Highest Point Since 2017

Germany: Asylum Applications Up 56%; Highest Point Since 2017

The data, released by Germany’s Federal Office for Migration and Refugees, revealed that some 190,800 migrants submitted applications for asylum last year, up 56.4% from 2020. The figures are the highest recorded since 2017.

February 6, 2022
Violent Far-Left Extremists Attack Police at Zemmour’s Campaign Rally in Lille 

Violent Far-Left Extremists Attack Police at Zemmour’s Campaign Rally in Lille 

Some 1,000 activists, including 200 radical leftist militants, gathered around the city’s Porte de Paris monument on Saturday afternoon, before marching a few streets over to block off access to the Grand Palais, the location of Zemmour’s rally.

February 6, 2022
Christian Leaders Call for Release of Pro-Democracy Activist Jimmy Lai

Christian Leaders Call for Release of Pro-Democracy Activist Jimmy Lai

Christian leaders asked authorities to drop the charges against Jimmy Lai. “We plead with you to have compassion on his life and well-being and to correct this injustice. We will continue to hope and pray for his eventual release as well as for the well-being and prosperity of Hong Kong and all the peoples of the whole Chinese nation,” the letter said.

February 6, 2022
EU Commission’s Gas and Nuclear Rules Conflict with EIB’s

EU Commission’s Gas and Nuclear Rules Conflict with EIB’s

An EU official defended the decision to include natural gas and nuclear energy, telling journalists: “We have taken a realistic and pragmatic approach to the inclusion of nuclear and gas in the taxonomy.”

February 6, 2022
Political Discrimination in the Spanish Government’s Allocation of Funds

Political Discrimination in the Spanish Government’s Allocation of Funds

The Spanish center-right Partido Popular (PP) has complained that the socialist-led government is overwhelmingly directing European funds to municipalities governed by its party, in what seems to amount to systematic political discrimination.

February 6, 2022
The Last Adult: Reflections on the Platinum Jubilee of Queen Elizabeth II

The Last Adult: Reflections on the Platinum Jubilee of Queen Elizabeth II

Where the rest of the world’s leaders seem intent on impressing us with themselves, she appears to respond in the opposite manner—with quiet duty.

February 6, 2022
The Future of Freedom in Cuba: An Interview with <strong>Rosa María Paya</strong>

The Future of Freedom in Cuba: An Interview with <strong>Rosa María Paya</strong>

“The United States has failed to support the Cuban people’s cries for freedom by refusing to denounce the Cuban regime as illegitimate.” — Rosa María Payá Acevedo

February 5, 2022
On Being from Somewhere: Between Conquerors and Cosmopolitans

On Being from Somewhere: Between Conquerors and Cosmopolitans

One cannot be a ‘citizen of the world,’ and the sense in which it is invoked often tends to accompany a vexed gesture meant to cast off the weight of provincialism, thick accents, and attachments.

February 5, 2022
No Decision Made on Bridge Removal to Make Room for Bezos’ Yacht, Rotterdam Mayor Says

No Decision Made on Bridge Removal to Make Room for Bezos’ Yacht, Rotterdam Mayor Says

Rotterdam mayor Ahmed Aboutaleb told reporters that no decision to dismantle ‘De Hef’ had been made. Calling the turmoil “quite peculiar,” he said that his office had not even received a request for a permit.

February 5, 2022
Canadian #TruckersForFreedom Protest Going on a Week; European Variant Announced

Canadian #TruckersForFreedom Protest Going on a Week; European Variant Announced

United under the ‘European Freedom Convoy 2022’ banner, similar movements are now springing up across the continent. They plan to take to the streets in their respective capitals on the 7th of February, and to descend on Brussels on the 14th.

February 5, 2022