Poland and Hungary are in trouble with the European Union again. Ostensibly, this time it is a budgetary dispute that neither Warsaw nor Budapest is willing to sign off on. But, in essence, it is a clash of postmodernism on the one hand and traditionalism on the other. Brussels endeavors brutally to impose its social-engineering … Read more
On October 24, the Polish conservative movement Konfederacja organized the “Great March of Freedom,” a massive protest against the koronaterror (Coronavirus terror): the ruling Law and Justice Party’s excessive restrictions on Polish social and economic life. Tens of thousands of people assembled in cities across Poland, including Warsaw. The government proclaimed this event a health threat, … Read more
Remember the “Occupy Wall Street” movement? Theirs was a protest against “the One Percent.” However, the One Percenters begged to differ. They have responded with a revolution of their own, a revolution from above, the one currently under way in the United States. The objective of the revolution is to ensconce and enhance the power … Read more
A powerful revolutionary wave has been sweeping the nation. One of its bywords is “Defund the Police.” In reality, however, it is about law and order. Emasculating or even dismantling the police is plainly an assault on law and order. The postulate to defund law enforcement officers has gained some traction in Democrat-controlled cities in … Read more
Some mock America’s statue-smashers as ignoramuses who do not know what they are doing or why. But there are very good reasons why we see monuments cast down all over the West, including the United States. Let’s not wave this off as mindless stupidity. The radical rule is that the more you destroy, the more … Read more
According to one sage observation: he who gets to name names, wins. Why do we talk about the Protestant Reformation and not the Protestant Revolution, for example? After all, Martin Luther commenced his journey as a reformer, repulsed righteously, as most of us would be, by the corruption and decadence of the Rome of his … Read more
Professor Henry Kamen of Oxford was one of the fiercest detractors of the Supreme Sacred Congregation of the Roman and Universal Inquisition (currently known as the Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith). Then Pope John Paul II allowed him into the Secret Vatican Archives which led to the publication of The Spanish Inquisition: A … Read more
Fr. Paul Lester Stenhouse, MSC (1935–2019), passed away of cancer recently. I initially learned about him through the good offices of his dear friend, a contributor to his publications and fellow Aussie, Wanda Skowronska, who was kind enough to share some stories about him. She also encouraged our cooperation. Fr. Stenhouse was truly a Christian universalist … Read more
From the beginning of Donald J. Trump’s quixotic presidential campaign, political and media elites have attempted to browbeat the “dangerous” new nationalist movement like an unruly child. First, it was National Review’s “Conservatives against Trump” symposium, which excommunicated its Trump-voting readers for their infidelity to the dogmata of movement conservatism. Now a similar proclamation has … Read more
Since the European Union elections in May, Poland has entered a summer marching season. More precisely, there are traditional religious processions, on the one hand, and LGBT “pride” parades on the other. The former boast millions of participants, in particular, the nationwide Corpus Christi holiday held in every parish; the latter attract thousands and, usually, … Read more
When Poland agreed to host a Middle East conference in Warsaw, on February 13-14, it expected some flak from Muslim countries, in particular Iran, a cold shoulder from the European Union, and, of course, scathing criticism from Russia and, perhaps, China. What the Polish hosts did not expect were attacks and hectoring from the United … Read more
Pope Francis is planning a pilgrimage to Arabia, a land of no reciprocity. Unlike in the West, no religious equality is to be had there, and, for the most part, in practice, no religious freedom either. It is doubtful that the Pontiff will be able to remedy the situation. Aside from Iraq and Yemen, which … Read more
Next year—2019—will mark the 30th anniversary of communism’s collapse in Poland and Eastern Europe. It will also mark 35 years since the murder of Father Jerzy Popiełuszko. I was safe in California when the communist secret police killed my former vicar in Poland in October 1984. In May 1980, Father “Jurek” Popiełuszko was assigned to our … Read more