Michael Severance

Michael Severance earned his B.A. in philosophy and humane letters from the University of San Francisco, where he also studied at the university's St. Ignatius Institute, a great books program. He then pursued his linguistic studies in Salamanca, Spain where he obtained his Advanced Diploma in Spanish from Spain's Ministry of Education before obtaining his M.A. in Philosophy and Modern Languages from the University of Oxford. While living in Italy, Michael has worked in various professional capacities in religious journalism, public relations, marketing, fundraising, as well as property redevelopment and management. As Istituto Acton's Operations Manager, Michael is responsible for helping to organize international conferences, increase private funding, as well as expand networking opportunities and relations among European businesses, media and religious communities, while managing the day-to-day operations of the Rome office.

Posts by Michael Severance

Genoa’s Morandi Bridge: Detonating an Economic Era

Today’s demolition of the already half-collapsed Morandi Bridge is the definitive end of an economic revival that began over 50 years ago in the mega Italian port city of Genoa. The economic boom lasted well into the early 2000s thanks to what was then considered a perfect marriage of civil engineering and rapidly globalizing commerce. Continue Reading...

Author of ‘Aquinas and the Market’ wins Vatican’s Economy and Society prize

  Yesterday, Prof. Mary Hirschfield of Villanova University received the prestigious “Economy and Society International Prize”, a €30,000 biennial award given by the Vatican’s Centesimus Annus Foundation. The dual doctoral degree holder in economics and theology was granted the prize money for her groundbreaking book Aquinas and the Market: Toward a Humane Economy (Havard University Press, 2018). Continue Reading...

Humanity 2.0: The human progress accelerator that ‘should’

  Matthew Harvey Sanders, a former seminarian turned successful technology and communications entrepreneur, has sought to fuse deep theological and moral convictions with his natural talent and contagious pioneering spirit. His brain child: Humanity 2.0, a self-described “human progress accelerator” showcased last May 9 at a forum held inside Vatican walls. Continue Reading...

As Notre Dame burns, France called to re-set world ablaze

Like most big stories, the world discovered last night’s fire devouring Paris’s Notre Dame Cathedral at breakneck speed on social media. Images and video reached billions within a few minutes, nearly as fast as the dramatic flames took to completely engulf the ancient roof and send its tallest spire hurdling into a billowing smoky abyss. Continue Reading...