Acton Institute Powerblog Archives

Vatican

July 23, 2018

30 Key quotes from ‘Humanae vitae’ (Of human life)

Fifty years ago this week, Pope Paul VI released Humanae Vitae, an encyclical on marital love, responsible parenthood, and artificial contraception. Because contraception profoundly influences so many areas of life—from the family to national policies—this statement on human anthropology and sexuality has become a one of the most significant documents of Catholic social thought. Continue Reading...
June 19, 2018

Video: Rev. Ben Johnson on First Things blaming democracy and capitalism for abortion

Rev. Ben Johnson, editor of the Acton Institute Religion & Liberty Transatlantic project, appears on the Stephen Herreid Show on YouTube to talk about his critique of First Things editor Matt Schmitz’s essay which blamed democracy and capitalism for Ireland’s repeal by referendum of its 8th Amendment, which “recognizes the equal right to life of the pregnant woman and the unborn.” Latest news here. Continue Reading...
May 23, 2018

Audio: Sam Gregg on the Vatican’s new statement on economics

Acton Institute Director of Research Samuel Gregg made an appearance yesterday on the Happy Hour with Mike & Vince show on WLCR in Louisville, Kentucky to discuss the Vatican’s recently released statement on “ethical discernment regarding some aspects of the present economic-financial system.” You can listen to the full discussion via the audio player below. Continue Reading...
May 17, 2018

How the Vatican misunderstands finance

Earlier today, the Vatican released Oeconomicae et pecuniariae quaestiones, a statement on “ethical discernment regarding some aspects of the present economic-financial system.” The document outlines sound general principles, says Acton research director Samuel Gregg, but also reflects the Church’s present struggle to comprehend modern finance: Over the past decade, various Vatican offices have produced several documents addressing the vexed topic of finance and banking. Continue Reading...
August 08, 2017

Samuel Gregg on the Pope’s problematic view of Venezuela

In a new article for the WSJ, writer William McGurn points out that while Pope Francis and the Vatican have stubbornly resisted speaking out against Venezuela’s regime, a recent uprising in Venezuela pushed the Vatican to finally admit “profound concern.” When the Pope and the Vatican criticize America however, their comments seem much more incendiary. Continue Reading...
March 21, 2017

Pope Francis and populism: How Christian leaders should respond to populism

In a recent article for the Federalist, Samuel Gregg discusses Pope Francis’s recent comments on populism. Pope Francis explicitly denounces populism saying: “Populism is evil and ends badly, as the past century shows.” However, Gregg points out that many populist sentiments could be attributed to this Pope: Nor are some of Francis’s principal supporters averse to invoking populist language when defending his program for the Catholic Church. Continue Reading...
December 13, 2016

A ‘Pinocchio’ Rating for Pope Francis

Sandro Magister, Vatican correspondent for L’Espresso, notes in his Italian blog a recent TV program that “fact checks” the pope’s economics. Here’s a translation of the blog post: In his speeches Pope Francis often puts forth original theories of dubious foundations but that, for him, are of unshakable certainty and explain everything. Continue Reading...
October 13, 2016

Bob Dylan wins Nobel Prize in Literature

When Bob Dylan wrote, “The Times They Are A Changin’,” I doubt he had the Swedish Academy in mind. Nevertheless, by awarding him the 2016 Nobel Prize in Literature the Academy has made a bold statement for a change in the way songwriting is viewed as literature. Continue Reading...

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