Acton Institute Powerblog Archives

Post Tagged 'pope john paul ii'

April 09, 2026

The Merchant Who Became a Saint

The figure of Omobono of Cremona occupies a peculiar place in Catholic history and Christian moral imagination. He is neither a monk nor a prince, neither a martyr nor a theologian, but a working merchant in a city whose life was already shaped by money, exchange, and competition. Continue Reading...
October 31, 2025

Dilexi Te and Loving the Poor

Pope Leo XIV’s first major proclamation, Dilexi Te (I Have Loved You), is an apostolic exhortation addressed “to all Christians” on caring for the poor. Pope Francis was preparing this exhortation when he died. Continue Reading...
August 08, 2023

JPII, Mises, and Economics in Action

Why would a theologian conduct a theological and moral analysis of human action as described by Ludwig von Mises, a represen­tative of the Austrian school of economics? What can an economist and agnostic tell the moral theologian about man? Continue Reading...
May 06, 2021

John Paul II on work, socialism, and liberalism

This year marks the 30th anniversary of John Paul II’s important encyclical, Centesimus Annus. While the average lay person might not pay attention to formal pronouncements by the Roman Catholic Church, papal encyclicals are significant in their affirmation of the church’s social doctrine. Continue Reading...
November 15, 2019

College student sets himself on fire for socialism

On Friday, November 8, a 22-year-old French college student set himself on fire outside the government agency that administers university housing and living allowances. The reason? The government had revoked his monthly benefits after he failed his courses for the second year in a row. Continue Reading...
September 30, 2019

Farewell Letter from Rome

This will be my last letter from Rome, as I am resigning as director of Istituto Acton, effective tomorrow, October 1. I started writing these monthly pieces in January 2010 to give you some idea of what it’s like to live and work in the Eternal City, with occasional missives from different parts of the world that I visited. Continue Reading...