Many are working for peace in the ongoing conflicts, and feasible compromises should be achievable, because everybody is tired of war. But will any ceasefires last? “The lovers’ faith is like the Arabian phoenix — everyone says it exists, no one knows where,” the Italian poet Metastasio sang, in verses that come back to mind […]
The absence of the supreme leader, the internal doubts about his presence, and the power divisions are making Iran a failing state, spreading chaos up to China. What will Beijing do? Iranian regime media have claimed that the emerging Iran-Oman deal would enable Iran to maintain control of the Strait of Hormuz. Still, many Americans […]
Over the centuries, theological debates and conflicts within the Catholic Church have often had political implications of general interest. The pressure being exerted on Pope Leo to reinstate the option of celebrating the Catholic liturgy according to the rite that preceded that of the Second Vatican Council poses a significant challenge to the Catholic Church’s […]
The 2027 Party congress could expand the president’s controls. He is winning, but he faces internal and external pressures. The international muddle helps him, though it’s very tricky. The Chinese Communist Party (CPC) Congress scheduled for autumn 2027 could be one of the most delicate and significant in its history. President Xi Jinping will extend […]
Thiel misunderstands Ratzinger. The project of “pure Church” failed. A Pope at the service of a US President would harm the US and the Church. But perhaps the Church can help the US and world find a new balance when the old one is gone. In an article published in First Things, Peter Thiel continues […]
Iran’s move on Hormuz is short-term. If it doesn’t get its act together, the whole region could turn against it. US boots on the ground in Iran won’t work. But a coalition of disgruntled neighbors could move against Tehran, changing the ball game. The new wave of attacks against Iran has an undefined time frame, […]
In his messages to the United States on the occasion of the 250th anniversary of the Declaration of Independence, Pope Leo XIII builds upon Cardinal J. Bernardin’s discourse on a consistent ethics of life in order to define the position of the Catholic Church in the face of major moral and social challenges. It was […]
