The Narthex

The Swedish government's approach to coronavirus has been criticized all along by the media of other Western nations hell-bent on justifying their own economy- and job-killing overreactions. Although we need to wait and see what winter brings in the northern hemisphere, we can at least give an update on Sweden's…

A portrait artist and I were strolling arm in arm at a farmers’ market, when she stopped us to view a display of landscape paintings in a shop window. She knew this local artist and wanted to say hello, so we entered to the tinkling sound of a door bell.…

Are we about to vote for the soul of the nation? Well, maybe. The political figures who say so are keener than ever to get out the vote, as are the “thought leaders” now popping up everywhere. The first order of business for those who insist that political figures really…

In medieval times, jokers -- also called court fools or jesters -- had the dangerous role of counseling a monarch, with the tacit understanding that the joker’s life was sacrosanct and would not be forfeited for honestly doing his job. He could say anything to belittle the king, who believed…

I suppose if Christian civilization were to adopt a Mission Statement, as most modern enterprises do, none better could be found than the simple list of the three “theological virtues”: Faith, Hope and Love. These sum up all our duties and our aspirations. Every human on earth understands in some sense what they…

Do you have friends who claim to be against abortion but vote for pro-abortion politicians because abortion is “just one issue among many”? Perhaps solid teaching from our shepherds can help convince them otherwise. John Gerard Lewis, author of Catholic Voting and Mortal Sin: How You Vote Can Endanger Your…

I recently heard of giant rats invading city parks. They have thick brown fur, yellow incisors, and flat tails, looking enough like beavers to attract folks who then feed them. These rodents each year bear 12 or more litters that will reproduce after 3 months. They proliferate at…

For many years, when urged to vote for a US president, I’d push back hard. My favorite riposte? “Don’t vote; it just encourages them.” Still, there’s a season for (almost) everything. And who says that a bloke can’t change after he turns 39? Not I, and here’s why. Note: As…

Many Catholics have pondered whether the Church benefits from the work of public intellectual and author Jordan B. Peterson (who has recently been quieted by a prolonged health crisis). Peterson’s book 12 Rules for Life, which counsels the young on living a meaningful life, had sold three million copies by…

The assassination of President John F. Kennedy is a day most everyone over 70 can recall. It was as if that latent American dream for a Camelot regime died with him. His witty political adroitness, savvy speeches, and New England accent hinted of royalty. Those talents lent an aura to…

In sorting through the L.A. Times the other day, I came upon an eight-page supplement titled CHINA WATCH. The insert promises “ALL YOU NEED TO KNOW.” Caveat Lector: this publication is a product of China Daily, a news vehicle of China’s Communist Party. Indeed, cards on the table, at the…

These are frightening times. Sizable numbers of our population, including apparently most of our political leaders, are clearly terrified of COVID. This is becoming increasingly obvious in public places, where the mood is subtly changing: people are afraid of each other and show their fear not only by their avoidance of contact…

At the head of my favorite exercise trail, which goes deep into the wooded back hills, stands a grove of trees maybe a hundred feet tall and aged that many years. A few weeks last autumn, I noticed people collecting things on the ground and stuffing them into satchels. They…

In 1967, during my hippie days, I stood on a landing between the first and second floor of the Boston Public Library admiring the 160-year-old, side by side, marble busts of Christ and Lucifer. Sculpted in 1845 by Horatio Greenbough, these have been on display in the library unharmed since…

Last week a friend with ties to Africa sent me a picture of some local nuns in Tanzania. Their ministry is to shelter at-risk children. Commenting on the picture, he noted that “All the ‘white’ children are albinos. Nine albinos, none of these pictured here, were killed in 2019 for…