John of Capistrano, icon of the Battle of Belgrade
At the invitation of Pope Callistus III, St John of Capistrano recruited 35,000 Hungarian Christians, ordinary citizens, to fight the Turks besieging Belgrade. Joining the soldiers led by John Hunyadi, on 22nd July 1456, they defeated a much larger army. And the evening before, John had blessed a meal....
- THE RECIPE: GOULASH
Vaccines, aborted fetuses and other drugs: a guide to the issue
A strong argument from those who consider it unproblematic to use aborted fetuses cell lines for making vaccines goes like this: if we ban vaccines, then we should also ban a host of other common drugs that use the same cell lines. Not only is the matter a bit more complex than this, above all, it is not right to tolerate any evil just because it is found to be widespread. What follows is a recommendation for Christians....
Hurricane Ida debunks environmentalism
A major hurricane hits Louisiana and the refrain of climate change warnings begins again. But all the data show that there is no increase in extreme events, while a comparison with the past shows how important adequate development is to minimise the damage of such events.
Governments told spend £11 billion climate fund on abortion to save the planet
Sixty international abortion NGOs are launching an appeal to governments ahead of this November's climate conference in Glasgow. Their aim is to include contraception and abortion programmes among the measures to be funded in the fight against climate change. This is not a new narrative...
European countries build walls to protect their borders
Along the length of Europe’s borders, no one intends to wait for the next wave of migrants. Spain already has its wall with Morocco, Lithuania has built one on the border with Belarus, Greece on the border with Turkey, and Turkey on the border with Iran. Only Italy welcomes everyone from the Mediterranean.
Resignation and Pope Emeritus, another mess is brewing
A new Motu Proprio to regulate the "emeritus papacy", a canonical problem effectively left open by Benedict XVI, is expected soon. What according to his predecessor was to remain an exception, for Francis it would become an institution along with all the problems that this entails because by its very nature only one person can assume the title of “pope.” The proposed hypothesis of retirement at 85 would be a blow to the heart of the Petrine office.
The actor Genesius, from idolater to martyr
A fourth-century play created to mock Christianity became the moment of the sudden conversion of its author and protagonist. Saint Genesius changed the play by confessing his new faith in front of the emperor Diocletian, who was watching. He paid for it with martyrdom.
- THE RECIPE: ESICIA (Lobster rissoles)
African jihadists ‘celebrate’ the Taliban with surge of attacks
Today the Americans are taking leave of Afghanistan, tomorrow the French from the Sahel: the international missions to fight jihadism are withdrawing, given the impossibility of replacing incompetent local governments. And jihadist groups throughout Africa, galvanised by the victory of the Taliban, launch a series of violent attacks against civilians and the military.
America is tired of war, even in Iraq
The dramatic events of the Afghan crisis have obscured another piece of important news, the withdrawal of U.S. troops from Iraq. After the 2003 war and the ensuing guerrilla warfare, and after returning in 2014 to battle against ISIS, the Americans are now heading back home for good. Meanwhile, NATO allied troops will stay and will be under Italian command from 2022.
Why “the benefits outweigh the risks” is untrue
In the face of increasing cases of adverse reactions to Covid vaccines, the mantra of the media and politicians is “the benefits outweigh the risks”. This is untrue because the principle of proportionality must consider the individual, not the population at large. Also Cardinal Sgreccia reminded us: the individual is not a part, but a person; it is a moral abomination to believe that the risk of individual deaths is acceptable if it benefits the community.
Afghanistan will once again become a base for terrorism
NATO had been present in Afghanistan for 20 years. It came not to "export democracy," but rather to fight against terrorism following the attacks of 9/11 in America. What will happen now that the two-decade mission is over? The Doha Agreement that preceded the U.S. withdrawal envisaged peace in exchange for the Taliban's renunciation of anti-American terrorism. And yet the Taliban have already broken their promises. Instead of dealing with the government in Kabul, they have overthrown it. The risk of the return of Afghanistan-based terrorism is real. In Afghanistan there are men freed from maximum security prisons with weapons left behind by the Americans. In the wake of all this is the jihadist "myth" of a country that defeated America.
