Europe asks us to ration our gas. The (un)happy degrowth is here
Reducing gas demand by 15% from 1 August 2022 to 31 March 2023, with possible exceptions of 7% cuts up to exemption. After the imposition of sanctions on Russia and the reduction of the gas flow from the East, Europe is moving towards “energy degrowth in solidarity”, especially towards Germany, which suffers most from the Russian gas cut. Member states must update their energy plans and report to the Commission every two months. Meanwhile, we will be more dependent on liquefied gas from the US. As well as on solar panels produced in China. The environmentalists of Fridays for Future are not satisfied with this and are threatening all-out occupation of schools, to “end the fossil economy internationally”.
Appeal to the Pope: “No human relationship with Castro”
The Pope's words on his human relationship with Raúl Castro have been ignored in Italy, but not in Latin America, where they have provoked critical reactions. The Compass interviews dissident priest Fernando Gálvez who wrote a letter to Francis. "Those words caused a deep wound. How can one have a human relationship with a person who has shown Cubans that he does not know humanity? Cuba is in an untenable situation, it is not a symbol of anything good”.
Balkans in turmoil. And EU moves aren’t helping
Talks, suspended since 2020, have begun with North Macedonia and Albania for their accession to the European Union. But Brussels, which thinks like the former USSR, looks at the Balkans in an anti-Russian light and this destabilises the region even more. There are fears of consequences for Bosnia and Herzegovina. And meanwhile, tensions between Croatia and Serbia are being rekindled.
Air chaos, travellers grounded to the delight of the Greens
In these summer days if you happen to miss a trip because your flight is cancelled, if your luggage is lost at the airport, if your departure is hours late, you are not alone. The phenomenon is worldwide. And the cause is also political: environmentalism that is 'ashamed' of air travel and is beginning to translate into policies against airlines.
For the Church the daily news is the new Revelation
It is the daily news, current events, what history tells us that is the new Revelation. With the Church of Pope Francis, the 'prophecies' of Hegel, Martini, and Sartre are fulfilled: existence precedes essence and the press review is the new morning prayer. Migrations, globalism, ecologism, transitions, UN agenda, Chinese model, family planning, abolition of private property, homosexualism. There is no topical issue on which the Church today maintains a tough and antithetical position to that of the world, of resistance and opposition.
Archie Battersbee gets thumbs down from judge, Mum vows: “I won’t give up”
The ruling at the High Court in London on 15 July, once again favours the doctors at the Royal London Hospital who want to remove the12-year-old’s life-support, in a coma after a domestic accident. The family is ready to begin a new appeal, but in the meantime a judge has tried to stretch the standard for brain death and another to limit the criteria for "best interests".
Shepherds chosen by the sheep: there is a problem with women in the Dicastery
Reversal between shepherds and sheep: in choosing their own pastors the sheep end up playing the role of the shepherds; both John Paul II and Benedict XVI had warned against clericalising the laity, giving them roles and ministries that belong instead to sacramental ministers. The problem with the three women (one lay woman) chosen by the Pope in the Dicastery of Bishops is not one of skill and competence, but of sacred order. A clumsy manoeuvre to 'modernise' the Church or a further step towards female priesthood?
Pope and abortion: something doesn't add up
Interviews with Pope Francis are now being churned out in a constant stream, a damaging phenomenon for the Church. However, it is worth noting his strange attitude towards abortion: very harsh in condemning the practice, extremely soft in drawing the consequences.
The Pontifical Academy of Life paves the way to euthanasia
The basic Text of the Pontifical Academy of Life (PAV) signed off by Archbishop Paglia also stumbles on the subject of euthanasia. First by giving primacy to the patient's subjectivity, but without saying that not all patient decisions are morally valid. Then by accepting the Advance Healthcare Directives and finally by foreseeing the possibility of discontinuing Clinically Assisted Hydration and Nutrition. All arguments already seen in the battles of euthanasia advocates.
Biden, the "devoted" president, but to abortion
The American president, who professes to be a "devout Catholic", has promised to do everything in his power to guarantee abortion in the United States. He is calling Dem voters to the polls, "saddened" by the Supreme Court ruling, but is also worried about the midterm elections.The Fox News columnist, Miranda Devine, speaks to the Daily Compass.
Abortion and the US Supreme Court: why the Constitution can’t be self sufficient
The historic American ruling, regardless of its merits, is not (yet?) a pro-life victory. If the reference to the Constitution does not impose the right to abortion, neither does it prohibit it, thus opening the way to those who would like to constitutionalise evil by calling it a 'right'. The Constitution is not enough on its own if it is not based on natural law.
Catholic support for the wrong West needs a rethink
There is a considerable misunderstanding concerning the concept of the West. There is an "essential" West that corresponds to Christian civilization and its social and political consequences; and there is a West that coincides with liberal democracies, with a system of values opposite to the first. Unfortunately, many Catholics side with this anti-Christian West.
