by William Kilpatrick | Apr 11, 2020
Thomas Mann’s Death in Venice is a story of moral infection set against the background of a cholera epidemic. The celebrated novella contains several lessons for our own times. Gustav von Aschenbach, the protagonist of the story, is a highly respected German writer on...
by William Kilpatrick | Apr 6, 2020
Note: The pope’s appointment of controversial Cardinal Kevin Farrell as the new camerlengo – the man responsible for administering the Vatican in the event of the pope’s death or resignation – raises questions about the future of the Church once Francis is no longer...
by William Kilpatrick | Mar 27, 2020
Whenever it began to thunder, my older brother and I, having reached a certain level of “sophistication,” liked to quip that “the gods must be angry.” This was said in a knowing way and was meant to demonstrate our superiority to younger kids, and also to...
by William Kilpatrick | Mar 23, 2020
In a number of talks and statements over the years, Pope Francis has scolded Europeans for their fear of immigrants. He came back to that theme early in March following electoral gains by “anti-immigrant” parties in Italy. According to a Reuters report, “Pope Francis...
by William Kilpatrick | Mar 15, 2020
Suppose the Muslim world were to lose faith in Islam. Suppose that Muslims ignored the Koran, stopped going to mosque and dismissed Muhammad as a blood thirsty warlord and slave trader. How would the Catholic Church respond? Would Church leaders greet the news...
