The Editors

George Weigel on breaking (more) bad liturgical habits : As I remarked late last year, the introduction of the third edition of the Roman Missal and the new translations of the liturgical texts offer the entire English-speaking Church an opportunity to correct some bad liturgical habits that have . . . . Continue Reading »

Andrew Doran on Newt Gingrich, the Potomac, and the Tiber : In a recent debate, Gingrich referred to the Arab Spring as an “anti-Christian Spring,” signaling that the status of Middle Eastern Christians might become the centerpiece of his foreign policy toward the Muslim world. The fate . . . . Continue Reading »

R.R. Reno on some of his favorite First Things articles from 2011 : “Thinking About Aging” (April). I am disposed to reject anti-aging research as just another example of our modern, self-deifying fantasy. But Meilaender reminded me that Christianity does not think of death as natural, at . . . . Continue Reading »

George Weigel on the weakness of tyranny : With the benefit of 30 years of hindsight, it now seems clear that the imposition of martial law in Poland in December 1981 was not an act of strength but one of weakness, by a regime so incapable of commanding the allegiance of those in whose name it . . . . Continue Reading »

Elizabeth Scalia on a moment of revelation : Last spring, I had occasion to stand upon a colonnade at St. Peter’s Basilica and watch the sun come up over Rome. As it chased the damp and rising mists from the distance, I realized I was enjoying in those hills and columns and trees a prospect . . . . Continue Reading »

Leroy Huizenga on abortion and the Salvation Army : It was with concern, then, that I reacted the other day when Facebook and Twitter lit up with reports that the Salvation Army had signaled its approval of abortion under certain limited circumstances. The Army’s Statement of Position on . . . . Continue Reading »

In his latest On the Square column , Russell E. Saltzman says we should call it Christ’s Mass and let Best Buy keep the holiday: Who cares, first, if Best Buy or Gap “keeps” Christmas as a feature of their annual sales hustle? Hearing  What Child is This? . . . . Continue Reading »

In today’s On the Square feature , George Weigel reflects on Christmas, the infinite, and the finite: The title of Father Edward Oakes’ new book,  Infinity Dwindled to Infancy , nicely captures the imaginative challenge posed at Christmas: the mystery of the infinite God become . . . . Continue Reading »

In her latest On the Square column , Elizabeth Scalia reminds us that politics is only part of Pope Benedict’s job description: Political action is perceived as glamorous. It has about it an illusory aura of perpetual primacy; to the world, political engagement is the ultimate vehicle of . . . . Continue Reading »

In his latest On the Square column , R.R. Reno reflects on Newt Gingrich and the end of the middle class: The rise of Newt Gingrich is extraordinary: a card-carrying member of the permanent governing class in Washington embraced by the conservative base of the Republican Party. I would have never . . . . Continue Reading »