R.R. Reno is editor of First Things.

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Pope Francis and the Left

The Argentine left doesn’t like the new pope. Horacio Verbitsky, a leftist journalist and author in Argentina, responded to the election of Pope Francis with a bitter column in Página/12 . He describes former Cardinal Bergoglio as “a conservative populist,” who, like Pius XII . . . . Continue Reading »

15 Mar 2013

Francis: A Revolutionary Already Breaking the Rules

Like most of us I’m scrambling to learn more. Here’s what I do know: Francis is a conservative Jesuit, but in some ways a revolutionary, as almost all modern Jesuits are. He’s like Benedict in the sense of not having any restorationist impulses. He recognizes that the idea of . . . . Continue Reading »

13 Mar 2013

Catholic Attitudes

I want to follow up on Matthew Schmitz’s observations about the New York Times/CBS News poll of Catholics. Two cohorts jump out. The first is made up of those who attend Mass weekly and think their faith is very important in their lives. They consistently express greater support for the . . . . Continue Reading »

6 Mar 2013

Staying Home from the Conclave

After recent public accusations of sexual misconduct with seminarians, Cardinal Keith O’Brien of Scotland not only resigned as archbishop but also announced that he would not attend the conclave to elect the next pope. I wish some of the other Cardinals would give up the privileges of their . . . . Continue Reading »

2 Mar 2013

Aesthetic of Collapse

After I posted about the implications of Scottish Cardinal O’Brien’s resignation amidst allegations of sexual misconduct, I’ve found myself swept up into the surging currents of Rod Dreher’s blog . Given that Rod says a great deal, there’s of course a great deal that . . . . Continue Reading »

26 Feb 2013

Rod Dreher on the Sex Scandals

In a long post , Rod Dreher takes the measure of the recent resignation of Cardinal O’Brien of Scotland in the wake of charges of untoward advances on seminarians and young priests some thirty years ago. I have no particular desire to defend the honor, innocence, or reputation of Cardinal . . . . Continue Reading »

25 Feb 2013

Values Voters for Obama

There is a growing political divide between the irreligious and religious. A recent Pew study  shows that those who have no religious affiliation (Nones) are the single most ideologically committed cohort of white Americans, rivaled only by Evangelical Protestants. They overwhelmingly support . . . . Continue Reading »

25 Feb 2013

Rousseau’s Shame, and Lena Dunham’s

“Girls”—-the cable TV sitcom featuring young women recently graduated from Oberlin College who hook up, text about it, fret about it, and generally live the soft hedonism of elite culture—-is Seinfeld for millennials. Some think it exemplifies the decadence of upper middle . . . . Continue Reading »

13 Feb 2013

Private Companies and Religious Freedom

Today’s New York Times features an op ed by former executive editor Bill Keller. He weighs in on the religious liberty debate, especially the question of whether owners of for-profit companies can claim rights of religious liberty. It’s not the most clear-minded piece, but it raises the . . . . Continue Reading »

11 Feb 2013

The Lost World of Postwar America

“Strong, oddly cautious, a bit common (how cd he not be with those parents?) but unemotional, terre à terre, tough, quick, independent, ruthless, soulless, gifted, serious, anxious to pick up whatever he can.” So wrote Isaiah Berlin to his wife after meeting John Kennedy. The letter . . . . Continue Reading »

7 Feb 2013