First Links — 4.17.12

The Country with No Artists
Alana Goodman, Commentary

How Byzantine Was the Byzantine Tax Code?
Brian A. Palmer, Slate

Benedict XVI, “One Man Idea Factory”
Michael Cook, Mercator.net

The Persecution of China’s Last American Bishop
Jillian Melchior, The Daily

Remaking the Church’s Image on Birth Control
Michelle Boorstein, Washington Post

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