Pianist and conductor Ignat Solzhenitsyn reflects on growing up in exile as the son of Nobel laureate Aleksandr Solzhenitsyn, moving from Soviet persecution to a quiet childhood in rural Vermont. Ignat recounts how music, faith, and Russian culture sustained his family far from home, how cellist and conductor Mstislav Rostropovich helped set him on a… Read More Ignat Solzhenitsyn in Conversation with Peter Robinson
ACI Prensa. EWTN. Archbishop Paul Richard Gallagher spoke at the event “A Common Front for Human Dignity: Preventing the Commodification of Women and Children in Surrogacy.” And 2026: Year of Saint Francis. By Almudena Martínez-Bordiú Archbishop Paul Richard Gallagher, secretary for relations with states and international organizations of the Holy See, described the practice of… Read More Archbishop Gallagher: Surrogacy is a ‘new form of colonialism’
“Classical music has evolved through several distinct historical periods, including the Medieval, Renaissance, Baroque, Classical, Romantic, and Modern eras, each characterized by unique styles and compositional techniques. This evolution reflects changes in cultural contexts, musical tastes, and the development of new instruments and forms over time. Overview of Classical Music Evolution Classical music has evolved… Read More The Evolution of Classical Music
One man wrote …, I wanted to encourage him since I too know the struggles of coming to the piano late in life. I wrote, “Keep going, sir. Look up Phillip Springer (shown here below) still playing at 94, all bent and gnarled. Nothing keeps down the human spirit that wants to soar 🚀 Beethoven,… Read More The Fab Three — and The Student.
Foreword to Dietrich von Hildebrand’s book by Manfred Honeck (and see a conversation with Manfred Honeck on great composers below). He writes, “THIS LITTLE BOOK IS A TREASURE, not only because it discusses three of the greatest composers, but also because the author is willing actually to engage with their music. It does not claim… Read More Mozart, Beethoven and Schubert
The Pillar wrote earlier this month: “The Holy See is expected to announce in coming weeks a date for the beatification of Archbishop Fulton Sheen, the Emmy-winning American prelate known for catechetical television programs in the 1950s and 1960s. Sheen, who came within three weeks of a scheduled beatification in 2019, is expected to be… Read More Fulton Sheen beatification expected to be announced
“First off, I want the US to acquire Greenland — fairly and legally. But this is extortion against America’s allies. It cannot be the case that this or any American president has the power to do this. It’s obscene. He’s not … Caesar!”
Q: Why is there no black note between B and C or between E and F? Well, this is a simple sounding question with a not very simple answer. You’ll need to be sitting up in your seat for this one! Too, from musicstackexchange.com Why do B and C and E and F not have a sharp note between them? Simply because, acoustically speaking, there… Read More Music Theory and The Monks 🎹
President Trump initially shifted on the Hyde Amendment. EWTN News: U.S. bishops and Catholic pro-life organizations will be watching to see if President Donald Trump’s health care plan includes pro-life language. Trump has faced criticism over the past week from pro-life activists after he urged Republican lawmakers to be “flexible” on the Hyde Amendment when negotiating extensions… Read More Trump to negotiate with Congress over pro-life protections in health plan
By Thomas Merton. “Today the first and perhaps the only duty of the philosopher is to defend man against himself: to defend man against that extraordinary temptation toward inhumanity to which—almost without being aware of it—so many human beings today have yielded. — GABRIEL MARCEL “As long as I am obsessed with the need to… Read More A Response to Questions on Art and Freedom
Today, I feel like being a lot bolder and more blunt in this blog. There’s this thing that’s been bothering me for years, so here it goes. I hope I don’t get judged for being vulnerable and extremely open on this, but let’s be real—we’ve all had those “what was I thinking?” years … Neither… Read More The Truth, The Mess, and The DNA Test.
Francis Albert Sinatra (/sɪˈnɑːtrə/; December 12, 1915 – May 14, 1998) was an American singer and actor. Nicknamed the “Chairman of the Board” and “Ol’ Blue Eyes“, he is regarded as one of the most popular entertainers of the 20th century.[1] Born to Italian immigrants in Hoboken, New Jersey, Sinatra began his musical career in the swing era. He joined the Harry James band as… Read More Sinatra in the studio
“With the proliferation of systems, methods, concepts and philosophical theses which are often extremely complex, the need for a critical discernment in the light of faith becomes more urgent, even if it remains a daunting task. Given all of reason’s inherent and historical limitations, it is difficult enough to recognize the inalienable powers proper to… Read More The Church and Philosophical Discernment.
“George Harrison played a crucial role in the production of “Monty Python’s Life of Brian” (1979) by financing the film after EMI Films withdrew their support just before filming began. He mortgaged his home to provide the necessary funds, stating he wanted to see the movie made, which has been described as the “world’s most… Read More George Harrison and The Life of Brian
by Thomas Storck. What is needed is a real debate on religious questions providing a rational public apologetic for the faith. “For we were not following fictitious tales when we made known to you the power and coming of our Lord Jesus Christ, but we had been eyewitnesses of his grandeur.” – 2 Peter 1:16 The… Read More The Catholic Faith Is Not a Noble Lie
The late philosopher, William Barrett, in his famous book on Existentialism entitled Irrational Man, writes of faith and reason, “THOUGH strongly colored by Greek and Neo-Platonic influences, Christianity belongs to the Hebraist rather than to the Hellenist side of man’s nature because Christianity bases itself above all on faith and sets the man of faith… Read More Whose Wisdom? Whose Reason?
Full length presentation below the powerful first, brief, video. “A fascinating new look at the biblical, historical, and scientific evidence for Creation and the Flood. Learn from more than a dozen scientists and scholars as they explore the world around us in light of Genesis. St. Alphonsus Liguori: “It is a certain rule, received in… Read More Is Genesis History?
—- Or, Why My Favorite Moggs Reads The Sun Religiously. Prince Harry is reportedly planning to extend an olive branch to King Charles by inviting him to open the Invictus Games in the UK in 2027, which some say could help mend their long-standing rift. . Page Six The US Sun. But that’s just the half of… Read More Moggs’ WiseHead Revisited.
The Telegraph, UK. Rory Stewart is wrong about everything, but he gets away with it because he is posh. Fans of The Rest is Politics believe the social status of a political opinion matters more than its accordance with reality. The former Conservative minister’s career is a reminder there is no limit to how wrong you… Read More Rory Stewart is wrong about everything, but he gets away with it because he is posh
“The Russian intelligentsia produced a faith based upon a strange syllogism: ‘Man is descended from the apes, therefore we must love one another.’” — Vladimir Solovyev. On Lenin’s desk in the Kremlin there stood, for most of the years he worked there, a strange bronze statue of an ape gazing with an expression of profound… Read More Lenin, the Ape and the Skull
[Link below has been repaired]. Through her wonderful gift of music (e.g. this … and this) she asks the most fundamental question everyone must ask. Existence itself poses the question. And implicit in the question is the answer. The resurrection of Christ confirmed the Gospel, splitting time in half, into a ‘before’ and ‘after’. Who… Read More The One Thing Necessary
By Edward Pentin Jan 10, 2026 / 11:30 am / Catholic News Agency Cardinal Joseph Zen Ze-kiun delivered a forceful critique of synodality at the extraordinary consistory of cardinals this week, decrying the process as an “ironclad manipulation” that was an “insult to the dignity of the bishops.” The bishop emeritus of Hong Kong also described… Read More At consistory, Cardinal Zen slams synodality as ‘ironclad manipulation’ and ‘insult’ to bishops
The state of Colorado will have to pay out a massive $5.4 million sum after it lost in its attempt to ban abortion pill reversal. The state suffered a decisive loss in federal court in August 2025 when U.S. District Judge Daniel Domenico said that Colorado’s abortion pill reversal ban interfered with the religious rights of nurses… Read More The ‘A’ Word. Colorado to pay out $5.4 million after court strikes down abortion pill reversal ban
“Under Nicolás Maduro’s administration thousands of people died in extrajudicial killings and seven million Venezuelans were forced to flee the country due to economic collapse.” —Wikipedia. “Venezuela has been a significant transit hub for drug trafficking, particularly cocaine, due to its proximity to Colombia, which is the primary source of cocaine. The Venezuelan government, under Nicolás Maduro, has been… Read More Nice Smile
Learning the First Notes All Over Again. In Fellini’s film “Orchestra Rehearsal” the Conductor suddenly found himself in the midst of a revolt. The musicians had long murmured against the Conductor on account of his rigorous methods, demands and practice sessions. The exchanges between them and he were bitter. And time did not heal the… Read More Fellini’s Orchestra Rehearsal.
With Ross Douthat, NYT. What should the U.S. do next in Venezuela? President Trump’s former Venezuela envoy Elliott Abrams wants the Trump administration to push harder for full regime change. But, he and Ross debate if a democratic transition is even possible based on the administration’s interests and past American efforts in the region.
Emmanuel Mounier was a French philosopher (1905–1950) who founded the journal Esprit in 1932 and led the French personalist movement during the 1930s. His philosophy of personalism is a Christian-inspired response to the crises of modernity, including economic depression, fascism, communism, and the depersonalizing effects of individualism and collectivism. It positions the human person as… Read More The Gospel Personalism of Emmanuel Mounier
Against Partiality. James Chapter 2. 2 My brethren, show no partiality as you hold the faith of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Lord of glory. 2 For if a man with gold rings and in fine clothing comes into your assembly, and a poor man in shabby clothing also comes in, 3 and you pay attention to the one who… Read More Our Sunday Best.
By Joseph Pearce | National Catholic Register. Imagine a world in which evil actions did not have evil consequences… History shows that evil movements rise and fall, but God’s plan remains sovereign — and Christians need not fear the outcome. We live in a world in which all sorts of evil things happen and, which… Read More Are Things As They Should Be?
Sec. of State Rubio takes aim at UN. US president says a military operation in Colombia ‘sounds good’ to him and warns Mexico ‘to get their act together’. The United States President Donald Trump has threatened military action against his Colombian counterpart, Gustavo Petro, following Washington’s abduction of Venezuela’s leader, and said he believed the government… Read More Trump threatens Colombia’s Petro, says Cuba looks ‘ready to fall’
Jan 5, 2026 2:43 PM EST WASHINGTON (AP) — The U.S. took the unprecedented step Monday of dropping the number of vaccines it recommends for every child — leaving other immunizations, such as flu shots, open to families to choose but without clear guidance. Officials said the overhaul to the federal vaccine schedule won’t result… Read More Trump administration cuts number of vaccines it recommends for every child
Anett Fodor tells the story ofBeethoven, Liszt and the Little Broadwood. | The London piano manufacturer, Thomas Broadwood, visited Ludwig van Beethoven when he was staying in Vienna. He realised immediately that the Master was suffering from impaired hearing. Broadwood was a great admirer of Beethoven and a few months later, he gave him a… Read More Exceptional Provenance
Updated. Tucker Carlson liked Moscow’s clean streets and low crime rate. But he did not confront Putin’s abuses of power as alleged by Western powers. “Vladimir Putin is a thug and a murderer and a killer and a KGB agent,” Senator John McCain said on CBS’s “Face the Nation” on Dec. 11, 2016. Putin, who… Read More A Short List of Alleged Crimes of Vladimir Putin
By Archbishop Fulton J. Sheen. | ” … dictators are not the creators of the world’s evil; they are its creatures; they are only boils on the surface of the world’s skin; they come to the surface because there is bad blood beneath. It will do no good to puncture the boils, if we leave… Read More The Wars and the Revolution
Updated. The U.S. struck Venezuela primarily to capture President Nicolás Maduro, who has been accused of drug trafficking and leading a corrupt regime. This military action was part of a broader strategy to address the perceived threat posed by Maduro’s government and to support opposition efforts in Venezuela. More via CNA / NCRegister / C-Span.… Read More U.S. Strikes Venezuela. Updated.
Philip Norman in his book SHOUT’ The Beatles in Their Generation, writes, “If we are honest we must accept the extent to which the heady new freedoms of youth in the sixties paved the way for the frightening, ungovernable world we see about us today. From the happy high of pot and pills and the… Read More The Beatles, the Sixties and Us
Note: the objective in presenting this data is not to discourage but so that a good part of the clergy will finally get real and begin helping their people to address these matters from the pulpits and in homes regularly, because adults and children are hurting out here. Otherwise we must all, from Popes to… Read More Chat GPT: Heterosexual Marriages Continue General Decline. The Warning of the Prophets.
“Was Jesus really born in Bethlehem, or did the gospel writers “invent” the story to fit prophecy? Did a Roman census ever force people to travel back to their ancestral towns? And what about Herod’s massacre of the innocents – pure theology, or plausible history? Tom Wright and Mike Bird respond here to challenges raised… Read More N.T. Wright Replies to Historian Tom Holland Regarding N.T. Nativity Accounts
Catholic Critique 