Opus Publicum -

August 26, 2014 Economics, Politics

Libertarian, Or Not

Joe Carter, writing on the Acton Institute Power Blog, expresses skepticism toward the results of a recent Pew survey which purportedly reveals that approximately one-in-ten Americans describe themselves as libertarian. That would be frightening if true, but thankfully it isn’t — or so says Carter. Carter’s rightful concern is that a significant portion of those surveyed hold views which are contrary to libertarian orthodoxy, such as “say[ing] that government regulation of business is necessary to protect the public interest” or holding that public assistance to the poor “does more good than harm because people can’t get out of poverty until their basic needs are met.” Carter believes that this is proof that most people don’t understand the political labels they apply to themselves. Maybe. Or maybe it’s because political reality, like economic reality, is a bit messier than some would like and not all of the world can be packaged into an ideological box; sometimes experience and reflection interfere with ideological purity.

August 25, 2014 Theology

If We Stop Talking About Vatican II

If we, traditional Catholics, stop talking about the Second Vatican Council, will the liberals? How about the neo-Catholics? I don’t mean “never mention the Council again.” Rather, I mean going on almost endlessly — and negatively — about this-or-that ambiguity in the conciliar texts or this-or-that problematic interpretation, implementation, or downright imposition in the name of the “Spirit of the Council.” Despite the hopes of some traditionalists, Vatican II is not simply going to go away. I suspect that most would prefer that, given present realities, our current Pope refrain from calling another council to “update,” “discuss,” or “clarify” Vatican II. Let it rest. It has only been 50 years. And while there may be a good argument out there that the last five decades has sucked dry the Council’s relevancy, that doesn’t mean it needs an official point-by-point overhaul either. To attempt one now would likely lead to further, not less, ambiguities. Moreover, it seems as if the present leadership of the Church is even more divided and, in some instances, doctrinally suspect than the body of fathers who came together in October 1962 to inaugurate a new “springtime for the Church.”

August 23, 2014 Eastern Catholicism, Eastern Orthodox Church

Head of UGCC on Ukraine

His Beatitude Sviatoslav, head of the Ukrainian Greek Catholic Church (UGCC), has issued an open letter concerning the situation in Ukraine and the persecution of Greek and Roman Catholics, along with Protestants and non-Moscow Patriarchate Orthodox, in the so-called “separatist region” of the country. The letter also addresses the stream of invective which has been flowing out of the Moscow Patriarchate (MP) recently. Here is an excerpt:

August 22, 2014 Politics

Conservatism and Markets

For those interested, my latest column from Bridge magazine, “There’s More to Conservatism Than Genuflecting Before Free Markets,” is now up online. If you’ve paid attention to this blog for more than five seconds, I am sure you already know where I am coming from.

August 22, 2014 Meta

“Traddie”

Note: This post is lifted largely from an e-mail exchange, albeit with a few edits and redactions. It was prompted, in part, over a “concern” about why I tend to identify myself as a traditional Catholic and, moreover, why I continue to support the Society of St. Pius X despite its canonically irregular status. I apologize in advance if some of the paragraph transitions are a little choppy. Consider this post a placeholder for a more detailed discussion of the topics covered.

August 21, 2014 Law

Eucharistic Lawsuit, Contra Volokh

So, some group of Satanists is planning a “Black Mass” where they will, among other things, desecrate an allegedly consecrated Host, that is, the body, blood, and soul of our Lord Jesus Christ. Some have raised questions over whether or not the Host has actually been consecrated; others have asked how it is this Satanist group has come by this Host. Now it has come out that the Archbishop of Oklahoma City — where this Mass is, allegedly, going to be performed — is suing to have the Host returned to them. Eugene Volokh, a law professor at UCLA and the founder of the Volokh Conspiracy web-log, has weighed-in on the matter here. He draws some analogies in order to determine, in the abstract, if the Catholic Church has a legal interest in the return of the Host. Upon learning of the Satanists’ claim that they have a “double agent” priest within the Church who supplied them with the Host, this is what Volokh has to say on the matter:

August 20, 2014 Philosophy, Reading

The Seth Benardete Papers

My “Straussian” days may be over, but I still remain peripherally interested in what goes on in the land of Leo Strauss scholarship. That interest is also extended to a handful of Strauss’s students, particularly the late classicist Seth Benardete. Words like “cryptic,” “obscure,” “challenging,” and “eccentric” fail to do justice to the labyrinthine complexity of Benardete’s thought as expressed through his formal written works. Now for the first time researchers and continuing students of Benardete’s work can begin accessing online a treasure trove of Benardete’s reading notes, written lectures, jottings, early essay drafts, and so forth through the New School’s Digital Archive. While not everything is available online (yet) and some categories of the Benardete papers remain restricted (e.g., correspondence with persons still living), you can get a full account of the archive, including links to the digital material, in the “Benardete Papers: Collection Guide” file. I will admit that his handwriting and note-taking style presents some challenges, but there are some fascinating finds among the collection, including Benardete’s notes on the New Testament.

August 19, 2014 Reading

The Silence is Deafening (or Golden)

As you can see, activity has not picked up on the blog; I am busy with other, life-related, things. So it goes. Between ebola and the unrest in Ferguson, Missouri, surely there is plenty else in the world to keep you occupied. In “Catholic land,” our Sovereign Pontiff, Francis, has just finished a visit of South Korea where, among other things, he called for peace and reconciliation between north and south. Some economists are fretting over whether or not there is another recession on the horizon and, despite my best efforts, I think I may fall short of finishing Thomas Piketty’s Capital in the Twenty-First Century before I return it to the library. Rectify, which aired this season’s penultimate episode last week, remains the best (and most under-appreciated) show on television. Oh, and in an unprecedented show of in-ring brutality against a made main-eventer, Brock Lesnar destroyed John Cena at Summerslam for the WWE World Heavyweight Championship. The last time I saw a beating that bad, Phil Coke was on the mound for the Detroit Tigers. Speaking of the Motor City Bengals, it looks like upgrading to having David Price in the rotation has done absolutely nothing with respect to their win/loss record. Perhaps this is Kanas City’s year…but probably not.

Anyway, I shall return — I am just not sure when. I’m aiming for Thursday.