History

Chesterton and the crisis of Western civilisation

As debates over wealth dominate public discourse, Chesterton’s account of civilisational decline points towards a different diagnosis and a different remedy

Saturday Read: The young priest who would not abandon his flock

The life and death of Blessed János Brenner reveal the quiet courage of a young priest whose fidelity to his vocation outlasted the regime that sought to silence him

Saint Columba: the apostle of Iona

Fifteen centuries after his voyage to Iona, the legacy of St Columba remains visible across Ireland and Scotland

Two cheers for Stoicism

Marcus Aurelius’s Meditations contain profound moral insights that often resonate with Christian teaching, yet Stoicism ultimately cannot answer the deepest questions about suffering, grace and eternal hope

Clement Harrold

Saturday Read: The Chinese prime minister who became a Benedictine monk

Lou Tseng-tsiang helped shape modern Chinese diplomacy before embracing the Benedictine life and becoming one of the most remarkable converts of the 20th century

Saturday Read: What did Pope St Leo the Great ever do for us?

From confronting Attila the Hun to shaping the theology of Chalcedon, Leo the Great helped guide the Church through the end of the ancient world while offering lessons for turbulent times