If looking for an exposition of the post hoc ergo propter hoc logical fallacy when applied to wealth and the size of government in the United States, you can find it in this speech, “The State Expands, and Weakens,” given by Llewellyn H. Rockwell, Jr., president of the Ludwig von Mises Institute, to a free-market businessmen’s group in Okemos, Michigan, on April 16, 2005. HT: Mises Economics Blog ...

An excerpt from Cardinal Ratzinger’s “Homily at the Mass for the Election of the Roman Pontiff,” given yesterday: How many winds of doctrine we have known in these last decades, how many ideological currents, how many fashions of thought? The small boat of thought of many Christians has often remained agitated by the waves, tossed from one extreme to the other: from Marxism to liberalism, to libertinism; from collectivism to radical individualism; from atheism to a vague religious mysticism; from...

Sunday’s Independent has three pieces on the recent application of technological advances to ancient manuscripts, which are making readable previously illegible manuscripts. According to the paper, “infra-red technology has enabled hundreds of ancient edies, tragedies and epic posed by classical greats such as Sophocles, Euripides and Hesiod, to be deciphered for the first time in 2,000 years.” Also thought to be contained in the Oxyrhynchus Papyri are early copies of Christian texts, possibly including gospel accounts. Examples of the classical...

The Institute for Religion and Democracy (IRD), and the broader munity, has lost two leaders within the space of a few months. President Diane Knippers, “an intellectual heavyweight who rallied opposition to the liberal drift of mainline churches,” passed away Monday at the age of 53. Ed Robb, co-founder of the IRD in 1981, also died recently, passing away on December 14. ...

Following the resignation of a number of ministers, Italian Prime Minister Silvio Berlusconi “plans to resign to form a new government, bowing to an ally’s demands for change after losing 11 out of 13 regional elections two weeks ago,” according to a Bloomberg report. One of the ministers who resigned on April 15, Rocco Buttiglione, is a member of the Acton Institute’s Board of Advisors. Mr. Buttiglione received the Faith & Freedom Award from the institute after withdrawing his nomination...

Today marks the birthday of Eliot Ness, Prohibition Agent for the Department of Treasury-Chicago. Ness was made famous for bringing down Al Capone. The story was loosely portrayed in the movie The Untouchables, starring Kevin Costner as Ness. And on a related note, this year marks the 75th anniversary of the Supreme Court decision ruling that buying liquor does not violate the Constitution (May 26). In his occasional paper on the sin tax, Rev. Robert Sirico writes, “The sin tax...

Rev. Robert Sirico has been mentary in a number of media outlets. Today Rev. Sirico appeared on BBC America and The Laura Ingraham Show. Research fellow Kevin Schmiesing wrote an op-ed appearing in the Detroit News, “New pope starts debate on direction of Catholic Church”. Director of research Samuel Gregg also wrote a short reflection for the Detroit News, “Reaction on the streets of Rome”. ...

God and the World: A Conversation with Peter Seewald Joseph Cardinal Ratzinger Ignatius Press, 2002 Comments by Dr. Samuel Gregg: As Prefect of the Vatican’s Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith, Cardinal Joseph Ratzinger has demonstrated again and again that he is one of the world’s leading theologians. In this extended interview with the renowned German journalist, Peter Seewald, we are given an insight into Ratzinger’s thought on a range of topics fundamental to Christian belief. This includes profound...

Join Rev. Robert Sirico for a live chat at 11 am ET this morning hosted by Live Online at , “Insight on the New Pope.” ...

Visit the Acton Institute’s special section on Pope Benedict XVI to keep up-to-date about the new pope and the media activities of Acton staff. ...