Paul Baumann

Be wary of conservative nostalgia: under the near-dictatorial reign of Francis Cardinal Spellman, vanity, corruption, and abuse flourished.

A synodal report from the American bishops reflects fears that the Church has become too “judgmental.” But a Church that does not judge cannot bear moral witness.

The late novelist Hilary Mantel’s sensibilities were clear-eyed and agreeably eccentric.

An America closer to the ideals Norman Rockwell illustrated—freer from want and prejudice—might be just what we need.

Traditionalism can seem trendy and countercultural, but it is the constancy, not the theatricality, of the Church that offers meaning in a secular world.