Matthew Schmitz

Kevin Walsh of the University of Richmond School of Law writes : The twitterverse is alive with tweets about Justice Scalia’s headgear for today’s inauguration. At the risk of putting all the fun speculation to an end . . . The hat is a custom-made replica of the hat depicted in . . . . Continue Reading »

A friend of mine recently dismissed an argument on the grounds that it was “not incorrect, just passé.” I found this striking: By his standard, we must take care not only do distinguish right from wrong and truth from error, but also intellectual fashion from what is out of date. . . . . Continue Reading »

Readers of “First Thoughts” should also visit and subscribe to Helen Rittelmeyer’s blog , the latest addition to our online lineup. Helen’s started with an uncanny side-by-side reading of  The Brothers Karamazov   and “Arrested Development,” a critique . . . . Continue Reading »

People are calling Manti Te’o’s fake girlfriend, Lennay Kekua, a “catfish,” a term for a fake online identity presented as real—-often in the context of online romance. The term, it seems, comes from ” Catfish ” a 2010 documentary (which inspired a spin-off . . . . Continue Reading »

A documentary on abortionist Kermit Gosnell’s well-regarded practice. The video, which includes some images of Gosnell’s many victims, is not for children or the faint of heart. h/t Matt Franck . . . . Continue Reading »

Greg Kandra once praised the fittingness and beauty of standing to receive communion. Now he thinks it’s time to bring back the communion rail : Two years ago, I rhapsodized on the  Feast of Corpus Christi  on the theology behind standing to receive communion, and defended it. . . . . Continue Reading »

Moked , a leading portal for Italian Jews, praises recent statements by Benedict XVI and Paris’ chief rabbi, Gilles Bernheim, in defense of the traditional understanding of marriage. Countering the charge from some quarters that Italian Judaism has been relatively silent, the paper points to . . . . Continue Reading »

Robert Oscar Lopez reports that in the face of mass protests, French support for gay marriage is weakening : If the thunderous calls for a referendum are honored by Hollande, it is not at all clear that his “marriage for all” push will have clear sailing. The “march for all” . . . . Continue Reading »

Addie Darling of the Catholic News Agency reports : The organization recently released its 2011-2012 annual report, which showed a rise in the number of abortions performed for the first time in two decades, as well as a record amount of government funding. The report indicated that Planned . . . . Continue Reading »

In February we’ll be opening applications for next year’s junior fellowships, with an official announcement going up on our site on February 1. But it’s not too early to think of students and recent graduates who might benefit from the program. The fellowship lasts a year, from . . . . Continue Reading »