The clashes in Minneapolis between ICE and protestors reveal a deep divide between two moral visions of society. Pavlos Papadopoulos writes that while the Trump administration’s tactics can be off-putting, “As agents of a duly established government operating within the bounds of its constitution and the natural law, federal agents possess the authority to enforce the law, including by coercion.” The provocateurs on the other side are fundamentally anarchists.

Jacob, an associate editor and frequent author of this newsletter, writes on the perceived problem of Catholic church-hopping. Some claim that investing in your geographic parish Sunday after Sunday is an obligation. However, Jacob writes, the Code of Canon Law is nearly silent on the Catholic laity’s duty to territorial parishes, though prudentially it makes sense that it would support them in most cases. It remains that the decision of where to attend Mass depends on the conscience of the laity.

For further reading: David Koyzis wrote about how the automobile caused “The Death of the Parish” (2014). The territorial parish was based on physical constraints on how far people could move, and returning to this ecclesiology would involve rejecting the “consumer model” of near infinite options.

With two protesters now dead in the Minnesota anti-ICE demonstrations, the Trump administration is doing itself no favors by ratcheting up the rhetoric. Peter Leithart writes, “Administration officials accuse Democrats of ‘fanning the flames,’ and they’re right. But a quick glance in the mirror would expose some flame-fanning from the other side.”

For further reading: Daniel Strand wrote about the corruption allegations that instigated the ICE crackdown in “The Banality of Minnesota Fraud” earlier this month.

Jacob Adams attended the March for Life in Washington, D.C. last Friday, where despite the oncoming snow storm many thousands traveled across the country to protest abortion and euthanasia. He writes, “For all the talk of the challenges of a post-Dobbs world, there still exists great unity among pro-lifers, and the work of defending the dignity of all humans is certainly continuing.”

For further reading: Vice President JD Vance addressed the marchers, and in his speech he appeared to reference Louise Perry’s seminal First Things article “We Are Repaganizing” (October 2023).

From the February issue: Editor Rusty Reno continues to weigh the implications of the Trump administration’s National Security Statement (NSS), which broke with convention by stating that the United States is no longer served by the multicultural aims of Europe’s ruling parties. Trump’s international aims now overtly operate from a pragmatic rather than values-based vision. Rusty writes, “But amoral pragmatism and alliances of mutual convenience are not sufficient. The West, ‘the world ­within,’ is not a free-trade zone or an alliance ­motivated solely by shared enemies. It is a civilizational project in which the United States has a fundamental stake.”

For further reading: Rusty started writing about the NSS in early December in “Trump’s NSS Is a Reality Check.”

Upcoming Events

• February 1, 2026: Second Annual Neuhaus Lecture at the New College of Florida: “Recovering the University’s Soul” ft. Bishop Robert Barron | Sarasota, FL. Register here

• February 3, 2026: Second Annual Angelicum Aquinas Lecture: “A Conversation with the Theologian of the Papal Household” ft. Fr. Wojciech Giertych, O.P. | New York, NY. Register here.

• March 5, 2026: Annual D.C. Lecture: “Our Crisis is Metaphysical” ft. Mary Harrington | Washington, D.C. Register here.

Until next time,

VIRGINIA AABRAM

Newsletter Editor