• "Well written, well researched, and the thesis put forth is well argued.... Woods has opened up an area of historical analysis that should invite further study."
    -Journal of American History

  • "During these times that challenge our freedoms there is no one more qualified to make U.S. history relevant to the fight against big government than Thomas Woods."
    -Barry Goldwater Jr.
    Former Member of Congress

  • "I strongly recommend Woods's work."
    -The Honorable Ron Paul,
    U.S. House of Representatives

  • "Written with great clarity and fluency, making the complex philosophical and theological concepts approachable."
    -Journal of American Studies

  • "A must-read."
    -Barron's

  • "An excellent reading source for anyone interested in financial markets, and much more so for anyone interested in learning about capitalism without all the misinterpretations being thrown about in the financial media."
    -Asia Times

  • "Provocative, well-written, and deserves to be read."
    -Catholic Historical Review

  • "An engaging and important contribution to scholarship on the history of American Catholicism."
    -Journal of the Historical Society

  • "Woods and [co-author Kevin] Gutzman appeal to both left and right in this constitutionalist jeremiad…. The authors' exegeses of the Constitution and court decisions, heavy on original intent arguments, are lucid and telling."
    -Publishers Weekly

  • "A marvelous read. Every chapter taught me something new and unexpected."
    -Tom Bethell, senior editor,
    The American Spectator

  • "The hottest book today is Meltdown, by my friend Tom Woods."
    -Judge Andrew Napolitano, senior judicial analyst,
    FOX News Channel

  • "Should be required reading."
    -Economic Affairs (London)

  • "Woods, one of the best classical liberal [libertarian] scholars of his generation, has once more placed us in his debt with this lucid and tightly argued book."
    -David Gordon, The Mises Review

  • "Tom Woods is one of my dearest allies in the struggle against wrong-headed and dangerous economic policy."
    -Peter Schiff

The New Pope

My wife and I just prayed our Rosary for Pope Francis, whose first greeting as pope I watched in the spectacularly mundane surroundings of a Goodyear, where I was having new tires put on my car. I don’t have any particular insight into the man, apart from what we’ve all read in the various news reports.

People are saying his will be a different kind of pontificate in one way or another. Maybe. I expect it to be more similar than different. Francis is orthodox on matters of faith and morals. Liturgically the status quo is likely to be maintained, which is good enough for me in light of the important changes his predecessor made. And none of the post-Vatican II popes, for all the breathless media claims to the contrary, were disciplinarians to any serious degree, and presumably Francis will follow the same path.

On economics, the news is not so good: although the new pope rejected the liberation theology that was so fashionable in Latin America, he blames “neoliberalism” for various social ills. This makes him no worse than his predecessor, and indeed no worse than most economists. The problem with neoliberalism is the “neo,” not the liberalism: central banks, fiat money, and supranational institutions managing the economy are not the free market, and confusing the two can lead to a great deal of faulty economic and moral analysis.

UPDATE: Observers at Rorate Caeli, who are far more plugged in to such matters than I am, are far less sanguine, and I fear they have good reason to be.

Unlearn the Propaganda!

  • http://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=147500531 Charles Pearson

    Fortunately, since Benedict XVI liberated the Extraordinary Form, its continued expansion has largely been a self-sustaining movement driven by increased awareness among the laity. Additionally, younger priests coming out of the seminaries these last couple years are much more liturgically orthodox. At this stage of the game, the EF will continue to spread regardless of whether or not the Pope actively promotes it.

  • Robertv
  • Robertv

    sorry wrong Argentine but I live in Barcelona.:smile:

  • Mike

    What the heck?

    Anyway, I wish some of these Catholic bishops and cardinals would read real economics. It’s such a shame that they don’t.

  • Luke Sunderland

    I really didn’t expect the new pope (whoever it ended up being) to be any better on economics. However, if Francis maintains the liturgical status quo then he’s okay in my book. I only wish I knew of a place near where I live that offers the Extraordinary Form, even on a semi-regular basis.

  • Anonymous

    Tom, if it were not for you I would not have returned to the Church. Your example to the rest of us Catholics is nothing short of inspiring. I can’t thank you enough.

  • http://rosarynovice.stblogs.com/ Augustine

    At first I thought that he had taken the name of the poor little friar of Assisi, but, later it dawned on me that he probably took the name of St. Francis Xavier, the second Jesuit, as pope Francis, who spread the Gospel to far away lands. Of course, St. Francis Xavier got his name from his namesake of Assisi too, so one name doesn’t detract from the other, but adds to the other.

  • Adam L

    I have to say, the examples of people like Tom and Jeff Tucker were a significant factor in my own return to the Church.

  • guest

    Found this on EPJ:

    Is the New Pope Anti-Free Market?http://www.economicpolicyjournal.com/2013/03/is-new-pope-anti-free-market.html

  • http://rosarynovice.stblogs.com/ Augustine

    It seems that, according to Card. Dolan of NYC, that the pope clarified that he took his name after St. Francis of Assisi.

  • http://www.facebook.com/Sixhand Aaron Miller

    It’s perplexing to see such a smart and freedom-loving man voluntarily put himself in the remnants of the Roman Empire. I mean no disrespect to Mr. Woods; I was part of a local Jesus fan club some years ago myself. I’m not an atheist, but it pains me to see such a wonderful man being part of such a large monument to man with a leader elected behind closed doors by other men. His love for the church is so contrary to everything Tom writes about otherwise.

    Peace and love to you, brother.

    (If anyone is interested about from where I’m coming, check out Gerry Beauchemin and especially Martin Zender as a start.)

  • http://www.TomWoods.com Tom Woods

    It is a voluntary institution. You are not forced to join. You can say anything you want about it without fear of retribution. So its leader is elected behind closed doors — so what? Is there some rule against that?

  • heath

    As a non believer, i always am surprised at how the religious like to pull the rug out from under their own feet. I would have have though if a service was in latin or chinese or swahili it wouldn’t make any difference as long as it stressed the church’s ideals, what gives?

  • http://www.facebook.com/roger.drinnon Roger Andrew Drinnon

    This is why the Doctrine of the Two Kingdoms is very important, however Roman Catholics do not subscribe to the Two Kingdoms. I leave matters of the left handed kingdom to people like Tom Woods. Pastors should focus on the Right Handed Kingdom, the Kingdom of God.

  • http://www.facebook.com/roger.drinnon Roger Andrew Drinnon

    Theology and Church practices are not decided by majority rule, sorry.

    Who wouldn’t love the Body of Christ? How is the Church against anything Tom writes about?