Catholic Restoration

on the Shores of Lake Garda

Michael J. Matt

Editor, The Remnant

(Posted 07/16/10 www.RemnantNewspaper.com) Visitors to this website will have noticed over the past two weeks that the RemnantOnline failed to be updated according to our usual daily schedule. We apologize for this unfortunate development which was due to a series of technical difficulties experienced while covering The Roman Forum’s Summer Symposium in Gardone Riviera, Italy from July 1 through July 12. 

The Roman Forum was a monumental success, however, featuring a wide range of Catholic writers and thinkers from all over Europe and the United States whose aim was to address the basic choice being forced upon contemporary Catholics today: Either we accept the dominant pluralist political, social and economic system, or we reaffirm loyalty to a classical and Christian vision of man and society that clashes profoundly with it.

The lecturers explored the origins of the current system and the ways in which classical and Christian political, social, and economic concepts contradict it, asking such questions as: How is it that many believers have been falsely convinced that the pluralist system fulfills the Catholic vision? What can be done to drive home the truth that pluralism is an attack on both Faith and Reason and a recipe for the triumph of the will in public and private life? What part does the authentic Catholic press play in all this?  The Catholic family? Law, economics, the liturgical life of the Church, etc.,

These themes and many more were developed by the Roman Forum faculty which included Dr. John Rao, Rev. Dr. Richard Munkelt, Msgr. Ignacio Barreiro of Human Life International in Rome, Dale Ahlquist of the American Chesterton Society, Rev. Gregory Prendergraft, FSSP, Brian McCall of the University of Oklahoma, Christopher Ferrara of the American Catholic Lawyers, James Bogle barrister, historian and author of A Heart for Europe, Professor John Medaille of the University of Dallas, Patrick McKinley Brenna of Villanova University Law School, Michael Matt editor of The Remnant and other notable attendees such as Hilary White of LifeSiteNews.com, Dr. Thomas Stark philosophy professor at Sankt Pölten seminary, and Dr. Gianpiero Savelli.

The Symposium included daily traditional Mass, vespers, boat outings on Lake Garda, day trips to Padua, Verona, Venice and Monte Baldo, and some of the best cuisine in northern Italy.

Full coverage will appear in the next issue of The Remnant dated July 31, 2010. Audio recordings of the lectures will also be available on CD in early August from The Remnant Press. Please look for our forthcoming ad here on RemnantOnline for price and availability.

In the meantime, we will be building a video log of this year’s Symposium over the next day or two in the interest of increasing awareness of this important Catholic event taking place every summer. Visitors interested in attending the Summer Symposium 2011 should contact Dr. John Rao at the Roman Forum’s website: www.romanforum.org  

Please click here (edited and reposted) to see and hear Dr. Rao give a brief explanation of the Symposium.

Video Log

An Interview with Dr. John Rao, President of The Roman Forum

A "Day in the Life" of the Roman Forum, Italy

Dale Ahlquist, American Chesterton Society

Jamie Bogle, Barrister, EWTN personality, Author

John Rao lecture

Snapshots: Q&A and Various Discussions

Father Gregory Prendergraft, FSSP lecture

Christopher Ferrara, President of American Catholic Lawyers, Inc

Daily Traditional Latin Masses

The Alpini, Italian folk singers entertain Roman Forum and tourists alike.

Chris Ferrara on The Summer Symposium on Lake Garda

Msgr. Ignacio Barreiro, Human Life International, Rome

Brian McCall lecture

A Visit to the 'Top of the World' at Monte Baldo

Jamie Bogle, Lectures on Emperor Charles of Austria

"Dinner Time" at the Roman Forum