Church of Rome

By Michael HoffmanThe ideology of Neoplatonic Hermeticism gained firm purchase among members of the Catholic elite in Florence, Italy circa 1450; after that it entered the Vatican toward the end of the 15th century, and the papacy itself by 1515. It predates Hegel’s concept of thesis-antithesis-synthesis by centuries. Among its most famous early Renaissance practitioners were Cosimo and Lorenzo Medici and Nicolo Machiavelli.But what of the pope’s victory at Lepanto and the papal burning of the Talmud?

Michael Hoffman’s Note: Neither “Saint” Pope John Paul II nor his current successor, Pope Francis, ever truly admonished married Italian men and women for their abominably selfish attitudes toward procreation. Yes, even John-Paul “the pro-life pope” gave the Italians a Humane Vitae “lite" approach, knowing full well that Catholic confessors in the West were exculpating married couples who practiced contraception. John Paulphiles can produce — if they can — contrary evidence in our comments section (below).

Questions on UsuryFrom D.L., Omaha, Nebraska:Michael,I have just completed reading your excellent book Usury in Christendom: The Mortal Sin that Was and Now is Not, and am re-reading and researching various sections for further clarity. Here are questions and comments which I hope you can assist me with in whatever spare time may allow.1.