The COVID pandemic and official reaction to it should prompt renewed introspection on the part of a Western world in danger of losing its soul. In this task of moral, political and philosophical self-interrogation and renewal, there is no better guide than French liberal conservative thought

The Paris 'nonsense machine', to quote Roger Scruton's biting dismissal, remains committed to a reckless assault on common sense, moderation and decency. As the political philosopher Pierre Manent told me, the consequences are enshrined in contemporary Europe's deleterious appetite for boundless self-deception

Rather than indulging his inclination to echo the opinions and prejudices of the Left's progressive choir, the Pontiff would benefit from the example of John Paul II and Benedict XVI in honouring the timelessness of the best Catholic social and political thought

Failures of practical reasoning are typical of the Pontiff's off-the cuff-remarks, which so often display a disturbing lack of rhetorical discipline. This tendency can only sow division within the Church while undermining the integrity of his pontificate and, indeed, of the papacy itself