“Charity gave me the key to my vocation.” “I want to be scourged and crucified like You, my Spouse; flayed alive like Saint Bartholomew; thrown into boiling oil like Saint John; and ground by the teeth of wild beasts like Saint Ignatius of Antioch, so that I might become bread worthy of … Read more
In the spiritual life, there are rules that help the Catholic in the quest for sanctity. Some of these are general rules that apply to dealing with the weaknesses of our fallen nature. According to the noted Catholic thinker, Prof. Plinio Corrêa de Oliveira, two rules of the spiritual life never change. … Read more
On March 7, 2019, Pope Francis caused new scandal with the statement that the Church was “surprised in flagrant adultery!” Regrettably, this is not the first time that Francis scandalizes Catholics (and many non-Catholics) with shocking statements and attitudes opposed to the Gospels, Church Tradition, and the common sentiment of the faithful. … Read more
In the Nicene Creed, the faithful profess: “Credo in unam, sanctam, catholicam et apostolicam Ecclesiam”—“I believe in One, Holy, Catholic and Apostolic Church.” When reciting the Creed, Catholics profess, therefore, to believe in the sanctity of the Church. This sanctity, nonetheless, is often not visible, especially when the weaknesses of Her members … Read more
Many believe that Christendom was a rigid and brutal order. In medieval times, we are told that tyranny ruled, and the Church and the nascent State were constant rivals in the pursuit of dominance. So many modern historians have cynically reduced this period when Christianity prevailed to a time of cultural darkness … Read more
The controversy around Confederate statue removal rages. Revisionists are on the rampage with all the fury of communist mobs that want no memory of a past culture to remain. They are involved in a cultural cleansing of heroes, legends, and symbols that threatens to fragment yet more a divided nation. The wrath … Read more
Francisco and Jacinta Marto are the youngest non-martyred children ever to be beatified. They were raised to the honor of the altars not simply because they saw Our Lady but also because they generously heeded her call to prayer, penance, and reparation. They are, thus, the first fruits of the Message of … Read more
Approach the crib of the Child God with me. Let us imagine the arrival of the Magi Kings at the manger, after having followed the Star of Bethlehem with their caravans and treasure-laden animals. These sovereigns—King Balthazar, King Melchior and King Gaspar—offer the Child Jesus gold, frankincense and myrrh, in adoration. Looking … Read more
The eyes of the whole world — not just Catholics — are turned to St. Peter’s in Rome, wondering who will be the new Vicar of Christ. This time, after a series of shocking and confusing events, the expectation that precedes every conclave is sharper and more intense. Massimo Franco writes in … Read more
Having selected ten prisoners to die in the starvation bunker to serve as a lesson for an escaped prisoner, Nazi SS Captain Karl Fritsch was about to leave Auschwitz concentration camp’s Block 13 when the unimaginable happened. Prisoner 16670 stepped out of formation. A murmur spread through the line of prisoners. Facing … Read more