In 1866, news began to spread about Pope Pius IX’s initial steps to convene an ecumenical council, which convened in 1869. Some Catholic leaders, including Gaspart Mermillod, Auxiliary Bishop of Lausanne and Geneva, thought the time was ripe to attempt a general reconciliation. They saw the necessity to unite Catholic forces. After … Read more
A Review by Michael Whitcraft of The Apple of His Eye: Converts From Islam in the Reign of Louis IX, by William Chester Gordon. When dying on the Cross, one of the suffering Christ’s last words was: “I thirst.” Exegetes throughout history have taught that, in addition to the tremendous physical thirst … Read more
Speaking with a friend recently, we chanced to talk about money and coins. He is a coin collector and had just visited a coin shop nearby. I mentioned my own studies of medieval economy and its coinage. Much to my surprise and delight, he reached into his inner coat pocket and pulled … Read more
Prof. Plinio Corrêa de Oliveira was a man of profound piety and unshakable faith, and intensely devoted to the Blessed Virgin Mary, to whom he consecrated himself according to the method of Saint Louis de Montfort. His commentaries on excerpts from Saint Louis de Montfort’s famous book Treatise on True Devotion to … Read more
The 2015 Public Square Rosary Rallies on October 10th are just around the corner. History may someday recognize their importance. For now, the hundreds of thousands of participants at rosary rallies, such as were held in Austria after World War II, have not yet received proportional attention. Meanwhile, morally speaking our country … Read more
The following stories are taken from the memoirs of the Lord of Joinville, a noble from Champagne, who became a counsellor and confidant of King Saint Louis IX. He tells how Saint Louis would exercise justice in the suits brought before him, at times even defending his people to the very court officer … Read more
When abortion activist Nancy Keenan, president of NARAL, saw last year’s March for Life in Washington, D.C. she was utterly astounded: “I just thought, my gosh, they are so young,” she told Newsweek. “There are so many of them, and they are so young.” Abortion advocates like Keenan must be uneasy with … Read more
Our spiritual life is the life of grace within us; through it we become children of God. For our spiritual life to be preserved and to develop, a series of actions are required that constitute the life of piety. How must that life of piety be? What deviations must be avoided? These … Read more
Everything the Church does is wise. In Her wisdom, She classifies the different levels of honor to be paid to God, Our Lady and the saints. The first level, called latria or adoration, is only for God and Our Lord Jesus Christ, Who is the Incarnate Word. The cult of dulia is … Read more
August 25 is the feast of Saint Louis IX, King, Confessor of the Faith, Crusader and model of a Catholic head of state. There are two different ways people picture Saint Louis IX. One is as he truly was, the other is a soft, effeminate distortion of his person. This dichotomy is … Read more