The Rosary and Saint Dominic Defeat Heresy

The Rosary and Saint Dominic Defeat Heresy 1

The Rosary — as spiritual weapon against evil — has a very long and precious history. In twelfth and thirteenth century France, a group of heretics known as the Albigensians was destroying the minds of the Catholic laity with its erroneous ideas. The Albigensians’ teachings encouraged suicide, many times by self-induced starvation, … Read more

Rekindling the Crusading Spirit

Rekindling the Crusading Spirit 4

On a recent trip to Fatima, I stopped to spend a night in the city of Obidos, Portugal. As I stood atop the walls of that medieval city, I felt almost as though I were breathing history…but not just any history. I was filling my lungs with a Catholic combative history. With … Read more

Don Pelayo and the Reconquista of Spain

Don Pelayo and the Reconquista of Spain

One fascinating aspect of the Old Testament is God’s intervention favoring those who do all they possibly can while facing overwhelming odds and counting on Him to do the impossible. As we read about David and Goliath, Gideon and the Battle of Jericho, the Maccabees and others, we have the impression that … Read more

Expectations Fulfilled

Expectations Fulfilled 1

It is natural to have expectations when traveling. I, for one, use my expectations to gauge the success of a trip. That is why when returning from a recent trip to Portugal and Spain, I began reflecting on whether it had lived up to my expectations. However, to answer this question, I … Read more

Dispelling Myths About the Crusades

Dispelling Myths About the Crusades 2

The TFP’s Crusade Magazine recently did an interview with accomplished medieval historian Professor Thomas Madden of Saint Louis University, to dispel some common myths concerning the Crusades. The text of this interview is transcribed below. 1. Some authors contend the Crusades were wars of aggression against a peaceful Muslim world. What is … Read more