From the time of the 1848 Revolution, French and Austrian troops protected the Papal States against Italian revolutionaries. The Holy See had no army that could effectively oppose the government of Piedmont-Sardinia. The situation worsened with Napoleon III’s political leftward shift and his victory against Austria in 1859. The defense of Church … Read more
Pope Pius IX’s condemnation of the Count of Montalembert and the Congress of Catholic Scientists (sometimes called the first Mechlin Conference), as well as other measures taken by the Holy See, slowed the momentum of liberal Catholics. The second Mechlin Conference, held in 1864, no longer had such intense liberal hues. Montalembert … Read more
Napoleon III signed the order suppressing l’Univers on January 29, 1860. When the police officer arrived with the order, the editorial staff of l’Univers was assembled in the newspaper’s offices. After the order was read, the editors embraced each other. They promised to remain united until the newspaper could be published again. … Read more
In American traditionalist circles, it is becoming fashionable to blame “ultramontanism” for all the ills affecting Catholicism today. Supposedly, Pope Francis is imposing a revolutionary agenda on the Church because of the actions of ultramontanes during the First Vatican Council. Detractors admit that ultramontanes turned traditional Church teaching on papal infallibility and … Read more
On the 150th Anniversary of Two Events of Transcendental Significance for the Life and History of the Church The year 2020 marks the 150th anniversary of two events of transcendental significance for the Church’s life and history. The first is a positive event, which was the proclamation of the dogma of papal … Read more
A Review of the Book Pius IX by Roberto de Mattei (Leominster, England: Gracewing, September 2004) Today’s problems often seem to be the worst ever faced by the human race. Thus, it is easy to be overwhelmed by focusing on the division, apostacy, scandal, and confusion of the current age. One … Read more
Wherefore, in humility and fasting, we unceasingly offered our private prayers as well as the public prayers of the Church to God the Father through his Son, that he would deign to direct and strengthen our mind by the power of the Holy Spirit. In like manner did we implore the help … 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
Pope Pius XII in the Papal Encyclical Ad Caeli Reginam proposed the traditional doctrine on the Queenship of Mary and established this feast for the Universal Church. Blessed Pope Pius IX said of Mary’s Queenship: “Turning her maternal Heart toward us and dealing with the affair of our salvation, she is concerned … Read more
Anyone who examines the ideology of socialism will see the contrast between the socialist doctrine and the doctrine of the Church.All the same, it is not out of place to review the condemnation of the popes starting with Pius IX and ending with Benedict XVI. Thus, we present what the popes have … Read more