Category Archives: Great Writers
Great Writers
In Medieval universities, the first three subjects a student was instructed in were grammar, logic, and rhetoric: what Aristotle called the Trivium of the seven liberal arts. Respectively, they are the arts of writing, thinking, and speaking well. They are called liberal, because they are skills that every man should acquire in some degree, in contrast with the fine arts, which specialize.
This section of our website is dedicated not to great books, although many are referenced, but to great articles, essays, and poems, composed by great Catholic writers. These masters of the pen were not all exceptionally gifted wordsmiths, but they were all gifted in the art of communicating important Catholic information in logical and lucid composition.
Father Faber on the Salvation of Non-Catholics
If the Precious Blood had been shed, and yet we had no priesthood, no Sacraments, no jurisdiction, no sacramentals, no mystical life of the visible unity of the Church– life, so it seems, would be almost intolerable. This is the condition of those outside the Church; and certainly as we grow older, as our experience widens, as our knowledge of ourselves deepens, as our acquaintance … More →
Joseph Pierce on Roy Campbell
Joseph Pearce recalls the extraordinary life of Roy Campbell, who hid St John of the Cross’s letters from anticlerical Spanish militiamen. As you read Pierce’s piece, recall that here in the good old U S of A, people were led to believe that the good guys in this war were the ones that murdered priests, brothers, nuns, and Catholic laity. The bad guys, according to … More →
What Are the Middle Ages?
The current definition of the Middle Ages implies that they are an intermediary epoch between two civilizations, and, therefore, only a break in the course of civilization. There is no term about whose definition there is more perfect agreement than “The Middle Ages.” We are told that the Middle Ages are an intermediary epoch between antiquity and modern times. This is the definition given by … More →
The Battleground: Syria and Palestine, the Seed Plot of Religion by Hilaire Belloc
[The Battleground: Syria and Palestine, the Seed Plot of Religion by Hilaire Belloc. Ignatius Press.] Hilaire Belloc, one of my favorite authors, was exceedingly prolific. He wrote one hundred fifty three books of poetry, essays, history, religion, politics, and economics, as well as hundreds of magazine and newspaper articles. His life (1870-1953) was long and fascinating, and even had him serving for a time in … More →
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G. K. Chesterton, He Wished to Spend the Rest of His Life Thanking God for Everything
What a beautiful and crowning epithet this would have been on his tombstone. He wrote this in his early diary. Zenit has a insightful interview with the head of the Italian Chestertonian Society addressing why the great writer and thinker became a Catholic. For those who love Chesterton this is a good read.
Longfellow’s Catholic Affinity
Henry Wadsworth Longfellow, one of the greatest poets to grace the sunrise of American literature in the mid-nineteenth century, had more than a passing interest in Catholic themes. Study travels to the European countrysides, which were granted him by Maine’s Bowdoin College, in preparation for his assuming the chair of modern languages, gave him a taste for Catholic culture. One of his most endearing poems was Santa Filomena. It … More →
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Archbishop George Hay on Interfaith
The following extract from the Catechism on Catholic Doctrine, written by the renowned Scottish Bishop, George Hay (1729-1811), is presented for you as a testimony to the Faith of the centuries. A convert from Episcopalianism, Bishop Hay understood, far better than most of our present day Catholic clergy, the need for infallible authority in religious matters.
Belloc on the New Paganism
A great sage of our time, Hilaire Belloc, foresaw what was coming upon our civilization. He saw its approach half a century ago more clearly than most people today see it now that it is here.
The Decline of Controversy by Bishop Fulton Sheen
Towards the end of his life, Bishop Fulton Sheen (1895–1979) personally gave our Brother Hugh permission to reprint this article in From the Housetops in the 1970s. We once again make it available, this time on the web.
Father Denis Fahey on Anti-Semitism
(Books by or about Father Denis Fahey are available at store.catholicism.org) On account of the confusion of mind prevalent among Catholics concerning the question of Anti-Semitism, a few words must be said about it.
The Catholic World of Father Denis Fahey
Sometimes it is not enough for a man to die. A mediocre man, even a good one, is soon forgotten.
The Barber Family
Saint Jerome rhetorically queried: “If the Apostles and martyrs, while still living on earth, could pray for other men, how much more do they do it after their victories? Have they less power now that they are one with Christ?”
The Blessed Trinity Explained to Thomas Butler
You said: “Write a treatise on the Blessed Trinity, and explain it just to me!” You know very well that there are many realizations of the mystery of the Blessed Trinity which you have already arrived at, and which are more valuable than any I can present.
G.K. Chesterton and the Atmosphere of Evolution
Evolution is a theory. Evolution is a philosophy. Evolution is also an atmosphere.
