At some point it became fashionable to portray Saint Francis of Assisi with birds all over him. Yes, he did preach to birds, as his disciple, Saint Anthony, preached to fish. I have seen many ancient paintings of Il Poverello, … Continue reading

For this great Argentine [Peron] Who worked tirelessly, That there should rule in the people love and equality. — Hugo del Carril, Marcha Peronista The shadow of that hyddeous strength, sax myle and more it is of length — David … Continue reading
Here’s a clip from Candida Moss’ book: The Myth of Persecution: How Early Christians Invented a Story of Martyrdom “The Sunday school narrative of a church of martyrs, of Christians huddled in catacombs out of fear, meeting in secret to avoid … Continue reading
Before his conversion, the prolific writer, Father Benedict Ashley, was a student at the University of Chicago studying under Mortimer Adler, a Jewish Thomistic philosopher, who himself finally came into the Church at the eleventh hour, in 1999, at the … Continue reading
It is fascinating to contemplate the edifying life of Karl Gereon Goldmann, and to see so clearly the hand of God operating throughout it. Born in 1916, Karl was the third of seven sons of a devoutly Catholic German couple, … Continue reading
CNA: Pope Benedict XVI will issue a motu proprio on Feb. 25, clearing the way for the College of Cardinals to choose a date in early March to begin the conclave for electing his successor. More on this here.
Did you know that in 1850, in Maine, the first president-to-be of Boston College was beaten, tarred, and feathered by Know-Nothing thugs? He was Jesuit Father Johannes Bapst. Born in Switzerland in 1815, and ordained a priest in 1846, Father … Continue reading
The announcement of Pope Benedict XVI on February 11, 2013 that he would leave the Papacy (he could not resign it, as there is no earthly authority into whose hands he could do so; he renounced the See of St. … Continue reading
This essay is an act of thanksgiving, not only a deeply humbling acknowledgment, to two non-Catholics, James Burnham and Whittaker Chambers—both of them long-suffering, wholehearted men —who saw more clear-sightedly and more deeply into the historical reality of the 1950s and … Continue reading
AP News: The southern Russian city where the Red Army decisively turned back Nazi forces in a key World War II battle will once again be known as Stalingrad, at least on the days commemorating the victory, the regional legislature … Continue reading
Karl Keating, Catholic Answers: Yesterday I wrote about seredipitously recovering one of my favorite books, Louis Chaigne’s biography of ambassador and poet Paul Claudel (1868-1955). Let me give you a bare outline of Claudel’s diplomatic career. Read full post here.
The recent article about Vietnam by Dr. Robert Hickson, “Giving a Free Hand to the Assassins,” piqued my curiosity about the history and influence of Catholicism in Vietnam. His article clearly pits the Catholic Diem against the radical Buddhist monks … Continue reading
Ignitum Today: It is a little known fact that there was laughter in the United States Supreme Court 40 years ago during the Roe v. Wade hearings. Thought to be the youngest person ever to win a Supreme Court case, then … Continue reading
A book review, by Michael J. Miller, of The Second Vatican Council: An Unwritten Story, by Professor Roberto de Mattei, reprinted with kind permission of Loreto Publications. The famous black-and-white photograph of the Second Vatican Council in session, taken from a high balcony … Continue reading
First Things: Archaeologists in Turkey are uncovering well-preserved remains of Myra, home of the beloved St. Nicholas in the third and fourth centuries. More on this here.
Site development: Bonaventure