An officer of the Pontifical Zouaves defends Congo Catholics and defeats the Arab slave traders

July 18, 2011

A veteran of Castelfidardo, Mentana, Rome and Loigny, [Leopold Louis] Joubert went about the Lord’s work with a will. Arriving at Mulwewa mission in the present-day Congo in 1880, with his brother Zouaves, he fortified the place and began to train the locals as a home guard to fight Arab slave traders. Joubert had hit […]

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The Monarchy Is in Itself the Best Regime, for It is the One that More Easily Favors Peace

July 18, 2011

[previous] To the pontifical texts quoted in testimony of the Church’s social doctrine on this subject, it is fitting to add some representative texts of Saint Thomas Aquinas, given the prominence of his thinking in traditional Catholic teaching. In De Regimine Principum, “having set forth these preliminary points” (that it behooves men to live in […]

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July 19 – Her whole family became saints

July 18, 2011

St. Macrina the Younger Born about 330; died 379. She was the eldest child of Basil the Elder and Emmelia, the granddaughter of St. Macrina the Elder, and the sister of the Cappadocian Fathers, Sts. Basil and Gregory of Nyssa. The last-mentioned has left us a biography of his sister in the form of a […]

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July 19 – The knight who was too afraid to sail, but died a martyr’s death

July 18, 2011

Blessed Hroznata of Bohemia Founder of the Monasteries of Teplá and Chotěšov, born (c) 1170, died July 14, 1217. In the happy reign of Premysl, – also called Ottacar, – king of Bohemia, among the other magnates of the kingdom the first place at court, next to the king’s magnificence, was held by Hroznata, the […]

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Video – Coffins of Archduke Otto and Archduchess Regina arrive in Mariazell, July 12, 2011

July 14, 2011
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Moving God, Moving History

July 14, 2011

Written by John Horvat II There are times when history is seen from an all-too-human perspective. Granted, man is the principal agent in history. His great deeds and misdeeds fill the history books, blending fact, myth, and legend to intrigue future generations. However, man is not the only agent. There are times when men perform […]

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Marie Antoinette’s dulcimer player

July 14, 2011

La Joueuse de Tympanum (the dulcimer player) is a famed music box/android made by Peter Kintzing, a clockmaker, and David Roentgen, a cabinetmaker. According to tradition, the musician represents Marie Antoinette. The fact is that the Queen did buy the charming production in 1784 and gifted it to the Academy of Science in the following […]

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July 14 – The Lily of the Mohawks

July 14, 2011

Blessed Kateri Tekakwitha, Lily of the Mohawks Kateri Tekakwitha was daughter of Kenneronkwa, a Mohawk chief, and Tagaskouita, a devout Roman Catholic Algonquian woman. She was born in the Mohawk fortress of Ossernenon near present-day Auriesville, New York, in 1656. Kateri’s mother was baptized and educated by French missionaries in Trois-Rivières, like many of Abenaki […]

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July 15 – After conversion, he ordered the statues of the pagan gods chopped up and burned

July 14, 2011

St. Vladimir the Great Grand Duke of Kiev (Kieff) and All Russia, grandson of St. Olga, and the first Russian ruler to embrace Christianity, b. 956; d. at Berestova, 15 July, 1015. St. Olga could not convert her son and successor, Sviatoslav, for he lived and died a pagan and brought up his son Vladimir […]

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The Traditional Burial Ceremony of a Hapsburg Prince

July 11, 2011

This traditional ceremony for the burial of Hapsburg emperors and princes is a glorious specimen of the profound influence of Christianity on this “first family of Christendom” and a luminous example of faith for Christians not just in Austria, but throughout the world. It will be used on July 16, 2011 for the burial of […]

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Requiem for HIRH Archduke Otto of Hapsburg-Lorraine in Munich, July 11, 2011

July 11, 2011
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The portress who forgave the revolutionary murderer of her only son

July 11, 2011

When the Chouans first took up arms, there lived as portress in the chateau of Thuré a poor widow woman named Madame Huneau. She was known to all the country round for her works of mercy. Having acquired some practical knowledge of medicine, she was a constant attendant upon the sick-beds of the poor; and […]

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The Catholic Church Finds No Difficulties in Adapting to the Various Forms of Government

July 11, 2011

previous Pius XI writes in the encyclical Dilectissima nobis (June 3, 1933):   “The Catholic Church is never bound to one form of government more than to another, provided the Divine rights of God and of Christian consciences are safe. She does not find any difficulty in adapting herself to various civil institutions, be they […]

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July 11 – The noble saint who fled the world, but the world ran after him

July 11, 2011

Saint Benedict of Nursia Founder of western monasticism, born at Nursia, c. 480; died at Monte Cassino, 543. The only authentic life of Benedict of Nursia is that contained in the second book of Saint Gregory’s “Dialogues”. It is rather a character sketch than a biography and consists, for the most part, of a number […]

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Duke Paul of Oldenburg calls for World Day against Christianophobia

July 7, 2011

During a June 22 street campaign before the European Parliament, Duke Paul of Oldenburg, Director of the Brussels Office of the Pro Europa Christiana Federation, launched a petition drive requesting UN Secretary General Ban Ki-moon to declare March 2 as the “World Day against Christianophobia.” March 2 was selected because it is the day that […]

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Queen Isabella the Catholic resolves to hold Alhama whatever the cost

July 7, 2011

King Ferdinand held a council of war at Cordoba, where it was deliberated what was to be done with Alhama. Most of the council advised that it should be demolished, inasmuch as being in the center of the Moorish kingdom, it would be at all times liable to attack, and could only be maintained by […]

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Solicitude of Saint Elizabeth, Queen of Portugal, Toward the Impoverished Nobility

July 7, 2011

In the life of Saint Elizabeth, Queen of Portugal (1274-1336), we read the following facts that manifest an edifying trace of her character: She took particular care in assisting people who, having lived under the norm of nobility with property, found themselves ruined, their necessity and misery increasing, and ashamed to beg. She aided these […]

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July 8 – The Pope who fought the democrats

July 7, 2011

Pope Blessed Eugene III Bernardo Pignatelli, born in the neighbourhood of Pisa, elected 15 Feb., 1145; d. at Tivoli, 8 July, 1153. On the very day that Pope Lucius II succumbed, either to illness or wounds, the Sacred College, foreseeing that the Roman populace would make a determined effort to force the new pontiff to […]

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In memoriam HIRH Otto of Hapsburg-Lorraine (1912-2011)

July 4, 2011

His Imperial and Royal Highness Otto of Hapsburg-Lorraine passed away in the early hours of July 4. Born on November 20, 1912, Archduke Otto of Austria was the firstborn of the last monarchs of the Austro-Hungarian Empire, Blessed Karl and Empress Zita. As head of the Hapsburg imperial family, Archduke Otto presided over what Prof. […]

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Following the Divine Lamb: The de la Biliais family is immolated by revolutionary Nantes

July 4, 2011

So utterly prostrate was [Nantes], that none dreamed of resistance. To withstand Carrier, or to be thought desirous of withstanding him, was to incur instant death. When everyone feared for his own life, no one was bold enough to attempt the defense of others; and when the Marats appeared with their summons, those who were […]

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The Fundamental Structure of the Political Community: A Fruit of Each People’s Genius and History

July 4, 2011

[previous] The Constitution Gaudium et spes (1965) of the Second Vatican Council says: “Individuals, families, and various groups which compose the civic community are aware of their own insufficiency in the matter of establishing a fully human condition of life. They see the need for that wider community in which each would daily contribute his […]

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July 4 – Patroness of victims of adultery, jealousy and unfaithfulness

July 4, 2011

St. Elizabeth, Queen of Portugal Feast day: July 4 A.D. 1336. ST. ELIZABETH was daughter of Peter III,  king of Aragon, and granddaughter of James I, who had been educated under the care of St. Peter Nolasco, and was surnamed the Saint, and from the taking of Majorca and Valentia, Expugnator or the Conqueror. Her […]

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D. John’s calm assessment as the Turkish Armada is sighted: “There’s no time for anything but fighting”

June 30, 2011

At daybreak on the 7th of October, 1571, D. John of Austria ordered the fleet to leave the port of Petala, and very carefully to go along the channel between the coast of Greece and Oxia, the last island of the Curzolari; in the latitude of Cape Scropha the watch on the “Real” made signals […]

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July 1 – Found guilty of “high treason” for promoting the Catholic faith, he responded “Deo gratias”

June 30, 2011

Saint Oliver Plunket Archbishop of Armagh and Primate of all Ireland, born at Loughcrew near Oldcastle, County Meath, Ireland, 1629; died 11 July, 1681. His is the brightest name in the Irish Church throughout the whole period of persecution. He was connected by birth with the families which had just then been ennobled, the Earls […]

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July 1 – Born to Gallic nobility, he renounced all to embrace religious poverty

June 30, 2011

Saint Gal (Gall) of Clermont  Saint Gal was born at Clermont in Auvergne, about the year 489. His father was of the first houses of that province, and his mother was descended from the family of Vettius Apagatus, the celebrated Roman who suffered at Lyons for the faith of Christ. They both took special care […]

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Pope Pius XII: Allocution to the Roman Patriciate and Nobility, January 16, 1946

June 30, 2011

In past years, beloved Sons and Daughters, on this occasion—after having paternally welcomed the wishes that your illustrious representative usually offers Us in your name, with such noble expressions of faith and filial devotion—We usually accompanied Our expressions of thanks with some recommendations suggested by the circumstances of the moment. We spoke to you of […]

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Don Roderigo Ponce de Leon, Marquess of Cadiz, a mirror of chivalry

June 27, 2011

Among the many valiant cavaliers who rallied round the throne of Ferdinand and Isabella, one of the most eminent in rank and renowned in arms was Don Roderigo Ponce de Leon, Marquess of Cadiz. As he was the distinguished champion of this holy war, and commanded in most of its enterprises and battles, it is […]

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To Determine the Political Structure of a Country It Is Necessary to Take into Consideration the Circumstances of Each People

June 27, 2011

previous In the encyclical Pacem in terris (April 11, 1963), John XXIII says: “It is impossible to determine in all cases what is the most suitable form of government, or how civil authorities can most effectively fulfill their respective functions, i.e. legislative, judicial, and executive functions of the State. “In determining the structure and operation […]

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June 27 – The Saint-King elected to lead the First Crusade

June 27, 2011

St. Ladislaus (or Ladislas) St. Ladislaus the First, called by the Hungarians László, and in old French, Lancelot, was son of Bela king of Hungary, and born in 1041. By the pertinacious importunity of the people he was compelled, much against his own inclination, to ascend the throne in 1080, the kingdom being then elective. […]

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June 28 – He fought to preserve the Pope’s independence

June 27, 2011

Pope Saint Paul I  Date of birth unknown; died at Rome, 28 June, 767. He was a brother of Pope Stephen II. They had been educated for the priesthood at the Lateran palace. Stephen entrusted his brother, who approved of the pope’s course in respect to King Pepin, with many important ecclesiastical affairs, among others […]

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Queen Maria Theresa of Naples dies in the rescue of cholera-stricken Albano

June 23, 2011

Albano is a beautiful lakeside town southeast of Rome, in the midst of the Alban Hills. Its location and elevation have ensured its position as a summer vacation spot. Then as now, anyone who can flee Rome during August does. A continuing testimony to this is the large number of lovely villas dotting Albano and […]

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The Catholic Church Accepts Any Form of Government that Does Not Oppose Divine and Human Rights

June 23, 2011

previous In an allocution to the extraordinary Secret Consistory of February 14, 1949, Pius XII affirms: “[The Catholic Church] admits any and every form of civil government provided it be not inconsistent with divine and human rights. But when it does contradict these rights, bishops and the faithful themselves are bound by their own conscience […]

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June 23 – After her death, her sister, niece, and great-niece, all royal princesses and two of them widowed queens, followed her as abbesses of Ely.

June 23, 2011

St. Etheldreda  Queen of Northumbria; born (probably) about 630; died at Ely, 23 June, 679. While still very young she was given in marriage by her father, Anna, King of East Anglia, to a certain Tonbert, a subordinate prince, from whom she received as morning gift a tract of land locally known as the Isle […]

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Don John of Austria is betrothed to war

June 20, 2011

But during this time alarming news reached the solitude of the convent of Abrojo of the rebellion of the Moors of Granada, and Juan de Quiroga, who, like all those who knew him well, simply adored D. John and recognized his military qualities, which only needed scope in which to expand and triumph, advised him […]

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True Democracy Is Not Incompatible with Monarchy

June 20, 2011

previous In his 1944 Christmas message Pius XII says: “Democracy, taken in the broad sense, admits of various forms, and can be realized in monarchies as well as in republics…. “The democratic state, be it monarchical or republican, should, like any form of government, be entrusted with the power to command with real and effective […]

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June 21 – He seemed to resemble an angel clothed with a human body

June 20, 2011

St. Aloysius Gonzaga Aloysius Gonzaga was son of Ferdinand Gonzaga, prince of the holy empire, and marquis of Castiglione, removed in the third degree of kindred from the duke of Mantua. His mother was Martha Tana Santena, daughter of Tanus Santena, lord of Cherry, in Piedmont. She was lady of honour to Isabel, the wife […]

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An English clergyman wanted to attend the King’s supper

June 16, 2011

  Although he was not dressed properly, an English clergyman wandered freely through the halls and salons of Versailles and attended the ceremonies that were open to the general public. He then made up his mind to watch the king’s supper. However, a master of ceremonies stopped him: “You cannot enter like this, wearing your […]

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By Nature, All Men Are in One Sense Equal, but in Another They Are Unequal

June 16, 2011

From the book Land Reform: A Matter of Conscience, by Archbishop Geraldo de Proença Sigaud, Bishop Antonio de Castro Mayer, Prof. Plinio Corrêa de Oliveira, and economist Luiz Mendonça de Freitas, in a topic composed and written by the author of the present work:   “[All men] are equal because they are creatures of God, […]

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June 16 – Dissolute men often threatened him with pistol or dagger.

June 16, 2011

Saint John Francis Regis Born 31 January, 1597, in the village of Fontcouverte (department of Aude); died at la Louvesc, 30 Dec., 1640. His father Jean, a rich merchant, had been recently ennobled in recognition of the prominent part he had taken in the Wars of the League; his mother, Marguerite de Cugunhan, belonged by […]

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The Duke of Alba counsels Don John of Austria on how to handle his council of war

June 13, 2011

The Nuncio, Mons. Odescalchi, Bishop of Penna, came with a great following of Capuchins, Dominicans, Jesuits and Franciscans, whom the Pope sent to serve the galleys; he also brought letters for D. John and Marco Antonio Colonna, exhorting them without hesitation to give battle to the Turk, as in God’s name he assured them of […]

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A Democratic Constitution Should Assume and Protect the Values of the Christian Faith, Without Which It Will Not Be Able to Survive

June 13, 2011

[previous] In view of the peculiar circumstances of our day, it is opportune to quote a judicious analysis of Joseph Cardinal Ratzinger, Prefect of the Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith [Nobility.org: and presently, the Sovereign Pontiff, Pope Benedict XVI], in an interview to the newspaper El Mercurio of Santiago, Chile (June 12, 1988): […]

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June 13 – Who Is the Real Saint Anthony?

June 13, 2011

There is a tendency nowadays to depict saints as people who bypass the realities of life and somehow attain sanctity with little effort. Here we have two pictures of Saint Anthony of Padua. The first is a fresco in the basilica dedicated to the saint in Padua, Italy, and it is the oldest known depiction […]

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The Brother of Grand Duchess Awakes

June 13, 2011

Antonio Mestre, the elder brother of Grand Duchess Maria Teresa, who suffered from a stroke on May 28, finally awoke from his coma on Sunday evening.58-year-old Antonio Mestre, who has been staying in a hospital in Florida since his attack, opened his eyes for the first time in over a week on Sunday. http://hello.news352.lu/edito-117233-grand-duchess-brother-wakes-up.html

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Japanese Crown Prince and Princess visit the tsunami region

June 13, 2011

During the weekend, Japan’s Crown Prince Naruhito and Crown Princess Masako went to Iwanuma in Miyagi prefecture to see close-up the damage done as a result of March’s tsunami after the 9.0 earthquake that struck the country. http://www.royaltyinthenews.com/2011/06/05/japanese-crown-princely-couple-tour-tsunami-site/  

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Royalty and nobility wedding news – Countess Hélène d’Udekem d’Acoz

June 13, 2011

Countess Hélène d’Udekem d’Acoz, daughter of the deceased Count Patrick d’Udekem d’Acoz and younger sister to Princess Mathilda of Belgium married baron Nicholas Janssen in the church of Saint Pierre de Bastogne. The bride was led to the altar by her brother. Prince Philip, Princess Mathilde and their children as well as Queen Fabiola were […]

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Anyone could watch Louis XV eat

June 9, 2011

Louis XV had the ability of removing the shell from a soft-boiled egg with a simple stroke of his fork. On Sundays, when everyone was allowed to be present at the king’s meal, many entertained themselves watching this small episode instead of focusing on the great figure he represented as the monarch. Edmond Guérard, Dictionnaire […]

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The Church is Not Opposed to Any Form of Government that Is Just and Serves the Common Good

June 9, 2011

previous Leo XIII says in his encyclical Diuturnum illud (June 29, 1881): “There is no question here respecting forms of government, for there is no reason why the Church should not approve of the chief power being held by one man or by more, provided only it be just, and that it tend to the […]

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February 1 – She and Saint Patrick were “one heart and one mind”

June 9, 2011

Saint Brigid of Ireland Born in 451 or 452 of princely ancestors at Faughart, near Dundalk, County Louth; d. 1 February, 525, at Kildare. Refusing many good offers of marriage, she became a nun and received the veil from St. Macaille. With seven other virgins she settled for a time at the foot of Croghan […]

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Doña Magdalena de Ulloa: she was noble and commanding and at the same time modest and saintly

June 6, 2011

D. John’s departure once settled and fixed, his first thought was to say good-bye to Doña Magdalena de Ulloa. Neither years, nor the natural dazzling of triumph and glory, nor the dark clouds, which on the contrary, brought disillusion and disenchantment, were ever able to deaden in D. John his tender love for Doña Magdalena; […]

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The Monarchic Regime: The Best Form of Government

June 6, 2011

In his allocution to the Secret Consistory on June 17, 1793, concerning the execution of King Louis XVI of France, Pius VI stated: “After having abolished the monarchical form of government, which is the best, it [the Convention] transferred all public power to the people.” Pii VI Pont. Max. Acta (Rome: Typis S. Congreg. De […]

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June 7 – The Crusaders reach the walls of Jerusalem

June 6, 2011

The Conquest of Jerusalem in the First Crusade In June of 1099 [the First Crusade] arrived before the walls of Jerusalem, which was then held by the Fatimid Arabs of Egypt. With their usual religious zeal and grim determination, the Christians prepared to attack the walls. Their fighting force had been reduced to 1,200 knights […]

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Philip II’s royal straightforwardness, a relief from labyrinthine bureaucracies

June 2, 2011

After several months of working with Philip II’s ministers on an important business transaction, an Aragonese man resolved to discuss the matter with the king directly. Having heard him explain the issue, the king replied: “I’m sorry, but what you are requesting is impossible.” “Oh, I’m immensely grateful to Your Majesty for this favorable reply.” […]

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A Form of Government May Be Preferable, Because It Is Better Suited to the Character or Customs of the People for Which It Is Intended

June 2, 2011

previous In his encyclical Au milieu des solicitudes (February 16, 1892), Leo XIII writes: “Various political governments have succeeded one another in France during the last century, each having its own distinctive form: the Empire, the Monarchy, and the Republic. By giving oneself up to abstractions, one could at length conclude which is the best […]

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June 3 – She eventually won her husband’s heart to the faith, but then had to witness her children kill each other.

June 2, 2011

St. Clotilda, Queen of France Was daughter of Chilperic, younger brother to Gondebald, the tyrannical king of Burgundy, who put him, his wife, and the rest of his brothers, except one, to death, in order to usurp their dominions. In this massacre he spared Chilperic’s two fair daughters, then in their infancy. One of them […]

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The good man who showed a “preferential option for the nobility” towards Madame de Maintenon when she was a child

May 30, 2011

After becoming a widower, Louis XIV secretly married Madame de Maintenon, a lady of the court, in 1686. Although from a noble family, hers was a life of great hardship in her youth, because of an armed insurrection of many nobles against the Throne, known as the Fronde. One day, while in the antechamber to […]

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Our Lineage Greatly Influences Our Actions

May 30, 2011

From the funeral oration for Philippe-Emanuel de Lorraine, Duke of Mercoeur and Penthièvre, delivered in the metropolitan church of Notre-Dame in Paris on April 27, 1602, by Saint Francis de Sales (1567-1622), Bishop-Prince of Geneva and Doctor of the Church: “It is always God Who grants us salvation; He is its great architect, but He […]

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May 30 – Saint Ferdinand: “Christ redeemed us on the hard arms of the Cross, and His knight will not serve Him in any other way.”

May 30, 2011

Saint Ferdinand III of Castile  King Alfonso VIII of Castile, the great leader of Las Navas de Tolosa, left two daughters who became queen mothers of two young kings, both of whom developed into illustrious warriors, crusaders, and saints. Because Alfonso’s two sons died in their youth, one from illness in 1211 and the other […]

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May 30 – She was sent by God to save France.

May 30, 2011

Joan of Arc in Real Life Saint Joan of Arc is far more than a worthy subject for stained-glass windows, although that is how her biographers often portray her. Fortunately, we have the records of two judgments to set the record straight. As is common with heroes deemed “larger than life,” Joan is seen through […]

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Don John of Austria receives the baton of command and the standard of the Holy League before the battle of Lepanto

May 26, 2011

Cardinal Granvelle celebrated the Pontifical Mass, and at the end of it D. John of Austria mounted to the chancel, and, kneeling in front of the altar, received from the hands of Granvelle, first the baton and then the standard, with these words, which the Cardinal said over three times in Latin, Spanish and Italian: […]

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Similarities and Differences Among Men Find Their Allotted Place in the Absolute Order of Being

May 26, 2011

From the 1942 Christmas message of Pius XII: If the life of society involves inner unity, it does not, however, preclude differences which are upheld by reality and nature. Yet when one looks to God, the supreme regulator of all that concerns man, then men’s similarities as well as differences find their proper place in […]

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