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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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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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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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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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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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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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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The Montenegrin royal family makes a comeback

May 26, 2011

King Nikola’s great-grandson, Prince Nikola Petrovic-Njegos, of the  Montenegrin dynasty, approved a proposed law allowing descendants of the Petrovic-Njegos dynasty  officially to use heraldic royal symbols and would give them land that belonged to the king. The Petrovic-Njegos family ruled Montenegro for more than 200 years, until King Nikola was overthrown by the Serbian Karadjordjevic […]

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May 26 – He converted a young nobleman by showing him a vision of hell, and called the City of Rome his “Desert”

May 26, 2011

THE APOSTLE OF ROME St. Philip Romolo Neri Born at Florence, Italy, 22 July, 1515; died 27 May, 1595. Philip’s family originally came from Castelfranco but had lived for many generations in Florence, where not a few of its members had practised the learned professions, and therefore took rank with the Tuscan nobility. Among these […]

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The prince and the pauper: the non-Twain true story

May 23, 2011

While traveling incognito through France using the pseudonym Count of the North, Grand Duke Paul, who later would become Tsar Paul I, was served at an inn by a young and intelligent young lady. The Grand Duke’s wife asked the girl: “What’s your name, my dear?” “Madame, my name is Jeanne, but people call me […]

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A Classless Society: A Dangerous Utopia

May 23, 2011

From John Paul II’s homily in the Mass for youths and students, in Belo Horizonte, Brazil, on July 1, 1980:  “I learned that a Christian youth ceases to be young, and has long ceased to be Christian, when he allows himself to be seduced by doctrines or ideologies that preach violence and hate…. “I learned […]

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For the second time, Don Luis Quijada saves Don John of Austria from the flames before rescuing his wife, Dona Magdalena

May 19, 2011

D. John went each day to the royal castle with all the pomp of a prince, to study and play with D. Carlos and to pay his respects to the King and the good Queen Doña Isabel de Valois, who always kept him a long time, and loaded him with attentions and invitations, to the […]

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Anyone Who Ventures to Deny the Diversity of Social Classes Contradicts the Very Laws of Nature

May 19, 2011

From John XXIII’s encyclical Ad Petri Cathedram, of June 29, 1959: “The harmonious unity which must be sought among peoples and nations also needs ever greater improvement among the various classes of individuals. Otherwise mutual antagonism and conflict can result, as we have already seen. And the next step brings rioting mobs, wanton destruction of […]

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May 19 – He invented the University, educated an Empire, and guided the Carolingian Renaissance

May 19, 2011

Blessed Alcuin of York An eminent educator, scholar, and theologian born about 735; died 19 May, 804. He came of noble Northumbrian parentage, but the place of his birth is a matter of dispute. It was probably in or near York. While still a mere child, he entered the cathedral school founded at that place […]

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Philip II and the old soldier who had no wine

May 16, 2011

A soldier with long service in the Army presented himself to Philip II and said: “Sire, I’ve served in Your Majesty’s army my whole life, and now I see myself constrained to move to the Reserves without enough to eat.” The king gave him an adequate pension, but the soldier came back a few months […]

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May 16 – Catholic, Crusader, Leper and King: The Life of Baldwin IV and the Triumph of the Cross

May 16, 2011

Modern society obsessively avoids suffering, risk and danger. It secures everything with seatbelts and safety rails, air conditions the summer heat, prints warnings on coffee cups and advises that that safety glasses should be used while working with hammers. Certainly such precautions have prevented misfortune. However, since heroism and excellence are born from confronting rather […]

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To Establish Absolute Equality Would Be to Destroy the Social Organism

May 16, 2011

Pius XII declares in a speech to a group of parishioners of Marsciano, Perugia, Italy, on June 4, 1953:     “It is necessary that you truly feel like brothers. “It is not a matter of mere appearance; you are truly sons of God, so you are really brothers to one another. “Now, brothers are […]

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May 16 – His tireless zeal earned him the name of “Hunter of Souls,” and martyrdom by the Cossacks. Today he is Patron of Poland.

May 16, 2011

Martyr, born of an old and illustrious Polish family, in the Palatinate of Sandomir, 1590; died at Janów, 16 May, 1657. Having entered the novitiate of the Society of Jesus at Wilno (1611), he was ordained in 1622, and appointed preacher in the Church of St. Casimir, Wilno. After making his solemn vows, 2 June, […]

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Marie Antoinette saves a seat for an expecting mother who was visiting Versailles

May 12, 2011

A student from Tours and an expecting relative were visiting Versailles, which was open to all. Marveling, they had already gone through the palace and were now visiting the gardens, when the pregnant lady showed signs of exhaustion. The student looked around for a bench she could sit on, but they were all being used. […]

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Conviviality Among Men Always and Necessarily Produces a Scale of Degrees and Differences

May 12, 2011

  Pius XII says in his allocution to Fiat workers on October 31, 1948:   “The Church does not promise the absolute equality that others claim, for she knows that human society always produces, of necessity, a whole scale of degrees and differences in physical and intellectual qualities, in inner dispositions and tendencies, in occupations […]

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May 12 – She refused the crowns of England, France and the Holy Roman Empire

May 12, 2011

Blessed Joanna of Portugal Born at Lisbon, 16 February, 1452; died at Aveiro, 12 May, 1490; the daughter of Alfonso V, King of Portugal, and his wife Elizabeth. She was chiefly remarkable for the courage and persistency with which she opposed all attempts on the part of her father and brother to make her marry.  […]

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Disloyalty to one’s people and a loss of authenticity amidst court pleasantries

May 9, 2011

  One day, Frederick II asked the members of his court: “What would each of you do if you were king of Prussia?” Everyone tried to please the king with their answer. When it was his turn, the French Count d’Argenson did not bother with flattery and said: “I would quickly sell the kingdom of […]

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May 10 – Saint Damien: A Hero Who Died on the Battlefield of Honor

May 9, 2011

Written by Norman Fulkerson   There are few places on Earth more beautiful than Hawaii. While this idyllic paradise may be the destination spot for tourists and honeymooners, Joseph de Veuster was eager to go there for a completely different reason. It was Joseph’s missionary zeal that attracted him to Hawaii where he volunteered to […]

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Judge praises Prince William for saving his life

May 9, 2011

“A judge who was rescued by Prince William after suffering a heart attack on Snowdonia said he hadn’t planned to be rescued by the prince, he merely wanted to ‘have a nice day on the hills.’ “Thanks to the prince and his colleagues, the grandfather from Midhurst, West Sussex, reached Gwynedd Hospital at Bangor for […]

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The Duke of Gramont’s charming grace

May 5, 2011

When the duke of Gramont, as French ambassador to the Court of Spain, received on his sovereign’s behalf the Infanta who would become Queen of France, he made this salutation: “Your Majesty, my lord the King wishes you peace. And to thee, Your Highness, he delivers both his heart and crown.” Adolfo Padovan, Il libro […]

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May 6 – Prince, priest, and pioneer: After 41 years working in the Alleghenies, he died as he had lived, a poor man

May 5, 2011

Servant of God Demetrius Gallitzin “Apostle of the Alleghenies” Prince, priest, and missionary, Demetrius Augustine Gallitzin was born at The Hague on December 22, 1770; he died at Loretto, Pennsylvania on May 6, 1840. He was a scion of one of the oldest, wealthiest, and most illustrious families of Russia. His father, Prince Demetrius Gallitzin […]

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The Empress Maria Theresa subscribed to a different principle: Honor über alles

May 2, 2011

  Prussia, Russia and Austria were negotiating among themselves Poland’s partition. Maria Theresa lamented: “Every partition is iniquitous. I can only deplore this proposal and say how ashamed I am to show myself in public.” When the Empress’s ministers brought to her attention how her scruples could be interpreted as a sign of weakness, she […]

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The Suppression of Inequalities Is a Sine Qua Non for the Elimination of Religion

May 2, 2011

God did not want these inequalities only among creatures of the inferior kingdoms—the mineral, vegetable, and animal—but also among men and, therefore, among peoples and nations. With these inequalities, which God created harmonious among themselves and beneficent for each category of beings as also for each being in particular, He wanted to furnish man with […]

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May 2. St. Mafalda of Portugal – the medieval princess with two sisters who are also saints

May 2, 2011

In the year 1215, at the age of eleven, Princess Mafalda (i.e. Matilda), daughter of King Sancho I of Portugal, was married to her kinsman King Henry I of Castile, who was like herself a minor. The marriage was annulled the following year on the ground of the consanguinity of the parties, and Mafalda returned […]

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St. Louis IX defends his crown and defeats his rebellious nobles and their English and Aragonese allies

April 28, 2011

Trencavel, son of the dispossessed Viscount of Carcassone and Beziers, appeared in southern France in 1240 with a troop of Aragonese mercenaries and captured several fortresses. The invaders then moved against Carcassone and through the connivance of supporters occupied the commercial district outside the walls from where they besieged the old town on the heights. […]

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The Inequality of Creatures Is a Condition for Creation to Give Glory to God

April 28, 2011

  [I]t seems fitting to add some arguments from the Angelic Doctor to justify the existence of inequality among creatures. In the Summa Theologica he affirms: “Hence in natural things species seem to be arranged in degrees; as the mixed things are more perfect than the elements, and plants than minerals, and animals than plants, […]

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April 29: St. Hugh the Great – In 11th century Christendom, no king or bishop dare oppose him

April 28, 2011

Saint Hugh the Great, Abbot of Cluny, born at Semur (Brionnais in the Diocese of Autun), 1024; died at Cluny, 28 April, 1109. His early life The eldest son of Count Dalmatius of Semur and Aremberge (Aremburgis) of Vergy, Hugh was descended from the noblest families in Burgundy. Dalmatius, devoted to war and the chase, […]

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A 14-year-old Archduchess Marie Antoinette is welcomed to France

April 25, 2011

The duke of Choiseul, as French ambassador to Austria, had been the principal agent in negotiating the marriage of the Dauphin, the future Louis XVI, and the Austrian Archduchess Marie Antoinette. Preceded by the duke, King Louis XV went to Compiègne to meet his future granddaughter-in-law. As the duke made his bow, Marie Antoinette said: […]

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The king is the nation’s principle of unity and must live for the common good

April 25, 2011

    A sovereign ruler was thought to be the physical embodiment, or representative, of an abstract legal body, in this case the community of the realm, and to be totally identified with its interest. Thus, John of Salisbury wrote in the mid-twelfth century, “The prince is…the minister of the public utility and the servant […]

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April 25-26 – Mother of Good Counsel, who inspired the Albanians to resist the Turks

April 25, 2011

January of 1467 saw the death of the last great Albanian leader, George Castriota, better known as Scanderbeg. Raised by an Albanian chief, he placed himself at the head of his own people. Subsequently, Scanderbeg inflicted stunning defeats on the Turkish army and occupied fortresses all over Albania. With Scanderbeg’s death, the Turkish army, finally […]

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April 30 – this saint was born to impoverished nobility. As pope, he levied a 10% tax on religious orders to finance the war against the Turks.

April 24, 2011

Pope Saint Pius V Born at Bosco, near Alexandria, Lombardy, 17 Jan., 1504 elected 7 Jan., 1566; died 1 May, 1572. Being of a poor though noble family his lot would have been to follow a trade, but he was taken in by the Dominicans of Voghera, where he received a good education and was […]

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Our Lord Jesus Christ: the supreme and perfect archetype of all professions, from king to laborer

April 21, 2011

From a meeting given by Prof. Plinio Correa de Oliveira During His life in this world, Our Lord exercised aspects of all professions fit for man—from the highest to the lowest. To even begin to appreciate the perfection of His Person, we would have to imagine the archetype of every licit profession known to man. […]

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