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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Modesty of Dress and the Love of God: An Effective Way to Defend the Family

April 21, 2011

“I love vulgarity. Good taste is death, vulgarity is life.” These words by English fashion designer Mary Quant, who took credit for inventing the miniskirt and hot pants, reveal one of the most important, though rarely pointed out, aspects of the “fashion revolution” that started in the sixties: vulgarity. Indeed, fashions have increasingly tended toward […]

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April 21 – The Noble Saint who tamed William the Conqueror, abolished slavery in England, and founded Scholasticism; his prayer to Saint Mary Magdalene

April 21, 2011

Saint Anselm, Confessor, Archbishop Of Canterbury (A. D. 1109) If the Norman conquerors stripped the English nation of its liberty and many temporal advantages, it must be owned that by their valor they raised the reputation of its arms and deprived their own country of its greatest men, both in church and state, with whom […]

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A repentant Lord Seymour asks to be slapped in penance for his fault

April 18, 2011

Arriving at the Opéra in Paris, Lord Seymour had the door of his carriage opened by a beggar, who said to him as he alighted: “I’m hungry.” Throwing a gold louis d’or into the muddy gutter, the English lord said: “Pick it up with your teeth!” Though filled with loath at the prospect, the poor […]

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Brotherly Treatment Between Superiors and Subordinates Should Not Eliminate the Variety of Conditions and the Diversity of Social Classes

April 18, 2011

[From Benedict XV’s encyclical Ad beatissimi Apostolorum, of November 11, 1914]:   “Human fraternity, indeed, will not remove the diversities of conditions and therefore of classes. This is not possible, just as it is not possible that in an organic body all the members should have one and the same function and the same dignity. […]

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April 19 – This German pope led his army against the Normans

April 18, 2011

Pope St. Leo IX Born at Egisheim, near Colmar, on the borders of Alsace, 21 June, 1002, Pope St. Leo IX died on 19 April, 1054. He belonged to a noble family which had given or was to give saints to the Church and rulers to the Empire. He was named Bruno. His father Hugh […]

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“Just as a monarch is lucky in inheriting a throne, so a nation is sometimes lucky in inheriting a monarch.”

April 18, 2011

“Heredity is rife in every society” “Monarchy is an institution of state. Democracy expects such institutions to put in an appearance at the bar of common sense and public opinion. When one of them, based on heredity, offends what democracy supposedly holds dear—equality of opportunity—it has a case to answer. And so, as the future […]

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St. Ferdinand III of Castile and Leon extends the Reconquista to Seville and the south of Spain

April 14, 2011

In 1224, with his internal political affairs resolved, [Saint Ferdinand III of Castile and Leon] turned his attention to the Reconquest, a military campaign that with a few short intervals occupied him for the rest of his life. Quesada, the first town to fall, was typical of the many that followed. The Castilians placed cloth-muffled […]

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Respecting Social Hierarchy for the Greater Good of Individuals and Society

April 14, 2011

From Benedict XV’s letter Soliti nos, of March 11, 1920, to the Most Reverend Luigi Marelli, Bishop of Bergamo: “Let those who are of a lower station and fortune properly understand this: variety of rank in civil society originates from nature, and is finally to be traced back to the will of God, ‘for He […]

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April 14, a saint who suffered for the moral corruption and decay of her time.

April 14, 2011

Saint Lydwine In 1380, Saint Lydwine was born in the small town of Schiedam in Holland. Her father was a wealthy noble named Peter, and her mother was from a poor family who worked their own farm. Her father’s family lost their fortune, and the whole family was reduced to poverty. At that time, all […]

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Emperor visits evacuation center to encourage nuclear crisis evacuees

April 14, 2011

TOKYO (Kyodo) — Emperor Akihito and Empress Michiko visited evacuees in Saitama Prefecture from the ongoing nuclear crisis on Friday to offer their condolences and encouragement. (read more: http://mainichi.jp/)

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Louis XV encourages his nobility to melt down their silver for the relief of the poor

April 11, 2011

As many among France’s poor suffered greatly because of the inclement weather, the nobles deprived themselves of whatever disposable resources they could lay their hands on so as to alleviate their hardship. They sent their solid silver plate and dinner services to the Mint causing them to be melted down and turned into coin for […]

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One Should Not Excite Animosity Against the Rich, Inciting the Masses to the Inversion of Order in Society

April 11, 2011

In a letter of June 5, 1929, to the Most Reverend Achille Liénart, Bishop of Lille, the Sacred Congregation of the Council recalls principles of Catholic social doctrine and practical directives of a moral order, issued from the supreme ecclesiastical authority. “Those who boast of the name Christian, be they taken in isolation or as […]

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He excommunicated the king, who murdered him as he celebrated Mass.

April 11, 2011

Saint Stanislaus of Cracow   In pictures he is given the episcopal insignia and the sword. Larger paintings represent him in a court or kneeling before the altar and receiving the fatal blow. His parents, Belislaus and Bogna, pious and noble Catholics, gave him a religious education. After the death of his parents he distributed […]

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Alfonso VIII of Castile crushes the Moors at Las Navas de Tolosa

April 7, 2011

The Almohads, the new dynasty of Moroccan fanatics who had subdued all the Moslems in al Andalus, launched an all-out attack on the Christians by moving a huge army north into south central Spain. The impetuous Alfonso VIII of Castile, without waiting for reinforcements, attempted to bar the way at Alarcos. On July 18, 1195, […]

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General Juchault de Lamoricière: “Christianity is…the animating principle of civilization”

April 7, 2011

On April 8, Easter Sunday, [1860, General Christophe Louis Juchault de Lamoricière] issued a proclamation to both the volunteers who had arrived and to those who were pondering the call: “At the sound of the grand voice which lately apprised the world from the Vatican of the dangers threatening the patrimony of St. Peter, Catholics […]

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April 8 – Don Bosco’s Prince; nobility of blood joins nobility of spirit

April 7, 2011

Augusto Czartoryski was born on 2 August 1858 in Paris, France, the firstborn son to Prince Ladislaus of Poland and Princess Maria Amparo, daughter of the Queen of Spain. The noble Czartoryski Family had been living in exile in France for almost 30 years, in the Lambert Palace. Here, with the hope of restoring unity […]

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Louis XIV Sells the Crown Jewels to Feed the Poor

April 4, 2011

  Hunger and suffering were to be seen everywhere in France during the cruel winter of 1709. To alleviate the plight of the poor, Louis XIV commanded the amount of food served at his table to be cut back; his solid silver plate and flatware to be taken to a jeweler, melted down and turned […]

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The Beauty of Life in Social Relationships

April 4, 2011

 by Plinio Corrêa de Oliveira Old magazines are often very charming. This is true even when what comes down to us are only loose undated pages that give us glimpses of the remote past. A Paris journal of the last century, L ‘Illustration, carried an article, “Customs of the Café Valois,” written by A. de […]

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April 4 – Her son helped found the Templars

April 4, 2011

Saint Aleth of Dijon (Montbard)   Mother of Saint Bernard of Clairvaux, she belonged to the highest nobility of Burgundy. Her husband, Tescelin, was lord of Fontaines. Saint Bernard of Clairvaux was the third of her seven children.  At the age of nine years, Bernard was sent to a much renowned school at Chatillon-sur-Seine, kept […]

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Do you know a leader?

April 4, 2011

Think of personal acquaintances who have demonstrated leadership qualities, sometimes in difficult circumstances. In this world so bereft of leadership, what more generous almsgiving could there be than to reach out to those we know have leadership qualities and assist them in this time of great need? Please give them Nobility and Analogous Traditional Elites […]

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The mortally wounded knight from Auvergne who dragged himself to the chapel to die

March 31, 2011

When Mustapha finally called off his troops, it was estimated that he had lost nearly 2,000, most of them the cream of the Janissary advance guard. The defenders had lost only ten Knights and seventy soldiers…. It was at the close of this day that a Knight of Auvergne, Abel de Bridiers de la Gardampe, […]

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Nobility of Birth Seems a Fortuitous Fact, but It Results from a Benevolent Design of Heaven

March 31, 2011

From the allocution of Leo XIII to the Roman Patriciate and Nobility on January 21, 1897: Our heart rejoices to see you here again, united by a concord of ideas and affections that honor you. Our charity knows no partiality, nor ought to know any, yet it is not to be blamed if it takes […]

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The Bartlett pear is called “The Good Christian” in France, after St. Francis of Paola introduced it

March 31, 2011

“Said to have originated in Calabria in southern Italy, Bartletts probably were introduced to France by St. Francis of Paola. St. Francis brought a young tree as a gift for King Louis XI of France, who had summoned him in the hope that the saint would miraculously cure the king’s many illnesses. When the king […]

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Baldwin I of Jerusalem receives help from King Sigurd and his 10,000 Vikings

March 28, 2011

After the fall of Jerusalem, a large number of the crusaders returned to Europe, leaving the remainder in a precarious position. On the land they were completely surrounded by hostile Moslems, who viewed the militant Christians as sworn enemies of Islam. To the north and east, the territory of the Seljuk Turks had broken down […]

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Garcia Moreno: Heroic President of Ecuador

March 28, 2011

Written by José Maria dos Santos   Manly Catholic of intransigent principles, slain by the enemies of the Faith because of his consistency and courage in defense of the Church and Papacy Gabriel Garcia Moreno was born in Guayaquil, in southern Ecuador on December 24, 1821. His father, Gabriel Garcia Gómez was Spanish, while his […]

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March 28, grandson of Clovis, but another penitent David

March 28, 2011

St. Gontran, King and Confessor He was son of King Clotaire, and grandson of Clovis I and St. Clotilda. Being the second son, whilst his brothers Charibert reigned at Paris, and Sigebert in Austrasia, residing at Metz, he was crowned King of Orleans and Burgundy in 661, making Challons on the Saone his capital. When […]

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March 25 – The Annunciation: “Of His Kingdom, there shall be no end.”

March 24, 2011

The Annunciation, by Father Thomas de Saint-Laurent Out of love for us, the Eternal Word was made flesh in the chaste womb of Mary. His plan was marvelously arranged. From all eternity, He chose a man after His heart who would be the virginal spouse of His divine Mother, His adopted father on earth, and […]

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The Conquest of Jerusalem in the First Crusade

March 24, 2011

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 and 10,000 foot soldiers, with a similar number […]

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Elitism

March 24, 2011

Folha de São Paulo, December 28, 1977 by Plinio Corrêa de Oliveira In more than one progressivist-inspired publication I have run into the adjective, “elitist,” needless to say employed in a strongly pejorative sense. Indeed, from the psychological standpoint, progressivism is an amalgamation of all kinds of mediocrity, triviality and even vulgarity. As a consequence, […]

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A deer guarded this noble saint from the unwanted advances of men

March 24, 2011

March 24, St. Catherine of Sweden Patroness against abortion and miscarriage. The fourth child of Saint Bridget and her husband, Ulf Gudmarsson, born 1331 or 1332; died 24 March, 1381. At the time of her death Saint Catherine was head of the convent of Wadstena, founded by her mother; hence the name, Catherine Vastanensis, by […]

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Saint Louis, the height of chivalry

March 21, 2011

Unlike [Frederick II of Germany], Louis frequently ignored a practical course of action that would derive a benefit for himself and chose instead one that entailed suffering for the benefit of the Church and Christendom. Of all the problems that beset Christian life, the continual harassment by the Saracens of the Holy Places, the pilgrims […]

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Letter from Archbishop Custódio Alvim Pereira

March 21, 2011

Archbishop Emeritus of Lourenço Marques-Maputo Rome, March 25, 1994 Feast of the Annunciation   Dear Dr. Plinio: I attentively read your work, Nobility and Analogous Traditional Elites in the Allocutions of Pius XII, which Your Excellency sent me through the TFPs’ representative in Rome, Mr. Juan Miguel Montes. I cannot fail to congratulate you on […]

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Sorbonne 1968: A Devastating Cultural Revolution Meets Unexpected Resistance 40 Years Later: Part 2

March 21, 2011

by Luis Dufaur The name Isabella — that of a 5 year-old girl killed by being thrown from a 6th floor flat in São Paulo, Brazil — still resounds in everyone’s minds. Her death has an especially terrifying aspect: the killer’s lack of moral sense. This complete lack of moral sense gives us the shivers. […]

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March 21: St. Nicholas of Flüe–he fought with rosary in one hand and sword in the other

March 21, 2011

St. Nicholas of Flüe, patron of: -Switzerland -difficult marriages -large families -judges  

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Saint Joseph, Martyr of Grandeur

March 17, 2011

by Plinio Corrêa de Oliveira To have an idea of what Saint Joseph—the Patron of the Church—was like, we must consider two prodigious facts: he was the foster father of the Child Jesus and he was the spouse of Our Lady. The husband must be proportional to the wife. Now who is Our Lady? She […]

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What’s in a name?

March 17, 2011

During the Terror phase of the French Revolution, all titles of nobility were proscribed. The viscount of Saint-René was interrogated: “What is your name?” “Viscount of Saint-René.” “There are no more viscounts.” “I’m called de Saint-René.” “No one is de any longer.” “I’m called Saint-René.” “There are no more Saints.” “So then, I’m René.” “There […]

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Sorbonne 1968: A Devastating Cultural Revolution Meets Unexpected Resistance 40 Years Later – Part I

March 17, 2011

by Luis Dufaur When the student riots began at the Sorbonne University in France in 1968, the advocates of this “cultural revolution” did not blush to admit they wanted to bring about the ruin of civilization as we know it. However, their vision of this catastrophe was enigmatic: “Soon we will have charming ruins,” they […]

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Saint Patrick, whose name (Patricius) means “noble”

March 17, 2011

Apostle of Ireland, born at Kilpatrick, near Dumbarton, in Scotland, in the year 387; died at Saul, Downpatrick, Ireland, 17 March, 493. He had for his parents Calphurnius and Conchessa. The former belonged to a Roman family of high rank and held the office of decurio in Gaul or Britain. Conchessa was a near relative […]

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Japan’s emperor in historic speech: ‘Never give up hope’

March 17, 2011

Tokyo (CNN) — Japan’s beloved emperor dramatically took to the national TV airwaves Wednesday and buoyed the spirits of his disaster-stricken citizens in an extraordinary address before a nation grappling with the aftermath of an epic earthquake and a devastating tsunami, and amid growing fears of a nuclear catastrophe. An address by a sitting emperor […]

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Doña Marina

March 14, 2011

Before telling about the great Montezuma and his famous city of Mexico and the Mexicans, I wish to give some account of Doña Marina, who from her childhood had been the mistress and Cacica of towns and vassals. It happened in this way: Her father and mother were chiefs and Caciques of a town called […]

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Our Lord Jesus Christ Willed to Be Born a Noble; He Himself Loved the Aristocracy

March 14, 2011

From the allocution of Pius IX to the Roman Patriciate and Nobility on December 29, 1872: Jesus Christ Himself loved aristocracy; and if I am not mistaken, I expounded upon this idea on another occasion. He too chose to be of noble birth, of the House of David; and His Gospel shows us His family […]

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Condolences and support to Emperor Akihito

March 14, 2011

Following the disasturous earthquake and tsunami which hit the north-eastern coast of Japan on Friday afternoon, local time, many reigning monarchs have sent messages of condolence and support to Emperor Akihito of Japan. http://www.theroyalforums.com/22379-monarchs-send-condolences-to-japanese-emperor/ The members of Nobility.org unite their fervent prayers for the Japanese people in this hour of great distress.

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March for Life, Brussels, March 27, 2011

March 14, 2011

Duke Paul of Oldenburg cordially invites you to march with him in defense of those who cannot defend themselves: Brussels — 27 March 2011 — Koningsplein — 3 pm In 2009, 18.870 abortions were performed in Belgium. Most women felt forced to have an abortion because of “social, economical or cultural considerations. If they would […]

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