Top 3 Reasons for Catholics to cast a vote for Trump

Tomorrow, I am voting to ensure the defeat of Hillary Clinton.

For the record, I have not supported Donald Trump throughout the primary process and much of the general election. But as the campaign season has wrapped up, I have decided to vote for him for the three simple reasons that follow:

First, is the status of The Supreme Court.

Mrs. Clinton has been in the vanguard of the Culture of Death for my entire adult life. If she is elected president, she could realistically appoint up to three Supreme Court justices. This would be a catastrophe and would enshrine the atrocity known as human abortion as an unassailable facet of US law for another generation or more. As US Catholics, we can not sit meekly by while this happens. If it takes a vote for Donald Trump to avoid this catastrophic situation, then it is well worth it.

My second reason is because Trump has attacked the political left on the national stage in a way that none of the cowardly/duplicitous GOP leadership has ever dared to. 

Until the second debate, it was my suspicion that Donald Trump was a Democrat shill whose only purpose in the race was to ensure the election of Mrs. Clinton. However, when Mr. Trump began dropping rhetorical truth bombs on Mrs. Clinton in a way that no Republican has ever dared -- even threatening her with jail time for her perceived violations of federal law -- I realized that he was no shill. He did real political damage to the left in a way that I had not seen on the national stage since Ronald Reagan.

Yes, Trump is a blowhard and a buffoon. Everyone knows this. But to take on the Washington and global elites so fearlessly -- he won my admiration because this was an extraordinarily brave thing to do. He will not soon be forgiven.

My third and most important reason is this: Mrs. Clinton and her political machine hate the Catholic Church.

Read Fr. Marciano's complete homily here.

This was made abundantly clear when the emails from John Podesta, chairman of Mrs. Clinton’s campaign, were released in October. In these emails, Podesta admits that they had created “Catholic” front groups for the purpose of infiltrating the Church and changing Church teaching on issues that are inconvenient to Democrats. In one particular correspondence, Podesta encouraged the creation of new groups which would “plant the seeds of revolution" in the Church.

It had long been theorized that nominally Catholic front groups (eg. Catholics for Free Choice) had been created by political forces and that their crass goals had nothing whatsoever to do with serving God or our brothers and sisters, but were founded only to deliver political power to the left. Now, we have the proof. No Catholic in good conscience can vote for this attempted usurpation of Mother Church for the sake of political power.

The best way to defend and protect the Catholic Church in the US and to ensure that Mrs. Clinton and her corrupt cronies do not gain the White House is to cast a vote for Donald Trump tomorrow. As distasteful as I may find it, that is the best way forward I see at this point.

That said, we should all follow Padre Pio's advice to "Pray, hope and don't worry" for our gracious Lord is our true ruler and has the power to bring unexpected good out of even the most evil people's designs.

The Protestant Rebellion: 500 Years of Sinning Boldly

"Be a sinner and sin boldly, but believe and rejoice in Christ even more boldly, for he is victorious over sin, death, and the world. As long as we are here [in this world] we have to sin... No sin will separate us from the Lamb, even though we commit fornication and murder a thousand times a day."

This quote is taken from a letter that Martin Luther wrote in 1521. Now in its 500th year, the protestant rebellion, which Luther initiated, destroyed Christendom and continues to divide the Body of Christ to this day. To commemorate this tragic event, we should reflect upon the prayer of Our Lord in the Gospel according to Saint John (17:11-23)

“Holy Father, keep them in thy name whom thou has given me; that they may be one, as we also are….Sanctify them in truth. Thy word is truth. As thou hast sent me into the world, I also have sent them into the world. [19] And for them do I sanctify myself, that they also may be sanctified in truth. And not for them only do I pray, but for them also who through their word shall believe in me;

“That they all may be one, as thou, Father, in me, and I in thee; that they also may be one in us; that the world may believe that thou hast sent me. And the glory which thou hast given me, I have given to them; that they may be one, as we also are one: I in them, and thou in me; that they may be made perfect in one: and the world may know that thou hast sent me, and hast loved them, as thou hast also loved me.”

Here are a few more quotes from the heresiarch known as Martin Luther. May the errors of Luther be extirpated from among mankind. May his remaining followers find the truth, repent and accept again communion with the One Holy Catholic and Apostolic Church.

“To kill a peasant is not murder; it is helping to extinguish the conflagration. Let there be no half measures! Crush them! Cut their throats! Transfix them. Leave no stone unturned! To kill a peasant is to destroy a mad dog!” – “If they say that I am very hard and merciless, mercy be damned. Let whoever can stab, strangle, and kill them like mad dogs.”

“What harm could it do if a man told a good lusty lie in a worthy cause and for the sake of the Christian Churches?”

“If I had to baptize a Jew, I would take him to the bridge of the Elbe, hang a stone round his neck and push him over with the words I baptize thee in the name of Abraham.”

"Burn their synagogues. Forbid them all that I have mentioned above. Force them to work and treat them with every kind of severity, as Moses did in the desert and slew three thousand... If that is no use, we must drive them away like mad dogs, in order that we may not be partakers of their abominable blasphemy and of all their vices, and in order that we may not deserve the anger of God and be damned with them. I have done my duty. Let everyone see how he does his. I am excused."

These quotes (plus many more) and their sources may be found here.

October 28, AD 312 ~ Constantine defeats Maxentius at the Battle of the Milvian Bridge

Detail from Romano's Battle of the Milvian Bridge, showing Constantine,
on horseback, victorious over Maxentius who is shown drowning in the
Tiber River, lower right. (Click to enlarge)

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October 28 marks the anniversary of the Battle of the Milvian Bridge (AD 312) at which Constantine the Great defeated the usurper Maxentius who had set himself up as emperor in Rome. Son of the emperor Maximian Herculius, Maxentius claimed the same right to the throne that Constantine had claimed from his own father, the emperor Constantius I Chlorus. The difference was that Constantius conferred the imperial power upon his son Constantine on his deathbed, whereas Maxentius took his father's authority by force and drove the old man from Rome.

After two failed attempts by Severus and Galerius to end the usurpation of Maxentius by military force, it was left to Constantine to settle the affair from his base in Gaul. 

I wrote a more detailed and updated account of the battle and Lactantius's account of it here:

“Constantine can not be overcome!” ~ Constantine enters Rome in triumph after the Battle of the Milvian Bridge, October 28, AD 312 

Other articles pertaining to this period may be found at the following links:

• Constantine's Vision of the Cross ~ Early Accounts and Backstory
• "He bade the lapsed weep for their crimes" ~ The ancient sources for Pope Saint Marcellus who died AD 309
• Constantine — Military Hero and Christian Emperor
• Constantine's Execution of Crispus and Fausta
• September 18, AD 324 -- Constantine defeats Licinius at the Battle of Chrysopolis
• Death of Constantius I, the father of Constantine the Great ~ Primary Accounts

Halloween is the vigil of the Catholic feast of All Saints

Remember, Halloween is the vigil of the Catholic holy days of  All Saints (November 1) and All Souls (November 2) which follow immediately after. These feasts are remembrances of our beloved dead—those who are among the saints in heaven and those who remain in the cleansing fire, awaiting admittance to paradise.

These are purely Catholic holidays with no connection to ancient pagan practices, as many ill-informed modern folks like to claim. Read more about the Catholic origins of Halloween here, and about the ancient origins of the Catholic doctrine of Purgatory, Part I: "I knew my brother was suffering", here and Part II: "I beseech you to pray unto the Lord for me, here.

The church of Santa Maria della Concezione dei Cappuccini is famous for its ossuary crypt which displays the remains of over 4,000 Capuchin monks who went to their eternal reward between AD 1500 and 1870. Among the remains is a plaque which reads: “What you are now, we used to be; what we are now, you will be.” This is a reminder to the faithful of their mortality and the capricious nature of death, recalling the words of Christ in the parable: “Thou fool! This very night your life shall be required of you.”

The Man Fully Alive blog offers a brief but poignant description of a visit to the crypt of Santa Maria Concezione dei Cappuccini.

An excellent summary of the origins of All Saints Day and All Hallows Eve may be found at The Catholic Home and Garden site.

Wishing you a blessed and contemplative All Hallows Eve, All Saints Day and All Souls Day.

*Note, this image isn't anything officially sent out from the church or from the Capuchins. I created it myself.

"Do not murder a child by abortion..." -- the ancient teaching of the Church

"Do not murder a child by abortion or kill a newborn infant." 

Thus says The Didache: The Teaching of the 12 Apostles, which was written down in the 1st century AD, not long after the death and resurrection of Jesus. The Didache (which means, literally "The Teaching") is one of the most ancient early Church documents outside of canon of Sacred Scripture and constitutes the earliest catechism of the Christian Church. In the 4th century AD, St. Athanasius specifically called out this most ancient work as one that should be "read by those who newly join us, and who wish for instruction in the word of godliness."

Here is the above quote placed in greater context:

"And the second commandment of the Teaching is: 

Thou shalt not kill. Thou shalt not commit adultery; thou shalt not corrupt boys; thou shalt not commit fornication. Thou shalt not steal. Thou shalt not use witchcraft; thou shalt not practice sorcery. Thou shalt not procure abortion, nor shalt thou kill the new-born child. Thou shalt not covet thy neighbor's goods. 

Thou shalt not forswear thyself (swear falsely). Thou shalt not bear false witness. Thou shalt not speak evil; thou shalt not bear malice. 

Thou shalt not be double-minded nor double-tongued; for duplicity of tongue is a snare of death. 

Thy speech shall not be false, nor vain, but fulfilled by deed. 

Thou shalt not be covetous, nor rapacious, nor a hypocrite, nor malignant, nor haughty. Thou shalt not take evil counsel against thy neighbor. 

Thou shalt not hate any one, but some thou shalt rebuke and for some thou shalt pray, and some thou shalt love above thine own soul (or, life)."

Read the entire text here: http://www.catholicplanet.com/ebooks/didache.htm

Abp Chaput calls for Clinton to repudiate Podesta's anti-Catholic statements

Further to the recent leak of internal documents from Hillary Clinton's campaign chair, John Podesta, containing information about the attempts of the political left in the US to infiltrate and influence the Catholic Church, Archbishop Chaput of Philadelphia has issued a memo entitled, About Those Unthinking Backwards Catholics. It is a solid rebuke of the Podesta emails, as well as a call-to-action to his flock to be aware of this grotesquely Machiavellian attempt to hijack Church teaching for purely political gain. God bless him for taking a swift and strong stand on this emerging scandal.

In his essay, the archbishop recounts an anecdote of how, as Archbishop of Denver, he was solicited by Democrat activists in 2008 who attempted to convince him to shift the Church's focus away from pro-life issues toward other "social justice" questions. Though he was able to sniff out their intentions, it seems many American bishops fell for the sophistry and became tools of the Democrat machine. Chaput recounts the grim results of such activism:

"...These two young men not only equaled but surpassed their Republican cousins in the talents of servile partisan hustling. Thanks to their work, and activists like them, American Catholics helped to elect an administration that has been the most stubbornly unfriendly to religious believers, institutions, concerns and liberty in generations."

Now, it has been revealed that such efforts were not simply appeals to conscience, but nakedly partisan efforts generated from central planning where an amazingly bigoted view of Catholics prevails. Archbishop Chaput closed with the following mildly snarky demand:

"Of course it would be wonderful for the Clinton campaign to repudiate the content of these ugly WikiLeaks emails. All of us backward-thinking Catholics who actually believe what Scripture and the Church teach would be so very grateful."

Given that the news media has issued a virtual black-out on this story, it is necessary for all American bishops to take a strong stand here and force coverage. Will they? I guess we're about to find out how successful the infiltration has been.

Contact named by Podesta in leaked email is on the board at NCR

Further to the previous post, Kathleen Kennedy Townsend who was called out by John Podesta in the leaked "revolution in the Church" email is a member of the Kennedy family, former Democratic lieutenant governor of Maryland, and is on the board at the dissident newspaper, The National Catholic Reporter.

The connections here are fascinating. One wonders how many other names will shake out here before all is said and done.

Clinton cronies plot to foment a "Catholic spring"

Click the image at right to see a newly released leaked email wherein Hillary Clinton's 2016 campaign chair, John Podesta, entertains a conversation on how to "plant the seeds of revolution", create a "Catholic Spring" to end the "middle ages dictatorship." His interlocutor is Sandy Newman, President of Voices for Progress who says, to wit:

"There needs to be a Catholic Spring, in which Catholics themselves demand the end of a middle ages dictatorship and the beginning of a little democracy and respect for gender equality in the Catholic church....I don’t qualify to be involved and I have not thought at all about how one would 'plant the seeds of the revolution,' or who would plant them."

Podesta's response is also telling:

"We created Catholics in Alliance for the Common Good to organize for a moment like this. But I think it lacks the leadership to do so now."

For those Catholics who have thought about supporting Mrs. Clinton to this point, here is what you are voting for--a cadre of radicals who plot to foment revolution within the Catholic Church for their own political gains.

Where are the US Catholic bishops on this? Will they be MIA as usual?

The tough love of St. Francis of Assisi

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"Those who refuse to do penance and receive the Body and Blood of our Lord Jesus Christ are blind....They indulge their vices and sins and follow their evil longings and desires, without a thought for the promises they made."

~Saint Francis of Assisi, in his Letter to All the Faithful 

In our day, Saint Francis of Assisi is commonly portrayed as a nice, happy-go-lucky friar who traveled around Italy preaching about being helpful, friendly and blessing animals. The real Saint Francis was very far from this distorted caricature. He was a loyal follower of even the hardest teachings of Jesus Christ and a true son and soldier of the Catholic Church. He was not averse to preaching directly to the faithful in terms that would grate the soft sensibilities of many modern religious leaders.

Considering the easy road preached by many today, it is well to reflect upon the words written by St. Francis in his Letter to All the Faithful. Here is the above quote in context:

“Every creature in heaven and on earth and in the depths of the sea should give God praise and glory and honor and blessing (cf. Ap. 5: 13); he has borne so much for us and has done and will do so much good to us; he is our power and our strength, and he alone is good (cf. Lk. 18:19), he alone most high, he alone all-powerful, wonderful, and glorious; he alone is holy and worthy of all praise and blessing for endless ages and ages. Amen.

All those who refuse to do penance and receive the Body and Blood of our Lord Jesus Christ are blind, because they cannot see the light, our Lord Jesus Christ. They indulge their vices and sins and follow their evil longings and desires, without a thought for the promises they made. In body they are slaves of the world and of the desires of their lower nature, with all the cares and anxieties of this life; in spirit they are slaves of the devil. They have been led astray by him and have made themselves his children, dedicated to doing his work. They lack spiritual insight because the Son of God does not dwell in them, and it is he who is the true wisdom of the Father. It is of such men as these that Scripture says, their skill was swallowed up (Ps. 106: 27). They can see clearly and are well aware what they are doing; they are fully conscious of the fact that they are doing evil, and knowingly lose their souls.”

See, then you who are blind, deceived by your enemies, the world, the flesh, and the devil, our fallen nature loves to commit sin and hates to serve God; this is because vice and sin come from the heart of man, as the Gospel says. You have no good in this world and nothing to look forward to in the next. You imagine that you will enjoy the worthless pleasures of this life indefinitely, but you are wrong. The day and the hour will come, the day and the hour for which you have no thought and of which you have no knowledge whatever. First sickness, then death, draws near; friends and relatives come and advise the dying man, "Put your affairs in order". Wife and children, friends and relatives, all pretend to mourn. Looking about, he sees them weeping. An evil inspiration comes to him. Thinking to himself, he says, "Look, I am putting my body and soul and all that I have in your hands". Certainly a man who would do a thing like that is under a curse, trusting and leaving his body and his soul and all that he has defenseless in such hands. God tells us by his Prophet, Cursed shall he be that puts his trust in man (Jer. 17:5).

There and then, they call a priest; he says to the sick man, "Do you want to be absolved from all your sins?"

And the dying man replies, "I do."

"Are you ready then to make restitution as best you can out of your property for all that you have done, all the fraud and deceit you practiced towards your fellow men?" the priest asks him.

"No", he replies.

And the priest asks, "Why not?"

"Because I have left everything in the hands of my relatives and friends," is the answer. Then his speech begins to fail and so the unfortunate man dies an unhappy death."

The complete "Letter to All the Faithful" may be found here.

The image accompanying this post shows Saint Francis pointing to death, taken from a fresco painted in 1320 by Giotto which appears on the North transept, Lower Church, San Francesco in Assisi, Italy. Click here to see a higher resolution image of this fresco.

"The scars of others should teach us caution." ~Saint Jerome

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“The scars of others should teach us caution.” 

~St. Jerome’s Letter to Furia, AD 394

September 30 is the feast day of Eusebius Sophronius Hieronymus (AD 347-420), otherwise known as Saint Jerome. Born in Roman Dalmatia, Jerome went on to become one of the most prodigious writers among the Church fathers, best known for his translation of the Sacred Scriptures into Latin, known to posterity as The Vulgate. He is a saint and doctor of the Church.

Among the extant writings of St. Jerome are over one hundred letters, many of these to women who sought his advice. Furia was a young widow who had written to St. Jerome for counsel on how to live after the death of her husband. In response, the saint wrote Furia a long missive full of advice.

Here is the quote above in its original context:

"Avoid the company of young men. Let long baited youths dandified and wanton never be seen under your roof. Repel a singer as you would some bane. Hurry from your housewomen who live by playing and singing, the devil's choir whose songs are the fatal ones of sirens. Do not arrogate to yourself a widow's license and appear in public preceded by a host of eunuchs. It is a most mischievous thing for those who are weak owing to their sex and youth to misuse their own discretion and to suppose that things are lawful because they are pleasant. All things are lawful, but all things are not expedient. No frizzled steward nor shapely foster brother nor fair and ruddy footman must dangle at your heels. Sometimes the tone of the mistress is inferred from the dress of the maid.

Seek the society of holy virgins and widows; and, if need arises for holding converse with men, do not shun having witnesses, and let your conversation be marked with such confidence that the entry of a third person shall neither startle you nor make you blush. The face is the mirror of the mind and a woman's eyes without a word betray the secrets of her heart. I have lately seen a most miserable scandal traverse the entire East. The lady's age and style, her dress and mien, the indiscriminate company she kept, her dainty table and her regal appointments bespoke her the bride of a Nero or of a Sardanapallus. The scars of others should teach us caution. 'When he that causes trouble is scourged the fool will be wiser.' A holy love knows no impatience. A false rumor is quickly crushed and the after life passes judgment on that which has gone before. It is not indeed possible that any one should come to the end of life's race without suffering from calumny; the wicked find it a consolation to carp at the good, supposing the guilt of sin to be less, in proportion as the number of those who commit it is greater. Still a fire of straw quickly dies out and a spreading flame soon expires if fuel to it be wanting. Whether the report which prevailed a year ago was true or false, when once the sin ceases, the scandal also will cease.

I do not say this because I fear anything wrong in your case but because, owing to my deep affection for you, there is no safety that I do not fear. Oh! That you could see your sister and that it might be yours to hear the eloquence of her holy lips and to behold the mighty spirit which animates her diminutive frame. You might hear the whole contents of the old and new testaments come bubbling up out of her heart. Fasting is her sport, and prayer she makes her pastime. Like Miriam after the drowning Pharaoh she takes up her timbrel and sings to the virgin choir, Let us sing to the Lord for He has triumphed gloriously; the horse and his rider has he thrown into the sea. She teaches her companions to be music girls but music girls for Christ, to be luteplayers but luteplayers for the Savior. In this occupation she passes both day and night and with oil ready to put in the lamps she waits the coming of the Bridegroom. Do you therefore imitate your kinswoman. Let Rome have in you what a grander city than Rome, I mean Bethlehem, has in her."

Click here to read the entirety of this letter.

Saint Isaac Jogues and the sign of the cross

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"The sign of the cross is adorable and could not do anything but good to those who should use it. I have no intention of giving it up."
~Saint Isaac Jogues

This quote is taken from an account in the Jesuit Relations.

Following their capture and torture by the Mohawks, Jogues's companion, René Goupil, was murdered by his captors. Jogues did not know why Goupil had been murdered, nor had he been allowed to collect the remains.

Here is the rest of the story, as recorded in the Relations:

"The following Spring, some children reporting that they had seen the Frenchman in a brook, the Father betakes himself thither without saying a word, withdraws those sacred remains, kisses them with respect, and hides them in the hollow of a tree, in order to remove them with himself, if it so happen that they would set him at liberty.

"He did not yet know the cause of his companion's death; but the old man who had caused him to be slain having invited him, some days later, to his cabin, and giving him food, when the Father came to offer the blessing and express the sign of the Cross, that Barbarian said to him: "Do not do that; the Dutch tell us that that act is of no account. Know that I have had thy companion killed for having made it upon my grandson; the like shall be done to thee, if thou continue.''

"The Father answered him that this sign was adorable; that it could not do anything but good to those who should use it; that he had no intention of giving it up. That man dissimulated, for the time, and the Father employed no reserve in this devotion—asking nothing better than to die for having expressed the mark and sign of the Christian." 

Read the account in context here.

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Father Jogues managed to survive his brutal captivity with the Mohawks. With the help of Dutch settlers at Fort Orange (now Albany, New York), he was able to escape back to France. Incredibly, this living martyr volunteered to go back to New France after a short period of recovery. A few years later, he found himself on a diplomatic mission to the very Mohawks who had tortured and enslaved him before. This time, however, he would not survive. The treaty with the French broke down while Jogues was still in Iroquois country. He was killed by a warrior who clove his skull with a tomahawk and then dumped his body into the Mohawk River.

Read more about the wars between the Iroquois, the French and their allies in Iroquois Wars I and Iroquois Wars II.

September 18, AD 324 -- Constantine defeats Licinius at the Battle of Chrysopolis

Today is the anniversary of the Battle of Chrysopolis in Asia Minor. This was the last major battle between Constantine and Licinius for supremacy within the Roman Empire. With nearly 300,000 combined troops participating in the battle, it was one of the largest and bloodiest battles of ancient history.

The battle was preceded by a large-scale naval conflict in which the Licinian fleet was crushed by Constantine's fleet under the command of his son, the Caesar Crispus at the Hellespont between Europe and Asia Minor. Once control of the sea had been established, Constantine moved his forces into Asia Minor to confront the main body of Licinius's host.

Like many of the great battles from this period, details are scanty. We are fortunate, however, in that we have extant accounts offering two quite different perspectives. Here is a brief account of the battle given by the 5th century pagan historian, Zosimus, in his Historia Nova:

While Licinius was thus occupied, Constantine, who had a great number of transports as well as warlike vessels, and was desirous to make use of them in crossing over and possessing himself of the opposite shore, fearing that the Bithynian coast might be inaccessible to ships of burden, immediately constructed some small vessels, with which he sailed to the sacred promontory, which lies at the entrance of the Pontus, two hundred stadia from Chalcedon. He there landed his army, which, having done, he drew them up upon some adjacent hills. Licinius, though he then saw that Bithynia was already in the hands of his enemy, was rendered so desperate by danger, that he sent for Martinianus from Lampsacus, and in order to encourage his men to fight, told them that he himself would lead them. Having said what he thought necessary to encourage them, he drew them up in order of battle, and marching out of the city, met the enemy, who were prepared for him. A sharp engagement taking place between Chalcedon and the sacred promontory, Constantine had the superiority; for he fell on the enemy with such resolution, that of a hundred and thirty thousand men, scarcely thirty thousand escaped. When the Byzantines heard of this, they immediately threw open their gates to Constantine, as did the Chalcedonians also. Licinius after this defeat went to Nicomedia with what horse were left him, and a few thousands of foot. [Read more here.]

And here is another account given by Eusebius in his Life of the Blessed Emperor Constantine which focuses less on the military maneuvers and more on the religious aspects of the conflict:

Click for more info.

And inasmuch as he who had lately fled before him now dissembled his real sentiments, and again petitioned for a renewal of friendship and alliance, the emperor [Constantine] thought fit, on certain conditions, to grant his request, in the hope that such a measure might be expedient, and generally advantageous to the community. Licinius, however, while he pretended a ready submission to the terms prescribed, and attested his sincerity by oaths, at this very time was secretly engaged in collecting a military force, and again meditated war and strife, inviting even the barbarians to join his standard, and he began also to look about him for other gods, having been deceived by those in whom he had hitherto trusted. And, without bestowing a thought on what he had himself publicly spoken on the subject of false deities, or choosing to acknowledge that God who had fought on the side of Constantine, he made himself ridiculous by seeking for a multitude of new gods. Having now learned by experience the Divine and mysterious power which resided in the salutary trophy, by means of which Constantine’s army had become habituated to victory, he admonished his soldiers never to direct their attack against this standard, nor even incautiously to allow their eyes to rest upon it; assuring them that it possessed a terrible power, and was especially hostile to him; so that they would do well carefully to avoid any collision with it. And now, having given these directions, he prepared for a decisive conflict with him whose humanity prompted him still to hesitate, and to postpone the fate which he foresaw awaited his adversary. The enemy, however, confident in the aid of a multitude of gods, advanced to the attack with a powerful array of military force, preceded by certain images of the dead, and lifeless statues, as their defense. On the other side, the emperor, secure in the armor of godliness, opposed to the numbers of the enemy the salutary and life-giving sign, as at once a terror to the foe, and a protection from every harm. And for a while he paused, and preserved at first the attitude of forbearance, from respect to the treaty of peace to which he had given his sanction, that he might not be the first to commence the contest. But as soon as he perceived that his adversaries persisted in their resolution, and were already drawing their swords, he gave free scope to his indignation, and by a single charge overthrew in a moment the entire body of the enemy, thus triumphing at once over them and their gods. [Read more here.]

Having won this battle, Constantine would follow Licinius and his fleeing remnant and bring him to heel soon after. Since he was Constantine's brother-in-law, he was permitted to live as a prisoner in Thessalonica. However, he would be executed shortly thereafter—accused of attempting to raise a new rebellion against Constantine.

Following is a list of other articles on Constantine the Great which have appeared on this blog:

• Constantine — Military Hero and Christian Emperor
• Constantine's Execution of Crispus and Fausta
• Constantine's Vision of the Cross ~ Early Accounts and Backstory
• October 28, AD 312 ~ Constantine Defeats Maxentius at the Battle of the Milvian Bridge
• May 22, AD 337 ~ Death of Constantine the Great as Recorded by Eusebius Pamphilus
• "I myself have witnessed the end of those who harassed the worshipers of God" ~ Constantine's letter to Shapur II of Persia

Fun with animated gifs.

One of the advantages of homeschooling is that you can take off on a whim and go to the beach for a day.

Another advantage is that you have a built in crew of accomplices who enjoy plans like that.

On this day in history, September 13 -- The Battle of Ad Decimum

A 16th century drawing of reliefs on the Column of Arcadius
in Constantinople showing 5th century Roman Soldiers.

On September 13 in the year of Our Lord 533 -- 1483 years ago today -- was fought the Battle of Ad Decimum, wherein the Roman general Belisarius and his army defeated the formidable Vandalic host of King Gelimer. This battle paved the way for the Roman reconquest of the rich provinces of north Africa which had been lost to the Vandals some 80 years before.

We are fortunate in that the primary historian for this event was also an eyewitness. Here is how Procopius of Caesarea describes the run-up to the battle:

On that day, Gelimer commanded his nephew Gibamundus with two thousand of the Vandals to go ahead of the rest of the army on the left side, in order that Ammatas coming from Carthage, Gelimer himself from the rear, and Gibamundus from the country to the left, might unite and accomplish the task of encircling the enemy with less difficulty and exertion. 

But as for me, during this struggle I was moved to wonder at the ways of Heaven and of men, noting how God, who sees from afar what will come to pass, traces out the manner in which it seems best to him that things should come to pass, while men, whether they are deceived or counsel aright, know not that they have failed, should that be the issue, or that they have succeeded, God's purpose being that a path shall be made for Fortune, who presses on inevitably toward that which has been foreordained. For if Belisarius had not thus arranged his forces, commanding the men under John to take the lead, and the Massagetae to march on the left of the army, we should never have been able to escape the Vandals. And even with this planned so by Belisarius, if Ammatas had observed the opportune time, and had not anticipated this by about the fourth part of a day, never would the cause of the Vandals have fallen as it did. 

But as it was, Ammatas came to Decimum about midday, in advance of the time, while both we and the Vandal army were far away, erring not only in that he did not arrive at the fitting time, but also in leaving at Carthage the host of the Vandals, commanding them to come to Decimum as quickly as possible, while he with a few men and not even the pick of the army came into conflict with John's men... [Procopius: History of the Wars, Book III, Chapter 18]. 

Here is an excerpt from my novel, Belisarius: Glory of the Romans, which is an elaboration of the initial action of this battle, where a scout force under the heroic Roman general John of Armenia inflicts a catastrophic loss upon the Vandals. For this scene, I made use not only of the primary historical source, but also of the Strategicon of the Emperor Maurice to fill in some of the tactics.

Riding at the head of his small scouting column, Armenian John knew immediately how vulnerable he was in the narrow valley of Decimum. For that reason, he ordered his men to draw their bows and advance at a gallop, and so they traversed the defile armed and with speed. When they emerged, John immediately spotted something that took his breath away—an armed contingent of Vandals about equal in strength to his own force. 

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What John did not discern was that this small squad was commanded by Ammatas himself who had ventured out of Carthage to scout the lay of the land ahead of his main army. He had commanded the rest of the troops to follow along behind him as soon as they could. Once they arrived, he would line them up in ranks at the mouth of the valley, dig a ditch, and thus act as an impassible obstacle to the Romans on their way to Carthage. As it was, the bulk of the Vandal army of Carthage now advanced haphazardly along the road toward Deciumum with no great urgency in disordered bands of fifty or less.

As soon as Ammatas spied the Romans emerging from the valley, he moved his men to reconnoiter. Realizing that they formed a party no greater than his own, his heart became inflamed with the desire to spill their blood. "Vandals, behold! The invaders are at hand who would take all that is rightfully yours away from you!" he cried to his men. "Let us kill them all and make them regret their mad desire to challenge us!"

Wild with bloodlust, the Vandals gave a fearsome battlecry and followed their commander who charged ahead at full speed. 

When John saw the enemy surging toward him, the imminent danger of battle awoke in him a strange and urgent desire to retreat. Eudocia! his heart screamed. If I am killed here... 

But the instant this weakness arose, he crushed it. Belisarius would not retreat from an equal fight, his mind rejoined. He would show courage and meet the enemy head-on, trusting in God's help. Furthermore, John knew that he could not safely withdraw without causing his troops to panic and rout. For better or worse, battle was at hand and John decided to engage at once and try the enemy's strength. "Arrows!" he shouted, pulling his helm down securely on his head. "Behind me, to the flank, by fours! Eyes on the standard!"

John's superbly trained horse archers fell in behind him and all were soon galloping toward the Vandals, but at an oblique angle. Once the enemy was in range, John drew his bow and loosed. Every man behind him followed his lead. 

The volley hit the Vandal line with devastating results, slaying twenty men outright and toppling another forty from their mounts. The carnage only served to further madden Ammatas, who pressed home his attack, wheeling his column about to smash into the center of the Roman line. 

"Swords!" John cried. "Change front to the left!" His bandifer waved the signal and his men immediately complied. 

Ammatas hit them in a frenzy, he himself spearing one of John's best fighters with his lance on the first rush. But to the Vandals' surprise, the Romans held their ground and fought back with equal vigor. Ammatas had expected the Romans to flee as soon as the first blows were struck and his anger grew white hot as he realized that the enemy were dropping many of his men to the ground. 

"Will you let these worthless Greeklings stand forth against us, O Vandals?" the prince bellowed. "It would be a disgrace to our invincible heritage, for the wretched Romans have never defeated us in battle!"

His men cheered lustily, and with the added impetus, huge Ammatas slew another five Romans in rapid succession with his two-handed greatsword. "Come and taste death!" he screamed, his mount's heaving flanks now stained with the blood of his enemies. Two more Romans fought their way toward him, but before they could even aim a blow, Ammatas had slain them both. 

"The men are wavering!" Boriades shouted breathlessly to John who was beside him at the end of the battle line. "Their commander cuts through us like an all-slaughtering Achilles. Behold, another three have fallen before him." 

John could not respond immediately as he was engaged with a Vandal rider. With deft swordplay, he quickly unhorsed the man, and turned his attention to the center of the battle where Ammatas and his henchmen were killing all who dared challenge them. "You recall how Achilles was slain?" he asked. 

Boriades nodded and both men drew their bows. With anxious energy, Boriades loosed his shaft first and though it flew with power, it clanged harmlessly off the barding of a Vandal horse 

John carefully selected a straight shaft with undamaged fletching. O God, he prayed as he notched it on the string, if it be Your will, let this arrow fly true and seek out him most deserving of justice. He pulled the bowstring back behind his ear and let fly. The dart hissed through the air and thudded home in Ammatas's chest, penetrating armor, flesh and bone. 

At first, the powerful Vandal chieftan was unaware he had been hit. He decapitated yet another Roman, though with the stroke, his right arm tingled and felt weak. His head began to spin and he became aware of a terrible burning pain in his chest. 

"O Prince!" one of his henchmen groaned, his face white. "A dart..." 

Ammatas couldn't respond. His sword now seemed too heavy to lift and he felt himself drifting, sagging, falling. The next thing he knew, his face was in the dust—after that, only darkness 

A tremendous cheer went up from the Romans and a simultaneous cry of dread shattered the Vandals. With their commander slain—the king's own brother—none of them thought about fighting a moment longer. All immediately disengaged and began to flee back toward Carthage. 

"After them!" John cried, throwing caution to the wind. "Let none escape!"

Read the description of the whole battle of Ad Decimum in Belisarius, Book II, Glory of the Romans.

Or, read the account of Procopius in the History of the Wars here.

The Trier Ivory - A 5th century(?) procession bringing relics to Constantinople

Here is a high-resolution photo of the Trier Ivory which is housed at the treasury of Saint Peter's Cathedral in Trier, Germany. Click the image to see more detail.

It shows a sacred procession bringing relics of a saint to a church in Constantinople. The Roman emperor and empress may be seen meeting the procession at the doors of the church, surrounded by a crowd of nobles, ecclesiastics, and common people. The style of the artwork as well as the dress of the subjects seems to indicate a 5th-6th century AD date of origin, though this is the subject of debate by scholars. It is felt that the empress portrayed here could anyone from Helen, the mother of Constantine (d. AD 330) to Irene (d. AD 803).

I had never seen this particular late Roman artifact prior to yesterday. I find it to be a beautiful and evocative piece. It's a shame we have so little context for it.

"Following your heart" without prudence can lead you to some pretty bad places

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If your conscience is poorly formed, "follow your heart" is terrible advice. #downwithdisneywisdom

Originally posted to FaceBook on September 8, 2015.

Video primary source for Constantine the Great's vision of a Cross in the heavens

Also, here is a short video reading of the passage from Eusebius detailing the miracle of the Cross in the sky and its immediate aftermath, done by Arx Publishing:



Constantine's miraculous vision of a cross in the heavens with the words, "Conquer by this" is an epochal event in history. This video offers an account of the vision as related to Eusebius Pamphilus, an historian and bishop, who was acquainted with the Emperor and heard the account first-hand from Constantine himself. He recorded the story in his Life of the Blessed Emperor Constantine which was penned shortly after Constantine's death in AD 337.

The complete Life of the Blessed Emperor Constantine may be found here in book form: http://www.evolpub.com/CRE/CREseries.html#CRE8

Constantine shows up randomly on Facebook

Here's a meme I created years ago featuring Constantine the Great, just shared again today by Great Eastern Roman Empire on Facebook:

"He saw with his own eyes the trophy of a cross of light in the heavens, above the sun, and bearing the inscription, CONQUER BY THIS. At the sight he himself was struck with amazement and his whole army with him."

Quote taken from: Life of the Blessed Emperor Constantine by Eusebius Pamphilus, written ca. AD 337. The famous incident of the cross in the sky occurred in AD 312 prior to the Battle of the Milvian Bridge, a victory which secured Constantine's position as Augustus of the West. Many who witnessed it would still have been alive when Eusebius wrote his biography. For more information, see: http://www.evolpub.com/CRE/CREseries.html#CRE8

Animated gif shore photo

Posting this family photo from the Jersey shore to see if animated gifs actually work on here.

Book Review - The Rending of Christendom Primary Document Catholic Study Course

In recent days, the study of history has become less a search for truth and almost exclusively about the creation of a narrative to further a political ideology. Some might argue that this has always been true. In my experience, however, such claims are most often put forward by the most egregious narrative-creators themselves when their lack of objectivity is called into question.

I first noticed this trend while in high school. As an avid student of World War II, it was perplexing to me that the entirety of the war was summed up in my so-called social studies courses in two events: the atom bomb and the Holocaust. Hardly anything else was deemed worthy of discussion. Church history suffered a similar fate in my ostensibly Catholic schooling. We were presented with a narrative that nothing particularly good happened in the Church until the 1960s. As a result, all the events, achievements, miracles, conflicts, saints, heroes, villains, doctrines and teachings up until that point were given very scant coverage indeed. When I later discovered on my own how fascinating, rich and beautiful Church history is, I was astonished and angry. To quote my parish priest, I felt like what I had been told was a diamond was actually a cubic zirconia--and that the real diamond had been purposely buried to keep anyone from finding it.

As a result of this experience, I have come to distrust most modern interpreters of history (particularly those who don't wear their subjectivity on their lapel) and greatly value the study of primary sources when learning or teaching history. And that's where Phillip Campbell's The Rending of Christendom comes in. In an accessible 100 pages, Campbell offers a gold mine of basic primary documents dealing with the root causes, major events and personalities of the Protestant Revolution. The objective is to give the student a sampling of important sources from that era and teach them how to draw inferences from them. The documents run the gamut of the conflict, from well known sources such as Luther's 95 Theses and the Edict of Nantes to less studied but equally fascinating documents such as Luther's "Against the Robbing and Murdering Hordes of Peasants" and the final letter of Mary Queen of Scots prior to her execution.

I feel quite confident that few if any high school and college students in Catholic institutions have ever seen these documents before. Unlike most traditional textbooks, these documents do the opposite of reducing history to a bland sequence of names, dates and capsule summaries. Rather, they add the excitement of the present to the events described and put intellectual faces to the key names: Martin Luther, Ignatius of Loyola, Thomas More, Richard Hooker, John Calvin, Francis de Sales, Elizabeth I, Charles Borromeo and many others. As such, the source documents here may be the beginning of innumerable conversations that have immediate relevance to the situation in our world today. Instead of creating their own narrative for credulous students to memorize and regurgitate, these documents allow students to contemplate the big issues of the time from the inside. They also provide fodder for students to draw their own conclusions, aided by Campbell's brief introductory statements and helpful study questions at the end of each document.

Of course, such a slim book as The Rending of Christendom can only provide an appetizer for the main course of historical research into the Protestant Revolt. My suspicion is that many more students will be tempted to dive into the ocean of such scholarship after using this introduction as compared to those using traditional textbooks. Because of this, I highly recommend The Rending of Christendom for use in both traditional Catholic educational settings and homeschooling. I look forward to seeing more such resources from Philip Campbell in this same vein--he is definitely on to something.

Really, resources like this should be a staple in Catholic schools that hope to do more than simply put a thin Catholic varnish on the secular American historical narrative. Other primary source compendia which fulfill much of the same function as The Rending of Christendom include The Christian Roman Empire series and Fontes Mediaevalium series, both by Evolution Publishing. Among these, I particularly recommend The First Crusade: The Accounts of Eye-Witnesses and Participants which chronicles the history of the much maligned and misunderstood First Crusade through the eyes of those who experienced it first-hand.