Friday, May 23, 2025

"They still make human sacrifices..." ~ How Christian were the 6th century Franks, anyway?

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Merovingian Frankish warriors looking especially fierce in this fanciful 19th century engraving. The nation of the Franks are well known tod...
Friday, May 02, 2025

"Faithfully compile the acts of the martyrs, omitting nothing." ~ The duty of the Popes to preserve the history of the Church

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Images of Popes Clement I, Anteros, Fabian, and Damasus I, all holding codices indicating their legacies of defending the doctrines and pres...
Saturday, April 12, 2025

What Happened on Holy Saturday? ~ The ancient sources on Christ's Harrowing of Hell

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Fresco of Christ's Descent into Hell from the lower Basilica of San Clemente in Rome, 9th Century AD. In this detail, Christ takes Adam ...
Sunday, March 30, 2025

Young Constantine as a Ward (or Hostage) at Diocletian's Court

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Constantine slays a lion in this detail from a 17th century tapestry by Peter Paul Rubens. As part of the series of tapestries by Peter Paul...
Thursday, March 13, 2025

Don Giovanni, Lorenzo Da Ponte, and the Unforgivable Sin

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Don Giovanni confronts the statue of Il Commendatore at the climax of the eponymous opera. During Lent, I usually attempt to limit my consum...
Saturday, March 08, 2025

Was Constantine a Sincere Christian? ~ In his own words: The Oration of Constantine to the Saints

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At 43 feet in height, the replica of the Colossus of Constantine in Rome is truly impressive. Most visitors to Rome over the years have marv...
Friday, January 17, 2025

Catherine Gandeaktena ~ From Savagery to Slavery to Sanctity

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Catherine Gandeanktena and her husband  Francis Tonsahoten, as taken from the cover of Catherine of the Erie .   Practically everyone has he...
Saturday, December 28, 2024

“It is better to be Herod’s hog than his heir.” ~ Did Herod's Massacre of the Innocents actually happen?

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Detail from  The Massacre of the Innocents by Léon Cogniet, 1824. Three days after the feast of the Nativity of Jesus, the Catholic Church ...