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Full Text of ReadingsEighth Sunday in Ordinary Time Lectionary: 84The Saint of the day is Saint Agnes of BohemiaSaint Agnes of Bohemia's Story Agnes had no children of her own but was certainly life-giving for all who knew her. Agnes was the daughter of Queen Constance and King Ottokar I of Bohemia. She was betrothed to the Duke of Silesia, who died three years later. As she grew up, she decided she wanted to enter the religious life. After declining marriages to King Henry VII of Germany and King Henry III of England, Agnes was faced with a proposal from Frederick II, the Holy Roman Emperor. She appealed to Pope Gregory IX for help. The pope was persuasive; Frederick magnanimously said that he could not be offended if Agnes preferred the King of Heaven to him. After Agnes built a hospital for the poor and a residence for the friars, she financed the construction of a Poor Clare monastery in Prague. In 1236, she and seven other noblewomen entered this monastery. Saint Clare sent five sisters from San Damiano to join them, and wrote Agnes four letters advising her on the beauty of her vocation and her duties as abbess. Agnes became known for prayer, obedience and mortification. Papal pressure forced her to accept her election as abbess, nevertheless, the title she preferred was “senior sister.” Her position did not prevent her from cooking for the other sisters and mending the clothes of lepers. The sisters found her kind but very strict regarding the observance of poverty; she declined her royal brother's offer to set up an endowment for the monastery. Devotion to Agnes arose soon after her death on March 6, 1282. Canonized in 1989, her liturgical feast is celebrated on March 6. Reflection Agnes spent at least 45 years in a Poor Clare monastery. Such a life requires a great deal of patience and charity. The temptation to selfishness certainly didn't vanish when Agnes walked into the monastery. It is perhaps easy for us to think that cloistered nuns “have it made” regarding holiness. Their route is the same as ours: gradual exchange of our standards—inclinations to selfishness—for God's standard of generosity. Click here for more on Saint Agnes of Bohemia! Saint of the Day, Copyright Franciscan Media

Full Text of ReadingsTuesday after Epiphany Lectionary: 213The Saint of the day is Saint Raymond of PeafortSaint Raymond of Peñafort's Story Since Raymond lived into his hundredth year, he had a chance to do many things. As a member of the Spanish nobility, he had the resources and the education to get a good start in life. By the time he was 20, he was teaching philosophy. In his early 30s he earned a doctorate in both canon and civil law. At 41 he became a Dominican. Pope Gregory IX called him to Rome to work for him and to be his confessor. One of the things the pope asked him to do was to gather together all the decrees of popes and councils that had been made in 80 years since a similar collection by Gratian. Raymond compiled five books called the Decretals. They were looked upon as one of the best organized collections of Church law until the 1917 codification of canon law. Earlier, Raymond had written for confessors a book of cases. It was called Summa de Casibus Poenitentiae. More than simply a list of sins and penances, it discussed pertinent doctrines and laws of the Church that pertained to the problem or case brought to the confessor. At the age of 60, Raymond was appointed archbishop of Tarragona, the capital of Aragon. He didn't like the honor at all and ended up getting sick and resigning in two years. He didn't get to enjoy his peace long, however, because when he was 63 he was elected by his fellow Dominicans to be the head of the whole Order, the successor of Saint Dominic. Raymond worked hard, visited on foot all the Dominicans, reorganized their constitutions and managed to put through a provision that a master general be allowed to resign. When the new constitutions were accepted, Raymond, then 65, resigned. He still had 35 years to oppose heresy and work for the conversion of the Moors in Spain. He convinced Saint Thomas Aquinas to write his work Against the Gentiles. In his 100th year, the Lord let Raymond retire. Reflection Raymond was a lawyer, a canonist. Legalism can suck the life out of genuine religion if it becomes too great a preoccupation with the letter of the law to the neglect of the spirit and purpose of the law. The law can become an end in itself, so that the value the law was intended to promote is overlooked. But we must guard against going to the opposite extreme and seeing law as useless or something to be lightly regarded. Laws ideally state those things that are for the best interests of everyone and make sure the rights of all are safeguarded. From Raymond, we can learn a respect for law as a means of serving the common good. Saint Raymond of Peñafort is a Patron Saint of: Lawyers Saint of the Day, Copyright Franciscan Media

"Christians must lean on the Cross of Christ just as travelers lean on a staff when they begin a long journey." - St. Anthony of Padua. Inspired by the first Franciscan Martyrs of North Africa, Fernando (Anthony) joined the order, praying God would allow him to follow in their footsteps, but the Lord had different plans. Instead of dying preaching to Muslims, St. Anthony would live to preach to St. Francis himself, and Pope Gregory IX, helping usher in a new Pentecost in the Church. If God has ever changed your plans, and you've struggled to receive what he has for you instead, this episode of the #BecomeFire Podcast is for you.

Friends of the Rosary, Today, September 24, is the feast of Our Lady of Mercy, a national holiday in Peru. The Catholic Church also celebrates Our Lady of Walsingham (Memorial, England) and Our Lady of Ransom (Hist). Devotion to the Virgin of Mercy dates back to the founding of Lima. The Mercederian friars, who came to Peru with the conquerors, brought the devotion to the Virgin of Mercy, a Marian title of the thirteenth century, and they built their primitive convent chapel in 1535. The Mercederians evangelized the region and participated in the city's development, building beautiful churches that have been preserved as a valuable cultural and religious patrimony. In 1218, St. Peter Nolasco and James I, King of Aragon and Catalonia, experienced separately a vision of the Most Holy Virgin, who asked them to form a religious order dedicated to rescuing the many Christian captives held by the Muslims. This Order of Our Lady of Mercy was approved as a military order in 1235 by Pope Gregory IX. It liberated thousands of Christian prisoners. Later, it became dedicated to teaching and social work. Ave Maria!Jesus, I Trust In You!Come, Holy Spirit, come!St. Padre Pio, Pray for Us! To Jesus through Mary! + Mikel Amigot | RosaryNetwork.com, New York

35 Let your loins be girt, and lamps burning in your hands.Sint lumbi vestri praecincti, et lucernae ardentes in manibus vestris,  36 And you yourselves like to men who wait for their lord, when he shall return from the wedding; that when he cometh and knocketh, they may open to him immediately.et vos similes hominibus exspectantibus dominum suum quando revertatur a nuptiis : ut, cum venerit et pulsaverit, confestim aperiant ei.  37 Blessed are those servants, whom the Lord when he cometh, shall find watching. Amen I say to you, that he will gird himself, and make them sit down to meat, and passing will minister unto them.Beati servi illi quos, cum venerit dominus, invenerit vigilantes : amen dico vobis, quod praecinget se, et faciet illos discumbere, et transiens ministrabit illis.  38 And if he shall come in the second watch, or come in the third watch, and find them so, blessed are those servants.Et si venerit in secunda vigilia, et si in tertia vigilia venerit, et ita invenerit, beati sunt servi illi.  39 But this know ye, that if the householder did know at what hour the thief would come, he would surely watch, and would not suffer his house to be broken open.Hoc autem scitote, quoniam si sciret paterfamilias, qua hora fur veniret, vigilaret utique, et non sineret perfodi domum suam.  40 Be you then also ready: for at what hour you think not, the Son of man will come.Et vos estote parati : quia qua hora non putatis, Filius hominis veniet. With Ss Peter Nolasco and Raymund at Penefort, the Founders of the Order of Our Lady of Mercy, St Raymond Nonnatus is the glory of his Congregation. He gave himself up to the Mohammedans in order to ransom a Christian. Pope Gregory IX created him cardinal: he died on his return A.D. 1240.

Full Text of ReadingsTwentieth Sunday in Ordinary Time Lectionary: 119The Saint of the day is Saint Louis of ToulouseSaint Louis of Toulouse’s Story When he died at the age of 23, Louis was already a Franciscan, a bishop, and a saint! Louis's parents were Charles II of Naples and Sicily, and Mary, daughter of the King of Hungary. Louis was related to Saint Louis IX on his father's side and to Elizabeth of Hungary on his mother's side. Louis showed early signs of attachment to prayer and to the corporal works of mercy. As a child he used to take food from the castle to feed the poor. When he was 14, Louis and two of his brothers were taken as hostages to the king of Aragon's court as part of a political deal involving Louis's father. At the court, Louis was tutored by Franciscan friars under whom he made great progress both in his studies and in the spiritual life. Like Saint Francis he developed a special love for those afflicted with leprosy. While he was still a hostage, Louis decided to renounce his royal title and become a priest. When he was 20, he was allowed to leave the king of Aragon's court. He renounced his title in favor of his brother Robert and was ordained the next year. Very shortly after, he was appointed bishop of Toulouse, but the pope agreed to Louis's request to become a Franciscan first. The Franciscan spirit pervaded Louis. “Jesus Christ is all my riches; he alone is sufficient for me,” Louis kept repeating. Even as a bishop he wore the Franciscan habit and sometimes begged. He assigned a friar to offer him correction—in public if necessary—and the friar did his job. Louis's service to the Diocese of Toulouse was richly blessed. In no time he was considered a saint. Louis set aside 75 percent of his income as bishop to feed the poor and maintain churches. Each day he fed 25 poor people at his table. Louis was canonized in 1317 by Pope John XXII, one of his former teachers. His liturgical feast is celebrated on August 19. Reflection When Cardinal Hugolino, the future Pope Gregory IX, suggested to Francis that some of the friars would make fine bishops, Francis protested that they might lose some of their humility and simplicity if appointed to those positions. Those two virtues are needed everywhere in the Church, and Louis shows us how they can be lived out by bishops. Saint of the Day, Copyright Franciscan Media

Friends of the Rosary, Today is the Memorial of St. Anthony of Padua (1195-1231), a Doctor of the Church and one of the most popular saints. Born in Lisbon, he was an excellent theologian and a popular preacher, inspired by the love of God and souls. He vigorously opposed heresy with a deep knowledge of the Bible. Pope Gregory IX called him the Arca Testamenti, meaning “the living repository of the Holy Scriptures,” and Pope Pius XII. From the day of his death — very young, at 36, in Padua, Italy— the faithful invoke him, and innumerable miracles are attributed to his intercession. Women invoke St. Anthony in search of good husbands, so if you're single and searching for a spouse, today is a good day to visit a church or shrine dedicated to St. Anthony and make your petition! Ave Maria!Jesus, I Trust In You! Come, Holy Spirit, come! To Jesus through Mary! + Mikel Amigot | RosaryNetwork.com, New York • June 13, 2024, Today's Rosary on YouTube | Daily broadcast at 7:30 pm ET

Hey, Hi, Hello, this is the History Wizard and welcome back for Day 9 of Have a Day w/ The History Wizard. Thank you to everyone who tuned in for Day 8 last week, and especially thank you to everyone who rated and/or reviewed the podcast. I hope you all learned something last week and I hope the same for this week. This week we're going to be looking at infighting within Christianity. There are many differing opinions within the faith on the whos and whats and whys and hows, and very oft en they decide to kill each other over these, ultimately minor, differences. The Cathar Genocide, often known as the  Albegensian Crusade, was just such an event. It was a time when the Pope felt threatened by those who he deemed to be heretics and so decided to kill them. But, first it's time to craft our potions. Todays libations, gods I love that word, is called Melting Snow. Take two ounces of sake, 1 ounce of triple sec, 3-4 dashes of black lemon bitters, shake and pour into a rocks glass before gently pouring 1 tsp of grenadine syrup into it. The resulting drink should have the grenadine settle at the bottom initially making a lovely presentation. Though I'd mix it before actually imbibing. With that out of the way let's talk about who the Cathar were. The name Cathar comes from the Greek word katharoi, meaning “the pure ones”. Their other name, the Albegensians, comes from the fact that many adherents during the Crusade lived in or around the city of Albi. Catharism is described as a somewhat dualist, somewhat Gnostic heretical branch of Christianity. Though, it bears mentioning that both are likely exonyms and the followers of this particular faith often self identifies as Good Men, Good Women, or Good Christians. So what is dualism and what is gnosticism? Well in the case of the Cathars they were pretty much the same thing. Dualism is the moral or spiritual belief that two fundamental concepts exist, which often oppose each other. Gnosticism draws a distinction between a supreme, and hidden God above all, and a lesser deity (sometimes called the demiurge) who created the material world. Consequently, Gnostics considered material existence flawed or evil, and held the principal element of salvation to be direct knowledge of the hidden divinity, attained via mystical or esoteric insight. Many Gnostic texts deal not in concepts of sin and repentance, but with illusion and enlightenment. Gnosticism preferred people to have personal knowledge and experience with the divine, something that threatened the power of the early Church. Cathar cosmology identified two Gods. One who created the perfect spiritual world and the other, the demiurge who created the imperfect and sinful physical world. The demiurge is often identified as Yahweh and is referred to as Rex Mundi, King of the World. All visible matter, including the human body, was created or crafted by this Rex Mundi; matter was therefore tainted with sin. Under this view, humans were actually angels seduced by Satan before a war in heaven against the army of Michael, after which they would have been forced to spend an eternity trapped in the evil God's material realm. The Cathars taught that to regain angelic status one had to renounce the material self completely. Until one was prepared to do so, they would be stuck in a cycle of reincarnation, condemned to suffer endless human lives on the corrupt Earth. Also, while they revered Jesus Christ, they also denied that he was ever a mortal man, instead believing that both he and Mary were Angels taking the semblance of a human form in order to teach our sin tainted flesh to grow closer to the purity of divinity. Other Cathar beliefs included the pescetarian diet, their view that women were pretty purely to tempt men away from divine purity and some Cathars believed that Eve had sex with Satan and gave birth to a race of giants who were all wiped out in the Great Flood. Cathars also rejected the Catholic priesthood, labeling its members, including the pope, unworthy and corrupted. Disagreeing on the Catholic concept of the unique role of the priesthood, they taught that anyone, not just the priest, could consecrate the Eucharistic host or hear a confession. There were, however, men selected amongst the Cathars to serve as bishops and deacons. Now, while the Cathar Crusade took place over a 20 year period between 1209 and 1229, the persecution against them began almost as soon as they were founded. The Cathars were denounced as heretics by 8 separate church councils between 1022 and 1163. However the true troubles wouldn't begin until 1208 when Pope Innocent III sent a legate named Pierre du Castelnau to chastise Raymond VI, Count of Toulouse for his lack of action against these heretical Cathars who lived on his land. Castelnau withdrew from Toulouse after 6 months of Raymond basically ignoring him. On January 15, 1208 Pierre was assassinated. Innocent suspected, and acted on the suspicion that the assassination was carried out by an agent of Reymond, although this was never proven.  Still, when has lack of evidence ever stopped the Church from killing people? The assassination of Pierre du Castelnau was causus belli for the Albigensian Crusade. The Albigensian Crusade, the Cathar Genocide, took place all around the area known as Languedoc, also known as Occitania. Today the province is a part of southern France, but for a while it was its own region with distinct culture and its own language. Occitan wasn't very similar to French, it was not mutually understandable. In fact it was closer to Catalan than it was to French. Now, because Catharism rejected both the authority of the French King and the Pope in favor of a far more egalitarian relationship with their nation and their God many nobles from France embraced Catharism, at least at a surface level due to their desire to also reject the authority of the King of France. This made Catharism not just a threat to the spiritual and material authority of the Pope, but also a threat to the material authority of the King. After the assassination of Castelnau Raymond VI Count of Toulouse was excommunicated from the Church. Although there was a very brief period when Raymond sent embassies to Rome and exchanged gifts. They reconciled and the excommunication was lifted, only for him to be excommunicated AGAIN on the grounds that he didn't properly meet the terms of reconciliation.  And so it was that in 1209, after assembling an army of about 10,000 men near the city of Lyons that Pope Innocent III declared his crusade against the Albigensians, stating that a Europe free of heresy could better defend its borders against Muslim armies. This crusade against the Albigensians also coincided with the Fifth and Sixth Crusades in the Holy Land. Most of the troops for the crusade came from Northern France, although there would also be volunteers from England and Austria. After some initial dispute over who would lead the quote righteous armies of the Lord unquote Papal Legate Arnaud Amalric was chosen as the commander.  As the Crusaders assembled, Raymond attempted to reach an agreement with his nephew and vassal, Raymond Roger Trencavel, viscount of Béziers and Carcassonne, for a united defense, but Raymond Roger refused him. Raymond decided to make an accommodation with the Crusaders. He was fiercely opposed by Amalric, but at Raymond's request, Innocent appointed a new legate, Milo, whom he secretly ordered to obey Amalric. On 18 June 1209, Raymond pronounced himself repentant. He was scourged by Milo and declared restored to full Communion with the Church. The following day, he took the Cross, affirming his loyalty to the crusade and promising to aid it. With Raymond restored to unity with the Church, his lands could not be attacked. The Crusaders therefore turned their attention to the lands of Raymond Roger, aiming for the Cathar communities around Albi and Carcassonne. Béziers would be the first major engagement of the Cathar Genocide, although at around the same time, another Crusader army commanded by the Archbishop of Bordeaux took Casseneuil and burned several accused heretics at the stake. The crusading armies arrived at Béziers on 21 July, 1209 and demanded that the Catholics of the city leave and that the Cathars surrender. Both groups ignored them and the city settled in for a long siege.  The siege lasted for exactly one day. The troops within Béziers attempted to sortie beyond the gates of their city and after being routed they were pursued through the open gates of the city and it fell within 24 hours. Amalric then proceeded to order the slaughter of every single person, adult or child, within the walls of the city. What follows is possibly apocryphal, a phrase which hears means made up, but allegedly when asked by his troops how they should distinguish between Catholic and Cathar Amalric said “Caedite eos. Novit enim Dominus qui sunt eius” The literal translation of which is “Kill them. The Lord knows those that are his own” There's some dispute over whether or now Amalric actually said this, but it is agreed that it captures the vibe rather well as the entire city of Béziers was killed. There were no survivors. The death toll is placed at around 20,000 people, though this is thought to be an exaggeration. Raymond Roger was not at Béziers when it fell. He had fled with most of his troops to the city of Carcassonne (yes, like the board game) intending to hold there. After the surrounding towns and villages heard about the slaughter at Béziers they all surrendered without a fight. This made Carcassonne the next major target of Amalric and his band of brigands. The 45 mile march to Carcassonne took the crusaders 6 days to complete. Once arrayed around Carcassonne they settled in for a siege that lasted slightly longer than the one at Béziers. But, after 6 days and after cutting the cities water supply Raymond Roger sought to negotiate. Amalric agreed to parley, but took Roger prisoner while speaking under truce. Carcassonne would not be the site of another slaughter though. All the people of the city were marched out of the city at sword point. They were naked according to Peter of Vaux-de-Cernay, a monk and eyewitness to many events of the crusade, but "in their shifts and breeches", according to Guillaume de Puylaurens, a contemporary. Rogers died several months later, either of dysentery or from being assassinated. In each city the armies approached, they reacted differently and treated the people differently. The fall of Lastours and castle Cabaret took much longer than the others, although this was largely because of the onset of winter. The area around Cabaret was full of communes like Lastours, Minerve, and Bram. After Minerve fell to bombardment from siege weapons, destroying the main well of the commune, it surrendered. The crusaders, now under the command of Simon de Montfort wished to be more lenient to the people of Minerve. He allowed to defending soldiers, the Catholics, and the non-perfecti Cathars. Perfecti was the title of those Cathars who were considered adept in the teachings of their faith. They were roughly analogous to deacons. The Perfecti were given the option to recant their beliefs and return to the Catholic faith. Of the 143 perfecti in Minerve, only 3 elected to do this. The rest were burned at the stake, many walking directly into the flames of their own volition, not even waiting for their executioners to force them. There were some successes for the Cathars though. The siege of Termes almost ended with the Cathar being slaughtered, but in the end them managed to abandon the city and escape before the walls could be breached, owning in part to a massive rain storm.  In May of 1211 the castle of Aimery de Montréal was retaken; he and his senior knights were hanged, and several hundred Cathars were burned. The crusade was turning towards its end. Montfort began to position his troops around the city of Toulouse meaning to crush one of the last major Cathar bastions in France. The Cathars, in their fear, turned to Peter II of Aragon for aid and support. Peter's sister Eleanor was married to Raymond VI. Peter, named a valiant hero for his actions against the Moors was able to use his influence to get Innocent to call a halt of the crusade and used that time to try and negotiate peace. When those peace negotiations failed Peter decided to come to their aid of Toulouse against Simon de Montfort, fearing that Montfort was becoming too powerful and gaining too much influence within the Catholic Church. This alarmed Innocent III who immediately declared the Crusade begun again. Meanwhile Raymond VI had had his excommunication lifted and then reinstated AGAIN during this time. Unfortunately for the Cathars and for Peter II, he would die in his first major engagement with Simon's forces. The Battle of Muret saw a devastating loss for Peter's forces. Despite outnumbering Simon's armies Simon had better tactics and carried the day. The next few years was a flurry of activity and victory fo Simon, who was eventually named the new count over all of Raymond VI's lands that had already been captured. Any land that had not yet been captured  would fall under the control of the Catholic Church who would hold onto them until Raymond VII, who was currently in England with his father, having fled a few years ago, was old enough to govern them himself. The crusade would continue for a few years more, though there were periods of confusion and relative peace. One such period was when Pope Innocent III died suddenly and unexpectedly and the crusade was taken over by the much more cautious King Philip II of France. The crusade was resumed with greater vigor in 1217 on orders from Pope Honorius III and for the remainder of it would center around Toulouse and maintaining control of it. By 1222 Raymond VII, who had returned from exile with his father had reclaimed all the lands that he had lost and the crusaders were firmly on the backfoot. Come 1225 Raymond VII was excommunicated, like his father (now deceased) and King Louis VII of France, son of Philip II (now deceased) renewed the Crusade. The Cathar heresy was going to be dealt with one way or another. The exact number of troops that Louis brought with him to renew the Crusade is unknown, but it is known that it was the largest force to be brought against the Cathars throughout the entirety of the genocide. Louis began his campaign in earnest in June of 1226 and quickly recaptured the towns of Béziers, Carcassonne, Beaucaire, and Marseille, this time with no resistance. Eventually the armies surrounded Toulouse and Raymond, not having the manpower to resist surrendered and signed the Treaty of Paris at Meaux on April 12, 1229. Now, something important to be aware of is that Historian Daniel Power notes that the fact that Peter of Vaux-de-Cernay's Historia Albigensis, which many historians of the crusade rely heavily upon, was published only in 1218 and this leaves a shortage of primary source material for events after that year. As such, there is more difficulty in discerning the nature of various events during the subsequent time period. With the war over we would transition into the next phase of the genocide, that of destroying Catharism as a cultural element and forcing surviving Cathars to repent and convert. With the military phase of the campaign against the Cathars now primarily at an end, the Inquisition was established under Pope Gregory IX in 1234 to uproot heretical movements, including the remaining Cathars. Operating in the south at Toulouse, Albi, Carcassonne and other towns during the whole of the 13th century, and a great part of the 14th, it succeeded in crushing Catharism as a popular movement and driving its remaining adherents underground. Punishments for Cathars varied greatly. Most frequently, they were made to wear yellow crosses atop their garments as a sign of outward penance. Others made obligatory pilgrimages, which often included fighting against Muslims. Visiting a local church naked once each month to be scourged was also a common punishment, including for returned pilgrims. Cathars who were slow to repent or who relapsed suffered imprisonment and, often, the loss of property. Others who altogether refused to repent were burned. The vast majority of those accused escaped death and were sentenced to a lighter penalty. Still, Catharism as a distinct religion was all but destroyed. Raphael Lemkin, who coined the word "genocide" in the 20th century, referred to the Albigensian Crusade as "one of the most conclusive cases of genocide in religious history". And, at the risk of making an appeal to authority fallacy, if the guy who invented the term and died fighting for its recognition in national and international law calls it a genocide, it is one. That's it for this week folks. No new reviews, so let's get right into the outro. Have a Day! w/ The History Wizard is brought to you by me, The History Wizard. If you want to see/hear more of me you can find me on Tiktok @thehistorywizard or on Instagram @the_history_wizard. Please remember to rate, review, and subscribe to Have a Day! On your pod catcher of choice. The more you do, the more people will be able to listen and learn along with you. Thank you  for sticking around until the end and, as always, Have a Day.  

THIS WEEK! We take a look at The Popes, And The Hoenstaufen. We take a look at how the relationship between Barbarossa, and Alexander III, The Anti Pope, and the third crusade. We also take a look at Frederick II, and Pope Gregory IX. Why did the popes dislike the Hoenstaufen? AND A New Mic! Find out this week on "Well That Aged Well", With "Erlend HedegartSupport this show http://supporter.acast.com/well-that-aged-well. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

This week, on a show has an actual theme, and it's wack history! It's the best of the first 137 installments of the annual tradition of the BLC's Wack History Month. First, we chat about the deadliest ladies of all time and we get some surprise guests. Then, we reveal the official animal mascot of Wack History Month, Porpoisey! Saint Paddy's Day Tips, and of course, It's Sports! Join us a for a real party and celebrate the best month of the year.  Listen at: https://blc.world/ Tweet the Show: https://twitter.com/blcworld Follow us on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/blcpodcast/ Check us out on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/blcpodcast/ Buy Fred and Allan Beer: https://www.patreon.com/blcworld(00:00) This episode features our favorite month of the year, whack history month (00:39) This month is women's history month, Fred (04:33) There's one person on this list that is, like a Nazi lady (09:11) Lady Elizabeth Bathery is probably the worst of the murdering bathuries (14:16) This is the 83rd edition of the Black League and collection podcast (16:59) March is whack history Month. So, of course, it's march (18:43) Despite popular imagination, medieval people weren't smelly at all (21:50) Napoleon was actually five six, which is average height for his time (23:58) Pope Gregory Ix decreed that cats should be destroyed (27:41) Alan signed deal with Satan so we can get pop culture pros (28:28) Alan Bennett welcomes Mr. Leprechaun to discuss St. Patrick's Day tips (35:10) It's almost St. Patty's Day. If you didn't know that, well, (38:42) This week, we're turning the whack history whack pack loose on sports (43:39) The number five worst trade in sports history was when Julius Irving was traded (47:35) Fred says he missed daylight savings time because of me (50:59) So the number four whack history sports moment is Herschel Walker being traded (55:40) Red Sox traded Babe Ruth for $100,000 to finance musical (57:25) Do you guys think there have been many good comedies recently  #blcpodcast #podcastingforthepeople #funny #podcast #greenvillesc #scpodcast #yeahthatgreenville Listen at: https://blc.world/ Tweet the Show: https://twitter.com/blcworld Follow us on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/blcpodcast/ Check us out on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/blcpodcast/ Buy Fred and Allan Beer: https://www.patreon.com/blcworld

Full Text of ReadingsSaturday of the Second Week of Lent Lectionary: 235The Saint of the day is Saint Agnes of BohemiaSaint Agnes of Bohemia's Story Agnes had no children of her own but was certainly life-giving for all who knew her. Agnes was the daughter of Queen Constance and King Ottokar I of Bohemia. She was betrothed to the Duke of Silesia, who died three years later. As she grew up, she decided she wanted to enter the religious life. After declining marriages to King Henry VII of Germany and King Henry III of England, Agnes was faced with a proposal from Frederick II, the Holy Roman Emperor. She appealed to Pope Gregory IX for help. The pope was persuasive; Frederick magnanimously said that he could not be offended if Agnes preferred the King of Heaven to him. After Agnes built a hospital for the poor and a residence for the friars, she financed the construction of a Poor Clare monastery in Prague. In 1236, she and seven other noblewomen entered this monastery. Saint Clare sent five sisters from San Damiano to join them, and wrote Agnes four letters advising her on the beauty of her vocation and her duties as abbess. Agnes became known for prayer, obedience and mortification. Papal pressure forced her to accept her election as abbess, nevertheless, the title she preferred was “senior sister.” Her position did not prevent her from cooking for the other sisters and mending the clothes of lepers. The sisters found her kind but very strict regarding the observance of poverty; she declined her royal brother's offer to set up an endowment for the monastery. Devotion to Agnes arose soon after her death on March 6, 1282. Canonized in 1989, her liturgical feast is celebrated on March 6. Reflection Agnes spent at least 45 years in a Poor Clare monastery. Such a life requires a great deal of patience and charity. The temptation to selfishness certainly didn't vanish when Agnes walked into the monastery. It is perhaps easy for us to think that cloistered nuns “have it made” regarding holiness. Their route is the same as ours: gradual exchange of our standards—inclinations to selfishness—for God's standard of generosity. Click here for more on Saint Agnes of Bohemia! Saint of the Day, Copyright Franciscan Media

Full Text of ReadingsThe Epiphany of the Lord Lectionary: 20The Saint of the day is Saint Raymond of PeafortSaint Raymond of Peñafort's Story Since Raymond lived into his hundredth year, he had a chance to do many things. As a member of the Spanish nobility, he had the resources and the education to get a good start in life. By the time he was 20, he was teaching philosophy. In his early 30s he earned a doctorate in both canon and civil law. At 41 he became a Dominican. Pope Gregory IX called him to Rome to work for him and to be his confessor. One of the things the pope asked him to do was to gather together all the decrees of popes and councils that had been made in 80 years since a similar collection by Gratian. Raymond compiled five books called the Decretals. They were looked upon as one of the best organized collections of Church law until the 1917 codification of canon law. Earlier, Raymond had written for confessors a book of cases. It was called Summa de Casibus Poenitentiae. More than simply a list of sins and penances, it discussed pertinent doctrines and laws of the Church that pertained to the problem or case brought to the confessor. At the age of 60, Raymond was appointed archbishop of Tarragona, the capital of Aragon. He didn't like the honor at all and ended up getting sick and resigning in two years. He didn't get to enjoy his peace long, however, because when he was 63 he was elected by his fellow Dominicans to be the head of the whole Order, the successor of Saint Dominic. Raymond worked hard, visited on foot all the Dominicans, reorganized their constitutions and managed to put through a provision that a master general be allowed to resign. When the new constitutions were accepted, Raymond, then 65, resigned. He still had 35 years to oppose heresy and work for the conversion of the Moors in Spain. He convinced Saint Thomas Aquinas to write his work Against the Gentiles. In his 100th year, the Lord let Raymond retire. Reflection Raymond was a lawyer, a canonist. Legalism can suck the life out of genuine religion if it becomes too great a preoccupation with the letter of the law to the neglect of the spirit and purpose of the law. The law can become an end in itself, so that the value the law was intended to promote is overlooked. But we must guard against going to the opposite extreme and seeing law as useless or something to be lightly regarded. Laws ideally state those things that are for the best interests of everyone and make sure the rights of all are safeguarded. From Raymond, we can learn a respect for law as a means of serving the common good. Saint Raymond of Peñafort is a Patron Saint of: Lawyers Saint of the Day, Copyright Franciscan Media

Walking with the Saints l Feast Day of St. Raymund of Penyafort, Patron Saint of Canonists and Lawyers l January 6 In today's modern world, there is a joke saying that lawyers do not go to heaven. But the truth is, there are several saints who studied law and used their knowledge in working for the Church, helping people know God and give justice to their fellowmen. Our saint for today, St. Raymund of Penyafort, was a canon and civil lawyer from Spain, and a relative of the King of Aragon. He was born in a castle in Penyafort, Barcelona in 1175. Brought up as a devout Catholic, he had a tender love and devotion to the Virgin Mother of God. He was a model of humility, patience and fervor. He studied law and at age 20, was a famous teacher and lawyer. But he gave up his promising career and entered the Dominican Order in 1222 at the age of forty-seven. Even as a religious he was very prayerful, did much penance, was so humble and kind that he won many pagans and sinners to God. Due to Raymund's reputation in the juridical sciences, Gregory IX called him to Rome in 1230 to help in collecting, codifying and arranging the canon law. This collection called “Decretals of Gregory IX” became the standard for the Church for 700 years until it was finally codified in 1917 as the Code of Canon Law. Raymund continued to write and he produced books on confession and marriage. Because of his knowledge about confesion and penitential discipline, he became the Pope's confessor. Raymund was appointed as the Bishop of Tarragona, Aragon, but being so detached from worldly honors, he was so overwhelmed by his post that he got sick and resigned his post after two years. Upon returning, he was made the Third General of his Order. Concerned about the situation of the Moors, he founded together with St. Peter Nolasco and the King of Aragon the Institute of Our Lady of Ransom to help the persecuted Moors and convert them to Christianity. He also encouraged St. Thomas Aquinas to write his book entitled “Against the Gentiles.” He instituted the teaching of Arabic and Hebrew to help the Jews and Muslims in their study about Christianity. Raymund was commissioned to preach against the holy war of the Mohammedans by the Cardinal Legate of Pope Gregory IX. With so much prudence, zeal and charity, the Christians were able to overthrow them in Spain. Then, he led the Christians to make penance as they had been enslaved body and soul to follow Mohammedan practices. Raymund accomplished many other works but our limited space cannot afford to mention them all.   Once, he went with King James of Aragon to preach in Majorca. The King had a strong passion for women so, women came often to their lodging. Raymund asked the king to send away those women since they were obstacles to their mission. The king promised and promised but did not honor his words. Raymund then decided to leave the island on his own. Angered by this decision, the King warned everyone that any boat or anyone who would bring Raymund back to Barcelona would be punished. But Raymund was so decided that he went to the sea by himself, spread his cloak upon the water, tied up a corner of the cloak to a stick as sail, made the Sign of the Cross and stepped on the cloak and sailed safely for six long hours, the winds bringing him back to Barcelona. The miracle converted the King and he repented of his misbehaviors and became a true follower of Raymund. Raymund died at the age of 100 in Barcelona on January 6, 1275. He was buried in the Cathedral of Santa Eulalia in Barcelona, and was canonized by Pope Clement VIII in 1601. Raymund is widely known for his learning and holiness. H He is the patron of canonists and lawyers and his feast day is celebrated on January 6. Virtue: humility, piety, great faith, honesty, courage, Prayer: “St. Raymund, pray for civil lawyers that they may follow their conscience in handling legal issues.”    

1302 AD. Pope Boniface VIII continues to develop and clarify the sweeping reforms (largely promulgated by his great-uncle, Pope Gregory IX) of the temporal power of the Roman church by issuing his papal bull: Unam Sanctam. "The One Holy [Church]"Tonight we will go through the text and discuss its situation in the late 13th/early 14th century. A translation can be found at this link:https://www.papalencyclicals.net/bon08/b8unam.htm

1302 AD. Pope Boniface VIII continues to develop and clarify the sweeping reforms (largely promulgated by his great-uncle, Pope Gregory IX) of the temporal power of the Roman church by issuing his papal bull: Unam Sanctam. "The One Holy [Church]"Tonight we will go through the text and discuss its situation in the late 13th/early 14th century. A translation can be found at this link:https://www.papalencyclicals.net/bon08/b8unam.htm

Hello again!  In this week's final episode about St. Francis of Assisi, our hosts discuss Francis's legacy after death.  In a show of overwhelming support and rare speed, Pope Gregory IX declared Francis a saint less than two years after his death.  Francis's three orders, the ones he started when he was alive, are still thriving today, with members all over the world.   The big question for this week revolves around Francis and his philanthropy.  Francis's philanthropic efforts look different than those of previous holy donors.  Francis didn't have lots of money that he could give away to help those in need.  In fact, when he tried, as a young adult, to give his family's money to the Church, it was rejected.  Thus, Francis's philanthropy took the form of in-kind goods and services.  He worked to earn money for bricks, paint, and other supplies to repair the Church.  He worked to earn the items he needed to make God's Church beautiful, both physically and spiritually.   Our hosts conclude with their verdict:  St. Francis is absolutely a holy donor.  (Surprising, right?) St. Francis meets and exceeds expectations in all areas of consideration:  faithfulness, humility, and radical generosity.  Congrats, St. Francis! --- Recommended reading: "Francis of Assisi: A New Biography" by Augustine Thompson --- Holy Donors is brought to you by Petrus Development (⁠⁠⁠petrusdevelopment.com⁠⁠⁠) in cooperation with RED-C Catholic Radio (⁠⁠⁠redcradio.org⁠⁠⁠). For more about Holy Donors please visit our website at⁠⁠⁠ holydonors.com⁠⁠⁠ or find us @HolyDonors on Instagram and Facebook. Holy Donors: Bringing you inspiring stories of radical generosity that have changed the world.

Full Text of ReadingsFriday of the Nineteenth Week in Ordinary Time Lectionary: 417The Saint of the day is Saint Louis of ToulouseSaint Louis of Toulouse’s Story When he died at the age of 23, Louis was already a Franciscan, a bishop, and a saint! Louis's parents were Charles II of Naples and Sicily, and Mary, daughter of the King of Hungary. Louis was related to Saint Louis IX on his father's side and to Elizabeth of Hungary on his mother's side. Louis showed early signs of attachment to prayer and to the corporal works of mercy. As a child he used to take food from the castle to feed the poor. When he was 14, Louis and two of his brothers were taken as hostages to the king of Aragon's court as part of a political deal involving Louis's father. At the court, Louis was tutored by Franciscan friars under whom he made great progress both in his studies and in the spiritual life. Like Saint Francis he developed a special love for those afflicted with leprosy. While he was still a hostage, Louis decided to renounce his royal title and become a priest. When he was 20, he was allowed to leave the king of Aragon's court. He renounced his title in favor of his brother Robert and was ordained the next year. Very shortly after, he was appointed bishop of Toulouse, but the pope agreed to Louis's request to become a Franciscan first. The Franciscan spirit pervaded Louis. “Jesus Christ is all my riches; he alone is sufficient for me,” Louis kept repeating. Even as a bishop he wore the Franciscan habit and sometimes begged. He assigned a friar to offer him correction—in public if necessary—and the friar did his job. Louis's service to the Diocese of Toulouse was richly blessed. In no time he was considered a saint. Louis set aside 75 percent of his income as bishop to feed the poor and maintain churches. Each day he fed 25 poor people at his table. Louis was canonized in 1317 by Pope John XXII, one of his former teachers. His liturgical feast is celebrated on August 19. Reflection When Cardinal Hugolino, the future Pope Gregory IX, suggested to Francis that some of the friars would make fine bishops, Francis protested that they might lose some of their humility and simplicity if appointed to those positions. Those two virtues are needed everywhere in the Church, and Louis shows us how they can be lived out by bishops. Saint of the Day, Copyright Franciscan Media

Friends of the Rosary: Today, we celebrate the Memorial Day of St. Dominic of Guzman (1170-1221), who received the Holy Rosary from the Virgin Mary as a means to combat the destructive heresy of the Albigensian in the twelve century. He crushed the heresy and led many souls to piety and to religious life. The Spaniard priest St. Dominic also founded the Order of Preachers —the Dominicans — in the year 1215. At that time, it was an innovative order since instead of manual labor, as practiced by the Cistercian monks, he required his friars to work with their minds by preaching and teaching. Alongside the Franciscans, the Dominicans became the most powerful Order in medieval times, giving the Church illustrious preachers — St. Vincent Ferrer, Sts. Thomas of Aquinas and Pius V, among others— and contributed immeasurably to maintaining the purity of the faith. St. Dominic, to whom popes and saints have consistently attributed the origin and spread of the holy rosary, had a saint mother, Juana de Aza. During pregnancy, Dominic's mother dreamed she was carrying in her womb a little dog that held a burning torch between its teeth; and when she had given birth, it set the whole world on fire. St Dominic died at Bologna on August 6, 1221. He was canonized three years later by Pope Gregory IX. Ave Maria!Jesus, I Trust In You! To Jesus through Mary! + Mikel A. | RosaryNetwork.com, New York • August 8, 2023, Today's Rosary on YouTube | Daily broadcast at 7:30 pm ET

A daily news briefing from Catholic News Agency, powered by artificial intelligence. Ask your smart speaker to play “Catholic News,” or listen every morning wherever you get podcasts. www.catholicnewsagency.com - A 16-year-old Spanish World Youth Day pilgrim says she miraculously recovered her sight after receiving the Eucharist at Fátima, Portugal, during a Mass there. This possible miracle has moved hearts and filled with hope all those who have been following the events at WYD, which brought together more than a million young people in the Portuguese capital last week. For two and a half years, Jimena has suffered a loss of sight due to a myopia problem that left her with a 95% vision loss. On the morning of Aug. 5, when the Holy Father was also praying the rosary at the Fátima shrine, Jimena received what she herself describes as a “great gift” from the Virgin Mary. For two and a half years, Jimena has suffered a loss of sight due to a myopia problem that left her with a 95% vision loss. On the morning of August 5, when the Holy Father was also praying the rosary at the Fátima shrine, Jimena received what she herself describes as a “great gift” from the Virgin Mary. The archbishop of Barcelona and president of the Spanish Bishops' Conference referred to the possible miracle as “a grace from God” https://www.catholicnewsagency.com/news/255031/miracle-at-fatima-world-youth-day-pilgrim-receives-her-sight-after-communion-at-mass The Vatican announced Tuesday that Pope Francis' annual peace message for 2024 will focus on artificial intelligence (AI). A statement from the Vatican's Dicastery for Promoting Integral Human Development on August 8 described an “urgent need” to guide the development and use of artificial intelligence in a responsible way, requiring that “ethical reflection be extended to the sphere of education and law.” https://www.catholicnewsagency.com/news/255036/vatican-announces-that-artificial-intelligence-will-be-theme-of-next-world-day-of-peace A Louisiana priest who was killed in a car accident last Wednesday is being remembered in his home diocese for his commitment to the truth as taught by the Catholic faith as well as his unwavering devotion to the Blessed Mother. Father Mark Beard, 62, was pastor of Saint Helena Catholic Church in Amite City, Louisiana, about an hour northeast of Baton Rouge. Bishop Michael Duca announced Beard's death on August 2. During what was to be his final Sunday Mass on July 30, Beard preached about not being “on the fence” when it comes to faith in Christ, telling the congregation that “the only thing that matters is your soul.” https://www.catholicnewsagency.com/news/255033/baton-rouge-priest-killed-in-a-car-crash-remembered-for-his-holiness-and-passion-for-truth Today, the Church celebrates Saint Dominic Guzman, who helped the cause of orthodoxy in the medieval Church by founding the Order of Preachers, also known as Dominicans. Born in Caleruega, Spain around the year 1170, Dominic was the son of Felix Guzman and Joanna of Aza, members of the nobility. After his ordination to the priesthood, Dominic was asked by Bishop Diego of Osma to participate in local church reforms. Dreading the spread of heresy, Dominic began to think about founding a religious order to promote the truth. He obtained the bishop's approval of his plan for an order dedicated to preaching. Dominic obtained papal approval for his plan in 1216, and was named as the Pope's chief theologian. The Order of Preachers expanded in Europe with papal help in 1218. The founder spent the last several years of his life building up the order and continuing his preaching missions, during which he is said to have converted some 100,000 people. After several weeks of illness, St. Dominic died in Italy on August 6, 1221. He was canonized in 1234 by Pope Gregory IX. https://www.catholicnewsagency.com/saint/st-dominic-556

For additional notes and resources check out Douglas' website.Most of us have heard of the Inquisition, but may be sketchy on the details. Yet this is important stuff - an aspect of history that we definitely don't want repeating itself.DefinitionAccording to the Oxford English Dictionary, the Inquisition is "An ecclesiastical tribunal established by Pope Gregory IX c.1232 for the suppression of heresy. It was active chiefly in northern Italy and southern France, becoming notorious for the use of torture. In 1542 the papal Inquisition was re-established to combat Protestantism, eventually becoming an organ of papal government."Inquisition < Lat. inquirere, to inquire, and inquisitio (noun form).The inquisitor is the one making the inquiry.Ecclesiastical: pertaining to the church (ecclesia).Tribunal: Each session was more or less a session of court. The ecclesiastical authority, after examining the alleged heretic, hand the him (or her) over to the civil authorities, knowing full well what punishment would be inflicted.Heresy: not primarily about false teaching, but about division (Gk. haeresis). A threat to the community at least as much as a threat to doctrinal purity of the church.Combating Protestant teaching, as well as in the suppression of Muslims and Jews (esp. in the 1400s).OriginsIt is theoretically possible that some early Christians took severe measures to ensure doctrinal conformity, yet there is no evidence of this in church history until the early Middle Ages.In 385 AD Priscilla and six of her followers were beheaded at Trèves (France).Yet this event postdates the great apostasy.The church had been sliding into worldliness and biblical error for several generations.The church state was a monstrous hybrid, a creature that ought not to have existed.Before 1100 AD, local clergy maintained doctrinal discipline. At times erring members were imprisoned (without torture). Execution was rare.France and ItalyIt is arguable that the First Inquisition at Languedoc, in Southern France, in 1184, although the Inquisition had not been established as a permanent institution until the 1230s, under Pope Gregory IX. Life in prison was offered to those who recanted, execution for those who did not.The Inquisition was strong not only in France, but also in Northern Italy. Inquisitors were typically drawn from the order of Dominican monks, although Franciscans also served. These men were natural choice, given their grasp of church doctrine. (It could also have been unwise to have the parish priest put the members of his own church on the rack!)Spain, Portugal, and the New WorldMany have heard of the Spanish Inquisition, "An ecclesiastical court established in Roman Catholic Spain in 1478 and directed originally against converts from Judaism and Islam but later also against Protestants. It operated with great severity until suppressed in the early 19th century." (OED)Isabella and Ferdinand are better known for their interactions with Christopher Columbus, beginning in 1492, as well as for their expulsion of the Jews from Spain (also in 1492) along with resumption of the Reconquista (Reconquest), the effort to reclaim land and loyalty from the Muslims, dwelling in Spain since the 8th century.Many Jews and some Muslims pretended to be Christian, in order not to be captured. The last execution of the Spanish Inquisition took place in 1826, of a schoolteacher who was a deist (one who denies the God of the Bible, miracles, the incarnation, etc -- more or less than worldview of many of the founding fathers of the fledgling American republic.The Inquisition was established in Portugal in 1536. From there is reached Goa (southwest India) in 1560. The Spanish Inquisition was taken to the New World, especially notorious in Peru and Mexico.Galileo GalileiGalileo ran afoul of the Inquisition in 1633. It is not true that he was executed for promoting his idea that the earth orbited the sun, although he was censured (and censored) and placed under house arrest. Many intellectuals -- all intellectuals were Catholic in Italy and other European countries, so this was hardly a case of the Church vs. Science! -- probably agreed with Galileo, yet preferred the public not be informed of the latest scientific discoveries. They feared that a crisis of confidence might be triggered, particularly as the ignorant were unable to understand the science or theology. The church, in other words, was protecting the power structure.Persecution of WitchesPope John II opened the Vatican archives to external historians, which resulted in the confirmation of a number of executions of witches during the Inquisition. Perhaps the totals are higher, but the official count is 59 witches killed in Spain, 36 in Italy, and 4 in Portugal -- 99 all together. (Protestants killed a small number of witches, perhaps fewer than 40, in the America during the colonial period.)Torture and ExecutionAlthough mutilation was technically forbidden, in 1256 Pope Alexander V created a loophole for the inquisitor. There were many methods of torture:Forcing liquids (sometimes scalding) down the throatThe rackThumbscrewsMetal pincers (red hot)StrappadoBurningAs for execution, heretics were often burned at the stake. In the past I had heard that 100,000s had been executed -- and unfortunately repeated this figure -- yet the true total appears to be in the 1000s. (An exaggeration by opponents of the Catholic Church?) To see what the Bible says about execution, listen to my podcast on Capital Punishment (website membership and login required).The Inquisition in the 21st centuryThe Inquisition still exists today, though without the torture and death. Its current name (since 1542) is the "Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith."Lessons for todayUniformity must not be mistaken for unity.Church and state were separate in the early Christian period, and that separation was (and is) for the good of all. Jesus specifically forbade us to lead by authority and power as worldly leaders do: no lording it over others!Where there is a high degree of social solidarity (tribal regions, chiefdoms, traditional societies), leaders will need to wrestle with these issues. Don't just surrender; history need not be repeated. Foster a spirit of tolerance and respect.We ought to represent others fairly -- individuals as well as groups. Demonizing of Jews, Muslims and heterodox Christians still takes place, both without and within the church.Let's take teaching ministry seriously, but leave final judgment to God. Let's strive for an atmosphere of openness, welcoming questions and dialogue.Conclusion It is easy to condemn the Catholic Church for its extreme measures. While shock is merited, we in the modern age are likely to underestimate the seriousness (and fear) with which dissent was viewed by secular and ecclesiastical leaders, from the Middle Ages until relatively modern times.Since dissent constituted sedition, heresy was taken with the utmost seriousness.This was not an age of freedom of speech or equity in law, but an age of social solidarity.Inquisitorial measures were adopted not so much for the good of the heretic as for the good of society, by instilling fear in order to maintain conformity.Such practices are forbidden to followers of Christ.

June 13: Saint Anthony of Padua 1195–1231 Memorial; Liturgical Color: White Patron Saint of lost articles He mastered the Word of God Saint Anthony of Padua is a famous Franciscan saint especially honored at an impressive shrine in Padua, in Northern Italy. But he was not born as Anthony, was an Augustinian priest before he became a Franciscan, and was from Lisbon, Portugal, not Italy. Saint Anthony, along with Saint Bonaventure, another early Franciscan, lent theological heft to the somewhat esoteric movement founded by Saint Francis of Assisi. Saint Francis was uniquely sensitive and eccentric, unsuited to leadership, and vexed by the need to exercise authority. It was Saints Anthony and Bonaventure who gave the Franciscan Order credibility, who anchored it in sound theology, and who assured its survival and continued growth. Today's saint was baptized Fernando and grew up in a privileged environment in Lisbon. He received a superior education and entered the Augustinian Order as an adolescent. While living in the city of Coimbra, he met some Franciscan brothers who had established a poor hermitage outside of the city named in honor of Saint Anthony of the Desert. Young Father Fernando was very attracted to their simple way of life. From these friars, he also heard about the martyrdom of five Franciscan brothers at the hands of Muslims in North Africa. These martyrs' bodies were ransomed and returned for burial in Fr. Fernando's own abbey in Coimbra. Their deaths and burials were a life-changing moment for him. The Augustinian Fr. Fernando asked, and received, permission to leave and join the Franciscans. At that point he adopted a new religious name, Anthony, from the patron saint of the hermitage where he had first come to know the Franciscan Order. The newly christened Father Anthony then set out to emulate his martyr heroes. He sailed for North Africa to die for the faith or to ransom himself for Christians held captive by Muslims. But it was not to be. Anthony became gravely ill, and, on the return voyage, his ship was providentially blown off course to Sicily. From there he made his way to Central Italy, where his education, mastery of Scripture, compelling preaching skills, and holiness brought him deserving renown. Paradoxically, it was because Anthony received excellent training as an Augustinian that he became a great Franciscan. Saint Francis himself soon came to know Father Anthony, a man whose learning legitimized the under-educated Franciscans. Saint Francis had been skeptical of scholarship, even prohibiting his illiterate followers from learning how to read. Francis feared they would become too prideful and then abandon their radical simplicity and poverty.  Saint Francis only reluctantly, several years after founding his Order, allowed some of his brothers to be ordained priests. He had originally relied exclusively on diocesan priests to minister to his non-ordained brothers, and he distrusted his followers who aspired to the honor of the Priesthood. The presence of Anthony, and later Bonaventure, changed all that. In time, Father Anthony became a famous preacher and teacher to Franciscan communities in Northern Italy and Southern France. His knowledge of Scripture was so formidable that Pope Gregory IX titled him the “Ark of the Testament.” In Anthony's Shrine in Padua, a reliquary holding his tongue and larynx recall his fame as a preacher. These organs had not disintegrated even long after the rest of his body had returned to dust. Saint Anthony is most often shown either holding the Child Jesus in his arms or holding a book, a lily, or all three. His intercession is invoked throughout the world for the recovery of lost items and for assistance in finding a spouse. Anthony died at the age of just thirty-five in 1231, about five years after Saint Francis had died. He was canonized less than one year later. In 1946 Saint Anthony was declared a Doctor of the Church due to the richness of his sermons and writings. He was conscious as he succumbed to death. In his last moments, the brothers surrounding his bed asked him if he saw anything. Saint Anthony said simply, “I see the Lord.” Saint Anthony of Padua, we seek your powerful intercession to have the right words on our lips to inspire the faithful and to correct and guide the ignorant. Through your example, may our words also be buttressed by our powerful witness to Christ. 

Episode 83 Overall. The team's all here, and we are joined by the always Zesty Elvis Tribute Artist Landon James. He chats with us about life on the road, the two types of fans, and the difference between performing and tributing competitions. The difference between Huddle House and Waffle House, and the shenanigans that occur there. It's still Fred's Freaky Wack History Facts with Porpoise the Wack History Month Dolphin. Fred drops the Medieval bath facts on us, and We chat about Napoleon and his shortness. Pope Gregory IX and his Pussy Hating, as told by Bezlebub. Finally, we talk to a real-life Leprechaun and get tips for Saint Patrick's Day. All that, and so much more. #BLCWorld #PCP #PCPUniverse --- Send in a voice message: https://anchor.fm/popculturepros/message Support this podcast: https://anchor.fm/popculturepros/support

The team's all here, and we are joined by the always Zesty Elvis Tribute Artist Landon James. He chats with us about life on the road, the two types of fans, and the difference between performing and tributing competitions. The difference between Huddle House and Waffle House, and the shenanigans that occur there. It's still Fred's Freaky Wack History Facts with Porpoisy the Wack History Month Dolphin. Fred drops the Medieval bath facts on us, and We chat about Napoleon and his shortness. Pope Gregory IX and his Pussy Hating, as told by Bezlebub. Finally, we talk to a real-life Leprechaun about and get tips for Saint Patrick's Day. All that, and so much more.

Full Text of ReadingsThursday of the First Week in Lent Lectionary: 227The Saint of the day is Saint Agnes of BohemiaSaint Agnes of Bohemia's Story Agnes had no children of her own but was certainly life-giving for all who knew her. Agnes was the daughter of Queen Constance and King Ottokar I of Bohemia. She was betrothed to the Duke of Silesia, who died three years later. As she grew up, she decided she wanted to enter the religious life. After declining marriages to King Henry VII of Germany and King Henry III of England, Agnes was faced with a proposal from Frederick II, the Holy Roman Emperor. She appealed to Pope Gregory IX for help. The pope was persuasive; Frederick magnanimously said that he could not be offended if Agnes preferred the King of Heaven to him. After Agnes built a hospital for the poor and a residence for the friars, she financed the construction of a Poor Clare monastery in Prague. In 1236, she and seven other noblewomen entered this monastery. Saint Clare sent five sisters from San Damiano to join them, and wrote Agnes four letters advising her on the beauty of her vocation and her duties as abbess. Agnes became known for prayer, obedience and mortification. Papal pressure forced her to accept her election as abbess, nevertheless, the title she preferred was “senior sister.” Her position did not prevent her from cooking for the other sisters and mending the clothes of lepers. The sisters found her kind but very strict regarding the observance of poverty; she declined her royal brother's offer to set up an endowment for the monastery. Devotion to Agnes arose soon after her death on March 6, 1282. Canonized in 1989, her liturgical feast is celebrated on March 6. Reflection Agnes spent at least 45 years in a Poor Clare monastery. Such a life requires a great deal of patience and charity. The temptation to selfishness certainly didn't vanish when Agnes walked into the monastery. It is perhaps easy for us to think that cloistered nuns “have it made” regarding holiness. Their route is the same as ours: gradual exchange of our standards—inclinations to selfishness—for God's standard of generosity. Click here for more on Saint Agnes of Bohemia! Saint of the Day, Copyright Franciscan Media

Thursday of the First Week of Lent Saint of the Day: St. Agnes of Bohemia, 1211-1282; engaged twice as a child, but petitioned Pope Gregory IX to intercede for her; built a convent for the Friars Minor in Prague, where she took the veil; became abbess and was known for her humility, aid to the poor, and dedication to poverty Office of Readings and Morning Prayer for 3/2/23 Gospel: Matthew 7:7-12

In the late 13th Century, Pope Gregory IX declared that cats were emissaries of Satan and enemies of the Catholic faithful. As superstition and fear of the devil swept through Europe over the next several centuries, so too did the hatred and mass violence towards cats. Decretals of Pope Gregory IX with the glossa ordinaria single leaves, MS M.716.2r - Images from Medieval and Renaissance Manuscripts - The Morgan Library & MuseumKattenstoet: The Cat Throwing Festival | Amusing Planet"Did Pope Gregory IX's Hatred of Cats Lead to the Black Death?" Medium, Jason Ward, Apr 16, 2021"The Spooky History of How Cats Bewitched Us," Washington Post, By Abigail Tucker Oct 31 2016“'Thou Shalt not suffer a Cat to Live': Why Pope Gregory IX's Vox in Rama Implicated Cats in Devil Worship." History Collection, By Natasha sheldon - May 5, 2018"Did Pope Gregory IX Order A Medieval Purge of Black Cats That Caused the Black Death?" Museum Hack, By Alex Johnson, February 25, 2020 "Why Do Black Cats Have A Reputation For Evil?" | Discover Magazine By Avery Hurt Oct 22 2022Konrad von Marburg | German inquisitor | Britannica"Was there a great Cat Massacre in the Middle Ages?" By Siobhan O'Shea, IntereslyHISTORY OF THE CAT IN THE MIDDLE AGES (PART 2) - THE GREAT CATPatreon: patreon.com/themorbidmuseum IG: @themorbidmuseum Email: themorbidmuseum@gmail.comArtwork: Brittany Schall Music: "Danse Macabre" by Camille Saint-Saens, performed by Kevin MacLeod

Full Text of ReadingsChristmas Weekday Lectionary: 210The Saint of the day is Saint Raymond of PeafortSaint Raymond of Peñafort's Story Since Raymond lived into his hundredth year, he had a chance to do many things. As a member of the Spanish nobility, he had the resources and the education to get a good start in life. By the time he was 20, he was teaching philosophy. In his early 30s he earned a doctorate in both canon and civil law. At 41 he became a Dominican. Pope Gregory IX called him to Rome to work for him and to be his confessor. One of the things the pope asked him to do was to gather together all the decrees of popes and councils that had been made in 80 years since a similar collection by Gratian. Raymond compiled five books called the Decretals. They were looked upon as one of the best organized collections of Church law until the 1917 codification of canon law. Earlier, Raymond had written for confessors a book of cases. It was called Summa de Casibus Poenitentiae. More than simply a list of sins and penances, it discussed pertinent doctrines and laws of the Church that pertained to the problem or case brought to the confessor. At the age of 60, Raymond was appointed archbishop of Tarragona, the capital of Aragon. He didn't like the honor at all and ended up getting sick and resigning in two years. He didn't get to enjoy his peace long, however, because when he was 63 he was elected by his fellow Dominicans to be the head of the whole Order, the successor of Saint Dominic. Raymond worked hard, visited on foot all the Dominicans, reorganized their constitutions and managed to put through a provision that a master general be allowed to resign. When the new constitutions were accepted, Raymond, then 65, resigned. He still had 35 years to oppose heresy and work for the conversion of the Moors in Spain. He convinced Saint Thomas Aquinas to write his work Against the Gentiles. In his 100th year, the Lord let Raymond retire. Reflection Raymond was a lawyer, a canonist. Legalism can suck the life out of genuine religion if it becomes too great a preoccupation with the letter of the law to the neglect of the spirit and purpose of the law. The law can become an end in itself, so that the value the law was intended to promote is overlooked. But we must guard against going to the opposite extreme and seeing law as useless or something to be lightly regarded. Laws ideally state those things that are for the best interests of everyone and make sure the rights of all are safeguarded. From Raymond, we can learn a respect for law as a means of serving the common good. Saint Raymond of Peñafort is a Patron Saint of: Lawyers Saint of the Day, Copyright Franciscan Media

ST. RAYMUND OF PENYAFORT l PATRON OF CANONISTS AND LAWYERS Feast day: JANUARY 6 In to lday's modern world, there is a joke saying that lawyers do not go to heaven. But the truth is, there are several saints who studied law and used their knowledge in working for the Church, helping people know God and give justice to their fellowmen. Our saint for today, St. Raymund of Penyafort, was a canon and civil lawyer from Spain, and a relative of the King of Aragon. He was born in a castle in Penyafort, Barcelona in 1175. Brought up as a devout Catholic, he had a tender love and devotion to the Virgin Mother of God. He was a model of humility, patience and fervor. He studied law and at age 20, was a famous teacher and lawyer. But he gave up his promising career and entered the Dominican Order in 1222 at the age of forty-seven. Even as a religious he was very prayerful, did much penance, was so humble and kind that he won many pagans and sinners to God. Due to Raymund's reputation in the juridical sciences, Gregory IX called him to Rome in 1230 to help in collecting, codifying and arranging the canon law. This collection called “Decretals of Gregory IX” became the standard for the Church for 700 years until it was finally codified in 1917 as the Code of Canon Law. Raymund continued to write and he produced books on confession and marriage. Because of his knowledge about confesion and penitential discipline, he became the Pope's confessor. Raymund was appointed as the Bishop of Tarragona, Aragon, but being so detached from worldly honors, he was so overwhelmed by his post that he got sick and resigned his post after two years. Upon returning, he was made the Third General of his Order. Concerned about the situation of the Moors, he founded together with St. Peter Nolasco and the King of Aragon the Institute of Our Lady of Ransom to help the persecuted Moors and convert them to Christianity. He also encouraged St. Thomas Aquinas to write his book entitled “Against the Gentiles.” He instituted the teaching of Arabic and Hebrew to help the Jews and Muslims in their study about Christianity. Raymund was commissioned to preach against the holy war of the Mohammedans by the Cardinal Legate of Pope Gregory IX. With so much prudence, zeal and charity, the Christians were able to overthrow them in Spain. Then, he led the Christians to make penance as they had been enslaved body and soul to follow Mohammedan practices. Raymund accomplished many other works but our limited space cannot afford to mention them all. Once, he went with King James of Aragon to preach in Majorca. The King had a strong passion for women so, women came often to their lodging. Raymund asked the king to send away those women since they were obstacles to their mission. The king promised and promised but did not honor his words. Raymund then decided to leave the island on his own. Angered by this decision, the King warned everyone that any boat or anyone who would bring Raymund back to Barcelona would be punished. But Raymund was so decided that he went to the sea by himself, spread his cloak upon the water, tied up a corner of the cloak to a stick as sail, made the Sign of the Cross and stepped on the cloak and sailed safely for six long hours, the winds bringing him back to Barcelona. The miracle converted the King and he repented of his misbehaviors and became a true follower of Raymund. Raymund died at the age of 100 in Barcelona on January 6, 1275. He was buried in the Cathedral of Santa Eulalia in Barcelona, and was canonized by Pope Clement VIII in 1601. Raymund is widely known for his learning and holiness. He possessed the four characteristic marks of a true Dominican, which are: devotion to the Blessed Virgin Mary, consummate sanctity, great learning, immense zeal for the salvation of souls. He is the patron of canonists and lawyers.

“Out of the sea rises up the Beast, full of the names of blasphemy who, raging with the claws of the bear and the mouth of the lion and the limbs and likeness of the leopard, opens its mouth to blaspheme the Holy Name and ceases not to hurl its spears against the tabernacle of God and against the saints who dwell in heaven. With fangs and claws of iron it seeks to destroy everything and to trample the world to fragments beneath its feet. It has already prepared its rams to batter down the walls of the catholic faith. . . . Cease ye therefore to marvel that it aims at us the darts of calumny, since the Lord himself it doth not spare. Cease ye to marvel that it draws the dagger of contumely against us, since it lifts itself to wipe from the earth the name of the Lord. Rather, that ye may with open truth withstand his lying and may refute his deceits with the proofs of purity: behold the head and tail and body of the Beast, of this Frederick, this so-called Emperor. . .."Such wrote Pope Gregory IX in 1239. How did we get there? Is there a way back from this? Let's see…Links to the Episode website with transcripts and additional materials is as always available at Episode 87 - The Beast out of the Sea • History of the Germans PodcastThe music for the show is Flute Sonata in E-flat major, H.545 by Carl Phillip Emmanuel Bach (or some claim it as BWV 1031 Johann Sebastian Bach) performed and arranged by Michel Rondeau under Common Creative Licence 3.0.As always:Homepage with maps, photos, transcripts and blog: www.historyofthegermans.comFacebook: @HOTGPod Twitter: @germanshistoryInstagram: history_of_the_germansReddit: u/historyofthegermansPatreon: https://www.patreon.com/Historyofthegermans

Have you ever wondered how cats became such an unlucky symbol in the West? Well, wonder no more! On this episode, Janey is going to tell us all about how cat's went from being worshipped in Egypt to being number 1 on Pope Gregory IX's Holy Sh*t List. Happy Halloween!Check out our book recommendations AND help local bookstores thrive at our Bookshop.org affiliate account!Starting your own podcast? We recommend trying Buzzsprout! Sign up today and get a $20 Amazon giftcard!Sources: When Pope Gregory IX Declared War on Cats Vox in Rama Wikipedia Cat-Burning Wikipedia The Bizarre Life of Cats in Shakespeare The Battle of PelusiumTudor Cats The Black Death — National Geographic article Vox in Rama on Quora Want more??Join the Discord!Shop the merch at TeePublic!If you liked these stories, let us know on our various socials!InstagramTiktokGoodreadsAnd email us at sortofthestory@gmail.comBig thanks to our sound engineer Keith! Your beauty is only surpassed by the amount of marbles you can hold in your mouth at one time.

Full Text of ReadingsThursday of the Twentieth Week in Ordinary Time Lectionary: 422All podcast readings are produced by the USCCB and are from the Catholic Lectionary, based on the New American Bible and approved for use in the United States _______________________________________The Saint of the day is Saint Louis of ToulouseWhen he died at the age of 23, Louis was already a Franciscan, a bishop, and a saint! Louis's parents were Charles II of Naples and Sicily, and Mary, daughter of the King of Hungary. Louis was related to Saint Louis IX on his father's side and to Elizabeth of Hungary on his mother's side. Louis showed early signs of attachment to prayer and to the corporal works of mercy. As a child he used to take food from the castle to feed the poor. When he was 14, Louis and two of his brothers were taken as hostages to the king of Aragon's court as part of a political deal involving Louis's father. At the court, Louis was tutored by Franciscan friars under whom he made great progress both in his studies and in the spiritual life. Like Saint Francis he developed a special love for those afflicted with leprosy. While he was still a hostage, Louis decided to renounce his royal title and become a priest. When he was 20, he was allowed to leave the king of Aragon's court. He renounced his title in favor of his brother Robert and was ordained the next year. Very shortly after, he was appointed bishop of Toulouse, but the pope agreed to Louis's request to become a Franciscan first. The Franciscan spirit pervaded Louis. “Jesus Christ is all my riches; he alone is sufficient for me,” Louis kept repeating. Even as a bishop he wore the Franciscan habit and sometimes begged. He assigned a friar to offer him correction—in public if necessary—and the friar did his job. Louis's service to the Diocese of Toulouse was richly blessed. In no time he was considered a saint. Louis set aside 75 percent of his income as bishop to feed the poor and maintain churches. Each day he fed 25 poor people at his table. Louis was canonized in 1317 by Pope John XXII, one of his former teachers. His liturgical feast is celebrated on August 19. Reflection When Cardinal Hugolino, the future Pope Gregory IX, suggested to Francis that some of the friars would make fine bishops, Francis protested that they might lose some of their humility and simplicity if appointed to those positions. Those two virtues are needed everywhere in the Church, and Louis shows us how they can be lived out by bishops. Saint of the Day, Copyright Franciscan Media

Can we even handle all the Teenage Mutant Ninja Angels in Supernatural, Season Five, Episode 3 "Free to Be You and Me"? And the promised cat's anus in the conclusion to "Were there Luciferians in 13th century Germany?" Learn what happened to Konrad Von Marburg the Dick and Pope Gregory IX.

We are back and talking about Supernatural Season 5, Episode 1 "Sympathy for the Devil." Becky Rosen has arrived with Wincest Fanfic and so has Lucifer. Which is scarier? Liz takes us back to the Middle Ages to learn if Luciferians were the start of the Inquisition and the tangled triangle of Konrad Von Marburg, St. Elizabeth of Hungary, and Pope Gregory IX. The question is so complex this is just Part 1! (Find Part 2 in DTP Season 5, Episode 3).

Church History - Part 18 Church in the Middle Ages 1 Today we look briefly at a monastic revival in the Middle Ages! As we saw last time, under the leadership of Hildebrande and Innocent III, there was a revival of monastic orders. Let us look briefly at some of the prime people from this period of our Church History. Cistercians This order of monks was founded in 1097 in France, the village we know now as Cîteaux, by a group of Benedictine Monks including Robert of Molesme, Alberic of Citeaux and Stephen Harding. The Cistericans are also known as the White Monks due to the colour of their clothing over which a black head-dress is worn. The Cistercians lifestyle emphasizes a manual labour rather than scholarship, an ascetic lifestyle and self-sufficiency. Many Cistercian abbeys supported themselves through brewing ales and from agriculture. One man who helped them spread rapidly throughout Europe was the next person we will learn about – Bernard of Clairvaux, who entered the monastery in the early 1100s with 30 companions. Bernard of Clairveaux (1097-1153) He was one of the most influential leaders and stressed a devotional relationship with God, and led many men into a monastic lifestyle. Here are some quotes attributed to him, which reflect this: “The road to hell is paved with good intentions.” “There are those who seek knowledge for the sake of knowledge; that is Curiosity. There are those who seek knowledge to be known by others; that is Vanity. There are those who seek knowledge in order to serve; that is Love.” “Many of those who are humiliated are not humble. Some react to humiliation with anger, others with patience, and others with freedom. The first are culpable, the next harmless, the last just.” By the end of the 12th century, wealth & laxity had crept into the monastic movement and as a result, declined rapidly. However, the preaching monks soon became more important. Preaching Monks These monks lived together under a strict rule, but went into the community to teach and preach. Friars were the most important preaching monks. Two such orders were the Franciscans (Grey Friars, Lesser Friars) and the Dominicans Francis of Assisi (1182-1276) The founder of the Franciscans was probably the man who is one of the most known monks of all. Francis was born the son of a wealthy Italian cloth merchant Pietro di Bernardone. During his early adulthood, Francis lived a typical life of most young and wealthy men, and even fought as a soldier. He had a vision when at war in 1204, which directed him back to Assisi. Here he lost his taste for his wealth and worldly life. Francis gave away his possessions to live a simple lifestyle, begging and giving to the poor and caring for the sick. He gained many followers and was given his official status by Pope Gregory IX, when on July 16, 1228, he was pronounced a saint. Francis' lifestyle and teaching stressed simplicity, poverty, genuine devotion to God, preaching and charity. Here is a copy of his famous prayer: Lord, make me an instrument of your peace, Where there is hatred, let me sow love; Where there is injury, pardon; Where there is doubt, faith; Where there is despair, hope; Where there is darkness, light; Where there is sadness, joy. O Divine Master, grant that I may not so much seek to be consoled, as to console; to be understood, as to understand; to be loved, as to love. For it is in giving that we receive. It is in pardoning that we are pardoned, and it is in dying that we are born to Eternal Life. Amen. Dominicans (Black Friars, founded 1220). This order of Monks was founded by a Spanish priest, Dominic de Guzman. While he made his headquarters in Rome, he did travel widely to visit the growing brotherhood of friars under the Dominican movement. They were renowned for the fact that they owned no property and had no revenues – simply trusting in God to provide. He emphasised the Friars role of teaching and they rapidly spread throughout the lands. They quickly became known as the "Watchdogs of the Lord", and were renowned for hunting down heretics. Here are some quotes attributed to him: Arm yourself with prayer rather than a sword; wear humility rather than fine clothes. A man who governs his passions is master of his world. We must either command them or be enslaved by them. It is better to be a hammer than an anvil. Tap or click here to save download this as an audio mp3 file

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June 13: Saint Anthony of Padua1195–1231Memorial; Liturgical Color: WhitePatron Saint of lost articlesHe mastered the Word of GodSaint Anthony of Padua is a famous Franciscan saint especially honored at an impressive shrine in Padua, in Northern Italy. But he was not born as Anthony, was an Augustinian priest before he became a Franciscan, and was from Lisbon, Portugal, not Italy. Saint Anthony, along with Saint Bonaventure, another early Franciscan, lent theological heft to the somewhat esoteric movement founded by Saint Francis of Assisi. Saint Francis was uniquely sensitive and eccentric, unsuited to leadership, and vexed by the need to exercise authority. It was Saints Anthony and Bonaventure who gave the Franciscan Order credibility, who anchored it in sound theology, and who assured its survival and continued growth.Today's saint was baptized Fernando and grew up in a privileged environment in Lisbon. He received a superior education and entered the Augustinian Order as an adolescent. While living in the city of Coimbra, he met some Franciscan brothers who had established a poor hermitage outside of the city named in honor of Saint Anthony of the Desert. Young Father Fernando was very attracted to their simple way of life. From these friars, he also heard about the martyrdom of five Franciscan brothers at the hands of Muslims in North Africa. These martyrs' bodies were ransomed and returned for burial in Fr. Fernando's own abbey in Coimbra. Their deaths and burials were a life-changing moment for him. The Augustinian Fr. Fernando asked, and received, permission to leave and join the Franciscans. At that point he adopted a new religious name, Anthony, from the patron saint of the hermitage where he had first come to know the Franciscan Order.The newly christened Father Anthony then set out to emulate his martyr heroes. He sailed for North Africa to die for the faith or to ransom himself for Christians held captive by Muslims. But it was not to be. Anthony became gravely ill, and, on the return voyage, his ship was providentially blown off course to Sicily. From there he made his way to Central Italy, where his education, mastery of Scripture, compelling preaching skills, and holiness brought him deserving renown. Paradoxically, it was because Anthony received excellent training as an Augustinian that he became a great Franciscan. Saint Francis himself soon came to know Father Anthony, a man whose learning legitimized the under-educated Franciscans. Saint Francis had been skeptical of scholarship, even prohibiting his illiterate followers from learning how to read. Francis feared they would become too prideful and then abandon their radical simplicity and poverty. Saint Francis only reluctantly, several years after founding his Order, allowed some of his brothers to be ordained priests. He had originally relied exclusively on diocesan priests to minister to his non-ordained brothers, and he distrusted his followers who aspired to the honor of the Priesthood. The presence of Anthony, and later Bonaventure, changed all that.In time, Father Anthony became a famous preacher and teacher to Franciscan communities in Northern Italy and Southern France. His knowledge of Scripture was so formidable that Pope Gregory IX titled him the “Ark of the Testament.” In Anthony's Shrine in Padua, a reliquary holding his tongue and larynx recall his fame as a preacher. These organs had not disintegrated even long after the rest of his body had returned to dust. Saint Anthony is most often shown either holding the Child Jesus in his arms or holding a book, a lily, or all three. His intercession is invoked throughout the world for the recovery of lost items and for assistance in finding a spouse.Anthony died at the age of just thirty-five in 1231, about five years after Saint Francis had died. He was canonized less than one year later. In 1946 Saint Anthony was declared a Doctor of the Church due to the richness of his sermons and writings. He was conscious as he succumbed to death. In his last moments, the brothers surrounding his bed asked him if he saw anything. Saint Anthony said simply, “I see the Lord.”Saint Anthony of Padua, we seek your powerful intercession to have the right words on our lips to inspire the faithful and to correct and guide the ignorant. Through your example, may our words also be buttressed by our powerful witness to Christ.

We celebrate May 1, 1718 as the day that San Antonio had its beginnings. The site had already been a very important one for a very long time. For the Coahuiltecans it was home and a sacred site. San Pedro Springs and the San Antonio river were sacred waters for the Coahuiltecans. Spanish explorers had visited the area several times before, but it was in 1718 that the governor of Coahuila y Tejas, Martín de Alarcón, received instructions to found a mission, presidio, and settlement on the San Antonio River. He set out from San Juan Bautista in April. Andalusian Spain born Father Antonio de San Buenaventura y Olivares was supposed to have traveled with Alarcon but due to some kind of disagreement and chose to travel separately.  Olivares had already been to the area in 1709 when he accompanied Pedro de Aguirre's expedition north as chaplain. On that trip they reached the site of San Antonio which was the location of a Payaya Indian village at San Pedro Springs known as Yanaguana. He worked for years to get permission to return to Yanaguana to set up a mission. And in 1718 it happened. Father Olivares arrived on May 1, 1718, the day that Governor Martin de Alarcon formally founded Mission San Antonio de Valero. Two different witnesses give different locations. One says that it was about three quarters of a league down the creek from San Pedro Springs, about two miles. Another says it was only about a mile down the creek. Both agree that it was on the west bank. It would be moved a few times until reaching its current location. The Mission was named after Portuguese Catholic priest Fernando Martins de Bulhões who lived between 1195-1231 and was canonized as Saint Antonio (Anthony) of Padua by Pope Gregory IX on May 30, 1232.  Father Olivares began his mission work his missionary work on the banks of the San Antonio River in a jacal or thatched hut, with three or four converted Indians. A diarist wrote that wrote that “The place in which we find ourselves is very pretty because of the woods near the spring.” Writing in 1785, Fray Jose Francisco Lopez wrote that the mission was “founded with Indians of various nations, such as the Hierbipiames, Pataguas, Scipxames, Xaranames, Samas, Payatas (these last two were the principal ones), Yutas, Kiowas, Tovs, and Tamiques; but all these may be considered as Samas and Payas, whose language is in general use.” The Mission relocated three times until it ultimately arrived at its current location in 1724. Four days later, on May 5, 1718, marks the founding of four days later by the nearby San Antonio de Béxar Presidio and the civil settlement, Villa de Béxar. The Texas History Lessons Theme song, Walking Through History, was written and recorded by Derrick McClendon. Listen to his new album, Interstate Daydreamer! Available everywhere you find good music. Thank you Derrick! Twitter: @dmclendonmusic If you are enjoying Texas History Lessons, consider buying me a cup of coffee by clicking here! Help make Texas History Lessons by supporting it on Patreon. And a special thanks to everyone that already does. Website: texashistorylessons.com email: texashistorylessons@gmail.com Twitter: @TexasHistoryL Texas History Lessons Spotlight Artists Jerrod Flusche Rosmand – Mando Salas Zach Welch Seth Jones Derrick McClendon Kade Anson Randy Hoyet on Spotify Robert Herrerra Jacob Charles Chris Cunningham Tristyn Sanchez The Oliver White Group Podcast Recommendations: Wild West Extravaganza Podcast The History Cafe Podcast Hymns of the Highway Podcast Off Mic, Off the Record Podcast Texas River Tonk Podcast TXRiverTonk Podcast LINKS: If you have any photography, videography or aerial photography and video, go visit PANTHER CITY AIR to see how they can fulfill your needs.   Tio Bruce's The Greatest Playlist In Texas and Hence the World.  Texas History Lessons Spotlight Artist Spotify Playlist 301 Productions Spotify Playlist Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

In this episode Scott treks thru the papacy of Gregory IX, who battled both heresy and an obstinate emperor. And investigates whether the pontiff condemned Europe's cat population to death.

Full Text of ReadingsAsh Wednesday Lectionary: 219All podcast readings are produced by the USCCB and are from the Catholic Lectionary, based on the New American Bible and approved for use in the United States _______________________________________The Saint of the day is Saint Agnes of BohemiaAgnes had no children of her own but was certainly life-giving for all who knew her. Agnes was the daughter of Queen Constance and King Ottokar I of Bohemia. She was betrothed to the Duke of Silesia, who died three years later. As she grew up, she decided she wanted to enter the religious life. After declining marriages to King Henry VII of Germany and King Henry III of England, Agnes was faced with a proposal from Frederick II, the Holy Roman Emperor. She appealed to Pope Gregory IX for help. The pope was persuasive; Frederick magnanimously said that he could not be offended if Agnes preferred the King of Heaven to him. After Agnes built a hospital for the poor and a residence for the friars, she financed the construction of a Poor Clare monastery in Prague. In 1236, she and seven other noblewomen entered this monastery. Saint Clare sent five sisters from San Damiano to join them, and wrote Agnes four letters advising her on the beauty of her vocation and her duties as abbess. Agnes became known for prayer, obedience and mortification. Papal pressure forced her to accept her election as abbess, nevertheless, the title she preferred was “senior sister.” Her position did not prevent her from cooking for the other sisters and mending the clothes of lepers. The sisters found her kind but very strict regarding the observance of poverty; she declined her royal brother's offer to set up an endowment for the monastery. Devotion to Agnes arose soon after her death on March 6, 1282. Canonized in 1989, her liturgical feast is celebrated on March 6. Reflection Agnes spent at least 45 years in a Poor Clare monastery. Such a life requires a great deal of patience and charity. The temptation to selfishness certainly didn't vanish when Agnes walked into the monastery. It is perhaps easy for us to think that cloistered nuns “have it made” regarding holiness. Their route is the same as ours: gradual exchange of our standards—inclinations to selfishness—for God's standard of generosity. Click here for more on Saint Agnes of Bohemia! Saint of the Day, Copyright Franciscan Media

Full Text of ReadingsFriday after Epiphany Lectionary: 216All podcast readings are produced by the USCCB and are from the Catholic Lectionary, based on the New American Bible and approved for use in the United States _______________________________________The Saint of the day is Saint Raymond of PeafortSince Raymond lived into his hundredth year, he had a chance to do many things. As a member of the Spanish nobility, he had the resources and the education to get a good start in life. By the time he was 20, he was teaching philosophy. In his early 30s he earned a doctorate in both canon and civil law. At 41 he became a Dominican. Pope Gregory IX called him to Rome to work for him and to be his confessor. One of the things the pope asked him to do was to gather together all the decrees of popes and councils that had been made in 80 years since a similar collection by Gratian. Raymond compiled five books called the Decretals. They were looked upon as one of the best organized collections of Church law until the 1917 codification of canon law. Earlier, Raymond had written for confessors a book of cases. It was called Summa de Casibus Poenitentiae. More than simply a list of sins and penances, it discussed pertinent doctrines and laws of the Church that pertained to the problem or case brought to the confessor. At the age of 60, Raymond was appointed archbishop of Tarragona, the capital of Aragon. He didn't like the honor at all and ended up getting sick and resigning in two years. He didn't get to enjoy his peace long, however, because when he was 63 he was elected by his fellow Dominicans to be the head of the whole Order, the successor of Saint Dominic. Raymond worked hard, visited on foot all the Dominicans, reorganized their constitutions and managed to put through a provision that a master general be allowed to resign. When the new constitutions were accepted, Raymond, then 65, resigned. He still had 35 years to oppose heresy and work for the conversion of the Moors in Spain. He convinced Saint Thomas Aquinas to write his work Against the Gentiles. In his 100th year, the Lord let Raymond retire. Reflection Raymond was a lawyer, a canonist. Legalism can suck the life out of genuine religion if it becomes too great a preoccupation with the letter of the law to the neglect of the spirit and purpose of the law. The law can become an end in itself, so that the value the law was intended to promote is overlooked. But we must guard against going to the opposite extreme and seeing law as useless or something to be lightly regarded. Laws ideally state those things that are for the best interests of everyone and make sure the rights of all are safeguarded. From Raymond, we can learn a respect for law as a means of serving the common good. Saint Raymond of Peñafort is a Patron Saint of: Lawyers Saint of the DayCopyright Franciscan Media

Welcome back to Oddities, the podcast where no topic is too *~*StRaNgE*~*.This week, we're dealing with some true stories! Join Cassie as she walks us through the haunted grounds of the Whaley House. Then follow the cats as Anna recounts the story of Pope Gregory IX. Cat people: we're sorry. Follow us on social media: Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/odditiespodcastInstagram: http://www.instagram.com/odditiesinstaTwitter:  http://www.twitter.com/odditiestweetsEmail: oddities.talk@gmail.comCheck out our merch store: https://oddities-stay-strange.myspreadshop.com/Support the show (Https://www.patreon.com/odditiespodcast)

Full Text of ReadingsWednesday of the Twentieth Week in Ordinary Time Lectionary: 421All podcast readings are produced by the USCCB and are from the Catholic Lectionary, based on the New American Bible and approved for use in the United States _______________________________________The Saint of the day is Saint Louis of ToulouseWhen he died at the age of 23, Louis was already a Franciscan, a bishop, and a saint! Louis's parents were Charles II of Naples and Sicily, and Mary, daughter of the King of Hungary. Louis was related to Saint Louis IX on his father's side and to Elizabeth of Hungary on his mother's side. Louis showed early signs of attachment to prayer and to the corporal works of mercy. As a child he used to take food from the castle to feed the poor. When he was 14, Louis and two of his brothers were taken as hostages to the king of Aragon's court as part of a political deal involving Louis's father. At the court, Louis was tutored by Franciscan friars under whom he made great progress both in his studies and in the spiritual life. Like Saint Francis he developed a special love for those afflicted with leprosy. While he was still a hostage, Louis decided to renounce his royal title and become a priest. When he was 20, he was allowed to leave the king of Aragon's court. He renounced his title in favor of his brother Robert and was ordained the next year. Very shortly after, he was appointed bishop of Toulouse, but the pope agreed to Louis's request to become a Franciscan first. The Franciscan spirit pervaded Louis. “Jesus Christ is all my riches; he alone is sufficient for me,” Louis kept repeating. Even as a bishop he wore the Franciscan habit and sometimes begged. He assigned a friar to offer him correction—in public if necessary—and the friar did his job. Louis's service to the Diocese of Toulouse was richly blessed. In no time he was considered a saint. Louis set aside 75 percent of his income as bishop to feed the poor and maintain churches. Each day he fed 25 poor people at his table. Louis was canonized in 1317 by Pope John XXII, one of his former teachers. His liturgical feast is celebrated on August 19. Reflection When Cardinal Hugolino, the future Pope Gregory IX, suggested to Francis that some of the friars would make fine bishops, Francis protested that they might lose some of their humility and simplicity if appointed to those positions. Those two virtues are needed everywhere in the Church, and Louis shows us how they can be lived out by bishops. Saint of the Day Copyright Franciscan Media

In today's episode we are taking a different approach. We are starting off in the realm of fiction and learning about the Necronomicon, a fictitious book made up by a man we've discussed in the past. Then we switch gears and head into the real world, the land of the living, as some say, except we are looking at the land of the dead. We will be discussing a few true life Necronomicon books, or books of the dead. We have some examples of true to life books discussing preparation of the dead, helping them cross over, even what to do and expect when you get to the other side. Without further ado, let's get into this by visiting a previous subject, the one and only magnificently weird… H.P. Lovecraft!        Since we've discussed ol H.P. in a separate episode we are not going to get into the man himself really. If you want to hear our take on Lovecraft, make sure to check out episode 37 from way back in January of 2020. What we are going to look at, however, is the book that he references in 10 separate stories. Those stories include: The Call of The Cthulhu, The Dunwich Horror, The Haunter of The Dark, The Thing On The Doorstep, and several others. The book we are talking about is, of course, the mother fuckin' necronomicon. That's right… The Necronomicon as most of you know it, was made up by Lovecraft himself.  The book became such a part of his stories that Lovecraft wrote a short history of the book itself. That being said, let's see what the history of the book is as written by the creepy genius, himself:    Original title Al Azif—azif being the word used by Arabs to designate that nocturnal sound (made by insects) suppos'd to be the howling of daemons.      Composed by Abdul Alhazred, a mad poet of Sanaá, in Yemen, who is said to have flourished during the period of the Ommiade caliphs, circa 700 A.D. He visited the ruins of Babylon and the subterranean secrets of Memphis and spent ten years alone in the great southern desert of Arabia—the Roba el Khaliyeh or “Empty Space” of the ancients—and “Dahna” or “Crimson” desert of the modern Arabs, which is held to be inhabited by protective evil spirits and monsters of death. Of this desert many strange and unbelievable marvels are told by those who pretend to have penetrated it. In his last years Alhazred dwelt in Damascus, where the Necronomicon (Al Azif) was written, and of his final death or disappearance (738 A.D.) many terrible and conflicting things are told. He is said by Ebn Khallikan (12th cent. biographer) to have been seized by an invisible monster in broad daylight and devoured horribly before a large number of fright-frozen witnesses. Of his madness many things are told. He claimed to have seen fabulous Irem, or City of Pillars, and to have found beneath the ruins of a certain nameless desert town the shocking annals and secrets of a race older than mankind. He was only an indifferent Moslem, worshipping unknown entities whom he called Yog-Sothoth and Cthulhu.      In A.D. 950 the Azif, which had gained a considerable tho' surreptitious circulation amongst the philosophers of the age, was secretly translated into Greek by Theodorus Philetas of Constantinople under the title Necronomicon. For a century it impelled certain experimenters to terrible attempts, when it was suppressed and burnt by the patriarch Michael. After this it is only heard of furtively, but (1228) Olaus Wormius made a Latin translation later in the Middle Ages, and the Latin text was printed twice—once in the fifteenth century in black-letter (evidently in Germany) and once in the seventeenth (prob. Spanish)—both editions being without identifying marks, and located as to time and place by internal typographical evidence only. The work both Latin and Greek was banned by Pope Gregory IX in 1232, shortly after its Latin translation, which called attention to it. The Arabic original was lost as early as Wormius' time, as indicated by his prefatory note; and no sight of the Greek copy—which was printed in Italy between 1500 and 1550—has been reported since the burning of a certain Salem man's library in 1692. An English translation made by Dr. Dee was never printed, and exists only in fragments recovered from the original manuscript. Of the Latin texts now existing one (15th cent.) is known to be in the British Museum under lock and key, while another (17th cent.) is in the Bibliothèque Nationale at Paris. A seventeenth-century edition is in the Widener Library at Harvard, and in the library of Miskatonic University at Arkham. Also in the library of the University of Buenos Ayres. Numerous other copies probably exist in secret, and a fifteenth-century one is persistently rumoured to form part of the collection of a celebrated American millionaire. A still vaguer rumour credits the preservation of a sixteenth-century Greek text in the Salem family of Pickman; but if it was so preserved, it vanished with the artist R.U. Pickman, who disappeared early in 1926. The book is rigidly suppressed by the authorities of most countries, and by all branches of organised ecclesiasticism. Reading leads to terrible consequences. It was from rumours of this book (of which relatively few of the general public know) that R.W. Chambers is said to have derived the idea of his early novel The King in Yellow.   That was the history of the necronomicon as written by Lovecraft. Lovecraft stated that the name of the book came to him in a dream. Some claim however that Lovecraft was inspired by Robert W. Chambers' collection of stories titled The King In Yellow even though he isn't thought to have read the book until the late 1920s. Another person theorized that the book was derived from Nathanial Hawthorne. When asked about the Necronomicon, Lovecraft always maintained that it was wholly his invention even though The History Of The Necronomicon played as an historical text.    Despite the book showing up in several stories the details of the book were pretty sparse. There were a few passages and words that were attributed to the necronomicon. The book's physical properties are not really talked about but generally it's described as being bound in some sort of leather and with metal clasps. As for the passages attributed to the book, there is a fairly long one that is described in the Dunwich Horror. The passage reads as follows:              Nor is it to be thought...that man is either the oldest or the last of earth's masters, or that the common bulk of life and substance walks alone. The Old Ones were, the Old Ones are, and the Old Ones shall be. Not in the spaces we know, but between them, they walk serene and primal, undimensioned and to us unseen. Yog-Sothoth knows the gate. Yog-Sothoth is the gate. Yog-Sothoth is the key and guardian of the gate. Past, present, future, all are one in Yog-Sothoth. He knows where the Old Ones broke through of old, and where They shall break through again. He knows where They had trod earth's fields, and where They still tread them, and why no one can behold Them as They tread. By Their smell can men sometimes know Them near, but of Their semblance can no man know, saving only in the features of those They have begotten on mankind; and of those are there many sorts, differing in likeness from man's truest eidolon to that shape without sight or substance which is Them. They walk unseen and foul in lonely places where the Words have been spoken and the Rites howled through at their Seasons. The wind gibbers with Their voices, and the earth mutters with Their consciousness. They bend the forest and crush the city, yet may not forest or city behold the hand that smites. Kadath in the cold waste hath known Them, and what man knows Kadath? The ice desert of the South and the sunken isles of Ocean hold stones whereon Their seal is engraven, but who hath seen the deep frozen city or the sealed tower long garlanded with seaweed and barnacles? Great Cthulhu is Their cousin, yet can he spy Them only dimly. Iä! Shub-Niggurath! As a foulness shall ye know Them. Their hand is at your throats, yet ye see Them not; and Their habitation is even one with your guarded threshold. Yog-Sothoth is the key to the gate, whereby the spheres meet. Man rules now where They ruled once; They shall soon rule where man rules now. After summer is winter, after winter summer. They wait patient and potent, for here shall They reign again.   Another is a considerably smaller snippet that is actually found in 2 stories, call of the Cthulhu and the nameless city, which goes as follows :          That is not dead which can eternal lie. And with strange aeons even death may die.   It is in Call of the Cthulhu that this small couplet is said to be from the Necronomicon.   In at least one story, the book was discovered to be disguised as another book.    When asked about the contents Lovecraft once wrote:          "if anyone were to try to write the Necronomicon, it would disappoint all those who have shuddered at cryptic references to it."   According to Lovecraft's "History of the Necronomicon", copies of the original Necronomicon were held by only five institutions worldwide:   The British Museum The Bibliothèque nationale de France Widener Library of Harvard University in Cambridge, Massachusetts The University of Buenos Aires The library of the fictional Miskatonic University in the also fictitious Arkham, Massachusetts The Miskatonic University also holds the Latin translation by Olaus Wormius, printed in Spain in the 17th century.   Other copies, Lovecraft wrote, were kept by private individuals. Joseph Curwen, as noted, had a copy in The Case of Charles Dexter Ward (1941). A version is held in Kingsport in "The Festival" (1925). The provenance of the copy read by the narrator of "The Nameless City" is unknown; a version is read by the protagonist in "The Hound" (1924).   Although Lovecraft always maintained he created the book, there have always been plenty of people who believed the book to be real. There have been several books published that are supposedly translations of the actual Necronomicon. Interestingly enough the Vatican received calls every year from people that believe the real Necronomicon resides there. There have been hoaxes and others who have added their cards into library files to make it appear as if they have a copy but it is checked out. In Norway, the library of Tromso lists that they have a translated version but it is listed as unavailable.    In 1978 a version of the necronomicon popped up that had been edited by George Hay. Hay was a writer and the founder of the science fiction foundation. The version included an introduction by the paranormal researcher and writer Colin Wilson. Wilson also wrote a story, "The Return of the Lloigor", in which the Voynich manuscript turns out to be a copy of the Necronomicon. Which is a pretty cool idea. The Voynich manuscript will be a bonus we're going to tackle so make sure you become a Patreon Poopr to get access to that and all of the other amazing bonuses.    Kenneth Grant, the British occultist, disciple of Aleister Crowley, (another future bonus episode topic) and head of the Typhonian Ordo Templi Orientis, suggested in his 1972 book The Magical Revival that there was an unconscious connection between Crowley and Lovecraft. Grant claimed that the Necronomicon existed as an astral book as part of the Akashic records and could be accessed through ritual magic or in dreams.  The Akashic records are a pretty crazy topic which we will definitely cover one day. In theosophy and anthroposophy, the Akashic records are a compendium of all universal events, thoughts, words, emotions, and intent ever to have occurred in the past, present, or future in terms of all entities and life forms, not just human. They are believed by theosophists to be encoded in a non-physical plane of existence known as the mental plane. There are anecdotal accounts but there is no scientific evidence for the existence of the Akashic records.   In 2004, Necronomicon: The Wanderings of Alhazred, by Canadian occultist Donald Tyson, was published by Llewellyn Worldwide. The Tyson Necronomicon is generally thought to be closer to Lovecraft's vision than other published versions.[citation needed] Donald Tyson has clearly stated that the Necronomicon is fictional, but that has not prevented his book from being the center of some controversy. Tyson has since published Alhazred, a novelization of the life of the Necronomicon's author. Tyson had also been known to back Grant's thoughts about Crowley, Lovecraft and the Akashic records.   l The most famous of these versions of the book is the  “Simon Necronomicon,” named for its pseudo mononymous compiler (widely believed to be occultist Peter Levenda). The book is cobbled together from a mishmash of recontextualized Sumerian and Babylonian texts peppered with added references to fictional deities created by Lovecraft and the orientalist magical system of Aleister Crowley. Simon's text basically steals the work of pioneering Assyriologists like R.C. Thompson, from whose Devils and Evil Spirits of Babylonia many of the translations are lifted. In their original context, these texts were incantations against evil spirits and the various ills they caused, not spells for conjuring them. (“Simon” has a tendency to present descriptions of demons' evil natures in English, but slips back into transliterated Akkadian when the texts begin to call for the spirits to be cast out, leading to an implication that the demons are being invoked rather than exorcised.) These ancient Mesopotamian incantations have come to be considered “satanic” through a centuries-long process of reinterpretation. The Simon Necronomicon reads its ancient sources through a combination of medieval demonology, 19th-century Theosophy, and 20th-century pulp fiction.   But despite its clear origins as a hoax, the Simon Necronomicon has been used as evidence in murder trials like that of Rod Ferrell and his so-called “Vampire Clan.” In 1996, Ferrell murdered the parents of one of his friends in a brutal but mundane home invasion. But numerous factors that emerged in media coverage of the crime-- including Ferrell's self-identification as a vampire and the discovery of a copy of the Simon Necronomicon in his car--led to the murders being reframed as a satanic ritual killing. This information on the Simon Necronomicon comes from an article written by Gabriel McKee for The Institute For The Study of The Ancient World.   So that's a basic history of the Lovecraft Necronomicon. Versions of this book have been in storytelling through the ages. Including Moody's favorite movies like… The evil dead series. It also makes an appearance in Jason goes to hell to build the narrative that the Necronomicon was used in some capacity to bring Jason Vohees back. The Necronomicon was again shown in Pumpkinhead 2: Electric Boogaloo. Oh wait… Make that “Blood Wings”, wrong sequel. This version of the necronomicon was shown to be written in sumerian instead of Arabic.  So what about real life books of the dead? Well, there are some out there. The Egyptian book of the dead is probably the most famous.    The Egyptian Book of the Dead is a collection of spells which enable the soul of the deceased to navigate the afterlife. The famous title was given the work by western scholars; the actual title would translate as The Book of Coming Forth by Day or Spells for Going Forth by Day and a more apt translation to English would be The Egyptian Book of Life. Although the work is often referred to as "the Ancient Egyptian Bible" there is no such thing although the two works share the similarity of being ancient compilations of texts written at different times eventually gathered together in book form. The Book of the Dead was never codified and no two copies of the work are exactly the same. They were created specifically for each individual who could afford to purchase one as a kind of manual to help them after death. The afterlife was considered to be a continuation of life on earth and, after one had passed through various difficulties and judgment in the Hall of Truth, a paradise which was a perfect reflection of one's life on earth. After the soul had been justified in the Hall of Truth it passed on to cross over Lily Lake to rest in the Field of Reeds where one would find everything that one had lost in life and could enjoy it eternally. In order to reach that paradise, however, one needed to know where to go, how to address certain gods, what to say at certain times, and how to comfort oneself in the land of the dead; which is why one would find an afterlife manual extremely useful.    The Book of the Dead originated from concepts depicted in tomb paintings and inscriptions from as early as the Third Dynasty of Egypt (c. 2670 - 2613 BCE). By the 12th Dynasty (1991 - 1802 BCE) these spells, with accompanying illustrations, were written on papyrus and placed in tombs and graves with the dead. Their purpose, as historian Margaret Bunson explains, "was to instruct the deceased on how to overcome the dangers of the afterlife by enabling them to assume the form of several mythical creatures and to give them the passwords necessary for admittance to certain stages of the underworld". They also served, however, to provide the soul with fore-knowledge of what would be expected at every stage. Having a Book of the Dead in one's tomb would be the equivalent of a student in the modern day getting their hands on all the test answers they would ever need in every grade of school. At some point prior to 1600 BCE the different spells had been divided in chapters and, by the time of the New Kingdom (1570 - 1069 BCE), the book was extremely popular. Bunson notes, "These spells and passwords were not part of a ritual but were fashioned for the deceased, to be recited in the afterlife". If someone were sick, and feared they might die, they would go to a scribe and have them write up a book of spells for the afterlife. The scribe would need to know what kind of life the person had lived in order to surmise the type of journey they could expect after death. Prior to the New Kingdom, The Book of the Dead was only available to the royalty and the elite. The popularity of the Osiris Myth in the period of the New Kingdom made people believe the spells were indispensible because Osiris featured so prominently in the soul's judgment in the afterlife.  As more and more people desired their own Book of the Dead, scribes obliged them and the book became just another commodity produced for sale. Bunson writes, "The individual could decide the number of chapters to be included, the types of illustrations, and the quality of the papyrus used. The individual was limited only by his or her financial resources"       It continued to vary in form and size until c. 650 BCE when it was fixed at 190 uniform spells but, still, people could add or subtract what they wanted to from the text. Other copies of the book continued to be produced with more or less spells depending on what the buyer could afford. The one spell which every copy seems to have had, however, was Spell 125. so what was spell 125 you ask, well we'll tell you.       Spell 125 is actually pretty cool and it's a story that spans other religious texts in different forms. It is essentially the judging of a person at the gates of the afterlife. In this case it is the judging of the heart of the deceased by the god Osiris in the Hall of Truth. As it was vital that the soul pass the test of the weighing of the heart in order to gain paradise, knowing what to say and how to act before Osiris, Thoth, Anubis, and the Forty-Two Judges was considered the most important information the deceased could arrive with. When a person died, Anubis would guide that person to the Hall of Truth so that they could make the Negative Confession. This was a list of 42 sins the person could honestly say they had never indulged in. Once the Negative Confession was made, Osiris, Thoth, Anubis, and the Forty-Two Judges would confer and, if the confession was accepted, the heart of the deceased was then weighed in the balance against the white feather of Ma'at, the feather of truth. If the heart was found to be lighter than the feather, the soul passed on toward paradise; if the heart was heavier, it was thrown onto the floor where it was devoured by the monster goddess Ammut and the soul would cease to exist. wow… Crazy! The reason that this spell is included in every book is fairly obvious. One needed to know the different gods' names and what they were responsible for but one also needed to know such details as the names of the doors in the room and the floor one needed to walk across; one even needed to know the names of one's own feet. As the soul answered each deity and object with the correct response, they would hear the reply, "You know us; pass by us" and could continue. The spell finished up with a summary of what to wear and even what to offer. It read as follows: "The correct procedure in this Hall of Justice: One shall utter this spell pure and clean and clad in white garments and sandals, painted with black eye-paint and anointed with myrrh. There shall be offered to him meat and poultry, incense, bread, beer, and herbs when you have put this written procedure on a clean floor of ochre overlaid with earth upon which no swine or small cattle have trodden."   There were quite a number of slips the soul might make, however, between arrival at the Hall of Truth and the boat ride to paradise. The Book of the Dead includes spells for any kind of circumstance but it does not seem one was guaranteed to survive these twists and turns. Not every detail described above was included in the vision of every era of Egyptian history. In some periods the modifications are minor while, in others, the afterlife is seen as a perilous journey toward a paradise that is only temporary. At some points in the culture the way to paradise was very straightforward after the soul was justified by Osiris while, in others, crocodiles might thwart the soul or bends in the road may prove dangerous or demons might appear to trick or even attack. In these cases, the soul needed spells to survive and reach paradise. Spells included in the book include titles such as "For Repelling A Crocodile Which Comes To Take Away", "For Driving Off A Snake", "For Not Being Eaten By A Snake In The Realm Of The Dead", "For Not Dying Again In The Realm Of The Dead", "For Being Transformed Into A Divine Falcon", "For Being Transformed Into A Lotus""For Being Transformed Into A Phoenix", “For being transformed into more than meets the eye” and so on. The Book of the Dead, as noted, was never used for magical transformations on earth; the spells only worked in the afterlife. The claim that The Book of the Dead was some kind of sorcerer's text is as wrong and unfounded as the comparison with the Bible. The Egyptian Book of the Dead is also nothing like The Tibetan Book of the Dead, although these two works are often equated as well.    The information about the Egyptian book of the dead was taken from a great article on worldhistory.org It's a great resource for anything historical!   And speaking of the Tibetan Book Of The Dead, let's see what that's all about! Although in Tibet there is no single text directly referred to as the Tibetan Book of the Dead, this English work is the primary source for Western understandings of Tibetan Buddhist conceptions of death. These understandings have been highly influenced by Western spiritualist movements of the 20th and 21st centuries, resulting in efforts to adapt and synthesize various frameworks of “other” religious traditions, particularly those from Asian societies that are viewed as esoteric or mystical, including tantric or Tibetan Buddhism. Isn't Tantric sex about having an intense orgasm without having intercourse? It's also a great band. This has resulted in creative forms of appropriation, reinterpretation, and misrepresentation of Tibetan views and rituals surrounding death, which often neglect the historical and religious realities of the tradition itself. The Tibetan Book of the Dead is a prime example of such a process. Despite the lack of a truly existing “book of the dead,” numerous translations, commentaries, and comparative studies on this “book” continue to be produced by both scholars and adherents of the tradition, making it a focal point for the dissemination and transference of Tibetan Buddhism in the West.   The set of Tibetan block prints that was the basis for the original publication of the Tibetan Book of the Dead in 1927 by Walter Y. Evans-Wentz (1878–1968) consisted of portions of the collection known in Tibetan as The Great Liberation through Hearing in the Intermediate State or Bardo Thödol (Bar do thos grol chen mo). This work is said to have been authored by Padmasambhava in the 8th century CE, who subsequently had the work buried; it was rediscovered in the 14th century by the treasure revealer (gter ston) Karma Lingpa (Kar ma gling pa; b. c. 1350). However, as a subject for literary and historical inquiry, it is nearly impossible to determine what Tibetan texts should be classified under the Western conceptual rubric of the Tibetan Book of the Dead. This is due partly to the Tibetan tendency to transmit textual traditions through various redactions, which inevitably change the content and order of collected works. Despite this challenge, the few systematic efforts made by scholars of Tibetan and Buddhist studies to investigate Bardo Thödol literature and its associated funerary tradition have been thorough, and the works produced by Bryan Cuevas and Donald Lopez Jr. are particularly noteworthy.   The Bardo Thödol is essentially a funerary manual designed to guide an individual toward recognizing the signs of impending death and traversing the intermediate state (bar do) between death and rebirth, and to guide one's consciousness to a favorable next life. These instructions provide detailed descriptions of visions and other sensory experiences that one encounters when dying and during the post-mortem state. The texts are meant to be read aloud to the deceased by the living to encourage the consciousness to realize the illusory or dreamlike nature of these experiences and thus to attain liberation through this recognition. This presentation is indicative of a complex and intricate conceptual framework built around notions of death, impermanence, and their soteriological propensities within a tantric Buddhist program developed in Tibet over a millennium, particularly within the context of the Nyingma (rNying ma) esoteric tradition known as Dzogchen (rDzogs chen). Tibet and other tantric Buddhist societies throughout the Himalaya have developed a variety of technologies for practically applying Buddhist understandings of death, and so this particular “book” is by no means the only manual utilized during the dying and post-mortem states, nor is it even necessarily included in all Tibetan or Himalayan funerary traditions. Nevertheless, this work has captured the interests of Western societies for the past century and has unofficially become the principal introduction not only to Tibetan death rites but also to Tibetan Buddhism in general for the West. Information in this summary was taken from the Oxford Research Encyclopedia website.     To go along with these, there is also the lesser known Texan book of the dead. This one is followed by a certain group of people in the Americas. There are some interesting passages in it and they read as follows:    you say you want to go to heaven? Well, I got the plans Kinda walks like Sasquatch But it breeds like kubla khan In original dialect, it's really quite cryptical   Following this it says:   It's given me powers but kept me low Many have scorned this Modern day pharisees fat with espressos   Interesting… It continues:   you want to know paradise Do you want to know hell? Want to drink that cool clear liquor? Better dig a little deeper in the well  It goes on to reveal the mantra you need to recite to move on in the afterlife:           Do you want that mantra? Well, here you go   One for the money, two for the show And a knick knack paddy whack Give the lord a handicap Ooh ee ooh ah ah Twing twang walla walla bing bang Oh ee ooh ah ah Twing twang walla walla bing bang, oh yeah Ooh eee ooh ah ah B-I-N-G-O Ooh eee ooh ah ah E-I-E-I-O   It finishes with an emphatic phrase to remind you that on the afterlife, you're not running shots anymore, it reads:   "It is written, I have spoken So put this in your pipe and smoke it"   Ok so if you made it through that with us you probably surmised that it was a bunch of hogwash. Texan book of the dead is actually a song by the band clutch but we figured we'd have some fun.  Some think the song has a deeper meaning referring to the ridiculousness of trendy ideas about spirituality and the process of life and death.    https://www.digitaltrends.com/movies/necromicon-movies-book-of-the-dead/ BECOME A PRODUCER! http://www.patreon.com/themidnighttrainpodcast   Find The Midnight Train Podcast: www.themidnighttrainpodcast.com www.facebook.com/themidnighttrainpodcast www.twitter.com/themidnighttrainpc www.instagram.com/themidnighttrainpodcast www.discord.com/themidnighttrainpodcast www.tiktok.com/themidnighttrainp   And wherever you listen to your favorite podcasts.   Subscribe to our official YouTube channel: OUR YOUTUBE   Support our sponsors www.themidnighttraintrainpodcast.com/sponsors

Once upon a time Pope Gregory IX waged war against...cats.New YouTube VideoCecil Hotel ShirtPatreon: https://www.patreon.com/ghosttownpodInstagram: https://www.instagram.com/ghosttownpodSources: https://bit.ly/3nvbuMh Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Once upon a time Pope Gregory IX waged war against...cats. New YouTube Video Cecil Hotel Shirt Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/ghosttownpod Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/ghosttownpod Sources: https://bit.ly/3nvbuMh Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

There's an urban legend that a pope in the the 13th century issued a papal bull or an official decree telling people to exterminate cats because of their association with the devil and witchcraft.Today we take a quick look at the history of the relationship between witchcraft, cats, and lots of popes to find out what really happened in the 13th century.Hear the full story on today's episode of Facts-Chology!If you have a question you want us to research, send an email to Factschology@gmail.comAnd if you like the show, give us a rating, leave a review, or subscribe!Sourceshttps://www.history.com/news/how-medieval-churches-used-witch-hunts-to-gain-more-followershttps://www.academia.edu/1061079/LUFF_R_M_MORENO_GARC%C3%8DA_M_1995_Killing_cats_in_the_Medieval_Period_An_unusual_episode_in_the_history_of_Cambridge_England_Archaeofauna_4_93_114https://museumhack.com/black-cats-black-death/https://www.atlasobscura.com/articles/ritualistic-cat-torture-was-once-a-form-of-town-funhttps://allthatsinteresting.com/pope-massacred-catshttp://self.gutenberg.org/articles/Vox_in_Ramahttps://www.interesly.com/great-cat-massacre-middle-ages/https://talesoftimesforgotten.com/2019/11/05/were-cats-really-killed-en-masse-during-the-middle-ages/Support the show (https://www.patreon.com/Factschology)

Saint Francis of Assisi (1182 – 3 October 1226) was an Italian Catholic friar, deacon, mystic, and preacher. He founded the men's Order of Friars Minor, the women's Order of Saint Clare, the Third Order of Saint Francis and the Custody of the Holy Land. Francis is one of the most venerated religious figures in Christianity. Pope Gregory IX canonized Francis on 16 July 1228. Along with Saint Catherine of Siena, he was designated patron saint of Italy. He later became associated with patronage of animals and the natural environment, and it became customary for churches to hold ceremonies blessing animals on or near his feast day of 4 October. Music: Dan Gibson - Pange, Lingua Gloriosi (Album - "Solitudes")

Wassup Weenies! In this episode we discuss Frankenjeans Ruffly Tuffly Bed and Cummy Corner, were sponsored by Johnsons Meat Skeletons and find out Mr Graves new massage gun turns him into a Dalek. Count Factula brings you the most interesting facts about Pope Gregory IX and the Devil Cats, The story of the great imposter, Medicinal Cannibalism and Wombat Poo! We play a game called Shakespeare or Batman where we guess what extracts are from a Shakespeare Story or a Batman Comic! Shit News brings us the latest dripping headlines about Kidnapping Road Safety Alan, Upside Down Flying Rhinos, Amazons new Hitler Icon and Planet Spotting Naughtiness. We also use the Blank-O-Mattic to write an exciting Thriller story!

Full Text of ReadingsThursday after Epiphany Lectionary: 215All podcast readings are produced by the USCCB and are from the Catholic Lectionary, based on the New American Bible and approved for use in the United States _______________________________________The Saint of the day is St. Raymond of PenafortSaint Raymond of Penafort, a Dominican priest who worked to aid Christian captives during the era of the Crusades and also helped organize the Churchs legal code, will be celebrated liturgically on Jan. 7.A contemporary of Saint Thomas Aquinas, he inspired the theologian to write the Summa Contra Gentiles for the conversion of non-Catholics. At least 10,000 Muslims reportedly converted as a result of St. Raymonds evangelistic labors.Descended from a noble family with ties to the royal house of Aragon, Raymond of Penafort was born during 1175 in the Catalonian region of modern-day Spain near Barcelona.He advanced quickly in his studies, showing such a gift for philosophy that he was appointed to teach the subject in Barcelona by age 20. As a teacher, the young man worked to harmonize reason with the profession and practice of Catholic faith and morals. This included a notable concern for the poor and suffering.Around age 30 the Spanish scholar went to study secular and Church law at Bologna in Italy. He earned his doctorate and taught there until 1219, when the Bishop of Barcelona gave him an official position in the diocese. During 1222, the 47-year-old Raymond joined the Dominican order, in which he would spend the next 53 years of his remarkably long life.As a penance for the intellectual pride he had once demonstrated, the former professor was asked to write a manual of moral theology for use by confessors. The resulting Summa Casuum was the first of his pioneering contributions to the Church. Meanwhile, in keeping with his orders dedication to preaching, the Dominican priest strove to spread the faith and bring back lapsed and lost members of the Church.During his time in Barcelona, Raymond helped Saint Peter Nolasco and King James of Aragon to establish the Order of Our Lady of Mercy, whose members sought to ransom those taken captive in Muslim territory. During this same period Raymond promoted the Crusades through preaching, encouraging the faithful to defend their civilization from foreign threats.Pope Gregory IX called the Dominican priest to Rome in 1230, asking him to compile the Churchs various decisions and decrees into one systematic and uniform collection. The resulting five books served for centuries as a basis of the Churchs internal legal system. Raymond was the Popes personal confessor and close adviser during this time, and nearly became the Archbishop of Tarragona in 1235. But the Dominican did not want to lead the archdiocese, and is said to have turned down the appointment.Later in the decade, Raymond was chosen to lead the Dominicans, though he did so for only two years due to his advancing age. Ironically, however, he would live on for more than three decades after resigning from this post. During this time he was able to focus on the fundamentals of his vocation: praising God in prayer, making him known through preaching, and making his blessings manifest in the world. Raymonds later achievements included the establishment of language schools to aid in the evangelization of non-Christians.St. Raymond of Penaforts long pilgrimage of faith ended on Jan. 6, 1275, approximately 100 years after his birth. Pope Clement VIII canonized him in 1601. His patronage extends toward lawyers in general, and canon lawyers in particular. Saint of the Day Copyright CNA, Catholic News Agency

Sources: https://www.returntotradition.org Contact Me: Email: return2catholictradition@gmail.com Support My Work: Patreon https://www.patreon.com/AnthonyStine SubscribeStar https://www.subscribestar.net/return-to-tradition Physical Mail: Anthony Stine PO Box 3048 Shawnee, OK 74802 Follow me on the following social media: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCbgdypwXSo0GzWSVTaiMPJg https://www.facebook.com/ReturnToCatholicTradition/ https://twitter.com/pontificatormax https://www.minds.com/PiusXIII https://gloria.tv/Return%20To%20Tradition Back Up https://www.bitchute.com/channel/9wK5iFcen7Wt/ anchonr.fm/anthony-stine +JMJ+ --- Support this podcast: https://anchor.fm/anthony-stine/support

Full Text of ReadingsTwenty-seventh Sunday in Ordinary Time Lectionary: 139All podcast readings are produced by the USCCB and are from the Catholic Lectionary, based on the New American Bible and approved for use in the United States _______________________________________The Saint of the day is St. Francis of AssisiOn Oct. 4, Roman Catholics celebrate the feast of St. Francis of Assisi, the Italian deacon who brought renewal to the Church through his decision to follow Jesus' words as literally as possible.In a January 2010 general audience, Pope Benedict XVI recalled this giant of holiness as a great saint and a joyful man, who taught the Church that the secret of true happiness is to become saints, close to God.The future Saint Francis was born on an uncertain date in the early 1180s, one of the several children born to the wealthy merchant Pietro Bernardone and his wife Pica. He originally received the name Giovanni (or John), but became known as Francesco (or Francis) by his father's choice. Unlike many medieval saints, St. Francis was neither studious nor pious in his youth. His father's wealth gave him access to a lively social life among the upper classes, where he was known for his flashy clothes and his readiness to burst into song. Later a patron of peacemakers, he aspired to great military feats in his youth and fought in a war with a rival Italian city-state. A period of imprisonment during that conflict turned his mind toward more serious thoughts, as did a recurring dream that suggested his true army was not of this world. He returned to Assisi due to illness in 1205, and there began consider a life of voluntary poverty. Three major incidents confirmed Francis in this path. In Assisi, he overcame his fear of disease to kiss the hand of a leper. Afterward, he made a pilgrimage to Rome, where he deposited his money at Saint Peter's tomb and exchanged clothes with a beggar. Soon after he returned home, Francis heard Christ tell him in a vision: Go, Francis, and repair my house, which as you see is falling into ruin.Francis began to use his father's wealth to restore churches. This led to a public quarrel in which the cloth-merchant's son removed his clothing and declared that he had no father except God. He regarded himself as the husband of Lady Poverty, and resolved to serve Christ as a herald of the Great King. During the year 1208, the herald received the inspiration that would give rise to the Franciscan movement. At Mass one morning, he heard the Gospel reading in which Christ instructed the apostles to go forth without money, shoes, or extra clothing. This way of life soon became a papally-approved rule, which would attract huge number of followers within Francis' own lifetime. Through his imitation of Christ, Francis also shared in the Lord's sufferings. He miraculously received Christ's wounds, the stigmata, in his own flesh during September of 1224. His health collapsed over the next two years, a living sacrifice made during two decades of missionary preaching and penance. St. Francis of Assisi died on Oct. 3, 1226. Pope Gregory IX, his friend and devotee, canonized him in 1228. Saint of the Day Copyright CNA, Catholic News Agency

Cat ladies, consider this a warning: We've got a feline genocide for you today.

Full Text of ReadingsMonday of the Twenty-second Week in Ordinary Time Lectionary: 431All podcast readings are produced by the USCCB and are from the Catholic Lectionary, based on the New American Bible and approved for use in the United States _______________________________________The Saint of the day is St. Raymond NonnatusRaymond became a priest due to his quiet persistence in prayer and study.He was born to a noble Spanish family in 1204. His mother died during child birth and his father had high expectations for Raymond to serve in the countrys Royal Court. However, the young Raymond felt drawn to religious life. In an attempt to dissuade him, his father ordered him to manage one of the family farms. However, Raymond spent his time with the workers, studying, and praying. His father finally gave up and allowed Raymond to enter the Mercederians.Fr. Raymond spent his entire estate ransoming slaves. He even offered himself as a hostage to free another. He was sentenced to death but was spared because his ransom would bring in a large amount of money.During his imprisonment, he succeeded at converting some of his guards. To keep him from continuing his preaching, his captors bored a hole through his lips with a hot iron, and attached a padlock. He was eventually ransomed, and he returned to Barcelona in 1239.That year, he was named a cardinal by Pope Gregory IX. The following year, in 1240, he was summoned to Rome, but barely made it out of Barcelona before he died at the age of 36.St. Raymond is the patron saint of pregnant women, childbirth, and newborn infants. Saint of the Day Copyright CNA, Catholic News Agency

Monday of the 22nd Week in Ordinary Time Saint of the Day: st. Raymond Nonnatus, 1204-1240; joined the Mercedarians at Barcelona, Spains, and went Algeria to ransom slaves; taken as a hostage until he was ransomed; appointed Cardinal by Pope Gregory IX in 1239, but died one year later Office of Readings and Morning Prayer […] All show notes at Daybreak for August 31, 2020 - This podcast produced by Relevant Radio

Did you know an entire species could be excommunicated by the Pope or that kissing a cat's butthole meant you were a new member of a satanic cult? Find out what the heck I'm talking about in episode two of For the Love of History.  Please feel free to check out For the Love of History's Instagram @fortheloveof_history to participate in the poll to select the topic for episode 3!! 

King Bela IV of Hungary has a bit of a barbarian problem. You see, he let in some Cumans, but now some different barbarians are demanding that he give them back. So Bela does the sensible thing: he kills the Mongol emissaries. Batu Khan and General Subotai are less than pleased...Time Period Covered:c. 1239-1242 CEMajor Historical Figures:Mongol Empire:Batu Khan [c. 1205-1255]General Subotai Ba'atur ("the Valiant") [c. 1175-1248]General Khadan [d. 125?]General Shiban [d. 1266]Kingdom of Greater Hungary:King Bela III [r. 1172-1196]King Andrew II [r. 1205-1235]King Bela IV [r. 1235-1265]Duke Coloman of Slavonia [d. 1241]Archbishop Ugolin of Kaolocsa [d. 1241]Duke Palatine of Hungary [d. 1241]Bishop Benedict of Oradea [d. 1241]Templar Master Rembald de Voczon [d. 1241]Archdeacon Thomas of Spalato [1200-1268]Master Roger of Torre Maggiore, Archdeacon of Varad [1205-1266]Cuman Tribes:Chieftain Khotan [d. 1140]Austria:Duke Frederick of Austria "the Quarrelsome" [d. 1245]Holy Roman Empire:Emperor Frederick II [r. 1220-1250]Conrad IV, King of Italy, Germany, the Romans, and Jerusalem [r. 1228-1254]Roman Catholic Church:Pope Gregory IX [r. 1227-1241]  See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

Why your “nice guy” friends are frauds, how Pope Gregory IX put German Satanic cults on blast, and how hippos almost became an all-American meat option. Hear “Friend Zone Fallacy” by Tracey, “The Pope Destroys Some Pussy” by Liz, and “Lake Bacon” by Steph. Follow us on social media @harpyhourpod! facebook.com/harpyhourpod instagram.com/harpyhourpod twitter.com/harpyhourpod Become a sponsor at patreon.com/harpyhour! Donate to gain access to extra monthly content, on-air shoutouts, merch, and even select your own episode topic.

In the fifth episode and season finale of Podding Through Time, Jacob and Evan journey through some incredulous shenanigans from the past and present:-What happened to Amelia Earhart, and why are there so many conspiracies regarding her disappearance?-How many varying ways did European powers try to partition New Guinea, and what was the secret that it held for centuries from the larger world?-Who was the pope that hated cats, and who else did he hate for seemingly no good reason?-What is the significance of the fires in the Amazon, and how do they shine a light on our modern news system?-Who was Viola Desmond, and why is she now the face of the Canadian ten-dollar bill?

Cass elevates us to the sophistication of French Salons and Nat brings us back down to where she's more comfortable: plague and cat butts.Put more plainly: The birth of French Salons and Pope Gregory IX & The Black PlagueFollow Shared History on Twitter & Instagram and subscribe wherever you get your podcasts!Original Theme: Garreth SpinnOriginal Art: Sarah Cruz

GamerDude loves trivia, history, and little known facts about nothing, and has collected them for years. In this episode, he shares some of the information he's learned over the years revolving around "facts" we were once told that turned out to be anything but factual. He talks about the Sixteenth Amendment to the constituion, which relates to the income tax, and wonders whether it was ever actually, formally passed.  He talks about how big pharmaceutical companies used to market morphine, and then heroin, as miracle drugs, before it turned out they weren't. He talks about how smoking was marketed by actors and athletes, and promoted by doctors, and even touted as a diet aid, before the federal government finally issued its health warning in 1964. He shares the tale of Pope Gregory IX's hatred of cats, and how that hatred could have helped lay the groundwork for the spread of The Black Death (the bubonic plague) back in the 1300s.  To lighten things up, he shares some trivia about Oxford University, Nintendo, Queen Elizabeth II, and Betty White.

My guest for episode 4 was artist Tanya Casteel, painter of Cosmic Animals.  Tanya helped us explore what we can learn from animals that are associated with Halloween. I first met Tanya when she was creating beautiful sea-creature pottery through her business, Cephalopod Ink. She wrote and illustrated her first children’s book “Waiting Just for You Lullaby,” after having her daughter.  Tanya now works in watercolors and paints animals in a cosmic, galaxy style. She lives in Asheville, NC. Tanya has been creating since childhood. In college she majored in photography and took ceramic classes. She started her career working in pottery. She does not miss working in pottery; she did it to her fullest and was excited to transition to painting. Her transition to painting was inspired by her mediation practice. During her practice, she was visited by a raven who appeared in the cosmic style she paints in today. Tanya loves animals. Her favorites are raven and octopus. Tanya explained what a spirit animal is. There are several names: spirit animals, totem animals, but she prefers her term, cosmic animals. It is the wisdom that we can learn from observing animals. It doesn’t matter how we observe animals. It could be through mediation, watching them in nature, or looking at them in books/videos. Thorough these observations we can take lessons for better actions in our lives. The cosmic animal one identifies with can change over one’s lifecycle and some people resonate with more than one animal at a time. Next, we transitioned to talking about a few animals associated to Halloween and what we can learn from them as cosmic animals. Note: the animals we discussed are primarily black (or other dark shades). The color black is associated to darkness, night, shadows, and mystery – which fits perfectly with Halloween! One of the most common Halloween images is a hissing black cat. In Ancient Egypt, cats were cherished and worshipped. But in 1233, Pope Gregory IX identified cats, especially black ones, as being in league with Satan.  Soon after cats became associated with witches; suspected with being their familiars. The independent nature of cats likely contributed to those associations. Cats are grounded and clever. What can we learn from them as cosmic animals? Black cats can invite us to explore areas that are hidden from sight, but in a wise way to keep us protected. Color does matter when it comes cat symbolism. Each cat and each color has a different message and meaning. For example, black panthers are associated with the moon. Cheetahs are associated to intervals and speed. After discussing cats, we moved to on to the creepy, crawly spider. After being admired in ancient times for their web building skills, spiders, also became associated to witches. There is a superstition that if you see a spider on Halloween, it is a deceased loved one looking over you. Tanya loves spider messengers. They are creative; their webs are symbols for spinning stories. They teach us to look at our life stories. Are our stories helpful or are we getting stuck in our own webs? Spiders teach us to clean up the cobwebs in our lives. Spiders are patient. They create beautiful webs and wait for nourishment to come to them.  Their infinity symbol shaped bodies symbolize the balance of masculine and feminine energy. Many of the creatures associated to Halloween fly – like bats. Picture ancient Celtics celebrating Samhain (pronounced Sow-WHEN, the holiday that is the origin of Halloween) around bonfires. The bats would be attracted to the insects that were attracted to the light of the fire. Stories like Bram Stoker’s Dracula, further cemented the association of bats to Halloween and horror.  Bats are excellent communicators – they have a unique skill of echolocation. They can go into the dark and come out unharmed. They teach us to not fear darkness - it is a way for us to grow and learn. Bats give birth while hanging upside down. Their babies are born being pushed up into the world. They show us to be independent and do things in a non-traditional way. Bats are one of the best controllers of mosquitos. They can show us not to let annoying pests get to us. Like bats, most owls are nocturnal. Owls would be seen during Samhain bonfires. They have big mysterious eyes and scream and screech in the darkness. They have also been associated to witches. There is a myth that seeing an owl means someone will die soon. Owl has similar themes to the other animals – navigating the dark. Owls can be a messenger to help people transition. You can feel sympathy and support from an owl. Different owls have different messages. What it is doing is more important that what it looks like. If an owl is flying silently, it can be telling us to be quiet – that we don’t have to be so loud about what we are doing.  A loud owl may be telling us to speak up for ourselves. We can give Edgar Allan Poe and Alfred Hitchcock major credit towards unifying crows and ravens to Halloween. They are scavengers and will feed on dead things. In some cultures, they take the soul to the underworld. Tanya groups ravens and crows together – she playfully calls them “cravens.” Raven is considered a trickster animal. The trickster helps us transform manipulative tendencies into a way to empower and transform ourselves and others. They can give us tricks to help us get around egos and help us get around difficult challenges. Lastly, we covered vulture. Vultures are easy to associate to Halloween. They show up in large numbers when something has died. They eat dead animals. In Persian lore, they guard the gates to Hell. On a positive note, vultures symbolize purity, harmony, and preventing the spread of diseases. They show us that small quiet tasks are important. Without someone to help clean up, we would be in a disgusting place. Vultures are humble and just do what needs to be done without fanfare.   It was an inspiration to learn more about these animals from Tanya. If you would like to learn more about her work, visit her web site https://www.tanyacasteel.com. There you can see her paintings, read through animal profiles, buy paintings and prints, learn about her partnership with Wild Messengers, and more. Support the show subscribing to the podcast and by following us on Instagram and or Facebook. Join us next month for more Halloween inspiration! Our web site is https://www.halloweenartandtravel.com/.

Is there anything more intense than a glassy eyed 19 year old turtle neck enthusiast trying to sell you fake medical care? What about excommunicating an entire species from catholicism? Now THATS extreme. Join us this week for a deep dive into the mega failure that was "Theranos", along with the infamously silly ban on cats decreed by Pope Gregory IX. Rethink your investments, pet your local kitty, and stay horrified.

Rebroadcast of the long-running radio program, "The Ave Maria Hour," a presentation of the Franciscan Friars of the Atonement. www.AtonementFriars.org St. Elizabeth of Hungary, also known as St. Elizabeth of Thuringia, was born in Hungary in 1207 to the Hungarian King Andrew II and Gertrude of Merania. At the age of four, Elizabeth was betrothed to Ludwig IV of Thuringia, a German nobleman. In 1221, Elizabeth and Ludwig were married. Together the couple had three children. At around the same time period, Franciscan friars arrived in Thuringia and taught 16-year-old Elizabeth all about Francis of Assisi's ideals. She made a decision to live her life mirroring his. Ludwig, who was now one of the rulers of Thuringia, supported and encouraged Elizabeth's religious endeavors even though she was a part of the royal court.  The couple lived with a remarkable generosity toward the poor. Tragedy struck when Ludwig died in 1227.  After his death, Elizabeth left the court, made arrangements for the care of her children, and in 1228, renounced the world, joining the Third Order of St. Francis. Having received her dowry, Elizabeth founded a hospital in honor of St. Francis, where she personally devoted herself to the care of the sick. Elizabeth died at the age of 24 on November 17, 1231 in Marburg, Hesse. She was canonized in 1235 by Pope Gregory IX.

Rebroadcast of the long-running radio program, "The Ave Maria Hour," a presentation of the Franciscan Friars of the Atonement. www.AtonementFriars.org St. Anthony of Padua was born on August 15, 1195 in Lisbon, Portugal to a prominent family. At 15 years of age, St. Anthony, then-called Ferdinand, entered the Order of St. Augustine. The young monk, viewing a solemn funeral procession for five Franciscans who were martyred in Morocco, was inspired to leave the Augustinian monastery to become a Franciscan. He took the name Anthony. The life of St. Anthony of Padua was filled with great and holy experiences. A nobleman who lived close to Padua, Italy had a large property which housed a chapel and a hermitage for the friars. St. Anthony often stayed at there. One night, his small room filled up with light. Jesus appeared to Anthony in the form of a tiny child. Passing by the hermitage, the nobleman saw the light shining from the room and St. Anthony holding and speaking with the infant. The nobleman fell to his knees upon seeing this wondrous sight. When the vision ended, St. Anthony saw the man kneeling at the open door and begged him not to reveal what he had seen until after Anthony’s death. Artwork depicting St. Anthony of Padua frequently shows him holding the infant Jesus in his arms. St. Anthony of Padua died on June 13, 1231 in Padua, Italy at the age of 36. He was canonized less than one year later by Pope Gregory IX.

The country of Japan does not usually cross the mind when castles are mentioned. But Japan does have castles and Himeji Castle is the largest castle in Japan. The magnificent structure sits at the top of Himeyama, which is a point 150 feet above sea level. The castle is made up of 83 buildings and referred to as White Heron Castle because of its coloring, which is a brilliant white and the curved roofs resemble a bird in flight. Today, the castle is the most visited castle in Japan and is an UNESCO World Heritage Site. The site is also considered to be one of the most haunted locations in Japan with stories of Okiku's Well, the Old Widow's Stone and the death of Sakurai Genbei. Join us as we explore the history, legends and hauntings of Himeji Castle. The Moment in Oddity features Pope Gregory IX declaring cats are of Satan and This Month in History features Tolpuddle Martyrs banished to Australia. Our location was suggested by listener Jenni Watt. Check out the website: http://historygoesbump.com Show notes can be found here: https://historygoesbump.blogspot.com/2018/03/hgb-ep-250-himeji-castle.html Become an Executive Producer and get your plot today: http://patreon.com/historygoesbump Music: Vanishing from http://purple-planet.com (Moment in Oddity) In Your Arms by Kevin MacLeod http://incompetech.com (This Month in History) Licensed under Creative Commons: By Attribution 3.0 License http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0/ All other music licensing: PODCASTMUSIC.COM License Synchronization, Mechanical, Master Use and Performance Direct License for a Single Podcast Series under current monthly subscription.

Rebroadcast of the long-running radio program, "The Ave Maria Hour," a presentation of the Franciscan Friars of the Atonement. www.AtonementFriars.org St. Francis of Assisi was born Giovanni di Pietro di Bernardone, in Umbria, Italy in 1181 to a wealthy cloth merchant and his wife. One day as he prayed in the Church of St. Damian, near Assisi, for guidance and direction in his life, Francis heard the voice of the Lord telling him to, "Go and repair my house, which you see is falling down." He understood this to mean the physical building in which he knelt. Later he came to realize that the brokenness he was called to repair was the Holy Church itself. Francis encouraged people to turn away from materialism and sin. He trusted God to provide the basic needs of food, clothing and shelter. He founded the mendicant Franciscan religious order in 1209. Francis died on October 3, 1226 and was canonized by Pope Gregory IX on July 16, 1228. His feast day is celebrated on October 4.

In 1242 the Teutonic Knights were conquering lands to the east into Novgorod. Pope Gregory IX blessed the Knights in their Crusade to rid Novgorod of the orthodox pagans. Alexander Nevsky and his army had other plans. They intended to defend their country from all invaders. The conflict ended with a fierce battle, called the Battle on the Ice. On a frigid day in April the two armies met on the frozen ice of Lake Peipus. If the Teutonic Knights were victorious they would stamp out the Orthodox religion and spread Catholicism throughout Russia. If Nevsky and his army successfully stopped the Knights Novgorod and Russia would be free of Western influence. Today on the Medieval Archives Podcast we'll discuss the Northern Crusades and the Battle on the Ice. Please send any comments, suggestions or topic ideas to podcast@medievalarchives.com If you are enjoying the podcast please considering leaving a rating on iTunes. Rate the Medieval Archives Podcast now! In this episode we discuss: Northern Crusades Livonian Order of the Teutonic Knights Pope Gregory IX Saint Alexander Nevsky And more... http://www.medievalarchives.com/medievalpatron Get your free audio book from Audible.com at: http://www.medievalarchives.com/AudioBook Download the MP3 and listen to it on your favorite MP3 player. Subscribe to the feed so you do not miss a single episode. iTunes | Stitcher Radio | Download MP3 | RSS Feed The music was provided by Tim Rayburn. It is available at Magnatune.com

Rebroadcast of the long running radio program, "The Ave Maria Hour", a presentation of the Franciscan Friars of the Atonement. www.AtonementFriars.org Raymond was born at Portella, Catalonia, Spain. He was delivered by caesarean operation when his mother died in childbirth. Hence his name non natus (not born). He joined the Mercedarians under St. Peter Nolasco at Barcelona. He succeeded Peter as chief ransomer and went to Algeria to ransom slaves. He remained as hostage for several slaves when his money ran out and was sentenced to be impaled when the governor learned that he had converted several Mohammedans. He escaped the death sentence because of the ransom he would bring, but was forced to run the gauntlet. He was then tortured for continuing his evangelizing activities but was ransomed eight months later by Peter Nolasco. On his return to Barcelona in 1239, he was appointed Cardinal by Pope Gregory IX, but died at Cardona a short distance from Barcelona the next year while on the way to Rome. He was canonized in 1657. He is the patron saint of expectant mothers and midwives because of the nature of his own birth. Although his mother died in labor, Raymond miraculously survived the ordeal. His feast day is August 31.

Rebroadcast of the long running radio program, "The Ave Maria Hour", a presentation of the Franciscan Friars of the Atonement. www.AtonementFriars.org St. Dominic – Founder of the Order of Preachers, commonly known as the Dominican Order.  He was canonized by Pope Gregory IX in 1234.

Summary of today's show: The Sacrament of Confession liberates us from sin and is where God's desire to heal our relationship with Him meets our desire to be healed. Scot Landry and Fr. Chris O'Connor talk with Fr. Wayne Belschner about confession and they discuss the Pastoral Letter and manual for confession written by Archbishop Robert Carlson when he was bishop of Saginaw, Michigan (available at thelightisonforyou.org). Listen to the show: Today's host(s): Scot Landry and Fr. Chris O'Connor Today's guest(s): Fr. Wayne Belschner, Pastor of Sacred Heart Parish in East Boston Links from today's show: Today's topics: The Sacrament of Confession & The Light Is On For You 1st segment: Scot welcomed Fr. Chris back to the show after being away. On his spring break from the seminary, he went on pilgrimage to Povence, France, especially to Avignon, where a number of popes lived in the Middle Ages. Fr. Chris explained how the popes ended up in Avignon between 1309-1376 in the reigns of 7 popes.They were all French and we haven't had a French pope since, Fr. Chris said. He also noted that it was St. Catherine of Siena who finally convinced the pope to return to Rome. Scot said after Pope Gregory IX moved back to Rome, there were also three other bishops who claimed to be pope and are called anti-popes. They welcomed Fr. Wayne Belschner to the show and asked him to give him his expert information. He said eventually when there were three popes, there was a council that deposed all three and elected one new one. Fr. Wayne recounted all the intrigue and murder and violence involved in the end of the Avignon papacy. Fr. Chris changed subjects to celebrating Life Teen Mass at St. Mary in Hanover and how great it was. He discussed his admiration for Fr. Chris Hickey, the pastor there. 2nd segment: Fr. Wayne talked about The Light Is On For You and how wonderful it is going. He said in the past Saturday afternoon before the anticipatory Mass is not the most opportune time for the penitents or for the priests. In his parish, they offer Mass during Holy Hours and before daily Mass. He's hearing from other priests that The Light IS On For You is going very well. They discussed the progress of pastoral planning in East Boston. Fr. Wayne said they had a meeting of the parishes in the vicariate on Sunday. The people attending were shocked when they were told that in the 1960s and 70s, 70% of Catholics in Boston went to Mass and today only 15.8% go to Mass. As a church historian, Fr. Wayne said it's amazing. It wasn't just the upheaval of the 60s that caused it. Certainly parish closings can be a cause as well as the abuse crisis. Scot looks at it from the viewpoint of whether general religious practice across the US is down from that period of time. Fr. Chris said we have to be aware that there is a constant stream of secularization in society. We're no longer cognizant of what's in our faith and what's important. Fr. Chris said we also have to be aware of our religious education programs. He had a priest tell him to look in a textbook and find one thing worth dying for. Fr. Wayne said at that meeting on Sunday, a young lady got up and pointed out that the people coming to all the programs like Arise and Why Catholic are those who go to church every Sunday and even they don't know their faith. Scot said his theory is that there was a sense that many families outsourced religious upbringing of their kids an hour per week and the central role of the parent in forming faith was lost. He said he sees a lot of parents drop of their kids at religious education but never bring them to Mass. Twenty hours per year isn't enough. Fr. Chris said even just going to Mass isn't enough. Boiled down to the essence, that about 8 hours per year of religious instruction. Measure that against the hours of television and other influences kids receive. On the power of the Sacrament of Confession, Scot said Pope Benedict said during his trip to the US: “The liberating power of this sacrament, in which our honest confession of sin is met by God's merciful words of pardon and peace, needs to be re-discovered and re-appropriated by every Catholic. To a great extent, the renewal of the church in America, and throughout the world, depends on the renewal of the practice of penance and the growth in holiness which the sacrament both inspires and accomplishes.” Fr. Wayne said he waits every week to hear that most important phrase: “I absolve you of your sins” because of its power. Scot said it's not just that our sins are forgiveness, but we also receive grace to be at peace. Fr. Chris said in the opening prayer at Mass this past week, it said our consciences bring us down, but God's mercy brings us up. He recalled his doctor telling him to carry 10 pounds of bricks in a backpack a day and then taking them to imagine what losing 10 pounds would be like. This is the same sense of liberation from sin. Fr. Wayne said when you go to your confessor, you let down the boulder down first and then drop the pebbles. When you go to confession, confess the big sins first and once those are gone, you feel the weight lifted and then confessing the venial sins is easy. Scot said his experience of confessing the smaller sins first shows how hard it is to finally confess the big one. Fr. Chris said he sometimes encounters people who say they haven't been in years and don't know what to confess. He tells them to think of what weighs on them most heavily and what separates them most from God's love and love of neighbor. Fr. Wayne said those who are away from the sacrament, they put a lot of weight on what they don't know how to do. He said people can just tell the priest they need help and they will love to do so. Scot moved on to the Pastoral Letter by then-Bishop Robert Carlson of Saginaw (now in St. Louis). One of the major purposes of the letter is the attempt to move us away from a guilt-centered notion of sin and the sacrament: sin means that we feel guilty, that God is angry, and the sacrament of Penance is about softening our guilt and God's an ger. I want to move us toward a different notion of sin: sin means that something is deeply wounded in us, that we have weakened or ruptured our relationship with God, and the sacrament of Penance is where God's desire to heal our relationship meets our desire to be healed. Scot said we need to focus on God's desire for us to be healed, rather than our just punishment. Fr. Wayne said Jesus' ministry was one of healing the person from the inside out. The Sacrament of Reconciliation is a moving forward. Where are we moving too? Fr. Chris said Pope BEnedict said the sacraments provide for us what we can't provide for ourselves. Scot said Bishops Carlson is like many midwesterners in being very practical. He uses three analogies for confession: Every 3,000 miles or so, we change the oil in our car. There may not be any major problem with our engine. But slowly, over time, minor impurities have been build- ing up. If we leave those impurities unattended, they will eventually result in major (and costly) problems for our car. Every once in a while, we move the furniture and vacuum behind our couch. If we don't get to it one week, it's no big deal. If we don't get to it the next week, it's no big deal. If we fail to move the couch and vacuum behind it for six months, it will be filthy. The sacrament of penance is like an oil change for the soul. It's like moving the furniture of your soul and getting to the places that escape everyday cleaning. … Let me add one more analogy: brushing your teeth. If you forget to brush your teeth tonight, it's no big deal. If you forget to brush your teeth tomorrow morning, it's no big deal. If you forget to brush your teeth for three months – or 10 or 15 years – there are going to be big problems! One person's analogies may help or hinder another person's understanding. So I want to encourage each of you to come up with your own analogies. What is an image that might help you to understand the sacrament of penance more deeply, and take advantage of its graces more frequently in your spiritual journey? Fr. Chris recounted how much work it is for his sister's four boys to get their teeth brushed. They have a sign in the bathroom that says only brush the teeth you want to keep. Our soul is going to bring us to heaven and we want to keep it clean and holy and we do that by going to confession. Fr. Wayne said he watched the show “Hoarders”. Some of these people can't even walk in their homes because they're so cluttered. When we neglect confession, we become hoarders. We can't unpack what we've gathered. Like the hoarders, we need help to get rid of what is cluttering up inside. Fr. Chris said regular confession is a wonderful thing. The saints have a keen insight that the more they went to confession, the more they would find ways to grow and to grow closer to the Lord. He said people often say that God hasn't forgiven them, but God always forgives. It's our own ability not to forgive ourselves. Scot said we can project our own lack of mercy toward ourselves for the sins we commit. Fr. Wayne said in confession we have to be sincere and authentic and have a desire to do that penance. Once we confess our sins, there has to be a change of life as well. Fr. Chris said sins are like cancer. They corrode the body. No one prays to get cancer in order to get chemotherapy and get healed. We don't want to use confession in order to be able to sin again. Fr. Wayne said the more a priest goes to confession, the better confessor he becomes. Fr. Chris said we learn by example and it's important to have examples of priests going to confession. Likewise, we can't tell people confession is so important and then give them a small window for confession. We have to show confession is so important that every church and chapel will be open for confession on Wednesdays in Lent and Advent, 6:30-8. Fr. Wayne said it shows that this is important and serious. Fr. Wayne said he tries to assure the people in his parish who don't want him to hear their confession that he won't look at them any differently after hearing their confessions. Scot said Bishop Carlson talks about the root causes of sins: “What we tend to do when we go to confession is confess our sins – but not the root of the sin. So our sins are forgiven, but what caused us to sin has not been healed. We think that the sin is what the problem is. But it's not. The problem is what's been build- ing up in us in terms of our attitudes, our habits, our weakness, our human condition, that needs regular infusions of God's grace. We need to look deeper, asking the Holy Spirit, ‘Come in. Probe my heart. Reveal to me what the real problems are. What are the things that lead to sin? What are the attitudes? Where do I need mercy most? Where do I need healing? What are the things in me at a deep level that need to be healed?'” At the root is often the seven deadly sins—pride, greed, envy, wrath, lust, gluttony, sloth— and he says: What am I struggling with? What are the actions? What's underneath the actions – what attitudes or habits? What do I need to aim for? (Notice the opposites are basically fruits of the Spirit.) What do I want help becoming? Fr. Chris said the bishop also lists the corresponding virtues: humility, generosity, charity, meekness, chastity, moderation, and zeal. The bishop is showing that the Christian life isn't just a list of don't, but it is a list of do's, showing us what will make us happy. Fr. Chris said he loves the quote from Christ who says a man who can be trusted in the little things, then he can be trusted in the big things. If we're virtuous in little acts, then when the opportunity presents itself we will be virtuous in big things. Fr. Wayne said the sin is the exterior manifestation of what is inside us. What is driving that sin? We need to get at that root cause of the sin. Scot said pride is listed here first. Fr. Chris said pride was the first sin, that of Adam and Eve and sin starts with pride. Fr. Wayne said it's the deadliest of the sins. Pride is the foundation of all the other deadly sins. Fr. Chris said lust is the most powerful of the sins, especially in today's culture. We can combat the devil in the other sins, but we are too often powerless before lust. Fr. Wayne said when we are tempted by lust, we should pray to Mary to only have eyes for her and a heart for her Son. Scot read from the pastoral letter: Through the sacrament of reconciliation Jesus' voice echoes down through the ages saying “Call them to me.” In his sacramental presence through the priest Jesus repeats his question to us: “What do you want me to do for you?” When we have unburdened our hearts we will hear him speak again, saying to us “Go in peace, your faith has made you well.” Scort said his favorite parable is that of the prodigal son, but we should focus on the father of the son, who loves him so much. Fr. Wayne said we all have been in all of the shoes of the people in that parable: the father, the son, and the brother. Bishop Carlson ends by telling people not to be afraid to go back to confession. Be humble. Every priest wants to help. Fr. Wayne said we can't be afraid to go to confession.

Hi there, I’m Jack and I’m Raminta and welcome back to Lithuanian Out Loud where we offer the world the Lithuanian language. Photograph: Yotvingian ForestPhotographer: Przemyslaw 'Blueshade' Idzkiewicz According to the free Wikipedia page Romuva; The Quendlinburg Chronicle mentions a missionary Bruno of Querfort, who was killed along with 18 men by Yotvingians because of entering The Holy Forest.  This was the first time the name of Lithuania was mentioned in written sources.  Lithuanians came to history as very conservative believers of an ancient European pre-Christian faith, they preserved this religion until the 14th and 15th centuries.  They happened to be the last non-nomadic people in Europe practicing pristine Indo-European polytheism. In the 13th century Pope Gregory IX declared crusades against the Baltic peoples.  This led to the destruction of the Baltic faith.  Grand Duke Mindaugas was Christianized with his family and warriors in 1251 to get recognition from Christian Europe.  But, Mindaugas still worshipped pagan deities as the Hyperian Chronicle mentions.  He sacrificed to the Supreme God Andajus or Dievas, Perkūnas, Teliavelis, the god of blacksmiths, and Žvorūna, goddess of forests and hunters. Today we‘ll go over the Lithuanian verb galėti – to be able.  Here are galėti and negalėti conjugated in the present tense. to be able (can)              galėtiI can                               aš galiuyou can                            tu galihe can                              jis galishe can                          ji galiwe can                            mes galimeyou can                           jūs galiteyou all can                     jūs galitethey can (mm/mf)           jie galithey can (ff)                    jos gali to not be able (cannot)   negalėtiI cannot                           aš negaliuyou cannot                     tu negalihe cannot                       jis negalishe cannot                     ji negaliwe cannot                     mes negalimeyou cannot                       jūs negaliteyou all cannot                 jūs negalitethey cannot (mm/mf)     jie negalithey cannot (ff)               jos negali vocabulary                     žodynas I would like                     norėčiaualso                                 irgito read                           skaitytito write                         rašytito work                            dirbtiif                                    jei, jeiguto leave                           išeitito enter                            įeitito sing                            dainuotito cook                           virtito dance                          šoktito do                              daryti, padarytito start                            pradėtislow                                lėtasto hear                           girdėtito finish                          baigtito eat                             valgytito win                            laimėtito change                        pakeistilife                                 gyvenimasto say, to tell                 pasakytiwhen?                            kada?why?                              kodėl?to read                           skaitytia sentence                      sakinyspolite                              mandagusto trust                           pasitikėtipleasant, nice                 malonusoutside                            laukasto relax                           atsipalaiduotiall                                  visasto rest                             pailsėtidessert                           desertasto smoke                        rūkytito sit                              sėdėtito write                          rašytinor                                 neianywhere                        bet kurto study                          mokytiswonderful                       puikuspork                               kiauliena ašI can read                     aš galiu skaitytiI can write                       aš galiu rašytiI can work                       aš galiu dirbtiif I can, you can too       jei aš galiu, gali ir tuI can’t shut up               negaliu tylėtiI can’t read                   negaliu skaitytiI can’t write                   negaliu rašytiI can’t work                     negaliu dirbti tucan you?                             ar gali?can you speak English?         ar gali kalbėti angliškai?can you understand French? ar gali suprasti prancūziškai?I know that you can do it       aš žinau kad tu tai galican you?                                 ar gali?yes, I can!                             taip, aš galiuI can’t shut up                         negaliu tylėtiyes, I can!                               taip, galiu!you cannot leave                     negali išeitiyou cannot enter                   negali įeitiyou cannot sing                       negali dainuoti jishe can cook                       jis gali virtihe can dance                           jis gali šoktihe can do it                           jis gali tai padarytihe cannot do it                       jis negali to padarytihe cannot cook                       jis negali virtihe cannot dance                     jis negali šokti jishe can start                         ji gali pradėtishe can eat very slowly         ji gali valgyti labai lėtaishe can hear                         ji gali girdėtishe cannot swim                   ji negali plauktishe cannot eat slowly             ji negali valgyti lėtai meswe can do it                           mes galime tai padarytiwe can win                             galime laimėtiyes we can                               taip mes galimewe can’t do it                         mes negalime to padarytiwe can’t win                           negalime laimėtino we can’t                             ne, mes negalime jūsyou can change your life       jūs galite pakeisti savo gyvenimącan you say when?                 ar galite pasakyti kada?can you say why?                   ar galite pasakyti kodėl?now you can start                   dabar galite pradėtican you read this sentence?   ar jūs galite perskaityti šį sakinį?why can’t you be polite?         kodėl jūs negalite būti mandagus?why can’t you trust me?         kodėl jūs negalite manimi pasitikėti?why can’t you be nice?           kodėl jūs negalite būti malonus? jūsyou all can play outside         jūs visi galite žaisti laukeyou can all relax                     jūs visi galite atsipalaiduotiyou can all rest                       jūs visi galite pailsėtiyou all cannot eat dessert     negalite valgyti desertoyou all cannot smoke here     negalite čia rūkytiyou all cannot sit here           negalite čia sėdėti jiethey can read and write           jie gali skaityti ir rašytithey can sit in the coffee shop jie gali sėdėti kavinėjethey can speak Lithuanian       jie gali kalbėti lietuviškaithey can understand a little English jie gali truputį suprasti angliškaithey can’t read nor write               jie negali nei skaityti, nei rašytithey can’t live well in London         jie negali gerai gyventi Londonethey can’t speak Lithuanian           jie negali kalbėti lietuviškai josthey can live anywhere                 jos gali gyventi bet kurthey can dance well                       jos gali puikiai šoktithey can study in the library           jos gali mokytis bibliotekojethey can sit outside                       jos gali sėdėti laukethey cannot live here                       jos negali gyventi čiathey cannot dance well                   jos negali gerai šoktithey cannot eat pork                     jos negali valgyti kiaulienos and here is galėti in the imperativeyou can! (tu)                                   galėk!we can!                                            galėkime!you can! (jūs)                                  galėkite!you cannot! (tu)                              negalėk!we cannot!                                      negalėkime!you cannot! (jūs)                             negalėkite! Puiku!  Excellent!  You made it to the end of another episode!  Puiku! Alright!  That’s it for today!  Thanks for the download!  If you got anything out of this lesson please leave us a review on our iTunes page. To leave us comments call our voicemail number that’s in the title of every show or call our Skype voicemail at Lithuanianoutloud – that’s one word, and leave us a message there.If you’d like to see the Lithuanian spelling of any word in this series just go to WWW dot Lithuanian dot L I B S Y N dot com.  If you’d like to get these episodes every time a new one is available just go to iTunes and do a search for Lithuanian Out Loud and click subscribe.  It’s completely free.  But, if you don’t want to subscribe on iTunes, just send us an email asking us to alert you every time a new episode hits the internet.  And feel free to make copies of our episodes, put them on cds and pass them out to your friends.Thanks to CCMixter.org, Ditto Ditto and Vieux Farka Toure for the podcast music.Thanks for tuning in, tell your friends about us, we’ll see you on the next episode of Lithuanian Out Loud.I’m Jack and I’ve never met a Lithuanian I didn’t like.  Viso gero!  Sudie! http://www.Lithuanian.Libsyn.comSkype voicemail:  Lithuanianoutloudemail Raminta and Jack at: lithuanianoutloud@earthlink.net  http://www.vieuxfarkatoure.com/http://www.ccmixter.org/  

This 74th Episode of CS is the 2nd Overview, where we pause to sum up the journey we've taken since the last overview in Episode 35.That summary began with the Apostolic Church and ran up through the 5th C marking the Fall of the Western Roman Empire. This Overview starts where that left off and brings us up to the 15th C. We're about to move into what's called the Reformation and Counter- Reformation Era, but have a bit more work to do in looking at some trends that took place in the Church in Europe in the waning decades of the Middle Ages.Turns out, there was a lot of reform-oriented activity that took place in the Church well before the birth of Martin Luther. So we'll take a look at that, filling in some of the holes left in the story so far.The reason these overview / review episodes are important is because of the need to set the events of Church history into the larger context of world history. But a danger lies in the very thing many dislike in the study of history; that inevitable list of names and dates. We have an advantage here because the assumption is – you LIKE history > Or for goodness sake, why would you be listening? I sure hope no home-school student has to listen to these, and no parent uses them as a form of discipline. Although, I guess they could be used in some kind of enhanced interrogation technique.Anyway à Here we go . . .  Picking up where we left off in the last Overview àChristianity came to England early, at the end of the 3rd C. Patrick took the Gospel to Ireland in the 5th.The Goth and Hun invasions of Europe altered both the political and religious landscape. As the political structures of the Western Roman Empire fragmented, people looked to the Church to provide leadership. Being generally pretty capable leaders, the task of providing guidance fell to the dozens of Christian bishops.Then we briefly examined a subject that could have occupied us for much longer; the emergence of the Roman bishop as the Pope and de-facto leader of the Church.We spent an episode considering Pope Gregory the Great's monumental impact on the Church in the 6th C, how the Church proved to be a crucial feature of the Middles Ages and how Augustine's work on theology formed the intellectual core of that era.We charted the Faith's expansion into Africa, Mesopotamia, Asia and the Far East.Charlemagne's tenure as Holy Roman Emperor was reviewed. The Iconoclast Controversy in the Eastern Church was covered. Then we saw the rift between the Eastern and Western churches that occurred in the 11th C.The Crusades occupied us for 4 episodes; the growth of monasticism for 5 as we took a closer look at both Francis of Assisi and Dominic. We were fascinated by the career of the brilliant Bernard of Clairvaux. We attempted an examination of two major controversies –Investiture and the Eucharist.Universities were founded; the two most important at Paris and Oxford, but several lesser schools as well – giving rise to the movement known as Scholasticism which we took 3 episodes to cover. Scholasticism was fueled by the earlier work of Anselm and Abelard, but really took off with the labor of Thomas Aquinas and Dun Scotus.Thomas Beckett was made the Archbishop of Canterbury, then killed by over-zealous knights.In the mid-late 12th C, Peter Waldo started a movement of mendicants that would birth a movement that lasts to this day. We haven't said much about that yet but will in a near episode.The Third Lateran Council met in 1179 and a Middle Eastern Church known as the Maronites made common cause with the Roman Catholic Church rather than the Eastern Orthodox.In 1187, Saladin captured Jerusalem and the 3rd  Crusade set out.Innocent III became the most powerful Pope of the Middle Ages and convened the monumental Fourth Lateran Council in 1215.A Crusade was launched against the Cathars in Southern France.King John issued the Magna Carta.Pope Gregory IX appointed the first Inquisitors, another episode of church history we need to devote an episode to.Coming up to recent episodes, we looked at the emerging tension between the Church and State, Popes and Princes, that was a harbinger of Europe's emergence into the Modern world. Pope Boniface VIII's papal edict Unam Sanctum in 1302 was the proverbial gauntlet hurled at the foot of the secular power, denying salvation to anyone outside the Church.We reviewed the Great Papal Schism when there was—count them; not 1, nor 2, but for a time, 3 popes!In 1312, the Knights Templar were suppressed.Nine years later the Italian poet Dante Alighieri wrote The Divine Comedy.1337, the Hundred Year's War began and a decade later the Plague killed off a third of Europe.Then, as we start to move inexorably toward the emergence of serious reform attempts, we saw the central place of Sacramentalism in the mindset of people in the Middle Ages – that salvation is free and by grace, but that it's dispensed THROUGH the Church, BY the clergy performing the sacraments.One episode looked at the Mystics who managed to keep the focus on God while it seemed so much of the rest of the clergy had been consumed by the intrigues of European politics.We paused to see what was happening with the Mongols and their rapacious conquest of the East, and ended with a look at John Wycliffe, Morningstar of the Reformation.It's important we understand, the reform of the Church was not something that began with Martin Luther in the 16th C. Far from it. There'd been many reform movements and the century and half before Luther went far to prepare the ground for his emergence.Jesus spoke of the problem of wineskins. New wine needs a new skin. If you put new juice in an old skin, as it ferments, the already stretched bottle will burst, ruining both skin and wine. Noà Jesus wasn't giving wine-making lessons. He illustrated a spiritual axiom. When God does a new thing, He often goes outside the current religious “skin”, the existing structure, and uses a new vessel, medium, or method.From one perspective, we could say that Church History is a long tale of fresh movements of the Spirit, and how the Faith has embodied, or given expression to those new movements.The challenge of the modern student of history is to avoid layering back onto history our own particular experience and evaluation. People with smartphones and the Internet with a vast searchable electronic encyclopedia, literally at their fingertips, could easily consider people just a hundred years ago to be terribly uninformed; and people 500 years ago to be bereft of knowing much of anything.   It's said by some that the brilliant polymath Thomas Young, who died in 1829, was the last man to know everything. What that means is that until the early 19th C, the body of information available in the form of books, the repositories of knowledge in that time, was of such a volume that a single human being could potentially have at least a working knowledge of ALL of it. But after that, the proliferation of knowledge began to grow exponentially so that it became impossible for one person to have such knowledge.We don't need to attempt such a knowledge upload today when we can download any piece of knowledge we need in an instant.I say all that as a preface for this: As we soon move in our podcasts into the Reformation Era and the breakaway of the Protestants, it's easy for us who've lived so long with the tension between Roman Catholics and Protestants, to project that paradigm back onto the Church before the Reformation. That would be wrong, a gross distortion of the facts.Before the Reformation, there really was just one church in Europe – and we ought not call it the “Roman Catholic Church” because what we think of TODAY as the RC Church was not that! The Roman Catholic Church today is what it is, in good measure, BECAUSE of the Reformation, as we'll see. Western Christians today probably ought to understand the Church of Europe before the Reformation as “our church” – regardless what your denominational stripe is now. Eastern Christians, of course, look to the Eastern or Greek Orthodox Church as their Church and have for a thousand years.The point is, the numerous attempts at reform prior to the Reformation were all kept in-house. Most of the monastic movements were attempts at reforming, not just monasteries, but the entire Church. Some of the popes had a reform agenda and were able to accomplish somewhat in the way of getting the Church back to its Apostolic ideal. The Reformation split the Church precisely because of a perfect storm of several factors that combined in Europe when it was obvious to just about everyone there was something seriously wrong in the leadership of the Church. And when the Church wouldn't install the reforms it so obviously needed, a door had opened to allow those who wanted out, to leave.The factors that contributed to that perfect storm were . . .First, the growing tension between Popes and Princes.As the Investiture Controversy made clear, there'd been strife between secular rulers and the Pope for a while. It all went back to Charlemagne and his descendants who ruled by having their crowns bestowed by the Pope; their rule sanctioned by the Church. But as the different rulers of Europe jostled each other for territory and wealth became more important to fielding ever larger armies, these rulers competed with the Church for income. As the borders of Europe became thicker, the tension between Church and State grew.Second, the emergence of the European middle-class meant the feudalism that dominated European politics and economics began to loosen its grip on society. Though the social structure was still tightly controlled, new options began to appear. The emerging middle-class possessed more disposable income, fueling more markets and options. Cities began to grow. More were educated. Questions were asked, and the Church didn't always have satisfying answers.Third, the printing press arrived and books began to proliferate. Ideas that had taken months to move from one place to another were now making the trip in days.Fourth, the scandal of the Papal Schism, with the governance of the Church being argued over by three claimant-popes all at the same time was simply embarrassing to many of Europe's faithful. It was clear to everyone, including the Pope's themselves, that serious changes was needed. This Church, divided as it was, could NOT be what Jesus and the Apostles had in mind.So, in the next episodes, we'll take a look at some of the attempts at reform that occurred in the Late Middle Ages that act as precursors, foreshocks, if you will, to the eventual rift brought by the Protestants.

This Episode of CS is titled, Francis and continues our look at the mendicant orders.Though we call him Francis of Assisi, his original name was Francesco Bernardone. Born in 1182, his given name was Giovanni (Latin of John). His father Pietro nicknamed him Francesco which is what everyone called him. Pietro was a wealthy dealer in textiles imported from France to their hometown of Assisi in central Italy.His childhood was marked by the privileges of his family's wealth. He wasn't a great student, finding his delight more in having a good time entertaining friends. When a local war broke out, he signed up to fight for his and was taken prisoner. Released at 22, Francis then came down with a serious illness. That's when he began to consider eternal things, as so many have when facing their mortality. He rose from his sick-bed disgusted with himself and unsatisfied with the world.The war still on, he was on his way to rejoin the army when he turned back, sensing God had another path for him.  He went into seclusion at a grotto near Assisi where his path forward became clearer. He decided to make a typical pilgrimage to Rome, where it was assumed the godly went to seek God. But there he was stuck by the terrible plight of the poor who lined the streets, many of them just outside the door of luxurious churches.Confronted with a leper, he recoiled in horror. Then it dawned on him that his reaction was no different from an indifferent Church, which tolerated such gross need in their midst but doing nothing to lift the needy out of their condition. He turned around, kissed the leper's hand, and left in it all the money he had.Returning to Assisi, he attended the chapels in its suburbs instead of the main city church. There seemed less pretention in these humble chapels. He lingered most at the simply furnished St. Damian's served by a single priest at a crude altar. This little chapel became a kind of Bethel for Francis; his bridge between heaven and earth.The change that came over the one-time party-animal led to scorn and ridicule from those who'd known him. Privileged sons like Francis didn't grovel in the mucky world of commoners; yet that was exactly what Francis was now doing. His father banished him from the family home.  He renounced his obligations to them in public saying: “Up to this time I have called Pietro Bernardone ‘father,' but now I desire to serve God and to say nothing else than 'Our Father which art in heaven.'” From then on, Francis was wholly devoted to a religious life. He dressed in beggar's clothes, moved in with a small community of lepers, washed their sores, and restored the damaged walls of the chapel of St. Damian by begging building materials in the squares and streets of the city. He was 26 years old.Francis then received from the Benedictine abbot of Mt. Subasio the gift of a little chapel called Santa Maria degli Angeli. Nicknamed the Portiuncula—the Little Portion. It became Francis' favorite shrine. There he had most of his visions. It was there he eventually died.While meditating one day in 1209, Francis heard the Words of Jesus to his followers, “Preach, the kingdom of heaven is at hand. Heal the sick, cleanse the lepers, cast out devils. Provide neither silver nor gold, nor brass in your purses.” Throwing away his staff, purse, and, shoes, he made this the rule of his life. He preached repentance and gathered about him several companions. Their Rule was nothing less than full obedience to the Gospel.Their mission was to preach, by both word and deed. Their constant emphasis was to make sure their lives exemplified the Word and Work of God. One saying attributed to him is: “Preach at all times. When necessary, use words.”In 1210, Francis and some companions went to Rome were they were received by Pope Innocent III. The chronicle of the event reports that the pope, in order to test his sincerity, said, “Go, brother, go to the pigs, to whom you are more fit to be compared than to men, and roll with them, and to them preach the rules you have so ably set forth.” This may seem like a cruel put off, but it may in truth have been a test of Francis' sincerity. He proposed a very different way than priests and monks had chosen. This command would certainly determine if Francis' claim to poverty and obedience were genuine. Well, Francis DID obey, and returned saying, “My Lord, I have done so.” If the pope had only been mocking, Francis' response softened him. He gave his blessing to the brotherhood and sanctioned their rule, granted them the right to cut their hair in the distinctive tonsure that was the badge of the monk, and told them to go and preach repentance.The brotherhood increased rapidly. The members were expected to work. In his will, Francis urged the brethren to work at some trade as he'd done. He compared an idle monk to a drone. The brethren visited the sick, especially lepers who sat at the very bottom of the social order. They preached in ever expanding circles, and went abroad on missionary journeys. Francis was ready to sell the very ornaments of the altar rather than refuse an appeal for aid. He was ashamed when he encountered any one poorer than himself.One of the most remarkable episodes of Francis' career occurred at this time. He made a covenant, like marriage, with Poverty. He called it his bride, mother, and sister, and remained devoted to Sister Poverty with the devotion of a knight.In 1217, Francis was presented to the new Pope Honorius III. At the advice of a powerful Cardinal who would later become Pope Gregory IX, he memorized his sermon. But when he appeared before the pontiff, he forgot it all and instead delivered an impromptu message, which won over the papal court.Francis made evangelistic tours in 1219 thru Italy then into Egypt and Syria. Returning from the East with the title “il poverello” the little Poor Man, he found a new element had been introduced into the brotherhood thru the influence of a stern disciplinarian named Cardinal Ugolino, the same cardinal who'd coached him to memorize his sermon before the pope.Francis was heart-broken over the changes made to his order. Passing through Bologna in 1220, he was deeply grieved to see a new house being built for the brothers. Cardinal Ugolino was determined to manipulate the Franciscans in the interest of the Vatican. Early on he'd offered Francis help to negotiate the intricacies of Vatican life and politics, and Francis accepted. Little did he realize he was inviting a force that would fundamentally alter all he stood for. Under the cardinal's influence, a new code was adopted in 1221, then a third just two years later in which Francis' distinctive perspective for the Franciscans was set aside. The original Rule of poverty was modified; the old ideas of monastic discipline re-introduced, and a new element of absolute submission to the pope added. The mind of Francis was too simple for the shrewd rulers of the church. His lack of guile couldn't compete with men whose entire lives were lived wielding vast levers of political power. He was set aside and a member of the nobility was put at the head of the Order.The forced subordination of Francis offers one of the most touching spectacles of medieval biography. Francis had withheld himself from papal privileges. He'd favored freedom of movement. But the deft hand of Cardinal Ugolino installed a strict monastic obedience. Organization replaced devotion. Ugolino probably did attempt to be a real friend to Francis but his loyalty was always and only to the Pope whom the Cardinal thought ought to be the undisputed ruler of all and every facet of Church life. It didn't seem right to him that any monastic order wasn't directly answerable to and controlled by the Pope. Ugolino laid the foundation of the cathedral in Assisi to Francis' honor, and canonized him only two years after his death. But the Cardinal did not appreciate Francis' humble spirit. Francis was helpless to carry out his original ideas, and yet, without making any outward sign of rebellion, he held them tightly to the end.These ideas were affirmed in Francis' famous will. This document is one of the most moving pieces of Christian literature. Francis called himself “little brother.” All he had to leave the brothers was his benediction, the memory of the early days of the brotherhood, and counsels to abide by their first Rule. This Rule, he said, he'd received from no human author. God himself had revealed it to him, that he ought to live according to the Gospel. He reminded them how the first members loved to live in poor and abandoned churches. He bade them not accept ornate churches or luxurious houses, in accordance with the rule of holy poverty they'd professed. He forbade their receiving special privileges from the Pope or his agents, even orders that gave them personal protection. Through the whole of the document there runs a note of anguish over the lost simplicity that had been the power of their first years; years when the presence of God had been so obvious and they had power to live the holy lives they longed for.Francis' heart was broken. Never strong, his last years were full of sicknesses. Change of location only brought temporary relief. The works of physicians, such as the age knew, were employed. But no wonder they didn't help when you hear what they were: an iron, heated white-hot, was applied to his forehead.As his body failed, he jokingly referred to it as Brother Ass.Francis's reputation as a saint preceded his death. We've talked about relics in previous episodes. But relics were always attributed to people dead for decades, usually hundreds of years. Francis was a living saint from whom people craved things like fragments of his clothing, hairs from his head, even the parings of his nails.Two years before his death, Francis composed the hymn Canticle to the Sun, called by some the most perfect expression of religious feeling. It was written at a time when he was beset by temptations with blindness setting in. The hymn is a pious peal of passionate praise for nature, especially Brother Sun and Sister Moon.The last week of his life, Francis asked for Psalm 142 to be read to him since his eyes were failing. Two brothers sang to him. That's when a priest named Elias, loyal to Cardinal Ugolino and had advocated setting aside Francis' original Rule in favor of the Cardinal's more strict rule, rebuked Francis for making light of death and acting as though he wanted to die! “Why, what kind of faith did that reveal,” the indignant priest asked? It was thought unfitting for a saint. Francis replied that he'd been thinking of death for at least a couple years, and now that he was so united with the Lord, he ought to be joyful in Him. One witness at his bedside said when the time came, “he met death singing.”Before Francis' coffin was closed, great honors began to be heaped upon him. He was canonized only two years later.The career of Francis of Assisi, as told by his contemporaries, and as his spirit is revealed in his own last testament, leaves the impression of purity, purpose, and humility of spirit; of genuine saintliness. He sought not positions of honor nor a place with the great. With a simple mind, he sought to serve his fellow-man by announcing the Gospel, and living out his understanding of it in his own example.He sought to give the Gospel to the common people. They heard him gladly. He didn't possess a great intellect but had a great soul.He was no diplomat, but he was a man whose love for God and people was obvious to all who met him.Francis wasn't a theologian in the classic sense; someone who thought lofty thoughts. He was a practical theologian in that he lived the truths the best theology holds.  He spoke and acted as one who feels full confidence in his mission. He spoke to the Church as no one after him did till Martin Luther came.While history refers to the followers of Francis as the Franciscans, their official name was the fratres minores, the Minor Brethren, or simply the Minorites. When the order was first sanctioned by the Pope, Francis insisted on this as their title as a warning to the members not to aspire after positions of distinction.They spread rapidly in Italy and beyond; but before Francis' generation passed, the order was torn by the strife Cardinal Ugolino introduced. No other monastic order can show anything like long conflict within its own membership over a question of principle. The dispute had a unique place in the theological debates of the Middle Ages.According to the founding Rule of 1210 and Francis' last will, they were to be a free brotherhood devoted to poverty and the practice of the Gospel, rather than a closed organization bound by precise rules. Pope Innocent III who'd originally sanctioned them, urged Francis to take the rule of the older orders as his model, but Francis declined and went his own path. He built upon a few texts of Scripture. And as we said, just six years into the order's life, Cardinal Ugolino installed a rigid discipline to the order, pushing aside Francis' vision of a free brotherhood governed by grace instead of rules.In 1217, the order began sending missionaries beyond Italy. Elias, a former mattress-maker in Assisi and one of Ugolino's lackeys, led a band of missionaries to Syria. Others went to Germany, Hungary, France, Spain and England. The Franciscans proved to be courageous and entrepreneurial agents for the Gospel.  They went south to Morocco and east as far as China. They accompanied Columbus on his 2nd journey to the New World and were active in early American missions from Florida to California, from Canada to the Gulf of Mexico.The Rule of 1221, second in the order's history, shows two influences at work; one from Ugolino, the other of course from Francis. There are signs of the struggle which had already begun several years before. The Rule placed a general at the head of the order and a governing body or board was installed, made up of the heads of the order's houses. Poverty was retained as a primary principle and the requirement of work remained. The sale of their products was forbidden except when it benefited the poor and needy.The Rule of 1223, the third, was briefer but added even more organization to the order. It went further in erasing from the order the will of Francis. The mendicant or begging character of the order was emphasized. But obedience to the pope was introduced and a cardinal was made the order's protector and guardian. Contrary to Francis' will, a devotional book of prayers and hymns called the Roman Breviary was ordered to be used as the book of daily worship. Monastic discipline replaced Biblical liberty. The Rule of 1223 made clear the strong hand of papal hierarchy. The freedom of the 1210 Rule disappeared. The pope's agents did everything they could to suppress Francis' last testament since it was a passionate appeal for the original freedom of his brotherhood against the new order.In light of the way the order was stolen out from under Francis' leadership during his own lifetime, it's a wonder they continued to be known as the Franciscans; they ought to have been called the Ugolinoians.Alongside the male Franciscans were the Clarisses, nuns who took their name from Clara of Sciffi, canonized in 1255.  Clara was so moved by Francis' example she started a parallel order for women. Francis wrote a Rule for them which enforced poverty and made a will for Clara. The nuns supported themselves by the labor of their hands, but by Francis' advice and example also became mendicants who depended on alms. Their rule was also modified in 1219 and the order was afterwards compelled to adopt the much older Benedictine rule.The Tertiaries, or Brothers and Sisters of Penitence, were the third order of the Franciscans. The Tertiaries were lay brothers and sisters who held other employment but wanted to show a greater level of devotion to God than the common person. Francis never made an order for the Tertiaries. He simply called them to dedicate themselves wholly to God while going about their usual lives as merchants, workers and family men and women.Francis wanted to include all classes of people, men and women, married and unmarried. His object was to put within the reach of lay-people the higher practice of virtue and godliness it was thought only sequestered monks or nuns could attain.Historians wonder where Francis got his idea for his attempt to take the rigid formalism of the church of the Middle Ages back to more of a New Testament practice. Chances are good he took his example from the Waldenses, also called the Poor Men of Lyons, a group well known in Northern Italy in Francis' day.Most likely, it was Francis' original intent to start an organic movement of lay-people, and that the idea of a monastic order only developed later.Following Francis' death, throughout the rest of the 13th C, the Franciscans were split into two groups; those who clung to his original vision and Rule and the stricter sect loyal to Cardinal Ugolino. The contest became so bitter that at times it fell to bloodshed. Eventually the pro-papal party prevailed.In the pervious episode, I mentioned Francis was a bit of an anti-intellectual. That is to say, he'd seen too many priests who could parse fine points of doctrine, but who, like the religious leaders in the parable of the Good Samaritan, seemed not to understand the practical compassion, mercy and grace their theology ought to have stirred in them. Francis was not against learning per say; only when such study pre-empted living out what Truth commends. To a monastic leader named Anthony of Padua, Francis wrote, “I am agreed that you continue reading lectures on theology to the brethren provided that kind of study does not extinguish in them the spirit of humility and prayer.”Francis' followers departed from his anti-intellectual leaning and adopted the 13th Century's trend of casting off the darkness of the Middle Ages by establishing schools and universities. They built schools in their convents and were well settled at the chief centers of university culture. In 1255, an order called upon Franciscans going out as missionaries to study Greek, Arabic, and Hebrew.The order spread rapidly all the way to Israel and Syria in the East and Ireland in the West. It was introduced in France by Pacifico and Guichard, a brother-in-law of the French king. The first successful attempt to establish the order in Germany was made in 1221.They took root in England in Canterbury and London in 1224. They were the first popular preachers England had seen, and the first to embody practical philanthropy. The condition of English villages and towns at that time was wretched. Skin diseases were common, including leprosy. Destructive epidemics spread rapidly due to the poor sanitation. The Franciscans chose quarters in the poorest and most neglected parts of towns. In Norwich, they settled in a swamp through which the city sewerage passed. At Newgate, now part of London, they settled into what was called Stinking Lane. At Cambridge, they occupied a decaying prison.It was for this zeal to reach the poor and needy they received recognition. People soon learned to respect the brothers. By 1256, the number of English Franciscans had grown to over 1200, settled in just shy of fifty locations around England.We'll see what became of the Franciscans later. Suffice it to say, Francis would not approve of what became of his brotherhood.  No he would NOT!The Mendicant orders of the Franciscans and Dominicans, which we'll look at next time, comprised a medieval poverty movement that was in large part, a reaction to the politicizing of the Faith. It was a movement of priests, monks and eventually commoners,  who'd come to believe Church policies sought to wrangle political influence for ever more power in world affairs. These would-be reformers wondered, “Is this what Jesus and the Apostle intended? Didn't Jesus say His Kingdom was NOT of this world? Why then are Bishops, Cardinals and Popes working so hard at controlling the political realm?”The call to voluntary poverty drew its strength from widespread resentment of corrupt clergy; not that all or even most priests were. But it seemed the only priests selected for advancement were those who played the Church's political game. The back-to-the-New Testament poverty movement of the Mendicants became a political movement in itself – a reform movement fueled by the spiritual hunger of the common people.As early as the 10th C, reformers had called for a return to the poverty and simplicity of the early church. The life and example of the Apostles was regarded as the norm and when modern bishops were held up to that example, it was clear something unusual had happened; bishops in their religious finery stood markedly higher than the Apostles in terms of worldly power and wealth.To illustrate this, visit the cathedral at Cologne, Germany. There's a little museum there called the Treasury. It contains several display cases with the various vestments and tools the cardinals of Cologne have worn. Composed of gold and silver threads, encrusted with gems, these robes are priceless; literally. But one set of cases sums up for me the utter contradiction of an exalted clergy; the croziers. A crozier is a stylized shepherd's staff carried by a bishop or cardinal. It's a symbol of his role as a pastor, a shepherd. As a shepherd's staff it ought to be a functional and useful tool. A humble piece of wood used to guide and protect sheep. But the croziers in the Treasury at Cologne Cathedral are made of solid gold, their head-pieces jammed with rubies, emeralds, diamonds, and pearls. You would no more use that to tend sheep than you would a painting by Rembrandt. Every time a cardinal wrapped his fingers around it, he ought to have been convicted deeply about how FAR FROM his calling as a humble servant to the flock we was.Now, imagine you're a commoner at church one Sunday. You've just been told by some priest God wants every bit of money you can give. How God NEEDS your money! Then in walks the Cardinal with his jewel-encrusted cape, his mitre and that priceless crozier in his hand.How long before you begin to say to yourself, “WHAT is going on here? Did Jesus wear a get-up like that? Did Peter or John or any of the Apostles? I don't think so. In fact, Jesus said something about not even having anywhere to lay his head. I'll bet that Cardinal has a nice satin covered down pillow.”In the earlier centuries of the Church, calls for reform were dealt with by channeling them into internal reform movements that directed attention away from the upper hierarchy to a more personal desire for reform that ended up in increased devotion. That's what many of the monastic orders were. But by the 12th and 13th Centuries things began to change. Many of the lesser clergy began to speak out against the abuses of the Church. When they did they often entered the ranks of what were called “heretics.”Francis adopted a radical devotion to poverty as a way to confront the blatant greed of the Church. His example spread like wild-fire precisely because it was so obvious to everyone how far off the Church had gotten. And it explains why Ugolino felt obligated to bring the order back in line by bringing it under the control of the Pope. While outwardly commending their order's devotion to poverty, he installed policies that made the order dependent on their land holdings and property. It's hard to criticize the wealth of “The Church,” when you're part of that church and possess a good measure of that wealth.Some were wise to Ugolino's ways and went further by staying true to Francis' original vision and commitment to poverty. Because they refused to knuckle under to his rule, they were declared heretical. And as heretics, they were treated with a brutality no one can reconcile with the Gospel of Grace. à But that, is for a later episode.

This is part 4 of our series on the Crusades.The plan for this episode, the last in our look at the Crusades, is to give a brief review of the 5th thru 7th Crusades, then a bit of analysis of the Crusades as a whole.The date set for the start of the 5th Crusade was June 1st, 1217. It was Pope Innocent III's long dream to reconquer Jerusalem. He died before the Crusade set off, but his successor Honorius III was just as ardent a supporter. He continued the work begun by Innocent.The Armies sent out accomplished much of nothing, except to waste lives. Someone came up with the brilliant idea that the key to conquering Palestine was to secure a base in Egypt first. That had been the plan for the 4th Crusade. The Crusaders now made the major port of Damietta their goal. After a long battle, the Crusaders took the city, for which the Muslim leader Malik al Kameel offered to trade Jerusalem and all Christian prisoners he held. The Crusaders thought the Holy Roman Emperor Frederick II was on his way to bolster their numbers, so they rejected the offer. Problem is, Frederick wasn't on his way. So in 1221, Damietta reverted to Muslim control.Frederick II cared little about the Crusade. After several false starts that revealed his true attitude toward the whole thing, the Emperor decided he'd better make good on his many promises and set out with 40 galleys and only 600 knights. They arrived in Acre in early Sept. 1228. Because the Muslim leaders of the Middle East were once again at odds with each other, Frederick convinced the afore-mentioned al-Kameel to make a decade long treaty that turned Jerusalem over to the Crusaders, along with Bethlehem, Nazareth, and the pilgrim route from Acre to Jerusalem. On March 19, 1229, Frederick crowned himself by his own hand in the Church of the Holy Sepulcher.This bloodless assumption of Jerusalem infuriated Pope Gregory IX who considered control of the Holy Land and the destruction of the Muslims as one and the same thing. So the Church never officially acknowledged Frederick's accomplishments.He returned home to deal with internal challenges to his rule and over the next decade and a half, the condition of Palestine's Christians deteriorated. Everything gained by the treaty was turned back to Muslim hegemony in the Fall of 1244.The last 2 Crusades, the 6th and 7th, center on the career of the last great Crusader; the king of France, Louis IX.Known as SAINT Louis, he combined the piety of a monk with the chivalry of a knight, and stands in the front rank of all-time Christian rulers.  His zeal revealed itself not only in his devotion to religious ritual, but in his refusal to deviate from his faith even under the threat of torture. His piety was genuine as evidenced by his concern for the poor and the just treatment of his subjects. He washed the feet of beggars and when a monk warned him against carrying his humility too far, he replied, “If I spent twice as much time in gambling and hunting as in such services, no one would find fault with me.”The sack of Jerusalem by the Muslims in 1244 was followed by the fall of the Crusader bases in Gaza and Ashkelon. In 1245 at the Council of Lyons the Pope called for a new expedition to once again liberate the Holy Land. Though King Louis lay in a sickbed with an illness so grave his attendants put a cloth over his face, thinking he was dead, he rallied and took up the Crusader cross.Three years later he and his French brother-princes set out with 32,000 troops. A Venetian and Genoese fleet carried them to Cyprus, where large-scale preparations had been made for their supply. They then sailed to Egypt. Damietta once again fell, but after this promising start, the campaign turned into a disaster.Louis' piety and benevolence was not backed up by what we might call solid skills as a leader. He was ready to share suffering with his troops but didn't possess the ability to organize them.  Heeding the counsel of several of his commanders, he decided to attack Cairo instead of Alexandria, the far more strategic goal. The campaign was a disaster with the Nile being chocked with bodies of slain Crusaders. On their retreat, the King and Count of Poitiers were taken prisoners. The Count of Artois was killed. The humiliation of the Crusaders had rarely been so deep.Louis' fortitude shone brightly while suffering the misfortune of being held captive. Threatened with torture and death, he refused to renounce Christ or yield up any of the remaining Crusader outposts in Palestine. For the ransom of his troops, he agreed to pay 500,000 livres, and for his own freedom to give up Damietta and abandon the campaign in Egypt.Clad in garments given by the sultan, in a ship barely furnished, the king sailed for Acre where he stayed 3 yrs, spending large sums on fortifications at Jaffa and Sidon. When his mother, who acted as Queen-Regent in his absence, died—Louis was forced to return to France. He set sail from Acre in the spring of 1254. His queen, Margaret, and the 3 children born them in the East, returned with him.So complete a failure might have been expected to destroy all hope of ever recovering Palestine. But the hold of the crusading idea upon the mind of Europe was still strong. Popes Urban IV and Clement III made renewed appeals, and Louis once again set out. In 1267, with his hand on a crown of thorns, he announced to his assembled nobles his purpose to go a 2nd time on a holy crusade.In the meantime, news from the East had been of continuous disaster at the hand of the “Mohammaden” enemy (as they called Muslims) and of discord among the Christians. In 1258, 40 Venetian vessels engaged in battle with a Genoese fleet of 50 ships off Acre with a loss of 1,700 souls. A year later the Templars and Hospitallers held forth in a pitched battle, not with the Muslims, but  each other. Then in 1268, Acre, greatest of the Crusader ports, fell to the Muslims Mamelukes.Louis set sail in 1270 w/60,000 into disaster. Their camp was scarcely pitched on the site of ancient Carthage when plague broke out. Among the victims was the king's son, John Tristan, born at Damietta, and King Louis himself.  His body was returned to France and the French army disbanded.By 1291, what remained of the Crusader presence in the Holy Land was finally uprooted by Muslim control.Those more familiar with the history of the Crusades may wonder why I've neglected to mention the disastrous Children's Crusade of 1212, inserted between the 4th and 5th Crusades. The reason I've decided to mostly skip it is because historians have come to doubt the veracity of the reports about it. It seems now more apocryphal than real, conflated from several disparate reports of groups that wandered around Southern Europe looking to hop on to another campaign to capture Jerusalem. The story goes that a French or German child of 10 years had a vision in which he was told to go to the Middle East and convert the Muslims by peaceful means. As he shared this vision and began his trek to Marseilles, other children joined his cause, along with some adults of dubious reputation. As their ranks swelled, they arrived at the French coast, expecting the seas to part and make a way for them to cross over to the Middle East on dry land. Never mind that it was a trip of hundreds of miles. Anyway, the waters failed to part, and the children, most of them anyway, ended up dispersing. Those who didn't were rounded up by slavers who promised to transport them to the Holy Land, free of charge. Once they were aboard ship though, they were captives and were hauled to foreign ports all over the Mediterranean where they were sold off.As I said, while the Children's Crusade has been considered a real event for many years, it's recently come under scrutiny and doubt as ancient records were examined closely. It seems it's more a product of cutting and pasting various stories that took place during this time. The children were in fact bands of Europe's landless poor who had nothing better to do than wander around Southern France and Germany, waiting for the next Crusade to be called so they could go and hopefully participate in the plunder of the rich, Eastern lands.I want to offer some commentary now on the Crusades. So, warning, what follows is pure opinion.For 7 centuries Christians have tried to forget the Crusades, but critics and skeptics are determined to keep them a hot issue. While Jews and Muslims have (mostly rightly, I think) used the Crusades for generations as a point of complaint. In more recent time, New Atheists like Richard Dawkins and Sam Harris have raised them like a crowbar and beaten Christians over the head with them. Isn't it interesting that these God-deniers have to first assume Biblical morality to then deny it? If they were consistent with their own atheistic beliefs they'd have to find some other reason to declaim the Crusades than that it's wrong to indiscriminately kill people. Why, according to their Darwinist evolutionary, Survival of the Fittest motif, shouldn't they in fact applaud the Crusades? After all, they were advancing the cause of evolution by getting rid of the weaker elements of the race.But no! The New Atheists don't use this line of reasoning because it's abhorrent. Instead, they have to first don a belief in Christian morality to attack Christianity. Talk about being hypocritical.And let's get our facts straight. The 20th Century saw more people killed for political and ideological reasons than all previous centuries combined! Between the Communists, Nazis, and Fascists, well over 100 million were killed. Stalin, Hitler, and Mao Zedong were motivated by an atheistic agenda, one rooted in a social application of Darwinism.Karl Marx, the ideological father of Communistic socialism, applied Darwin's evolutionary ideas to society and turned human beings into mere parts of a vast machine called the State. Anyone deemed a cog instead of a gear was to be removed so the machine could run as the leaders wanted. In the name of Communism, Stalin killed at least 20 million; Mao, about 70 million!Adolf Hitler was inspired by the atheist Fredrick Neizsche's Darwinian concept of the ubermensche = the superman; humanity's next evolutionary step. He justified the killing of 10 million saying the Final Solution was simply removing those who would hinder humanity's evolution. He employed an entire army of science-minded killers who believed it was right and good to rid the world of “human weeds” as they called Jews, Slavs, homosexuals and the infirm.It takes a colossal ignorance of history to neglect this. Yet the New Atheists ignore the facts because they destroy their premise that atheism has the moral high ground.As calculated by historical evidence, the Crusades, Inquisition and witch trials killed about 200,000 in all over a period of 500 years. Adjusting for population growth, that would be about a million in today's terms. That's just 1% of the total killed by Stalin, Mao and Hitler; and they did it in a few decades!So, let's keep the Crusades, as brutal as they were, and as utterly contrary to the nature and teaching of Christ as they were, in the proper historical perspective. No! I'm not justifying them. They were totally wrong-headed! To turn the cross into a sword and slay people with it is blasphemous and deserves the loud declamation of the Church.But let's not forget that the Crusaders were human beings with motives not unlike our own. Those motives were mixed and often in conflict. The word crusade comes from “taking the cross,” after the example of Christ. That's why on the way to the Holy Land the crusader wore the cross on his breast. On his journey home, he wore it on his back.But the vast majority of those who went crusading were illiterate, even most of the nobles. They weren't taught the Bible as Evangelicals are today. People throughout Europe thought salvation rested IN THE CHURCH and was doled out by priests at the direction and discretion of the Pope. So if the Pope said Crusaders were doing God's work, they were believed. When priests broadcast that dying in the holy cause of a Crusade meant they'd bypass purgatory and gain immediate access to heaven, thousands grabbed the nearest weapon and set off.For Urban and the popes who followed him, the Crusades were a new type of war, a Holy War. Augustine had laid down the principles of a “just war” centuries before. Those principles were . . .A Holy War was conducted by the State;Its purpose was the vindication of justice, meaning the defense of life and property;And its code called for respect for noncombatants; civilians and prisoners. While these principles were originally adopted by the Crusaders when they set out on the 1st Campaign, they evaporated in the heat of the journey and reality of battle.The Crusades ignited horrible attacks on Jews. Even fellow Christians were not exempt from rape and plunder. Incredible atrocities befell the Muslim foe. Crusaders sawed open dead bodies in search of gold.As the Crusades progressed, the occasional voice was lifted calling into question the propriety of such movements and their ultimate value. At the end of the 12th C, the abbot Joachim complained that the popes were making the Crusades a pretext for their own advancement.Humbert de Romanis, general of the Dominicans, in making out a list of matters to be handled at the Council of Lyons in 1274, was obliged to refute no less than 7 well-known objections to the Crusades. They included these 4 . . .It was contrary to the precepts of the NT to advance religion by the sword;Christians may defend themselves, but have no right to invade the lands of another;It is wrong to shed the blood of unbelievers;And the disasters of the Crusades proved they were contrary to the will of God. Christians in Europe during the 14th and 15th Cs were to face far more pressing problems than a conquest of the Holy Land. So while there was still an occasional call for one, it fell on deaf ears.Erasmus, writing at the close of the Middle Ages, made an appeal for the preaching of the Gospel as a way to deal with Muslims.  He said the proper way to defeat the Turks was by conversion, not annihilation. He said, “Truly, it is not meet to declare ourselves Christian men by killing very many but by saving very many, not if we send thousands of heathen people to hell, but if we make many infidels Christian; not if we cruelly curse and excommunicate, but if we with devout prayers and with our hearts desire their health, and pray unto God, to send them better minds.”The long-range results of 2 centuries of crusading were not impressive. If the main purpose of the Crusades was to win the Holy Land, to check the advance of Islam, and heal the schism between the Eastern and Western Churches, they failed spectacularly.For a time, the 4 Crusader kingdoms held a beach-head on the Mediterranean coast of the Holy Land. In them, three semi-monastic military orders formed: the Templars, whose first headquarters were on the site of the old Temple of Jerusalem; the Hospitallers, also known as the Knights of St. John of Jerusalem, originally founded to care for the sick and wounded; and the Germanic Teutonic Knights. These orders combined monasticism and militarism and had as their aims the protection of pilgrims and perpetual war against Muslims. They fielded 500 armed knights. Their great castles guarded the roads and passes against attack. For 2 centuries the Templars in their white robes decorated with a red cross, the Hospitallers in black robes emblazoned with the white Maltese cross, and the Teutonic Knights in white robes with a black cross were common sights in Crusader States and across Europe.While the Crusades seem to us today a terrible betrayal of Biblical Christianity, we must bring the historian's mindset to them and consider them against the times in which they occurred. This doesn't excuse them, but it does make them a bit more understandable.European society of the Middle Ages was ir-redeemably warlike. In feudal Europe, the whole economic and social system depended on the maintenance of a military; the knights, permanent professional soldiers; by necessity due to the cost involved, noblemen whose only profession was fighting. The city-states of Italy were frequently at war. In Spain, a line was drawn across the map for centuries by the presence of the Muslim Moors. So even if Christians had wanted to create a peaceful society, it would have been socially and practically difficult to do.One way of dealing with this was to idealize warfare. That is, casting war as a contest between good and evil. In the development of the idea of the Christian knight, there was an attempt to give the spiritual battle a corresponding literal application. The knight was a ‘soldier of Christ', a warrior for good.  At a time when priests and monks were deemed the only ones able to make contact with God, the Crusades were a way for laypeople to enter the spiritual realm and rack up some serious points with God. Priests fought the good fight by prayer; now laymen could fight as well, with a sword, mace, or if that's all they could afford, a pitchfork, until they got to the battlefield where hopefully they'd find a more suitable weapon.So it was important for medieval Christians to convince themselves the war they were fighting was justified. A sophisticated system of identifying a ‘just' war developed. Augustine had said a good deal about this, explaining that someone whose property or land was stolen is entitled to get it back, but that this was different from warfare designed to enlarge one's territory. The underlying principle was that reasonable force could be used to maintain order.The late 11th C saw the arrival of a new thought; not Augustine's “Just War,” but the concept of “Holy War”, one God called His people to fight to restore Christian control to the Holy Land. This was war which could not only be regarded as ‘justified', and the sins committed in the course of it forgiven, but meritorious. God would reward those who fought it. Guibert of Nogent, in his book The Acts of God through the Franks, explained how to identify a Holy War. It wasn't motivated by the desire for fame, money or conquest. Its motive was the safeguarding of liberty, the defense of the State and the protection of the Church. He considered this kind of warfare a valid alternative to being a monk.This idea was so engaging to the Medieval mind that as the 12th C wound on it had to be discouraged as it seemed everyone began seeing knighthood and combat as spiritual warfare. Bullies have always been able to villainize those they want to victimize. They justified their brutality by calling it a divine mission. So priests and theologians emphasized not all fighting came under the same umbrella. Crusading was special.Of course, one of the major tenets of Muslim theology is jihad, Holy War to spread the faith. Despite loud protests by some today, the fact remains that the Islam Mohammad taught, which of course is true Islam, endorses jihad. How else did it spread from its desert base in Arabia across the Middle East, North Africa, and into Europe in such a short time if not by the power of the scimitar?I find it interesting that modern Muslims decry the Crusades when it was their own bloody campaigns that took the lands the Crusaders sought to what? RECLAIM! How could they RECLAIM something what wasn't CLAIMED and conquered by the Muslims previously? I say it again: This in no way justifies the Crusades. They're an indefensible period of Church history that stands as a dark stain. But let's be clear; if they're a stain on Church history, the conquests by the Muslims that predate the Crusades are just as dark.