Podcasts about Superior general

The whole of Ukraine has been in turmoil for the last 3 years, and we are blessed to get to interview Fr. Vitaliy Novak, a Ukrainian priest with the Vincentian Congregation of the Mission  who has been serving the people of Ukraine both through aid efforts and now as a military chaplain with his mobile chapel.  He is joined by Fr. Tomaž Mavrič the Superior General of the Congregation of the Mission. To learn more about the Congregation of the Mission click here: https://cmglobal.org/en/Click here to learn more about supporting the Pontifical Missions Societies:https://pontificalmissions.orgFollow us on socials!https://x.com/tpms_usahttps://www.instagram.com/tpms_us/

Today is Saturday, December 21, 2024, The Feast of St. Thomas, Apostle, and Ember Saturday, a 2nd class feast, with the color of red. In this episode: The meditation: “The Fierce Beauty of Light,” today's news from the Church: “Letter from the Superior General ,” and today's thought from the Archbishop. Sources Used Today: A Child in Winter, Caryll Houselander “Letter from the Superior General ” (SSPX.org) https://sspx.org/en/publications/letter-superior-general-friends-and-benefactors-93-49495 The Spiritual Life- Archbishop Lefebvre (Angelus Press) We'd love your feedback on these Daily Devotionals! What do you like / not like, and what would you like us to add? podcast@sspx.org - - - - - - - Please Support this Apostolate with 1-time or Monthly Donation >> - - - - - - - Explore more: Subscribe to the email version of this Devotional - it's a perfect companion! Subscribe to this Podcast to receive this and all our audio episodes Subscribe to the SSPX YouTube channel for video versions of our podcast series and Sermons FSSPX News Website: https://fsspx.news Visit the US District website: https://sspx.org/ - - - - - What is the SSPX Podcast? The SSPX Podcast is produced by Angelus Press, which has as its mission the fortification of traditional Catholics so that they can defend the Faith, and reaching out to those who have not yet found Tradition.  - - - - - - What is the SSPX? The main goal of the Society of Saint Pius X is to preserve the Catholic Faith in its fullness and purity, to teach its truths, and to diffuse its virtues, especially through the Roman Catholic priesthood. Authentic spiritual life, the sacraments, and the traditional liturgy are its primary means of bringing this life of grace to souls. Although the traditional Latin Mass is the most visible and public expression of the work of the Society, we are committed to defending Catholic Tradition in its entirety: all of Catholic doctrine and morals as the Church has always defended them. What people need is the Catholic Faith, without compromise, with all the truth and beauty which accompanies it. https://sspx.org

Today is Saturday, November 16, 2024, The Feast of St. Gertrude, Virgin, a 3rd class feast, with the color of white. In this episode: The meditation: “Our Lord Predicts His Passion on the Way to Bethany,” today's news from the Church: “Interview with the Superior General of the Priestly Society of Saint Pius X,” We'd love your feedback on these Daily Devotionals! What do you like / not like, and what would you like us to add? podcast@sspx.org Sources Used Today: Practical Meditations  (Angelus Press) “Interview with the Superior General of the Priestly Society of Saint Pius X” (FSSPX.news) https://sspx.org/en/publications/interview-superior-general-priestly-society-saint-pius-x-48730 The Spiritual Life- Archbishop Lefebvre (Angelus Press) - - - - - - - Please Support this Apostolate with 1-time or Monthly Donation >> - - - - - - - Explore more: Subscribe to the email version of this Devotional - it's a perfect companion! Subscribe to this Podcast to receive this and all our audio episodes Subscribe to the SSPX YouTube channel for video versions of our podcast series and Sermons FSSPX News Website: https://fsspx.news Visit the US District website: https://sspx.org/ - - - - - What is the SSPX Podcast? The SSPX Podcast is produced by Angelus Press, which has as its mission the fortification of traditional Catholics so that they can defend the Faith, and reaching out to those who have not yet found Tradition.  - - - - - - What is the SSPX? The main goal of the Society of Saint Pius X is to preserve the Catholic Faith in its fullness and purity, to teach its truths, and to diffuse its virtues, especially through the Roman Catholic priesthood. Authentic spiritual life, the sacraments, and the traditional liturgy are its primary means of bringing this life of grace to souls. Although the traditional Latin Mass is the most visible and public expression of the work of the Society, we are committed to defending Catholic Tradition in its entirety: all of Catholic doctrine and morals as the Church has always defended them. What people need is the Catholic Faith, without compromise, with all the truth and beauty which accompanies it. https://sspx.org

En esta ocasión ponemos la mirada sobre María, ella es el modelo de cómo debemos vivir nuestro peregrinar en la tierra. El P. Félix López -Doctor en Teología y Superior General de los Siervos del Hogar de la Madre- va comentando un poco la vida de la Virgen María, cómo en cada momento de su vida ha dicho su «sí» a la voluntad de Dios, y por ello se convierte para nosotros en maestra. Por Ella, que participó en el misterio de la Redención como criatura única, Dios ha hecho que recibamos gracias abundantísimas.

Albert Cortina y el P. Félix López -Doctor en Teología y Superior General de los Siervos del Hogar de la Madre- continúan estas conversaciones en torno a la «Agenda 2033». En esta ocasión se centran en la vida de caridad que vive la Iglesia para el resto del mundo. El P. Félix afirma que existen muchos testigos que muestran con su vida que es posible vivir una verdadera caridad heroica, y menciona a varios santos que han vivido una compasión y entrega a los demás hasta el extremo. Esta entrega es fruto del amor a Cristo, ya que es un amor eficaz; por tanto, nuestro amor ha de serlo también.

Continuamos esta serie de conversaciones en torno a la «Agenda 2033». En esta ocasión ponemos la atención en la Eucaristía y cómo esta debe ser el punto central en la vida del cristiano. El P. Félix López -Doctor en Teología y Superior General de los Siervos del Hogar de la Madre- insiste en la necesidad que tenemos los cristianos de recibir la gracia de los sacramentos. La Iglesia nunca puede renunciar a la verdad y aunque exista un diálogo ecuménico no se puede diluir la verdad a favor del «diálogo». La Comunión es el culmen de la vida espiritual, por ello debe existir una preparación previa para recibir correctamente al Señor.

En este programa profundizamos en lo que es la evangelización en la actualidad y cómo se está viendo afectada por tantos cambios que va sufriendo el mundo. El P. Félix López -Doctor en Teología y Superior General de los Siervos del Hogar de la Madre-  remarca la importancia de entender que la Iglesia no es una ONG, sino que es la Esposa santa de Cristo aunque la constituyan hombres pecadores; por ello no deja de dar santos. La finalidad de nuestra vida es llegar a la santidad, es decir, la comunión en el amor con Dios. Y por ello la Iglesia necesariamente debe ser misionera, ya que ha nacido para anunciar a Jesucristo.

Andrzej Duda no firmará la ley de despenalización del aborto en Polonia. Los Caballeros de Colón taparán los mosaicos de Rupnik en sus capillas mientras se desarrolla el proceso en su contra. Mons. Cordileone: la belleza lleva a Dios; suprimir el rito antiguo es como el incendio de Notre Dame. La Fraternidad Sacerdotal de San Pedro vuelve a elegir al P. John Berg como Superior General. La «primera conversa» del Renacimiento Eucarístico: la gran marcha en cruz «ha cambiado mi vida». Marco Lepore: contagio de pares y contagio social epidémico; las estadísticas de género también revelan su carácter ideológico.

On this weeks podcast we are introducing listeners to an inspiring man who has also been proposed for canonisation - Pedro Arrupe SJ. Pedro Arrupe, SJ, was the 28th Superior General of the Society of Jesus, leading the Society in the realities of serving the Church and people in the post-Vatican II world. Arrupe was a man of great spiritual depth who was committed to justice. His renewal of Jesuit life and mission crystallised around the faith that does justice, and in 1980 he founded the Jesuit Refugee Service which has now spread globallyWe are sharing podcast interviews from Jesuits Ireland where Pat Coyle from Jesuit Communications Office with Fr Brian Grogan SJ (Part 1, Part 2, Part 3, Part 4). Other info and links:Messenger Publications - Pedro Arrupe: A Heart Larger than the WorldAmerica magazine - Father Pedro Arrupe: a controversial Jesuit's bumpy path to sainthoodCrux - Sainthood cause opens for most controversial Jesuit of last half-century20th Century Ignatian Voices - Pedro ArrupeWe have  our regular run through the liturgical odds and ends for the coming week and of course a reflection on this weeks Sunday gospel.

On this weeks podcast we are introducing listeners to an inspiring man who has also been proposed for canonisation - Pedro Arrupe SJ. Pedro Arrupe, SJ, was the 28th Superior General of the Society of Jesus, leading the Society in the realities of serving the Church and people in the post-Vatican II world. Arrupe was a man of great spiritual depth who was committed to justice. His renewal of Jesuit life and mission crystallised around the faith that does justice, and in 1980 he founded the Jesuit Refugee Service which has now spread globallyWe are sharing podcast interviews from Jesuits Ireland where Pat Coyle from Jesuit Communications Office with Fr Brian Grogan SJ (Part 1, Part 2, Part 3, Part 4). Other info and links:Messenger Publications - Pedro Arrupe: A Heart Larger than the WorldAmerica magazine - Father Pedro Arrupe: a controversial Jesuit's bumpy path to sainthoodCrux - Sainthood cause opens for most controversial Jesuit of last half-century20th Century Ignatian Voices - Pedro Arrupe

Abbot Hadi Mahfouz, the Superior General of the Maronite Order comes onto Radio Maria on the feast of St Maron to speak to Fr Toby about the history of the Maronite Order and the Catholic Church in Lebanon. CREDO is a programme that nourishes listeners in their Catholic faith. It airs live on Radio Maria every weekday at 4pm and is rebroadcast at 4am the following morning.  If you enjoyed this programme, please consider making a once off or monthly donation to Radio Maria England by visiting www.RadioMariaEngland.uk or calling 0300 302 1251 during office hours. It is only through the ongoing support of our listeners that we continue to be a Christian voice by your side.

Lisa Hendey and Maria Morera Johnson share a conversation with Br. Paul Bednarczyk, C.S.C., Superior General of the Congregation of Holy Cross, on the upcoming Global Rosary for World Peace.  Br. Paul Bednarczyk, C.S.C., the Superior General of the Congregation of Holy Cross, invites the Catholic Mom community and their families to join Holy Cross ministry centers around the world on five continents in 18 countries, to pray for world peace on the First Friday in Lent, February 16.  Links in Show: Holy Cross Family Ministries Pray for Peace A World at Prayer Is a World at Peace By Fr. Willy Raymond, C.S.C.

From the 2023 Angelus Press Conference for Catholic Tradition.

Health for the body:Health for the soul:The pope recently came out against corruption at the Vatican and also took a strong stance against Freemasonry, saying the values of this secret society are “incompatible” with the Catholic faith. For those who know their history there is great irony in these words, and today we will learn just how ironic they are by looking at the Alumbrados, the Jesuits, the French Revolution and the history of occult organizations like the Freemasons. Spoiler alert: these all have something in common. Timeline* 00:00 - Introduction* 09:47 - Alumbrados* 15:18 - Spiritual Exercises* 23:34 - Adam Weishaupt, the Jesuits, Mithraism, the Occult & The French Revolution* 52:11 - Putting it All TogetherReferencesPope: ‘Extreme vigilance' needed in fight against Vatican corruptionhttps://www.vaticannews.va/en/pope/news/2023-12/pope-vatican-office-auditor-general-corruption-independence.htmlHe Might Have Been Pope. Instead, He May Go to Prison.https://www.wsj.com/world/europe/cardinal-vatican-embezzlement-pope-francis-d66b1c83Vatican confirms Catholics still forbidden to join Masonic lodgeshttps://www.vaticannews.va/en/vatican-city/news/2023-11/vatican-catholics-still-forbidden-masonic-lodge.htmlAlumbradoshttps://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/AlumbradosSpiritual Exerciseshttps://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Spiritual_ExercisesAdam Weishaupthttps://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Adam_WeishauptDeclaration of the Rights of Man and of the Citizenhttps://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Declaration_of_the_Rights_of_Man_and_of_the_CitizenIs there actual evidence that the Jesuits really helped to instigate the French Revolution?https://www.quora.com/Is-there-actual-evidence-that-the-Jesuits-really-helped-to-instigate-the-French-RevolutionThe history of Marianne's caphttp://aramis.obspm.fr/~heydari/divers/marianne-eng.htmlMithraismhttps://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/MithraismThe Art of Warhttps://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Art_of_WarFreemasonryhttps://www.hamiltondistrictcmasons.org/upload/lecture_file87.pdfSuperior General of the Society of Jesushttps://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Superior_General_of_the_Society_of_Jesus Get full access to The Dance of Life Podcast with Tudor Alexander at www.danceoflife.com/subscribe

NOTE: Though I mentioned timestamping, I've decided to forego that for now to allow me to go ahead and get this episode out without additional delay. I may well add it in retroactively at some point but for now you'll just have to survive with the free full transcript, below. https://columbuscatholic.org/chancery https://www.catholicnewsagency.com/news/253959/cardinal-hollerich-there-s-space-to-expand-church-teaching-on-all-male-priesthood  Hello everyone, welcome back to Popeular History, a library of Catholic knowledge and insights and I'm going to be skipping the brought to you daily part because I've switched, at least for the time being, back to a model that basically can best be described as brought to you as I am able: something every month, probably. Which, I admit, doesn't roll off the tongue quite so well, but it's the right move. Anyways, it's good to be back talking with you again, I've been using the time away wisely, taking care of family and household stuff that needed my attention. Thank you for understanding. This is going to be something of a glossary of various roles within the Catholic Church that are gonna keep popping up, so consider this your cheat sheets to consult as needed. Oh and good news, I learned how to timestamp show notes, at least on some catchers, so see if it works for you. Let me know if it doesn't. See the show notes.  Without further ado, let's get into these church roles, starting with church roles you may recognize from the Bible but which are no longer a thing unless you're like a Mormon or something. First, APOSTLE. The most familiar use of this term is referring to one of the 12 Apostles, Jesus' closest followers: Peter, Andrew, James, John, Philip, Bartholomew, Thomas, Matthew, the other James, Judas (not *that* Judas), Simon, and Judas (yes *that* Judas). At least, that's the listing of the 12 as given in the book of Acts, my favorite reference point as this podcast talks about Church history and Church history actually happens in Acts, unlike the Gospels where it's pre-Pentecost so it's not really Church history yet, per se. And really, *that* Judas, Judas Iscariot, is replaced by Matthias for most purposes when you're talking about the apostles because since Judas betrayed Jesus he's a bit of an embarrassment to the group, which, fair enough. In the end, Apostle is the only one of these titles where I'm going to name the main holders individually in this episode, though of course through future episodes of the podcast I'll name all the Popes and Cardinals I have documentation of any kind for and we should also recognize that the term Apostle is used outside the Twelve as well at various points, including most prominently Saint Paul and even the almost certainly female Junia in his Letter to the Romans. The broader term for one of the earlier followers of Jesus is a DISCIPLE, and while this one does have some use in contemporary Catholicism, for example my parish has a slogan of "making disciples and disciple makers", the title of disciple as a specific identifier is something you're going to encounter in the Bible rather than in the day-to-day, where it's more of a general goal as a follower of Jesus. Meanwhile, an EVANGELIST is one who wrote one of the Gospels. Earlier I committed to the Apostles being the only one of these titles where I'd name all 12 of the main holders and I'm going to stick to that, but yeah, it's that simple. Note that this is actually more restrictive than being one of the writers of Scripture in general, for instance even though he wrote a good chunk of the New Testament, Saint Paul doesn't get described as an Evangelist. That isn't to say there isn't a bit of a tradition of using even this term someone analogously for anyone who spreads the message of Jesus' life, death, and resurrection, for example the decidedly non-Catholic phenomenon of Televangelists get their name as a play on this word. Our last Bible-times Church role is that of PROPHET. Simply put, a prophet is someone inspired by the Holy Spirit to deliver a message, John the Baptist being the most famous New Testament example though especially if you look closely at the Book of Acts you can find other examples. There have been a number of folks who have made claims to be prophets in some form or another, generally the Church has frowned on such pronouncements. Officially, all new *public* revelation closed with the death of John the last Apostle around the year 100. However, the door to being a legitimate prophet is not completely closed, since *private* revelation is still possible, for example the various Marian apparitions like Lourdes and Fatima. What makes revelation considered "private" is not so much its actual privacy as its non-binding nature. All Catholics are obliged to accept public revelation, namely the Bible; no one is obliged to accept any private revelation like latter-day Prophets, though such individuals can gain the basic endorsement of the Church, which is what made Fatima, for example, so influential. That bit of a gray area bringing a Biblical role to the present is a good transition to the category of Church roles we'll talk about next, namely the basic roles in and structure of the Catholic Church today. As a periodic reminder, the default perspective and focus of this show is Catholic Christianity. I say that because there are plenty of Christian groups that follow models different than what I'll be describing here, though in broad terms what we'll be talking about is the dominant structure of Christianity and has been for centuries if not millennia. The fundamental concept to understand for this part–and really, to understand much of Catholicism–is APOSTOLIC SUCCESSION. Apostolic succession is the notion that the Apostles were the first BISHOPS and picked folks to succeed them in their ministry as bishops. I'm not here to convince you that that's what happened, but since this show runs with Pope-colored glasses, it's what we're rolling with. In this framework, not just anyone can have authority in the Church, only those who have this apostolic succession. You can still get wrinkles, like MYSTICS that influence the bishops, but ultimately, whether a mystic has lasting influence is going to depend on whether any bishops- that is anyone who has apostolic succession- listens to her. And I say her because such mystics are typically female. And actually, I wasn't planning on covering mystics in this overview, but I guess I really should give them their own timestamp in the summary here since I've gone off on a tangent. I talked about them earlier in the context of modern day prophets. Basically, a mystic is someone who has some sort of special connection to revelation, whether God or the Blessed Virgin Mary or whoever. But anyways, back to bishops, because while stuff like mystics are fun, the majority of church admin is done in much more mundane fashion by the regular clergy like the Bishops. Catholic Bishops are always male, because in Catholicism ordination is what makes someone a bishop, and Catholic teaching holds that women cannot be ordained. Another particularity of ordination is that someone who is ordained can't get married, though put a pin in that because it's going to get more complicated when we talk about priests and especially deacons. Only bishops can carry out ordinations, and it involves physical touch so they cannot be done remotely. To minimize concerns about who has apostolic succession and who does not, for many years the standard has been that at least three bishops should participate in the ordination of a bishop, though this is not strictly speaking a requirement. With all of this apostolic succession and ordination business, the Catholic world is divided in two: the CLERGY, that is, those who are ordained, and the LAITY, that is, those who are not ordained. There's also sort of a third category but shush I'm keeping it simple and don't worry we'll get into that before we're done today. LAY, the shortened form of Laity, can also be used as an adjective in Church terminology, for instance in the phrase LAY EUCHARISTIC MINISTERS, or LAY CARDINALS, in both cases emphasizing that the individual being described is not as ordained as one might expect. Meanwhile, CLERG is not a word, pleaae don't try to make it a thing. Anyways, once ordained, bishops are typically assigned a specific geographic area called a DIOCESE. Their main base of operations will tend to be in what's called a CATHEDRAL that's generally in the most prominent city in that diocese, and the Diocese is generally named after the city, for instance my home diocese of Columbus is named after the city of Columbus in Ohio. In some ways bishops are equals, for instance all bishops can ordain successors. But in other ways they aren't, for instance Catholicism is somewhat famously centered around the Bishop of Rome, aka the POPE, who is prominent because the Diocese of Rome was where Saint Peter, the foremost disciple, settled down, never mind that by all accounts he also ran the Church in Antioch for a while. Collectively, all the Catholic Bishops in the world are called the COLLEGE OF BISHOPS, and according to the very handy and highly recommended Gcatholic.org there are well over 5000 such Catholic bishops alive today. Of course, there are also a good number of bishops who aren't Catholic, meaning they aren't in communion with the Pope, especially the Eastern Orthodox. And forgive me if I explain being in communion as like the Church version of being facebook friends. It's obviously more solemn than that, but basically yes, it's a mutual public acknowledgement that you're on good terms with someone else. Bishops who aren't in communion with Rome are still bishops- meaning they still have apostolic succession and can still create their own successors, which has lead to a fair amount of drama, historically. When I mentioned not all bishops are created equally, I wasn't just talking about the Pope. There are several different kinds of bishops to consider, so let's hit the highlights. In addition to a regular bishop who heads a diocese, there's a higher level bishop called an ARCHBISHOP who runs what's called an ARCHDIOCESE or you might see the term PROVINCE. Technically I believe a province is the combination of an Archdiocese and any regular diocese that are under its jurisdiction, which are called SUFFRAGAN diocese in that context while the Archdiocese is called the METROPOLITAN, which is also a shorthand way of referring to the archbishop in that arrangement, or you might more fully call him the METROPOLITAN ARCHBISHOP. To return to my home diocese as an example, the Metropolitan for the Diocese of Columbus is the Archbishop of Cincinnati. Not every Archbishop is a Metropolitan Archbishop, because not every Archdiocese has a suffragan diocese. You can also find cases where a person is personally made an Archbishop but is not put in charge of an Archdiocese, those cases are called "PRO HAC VICE", which is basically Latin for "for this occasion”, meaning while the person is being made an archbishop their diocese is not being made an archdiocese. There are weirder scenarios that can pop up as well, but I'm trying to focus on the highlights to keep this manageable and will point out the more unusual stuff when and if it pops up. In terms of territory, the next step above a province would typically be a REGION, which is generally just an administrative subdivision of a national bishops' Conference. Columbus is in a region with all the dioceses–it's hard to pluralize that–in Ohio and Michigan, called Region VI. This particular layer of admin is completely unremarkable and has no special titles or roles associated with it. At the top of the national level there's generally what's called a BISHOP'S CONFERENCE, an organization made up of the bishops and perhaps their equivalents across a given nation. Depending on the scale of things you might also see bishop's conferences that cover multiple countries or I think I've even seen some sub-national bishops' conferences here and there, it just depends on what makes sense given the geopolitics and the nature of the Catholic Community. Though there isn't a special churchy title for the leadership of a Bishops' Conference- they're just called President or whatever- I will tend to note when someone I'm going over holds a leadership post here since it's at the national level. Getting back to church titles rather than standard admin structure, it's worth noting that, in a nutshell, the older a diocese is the more prestige and gravitas it has. Historically, the oldest diocese in a given country had special importance and was something a bit above a regular archdiocese called a PRIMATIAL SEE held by a PRIMATE- not the monkey though sure joke away– oh and see by the way is just another word for a diocese, that's S-E-E. It's specifically referring to the bishop's "seat", which is the same concept that makes the head church of a Diocese called a Cathedral, cathedra being a Latin word for Chair. And yeah, it's a bit weird to have so much focus on what someone is sitting on but keep in mind thrones for kings kind of fill the same concept, it's basically the idea that it's the office that has its own importance that accumulates with each officeholder. Some diocese are dignified at an even higher level and are called Patriarchates, with bishops of those diocese being called Patriarchs. Historically the core group of patriarchates was Rome, Constantinople, Antioch, Alexandria, and Jerusalem. Others have been added through the years, notably Moscow in the East. Generally Patriarchates are more associated with Eastern Orthodoxy since the highest ranking churchmen there are the Patriarchs, though the Popes would also flaunt their Papal powers over the church generally by setting up some new Western Patriarchates as well, like Lisbon and Venice. I'll definitely be spending a lot of time talking about all the various patriarchates in the main narrative, so stay tuned. Recently a new role has been developed, and of course I mean recently in church terms so, you know, in living memory, and that's the role of what's termed a "MAJOR ARCHBISHOP", just half a hair down from a Patriarch in dignity, and of course overseeing a "MAJOR ARCHBISHOPRIC". Check out my episode on Sviatoslav Shevchuk for more on that, basically the Vatican wanted to grant the Ukranians higher honor but could not fully commit to a new Patriarchate because of pressure from Moscow, so the position was developed as a compromise. There are now a total of four Major Archbishops, all Eastern Catholics. To explain very briefly, now that I'm mentioning Eastern Catholics, the Catholic Church is actually made up of a total of 24 sui iuris- that is, "self governing" Churches, called Particular churches. The one you're probably most familiar with is the biggest, what's called the Latin Church, but the other 23 are equally important at least in theory even though in practice they often get sidelined or overlooked. A single city may have multiple bishops because of these different rites, and also because of non-Catholic bishops, for example there are currently five people claiming the role of Patriarch of Antioch, three Catholic bishops from different sui iuris particular churches in union with Rome, and two Orthodox bishops not in union with Rome. None of these Patriarchs of Antioch are based in Antioch, modern Antakya. It's complicated. Collectively members of these non-Latin Sui Iuris churches are called Eastern Catholics and In most cases these are the results of various splits and reunions throughout Church history, resulting in a variety of local traditions maintained because 1 tradition is beautiful and 2 union with the Pope is more important to the Pope then making everyone do exactly the same thing, though there have certainly been pushes for that, and I hope that somewhat tongue-in-cheek brief overview isn't too insulting but long story short the variety resulting from these different traditions could easily double the length of this episode, but given the main purpose of this was to allow Cardinal-Watchers to follow Cardinal Numbers without getting too lost I'm going to let the Latin rite examples I've given form the core and I'll explain Eastern titles- such as calling most bishops EPARCHS and most Dioceses EPARCHIES- as they appear in individual episodes. Now, believe it or not, there's still a few more bishop-tier titles to go. First, a TITULAR BISHOP is a bishop who has been assigned a non-functional diocese, which sounds like a bit of a raw deal- and to be clear, it is- but it generally allows them to focus on other stuff they need to be doing while officially giving them the status and dignity of being a bishop. There are also titular archbishops and even titular patriarchs, basically the next few terms function as adjectives. Another modifier you might see before someone's bishop title is "Auxiliary". An AUXILIARY BISHOP is a bishop who assists in the administration of a see- typically an archdiocese or a patriarchate- while being titular bishop of another see. This keeps one person as the overall pastor but allows for easing the burden when there's a lot of bishopping to be done. There's another kind of bishop called a COADJUTOR. As the co- part might suggest, a coadjutor bishop acts alongside the regular bishop. Generally speaking a coadjutorship is a short term arrangement, designed to ease the transition when the regular bishop retires, with the coadjutor having automatic succession. Unlike Auxiliary bishops, coadjutor bishops are not typically given a separate titular see reflecting this even closer association with the diocese. Normally the goal is one bishop per diocese and one diocese per bishop, coadjustorships are treated as an exception to that ideal for the sake of smooth transition. Another adjective you'll see applied to someone's title as bishop is emeritus, and this one I think is more familiar to folks. A BISHOP EMERITUS is the former bishop of a diocese. In modern practice most Bishops are required to submit their resignation to the Pope once they turn 75, so that's the typical retirement age, but early retirements due to health reasons or air quotes "health reasons" are not unheard of, and sometimes folks are left in their posts for a bit longer. When a diocese has no serving bishop, that period is called a SEDE VACANTE, or "vacant seat". Most folks hear that in connection with the Pope, though the term can be used for all diocese, not just Rome. If the vacancy is a longer one, you'll often see what's called an APOSTOLIC ADMINISTRATOR appointed for the interim, someone to keep things running who may or may not already be a bishop of another diocese, often the metropolitan. Finally, there's a broader term that includes but is not limited to bishops that I've been studiously avoiding: an ORDINARY. Most often the ordinary is a bishop, but there are some special jurisdictions outside the normal diocesan structure that are served by a non-episcopal-AKA non-bishop- ordinary. Such jurisdictions are called ORDINARIATES. And yeah, don't let the wording fool you, ordinariates headed by an ordinary are not, you know, the ordinary arrangement, those are for special circumstances. The most common type of ordinariate is a MILITARY ORDINARIATE. Given the special needs of armed forces and the families serving in them, many nations have a specific ordinariate dedicated to military families. There is also something called a PERSONAL ORDINARIATE, which in modern times is best understood as a bridge between Anglicanism and Catholicism, something Anglican leaders aren't particularly thrilled about but that didn't stop Pope Benedict XVI from setting up the structure a few years back. This is also as good a time as any to note that a CHAPLIN is like the priest-level edition of an ordinary, in the sense that they're dedicated to a specific group of people that isn't a geographic thing, and also in the sense that it's often something you'll see in a military or other institutional context, and *also* in the sense that a chaplain might not actually be a priest even though they carry out many similar functions, much like an ordinary may not actually be a bishop. Alright, next up, let's start looking at what's going on within a typical diocese, especially at Mass, that most Catholic of ceremonies. As you might have guessed, we're going to be talking a fair bit about PRIESTS today, so let's dive in there. Priests, like bishops, receive Holy Orders through ordination. They effectively function as a stand-in for the bishop, serving as his delegates in the local churches called PARISHES. They have apostolic succession only in a secondary sense- their holy orders are valid because of their bishop's valid apostolic succession, and they cannot ordain successors themselves. Unless of course they also happen to be a bishop, which, yes, Mr Offscreen Pedant, bishops are also priests, but I'm speaking specifically about priests who are not also bishops. All bishops are priests and deacons to boot, holy orders is a three-part deal that stacks up like that. Of course, not all deacons are priests, and not all priests are bishops. It's a squares and rectangles kind of thing. The primary function of a priest is to administer sacraments, especially saying Mass and hearing confessions. I actually have my sacraments series done for the Solemn High Pod, so check out the three part Popeular History episode 0.20 if you want to know more about Mass and the sacraments. If 0.23 and dare I hope 0.31 are done by the time you're listening to this you can check out those as well for more on the Mass. Like Bishops, priests are generally expected to practice clerical celibacy, especially in the Latin church but also in the East in the sense that they cannot get married after ordination. So if they want to join the ranks of the married clergy, they better already have the married part done before they do the clergy part. A priest is the most essential person when it comes to Mass, because priests are the ones who either celebrate or say Mass–either of those verbs will work, by the way, and I'm not actually aware of a difference in meaning. Anyways, this is brought home by the fact that priests can literally say Mass by themselves, with no one else present. And I don't want to go too far into theology in this org chart overview, but I really should note that ultimately, on a theological level, it's not so much the priests themselves saying Mass or hearing confessions, rather it's Christ acting through them. What about deacons? Well, first off, there are two kinds of deacons in current practice: TRANSITIONAL DEACONS and PERMANENT DEACONS. The transitional deaconate is a step towards priesthood, and typically lasts a year. It's the first rung of Holy Orders, the first ordination the future priest will receive. In the case of permanent deacons, rather than a stepping stone the diaconate is its own vocation, with the recruiting focus being on men ages 35-55 or so depending on the diocese. Even in the west married permanent deacons are normal, though still with the same caveat that I mentioned for eastern priests earlier: once you're ordained no more new marriages for you. Deacons have an assisting role at Mass and administering other rites and sacraments but historically their main role has been more in the realm of what's called works of mercy, aka helping the poor, as that was the original idea behind setting up the diaconate as outlined in the biblical Book of Acts. It was only in recent times–recent times in the scale of Catholicism of course meaning in you know, living memory, it's a big timeline–anyways it was only in recent times that the permanent diaconate was revived after a millenium of suppression. Technically, to be sure, there were some deacons in the middle ages–Pope Gregory VII gained his reputation as Deacon Hildebrand- but outside of the Papal court, where titles tend to carry on regardless, DROPDROP they were scarcely more than a step to the priesthood, DROPDROP that transitional model I mentioned earlier. Before that decline, deacons were actually generally more impactful than priests, often serving as the bishop's right hand, especially in the form of ARCHDEACONS. This model is still largely present in the Eastern Churches, especially if you recall that Arkdiyakon role I mentioned in the context of the Thomas Christians I mentioned last month. Finally, I should note that there is strong historical evidence for a female diaconate in the early Church, for example in Romans 16 Saint Paul refers to a certain Phoebe as a deaconess, and unlike in the historical argument over female priests and bishops, the Church accepts a form of female diaconate as a historical reality. However, it is argued that women deacons were not ordained, that their role was fundamentally different from that of male deacons. Whether to revive an unordained form of female diaconate is an active topic of discussion in Rome. Of course, we're well into the weeds now. Things have changed. But before we make our way back to the modern Church, let's take a quick look at how Holy Orders worked prior to the Second Vatican Council of the 1960s. Before Vatican II, Holy Orders didn't start with the diaconate, the priesthood was actually the culmination of a seven-step process that began with what's called the minor orders. The lowest rung of this ladder was the PORTER, being basically the church doorman. After that, the LECTOR, in charge of some of the Bible reading at Mass, and a role which largely survived the council but was taken out of the context of a step on the path to priesthood, to the extent that even shock of shocks women can be Lectors. Next up was the ever crowd-pleasing role of EXORCIST, one trained to cast out demons, and perhaps surprisingly that's another role that's still with us, now taking the form of a special category of priests. As I understand it, to this day each Diocese has at least one exorcist, though their identities are typically kept secret because, ya know, kooks who won't stop bugging him because, I mean, real-life-exorcist. Cool. Finally, up at the top of the minor orders there was the role of ACOLYTE. Think alter server but one of the more active ones, not just a candle-holder. And yes, a role that was once higher than an exorcist is now generally occupied by a middle schooler. Right above the minor orders was the first rank that required ordination- no, not the deacon, the SUB-DEACON. Like all the other minor orders suppressed in the West, this role has been preserved in the East. Take this how you will, but the East has tended to more scrupulously preserve tradition than the Latin Church. It probably helps that they have no one with sufficient authority to come close to mucking around with tradition. I honestly don't think we'll be talking about sub-deacons much, but just know they're, well, right below a standard-issue deacon in the medieval pecking order, as you might have guessed, assisting at mass in similar but different roles. This office went away in the West with the abolition of the minor orders in Vatican II. After the sub-deacon the medieval and early modern seven stages of Holy Orders culminated with the familiar roles of Deacon- full on deacon this time- and then priest. Note that Bishop was not really considered a part of this progression in this model. Now, let's take a moment to chat through a couple other church roles largely or totally left to history while we're in the neighborhood. First, who can forget the fact that there's a whole Canterbury tale dedicated to the PARDONER. This wasn't someone who specialized in hearing confessions and absolving sins as you might expect after that episode we did on the newly elevated Cardinal Dri, the elderly Argintinian Capuchin with that focus. Instead, the focus of the Pardoner was on selling indulgences, those get-out-of-Purgatory-free cards that brought enough scandal to destroy the unity of western Christendom. And yes, I'm kind of acting like you already know about the Protestant Reformation in the same episode where I explain at a basic level what a priest is. Anyways, speaking of Protestants–or quasi-Protestants, or whatever you want to call them, perhaps just Anglicans– speaking of Anglicans, in many ways they're an even better time capsule for preserving some things lost to modern Catholicism than the East. Obviously not in all stripes of Anglicanism, as that wide tent contains a lot of innovations, but, well, on the traditionalist Anglo-Catholic end of the spectrum you can still find things like CANONS and PREBENDS. Canons with one N of course, the church kind, though of course the martial Pope Julius II was fond of two-N cannons as well. Anyways, even ruling out the military cannons I need to specify, as there are not one not two but three distinct meanings of a one-N canon in medieval Catholicism and actually in contemporary Catholicism as well, though the role of canon- by definition our focus on this episode on roles in the Catholic Church- the role is much less common than it once was. But first, the most common meaning of the term Canon in contemporary Catholicism is in the context of Canon law, because that's the term for way the Church governs itself and specific sections of the overall governing document are called canons. Similarly, church councils, that is, gatherings of church leaders, also tend to produce canons, especially the great ecumenical–that is, universal–councils of old that we'll start discussing when we get to the fourth century. So for example someone might cite the first canon of the Council of Nicea, where the Church of old ruled on the pressing question of how being castrated would or would not impact one's ability to serve as a priest. There's also something called the Canon of the Mass, and really the root word helps to understand the meaning of both this and the law slash council thing, because a canon in Latin is something like a fixed measuring stick. The fixed part of Mass is the section of prayers that are always the same, or at least that were always the same until our old friend Vatican II made other options available (again, as I understand it). Nowadays the Canon of the Mass, also called the Roman Canon, is additionally referred to as Eucharistic Prayer 1, implying the existence of Eucharistic Prayer 2, which isn't just a theoretical thing but a real life shorter form that liturgical traditionalists like myself tend to hate. There's also Eucharistic Prayers 3 and 4, which are less egregious, but still, stick with Eucharistic Prayer 1, aka the Roman Canon, if you would be so kind. The third kind of Canon is, at last, the role, and interestingly the etymology here is the same root as the others, giving the sense of something standardized or fixed in place. In this case, the standardization is because the "Canons" of a cathedral or other significant church were a group of priests who had decided to live communally and establish their spiritual and physical lives around a set of rules, you know, standardizing them. Canonizing their lives, if you will. They were basically members of a religious order, though not one centrally governed. Oh, and I suppose I should also note that the term canonization fits into this overall picture in a similar way: it's called canonization because what canonization does is standardize the cult of a particular saint across the universal church. Oh and stop saying cult like it's a bad thing, in this case that's just the word used. It's not a wink and a nod to kool-aid. Also, a canon in the sense of a cathedral canon or other role in a religious order is different from a canon*ist* or a canon lawyer, which is one who studies and explains or practices Church law, respectively. Clear as mud? Fair. Oh, and the PREBEND I mentioned, well, that's basically just a fancier kind of Cathedral canon. Let's move on though. The last historical Church role I want to talk about today is the KING. Or the EMPEROR. Or, you know, whoever the relevant feudal LORD would be. Because such secular leaders were nevertheless seen as having a critical role within the Church, with the civil government and the Church not then tending to have the separation we're used to these days. Really, nobility in general was a big deal for the church until the last century or so. Ok, so we've talked about the various forms of bishops and their territories, and about who you might see at Mass. What about those between? Well, one of the most important functions in Church organization is training up the next generation of leadership, and that training of new priests tends to take place at special institutes called SEMINARIES. You can basically think of seminaries as universities for future priests, and there's also a junior league of sorts for younger students that's basically a kind of boarding school called a MINOR SEMINARY. Those who study at seminaries are called SEMINARIANS, and those who teach there are nowadays generally titled PROFESSORS having the same basic sense as in the secular world but with Catholicism baked in. Kind of like this show verses a generic non-Popeular podcast. The head of a seminary is generally called a RECTOR, though I'm sure there's some variety in that. As you may know depending on what's common in your neck of the woods, rector can also have the same basic sense in secular institutes of higher learning as well, which makes sense when you take a look at the root word there: basically, "ruler". Etymology is our friend here, there, and everywhere. Outside of seminary education, there's also the topic of the general administrative structure of a given diocese. Obviously the bishop is on top, and as you probably already guessed the priests of the diocese typically have admin roles in addition to saying Mass. As an American Catholic, I'm mostly used to hearing the term PASTOR for a priest who's tasked with running a local church community called a PARISH, though I gather canonically the Anglican sounding term VICAR is more precise. You'll also hear the term PARISH PRIEST used in the same sense. A single parish may have more than one priest assigned to it by the diocesan powers that be. A secondary priest is called a PAROCHIAL VICAR in more  official stuff but ASSOCIATE PASTOR is the term you'll hear in common parlance, at least in American use. You might also see someone described as a CURATE, which in modern use designates a priest who assists the principal Vicar or Pastor or Rector of whatever, but historically would refer to the pastor themselves, and yes, it's complicated. There are higher levels to consider as well, both administratively and in terms of honorary titles. For example, MONSIGNOR is a special honorary title given to seasoned priests at the discretion of the Pope. It's not really a role, since it's purely a title and has no special function, but I figured I'd include it here. There are three levels within being titled a Monsignor, first a "CHAPLAIN OF HIS HOLINESS", second an "HONORARY PRELATE", and finally a "PROTONOTARY APOSTOLIC". These sorts of honorifics are currently out of favor in Rome given Pope Francis' strong preference for simple aesthetics and not seeking honor and titles, but he's pushing against a very long tradition of honors and titles in Roman culture, long enough that it goes back to the Cursus Honorum of ancient Pagan Rome, and I expect with the back-and-forth way the Papacy and the Curia operate, we haven't seen the last of ecclesiastical honorifics. After a fat Pope, the saying goes, a skinny Pope. Oh, there's even a kind of honorific for church buildings that functions in kind of the same way as making a priest a Monsignor, namely the status of BASILICA, which is basically just a way for the powers that be to say "hey check out this church it's extra nifty". Of course, not all higher titles within a Diocese are honorifics, there are functional roles as well. The overall day-to-day admin of the diocese is typically not run by the Bishop personally but by an office called the CHANCERY run by a CHANCELLOR, another term you may have heard in higher education because there's historical overlap between higher education and the admin of the Catholic Church or, you know, medieval courts in general. VICE-CHANCELLORS are also a thing, being second in command, behind the Chancellor. If you want a little more insight into what a Diocesan Chancery does, my home Diocese of Columbus has a write-up on their website that explains it better than I would so allow me to just quote them: "The Chancery includes those offices and persons who directly assist the Bishop in the pastoral and administrative governance of the Diocese of Columbus. The Chancery, on behalf of the Bishop, expedites canonical matters; collects and preserves diocesan and parish records; assists parishes and priests with civil matters; maintains files on priests and parishes; collects statistical information for the Diocese; facilitates communications with other dioceses and the Vatican; provides information on the Church or directs inquirers to appropriate sources; facilitates pre-Marriage dispensations and permissions and transmits to other dioceses pre-marriage files; and oversees diocesan offices." The rough Papal equivalent to the diocesan Chancery is the Roman CURIA. In Rome, the Church bureaucracy is sprawling. It's no secret that bureaucracies tend to grow over time when left unchecked, and historically Rome was just about the last place to look for a check on a bureaucracy. Even the ancient pre-Christian Romans exalted bureaucracy, with their skills as administrators being credited as a major unifying force for the Empire. Of course, administrative skills and bureaucracy can almost be contradictory concepts– after all, getting things done requires moving beyond committee after committee. But ultimately the purpose of the Curia is to spread the faith handed down from the Apostles throughout the world, and with that emphasis on handing down, tradition is a huge part of things. When you combine an emphasis on tradition with a massive scale- there are well over a billion Catholics in the world today- and a global scope–well, the Curia is absolutely massive and, despite repeated efforts at overhauling things, it's complicated as well. It would be deeply ironic but not inaccurate to call it Byzantine, a term for “really really complicated” drawn from another institution derived from ancient Rome, though the Byzantine empire is no more and the papacy is more globalized than ever. Pope Francis has been toying with the formula more than any other Pope in recent history, time will tell if the changes stick. One of the most apparent changes Pope Francis has made to the Curia, certainly in the context of our rundown of specific terms, is rebranding the various PONTIFICAL COUNCILS and CONGREGATIONS to DICASTERIES. The practical effect of this is minor but it's helpful to recognize these terms as referring to high level Curial departments–often but not always headed by Cardinals, indeed Pope Francis has structured things so there is no longer any official bar to Dicasteries headed by, say, a woman, though that hasn't actually happened yet. In any event, the heads of Dicasteries or Congregations or Pontifical Councils or whatever you want to call them are called PREFECTS, with the second in command being listed as SECRETARIES, and then things like UNDERSECRETARIES appearing further down the chain of command but still fairly high on the overall curial org chart. The CARDINALS I mentioned there are a special role connected to the Diocese of Rome. As a group they are called the COLLEGE OF CARDINALS, in much the same way that the bishops throughout the world collectively make up the COLLEGE OF BISHOPS. Most famously, it is the eligible Cardinals under the age of 80 who pick the next pope in a closed voting contest called a CONCLAVE during a Papal Sede Vacante, in a period of “vacant see”, you know, “empty chair”. Meetings of Cardinals more broadly speaking are called CONSISTORIES, because yeah, pretty much everything has a special term here, that's why you're listening to this episode. The office of Cardinal has historical connections to the clergy of Rome but it is not by definition an ordained role, meaning there could conceivably be women as Cardinals in the future as I discussed in my September 28th episode this year. There are three fundamental orders of Cardinals, the names of which are rooted in the origins of the college but which are no longer tied to their respective levels of Holy Orders in any particular way as all modern Cardinals are at least priests and most are bishops. Nevertheless, Cardinals are Categorized as either CARDINAL-BISHOPS, the highest level, or CARDINAL-PRIESTS, in the middle, or CARDINAL DEACONS, the lowest category, though really if you're a Cardinal even at the lowest level you're still pretty high up in the Church's pecking order. Special roles within the College of Cardinals include the PROTOPRIEST and the PROTODEACON, the longest serving of those respective orders. Historically, it was the Protodeacon's job to crown the Pope, though Popes haven't opted for crowns in decades. It's also the job of the most senior cardinal deacon participating in the Conclave to announce the new Pope through what's called the HABEMUS PAPAM, Latin for "we have a Pope". A specific name for a specific speech. Speaking of Conclaves and Papal Sede Vacantes and such, the CAMERLENGO OF THE HOLY ROMAN CHURCH is the one who runs the show when there's no Pope around, assisted, of course, by a VICE CAMERLENGO. And to give you an idea of *just* *how* *wonky* the Curia can be, though the Camerlengo of the Holy Roman Church is generally a Cardinal, he should not be confused with the CAMERLENGO OF THE COLLEGE OF CARDINALS, a role dedicated to administering the financial affairs of the Cardinals which has, mercifully, recently been allowed to lapse. So, yeah. There are a huge number of special roles and titles connected to the Curia. We'll be seeing them in action repeatedly as we go, but I don't want to get too hung up on them in this overview. Needless to say, Rome is a special case, full of special cases. Before we go, I do want to point out the NUNCIOS are effectively Papal Ambassadors, and the offices they head are called NUNCIATURES. A small step down the latter of diplomatic precedence there are PRO-NUNCIOS who have PRO-NUNCIATURES and who perhaps aspire to be full-on Nuncios one day–yes, oddly, in this case the "pro" prefix actually signifies as a *lower* rank. Finally, it would be just plain wrong of me to skip the fact that there is an important role called the LIBRARIAN OF THE HOLY ROMAN CHURCH, which is pretty much exactly what it sounds like, and which was historically also known as the BIBLIOTHECARIUS. Don't worry, we'll be following them especially closely. Anyways, any more standard diocese, including Columbus, may not have something as deep and extensive as the Curia, but they still have their own complexities not only within but also beyond the walls of the Chancery, often being subdivided into units called DEANERIES, which are groups of parishes. These multi-parish groups are headed, as you might have guessed, by someone called a DEAN, though you might have also guessed that a more official and less intuitive name exists in canon law: a deanery can also be listed as a FORANE VICARIATE, headed by a VICAR FORANE. There are other roles that aren't geographically based but are still critical to the functioning of the diocese, such as NOTARIES, who are permitted to draw up official documents on behalf of the local Church, and CONSULTORS, who, well, are there for the bishop to consult with on specific topics where he may need their advice. Ok, we're getting there. Now, you might think you know what RELIGIOUS means, but in a Catholic context it has a narrower definition. Being *a* religious means you have taken RELIGIOUS VOWS, specifically THE EVANGELICAL COUNSELS of Poverty, Chastity, and Obedience. Obedience, in this case, meaning obedience to a religious superior. Welcome to the world of RELIGIOUS ORDERS, which you might also know variously as RELIGIOUS INSTITUTES, INSTITUTES OF CONSECRATED LIFE, SOCIETIES OF APOSTOLIC LIFE, or even CONGREGATIONS, depending on a variety of factors and generally distinguished at a deeper level than I want to get into today. A fair amount of the variety comes from the various religious orders having their own distinct rules, called, well, RULES, and particular focuses, called CHARISMS. They also traditionally have distinct uniforms, called HABITS. You can typically recognize members of different religious orders by their habits, for example white and black robes will most often be a Dominican, brown or sometimes gray will trend to signify a Franciscan of some sort, though there are a lot more religious orders than there are basic colors so brown is also the dominant color in the unrelated Carmelite order. Anyways, the most classic form of a religious order is a MONASTERY with the members of the order being known as MONKS in the case of males or NUNS in the case of females– and monasteries have always been segregated by gender though there were historically sometimes what was called DOUBLE MONASTERIES with male and female wings. Given everyone involved had taken a vow of chastity, such a separation was seen as a practical step. Now, you might be surprised to hear me mentioning nuns in the context of a monastery, rather a CONVENT, a similar institution, which in contemporary English is where you'd expect to find nuns, with monasteries being reserved for monks. But I want to give you some historical understanding as well, and historically the distinction between a convent and a monastery was not one of gender but of specific type. Monasteries tended to be more rural and therefore removed from worldly concerns but could be communities of either gender, while convents tended to be more urban and therefore a bit more integrated into secular society. But that historical sense has faded sufficiently in English that you'll get weird looks if you say there are nuns in a monastery or monks in a convent. You may be technically correct, which is indeed the best kind of correct, but just be aware that the non-gendered sense of the terms is now not as common as it once was. Either way, members of religious communities are generally called BROTHER or SISTER as the default form of address unless another title supersedes. The head of a monastery is typically called an ABBOT in the case of a male CONGREGATION or an ABBESS in the case of a female congregation- the congregation being the community itself. Second in command in the case of a larger community or perhaps in overall command of a smaller community that is itself subordinated to a mother house is a PRIOR or PRIORESS, the former for a male community and the latter for a female community. In terms of the overall building, if the person in charge is an Abbott or Abbess then it's an ABBEY, if it's run by a Prior or a Prioress it's called a PRIORY, though it's not unusual for folks to simply fall back on the simplified and gendered newer meanings of monastery and convent I described earlier. A generic term for those in charge of a religious community is a SUPERIOR, or perhaps MOTHER SUPERIOR, with the leadership of the overall global order being typically called a SUPERIOR GENERAL. There's also a middle range of governance called a PROVINCE, giving that word a similar meaning to what we saw on the Diocesan side of things. All of these communities vary in a number of ways. Some are more removed from worldly affairs, with few to no outside visiters, those communities are called CLOISTERED. These communities go back to the origins of Christian monasticism, where an individual would often feel inspired to withdraw from the world and live a life of severe ASCETICISM, that is, renouncing pleasure and embracing prayer and PENANCE-reparations for sins-  in the hope of spiritual rewards. In the common narrative, folks would come out to such HERMITS, who might be called DESERT FATHERS or DESERT MOTHERS, and seek to follow their example, forming a community. The term for the individual ascetic who vows to follow the evangelical counsels is a hermit like I mentioned or you might also call them an ANCHORITE, and that form of monasticism is EREMITIC, from same root word as "hermit". Once you're talking about living in community, that particular form of monasticism is called CENOBITIC monasticism, combining the greek words for "common" and "life". Not all monasticism is that degree of renunciation of the world, though certainly that form was most established in the early Church. But over time other orders with various special charisms- special focuses- emerged, with the rise of the MENDICANT orders- those that essentially live by begging- occurring in the 13th century, with the Franciscans and the Dominicans being classic examples. Male mendicants are called FRIARS. In time there would also be MISSIONARY orders such as the Jesuits or the Salesians, as you might guess those being dedicated to spreading Christianity to areas where Christianity was a minority. Members of missionary orders are simply called brothers or sisters, leaving the monk and nun labels to those living in more traditional communities. In a number of cases the communally living religious orders have established affiliated entities designed to allow those who live outside their actual communal life to nevertheless observe some form of their rule and wear some form of their habit. These are called THIRD ORDERS, the first and second orders being by implication the monks and the nuns in their communities. Members of third orders are also called TERTIARIES. Historically similar to third orders were things like BEGUINES and their male equivalents, BEGHARDS, though those were as much defined by their lack of official status in the Church as anything else, which makes them an awkward addition to this episode. So I'll leave it at that. Anyways, with the permission of their superior- keep in mind obedience is one of the monastic vows–the others being poverty and chastity if you need a refresher–anyway with the permission of their superior male religious are able to receive ordination and become clergy. Religious who become priests are called RELIGIOUS PRIESTS, which is fair enough as a title but does have an amusing effect in that priests who are not members of a religious order are called SECULAR PRIESTS, a term that made me laugh when I first saw it and which still makes me chuckle from time to time. They can also be called DIOCESAN PRIESTS, but what's the fun in that? Believe it or not, this overview has left a lot out. Like, I never told you about how CATHOLICOS was originally a title for a bishop whose territory was more devoted to a region than a specific city, but that it evolved to be the highest title in the Church of the East. But that's in part because while I intend to cover all 23 SUI IURIS–that is, self governing– churches that make up the overall Catholic church, nevertheless the ROMAN or LATIN CHURCH is the dominant stream of Catholic history, making up over 98% of Catholics today. In case I haven't made it clear enough yet, let me emphasize again that this stuff does get complicated and you don't need to feel bad about not knowing it all offhand. I've thought about this stuff for hours daily and I don't meet that bar, this episode required research like every other. But I hope this guide helps bring some clarity and can serve as a useful reference as you go. If I didn't explain it here, and possibly even if I did, I promise I'll explain it when it comes up as we go. Thank you for listening, God bless you all!

This month Megan meets with Mother Leena Cherian, Superior General of the Benedictine Sisters of Christu Jyothi, who minister in India, and Mr. Victor Kuchar, a lay missionary from the U.S. who has visited India more than 20 times to work with many local Church leaders. They join Megan to share about the difficult realities of the most vulnerable in India, and how the Benedictine Sisters and other missionary leaders have worked to protect and affirm the dignity of so many in India. The Benedictine Sisters have committed themselves to caring for the poor and the weak. Vic tells his own story about how he felt called to work for the betterment of his brothers and sisters in India.

This week on 'Preach,' the script is flipped: Ricardo da Silva, S.J., the regular host, becomes the guest preacher, and Maggi Van Dorn, a usual producer, takes the mic as the host. Maggi and Ricardo, who work together extensively on “Preach,” “Hark! The stories behind our favorite Christmas carols” and “Inside the Vatican,” compare how preachers and podcasters alike craft stories to captivate their audience On this Gaudete Sunday, Ricardo invites listeners to identify where they have experienced joy, even as he admits that we live in a world where joy is hard to come by. In his homily, Ricardo tells a story by Pedro Arrupe, S.J., who was the 28th Superior General of the Society of Jesus from 1965 to 1983. The story is about Arrupe's visit to a Brazilian favela, and it helps Ricardo explore the connection between joy and self-gift. “Joy cannot be manufactured. It's not something that we can create for ourselves,” explains Ricardo. “It's something that sort of happens in a moment, in a flash, and then we catch ourselves in a joyful state.” Read the full text of this week's homily and Scripture readings. Get daily Scripture reflections and support "Preach" by becoming a digital subscriber to America Magazine. “Preach” is made possible through the generous support of the Compelling Preaching Initiative, a project of Lilly Endowment Inc.  Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Our Lady of Fatima called him back to the full practice of his faith, to a priestly vocation, and to the Marian Fathers of the Immaculate Conception. Now, the Most Rev. Joseph Roesch, MIC, is the Superior General of the Marian Fathers of the Immaculate Conception and author of Fatima: A Pilgrimage with Mary. In this interview, he shares thoughts on the message of Fatima, the importance of devotion to the Immaculate Heart, and much, much more. Are you enjoying this podcast? I invite you to listen to more shows brought to you by the Marian Fathers of the Immaculate Conception. Join us daily for enriching, spiritual content which will help you on your journey with Jesus Christ. Simply visit DivineMercyPlus.org for a complete list of our shows. That's DivineMercyPlus.org. Please “follow” or “subscribe” to this podcast to receive the latest episodes and updates. If you have been blessed by this podcast, please consider leaving a review. Reviews greatly improve our podcast ranking, and will help spread this podcast to other people throughout the world. Thank you and God bless you! 

How did Mother live towards the end of her life? Like a simple sister. She was still the Superior General, but she did not give herself exemptions. She was up early. She was the first to the chapel. She washed the dishes. She lived a humble life.

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The Society of Jesus' 71st Congregation of Procurators, which was held in Loyola, Spain. Over 100 Jesuits gathered for the congregation, one from each province in the world plus Jesuit Superior General Fr. Arturo Soca and his assistants. So what exactly is a Congregation of Procurators? It sounds like old-fashioned Church speak. A brief explanation: There are two types of big global congregations the Society of Jesus holds. The first and more famous type is called a General Congregation, in which a new superior general is typically elected. There have been only 36 of these meetings since the founding of the order in 1540. All the way back at the second General Congregation in 1565, the delegates decided that more frequent meetings were needed. This led to the Congregation of Procurators, whose main technical function is to decide if a General Congregation should be called via a simple “yes or no” vote. Only very rarely do the procurators vote “yes.” But it's a unique opportunity for Jesuits to gather and reflect on the state of the Society within today's world. While the gathering itself lasted two weeks in Spain, the work of the procurators takes over a year. Once elected by his respective province, each procurator travels throughout his province and speaks to as many Jesuits as possible. The point is to develop a sort of “state of the Society” perspective from your own corner of the world. The procurators submit their reports to the Superior General, who in turn crafts a document on the state of the global society called De Statu Societatis. This document will be published and publicly available soon. Today's guest is Fr. Victor Cancino, who was the procurator from the USA West province. Fr. Cancino lives on the Flathead Indian Reservation in western Montana and is the pastor-delegate for St. Ignatius Mission. Host Mike Jordan Laskey asked him about the gathering itself plus what he learned while traveling throughout the West province, which stretches from Alaska to Hawaii to the US -Mexico border in Arizona. It was fascinating to hear his insider's take on the whole process – a reminder that we are part of a church whose name means “universal.” Learn more about the Congregation of Procurators: https://www.jesuits.org/stories/jesuits-gather-for-71st-congregation-of-procurators-in-loyola-spain/ Read Fr. Cancino's articles at America magazine: https://www.americamagazine.org/voices/victor-cancino-sj AMDG is a production of the Jesuit Conference of Canada and the United States. www.jesuits.org/ www.beajesuit.org/ twitter.com/jesuitnews facebook.com/Jesuits instagram.com/wearethejesuits youtube.com/societyofjesus

 Walking with the Saints Podcast | Feast of St. Lawrence of Brindisi, Patron Saint of Brindisi | July 21     It seems unbelievable but it happened. Our sources tell us that in Italy, there was a custom to allow little boys to preach to the faithful during Christmas time, in memory of Jesus in the Temple when he was 12 years old. St. Lawrence, who had the gift of oratory was six when he was asked to give a homily in the cathedral of his town. His audience was deeply touched that many shed tears and were encouraged to improve their Christian lives. In the succeeding years, while he was still a young boy, he was always the one chosen to give the homily during the Christmas festivities.  Lawrence or Lorenzo was born Giulio Cesare de Rossi on July 22, 1559 in Brindisi, Italy. He studied at the school of the Conventual Franciscan Friars in his town. Later he enrolled at the University of Padua to study philosophy and theology. In 1575, Giulio Cesare joined the Capuchin Friars Minor at Verona, Italy and took the name Lawrence (Italian – Lorenzo.) He was ordained priest at the age of 23. When he was thirty-one years old, he was elected provincial superior of the Capuchin in Tuscany, and he held the same office for several monasteries of the Order.  In 1596, he was given another big task by the Capuchins in Rome. Lawrence established Capuchin monasteries in Germany and Austria, Vienna, Prague and Graz. When he founded the monastery in Prague, he was named “imperial chaplain” for the army of Roman Emperor Rudolph II to fight against the Ottoman Empire. He recruited the Duke of Mercoeur for help. In Hungary, he also led the Roman army against the Turks. It is said that in this battle he did not bring any weapon and held a Crucifix in his hands, but with his 18,000 Christian soldiers won miraculously against 80,000 Turks. This was the Crucifix he held every time he had great works to do and when he would perform a miracle. To this day, this Crucifix is still being used by the Superior General of the Capuchin Order. Lawrence mastered several languages, could write and speak them fluently besides Italian. Such languages are: Latin, French, Spanish, German, Bohemian, Greek, Hebrew, Aramaic, and Syriac. His knowledge of Hebrew and Aramaic was God's gift.  Popes Gregory XIII and Clement VIII appointed him apostolic preacher to the Jews in Rome and they were convinced that Jesus Christ was the awaited Messiah. In 1602, he was elected vicar general of the Capuchin Friars, the highest position of the Order during that time. He was to be elected for the same position in 1605, but he declined and refused. He had the privilege to serve the Holy See by becoming the papal nuncio to Bavaria and then to Spain. Lawrence was indeed a very busy person. He was a writer, a preacher, a superior, a missionary, an envoy, and a strong opponent of heretics.  In 1618 he retired in a monastery. But the following year he was recalled to Rome as a special envoy to the King of Spain. After this mission, he died in Lisbon on July 22, 1619 on his 60th birthday. Virtue: piety, penance, excellence, commitment, obedience, patience, integrity, humility “St. Lawrence, pray for Catholics who are losing their faith in the midst of heretics.” Reflection: How much do I know of the Catholic Catechism?            

TGIF and today's guest is Mother Lucy Lukasiewicz, the Superior General of the Sisters of the Disciples of the Lord Jesus Christ from Prayer Town, TX.  The Sisters seek the Lord's holy and perfect will through our vows of poverty, chastity, and obedience.  Called to witness to the Gospel, we seek to draw all people into a personal relationship with Jesus through the transforming power of the Holy Spirit.  This flows from a deep life of prayer, praise, and on-going conversion in loving commitment to one another.  Today's talk focuses on the joy of the Lord among this community.  For more information, please visit: https://ststanschurch.org/  www.dljc.org 

On "EWTN News Nightly" tonight: As the war in Ukraine grinds on with no immediate end to the horrific bloodshed in sight, President Joe Biden has just given the ok for plans to train Ukrainian pilots on U.S.-made F-16 fighter jets. A man was arrested on Thursday after forcing entry into Vatican City. The incident happened at the Santa Anna gate after 8pm. Meanwhile, the growing mental-health crisis facing America's teenagers is motivating a group of senators, 2 progressive Democrats and a pair of conservative Republicans, to join forces and take on Big Tech. A new study says most American corporations receive failing grades when it comes to religious freedom and free speech. Senior Vice President for Corporate Engagement at Alliance Defending Freedom, Jeremy Tedesco, joins to tell us about a legal settlement and the victory ADF is celebrating for pro-lifers in California. A Catholic religious order dedicated to missionary work around the world has elected a new leader. Superior General of the Company of Mary, Fr. Yoseph Putra Dwi Darma WATUN, joins to tell us more about this general chapter and its election. Finally this evening, Most Catholic parishes will celebrate the Ascension of Our Lord on Sunday. Associate Professor of Practice in Catechetics at the Catholic University of America and author of "The Beauty of Faith," Jem Sullivan, joins to share what the Church invites us to celebrate this coming Ascension Sunday. Don't miss out on the latest news and analysis from a Catholic perspective. Get EWTN News Nightly delivered to your email: https://ewtn.com/enn

 Effective February, 2023, Fr. Roesch has just been elected to be the Superior General of all Marian order priests of the Immaculate Conception (MIC) worldwide for a 6 year term. Fr. Roesch speaks to us regarding Divine Mercy Sunday and novena which begins on Good Friday.

One of the most interesting Jesuit universities in the world is Saint Joseph University in Beirut, Lebanon. Founded in 1875, Saint Joseph is the only Jesuit university in the Arab World. On its incredibly impressive list of alumni are seven presidents of Lebanon. The former Superior General of the Jesuits, Fr. Peter Hans Kolvenbach, earned his doctorate there and then joined the faculty. Saint Joseph has a medical and a law school and five total campuses in all in the capital city. In the middle of a religiously diverse country, it brings together 12,000 students from all backgrounds, including large communities of both Christian and Muslim students. As they carry out their essential mission, Saint Joseph is facing unimaginable challenges due to multiple intertwined crises plaguing the country of Lebanon right now. On August 4, 2020, a historically powerful explosion at the Port of Beirut killed over 200 people and left about 300,000 homeless. All five of Saint Joseph's campuses were damaged by the blast. This instability worsened an already-dire economic crisis. A few weeks ago, host Mike Jordan Laskey talked to the university's president, Fr. Salim Daccache, SJ, about the university and how it's responding to today's challenges. Fr. Daccache has led Saint Joseph's since 2012 and earned his undergraduate degree there in 1973. A scholar and an experienced administrator, Fr. Daccache has such a clear passion for the school and is dedicated to doing whatever he can to support students, faculty and staff. Against this backdrop, the university is asking for donations in support of scholarships. Our listeners in the United States can make tax-deductible donations via a PayPal link on our website, which you can find at Jesuits.org/Lebanon. AMDG is a production of the Jesuit Conference of Canada and the United States. www.jesuits.org/ www.beajesuit.org/ twitter.com/jesuitnews facebook.com/Jesuits instagram.com/wearethejesuits youtube.com/societyofjesus

Mabuting Balita l Marso 13, 2023 - Lunes Ikatlong Linggo ng Kuwaresma Ebanghelyo: Luke 4:24-30 Pagdating ni Hesus sa Nazaret, sinabi niya sa lahat ng nasa sinagoga: “Talagang sinasabi ko: walang propetang katanggap-tanggap sa sarili niyang bayan. Tinitiyak ko sa inyo na maraming biyuda noon sa kapanahunan ni Elias nang sarhan ang Langit sa loob ng tatlo't kalahating taon at nagkaroon ng matinding taggutom sa buong lupain. Gayon pa ma'y hindi ipinadala si Elias sa isa man sa kanila kundi sa biyuda ng Sarepta sa may Sidon. Marami ring may ketong sa Israel sa kapanahunan ni Propeta Eliseo pero wala sa kanilang pinagaling kundi ang Siriong si Naaman.” Napuno ng galit ang lahat sa sinagoga pagkarinig dito, tumindig sila at ipinagtulakan siya sa labas ng bayan. Dinala nila siya sa gilid ng burol na kinakatayuan ng kanilang bayan upang ihulog. Ngunit dumaan siya sa gitna nila at umalis. Pagninilay: Tuwing maririnig ko ang Mabuting Balita natin ngayon, naaalala ko ang naging pag-uusap namin ng aming Superior General noong naka-assign pa ako sa Naga City. Nabanggit ko kasi sa kanya na mahirap palang ma-assign sa sariling bayan. Agad siyang dumugtong ng “Ït's normal because no prophet is accepted in his native land”. Sabi ko sa kanya, “hindi po iyan ang problema ko Mother, kasi tanggap na tangap ako rito. Ang problema ko po, kung paano tatanggihan ang kaliwa't kanang imbitasyon ng pamilya at mga kaibigan ko, kasi may apostolate ako”. Natawa sya. In my moments of prayer, nasabi ko tuloy sa sarili ko, marahil hindi ako propeta kaya tanggap ako sa sarili kong bayan. Pero sa moments of prayer din ako inaliw ng Panginoon. Mga kapanalig, ang kawalan ng pananampalataya ng mga kababayan ni Jesus, ang nagtulak sa kanya upang balikan ang mga pangyayari noong panahon nina Propeta Elias at Eliseo. Hentil ang nakinabang sa pagpapala ng Diyos at hindi Hudyo, dahil sa kawalan nila ng pananampalataya. Mapalad ako dahil tinanggap at pinagkatiwalaan ako ng aking mga kababayan. Nakakataba ng puso ang tiwala nila sa akin kaya naman buong puso ko ring inalay ang aking sarili sa paglilingkod sa kanila. Higit na lumago ang aking mga kakayahan at tiwala sa sarili, dahil sa kanilang pagmamahal at malaking tiwala sa akin. Sa loob ng siyam na taong pamamalagi ko sa Archdiocese of Caceres, marami akong natuklasan sa aking sarili at nakayanang gawin, na kahit kelan, hindi ko inakalang magagawa ko. Then, I realized that God's grace worked perfectly, with my simplicity and faith in HIM. Kapanalig, ikaw, kumusta ang pananampalataya mo sa Diyos? Lumalago rin ba habang naglilingkod ka sa Kanya? O baka nanghihina na, dahil hindi ka lumalapit sa Kanya? Sr. Lou Ranara, fsp / Daughters of St. Paul

We present to you our guest host, Fr Ruffino Ezama of the Comboni Missionaries. Currently, Ruffino is the Provincial Superior of the North American Province. His conversation partner in this episode is Mother Alice Drajea Jurugo, the Superior General of the Sacred Heart of Jesus Sisters, based in Juba, South Sudan. The Sacred Heart Sisters were founded by the Comboni Missionaries in Sudan in the 1950s. In this episode, Fr Ezama and Mother Jurugo discuss the recent apostolic visit of Pope Francis to the DRC and Sudan. They join their voices to that of the Holy Father in calling on all people especially the political leaders to become serious about bringing peace and abundant life to the people of South Sudan and the Congo. Everyone is called to become committed messengers of peace, hope and faith through a change in worldview, practices of forgiveness and reconciliation, and embracing a lifestyle that promotes peace, harmony and humanity!

January 23: Saint Marianne Cope, Virgin (U.S.A.)1838–1918Optional Memorial; Liturgical Color: WhitePatron Saint of Hawaiʻi, lepers, outcasts, and sufferers of HIV/AIDSShe learned generosity at home and lived it her whole lifeToday's saint was a model female Franciscan who emulated Saint Francis' heroic example of personally caring for the outcasts of all outcasts—lepers. Saints are not born, of course; they are made. And Saint Marianne Cope came from a specific time, place, and family. She could have developed her abundant talents in many directions and used them for many purposes, but she re-directed what God loaned her to serve Him, His Church, and mankind. The Church, the Franciscans, and Hawaiʻi were the arenas in which this elite spiritual athlete exercised her skills. She was asked for much and gave even more. She became a great woman.Marianne Cope was born in Germany and was brought to New York state by her parents when she was still a baby. She was the oldest of ten children. Her parents lived, struggled, and worked for their kids. She saw generosity in action at home every day. She quit school after eighth grade to work in a factory to financially support her ailing father, her mother, and her many siblings. The challenges inherent to immigration, a new culture, illness, a large family, and poverty turned Marianne into a serious, mature woman when she was just a teen. Marianne fulfilled her long-delayed desire to enter religious life in 1862. Once professed, she moved quickly into leadership positions. She taught in German-speaking Catholic grade schools, became a school principal, and was elected by her fellow Franciscans to positions of governance in her Order. She opened the first hospitals in her region of Central New York, dedicating herself and her Order to the time-honored religious vocation of caring for the sick, regardless of their ability to pay for medical services. She was eventually elected Superior General. In her early forties, she was already a woman of wide experience: serious, administratively gifted, spiritually grounded, and of great human virtues. But this was all mere preparation. She now began the second great act of her drama. She went to Hawaiʻi.In 1883 she received a letter from the Bishop of Honolulu begging her, as Superior General, to send sisters to care for lepers in Hawaiʻi. He had written to various other religious Orders without success. Sister Marianne was elated. She responded like the prophet Isaiah, saying, “Here am I; send me!” (Is 6:8). She not only sent six sisters, she sent herself! She planned to one day return to New York but never did. For the next thirty-five years, Sister Marianne Cope became a type of recluse on remote Hawaiʻi, giving herself completely to the will of God.Sister Marianne and her fellow Franciscans managed one hospital, founded another, opened a home for the daughters of lepers, and, after a few years of proving themselves, opened a home for women and girls on the virtually inaccessible island of Molokai. Here her life coincided with the final months of Saint Damien de Veuster. Sister Marianne nursed the future saint in his dying days, assuring him that she and her sisters would continue his work among the lepers. After Father Damien died, the Franciscans, in addition to caring for the leprous girls, now cared for the boys too. A male Congregation eventually relieved them of this apostolate.Sister Marianne Cope lived the last thirty years of her life on Molokai until her death in 1918. She was beatified by Pope Benedict XVI in 2005 and canonized by him in 2012. She loved the Holy Eucharist, the Virgin Mary, and the Church. And because she loved God first, she loved those whom God loves, her brothers and sisters in Christ. She sacrificed for them, left home and family for them, put her health at risk for them, and became a saint through them.Saint Marianne Cope, help us to be as generous as you were in serving those on the margins, those who need our help, and those who have no one else to assist them. You were a model Franciscan in dying to self. Help us to likewise die so that we might likewise live.

Zac and Ashley are unpacking from their recent pilgrimage to Italy. So, they're bringing back an interview from 2021 with the Superior General of the Society of Jesus, Fr. Arturo Sosa, S.J. Behind the mic, Ashley is joined by Colleen Dulle, host of America Media's "Inside the Vatican" podcast to discuss with Fr. Sosa his relationship with Pope Francis (another Jesuit!) and how he interprets the pope's reforming agenda. They also discuss how the Jesuits are increasing their collaboration with women around the world. Links: Read the transcript of this interview here Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Members from several communities of the Order of the Discalced Carmelite Seculars gathered for a yearly retreat at the Maria Stein Spiritual Center in Ohio in August 2022.  The Sunday Mass fell on the 20th Sunday in Ordinary Time in Year C. Deacon Baldwin presents us with an in-depth parallel of the life of the Prophet Jeremiah with the life of our Lord Jesus Christ.  He focuses on the purifying fire of love of the Holy Spirit, which also set St. Elijah on fire with zeal for the Lord. We, in Carmel, are taught about this living flame of love through the writings of St. John of the Cross.  It is very important for us as Carmelites to pray for this purification and transformation that comes through this fire of love.  In 2018, a letter from the Superior General of the Discalced Carmelites, Fr. Saverio Cannistra, OCD, warns us not to become like the world, but be transformed by the living flame of love, so that we may truly love God and love our neighbor…so that we may know God so that He may be known. Every Discalced Carmelite Secular will be edified, encouraged and inspired by these words regarding our vocation to Carmel.  For non-Carmelites, it is still a universal call to love…to holiness.  Let us never forget who we are!!

Monday of the Fifth Week of Easter Saint of the Day: St. Simon Stock; brought Carmelites from the Holy Land to Europe, and founded Carmelite communities in such cities as Cambridge, Oxford, Paris, and Bologna; elected Superior-General of the order in 1254; received an apparition of the Blessed Virgin in 1251, in which she gave him the brown scapular Office of Readings and Morning Prayer for 5/16/22 Gospel: John 14:21-26

ST. SIMON STOCK l PATRON OF BORDEAUX, FRANCE, AND OF THE ENGLISH PROVINCE OF THE DISCALCED CARMELITES Feast Day: May 16 Are you among those who wear the Brown Scapular of the Virgin Mary of Carmel? Praise the Lord! You are fortunate to have this devotion which is a source of many indulgences and protection. Our saint for today is St. Simon Stock, the Carmelite who is said to have been entrusted by the Virgin Mary to spread this devotion. St. Simon was born in Aylesford, Kent, England. Legend says that the name Stock (meaning “tree trunk”) derives from the fact that from age 12 he lived as a hermit in a hollow trunk of an oak tree. There he prayed and made penances for about eight years, eating only herbs, roots and wild apples, and for liquid, he drank water alone. Regarding his childhood, it is said that the Blessed Mother had really chosen him for a future mission. Long before he had learned to speak, he could recite the “Hail Mary,” and a little later was able to memorize the Little Office of the Blessed Virgin, reciting it daily. He read the Holy Scripture while kneeling in his room. Some years after living as a hermit, he joined some Crusaders on a pilgrimage to the Holy Land and lived for a while in the place where Elijah defeated the god of the Baals. Upon returning to Europe, he became a Carmelite and tirelessly continued his prayerful and holy life. He was later elected Vicar General of the Order. St. Simon worked hard to spread the Carmelite Order throughout Europe, and was responsible for Carmelite houses in Cambridge, Oxford, Paris and Bologna. He also revised the rules of the Order, changing the Carmelites' life of living like hermits to being mendicant friars. St. Simon had the spiritual gifts of prophecy, visions and miracles and was known for his deep devotion to the Virgin Mother of God. On July 16, 1251, a time when the Carmelite Order was being oppressed and faced the danger of being suppressed, the Virgin Mary appeared to Simon holding the brown scapular and said: “Receive, my beloved son, the scapular of thy Order; it is a special sign of my favor which I have obtained for thee and for thy children at Mount Carmel. He who dies clothed with this habit shall be preserved from eternal fire. It is a badge of salvation, a shield in time of danger and a pledge of special peace and protection.” The scapular (from the Latin scapula, meaning “shoulder blade”) consists of two pieces of cloth, one on the chest and the other on the back connected by strings or straps, worn over the shoulder. On January 13, 1252 the Carmelites received a letter of protection from Pope Innocent IV, protecting them from harassment and political oppositions. At the age of 82, Simon was elected as Superior General of the Carmelites and continued this work until the end. He also demonstrated holiness, prudence, and many more virtues which caused others to imitate him.. Simon died at Bourdeaux, France on May 16, 1265, while visiting the community, at the age of 100. Never formally canonized, his feast was approved by the Church for the Carmelite Order in 1564. Simon's relics were brought from Bourdeaux, to Aylesford in 1951. In art he is depicted as an old man in the Carmelite habit, or receiving the scapular from Our Lady. St. Simon is the patron of Bordeaux, France, and of the English Province of the Discalced Carmelites. St. Simon Stock, pray that we may love Our Lady as you loved her and learn to imitate her virtues.” Am I interested to wear the Brown Scapular of Our Lady of Carmel?

This is a full transcript of the conference given in Paris by Don Davide Pagliarani, Superior General of the Society of Saint Pius X, at the conclusion of the XVI Theological Congress of Courrier de Rome, in partnership with DICI, on January 15th, 2022.

Open the Door to Jesus Christ! Vicar Fr. Wismick is from Haiti and expressed his deepest thankfulness to the pilgrims and regular attendees of the Shrine of Our Lady of the Island for their generosity. Generosity to not only the people of Haiti, and the Company of Mary in Haiti, but to the Company of Mary worldwide. We also wish to thank Queen of All Heart's members for their generosity, both spiritually through their prayers, and financially. During the Mass that was attended recently by the Vicar and the Superior General of the Company of Mary, cards were made available of the scene “Open the Door to Jesus Christ”! The National Director of Queen of All Hearts explains the significance of Fr. de Montfort actions one night long ago. Listen to the story of Open the Door to Jesus . . . and meditate on it. The audio itself is less than three minutes in length, but a very worthwhile story to gain insights on the man who would become a saint. The audio mentions a hymn from St. Louis de Montfort. That would be Hymn #14 for those that have The Hymns of St. Louis de Montfort book. Thank you again for being members of Queen of All Hearts . . . and for your continued spiritual support to the Company of Mary.

En la segunda parte de esta exclusiva entrevista, Monseñor Bernard Fellay, quien desempeñó el cargo de Superior General de la Fraternidad Sacerdotal San Pío X durante 24 años, responde a las preguntas realizadas por el Sr. Luis Román, sobre distintos temas: las consagraciones de 1988, el cisma, el estado de emergencia, el valor de las leyes eclesiásticas en tiempos de crisis, la bula de San Pío V acerca de la Misa, la Nueva Misa, Summorum Pontificum de Benedicto XVI, Traditionis Custodes del Papa Francisco, etc.Para ver el video del Programa¡Convierte en Miembro Cristero de Nuestro Canal Hoy!! Pulsa aquíSiguenos en todos los medios y canales aquiHaz click para suscribirte y escucharnos en: AndroidRSSSpotify:TuneInStitcherPlayer FMCastbox Pocket Casts OvercastBeyondPod  PandoraApoya mi trabajo y recibes regalos (Haz click en el enlace o link): www.patreon.com/ConoceamayvivetufeRecibe el Libro Mana de Aliento para el Cristiano GRATIS ¡Haz click aqui!Support the show (https://www.patreon.com/Conoceamayvivetufe)

Word and Songs | Getting to know Venerable Thecla Merlo - a woman of Great Faith & Unwavering Hope with Sr. Lines Salazar, fsp Happy month of love to each one of us! In this episode of Word and Songs, join us Daughters of St. Paul in praise and thanksgiving to God/ as we commemorate the 58th death anniversary of Venerable Thecla Merlo, the first Superior General of the Pious Society of the Daughters of St. Paul. Her ultimate desire to become a saint determines the program of her life, how she would live it until the end. She was described by Fr. Silvano Gratilli, ssp in one of his writings, as a strong-willed, energetic, wise, and ardent woman… precisely because she knew how to “die in Christ”/ so as to live with Him and thus become a messenger of life. Prima Maestra once said: “When our hearts are filled with the love of God, we cannot help/ but pour this love out on the world.” I'm Sr. Lines of the Daughters of St. Paul inviting you to join me for half an hour, as we get to know Venerable Thecla Merlo - her thoughts, virtues, and values worth emulating so as to become a saint. Her life was a song of God's love. A love so immense to the point of exclaiming, “If I had a hundred lives, O Lord, I would give all to you.”

Synod Watch Two explores Synod wisdom from the Religious, gaining an insight into the Religious Orders' response to the Synod and their experience of discernment. Christopher Lamb and a panel of representatives from the Religious Orders discuss the synodal journey in this webinar with The Tablet. Details of past and future events are here. Webinar host Christopher Lamb is a British journalist who is the Rome Correspondent for The Tablet. He is a contributor to the Vatican Insider page of La Stampa and a regular commentator for the BBC on Vatican and religious affairs. Guests Fr Nick Austin SJ is the Master of Campion Hall, Oxford and Senior Fellow in Theological Ethics. A Jesuit priest and spiritual director who teaches moral theology. His current research area is in moral discernment as understood by St Ignatius and brought to prominence by Pope Francis. Sr Jolanda Kafka RMI is Superior General of the Sisters of Mary Immaculate – Claretian Missionaries, and the current President of the International Union of Superiors General. Dr Sr Gemma Simmonds CJ belongs to the Congregation of Jesus and is Senior Research Fellow and Director of the Religious Life Institute at the Margaret Beaufort Institute of Theology in Cambridge. Sr Gemma was previously Senior Lecturer in Pastoral Theology at Heythrop College (2005-18) and President of the Catholic Theological Association of Great Britain. Sr Jane Bertelsen FMDM is Congregational Leader of the Franciscan Missionaries of the Divine Motherhood, an international Congregation present in 10 countries in Asia, Africa and Europe. Sr Jane has been a member of the congregation, whose primary ministry is one of presence within the local community wherever they are sent, since 1977. Sr Lynda Dearlove RSM was born in Middlesbrough and educated by the FCJs before reading Microbiology at Kent University, followed by a second degree in Social Policy Administration at Lancaster University. She joined the Institute of Our Lady of Mercy and took her final vows in 1989. She has always been dedicated to serving women involved in street based prostitution and victims of trafficking, managing the Dellow Day Centre in East London before founding women@thewell in 2006. --- Send in a voice message: https://anchor.fm/the-tablet/message

En esta EXCLUSIVA entrevista, Monseñor Bernard Fellay, que desempeñó el cargo de Superior General de la Fraternidad Sacerdotal San Pío X durante 24 años, responde a las preguntas realizadas por el Sr. Luis Román, sobre distintos temas: las consagraciones de 1988, el cisma, el estado de emergencia, el valor de las leyes eclesiásticas en tiempos de crisis, la bula de San Pío V acerca de la Misa, la Nueva Misa, Summorum Pontificum de Benedicto XVI, Traditionis Custodes del Papa Francisco, etc.  La entrevista fue realizada el 11 de enero 2022.Para ver el video del Programa¡Convierte en Miembro Cristero de Nuestro Canal Hoy!! Pulsa aquíSiguenos en todos los medios y canales aquiHaz click para suscribirte y escucharnos en: AndroidRSSSpotify:TuneInStitcherPlayer FMCastbox Pocket Casts OvercastBeyondPod  PandoraApoya mi trabajo y recibes regalos (Haz click en el enlace o link): www.patreon.com/ConoceamayvivetufeRecibe el Libro Mana de Aliento para el Cristiano GRATIS ¡Haz click aqui!Support the show (https://www.patreon.com/Conoceamayvivetufe)

Saint Marianne Cope, Virgin1838–1918January 23—Optional Memorial USALiturgical Color: WhitePatron Saint of lepers, outcasts, those with HIV/AIDS, Hawaiʻi.An immigrant learns generosity in her large family, and practices it her whole lifeToday's saint was a model female Franciscan who emulated Saint Francis' heroic example of personally caring for those outcasts of all outcasts—lepers. Saints are not born, of course; they are made. And Saint Marianne Cope came from a specific time, place, and family. She could have developed her abundant talents in many directions and used them for many purposes, but she re-directed what God loaned her to serve and honor Him, His Church, and mankind. The Church, the Franciscans, and Hawaii were the arenas in which this elite spiritual athlete exercised her skills. She was asked for much and gave even more. She became a great, great woman.Marianne Cope was born in Germany and was brought to New York state by her parents when she was still a baby. She was the oldest of ten children. Her parents lived, struggled, and worked for their kids. She saw generosity in action at home everyday. She quit school after eighth grade to work in a factory to financially support her ailing father, her mother, and her many siblings. The challenges inherent to migration, a new culture, illness, a large family, and poverty turned Marianne into a serious, mature woman when she was just a teen. She fulfilled her long delayed desire to enter religious life in 1862. Once professed, she moved quickly into leadership positions. She taught in German-speaking Catholic grade schools, became a school principal, and was elected by her fellow Franciscans to positions of governance in her Order. She opened the first hospitals in her region of central New York, dedicating herself and her Order to the time-honored religious vocation of caring for the sick, regardless of their ability to pay for medical services. She was eventually elected Superior General. In her early forties she was already a woman of wide experience: serious, administratively gifted, spiritually grounded, and of great human virtues. But this was all preparation. She now began the second, great act of her drama. She went to Hawaii.In 1883 she received a letter from the Bishop of Honolulu begging her, as Superior General, to send sisters to care for lepers in Hawaii. He had written to various other religious Orders without success. Sister Marianne was elated. She responded like the prophet Isaiah, saying, “Here I am, send me” (Is 6:8). She not only sent six sisters, she sent herself! She planned to one day return to New York but never did. For the next thirty-five years, Sister Marianne Cope became a type of recluse on remote Hawaii, giving herself completely to the will of God.Sister Marianne and her fellow Franciscans managed one hospital, founded another, opened a home for the daughters of lepers, and, after a few years of proving themselves, opened a home for women and girls on the virtually inaccessible island of Molokai. Here her life coincided with the final months of Saint Damien de Veuster. Sister Marianne nursed the future saint in his dying days, assuring him that she and her sisters would continue his work among the lepers. After Father Damien died, the Franciscans, in addition to caring for the leprous girls, now cared for the boys as well. A male Congregation eventually relieved them of this apostolate. Sister Marianne Cope lived the last thirty years of her life on Molokai until her death in 1918. She was beatified by Pope Benedict XVI in 2005 and canonized by him in 2012. She loved the Holy Eucharist, the Virgin Mary, and the Church. And because she loved God first, she loved those whom God loves, her brothers and sisters in Christ. She sacrificed for them, left home and family for them, put her health at risk for them, and became a saint through them.Saint Marianne Cope, help us to be as generous as you were in serving those on the margins, those who need our help, and those who have no one else to assist them. You were a model Franciscan in dying to self. Help us to likewise die so that we might likewise live.

In Discovering Ignatius, Jim Kennedy, SJ will explore the life of Saint Ignatius, Catholic saint and founder of the Society of Jesus (the Jesuits). 500 years ago, Inigo de Loyola was struck in the legs by a cannonball, which began his journey from swashbuckling man of the world to the pilgrim mystic who composed the Spiritual Exercises, a classic work of Christian Spirituality.In the seventh episode, the podcast explores Saint Ignatius's final years in Rome as the Superior General of the Society of Jesus. The podcast considers his attempts to craft guidelines to govern the Society, admit new members, and his difficult decision to send his friend and fellow saint Francis Xavier to India. In the interview portion, Mr. Kennedy talks with Fr. Doug Leonhardt, SJ, about his experience as a Jesuit, what the essence of Jesuit education past and present entails, and the legacy and importance of Saint Ignatius means for us today. The podcast series ends with a discussion of the death of Ignatius and some final reflections on his life and importance for us today.Music:"Thaxted" Kevin MacLeod (incompetech.com)Licensed under Creative Commons: By Attribution 3.0creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0/

"The Seminary of Econe and Rome" You are perhaps, perplexed readers, among those who observe the course of events with sadness and anguish but are nevertheless afraid to attend a true Mass, in spite of the desire to do so, because they have been persuaded that this Mass is forbidden. You may be one of those who no longer follow the priests in anoraks but who view with some distrust the priests in cassocks as if they were under some kind of censure; is not the bishop who ordained them suspended a divinis? You are afraid of putting yourself out of the Church; this fear is of praiseworthy origin but it is uninformed. I want to tell you what the position is about these sanctions which have been given such prominence and caused such loud rejoicing among the Freemasons and the Marxists. To understand it properly a little history is needed.When I was sent to Gabon as a missionary, my bishop immediately appointed me as professor at the Seminary of Libreville, where for six years I formed seminarians, of whom some later received the grace of the episcopate. When I became a bishop in my turn, at Dakar, it seemed to me that my principal concern should be to look for vocations, to form the young men who responded to the call of God and to lead them to the priesthood. I had the joy of conferring the priesthood on one destined to be my successor at Dakar, Msgr. Thiandoum, and on Msgr. Dionne, the present Archbishop of Thiés in Senegal.Returning to Europe to take up the position of Superior General of the Holy Ghost Fathers, I tried to maintain the essential values of priestly formation. I have to admit that already by then at the beginning of the sixties, the pressure was such and the difficulties so considerable that I could not achieve the results I wanted. I could not keep the French Seminary in Rome, which was placed under the authority of our Congregation, on the same right lines as when we were there ourselves between 1920 and 1930. Read the full book: https://angeluspress.org/products/open-letter-to-confused-catholics

Selections from the talk delivered at the Angelus Press Conference for Catholic Tradition, December 11, 2021. The title of the Superior General's conference: "The Mission of the Society of Saint Pius X"

e would be no one better to give the final word in this series than the Superior General of the SSPX, Don Davide Pagliarani. He graciously agreed to take some time from his duties to give us his thoughts on what the traditional restoration of the Church might look like after this major upheaval, and finally, what the answer – what is the solution to the Crisis in the Church.

Salesians lead relief operations in flood hit Kerala * Don Bosco University confers degrees on 1,150 students at 10th Convocation * Salesian honoured at celebrations marking 75th year of India's Independence * Bust and Museum Mark 25th death anniversary of Legendary Salesian * 23 Married couples prepare to celebrate sacrament of marriage * Salesian Family member Caritas Sisters of Jesus elect new Superior General.

“The Jesuits are a MILITARY organization, not a religious order. Their chief is a general of an army, not the mere father abbot of a monastery. And the aim of this organization is power – power in its most despotic exercise – absolute power, universal power, power to control the world by the volition of a single man [i.e., the Black Pope, the Superior General of the Jesuits]. Jesuitism is the most absolute of despotisms – and at the same time the greatest and most enormous of abuses…” Napoleon Bonapartethefacthunter.comfacthunterradio.com

Salesian Sisters Elect 11th Superior General * 87 New teachers from 7 schools get trained in "Next" Normal for Salesian Educators * Mission priests hold spiritual retreat studying post chapter document on Salesian Rector * South Asia has 3 youth delegates in Salesian Youth Movement World Council * Salesians mark mission centenary with Child Friendly Cities Movement in Dimapur and Shillong * Pupils from Don Bosco School plant 2,000 trees * Bosco Veedu Kerala brings relief to migrant workers.

Salesian Sisters Elect 11th Superior General * 87 New teachers from 7 schools get trained in "Next" Normal for Salesian Educators * Mission priests hold spiritual retreat studying post chapter document on Salesian Rector * South Asia has 3 youth delegates in Salesian Youth Movement World Council * Salesians mark mission centenary with Child Friendly Cities Movement in Dimapur and Shillong * Pupils from Don Bosco School plant 2,000 trees * Bosco Veedu Kerala brings relief to migrant workers. Salesian News Asia-Pacific, is a podcast service of weekly news summary about and interest to Salesian Family in 26 provinces spread out in 29 countries of the region. In the face of these challenging times our news reporters, copy writers, anchors and engineers put in their best efforts from home - Siliguri, Sonada, Kurseong, Darjeeling and Chennai to bring you updates. This episode was produced by Fr. C.M. Paul director of Radio Salesian and Salesian TV with technical assistance of Program director of Salesian TV Mr. Bruno Thapa. Know someone who would enjoy this video? Share, and inspire many more. For the latest Asia-Pacific Salesian Family news log on to www.donboscoindia.com and www.eao.bosco.link

On "EWTN News Nightly" tonight: President Joe Biden's society-altering Build Back Better proposal, with its eye-popping $3.5 trillion price tag, appears to be stalled. The other one trillion dollar bipartisan infrastructure framework is also an uncertainty. While Congress deals with pressing economic issues, the topic of abortion is also sharing center stage on Capitol Hill. 3 Democratic lawmakers shared their abortion experiences before a House panel, but pro-life lawmakers also spoke up to defend the unborn. Professor of Political Science at Grove City College, Dr. Paul Kengor, called Speaker Nancy Pelosi's theology on free will and abortion, faulty. He wrote in the National Catholic Register, "Of course, God has given us free will but explicitly not to be used in this way..." Dr. Kengor talks more about that. And, Americans are split about proposed federal workplace mandates for COVID-19 vaccines and testing. An Associated Press-NORC poll indicates an overall 51% approval. President of the National Catholic Bioethics Center, Joseph Meaney, joins to share his thoughts on forcing people to get the vaccine. Finally this evening, the Congregation of the Passion of Jesus Christ gathered in Rome last week for an international meeting on "the wisdom of the cross in a pluralistic world." The Superior General of the Passionist Order, Fr. Joachim Rego, joins to tell us about the International Theological Congress. Don't miss out on the latest news and analysis from a Catholic perspective. Get EWTN News Nightly delivered to your email: https://ewtn.com/enn

Programa correspondiente al domingo 19 de septiembre de 2021, 25º del tiempo ordinario. Comentamos el Evangelio de hoy y hablamos de la importancia de la Palabra de Dios mediante la Lectio Divina explicada por Sonia Ortega. También contamos con la anécdota semanal del P. Julio Rodrigo. Como testimonio destacado tenemos hoy el del P. Miguel Márquez, nuevo Superior General de los Carmelitas Descalzos. Finalizamos con un repaso a la actividad semanal del Papa Francesco, alguno de sus mensajes de su último viaje apostólico a Hungría y Eslovaquia, así como el prólogo que ha hecho al nuevo libro de Benedicto XVI titulado "La verdadera Europa"

The homily you are about to listen to is on the theme of St. Alphonsus: The Apostle of the Love of God by Fr. Michael Brehl, C.Ss.R., the present Superior General of the Redemptorist Congregation. Do you know the essence of the Christian life? St. Alphonsus was captivated by the core of the Gospel message, the amazing love of God expressed for us in Jesus. Listen in and learn more about the four focal points of his spirituality in this podcast.  This homily originally premiered during the Global Novena to St. Alphonsus on 23rd July 2021 Rev. Fr. Michael Brehl is the current Superior General of the Redemptorists. Before taking office as General, Fr. Mike as we like to call him, had already been serving the Congregation as a member of the General Secretariat of Formation. Earlier, his Confreres of the Toronto Province had elected him as Superior of that Province. Fr. Brehl is known for his closeness to people, his extensive knowledge of our Constitutions and his love for the Charism of the Redemptorists. He is also the author of the book Praying in the Spirt and Tradition of St. Alphonsus Liguori.  

On this weeks programme, John and Shane are joined by Fr Gerry Clarke SJ who is the Irish coordinator of Ignatius 500 to talk to us about the year celebration to commemorate 500 years since the conversion of St Ignatius in 2021 and 400 years since the canonisation of St Ignatius and St Francis Xavier in 2022. We have our regular notices, saints of the week and of course our reflections on this weeks Sunday gospel. Five hundred years ago, St. Ignatius of Loyola experienced an event that would change the course of his life... and the world. As a young soldier in the Spanish army, Ignatius dreamed of fame and glory. But everything changed when he was suddenly and gravely injured by a cannonball while in battle at Pamplona. While in recovery, Ignatius experienced a spiritual conversion and immediately decided to make a change: he found a new sense of purpose and set out to establish the Society of Jesus.In a letter written to Jesuits on the 7 September 2019 Fr. Arturo Sosa, Superior General of the Jesuits, wrote: “In 1521, while Ignatius was convalescing at his family home in Loyola from the wound that damaged his leg at the battle of Pamplona, God brought about his conversion and put him on the road that led to Manresa. Together with our friends and the whole Church, the universal Society wants to remember that privileged moment when the Holy Spirit inspired Ignatius of Loyola in his decision to follow Christ and to deepen our understanding of this pilgrim way in order to ‘draw fruit' from it.”Fr Gerry takes us through St Ignatius life and the way that it can give us an example to reflect to identify those moments of:- Destruction - like St Ignatius being injured at Pamplona are there events which cause us to stop in life, to pause? Moments which can seem like complete and utter destruction of plans and dreams that we have had? - Recuperation - like St Ignatius at Loyla during his year long recuperation, do we need to make space and time to heal? Do we need space and like to listen and discern the spirits of consolation in our lives?- Reorientation - Like St Ignatius at Manresa and his decision to respond to that call of God, do we allow ourselves to set out on a (re)new(ed) journey in life?You can keep an eye on what the Irish Jesuits are doing for the year at Jesuits.ie and other resources available on many online Jesuit pages across the Jesuit provinces and online social media.

John and Shane are joined by Fr Gerry Clarke SJ who is the Irish coordinator of Ignatius 500 to talk to us about the year celebration to commemorate 500 years since the conversion of St Ignatius in 2021 and 400 years since the canonisation of St Ignatius and St Francis Xavier in 2022.Five hundred years ago, St. Ignatius of Loyola experienced an event that would change the course of his life... and the world. As a young soldier in the Spanish army, Ignatius dreamed of fame and glory. But everything changed when he was suddenly and gravely injured by a cannonball while in battle at Pamplona. While in recovery, Ignatius experienced a spiritual conversion and immediately decided to make a change: he found a new sense of purpose and set out to establish the Society of Jesus.In a letter written to Jesuits on the 7 September 2019 Fr. Arturo Sosa, Superior General of the Jesuits, wrote: “In 1521, while Ignatius was convalescing at his family home in Loyola from the wound that damaged his leg at the battle of Pamplona, God brought about his conversion and put him on the road that led to Manresa. Together with our friends and the whole Church, the universal Society wants to remember that privileged moment when the Holy Spirit inspired Ignatius of Loyola in his decision to follow Christ and to deepen our understanding of this pilgrim way in order to ‘draw fruit' from it.”Fr Gerry takes us through St Ignatius life and the way that it can give us an example to reflect to identify those moments of:- Destruction - like St Ignatius being injured at Pamplona are there events which cause us to stop in life, to pause? Moments which can seem like complete and utter destruction of plans and dreams that we have had?- Recuperation - like St Ignatius at Loyla during his year long recuperation, do we need to make space and time to heal? Do we need space and like to listen and discern the spirits of consolation in our lives?- Reorientation - Like St Ignatius at Manresa and his decision to respond to that call of God, do we allow ourselves to set out on a (re)new(ed) journey in life?You can keep an eye on what the Irish Jesuits are doing for the year at Jesuits.ie and other resources available on many online Jesuit pages across the Jesuit provinces and online social media.

It’s been 500 years since St. Ignatius suffered the cannonball injury that would pave the way to his conversion—from an ambitious young soldier rumored to be dating a princess, to leaving it all to found the Society of Jesus, the Jesuits. To commemorate that 500th anniversary, the Jesuits have declared an Ignatian Year, remembering their roots and announcing new initiatives for their future. So this week, “Inside the Vatican” host Colleen Dulle teamed up with Ashley McKinless from America Media’s “Jesuitical” podcast to interview the superior general of the Jesuits, Fr. Arturo Sosa.  Colleen and Ashley asked Fr. Sosa about his plans for the Jesuits, what it’s like to run such a huge and diverse religious order, and, of course, about his relationship with his fellow Jesuit, Pope Francis. Links from the show: Learn more about the Ignatian Year Listen to the “Jesuitical” podcast from America Media Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Nació en el Condado de Kent (Inglaterra) en 1165. Cuando los carmelitas llegaron a Inglaterra entró en la Orden y llegó a ser Superior General. Bajo su mandato, los carmelitas pasaron de ser eremitas a formar parte de las órdenes mendicantes. Ante las súplicas del santo, la Virgen se le apareció llevando en sus manos el Escapulario, y le dijo: «Este será privilegio para ti y todos los carmelitas; quien muriere con él no padecerá el fuego eterno». Murió en el convento de Burdeos el 16 de mayo de 1265.

This week, Ashley and Inside the Vatican’s Colleen Dulle chat with Arturo Sosa, S.J., the 31st Superior General of the Society of Jesus. In other words, he’s got St. Ignatius Loyola’s old job. In other words, he leads the world’s Jesuits.    Our Guest: Father Arturo Sosa, superior general of the Society of Jesus  Related Links:  What the conversion of St. Ignatius can teach us 500 years later Lay people have been passing on the Catholic faith for 2,000 years. Now Pope Francis has made it an official ministry Vatican sends letter to U.S. bishops: Don’t rush the debate on Communion, politicians and abortion Bishop McElroy: The Eucharist is being weaponized for political ends. This must not happen. For the church to live in eucharistic coherence, we must be willing to challenge Catholics persisting in grave sin. What’s on tap: The Cannonball (the official cocktail of the Ignatian Year) Ingredients: Mezcal, 2oz Lime juice, 3/4oz Blackberries, 6 (reserve one for garnish (this is the ‘cannonball’)) Jalapeno slices, 4 Agave nectar, 1/2oz Soda water (optional) In the bottom of a cocktail shaker, muddle together blackberries, jalapeno slices and lime juice. Add ice, mezcal, and agave nectar. Shake vigorously for 30 seconds. Strain into an old fashioned glass with ice. Drop one blackberry in from a height of 6 inches. Observe impact. Clean up. If desired, top with soda water or seltzer. Finally, await convalescence and conversion.  Subscribe: Apple Podcasts / Spotify  Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

In this episode of The Cordial Catholic Podcast, I'm joined by Father Joshua Caswell, SJC the Superior General of the Canons Regular of St. John Cantius to talk about his conversion – out of the charismatic Pentecostal tradition, in the far reaches of Northern Canada – into the Catholic faith. Fr. Joshua's journey is simply incredible. This is one of my favourite episodes ever and I think you'll see why when you begin to listen to him unfold the story of his faith experience which includes a politician mother nicknamed the "Saskatoon Sledgehammer," being evangelized by Indigenous Catholic Canadians in the country's North, and eventually becoming elected as the Superior General of his order! It's a fantastic tale!To learn more about the Canons Regular of St. John Cantius visit their website. To see Father Joshua give my friend, Austin, a tour of his beautiful church check out the video on Austin's YouTube Channel, Gospel Simplicity.For more, visit The Cordial Catholic. Send your feedback to cordialcatholic@gmail.com. Please consider financially supporting this show! For more information visit the Patreon page.  All patrons receive access to exclusive content and if you can give $5/mo or more you'll also be entered into monthly draws for fantastic books hand-picked by me.If you'd like to give a one-time donation to The Cordial Catholic, you can visit the PayPal page.Thank you to those already supporting the show!Newsletter pre-roll. Producers Post-Roll: Stephen, Eli, Tom, Kelvin, Susan, and Eyram.Support the show (https://www.patreon.com/cordialcatholic)

On "EWTN News Nightly" tonight: Veterans Day in Washington DC was met with President Donald Trump visiting the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier at nearby Arlington National Cemetery, meanwhile, President-Elect Joe Biden visited the Korean War Memorial in Philadelphia. The Supreme Court is now considering its third case involving Obamacare with justices from both sides seeming likely to vote in favor of keeping Obamacare intact. American conservative political pundit, Ramesh Ponnuru, offers his insight on the runoff races in Georgia and the recount as well as the Trump campaign's lawsuit regarding the election. U.S. Representative Mike Gallagher joins us to discuss how his career in politics was an unexpected detour for his life and how he now handles a demanding job and a relationship with God. Fr. Tomaž Mavric, Superior General of the Congregation of the Mission, explains why he is taking the statue of Our Lady of the Miraculous Medal, which was blessed by the Pope, on pilgrimage across Italy. Don't miss out on the latest news and analysis from a Catholic perspective. Get EWTN News Nightly delivered to your email: https://ewtn.com/enn

David talks with new Superior General of the Sisters of St. Mary of Oregon, Sr. Michael Francine Duncan The post Morning Blend Guest: Sr. Michael Francine Duncan, SSMO appeared first on Mater Dei Radio.

As the coronavirus pandemic rages on, the Vatican is looking both to provide for people’s spiritual needs and to ensure justice for those on the margins of society. In this episode of “Inside the Vatican,” veteran Vatican correspondent Gerard O’Connell and producer Colleen Dulle give an update on two new cases of coronavirus in the Vatican. Then, they turn to the Vatican’s response, beginning with the new prayers Pope Francis authorized this week. The pope approved a special intention to be added to the Good Friday liturgy, a measure that was expected as part of the Vatican’s guidelines for celebrating Holy Week liturgies without the presence of the faithful, and he authorized a new set of prayers for “Mass in the Time of Pandemic.” Both texts pray for the sick, the dead, and mourners, as well as their caretakers and world leaders. Up next, Father Arturo Sosa, Superior General of the Jesuits, held a webinar for 1,000 Jesuits and lay people this week urging them to discern how the world’s injustices have come to the fore during this pandemic and how each of them may be called to respond. “Listening to the Spirit, trusting in God and allowing ourselves to be guided by him does not exempt us from the effort to understand in depth the causes of this crisis, its consequences and the ways to make it an occasion to advance towards a more just and humane world,” Father Sosa said. One way the Vatican is working to advance justice is through a new document released this week on the just use of water. Christiana Zenner, a Fordham University theologian and author of the book Just Water: Theology, Ethics, and Fresh Water Crises joins Colleen Dulle to discuss the document’s important points. Links from the show: Pope Francis approves new ‘Mass in Time of Pandemic’ and Good Friday coronavirus intention Father Arturo Sosa: ‘Covid-19 reminds us that we are one humanity.’ Read: Aqua Fons Vitae: Orientations on Water, symbol of the cry of the poor and the cry of the Earth

Our very special guest is Fr. Arturo Sosa, who is the 31st Superior General of the Society of Jesus -- the leader of the Jesuits worldwide. Fr. Sosa is originally from Venezuela, where he was a political science professor and the provincial superior for a time. He’s the first person born in South America to lead the Jesuits, and he has been serving in the role since 2016, when his Jesuit brothers elected him at the Society’s 36th General Congregation. Serving as Fr. General, as the role is called within the Society of Jesus, is a massive job. With over 16,000 Jesuits from practically every culture scattered across the globe, Fr. General is responsible for guiding the Society in the same direction and building unity within diversity. A lot of Fr. General’s time is spent on the road, visiting Jesuit communities and works around the world to help him get a bird’s-eye view of the large Society he leads. Earlier this month, his travels led him to the West Coast of the United States, including the Jesuit retreat center in Los Altos, California, which is where host Mike Jordan Laskey sat down with him. They talked about Fr. General's visit to the States, the four Universal Apostolic Preferences that are guiding Jesuit life and mission for the next decade, and what it’s like to see his photograph on the wall of every Jesuit community on every continent he visits. In addition to the podcast, a transcript of highlights from this conversation is available at jesuits.org.

This week on “Inside the Vatican,” Vatican correspondent Gerard O’Connell and producer Colleen Dulle explain why Archbishop Georg Gänswein, Pope Emeritus Benedict XVI’s personal secretary and prefect of Pope Francis’ household, has been missing from public events in recent weeks. The Vatican said it was due to an “ordinary redistribution of his responsibilities,” but the timing seems to suggest it has to do with Archbishop Gänswein facilitating Benedict’s involvement in a recent controversial book on priestly celibacy. The hosts explain what’s known and unknown about Archbishop Gänswein’s situation. The hosts also take a look at the Legionaries of Christ, who elected a new superior general last week. The new leader, the Rev. John Connor, will be tasked with the continuing reform of the order amid new allegations of past sexual abuse by Legionary priests, as well as the lingering financial questions about the order’s offshore holdings. On the show, the hosts explain the basics of the Legionaries’ abuse and financial scandals and the challenges Father Connor will face. Finally, we give brief updates on Pope Francis’ forthcoming document “Querida Amazonia” as well as the Vatican’s report on former Cardinal Theodore McCarrick and the pope’s upcoming trip to Malta.   Links from the show: Inside the Vatican: America’s Vatican correspondent explains Benedict’s book controversy Vatican seeks to explain absence of Archbishop Georg Gänswein after book scandal Graduate of Loyola University Chicago elected as Superior-General of the Legionaries of Christ 10 years after Vatican reform, Legionaries of Christ in new abuse crisis Legionaries of Christ report ‘chain of abuse’ as victims went on to abuse others Who knew what about former Cardinal Theodore McCarrick?

In this weeks Episode of CultureCast Mother Assumpta Long, OP sits down with longtime friend and Superior General of the Sisters of Life from New York. Listen in to hear how these two great religious life leaders came together to guide two of the fastest growing religious communities in the United States.   Full transcript available at https://www.goLEdigital.org   Join our Community! https://twitter.com/GoLEdigital https://www.instagram.com/goLEdigital/ https://www.facebook.com/DSMME https://www.goLEpress.com

The land of the rising sun, Japan, is actually over six and a half thousand islands. And in the 16th century, it was a land of contradiction. Though technically ruled by an emperor, and Zen Buddhism long held as the official religion, the island was thrashing and convulsing from end to end at the bloody hands of the daimyo… the territorial warlords vying for power, always clawing for greater dominion, and all coveting a unified Japan under their banner.This period came to be known by historians as the “warring states period”. The drama and romance of feudal brawling had been going on now for well over 100 years, but fate was about to throw Japan a deus ex machina.Strange men in black robes had come ashore. They bore powerful weapons and professed a potent religion. They were the members of the Society of Jesus… they were the Jesuits.The Jesuits were a new breed of Catholic missionaries. They were founded not even 10 years prior by St. Ignatius of Loyola. And they possessed a vigorous combination of an intellectual’s theological acumen, and a front-line soldier’s brute force. They’ve come to be known through the centuries as God’s soldiers, God’s marines, or simply as “the company”. The Jesuits would go anywhere and baptize anyone one, danger and death be damned.They had already turned back a tide of Protestantism in Poland and were now establishing new communities in India. But in Japan, with its organized, yet fractured political structure, its intellectual spiritual devotions, and a ubiquitous respect for honor, the Jesuits saw fertile ground for a zealous Catholic faith. But Japan is unlike any other place in the world.St. Francis Xavier, cofounder of the Jesuit order and one of the first Europeans to set foot in Japan recognized their uniqueness immediately, quote:“They prize and honor all that has to do with war, and all such things, and there is nothing of which they are so proud as of weapons adorned with gold and silver. They always wear swords and daggers both in and out of the house, and when they go to sleep, they hang them at the bed's head. In short, they value arms more than any people I have ever seen. They are excellent archers, and usually fight on foot, though there is no lack of horses in the country. They are very polite to each other, but not to foreigners, whom they utterly despise. They spend their means on arms, bodily adornment, and on a number of attendants, and do not in the least care to save money. They are, in short, a very warlike people, and engaged in continual wars among themselves; the most powerful in arms bearing the most extensive sway. They have all one sovereign, although for one hundred and fifty years past the princes have ceased to obey him, and this is the cause of their perpetual feuds.”Christianity’s toughest missionaries were here to convert Buddhism’s toughest warriors.In July of 1579, a ship was pulling into a harbor at Kuchinotsu. The Jesuits had been in Japan for 30 years by this time, and thus far only enjoyed meager successes. But this new ship carried with it a new leader of the Jesuits in Asia, appointed by the Pope himself. His name was Father Allessandro Valignano.Valignano’s official title was “Visitor to the Indies”, which meant he was something of a papal inspector of Africa, Japan, and everything in-between. There were only two men superior to this Jesuit… the Superior General of the order, and the Pope. Not bad status for a man 34 years of age. Born in Naples, Italy, though then Naples was controlled by the Monarchy of Spain, Allessandro studied Christian Theology at the University of Padua, and was quickly recognized as an intellectual asset to the Church in its struggle against Protestantism. One of the Church’s strategies was to beat the protestants at missionary work. He was ordained into the Jesuits at the age of 30.Valignano was tall, stoic, took chances, and was a br

12/27/19: THE DEVIL AND DAJJAL W/ BOB LARSON A controversial Netflix TV series, Messiah, begins January 1, whereby the main character is an Islamic Antichrist who Jesus is supposed to defeat in the eschaton. Meanwhile, the Superior General of the Jesuit Order told reporters on Tuesday that the devil is real and that the new year may bring with it the appearance of the great deceiver. On tonight's show, Clyde Lewis talks with Christian radio show host and exorcist, Bob Larson about THE DEVIL AND DAJJAL.

Will McAvoy '20 interviews Frank Kartheiser '72 about living the Holy Cross mission through his work in the Worcester community. Recorded May 8, 2019 --- Transcript Frank:                   I think Men and Women for Others talks about charity and the work of charity, but that can be, that sets up a power dynamic of one over and against the other. Whereas with others recognizes the basic dignity, worth, value of every person, no matter where they're at and that we've got to meet them face to face and that we can do more together than we can do by ourselves. Maura:                 Welcome to Mission-Driven where we speak with alumni who are leveraging their Holy Cross education to make a meaningful difference in the world around them. I'm your host, Maura Sweeney from the class of 2007, Director of Alumni Career Development at Holy cross. I'm delighted to welcome you to today's show. Maura:                 This episode we hear from Frank Kartheiser from the class of 1972. Frank received an honorary degree from the college in May, 2019 to celebrate his career devoted to social justice. Among some of his many accomplishments, Frank founded the Mustard Seed, a Catholic worker house in 1972. In 1993, he expanded his focus to found Worcester Interfaith. Its mission is to bring people of all religions together to strengthen communities. Will McAvoy from the class of 2020 speaks with Frank about his time at Holy Cross and how it inspired him to pursue a life devoted to service and social justice within the Worcester community. Will:                       Thanks for coming today, definitely excited, for sure. Frank:                   Thank you for doing this. Will:                       Of course, of course. So first question here. I've read about the wonderful work that you've done and the important organizations that you founded over the years. I would love to hear about your professional journey in your own words. How do you come to your professional role and other involvements? Frank:                   That's a good question. When I was, when I came, I grew up in Chicago and when I came out here to go to school, big things that were important to me going to college were football and having fun. So I hope you had bigger dreams than I did Will. But it was during the time of the Vietnam war in '68 and I had to grow up in a hurry and the reality of what was going on in the world. I came in here thinking, I'll go into business, four years here and then I'll do that. But I then realized that people in our country who don't look like me get treated differently. And that was a wake up call for me, that was embarrassing and I felt guilty about it, but I think the stronger feeling was how do I give back? What do I have to give back to the community? So that's kind of what moved me into the work I do. Will:                       Interesting, that's absolutely amazing, I think that's awesome that you're able to do that. Frank:                   I had to drop out of school to do it. Once I realized what was going on, I couldn't stay here in school. I just needed to be out in the world. So I dropped out and that's when I did some work in the community and then we opened Mustard Seed Catholic Worker house. Will:                       Very nice. And you got the honorary degree this year, so that's good. Frank:                   Yes. Yes my family was, because I dropped out, My family was saying, Oh you're finally getting your degree. Will:                       Hey, its true enough, that's impressive. Frank:                   Well actually I came back, I did come back in 1987 and I came back for a year, got my diploma in 1988 so I was in a 20 year plan. 68, 88. Will:                       I've heard the five and six year, now the 20 years. Frank:                   Well it's college, why rush it? Will:                       Of course, of course. Enjoy it. So there's another question here. So what mission drives you? In other words, what drives the work that you do? Frank:                   I think the most important thing for me and I didn't always realize language for this. But when I read about Pope Francis, he's a Jesuit, his talk about encountering the other and what that means and how it moves us. And I think that said to me that reality is more important than ideas. So I was up here and in school and learning about ideas and what to pursue the truth, but what I really need was, cause as a privileged white man I felt like I just wasn't in touch with reality. And so leaving the school and starting to work in the community, that learning to be real. Frank:                   What that is like, what that's about, that's kind of driven me cause that leads to all kinds of caring for one another. Will:                       No, I totally agree. And now currently at Holy Cross, there's a lot of students, whether it be in SPUD, community-based learning, spring break immersion, a lot of those students are trying to do the same thing. I guess they're trying to follow in your footsteps in a sense. Frank:                   Well it's funny you say that. We had the community, SPUD had their community thing with the Donelan Center yesterday and this young woman who was leading it, a woman named Kate, she said, well she told her story a bit and she said, I came here to get into business and then I volunteered at Nativity School and now I head up the student educators and I'm going to teach at Nativity School for the next two years. Frank:                   So I said to her, wow, that's like my story of how the reality, how being in the world and real moves the mission as you were saying. Will:                       And I feel like the topic of this podcast, mission-driven, I feel like that's a lot of what the school does, helps form students in a sense and see what's right for them. So I guess on a similar tangent to that, how has Holy Cross's mission influenced your life? Frank:                   The, when I was here, when I came, when I started here in 68 we didn't really have a mission statement like that. We had an an understanding that it was a good school and work hard at the academics, but it was more this sense of the mission of encountering and being with people, being real. And I think now the mission of Men and Women for Others kind of came up in that period when I was working in the community. Frank:                   And initially it was Men and Women for Others and now the language is starting to change to get to With Others. And for me, I think that's an important change that's been important to see that happen. I think Men and Women for Others talks about charity and the work of charity. But that can be, that sets up a power dynamic of one over and against the other. Whereas With Others recognizes the basic dignity, worth, value of every person, no matter where they're at. And that we've got to meet them face to face and that we can do more together than we can do by ourselves. Will:                       So you're saying a sense of solidarity in a sense. Frank:                   Very good, yeah good word. Yeah, that sense of solidarity. Will:                       My freshman Montserrat class with professor Ginny Ryan, it was entitled Exploring Differences and Modifying Technologies. And we spoke about this one document called Toxic Charity. Will:                       Are you familiar with it? Frank:                   I'm not. But I've read a few different articles and I can't remember it. But it goes to that toxicity. Will:                       So it was actually, it's interesting you're referencing that, cause that sounds like a pretty parallel story to what I read in toxic charity my freshman year. I still remember it. Frank:                   Well for me, I dropped out of school and then we opened the Mustard Seed as a way to be more immersed. And what happened was at first it was great and we're sharing food, shelter, clothing, confusion, loneliness. We shared what we had, but then the line got longer and longer and more people started to come and it became toxic in the sense that we weren't there to have a longer line at the soup kitchen. Frank:                   That's not why we got into this. We were there to care for those folks in a crisis and then work with the institutions in our neighborhood so that people could move out of poverty, move out of that kind of situation. And unfortunately, I don't think we're very good in this country about moving out. Everyone loves charity, the for part doing for others. But this idea of doing with the justice dimension, we struggle with that. Will:                       I feel that. And the Mustard Seed is, it's still present today, right, in downtown Worcester? Frank:                   Yes, unfortunately, that goes to the point you were making, unfortunately, what's this, almost 50 years and we still have a soup kitchen in Worcester. We never, when we started it, we never thought this thing would endure. I'm not saying it's bad, I'm saying that's not where the dignity needs to come from, where the dignity can come from. Frank:                   It needs to come from working with one another around changing systems that honor every person. Will:                       I totally, I totally agree. It's interesting. So on that same tangent, is there a certain person or experience that inspired you to live out the Jesuit mission after your time at Holy cross, like a professor or mentor that comes to mind? Frank:                   I was very fortunate Will when I decided to drop out of school to go work in the community, I bumped into professor David O'Brien and I told him I was dropping out and he said, well, where are you going to live? And I said, I don't know. He said, well, would you like to live with Joanne and me and the family? And that's probably one of the greatest things that's happened to me in my life. I had a year, it was like a private tutorial in the Catholic worker movement, community organizing, Catholic social teaching. Frank:                   So he's been a friend and mentor, both of them, Joanne and David, and they've been tremendous. Also, I learned a lot about babysitting too. They had four little kids, two, four, six and eight at the time. But it was a great opportunity for me and for growing in my faith because faith had kind of gotten a little flat for me because my whole life had caved in. Looking at the world, what was going on, realizing how much privilege I had, but how other people weren't treated the same. And that kind of tore at my, the fabric of my Catholicism and being an American. And so to get these tools from Dave to think about other ways of being in the world that was invaluable for me, still is. Will:                       That's really cool. And I can also say, I think there's been several professors who have done something like that. Will:                       They haven't, they haven't taken me into their home and raised me but I have parents for that. But that's awesome that they've done that, for sure. So in regards to your work that you've done in the 40 or so years post your first year of college 50 or so years, what has surprised you most about your work? Frank:                   I think what continues to surprise me is what little impact I've been able to have, or we've been able to have. Cause there's nothing that I want to do in the world that I can do by myself. Obviously all the things I want to do, I need other people. But we were talking earlier about the college this year dealing with demonstrations and sit ins and a lot of it comes back to race and gender and income inequality. Well that was 68 and 69 it was all those same issues. Frank:                   And so I guess it's feeling the frustration of that and then the yearning to how do we continue to try to have a deeper impact on what's happening. Will:                       And when you're saying that, it's like tough to just not make that much of an impact. Have you ever heard like the starfish analogy? When you said that, that immediately came to mind for me. So it's like you see a beach full of starfish and you're just one person on the beach and you're throwing a few starfish in but at least you're making a difference to that one starfish that you can help. Frank:                   The only thing I don't like about that story, I'd go try to organize a couple of hundred people, so that we could get a couple of hundred in at a time. I'd be a little frustrated by myself one starfish at a time. Frank:                   That's what moved me from doing the soup kitchen and doing the Catholic Worker Movement. I'm still part of it, but move me to think about community organizing as a tool for justice. Community organizing is the antipoverty tool of the Catholic church. And it has been a tremendous gift to me. It's been a way of life really. Will:                       And I remember at the Nonprofit Careers Conference this past winter break, I remember you spoke about that. It's about the 30 or so students that were there listening about community organizing and talking about how many of these famous people that we know of, like our former president, president Obama was a former community organizer. So I think that's, that's really impressive that community organizing and being introduced to that field. It's awesome. Frank:                   And I think we struggle with what it is. Frank:                   How do we do it better and how do we have these broader impacts. We all know that it takes people, but in this country the wealth dynamic is so out of whack that I think it threatens our democracy where people feel like they can come together and have the impacts that they want and that we need and that wealth. I mean, in other words, everyone knows that my vote is not as important as Bill Gates and how do you deal with that kind of inequality? Will:                       So another question we have here. In what ways have you faced challenges in incorporating your service work and social justice into your career life? Frank:                   Say that again. Will:                       Sure. In what ways have you faced challenges in incorporating your service work and social justice into your career life? Frank:                   So my career is social justice. I'm not sure how to incorporate it, but I go back to the part about being at the Mustard Seed and when I was at Holy Cross and realized that people who don't look like me don't get treated the same. That was very discouraging and depressing for me and a guilt driven. And then when I was at the Mustard Seed and I saw the line getting longer and things not improving, just things getting work worse for people. That forced me to ask these questions. Why? Why is this happening? Why in the richest country in the world do we need soup kitchen? And those questions why were pushed me into more of the social justice piece. And then I had to figure out, well how do you do it? How do you do this social justice thing? And what came to out of Catholic social teaching was a recognition of community organizing as the key tool. But we got to do a better job than that. We got to do other kinds of ways to put social justice and social change to work. Will:                       So on a similar tangent, so this is in comparison to college campus and the rest of the society of the world. So like on a college campus there is a clear cut way to bring up a new idea and certain channels exist to help implement these new programs or initiatives, in the workplace that may be a different story or basically in society. For example, for you in the Worcester society, do you have any experience of bringing up a new initiative? And how did you successfully do that? Frank:                   That was my job to bring up new initiatives and the dynamic is a power dynamic, right? And so I needed to build power. That's how you bring up new ideas. New ideas don't come out of the mind. When I was saying that before about Pope Francis talking about reality is more important than ideas. There's a ton of great ideas and ton of great things to do. But if you don't bring people together who have the muscle to put their values into action on these new ideas, the best idea in the world is going nowhere. Does that make sense? Will:                       Completely. Frank:                   And so when we're doing for people, the power dynamic is almost power over. The organizing dynamic is power with. So how do we come together, make the kind of compromise, get political and make the compromises that we need to make in order to raise not the best idea, but an idea that the broadest number of people can get behind to move things forward. Frank:                   Now some people argue that a camel is a horse made by a committee. And people hate meetings and, but I'm with Martin Buber, Martin Buber, everything is about meeting. Everything. And that's Pope Francis: encounter. And I'm not in a way to manipulate the other into doing you, what you want. I wouldn't, I'm such a whore for power. I would manipulate people. I just can't do it. It doesn't work. Or you could guilt guilt them. But unfortunately I'm Catholic, so I know the power of guilt, but it doesn't work. What works is respecting the other person and their interests and then sharing your interests and carving out opportunities for joint action. To me, that's a good idea. You see what I'm getting at?  I don't care what, I don't care what the idea is so much. What I care is that in this we have the opportunity to develop the relationships that we need to have enough trust so that we can hang together in the hard times to see that idea through to the end. Frank:                   Does that make sense? Will:                       No, completely. Frank:                   Trust in our communities is shattered. We talked about Barack as a organizer. What Barack said, the problem in the inner city isn't a lack of solutions. It's a lack of power to put those solutions to work and the reason there's a lack of power in many of our inner cities is what Barack called chronic isolation. Chronic isolation, that's the definition of powerlessness. So how do we build power? Power doesn't mean you get what you want. Power means you get a seat at the table where decisions are being made about your life, about who you are, about your family, about your neighbors. The line. I don't know if you've heard this Will they say, well, if you're not on the, if you're not at the table then you're probably on the menu. Will:                       That's tough, no it is tough. Will:                       Yeah, it does make sense. Yeah, interesting, that's a good analogy. So in regards to balancing your home life and then also your career working in the Worcester community, how are you able to balance everything? And in regards to the students who are going to be listening to this, what would advice would you give them in regards to that? Frank:                   I think love, love balances everything. There's a great line from attributed to, Arrupe. Will:                       Father Pedro Arrupe? Frank:                   Pedro Arrupe. Will:                       The Superior General of the Jesuits. Frank:                   Have you heard this, I don't know if you've heard it. It's like nothing is more practical than finding God. And he goes through, but at the end he says, "fall in love, stay in love, and it will decide everything". And I think, I think that's the tool, so the love helps decide everything and fall in love and stay in love. It's not, I'm not saying it's easy, but I think that's what's exciting to me. You know what I mean? That's what gets me up in the morning. Will:                       So now it's time for the infamous speed round that you've been hearing. So this is just a list, we've got several quick questions for quick responses here. Nothing too fancy, I promise. Frank:                   All right. Will:                       You ready? Frank:                   Yep. Will:                       Okay, what was your favorite dorm on campus? Frank:                   Wheeler. Will:                       Wheeler, okay, Wheeler's doing well right now up near the field house in the construction. Frank:                   Yes, I was an RA in Wheeler. Will:                       Oh you're an RA in Wheeler, very nice. What floor? Frank:                   One, two, I think, no, that was my first one. It must've been the third floor. Will:                       Third floor, okay, my friends, my really close friends that I live with now, I remember my first year there on the second floor. We were always on the second floor just hanging out, watching football games. Frank:                   Well, freshman year and my room number at Wheeler was one, no sophomore year I was, sophomore year I was in one, two, three. Will:                       That's pretty easy to remember. Frank:                   So that was the first floor, but then my roommate and I got to be RAs. I think it was the third. Will:                       Very nice. Frank:                   But then I dropped out. Will:                       Yeah, yeah and then the whole story began. Frank:                   That's right. Will:                       No, that's good. What's your favorite meal on campus? Frank:                   This is more of a joke or whatever. But you know you have names for meals? Will:                       Of course. Frank:                   Right? Speckled Death. Will:                       Oh gosh. Frank:                   Did you have like stuff like that? Will:                       Nothing, the food here is, I'm a fan. Frank:                   This school was, we ate family style. Will:                       So it's changed, yeah it's changed a lot, Frank:                   They passed out the food and if you were at the wrong end, you were thin. And so they, they, we had names, I can't even remember all the names for them. So I'm from the Midwest, so we're going down to eat and people say, oh we're having swordfish. I'm going (laughs) that's hilarious, swordfish, I love that. Cause I thought it was a joke name for what we were having and it was a first time I ever had swordfish. Oh my God, it was fabulous. Will:                       Did you like it? Frank:                   I loved it. Will:                       There you go. Frank:                   It was great. It was great. Will:                       You got your seafood, that's good. What's your go to cool beans order? Frank:                 When I'm meeting with students or folks up here, I'm just getting a decaf coffee. Will:                       Decaf? Frank:                 Yeah. It's not a, it's not a big order. Will:                       Nothing fancy, iced or hot? Frank:                   Hot. Will:                       Okay. Frank:                   Always hot. Will:                       I'm a iced coffee fan. Frank:                   Oh all right, mine's always hot and always D. Will:                       Interesting, okay. Frank:                   I'm buzzed enough Will. Will:                       I can sense that. Frank:                   (laughs) Will:                       What was your favorite class on campus? Frank:                   I took, I had a few a lot of great ones, but freshman year I took a literature course with Tom Lawlor and that guy blew my mind. He still does today, his wife Pat and he lived back over in Auburn, just over the hill. Tom was, it was just, it blew my mind all that he could take out of the readings that we were reading, all that he could fish out of there. I had never had an experience like that. And again, fed into this idea that, wow what I've been missing the whole world here, man. Where have I been? What have I been doing? Well, probably screwing around, playing football. Will:                       Well did you get any touchdowns I hope? I guess would you say that he was your favorite professor? Frank:                   Lawlor? Will:                       Mm-hmm (affirmative) Frank:                   I'd say probably Dave O'Brien, but there were so many tremendous. When I was a kid, we weren't allowed to read the Bible. The only reason you had a Bible in your house was for show and tell. And in the center of the Bible you could write down the dates of baptisms and first communion and confirmation and all that stuff. Right? But you couldn't read it. So when I came here in 68 and 69 when I started out here, we got to read some stuff, but it still, we couldn't read scripture. We could read the documents of Vatican 2 and those documents said you could read scripture. So when I came back in 87 I had a guy, Rick Murphy, who was teaching new Testament, and we actually got to read the Bible. Will:                       It's pretty cool. Frank:                   It was cool for me. Will:                       Interesting. During your, during your time at Holy Cross, what was your favorite memory? Frank:                   (laughs) I kissed my wife up on the top of the hill. Will:                       Very nice, and the rest is history. Very nice. Last one here, what is the best part about being a Holy Cross alumnus? Frank:                   Well, there's a bunch of great things like this honorary degree. It's been very humbling and tremendous. The kind of recognition I still get around the Chaplain's Office, I get a lot of recognition and appreciated up here. I don't know if you know this, I get a little card so I can go into the heart center and work out. Will:                       Oh, I want one of those, I don't even have one. That's awesome. Frank:                   So I get a little card to go workout. But just honestly, the school has a great reputation in Worcester and so when people hear that you've gone to Holy Cross, that means something in this town. Will:                       Very nice. Thank you so much for coming, it was a great honor having you and to talk with you and learning more about your story, I really appreciate it. Frank:                   Well, thank you Will, I'm glad you put up the time here. Will:                       Of course. Of course. Maura:                 That's our show. I hope you enjoyed hearing about just one of the many ways that Holy Cross alumni have been inspired by the mission to be Men and Women for and with Others. A special thanks to today's guests and everyone at Holy Cross who has contributed to making this podcast a reality. If you or someone you know would like to be featured on this podcast, please send us an email at alumnicareers@holycross.edu. If you like what you hear, then please leave us a review. This podcast is brought to you by the office of Alumni Relations at the College of the Holy Cross. You can subscribe for future episodes wherever you find your podcasts. I'm your host, Maura Sweeney, and this is Mission Driven. In the words of Saint Ignatius of Loyola "now go forth and set the world on fire". --- Theme music composed by Scott Holmes, courtesy of freemusicarchive.org.

This highly acclaimed and captivating book offers the world the most thorough understanding to date of “the Warning,” or “the Illumination of Conscience”—a critical moment in human history when every person alive will see their soul in the light of divine truth—including fascinating stories of those who have already experienced it for themselves. “Christine Watkins has done a tremendous work…invaluable and timely” says Mark Mallet. Bishop Gavin Ashenden, Chaplain to the Queen of England (2008-2017) comments in his foreword to the book, “I devoured it, unable to put it down.”…“Inspirational…I highly recommend it,” says Fr. John Struzzo. Monsignor Ralph J. Chieffo urges, “Read this prophetic book and believe,” Dr. Mark Miravalle writes, “THE WARNING should be widely read and discerned seriously with an open mind,” and Fr. Bernardin Mugabo makes the heartfelt appeal, “I wish everyone would read this!” Bishop Ashenden, begins his foreword with, “Every so often a book falls into one’s hands that is particularly powerful in unveiling the mystery and power of God’s purpose for his Church today, and this is one such. If you are wondering whether or not you should take the time to read it, let me strongly encourage you to do so.” The prophecies of the Warning, as outlined and illustrated in this book, have come to us through saints and mystics, including St. Pope Pius IX, St. Pope Paul VI, St. Faustina Kowalska, Blessed Anna Maria Taigi, and Servant of God, Maria Esperanza. Some of these spiritual luminaries are still alive, such as exorcist, mystic, and Superior General, Fr. Michel Rodrigue; stigmatist and mystic, Janie Garza; and founder of the Dynamic Catholic Institute, Matthew Kelly.  Not only does THE WARNING substantiate an event of monumental importance, which appears to be on the horizon of time, but also carries the reader through compelling testimonies of those who have already experienced it personally and against their will. The book culminates in the spell-binding story of Marino Restrepo, hailed as a St. Paul for our century. Formerly a well-to-do Hollywood music producer who sank into serious sin and the New Age movement, he endured a torturous kidnapping by Colombian guerilla rebels for over half a year, during which he experienced an illumination of conscience. In addition, he received a unique gift of infused knowledge of divine matters, which he has been sharing with the world since 1999 in his world-wide, bishop-approved apostolate. And his is only one of the stories. . . The prophecies and testimonies of the Illumination of Conscience promise to astound, entertain, challenge, and prepare those who read this book and who believe. BIO: Mrs. Christine Watkins, MTS, LCSW, is an inspirational Catholic speaker, author, and radio and television host. Formerly an anti-Christian atheist, she began a life of service to the Catholic Church after a miraculous healing from Jesus through Mary, which saved her from death. Before her conversion to Catholicism, she danced professionally with the San Francisco Ballet Company. Mrs. Watkins is the author of the best-seller, Full of Grace: Miraculous Stories of Healing and Conversion through Mary's Intercession, and the #1 Amazon bests-sellers, Of Men and Mary: How Six Men Won the Greatest Battle of Their Lives, Mary's Mantle Consecration: A Spiritual Retreat for Heaven's Help, with its accompanying Prayer Journal, and Of Men and Mary: How Six Men Won the Greatest Battle of Their Lives. Enjoy the acclaimed book trailer to her book, Of Men and Mary by going to QueenofPeaceMedia.com/men. Mrs. Watkins is the founder of Queen of Peace Media. Check out all of Mrs. Watkins videos and books at ChristineWatkins.com and QueenofPeaceMedia.com. Check out the videos of her weekly Radio Maria show called "Find Something More, Find your way Home" on the Catholic YouTube channel: Queen of Peace Media. Click "Subscribe" and the click the bell to be notified of the latest show.   Mrs. Watkins holds a master's degree in theological studies from the Jesuit School of Theology at Berkeley and a master's degree in social welfare from the University of California at Berkeley's School of Social Welfare. She has over twenty years of work experience as a spiritual director, licensed counselor, inspirational speaker, and retreat leader. Currently, she lives in California with her husband and three children. WEBSITE: ChristineWatkins.com, QueenofPeaceMedia.com FACEBOOK: www.facebook.com/QueenofPeaceMedia YOUTUBE: www.youtube.com/channel/UCnGLfWQxaippd50mSkGwb8g/featured

On this episode of What Catholics Believe, Tom and Fr. Jenkins discuss: • The recent interview of Fr. Davide Pagliarani, Superior General of SSPX. • Are there differences between priests from the SSPX and the FSSP? • Michael Matt’s #UnitetheClans. • The Feast of the Holy Name of Mary and its importance. • SHOW LINKS • Interview with Father Davide Pagliarani Superior General of the Fraternity of St. Pius X https://sspx.org/en/church-its-head-50632 SSPX speaks, cites others; will It take a stand? https://wcbohio.com/index.php/video-menu/what-catholics-believe/1321-wcb20190821 Unite the Clans and other random thoughts on a Thursday afternoon https://dymphnaroad.blogspot.com/2019/08/unite-clans-and-other-random-thoughts.html (This episode was filmed on 17 September 2019). Please visit wcbohio.com for more content.

This week on “Inside the Vatican,” Gerry and I discuss new comments by the Superior General of the Society of Jesus, Arturo Sosa, about Pope Francis’ critics. “The attacks against Pope Francis in the church today,” Father Sosa said, are “a fight between those who want the church dreamed of by the Second Vatican Council and those who do not want this.” Next, Archbishop Bernard Hebda of Minneapolis-St. Paul has become the first bishop to be asked by the Vatican to investigate a fellow bishop according to new Vatican laws on sexual abuse investigations. Gerry and I explain why although at least one investigation has been ordered, the laws have a long way to go before they are fully implemented. Finally, we talk about Pope Francis’ recent dialogues with Eastern Catholic bishops, and what he means when he says that unity does not mean uniformity when it comes to the Eastern churches. We also explain, briefly, the differences between Eastern Catholics and the Eastern Orthodox Church, and unpack the significance of Pope Francis’ gift of relics of St. Peter to Ecumenical Patriarch Bartholomew. Links from the show: Father Sosa: Attacks against Pope Francis are aimed at influencing the next conclave Analysis: Why do some Catholics oppose Pope Francis? Minnesota archbishop opens sexual misconduct investigation into fellow bishop Pope urges Eastern Catholic bishops to promote ecumenism Pope Francis gives Orthodox patriarch relics of St. Peter

This is the first part of a two part What Catholics Believe, where Tom and Fr. Jenkins answer emails: Will the Antichrist be like A.I. (Artificial Intelligence)? • How does one incorporate injuries and illnesses in our daily lives into penance as asked in the Gospels? • Were Fr. Malachi Martin, Fr. Gabriele Amorth, and Fr. McKenna true priests and were their exorcisms valid? • What is the Little Rosary of the Immaculate Heart of Mary that St. Alphonsus Liguori mentions in the Glories of Mary? • Is the Novus Ordo Missae not licit but still the valid sacrifice of Calvary? • and lastly, Fr. Jenkins comments on the newest interview (http://tiny.cc/Salzburger) with Fr. Pagliarani, Superior General of the Society of Saint Pius X. Please visit wcbohio.com for more content.

Father Jenkins and Tom comment on some of the recent events including: the new Superior General of the SSPX, Fr. Davide Pagliarani; Fr. Patrick Girouard’s sermon on the SSPX’s re-branding (https://tiny.cc/SSPXrebrand); Francis role in Ireland’s abortion referendum and his upcoming trip to the country; Francis surprise appearance at a Swiss Guardsman’s wedding; the strange design of the Paul VI Audience Hall at the Vatican, and ‘consecrated virgins’ no longer need be virgins in the Novus Ordo church. In Memoriam, Mr. Ronald Tihista. Please visit wcbohio.com for more content.

In this final review of Francis and the Novus Ordo Sect he presides over for 2018, Bishop Donald Sanborn and Father Anthony Cekada discuss: The “Canonization” of Paul VI - the language of the canonization, what those who recognize Francis as the Vicar of Jesus Christ on earth are expected to believe regarding Paul VI and his “sanctity,” and the problem of “pick and choose” Catholicism. The Modernist strategy of taking clear doctrine and reducing it to nonsense babble language, as seen in a October 31st general audience of Francis. Benedict XVI’s doubling down on the Jews not being included in the number of those who need to have the Gospel preached to them, and the support for this error by “Bishop” Barron. The attack on Most Holy Trinity Seminary over a “Me Too” article. The conspiracy theory that Benedict XVI is “still pope.” The punishment of a Novus Ordo cleric who dared to burn a rainbow flag. The demolition of two Marian shrines and the resignation of two Chinese bishops, more rotten fruit of the Sino-Vatican Accord. The first interview of Fr. Pagliarani, new Superior General of the SSPX, and how he represents continuity, with a bit of change (at least he is a thinker). Show Sponsor: Novus Ordo Watch https://novusordowatch.org Francis Watch’s first two seasons, previously only available to the paid members of Restoration Radio, have been made public via the generous sponsorship of Novus Ordo Watch. You can listen to almost two dozen of these episodes at the link below, the first of which was recorded only months into the non-pontificate of “Call me Jorge” Bergoglio. 2014-15 soundcloud.com/franciswatch/sets | 2013 soundcloud.com/truerestoration/sets/jorge-bergoglio-francis To learn more about Francis Watch, and to access another two dozen episodes, visit Member-Supported Restoration Radio (www.truerestoration.org). You can learn more about the work of Bishop Sanborn at mostholytrinityseminary.org and Fr. Cekada at fathercekada.com. Original Air Date: January 6, 2018 Show Run Time: 1 hour 40 minutes Show Guest(s): Bishop Donald Sanborn, Father Anthony Cekada Show Host(s): Stephen Heiner Francis Watch℗ is sponsored by Novus Ordo Watch. Copyright 2019. All Rights are Reserved. Duplication is with explicit written permission only.

For 125 years, the Josephites have been serving African-American Catholics throughout the country in parishes, schools, and other outreach ministries. We're joined by Father Michael Thompson, Superior General of the Baltimore-based Josephites, to talk about the history of the society and their upcoming anniversary. Later in the show, we're joined by Bishop John Ricard, rector of St. Joseph Seminary in Washington D.C., to discuss the ways the Josephites have encouraged vocations from the African American community and beyond. (Previously aired September 30, 2018)

For 125 years, the Josephites have been serving African-American Catholics throughout the country in parishes, schools, and other outreach ministries. We're joined by Father Michael Thompson, Superior General of the Baltimore-based Josephites, to talk about the history of the society and their upcoming anniversary. Later in the show, we're joined by Bishop John Ricard, rector of St. Joseph Seminary in Washington D.C., to discuss the ways the Josephites have encouraged vocations from the African American community and beyond.

We’re joined in studio by Fr. Ed Dougherty M.M., former Superior General of the Maryknoll Fathers and Brothers and representative of Maryknoll in Rome to the Holy See – Pope Francis. Fr. Dougherty shares his story of growing up in the Kensington section of Philadelphia to riding motorcycles, learning Swahili, and how he would hunt for his own food in the rural region of Musoma, Tanzania. He discusses his mission work teaching theology in Tanzania as well as his work in the United States including in Michigan, Florida, Texas, and Louisiana. Fr. Ed was good friends with the late Maryknoll Sister Ita Ford, who was murdered in El Salvador on December 2, 1980. He shares his stories of their friendship and celebrations and how he received a letter from her just days after her death, a moment he takes as a Sign from God.

This episode features a conversation with His Eminence Joseph William Cardinal Tobin, Archbishop of the Archdiocese of Newark, New Jersey. Ordained in 1978, Cardinal Tobin served as a pastor in Holy Redeemer Parish in his hometown of Detroit, Michigan until 1990. He also served in a number of diocesan assignments within the Archdiocese of Detroit, including: Episcopal Vicar; member of the Presbyteral Council, and; official in the Metropolitan Tribunal. In addition, throughout much of his career, Cardinal Tobin served in a number of positions within the Redemptorist Congregation, including as the General Consultor of the Community in Rome from 1991 until 1997, and as Superior General of the Redemptorists in Rome from 1997 until 2009. On August 9, 2010, Pope Benedict XVI appointed Cardinal Tobin to the Roman Curia post of Secretary of the Congregation for Institutes of Consecrated Life and Societies of Apostolic Life (CICLSA), and titular Archbishop of Obba. On October 18, 2012, Pope Benedict appointed him to serve as the Sixth Archbishop of Indianapolis. In 2016, Pope Francis elevated him to the College of Cardinals and appointed him as the Archbishop of the Archdiocese of Newark.

*LINKS BELOW* In a recent episode of Truth Warrior I gave some brief thoughts on the subject of conspiracy theory. I want to hear from you on this, get your thoughts and questions, and also talk about some of the great warnings from the past about what is happening today in America and the west, as well as how to identify and defeat your inner demons in the midst of the chaos. Dictionary def http://www.dictionary.com/browse/conspiracy Legal def http://legal-dictionary.thefreedictionary.com/conspiracy Collectivism http://aynrandlexicon.com/lexicon/collectivism.html AS quotes https://www.brainyquote.com/authors/aleksandr_solzhenitsyn Irish Origins http://www.irishoriginsofcivilization.com THE NAKED COMMUNIST: 45 COMMUNIST GOALShttp://www.restoring-america.com/Documents/THE%20NAKED%20COMMUNIST%20GOALS%20WITH%20NOTES.pdf Gulag Archipelagohttps://archive.org/details/TheGulagArchipelago-Threevolumes "To play those millions of minds, to watch them slowly respond to an unseen stimulus, to guide their aspirations without their knowledge – all this whether in high capacities or in humble, is a big and endless game of chess, of ever extraordinary excitement."- Sidney Webb, founder of the Fabian Society "There exists in our world today a powerful and dangerous secret cult." So wrote Victor Marchetti, a former high-ranking CIA official, in his book The CIA and the Cult of Intelligence. This is the first book the U.S. Government ever went to court to censor before publication. In this book, Marchetti tells us that there IS a "Cabal" that rules the world and that its holy men are the clandestine professionals of the Central Intelligence Agency. He goes on to say: "This cult is patronized and protected by the highest level government officials in the world. It's membership is composed of those in the power centers of government, industry, commerce, finance, and labor. It manipulates individuals in areas of important public influence - including the academic world and the mass media. The Secret Cult is a global fraternity of a political aristocracy whose purpose is to further the political policies of persons or agencies unknown. It acts covertly and illegally." "It is my opinion that if the liberties of this country—the United States of America—are destroyed, it will be by the subtlety of the Roman Catholic Jesuit priests, for they are the most crafty, dangerous enemies to civil and religious liberty. They have instigated most of the wars of Europe." General Lafayette, 1799 Aide to General Washington Romanism: A Menace to the Nation "For the Pope holdeth place on earth,not simply of a man but of the one true God."Pope Innocent III, 1215 "...if you trace up Masonry, through all its Orders, till you come to the grand tip-top, head Mason of the World, you will discover that the dread individual and the Chief of the Society of Jesus [i.e., the Black Pope, the Superior General of the Jesuits] are one and the same person." –James Parton (American historian) "Between 1555 and 1931 the Society of Jesus [i.e., the Jesuit Order] was expelled from at least 83 countries, city states and cities, for engaging in political intrigue and subversion plots against the welfare of the State, according to the records of a Jesuit priest of repute [i.e., Thomas J. Campbell]. Practically every instance of expulsion was for political intrigue, political infiltration, political subversion, and inciting to political insurrection." (1987) J.E.C. Shepherd (Canadian historian) "The Jesuits…are a secret society – a sort of Masonic order – with superadded features of revolting odiousness, and a thousand times more dangerous."– Samuel Morse (1791-1872; American inventor of the telegraph; author of the book Foreign Conspiracy Against the Liberties of the United States) "I have learnt most of all from the Jesuit Order. So far, there has been nothing more imposing on earth than the hierarchical organization of the Catholic Church. A good part of that organization I have transported direct to my own party. The Catholic Church must be held up as an example. I will tell you a secret. I am founding an order. In Himmler (who would become head of the Nazi party) I see our Ignatius de Loyola (Jesuit founder)." – Adolph Hitler RED PAPACYhttp://www.michaeltsarion.com/the-red-papacy.html "We form an association of brothers in all points of the globe ... yet there is one unseen that can hardly be felt, yet it weighs on us. Whence comes it? Where is it? No one knows ... or at least no one tells. This association is secret even to us the veterans of the Secret Societies."- Guiseppe Mazzini (1805-1872) 33rd Degree Freemason - Appointed head of the Illuminati in 1834 Power of the Templars http://www.femaleilluminati.com/article-2.html  

This is Part 2 of a 2 part show series on the SSPX/Rome Agreement which aired on May 14, 2012. Part 1: https://soundcloud.com/truerestoration/season-1-flagship-show-episode-2-the-sspx-agreement-with-rome-part-1 Please visit https://www.truerestoration.org for the current season. Original Summary: On this episode of the Flagship Show, with an announcement expected in mid-May, we will continue our discussion from our first show on this topic. Our guest will once again be Fr. Anthony Cekada, a former priest of the SSPX, who will talk about the similarities of this situation to that of 1984, 1988, 2000, and 2007 within the SSPX. We will also discuss the developments since our last show and the "Bishops' Showdown" that was aired publicly this week in the letter from the three bishops of the SSPX (+Tissier de Mallerais, +Williamson, & +de Galarreta) to the Superior General, Bishop Bernard Fellay. This is Part 2 of a 2 part show series on the SSPX/Rome Agreement. Part 1 can be found here: https://soundcloud.com/truerestoration/season-1-flagship-show-episode-2-the-sspx-agreement-with-rome-part-1 Original Air Date: May 14, 2012 Show Run Time: 1 hour 37 minutes Show Guest(s): Father Anthony Cekada Show Host(s): Stephen Heiner, Nicholas Wansbutter Season 1 Sponsor: Anonymous Benefactor in Honor of Sts. Thomas Aquinas & Teresa of Avila Episode page: https://www.truerestoration.org/season-1-flagship-show-episode-4-the-sspx-agreement-with-rome-part-2/ The Flagship Show: https://www.truerestoration.org/category/radio/the-flagship-show/ Become a member: https://www.truerestoration.org/member-signup/ The Flagship Show℗ is a production of the Restoration Radio Network. Copyright 2012. All Rights are Reserved.

This week I interview Fr. McGarry on the General Congregation selecting their new Superior General.

Letter 2 - Remedies for IrresolutenessCremona, January 4, 1531To the very honorable Mr. Bartolomeo Ferrari19and Mr. Giacomo Antonio Morigia20,  my venerable brothers in Christ.  In Milan  MY VERY DEAR AND HONORABLE BROTHERS,May God, the Changeless One, ever ready to do whatever is good, save you and make you steadfast and determined in all your undertakings and desires according to my deepest expectations.It is quite true, my very dear friends, that God has made man’s spirit unstable and changeable in order that man would not abide in evildoing, and also that, once in possession of the good, he would not stop short, but would step up from one good to a higher one, and to a loftier one still.  Thus, advancing from virtue to virtue, he might reach the summit of perfection.  Hence, it flows that man is fickle in doing evil, namely, he cannot persevere in it because he does not find repose in it.  Therefore, instead of persisting in evildoing, he moves to do good; and, moreover, since creatures did not give him peace, he returns to God.Now of course, I could give other reasons for man’s being fickle, but, to our purpose, what I have said is enough.Oh, how wretched we are!  For, when trying to do good, we use the very instability and indecisiveness we should have and exercise to avoid evil.  And, indeed, I am often bewildered at seeing such great irresoluteness reign in my soul, and for so many years.I am sure, my dear friends, that, had I reflected hard enough on the evils which irresoluteness causes, I would have uprooted this evil from my soul long ago.  First of all, it hampers man’s progress because man finds himself, as it were, between two magnets without being pulled by either; namely, on the one hand, he neglects to do the present good as he looks at the future one. On the other hand, he leaves aside the future good by lingering on the present and even having doubts about the future.  Do you know who he is like?  He is like the person who wants to love two opposite things and gets neither one.  As the proverb teaches, “he who hunts two hares at the same time will see one fleeing, the other escaping.”  As long as a man remains undecided and doubtful, he will surely never accomplish anything good.  Experience teaches this.  There is no need for me to go any further.Moreover, irresoluteness causes man to change like the moon.  Yes, the irresolute person is always restless and can never be content even a midst great joys; for no reason he gets sad and angry and easily looks after his own satisfaction.In all truth, this weed of irresoluteness grows where divine light is lacking because the Holy Spirit quickly reaches the core of things rather than stop at the surface; man, instead, because he does not fathom the heart of things, is unable to decide what to do.  This indecisiveness is at one and the same time cause and effect of lukewarmness.  For the lukewarm person, when called upon to give advice on a subject, will give you plenty of reasons but will not decide which are the good ones.  Thus, he will never tell you where to go or what to avoid.  Consequently, if you were somewhat uncertain before, you are now left completely in doubt.  He becomes eternally irresolute.  On the other hand, the indecisive person loses fervor and becomes lukewarm.A whole year would not be enough to enumerate the evil results and the causes of irresoluteness.  The truth is that if indecision, which we have been talking about, were the only evil, it would be itself more than enough; for, as long as man is in a state of doubt, he remains inactive.To get rid of this defect, two means or ways have been found for our journey to God.  The first helps us when we are unexpectedly forced either to do or not to do something.  It consists of lifting up one’s mind to God and imploring the gift of counsel.  Let me explain: when something unforeseen and sudden presents itself, demanding that a choice be made, we lift up our minds to God asking Him to inspire us as to what we should do.  Thus, following the Holy Spirit’s inspiration, we shall not be mistaken.  The second means or way consists of seeking out our spiritual director, when, of course, we have the time and opportunity to do so, to ask for advice and then act according to his suggestions.If we, dear friends, do not take the proper measures against this evil weed, it will produce in us a pernicious effect, I mean negligence, which is totally contrary to God’s ways.  Therefore, when a man has something important to do, he must think it over and over and, as it were, ruminate upon it; but after such serious reflection and after having sought proper advice, he should not delay executing his project; for the primary requirement in God’s ways is expeditiousness and diligence. That’s why the prophet Micah says, “What does the Lord require of you but to do justice and to love kindness, and to walk eagerly with your God?”;27 and Paul, “Sollicitudine non pigri” (“avoid with care all negligence”);28 and Peter, “satagite ut per bona opera ...” (“be prompt through good works ...”).29  “Satagite” (“Be prompt to action”) he says.  You will find this sense of urgency commanded and praised in innumerable passages of the Scriptures.My very dear friends, I have to tell you the truth: it is mainly this irresoluteness in my soul, besides, perhaps, some other shortcomings, that has caused in me this great and blamable negligence and sluggishness to the point that either I never start anything at all or at least I linger on it for so long that I never accomplish it.  Consider closely those brothers, the children of a recently deceased father who, having heard Jesus’ counsel, “Let the dead bury their dead,”30 right away followed Christ.31 And also Peter, James and John, once called, immediately followed Christ.31  And so, again and again, you will find that those who truly love Christ have always been, to our shame, fervent, diligent, and not sluggish.Take courage, my brothers, stand up now and come along with me, for I mean we should root out these pernicious plants if perchance they are present in your souls; but if they are not, do come and help me as they are rooted in my heart; and, for God’s sake, cooperate so that I may uproot them and imitate our Savior, who, by His obedience unto death32 stood up against irresoluteness and, to avoid being negligent, ran toward the cross regardless of its shame.33  And, if you can now offer me no other aid, help me at least with your prayers.  Alas, dear friends, to whom do I dare to write?  Indeed, to those who do act and do not merely talk, as I do.If this is the case, at least on my part, I can assure you that only my love for you has impelled me to write these few lines to you.But I have to tell you something else: I am very much afraid that the two of you are very careless about finalizing the publication of the book.34  And I mean here in particular Mr. Bartolomeo [Ferrari] with regard to that poor fellow, Giovan Hyeronimo;35 for not only have you allowed so many days to pass without sending any information but you have not even written a word about what you have done so far.  As far as I am concerned, I am willing to excuse you, but search your conscience to see whether or not you deserve reproach or excuse.  Come then, brothers!  If, up to this time, irresoluteness and, side by side with it, negligence have taken hold of our souls, let us get rid of them; and let us run like madmen not only toward God but also toward our neighbors, who alone can be the recipients of what we cannot give to God, since He has no need of our goods.Give my greetings to Rev. Mr. Don Giovanni.36  Fra Bono37 asks him and the two of you to keep him in your prayers.  Do the same for me.From Cremona, January 4, 1531.Your loving brother in Christ, Anthony M. Zaccaria, PriestREFLECTIONSOur commitment to do good must be diligent, steady, and firm.Doubts about our actions reveal that deep inner peace is not to be found in human realities but only in the Creator.Discontent with our accomplishments is a gift by which God moves us to do more and better.Indecision in doing good produces further indecision about what to do and when to do it.The irresolute person pays greater attention to the appearance of things rather than to their essence. He is fickle, irritable, and melancholic. He lacks the divine light that the Holy Spirit gives.Indecision is the fruit of lukewarmness or mediocrity. It manifests itself, for example, in lengthy but fruitless discussions or in a failure to act in the face of difficulties or imperfections.Irresoluteness can be overcome by either directing our thoughts to God or seeking the guidance of a spiritual director.QUESTIONSAm I determined to seek the spiritual well-being and growth of my soul or am I concerned solely with just living a tranquil life?Do I recognize having made wrong decisions? Am I willing to make up and take more careful steps in making decisions?Am I conscious of the value of the time God has given me here on earth? Am I using my time to return to God?Which reality do I value most? Is it possession, health, entertainment, career, or peoples’ appreciation? Or do I rather value faith, love, generosity, honesty, prayer, kindness, or the sacraments, the in-depth study of the faith’s tenets, the striving to improve my human and Christian life?Can I pray to God in my own words and in any circumstances?FOOTNOTES:  19. See Introduction and also Letters VI, X.20. See Introduction and also Letters IV, V, VII, X.  21. See Alessandro Teppa, Vita del Venerabile Antonio Maria Zaccaria (Milan, 1858) 38–50.22. See n. 105. 23. At that time a Notary Public had wider authority than today.  For instance, he could manage financial affairs of widows, provide for the legitimation, adoption, and marriage of natural children, and insure a minor’s rights to inheritance.  This type of activity required countless appearances before the authorities (princes, magistrates, judges, etc.).24. See Orazio Premoli, Storia dei Barnabiti nel Cinquecento (Rome: Desclée, 1913) 10, n. 2.25. In the petition to Clement VII Bartolomeo’s name precedes that of Anthony Mary and other three unnamed petitioners, most probably because his brother, Basilio (see n. 118), was one of the papal secretaries.  The Brief of approval, dated February 18, 1533, is likewise addressed first to Bartolomeo and then to Anthony Mary.  The three unnamed petitioners were Giacomo Antonio Morigia, Giovanni Giacomo De Caseis, and Francesco Di Lecco (the latter is never mentioned in the Letters).  These five young men plus Dionisio da Sesto, Francesco Crippa, and Camillo Negri, actually began their common life in 1534 in their first residence by the church of St. Catherine (see n. 124) and only in 1535, when they were joined by Battista Soresina, were they ready to give themselves a habit, a name, and specific assignments.  The following year Giacomo Antonio Morigia was elected first Superior General as Anthony Mary humbly declined the honor (see Teppa, Vita, 170).  Other practical reasons for declining were: he was full-time spiritual guide of the Angelics in Milan and the only chaplain of Torelli and her county of Guastalla.  Moreover, he also felt he had to keep himself available for his mother in Cremona.  Bartolomeo Ferrari, who headed the missions in Vicenza and Verona (1537–1542), was the second Superior General (1542–1544). 26. The content of this letter echoes that of the sermon on lukewarness (see Sermon VI).27. Mic 6:828. Rom 12:11 29. 2 Pt 1:1030. Lk 9:6031. Matt 4:1832. Phil 2:8 33. Heb 12:234. A plausible clue to identify this book may be found by relating three circumstances.  (1) In May 31, 1530 Anthony Mary apparently declined Fra Battista da Crema’s invitation to help him write The Knowledge of, and Victory over, Oneself; (2) This book was published about a year later in Milan on March 31, 1531; (3) The present letter was written about three months before its publication and in it Anthony Mary complains with his addressees (Ferrari and Morigia who were living in Milan) that they were “careless about finalizing the publication of the book.”  So, most likely the book is The Knowledge of, and Victory over, Oneself.  

Letter 3 - Unceasing PrayerMilan, July 28, 1531To the honorable Mr. Carlo Magni,38 a most upright attorney,whom I honor as a father. At St. Anthony’s,In Cremona. VERY DEAR FATHER AND BROTHER IN CHRIST, GREETINGS.I have received your letter of the 23rd of this month, and I set out to answer it only after kneeling a long time before the Crucifix on your behalf, for I think it is necessary to learn from Him what I have to teach you.  Had you not employed such a warm and amiable insistence, I would have almost preferred to keep silent; but moved by your entreaty, I will stammer out what I am unable to express clearly.Thus, dear father in Christ, since your professional activity is quite binding, taking much of your time and energy, necessity suggests choosing a fitting method of prayer.  That’s why I would like you to practice, as much as you can, the following three exercises:First, give yourself to prayer in the morning and at night, as well as at any other hour within a set schedule or not,—at any time, that is, day or night,—in any position, that is, in bed or out of it, kneeling or sitting or as you think best,—and most of all before you start your professional work, usually without any set order, for a short or a long time, as God may grant it to you.Discuss with Christ everything that may be happening to you: your doubts and your difficulties, especially the hardest ones.  Present to Him your reasons, thoroughly but as briefly as possible.  Then, only propose to Him the solution you think is the right one or, even better, ask for His opinion; for He will not refuse it if you gently insist.  I can assure you that He will let Himself be compelled to give it to you, if, again, you really want to have it.I am indeed deeply convinced that we can learn more about human laws directly from the legislator than from anybody else, especially when that legislator is himself the rule and the pattern of all things, and knows how to explain and disentangle the sophisms of the devil.  Indeed, how much more thoroughly will he be able to unravel those of men?  Needless to say, if one does not believe this truth, he believes still less that God takes such good care of us that He will not let a single hair of our heads be lost;41 and again, that He is so wise that He will show the wise of this world for what they are: fools and know-nothings.42Well, then, if in favor of those who have recourse to Him God destroys all the sophistic stratagems of modern men, who seem so intent in separating man from God, can’t you imagine how He will disperse other less complicated machinations much more easily?  And if, in a sense, one can unite himself to God, even in the midst of worldly distractions, how much more easily will he be able to unite himself to Him in circumstances more favorable to recollection?Then, my very dear father in Christ, enter into conversation with Jesus Crucified as familiarly as you would with me; and discuss with Him all or just a few of your problems, according to the time at your disposal.  Chat with Him and ask His advice on all your affairs, whatever they may be, whether spiritual or temporal, whether for yourself or for other people.If you practice this way of prayer, I can assure you that little by little you will derive from it both great spiritual profit and an ever-greater love relationship with Christ.  I am not going to add anything else, for I want experience to speak for itself.The second exercise, which will help you practice the first one and will obtain from God a greater abundance of grace, is the constant lifting up of the mind to God.  You, my dear friend, cannot do without it; for the greater the danger and the more important the matter, a steadier application and sharper sight are required from you.By nature, man finds it difficult to be recollected and, much more so, to be united with God because his spirit is naturally driven in different directions and is unable to focus on one thing.  This exercise of lifting up one’s soul to God is, of course, more difficult for the person who has gotten into the bad habit of being dissipated.  But the most difficult thing for anybody is to find oneself involved in activities that, by their very nature, (according to my judgment) are not conducive to union with God, and still not be distracted.  Who would think it possible to stand in the rain and not get wet?  This is true.  But what seems to be impossible in itself becomes very easy with God’s help if only we do not refuse Him our cooperation and that diligent practical commitment with which He has endowed us.Thus, if we want to maintain our union with God and, at the same time, to go on working, talking, thinking, reading, and taking care of our affairs as usual, let us often lift up our minds to God for a long or a short period as, for example, someone would do while entertaining a friend.  If he were unable to entertain him on account of pressing business as, for instance, keeping track of the goods which were to be shipped at that moment, he might tell him: “Will you excuse me if I don’t chat with you?  I’ve this and that to do; but if you don’t mind waiting, as soon as I’m finished, we’ll talk at leisure.”  Then, interrupting his writing for a moment, he will occasionally turn his eyes and look at him; sometimes he will utter a word or two about what he is doing; at another time, while still writing, he will say: “In a short while, I’m almost finished.”  In these and similar ways, he will entertain his friend, though unable to talk at leisure with him.  At the same time, he will not be distracted from his job by these gestures nor hindered in his work by such forms of entertainment.You, too, dear friend, should act in this way, and your studies and works would suffer almost no disadvantage.Before starting your activities, offer Jesus a few words of your choosing; then during your work often lift up your mind to God.  You will benefit much, and there will be no detriment to your job.First and foremost, watch how anything concerning yourself or others is begun, whether foreseeable or not, whether at work or at play.  Direct it first to God with any short prayer with which He may inspire you, mentally or also in words that express your thoughts and wishes or in some other manner; then, while working, thinking, or planning, frequently lift up your mind to God.  Should your activity continue, break it up, perhaps, for the time it takes to say a “Hail Mary,” or as it may seem convenient to you, always, of course, following God’s inspiration.  Depending on the length of your activity, you can interrupt your work more than once.If you follow this practice, you will get used to praying easily and without detriment to your work or to your health; you will be praying incessantly, even while drinking, eating, acting, talking, studying, writing, etc.;43 and the external actions will not hinder the interior ones and vice versa.  If you act otherwise, you will be a decent person but not the Christian Christ wishes, and has called, you to be.  This will be clear to you if you consider closely the way by which Christ has been trying to bind you to Himself.  I warn you and offer you the means to become such a Christian (if you really want to be one, as I truly think you do), so that you may not change your mind.  If this were to happen, it would cause me very great pain indeed.My very dear friend, if my words have any value in your eyes, I invite you, I entreat you, and I compel you in Christ and for Christ to open your eyes and consider well what I have written to you and try to practice it by deeds, not just by words.  I can assure you that you will become a new person, such as you should be in view of the charge that God has placed and will continue to place on your shoulders in different ways.  But, if you act otherwise, you will not fulfill your obligation toward God and your neighbor, and, far from being justified, you will be condemned as a transgressor.Try hard, then, to understand what I have just said, and apply yourself to practicing it; but above all else, while observing the first exercise, keep the third one which I am about to show you; otherwise all your works will be of little value and honor before Christ.Now, here is the third exercise.  In your meditation, prayers, and thoughts, strive to pinpoint your principal defects, most of all the chief one, the Captain-General, as it were, which dominates all the others.  While concentrating on trying to kill that one, make every effort also to kill the other defects which may come under your attack, thus imitating the soldier who wants to kill the Commander-in-chief of the enemy who is in the middle of his army.  Striving to reach him, the soldier keeps his eyes fixed on him as the target, but at the same time he fights his way toward him by killing the other enemies he may encounter.  Do likewise with your defects.Now, if you asked me which defect, in my judgment, is the dominant one in you, I would answer that, according to my poor insight, there is some sensuality in you.  But no, your main defect is not sensuality (you understand what I am talking about, don’t you?), but anger and a sudden change of mood caused by pride, which, in turn, is born of the knowledge and education that you have acquired by your studies and by the expertise which you have obtained naturally and through long practice.  Think about it, and you will see that this is what makes you discontent, disturbed, prone to use bad manners and to say unbecoming words.  Besides, this root of pride produces other bad fruits and effects in you.I have just shown you the evil that in you is the mother of all vices.  Kill it, then, and it will not produce any more offspring.  It is up to you now to search the manner and the means of how to do it.  But, if you do not know how, at some other time I might possibly write to you about it or explain it to you in a conversation.  If perhaps this were not your main defect (although for many reasons I am convinced that it is), find out which one it is and kill it.If you treasure the counsels that I have just given you, you will fall in love with Jesus Crucified quite easily.  Any other way will keep you away from Him: a sad thing that I hate to see in you, for I love you and feel impelled to love you and see you forever in Christ Crucified.  Amen.I have bought a device to produce good and updated printing, and I will send it to you.  It costs three liras and ten pennies.I am about to send out some books on the spiritual life, which I believe to be more useful than any others you might read.  I will send them to you.  Try to convince the A.44 to buy them, for they will serve well those who want to make progress here in this life.Our Fra Bono?45  Well, both you and I have lost him.  He keeps away from me, or just seems to avoid me, on account of some obstacle.  Some three or four days go by without seeing each other; and when we do, I can barely speak to him.  He must be afraid that I want to convince him to join us.  I like the letter you wrote to him, but he needs stronger exhortations. So do give them to him.I will be writing to the A.  Greet them all, each and everyone, on my behalf.  Recommend me very warmly to the prayers of our Reverend Primicerio,46 etc.From Milan, July 28, 1531Your son and brother in Christ,Anthony M. Zaccaria, Priest REFLECTIONSTo walk in the way of the Lord we must adopt a method that is suitable for our profession and is favorable for our spiritual growth.We may dialog with Christ about our daily problems, especially the most challenging ones. We may also discuss with him the solutions we intend to adopt. And Christ will certainly make known to us his advice.Directing our thoughts to God, even for a brief moment, is another effective method of keeping ourselves in the way of the Lord.  By this we receive grace from God.Christ’s wisdom is wiser than the wisdom of any wise man.The weakness of the human mind makes communication with God difficult, but God’s help makes it easier.QUESTIONSAm I aware that with a suitable method I can foster my spiritual life even as I am absorbed in worldly affairs?Do I believe that God will listen to me even if I ask for his advice on worldly matters because he loves me and he desires my spiritual and material well-being?Have I ever tried to dialog with Christ in prayer about all my problems and concerns?Am I convinced that I can always bring to God all my concerns because he knows everything and has an answer to everything?Do I know that with God’s help it is always possible to live constantly in his presence? FOOTNOTES38. See  Introduction of this letter. 39. See Gaetano Bugati, Copia publica Processus auctoritate Apostolica Mediolani constructi super virtutibus et miraculis Ven. Servi Dei Antonii M. Zaccaria (Rome: ms. in the General Archives of the Barnabites) 1070. See also Virginio Colciago, ed., Gli Scritti (Rome: Edizioni dei Padri Barnabiti, 1975) 338–9. 40. See Appendix I. Attestations of Father Battista Soresina about the life and death of Rev. Father Anthony Mary Zaccaria, p. no.41. Lk 21:1842. 1 Cor 1:19–2543. Cf. 1 Cor 10:3144. This ‘A.’ is found both in this letter and in Sermon II.  This letter’s context plainly shows that ‘A.’ represents people with whom Anthony Mary corresponded as a spiritual director.  The sermon’s audience was a group of people eager to live a more fervent Christian life (“This is the state to which you are led and called and invited by these meetings in our ‘A’...”  See Sermon II, p. 14) The existence of this group is attested by our earliest historians. Agostino Tornielli (1543–1622), in his De principiis della Congregatione de’ Chierici Regolari di S. Paolo Decollato (1595), tells us that Anthony Mary, on the advice of his spiritual director, the Dominican Fra Marcello, initiated a gathering of nobles in the little church of St. Vitalis in Cremona.  Here he guided them toward Christian renewal with eloquent, Bible inspired, talks. Likewise, Giovanni Antonio Gabuzio (1551–1627) refers to a “piorum hominum conventus” (“a gathering of devout people”) in his Historia Congregationis Clericorum Regularium Sancti Pauli ab eiusdem primordiis ad initium saeculi XVII (Rome: Salviucci, 1852) 33.  Incidentally, Gabuzio’s History was completed in 1622 but remained unpublished in the wake of a time-consuming controversy about the identity of our Founder: was he Anthony Mary, the traditional view, or Giacomo Antonio Morigia, our first Superior General, as claimed by Fr. Giovannambrogio Mazenta (1565–1635)?  This controversy formally ended when at the 1620 General Chapter Fr. Mazenta accepted the traditional view.  The group mentioned by Tornielli and Gabuzio is not identified by a name.  Contemporary Barnabite historians have concluded that ‘A.’ means “Amicizia” (Friendship) and “Amici” (Friends).  In 1959 Giuseppe M. Cagni and Franco M. Ghilardotti edited the critical edition of Anthony Mary’s Sermons (“I Sermoni di Sant’ Antonio Maria Zaccaria,” Archivio Italiano per la Storia della Pietà, ed.  Giuseppe De Luca [Rome: Edizioni di Storia e Letteratura, 1959], 2. 233–283).  To reach their conclusion, the authors pointed out the following: first, that Bartolomeo Stella, another pre-tridentine reformer, founded an Oratory of Divine Love in the northern Italian city of Brescia in 1520 and called it “Amicitia” (Friendship) and its members “Amici” (Friends).  Secondly, that in this Oratory’s Statutes “Amicitia” is nearly always indicated with the letter ‘A.’ (see ibid. pp. 236–237).  Given the closeness of Brescia to Cremona (about 35 miles), it seems quite plausible that Anthony Mary was acquainted with Stella’s Oratory and most likely adopted the same name for his group, and the same one-letter abbreviation.As to the initials ‘F.’ in Sermon I, p. 3 (in the original manuscript this ‘F.’ is blurry; it could also be read ‘A.’) and ‘N.’ in Sermon I, p. 5, they could easily be read as “Fraternity” and “Nobility.”  In any case their respective contexts identify them with ‘A.’ (“Amicizia”). 45. See n. 16.46. An unidentified church dignitary. 

Letter 6 - Spiritual Progress and Christian Service Cremona, October 8, 1538To the Reverend Father and brother in Christ, Mr. Bartolomeo Ferrari.82 To the Reformed.  In VicenzaMY DEAR BROTHER IN CHRIST, Why do you entertain any doubt?  Haven’t you experienced in this undertaking that you never lacked the necessary means to help those in need?  Nothing is more certain and reliable than experience. Those who love you do not possess the wealth either of a Paul or of a Magdalene; they do, however, trust in the One who enriched them both.  Thus, as a result of both your faith and theirs, God will provide for any person under your care.You can be sure that, before you speak and in the very moment of speaking, Jesus Crucified will anticipate and accompany, not only every word of yours, but your every holy intention.  St. Paul said that he would push forward but stay within the limits of the work that Christ had set for him.92  As for you, Jesus Crucified has also set a limit when he promised that you would get enough strength to pierce to their marrow the hearts of people.93  Don’t you see that He Himself has opened the doors for you with His own hands?  Who, then, will hinder you from entering those hearts and from changing them so completely as to renew them and beautify them with holy virtues?  Nobody, of course—neither the devil nor any other creature.94 And don’t let any weakening that you may experience in your preaching and in your pastoral work stop you; for just as through constant school exercises, ignorance is dispelled and iron is kept shiny the more it is used, so it is with Christian asceticism.  At the beginning, Paul was not what he became afterward.  So it is with everybody else.  You can be assured then that on the foundation of Paul, you are going to build not structures made of hay or wood but of gold and precious stones;95 and the heavens with their treasures will be opened to you and to the souls entrusted to you.96Sweet hearts of my heart, I embrace you, as I am certain you will grow perfect according to your interior dispositions.  Oh!  Were you only here with me, nothing in the world could prevent me from embracing and covering you with endless signs of affection.  But You, dear Jesus, embrace them on my behalf.Dear saintly son, the project in which you are now engaged is also my responsibility, as you probably have noticed.  I could not help but be with you, for nowhere else is my heart than with yours.  Therefore, may the ample freedom, which I have always given you, be for you a sure guarantee that your undertakings will conclude happily with profit to all.Good Mother Prioress, don’t waste your time in personal trifles.  Even if you might consider yourself a devil, worthy of being submerged not only in muddy water but also in a cesspool, and you were utterly convinced of it, don’t worry about it.  Instead, give yourself totally to serving those people who have already been entrusted to your care, and who will continue to be entrusted to you by Jesus Crucified in the future.Oh, you who are the very mirror of my life, remember that you are generous and that Jesus Crucified has always been abundantly generous with you; how then can they who love you as they love themselves fail to be at your side to help you?And you, Franceschina,97 if you acknowledge that you have derived benefit from evil—not, of course, through your own efforts but through the efforts of those who strive to give you life in Christ—be convinced that you owe them, in sheer gratitude, what you are already giving them: I mean your diligence in pleasing them by undertaking the works which they have entrusted to you.  Do make progress, and help the others make progress as well.And all of you do the same.I do not recommend our Sylvestrines to you because they are indeed very much recommended as they are already yours.  Please, tell them on my behalf, when and how you think it convenient, generally and in particular, whatever you wish.As to those who are outside our community, if you think it fit to write something to them on my behalf, it is up to you, for you know better than I do what is to be said to them.  Besides, overburdened as I am with other cares, I am quite limited; so much so that I am unable to respond to the needs of those to whom I am bound to attend and for whom indeed I feel obligated.Now I would like to write to my sweet Paolina,98 but I do not find the time.  Likewise, it would be a pleasure to write to my faithful Donna Lucrezia,99 but I can’t.  Please, tell her that I would like her to be like me by trying not only to progress in her own life—a small achievement after all—but also to help the others on the same road.Again, tell my Doyenne100 that I think of her and her sister as well.  Tell my sweet Donna Faustina101 that I do not forget her—how could I?—and that she can count on my promise.Finally, you can assure them all that I am theirs, and that Jesus Crucified makes me love them very much indeed, because they are generous.To our amiable Fra Bono102 and Master Castellino,103 priest, lots of greetings in Christ; kiss them for me.  To them too, I would have liked to write, but as I really can’t, present them with my apology.  Particularly let our worthy Father Abbot104 be assured that he is among brothers, and that it is a temptation from the evil one to have him withdraw from them.  The devil is afraid lest what he dislikes should come true, and, in fact, he knows by experience that our friend’s simplicity has always borne fruit, and that every time he has cast the net, he has always caught large and good fish.As for my saintly priest Castellino, I wish to see him, and I would like him not to deprive me of his presence, for I am about to begin negotiations for St. Barnabas,105 and I do not want him to miss the inaugural benediction.  I would never do this without his presence.  Besides, I want you to send him as your delegate to the conclusion of the transaction.  I know that you will miss his presence, but, as I am aware of your being always ready to satisfy the wishes of others before your own, I beg you to endure his absence and to send him to me.  Be so kind as to remember me to him and entreat him to come soon, so that we may be together for this enterprise.Remember me to our beloved ones: Mr. Lodovico,106 Mr. Antonio,107 my faithful Franceschi’s,108 my host Mr. Andrea,109 and all the others.  A kiss to all from me.Greetings also to Count Brunoro,110 Giulio,111 the barber and his wife, the Reverend Fathers Alessandro, Luigi, and Antonio.112  I would like everyone to know the self-sacrificing devotion of our Fra Bono113 because then the Forty Hours Devotion and the other apostolic works would indeed make progress.  Suggest to Madonna Maddalena114 that she get acquainted with him.  Remember me to her.  If you dismiss Donna Giovanna,115 let me know.  As for Gerolamo,116 I really do not know what to say; it is not my concern.My dearly beloved one, if I have left out anyone or anything, since I am quite tired, you take care of it.  May Christ bless you one by one in the depth of your hearts, and give you His own Spirit.From Cremona, October 8, 1538.If Madonna117 has not yet taken care of your brother,118 have no misgiving because today or tomorrow I will be going to Guastalla, and I will take care of the matter, along with Paola Antonia119 who has already written to her about it.May Christ make you holy.Yours in Christ, Father Anthony Mary, Priest and Mother A[ngelic] P[aola] A[ntonia Negri]120If you like the letters which I had Mr. Camillo [Negri]121 write, give them to the addressees.REFLECTIONSChrist crucified provides for all the needs of his disciples, even before they ask, anticipating their intentions.Christ crucified invigorates our feeble energies so that we can reach out to the hearts of those who are entrusted to us. Therefore, we should not let our inadequacies discourage us.Not even unreasonable scruples should stop us from doing good to our neighbor.We must be grateful to those who help us in our weakness with hard work and sacrifice.QUESTIONSHave I so much familiarity with Jesus that I can talk to him as if he were visibly present, fully confident that he listens to me and will take care of me at the proper time?Have I ever tried with confidence to entrust others to God, certain that he will do more than I, a poor fellow, can do?Do I know that perfectionism, an exaggerated analysis of my behavior, and consequently rejection of my human and spiritual giftedness can hinder me from doing the good that I can do?Do I already get into the habit of thanking those who help me in my difficulties?FOOTNOTES  82. See Letter II, Introduction.83. See Letter V, Introduction.84. See Giuseppe M. Cagni, “In missione col S. Fondatore.” Quaderni di Vita Barnabitica 8 (1989) 122–123. 85See n. 103.86. See n. 16.87. See Letter V, Introduction.88 See n. 63.89. See Cagni “In missione col. S. Fondatore,” 124.90. See Battista Soresina, Appendix I. P. Anacleto Secco, De Clericorum Regularium S. Pauli Congregatione et Parentibus Synopsis (Milan: Francesco Vigono, 1862).  “In missione col. S. Fondatore,” 126.91. See Cagni “In missione col. S. Fondatore,” 12792. 2 Cor 10:13.93. Heb 4:12.94. Rom 8:39.95. 1 Cor 3:12.96. Acts 7:55.97. Franceschina Conforti Adriani.  See Introduction of this letter.98. Paolina Muzzani: a Sylvestrine in Vicenza.99. Lucrezia Angariani: a Sylvestrine in Vicenza.100. Probably Felicita Muzzani, sister of Paolina, or of Fosca, all Sylvestrines in Vicenza.101. From Cologne, Germany.  A Sylvestrine in Vicenza.102. See n. 16103. Lorenzo (Paolo) Davidico, called Castellino (1523–1574), talented but quixotic character, who was a member of the mission band in Vicenza and Verona (1536–1545), and was dismissed from the Congregation in 1547 by Fr. Besozzi (see n. 181) because he finally proved to be unsuitable for community life.  However, he remained in excellent relationship with the Barnabites.  He had a degree in Civil and Canon Law, and published many ascetical works.104. See n. 16.105. The acquisition and furnishing of the historical mother house of the Barnabites (1545), a house and the church of St. Barnabas.  Originally called Sons of St. Paul by their Founder, they became known as Barnabites after they moved to St. Barnabas. This popular name, Barnabites,  later acquired official status in addition to the name of Clerics Regular of St. Paul, an appellation first used in the Bull of Julius III (August 11, 1550) which, among other things, authorized the solemn profession of vows (see Premoli, Storia 500).106. A member of the Third Family, the Laity of St. Paul, from Vicenza.107. A member of the Third Family, from Vicenza.108.  A member of the Third Family, from Vicenza.109. Possibly fromVerona.  He lodged Anthony Mary and his missionaries in Vicenza.110. Brunoro Da Porto, a member of a noble and influential family of Vicenza, and a military leader at the service of the republic of Venice. 111. Giulio Da Porto, Brunoro’s brother.112. Priests from Vicenza.113. See n. 16.114. Maddalena Valmarana (d. 1569).  See Introduction of this letter.115. A Sylvestrine.116. Unidentified.117. Countess Ludovica Paola Torelli.  See n . 12.118. Basilio Ferrari (1493–1574) Bartolomeo’s brother, who resided in Rome since 1521, as papal secretary of Clement VII and Paul III.  As such he was able to secure the approval of the Barnabites (see n. 25)  and the Angelics (see Letter V, Introduction). In the church of St. Barnabas in Milan, he commissioned the chapel of Sts. Bartholomew and Francis.  Basilio’s name is the eighth on a list of forty-five early benefactors, or rather de facto affiliates, of the Barnabite Congregation.  In the words of Fr. Geralamo Marta, fourth Superior General (1551–1554, 1556–1558, 1559–1566), Basilio’s soul was “through Divine Providence glued, as it were, to our souls as Jonathan’s soul to David’s.”119. See n. 59.120. See n. 59.121. Camillo Negri (1509–1544): brother of Angela, Porzia, and Virginia (Paola Antonia) Negri.  One of Anthony Mary’s first eight companions (see n. 25).  See also Letter 10.  

By Doris Yu Against the backdrop of MAGIS and World Youth Day 2013 in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, National Jesuit News sat down with Jesuit scholastics Eric Sundrup and Sam Sawyer, associate editors of The Jesuit Post, to talk about their experience interviewing Superior General of the Society of Jesus, Jesuit Father Adolfo Nicolás. Sundrup and Sawyer took the opportunity to interview Fr. Nicolás during his appearance at MAGIS at Colégio Antônio Vieira, the Jesuit high school in Salvador, Brazil. Speaking about his impressions of Fr. Nicolás, Sundrup said, “It's very clear Fr. General speaks profoundly and in great depth. … When he talks to Pope Francis, he talks to him like he talks to any other Jesuit. I think he did the same thing with me and all of us that were present for the interview. He just talks to us like he would talk to any other Jesuit. ” Sawyer said, “I think what strikes me about him is, more than some particular program or strategy for the Society, what he has is a very clear sense of what we need to pay attention to, and he keeps calling us to pay attention to it.” Sawyer added about Fr. General's dry sense of humor, “We laughed a lot when we got to talk to him off-camera and we got to interact with him that way.”

This episode is titled Point – Counter Point and details The Catholic Reformation.We've spent the last several episodes considering the Protestant Reformation of the 16th C. The tendency is to assume the Roman Church just dug in its heels in obdurate opposition to the Protestants. While the 17th C will indeed see much blood shed between the religious factions of Europe, it would be wrong to assume the Roman Church of the early decades of the Reformation was immediately adversarial. Don't forget that all the early Reformers were members of and usually priests in the Roman Church. And reform was something many had called for a long time prior to Luther's break. The Conciliar Movement we talked about some episodes back was an attempt at reform, at least of the hierarchy of the church, if not some of its doctrine. Spain was a center of the call for Reform within the church. But Luther's rift with Rome, and the floodgate it opened put the Roman Church on the defensive and caused it to respond aggressively. That response was what's called the Catholic Counter-Reformation. But that title can be misleading if one assumes the Catholic Church became only more hide-bound in reaction to the Protestants. Several important reforms were made in the way the Church was run. And Protestant theology urged Catholic theologians to tighten up some of theirs.I like the way one historian describes the 16th C in Europe. If the 16th C was likened to a football game, with every 25 years representing a quarter, by the end of the 1st quarter, the Protestants were winning 7 to 0.By halftime, it was Protestants 35, Roman Catholics 7By the end of the 3rd quarter its 42-35 in favor of the Protestants.But by the end of the game, it's 42 to 45 in favor of the Catholics.I apologize to our European listeners who find American Football a mystery. Don't worry, many Americans do as well.The point is—Protestants had some quick gains, but by the end of the 16th C, largely because of the Jesuits, the Roman Church had recouped many of its losses and had gone on to a revitalized church and faith.When Rome realized the seriousness of the Protestant challenge, it mobilized its spiritual warriors = The Society of Jesus, better knowns as the Jesuits. They convened a new and militant council and reformed the machinery of Church Hierarchy. Faced with the rebellion of half of Europe, Catholicism rolled back the tide of Protestantism until by the end of the 16th C it was limited to the northern third of Europe.Well before Luther posted his theses on Wittenberg's castle-church door, an aristocratic group at Rome had formed a pious brotherhood called the Oratory of Divine Love. They had a vision for reformation of both Church and Society but one that began within the individual soul.The Oratory was never larger than fifty members, yet had huge influence. It provoked reform in the old monastic orders and contributed leaders to the Church of Rome as it laid plans for a general council to deal with internal reform and the emerging Protestant movement. Among the members of the Oratory who later emerged as significant figures were Sadoleto, who debated with Calvin; Reginald Pole, who tried under Bloody Mary to turn England back to Rome; and Pietro Caraffa, who became Pope Paul IV.But throughout the 1520s and 30s, when the Protestants were making their most rapid advancements, the Catholic Church took no real steps toward reform. The reason was political. The changes that needed to be made had to be settled in a Council and Emperor Charles V and popes fought a running battle over the calling of that Council. The feud lasted twenty years. They couldn't agree on where it was to be held, who would be invited, nor what the agenda would be. All these had far-reaching consequence. So the Council was never called; and the reforms it might have adopted were delayed.There were all kinds of other intrigues between the Emperor and Popes as Charles waged war with what were supposed to be Catholic kings and rulers beholden to the Pope. At one point, Charles ordered his troops to march on Rome. In May 1527, when their commanders were killed, Spanish and German mercenaries stormed Rome and pillaged, plundered, and murdered for weeks. The pope took refuge in the Castle of St. Angelo, but finally had to surrender and endure half a year of imprisonment. Many saw this sack of Rome as evidence of how out of hand things had gotten. They took it as a manifestation of divine judgment, enhancing the need and call for reform.Reform came with the arrival of Pope Paul III in 1534. He was a most unlikely candidate for spiritual leadership. He had four children. But the sack of Rome sobered him. He realized time had come for reform to begin in the House of God. He started where he felt a change of heart was most urgently needed, in the College of Cardinals. He appointed a number of advocates for reform. Among them, leaders of the Oratory of Divine Love. Pope Paul then appointed nine of the new cardinals to a commission on reform. The head of the commission promoted an agenda that included reconciliation with the Protestants and a return to the faith of the Apostles; radical ideas indeed!In 1537, after a wide-ranging study of conditions in the Church of Rome, the commission issued its official report. Titled, Advice … Concerning the Reform of the Church, it said disorder in the Church could be traced directly to the need for reform. The papal office was far too worldly. Both popes and cardinals needed to give more attention to spiritual matters and stop dabbling in secular pursuits. Bribery in high places, abuses of indulgences, evasion of church law, prostitution in Rome, these and other offenses must cease.Pope Paul took action on several of the recommendations in the report, but his most significant response was a call for a General Council of the Church. After intense negotiations he agreed with Emperor Charles V on a location for the assembly, a town in northern Italy under imperial control called Trent.Even then, however, no Council assembled for years, because King Francis I of France did everything he could to prevent it. In his lust for control of Europe, Francis feared a council would strengthen Charles's hand. He even incited the Turks against the Emperor. Two wars between Francis and Charles delayed the opening of a Council until 1545, almost three decades after Luther's hammer sounded on Wittenberg's door.By 1545, reform at Rome was on the rise. Pope Paul's new rigor was apparent in the institution of the Roman Inquisition and an official Index of Prohibited Books—works that any Catholic risked eternal damnation by reading. All the books of the Reformers were listed, as well as Protestant Bibles. For many years in Spain, merely possessing one of the banned books was punishable by death. The Index was kept up to date until 1959 and was finally abolished by Pope Paul VI.In Catholic Spain, reform preceded the arrival of Martin Luther in Germany. The euphoria at evicting the Muslims in the Reconquista, coupled with devotion to medieval piety and mysticism fueled reform. When Queen Isabella began her rule in 1474, she brought a heart to reform Spanish Catholicism and quickly gained papal approval for her plan. Cardinal Francisco Jimenez, archbishop of Toledo, was Isabella's main supporter in reorganizingthe Church. Jimenez and Isabella embarked on a campaign to cleanse corruption and immorality from the monasteries and convents of Spain. They required renewal of monastic vows, enforced poverty among clergy, and emphasized the necessity of an educated priesthood.Believing the key to effective leadership was high standards for scholarship, they founded the University of Alcala, outside Madrid, which became a center of Spanish religious and literary life. The University was instrumental in publishing a new multilingual edition of the Bible, which included Hebrew, Greek, and the Latin Vulgate—in parallel columns.The Spanish Reformation, like the Protestants who formed break away groups all over Europe during the 16th C, knew little of the idea we enjoy today of religious toleration.  We'll talk more about his in an upcoming episode as we look at the European Wars of Religion. The Pope gave Isabella and her husband, King Ferdinand, authority to use the Inquisition to enforce compliance with church doctrine and practices. The Jews were special victims of Spanish intolerance. In 1492, the Spanish crown decreed all Jews must either accept Christian baptism or leave Spanish territories. Over 200,000 Jews fled Spain as a result, losing land, possessions, and in some cases, lives. The crown passed similar laws aimed at Muslim Moors. Jimenez, now the Grand Inquisitor, ruthlessly pursued their forced conversion.In 1521, the year Luther stood before the Emperor Charles V at the Diet of Worms, a Spanish nobleman was fighting in the Emperor's army against the French. A cannon-ball shattered one of his legs. During a long and painful recovery, bored to tears, he picked up a couple inspirational books popular at the time. One was on the lives of the saints and the other a life of Christ. The long process toward his conversion had begun.Weary of the army, he entered the Benedictine abbey of Montserrat, where he exchanged his nobleman's clothes for a simple pilgrim's smock and turned in his sword and dagger. For nearly a year, in the little town of Manresa, thirty miles north of Barcelona, he gave himself to an austere life of begging door to door, wearing a barbed girdle, and fasting for days at a time. A dark depression settled over his soul. He considered suicide. Then he had what many a mystic has known—a spiritual breakthrough so intense it felt like an incandescent illumination. A wave of ecstasy engulfed him and Ignatius Loyola, became, in his own words, “another man.”In an attempt to hang on to what he'd gained, Loyola produced a plan for spiritual discipline, a kind of spiritual military manual for Christian storm-troopers dedicated to the Pope. The result was the Society of Jesus, the Jesuits, the greatest force in Catholicism's campaign to recapture the territory, both literal and spiritual, lost to the Protestants.It was the reforming Pope Paul III, who approved Loyola's new Society of Jesus. The daring soldiers of Christ promised the Pope they'd go wherever he sent them; whether that was to the Turks, the New World, or the Lutherans.While a youth, Ignatius left his home in the castle of Loyola near the Pyrenees and entered the court of a noble family friend. There he grew into something of a “playboy” who spent his days playing military games, reading popular romances, and his nights pursuing the local girls. Then he went off to war, and everything changed.After his recovery and time at Manresa, Ignatius came to a very different conclusion about man's spiritual condition to that arrived at by Martin Luther. Luther was convinced the human will is enslaved; man cannot save himself. Only God can deliver him. Loyola came to the belief man has the power to choose between God and satan. By the disciplined use of his imagination man can strengthen his will to choose God and his ways. That strengthening comes through the spiritual disciplines Loyola devised.One of his spiritual exercises aimed to make the horrors of hell real. Loyola wrote - “Hear in your imagination the shrieks and groans and blasphemous shouts against Christ our Lord and all the saints. Smell the fumes of sulfur and the stench of filth and corruption. Taste all the bitterness of tears and melancholy and growing conscience. Feel the heat of the flames that play on and burn the souls.” The same technique, of course, could be used to represent the beauties of the Nativity or the glories of heaven. By proper discipline, Ignatius said, the imagination could strengthen the will and teach it to cooperate with God's grace.Ignatius concluded that fully surrendering to God meant more education. He entered a school in Barcelona to sit with students half his age to study Latin, then threw himself into a year of courses at the University of Alcala. Out of it came his conviction learning must be organized to be useful. The idea eventually grew into the Jesuits' famed plan of studies, which measured out heavy but manageable doses of the classics, humanities, and sciences.Ignatius became such a fervent advocate for his views, the Inquisition examined him more than once about his theology. Disturbed they'd question his devotion, he left for Paris, where he spent seven years at the university, and became “Master Ignatius.” He gathered around him the first of his companions: including the young Spanish nobleman, Francis Xavier; not the leader of the X-Men. This guy was a lot older and not a mutant.Ignatius shared with these men his program for sainthood, called the Spiritual Exercises. A review of his religious experiences following his conversion, the Exercises prescribe several periods or phases of intense meditation on various aspects of Faith and Practice.Ignatius charted a path to spiritual perfection that included,Rigorous examination of the consciencePenance, andA rejection of guilt once God's forgiveness was given. The Exercises became the basis of every Jesuit's spirituality. Later popes prescribed them for candidates for ordination, and Catholic retreats applied them to lay groups.In 1540, Pope Paul III approved the, at-that-time, small Society of Jesus as a new religious order. Following Ignatius' metaphor, they were chivalrous spiritual soldiers of Jesus. Adopting the military theme, they were mobile, versatile, ready to go anywhere and perform any task the Pope assigned. As a recognized order, they added to their earlier vows of poverty and chastity the traditional vow of obedience to their superiors and a fourth vow of special loyalty to the pope. They were governed by a Superior General elected for life. Their choice for the first General was of course, Ignatius.The aim of the order was simple: To restore the Roman Catholic Church to the position of spiritual power and influence it had held three centuries before under Innocent III. Everything was subordinated to the Church of Rome because Ignatius believed firmly that the living Christ resided in the institutional church exclusively.One of the most fascinating feature of the Jesuits was their attempt to live in the world without being of it. Loyola wanted them to be all things to all men. They almost succeeded.That first generation under Loyola's leadership rode at a full gallop into their new assignments which were to convert the heathen and re-convert Protestants. Francis Xavier went to India, then Southeast Asia, and all the way to Japan. More than any others, the Society of Jesus stemmed, and at times reversed, the tide of Protestantism in Europe. When Ignatius died in 1556, his order was a thousand strong and had dispatched its apostles to four continents. By anyone's reckoning, that's an amazing feat.No mission of that first generation of Jesuits proved more decisive than the part they played in the Council of Trent from 1545 to 63. Only thirty-one council fathers led by three papal legates were present for the opening ceremonies of the council. None of them could have guessed their modest beginning would lead to the most important Council between Nicea in 325 and Vatican II in 1962. Under the influence of two Jesuits, Trent developed into a powerful weapon of the Counter-Reformation.The council fathers met in three main sessions.The 1st was from 1545–47,The 2nd from 1551–52, andThe last from 1562–63. During the second series of sessions several Protestants were present, but nothing came of it. From start to finish the Council reflected the new militant stance of Rome.While there are points of agreement between Catholic and Protestant theology on many issues, the distinctive doctrines of the Protestant Reformation, things like sola scriptura and sola fide were vigorously rejected at Trent.While the Reformers stressed salvation by grace alone; the Council of Trent emphasized grace AND human cooperation with God to avoid, in Loyola's terms, “the poison that destroys freedom.” Ignatius advised, “Pray as though everything depended on God alone but act as though it depended on you alone whether you will be saved.”Protestants taught the religious authority of Scripture alone. Trent insisted on the supreme teaching office of the Roman popes and bishops, as essential-interpreters of the Bible and sole-arbiters on what constitute Biblical Orthodoxy.Trent guaranteed Roman Catholicism would be governed by a collaboration between God and man. The Pope remained, seven sacraments were retained, and the doctrine of transubstantiation was affirmed. Saints, confessions, and indulgences all stayed.After four centuries, we look back to the Reformation Era and see the unity of Western Christendom was permanently shattered. Men and women in Loyola's lifetime did not see that truth. The fact dawned on Europe slowly. It would paint the Continent red in the following Century.