How the Normans Saw Their Viking Origins

From Studium Historiae

When most people think of medieval Normans and Normandy, they tend to think of French knights, the conquest of England and Southern Italy in the 11th century, and maybe mercenaries in the Byzantine Empire. But the Normans were a little different from most French knights. They originated as Vikings, raiding and eventually settling in the region, and adopting Frankish culture alongside Christianity. That culture tended to be hostile to Vikings, though, so then what did later Normans think of their own Viking origins?

Traditional Catholic Morning Prayers in English | June

Traditional Catholic morning prayers to help start your day in a godly way! The month of June is dedicated to the Sacred Heart of Jesus. May our devotion to the mystery of the Sacred Heart of Jesus increase more and more each day. We've included the Memorare of the Sacred Heart and litany of the Sacred Heart. Begin your June with daily morning prayer. This video is a compilation of many traditional morning prayers Catholics say, and should not be considered a replacement for those who have an obligation to pray the Divine Office morning prayers.

What Pope Leo Just Did May Have Fulfilled a 100-Year-Old Prophecy

From Totus Catholica

Pope Leo XIV's visit to Algeria this past April was the first time any pope had set foot on Algerian soil, and it completes a promise put in writing exactly 100 years ago in Pope Pius XI's 1926 encyclical Rerum Ecclesiae, which called for native priests and bishops to one day govern their own churches. That document did not create the growth of the African Church. It simply saw it coming and tried to serve it.

The deeper prophecy was never a pope's words anyway. Psalm 68:31 declares that Ethiopia shall hasten to stretch out her hand to God. The Ethiopian official baptised by Philip in Acts 8 is the first fulfilment. The mass offered on African soil today is the ongoing fulfilment. Africa was never the edge of the Christian world. Tertullian, Cyprian, and Augustine came from North Africa. The Septuagint was translated in Alexandria. Simon of Cyrene carried the cross. The faith did not travel to Africa. It came home. CHAPTERS: 0:00 Pope Leo XIV in Algeria and the 100-Year-Old Promise 1:51 The Grandfather's Oak: The 1926 Encyclical 2:10 Psalm 68:31 and Ethiopia Hastening to God 2:53 The Ethiopian Official in Acts 8 3:24 Africa in the Gospel: Egypt, Cyrene, Pentecost 4:06 Tertullian, Cyprian, and Augustine 4:53 Rerum Ecclesiae and Native Clergy 5:36 The Church Is Not Dying, It Is Relocating 5:59 Zephaniah 3:10 and the Mincha Offering 6:15 Isaiah's Altar in Egypt and the Mass 7:04 Protestant Objection: The Spirit, Not the Paperwork 7:31 Jewish Objection: Psalm 68 and Israel 🌍 Website: https://totuscatholica.org/ Rosary Guide: https://totuscatholica.org/rosary ✉️ Contact: https://totuscatholica.org/contact 🔍 Examination of Conscience: https://catholicexaminationofconscien... 📚 Free eBooks: https://buymeacoffee.com/totuscatholi... 👥 Become a Totus Insider: https://buymeacoffee.com/totuscatholi...

St Ephrem the Syrian: “The Harp of the Holy Spirit”

Today is the Feast of St Ephræm, the "Harp of the Holy Spirit", a 4th-century hymnographer, of whose output we still hve over 400 hymns.

From Aleteia

By Larry Peterson

More than 400 of the hymns written by this 4th-century saint still exist.

A 4th-century saint known as the “Harp of the Holy Spirit” supposedly had an awful voice, but worshiped God in song anyway. In fact, St. Ephrem the Syrian may have been one of the most creative and prolific writers/composers in all of Church history

St. Ephrem came from the city of Nisibis in Mesopotamia. He was born at the beginning of the 4th century and there is some confusion as to his upbringing. Some accounts have him being born to a father who was a pagan priest who kicked Ephrem out of his home when he was a boy. Other accounts say his family was well to do and others say he was born into a family of poor farmers.

Evidence indicates that Ephrem was, indeed, raised by pious parents. Whether they were rich or poor is of no consequence. It also seems that early on in life he was known for having a quick temper and being a bit hasty and impulsive in his decisions. He was accused of stealing a sheep and was thrown into prison. Ironically, of that crime he was actually innocent.

While in his dank cell he realized that the fights he had been getting into and his ongoing thoughtlessness would require repentance and forgiveness. He began to pray. Shortly thereafter, the judge discovered Ephrem’s innocence and released him. He thanked the God above and continued to turn his life around.

Realizing that his freedom was a gift from God, he went into the mountains and joined the hermits. Soon Ephrem came under the influence of the well-known ascetic, St. James of Nisibis, and became one of his disciples. Under the guidance of St. James, Ephrem shed his self-centeredness and developed the virtues of humility and fortitude, and became willing to accept God’s will without question or complaint. Ephrem had thought that everything happened by chance. He finally had realized how wrong he was. Once he turned his life over to God, he never looked back.

St. James educated and nurtured the once unpredictable young man and Ephrem blossomed into a humble monk. St. James soon had Ephrem preaching, teaching and instructing children in the faith. He so highly regarded Ephrem that he took him along to the First Ecumenical Council at Nicea. The year was 325.

Ephrem stayed obedient to St. James until James’ death in the year 338. That is when he went to a monastery near the city of Edessa. There were many ascetics living there and their dwelling places were small caves. The living conditions were harsh and the food they ate was local vegetation. Ephrem never wavered and kept his resolve.

While in Edessa, Ephrem was ordained a deacon but declined to become a priest. He had a true gift as a writer and his words delved deeply into Scripture displaying a great knowledge of this subject. He wrote about redemption and was able to explain realistically the connection between humanity and redemption. It was said that Ephrem’s poetic account of the Last Judgment inspired Dante.

The great historian, Sozomen, credited Ephrem with having written more than three million lines of philosophy, science and theology. However, the most important of his works were the lyrics and hymns he wrote. These hymns were “teaching” hymns and were written to combat early heresies and to defend the faith. They were filled with imagery gleaned from the Bible, tradition and even other religions and philosophies. More than 400 of these hymns still exist.

Ephrem’s most influential work is probably his “Hymns Against Heresies.” These hymns were filled with doctrinal teachings and were written to guide the fledgling Catholic/Christians of the time in the truths of the faith. Ephrem’s main instruction regarded Christ’s human and divine natures.

Ephrem the Syrian is not only venerated in the Roman Catholic Church, but also by Eastern Catholics and the Orthodox, as well as the Anglican Communion. Ephrem is recognized as a saint in all of them and has five separate feast days during the year.

On October 5, 1920, Pope Benedict XV declared St. Ephrem a Doctor of the Church. From one of Ephrem’s hymns comes these words: “You (Jesus) alone and your Mother are more beautiful than any others, for there is no blemish in you nor any stains upon your Mother.” 

Besides being a Doctor of the Church, St. Ephrem is called: “The Sun of the Syrians,” “Pillar of the Church,” and, most importantly, “The Harp of the Holy Spirit.” Quite the accomplishment for one poor hermit. 

St Ephrem, please pray for all of us.

The Oath Against Modernism (With Text)

BRING IT BACK!!!

From Pope St Pius X, September 1911. 

St Pius X, pray for us!

The Oath Against Modernism

To be sworn to by all clergy, pastors, confessors, preachers, religious superiors, and professors in philosophical-theological seminaries.

I, N. N., firmly embrace and accept each and every definition that has been set forth and declared by the unerring teaching authority of the Church, especially those principal truths which are directly opposed to the errors of this day. And first of all, I profess that God, the origin and end of all things, can be known with certainty by the natural light of reason from the created world (see Rom. 1:19), that is, from the visible works of creation, as a cause from its effects, and that, therefore, his existence can also be demonstrated: Secondly, I accept and acknowledge the external proofs of revelation, that is, divine acts and especially miracles and prophecies as the surest signs of the divine origin of the Christian religion and I hold that these same proofs are well adapted to the understanding of all eras and all men, even of this time. Thirdly, I believe with equally firm faith that the Church, the guardian and teacher of the revealed word, was personally instituted by the real and historical Christ when he lived among us, and that the Church was built upon Peter, the prince of the apostolic hierarchy, and his successors for the duration of time. Fourthly, I sincerely hold that the doctrine of faith was handed down to us from the apostles through the orthodox Fathers in exactly the same meaning and always in the same purport. Therefore, I entirely reject the heretical’ misrepresentation that dogmas evolve and change from one meaning to another different from the one which the Church held previously. I also condemn every error according to which, in place of the divine deposit which has been given to the spouse of Christ to be carefully guarded by her, there is put a philosophical figment or product of a human conscience that has gradually been developed by human effort and will continue to develop indefinitely. Fifthly, I hold with certainty and sincerely confess that faith is not a blind sentiment of religion welling up from the depths of the subconscious under the impulse of the heart and the motion of a will trained to morality; but faith is a genuine assent of the intellect to truth received by hearing from an external source. By this assent, because of the authority of the supremely truthful God, we believe to be true that which has been revealed and attested to by a personal God, our creator and lord.

Furthermore, with due reverence, I submit and adhere with my whole heart to the condemnations, declarations, and all the prescripts contained in the encyclical Pascendi and in the decree Lamentabili,especially those concerning what is known as the history of dogmas. I also reject the error of those who say that the faith held by the Church can contradict history, and that Catholic dogmas, in the sense in which they are now understood, are irreconcilable with a more realistic view of the origins of the Christian religion. I also condemn and reject the opinion of those who say that a well-educated Christian assumes a dual personality-that of a believer and at the same time of a historian, as if it were permissible for a historian to hold things that contradict the faith of the believer, or to establish premises which, provided there be no direct denial of dogmas, would lead to the conclusion that dogmas are either false or doubtful. Likewise, I reject that method of judging and interpreting Sacred Scripture which, departing from the tradition of the Church, the analogy of faith, and the norms of the Apostolic See, embraces the misrepresentations of the rationalists and with no prudence or restraint adopts textual criticism as the one and supreme norm. Furthermore, I reject the opinion of those who hold that a professor lecturing or writing on a historico-theological subject should first put aside any preconceived opinion about the supernatural origin of Catholic tradition or about the divine promise of help to preserve all revealed truth forever; and that they should then interpret the writings of each of the Fathers solely by scientific principles, excluding all sacred authority, and with the same liberty of judgment that is common in the investigation of all ordinary historical documents.

Finally, I declare that I am completely opposed to the error of the modernists who hold that there is nothing divine in sacred tradition; or what is far worse, say that there is, but in a pantheistic sense, with the result that there would remain nothing but this plain simple fact-one to be put on a par with the ordinary facts of history-the fact, namely, that a group of men by their own labor, skill, and talent have continued through subsequent ages a school begun by Christ and his apostles. I firmly hold, then, and shall hold to my dying breath the belief of the Fathers in the charism of truth, which certainly is, was, and always will be in the succession of the episcopacy from the apostles. The purpose of this is, then, not that dogma may be tailored according to what seems better and more suited to the culture of each age; rather, that the absolute and immutable truth preached by the apostles from the beginning may never be believed to be different, may never be understood in any other way.

I promise that I shall keep all these articles faithfully, entirely, and sincerely, and guard them inviolate, in no way deviating from them in teaching or in any way in word or in writing. Thus I promise, this I swear, so help me God. . .