Summa Contra Gentiles Book I: That God Is His Own Essence

From Contemplating History

Saint Thomas Aquinas (1225 – 7 March 1274), was a Doctor of the Church, Philosopher, Theologian, Jurist, Dominican Friar, and Priest. Known as Doctor Angelicus "Angelic Doctor," and the Doctor Communis "Universal Doctor" his writings serve as a defense and proof of the validity of Christ's authority over all. The Summa contra Gentiles (also known as Liber de veritate catholicae fidei contra errores infidelium, "Book on the truth of the Catholic faith against the errors of the unbelievers"). The Summa contra Gentiles consists of four books. The structure of Saint Thomas's work is designed to proceed from general philosophical arguments for monotheism, to which Muslims and Jews are likely to consent even within their own respective religious traditions, before progressing to the discussion of specifically Christian doctrine. Book I begins with general questions of truth and natural reason, and from chapter 10 investigates the concept of a monotheistic God. Chapters 10 to 13 are concerned with the existence of God, followed by a detailed investigation of God's properties (chapters 14 to 102). When demonstrating a Truth about God which can be known through reason, St. Thomas gives multiple arguments, each proving the same Truth in a different way. Whether you are a history enthusiast, a student of religion, or simply curious about the impact of the Roman Catholic Church on the world, this playlist is designed to provide an informative and engaging journey through its captivating past. Subscribe to the Contemplating History channel for more educational content and immerse yourself in the rich tapestry of history.

A Catholic Stance on Artificial Intelligence

From Ascension Presents

“…it is essential to emphasize the importance of moral responsibility grounded in the dignity and vocation of the human person. This guiding principle also applies to questions concerning AI.” Antiqua et Nova, 39 Today Fr. Mark-Mary shares how we, as Catholics, should respond to the rise of AI. He explains how we need to be cautiously optimistic and never forget that God is with us in the midst of a technologically advancing era.

Kaisertum Österreich (Austrian Empire) ~ (1804–1867)

From The Romanian Monarchist

The Austrian Empire, officially known as the Empire of Austria, was a multinational European great power from 1804 to 1867, created by proclamation out of the realms of the Habsburgs. During its existence, it was the third most populous monarchy in Europe after the Russian Empire and the United Kingdom, while geographically, it was the third-largest empire in Europe after the Russian Empire and the First French Empire. The empire was proclaimed by Francis II in 1804 in response to Napoleon's declaration of the First French Empire, unifying all Habsburg possessions under one central government. It remained part of the Holy Roman Empire until the latter's dissolution in 1806. It continued fighting against Napoleon throughout the Napoleonic Wars, except for a period between 1809 and 1813, when Austria was first allied with Napoleon during the invasion of Russia and later neutral during the first few weeks of the Sixth Coalition War. Austria and its allies emerged victorious in the war, leading to the Congress of Vienna, which reaffirmed the empire as one of the great powers of the 19th century. The Kingdom of Hungary—as Regnum Independens—was administered by its own institutions separately from the rest of the empire. After Austria was defeated in the Austro-Prussian War of 1866, the Austro-Hungarian Compromise of 1867 was adopted, joining the Kingdom of Hungary and the Empire of Austria to form Austria-Hungary.

Does the Big Bang Prove God Created the Universe?

With Fr Thomas Davenport, OP, LicPhil, PhD, Professor of Philosophy at the Angelicum in Rome.

Holy Week Under Surveillance in Nicaragua

From 2025, but nothing has changed. The Red regime is still oppressing the Church in Nicaragua, possibly more so than last year.

From Aleteia

By Daniel Esparza

The regime of Daniel Ortega and Rosario Murillo have labelled Catholic leaders “terrorists” and driven hundreds of clergy and religious into exile.

As Catholics around the world marked Holy Week with solemn processions and prayer, believers in Nicaragua gathered under a far different atmosphere — one of fear, surveillance, and government-imposed silence.

On Palm Sunday, Cardinal Leopoldo Brenes of Managua stood before his flock in the city’s cathedral, with police and paramilitaries stationed just outside. The faithful were not allowed to leave church grounds, and public processions remained banned for the third consecutive year.

Despite the pressure, Cardinal Brenes preached not defiance, but mercy. “Forgiveness is part of the Lord’s passion,” he said. “God loves us and loves us intensely. As Pope Francis tells us, God forgives everything and forgives us all.”

His message of hope stood in sharp contrast to the heavy-handed repression under the regime of Daniel Ortega and Rosario Murillo, who have labeled Catholic leaders “terrorists” and driven hundreds of clergy and religious into exile.

As noted by David Agren of OSV News, priests in Nicaragua now operate under extreme restrictions. They’re monitored by both official police and citizen informants, known locally as “citizen power councils.” Homilies are vetted. Political topics are banned. Even colors — like the blue and white of the Nicaraguan flag — are forbidden in church decorations.

“They’ve managed to infiltrate parishes and pastoral staff,” Denis Alaniz, a journalist with Panorama Católica, told OSV News. “Some priests are not preaching at all to avoid being kidnapped.”

In the Diocese of Matagalpa, where Bishop Rolando Álvarez was imprisoned before being forced into exile, priests often skip their homilies altogether. “Their work consists of surviving and staying quiet,” Alaniz said. “At least the administration of the sacraments continues.”

The Church has always been a moral voice in Nicaragua — as is now one of the last independent institutions after the regime closed news outlets, outlawed nonprofits, and silenced business leaders. Since the 2018 protests, which began on Good Friday that year, the regime has treated the Church as an opponent for sheltering demonstrators and advocating for political prisoners and human rights.

According to Agren, more than 226 bishops, priests, and religious have either been expelled or barred from returning to Nicaragua. Fourteen religious orders have had to leave, and over 70 Catholic-run institutions — including Caritas chapters and Catholic universities — have been shuttered.

Religious speech is now effectively criminalized. A report from Church Solidarity Worldwide noted that simply preaching on justice, unity, or the fate of political prisoners could be construed as government criticism.

Auxiliary Bishop Silvio José Báez, now living in exile in Miami, wrote during Holy Week: “The dictatorship has banned street processions. What they will not be able to prevent is the Crucified One from revealing his victory … in every act of solidarity for the victims.”

Arturo McFields, a former Nicaraguan diplomat, told OSV News: “Despite the expulsions, the burning of temples, the censorship of Holy Week … people’s faith remains intact, and that scares them.”

Israel Blocks Cardinal Pizzaballa From Offering Palm Sunday Mass

The ban was later withdrawn at the PM's direct orders.

The measure was taken due to stated security concerns in the Old City. The international community responded severely, causing Israel to change course. How would the saints react to the stated security concerns?

The Horrifying Truth Of Medieval Battlefield Surgery

From Chronicle ~ Medieval History Documentaries

In today's deep dive into the world of medieval medical care, historian Matt Lewis and Kevin Goodman - the time-travelling medicine man - take a look at Battlefield Surgery to discover the grisly fate that awaited any injured soldiers.

Traditional Catholic Morning Prayers in English | March

Traditional Catholic morning prayers to help start your day in a godly way! The month of March is dedicated to St. Joseph. We've also included a powerful Lenten prayer -- the Prayer Before a Crucifix. 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.

Do Catholics & Protestants Worship the Same God? (Bible Answer) ~ (See Note)

From Totus Catholica

The answer might surprise you—it’s both yes and no. In this thought-provoking video, we explore the shared belief in the Triune God while addressing the profound differences in how Catholics and Protestants understand and worship Him. From sacraments to Scripture, authority to tradition, this is a deep dive into unity, division, and the path to reconciliation. 📌 Watch until the end to discover how Catholicism offers the fullness of faith—and how we can bridge the gap with love and truth. ✨ What You’ll Learn in This Video: 📖 The Shared Belief in the Triune God Among Christians 🌟 Why Differences in Worship Create Division 👑 How Catholic Teaching Offers the Fullness of Faith 🙏 Practical Steps to Foster Unity Without Compromising Truth 📚 Resources & Links Mentioned in This Video: 📖 Scripture References: John 17:21 – “That they may all be one… so the world may believe.” 1 Corinthians 8:6 – “Yet for us there is one God, the Father… and one Lord, Jesus Christ.” John 6:53 – “Unless you eat the flesh of the Son of Man and drink His blood, you have no life in you.” Matthew 16:18 – “You are Peter, and on this rock I will build my Church.” 🔗 Additional Resources: 📖 Catechism of the Catholic Church (CCC 818): Fullness of salvation subsists in the Catholic Church. 📖 Vatican II, Lumen Gentium: Elements of sanctification found outside the visible structure of the Church. 📖 St. Augustine: “We are Christians, and we believe in the One God… and in Jesus Christ, His only Son, our Lord.” 📖 St. Ignatius of Antioch: “Where the bishop is, there is the Church.”

💬 Join the Discussion! Do you think Catholics and Protestants worship the same God? How has this question impacted your faith journey? Share your thoughts or questions below—I’d love to hear from you!

Nota Bene ~ 📖 Catechism of Pope St Pius X: 12 Q. The many societies of persons who are baptised but who do not acknowledge the Roman Pontiff as their Head do not, then, belong to the Church of Jesus Christ?

A. No, those who do not acknowledge the Roman Pontiff as their Head do not belong to the Church of Jesus Christ.

Holy Week Is a Kind of Homecoming

As we approach Easter, we are coming home, home to the Risen Christ, to the Christ who died for us on the Cross and rose from the dead.

From Aleteia

By Fr. Patrick Briscoe, OP

We are coming to a place we know. What can we rediscover here?

As our Lord approached the city, a great multitude came out to meet him. They waved palm branches and spread their cloaks before him. Cries rang forth from their hearts as they shouted from the depths of their souls, “Hosanna, Blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord!”

On Palm Sunday, we re-enact, we remember the Lord’s triumphant entry to Jerusalem. By our words and actions, the Lord gives us the grace to make present in the here-and-now the mercy poured out in days of old. 

The words of the liturgy pierce us. They are familiar and well-worn. Holy Week is a kind of homecoming, a returning to a place we know and love. This return, filled with all the joy of an arrival, is an opportunity to discover hidden meanings, new depths of Christ’s work in our lives.

One simple example: What is the cry “Hosanna”? We say ‘Hosanna’ at every Holy Mass. But what does it mean?

Supplication

Hosanna was prayed by the priests of Israel as part of the celebration of a Temple feast in Jerusalem. It was a supplication, a crying out. It was a plea for God to hear and answer Israel’s cries for deliverance. John the Evangelist writes in his Gospel, “Blessed are you, who have come in your abundant mercy! O gates, lift high your heads; grow higher, ancient doors. Let him enter, the king of glory! Who is this king of glory? He, the Lord of hosts, he is the king of glory. Hosanna in the highest!” The words of the Gospel, quoted from Psalm 24, can be understood as describing the assembly moving to the holy city. As the people of God grew closer to the place of the Temple where they would invoke God, the gates loomed larger. 

Praise

Hosanna is a cry of praise. We shout HOSANNA to thank almighty God for the wonderful work he has done. God has remembered his covenant of old. He has been faithful to his promise to Israel; that he would send a savior from the house of David. And so we cry out, “Hosanna! Blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord! Blessed is the kingdom of our father David that is to come! Hosanna in the highest!” (Mk 11:10).

Blessing

To cry “Hosanna!” Means to grant adulation and honor to the name of the Lord. For Israel, God’s name is holy and by extension the words we use to bless are particular. Hosanna is a sanctifying cry, making holy in the name of the Lord the things blessed by our acclaim. Every Sunday as we sing the Sanctus (the Holy, Holy, Holy) we sing these words: “Hosanna! Blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord!” It is a cry of welcome, and acclamation, for at every Mass, we welcome our King. May we cut green branches and spread our cloaks, making our hearts ready places, places fit to welcome Christ our King!

Let us join in

Present before our eyes is a deep mystery. The Lord invites us to participate in his work of redemption. Archbishop Fulton Sheen says,

He borrowed a boat from a fisherman from which to preach; He borrowed barley loaves and fishes from a boy to feed the multitude; He borrowed a grave from which he would rise; and now he borrowed an ass on which to enter Jerusalem.”

The Lord extends to us the chance to join in his saving work.

Whether the Lord looks to us this week for assistance—helping out our stressed parish priest, teaching our children about the saving mysteries of Easter, or taking palm branches to the sick or homebound—or whether he simply looks to meet us in the quiet of our prayers, he wants us to choose him. 

Choose Christ this week. Turn to him in supplication, praise his holy name and bless his work! Cry out again, Hosanna!