Professor Ratzinger Criticizes the Council

Joseph Ratzinger became Pope Benedict XVI and never stopped trying to correct what he saw as the Council's errors. Unfortunately, his successor completely changed course and embraced them.

From Rorate Cæli

By Michael Charlier

The following essay was published in German on July 4, 2020, at Summorum Pontificum, but the topic is relevant again, so we have made it available in translation.—PAK

For all those who feel committed to the entire Catholic tradition, the Second Vatican Council is a difficult topic. On the one hand, we know that Vatican II could not have turned anything the Church has always taught upside down. On the other hand, we live in an environment where much seems to have been turned upside down—and we are told that this is precisely the will of the Second Vatican Council, which everyone is expected to acknowledge. And this is not being said by just anyone whose views one could easily dismiss, but by many professors of theology, almost all commentators in the Church media—and most bishops say it as well, or at least signal their tacit approval. Opposition to the “spirit of the Council” and what is passed off as such appears to be the ultimate “anathema” in a Church where one can otherwise say, doubt, or demand almost anything.

It is helpful, then, to revisit how critically Joseph Ratzinger—long before he became Benedict XVI, having himself traveled to the Council as a young theology professor with high hopes—assessed the effects of this supposed dawn of a “new spring” just a few years after his graduation. His assessment, delivered on the 10th anniversary (and later likely slightly revised for inclusion in one of his books), begins with unflinching realism and leads to the sobering insight that this Council, too—like others before it—may have failed to fulfill the purpose for which it was convened and may have done the Church more harm than good.

“That our churches, our seminaries, and our monasteries have become emptier over these ten years is something anyone can have the statisticians confirm, if they have not noticed it themselves; that the atmosphere in the Church has at times been not merely frosty, but downright bitter and aggressive, also needs no elaborate proof; that factionalism is tearing the community apart everywhere is part of our daily experience, threatening the joy of the Christian life. Anyone who says such things is quickly accused of pessimism and thus excluded from the conversation. But these are quite simply empirical facts, and to deny them betrays not so much pessimism as a quiet despair.”

The fact that a council may initially be followed by great confusion comes as no great surprise to Joseph Ratzinger. He cites a letter from Gregory of Nazianzus, who in the year 382 declined the invitation to continue the Council of Constantinople with words that sound disturbingly relevant today: “To tell the truth, I believe one should shun every council of bishops, since I have never witnessed a happy outcome at any of them; nor the abolition of abuses …, but always, on the contrary, ambition or strife over how to proceed.”

He cites even harsher judgments from Gregory’s contemporary and friend Basil. For Basil, the councils of that time led to “appalling disorder and confusion” and filled the entire Church with “ceaseless chatter.”

Only in historical retrospect—according to Joseph Ratzinger—did the great councils of the 4th century become recognizable as beacons of the Church, which helped clarify the identity of the faith through the changing times. Nevertheless, the assessment of the then-professor regarding the effects of these councils is not entirely positive. With palpable sorrow, he recalls the severe schisms that followed them and inflicted wounds on the Church that have not yet healed: “The faithful heirs of the great Bishop Cyril of Alexandria felt betrayed by the formulations that ran counter to their sacred tradition; as Monophysite Christians, they still constitute a significant minority in the East today, whose very existence gives us a sense of the severity of the struggles of that time.”

The Fathers of the Second Vatican Council hoped to avoid such grave consequences by refraining from any dogmatization. “A council that did not dogmatize and excluded no one,” according to Joseph Ratzinger, “seemed capable of offending no one, repelling no one, but attracting everyone. In truth, it fared no differently than the ecumenical councils that preceded it; no one today can seriously dispute the crisis-ridden developments into which it led.”

Among the reasons for this, the then-professor highlighted two in particular: “The Council saw itself as a great examination of conscience for the Church; ultimately, it wanted to be an act of penance, an act of conversion.” Consequently, there was a great willingness to acknowledge, more or less without hesitation, everything the world held against the Church as the Church’s actual guilt toward the world. In order not to incur new guilt, people wanted to see and acknowledge only the good and what was worthy of adoption everywhere. Yet this not only led to a general identity crisis but also tore open a deep rift with the Church’s entire tradition, which now had to appear worthless. Consequently, many would have viewed a radical new beginning as the only alternative.

Joseph Ratzinger identified the naive optimism of the Kennedy era as a second reason. “We can achieve anything if we only want to and devote the necessary resources to it. It was precisely this rupture in historical consciousness—this self-tormenting farewell to the past—that gave rise to the idea of a ‘zero hour,’ in which everything would begin anew and everything that had been done wrong up to that point would finally be set right. The dream of liberation, the dream of something entirely different (!), which shortly thereafter took on an increasingly violent character in the student revolt, also hung, in a certain sense, over the Council; it was this dream that first inspired people and then disappointed them.” The conclusion that Professor Ratzinger draws from both of these motives is devastating. Where repentance leads only to the negative, it all too easily turns into pride; genuine repentance, on the other hand, “leads to the Gospel—that is, to joy, including joy in oneself. The form of self-accusation that was reached at the Council in relation to its own history failed to recognize this and thus led to neurotic manifestations.”

What does this assessment—more than 10 years after the end of the Council—mean for Joseph Ratzinger? Where, in his opinion, must one begin in order to set in motion the proper reception of the Council, which has not even begun? To answer this question, he examines some of the fundamental concepts that shaped the discussions at the Council.

First, he considers the idea of communio—that is, the “theology of the People of God” so emphatically emphasized at the last Council. In putting this theology into practice, he argues, the Council and those responsible for its implementation fell into grave errors by interpreting “communio” and “collegiality” almost exclusively in terms of committees, councils, commissions, and conferences. On this point, he says: “No one can doubt that the unchecked proliferation of such bodies has led to an incredible waste of energy and the production of mountains of meaningless paperwork, while the best minds were worn down by endless discussions that no one wanted, yet which were unavoidable given the new structures.”

He goes on to examine the frequently touted concept of “simplicity.” In doing so, he makes it clear that “simplicity” did not mean poverty or a renunciation of decor, but rather, first and foremost, a justified insistence on reason and rationality, which must not be understood as contrary to faith in Christ. In practice, however, this often led to submission to the Enlightenment’s concept of rationality and the dictates of the spirit of the age.

At the conclusion of his reflections, Joseph Ratzinger drew a sobering conclusion as early as the mid-1970s—one that must displease all those who today wish to elevate the Council, which refrained from all dogmatization, to the status of a super-dogma. At the end of the Council, Karl Rahner compared the mass of paper produced to the vast quantities of pitchblende needed to extract a small amount of radium. Yet between pitchblende and radium there is at least a definite connection—where there is pitchblende, there is also radium. “But there is no similarly necessary connection between the pitchblende of words and paper and the living Christian reality. Whether the Council will become a positive force in Church history depends only indirectly on texts and committees. What is decisive is whether there are people—saints—who, through the unforced commitment of their very selves, bring about something living and new.”

Ratzinger concludes with the unsettling thought that we must today “be self-critical enough to acknowledge that the naive optimism of the Council and the overconfidence of many who supported and promoted it justify, in a frightening way, the grim diagnoses of earlier church leaders regarding the danger of councils. Not all valid councils have also become fruitful councils in the history of the Church; in the end, some amount to nothing but a great futility.”

All quotations are from “On the Place of the Church and Theology Today” in Joseph Ratzinger, Theological Principles, Donauwörth 2005, pp. 383–395.

An Evening With Doctor Johnson

I wish I could, indeed, spend an evening with Dr Johnson! He was a solid Tory, defining Whig as "The name of a faction" and a Tory as "One who adheres to the ancient constitution of the state, and the apostolical hierarchy of the church of England, opposed to a Whig."

From The Imaginative Conservative

By Joseph Pearce

Turning the pages of a volume of essays by Samuel Johnson, I felt at once that I had discovered a new friend, who shared with his admirer G.K. Chesterton the ability to make us see the everyday things of life with a new sense of wonder.

The inimitable Dr. Johnson was just a famous name to me until I read the equally inimitable G.K. Chesterton. In discovering Chesterton’s admiration for Dr. Johnson, I discovered ipso facto someone worth admiring. If Chesterton liked Samuel Johnson, clearly I should like him too. Any friend of Chesterton’s was a friend of mine.

As I sought to illustrate in last week’s essay on Chesterton and Dr. Johnson, the former considered the latter a “great religious genius”, who “judged all things with a gigantic and detached good sense”. Clearly Dr. Johnson was someone whom I should know better. And yet he remained a stranger to me. Worse, my failure to read him constituted a veritable sin of omission. It is true that I own Boswell’s famous Life of Samuel Johnson in a handsome hardback edition, but I had only very occasionally dipped into its pages. I also own Johnson’s Rasselas, in a splendid 1819 edition, in full red Morocco and with an elaborate gilt, which has its place of honour in the antiquarian corner of my library, snuggling up to a four-volume Lives of the Saints, published in 1729. There it sat for years, untouched and largely unheeded, until I took it from the shelf at the end of 2024 and finally read it, to my great delight. I know the date because I listed it amongst “the best books I read in 2024” for an end-of-the-year feature in Catholic World Report. Having finally read it, I can fully appreciate and agree with Chesterton’s description of it as a “philosophical satire on philosophy” and his opinion that its author was “a philosopher mocking philosophers”.

Having had my appetite whetted by the brilliance of Rasselas, it surprises me that I would neglect Dr. Johnson for a further two years. Haunted by Chesterton’s praise for his “titanic intellectual power of logic” and his “love of humility, humanity, and of good and simple things”, I plucked another Johnson volume from the shelf. This was a volume of his selected essays, edited by W. J. Bate and published by Yale University Press in 1968.

Making myself comfortable in my favourite armchair, I settled down for an enjoyable evening with Dr. Johnson. Turning the pages, I felt at once that I had discovered a new friend, who shared with Chesterton the ability to make us see the everyday things of life with a new sense of wonder. Take, for instance, his description of the importance of the first discovery of glass:

Who… would have imagined, that in this shapeless lump lay concealed so many conveniencies of life, as would in time constitute a great part of the happiness of the world? Yet by some such fortuitous liquefaction was mankind taught to procure a body at once in a high degree solid and transparent, which might admit the light of the sun, and exclude the violence of the wind; which might extend the sight of the philosopher to new ranges of existence… and, what is yet of more importance, might supply the decays of nature, and succour old age with subsidiary sight…. Thus was the first artificer in glass… facilitating and prolonging the enjoyment of light, enlarging the avenues of science, and conferring the highest and most lasting pleasure; he was enabling the student to contemplate nature, and the beauty to behold herself.

As I read those words, I enjoyed the same sense of surprise at the glories of the commonplace as I had experienced when I had first read Chesterton’s words about the human eye. “Give me miraculous eyes to see my eyes,” Chesterton wrote. “Those rolling mirrors made alive in me, terrible crystals more incredible, than all the things they see.”

Today, as I write these words, I am using those “rolling mirrors made alive in me” to see the words I’m writing through the glasses perched on my nose and through the glass of the computer screen. Should I look up from the screen, I can see the meadow through the glass of the casement and, beyond the meadow, the towering trees surmounted by a clear early September sky. Echoing the words and wisdom of Dr. Johnson and G.K. Chesterton, I should not merely give thanks to God for the meadow and the trees and the sky but for the eyes and the eyeglasses and the windows.

__________

The featured image is a portrait of Samuel Johnson (“Blinking Sam”), painted by Joshua Reynolds in 1775, and is in the public domain, courtesy of Wikipedia.

Bishop Challoner's Meditations ~ September 4th

ON MOURNING

Consider first, those words of our Lord, in the third beatitude; 'Blessed are they that mourn, for they shall be comforted.' And reflect how widely distant are all the maxims and notions of worldlings with relation to a happy life, from the doctrine of this beatitude, which is the doctrine of truth. The children of this world imagine that mirth, and jollity, and pastimes, and worldly pleasures, are the chief ingredients of a happy life; and that such as laugh now are much more happy, than such as weep and mourn. But they are certainly deceived: for he that cannot err, has pronounced a woe, (implying the worst of miseries,) against them that laugh now, 'for they shall mourn,' (saith he, 'and weep,' Luke vi. 25; whilst on the other hand he has declared them happy, that now weep and mourn. And the holy Spirit long before has told us, by the wisest of men, Eccl. ii. 2. 'Laughter I have counted error, and to mirth I have said, why art thou vainly deceived?' and again, Eccl. vii. 5: 'The heart of the wise is where there is mourning, and the heart of fools where there is mirth.' O let us then mourn now with the wise and with the saints, that we may rejoice with them for ever.

Consider 2ndly, what kind of mourning is here recommended in this beatitude. Not worldly sadness of which it is written, Eccles. xxx. 25, 'Sadness hath killed many, and there is no profit in it;' and 2 Cor vii. 10, 'The sorrow of this world worketh death.' Not a sullen melancholy, or any such mourning as is turbulent, or accompanied with the impatient wishes for death, or anxious solicitudes or despondency; but a more calm and peaceful mourning, viz., of compunction for our sins, daily bewailing them in the sight of God, and doing penance for them; of compassion for our neighbours, lamenting their miseries and the dismal havoc that sin is continually making amongst souls; of condolence with Jesus Christ for the outrages he daily receives from impenitent sinners, who are continually crucifying him by their wicked lives; in fine, of devotion in consideration of our long and wretched banishment, our great distance from our true country in the midst of wars and dangers, and no security but in continual watching, praying, and labouring to work out our salvation with fear and trembling; of our absence from God our sovereign good, who alone can satisfy our souls; and therefore daily mourning for the length of our sojourning in this Babylon, with longing desires after our heavenly Zion. Happy they that are always mourning in this manner!

Consider 3rdly, what the reward is that is here promised to them that mourn, 'They shall be comforted,' saith the Lord. Yea, they shall be comforted, even in this life, with the sweet visitations and grace of the Spirit of God, the true comforter of souls - with the satisfaction and peace of a good conscience, and with the experience of the inconceivable sweetness that is found in the love of God - one hour of which is capable of affording more solid pleasure and delight to the soul than many years of worldly enjoment. And in the life to come they shall be comforted without measure or end, where 'they shall be eternally inebriated with the plenty of God's house, and shall be made to drink of the torrent of his pleasure,' at the very head 'of the fountain of life,' Ps xxxv. 9, 10, the streams of which afford immortal joys to the whole city of God above. O when shall we, my soul, be so happy as to drink at this fountain!

Conclude to make it thy choice to mourn now that thou mayest rejoice for ever. Remember, that 'they that sow in tears shall reap in joy,' Ps. cxxv. 5. As on the other side, the children of the Babylon of this world, who seek their delight and comfort here, must expect hereafter to fall under that sentence of Babylon, pronounced Apoc. xviii. 7, 'As much as she hath glorified herself, and hath been in delicacies, so much sorrow give ye to her.'

4 September, Antonio, Cardinal Bacci: Meditations For Each Day

Holy Indifference

1. That is not indifference towards what is good or towards God. That kind of indifference is the apathy and negligence which distracts us from striving to reach our final end by advancing in sanctity.

The holy indifference which we should all have, or endeavour to have, is described by St. Ignatius in his book on the Spiritual Exercises. It is a virtue which renders us indifferent towards all creatures because we see them only as means which will help or hinder us on the path to sanctity. Therefore we must be indifferent towards sickness and health.

“Grant to me, O Lord,” we should pray, “that which pleases You most. Perhaps you know that health could be a grave danger to me, that it could lead me into offending You, or that at least it could make me too attached to the things of this world. If this is so, send me whatever illness You will. I will accept them from Your hands as a gift of Your mercy and goodness and I will try to sanctify myself by means of them. Nature rebels at this thought; yet I must not listen to the prompting of nature, but to the inspirations of grace.

On the other hand, You may see that my good health would add to Your glory, and help me to grow in sanctity and to be useful in the Apostolate. Grant health to me if it is Your will to do so. I will accept it from Your hands and I will use it solely for Your glory.”

A man who is capable of such high spirituality will not be shaken by the fury of human passion, but will remain always calm and attentive to the demands of grace. He will surrender himself completely to the will of God in all the circumstances of his life.

2. We may wonder whether we are to have a long or a short life. Nature would choose the first alternative, because the will to live and the fear of death are among the strongest of our basic instincts. To obtain a long life we are prepared to promise God that we shall dedicate it to His glory, and spend it in doing good works. But if God sees that a long life would prove to be an occasion of sin for us, and that we should become too deeply attached to this world and forgetful of Heaven, then we should be resigned to, and indeed content with, a short life.

How many young people like St. Aloysius Gonzaga, St. Dominic Savio, and St. Maria Goretti, have reached the peak of sanctity while still in the flower of their youth! If this were the will of God for us, surely we should welcome the advent of an early death?

There is another question which often bothers those who look into the future. Shall I be rich or poor? It is natural to desire wealth and to want to avoid poverty. Yet Jesus says: “Blessed are the poor; and woe to the rich!” It is clear then that wealth is likely to be a greater spiritual danger than poverty, for it can cause us to become more attached to worldly possessions. We can save our souls whether we are rich or poor as long as we make right use of whatever we have. So let the will of God be done.

3. The last question which we must ask ourselves is the most difficult. Should we choose honour or humiliation? It is very hard in this case to say to God: “Thy will be done.” Yet say it we must. If honour, high position, and success redound to the glory of God and to our spiritual advantage, then let us accept them with humble gratitude. But if Divine Providence ordains that it is better for us to be humiliated and forgotten, we must accept this with cheerful resignation. “Do with me what You will, O Lord,” we should pray. “Grant me whatever pleases You, sickness or health, poverty or riches, honour or disgrace.” We must always accept the will of God simply because we love Him and wish to serve Him more faithfully. Let us perform all our actions for His glory, for our eternal salvation, and for the salvation of all mankind.

Byzantine Saints: Holy Prophet and God-Seer Moses

Eastern Rite ~ Feasts of 4 September AM 7534

Today is the Feasts of the Holy Hieromartyr Babylas, Bishop of Antioch and of the Holy Prophet Moses Who Saw God.

✠✠✠✠✠

The Hieromartyr Babylas and with him, the three youths Urban, Prilidian, Epolonius and their mother Christodoula died as martyrs under the emperor Decius (249-251). During his stay in their city of Antioch, the emperor arranged for a large festival in honor of the pagan gods.

At the same time, Babylas, the holy and God-fearing Bishop of Antioch, was serving the Divine Liturgy in church. He prayed for his flock and taught them to endure all tribulations for Christ with courage. The idolater Decius, curious to witness the Divine Mysteries, decided to enter the church.

News of this reached the bishop, so he went out to meet Decius and blocked the path to the church, for he was unwilling to permit impiety in the temple of God. When the emperor approached the church doors, Saint Babylas refused to let him enter, so the emperor had to abandon his intention. He wanted to take revenge on the saint right away, but when he saw the large throng of Christians, he feared they might riot.

The next day the angry emperor ordered that the church be set on fire, and for Bishop Babylas to be brought before him. When asked why he had insulted the imperial dignity by not allowing the emperor to enter the church, the holy bishop answered, “Anyone who would rise up against God and want to desecrate His sanctuary, is not worthy of respect, but has become the enemy of the Lord.”

Decius declared that the holy bishop must worship the idols in order to make up for his lack of respect for the emperor, or else face execution. After convincing himself that the martyr would remain steadfast in his faith, he commanded the military commander Victorinus to put him in heavy chains and lead him through the city in disgrace. The holy martyr replied, “Emperor, these chains are as venerable for me as your imperial crown is for you. For me, suffering for Christ is as desirable as the imperial power is for you. Death for the Immortal King is as precious to me as your life is to you.”

At the trial with Bishop Babylas were three young brothers, who did not forsake him even in this most difficult moment. Seeing them, the emperor asked, “Who are these children? “

“These are my spiritual children,” the saint replied, “and I have raised them in piety, I have given them an education, cultivated them with guidance, and here before you in a small body are these great young men and perfect Christians. Test them and see.”

The emperor tried in all sorts of ways to entice the youths and their mother Christodoula to renounce Christ, but in vain. Then, in a rage, he ordered each of them to be whipped with a number of blows corresponding to their age. The first received twelve blows, the second, ten, and the third, seven. Dismissing the mother and children, the torturer again summoned the bishop, telling him that the children had renounced Christ. He did not believe the lie, however.

Then he commanded all the martyrs be tied to a tree and burned with fire. Seeing the stoic bravery of the saints, the emperor finally condemned them to be beheaded with the sword.

Troparion — Tone 4

Your holy martyrs O Lord, / through their sufferings have received incorruptible crowns from You, our God. / For having Your strength, they laid low their adversaries, / and shattered the powerless boldness of demons. / Through their intercessions, save our souls!

Kontakion — Tone 4

You guarded the mighty works of faith in your heart, / therefore, you did not fear the tyrant; / preserve us as well, Hieromartyr Babylas, good servant of Christ.

✠✠✠✠✠

The Holy Prophet and God-Seer Moses was of the tribe of Levi, the son of Abram and Jochabed (Exodus 6:20). His life is described in the Bible (Exodus 2 through Deuteronomy 34:12).

Moses was born in Egypt around 1689 B.C. When Pharaoh ordered all male children of the Hebrew slaves to be killed (Exodus 1:22), Moses’ mother placed him in a basket of papyrus coated with pitch, and set him adrift on the Nile. Pharaoh’s daughter found him and raised him as her own son.

At the age of eighty, Moses fled to Midian, where he spoke to God in the Burning Bush on Mt. Horeb (Exodus 3:2). God chose Moses to lead His people from the slavery of Egypt. They crossed the Red Sea as if it were dry land, and for forty years they wandered in the desert.

Arriving in the land of Moab, Moses went to the top of Mt. Nabau, or Nebo (Deuteronomy 32:49), which is called Phasga (Deut. 34:1). There, according to the will of God, he died in 1569 B.C. at the age of 120 without entering the Promised Land.

The first two Biblical Odes are attributed to Moses: “Let us sing to the Lord...” (Exodus 15:1-9), which was sung on the shores of the Red Sea after the Hebrews had crossed it. “Attend, O heaven...” (Deut. 32:1-43) was sung in the land of Moab, a few days before Moses’ death. He is also regarded as the author of the Pentateuch (the first five books of the Old Testament).

The holy Prophet Moses performed many miracles during his lifetime, and also after his death. He appeared on Tabor with the Prophet Elias at the Transfiguration of the Lord (August 6).

On the day that Saint John of the Ladder (March 30) was installed as abbot of Mt. Sinai, the Prophet Moses was seen going around and giving orders to the cooks, stewards, and servants. When the guests had gone and the monks were sitting at table, they wondered what had become of the stranger who had been giving orders. Saint John said, “Our Lord Moses does nothing strange by serving in the place which belongs to him.”

Troparion — Tone 2

You ascended to the heights of the virtues, Prophet Moses; / therefore, you were deemed worthy to see the glory of God. / Having received the grace-filled tablets of the Law, / and bearing the grace of the writing within yourself, / you were the honourable praise of prophets, / and a great mystery of piety.

Kontakion — Tone 2

The choir of prophets rejoices with Moses and Aaron today, / for the fulfillment of their prophecy is in our midst. / The Cross, by which You have saved us, shines forth today. / By their prayers, O Christ God, have mercy on us.

4 September, The Chesterton Calendar

SEPTEMBER 4th

There is a notion adrift everywhere that imagination, especially mystical imagination, is dangerous to man's mental balance. Poets are commonly spoken of as psychologically unreliable; and generally there is a vague association between wreathing laurels in your hair and sticking straws in it. Facts and history utterly contradict this view. Most of the very great poets have been not only sane, but extremely business-like; and if Shakespeare ever really held horses, it was because he was much the safest man to hold them. Imagination does not breed insanity. Exactly what does breed insanity is reason. Poets do not go mad, but chess-players do. Mathematicians go mad, and cashiers, but creative artists very seldom.

'Orthodoxy.'

4 September, The Holy Rule of St Benedict, Patriarch of Western Monasticism

PROLOGUE OF OUR MOST HOLY FATHER SAINT BENEDICT TO HIS RULE

4 Jan. 5 May. 4 Sept.

Having our loins, therefore, girded with faith and the performance of good works, let us walk in His paths by the guidance of the Gospel, that we may deserve to see Him Who hath called us to His kingdom. And if we wish to dwell in the tabernacle of His kingdom, we shall by no means reach it unless we run thither by our good deeds. But let us ask the Lord with the Prophet, saying to Him: “Lord, who shall dwell in Thy tabernacle, or who shall rest upon Thy holy hill?” After this question, brethren, let us hear the Lord answering, and shewing to us the way to His tabernacle, and saying: “He that walketh without stain and worketh justice: he that speaketh truth in his heart, that hath not done guile with his tongue: he that hath done no evil to his neighbour, and hath not taken up a reproach against his neighbour:” he that hath brought the malignant evil one to naught, casting him out of his heart with all his suggestions, and hath taken his bad thoughts, while they were yet young, and dashed them down upon the (Rock) Christ. These are they, who fearing the Lord, are not puffed up with their own good works, but knowing that the good which is in them cometh not from themselves but from the Lord, magnify the Lord Who worketh in them, saying with the Prophet: “Not unto us, O Lord, not unto us, but unto Thy Name give the glory.” So the Apostle Paul imputed nothing of his preaching to himself, but said: “By the grace of God I am what I am.” And again he saith:  “He that glorieth, let him glory in the Lord.”

5 September, The Roman Martyrology

Nonis Septémbris Luna vicésima tértia. Anno Dómini 2026

September 5th 2026, the 23rd day of the Moon,
On the morrow we keep the feast of holy Lawrence Giustiniani, first Patriarch of Venice, who adorned by graces and by the glory of miracles that Episcopal see which, upon the 5th day of September, he was compelled against his own will to occupy. His birth into the better life is mentioned upon the 8th day of January.
Upon the same 5th day of September, were born into the better life:
At Rome, in the suburb, the blessed martyr Victorinus, Bishop of Amiternum, (now called after him San Vittorino.) He was famous for holiness and miracles, and was chosen to the see of that city by the voice of all the people thereof. Afterwards, under Nerva-Trajan, he was sent, along with other servants of God, to Cutilia, where there is a pool of stinking sulphurous waters, and where the judge Aurelian ordered him to be hung up with his head downwards this torment he suffered for the space of three days, for Christ's name's sake, and then departed in triumph, gloriously crowned to be ever with the Lord. The Christians carried off his hody, and buried it honourably at Amiternum.
At Porto, (in the second century,) the holy martyr Herculan.
At Capua, the holy martyrs Quintius, Arcontius, and Donatus.
Upon the same day holy Romulus, Praefect of the Palace to the Emperor Trajan he denounced the cruelty of that Emperor against the Christians, and for that cause was first beaten with rods and then beheaded.
At Melitina, in Armenia, the holy soldiers Eudoxius, Zeno, Macarius, and their Companions, one thousand one hundred and four in number, who in the persecution under the Emperor Diocletian renounced their military service, and were massacred for confessing Christ.
At Constantinople, the holy martyrs Urban, Theodore, Menedem, and their Companions, seventy-seven in number, of the ecclesiastical state, who under the Emperor Valens, for the Catholic faith's sake, were put on board a ship and burnt at sea.
At the monastery of Sithiu, in the country of Thérouanne, (in the eighth century,) the holy Abbot Bertin.
At Toledo, the holy Virgin Obdulia.
℣. And elsewhere many other holy martyrs, confessors, and holy virgins.
℟. Thanks be to God.

Meme of the Moment

Today is the 202nd anniversary of his birth.

Benediction of the Blessed Sacrament

From SSPX ANZ-District.

Traditional Catholic Evening Prayers in English | September

Traditional Catholic evening devotional prayers to close your day with your mind, heart, tongue, and soul on our Lord! The month of September is dedicated to the Seven Sorrows of Our Lady. Begin and end each day with prayer. This video is a compilation of many traditional evening prayers Catholics say, and should not be considered a replacement for those who have an obligation to pray the Divine Office evening prayers.

Compline

From St Thomas Aquinas Seminary. You may follow the Office at Divinum Officium.

Byzantine Saints: Saint Phoebe the Deaconess at Cenchreae Near Corinth

St Macnisius, First Bishop of Conner: Butler's Lives of the Saints

Vespers of Thursday for the Feast of St Pius X, Pope & Confessor

From the Canons Regular of the New Jerusalem. You may follow the Office at Divinum Officium.

Summa Contra Gentiles, Book II: LXXIII That There Is Not One Possible Intellect in All Men

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 II is dedicated to the Creation (in other words, the physical universe, everything which exists). 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.

Daniel Dennett (R+I+P), DPhil, on Consciousness, Virtual Immortality, and Panpsychism

From Closer to Truth, a secular source.

Daniel Dennett discusses the nature of consciousness, if consciousness is an illusion, artificial intelligence and virtual immortality, and how he covers all of this in his book, Just Deserts: Debating Free Will, co-authored with Gregg D. Caruso. Daniel Clement Dennett was a philosopher, writer, and cognitive scientist whose research centered on the philosophy of mind, philosophy of science, and philosophy of biology, particularly as those fields relate to evolutionary biology and cognitive science.

The Holy Rosary

Thursday, the Joyful Mysteries, in Latin with Cardinal Burke.

Could Anne of Cleves Have Remarried? Flanders' Mare

From History Calling

Could ANNE OF CLEVES have remarried after her annulment? Best known as the fourth wife of Henry VIII, the story of the Tudors took an unexpected turn when the German Anne of Cleves was unceremoniously dumped by her husband in 1540 so that he could marry her lady-in-waiting, Katherine Howard. She had been Queen of England for barely six months. Anne never remarried, but could she have followed Henry’s example and done so if she’d wished and if so, at what point in time might she have been able to do this? In this six wives documentary from History Calling we’ll take an in-depth look at the annulment of Henry VIII and Anne of Cleves, examining the reasons the King claimed they weren’t married, including her childhood precontract with Francis I, Duke of Lorraine (who later married Christina of Denmark, Duchess of Milan), Henry’s inability to consummate the marriage and his reluctance to marry Anne in the first place. We’ll then ask whether Anne was free, according to the laws of England as well as those of the Catholic Church (which was the religion of most of Europe at this stage) to remarry and examine the practical and financial problems which would have ensued if she had tried to do so. We’ll also look at the life of Anne of Cleves after her annulment, consider why life as an unmarried woman in Tudor England may have been preferable to marriage and learn why she might rightfully be regarded as perhaps the greatest Tudor survivor.

The Origin and Evolution of Universes John D. Barrow (R+I+P) DPhil (University of Cambridge)

From The Society of Catholic Scientists

Science Reveals a Surprising Trace of St Thérèse’s Faith

Her patella (kneecap), preserved as a relic, shows signs of repeated kneeling and rising. Not surprising for a Carmelite Nun who spent much of her day in prayer.

 From Aleteia

By Cerith Gardiner & Agnès Pinard Legry

Nearly 130 years after her death, one tiny relic is offering a fascinating glimpse into the very physical reality of St. Thérèse's Little Way.

Almost 130 years after St. Thérèse of Lisieux died, scientists are still discovering things about the young Carmelite, and as Aleteia France shared, the latest clue has come from a rather unexpected source: her kneecap.

A new scientific study has examined one of Thérèse's patellas, preserved as a relic in the Church of St. Catherine in Honfleur, France. The small bone, protected inside a glass and gilded-metal reliquary, comes from the remains of the saint exhumed in 1923, shortly before her beatification.

Dr. Philippe Charlier, a French physician, anthropologist and paleopathologist, noticed unusual changes on the upper surface of the bone, where the quadriceps tendon attached. Known as enthesopathies, these changes included what radiologists rather wonderfully call the “patella tooth sign,” thanks to its jagged appearance, and can be associated with repeated strain on the muscle.

Such wear might be unremarkable after many decades of life. Thérèse, however, was just 24 when she died of tuberculosis in 1897, which left Charlier with an intriguing question: What had this very young woman been doing with her knees?

A day that involved a lot of kneeling

One possible answer lies in the daily rhythm of life at the Carmel of Lisieux. The community's ceremonial instructions were extraordinarily precise about the sisters' movements during prayer, specifying when they should stand, sit, or kneel. There were genuflections on one knee and on both knees, along with different forms of prostration, including one in which a sister kissed the ground and another in which she lay completely flat with her arms extended in the form of a cross.

And all those movements were repeated, day after day, as part of a routine Thérèse followed from the age of 15, when she entered the Carmel, until her death nine years later. Charlier believes that the constant kneeling and rising could have placed enough strain on her quadriceps to leave a trace where the tendon met the bone.

The study cannot tell us for certain that prayer caused those changes. This is a retrospective diagnosis based on a single piece of bone, and the connection with Thérèse's religious practices remains an interpretation. But the possibility offers an unusually physical glimpse into a life we tend to know through photographs, manuscripts and, increasingly, statues.

The Little Way, in flesh and bone

That physical dimension is particularly interesting with Thérèse because her spirituality was rooted in the ordinary. Her “Little Way” did not depend on heroic adventures or grand gestures, but on trust in God and love expressed through the smallest actions of daily life.

When Pope Francis devoted an apostolic exhortation to Thérèse in 2023, he described her earthly life as “brief, a mere 24 years, and completely ordinary,” while noting that she lived charity “in the smallest things of daily life.”

Those daily things required a body. Thérèse's knees touched the ground, her legs lifted her back up, her feet carried her through the convent and her hands performed the work assigned to her. Long before she became a statue holding roses and a crucifix, she was a young woman responding to bells, turning up for prayer, completing chores and living alongside the same small community every day.

The kneecap preserved in Honfleur cannot tell us what Thérèse was thinking as she performed any of those movements, nor can science measure the faith with which she made them. What it can reveal is that the ordinary life behind the Little Way was not an abstraction. It was lived in a body, through thousands of small actions repeated so often that some of them may eventually have left their mark on her bones.

And that may be the loveliest detail in this curious discovery. Nearly 130 years after Thérèse's death, researchers have not uncovered evidence of some dramatic, previously unknown chapter of her short life. Instead, a tiny bone may have preserved the trace of something she did over and over again: bend her knee, rise, and begin again.

For a saint who spent her life showing that the smallest actions need not be insignificant, it's quite a legacy for one little kneecap.

Bishop Says Catholics Are Wrong for Rejecting Socialism

ROTFL! Says the heretic. The Church has ALWAYS condemned it.

Vatican Issues Environmental Document That Twists The Eucharist Into Knots

The Eucharist is now about the environment. We should be thankful that immigration wasn't shoehorned into the Eucharist, too.

What Really Happened in a Medieval Inn?

From Modern History TV

What was life really like in a medieval inn? From dawn fires to drunken brawls, discover the truth behind the tavern tropes. Perfect for history fans, D&D players, and world-builders. Jason Kingsley, OBE, the Modern Knight, discusses what may have happened in a medieval inn over a normal day and night.

Step inside the smoky, bustling world of a medieval inn. In this video, we explore what daily life was really like for the people who ran and visited these vital hubs of travel, trade, and gossip. From dawn to dark, discover the sights, sounds, smells (yes, smells), food, drink, and drama that filled the day.Whether you're a history lover, a world-builder, or a Dungeon Master looking for inspiration, this is the deep dive into medieval inns you didn’t know you needed.

No AI, AI free, human made, no gen AI.

Everything in this video is filmed, tested, and experienced in real conditions. No AI-generated content. 🔹 What did an innkeeper actually do all day? 🔹 What was for dinner (and how long had it been there)? 🔹 Was it really all ale and adventure?