Vatican Economics

From the Paul Street Journal

In this episode of the Paul Street Journal, we explore the unique economy of Vatican City State, a country that operates without levying taxes. Join us as we discuss how the Vatican is funded through various sources including donations, museum revenues, real estate, investments, and services. Learn about the role of Peter's Pence, the impact of commercial activities, and the surprising financial management challenges faced by the Vatican. Understand the distributed monarchy model and how it diverges from traditional perceptions of financial funnels towards centralized power. Chapters: 00:00 Introduction 00:40 How is the Vatican Funded? 05:16 Management of Vatican Finances 06:15 Monarchy

The Holy Rosary

Tuesday, the Sorrowful Mysteries, in Latin with Cardinal Burke.

The Life of Grand Duchess Maria Alexandrovna of Russia ~ (1853–1920)

From The Romanian Monarchist

Grand Duchess Maria Alexandrovna of Russia (Russian: Марія Александровна; 17 October [O.S. 5 October] 1853 – 24 October 1920) was the fifth child and only surviving daughter of Alexander II of Russia and Marie of Hesse and by Rhine; she was Duchess of Edinburgh and later Duchess of Saxe-Coburg and Gotha as the wife of Alfred, Duke of Saxe-Coburg and Gotha. She was the younger sister of Alexander III of Russia and the paternal aunt of Russia's last emperor, Nicholas II. In 1874, Maria married Prince Alfred, Duke of Edinburgh, the second son of Queen Victoria and Prince Albert of Saxe-Coburg and Gotha; she was the only Romanov to marry into the British royal family. The couple had five children: Alfred, Marie, Victoria Melita, Alexandra, and Beatrice. For the first years of her marriage, Maria lived in England. She neither adapted to the British court nor overcame her dislike for her adopted country. She accompanied her husband on his postings as an admiral of the Royal Navy at Malta (1886–1889) and Devonport (1890–1893). The Duchess of Edinburgh travelled extensively through Europe. She visited her family in Russia frequently and stayed for long periods in England and Germany attending social and family events. In August 1893, Maria became Duchess of Saxe-Coburg and Gotha when her husband inherited the duchy on the death of his childless uncle, Ernest II, Duke of Saxe-Coburg and Gotha. She enjoyed life in Germany, where she became active in cultural endeavours and charitable work. To her daughters, she gave every support, but she was critical of her wayward son, Alfred, who died in 1899. Her husband died in 1900 and was succeeded as Duke of Saxe-Coburg and Gotha by his nephew Charles Edward. In her widowhood, Maria continued to live in Coburg. The outbreak of World War I divided her sympathies. She sided with Germany against her native Russia. Many of her relatives, including her brother Paul and her nephew Nicholas II, were killed during the Russian Revolution, and Maria lost her considerable fortune. After World War I, the Duchy of Saxe-Coburg and Gotha ceased to exist in November 1918. Maria died in 1920 while living under reduced circumstances in exile in Switzerland.

Medical Ethics: 12. The Distribution of Health Care

With Margaret Hogan, PhD, McNerney-Hanson Professor of Ethics, University of Portland.

Carmelite Monastery Coming to New South Wales, Australia

As a Carmelite Tertiary, I'm always excited by news of a new foundation, even if these Nuns are of the "breakaway" Order of St Teresa of Ávila & St John of the Cross.

From Aleteia

By Christine Rousselle

Groundbreaking on the Discalced Carmelite monastery in New South Wales will be on January 10. The nuns arrived in Australia in 2019 from Pittsburgh.

ardinal Mykola Bychok of Sydney and Bishop Columba Macbeth-Green of Wilcannia-Forbes will preside over the groundbreaking of a new monastery for an order of Discalced Carmelite nuns on January 10, as the order officially establishes a presence in the town of Mathoura, New South Wales, Australia.

The Discalced Carmelites arrived in Mathoura in 2019, and were originally from the Diocese of Pittsburgh.

In 2024, the community was granted "autonomous status," and is now known as the "Carmel of Elijah." The 12 Carmelite nuns are currently living in a farmhouse, said their website.

The Carmelites live an entirely cloistered life and do not leave their community. With permission from the bishop, the Carmel of Elijah worships in the extraordinary form of the Mass and Divine Office. The primary mission of the order is to pray for the Church and for the world, said the order's website.

The monastery will be built in Mathoura, New South Wales.

Carmel of Elijah

The monastery will be built with "sustainable and long-lasting construction materials," said the order, and "will not only be a fitting reflection of the simple eremitical life of the Sisters but will also witness to God’s presence for hundreds of years to come."

In 2024, the community welcomed its first member from Australia.

Carmelites are a "powerhouse"

The Carmelites were welcomed in the Diocese of Wilcannia-Forbes when they arrived in 2019, and Macbeth-Green told The Catholic Weekly, an Australian Catholic newspaper, that he had been hoping to get a contemplative, cloistered group of nuns in his diocese for a while.

Contemplative religious, said Macbeth-Green at the time, "are the powerhouse of any diocese, in their prayer and their witness."

"They are the heart of the church. Because ours is a rural and remote diocese, the nuns will be a great source of consolation for clergy and our people.” 

The Discalced Carmelites are one branch of Carmelites, a religious order founded in the 12th century. The term "Discalced" translates to "shoeless," and refers to the fact that members of the order wear only sandals or go barefoot.

Why Medieval Castles Actually Worked Well

From Modern History TV

What was a medieval castle really for and how did it actually work? In this video, I explore a real medieval castle to uncover the practical, often misunderstood reality behind castle life, defence, and design. Forget fantasy castles and movie myths. This is about how a medieval castle was used day to day and how they were designed to survive attack.

From gatehouses and walls to living quarters, storage, and defensive planning, every part of a medieval castle had a purpose. Castles were built to be lived in, defended, and sometimes fought over often for long periods under real threat.

Using genuine historical knowledge and the physical evidence still visible today, this video breaks down:

How medieval castles were designed to stop attackers How defenders used space, height, and terrain The uncomfortable, practical realities of medieval castle living This isn’t a reconstruction or a fantasy tour it’s a look at how castles actually functioned, based on real structures and historical understanding. If you’re interested in medieval history, castles, siege warfare, or how ordinary people lived in extraordinary buildings, this video is for you.

Traditional Catholic Morning Prayers in English | Christmastide

Traditional Catholic Christmas morning prayers to help start your day. Christmastide begins with Christmas and extends to Candlemas on February 2. Prayers for the Christmas season, in honour of the Nativity and the Virgin's birth of Christ, the Saviour of the world. This morning prayer 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.

400,000 Sacrifices Happen Daily. But Jesus Only Died Once.

From Totus Catholica

The Math Behind "One Sacrifice, Many Masses" (Explained With Equations) If you celebrate Mass a thousand times, how many sacrifices of Christ do you have? A thousand, one, or zero? This question divides Christians. Protestants accuse Catholics of crucifying Jesus over and over. But the Catholic answer reveals something stunning about how eternity intersects with time: The Mass is not a multiplication problem where you add more sacrifices. It's a presentation problem where one eternal reality appears in multiple moments and places without being repeated or diminished. 📌 Think of it like this: One sacrifice, infinite access points. The Mass makes present the one sacrifice of Calvary through an unbloody representation. When you attend Mass in New York on Sunday and someone attends in Nairobi the same day, you both access the same sacrifice (S). The equation is not S + S + S (multiple sacrifices). The equation is S = S = S. One sacrifice made present in multiple times and places without being multiplied or divided. ✨ What You'll Discover – Why "sacrifice" language confuses people and creates a theological crisis – What Hebrews really teaches: Christ offered himself "once for all" yet His offering remains present in heaven – The difference between bloody (Calvary) and unbloody (Mass) offering of the same sacrifice – How the Catechism and Council of Trent explain "representation" vs. "repetition" – The mathematical analogy: S = S = S (one sacrifice, many access points) – Why the Mass doesn't deny Hebrews 10:11–14 but fulfills it – How eternity intersects with time so Calvary becomes sacramentally present today ⏳ Chapters 0:00 – The Question That Divides Christians 0:58 – Why "Sacrifice" Language Creates Confusion 2:27 – What Scripture Says: Hebrews 10:11–14 and the "Once for All" Offering 3:24 – The Key: Bloody vs. Unbloody Representation 4:14 – The Math: S = S = S (One Sacrifice, Many Masses) 6:00 – Protestant Objections Answered 7:12 – Three Takeaways for Living This Truth 🌐 Stay Connected 📿 Daily Holy Hour – https://totuscatholica.org/rosary 🌍 Website – https://totuscatholica.org/ ✉️ Contact me – https://totuscatholica.org/contact 🔍 Examination of Conscience – https://catholicexaminationofconscien... 📖 Key Teaching & References – Hebrews 9:11–12, 10:11–14 – Christ's one eternal sacrifice entered into the heavenly sanctuary – CCC 1362–1367 – The Eucharist as sacrifice: same victim, same priest, different manner – Council of Trent – Christ offered Himself in an unbloody manner at the Last Supper – St. Augustine – Visible sacrifice is the sacrament of the invisible sacrifice – St. Thomas Aquinas – The Mass is the image and representation of Christ's Passion – The distinction: repetition vs. representation (re-presentation) 💬 Reflection Question When you attend Mass this week, will you recognize that you're standing at the foot of the Cross—not symbolically, but sacramentally?

Why Is a Can of Sardines Among the Treasures of the Vatican?

Jozef, Cardinal Beran, used a clean sardine can as his Chalice during his long imprisonment by the Reds. Pope Paul ordered that it be kept amongst the Chalices of the Popes. 

From Aleteia

By Paulo Teixeira

The life of Cardinal Josef Beran explains the connection between a can of sardines, the manger, and how we welcome Jesus.

During the Advent and Christmas seasons, we look tenderly at the Nativity scene and imagine how difficult it must have been for Mary and Joseph to lay their son Jesus in the straw in a stable. The manger, where animals fed, became the cradle of the One who feeds the world.

In the Nativity scenes in our homes and churches, the baby Jesus is depicted in line with the Gospel narrative—wrapped in swaddling clothes and laid in a manger—surrounded by respect and veneration despite his humble circumstances. During the celebration of the Mass, we also show great respect and veneration for the presence of Jesus in the Eucharist. The liturgical vessels, the cloths, the candles... Everything, even in its simplicity, refers to the greatness of Jesus.

Would Jesus, who was born among animals and placed in a manger, also accept being present in the Eucharist in a can of sardines? This seems like a strange question, but it’s explained by the testimony of Cardinal Josef Beran, which leads us to think about the simplicity and depth of God’s humility.

Jesus, our treasure

To understand the relationship between the manger and the sardine can, we must first go to the sacristy of the popes at the Vatican. Of course, it’s a reserved place, not accessible to the public, with chalices and liturgical vessels of inestimable historical value.

There, in this locked and restricted place, among works made of gold and crystal, is also the sardine can, open and used.

It’s kept as a precious treasure of the Vatican because it belonged to Cardinal Josef Beran, who used it to celebrate Mass while he was a prisoner. He was arrested by the Nazis and later imprisoned by the Communists. In the darkness of prison, his dignity and faith manifested themselves in one of the simplest and most powerful liturgical acts in the history of the Church in the 20th century.

Cardinal Josef Beran

Josef Beran was born in 1888 in Bohemia. His trajectory, even before becoming the cardinal archbishop of Prague, is a testimony to his unwavering resistance against the totalitarian ideology that swept through Czechoslovakia. Beran was, in the words of historians, “the archbishop who refused to be silenced.” The punishment for this courage was imprisonment—first at the hands of the Gestapo, and then, for an even longer and more oppressive period, by the communist regime.

In total, Cardinal Beran would spend 17 years of his life behind prison walls and in places of isolation. He survived the Nazi concentration camp at Dachau, from where American troops liberated him in 1945. Upon his return to Prague, he was decorated as a “hero of the resistance,” but the peace was short-lived. In 1949, the newly appointed archbishop was arrested again by the new communist regime, which saw his moral leadership as a dangerous focus of resistance.

Improvising to remain faithful

It is in this scenario of darkness and deprivation that one of the most striking and symbolic chapters of his life emerges: the secret celebration of Mass in prison. Where faith was forbidden and human dignity crushed, Cardinal Beran needed creativity and courage to carry out what was essential for him: the Eucharistic sacrifice.

In the absence of a sacred chalice, an altar, and liturgical vestments, faith found a way through humility. In a hidden corner, on his knees and in nearly absolute silence, he transformed the ordinary into the sacred. His chalice, to consecrate the wine, was not made of gold, but a simple, small sardine can. The can, empty and clean, bore witness to his extreme deprivation, but also to the infinity of the mystery renewed there.

This object, a disposable can of a staple food, became the vessel for the Body and Blood of Christ. The gesture sums up the theology of suffering and hope: faith does not reside in the wealth of the temple, but in the purity of the heart and the validity of the act.

For the few prisoners who could share this moment of risk, the sardine can was a beacon. It represented the presence of God where man tried to banish him.

Communist persecution isolated Beran for 14 years, forcing him to live under strict surveillance and preventing him from exercising his episcopal ministry. It was only in 1965, after complex negotiations between the Vatican and the Czech government, that he was released and traveled to Rome in forced exile.

Roman exile

As soon as he arrived in the Eternal City, bearing his testimony of resistance (and the tin can), Pope Paul VI elevated him to the dignity of cardinal. The Czech ambassador to the Vatican, Pavel Vosalik, years later described this gesture as “a slap in the face to the Czech regime. The Pope told them, ‘You don't want him in your home; I’ll give him a place among the Popes.’”

Cardinal Beran participated in the last session of the Second Vatican Council, where he delivered a famous speech on religious freedom.

He lived to be 80, passing away in 1969. He was buried in the crypt of St. Peter's Basilica in Rome, alongside the popes. His last wish was eventually fulfilled in 2018: his remains were repatriated to Prague, where they rest in St. Vitus Cathedral as an eternal symbol of Czech resistance against tyranny.

The process of his beatification, which began in 1998, only solidifies the memory of a pastor who, even with a simple can of sardines, managed to preserve and proclaim the Gospel in the deepest captivity. His life is a stark reminder that the dignity and essence of faith are indestructible, even when stripped of all material trappings.

Welcoming Jesus

Pope Paul VI asked that the can of sardines with which the cardinal celebrated Mass be kept among the sacred vessels of the popes. More specifically, it’s kept between the chalice that was used at the Mass proclaiming the dogma of the Immaculate Conception by Pius IX in 1854, and a precious crystal chalice that Pope Paul VI received as a gift. More precious than the noble materials of the chalices is Cardinal Beran's testimony.

How about you? What manger are you preparing in your life to welcome Jesus? Do you also have a relic of simplicity and faith, or some other object that demonstrates respect and faith?

Pictured: Servant of God His Eminence Jozef, Cardinal Beran