11 June 2026
Heretic Cardinal Praises Leo For Tearing Down Tradition
Is the Spanish cardinal putting words in Leo's mouth, or is he saying the quiet part out loud?
Hand Forging Solid Gold Wedding Rings in a Medieval Forge
From
For our wedding, we wanted to forge our own rings. Pure gold has been valued for its lustre and golden bright glow for thousands of years, prized by ancient peoples. So we chose pure gold for our rings.
This is my first time forging gold and, given its value, I was nervous about attempting to fuse a gold bar into a ring in a historical forge, without melting it completely. So I chose the more unconventional method of drifting a hole into a gold ingot and forging the ring in one piece around a ring drift.
Whether this method was used regularly in historical times, I do not know, but it does provide a way to forge a ring without fusing the metal. Ancient peoples were highly skilled in gold smithing, and were no doubt comfortable annealing, fusing and granulating gold rings in a forge with ease.
However, the ring forged in a single piece, with no beginning and no end, is eternal; unbroken. This may have appealed symbolically to many cultures, including the Anglo-Saxons, who prized strong familial bonds, loyalty and the cyclical nature of life. This thought certainly appeals to us.
To help with the annealing, and to catch the gold in the event that I accidentally melted it in the forge, we decided to make some small crucibles. Whether due to a true lack of evidence, or dating limitations, 7th century Somerset appears to have been virtually aceramic. But some some pottery must have been used in specialized crafts, such as for crucibles in metal working. In 7th century Gloucestershire and Wiltshire, chaff-tempered wares were common amongst the spreading Saxon cultures. These simple hand-made vessels were tempered with dried grass or chaff, which prevented cracking while drying. The grass burned out during fire, giving chaff-tempered wares their distinctive pitted and grass-patterned appearance. The spaces left by the grass may also contribute to thermal shock resistance while the pottery is heated.
I started with two gold bars, melted and cast from hack-gold, and I began by annealing and forging these into round gold discs.
These discs were then punched through to form a hole, and the hole was enlarged by forging the disc around the punch, and hammering it further through with a drift and bar with a pritchel hole.
One the hole was large enough to fit the disc onto the ring drift, I gently hammered the discs until the hole was regular, and it was time to anneal the discs again.
Pure gold is so soft that it does not need much annealing, but when you are working it as much as this, it is useful to anneal to keep the gold surface from flaking and losing material, and to prevent cold shuts.
My confidence with annealing the gold grew as I repeated the process, and by the end I was feeling quite happy with my ability to judge heating the gold until the surface flakes remelted, but the ring itself stayed intact.
Now came the time to forge the discs into rings on the drift, by hammering round and round until the discs became flatter and the hole gradually enlarged. While forging out the first ring - my own, I quickly realized that I was enlarging the hole too quickly; that I needed to hammer the material flat without stretching the material further up the ring drift, to bring it to shape before the ring became too big. Because gold is so soft, and stretches so easily, it was quite easy to lose control of the enlarging and flattening process.
With the second ring - Sina's, I hammered the material of the ring much more aggressively in the beginning, just at the very tip of the drift, without pushing it further up, to bring the material flat. This worked much better and allowed me to get the ring to a nice shape before beginning to stretch the gold to size in a controlled way.
Next time, I will start by hammering the discs into a smaller diameter, with a greater thickness, before beginning to drift the holes, which will help to more quickly forge a wider, flatter band.
Once the rings were roughly forged to size, I planished the surfaces to smooth out the hammer marks, as well as rounding off the inside with light hammer taps.
I also gave the rings a very light file where they needed it. Ideally, you avoid filing gold wherever possible, as it is so valuable, but my planishing skill left a little to be desired, and so a light file touch was needed. I polished the rings to a shine with leather.
The final stage was gently sizing the rings on the drift, until we were both happy with the fit. I feel very lucky to be able to have made our own rings in an ancient forge on the land that we both love, and to have shared that with my love, Sina.
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.
Why Is St Barnabas Called an “Apostle”?
Today is the Feast of St Barnabas. In the East, there are the "Apostles of the Twelve" and the "Apostles of the Seventy"; the seventy disciples Christ sends out in Luke 10:1.
From Aleteia
From Aleteia
By Philip Kosloski
While Jesus named 12 apostles during his ministry, the title of "apostle" is often applied to other New Testament figures, including St. Barnabas.
While Jesus named only 12 apostles during his ministry, the title of "apostle" is often applied to other New Testament figures.
St. Paul is among the most widely known apostle, even though he was never associated with the Twelve until after Jesus' death and resurrection.
In fact, St. Paul even persecuted the apostles prior to his conversion.
St. Barnabas the apostle
St. Barnabas is another example of a New Testament figure who was given the title of "apostle."
What's interesting is that the author of the Acts of the Apostles gives both Paul and Barnabas this title, "the apostles Barnabas and Paul" (Acts 14:14).
The English word “apostle” is derived from the Greek apostello, “to send forth.” An apostle is one who is sent by God to preach the Gospel to the nations.
As a result, while Paul and Barnabas were not originally chosen by Jesus to be part of the Twelve, the Church believed that they shared in the same ministry, having been called by God to preach the Gospel.
With this definition of the word, "apostle," there have been many men and women throughout the centuries who have been chosen and sent by God. This is why there are saints who were called the "Apostle of Ireland," or "Apostle of Germany," or even, "Apostle of Rome."
The Catholic Encyclopedia confirms the variety of meanings for this one word:
It is at once evident that in a Christian sense, everyone who had received a mission from God, or Christ, to man could be called "Apostle". In fact, however, it was reserved to those of the disciples who received this title from Christ. At the same time, like other honorable titles, it was occasionally applied to those who in some way realized the fundamental idea of the name.
In the end, it all depends on how you define the word to know who you are referring to.
Vatican vs SSPX and the Real State of Emergency in the Church
From The Remnant TV
For fifty years Catholics have debated the Society of Saint Pius X, episcopal consecrations, and questions of schism and canonical status. But according to Bishop Athanasius Schneider—and Archbishop Marcel Lefebvre before him—most people are arguing about the wrong thing.
Let's examine the real "State of Emergency" in the Catholic Church: collapsing vocations, shuttered churches, empty monasteries, declining belief, the suppression of the Traditional Latin Mass, and a growing crisis of Catholic identity in the post-Vatican II era.
The question is not whether emergency measures are justified, but whether the emergency itself can still be denied.
Featuring:
Bishop Athanasius Schneider
Archbishop Marcel Lefebvre
The SSPX consecrations
The Traditional Latin Mass
Vatican II and Nostra Aetate
Pope Francis and religious pluralism
The Chartres Pilgrimage
The future of Catholic Tradition
What is the REAL crisis facing the Church today?
Watch and decide.
Modern Catholics Can Do the Traditional Eucharistic Fast for Jesus Christ
When I go to morning Mass, I fast from midnight. If I'm attending an evening Mass, I keep the Pope Pius XII three-hour fast. It's the least I can do for the King of the Universe.
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From One Peter Five
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From One Peter Five
By Luke Parks
Is not the Lord worthy of our undivided attention in both our souls and our bodies?
Editor’s note: join our Sacred Heart campaign to receive a Eucharistic Crusade Manual in the mail.
In the beginning of the Church’s history, the Apostles mandated that the members of Christ’s Mystical Body refrain from eating and drinking before their reception of the Blessed Sacrament: “For every one taketh [the Eucharist] before his own supper to eat” (Corinthians 11:21; Douay-Rheims Bible). Following St. Paul, there are a number of early Church authorities who supported this practice. For instance, in the third century, the Carthaginian theologian Tertullian asked wives with unbelieving husbands: “Will not your husband know what it is which you secretly taste before (taking) any food?”[1] At that time, St. Hippolytus of Rome also attested to the ancient Eucharistic Fast:
But let each of the faithful be zealous, before he eats anything else, to receive the Eucharist; for if anyone receives it with faith, after such a reception he cannot be harmed—even if a deadly poison should be given him.[2]
Finally, in the fourth century, St. Augustine explained that “for the honour of so great a Sacrament…the Body of the Lord should take the precedence of all other food entering the mouth of a Christian,” noting that the Eucharistic Fast had been a longstanding custom for quite some time.[3] In fact, the Church would continue to enjoin its observance upon Her children up until 1953. This raises the question: “What changed?”
Commenting on the social conditions of the twentieth century, Venerable Pope Pius XII observed that “out of these there may arise serious difficulties which could keep men from partaking of the divine mysteries” if the ancient Eucharist Fast were to remain binding on Catholics.[4] Among the reasons mentioned by the Holy Father include the occurrence of two World Wars; the rapid advancement of technology; and the lack of priests in proportion to the number of the faithful. In response to these concerns, the petitions of the bishops at that time became “more frequent and urgent,” leading Venerable Pope Pius XII to conclude that such a change was necessary for the Church to thrive in the modern world.[5] Consequently, he permitted Catholics to drink water at any point before receiving Our Lord and to abstain at least three hours from eating any food.[6]
Although the Holy Father maintained that the Church’s Tradition should still be kept by all Catholics who were physically capable of doing so, his pontificate would officially mark the end of the ancient Eucharist Fast.
On November 21, 1964, Pope Paul VI would give the Church the Eucharist Fast in its current form.[7] Instead of abstaining from food for three hours, Catholics are now only required to refrain for one hour. In addition to drinking water, he also allowed the consumption of alcoholic beverages. The 1983 Code of Canon Law would eventually abrogate this exception and substitute the intake of medicine as its alternative: “A person who is to receive the Most Holy Eucharist is to abstain for at least one hour before holy communion from any food and drink, except for only water and medicine.”[8]
Whatever pastoral conditions induced Pius XII and Paul VI to significantly alter the ancient fast, we know for certain the world has dramatically altered since their time. Therefore, with all due respect to my Catholic brethren, I don’t understand why the majority of practicing Catholics can’t attend Mass in the morning in order to uphold the ancient Eucharistic Fast. For example, let’s say you have to arrive at your workplace for 9:00 A.M. Given that priests usually celebrate the New Mass in about thirty minutes, you would be able to receive Our Lord any time before 8:00 A.M. and still be in the office on time. Granted, those who fulfill their Sunday obligation on Saturday and Sunday evenings would have a difficult time abstaining from food and water for the entire day, but Catholics who attend Mass during the week and on Sunday mornings could sacrifice their breakfast and still eat lunch and dinner with their families and friends. Is not the Lord worthy of our undivided attention in both our souls and our bodies? To quote the Apostle: “For he that eateth and drinketh unworthily, eateth and drinketh judgment to himself, not discerning the body of the Lord” (1 Corinthians 11:29).
In my view, Pope Paul VI’s decree doesn’t make much sense in our time. Again, no disrespect to those who keep the current Eucharist Fast, but one hour can hardly be considered a sufficient sacrifice to receive God Himself through our mouths. As Catholics, the Most Holy Sacrament of the Altar is our prized possession. One hour—let alone the entire day—is not long enough to contemplate the Sacred Mysteries of our redemption. If we neglect to venerate Our Lord’s Body and Blood properly, we will have to answer for it during the Particular Judgment. Let us pray for the restoration of the ancient Eucharist Fast in the Church!
[1] Tertullian, Ad Uxorem, Book I, Chapter V.
[2] Saint Hippolytus of Rome, The Apostolic Tradition of Hippolytus, trans. Burton Scott Easton (Cambridge University Press, 1934) “Later Additions,” art. 32.
[3] Saint Augustine, Nicene and Post-Nicene Fathers, First Series, Vol. 1, trans. J.G. Cunningham(Buffalo, 1887), Letter 54, Chapter 6, art. 8.
[4] Venerable Pope Pius XII, Apostolic Constitution concerning the Discipline to Be Observed with Respect to the Eucharistic Fast Christus Dominus(6 January 1953), at Papal Encyclicals.net.
[5] Ibid.
[6] Venerable Pope Pius XII, Motu Proprio on Laws of Fasting and the Evening Mass Sacram Communionem (19 March 1957), at Papal Encyclicals.net.
[7] Acta Apostolica Sedis 57 (1965), 186.
[8] 1983 Code of Canon Law, c. 919, §1, at The Holy See.
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