Irenaeus of Lyons, Bishop and Martyr
Saint Irenaeus is the saint of the day, the vigil of Saints Peter and Paul. He was bishop of Lyons in what is now France, a doctor of the Church, and venerated as a martyr for the faith (+202), a disciple of fellow martyr Saint Polycarp (+155), who in turn was learned the faith at the feet of Saint John the Beloved.
Besides his holy and apostolic life, consolidating the early Church, Irenaeus is most famous for his erudite and forceful treatise Adversus Haereses (Against Heresies) which put paid to, and more or less destroyed forevermore, the heresy of Gnosticsm, which taught that only an inner, enlightened ‘few’ could understand Christ’s teaching, which the Gnostics interpreted according to their own ‘reason’ (as well as their misguided emotions and desires), unhinged from Tradition (as well as Scripture).
It fell to the sharp and disciplined mind of Irenaeus to make clear that the only true teaching is the one that comes from the Apostles, found in Tradition, which in turn is taught and handed on by the One, Holy, Catholic and Apostolic Church of Rome. Anything that deviates from that consistent teaching is a ‘heresy’, a division, a wound in the Mystical Body, to which one cannot assent, and which cannot be left to fester. His own consolidation of the traditional teaching of the Church earned him the title of Doctor, a universal teacher of the faith. In fact, he is often venerated as the founder of the whole science of ‘theology’, that whole unpacking and explaining of revelation according to properly ordered reason and tradition.
As Pope Benedict put it in his own 2007 reflection on Irenaeus (well worth a read):
The true teaching, therefore, is not that invented by intellectuals which goes beyond the Church’s simple faith. The true Gospel is the one imparted by the Bishops who received it in an uninterrupted line from the Apostles. They taught nothing except this simple faith, which is also the true depth of God’s revelation. Thus, Irenaeus tells us, there is no secret doctrine concealed in the Church’s common Creed. There is no superior Christianity for intellectuals. The faith publicly confessed by the Church is the common faith of all.
We don’t know a lot of Irenaeus’ death, but he was and is venerated as a martyr for the truth, a cause to which he dedicated his entire life. May we all follow his example, for only the truth will set us free.
Carney’s Amoral Majority
After five defections – euphemistically described as ‘crossing the floor’ – and three by-elections, Mark Carney and his Liberals how have their coveted majority. One wonders what bowls of pottage were offered in back-room deals. In the archaic monarchical system that is the Dominion of Canada, this majority allows the newly-minted Prime Minister to rule[…]Continue reading→
Saint Kateri , Canada’s Protectress
This was the title given to Saint Kateri Tekakwitha, by Pope Benedict XVI, when he canonized her on October 28th, 2012, along with six others, in Saint Peter’ Square (she had been beatified by Pope John Paul II back in 1980). With Saint Joseph as our protector, along with the Canadian martyrs, we seem to[…]Continue reading→
A Closed, Unsustainable, Descending Loop
As a follow-up to my thoughts on Payette’s payout, here be a stark image of where are here in Canada. As the graph shows in, well, graphic terms, since 2025, the public sector has contributed to 95.5% of economic growth. The private sector – which funds the public sector, or is supposed to – has[…]Continue reading→
A Tale of Two Benedicts
A grace-filled Holy Week to all our readers! As we await and prepare for the Resurrection about to dawn upon us, we might keep in mind two Benedicts: Pope Emeritus Benedict XVI, requiescat in pace, elected on this day in 2005; and today’s commemoration of the mystic pilgrim, Benedict Joseph Labre, who died on this[…]Continue reading→
My Name is Bernadette
April 16th is a propitious day, for besides the anniversary of Father de Valk’s death, who founded Catholic Insight in its print form decades ago, and the commemoration of the ‘two Benedicts’, mentioned in accompanying posts, today we also recall Saint Bernadette Soubirous, the young visionary to whom the Virgin Mary appeared numerous times at[…]Continue reading→
Presidential Pardon of Weronika Krawczyk
As a good news, follow-up to our story from Poland, of the persecution of Weronika Krawczyk for her pro-life views, we heard that she has been granted a presidential pardon. One might still wonder why one needs a presidential pardon for simply holding the long-held belief that the child within the womb is a child,[…]Continue reading→
Saint Lydwina of Schiedam and Suffering Joyfully
Saint Lydwina of Schiedam (1380 – 1433) was one of the countless and glorious ‘victim souls’ in the history of the Church, those whose lives are filled with suffering, often of an unimaginable intensity, but who suffer joyfully. She was a fifteen-year old Dutch girl, out skating one day, when she fell and broke one[…]Continue reading→
The Glorious Martyrdoms of Martin and Maximus
As we enter into Eastertide, we recall on this 13th of April Pope Saint Martin I (+655), one of the noblest, if most tragic, of the successors of Saint Peter. Born in Umbria, Italy, he was of noble lineage, with great intelligence combined with charity and love of the poor and the Church. While still[…]Continue reading→
Pope Leo and a Rosary for Peace
Pope Leo XIV has asked Catholics across the world to join him in a Rosary for peace today, at 18:00 Rome time (6 pm), which would be noon from where I write (EST). If you are able, whether at that time or another, and in whatever way you pray, to join in intercession with the[…]Continue reading→
Payette’s Payout
I was glancing through some headlines, and noticed a mention of Julie Payette – engineer and astronaut and sometime the Queen’s representative in Canada – which brought back vague memories. She was appointed Governor-General by Justin Trudeau in 2017. Ms. Payette resigned in 2021, amidst claims that she created a ‘toxic work environment’, with allegations[…]Continue reading→