In fact, Benedict was convinced that only after overcoming these temptations would he be able to say a useful word to others about their own situations of neediness. Thus, having tranquilized his soul, he could be in full control of the drive of his ego and thus create peace around him. Only then did he[…]
Month: July 2025
Swtizerland and Frauenthal
Upon arriving in Zurich from Vienna, I had an hour or so before I caught a connecting train down to Knonau and the convent. So thought I would take a stroll through the ‘old town’, divided by the River Limpett, whose cerulean waters flow into the wide expanse of Lake Zurich. Also overlooking the lake[…]
Pope Benedict on Saint Benedict
BENEDICT XVI GENERAL AUDIENCE St Peter’s Square Wednesday, 9 April 2008 Saint Benedict of Norcia Dear Brothers and Sisters, Today, I would like to speak about Benedict, the Founder of Western Monasticism and also the Patron of my Pontificate. I begin with words that St Gregory the Great wrote about St Benedict: “The man of[…]
Saint Benedict: Ora et Labora
A blessed feast of Saint Benedict (+543), as we commemorate the monk credited with saving what we know as ‘civilization’. As a student in the decadence of sixth century fin de siècle Rome, Benedict found he could no longer live amongst the enervating and debilitating milieu of his fellow scholars, their carousing and worldliness –[…]
Holy Wars Medieval and Modern, Briefly Considered
From the time of Muhammad on, Islam has conquered lands by force of arms. The great warrior Charles Martel stopped the Muslim invasion of France in the 8th century. His grandson, Charlemagne, having gained his own reputation as a fighter, was able to hold off invasions of Muslims from the south and Vikings from the[…]
Not All Prophets Wear Tin Foil: A Critical Review of QAnon, Chaos, and the Cross
In an age of spiritual confusion, eroding trust, and institutional abdication, QAnon, Chaos, and the Cross, edited by Michael W. Austin and Gregory L. Bock, is a timely, if uneven, intervention. This volume gathers predominantly evangelical Christian scholars to examine the entanglement of conspiracy theories, especially, those linked to QAnon, with segments of the American[…]
Pope John Paul II Canonizes 119 Martyrs of China
CAPPELLA PAPALE FOR THE CANONIZATION OF 123 NEW SAINTS HOMILY OF JOHN PAUL II Sunday 1 October 2000 1. “Your word is truth; sanctify us in your love“ (Gospel Acclamation, Italian Lectionary; cf. Jn 17: 17). This invocation, an echo of Christ’s prayer to the Father after the Last Supper, seems to rise from the host of saints and blesseds whom the[…]
Myriads of Martyrs for China
Through the centuries there have been untold thousands of martyrs in China, and July 9th is chosen as the day to commemorate them, for it was on this day in 1900 that the Chinese government, during the so-called ‘Boxer Rebellion’, ordered the execution of 45 Christian men, women and children, and so is celebrated as[…]
A Pilgrimage from Vienna to Rome
I decided to make a pilgrimage to Rome, prompted by the Jubilee year, and walking through the Holy Doors. But I couldn’t just show up in Rome, so to make a pilgrimage of it, I thought I’d fly first to Vienna, where I’ve never been, to visit the International Theological Institute and a young alumni[…]
Let us put our trust in God and console ourselves with the thought that all is well, if it is in accordance with the will of the Almighty, as He knows best what is profitable and beneficial to our temporal happiness and our eternal salvation. (Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart, +1791_