Where is Saint Andrew's Head?

Recently in my Church History class, I have been discussing the Photian schism and the events leading up to the Cardinal Humbert's delivery of a papal excommunication on the altar of Hagia Sophia in Constantinople. All this formalized the growing tensions and produced a formal schism between the Catholic Church and what became the Eastern Orthodox Church. Humbert previously warned the Patriarch of Constantinople "Either be in communion with Peter or become a Synagogue of Satan."

Since today is the Feast Day of Saint Andrew, I taught the class how Constantinople claims Saint Andrew as the "founder" of the see of Byzantium, that is Constantinople. We discussed the traditional relationship between St. Peter (Rome) being estranged from his brother St. Andrew (Constantinople).

We also discussed the lifting of the excommunications that occurred under Pope Paul VI before the close of the Second Vatican Council and the "handing over of the head".

Few people know about the "handing over of the head". There are four shrines surrounding the high altar in St Peter's Basilica. Under the high altar are the bones of St. Peter. The four shrines surrounding the altar house Christendom's four most coveted relics and are adorned with the statues of corresponding saints:

1. the largest portion of the true cross (St. Helena)
2. the miraculous veil of St. Veronica (St. Veronica)
3. the lance that pierced the side of Christ (St. Longinus)
4. the skull of St. Andrew (St. Andrew)

The statue of St. Andrew's shrine is depicted in the photo above. However, the skull of St. Andrew is no longer housed in this shrine.

The skull originally made its way to Rome when it was to Pope Pius II in 1461 by Thomas Paleologos (brother of the last Byzantine emperor). It was placed in the shrine depicted above when the new Basilica of St. Peter's was constructed. As an ecumenical gesture of good will, Pope Paul VI in 1964 had the skull removed from its place in St Peter's and returned to the Greek Orthodox Church in Patras where it remains to this day. Thus, one of the four column shrines surrounding the high altar of St. Peter's Basilica is without its relic. This is because the head has been handed over to the Orthodox.

At What Age is Man in His Prime?

At what age is man in his prime? Aristotle says that a man's physical body is in its prime between 30 and 35. As for a man's mind, the perfect age is 49. (Rhetorica 2, 13, 1390b10)

Priestesses and the Catholic Church

Carl Olson at Ignatius has some well written words on the recent so-called "ordinations" of women claiming to be Catholic. This quote by Olson is gold:

But it is actually a matter of renouncing what my pastor aptly describes as "identity theft." Tortorilla is pretending to be something/someone she is not, and therefore will face consequences, just as those who pretend to be policemen, doctors, etc., have to answer, if caught, for their harmful impersonations.

Read the whole thing here.

Were the Apostles Baptized?

Augustine says (Ep. cclxv), from our Lord's words:

'He that is washed, needeth not but to wash his feet' (John 13:10), we gather that Peter and Christ's other disciples had been baptized, either with John's Baptism, as some think; or with Christ's, which is more credible. For He did not refuse to administer Baptism, so as to have servants by whom to baptize others.

Quoted from St. Thomas Aquinas' Summa theologiae III, q. 72, a. 6, ad. 2)

An Angel with Down Syndrome?

The following is from Neatorama via the Holy Whapping:

The 1515 Flemish painting, by an unknown artist, . . . shows an angel (next to Mary) and possibly one other figure, the shepherd in the centre of the background with the syndrome.

"If our diagnosis is correct, this implies that Down’s syndrome is not a modern disease," say [Levitas and Reid] (American Journal of Medical Genetics 2003;116:399-405).

The diagnosis of Down’s syndrome in the angel was based on a number of features: a flattened mid-face, epicanthal folds, upslanted palpebral fissures, a small and upturned tip of the nose, and downward curving of the corners of the mouth. The hands, crossed over the breast, have short fingers, especially on the left.

Hat tip to Drew and the Shrine of the Holy Whapping.

St. Patrick's Breastplate - My Favorite Hymn

I've been tagged by MM over Theology of the Body: "What is your favorite hymn?"

My favorite is St. Patrick's Breastplate. I cry nearly every time at the 6th verse. It possesses a magnificent melody that invigorates my soul against every evil. It is rightly sung on Trinity Sunday in many Episcopal/Anglican parishes. Peter Kreeft once visited my Anglican parish on St. Patrick's day when I lived in Philly and he commented on how glorious this hymn is. It possesses great power.

Before I leave the words, let me next tag the Curt Jester - "What is your favorite hymn and why?"

St Patrick's Breastplate
Commonly called "Lorica"

I bind unto myself today
the strong Name of the Trinity,
by invocation of the same,
the Three in One, and One in Three.

I bind this day to me for ever,
by power of faith, Christ's Incarnation;
his baptism in Jordan river;
his death on cross for my salvation;
his bursting from the spicèd tomb;
his riding up the heavenly way;
his coming at the day of doom:
I bind unto myself today.

I bind unto myself the power
of the great love of cherubim;
the sweet "Well done" in judgment hour;
the service of the seraphim;
confessors' faith, apostles' word,
the patriarchs' prayers, the prophets' scrolls;
all good deeds done unto the Lord,
and purity of virgin souls.

I bind unto myself today
the virtues of the starlit heaven
the glorious sun's life-giving ray,
the whiteness of the moon at even,
the flashing of the lightning free,
the whirling wind's tempestuous shocks,
the stable earth, the deep salt sea,
around the old eternal rocks.

I bind unto myself today
the power of God to hold and lead,
his eye to watch, his might to stay,
his ear to hearken, to my need;
the wisdom of my God to teach,
his hand to guide, his shield to ward;
the word of God to give me speech,
his heavenly host to be my guard.

Christ be with me,
Christ within me,
Christ behind me,
Christ before me,
Christ beside me,
Christ to win me,
Christ to comfort
and restore me.
Christ beneath me,
Christ above me,
Christ in quiet,
Christ in danger,
Christ in hearts of
all that love me,
Christ in mouth of
friend and stranger.

I bind unto myself today
the strong Name of the Trinity,
by invocation of the same,
the Three in One, and One in Three.
Of whom all nature hath creation,
eternal Father, Spirit, Word:
praise to the Lord of my salvation,
salvation is of Christ the Lord.

Tony Blair being called a Christian ‘nutter’

Not only does the Times article linked below discuss Tony Blair's Christian commitment, it also refers to his imminent conversion to the Catholic Faith.

Read "Bible Blair feared being called ‘nutter’" from the Times Online.

Hat tip Walker Dollahon.

Duns Scotus on the Will as Rational Potency

Scotus understands the will as a “rational potency” and not as an “intellectual appetite”.

Scotus maintains that a person can know with certainty the right thing to do and still not do it. The intellect presents information to the will and the will can cooperate or not cooperate. This means that for Scotus the will is a “rational potency” and not an “intellectual appetite”.

The intellect always contributes by presenting an object to the will.

The will never acts without the intellect. Scotus holds that without the intellect, the will would be incapacitated. Nonetheless, once the intellect presents an object to the will, it is “internalized” by the will and from there the will acts how ever it decides. Nothing outside the will determines its choice. The will is the sole rational potency.

Shakespeare Was a Catholic

Father David Beauregard has more evidence in his new book than you could shake a speare at.

Father Beauregard claims that the theological content of the bard's plays is overwhelmingly Catholic. Take the following examples from Father Beauregard's Catholic Theology in Shakespeare's Plays (University of Delaware Press):

• Anglican clergyman, the 17th-century cleric Richard Davies, wrote that the great playwright "died a Papist."
• "Catholic Theology in Shakespeare's Plays" (University of Delaware Press), that Shakespeare was Catholic.
• The ghost of Hamlet's murdered father tells his son that he is in purgatory, a Catholic concept.
• Isabella, a novice nun in "Measure for Measure," is a model of virtue, a break with Protestant dramatists who depicted Catholic religious as sinners, said Beauregard. (It's telling, he adds, that Shakespeare made Isabella a novice; an earlier play on which "Measure for Measure" was partly based portrayed Isabella as a secular woman.)
• In "All's Well That Ends Well," Helena cures the sick king, attributing her success to "inspired merit" - not something a Protestant would say.
• Prospero commends prayer for the dead when he bids the audience farewell in the epilogue of "The Tempest," - "And my ending is despair/Unless I be reliev'd by prayer."

Pretty compelling.

Read more in "Scholar sees a Catholic in the Bard" by Rich Barrow at the Boston Globe.

Hat tip to my colleague Klemens Raab.

The Pope to Purge Rome of Modern Music

The Holy Father Benedict XVI continues to "modify" things in Rome. This time it's music.

When I was in Rome last year, my wife and I went to Vespers at St. Peter's Basilica. I was disappointed. The choir was off, even dissonant. I had heard much better choral performances at my old Anglican parish. Worst of all, the piped the choir through speakers all throughout St. Peter's so that a terrible multi-sourced echo reverberated in the Basilica. It seems that the Holy Father is taking his musical ear and making some changes. The following is from the Telegraph by Malcolm Moore:

Gregorian chant has been reinstituted as the primary form of singing by the new choir director of St Peter's, Father Pierre Paul.

He has also broken with the tradition set up by John Paul II of having a rotating choir, drawn from churches all over the world, to sing Mass in St Peter's.

The Pope has recently replaced the director of pontifical liturgical celebrations, Archbishop Piero Marini, with a man closer to his heart, Mgr Guido Marini. It is now thought he may replace the head of the Sistine Chapel choir, Giuseppe Liberto.

The International Church Music Review recently criticised the choir, saying: "The singers wanted to overshout each other, they were frequently out of tune, the sound uneven, the conducting without any artistic power, the organ and organ playing like in a second-rank country parish church."

Mgr Valentin Miserachs Grau, the director of the Pontifical Institute of Sacred Music, which trains church musicians, said that there had been serious "deviations" in the performance of sacred music.

"How far we are from the true spirit of sacred music. How can we stand it that such a wave of inconsistent, arrogant and ridiculous profanities have so easily gained a stamp of approval in our celebrations?" he said.

He added that a pontifical office could correct the abuses, and would be "opportune". He said: "Due to general ignorance, especially in sectors of the clergy, there exists music which is devoid of sanctity, true art and universality."

Read the rest of "Pope to purge the Vatican of modern music" by Malcolm Moore at the Telegraph.

Hat tip to John Boyden in Rome.

Yet Another Episcopal Bishop Will Be Received by Rome This December

The Rt. Rev'd John Lipscomb, retired bishop of the Episcopal Diocese of the Southwest Florida, and his wife Marcie will be received into the Catholic Church some time before Christmas. This means that December will mark the reception of both Jeffrey Steenson (former Episcopal bishop of the Rio Grande) and now Lipscomb.

Bishop Lipscomb retired as bishop on September 15. He has publicly stated that he will not avail himself of the Pastoral Provision whereby married former Episcopal priests can receives Holy Orders in the Roman Rite.

Hat tip to Mark Adams.

Is Thanksgiving Catholic?

My wife once taught at an Anglo-Catholic classical school in Philadelphia. The school consciously played down the significance of Thanksgiving. Why? The reason is simple. At root, Thanksgiving commemorates the good fortune of political and ecclesiastical rebels.

It all started with Richard Clyfton who was a Church of England parson in Nottinghamshire in the early 1600s. Clifton sympathized with the Separatists of that era. Separatists were Calvinistic non-conformists to the doctrine and liturgy of the Church of England. The Hampton Court Conference held by King James I condemned those who would not conform to the more outwardly Catholic usages in the Church of England (e.g. robes, candles, bowing the head at the name of Christ, processions). The result was that Richard Clyfton was “defrocked” and stripped of his clerical status in the Church of England. Shortly thereafter Richard Clyfton went to Amsterdam and was followed by his disciples: the Pilgrims.

These Pilgrims moved around a bit until finally coming to America in 1620. An interesting bit of trivia is that one child was born on board the Mayflower while at sea. The child was given the rather lame name: “Oceanus”. Poor child.

In 1621, the Pilgrims allegedly celebrated a happy meal with the Native Americans and the rest is history. So why would an Anglican school be against Thanksgiving? It celebrates those who defied the Church of England and the Crown of England.

Now that I’m a Catholic, things are a bit different. The penal laws of England regarding non-conformists affected not only the rigorous Calvinistic Puritans in england, but also the English Catholic recusants. The Pilgrims shared the same lot as the Catholic faithful of England. Interestingly enough, the Catholics who lived in Nottinghamshire where the Pilgrims originated were persecuted mercilessly.

So while Thanksgiving may celebrate the Calvinists Separatists who fled England, Catholics might remember the same unjust laws that granted the crown of martyrdom to Thomas More, John Fisher, Edmund Campion, et al. are the same injustices that led the Pilgrims to Plymouth.

Another bit of trivia is that the truly “First Thanksgiving” celebration occurred on American soil on April 30, 1598 in Texas when Don Juan de Oñate declared a day of Thanksgiving to be commemorated by the Holy Sacrifice of the Mass.

And let everyone remember that “Thanksgiving” in Greek is Eucharistia. Thus, the Body and Blood of Christ is the true “Thanksgiving Meal”.

Real Monks and Work

The 48th chapter of the Rule of Benedict states: "You are only really a monk when you live from the work of your hands."

Thankfully, beer has become an art-form in the hands of those monks belonging to the Benedictine tradition (especially the Trappists).

Episcopal Diocese of Fort Worth Cutting Ties with Episcopal Church

My former Episcopal diocese begins the process of leaving the Episcopal Church.

From the Fort Worth Star Telegram:

Episcopal diocese takes step to cut ties
By TERRY GOODRICH

FORT WORTH -- Delegates to the Fort Worth Episcopal Diocese's annual convention took the first step Saturday to cut ties to the Episcopal Church, a move driven in part by the diocese's opposition to the ordination of women and non celibate gay men and the blessing of same-sex unions.

More than 200 clergy and lay delegates voted at the Will Rogers Memorial Center, with an overwhelming majority rejecting on first reading an amendment assenting to the authority of the Episcopal Church.

The church's 2.1 million members constitute the U.S. body of the Anglican Communion, but the national church has taken more liberal stances than the worldwide communion in the past 30 years.

Delegates also adopted on first reading an amendment affirming membership with the Anglican Communion, which has 75 million members.

They rejected on first reading an amendment stating that church and mission property within the 24-county diocese are held in trust for the Episcopal Church. Fort Worth Bishop Jack Iker and the majority of the delegates to the Diocesan Convention say property owned by parishes and missions is held in trust for the diocese through a corporation.

The second and final votes on those actions will take place at the diocese convention in 2008, diocese leaders said.

Bishop Iker urged delegates to take a firm but loving stand against those who have "strayed from the faith."

"In every age, there are those who would twist biblical truth," he said. "Tradition has become a bad word in many quarters in the Episcopal Church. It's frequently ridiculed, persecuted and dismissed as out-of-date. ... This convention is being very carefully watched to see if we have the courage of our convictions."

Presiding Bishop Katharine Jefferts Schori of the Episcopal Church said in a letter to Iker early this month that he and his followers will "abandon Communion" if they leave the Episcopal Church and that Iker might be deposed.

National leaders say that although a diocese may appeal to be dissolved or moved to another province, it cannot leave without consent. In November 2006, national leaders rejected the Fort Worth Diocese's request to be placed under the authority of an alternative, orthodox authority other than the liberal leaning Jefferts Schori.

Last week, the Southern Cone -- an Anglican province that includes Argentina, Chile and Bolivia -- offered to take in the Fort Worth Diocese on an emergency basis if requested. Anglican Bishop Frank Lyons of Bolivia visited the convention, and delegates approved a resolution calling for the diocese's standing committee to consider the invitation.

Some diocese members, including a group called Fort Worth Via Media, have remained supportive of the national church's stances. They say an attempt by the diocese to take mission and parish property would be immoral and lead to costly litigation.

A measure approved by delegates Saturday would give parishes the option to remain with the Episcopal Church if they cannot resolve their differences through meetings with the bishop and standing committee.

The Rev. Sam McClain of St. Luke's Episcopal Church in Stephenville, who does not favor leaving the Episcopal Church, said those crafting the measure "had honorable intent."

"But from my perception, it's like the diocese is a big ship, and we who want to remain have got to get on the boat with you and then find ways to get back," he said.

Other dioceses taking actions to withdraw from the Episcopal Church are Pittsburgh, which gave initial approval at its Nov. 2-3 convention; and San Joaquin, Calif., which will take a second, final vote in December.

Jefferts Schori, who is at an international peace conference in Seoul, South Korea, could not be reached for comment on the diocese's actions this weekend. But in an October address in San Francisco, she said that "the job of the church is to reach ever wider to include the whole."

Convention at a glance

A look at some of the Fort Worth Diocese Convention actions Saturday, with 86 clergy delegates and 125 lay delegates attending:

Rejection of a proposed constitutional amendment that the diocese accept the authority of the Episcopal Church's General Convention: 85 percent of clergy voted to reject the amendment; 80 percent of lay delegates voted to do so.

Adoption of a constitutional amendment affirming the diocese as a member of the Anglican Communion. The amendment was proposed by the diocese's standing committee: 83 percent of clergy voted for; 77 percent of lay delegates voted for.

Rejection of a proposed amendment that parish and mission property in the diocese are held in trust for the national church. The existing constitution says that the property is held in trust by a corporation of the Fort Worth Diocese, although parish and missions are responsible for expenses and receive income from the property: 88 percent of clergy voted against; 87 percent of lay delegates voted against.

Approval of a canon change that would allow individual parishes an option to remain in the national church. It takes effect in 30 days: 88 percent of clergy voted yes; 82 percent of lay delegates voted yes.

God bless Bishop Iker and all the faithful of the Episcopal diocese of Fort Worth.

Hispanic Surnames Enter Top Ten in the United States

Garcia and Rodriguez recently entered the list of top ten surnames in the United States of America. Martinez almost booted Wilson from the number 10 place.

Read: "In U.S. Name Count, Garcias Are Catching Up With Joneses" from the New York Times.

The Christian Origin of Neo-Platonism

The founder of Neo-Platonism was Plotinus. Many of the Church Fathers (e.g. Augustine) are accused of mixing Neo-Platonic philosophy with Christianity. However, consider this fact. Plotinus trained under a Christian philosopher: Ammonius Saccas in Alexandria, Egypt (died in the 240s). Sometimes Ammonius is listed as a co-founder of Neo-Platonism. His two most famous disciples were Plotinus and Origen.

Porphyry wished to claim the revered Ammonius for the pagan side and wrote that Ammonius had been raised by Christian parents but abandoned the rustic faith of his childhood when he discovered "true philosophy". Jerome contests this account of Porphyry and maintains that Ammonius remained true to Christ till his dying day:

Porphyry falsely accused him [Ammonius] of having become a heathen again, after being a Christian, but it is certain that he continued a Christian until the very end of his life. (Jerome, On Illustrious Men 55)

The point of all this is that "Neo-Platonism" may very well be the Christian invention of Ammonius and not something swiped by later Christian interpreters.

Saint Hedwig "King" of Poland

On this day (November 16, 1384) Saint Hedwig of Poland was crowned Rex Poloniæ ("King of Poland"). That's not a typo. She was purposely not crowned as Regina Poloniæ ("Queen of Poland"). The masculine gender denoted that she was the sole monarch of Poland.

List of Scholastic Titles for Theologians

You may know that Thomas Aquinas is the Angelic Doctor or that Bonaventure is the Seraphic Doctor, but here's the list of all the Latinate titles for notable Scholastic theologians.

I find Ockham's title a little over-the-top: Doctor Singularis et Invincibilis. The Singular and Invincible Doctor? What! Who gave him that title? His mother?

It's also interesting to see that John Duns Scotus (the Subtle Doctor) was one-upped by Peter of Mantua (the Most Subtle Doctor).

An interesting title is the one belonging to Johannes Wallensis: Doctor Vitae Abor (Tree of Life Doctor). Another equally esoteric title is the one for Anthony of Padua: Doctor Arca Testamenti (Ark of the Covenant Doctor).

My personal favorite title: Doctor Mellifluus for St. Bernard meaning "Doctor Who Flows Like Honey". That title is sweet.

Here's the list for your pleasure:

Doctor Abstractionum: Francis Mayron, O.F.M., 1325 or 1327.
Doctor Acutissimus: Pope Sixtus IV, 1484.
Doctor Acutus: Gabriel Vasquez, S.J., 1604.
Doctor Amoenus: Robert Cowton, O.F.M., 1340.
Doctor Angelicus: Thomas Aquinas, O.P., 1274.
Doctor Arca testamenti: Anthony of Padua, 1231.
Doctor Authenticus: Gregory of Rimini, O.S.A., 1358.
Doctor Averroista et philosophiae parens: Urbanus, O.S.M., 1403.
Doctor Beatus et fundatissimus: Giles of Rome, O.S.A., 1316.
Doctor Bonus: Walter Brinkley, O.F.M., 1310.
Doctor Christianus: Nicholas of Cusa, 1464.
Doctor Clarus: Louis of Montesinos, 1621.
Doctor Clarus ac subtilis: Denis of Cîteaux, 15th cent.
Doctor Collectivus: Landolfo Caracciolo, O.F.M., 1351.
Doctor Columna doctorum: William of Champeaux, O.S.B., 1121.
Doctor Contradictionum : Johann Wessel, 1489.
Doctor Divinus Ecstaticus: John Ruysbroeck, Can. Reg., 1381.
Doctor Doctor doctorum Scholasticus: Anselm of Laon, 1117.
Doctor Dulcifluus: Antonius Andreas, O.F.M., 1320.
Doctor Ecstaticus: Denys the Carthusian, 1471.
Doctor Eminens: John of Matha, O.Trin., 1213.
Doctor Emporium theologiae: Laurent Gervais, O.P., 1483.
Doctor Excellentissimus: Antonio Corsetti, 1503.
Doctor Eximius: Francisco Suarez, S.J., 1617.
Doctor Facundus: Petrus Aureoli, O.F.M., 1322.
Doctor Famosissimus: Petrus Alberti, O.S.B., 1426.
Doctor Famosus: Bertrand de la Tour, O.F.M., 1334.
Doctor Fertilis: Francis of Candia, O.F.M., 15th cent.
Doctor Flos mundi: Maurice O'Fiehely, O.F.M. Abp of Tuam, 1513.
Doctor Fundamentalis: Joannes Faber of Bordeaux, 1350.
Doctor Fundatissimus: Giles of Rome, 1316; Willem Hessels van Est, 1613.
Doctor Fundatus: William of Ware, O.F.M., 1270.
Doctor Illibatus: Alexander Alamannicus, O.F.M., 15th cent.
Doctor Illuminatus: Francis Mayron, O.F.M., 1325-27; Raymond Lully, O.F.M., 1315.
Doctor Illuminatus et sublimis: Joannes Tauler, O.P., 1361.
Doctor Illustratus: Franciscus Picenus, O.F.M., 14th cent.
Doctor Illustris: Adam of Marisco, O.F.M., 1308.
Doctor Inclytus: William Mackelfield, O.P., 1300.
Doctor Ingeniosissimus: Andrew of Newcastle, O.F.M., 1300.
Doctor Inter Aristotelicos Aristotelicissimus: Haymo of Faversham, O.F.M., 1244.
Doctor Invincibilis: Petrus Thomas, O.F.M., 14th cent.
Doctor Irrefragibilis: Alexander of Hales, O.F.M., 1245.
Doctor Magister Sententiarum: Peter Lombard, 1164.
Doctor Magnus: Albertus Magnus, O.P., 1280; Gilbert of Citeaux, O.Cist, 1280.
Doctor Marianus: Anselm of Canterbury, O.S.B., 1109.
Doctor Mellifluus: Bernard of Clairvaux, O.Cist, 1153.
Doctor Mirabilis: Roger Bacon, O.F.M., 1294.
Doctor Moralis: Gerard Eudo, O.F.M., 1349.
Doctor Notabilis: Pierre de l'Ile, O.F.M., 14th cent.
Doctor Ordinatissimus: Johannes de Bassolis, O.F.M., c. 1347.
Doctor Ornatissimus et sufficiens: Petrus de Aquila, O.F.M., 1344.
Doctor Parisiensis: Guy de Perpignan, O.Carm, 1342.
Doctor Planus et utilis: Nicolas de Lyre, O.F.M., 1340.
Doctor Praeclarus: Peter of Kaiserslautern, O.Praem, 1330.
Doctor Praestantissimus: Thomas Netter of Walden, O.Carm, 1431.
Doctor Profundissimus: Paul of Venice, O.S.A., 1428; Gabriel Biel, Can. Reg., 1495; Juan Alfonso Curiel, O.S.B., 1609.
Doctor Profundus: Thomas Bradwardine, 1349.
Doctor Rarus: Hervaeus Natalis.
Doctor Refulgidus: Pope Alexander V, 1410.
Doctor Resolutissimus: Durandus of Saint-Pourcain, O.P., 1334.
Doctor Resolutus: John Bacon, O.Carm., 1346.
Doctor Scholasticus: Peter Abelard, 1142; Gilbert de la Porree, 1154; Peter Lombard, 1164; Peter of Poitiers, 1205; Hugh of Newcastle, O.F.M., 1322.
Doctor Seraphicus: Bonaventure, O.F.M., 1274.
Doctor Singularis et Invincibilis: William of Occam, O.F.M., 1347 or 1359.
Doctor Solemnis: Henry of Ghent, 1293.
Doctor Solidus Copiosus: Richard of Middleton, O.F.M., 1300.
Doctor Speculativus: James of Viterbo, O.S.A., 1307.
Doctor Sublimis: Francis de Bachone, O.Carm., 1372; Jean Courte-Cuisse, 1425.
Doctor Subtilis: Duns Scotus, O.F.M., 1308.
Doctor Subtilissimus: Peter of Mantua, 14th cent.
Doctor Succinctus: Francis of Ascoli, c. 1344.
Doctor Universalis: Alanus of Lille, 1202; Gilbert, Bishop of London, 1134.
Doctor Venerabilis et Christianissimus: Jean Gerson, 1429.
Doctor Venerandus: Geoffroy de Fontibus, O.F.M., 1240.
Doctor Vitae Arbor: Johannes Wallensis, O.F.M., 1300.

Endorsement of Alexander of Hales by Thomas Aquinas

My course work in Duns Scotus has led me to discover a wealth of Franciscan insight. I recently came across this glowing endorsement of Alexander of Hales by Thomas Aquinas. It may be apocryphal, but it's interesting all the same:

The doctrine of Alexander is of a wealth surpassing all expression. It is said that someone asked St. Thomas what was the best manner of studying theology; he replied that it was by attaching oneself to a Master. "And to which Doctor?" he was asked again. "To Alexander of Hales," the Angelic Doctor replied.

- John Gerson, Opera omnia. Epistola Lugdunum missa cuidam fratri Minori, vol. 1, p. 554.

Big Freaky Catholic Families

This is a wonderful little post about how Catholic families are perceived in public. A very good moral at the end of the tale. I can't recommend it more highly. Here's a sample:

As I encourage the little tykes to step lively, I notice a minivan parked next to our maxivan. There are several rosaries draped over the rear view mirror, a few pro-life bumper stickers in the back, and in case you missed the point, the license plate says "STJOSPH." So I figure that, at least for once, we won't be the only freaks in the freak show!

It's all in good jest.

Read: "In which I discover that I am prejudiced against Catholics" from the blog I Have to Sit Down.

Hat tip to Musings from a Catholic Bookstore.

Church of England Ordains More Women than Men

Two days ago, the BBC reported that last year (2006) the Church of England ordained 234 men and 244 women to the Anglican priesthood.

In a separate set of statistics, the Church confirmed provisional figures from January showing average Sunday attendances fell below a million for the first time in 2005 to 988,000.

Average weekly attendance in that year [2005] was 1.17 million, and average monthly attendance was 1.7 million.

Attendance at Church of England services on Christmas Eve and Christmas Day increased dramatically in 2005 - it was 7% higher than in 2001 at 2.8 million.

Read "More new Anglican women priests than men" from BBC News.

Where is the Holy Spirit in John Milton's Paradise Lost?

Most commentators identify John Milton as an Arian for his subordination. Milton's Son of God is created but is also the co-creator or demiurge of our creation. The Father creates through the Son, but the Son his the first creature. The Son is divine-like but substantially distinct from the Father. Milton's Christology likely receives a boost on account of the poetic genre since poetic language typically magnifies attributes and actions of characters.

But if you really want to blow a hole in Milton's theology, set your sights on the absence of the Holy Spirit. John Milton's Holy Spirit either plays no role in creation, preservation, or redemption or the third Person of the Trinity has excused himself from the action. Milton seems to identify the Holy Spirit with the poetic muse Urania (the Muse of Astronomy) whom he invokes three times (Bks I, VII, IX). However, Urania is feminine and functions as a "holy spirit" primarily because she is "inspirational."

Just as St. Basil the Great discovered that the Achilles' Heal of the Arian party was its underdeveloped pneumatology, so here, Milton's faulty theology falls into focus. Arianism and other subordinationist theologies simply don't have a place for the Holy Spirit.

Milton's Satanic Trinity in Paradise Lost

John Milton presents a Satanic "trinity" in Paradise Lost. We meet the three agents of destruction at the gates of Hell in Book II: Satan, Sin, and Death. Satan "gave birth" to his daughter "Sin" after pride caused in him a head ache. "Sin" came forth from his head - just as Athena came forth from the head of Zeus. Satan then entered into an incestuous union with his daughter Sin and they produce a son named "Death".

Satan, Sin, and Death form the diabolical triad. Milton describes Sin as the image or icon of Satan. Sin is thus the "logos" of Satan. The third person, Death, functions as the opposite of the Holy Spirit, who is the Lord and Giver of Life. Satan is the "father". Sin is the "image of the father". Death "proceeds" from the Satan and Sin.

To make matters worse, Death raped his mother (and sister) Sin and this union brought forth "helhounds". The whole thing is incestuous.

A rather brilliant depiction of evil.

Recent East-West Dialogue on Papal Primacy in Ravenna

The Ravenna dialogue between the Eastern Orthodox Churches and the Catholic Church has yielded a statement.

However, the Ravenna document does not settle questions about the power the Pope enjoys as a consequence of that primacy. In fact, the members of the Joint International Commission for Theological Dialogue noted in their concluding statement that Catholic and Orthodox theologians disagree "on the interpretation of the historical evidence from this era regarding the prerogatives of the bishop of Rome as protos," or first among the patriarchs.

"While the fact of primacy at the universal level is accepted by both East and West," the Ravenna statement continued, "there are differences of understanding with regard to the manner in which it is to be exercised, and also with regard to its scriptural and theological foundations."

Cardinal Kasper told Vatican Radio that the Ravenna document will for the basis for further talks. In future meetings, he said, "we have have to go on to clarify the details."

Read "Ecumenical talks reach partial accord on papal primacy" from Catholic World News.

Pope Benedict XVI Falsely Accused of Nestorian Heresy

David Cassidy just brought this to my attention.

Some Eastern Orthodox bloggers at a "Nicene Truth" have accused the Holy Father of heresy - Nestorianism no less! They have found two quotations in Ratzinger's God and the World (pp. 293-294) that they believe proves that Benedict XVI is heretical.

I took a look at the quotes and they are not as tight as one might expect, but I think that one should first check the English translation of the work. It may be just fine in the German. The Ratzinger zinger-line is this one, which does sound a little strange:

"[Mary] was in the sense of having been the mother of the man that was entirely at one with God."

One would expect "the mother of the person" because "man" in English does not necessarily mean "person". But we don't know what it was in German. Also, we should be willing to grant that Cardinal Ratzinger was not being absolutely precise. I don't think that makes him a formal heretic. I guarantee that if you asked him personally, the Holy Father would provide a beautiful and orthodox account of the incarnation.

For those unfamiliar with the Nestorian controversy, the Catholic Church teaches Christ's "human nature was assumed, not absorbed", in the mysterious union of the Incarnation, the Church was led over the course of centuries to confess the full reality of Christ's human soul, with its operations of intellect and will, and of his human body. In parallel fashion, she had to recall on each occasion that Christ's human nature belongs, as his own, to the divine person of the Son of God, who assumed it. Everything that Christ is and does in this nature derives from "one of the Trinity". The Son of God therefore communicates to his humanity his own personal mode of existence in the Trinity. In his soul as in his body, Christ thus expresses humanly the divine ways of the Trinity..." (CCC, no. 470)

Anybody else wish to comment on the matter?

St. Thomas Aquinas and Chrism Anointings

There have been some very helpful comments from both Anglicans and Catholics regarding my recent posts on the form and matter of Confirmation and how it relates to Anglicanism.

Some have made some comments about the post-baptismal anointing that is placed on the head of an infant. (In the case of a newly baptized adult this anoiniting simply becomes Confirmation.) I'm not sure if there is any strict contemporary practice, but St. Thomas Aquinas distinguishes these two independent chrismations in the case of baptized infants by location. The post-baptismal chrismation is placed on the crown of the infant's head; whereas the confirmation chrismation is placed on the forehead. Thomas writes:

Rabanus says (De Instit. Cleric. i): "The baptized is signed by the priest with chrism on the crown of the head, but by the bishop on the forehead." (Summa theologiae IIIa, q. 72, a. 9)

Why Do Anglicans Have Invalid Confirmations?

Putting aside the conversation about the validity of Anglican Holy Orders, let us take a look at Anglican Confirmation. In a previous post I described what amounts to valid form and valid matter in both the Eastern and Western Church. Valid form is in the Western Church has always been:

Accipe signaculum doni Spiritus Sancti.
("Be sealed with the Gift of the Holy Spirit.")

In the Eastern Churches (both Orthodox and Catholic) the form is:

Sphragis doreas Pneumatos Hagiou.
("The seal of the Gift of the Holy Spirit.")

The Anglican form as found in the 1549, 1552, 1559, and 1662 English Books of Common Prayer, the 1928 and 1979 American Books of Common Prayer, and the 1978 Book of Common Prayer says nothing about the seal of the gift of the Holy Spirit! These rites mention neither "the seal" or "the gift" of the Holy Spirit. Why is this?

Archbishop Thomas Cranmer changed the form in his first Book of Common Prayer (1549). He did retain laying on of hands and a form stating:

N. I signe thee with the signe of the crosse, and laye my hande upon thee. In the name of the father, and of the sonne, and of the holy gost. Amen. [1]

This is not sufficient and the statement was even further weakened in Cranmer's more Protestant revision of the Book of Common Prayer three years later (1552):

DEFENDE, O lord, this child with thy heavenly grace, that he may continue thine for ever, and dayly encrease in thy holy spirite more and more, until he come unto thy everlastyng kyngdom. Amen.

This 1552 prayer became the received Anglican "form" for Confirmation. It is not valid because it is simply a prayer over the candidate. It asks for a "daily increase in the Holy Spirit" but that is not what the sacrament is. It is the conferral of an indelible seal on the soul.

It goes without saying that Anglicanism does not require the presence of chrism, traditionally considered the "matter" of the sacrament of Confirmation. Thus, we might conclude that even if a person were confirmed by an Anglican bishop with valid orders, he or she would not truly be Confirmed because the form is deficient and out of accord with the Sacred Tradition of the Eastern and Western Church.

[1] This differs from the received medieval form: "I sign thee with the sign of the cross, I confirm thee with the chrism of salvation, in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Ghost. Amen."

The Sacrament of Confirmation - Valid Form and Matter

The discussion surrounding the sacrament of Confirmation is complicated. Should it be administered to infants (the Eastern Church) or to those having attained the age of reason (the later Western Church). Should it be administered by a bishop alone (Western Church) or by extension a priest (Eastern Church and modern Western Church). Is the matter anointing with chrism or simply laying on of hands.

Let us begin with a simple Catholic presupposition that valid form and matter with right intention and proper minister constitute a valid sacrament in the Catholic Church. The Catechism of the Catholic Church reads:

1300 The essential rite of the sacrament follows. In the Latin rite, "the sacrament of Confirmation is conferred through the anointing with chrism on the forehead, which is done by the laying on of the hand, and through the words: 'Accipe signaculum doni Spiritus Sancti' [Be sealed with the Gift of the Holy Spirit.]." In the Eastern Churches of Byzantine rite, after a prayer of epiclesis, the more significant parts of the body are anointed with myron: forehead, eyes, nose, ears, lips, chest, back, hands, and feet. Each anointing is accompanied by the formula Sphragis doreas Pneumatos Hagiou (Signaculum doni Spiritus Sancti): "the seal of the gift of the Holy Spirit."

The Eastern and Western forms are essentially the same in that the minister, be he a bishop or priest, refers to the "seal" of "the gift of Holy Spirit".

In the New Testament we read only of "laying on of hands" as accompanying baptism and not any specific anointing with chrism. (cf. Acts 8; Heb 6:1-5) However, Sacred Tradition holds that the use of consecrated chrism was instituted by the Apostles and thus is a necessary element. The Apostolic Constitution of Paul VI Divinae consortium naturae states that the matter of Confirmation is "the anointing with chrism on the forehead, which is done by the laying on of the hand." In other words, the anointing of the head is the same as the laying on of the hand on the head described in the New Testament.

Scott Hahn's Dissertation Download: Kinship by Covenant

Back by popular demand: pdf file of Scott Hahn's dissertation: Kinship by Covenant.

For some reason the old link that I provided is no longer working. So here it is again at a link that is working.

Click here to download Scott Hahn's Kinship by Covenant.

A big thanks to Mark Adams.

Drinking Port and the Infamous Bishop of Norwich

If you're sitting around drinking porto after dinner and your glass runs dry, try this old tradition. Ask the host: "Do you know the Bishop of Norwich?"

If the host is a cultured porto drinker, he'll probably grin and refill your glass.

If your host responds, "No, who is the Bishop of Norwich?" you answer: "The bishop is an awfully good fellow, but he never passes the port."

The custom refers to the Bishop of Norwich, but I don't know which one or why he is associated with porto. If anyone knows the historical circumstances surrounding the "Bishop of Norwich", please enlighten us.

Why do Anglicans use Port for Communion Wine?

When I was an Anglican, people often commented about the port used for Holy Communion. They typically liked it. There is an interesting history behind this custom.

As you may know, England does not produce wine. Everybody loves a bottle of "French wine", but who has even heard of a bottle of "English wine". So wine was mostly imported into England.

However, after the Restoration of the crown and episcopacy at the end of the 1600s, the War of Spanish Succession pitted England against Spain and France. At this time, France did not export wine to England. In 1703, the English and the Portuguese signed the Methuen Treaty and became political allies against Spain and France. This alliance also confirmed low import/export taxes between England and Portugal.

As a result, the unique fortified wine of Portugal was almost exclusive imported into England. The Portuguese wine was fortified as a preservative for storage and exportation. At the time, "wine" in England referred exclusively to what we know as "port wine" or "porto". If an Englishman served wine at his table in 1705 it was certainly "port wine" from Portugal.

Thus, it became the custom for the Church of England to employ port at Holy Communion. Since liturgy is naturally conservative and old habits die hard, port has remained as the communion wine of choice and most Anglican and Episcopal parishes.

Why is Veterans Day on November 11?

Up until this year I was in the dark about Veterans Day. So I did a little research on the subject.

Veterans Day is celebrated on November 11 because it is the anniversary of the signing of the Armistice that ended World War I in 1918. An interesting bit of trivia is that the Germans signed the Armistice on the eleventh hour of the eleventh day of the eleventh month of that year.

November 11 is remembered in the United Kingdom as "Remembrance Day" and as "Armistice Day" in France. In some locales a moment of silence is kept at the eleventh hour.

In 1968, the United States moved Veterans Day to the nearest Monday (to ensure a three-day weekend), but this decision was met with protests so that it was officially moved back to November 11th proper in 1978.

Happy Veterans Day!

Leonardo Da Vanci's Adoration of the Magi and the Elephant

Thanks to Dan Brown, "finding "things" in Da Vinci's art is now the quickest way to make a buck or gain notoriety. Earlier this morning I posted on the suspicious Da Vinci "soundtrack", but this video describes an incredible new discovery in the under draft of Leonardo's Adoration of the Magi, which includes an interesting image of an elephant.

It's worth watching.

The Da Vinci Music Code

This is ridiculous. Someone is now claiming to have found coded music in Da Vinci's Last Supper. What's next? Hidden html code in the Last Supper?

ROME — It's a new Da Vinci code, but this time it could be for real. An Italian musician and computer technician claims to have uncovered musical notes encoded in Leonardo Da Vinci's "Last Supper," raising the possibility that the Renaissance genius might have left behind a somber composition to accompany the scene depicted in the 15th-century wall painting.

Read "Leonardo Painting Has Coded Soundtrack" by Ariel David via Newsvine where you can also listen to the "Da Vinci Passion soundtrack".

Happy Feast Day of Blessed John Duns Scotus

Today (Nov 8) is the feast day of Blessed John Duns Scotus. This is a day that usually passes unmarked in my calendar, but since I'm taking a class on the "subtle doctor", I feel that I have developed a "personal relationship with Scotus" (to borrow an Evangelical phrase).

As Dr. William Frank reminded us in class, "If you're into invoking saints and blesseds, try Scotus. I have the suspicion that he is not all that busy."

Article on Blessed Duns Scotus from the Catholic Encyclopedia.

Here is a nice Life of Blessed Duns Scotus from the Franciscan Friars of the Immaculate.

And for the dedicated, here are some great online Scotist resources and texts: Bl. John Duns Scotus.

Is It in the Bible or Shakespeare?

Take this quiz on whether certain passages come form the Bible or the Bard.

Hat tip: Happy Catholic

Recommended Text on the Continental Reformation

From the comments box:

Could you recommend an English-language history of the continental reformation that is fair to both Catholic and Protestant claims (something akin to Duffy's "Stripping of the Altars")?

Immediately purchase Stephen Ozment's Age of Reform 1250-1550: An Intellectual and Religious History of Late Medieval and Reformation Europe (Yale, 1981).

I don't agree with everything he says about medieval theology, especially as it relates to Dominican and Franciscan mysticism. However, it is an excellent introduction to the economic, philosophical, cultural, theological, and political circumstances that led up to the "perfect storm" of the Reformation (primarly on the continent).

Russell Crowe to be Baptized

For all those Gladiator and 3:10 to Yuma fans:

Crowe says the baptism will take place in the Byzantine chapel he built at his country ranch in Australia for his wedding to Danielle Spencer in 2003. The couple have two sons, 3-year-old Charlie and 1-year-old Tennyson.

Full story on Russell Crowe's baptism from Fox News.

Hat tip to Walker Dollahon.

Have There Been 265 or 266 Popes?

I have been trying discover the "true number" of popes. I have basically found two contemporary lists.

Version A lists Peter as (1) and Benedict XVI as (265)

Versian B lists Peter as (1) and Benedict XVI as (266)

I started to research the matter, but I figured someone out there has the quick answer as to which is correct. Is Pope Benedict XVI #265th or #266?

Just a word of warning: Version A and Version B each appealing to the official Annuario Pontificio. However, both cannot be correct. I assume one is outdated. Anyone have access to the most recent Annuario Pontificio?

The Eighty-Seven Encyclicals of Pope Leo XIII

Pope Leo XIII was the first pope in over 1,500 years to lack temporal authority. Leo XIII took this opportunity to refashion the papacy as a pastoral office focused on teaching. He wrote eight-seven papal encyclicals!

He is best known for his Rerum novarum (1891) that outlined the Church's doctrine of social justice. He is also remembered for Apostolicae Curae (1897), which declared Anglican orders utterly null and void.

Fred Thompson Talks about Abortion

Did St. Thomas Aquinas Teach that Reason Did Not Fall?

From the comments box:

Francis Schaeffer, among others, have said that Aquinas taught that the will fell, but that reason did not. This is a not infrequent theme on Protestant blogs, but I notice that few Catholic blogs, even Thomistic ones address it. How about you?

I have to admit that my confidence in Presuppositional Apologetics began to fail at Westminster Theological Seminary. As a undergrad major in philosophy, I had read enough Thomas Aquinas to know that Francis Schaeffer had not only an overly simplistic reading of history, but an especially simplistic understanding of philosophy(particularly Thomism). I was eager to be at Westminster Theological Seminary because I would be getting raw Cornelius Van Til.

But then I started reading Van Til and the Bahnsen supplement and I was shocked by what I read. Van Til isn't an ignoramus. He also isn't a philosopher. Knowing Dooyeweerd, Stoker, and Kant isn't enough. Anyway, I say all this to warn all the wound-up presuppositional apologist out there who think that Van Til is the pot of gold at the end of the rainbow.

Francis Schaeffer's critique of Thomas Aquinas is classic presuppositionalist fodder. I recommend reading Thomas for yourself on the matter. A great place to start is the Summa theologiae I-II, q. 85 a. 3 where Thomas discusses the "four wounds" of the fall as enumerated by the Venerable Bede. St. Thomas writes:

Therefore in so far as the reason is deprived of its order to the true, there is the wound of ignorance; in so far as the will is deprived of its order of good, there is the wound of malice; in so far as the irascible is deprived of its order to the arduous, there is the wound of weakness; and in so far as the concupiscible is deprived of its order to the delectable, moderated by reason, there is the wound of concupiscence.

So there you have it from the horse's mouth. The four wounds: the fall of the intellect, the fall of the will, the fall from strength and mortality, and the disordering of the passions all resulted from the Fall. According to Thomas, reason fell with the will.

Of course, what it means "to fall" is a whole other question. See my posts on "preternatural gifts" for a Catholic point of view.

Conservative Diocese Leaving Episcopal Church

The Episcopal Bishop of Pittsburgh, Robert Duncan, has dipped his hand. He is planning to lead his diocese out of the Episcopal Church. The presiding bishop of the Episcopal Church has already expressed that she won't stand for it:

I clipped the follwing from Schori's letter to the Episcopal bishop of Pittsburg:

If your course does not change, I shall regrettably be compelled to see that appropriate canonical steps are promptly taken to consider whether you have abandoned the Communion of this Church -- by actions and substantive statements, however they may be phrased -- and whether you have committed canonical offences that warrant disciplinary action.

It grieves me that any bishop of this Church would seek to lead any of its members out of it. I would remind you of my open offer of an Episcopal Visitor if you wish to receive pastoral care from another bishop. I continue to pray for reconciliation of this situation, and I remain

Your servant in Christ,

Katharine Jefferts Schori

She is clearly preparing to pursue "disciplinary action" against Duncan.

Honestly, I sympathize with Bishop Duncan and his flock, but to where shall he lead his clergy and laity? It doesn't seem that the Archbishop of Canterbury is going to be much help to American Anglicans. Sadly, things can only crumble into smaller pebbles.

Read more about the battle royale between the Episcopal Presiding Bishop Schori and Bishop Duncan.

Was Adam created in grace?

It seems that Adam was created in grace. Some have said that Adam was created without grace but only in a state of nature and that this state was strictly meritorious. Thomas Aquinas shows that the first man was created in grace:

But the very rectitude of the primitive state, wherewith man was endowed by God, seems to require that, as others say, he was created in grace, according to Ecclesiastes 7:30, "God made man right." For this rectitude consisted in his reason being subject to God, the lower powers to reason, and the body to the soul: and the first subjection was the cause of both the second and the third; since while reason was subject to God, the lower powers remained subject to reason, as Augustine says [Cf. De Civ. Dei xiii, 13; De Pecc. Merit. et Remiss. i, 16.]

Now it is clear that such a subjection of the body to the soul and of the lower powers to reason, was not from nature; otherwise it would have remained after sin; since even in the demons the natural gifts remained after sin, as Dionysius declared (Div. Nom. iv). Hence it is clear that also the primitive subjection by virtue of which reason was subject to God, was not a merely natural gift, but a supernatural endowment of grace; for it is not possible that the effect should be of greater efficiency than the cause. Hence Augustine says (De Civ. Dei xiii, 13) that, "as soon as they disobeyed the Divine command, and forfeited Divine grace, they were ashamed of their nakedness, for they felt the impulse of disobedience in the flesh, as though it were a punishment corresponding to their own disobedience." Hence if the loss of grace dissolved the obedience of the flesh to the soul, we may gather that the inferior powers were subjected to the soul through grace existing therein.

Summa theologiae Ia, q. 95, a. 1

Thomas argues that the results of the fall prove that Adam fell from grace. Otherwise, Adam would have fallen from nature, which is impossible.

Peter Leithart on Baptismal Elevation

The always brilliant Peter Leithart wrote an insightful post on baptismal "elevation". Noah was saved through the waters of the deluge, but he was also elevated to the heights of creation. Interesting. This could be another way of speaking of baptismal regeneration - being "born again" and being "born from above".

Holy Days of Obligation (Explained)

In addition to observance of Sunday as the "Lord's Day", Catholics are also obliged to keep certain holy days. These are the "holy days of obligation". The core remains the same, but are modified to conform to local custom. For example, the Catholic bishops of Ireland might make St. Patrick's day a holy day of obligation.

In the Catholic Church, one commits mortal sin by not attending Mass on any Sunday of the year or on a holy day of obligation. Below is the current decree of promulgation of the National Conference of Catholic Bishops United States of America:

In addition to Sunday, the days to be observed as holy days of obligation in the Latin Rite dioceses of the United States of America, in conformity with canon 1246, are as follows:

January 1, the solemnity of Mary, Mother of God;
Thursday of the Sixth Week of Easter, the solemnity of the Ascension;
August 15, the solemnity of the Assumption of the Blessed Virgin Mary;
November 1, the solemnity of All Saints;
December 8, the solemnity of the Immaculate Conception;
December 25, the solemnity of the Nativity of Our Lord Jesus Christ.

Whenever January 1, the solemnity of Mary, Mother of God, or August 15, the solemnity of the Assumption, or November 1, the solemnity of All Saints, falls on a Saturday or on a Monday, the precept to attend Mass is abrogated.

This decree of the Conference of Bishops was approved and confirmed by the Apostolic See by a decree of the Congregation for Bishops (Prot. N. 296/84), signed by Bernardin Cardinal Gantin, prefect of the Congregation, and dated July 4, 1992.

So it's basically six days: 1) Christmas, 2) New Year's, 3) Ascension, 4) All Saints, 5) Assumption, and 6) Immaculate Conception. Catholic Churches typically offer morning, noon, and after-work Mass on these days so that the faithful can attend Holy Mass. It seems that the Ascension (which always falls on a Thursday) is moved to the following Sunday.

1525: A Year of Protestant Success

I was recently reading about the debate between Martin Luther and Ulrich Zwingli at Marburg Colloquy that took place 1-4 October 1529. As I was reading along, I realized how earlier events led to the quick advance of continental Protestantism. 1525 seems to have been a pivotal year. Note the following events that occurred in 1525:

• The first known adult rebaptism occurred in Zurich (21 Jan 1525)
• Swabian peasants publish their Lutheran influenced the 12 Articles of Memmingan (Feb 1525)
• Adult rebaptism became a crime punishable by death in Zurich (7 March 1525)
• The Catholic Mass abolished in Zurich (14 April 1925)
• Peasant Revolt squashed by princes at instigation of Luther; 5,000 killed including Luther's theological rival Thomas Muntzer (15 May 1525)
• Martin Luther marries former Cistercian nun Katherina von Bora (13 June 1525)
• Scholars estimate that 70,000 to 100,000 German "radical Lutheran" peasants had been killed the end of 1525.
  
• Andreas Karlstadt lost his influence in 1525.
• Tyndale finished his translation of the New Testament in 1525.
  

The end result was that by the end of 1525, the radical reformation in its Anabaptistic manifestation had been choked, leaving Europe with only two recognized Protestant voices: Martin Luther in the north and Ulrich Zwingli in the south. The year 1525 confirmed Luther's political influence in Germany and also Zwingli's political influence in the Protestant cantons of Switzerland. The two reformers differed in matter of images, liturgy, and most importantly in matters touching the "the Supper of the Lord". Catholic theologians played up their differences so as to highlight the inner disunity of the Protestant cause.

Philip of Hesse recognized that Protestantism needed military unity in order to survive. Military unity required theological unity and thus the symbolic union of Martin Luther's theology with that of Ulrich Zwingli. So Philip arranged the Marburg Colloquy in 1529. It ended in complete failure with Luther's invigorated belief that Zwingli was a "devil" and a "fanatic." This failure meant that magisterial Protestantism would remain divided for ever.

By 1529, magisterial Protestantism became officially a "house divided" and thus doomed to fail. The Catholic Church only had to wait for demise of "sola scriptura experiment". Five hundred years later, the results are obvious. Protestants are further divided (observe how may different "brands" of Lutheran and Reformed Churches exist!), and ironically they spinning toward the Anabaptist tradition that they so diligently repudiated.

If 1525 was the year of Protestant success, then 1529 was the year of Protestant failure.