BIG C CATHOLICS

Optional Memorial - December 21st  Saint Peter Canisius was the 16th century Dutch Jesuit priest and Doctor of the Church whose brilliant theology renewed Catholicism. He was a major figure in both the Council of Trent and the Counter Reformation. His extensive catechetical treatises and powerful preaching in defense of orthodoxy won him great renown, and the Church innumerable souls. He wrote three definitive Catechisms in the span of four years explicating the Faith. These were tremendously influential, especially to those in Austria, Bavaria, and Bohemia where Catholicism was most under siege. Although claimed by both the Dutch and German Churches, Canisius is designated as the second Apostle of Germany (after Saint Boniface of Mainz). He was born at Nijmegen, Holland, in 1521 into a devout family. His father was an instructor to princes in the court of the duke of Lorraine. Peter was part of a movement for religious reform as a very young man and in 1543, after attending a

Memorial - November 4th   Charles Borromeo, the bishop of Milan, came from a wealthy, aristocratic Italian family. He was born in the family castle, and lived a rather lavish life, entertaining sumptuously as befit a Renaissance court. He personally enjoyed athletics, music, art, and the fine dining that went along with lifestyles of the rich and famous of the 16th century. His maternal uncle, from the powerful Medici family, was pope. As was typical of the times, his uncle-pope made him a cardinal-deacon at age twenty-three and bestowed on him numerous offices. He was appointed papal legate to Bologna, the Low Countries, and the cantons of Switzerland, and to the religious orders of St. Francis, the Carmelites, the Knights of Malta, and others. When Count Frederick Borromeo passed away, many people thought Charles would give up the clerical life and marry upon become head of the Borromeo family. Rather than submit to the worldly trappings of wealth and status, he deferred to

Reformation Day is the Protestant observance of Martin Luther's consequential action on October 31, 1517 which would lead to the onset of the Reformation. According to legend, the young Augustinian monk nailed his 95 Theses to the door of the Wittenberg Cathedral, changing Christianity, and the world, forever. On this the 500th anniversary of Martin Luther's historic theses, we bring to your attention two articles of interest. Glenn Stanton writing for the Federalist offers a fascinating examination into the myths, lies, distortions and outright fabrications surrounding Luther's momentous dissent. In " Luther Didn’t Actually Nail Up His 95 Theses, And Other Curious Reformation Day Facts ", Stanton observes: The results of this theology professor’s world-changing action are beyond dispute. What actually happened on what is celebrated as Reformation Day, however, is highly questionable. Simply put, it’s unlikely the door episode ever happened. It certainly d

Memorial - September 27th St. Vincent de Paul is a saint whose name is familiar even to those who do not profess the Catholic faith. This is due in large part to the organization that was begun in his name 173 years after his death. The St. Vincent de Paul Society, founded by Blessed Frederic Ozanam in 1833, took its inspiration from the life of the man whom Pope Leo XIII named patron of all charitable organizations. Many parishes continue to carry out charitable works under his spiritual patronage. Vincent was the third child born to a poor family in Gascony, France, in 1580. At the time of his birth, the Church was in the midst of the Counter-Reformation, the period of intense internal reform following the upheaval of the Protestant Reformation. Although he would later be regarded as "the conscience of France," the young Vincent, who was ordained in 1600, was more concerned at first with living a comfortable life than doing the work that God had intended for him.

Optional Memorial - September 17th (In 2017, this feast is superseded by the Sunday liturgy.) It is fitting that the month that heralds the beginning of a new school year is also the time in which the Church celebrates the feast of Saint Robert Bellarmine. A Jesuit priest during the Catholic Reformation, he won renown for his scholarship and theological insights. Bellarmine was a "Spiritual Father" to many, including Saint Aloysius Gonzaga. He was a consequential figure in the Church's renewal. He was born in Italy in 1542. His mother, Cinthia Cervini, was sister to Cardinal Marcello Cervini, who later became Pope Marcellus II. Educated by the then "new" order in the Church—the Society of Jesus—the young Bellarmine entered the Jesuits in 1560 at the age of 18. He was ordained 10 years later and became the first Jesuit professor at the Catholic University at Louvain, Belgium, where he taught theology. He remained until 1576, when he was appointed to t

Saint Teresa of Avila was reported to have said, “From silly devotions and sour-faced saints, Lord deliver us.” Though he probably never heard those words, one of her contemporaries, Saint Philip Neri, lived as if he had. This delightful man, known as “the cheerful saint,” believed that a life of humility and piety did not exclude a person from having a sense of lightheartedness. If anything, he had a profound appreciation of humor as a Godly gift, to be used for spiritual renewal. St. Philip Neri was born in Florence, Italy, in 1515. As a young man, he was sent away to live with an older cousin to learn the family business. It was soon evident that this was not the vocation God had in mind for him. Philip became a tutor, eking out a living while studying theology and philosophy. Three years later, he decided, out of humility, not to pursue ordination to the priesthood. Instead, he would spend the next thirteen years of his life actively engaged in contemplation, prayer and servic

January 24th, is the memorial of Saint Francis de Sales (1567-1622), the 17th century French bishop and Doctor of the Church, whose desire to save souls resulted in the conversion of some 70,000 Calvinists in the region of Chablais (an area comprising parts of present day France and Switzerland). His gentleness of spirit, pastoral zeal and compassion made him a powerful teacher of the Faith. His most famous works Treatise on the Love of God and Introduction to the Devout Life , show holiness is possible for everyone, regardless of station. Born into a noble family of means, Francis studied law in Padua, Italy. Although once cantankerous and choleric in his demeanor, during this period, he became enamored with living in imitation of Christ. Taking a vow of perpetual chastity, he placed himself under Mary’s protection. His devotion to God, while unshakable, put him at odds with his family. Francis’ father expected him to lead the life of a respectable gentleman befitting his class.

Reversing a five centuries-old tradition, the Pontifical Council for Christian Unity released a new Vatican document in commemoration of the 500th anniversary of the Protestant Reformation officially recognizing Martin Luther as a  "Witness to the Gospel". The ecumenical document states: "Given the fact that the history of the Reformation was marked by painful division, this is a very remarkable achievement. The Lutheran-Roman Catholic Commission on Unity has worked hard to produce a shared understanding of the commemoration. Its important report, From Conflict to Communion, recognizes that both traditions approach this anniversary in an ecumenical age, with the achievements of fifty years of dialogue behind them, and with new understandings of their own history and theology. Separating that which is polemical from the theological insights of the Reformation, Catholics are now able to hear Luther’s challenge for the Church of today, recognizing him as a “witness to t

Saint Peter Canisius entered the Jesuits in the year 1543, at age 22. He worked tirelessly for the renewal of the Church of his time. Part of that was to make sure that there were good Catechisms available to pass on and explain the Faith. The three Catechisms he wrote went through over 200 printings in his lifetime and were translated into 15 languages. Known as "the second Apostle of Germany", he did much to counter the religious errors of the Protestant Reformation. Here are ten quotations from this remarkable saint and Doctor of the Church: If you have too much to do, with God’s help you will find time to do it all. ***  Let my eyes take their sleep, but may my heart always keep watch for you. May your right hand bless your servants who love you. ***  Better that only a few Catholics should be left, staunch and sincere in their religion, than that they should, remaining many, desire as it were, to be in collusion with the Church's enemies and in conform

December 21st, is the optional memorial of Saint Peter Canisius (1521-1597) the 16th century Dutch Jesuit priest and Doctor of the Church, who played a major role in the Council of Trent and the Counter Reformation. His extensive writing in theology and powerful preaching in defense of orthodoxy won him great renown, and the Church innumerable souls. He wrote three definitive Catechisms in the span of four years explicating the Faith. These were tremendously influential, especially to those in Austria, Bavaria, and Bohemia where Catholicism was most under siege. Although claimed by both the Dutch and German Churches, Canisius is designated the second Apostle of Germany (after Saint Boniface of Mainz). He was born in Wijmegen, Holland, to Jacob Canisius and mother Egidia van Houweningen, who died soon after Peter's birth. His father was Burgomaster of the town. While a student at the University of Cologne studying the arts, civil law and theology, he regularly visited the Carth

The Spanish Inquisition has frequently been used to portray the Catholic Church as hypocritical and malevolent. However, recent scholarship proves that it wasn’t as bloody or as brutal as the Church’s detractors contend. The BBC documentary, The Myth of the Spanish Inquisition, refutes the false narratives surrounding this Tribunal. Below is a partial transcript of the program: Starting at 3:02: "Four centuries of condemnation have made the Spanish Inquisition a byword for cruelty, terror and tyranny. But this image is false. A distortion disseminated 400 years ago and accepted ever since. Now, a new generation of historians is looking at the inquisition afresh. Every one of the cases that came before the Spanish Inquisition during its 350-year history had its own file. These files, gathered together from sources such as this library in Salamanca, are being properly studied for the first time. (Prof. Henry Kamen speaking) 'I think our views of the inquisition hav

The following Protestant leaders were among those who believe the Catholic Church and the papacy are the Antichrist referenced in Sacred Scripture. (See end of post for a Catholic response.) Martin Luther (1483-1546) Lutheran "Luther … proved, by the revelations of Daniel and St. John, by the epistles of St. Paul, St. Peter, and St. Jude, that the reign of Antichrist, predicted and described in the Bible, was the Papacy." From History of the Reformation of the Sixteen Century , J. H. Merle D’aubigne, Book VI, Chapter XII, p. 215. "[N]othing else than the kingdom of Babylon and of very Antichrist. For who is the man of sin and the son of perdition, but he who by his teaching and his ordinances increases the sin and perdition of souls in the church; while he yet sits in the church as if he were God? All these conditions have now for many ages been fulfilled by the papal tyranny." From First Principles , pp. 196-197. John Calvin (1509-1564) Presbyterian