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Today in Catholic History – Ex Quo Singulari

July 11, 2010 – 11:16 am

On 11 July 1742, Pope Benedict XIV issued the bull Ex Quo Singulari which addressed the issues of Catholic missionary activity in China and the Chinese Rites Controversy.

Following the example of Matteo Ricci, the Jesuit missionaries in China sought to present the Catholic faith in a way more compatible to traditional Chinese practices so as to encourage conversions in that country. One particularly problematic aspect of the Jesuit method of evangelization was in regards to Chinese veneration of their ancestors. The Jesuits taught that the Chinese practice was compatible with Catholic belief because it was a social and not a religious ritual. However other missionaries in China such as the Franciscans and Dominicans argued that the Jesuits were not teaching the Catholic faith properly and appealed to the pope. The other missionary orders wanted to present a Catholic faith and practice which would be exactly the same as it was in the countries of Europe.

In Ex Quo Singulari, Benedict XIV sided with the Franciscans and Dominicans against the Jesuits and forbade any further discussion of the issue. Papal policy led to a marked decline in conversions in China and indeed the Chinese Emperor would tell a visiting papal delegate, “You destroyed your religion. You put in misery all Europeans living here in China. You desecrated the honor of all those, who died long ago.” The Emperor would also ban all Catholic missionary activity.

In 1939, Pius XII would reverse this policy to permit the veneration of deceased family members and the Catholic Church would again begin to flourish until the Chinese Communist revolution in 1949.

On the Chinese Rites Controversy

By sbeshonertor | Also posted in History of China, Jesuit History, Papal History | Comments (0)

Today in Catholic History – The Formation of the Catholic League

July 10, 2010 – 10:26 am

On 10 July 1609, a coalition of Roman Catholic states in the Holy Roman Empire gathered together to oppose the Protestant Union which had formed in 1608.

The purpose of the Catholic League, under the leadership of Maximilian I of Bavaria, was to defend Catholic interests in the Empire which seemed pressing particularly after a conflict at the city of Donauwörth in Bavaria on 25 April 1606. The Lutheran majority in Donauwörth forbade a St. Mark procession involving the waving of flags and singing hymns from passing through the town even though this was to be permitted according to the terms of the Peace of Augsburg. This was followed by other anti-Catholic incidents in the Empire.

While the purpose of the League was intended to “promote peace” by being a counter-force to the earlier formed Protestant Union, the establishment of large military forces under the leadership of opposing Catholic and Protestant leadership in fact made war between the two sides more likely. This will be especially seen in the eventual outbreak of the Thirty Years War in 1618 which saw significant fighting between Protestants and Catholics.

Indeed the Thirty Years’ War will bring about the end of the Catholic League as the peace terms will prohibit such inter-state agreements and alliances within the Holy Roman Empire. Only direct alliances between states and the Emperor will be permitted.

By sbeshonertor | Also posted in German History | Comments (1)

Today in Catholic History – The Martyrs of Gorkum

July 9, 2010 – 3:44 pm

On 9 July 1572, nineteen Catholics were martyred in Brielle by the Calvinist William de la Marck, the Lord of Lumey despite an order from the Prince William of Orange to leave priests and religious unharmed. Lumey was the leader of a group of Watergreuzen or “Sea Beggers” – irregular troops that had recently captured the city of Brielle from the Spanish.

The nineteen martyrs included eleven Franciscans, an Augustinians, and a Dominican. The Dominican priest, John of Cologne, had been arrested after it was discovered that he was secretly visiting the other Catholic prisoners to administer the sacraments. After spending several days in prison during which time they were tortured and forced to parody Catholic rituals, the Lord of Lumey demanded that the Catholic prisoners deny the Real Presence in the Blessed Sacrament and the primacy of the pope in exchange for their freedom. The prisoners refused and were martyred by hanging.

Their beatification took place on 14 November 1675, and their canonization on 29 June 1865.

By sbeshonertor | Also posted in History of the Netherlands | Comments (0)

Today in Catholic History – The Finding of the Icon of Our Lady of Kazan

July 8, 2010 – 10:12 am

On 8 July 1579, a little girl by the name of Matrona discovered an icon of the Blessed Virgin Mary under the city of Kazan that would come to be known as Our Lady of Kazan or the Theotokos of Kazan [Казанская Богоматерь]

This icon is of the highest importance for Russian Orthodox faithful and many churches throughout Russia are dedicated to Our Lady of Kazan. Her feast day on 4 November is also the Russian Day of National Unity. The Russian Orthodox believe that prayers to the Blessed Mother through the icon have protected Russia against Polish invasion in 1612, Swedish invasion in 1709 and French invasion in 1812.

On 29 June 1904, the icon was stolen from the church in Kazan. The thieves who wanted to obtain the golden covering of the icon later claimed to have destroyed it. However, rumors continued that stated that the icon had survived.

One copy of the Icon of Our Lady of Kazan, through for some time it was believed that it might have been the original icon, was obtained by the Blue Army of Our Lady of Fatima and kept at the shrine of Our Lady of Fatima in Portugal. This copy, dated to around 1730, was given to Pope John Paul II in 1983 and kept in his study in the Vatican. While Pope John Paul II hoped to visit Russia and return this icon to the Russian Orthodox while he was there, the Russian Orthodox Church refused to grant him permission to visit that country.

Unable to visit Russia, Pope John Paul II chose to return this copy of the Icon of Our Lady of Kazan to Russia on 27 August 2004. In returning the icon, Pope John Paul II expressed his hope that Our Lady of Kazan might help bring about unity between the Orthodox and the Catholics.

Today, as I announced last Sunday, our traditional weekly meeting has a special profile. Indeed, here we are gathered in prayer around the venerable Icon of the Mother of God of Kazan, which is on the point of setting out on the return journey to Russia, which it left one day long ago.

After passing through various countries and staying a long time at the Shrine of Fatima in Portugal, it providentially arrived at the Pope’s dwelling more than 10 years ago. Since then, it has found a home with me and has accompanied my daily service to the Church with its motherly gaze.

How often since that day have I called on the Mother of God of Kazan, asking her to protect and guide the Russian people who venerate her, and to hasten the moment when all the disciples of her Son, recognizing one another as brothers and sisters, will be able to fully restore the compromised unity.

More on the transfer of the Icon of Our Lady of Kazan from Pope John Paul II to Russia

By sbeshonertor | Also posted in Papal History, Russian History | Comments (0)

Today in Catholic History – Pragmatic Sanction of Bourges

July 7, 2010 – 10:09 am

On 7 July 1438, King Charles VII of France issued the Pragmatic Sanction of Bourges. This document was part of the Concilliarist attempt to limit the power of the papacy by arguing that a General Council, to be held every ten years, would have the highest authority within the Catholic Church.

Additionally, the Pragmatic Sanction also required bishops to be elected rather than appointed by the papacy and limited the authority of the papacy in France.

The popes, themselves, were greatly opposed to the Pragmatic Sanction and attempted to get the kings of France to repeal it but only attaining success with a new concordat with France in 1516.

While the document held an important place for those in the Gallican movement which desired a Catholic Church more independent of the papacy, the text itself was used by the French kings to justify placing the Catholic Church under royal authority.

The Pragmatic Sanction of Bourges

By sbeshonertor | Also posted in French History | Comments (0)

Today in Catholic History – The Execution of Jan Hus

July 6, 2010 – 9:33 am

On 6 June 1415, Jan Hus was burned at the stake after being condemned for heresy by the Council of Constance.

The attendees at the Council of Constance had asked Hus to travel to the Council to explain his beliefs and promised him safe conduct. However, after he arrived the Council imprisoned him – defending their actions by claiming that one was not obligated to keep promises to heretics. For seventy three days, Hus was imprisoned in poor conditions before being tried for heresy on 5 June 1415.

For his part, Hus promised to recant any of his beliefs if it could be shown from the Bible that they were erroneous. However, the Council would condemn him for heresy for his sympathy to the ideas of John Wycliffe, his opposition to the selling of indulgences, and his opposition to the power of the papacy. Hus refused to recant his beliefs on the grounds that to do so would be in violation of his conscience and so he was sentenced to death. His last words before his death were said to be, “God is my witness that the things charged against me I never preached. In the same truth of the Gospel which I have written, taught, and preached, drawing upon the sayings and positions of the holy doctors, I am ready to die today.”

In 1999, Pope John Paul II expressed “deep regret for the cruel death inflicted” on Hus. Indeed Pope John Paul II said, “Hus is a memorable figure for many reasons. But it is particularly his moral courage in the face of adversity and death that has made him a figure of special significance to the Czech people, who have themselves suffered much through the centuries.”

By sbeshonertor | Comments (0)

Today in Catholic History – The Baptism of Chitomachon

July 5, 2010 – 10:45 am

On the 5th of July, 1640, having been sufficiently instructed in the mysteries of faith, he [the Tayac or Emperor Chitomachon] received the Sacramental waters with solemnity in a little chapel, which for that ceremony and for divine worship he had erected in Indian fashion out of the bark of trees.

These are the words of Fr. Thomas Hughes, S.J. describing the baptism of Chief [Tayac] Chitomachon [Kittamaquund] of the Piscataway and his wife by Fr. Andrew White, S.J. Also present was the governor of the Province of Maryland, Leonard Calvert.

Chitomachon began receiving catechism after being cured of an illness with the aid of medicine provided by Fr. Andrew.

After baptism, Chitomachon received the Christian name of Charles and his wife that of Mary. Chitomachon and his wife also received the Sacrament of Marriage on this same day, a Cross was erected to memorialize the event and a Litany to the Blessed Mother was said. The chapel in which Chitomachon was baptized was the first chapel in Prince George’s County, Maryland.

Chitomachon would die shortly after his baptism in 1641, but other Piscataway would later also accept Christianity from Fr. White.

By sbeshonertor | Also posted in Jesuit History, US History | Comments (0)

Today in Catholic History – Opening of Saint Mary-of-the-Woods College

July 4, 2010 – 12:55 pm

On 4 July 1841, the first student arrived for enrollment at The Academy, now known as Saint Mary of the Woods College in Indiana. Saint Mary’s is the oldest Catholic college for women in the United States.

Bishop Simon Bruté of Vincennes, Indiana invited Saint Mother Theodore Guerin to establish a school for young women because Mother Guerin was known for the quality of her teaching in 1839. Mother Guérin and other Sisters of Providence arrived in 1840 to begin work on the establishment of The Academy despite facing severe anti-Catholic prejudice. For example, Jesuits in Philadelphia advised the Sisters to wear secular clothing as a means of avoiding hostility. This anti-Catholicism caused severe problems for the school as Mother Guérin wrote:

I have just discovered that there is a conspiracy in Terre Haute to destroy our institution. The persons responsible for this had begun by prejudicing against us the families whose children were here last year. Only one pupil returned this fall, and she, it seems, had no other home.

Despite this and the problem of the harsh Indiana winter, Mother Guérin and the Sisters persevered and today provides a Catholic education to 1,700 men and women.

By sbeshonertor | Also posted in US History | Comments (0)

Today in Catholic History – The Second Council of Orange

July 3, 2010 – 10:08 am

On 3 July 529, the Second Council of Orange [France] met under the leadership of Saint Caesarius of Arles.

The Council was primarily concerned with the issue of grace and free will. The heresy of Pelagianism, that we could act morally and attain salvation without the aid of divine grace, had been condemned at the Council of Carthage in 418. The orthodox position upheld at the Council of Carthage was that of Saint Augustine who argued that it was impossible for us to act morally without the aid of divine grace.

The Second Council of Orange met to further look at the Church’s understanding of grace and free will in light of the decisions at the Council of Carthage and whether the position of the Church was something between the view that salvation as being entirely the result of divine grace without any human participation [strict predestinationism] and the view that salvation was entirely the result our own choice [Pelagianism]. Of particular significance was whether the decision to accept Christ and become a Christian could be made without the aid of divine grace [what will later be known as Semi-Pelagianism] or whether even our very decision to accept the faith itself was the result of divine grace.

Again the writings of Saint Augustine would be very influential as were the writings of Saint Prosper of Aquitaine. Pope Felix IV also sent a “Capitula” or list of points on the issue to the Council which would help guide its final decisions.

At its conclusion, the Second Council of Orange reiterated the Catholic Church’s teaching that as a result of Original Sin, it is impossible for us to act morally without the aid of divine grace; that divine grace precedes every act related to our salvation from the very decision to become Christian to the decision to undertake a good work. However, the Council also stated that all Christians are capable of achieving salvation and no one is predestined to hell. Original Sin weakens human free will and our capacity to chose to do the good but does not eliminate it entirely. Divine grace is necessary to overcome the effect of original sin upon human freedom so that we are again able to chose to do the good.

The decisions of the Second Council of Orange were approved by Pope Boniface II on 25 January, 531.

This also do we believe, in accordance with the Catholic faith, that after grace received through baptism, all the baptized are able and ought, with the aid and co-operation of Christ, to fulfill all duties needful for salvation, provided they are willing to labor faithfully. But that some men have been predestined to evil by divine power, we not only do not believe, but if there be those who are willing to believe so evil a thing, we say to them with all abhorrence anathema. This also do we profess and believe to our soul’s health, that in every good work, it is not we who begin, and are afterward assisted by Divine mercy, but that God Himself, with no preceding merits on our part, first inspires within us faith and love.

Decisions of the Second Council of Orange

Dave Armstrong has a good post on the comparison of the theology of the Second Council of Orange and Calvinism

By sbeshonertor | Comments (0)

Today in Catholic History – Paul VI announces that the bones of Saint Peter have been discovered

June 26, 2010 – 9:56 am

On 26 June 1968, Pope Paul VI announced that the bones of Saint Peter were discovered.

It was during the Papacy of Pius IX that a necropolis and a second-century victory monument was discovered unter the Basilica of St. Peter. This victory monument had been described in ancient sources as standing over the grave of St. Peter.

Below the monument some bones were discovered that some thought might be the bones of the Saint. However, it was later determined that the bones were those of a woman, two men and some animals. The bones of the two men were of people around fifty years of age which would make them too young to be St. Peter. Later, behind a buttressing wall covered with inscriptions dedicated to Peter, Christ, Mary and everlasting life was found a marble-lined repository that contained a box with bones thought to be those of a pope. Inside the box was a piece of red plaster with the words Petr(os) eni. The archeologist responsible for examining the box asserted that the inscription meant “Peter is here” and asked to have the bones analyzed.

It took six years to analyze the bones. When the conclusions of the examination were published, it was determined that the bones were of a man who died between the ages of 65-70, the man was 5’6 ½” tall, all the bones were present except the foot bones, the bones were covered with a gold and purple cloth.

The bones seemed to fit with the traditional understanding of St. Peter as someone who died around sixty years of age. Since St. Peter was crucified upside down with nails through his feet, that would explain the lack of foot bones with an otherwise complete skeleton – since normally the hands decompose faster than feet. The purple cloth had been placed on the bones of the skeleton, not the skin which indicated that the relics were considered particularly special.

Based upon this information, Paul VI announced to the world on 26 June 1968, that “very time-consuming and accurate studies” and ” the judgment of the talented and prudent people” had convinced him that the relics of St. Peter had been identified.

An informative series of articles on the excavations under the Basilica of St. Peter can be found here, here, here, here, and here. A visual visit to the tomb of St. Peter can be seen here.