Today in Catholic History – Death of Pope Urban VII

September 27, 2010 – 9:25 am

On 27 September 1590, Pope Urban VII died ending the shortest papacy in history of only thirteen days. He died from malaria before his coronation as pope.

At this time, Rome was plagued with the problem of malaria. Popes Damasus II, Leo X, Gregory V, and Sixtus V are also believed to have died from the “Roman fever”.

Despite his brief reign, Urban VII is known for instituting the first known ban on public smoking. He threatened to excommunicate anyone who “took tobacco in the porchway of or inside a church, whether it be by chewing it, smoking it with a pipe or sniffing it in powdered form through the nose.” He gave his entire estate to the Archconfraternity of the Annunciation to be used as dowries for poor girls.

By sbeshonertor | Posted in Papal History, Today in Catholic History | Comments (0)

Today in Catholic History – Earthquake in Assisi

September 26, 2010 – 9:42 am

On 26 September 1997, two severe earthquakes struck Assisi killing ten people, including two Franciscan friars. The quakes severely damaged the Basilica of St. Francis, the mother church of the Franciscan community.

The first first quake struck in the early morning and measured 5.5 on the Richter Scale. It caused major cracks in the ceiling of the basilica and some damage to the basilica’s frescoes. The extent of the damage caused the custodian of the convent to close the basilica to visitors and alert local government officials.

Ten hours later, while two Franciscan friars and two art experts were examining the damage the first quake caused to the 13th basilica, a second quake struck – measuring 5.7 on the Richter Scale. Part of the ceiling and the frescoes painted by Cimabue crashed to the floor, killing the four men.

Since the earthquake, $40 million has been spent rebuilding, reinforcing and restoring the basilica. Seventy art restorers using computer programs have sorted through 320,000 fragments of frescoes to restore as much as possible. However, between 10 and 20 percent of the damaged frescoes are beyond repair.

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Today in Catholic History – The Peace of Augsburg

September 25, 2010 – 6:32 am

On 25 September 1555, Holy Roman Emperor Charles V and the Lutheran Schmalkaldic league agreed to the Peace of Augsburg.

The Peace of Augsburg brought at temporary end to the fighting between Lutherans and Catholics in the Holy Roman Empire by establishing the principle Cuius regio, eius religio. Each German prince in the Empire could choose to practice either Lutheranism or Catholicism and those within each prince’s domain would be obliged to follow the faith of their liege. There was a brief period of time given for families of one denomination to move to a German state practicing their particular faith.

The Peace of Augsburg established a permanent division in the Holy Roman Empire between Lutherans and Catholics. Moreover, because other Protestant denominations such as Calvinism and the Anabaptists were not included in the Peace of Augsburg religious conflicts would again break out in the Thirty Years War and result in the Peace of Westphalia in 1648.

By sbeshonertor | Posted in Austrian History, German History, Today in Catholic History | Comments (0)

Today in Catholic History – The Second Council of Nicaea

September 24, 2010 – 9:58 am

On 24 September 787, 350 clergy met in Nicea at what would become the Second Council of Nicea and the Seventh Ecumenical Council.

The main objective of the council was to address the schism between East and West over Iconoclasm heresy. In 754, the Council of Hieria had condemned the veneration of icons but the council was not recognized by the Pope or any of the Eastern Patriarchs. As a result of the advocacy of Iconoclasm by Byzantine Emperors Leo VI and Constantine V, Rome had broken with Constantinople.

However after the death of Constantine V, Byzantine Empress Irene, and Patriarch of Constantinople Tarasius sought both to reunite Rome and Constantinople and to restore the veneration of icons. Pointing to support from the scriptures and the Church Fathers, the Second Council of Nicea proclaimed that it was fitting and praiseworthy to venerate icons as the honor given to an icon was truly offered to the saint, angel, or Christ represented by the icon.

By sbeshonertor | Posted in Early Church History, Eastern Catholic, Today in Catholic History | Comments (0)

Today in Catholic History – Concordat of Worms

September 23, 2010 – 12:09 pm

On 23 September 1122, Pope Calixtus II and Holy Roman Emperor Henry V agreed to the Concordat of Worms or the Pactum Calixtinum which temporarily resolved the struggle between the papacy and the Holy Roman Emperors regarding the appointment and power of monks and bishops.

Prior to the Concordat, the secular ruler was seen as possessing the right to invest bishops with both secular and sacred authority. The ability of the secular ruler to appoint bishops was an important means of exercising political control. Bishops could be placed in charge of royal lands without worrying that those lands might fall into the hands the bishop’s descendants. However, it also meant that the Church’s liberties with respect to the secular rule were much curtailed.

As a result of the Concordat, the secular ruler continued to invest bishops with secular power but no longer with sacred authority. The Concordat was also instrumental as part of the Gregorian reforms which gained greater independence for the pope in his relations with the Holy Roman Emperor.

The Concordat did not end the struggle between secular and religious authority in regards to authority either in the Holy Roman Empire or in Europe as a whole, it was simply a temporary cessation of hostilities.

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Today in Catholic History – Consecration of Boniface II and Dioscorus

September 22, 2010 – 9:32 am

On 22 September 530, Boniface II was consecrated to the papacy in the Lateran Palace in Rome and Dioscorus was consecrated in the Lateran Basilica.

Boniface II had been the candidate of Pope Felix IV. Dioscorus had been chosen by sixty of the sixty seven priests of Rome. The priests of Rome were concerned that Boniface, an Ostrogoth, would permit too much Ostrogothic influence in Rome. The Ostrogoths had earlier influenced the papal election of Felix IV.

The conflict between the two claimants would be resolved when Dioscorus died 22 days later and Boniface would be accepted by the Roman clergy as well. Boniface would later require those who had supported Dioscorus to condemn his memory. However Pope Agapetus I would later lift this condemnation.

The conflict between Boniface and Dioscorus was part of the increasing struggle between the Germanic Ostrogoths and the Byzantines for control of Rome.

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Today in Catholic History – The Hobbit Is Published

September 21, 2010 – 11:23 am

On 21 September 1937, Allen & Unwin published J. R. R. Tolkien’s The Hobbit, or There and Back Again. Tolkien had began writing The Hobbit in the 1930’s with the famous line, “In a hole in the ground there lived a hobbit”.

The Hobbit was extremely successful, leading the publishers to ask Tolkien for a sequel that would become The Lord of the Rings. The success of The Hobbit caught Tolkien by surprise, ““At the moment I am suffering like Mr. Baggins from a touch of ‘staggerment.’” A few years ago a signed first edition of the book was sold for £60,000 or approximately $93,500.

While Tolkien’s Catholicism is more readily apparent in The Lord of the Rings, he was clear to note its influence in The Hobbit as well. In describing his idea of the Euchatastrophe, “the sudden happy turn in a story which pierces you with a joy that brings tears”, which was essential in all true fairy stories and which is reflective of the Resurrection – “the greatest ‘euchatastrophe’ possible”, Tolkien noted the “eucatastrophic” ending of The Hobbit.

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Today in Catholic History – The Syro-Malankara Church enters into communion with Rome

September 20, 2010 – 9:44 am

On 20 September 1930, the Syro-Malankara Catholic Church/Malankara Syrian Catholic Church entered into full communion with the Catholic Church. The Syro-Malankara Catholic Church comes from the tradition of Thomas Christians in India, as does the Syro-Malabar Catholic Church also in communion with Rome.

In 1930, the Syro-Malankara Church broke from the Malankara Orthodox Syrian Church which had itself broke with the other Thomas Christians under the attempt of the Portuguese to Latinize them in the 16th century. While at the time of the union, the Syro-Malankara Church contained only Archbishop Mar Ivanios and five other members of the church – who left because of a decision giving the Syrian Orthodox Patriarch of Antioch full administrative authority over the Malankara Orthodox Syrian Church, today there are 500,000 members of the Syro-Malankara Church. The Syro-Malankara Catholics were permitted to maintain their rite and traditions.

By sbeshonertor | Posted in Eastern Catholic, Indian History, Today in Catholic History | Comments (0)

Today in Catholic History – The Siege of Rome

September 19, 2010 – 10:00 am

On 19 September 1870, the armies of the Kingdom of Italy laid siege to Rome in their desire to incorporate the city into a unified Italian state. On the 20th of September, the Italian armies will capture the city ending more than one thousand years of temporal rule by the papacy. Popes Pius IX through Pius XI will refuse to recognize the loss of Rome and call themselves the “Prisoner of the Vatican”.

With the defeat of Napoleon III at the Battle of Sedan, the French Government was no longer willing or able to prevent the desires of many Roman citizens as well as the Italian Government itself that Rome become part of the Kingdom of Italy. An attempt by King Victor Emmanuel III to get Pope Pius IX to acquiesce to Italian troops marching into Rome under the guise of protecting the Pope was rejected. The Italian government hoped that a peaceful surrender could be negotiated and as the Italian army approached Rome, Pius IX recognized that he could not defend the city but would put up a token resistance.

On 19th of September, the Italian army reached the Aurelian Walls of Rome. On 20th, Italian troops will enter Rome and after a brief struggle during which 68 soldiers were killed, Italy captured the city. On the 21st, the Italian forces will capture the Leonine City, including the Vatican. The Italian government had attempted to offer a deal to Pius IX to offer the Leonine City in return for his recognition of the loss of Rome but Pius IX refused.

For the next 59 years, the popes refused to give any sign that they recognized the authority of the Italian government. They would not appear in Saint Peter’s Square or leave the Vatican. Only when Pope Pius XII agreed to the Lateran Treaty in 1929 establishing an independent Vatican City did this situation change.

By sbeshonertor | Posted in Italian History, Papal History, Today in Catholic History | Comments (0)

Today in Catholic History – The Last Episode of The Flying Nun

September 18, 2010 – 12:54 pm

On 18 September 1970, the last episode of the The Flying Nun was broadcast. The sitcom, which began on 7 September 1967, lasted 82 episodes.

Based on the book “The Fifteenth Pilgrim” by Tere Rios, the series focused on the life of Sister Bertrille, a novice of the Daughters of Charity of the Convent San Tanco in Puerto Rico. Sister Bertrille was played by Sally Field. Due to the starched cornette of her habit and her weight of only 90 pounds, Sister Bertille was able to use the wind to fly – which could be both helpful and problematic. As Sister Bertille explained, “When lift plus thrust is greater than load plus drag, anything can fly.”

Tere Rios came upon the idea of a flying nun after a friend told her of seeing a nun with a large cornette almost fly away on a Paris street. Indeed, shortly after her book “The Fifteenth Pilgrim” was accepted for publication, the Daughters of Charity changed their habits for a much smaller veil. The publisher had decided to forgo publishing the book on the grounds that it was now dated. However, Rios persuaded the publisher to issue the book by suggesting that perhaps the reason why the Daughters of Charity changed their habits was because the events of her book really happened.

While, the novelty of a Flying Nun attracted viewers, it made it difficult for writers of the sitcom to come up with ever new plot lines involving flight every week.

The producers of the show did look for input from American Catholics. Cardinal McIntyre of Los Angeles wanted Sister Bertrille to be a novice because no vowed nun would behave so frivolously. He also wanted to make sure that there would be no romantic attraction between Sister Bertrille and one of the main lay characters. Sister Michael Marie, the vocations director of the diocese of Los Angeles and technical advisor for the show, wanted to make sure that the Mother Superior was not portrayed too sternly or authoritarian.

In addition to the support of Cardinal McIntyre, John Francis Cardinal Spellman of New York and Archbishop Philip Matthew Hannan of New Orleans also endorsed the program as did the National Catholic Office of Radio and Television. The NCORT hoped to use The Flying Nun as a means of encouraging vocations.

By sbeshonertor | Posted in Today in Catholic History, US History | Comments (5)