On 31 January I appeared on Taylor Marshall’s show to speak on the much vexed question of St. Robert Bellarmine’s teaching in On the Roman Pontiff, book 2, ch. 30, as well as teaching from other works of St. Robert that make his teaching on this point rather clear. I read through the entire chapter, explaining the various points according to St. Robert’s ecclesiology, adding what he says in other works. Join us for a fantastic discussion on the topic:
Relevant citations:
On the Roman Pontiff, book 2, ch. 30; book 4, ch. 1-5; 22 On Councils, book 1 ch. 9; ch. 21.
We joined Philip Campbell on his EWTN Radio Program Faith Matters to talk about the Early Renaissance. We discuss the Early Renaissance in Italy and the Netherlands.
Today, Phillip Campbell (aka Boniface) of Unam Sanctam Catholicam joins us to talk about the history of the Middle Ages, and why most people, traditional Catholics in particular, who have romantic notions of medieval life, would positively hate it. Not to dissuade one from study or admiring the Middle Ages, this conversation about medieval life is aimed at painting an accurate picture of it. Join us, as we dig into the nitty gritty of the middle ages.
**Warning**: [insert danger Will Robinson]
There are some points in the podcast where profanities are used demonstratively, as in medievals used the word in a title of this or that and we repeated it. Moreover there will be frank discussion of medieval views about sex and modesty and weird perverted things. There will also be cool medieval music in Latin about bawdy subjects which would could not understand probably. If that offends you, or you thought this would be good for your younger kids, we give fair warning, you will not be happy.
Alphonsus Liguori on whether it is licit to have sex in Church Instructions for Parish Priests by John Myrc (1400s)
Priests working secular occupations (barber/surgeon, lawyer), so common that Lateran II specifically forbid this in 1139
Jacques Fournier records people had sex inside the church (Béatrice de Planissoles)
-Source: Readings in Medieval History
Apostolic Origins of Clerical Celibacy, Cochini
Francis and Joseph Gies Life in a Medieval Village
Life in a Medieval City Limbourg Brothers
Mailoica Plate:
abortion and contraception in the middle ages
Origin of the heart shape is from seed-pod of a Roman contraceptive plant:
(NB: I made a mistake in the podcast, I called if fenellinium, it was actually called silphium, got it all mixed up in my head).
Catullus on Silphium:
“as the number of Libyan sands that lie in silphium-bearing Cyrene.” (Poem 7)
Today we joined Jonathon Ross of Holy Faith TV to speak about St. Robert Bellarmine and his place in the Counter-Reformation, his devotion to St. Thomas, his innovations in teaching theology at that time, the Galileo controversy and some final comments dealing with Sedevacantism.
I apologize for some of the audio; my connection wasn’t the best.
Today Fr. Ioannes Petrus re-joins us for a wide-ranging interview which is perhaps the first one I did not script with pre-planned questions. We discuss voting, the trajectory of government in the West, the current Holy Father, the threat of Islam, Immigration and how Christians should respond to the crisis of our times.
Episode Notes:
USCCB guide on Voting
“36. When all candidates hold a position that promotes an intrinsically evil act, the conscientious voter faces a dilemma. The voter may decide to take the extraordinary step of not voting for any candidate or, after careful deliberation, may decide to vote for the candidate deemed less likely to advance such a morally flawed position and more likely to pursue other authentic human goods.” (My Emphasis)
Today Boniface of Unam Sanctam Catholicam rejoins us to talk about his blogger namesake, Pope Boniface VIII, his life and how politically he ushered in the end of the Medieval Papacy and the prestige it enjoyed from great Popes like Innocent III an Gregory VII, and more to the point, the beginning of the dissolution of Christendom. We also discuss the authority and implications of his famous Bull Unam Sanctam, and the positive aspects of Boniface VIII’s papacy in the establishment of Jubilee years.
NB: This was originally recorded on the feast of Christ the King on the Traditional Catholic Liturgical Calendar, but is actually published closer to the Feast of Christ the King on the 1970 Calendar.
If you like this or any of our podcasts, interviews, etc., which are provided for free, please consider donating as little as a $1. God bless you.
We also mentioned St. John Fisher a little bit. Here is a book treating the history and times of St. John Fisher in great detail, where you can see the discussion of Praemunire and many of the things that begin in Boniface VIII’s time in great detail:
Today we are joined by Chris Ferrara, the president of the Catholic Lawyers Association, a well known Columnist for the Remnant, the author of The Great Façade, The Church and the Libertarian, and his magnum opus: Liberty: The God that Failed. Chris today, comments on where Francis appears to be taking us with Laudato Si. Should we cheer the anti-globalist sentiments and the condemnation of Malthusian approaches? Should we celebrate the few scant references to abortion? Or are there foundational problems with the language in the encyclical that we should be weary of? Should Distributists harken to the condemnations of globalism and abuse of resources? Or is there a radical departure from the tradition of Catholic thought which we should be worried about? Join us for an in depth conversation on the document.
Many readers following papal affairs may be familiar with Sandro Magister’s blog. He is a veteran journalist writing for the Italian paper L’Espresso. He is also noted for having the cajones to criticize Francis and not fall in line like so many yes men, even though he is by no stretch a Traditionalist. His blog chiesa (linked above) also has good English translations, making commentary closer to the Vatican accessible for those who do not speak Italian. Continue reading →
Just today is a historic day for Bellarmine. Today is the first time his work “On the Roman Pontiff” has been made available in English translation. This is a beautiful and fantastic polemical and apologetic work defending the Papacy from the attacks of 16th century Protestants, many of the arguments of whom are used today, even though Bellarmine actually refuted them quite well.
Now, I have a special offer for readers of this website. This work retails for $20.00 on Mediatrix Press, but I have arranged that readers of this website may purchase the book at a discount using the following link: Athanasius Contra Mundum Discount! That is, with the discount it will be less than the price of On the Marks of the Church even though it is twice the size! This offer won’t last forever.
Thanks again to everyone whose support has made this possible.
A breaking news item, at the minute of this posting, is the resignation of Bishop Finn from the Diocese of Kansas City – St. Joseph. According to a news report:
“Bishop Robert W. Finn of Kansas City-St. Joseph has resigned, nearly two and a half years after being the first U.S. bishop convicted of a misdemeanor in failing to report suspected child abuse by a priest in his diocese.
The Vatican confirmed Pope Francis’ acceptance of Bishop Finn’s resignation according to Canon 104 Article 2 in the Code of Canon Law in an April 21 statement, released at noon local time.
Article 2 of Canon 104, according to the Vatican’s website, refers to a situation when “a diocesan bishop who has become less able to fulfill his office because of ill-health or some other grave cause is earnestly requested to present his resignation from office.” [source]
So essentially, the loss of prestige and the apparent damage of the conviction have led Finn to resign. Nevertheless, this raises several questions, particularly with the interesting history of the division in the Kansas City diocese, and the hate that was vented against him for years by the heterodox. Let us start in a few places. Continue reading →
Today Boniface of 
A breaking news item, at the minute of this posting, is the resignation of Bishop Finn from the Diocese of Kansas City – St. Joseph. According to a news report:
Athanasius Contra Mundum 