#The Archbishops’ Council of the Church of England

[plumbum-art]

Regarding this post.

I think I did come to a conclusion regarding this whole bishop!Aziraphale mess.

There could be a thousand reasons, why he was a bishop. Could be curiosity in human religion, could be his roleplay hobby showing, could be for a mission and so on. I don't think he was lying here. As far as we know, Aziraphale takes his jobs very seriously. He wouldn't do anything half-heartedly (for example: learning french the hard way or insisting to take a driving test, although he doesn't need one).

My personal hc is, that it was a disguise for a mission.

But let me explain.

So Neil did mention a scrapped “15th century papal” minisode for S2. This could refer to a lot of things of course. For my hc I'm choosing the following event.

At the beginning of the 15th century there was a split within the catholic church, also known as the Papal Schism. Long story short, there where three rival popes (Pope Gregory XII in Rome, Pope Benedict XIII in Avignon and Pope John XXIII in Pisa), who claimed to be the rightful head of the catholic church. The increasing secularization of the church in general was a problem too.

So to unite the catholic church again, a council was held (also known as the Council of Constance) to decide, which pope was the rightful one. The whole council was a single chaotic mess. The only pope, who showed up, secrectly fled again and was later put in jail. The other two didn't even appear and also disqualified themselves so to speak. Finally in 1417, three years after the council started, the joint Pope Martin V. was elected, which ended the schism.

Just some bishops and cardinals chilling together, debating with Pope John XXIII.

Anyway my point is, the council was attended by a large number of cardinals, abbots, bishops and archbishops from different nations, such as England, Germany, France, Italy, Poland, Hungary, Scandinavia, etc. One can imagine the council as some kind of medieval Wacken, the biggest party at this time with emperors, nobles, peasents, handyman, merchants and generally thousands of people from all around the world, who gathered in the small city of Constance.

It would be easy for a certain angel to dive in the mass and disguise as a bishop. Why? Maybe he got a strong word from Up ("Hey Aziraphale, what's going on with Gods representative on earth? Humans make a mockery of Her ineffability!" "Um, it gotten a bit out of hand, yeah." "Sort this out immediately!" "As you wish...")

So Aziraphale thought of a plan and attended the council as a bishop to make sure that this time a righteous person would be chosen as Pope. After the election though he was quick to get rid of his regalia. Human religion didn't fit what he envisioned and he decided that angels shouldn't meddle with it.

[whencyclopedia]

Thomas Wolsey

Thomas Wolsey, Cardinal Archbishop of York (l. c. 1473-1530 CE) served as Lord Chancellor to Henry VIII of England (r. 1509-1547 CE) from around 1513 CE to 1529 CE. Wolsey rose to become the most powerful man in England after the king, he created the Chancery court, worked with some success at England's foreign policy, and famously built Hampton Court Palace near London. Unable to secure from the Pope the annulment of Henry's first marriage to Catherine of Aragon (1485-1536 CE), Wolsey fell out of favour with his friend and monarch. Accused of treason, the cardinal was already seriously ill when he died on his way to imprisonment and trial in November 1530 CE.

Early Life & Rise in the Church

Thomas Wolsey was born c. 1473 CE in Ipswich, the son of a butcher. He studied at university and became the chaplain to Henry VII of England (r. 1485-1509 CE), gaining invaluable experience of Tudor politics from his sponsor, the councillor Bishop Richard Fox (1448-1528 CE). However, it was under Henry VIII that Wolsey's career really took off. Indeed, after being appointed the royal almoner (giver of alms) in 1509 CE and benefitting from the new king surrounding himself with his own advisors rather than his father's, Wolsey enjoyed a meteoric rise to power from 1514 CE. He became the bishop of Lincoln in March 1514 CE and just a few months later, in September, he was appointed archbishop of York and so became the second most powerful church official in England.

Eager to be the top man in England but realising the current Archbishop of Canterbury was secure in his position, Wolsey bypassed him by directly approaching the Pope. In 1515 CE Wolsey became a cardinal and so he now outranked even the archbishop; he was truly a 'prince of the Church.' In 1518 CE Wolsey went one step higher and became a papal legate (legatus a latere), that is a representative of the Pope himself and entitled to make decisions on his behalf. Usually, legates were given their authority for a limited time only and for a specific purpose such as an international conference. In 1524 CE, Cardinal Wolsey was given legate powers for life. Thomas could now really believe that one day, he might even be in a position to grab the very top job of Pope.

Even before these momentous ecclesiastical progressions, and much more importantly for history, Wolsey had become Lord Chancellor around 1513 CE (or perhaps 1515 CE, historians do not agree on the date). In this position, he was, in effect, Henry VIII's sole minister, the very apex of the pyramid of political power in England. Thanks to his administrative skills and good friendship with the king, Wolsey became a giant political spider with a web of subordinates that stretched into every part of the kingdom.

As the historian S. Brigden summarises, Wolsey developed a very special working relationship with his mercurial monarch:

The Council was still consulted, but only after Wolsey and the king, in a kind of partnership, had determined policy. Wolsey would first 'move' Henry towards some idea; the King 'dreamed of it more and more'; and only then would the council be informed. Wolsey's influence seemed supreme, and his household, in its magnificence, looked a rival to the royal court. So completely did he see himself as alter rex, it was alleged, that he would say: 'The King and I would ye should do thus: the King and I do give you our hearty thanks.' His pride and splendour were legendary: crosses, pillars and poleaxes, hated symbols of his authority, were carried before him; earls and lords served him. (106)

Continue reading...

[scotianostra]

On 9th December 1688 serious rioting started in Edinburgh, it eventually spread across Scotland.

A lot of sources state the 10th, but the riots started on the 9th.

It became known as the Holyrood Riot, but in reality, the riots in general were anti-Catholic, the original name being where they began.

It all kicked off because King James VII had a baby son. Having become king on the death of his brother, Charles II, in 1685, James survived the rebellions by the Duke of Monmouth and the Earl of Argyll, both of whom paid with their heads for their insurrection.

No doubt emboldened by his success, James had proclaimed tolerance of religion, especially his own Roman Catholicism which led him to establish a Jesuit academy in the Palace of Holyroodhouse in 1686. The following year many Christians in Scotland’s established Kirk welcomed the king’s intervention, the Declaration of Indulgence, which meant they could have their own places of worship, but James also continued with the persecution of the Covenanters who refused to recognise his absolute monarchy, and “The Divine Right”

A 26-year-old minister, James Renwick, became the last of the Covenanter Martyrs when he disowned James VII’s royal authority and was hanged in the Grassmarket in Edinburgh on February 17, 1688. In any case the vast majority of the clergy and the people opposed any measure of tolerance towards Catholics which James had tried to impose by the “divine right” of kings after both the English and Scottish Parliaments rejected his measures.

James also began to put his fellow Catholics into positions of authority and Protestants could only hope that James, by then in his mid-50s, would soon die as his appointed heir was his daughter from his first marriage, Mary, a Protestant married to the very Protestant Prince William of Orange, the leader of the Dutch Republic.

On June 10, 1688, those hopes of a Protestant succession were dashed when James’s Catholic wife Mary of Modena gave birth to a son, James Francis Edward Stuart, who was baptised a Catholic.

Just five days after the new heir’s birth, seven bishops of the Church of England were put on trial for asking to be excused from reading from the pulpit James VII’s latest version of the Declaration of Indulgence. They included the Archbishop of Canterbury, William Sancroft.

Widespread anti-Catholic riots took place in England and Scotland during the trial which ended with the Seven Bishops being cleared. Senior Protestant politicians faced with a Catholic dynasty decided to invite William and Mary to take the throne and thus the so-called Glorious or Bloodless Revolution took place in November, 1688. It was neither Glorious nor Bloodless – as the Battle of Killiecrankie would show a few months later – but that’s how William’s spin doctors portrayed it.

James went into exile in France but to make sure he went, the Edinburgh Mob gathered on December 9 and 10, 1688, determined that the so-called “Jesuit threat” of Roman Catholicism would not return to Scotland.

On December 9, a mob began to gather and the following morning the Town Council rushed out a proclamation ordering children and servants to stay indoors.

Remarkably, we have an eye-witness account of the events in Edinburgh that day, preserved in the National Library of Scotland, produced by Alexander Adamson, then a divinity student in the capital, and one of the rioters.

“...The next morning [Monday 10th December 1688] by ten the [Edinburgh] Town Council sat, and about eleven in the forenoon emitted a proclamation: discharging tumults and requiring masters of families to keep their children and servants within doors; but it was no sooner read than it was torn: the officers and drummers being severely beat in several places of the city. They were forced to return to their masters to tell how they were treated.

All continued quiet till twilight when the mob began to gather. The first appearance they made was about the Cowgatehead, from thence going to the Grassmarket where they provided themselves with staves and torches. They come up the West Bow and enter a drummer’s house in the Castlehill whence they took two drums, one of which they broke before they passed the weighhouse, so down the street they come beating with their drum, till past the Nether Bow and in the Canongate head they made a stop, seeing the guard drawing out at the Canongate Tolbooth and sent one to enquire what the matter was. The Captain replied it was to put respect upon them. They answered they would have none of his respect and required he might call in his guards immediately.....”

Adamson himself was one of the wounded but he found out later that the mob broke into the Abbey and did fearsome damage, including desecrating royal tombs, removing pictures, written records, and the Abbey’s gold and silver vessels which were burned.

Other Catholics and their clergy were attacked elsewhere in Scotland, but the riots soon died down when William and Mary had arrived in London.

[maximumphilosopheranchor]

Furthermore, since the anti-​Puritan campaign faltered after Hatton’s death, the notion that Hatton was merely Elizabeth’s proxy or instrument for aligning the Church with her own more conservative views also falters. The rapidity of the change of policy before and after Hatton’s death suggests that infighting in the Council had profound implications on religious policy, regardless of the Queen’s views.

Neil Younger, Religion and politics in Elizabethan England: The life of Sir Christopher Hatton

Had it though? And how profound really? I think this is a great book but sometimes the author's argumentation confuses me. If Hatton tried to enforce conformity to the 1559 church settlement, as the author argues at various points in this book, and calls John Whitgift and Richard Bancroft his allies in his efforts, then exactly that is what was largely achieved at the end. Ok, Hatton may have seen puritans as a bigger threat to the regime than catholics as Younger convincingly shows, and sought to defend catholics and after his death the regime concentrated on persecution of catholics that may have not occurred (at least not on the same scale) if Hatton had lived on. BUT John Whitgift continued as Archbishop of Canterbury, moreover he was Elizabeth's favourite archbishop, she nicknamed him her "black husband", something that shows his importance to her, and it was because his religious views largely coincided with hers, and it was regardless of Hatton's influence and actions. And whatever the influence and efforts William Cecil and his pro-puritan allies had the church of England didn't turn puritan. And who do you think did become Archbishop of Canterbury after Whitgift's death? None other than Richard Bancroft, Hatton's former chaplain.

Another thing that perplexes me is the author's usage of terms "conservatives" or "conservative views". In Introduction he explains that by 'conservatives' he means 'those whose views may be unclear, but appear to have been sympathetic to some form of Catholicism or conservative Protestantism'. But surely being sympathetic to some form of Catholicism and being sympathetic to 'conservative' Protestantism (presumably the 1559 prayer book protestantism) IS NOT THE SAME THING. If we take, for example, John Whitgift, he was a protestant of calvinist learning and opposing puritans doesn't make him pro-catholic. Likewise, Elizabeth's distaste for puritans doesn't make her less protestant. Indeed Younger himself a few paragraphs later points out that

It seems unlikely that Hatton held precisely the same theological position as his anti-​Puritan allies. Historians have regarded Whitgift as theologically a Calvinist who believed the Pope was Antichrist, so he must have had qualms about Hatton’s Catholic associates.

My conclusion is that Hatton's death didn't have longterm and profound consequences on the country's religious policy because the person whose views mattered the most was neither Hatton nor William Cecil, it was Elizabeth. It was first and foremost because of her that the church of England took such a form as it did. And yeah, she won at the end.

[brokenbluebouquet]

Van Dyck, Archbishop William Laud, 1636, National Portrait Gallery, London

Even someone with a natural talent for sycophancy like van dyck could not make Laud look anything other than thin skinned and awkward. Despite this, you really should not underestimate this man, as too many did in his own lifetime.

William Laud (1573-1645) pronounced “lord” not “loud” (I learnt this the hard way) is probably the most important Archbishop of Canterbury of the period bar Thomas Cranmer from the previous century. Modern Anglicanism/Episcopalism is as much his vision as it is Cranmer’s.

He’s often associated with a movement called Arminianism which sought to reverse some Calvinist excesses such as the doctrine of predestination and a renewed emphasis on sacraments, liturgy and hierarchy. It, in Laud’s variant anyway, also emphasised royal power and was a theological basis for Charles’s vision of sacredotal kingship.

Laud’s strategy and vision was to return the Church in England back to its pre reformation status and wealth, albeit purged of “Romish” errors and puritan troublemaking. This was music to both Charles and George’s ears who were looking for allies and tools to shut down opposition and increase crown revenue.

Christopher Hill was on to something when he said that what Charles and Laud were doing was using the tools of the Catholic counter reformation to build an ostensibly Protestant autocratic monarchy boosted by a hierarchal authoritarian church; at the expense of the Calvinist aristocratic grandees, landowners, and merchant class who dominated the governance in the three kingdoms and their parliaments.

All this was part of a larger ideological programme of turning back the erosion of crown power and church wealth in both kingdoms, as well as the elimination of resistance theory and popular sovereignty as ideological alternatives to authoritarian monarchy and hirachical religion.

You don’t need to be a church historian or a theologian to see how grossly unrealistic and needlessly provocative this was. It all came to grief in Scotland where Laud and Charles’s hubristic ambitions met reality and their attempts to impose a revised liturgy for Scotland (really a copy and paste of the BCP) led to the Covenanter movement and the Scottish invasion of northern England, supported by treasonous lords like Warwick, Manchester, and Essex in England as a way to force Charles hand into recalling parliament. Soon Charles lost his authority, the country was engulfed in civil war. Laud was impeached, arrested, imprisoned on bogus charges of promoting “popery” and executed in 1645.

Laud was a thin skinned man who was often the subject of much criticism for his “low born” origins. Even Charles would later state that he was too indulgent of Laud’s “peevish humours” and that his obsession with ceremony and order was unnecessary. He often argued with others in council meetings and had a reputation for vindictiveness, as evidenced by the treatment of puritan pamphleteers like Burton, Bastwick, and Prynne, and the reliance on prerogative courts and church courts to enforce uniformity and punish dissent. This was summed up be Burton himself saying he’d been strangled by lawn sleeves and prynnes claim that the brand of SL was not “seditious libeller” but “stigmata laudis.”

Laud was out of place at the female dominated court of Charles I as he was deeply uncomfortable with women, and despite later claims, him and Henrietta could not stand each other. There is an old story that he was offered a Cardinal’s hat by pope Urban VIII but I’ve never seen any evidence for this and Laud also made a point of ostentatiously avoiding the Queen’s papal envoys and priests despite their best efforts to engage him.

He’s often believed to have aspired to in effect be a second Wolsey or an English Richelieu, there’s simply not enough evidence for these claims; besides lacking meaningful interest in foreign policy or military affairs, Laud did not have the self confidence, emotional discipline, or strategic vision for that kind of role, nor the appetite for it.

You would not guess that he had erotic dreams about George from this portrait (Laud was almost certainly gay - his own diary is the source of the dreams as well as sexual encounters with other men) and that he was a proud cat dad in an age of dog people (Richelieu was a cat dad too).

He also left the most withering judgement on Charles, before his execution in 1645, namely that he was “a mild and gracious Prince, that knows not how to be or be made great.” Ouch.

[baublecoded]

“Foxe would delight Henry by showing him a 110-page Latin dossier explaining the ‘true difference between royal and ecclesiastical power’. A momentous document whose scruffy, uninviting appearance belies its significance, it is headed ‘Ex sacris scripturis et authoribus Catholicis’ (‘Compiled from Holy Scriptures and Catholic Authors’) and known today as the ‘Collectanea satis copiosa’ (‘Sufficiently plentiful collections’). Evolving from the ‘King’s Book’ and then marshalling new sources culled from biblical texts, the Church Fathers, the decrees of Church Councils, Roman law, Anglo-Saxon laws and national histories and chronicles, it made the bold argument that the pope was merely the Bishop of Rome. As such, his jurisdiction did not extend beyond his own diocese, whereas the King of England was the ‘Vicar of Christ’ in his kingdom. According to the dossier, Henry’s ‘lawful’ powers were just as ‘imperial’ as those of the early Byzantine emperors, notably Constantine the Great and Justinian, or the Old Testament rulers David and Solomon (Henry’s favourite kings were David and Solomon, and he could quote verbatim from the Old Testament and the Code and Institutes of Justinian). Should he choose to reappropriate his regal powers, he might appoint his own bishops instead of merely nominating candidates to the pope, and he could reform the monasteries. He might then also empower the Archbishop of Canterbury, or else a panel of bishops, to investigate and reach a verdict on his ‘scruples of conscience’, with no appeal allowed. None of this, Foxe argued, would make Henry schismatic like Luther. He would merely be ‘restoring’ to himself legitimate royal rights which, historically, Anglo-Saxon and Norman kings had exercised, and which the papacy had usurped. (Some of the dossier’s claims were true, although their historical contexts could be misunderstood; others were twisted to prove what its compilers wanted the king to believe.) Only Henry II in late 1169 at the height of his quarrel with Archbishop Thomas Becket had dared to make claims like these, and he had been forced to make amends after the appalling scandal of Becket’s murder.”

— John Guy & Julia Fox, Hunting the Falcon: Henry VIII, Anne Boleyn and the Marriage That Shook Europe

[thepastisalreadywritten]

SAINT OF THE DAY (September 17)

On September 17, the Catholic Church celebrates the Italian cardinal and theologian St. Robert Bellarmine.

One of the great saints of the Jesuit order, St. Robert has also been declared a Doctor of the Church and the patron of catechists.

Robert Bellarmine was born on 4 October 1542 in the Tuscan town of Montepulciano.

His uncle was a cardinal who later became Pope Marcellus II. As a young man, Robert received his education from the Jesuit order, which had received written papal approval only two years before his birth.

In September of 1560, Robert entered the Jesuit order himself.

He studied philosophy for three years in Rome, then taught humanities until 1567, when he began a study of theology that lasted until 1569.

The final stage of his training emphasized the refutation of Protestant errors.

Robert received ordination to the priesthood in Belgium, where his sermons drew crowds of both Catholics and Protestants.

In 1576, he returned to Italy and took up an academic position addressing theological controversies.

The resulting work, his “Disputations,” became a classic of Catholic apologetics.

Near the end of the 1580s, the esteemed theologian became “Spiritual Father” to the Roman College.

He served as a guide to St. Aloysius Gonzaga near the end of the young Jesuit's life.

He also helped produce the authoritative Latin text of the Bible called for by the recent Council of Trent.

Around the century's end, Robert became an advisor to Pope Clement VIII. The Pope named him a cardinal in 1599, declaring him to be the most educated man in the Church.

Robert played a part in a debate between Dominicans and Jesuits regarding grace, though the Pope later decided to appoint and consecrate him as the Archbishop of Capua.

The cardinal archbishop's three years in Capua stood out as an example of fidelity to the reforming spirit and decrees of the Council of Trent.

He was considered as a possible pope in two successive elections, but the thought of becoming pope disturbed him and in the end he was never chosen.

In the early years of the 17th century, the cardinal took a public stand for the Church's freedom when it came under attack in Venice and England.

He also attempted, though not successfully, to negotiate peace between the Vatican and his personal friend Galileo Galilei, over the scientist's insistence that not only the earth, but the entire universe, revolved around the sun.

Cardinal Bellarmine retired due to health problems in the summer of 1621.

Two years before, he had set out his thoughts on the end of earthly life in a book titled “The Art of Dying Well.”

In that work, the cardinal explained that preparing for death was life's most important business, since the state of one's soul at death would determine the person's eternal destiny.

Robert Bellarmine died on 17 September 1621.

Pope Pius XI beatified him on 13 May 1923 and canonized on 29 June 1930.

[troybeecham]

Today the Church remembers St. Aelred of Riveaulx, Monk.

Ora pro nobis.

Aelred of Rievaulx (1110 – 12 January 1167 AD) was an English Cistercian monk, abbot of Rievaulx, in Yorkshire, England, from 1147 AD until his death. He was also a writer of several theological volumes.

Aelred was born in Hexham, Northumbria, in 1110, one of three sons of Eilaf, priest of St. Andrew’s at Hexham, himself a son of another Eilaf, treasurer of Durham. In 1095, the Council of Claremont had forbidden the ordination of the sons of priests. This was done in part to end the inheritance of benefices.[3] He may have been partially educated by Lawrence of Durham, who sent him a hagiography of Saint Brigid.

Aelred’s early education was probably at the cathedral school at Durham. Aelred spent several years at the court of King David I of Scotland in Roxburgh, possibly from the age of 14, rising to the rank of echonomus (often translated “steward” or “Master of the Household“) before leaving the court at age twenty-four (in 1134) to enter the Cistercian abbey of Rievaulx in Yorkshire.

In 1138, when Rievaulx’s patron, Walter Espec, was to surrender his castle at Wark to King David of Scotland, Aelred reportedly accompanied Abbot William of Rievaulx to the Scottish border to negotiate the transfer. He saw that his reluctance to part from his friends at court, delayed his adopting his monastic calling. For Aelred, the source and object of true friendship is Christ.

In 1142 Aelred travelled to Rome, alongside Walter of London, Archdeacon of York, to represent before Pope Innocent II the northern prelates who opposed the election of Henry de Sully, nephew of King Stephen, as archbishop of York. The result of the journey was that Aelred brought back a letter from Pope Innocent summoning the superiors whom Aelred represented to appear in Rome the following March to make their deposition in the required canonical form. The resulting negotiations dragged on for many years.

Upon his return from Rome, Aelred became novice master at Rievaulx. In 1143, he was appointed abbot of the new Revesby Abbey, a daughter house of Rievaulx in Lincolnshire. In 1147, he was elected abbot of Rievaulx itself, a position he was to hold until his death. Under his administration, the abbey is said to have grown to some 140 monks and 500 conversi and laymen.

His role as abbot required him to travel. Cistercian abbots were expected to make annual visitations to daughter-houses, and Rievaulx had five in England and Scotland by the time Aelred held office. Moreover, Aelred had to make the long sea journey to the annual general chapter of the Order at Cîteaux in France.

Alongside his role as a monk and later abbot, Aelred was involved throughout his life in political affairs. The fourteenth-century version of the Peterborough Chronicle states that Aelred’s efforts during the twelfth-century papal schism brought about Henry II’s decisive support for the Cistercian candidate, resulting in 1161 in the formal recognition of Pope Alexander III.

Aelred wrote several influential books on spirituality, among them Speculum caritatis (“The Mirror of Charity,” reportedly written at the request of Bernard of Clairvaux) and De spiritali amicitia (“On Spiritual Friendship”).

He also wrote seven works of history, addressing three of them to Henry II of England, advising him how to be a good king and declaring him to be the true descendant of Anglo-Saxon kings.

In his later years, he is thought to have suffered from the kidney stones and arthritis. Walter reports that in 1157 the Cistercian General Council allowed him to sleep and eat in Rievaulx’s infirmary; later he lived in a nearby building constructed for him.

Aelred died in the winter of 1166–7, probably on 12 January 1167, at Rievaulx.

O God, by whose grace your servant Aelred, kindled with the flame of your love, became a burning and a shining light in your Church: Grant that we also may be aflame with the spirit of love and discipline, and walk before you as children of light; through Jesus Christ our Lord, who lives and reigns with you, in the unity of the Holy Spirit, one God, now and forever.

Amen.

[silvestromedia]

SAINTS NOVEMBER 10 "There is only one tragedy in this life, not to have been a saint."- Leon Bloy

St. John of Ratzeburg, 1066 A.D. Martyred Scottish bishop. Born in Scotland, John became a missionary in Germany. Named the bishop of Ratzeburg, he labored on the coast of the Baltic Sea where he was martyred for the faith by local pagans.

St. Justus of Canterbury, 627 A.D. Benedictine archbishop of Canterbury. Justus was a Roman sent by Pope St. Gregory I the Great in 601 to England, to evangelize the Anglo-Saxons. Justus and others were sent as aides to St. Augustine. In 604, Justus was consecrated the first bishop of Rochester. The death of King Ethelbert in 616 caused a rise in paganism, and Justus returned to Rome. In the following year he went back to England and became archbishop of Canterbury in 624. He consecrated St. Paulinus.

St. Elaeth, 1084 A.D. British king driven by locals into Wales. He became a monk there under St. Seiriol. Elaeth’s poems have survived.

St. Aedh MacBricc, 589 A.D. Miracle worker and founder who reputedly cured St. Brigid of a headache. Aedh was the son of Bricc, or Breece, of the Hy Neill. He was robbed of his inheritance by his brother and came under the influence of bishop Illathan of Rathlihen, Offay. Admitted into the monastic life, Aedh founded a religious community in Westmeath. He is listed in some records as a bishop.

St. Theoctiste of Lesbos, Roman Catholic Nun and hermitess. According to tradition, she lived on the island of Lesbos in the Aegean Sea before being kidnapped by Arab raiders. They took her to the island of Paros where she escaped and lived thereafter for thirty years as a herrmitess. Discovered one day by a hunter named Simon, she begged him to return when he could with Holy Communion, a plea he fulfilled a year later after which she soon died. Nov 10

ST. ANDREW AVELLINO, THEATINE, PRIEST

St. Leo the Great, Pope Leo I (c. 400 – 10 November 461), also known as Saint Leo the Great, was the head of the Catholic Church from 29 September 440 to his death in 461. Benedict XVI has called Pope St Leo the Great “one of the greatest Popes who have honoured the Roman See. Leo lived in the fifth century, and is known to history for his role in calling the Council of Chalcedon, and for having forestalled Attila the Hun’s invasion of Italy. https://www.vaticannews.va/en/saints/11/10/st--leo-the-great--pope-and-doctor-of-the-church.html

[whencyclopedia]

Thomas Cromwell

Thomas Cromwell (l. c. 1485-1540 CE) served as chief minister to Henry VIII of England (r. 1509-1547 CE) from 1532 to 1540 CE. With his king and the Archbishop of Canterbury Thomas Cranmer (in office 1533-55 CE), Cromwell masterminded the English Reformation which saw the Church in England break away from the Pope in Rome and such momentous acts as the Dissolution of the Monasteries. Gaining favour from the king for his role in successfully annulling Henry's first marriage, Cromwell is also credited with restructuring England's finances and developing the institutions of government. With powerful enemies at court and blamed for arranging an unsuitable marriage for his king to Anne of Cleves (1519-1557 CE), Cromwell was arrested on charges of treason and heresy and executed without trial in July 1540 CE.

Early Career & Rise

Thomas Cromwell was born in Putney, London, the son of a blacksmith and cloth merchant c. 1485 CE. The young Thomas earned a living as a mercenary soldier in Italy from 1503 CE and then went into business where he learnt banking in the Italian banking house led by Francesco Frescobaldi. He visited Rome in 1517 CE and then moved on to Antwerp where Cromwell worked as a merchant in the cloth trade. By 1520 CE he was back in London and making a name for himself in the financial and legal community there, where he established his own legal practice. In 1523 CE he became a Member of Parliament and already displayed an interest in Church reform. Thomas' work as a legal agent caught the attention of the Lord Chancellor, Thomas Wolsey (in office c. 1513-29 CE). Cardinal Wolsey appointed Cromwell as a legal adviser in 1524 CE and his obvious administrative talents would see him become Wolsey's most important secretary. He became a member of the King's Council in 1530 CE which eventually resulted in the apprentice even taking over the role of his master.

Thomas Cromwell was third time lucky for Henry VIII after his previous two Lord Chancellors, Wolsey and Sir Thomas More (in office 1529-32 CE) failed to make any progress in the king's 'Great Matter': to secure a divorce from his first wife Catherine of Aragon (1485-1536 CE). Wolsey could not persuade Pope Clement VII (r. 1523-1534 CE) to annul Henry's marriage and Thomas More had been against the whole idea. Wolsey died on his way to imprisonment and then trial for treason in 1529 CE, and More was imprisoned in 1534 CE. Cromwell, who had cleverly distanced himself from Wolsey when his career started to capsize, found himself sole or chief minister to Henry VIII from 1532 CE. The new man would have to step very carefully as a servant to a highly temperamental sovereign. Indeed, one of Cromwell's major tasks was to interrogate More and persuade him to accept his king as head of the Church of England instead of the Pope.

Continue reading...

[scotianostra]

May 1st 1118 saw the death of Matilda of Scotland.

Born circa 1080 at Dunfermline, Matilda was the first daughter of Malcolm III King of Scots, and his with, Queen Margaret, who was canonised as St Margaret. From the age of 6, Matilda and her younger sister Mary were raised under the protection of their aunt Cristina, a nun in the convent at Romsey, England, and later at Wilton.

Matilda eventually returned to Scotland with her father in 1093, but he died later that same year, and her mother followed just three days later. There is no evidence of Matilda’s whereabouts between 1093 and 1100. Her older half-brother succeeded her father as King. The future King Henry I of England showed interest in her, although it was probably entirely political. Many people believed that Matilda had become a nun and the church forbade the marriage. Matilda managed to persuade Archbishop Anselm and swore that she was free to marry in front of a council. Matilda and Henry finally married on 11 November 1100, and she was consecrated Queen shortly after the wedding.

According to a contemporary named William of Malmesbury, “she was a woman of exceptional holiness, and by no means negligible beauty, in piety her mother’s rival, and in her own character exempt from all evill influence, outside the royal marriage-bed of unblemished chastity, and untouched even by the breath of suspicion.”

Matilda gave birth to two children, her namesake Matilda in 1102 and William in 1103. They probably ceased to have a sexual relationship after this as William fathered plenty of illegitimate children after this. She had political influence and over 33 charters issued in her name survive to this day. She often acted as regent while Henry was in Normandy and was assisted by her son William during her last regency.

Matilda is mainly remembered for her piety. William of Malmesbury wrote that she wore a hair-cloth shift under her robes and that she went barefoot to church during Lent. She was also quite interested in lepers and washed their feet. She also founded a leper hospital dedicated to St Giles.

She died on 1 May 1118, but the cause of death is not recorded.

More on Matilda here http://www.englishmonarchs.co.uk/normans_6.html

[if-you-fan-a-fire]

"Probe Is Imperative, Say Two Meetings On Social Service," Toronto Globe. September 22, 1933. Page 1 & 2. --- Council of Church of England in Canada and Committee of Canadian Social Service Adopt Resolutions Seeking Inquiry and Reform ---- OTTAWA ADVISED OF ACTION TAKEN --- Two more important bodies yesterday expressed the view that an investigation Into penal institutions and reformatories was imperative. One resolution urging the investigation came from the Council for Social Service of the Church of England in Canada, presided over by the Most Rev. C. L. Worrell, Primate of All Canada and Archbishop of Nova Scotia, and attended the majority of the Bishops of the Church, representatives of the laity and clergy from every diocese of the Dominion.

The other resolution was passed at a meeting of the Criminology Committee of the Social Service Council of Canada, held in the Y.W.C.A. McGill Street, Hon. W. F. Nickle, K.C., and W. M. Nickle, K.C., his son, attended the meeting.

Thorough Probe. Resolving that "there ought a thorough investigation and study by an independent and representative Commission of all our penal and reformatory Institutions," the Council for Social Service of the Church of England in Canada went on record at the annual meeting yesterday morning on the question of penitentiary conditions. At the meeting of the Council, which was held in the Parish Hall of St. Paul's Church, the Primate presided.

The Council declared that it was strongly of the opinion that such an Investigation be made and that its scope should include Do-minion, Provincial and local institutions and the entire system of dealing with delinquents and criminals.

Findings of 1914. In secondary paragraph it was urged that consideration should be given to the findings of the Royal Commission of 1914, and the committee on the revision of penitentiary regulations of 1921, and suggested careful study of the English Adult Probation system and the Borstal system. A concluding rider authorized the sending of the recommendations to Prime Minister R. B. Bennett, to the Premiers Premiers and Attorneys-General of the various Provinces, to the Minister of Justice, and to other social organizations

The final draft of the resolution was prepared by a special committee appointed after protracted discussion in open Council. The committee, which was composed of the Bishop of Fredericton, Archdeacon Scott, Chancellor Harris, Chancellor Gisborne, Canon Vernon, Rev. W. H. Adcock, G. B. Woods, and Magistrate J. E. Jones Woods, took up the correspondence on the question which had been received from other social service agencies, and placed their opinion in a formal resolution. This was introduced to the Council by the Bishop of Fredericton, and seconded by Chancellor Gisborne.

Statement Issued. The following statement was issued after the meeting of the Social Service Council's committee meeting:

"At the call of the Criminology Committee of the Social Service Council of Canada a conference on penitentiary reform met in the Y.W. C.A., 21 McGill Street, this afternoon at 2 o'clock.

"Canon Pilcher occupied the chair, and in addition to the committee a large number of representatives or religious denominations, service clubs welfare agencies and others interested were present. By Invitation Hon. W. F. Nickle, K.C., and W. M. Nickle, K.C., both of Kingston, were present to give the committee what information they could regarding penitentiary conditions. It was made very definite that this meeting had no political partisan significance whatsoever, that conditions in Kingston had prevailed under both Conservative and Liberal Governments.

"Among the reforms needed, the following were enumerated: The segregation of prisoners, so that youths would not be put to work with hardened criminals. Cases were cited of boys, 15 and 16, in the penitentiary, who who by by contact contact with older prisoners became morally degenerate within a short time. Another evil evil referred of to was that of isolation prisoners, it being mentioned that one prisoner, O'Brien, had remained in solitary confinement since 1931. On their discharge prisoners were sent out with $10 and a suit of clothes, which mode of dress in itself branded them as former inmates of the penitentiary, there- by making them an easy mark for those who are criminally inclined.

Silence Rule Condemned. "The report of the Royal Commission of 1914 and the report of the committee to Investigate conditions in Kingston Penitentiary of 1921 were discussed, and the system of condemned which advocated absolute silence, that no prisoner was allowed to speak except when spoken to by one of the guards. It was emphasized to the prisoner on entering that he was there for punishment, that he had no privileges, that he should question nothing, and the system proceeded on the basis that every every man had full mentality, while many prisoners were mentally no older than children of ten years. The result of this system was that many prisoners returned to society with a worse outlook on the world than they had before they entered.

"Among other evils in the administration of justice was inequality of sentence; that it should not be possible for a man to be sentenced by a Magistrate to a long term; that there should be a public defender appointed and a board to take into consideration all circumstances in the life of the prisoner before pronouncing sentence. A system system should be devised whereby prisoners, by work, should be able to earn something to support port their wives and families while they are in prison. It was an injustice that the wives and children should suffer when they are wholly innocent.

Coast-to-Coast Probe. "It was pointed out that as yet there is no machinery to recoup an accused man for loss that he sustained in his defense, and the meeting strongly advocated an inquiry into the administration of justice and conditions in our penal Institutions, not only in in connection with Kingston, but also with the whole of the Dominion.

"A hearty vote of thanks was accorded to W. P. Nickle and W. M. Nickle for the information they extended, and to the Y.W.C.A. for placing the auditorium at the disposal of the meeting.

"The Committee on Criminology of the Social Service Council of Canada will met again next Tuesday to decide upon further action."

Committee to Report. Kingston, Sept. 21. A committee to Inquire into the administration of penal institutions was appointed at the Kingston meeting of the Kingston Presbyterian Presbytery of the United Church of Canada held in Harrowsmith.

The committee is to report back he committee. Members are Rev. H. В. Presbytery in the near future. Clarke, Rev. J. O. Watts, Rev. J. M. Shaw, Rev. F. W. Mahaffy (all of Kingston), and C. A. Winters of Brockville.

[brookston]

Holidays 11.9

Holidays

Allama Iqbal Day (Pakistan)

Berlin Wall Day

Brian Holland Legacy Day

Chaos Never Dies Day

Couch Beachcombing Day

Day of Ukrainian Literature & Language (Ukraine)

Dia de los Natitas (Day of the Skulls; Bolivia)

Eleven09 Day

Fall of the Wall Day (Germany)

Flag Day (Azerbaijan)

Fluffy Towel Appreciation Day

Geriatric Toothfairy Day

Good Armpit Day (Japan)

Go To An Art Museum Today Day

Heir to the Throne Day (Tuvalu)

International Day Against Fascism & Antisemitism

International Pathology Day

Iqbal Day (Pakistan)

Kristallnacht (Night of Broken Glass; Austria, Germany)

La Almudena (Madrid City, Spain)

Legal Services Day (India)

Lord Mayor’s Day (London, UK) [Traditional Date]

National Alejandro Day

National Child Safety Council Day

National Diabetes Heart Connection Day

National Firefighting Day (China)

National Grace Day

National Hunter Day

National Inventor’s Day

National Louisiana Day

National Microtia Awareness Day

National Nibble Day

Neon Sign Day

No Cookies Day

November Nine (Word Series of Poker)

Paul is Dead Day (1966)

Pomegranate Day (French Republic)

Remembrance Day (Cayman Islands)

Rolling Stone Day

Sagan Day (a.k.a. Carl Sagan Day)

Schicksalstag (Day of Fate; Germany)

Sprat Day (UK)

Tag der Erfinder (Inventor's Day; Austria, Germany, Switzerland)

Tori No Ichi

Tree Festival Day (Tunisia)

Uttarakhand Day (India)

Valerian and Laureline Day

World Adoption Day

World Freedom Day

World Inventor Day (EU)

World Orphans Day

World Satire Day

World Social Media Kindness Day

World Urdu Day

Food & Drink Celebrations

British Pudding Day (UK)

Condensed Milk Day

National Fried Chicken Sandwich Day

National Greek Yogurt Day

National Scrapple Day

2nd Thursday in November

Genetic Counselor Awareness Day [2nd Thursday]

International Day of Zoo & Aquarium Educators [2nd Thursday]

International Tempranillo Day [2nd Thursday]

National Community Ed Day [2nd Thursday]

Return Day (Georgetown, Delaware) [Thursday after 1st Monday]

World Quality Day [2nd Thursday]

World Usability Day [2nd Thursday]

Independence Days

Cambodia (from France, 1953)

Federal Republic of InfinityLand (Declared; 2018) [unrecognized]

Feast Days

Benignus of Armagh (Christian; Saint)

Change Your Underwear Day (Pastafarian)

Charles V (Positivist; Saint)

Dedication of the Archbasilica of St. John Lateran, Cathedral of the Pope (Christian; Memorial Feast Day)

Gigo Gabashvili (Artology)

Harold “Doc” Edgerton Day (Church of the SubGenius; Saint)

Lynn-Lynn (Muppetism)

Margery Kempe (Church of England)

Martin Chemnitz (Lutheran)

Media Autumnus I (Pagan)

Memorial Feast Day of the Dedication of the Basilica di San Giovanni in Laterano, Cathedral of the Pope (Roman Catholic)

Nectarios of Aegina (Christian; Saint)

Night of Nicnevin (Gyre-Carling), Daughter of Frenzy, Banshee; Scots Pagan)

Old Socks Day Day (Pastafarian)

Robert Frank (Artology)

Theodore of Amasea (a.k.a. Theodore the General; Roman Catholic Church)

Virgin of Almudena (Madrid; Christian; Saint)

Vitonus (a.k.a. Vanne; Christian; Saint)

Lucky & Unlucky Days

Butsumetsu (仏滅 Japan) [Unlucky all day.]

Prime Number Day: 313 [65 of 72]

Schicksalstag (Fateful Day; Germany)

Unfortunate Day (Pagan) [53 of 57]

Premieres

Bridge Over Troubled Water, recorded by Simon and Garfunkel (Song; 1969)

Bunny and Claude [We Rob Carrot Patches] (WB MM Cartoon; 1968)

Claws in the Lease (WB MM Cartoon; 1963)

Dances with Wolves (Film; 1990)

Death Comes for the Archbishop,by Willa Cather (Novel; 1927)

Enter the Wu-Tang, by the Wu-Tang Clan (Album; 1993)

Flower Drum Song (Film; 1961)

Four For the Show or Two Pairs of Plants (Rocky & Bullwinkle Cartoon, S6, Ep. 318; 1964)

The Girl in the Spider’s Web (Film; 2018)

Joyeux Noël (Film; 2005)

Life as a House (Film; 2001)

Lincoln (Film; 2012)

Merry Christmas Baby, by Elvis Presley (Song; 1973)

Mickey’s Once Upon a Christmas (Disney Animated Film; 1999)

Mimesis: The Representation of Reality in Western Literature, by Erich Auerbach (Literary Criticism; 1942)

My Fair Lady (Film; 1964)

A Nightmare on Elm Street (Film; 1984)

No Dice, by Badfinger (Album; 1970)

The Passenger, by Ulrich Alexander Boschwitz (Novel; 1939)

Piano Man, by Billy Joel (Album; 1973)

Pottsylvania Creeper, Part 1 (Rocky & Bullwinkle Cartoon, S6, Ep. 317; 1964)

Rolling Stone (Magazine; 1967)

Skyfall (US Film; 2012) [James Bond #23]

Superman/Shazam!: The Return of Black Adam (WB Animated Film; 2010)

When the Pawn…, by Fiona Apple (Album; 1999)

Without You, by Badfinger (Song; 1970)

The Young Ones (UK TV Series; 1982)

You’re My Home, by Billy Joel (Song; 1973)

You’ve Really Got A Hold On Me, by The Miracles (Song; 1962)

Zootopia+ (Disney Animated TV Series; 20022)

Today’s Name Days

Herfried, Roland, Theodor (Austria)

Božo, Erpo, Ivan, Milostislav, Teodor, Ursin (Croatia)

Bohdan (Czech Republic)

Theodor (Denmark)

Teo, Teodor, Tuudor (Estonia)

Teo, Teuvo (Finland)

Maturin, Théodore (France)

Gregor, Herfried, Roland, Theodor (Germany)

Elladios, Mavra, Nektarios, Theoktisti (Greece)

Tivadar (Hungary)

Oreste, Teodoro (Italy)

Teodors (Latvia)

Dargintas, Estela, Skirtautė, Teodoras (Lithuania)

Teodor, Tordis (Norway)

Bogudar, Genowefa, Nestor, Teodor, Ursyn (Poland)

Nectarie (Romania)

Teodor (Slovakia)

Almudena (Spain)

Teodor, Teodora (Sweden)

Orestes, Sullivan, Vaughan, Vaughn (USA)

Today is Also…

Day of Year: Day 313 of 2024; 52 days remaining in the year

ISO: Day 4 of week 45 of 2023

Celtic Tree Calendar: Ngetal (Reed) [Day 10 of 28]

Chinese: Month 9 (Ten-Xu), Day 26 (Xin-Wei)

Chinese Year of the: Rabbit 4721 (until February 10, 2024)

Hebrew: 25 Heshvan 5784

Islamic: 25 Rabi II 1445

J Cal: 13 Mir; Sixday [13 of 30]

Julian: 27 October 2023

Moon: 13%: Waning Crescent

Positivist: 5 Frederic (12th Month) [Charles V]

Runic Half Month: Hagal (Hailstone) [Day 14 of 15]

Season: Autumn (Day 47 of 89)

Zodiac: Scorpio (Day 17 of 29)

[brookstonalmanac]

Holidays 11.9

Holidays

Allama Iqbal Day (Pakistan)

Berlin Wall Day

Brian Holland Legacy Day

Chaos Never Dies Day

Couch Beachcombing Day

Day of Ukrainian Literature & Language (Ukraine)

Dia de los Natitas (Day of the Skulls; Bolivia)

Eleven09 Day

Fall of the Wall Day (Germany)

Flag Day (Azerbaijan)

Fluffy Towel Appreciation Day

Geriatric Toothfairy Day

Good Armpit Day (Japan)

Go To An Art Museum Today Day

Heir to the Throne Day (Tuvalu)

International Day Against Fascism & Antisemitism

International Pathology Day

Iqbal Day (Pakistan)

Kristallnacht (Night of Broken Glass; Austria, Germany)

La Almudena (Madrid City, Spain)

Legal Services Day (India)

Lord Mayor’s Day (London, UK) [Traditional Date]

National Alejandro Day

National Child Safety Council Day

National Diabetes Heart Connection Day

National Firefighting Day (China)

National Grace Day

National Hunter Day

National Inventor’s Day

National Louisiana Day

National Microtia Awareness Day

National Nibble Day

Neon Sign Day

No Cookies Day

November Nine (Word Series of Poker)

Paul is Dead Day (1966)

Pomegranate Day (French Republic)

Remembrance Day (Cayman Islands)

Rolling Stone Day

Sagan Day (a.k.a. Carl Sagan Day)

Schicksalstag (Day of Fate; Germany)

Sprat Day (UK)

Tag der Erfinder (Inventor's Day; Austria, Germany, Switzerland)

Tori No Ichi

Tree Festival Day (Tunisia)

Uttarakhand Day (India)

Valerian and Laureline Day

World Adoption Day

World Freedom Day

World Inventor Day (EU)

World Orphans Day

World Satire Day

World Social Media Kindness Day

World Urdu Day

Food & Drink Celebrations

British Pudding Day (UK)

Condensed Milk Day

National Fried Chicken Sandwich Day

National Greek Yogurt Day

National Scrapple Day

2nd Thursday in November

Genetic Counselor Awareness Day [2nd Thursday]

International Day of Zoo & Aquarium Educators [2nd Thursday]

International Tempranillo Day [2nd Thursday]

National Community Ed Day [2nd Thursday]

Return Day (Georgetown, Delaware) [Thursday after 1st Monday]

World Quality Day [2nd Thursday]

World Usability Day [2nd Thursday]

Independence Days

Cambodia (from France, 1953)

Federal Republic of InfinityLand (Declared; 2018) [unrecognized]

Feast Days

Benignus of Armagh (Christian; Saint)

Change Your Underwear Day (Pastafarian)

Charles V (Positivist; Saint)

Dedication of the Archbasilica of St. John Lateran, Cathedral of the Pope (Christian; Memorial Feast Day)

Gigo Gabashvili (Artology)

Harold “Doc” Edgerton Day (Church of the SubGenius; Saint)

Lynn-Lynn (Muppetism)

Margery Kempe (Church of England)

Martin Chemnitz (Lutheran)

Media Autumnus I (Pagan)

Memorial Feast Day of the Dedication of the Basilica di San Giovanni in Laterano, Cathedral of the Pope (Roman Catholic)

Nectarios of Aegina (Christian; Saint)

Night of Nicnevin (Gyre-Carling), Daughter of Frenzy, Banshee; Scots Pagan)

Old Socks Day Day (Pastafarian)

Robert Frank (Artology)

Theodore of Amasea (a.k.a. Theodore the General; Roman Catholic Church)

Virgin of Almudena (Madrid; Christian; Saint)

Vitonus (a.k.a. Vanne; Christian; Saint)

Lucky & Unlucky Days

Butsumetsu (仏滅 Japan) [Unlucky all day.]

Prime Number Day: 313 [65 of 72]

Schicksalstag (Fateful Day; Germany)

Unfortunate Day (Pagan) [53 of 57]

Premieres

Bridge Over Troubled Water, recorded by Simon and Garfunkel (Song; 1969)

Bunny and Claude [We Rob Carrot Patches] (WB MM Cartoon; 1968)

Claws in the Lease (WB MM Cartoon; 1963)

Dances with Wolves (Film; 1990)

Death Comes for the Archbishop,by Willa Cather (Novel; 1927)

Enter the Wu-Tang, by the Wu-Tang Clan (Album; 1993)

Flower Drum Song (Film; 1961)

Four For the Show or Two Pairs of Plants (Rocky & Bullwinkle Cartoon, S6, Ep. 318; 1964)

The Girl in the Spider’s Web (Film; 2018)

Joyeux Noël (Film; 2005)

Life as a House (Film; 2001)

Lincoln (Film; 2012)

Merry Christmas Baby, by Elvis Presley (Song; 1973)

Mickey’s Once Upon a Christmas (Disney Animated Film; 1999)

Mimesis: The Representation of Reality in Western Literature, by Erich Auerbach (Literary Criticism; 1942)

My Fair Lady (Film; 1964)

A Nightmare on Elm Street (Film; 1984)

No Dice, by Badfinger (Album; 1970)

The Passenger, by Ulrich Alexander Boschwitz (Novel; 1939)

Piano Man, by Billy Joel (Album; 1973)

Pottsylvania Creeper, Part 1 (Rocky & Bullwinkle Cartoon, S6, Ep. 317; 1964)

Rolling Stone (Magazine; 1967)

Skyfall (US Film; 2012) [James Bond #23]

Superman/Shazam!: The Return of Black Adam (WB Animated Film; 2010)

When the Pawn…, by Fiona Apple (Album; 1999)

Without You, by Badfinger (Song; 1970)

The Young Ones (UK TV Series; 1982)

You’re My Home, by Billy Joel (Song; 1973)

You’ve Really Got A Hold On Me, by The Miracles (Song; 1962)

Zootopia+ (Disney Animated TV Series; 20022)

Today’s Name Days

Herfried, Roland, Theodor (Austria)

Božo, Erpo, Ivan, Milostislav, Teodor, Ursin (Croatia)

Bohdan (Czech Republic)

Theodor (Denmark)

Teo, Teodor, Tuudor (Estonia)

Teo, Teuvo (Finland)

Maturin, Théodore (France)

Gregor, Herfried, Roland, Theodor (Germany)

Elladios, Mavra, Nektarios, Theoktisti (Greece)

Tivadar (Hungary)

Oreste, Teodoro (Italy)

Teodors (Latvia)

Dargintas, Estela, Skirtautė, Teodoras (Lithuania)

Teodor, Tordis (Norway)

Bogudar, Genowefa, Nestor, Teodor, Ursyn (Poland)

Nectarie (Romania)

Teodor (Slovakia)

Almudena (Spain)

Teodor, Teodora (Sweden)

Orestes, Sullivan, Vaughan, Vaughn (USA)

Today is Also…

Day of Year: Day 313 of 2024; 52 days remaining in the year

ISO: Day 4 of week 45 of 2023

Celtic Tree Calendar: Ngetal (Reed) [Day 10 of 28]

Chinese: Month 9 (Ten-Xu), Day 26 (Xin-Wei)

Chinese Year of the: Rabbit 4721 (until February 10, 2024)

Hebrew: 25 Heshvan 5784

Islamic: 25 Rabi II 1445

J Cal: 13 Mir; Sixday [13 of 30]

Julian: 27 October 2023

Moon: 13%: Waning Crescent

Positivist: 5 Frederic (12th Month) [Charles V]

Runic Half Month: Hagal (Hailstone) [Day 14 of 15]

Season: Autumn (Day 47 of 89)

Zodiac: Scorpio (Day 17 of 29)

[romancatholichistory]

Anglican and Roman Catholicism Differences

A Brief Overview of Anglican and Catholic History

The Anglican and Catholic churches have a rich history that spans centuries. While both churches share many similarities, including a belief in the Holy Trinity and the sacraments, they also have significant differences in doctrine, liturgy, and governance.

The Anglican Church traces its roots to the English Reformation of the sixteenth century. In 1534, King Henry VIII declared himself the head of the Church of England, breaking away from the authority of the Catholic Church and paving the way for the development of Anglicanism. The Book of Common Prayer, introduced in 1549, became the standard for Anglican liturgy, and the King James Bible, published in 1611, remains an influential text to this day. Other significant events in Anglican history include the restoration of the episcopacy in 1660, the formation of the Methodist movement in the eighteenth century, and the first Lambeth Conference in 1867. In the twentieth century, the Anglican Church began ordaining women, and in 2003, Gene Robinson became the first openly gay bishop in the Anglican Communion. In 2009, the Anglican Communion's Covenant was adopted as a means of strengthening ties between member churches.

The Catholic Church, in contrast, traces its origins to the establishment of the Church by Jesus Christ in the first century AD. The Council of Nicaea in 325 helped to define the beliefs of the Church, including the doctrine of the Holy Trinity. The Great Schism of 1054 marked the formal split between the Catholic Church and the Eastern Orthodox Church. In the thirteenth century, Thomas Aquinas's "Summa Theologica" became an influential work of Catholic theology. The Protestant Reformation of the sixteenth century led to a period of reform within the Catholic Church, culminating in the Council of Trent from 1545 to 1563. The nineteenth century saw the convening of the First Vatican Council in 1869-1870, which defined the doctrine of papal infallibility. The Second Vatican Council, held from 1962 to 1965, brought significant changes to the Catholic Church, including the use of vernacular languages in the liturgy and a renewed emphasis on the role of the laity. In 2014, Pope John Paul II was canonized as a saint.

Catholic and Anglican: A Comparison of Hierarchies, Doctrines, and Practices

The Catholic Church and the Anglican Communion are two of the largest religious organizations in the world. While both are rooted in Christianity and share many similarities, they also have their differences in hierarchy, beliefs, and practices. In this blog post, we will explore some of the key similarities and differences between these two religious organizations.

Hierarchy

The Catholic Church is led by the Pope, who is considered the Bishop of Rome and the spiritual leader of all Catholics around the world. Under the Pope are cardinals, archbishops, bishops, priests, and deacons, each with their own responsibilities and duties within the Church. The Pope has final authority over all matters related to the Church.

On the other hand, the Anglican Communion is led by the Archbishop of Canterbury, who is a symbolic leader and does not have the same level of authority as the Pope. Under the Archbishop of Canterbury are archbishops, bishops, priests, and deacons, each with their own responsibilities and duties within the Church. The Anglican Communion operates more independently than the Catholic Church, with provinces having substantial independence in governance.

Doctrines

Both the Catholic Church and the Anglican Communion believe in the Holy Trinity, the sacraments, and the person and work of Jesus Christ. However, they differ in some of their beliefs. For example, the Catholic Church believes in papal authority and apostolic succession, while the Anglican Communion believes in the via media, which is a middle way between Catholicism and Protestantism. Additionally, the Catholic Church believes in the doctrine of transubstantiation, which means that the bread and wine used in communion become the actual body and blood of Christ, while the Anglican Communion believes in spiritual presence or may affirm transubstantiation or a symbolic presence.

Practices

Both the Catholic Church and the Anglican Communion practice baptism, holy communion, and various forms of prayer. However, they also differ in some of their practices. For example, the Catholic Church practices confession, prayers to saints, and the rosary, while the Anglican Communion practices morning and evening prayer and baptism. Also, the Catholic Church generally requires clerical celibacy for most priests in the Latin Church, while the Anglican Communion does not generally require celibacy.

Comparison of Catholic and Anglican views on Communion

The Catholic Church and the Anglican Communion share many similarities in their beliefs, practices, and traditions. However, there are also some key differences between these two religious organizations. In this blog post, we will explore some of the differences between the Catholic and Anglican views on presence, recipients of communion, frequency of celebration, role of clergy, liturgy and ritual, views on sin and worthiness, and intercommunion with other denominations.

Views on Presence

The Catholic Church believes in transubstantiation, which means that the bread and wine used in communion become the actual body and blood of Christ. While some Catholics may hold other views, such as real presence or spiritual presence, transubstantiation is the doctrine of the Church. On the other hand, the Anglican Communion believes in spiritual presence, with some provinces affirming transubstantiation or a symbolic presence.

Recipients of Communion

The Catholic Church requires that only baptized and confirmed Catholics who are in a state of grace may receive communion. Additionally, they must observe fasting rules before receiving. On the other hand, the Anglican Communion generally allows baptized Christians to receive communion, although policies may vary between provinces and congregations.

Frequency of Celebration

The Catholic Church typically celebrates mass and communion daily, with some exceptions. However, the frequency of celebration may vary between parishes and congregations. The Anglican Communion, on the other hand, may celebrate communion and other liturgical practices weekly or less frequently, depending on the province or congregation.

Role of Clergy

In the Catholic Church, only ordained priests or bishops may consecrate the bread and wine used in communion. Additionally, ordination is required for clergy. In the Anglican Communion, ordained priests or bishops usually consecrate the bread and wine, but some provinces may allow deacons or lay ministers to distribute communion.

Liturgy and Ritual

The Catholic Church follows a standardized liturgy from the Roman Missal, which includes various prayers and practices. On the other hand, the liturgy and ritual of the Anglican Communion may vary between provinces and can be found in the Book of Common Prayer or other authorized texts.

Views on Sin and Worthiness

In the Catholic Church, one must be in a state of grace to receive communion, which may require confession for repentance. However, formal confession is typically not required for those who are conscious of mortal sin. In the Anglican Communion, the approach to sin and worthiness may vary, with emphasis on confession and repentance. However, formal confession is typically not required.

Intercommunion with Other Denominations

The Catholic Church generally does not practice intercommunion with non-Catholic Christian communities. On the other hand, some provinces of the Anglican Communion may practice open communion with other Christian denominations.

[orthodoxydaily]

Saints&Reading: Monday, July 17, 2023

july 17_july 4

HOLY ROYAL MARTYRS OF RUSSIA: TSAR NICHOLAS II, TSARITSA ALEXANDRA, CROWN PRINCE ALEXIS, AND GRAND-DUCHESSES OLGA, TATIANA, MARIA, AND ANASTASIA, AND THOSE MARTYRED WITH THEM (1918)

"Tsar Nicholas II was the son of Alexander III, who had reposed in the arms of St John of Kronstadt. Having been raised in piety, Tsar Nicholas sought to rule in a spirit consonant with the precepts of Orthodoxy and the best traditions of his nation. Tsaritsa Alexandra, a Queen Victoria of England granddaughter and a convert from Lutheranism was noted for her piety and compassion for the poor and suffering. All of their five children were beloved by their kindness, modesty, and guilelessness.     "Amidst the political turmoil of 1917, Tsar Nicholas selflessly abdicated the throne for what he believed was the good of his country. Although he had abdicated willingly, the revolutionaries put him and his family under house arrest, then sent them under guard to Tobolsk and finally Ekaterinburg. A letter from Tobolsk by Grand Duchess Olga, the eldest of the children, shows their nobility of soul. She writes, 'My father asks that I convey to all those who have remained devoted to him... that they should not take vengeance on his account, because he has forgiven everyone and prays for them all. Nor should they avenge themselves. Rather, they should bear in mind that this evil present in the world will become yet stronger, but that evil will not conquer evil, but only love shall do so.'

     "After enduring sixteen months of imprisonment, deprivation, and humiliation with Christian patience which moved even their captors, they and those who were with them gained their crowns of martyrdom when they were shot and stabbed to death in the cellar of the Ipatiev house in Ekaterinburg in 1918.      "Together with them are also commemorated those who faithfully served them, and were either slain with them, or on their account..." (Great Horologion)

SAINT ANDREW, ARCHBISHOP OF CRETE ((712-726)

Saint Andrew, Archbishop of Crete, was born in Damascus into a pious Christian family. Up until seven years of age, the boy was mute and did not talk. However, after communing the Holy Mysteries of Christ he found the gift of speech and began to speak. And from that time, the lad began earnestly to study the Holy Scripture and the discipline of theology.

At fourteen years of age, he went to Jerusalem, where he accepted monastic tonsure at the monastery of Saint Savva the Sanctified. Saint Andrew led a strict and chaste life, he was meek and abstinent, such that all were amazed at his virtue and reasoning of mind. As a man of talent and known for his virtuous life, over time, he came to be numbered among the Jerusalem clergy and was appointed a secretary for the Patriarchate -- a writing clerk. In the year 680, the locum tenens of the Jerusalem Patriarchate, Theodore, included archdeacon Andrew among the representatives of the Holy City sent to the Sixth Ecumenical Council, and here the saint contended against heretical teachings, relying upon his profound knowledge of Orthodox doctrine. Shortly after the Council, he was summoned back to Constantinople from Jerusalem and appointed archdeacon at the church of Hagia Sophia, the Wisdom of God. During the reign of the emperor Justinian II (685-695) Saint Andrew was ordained bishop of the city of Gortineia on the island of Crete. In his new position he shone forth as a true luminary of the Church, a great hierarch -- a theologian, teacher, and hymnographer.

Saint Andrew composed many inspired writings, including the Great Canon of Repentance, sung on Monday through Thursday of the first week of Lent, after the usual beginning of Compline, and following Psalm 69/70. In current Greek practice, the Great Canon begins after the Doxology. The Great Canon of Repentance includes 250 troparia within its 9 Odes. Before each Troparion of the Canon, we make the Sign of the Cross and bow and sing, "Have mercy upon me, O God, have mercy upon me." On Thursday of the fifth week, the Great Canon is sung continuously. After Psalm 90/91, "God is with us," is read plainly and without a melody (outside of Great Lent). During Lent, however, the verses are sung slowly by the choir with the refrain "For God is with us" after each verse.1

Saint Andrew has also composed the Canon for the Feast of the Nativity of Christ, three Odes for Compline of Palm Sunday, and also in the first four days of Passion Week, as well as verses for the Feast of the Meeting of the Lord, and many other Church hymns. His hymnographer legacy was continued by other great composers of the following ages: Saints John of Damascus (December 4), Cosmas of Maiuma (October 12), Joseph the Hymnographer (April 4), Theophánēs the Branded (October 11), etc.

Church historians disagree with the date of death of the saint. One suggests the year 712, while others -- the year 726. He died on the island of Mytilene while returning to Crete from Constantinople, where he had been on churchly business. His relics were transferred to Constantinople. In 1350, the pious Russian pilgrim Stephen Novgorodets saw the dinosaurs at the Constantinople monastery named Saint Andrew of Crete.

1 For further information, consult The Lention Triodion by Mother Mary and Archimandrite Kállistos Ware.

ROMANS 8:28-39 

28 And we know that all things work together for good to those who love God, to those who are the called according to His purpose. 29 For whom He foreknew, He also predestined to be conformed to the image of His Son, that He might be the firstborn among many brethren. 30 Moreover, whom He predestined, these He also called; whom He called, these He also justified; and whom He justified, these He also glorified. 31 What, then, shall we say to these things? If God is for us, who can be against us? 32 He who did not spare His own Son, but delivered Him up for us all, how shall He not with Him also freely give us all things? 33 Who shall bring a charge against God's elect? It is God who justifies. 34 Who is he who condemns? It is Christ who died and rose, who is even at the right hand of God, who also makes intercession for us. 35 Who shall separate us from the love of Christ? Shall tribulation, distress, persecution, famine, nakedness, peril, or sword? 36 As it is written: "For Your sake, we are killed all day long; We are accounted as sheep for the slaughter." 37 Yet in all these things, we are more than conquerors through Him who loved us. 38 For I am persuaded that neither death nor life, nor angels nor principalities nor powers, nor things present nor things to come, 39 nor height nor depth, nor any other created thing, shall be able to separate us from the love of God which is in Christ Jesus our Lord.

JOHN 15:17-16:2 

17 These things I command you, that you love one another.18 If the world hates you, you know it hated Me before it hated you. 19 If you were of the world, the world would love its own. Yet because you are not of the world, but I chose you out of the world, therefore the world hates you. 20 Remember the word I said, 'A servant is not greater than his master.' If they persecuted Me, they will also persecute you. If they kept My word, they would keep yours also. 21 But all these things they will do to you for My name's sake because they do not know Him who sent Me. 22 If I had not come and spoken to them, they would have no sin, but now they have no excuse for their sin. 23 He who hates Me hates My Father also. 24 If I had not done the works which no one else did among them, they would have no sin; but now they have seen and hated both Me and My Father. 25 But this happened that the word might be fulfilled in their law, 'They hated Me without a cause.' 26 But when the Helper comes, whom I shall send to you from the Father, the Spirit of truth who proceeds from the Father, He will testify of Me. 27, And you also will bear witness, because you have been with Me from the beginning.

1 These things I have spoken to you, that you should not be made to stumble. 2 They will put you out of the synagogues; yes, the time is coming that whoever kills you will think that he offers God service.