Her parents, Flavian and Dafrosa, were martyred in the persecution of Julian the Apostate, and Vivian [Vibiana] and her sister Demetria were turned over to a woman named Rufina who tried to force her into prostitution. Upon her continued refusal, Vivian was imprisoned in a mad house, then flogged to death. – From Catholic Forum … Continue reading
From “Providence nuns consider returning to China,” The Criterion, August 28, 2007: For years, the Chinese government has enforced a policy that has allowed families to have only one child. The Sisters of Providence see a problem looming on the horizon for China because of this policy. “In the coming years, one couple will have … Continue reading
From “Jihad Against Lebanese Christians,” Dr. Walid Phares, FrontPageMagazine.com, Novenmber 20, 2003: But jihad against the Lebanese Christians has a very long history. Decades before 9/11, al-Qaida’s predecessors have slaughtered Lebanese monks in Deir Ashashe in 1975; massacred thousands of Christians in Damour in 1976; and raped, maimed and razed villages in East Sidon in … Continue reading
From “Declaration of Independence” Time Magazine, Jan. 17, 1969: The church in The Netherlands is perhaps the most independent and autonomy-minded in the Roman Catholic fold. Time and again, it has challenged Rome’s ideas of orthodoxy. Last week the Dutch defied the Vatican again, this time with particular force. Meeting in the North Sea town … Continue reading
Eurabia? Niall Ferguson, New York Times, April 4, 2004: Even allowing for immigration, the United Nations projects that the population of the current European Union members will fall by around 7.5 million over the next 45 years. There has not been such a sustained reduction in the European population since the Black Death of the … Continue reading
From “What about Christians in Palestine?” PalestineFacts.org: Palestine was once a Christian country and there has been a continuous Christian presence there since the time of Jesus. From the middle of the fourth century to the Arab conquest in the middle of the seventh century, the Roman province of Palestine was transformed into a Christian … Continue reading
On the demise of Latin in the liturgy and the awkward balancing act (as exhibited by the statements of then-Cardinal Ratzinger below) of pushing for its greater use while at the same time honoring the fateful decision of Pope Paul VI to “part” with it… [*see update below concerning Pope Benedict's motu proprio, Summorum Pontificum] … Continue reading
From “Pakistan’s Christians extremely fearful of Muslims,” India Abroad News Service, Feb. 1997: Over 100 Pakistani Christians gathered in front of the country’s Consulate to denounce the attack on three Christian enclaves in the Pakistani district of Multan, earlier this month. In a letter addressed to Pakistani President Farooq Legari, Mr. Shadab E Khokhar, President … Continue reading
The Stag (Deer) In Christian art the stag has come to typify piety and religious aspiration and longing. The Stag symbolizes solitude, prayer and purity. “As a Deer longs for running streams, so my souls longs for you O God. My soul thirsts for the living God” ( Psalm 42) – From “A Primer to … Continue reading
From “A Timebomb in the Philippines,” Raymond Matthew Wray, Crisis Magazine, December 2, 2002: During the 15th century, Islam found its way to the island with the arrival of Arab traders. From the time of their arrival through the period of Spanish rule, Muslims in the south lived in independent sultanates. It wasn’t until the … Continue reading
