A century ago, on February 6, 1922, the Pope of the Kingship of Christ was elevated to the Chair of Peter: Pius XI, whose original name was Achille Ratti. He was born in Desio, a small town, north of Milan, on May 31, 1857. A model student, he was educated in Seveso, Monza, Milan and…
Five centuries ago, on December 13, 1521, in Le Grotte, now Grottammare, a charming town on the Adriatic coast in the Marche region, was born the tough pope: Sixtus V, whose original name was Felice Peretti. The great Roman dialect poet Giuseppe Gioachino Belli (1791–1863) celebrates him in one of his gracious sonnets: Among all…
“In a filial and obedient spirit I disobey, I refuse, I rebel.” Although spoken by a 13th century English bishop, these bold yet paradoxical words to the pope represent well the tension found in today’s “Recognize and Resist” movement within the Catholic Church. We recognize that Francis is the legitimate pope and that as pope…
Five hundred years ago, on the night of December 1, 1521, a few days before his forty-sixth birthday, a great pope of the so-called Renaissance died: Leo X, whose original name was Giovanni de’ Medici. The second son of Lorenzo the Magnificent was born in Florence on December 11, 1475 in the most important of…
During his weekly audience on November 3rd, the Holy Father emphasized that fraternal correction must always be guided by love. “The supreme rule regarding fraternal correction is love: to want the good of our brothers and sisters,” the pope said. He’s right. Perhaps the November 3rd audience should indeed serve as an opportunity for us…
Back in May, I published an article at LifeSiteNews entitled “Coincidences during the reign of Pius XII? Political background to Vatican II and liturgical changes.” The article generated a fair amount of discussion, both favorable and critical. Since the pontificate of Eugenio Pacelli is so rich with historical interest and consequences, I would like to…
Editor’s note: OnePeterFive is publishing the following commentary, written in the spirit of Erasmus, whose sardonic critique of the Renaissance papacy was critical for provoking long-delayed and long-denied reform in the Church. Some Catholic authors condemn him for his acerbic attacks, while others recognize that by provoking his contemporaries to righteous indignation at the ecclesiastical…
The Next Pope: The Leading Cardinal Candidates Edward Pentin Sophia Institute Press 523 pages $9.99 Kindle; $20.95 Paperback Edward Pentin’s recent book The Next Pope is a heavyweight tome, quite literally — nearly 700 pages printed on high quality paper stock. The author has provided a great public service to the Catholic Church. Since this Pope has not…
Recently, an event of significance for sedevacantists came to pass. The last bishop consecrated to be appointed to office in 1958 — i.e., during the reign of Pope Pius XII — finally passed into eternity. That this is so can also be verified at the Catholic Hierarchy website and the updated lists at Wikipedia. The…
“No one is ever allowed to disobey the pope. Period.” The statement is made repeatedly on social media, usually in an attempt to end a debate. It’s taken as a given. No sources cited, no documentation provided. It’s merely assumed. It is, after all, obvious. But is it? Does the Catholic Church actually teach this?…
An ailing Benedict XVI made a short trip home to Germany to visit his even more infirm brother. In more sane times, this would have caused normal human reactions from Catholics, such as wishing the brothers well and perhaps offering a prayer for their well-being. Given that sanity is not 2020’s speciality, many of the…
