450 years ago, on May 13, 1572, after a conclave lasted less than a day, a man, to whom we owe our calendar and the scrupulous implementation of the decrees of the Council of Trent (1545-1563), was unanimously elected to …
Category: Music
The Music of St. Pius V
450 years ago, on May 1, 1572, the great Pope of the Catholic Reform promoted by the Council of Trent, the “Pope of the Rosary”, glorious in crushing the enemies of the Church – external, like the Ottoman Turks, and …
St. Isidore and Mozarabic Chant
Photo: Catedral de Santa María de la Sede, Seville, Spain. Three hundred years ago yesterday, on April 25, 1722, the last of the Christian Fathers of antiquity was proclaimed Doctor of the Church by Pope Innocent XIII: St. Isidore of …
The Miraculous Blood and the Music of St. Januarius
Art: The Blood Miracle of Saint Januarius in the Cathedral of Naples (1780) by Louis Jean Desprez (1743-1804). 1750 years ago, on April 21, 272, he who is venerated as the main patron of Naples, southern Italy, famous in the …
Music to Honor St. Joseph
Let’s honor “the husband of Mary. Of her was born Jesus who is called the Messiah” (Mt 1:16). On the day of the Immaculate Conception more than 150 years ago, December 8, 1870, Blessed Pope Pius IX, with the decree …
The Intimacy of Musical Mysticism
A thousand years ago, on March 12, 1022, a great monk, a teacher of theology and spirituality that the Christian East can boast, died: St. Symeon the New Theologian. His biographer, Niceta Stethatos, who was also his fervent disciple, reports …
The Great Emperor and the Art He Inspired
Probably, but not certainly, 1750 years ago, on February 27, 272, a great Roman emperor and a brilliant politician was born in Naissus, Moesia (now Niš, Serbia): Flavius Valerius Constantinus, also known as Constantine the Great. His father is Constantius …
Goldsmith, Poet, Musician
On February 13, 1571, 451 years ago, a restless and eccentric goldsmith and sculptor, one of the greatest artists of the Renaissance died in Florence, where he was born November 3, 1500: Benvenuto Cellini. Here we are with another of …
The Pope of Christ the King and the Sacred Music Revival
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, …
Benedict XV: Ratzinger’s Namesake and Promoter of Music
A century ago, on January 22, 1922, the Pope of Peace died at the age of 67: Benedict XV, whose original name was Giacomo Della Chiesa. Born in Genoa, northwestern Italy, to a noble family on November 21, 1854, at …