Proverbs 16:18—Too much pride will destroy you—finds a perfect illustration in Benedetto Gaetani. Gaetani, a clergyman, carried himself with aplomb, serving the Vatican well in various capacities across Europe. When he became Pope Boniface VIII in 1294, he determined to … Continue reading Terrible Day At Anagni
Alcuin was one of the most remarkable Anglo-Saxons of the eighth century. He was born of noble and wealthy parents, at York, about the year 735, and was from his infancy dedicated to the church. York was at this period … Continue reading Alcuin
The story of the papacy in the 1800s was a story of riches to rags. When Pope Pius IX was crowned in 1846, the church owned the Papal States (17,000 square miles of Italian territory) as well as parts of … Continue reading World’s Smallest Sovereign State Born
Peter of Morone craved a hermit’s life. His asceticism appealed to certain others, and in 1254 he founded an order known as the Hermits of St. Damian. He lived as a recluse in a mountain cave until his eighties. Meanwhile, … Continue reading The Hermit-Pope
Rhemalogy 