History and Tradition

Introduction: Returning to the Living Sources Imagine being able to read a letter written by a Christian who was a direct disciple of the Apostles. A testimony that crossed centuries of persecution, hidden in caves, copied by hand by monks, venerated by saints, and now available to you. The early …

Introduction: A Letter That Crossed the Centuries Sometime around the year A.D. 112, the Roman governor Pliny the Younger wrote a letter to Emperor Trajan. What at first glance seemed like a bureaucratic inquiry about how to deal with Christians, ended up becoming — without their knowing — the first …

“Jesus Christ is the same yesterday, today, and forever” (Hebrews 13:8) Introduction: When the Faith Hung by a Thread In the 4th century, Christianity—barely beginning to consolidate after centuries of persecution—faced one of its deepest crises. It wasn’t an external threat, but an internal heresy that questioned the very heart …

“The righteous shall flourish like the palm tree, and grow like a cedar in Lebanon. Planted in the house of the Lord, they shall flourish in the courts of our God.” (Psalm 92:12–13) Introduction: A Beacon Amid the Storm The history of the Church is woven with lights amid shadows, …

Introduction: A Church Father Who Still Speaks Today Amid the hustle and bustle of the modern world, where spirituality risks becoming shallow, looking back to the origins can be the most revolutionary and renewing act. Saint Ambrose of Milan (†397), one of the great Fathers of the Latin Church, was …

A spiritual journey through martyrdom, fidelity, and the courage of those who defended their faith to the very end ✝️ Introduction: When faith is persecuted, Heaven opens In 1936, Spain became a proving ground for the Catholic faith. While Europe was shaken by political and ideological tensions, the Iberian Peninsula …

Introduction: It’s Not Just a Contract—It’s a Wedding We live in an age where many words have lost their depth. “Love” is reduced to desire, “covenant” is mistaken for a contract, and “faith” is trivialized into a mere opinion. Among these misunderstandings, one stands out as particularly harmful: thinking that …

“For the time will come when people will not put up with sound doctrine. Instead, to suit their own desires, they will gather around them a great number of teachers to say what their itching ears want to hear. They will turn their ears away from the truth and turn …

Introduction: When Sola Scriptura is Not Enough In a world filled with spiritual uncertainties, many Protestant brothers and sisters sincerely seek God, read the Scriptures, and pray fervently. However, even amid such devotion, certain questions silently emerge that Protestantism—with its principle of Sola Scriptura and its rejection of Tradition and …

Introduction: What is Justification Really? Many Christians today hear about the “theory of justification” as if it were an abstract or secondary issue—something that divided Catholics and Protestants centuries ago, but with little relevance to daily life. However, nothing could be further from the truth. Justification is at the very …

Introduction: The Paradox of the Church’s Permanence In a world where empires, ideologies, and religions have risen and fallen, the Catholic Church endures. Two thousand years of history, persecutions, heresies, scandals, and revolutions have failed to extinguish it. Critics point to the sins of some of its members, human errors, …

Introduction: The Church’s Most Critical Hour in the 20th Century On October 9, 1958, after the death of Pope Pius XII—a giant of orthodoxy and the last pontiff before Vatican II—the Catholic Church plunged into a historic crossroads. The ensuing conclave would not only define the successor of Peter but …

“You have made us for Yourself, O Lord, and our heart is restless until it rests in You.” —Saint Augustine Introduction: Who are the Augustinians and why do we need their legacy now more than ever? In a fast-paced, superficial, and often disenchanted world, the charism of the Augustinians rises …

The Doctrine of the Two Cities by Saint Augustine: A Spiritual Compass for Times of Confusion Introduction: When the World Divides, God Unites We live in turbulent times: political polarization, moral confusion, spiritual rootlessness. In the midst of this chaos, the words of a 5th-century Church Father resound with astonishing …

Introduction: An aroma that transcends the agesIn the Traditional Latin Mass, during the offertory of the wine, the priest raises the chalice and prays silently:“Offerimus tibi, Domine, calicem salutaris, tuam deprecantes clementiam: ut in conspectu divinae majestatis tuae, pro nostra et totius mundi salute, cum odore suavitatis ascendat.”“We offer to …

Introduction: What if I told you that there is a Christian text older than many books of the New Testament? And what if I added that this text, called the Didache, offers a clear, simple, and deeply spiritual guide on how to live as a true disciple of Christ? The …

Introduction: Smoke That Is More Than Symbol In the heart of Rome, above the Sistine Chapel, a small chimney becomes the focus of the entire world for a few days. From it may rise white smoke… or black smoke. And while many interpret it simply as a sign of “no …

Introduction: More Than a Name, a Cross When the white smoke rises from the chimney of the Sistine Chapel, the whole world holds its breath. A new Pope has been elected. Millions of Catholics, journalists, and opinion leaders rush to post messages, express joy or disappointment, weigh ideologies, and make …

Introduction: Who Can Judge the Pope? At the heart of the Catholic Church resounds a phrase that is both powerful and mysterious: “Prima sedes a nemine iudicatur” —“The First See is judged by no one.” This ancient juridical maxim has defined the understanding of the Pope’s role, the Successor of …

In the life of the Catholic Church, few events are as mysterious and crucial as the Conclave – the solemn assembly of cardinals to elect a new Pope. Among all recorded conclaves, one stands out for its exceptional duration, human drama, and above all, for the profound spiritual lessons it …

Introduction: Why Is the Liturgy the Heart of Christian Life? In a fast-paced world filled with noise and distractions, the Catholic liturgy stands as a beacon of sacred meaning. It is not merely a ritual but the living expression of faith—the encounter between heaven and earth. But what is its …

A theological and spiritual guide for 21st-century believers Introduction: Comfort amid confusion We live in times of spiritual confusion, identity crisis within the Church, loss of faith in ecclesial structures, and a world that seems to turn its back on God. Many Catholics feel disoriented, even abandoned, in the face …

Introduction: Why Talk About Evil Today? We live in an era of great scientific advancement, instant communication, and growing social sensitivity. And yet, amid this apparent progress, evil seems to be spreading more and more: wars, corruption, ideologies that destroy human dignity, attacks on family and life, loss of faith, …

“We preach Christ crucified, a stumbling block to Jews and foolishness to Gentiles, but to those who are called, both Jews and Greeks, Christ the power of God and the wisdom of God.”— 1 Corinthians 1:23-24 Introduction: The Redeemed Tree of Life In the heart of spring, when nature blooms …

A Prophetic Warning for Our Time Introduction: A Clear Voice in Times of Confusion In a world where truth seems increasingly relative and where faith is constantly challenged by secular ideologies, there are prophetic voices that still resonate strongly, even decades later. One such voice was that of Canadian Cardinal …

Introduction: A Greeting That Transcends Time Amid the traditional Mass, between incense and Gregorian chants, a brief yet profoundly mysterious phrase resounds: “Et cum spiritu tuo” (“And with your spirit”). It is not merely a liturgical formality but an echo of the supernatural communion between the priest, the faithful, and God. What …

The Case of Antipope Anacletus II and the Eternal Lesson of Fidelity to the Truth Introduction: When the Smoke of Hell Nearly Entered the Church Throughout the history of the Catholic Church, there have been moments when her boat was shaken by storms so violent that it seemed everything would …

Introduction: When Silence Was Sacred In our age of digital oversharing, where every religious thought is posted on social media and sacred mysteries are discussed casually, the ancient discipline of the secret (Latin: disciplina arcani) emerges as a wise and necessary counterpoint. This practice, which characterized the early centuries of Christianity, involved carefully concealing …

Introduction: The Importance of the Conclave in the Life of the Church The Conclave is one of the most sacred and mysterious events in the Catholic Church. In it, the cardinals, under the guidance of the Holy Spirit, elect the successor of St. Peter. But what happens when doubts arise …

A meditation on humility, obedience, and true Christian leadership Introduction: When the highest honor becomes the greatest fear In the collective imagination, being elected Pope seems like the culmination of a life given entirely to God: the highest honor, the holiest burden. However, throughout the history of the Church, there …