REGINA Inspiring. Intelligent. Catholic.
The Secret Catholic Insider’s Guide to Rome Spring 2013 1|Page
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ur second issue reflects a Roman Catholic world focused once again on Rome as Pope Francis begins his reign. Habemus Papem!
To be sure, it is not only Catholics who are concerned with the election of a Pope. The irony does not escape us – even as the secular media furiously bays for the blood of any pontiff or prelate who does not endorse their ‘progressive’ agenda, they nevertheless beat a path to Rome when the Cardinals gather in conclave. And, a million people attended Pope Francis’s first Mass at St. Peter’s Basilica. This is because old Rome – and her Church – are still the heart and soul of our civilization. Yes, despite reformations and revolutions, and after generations of wars, isms and Ipads, Rome is still where the heart is. We are all citizens of Rome. Our cover depicts a Roman street poster honoring the iconic 1960’s Roman actress, Anna Magnani (1928-1972), born near the Porta Pia. In 1970, critics described her style as “notable by not displaying the more obvious attributes of the female star, with neither her face nor physical makeup being considered ‘beautiful.’ However, she possesses a remarkably expressive face, and for American audiences, at least, she represents what Hollywood has consistently failed to produce: reality.” Well, we all know THAT’s still true, right? Anna Magnani, of course, was a Catholic. And like her city, she reflects the ultimate real-ness of Catholicism – the living, breathing, warm pulse of a Faith that is ever-new. Holy Mother Church rolls on through the ages, earthy and quarrelsome, generations full of bad Catholics, buoyed by the saints. Old Rome’s beauty, her intellect and her sublime culture are forever young, of course. If Rome could speak, she would probably echo the words of her 20th century daughter, Anna Magnani: “Please don't retouch my wrinkles. It took me so long to earn them.” REGINA is under the patronage of Our Lady, Mary Most Holy. We pray that she lays our humble work at the feet of her Son, and that His Will be done. Beverly De Soto Editor, REGINA Rome, April 2013
Table of Articles ‘Modernism has been called a culture of forced forgetting’ The Papacy at a Crossroads……………………………..………..…..page 3 The Secret Catholic Insider’s Guide Affordable, Catholic Rome……………………..….…...…….…pages 4 - 9 Visit the Granddaughter of St. Peter’s Friend Young, Rich, Beautiful & Martyred for her Faith………………page 10 Timeless Roman Style Sophia Loren, Roman Fashion Icon………………………….…...page 11 Secret Catholic Tips Do’s & Don’ts When in Rome…………………………..…………page 12 “Listen, You Gotta EAT…” A Catholic Insider’s Guide to Roman Eateries.……………...….page 13 Roman Catholic Wisdom Coping with Crisis…..……………………….……………..……pages 14-15 Roman Catholic Worship beyond Time and Space Why the Latin Mass?..............…………….………………….. pages 16-17 Bucking the System Sunday Dinner with the Romans………………………….….pages 18-19 First Holy Communion Roman-Style……………………………………………..…..…….pages 20-21 What Our Readers Are Saying Letters to REGINA………………………….…………….……..…...page 22 “If you read one book in the next decade…” Antifragile…………….………………………………………..….……page 23 Pope Benedict’s Last Message ‘What I Saw at Vatican II’……………………………....……..…...page 24 Disingenuous or Just Plain Dumb Why the Media Always Get It Wrong……………………….……page 25 The Homeschooling Goddess Pax Romana and Togas in the Backyard…………………………page 26 The Beauty of Catholic Culture Crowning the May Queen……………………………….………… page 27 Suddenly, being covered up is sexier than showing skin Desire and Chastity……………………………….…………….…… page 28 Endpaper Rome, England and the Faith…..……………….…………….…… page 30
REGINA is a quarterly Catholic review published electronically on ww.reginamag.com in English, German and Spanish. There is no charge for REGINA. Inquiries should be directed to “Regina Magazine” on Facebook or Editor.REGINA@gmail.com. 2|Page
‘Modernism has been called the culture of forced forgetting’
The Papacy at a Crossroads POPE FRANCIS & POPE BENEDICT EMBRACE for a first meeting at Castel Gandalfo. In this candid interview, veteran Vatican observer Tracey Rowland shares her rare insights with Regina Magazine.. An eminent theologian in her own right, Dr Rowland is Dean of the John Paul II Institute in Melbourne, Australia and author of Ratzinger’s Faith: The Theology of Pope Benedict XVI (Oxford University Press). The resignation of Pope Benedict XVI brings to an end an era. What was your reaction to the secular media coverage? In Australia we were hearing reports that some 5,000 journalists were in Rome waiting for the news. My impression was generally one of amusement – for an organisation that is supposed to be irrelevant, the Church gets an enormous amount of front page publicity. The papal conclave dominated the news for two weeks. Can you comment on the presumption that the secular media shows regarding the 'necessity' of modernizing the Church? I did four radio interviews in Montreal a few days after the resignation of Pope Benedict. People were very excited that Cardinal Marc Ouellet from Quebec was being discussed as a front runner. The Mayor of Montreal joked on TV that if Cardinal Ouellet was elected, the Vatican would be moved to Montreal. In every one of my interviews I was asked whether a new pope might change the Church’s teaching on contraception, the ordination of women and abortion. I had to calmly explain that the pope is not an absolute monarch, he is a constitutional monarch. Constitutional monarchs can’t do whatever they like, they can exercise power only within certain limits. In the constitutional monarchies of the world these limits are set out in a constitution, or in the case of the United Kingdom, in constitutional conventions. In the case of the papacy these limits are prescribed by revelation or what we call the ‘deposit of the faith’. I referred to Pope Benedict’s final homily in which he said that the Church belonged not to him or to the 1.2 billion Catholics around the world, but to Christ. If Christ didn’t ordain women then the Pope can’t either. The secular media find this very hard to understand but I think the constitutional monarchy idea helps. Of course, when 1960s generation nuns get interviewed on television and say that they are in favour of the ordination of women, it causes an enormous amount of confusion. Do you think that Pope Francis has a bigger challenge inside the Church than outside? Every Pope faces challenges from outside the Church. The devil will cause trouble until the end of time. But some Popes enjoy more internal unity. Pope Francis has inherited a situation where there is very little unity, so much so that Pope Benedict believed that only a younger, stronger man, could handle the problem. While both John Paul II and Benedict XVI produced wonderful documents and homilies, their teaching was often blocked at various ‘middle management’ levels and never made it to grass roots or parish level. There is still an enormous amount of confusion about Vatican II. In some countries like Australia Catholic children spent 12 years at schools administered by the Church but unless they happen to be fortunate to be taught by someone who actually practices his or her faith and understands it, they are unlikely to be catechised. They leave 12 years of “Catholic education” quite ignorant of what the faith is about. This is often explained by the word ‘secularisation’. Some people think that secularism is some kind of nasty force external to the Church which attacks it from without. However secularism is a kind of heresy which arose within Christian countries when people within the Church thought that they could sever the ‘fruits of Christianity’ from actual belief in the Trinity and participation in the sacramental life of the Church. As Cardinal Angelo Scola has 3|Page
written, only Christians can make the anti-Christ possible. The anti-Christ is always parasitic about Christianity. When Christianity becomes decadent, then all kinds of diabolical actions and people can flourish. Pope Francis has inherited a Church weakened by decadence and disunity within and by several centuries of oppression from without. Some note Francis’ simplicity and dedication to prayer with approval. Others fear that he will not support the Extraordinary Rite. What is your take on this? I don’t know what to predict because, unlike our previous two popes who were world class scholars with mountains of publications people could read their way through, this Pope rarely ever gives interviews and he has not published very much at all. So one can’t trawl through public statements and scholarly articles to get an insight into the way he approaches theological issues. There is also an old saying “as lost as a Jesuit in Holy Week”, meaning that Jesuits are not renowned for their deep liturgical sensibilities. They are not Benedictines. My intuition is that he is not someone who shares Pope Benedict’s liturgical sensibilities, but he might nonetheless take the view that so long as people attending the Extraordinary Rite are otherwise faithful Catholics, that he doesn’t really care about their ritual preferences. Quite a few members of the hierarchy adopt Mao Tse-Tung’s maxim of “Let a Thousand Flowers Bloom”. In other words, while they may have no personal preference for the Extraordinary Rite, they acknowledge the sociological fact that significant numbers of people do prefer this Rite, and their attitude is that so long as people are actually going to Mass, their ritual preferences are a matter of legitimate choice. The more bureaucratic types however don’t like pluralism, don’t like choice, because choice increases the demands of education and administration. For example, when there are two Rites, seminarians need to be trained to say both. I think that people who prefer the Extraordinary Rite need to make it very obvious to their local Ordinaries that they are on board with the Church’s official teachings, that they are otherwise involved in the life of the Church and that they are not insisting on attending the Extraordinary Rite in order to make a political statement about their opposition to the Second Vatican Council. In short, they need to send a message that it is all about beauty and transcendence, not political resistance.
‘Australian Catholic children spend 12 years at schools administered by the Church, but unless they happen to be fortunate to be taught by someone who actually practices his or her faith and understands it, they are unlikely to be catechized. They leave 12 years of “Catholic education” quite ignorant of what the Faith is about…” Dr. Tracey Rowland(Please turn to page 29)
The Secret Catholic Insider’s Guide to
Affordable, Catholic Rome
THE BEST THINGS IN ROME ARE FREE or very nearly so. More than 450 churches, most open to the public. In addition to the grand basilicas of St. Peter, St. Paul-Outside-the-Walls and Saint John Lateran (former home of the Pope and the Curia) many Roman churches are literally built on the houses of the first Christians, persecuted in ancient Rome.
STREET MARKETS (left) feature astounding displays of pasta varieties seldom seen outside the Eternal City, perfect cheap-but-authentic souvenirs for folks back home.
WHEN IN ROME, DO AS THE ROMANS DO (above) and religiously start your day with a cappucino (invented by the Capuchins, Friars Minor) and a delicious Roman pastry. Your table in a sidewalk café is the perfect seat where you can watch the Roman world go by, for poco euros.
ONLY IN ROME (top) do the police qualify as fashionistas. These Carabinieri are wearing bespoke tailored uniforms by Valentino, Rome’s famed fashion designer.
THE VIRGIN MARY (left) can be seen in her various manifestations all over Rome. This lighted statue depicts how Mary appeared to St Bernadette Soubirous at Lourdes, France, where she prayed the rosary with the 13 year old peasant girl. ALL PHOTOS by Harry Stevens
WINTER IN ROME brings blue skies, orange trees on the streets and inner courtyards -- and bargain airfares, which beckon the Catholic sojourner to enjoy the Eternal City’s uncrowded streets, world-class museums and open churches.
DELIGHTFUL VISTAS such as the Ponte Sisto (left), a Rennaissance bridge built by Pope Pius VI atop an ancient Roman span over the silvery Tiber.
ROMANS LOVE ARTIFICE – that is, anything made beautiful by human hands. That goes for voluptuous displays of gelato (above left), altarpieces (above right) and busts of red porphory marble modeling very Roman faces.
BACK TURNED TO THE CHURCH: This 19th century statue depicts Giordano Bruno, a heretic (some call him a Baroque-era sociopath) burnt at the stake 300 years before. Erected by Freemasons as an attack on the Church, the statue today is merrily ignored by the shoppers and sellers in the busy market at Campo Di Fiori.
All Roads Lead to Roman Beauty
PAPAL BALCONY: (Top, left, opposite page) Where the new pope (Pontiff from the Latin for bridge) will greet the world. TRINITA DEI PELLEGRINI: (Bottom, left, opposite page) Home of the Mass in the Extraordinary Rite, by the Fraternity of St. Peter, in Rome.
BLUE, YELLOW, OCHRE and PURE WHITE: (Opposite page) Typical colors of the Roman cityscape. INCREDIBLE CEILINGS: (Top, left) Look up to see Roman palazzos and church ceilings, filled with priceless works of art. PETER WALKS ON WATER: (Left) Oceans of paint depict the Bible in Rome’s churches. Here, Jesus saves a sinking Peter in the Sea of Galilee. BONES OF SAINT PAUL: (Top, right) The remains of the Apostle rest under St. Paul-Outside-the-Walls, whose lovely cornice is shown above. SWISS GUARDS (Top,above) Don’t let their Michelangelo-designed Renaissance outfits fool you! These young men, selected from the Catholic cantons of Switzerland, are highly trained and equipped to guard the Pontiff and the Papal State.
LION GUARDING A POPE’S TOMB: (left) One of a pair of largerthan-life stone guardians in the special area of St. Peter’s set aside for confessions. (SECRET CATHOLIC TIP: There is a plenary indulgence for pilgrims to Rome who confess their sins and take Holy Communion at St. Peter’s Basilica.) TREASURES OF THE VATICAN: (Top and middle rows) Looking for history, philosophy, science and nearly everything that has been written about Christianity in 2000 years? The Vatican Museums preserve the most important documents in the entire history of Western civilization. For a virtual tour of the Vatican (actually a palace adjacent to the Basilica of Saint Peter atop one of the ancient seven hills of Rome) go to www.vatican.va
MORE MARY: (Left and above) The presence of the Blessed Mother can be felt all over the Eternal City, as artists have poured out their veneration for her over more than 20 centuries. (SECRET CATHOLIC TIP: If anyone asks you why Catholics ‘worship’ Mary, do not laugh. Just explain that we –like the ancient Christians -- believe in the Communion of Saints. Mary and the saints are interested in us here on earth – we are the ‘Church Militant’and they intercede for us by their prayers to the Almighty. )
Step Back in Time 2000 Years to Visit the Granddaughter of St Peter’s Friend
Young, Rich, Beautiful & Martyred For Her Faith First, find your way to this ancient church on the Vimian Hill, at 160 Via Urbana. Then, notice that you must step down off the street level to enter the Basilica of St Pudentiana. This is because you are going down to the level of the street in ancient Rome, and you are about to step into a church literally built on the house of an ancient Christian martyr. The story of the Roman sisters, Pudentiana and Praxedes, dates to the very first Age of the Christian Church. Pudentiana was a daughter of wealthy Roman Senator Pudens, a kinsman of the Pudens spoken of by St. Paul in his second Epistle to Timothy (II. Tim. iv. 21). Legend has it that Saint Peter himself visited this house in the time of the girls’ grandparents.
20th Century mosaic of the beautiful young Pudentiana, martyred in the second century AD during persecutions of the Christians under the Roman Emperor Antoninus Pius (138-161).
Pudentiana was a daughter of the wealthy Roman Senator Pudens, kinsman of the Pudens spoken of by St. Paul in his second Epistle to Timothy Pudentiana and her sister Praxedes were among the earliest members of the Church, and both of them consecrated their lives to Jesus Christ. Upon their father's death, the two sisters distributed their fortune to the poor, and devoted their time to good works, fasting and prayer. It was through their influence that their entire household, which consisted of ninety-six persons, was baptized by Pope Pius I. In consequence of the decree issued by the emperor Antoninus (see our story on ‘Communion, Roman-Style’), which forbade the Christians to offer sacrifice publicly, Pope Pius celebrated Mass in Pudentiana's house, and the Christians assembled there to assist at the celebration. She received them with much charity, and provided them with all the necessaries of life.
You are about to step into a church built on the house of an ancient Christian martyr. Legend has it that Saint Peter visited this house. At the age of sixteen, Pudentiana was arrested and martyred on the fourteenth of the Calends of June (by our calendar May 19). She was buried in her father's tomb, in the Priscilla Cemetery, which is on the Salarian Road. Pudentiana's house was willed to Pope Pius, and is now one of the most venerable Churches of Rome. Her relics lie under the high altar, according to ancient Christian tradition, which held that any place that contained the remains of a martyr was itself made sacred. This is the origin of the Catholic practice of venerating the relics of saints.
‘HALLOWED GROUND’: Ancient Roman Christian tradition made any place containing the relics of a martyr sacred, because by their death for the Faith they were certain to be in heaven. This is the origin of the Catholic tradition of consecrating churches with saints’ relics under the high altar. (Don’t believe it? Ask at your own parish church!)
Sophia Loren: Roman Fashion Icon
Her real name is Sofia Villani Scicolone Ponti. Roman-born and bred, she famously once quipped, “Everything you see here, I owe to spaghetti!”
CATHOLIC SOUL: Hollywood created her as a ‘sex symbol,’ but Romans love her beauty and down-to-earth elegance. Sophia Loren remains the real thing -- unforgettable in a celluloid world of disposable, plastic ‘celebrities.’
Secret Catholic Insider Do’s and Don’ts in Rome To be perfectly honest, Romans can cope with anything. For centuries, their city has been a target for hordes of tourists and barbarians. Through it all, Romans have remained inscrutable – insouciant, unsinkable and ready for just about anything. That being said, however, if you plan a visit to the Eternal City, it is a good idea to follow a few simple rules:
DO LEARN TO USE THE BUS: Forget those dangerous mopeds, although the brave and the foolhardy like Audrey Hepburn (left and below) can rent one for 40 euros a day. Red Roman buses are cheap and plentiful. Find one that stops by your convent, buy yourself a pass at the local newsstand/tobacco store and soon you’ll be zipping around Rome for basically nothing – without losing a limb.
DO PREPARE YOURSELF: Films and books will help you really enjoy your Roman Holiday (1953), The Cardinal (1963), Three Coins in a Fountain (1954), The Bicycle Thieves (1948), The Scarlet and the Black (1983), La Dolce Vita (Adults only, 1960) and Only You (1994). My favorite classic books include Hilaire Belloc’s Path to Rome, H.V. Morton’s A Traveler in Rome, Bishop Sheen’s This is Rome, Louis De Wohl’s The Spear, Roger Wiltgen’s The Rhine Flows into the Tiber and John Walsh’s The Bones of Saint Peter.
DON’T EXPECT ROMANS TO SPEAK ENGLISH: Give yourself three months to learn some touristic Italian. Never mind the stares from your fellow motorists -- drive around with CDs from your local library, repeating “Il conto, per favore?” and “Ho bisogno un medico” with an Italian accent.
DO STAY IN A CONVENT: There are 2,762 hotels in Rome. Convents are cheaper, cleaner, safer and WAY more authentic than any tourist trap, They are the single best way to see Rome – especially for Catholics who would like to attend Mass with the sisters. (Secret Catholic Tip: To find a convent that gladly takes in tourists, visit www.santasusanna.org which calls itself the ‘home of the American Catholic church in Rome.”)
DO VISIT SAINT PETER’S FIRST: For first time visitors, stepping inside the arms of Bernini’s amazing Colonnade is a real thrill. (Secret Catholic Tip: For a free, fascinating personal tour of Saint Peter’s, stop by the Vatican post office and look for a small, unobtrusive sign advising Englishspeaking visitors when an American seminarian will be there. Impress him by pointing out that the statues on top of the Basilica are the Apostles.)
The brave and the foolhardy like Audrey Hepburn can rent Vespas for 40-50 euros a day DON’T BE A TARGET: Avoid drawing attention to yourself. Keep your DO CHECK OUT THE VIEW: Some famous vistas are to be seen from myriad vantage points in the old city. (Secret Catholic Tip: The views from the cupola of Saint Peter’s and the top of the Castel San’t Angelo are unbeatable. And for a sunset that will take your breath away --see above-quietly take the elevator to the roof of the Helvetia Hotel.)
DO GO TO LATIN MASS ON SUNDAY: 11:00 Sung High Mass at Santa Trinita Dei Pellegrini, the church of the Fraternity of Saint Peter, just steps from the Piazza Farnese. Dress appropriately, please.
voice low. Leave your sneakers at home. Wear dark, conservative clothing. Don’t wear a fanny pack or keep your wallet in your back pocket. Americans, especially, need to remember that we have a reputation for being loud and naïve – perfect targets for pickpockets and flimflam artists. This goes TRIPLE at night, or if you have been drinking. Don’t be paranoid, but do be smart. (Secret Catholic Tip: The young woman begging at church doors with a new baby is not starving to death. This is an ageold scam targeting naïve tourists and seminarians.)
Listen, You Gotta Eat
A Guide to Roman Eateries Full Disclosure: The author is Italian-American from a generation that still knew how to cook ‘from scratch,’ so she ‘knows what good is’ without needing to spend a fortune to prove it. First, you can get good food almost anywhere in Rome EXCEPT near the Termini (train station). Second, the same rules apply as in any major city – the joints that accept a bunch of credit cards on their windows will CHARGE you for that privilege. Third, the pizzerias are mostly ALL good.
See and Be Seen, Roman Style
Finally, any place that is self-consciously hip is to be avoided like the plague, because while the waiter is robbing you legitimately, his cousin will be waiting outside to rob you in other ways. But if you want something special – or near the Vatican—check these out!
Expensive, Drop-Dead View Hotel Hassler’s rooftop is achingly beautiful and justly famous for decades for its appeal to the Hollywood, fashion design and diplomatic corps.
Cheap, Drop-Dead View SHHH! This is a bigger secret than the cardinals’ vote. Calmly walk into the Hotel Pace Helvetia, and tell the front desk that you would like to take a photo from their rooftop. They will ask you if there is anything you would like to bring up from the bar. Say ‘YES” and climb into their tiny elevator, walk up another flight of stairs and emerge into a magical world of your very own, with the voluptuous beauty of Rome at your feet.
View from the Borghese Gardens Casina Valadier on the lip of the Borghese Gardens is a romantic place to linger over coffee or drinks. The food is nothing special-but the view is. Near the Villa Medici.
La Rampa, tucked around the side of the Spanish Steps, features a legendary buffet that will tempt just about anyone’s palate. Family-owned, an old favorite of designer Valentino, La Rampa is reasonably priced, too, for the tony neighborhood – right across from the American Express office, in case you’re short a few euro.
Ratzinger’s Refuge Cantina Tirolese Via Giovanni Vitelleschi 23
Atmospheric, tiny place with booths, sassy Italian waitresses, and excellent Tyrolean food. There is even a booth downstairs with a plaque on it in honor of Benedict XVI – when he was Cardinal Ratzinger, of course. Very reasonable prices, and a five minute walk from the Vatican in the Borgo.
Simple Family Place Hostaria La Frusta 1 Via Santa Maria dei la Fornaci
A decent family place with nice food. Blue checked tablecloths, no reservations needed. This is a neighborhood full of clergy, convents who take in visitors and the San Pietrini – the Roman families who work at St Peter’s. Very reasonable prices and a three minute walk from Vatican City.
Once-a-Day Roman Catholic Wisdom
Coping With Crisis
You are in crisis. Your marriage is over. Or you are losing your house. Or someone close has died. Whatever the cause, the anxiety is killing you. Suddenly, you understand why people commit suicide. Your life has devolved down to the gnawing fear in the pit of your stomach. You are unable to concentrate. At best, your life has become an unending series of painful tasks. Joy has deserted you. This is when you need God – and the Church. What you need now is a plan. “Twelve years ago, I learned that my ex-husband had been systematically raiding our bank account,” says Betty, now remarried and in her fifties. “He spent nearly $100,000 on courses to become ‘enlightened’ in a cult. I didn’t notice because I was too busy working night and day to support the family. He was a free-lancer who consistently lost clients – and as I came to understand, a sociopath.” Betty was left to raise their two children on her own, as her ex paid no child support. She turned to an 80 year old Monsignor, who gave her hard-headed advice. “He told me three things: ‘Get your finances in order. Keep a close eye on your kids. And stay close to the Church.’” Betty did all these things. Within months, her finances were under control, and her children recovered. Four years later, she met and married a good Catholic man – at the ripe old age of 47! Today, her almost-grown children are happy, healthy and successful. Betty’s story is exceptional. Not everyone has a wise Monsignor to turn to. This was Elena’s situation. “I knew for many years that my husband would probably die before me,” she says. “But when he did, it was still a shock. I spent two years watching TV, not wanting to leave my house.” Sarah’s ex did everything to demoralize her before he finally left her for another woman. “He told me I was fat. He said that I disgusted him. That he deserved a super-model.” To her utter shock, he took every dime in their bank account, too.
Her 14 year old daughter stumbled upon his child pornography websites. The damage to both mother and daughter’s psyches has been incalculable.
“He told me I was fat. He said that I disgusted him. That he deserved a super-model.” To her utter shock, he took every dime in their bank account, too. Michelle’s ex-husband grew increasingly aloof from her, and their lovemaking became less and less frequent. Finally, it stopped altogether. Then, her 14 year old daughter stumbled upon his child pornography websites. The damage to both mother and daughter’s psyches has been incalculable. “I’ve come to believe that internet porn is really something diabolical,” says this slender woman with tired eyes. “It utterly destroyed our marriage, and today he is a shell of the man I fell in love with.”
There is social decay, and families seem incredibly vulnerable. And women bear the brunt of much if not all of this. These all-too-common tragedies are the stuff of our daily lives, it seems. And for many women, trauma like this start a downward spiral which compounds the damage as they attempt to cope using food, alcohol, drugs, or sex. Worse, the damage overwhelms their children, who become easy prey for the dark forces in our society. “Some of these things are a normal part of life – birth, sickness and death. But the plain fact of the matter is that Catholics – like everyone today – are fearful,” says one American priest. “There is social decay, and families seem incredibly vulnerable. And women bear the brunt of much of this.” How to cope when you are in crisis? The key is to recognize that you are Catholic, and to understand the Church’s wisdom in teaching that we are complex creatures of body, emotions and spirit. When you are in crisis, each of these aspects of YOU have been attacked -- and traumatized. Trauma requires treatment. Therefore, you must put a recovery plan into effect for yourself. Unfortunately, nobody else can do this for you. It’s your life, your health and your children who are at stake. Ready? Let’s roll.
STEP ONE: REALIZE AND RECOGNIZE
You can’t heal on junk food. Cook – and cook often. Invite friends and neighbors to your table on a regular basis for fresh, healthy food. (Need ideas? See ‘Sunday Dinner with the Romans’ in this issue.)
First, you must realize that it is your solemn responsibility to get your life in order. Then, recognize that you are only human. Your recovery will take time. How long? Only God knows. This leads us to Step Two:
First, you must realize that it is your solemn responsibility to get your life in order.
STEP FOUR: EMOTIONAL SUPPORT Your emotions have been traumatized. Perhaps you feel numb. Maybe you can’t stop worrying. It’s possible that you have sudden crying spells. Or you have thoughts that you cannot control. Maybe you are even thinking about suicide. Do not be afraid. Bad feelings are normal when you have been traumatized. It is imperative that you recognize this and do one good thing for your emotional state every single day.
STEP TWO: SPIRITUAL SUSTENANCE Your soul has been traumatized. So you need to turn to the Church. Everything you need is there for you: Confession, Exposition of the Blessed Sacrament, Holy Communion. These are all nourishment that your damaged spirit needs now to start healing.
Get yourself a good, Catholic therapist. How? Ask a good, Catholic priest or nun – or friend or relative. You need someone who is skilled at working with trauma – and who is not trained to be ‘value neutral.’ A practicing Catholic therapist will understand and support your moral values and your need for prayer.
Remember, you are carrying a poison around inside of you. Get it out of your system. Be persistent. Talk it out. Next, you need some talking buddies. That is, more than one person who will listen to you. Why? Because you need to talk this out. So, be sensible and spread the wealth. Don’t overburden any one friend with your pain – respect their need to live their lives, too. Finally, get yourself a fat notebook or two. You are going to use this to journal everything. Here’s some ideas to help you get started:
How Could This Happen?
Why I Hate My Life Now My Prayer for Today Help Me, Lord What I Want for My Kids What I Must Fix This Week What I Accomplished Today What I Need To Do Tomorrow How I Want to be Living In a Year
Spiritual care is crucial to your recovery. You must do one good thing for your SPIRIT every single day. In the beginning, this may be something as simple as sitting in church and silently praying over and over: “Help me. Help me.” This is fine. In fact, it’s a big step. The best way to do this is to be in front of the Exposition of the Blessed Sacrament. In fact, it’s worth traveling for, if it is not done in your parish. For sure you can find it at a traditional parish here: http://web2.iadfw.net/carlsch/MaterDei/churches.html Later, you may be able to progress to reading the Bible, praying the rosary or reading about the saints. But remember: ONE GOOD THING FOR YOUR SPIRIT every single day.
STEP THREE: PHYSICAL NURTURING Your body has been traumatized. Maybe you can’t sleep or eat properly. Or you have mysterious aches and pains – or worse, real stress-induced illness. It’s time to heal by doing one good thing for your BODY every single day. Remember that exercise needn’t be violent. Experts recommend that you get 30 minutes of moderate exercise, three times a week. As your recovery progresses, don’t slack off: ALWAYS DO ONE GOOD THING FOR YOUR BODY every single day. Attend an exercise class Work out at home Garden or other outdoor tasks Swim or hike Walk or run Ride a bike Do breathing and stretching exercises Take a hot bath Give yourself a home manicure/pedicure Get your hair done Get your nails done Get a massage or a facial – or both!
Then, begin. EVERY SINGLE DAY: Talk about your pain. Write down what you are thinking. Your agony. Your prayers. Your hopes. Your plans. Remember, you are carrying a poison around inside of you. Get it out of your system. Over time, your need to talk and to write about this will wane, as you begin to heal.
HOW LONG WILL THIS TAKE? Grief experts say it takes about a year, at minimum, to recover from a devastating loss. But everyone is different. Your recovery is a completely individual process. You, however, are not helpless in all of this. Once you understand that you must work to take care of your whole self – body and soul – you will have taken the first, crucial steps out of the dark place where you are now.
‘Catholic Worship Which Unites Us beyond Time and Space’
Why the Latin Mass? by Father Richard G. Cipolla Gregory the VII. And they are my heroes because they both understood what the words Tu es Petrus mean in the most existential yet in the most objective way. Let us not quibble about understandings about jurisdiction, decretals, or Gregorian chant. Both of these men knew who they were and what they must do. They both knew the terribly earthen vessels they were, and yet pressed on with their reforms, for they were both reformers in the truest sense, not puritans or reactionaries but true reformers. What is a true reformer? And its attendant question: what is a true reformation? We all think we know what reformer and reformation mean, but if we look deep into the roots of these words we see something that surprises us. What is a true reformer: he is the one who recalls forma, he is the one who recalls beauty, he is the one who recalls the forma Ecclesiae, who recalls the Ecclesia Formosa—whose beauty is a reflection of the beauty of God in Jesus Christ—back to who she is, the bride of Christ, the locus of salvation, the meeting of heaven and earth. For the Christian, beauty finds its source in the beauty of God, whose love is the source of beauty. It is the Christian who looks upon the crucifix and sees sheer and utter beauty. And it is in this sense that Dostoyevsky’s Idiot is absolutely right: beauty will save the world.
‘I went into St. Peter’s and stood under the dome and read those words: Tu es Petrus et super hanc petram. And I looked to the confessio where lie the bones of St. Peter, and I looked again at the words in the dome, and I understood, and from that understanding I have never turned back.’ Tu es Petrus et super hanc petram aedificabo ecclesiam meam. Those words resonate with me in so many ways, so many times, places. One of my students came into my office last week, having just seen an impressive film in his European history class about Martin Luther. He is intelligent, moral, and takes Latin (the latter nearly equal to being moral!). He proceeded, on the basis of the film, which had its biases, to rip apart the Catholic Church, corruption, bad popes who had children, priests living in sin, failure to preach the Gospel, and much more. We have all heard this view of history, which despite the biases, has some basis in reality. In response, I tried to explain the significance of the Tu es Petrus saying in the Gospel of Matthew; but he would have none of it, because to him it was obvious—that is, someone had told him—that Jesus was not referring to Peter but to the rock which is the Church in some idealistic sense. So all I could do was to tell him how and when I understood this passage. I was in Rome for the first time in my life in the summer after my first year at the Yale Divinity School. I shall not tell you, for it has nothing to do with a Christian sermon, about my discovery on that occasion of my Italian heritage. Nor shall I tell you about the beginning of my love affair with the baroque in the church of St. Andrea al Quirinale. But I shall tell you what I told this young man, for it has to do with my discovery of the Catholic faith. I went into St. Peter’s and stood under the dome and read those words: Tu es Petrus et super hanc petram. And I looked to the confessio where lie the bones of St. Peter, and I looked again at the words in the dome, and I understood, and from that understanding I have never turned back. And neither did Gregory the Great. If I were to be elected Pope, I have no doubt as to what name I would choose: Gregory. For two of my greatest heroes of the Church both bear the name Gregory: Gregory the Great and
‘A true reformer…recalls forma, recalls beauty, recalls the forma Ecclesiae-back to who she is -- the bride of Christ, the locus of salvation, the meeting of heaven and earth.’
‘It is the Mass that is the recollection of beauty -- of the beauty of God.’ And it is the Mass that is the recollection of beauty, of the beauty of God. Recollection is a strange English word. To gather together again, to bring together in the mind, to remember. And yet much more than this. But to not remember, to refuse to remember: this is sin in the deepest sense. Forgive my classical allusions today, but I know many of you share my love of the classics. I teach both Catullus and Cicero. Catullus and Cicero were certainly, although contemporaries, quite different men. Yet both took friendship ultimately seriously. Both agreed on one thing: to be immemor, to be forgetful of one’s obligations to one’s friends, was a terrible sin. To forget on purpose the bond that joins two friends who have agreed to enter into this relationship: that is the unforgivable sin. The sin of being immemor is taken to tragic and lofty heights by Vergil in the Aeneid. When Aeneas forgets on purpose who he is, that is to say, what he must do, what his destiny is, he is recalled in a terrifying way to do what he must do. And thus, for the Western hero, for the pre-Christian hero, to forget in a deliberate way who one is by forgetting what one must do—this is sin. Adam and Eve forgot deliberately who they were and what that meant. And they sinned. When Israel forgot who she was, the chosen people of God, she sinned. And then comes that moment in which the sin of being immemor is made forgivable by a gesture, by a word: “Do this in memory of me.” Memory and its pollution by sin is purified by the breaking of bread and the drinking of a cup of wine by God in the flesh: anamnesis makes memory the vehicle of God, the calling forth of God: the bell rings, the host is held on high, the people sigh, and God is with his people. Past becomes present: the unreality of the future is guaranteed and made real by this presence, the presence of God.
‘The bell rings, the Host is held on high, the people sigh, and God is with His people.’
One of my favorite pieces of literature is the Narnia Chronicles by C.S. Lewis. In the third book, Prince Caspian, the prince is fighting a battle against the evil forces led by his wicked uncle, and the prince’s troops are losing. In desperation the prince blows on a magical horn that is able to summon the heroes of the past to come to the rescue of those in the present. The Prince sounds the horn and the kings and queens of the past come back and with great courage and fortitude lead the charge and win the battle. But here and really. Not nostalgia, not memory. But anamnesis. The horn sounds not to summon imaginary heroes from the past to fight battles of the present. The horn sounds, the bell sounds, the silence sounds, to summon the power and person of God himself to be present in and defend and make fruitful the Church, his Body, et portae inferi contra eam non praevalebunt.
is a source of grace, to receive Holy Communion and go home and suppress the feeling that there is something missing, something wrong.
Twenty years is a long time and a very short time. The Saint Gregory Society exists not to wallow in nostalgia. Not to exult in some sort of gorgeous Wagnerian glorification of the past and therefore the present. Not to preserve Gregorian chant and Lassus as a wonderful and beautiful art form, which both are. Not to wall its members off from the crass and vulgar and chillingly secular and antireligious aspects of contemporary society. But rather, with the explicit support of Pope Benedict XVI, to refuse to be immemor, to refuse to pretend that the postVatican II liturgy, despite its validity and source of grace, is continuous with the traditional Roman rite, to refuse to reduce anamnesis to the memory of the present community: but more importantly to take on the task which is the task of the Cross: to bear the burden of Christ whose yoke is easy and whose burden is light; to continue to offer the Holy Sacrifice with dignity, reverence and faith, and to witness to the Church and to the world, by the beauty of the Mass and the holiness of its members, the reality of the truth, goodness, and beauty of God.
‘To witness to the Church and to the world, by the beauty of the Mass and the holiness of its members, the reality of the truth, goodness, and beauty of God.’
We are a people whose lives are based on convenience. And not only is this Mass not convenient to come to: the odd hour, the sketchy neighborhood, the peeling paint of the church: this rite itself is not convenient, for it demands that you give yourself, you lose yourself, you allow yourself to be swept up into the representation of Calvary; it demands that you use silence, holy silence, to go where words cannot go; it demands that you participate deeply in the act, participatio actuosa, rather than persisting with the kind of “active participation” which belongs at a school assembly. To come here requires sacrifice, but that’s what it is all about anyway.
Today we ask for the intercession of Saint Gregory the Great, that he may give us the courage, strength, hope and joy to recall the Church to liturgical reform—not to bring something back from the past, but to recall the Church to its essence in the beauty of Christ as seen and experienced in the traditional Roman rite.
Sancte Gregori, ora pro nobis. Find a Latin Mass: http://web2.iadfw.net/carlsch/MaterDei/churches.html
‘This rite is not convenient, for it demands that you allow yourself to be swept up into the representation of Calvary; that you use silence, holy silence, to go where words cannot go.’
You who come here for the first time and experience the depth of Catholic worship which unites us beyond time and space with the dead and with the saints in heaven; you who come here occasionally when your schedule permits. Go home and consider whether what we do here and in my own parish of St. Mary in Stamford in the offering of the traditional Mass is important for the Church and important for you as Catholics. If what we do is important then it deserves the active support of those who understand what is at stake—not merely time and financial support but bodily support, being present here to worship God in this timeless rite. It is certainly easier to pop into one’s parish church and sit through the Novus Ordo Mass and, knowing that that frail garment
ABOUT THE AUTHOR: Father Richard Cipolla is Chair of the Classics Department at the Brunswick School in Greenwich, CT and parochial vicar at St. Mary Roman Catholic Church in nearby Norwalk. The parish, located in a suburb of New York City, is a vibrant, growing one, with a strong tradition of celebrating the Extraordinary Form of the Mass. This article is taken from a homily he preached at the 20th anniversary mass of the Saint Gregory Society on November 12, 2006. The Society can be found at http://www.saint-gregory.org Photos: Stuart Chessman In Rome, High Mass in the Extraordinary Rite is celebrated at Trinita Dei Pellegrini by the Fraternal Society of Saint Peter. High Mass is at 11:00 on Sundays.
Bucking the System
Sunday Dinner with the Romans
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Romans revere traditional Sunday dinners. Gathering family and friends after Mass gives the new week a fresh start. It’s not expensive – or hard to do. All you need is a good recipe, clean dishes, simple flowers and candles – and family and friends who bring the wine!
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A Catholic Grace: “In the name of the Father, and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit. Bless us, oh Lord, and these Thy gifts, which we are about to receive, from Thy bounty, through Christ our Lord, Amen.” ____________________________________________________________
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‘Wherever the Catholic sun doth shine There is laughter, friendship and good, red wine.’
Hilaire Belloc 1870-1953
because this is one of those dishes of cucina povera (‘kitchen of the poor’). Made of only a few ingredients that most people would still have at home at the end of the month, when money was tight and fancy food was scarce. This recipe is from my aunt Josephine –a dish I loved as a child. (My own father hated the stuff because he said the family ate it three times a week during the Depression -- WAY before restaurants charged $15 a plate for it.)
GRANDMA CONCETTA’S PASTA FA ZOOL
Sunday dinner is arguably the bedrock of Roman life. After Mass, Romans take a passegiata (stroll), to prepare for a civilized afternoon of great food and lively talk. No trips to the Mall. No working out at the gym. Sunday dinner is sacrosanct – as it should be for all Catholics. This is because our relationships mean more to us than our ‘me time.’ It also teaches our children how to enjoy the best things in life – carefully prepared food, beautifully served with the give-and-take of conversation and laughter, begun with a Catholic thanks to God for His gifts. So, when in Rome – or anywhere in the Catholic world – let’s do as the Romans do, shall we?
FIRST COURSE: ANTIPASTO This is the easy part – and the most expensive. Focus on making one or two homemade foods, and select an assortment of cheeses, prosciutto and salami from your local deli. Arrange on a platter, garnished with fresh cherry tomatoes, celery, fennel, carrots – and marinated olives, peppers and onions. Homemade Roasted Peppers Preheat oven to 400 degrees Fahrenheit. Rough cut red, green and yellow peppers, removing the seeds. Toss in olive oil, salt & pepper. Spread pepper slices on an ovenproof dish or cookie sheet and roast carefully for 10-15 minutes, turning when the skin begins to blister. Serve at room temperature.
SECOND COURSE: Pasta e Fagioli (Pasta Fa-ZOOL)
2 cans of white beans, drained and rinsed 1 pound box or bag of ditalini pasta, partly cooked – VERY al dente 2 large fresh tomatoes, chopped Three stalks of celery, chopped 1 large can of pureed tomato sauce 3 cloves of garlic, chopped fine ½ teaspoon of fennel seeds 2 strips of bacon Chopped fresh basil and flat-leafed Italian parsley Freshly grated pecorino romano cheese STEP ONE: Fry the bacon strips on both sides, set aside and chop roughly. STEP TWO: Saute the fennel seed and the chopped garlic in the bacon fat, taking care not to let the garlic brown (because it becomes bitter). STEP THREE: Add the chopped fresh tomatoes, celery and white beans and simmer on very low heat for 30 minutes, stirring occasionally and taking care that nothing burns. Add salt and pepper to taste. STEP FOUR: Add the can of pureed tomato sauce and the ditalini. Simmer for 30 minutes, stirring occasionally. SERVE with chopped fresh basil and parsley, topped with grated cheese and chopped bacon.
GRANDMA CONCETTA’S SECRET: Make the Pasta Fa Zool the day before and reheat before serving – it improves the flavor! ____________________________________________________________
Saints and sinners are all welcome at Catholic tables. We all know a career-obsessed Mary Magdalene or two who would benefit from an afternoon spent with children and old people. _________________________________________________________ So, who do you invite to your Sunday dinner? Here’s your chance to act like Jesus did – saints and sinners are all welcome at Catholic tables. We all of us know a career-obsessed Mary Magdalene or two who would benefit from an afternoon spent with children and old people. Or maybe our neighbor is a shut-in who might enjoy an afternoon spent with young people? Best of all, perhaps you know a priest who would grace your table? (He needs to say the grace before dinner, of course.) Christian civilization is spread through word-of-mouth. Sunday dinner is your chance to witness to the culture of life. Buon appetito!
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“Fruit of the vine, and work of human hands…”
Trust me, there is no way to screw THIS up. As you can see, there are more versions of ‘pasta & beans’ than there are stars in the sky. "Pasta e fagioli" is one of those dishes that everybody cooks in Italy, everywhere. But no two versions are exactly the same. Not only does the dish vary from region to region or from city to city, but even from family to family within the same block. The reason why every region has its version is
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ABOUT THE AUTHOR: Beverly De Soto is the Editor of REGINA. She has time to cook in part because she hasn’t watched TV since “The Partridge Family” was a hit series.
First Holy Communion
Roman-Style In 155 AD - roughly 125 years after Christ’s death – St. Justin Martyr wrote to Emperor Antoninus to explain what Christians actually did during their rituals. Christians were persecuted for their ‘atrocities’ and the Saint was appealing to reason, pleading for the Emperor’s clemency.
“On the day we call the day of the sun, all who live the country or the city gather in the same place. The memoirs of the apostles and the writings of the prophets are read…when the reader has finished, he who presides (priest) over those gathered admonishes and challenges them to imitate these beautiful things. Then we all rise together to offer prayers for ourselves and for all others, wherever they might be, so that we might be found righteous by our life and actions. Then someone brings bread and a cup of water and wine to him who presides over the brethren. He takes them and offers praise and glory to the father of the universe through the name of the Son and the Holy Spirit and for a considerable time he gives thanks (Greek: eucharistian) that we have been judged worthy of these gifts. Because this bread and wine have been made Eucharist, no one may take part in it unless he believes what we teach is true...” St Justin and second century Christians were carrying out the wishes of their master, Jesus of Nazareth. In the two thousand years since, Catholics have carried out Christ’s command by celebrating the memorial of His sacrifice. In so doing, we offer to the Father what He has given us – fruit of the vine and work of human hands – bread and wine, which by the power of the Holy Spirit and by the words of Christ, become the body and blood of Christ.
Catholic children wear white for their First Holy Communion because it is the Christian color worn for Sacraments.
Secret Catholic Insider’s Note: In the tradition of his Catholic ancestors, when England’s Prince Charles is crowned, he will wear white – the ancient symbol of a Christian King.
A Parents’ Guide to First Holy Communion Long after the party is on Facebook, your child will carry the memory of their First Holy Communion in their heart. Parents need to ensure that their children understand the high seriousness of the occasion and know the basic facts about the Faith when they take Holy Communion with Our Lord for the first time in their lives. Why age seven? For centuries, the Church has considered seven to be the “Age of Reason” – when a child can discern between right and wrong. Why First Confession? Confession – also called “Reconciliation” or “Penance” – is your child’s first experience with the great feeling of peace that Catholics have after they have unburdened their souls. Respect this sacrament, and teach your child to make a good confession.
For centuries, the Church has considered seven to be the “Age of Reason” – when a child can discern between basic right and wrong. Respect the Sacrament, and teach your child to make a good confession.
What can a young child have done that warrants this formal confession of sins? At the age of reason, children can understand a simple moral code – and they know when they have violated it. Also, the experience of seeing everyone go to Confession shows the child that we are all sinners – and that we are all forgiven because Jesus died for our sins. What is an Examination of Conscience? Before the Sacrament, be sure they have quiet time to examine their conscience: http://www.ncregister.com/info/confession_guide_for_children/ Why wear white for Communion? White is the Christian color, worn for all first sacraments: Baptism, Confirmation, Marriage, Holy Orders -- and even the crowning of Christian monarchs! How is the Catholic belief about Communion different from other Christian traditions? This is huge. Catholics – along with all Eastern Orthodox, Maronite, Coptic and Syrian Christians – believe in Transubstantiation. This means that the bread and wine are transformed in their substance to the Body and Blood of Jesus, by the actions of the priest who consecrates them at Mass. Why is this such a big deal? Once consecrated, the Host and Wine are regarded by Catholics as the Real Presence of Jesus. This is why the priest carefully consumes all of the consecrated Host and Wine.
Catholics – along with Eastern Orthodox, Maronite, Coptic and Syrian Christians – believe in Transubstantiation. Once consecrated, the Host and Wine become the Real Presence of Jesus. How should children be taught to behave when they receive Holy Communion? Catholics behave with utmost respect in the Real Presence. When the Host and the Chalice are raised, we are absolutely silent, eyes fixed on the Sacrament. Children should take Communion on the tongue if at all possible. They should also be taught to fold their hands reverently, keep their eyes down as they walk and never to chew the Host. More questions? Google the Catechism of the Catholic Church for Children, the Baltimore Catechism or the Catechism of the Good Shepherd.
(Photo left courtesy of Victor Di Corcia)
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Antifragile by Albert Regensberger
If you have time to read just one book over the next decade, read this one. Assuming, that is, that you are an artist, artisan, entrepreneur, home-schooling mom – anyone who lives by their wits and has “skin in the game,” as author Nassim Nicholas Taleb is fond of saying. On the other hand, if you are a banker, broker, captain of a Fortune 500 company, or a media pundit of the sort who predicted a Romney landslide in the last election – practically anyone who wears a necktie or its current feminine equivalent -- stay away. This book is likely to make you so depressed that you’ll feel your only recourse is to beat a hasty exit from the gene pool (another favorite Taleb expression). Antifragile represents the next stage in the evolving thought of Nassim Nicholas Taleb, an academic/practitioner in the black art of financial risk management. Taleb’s previous book, The Black Swan, written in 2007 just as the financial crisis was beginning to rear its ugly head, focused on the fact that low-probability, highimpact (usually negative) events are frequently underestimated by classic statistical and risk management techniques. This leads to catastrophes much larger than they would have been had these Black Swan events been given more respect (and a wider berth). Part of what makes Black Swan events so deceptively deadly is that it is nearly impossible to predict their occurrence, or even estimate their likelihood. While Taleb was not the first to discover these concepts, he certainly played a role in raising general awareness, making the phrase “Black Swan” an idiom in the financial world. Now, Taleb blazes a completely new trail, saying that if we cannot predict the likelihood of Black Swan events, we can however distinguish entities (whether organizations, financial instruments, or health regimes) that are more or less vulnerable to Black Swan events. The former are called “fragile”, the later “antifragile”. The difference is in how an entity responds to the volatility in its environment – fragile entities are damaged by volatility, ultimately breaking down under its onslaught, while antifragile entities are designed (or have figured out how) to profit from volatility – improving themselves in the process. “Volatility” here means any factor that leads to changing circumstances – environmental changes, laws and regulations, weather, or even just the ravages of time. Let’s take a simple example from the book. John and George are two identical twins living in London. John is a clerk in the HR department of a large bank with 25 years of seniority. George makes his living by driving a taxi. On the surface, John has the better situation – a regular check, health care benefits, a reputable position in his community. But on closer examination, by insulating himself from small doses of volatility, he has set himself up to be vulnerable to much larger doses (aka Black Swans) such as a corporate layoff he could not predict, and would have no control over. John’s post-layoff predicament, as we have learned over the past few decades, is precarious indeed. Now let’s turn to George. Like any self-owned business, he is subject to small daily doses of volatility. Some days business is booming, others it just dries up. The cash flow is irregular, the prospects uncertain from day to day. Yet by accepting this daily uncertainty, George protects himself from the type of catastrophic Black Swan even that could ruin John. It is impossible for his income simply to go to zero, unless he just stops driving. His small doses of volatility provide him with daily information, which causes him to constantly re-assess his environment, his “business model”, and the correspondence between the two – he must constantly ask himself questions like “Am I driving at the right times? In the right neighborhoods? Am I doing enough to cultivate a regular clientele? Do I need to upgrade my skills?” The small course corrections are adaptations that keep the gap between business model and reality small, effectively forestalling
the catastrophic events that result from a gap that has gotten too wide because it has been ignored.
The Black Swan focused on the fact that lowprobability, high-impact (usually negative) events are frequently underestimated by classic statistical and risk management techniques. George has the “optionality”, or freedom to choose his response to changing circumstances. He can keep working as long as he desires. He can respond to unusual opportunities that lie well outside the bounds of salaried employment – as when a rich client asked him to drive her 2,000 miles to a wedding in the south of France when air traffic was shut down a few years ago due to volcanic activity in Iceland. By embracing volatility, George makes volatility his friend, and avoids (at least some) catastrophic outcomes. By insulating himself from small doses of volatility, John practically insures that it will come in big doses. In short, George is antifragile, while John is fragile. This is not to say that George occupies the optimal position in terms of winning his daily bread. When it comes to personal economics, or investing, or just about any human endeavor, Taleb is an ardent advocate of what he calls the “barbell” approach – the bulk of your resources are allocated to a stable, risk-free (or as risk-free as you can manage) alternative, while the rest are allocated to risky alternatives with “asymmetric payoffs”, i.e. potential benefits that far outstrip their riskiness. Therefore, , George might seek a day job as a bell hop or security guard, and limit his taxi driving to night life areas, where the clients are more lubricated and the tips (hopefully) larger. Taleb’s book is the work of the kind of big picture thinker who is compelled to push his paradigm to the ends of the earth. Here’s a synopsis of some of his points:
Through evolution, nature has become one of the most antifragile entities around. We need to respect this – the burden of proof for any intervention against nature must fall on the intervention, not on nature. Where this burden is not borne, we should emulate nature, not the artificial intervention. The omnivorous character of the human diet is a perfect example. It is antifragile – we can survive on either plant or animal material, though preferably both. We are built to survive, and even benefit from, volatility in our food sources. What benefits from volatility benefits most when there is variation, or even randomness. Looking at nature, we should not expect to eat meat at every meal. In fact, we should not even expect to eat a meal at every meal. Periodic abstinence from meat and fasting from all food are likely to be beneficial, regardless of the currently reigning theory, because this is how animals live in nature. Therefore, Taleb, who is a practicing member of the Greek Orthodox Church, adheres to their rigorous schedule of fasting, which can go as high as 200 days out of the year.
The preceding line of reasoning is typical of Taleb in another respect. Without identifying himself as a believer or a traditionalist, many of his arguments wind up in support of the “heuristics” (rules of thumb) advocated by tradition and religion, from periodic fasting to debt avoidance. Like nature itself, religion and tradition have had centuries and even millennia to hone in on the human practices that combat fragility. Read Antifragile, all the way to the end, where you will find Taleb’s test to see if you are still alive – do you have a sense of adventure? Does the optionality of the unknown still thrill you? If so, you are well on your way to becoming antifragile. If not, you now know what you need to do to get there.
Like nature itself, religion and tradition have had centuries and even millennia to hone in on the human practices that combat fragility. (Photo Credit: Stuart Chessman, St. Gregory’s Society)
Pope Benedict’s Last Message
What I Saw At Vatican II
“Vatican II opened the Church…” “And all the people left…” “There was the Council of the Fathers - the true Council - but there was also the Council of the media. It was almost a Council in and of itself, and the world perceived the Council through them, through the media. So the Council that got through to the people, was that of the media, not that of the Fathers. And while the Council of the Fathers evolved within the faith, it was a Council of the Faith that sought the intellectus, that sought to understand and try to understand the signs of God at that moment, which tried to meet the challenge of God in this time to find the words for today and tomorrow. So while the whole council - as I said - moved within the Faith, as fides quaerens intellectum, the Council of the journalists did not, naturally, take place within the world of faith but within the categories of the media of today-- that is, outside of the faith, with different hermeneutics. It was a hermeneutic of politics. The media saw the Council as a political struggle, a struggle for power between different currents within the Church. It was obvious that the media would take the side of whatever faction best suited their world.
“(In 1965) the media saw the Council as a political struggle… It was obvious that the media would take the side of whatever faction best suited their world.”
“This Council created many calamities, so many problems, so much misery, in reality: seminaries closed, convents closed, liturgy trivialized…” There were those who sought a decentralization of the Church, power for the bishops and then, through the Word for the "people of God", the power of the people, the laity. There was this triple issue: the power of the Pope, then transferred to the power of the bishops and then the power of all ... popular sovereignty. Naturally they saw this as the part to be approved, to promulgate, to help. This was the case for the liturgy: there was no interest in the liturgy as an act of faith, but as a something to be made understandable, similar to a community activity, something profane. And we know that there was a trend, which was also historically based, that said: "Sacredness is a pagan thing, possibly even from the Old Testament. In the New Testament the only important thing is that Christ died outside: that is, outside the gates, that is, in the secular world". Sacredness ended up as profanity even in worship: worship is not worship but an act that brings people together, communal participation and thus participation as activity. And these translations, trivializing the idea of the Council, were virulent in the practice of implementing the liturgical reform, born in a vision of the Council outside of its own key vision of faith. And it was so, also in the matter of Scripture: Scripture is a book, historical, to treat historically and nothing else, and so on. And we know that this Council of the media was accessible to all. So, dominant, more efficient, this Council created many calamities, so many problems, so much misery, in reality: seminaries closed, convents closed liturgy trivialized ... and the true Council has struggled to materialize, to be realized: the virtual Council was stronger than the real Council. But the real strength of the Council was present and slowly it has emerged and is becoming the real power which is also true reform, true renewal of the Church. It seems to me that 50 years after the Council, we see how this Virtual Council is breaking down, getting lost and the true Council is emerging with all its spiritual strength. And it is our task, in this Year of Faith, starting from this Year of Faith, to work so that the true Council with the power of the Holy Spirit is realized and Church is really renewed. We hope that the Lord will help us.
I, retired in prayer, will always be with you, and together we will move ahead with the Lord in certainty. The Lord is victorious. Thank you.
Disingenuous or Just Plain Dumb
Why The Media Always Get It Wrong “Habemus Papam!” The smoke billowing from the Sistine Chapel was white. On March 13, Pope Francis greeted 100,000 joyful Catholics who thronged St. Peter’s Square. It was a perfect time for the talking heads in the “24-hour news cycle” to begin their incessant – and wrong -- speculations. Columnists, politicians, and anyone who can get close to a microphone were telling the faithful what the church has to do to become more relevant. In the days since the accession of Pope Francis to the Throne of St. Peter, the din has only gotten louder. I have a request to all of above: Put a sock in it. There is nothing as unattractive as a person with great knowledge or experience on more mundane matters discussing things about which he or she knows absolutely nothing. In the days leading up to the election and since, the punditry class has continued to ferret out dissenting opinions seeming to determine the best way for the Church to “get with it” is to harangue it. CBS had to find two gals in the square of the estimated 250,000 that demanded ‘wymynpriests.’ Other networks did the same, and more. From divorced couples in their second marriages to homosexual activity to a plethora of other gripes, the news media was out in force not trying to understand the orthodox position, but rail against it. So let’s go through the list: women priests? Ain’t gonna happen. Same-sex marriage? Ditto. Birth control? See one and two. Pope Francis is a staunch defender of traditional Catholic doctrine (a key word, remember it). Unlike many of the people spouting off in the media, this writer has spent much of his life reading, learning and understanding the doctrines of the church. Not only do I know the doctrines of the church, I understand their bases, and where they originate. I also know the difference between doctrine (women priests and same-sex marriage) versus discipline (clerical celibacy). Many in the punditry class not only get the two mixed up, they never attempt to understand them in the first place. That’s where I get angry, and I’m not the only one. Many Catholics are tired of having a caricature of our beliefs paraded around by people who don’t want to know any better. When it comes to women in the clergy, this question was decided by John Paul II more than 17 years ago, and is considered part of the magisterium of the church (that means teaching authority, pundits), but it is also considered part of the infallible deposit of faith. To simplify, JPII’s statement simply said women can’t be priests because it is outside the realm of the church to change something that has been handed down to it. This isn’t politics, it is doctrine. As far as same-sex marriage goes, we believe that man and women have different natures. We don’t buy into the current fashion that men and women are interchangeable except for the (to quote Monty Python) “naughty bits,” and that any differences are sociological or bred into the person. We believe the nature of a man and a woman is essentially different. They are complementary and that allows for the procreation of children as a real and necessary part of marriage. In fact, in our religion it is a sacrament, one of seven. You, Mr. or Ms. Pundit, see marriage as a strictly social construct. We see it as a physical and metaphysical union. Your limited outlook sees marriage as a matter of politics; we go far beyond that. Would it hurt to find out why Mother Church teaches on the matter? Google it if you don’t want to sift through the Catechism of the Catholic Church, or use Wikipedia. You can have your questions answered in seconds. And while we’re on the subject of doctrine, I realize that many denominations have synods or conventions or confabulations of some sort wherein they determine what their doctrine is or isn’t. That means some ecclesial communities have women clergy or now bless same-sex unions. Let them, and more power to them. If people want to go that route, they can join those communions. We don’t and can’t put doctrines to a vote. Then they’d cease to be “doctrines” --by definition.
It’s the same with contraception. Does it interest you to know that this issue was discussed in some of the earliest documents the church has? It was proscribed then, and is proscribed now for the reasons that, among other things, frustrating the sexual act objectifies the people involved. Isn’t that something you are against? Would it interest you to know that up until 1930, every Protestant denomination taught the same as the Catholics? Yup, it wasn’t until the Lambeth Conference in that year that the Anglican Church broke with almost 2,000 years and other denominations quickly followed suit. And bringing on such old dissident war horses like Matthew Fox or Sr. Mary Pantsuit of the Sisters of Charity, who ceased living the rule a long time ago, makes no difference. These people bring to life a famous quote by the Anglican convert Ronald Knox. He said the basic difference between Catholics and Protestants is that with Protestants they lose their faith and then their morals, with Catholics it’s the other way round. These people lost their moral bearings, but still want to call themselves Catholics, when in fact they ceased to be Catholic a long time ago. Many of our modern-day politicians are in the same boat. My own congresswoman from the Connecticut Third Congressional District likes to trot out her First Communion photo, but when it comes to abortion, birth control and same-sex marriage, she talks more like a Democrat than a Catholic. But, she still likes to call herself a Catholic. I can call myself an elephant, but that doesn’t make me one. The point is we’re not going to change our stance on moral teachings or any other doctrine just to “get with” the times. These are considered immutable truths. I know thinking of things as true and false is not something you’re used to in your world of ‘relativity,’ but some of us do think that way.
Ronald Knox said the basic difference between Catholics and Protestants is that Protestants lose their faith and then their morals, whereas with Catholics it’s the other way around. These old dissident war horses lost their moral bearings, but still want to call themselves Catholics. In fact, they ceased to be Catholic a long time ago. And just so we’re clear: We don’t meddle in politics except when politics meddles with our beliefs. Abortion and same-sex marriage are two issues that encroach on our beliefs. We have a right and a responsibility to speak out against something that we believe is morally wrong. Does that mean we’re perfect and without sin? Nope. That’s why our churches have confessionals – and guess what, confession is coming back in style. It’s a lot cheaper than hiring a shrink and the priest can say three little words that a shrink can’t, “Ego te absolvo.” And we know we’ve had problems with scandals, but if you look at it, we’re not better or worse than other segments of society – just more visible. We’re working on those difficulties and the hurt our people caused. It means we’ve got work to do, but we’ve faced issues just as painful. But if you want a real good side-bar to the abuse story, find out why so many above-mentioned psychiatrists and psychologists put offenders back into circulation. Many of our bishops were only doing what the professionals were telling them, you know, the experts. That’s the part of the story yet to be told. The point is, if you’re going to opine about us, at least have the intellectual honesty and journalistic integrity to find out what we believe and why. If you’re not going to do that, please gasbag about something else, and leave those of us who take these things seriously alone. What you have is not an opinion, but a prejudice because, in the final analysis, you want it that way. Bill Riccio, Jr. is editor and publisher of the West Haven (CT) Voice, a weekly periodical. He is an assistant organist at St. Mary’s Church, Norwalk (CT) and an instituted acolyte in the Diocese of Bridgeport. He may be contacted by email: wmvrjr@yahoo.com.
Photo: Stuart Chessman
Pax Romana and Togas in the Backyard by Dorothy Gill I must confess: I’m not a particularly energetic, clever or imaginative homeschooler. I just have attitude. And while I’ve been at this for over 20 years, like the Velveteen Rabbit, I sometimes sit still in the bracken of stacked teacher’s manuals and hope that the other homeschool moms won’t notice. As they hop sideways, on their hind legs and whirl round and dance, I am longing to join them, but am keenly aware of my lack of artistic legs. So while scope and sequence recommendations and Common Core standards do not intimidate me, I have always longed for the creative flair. Above all, teaching history requires imagination. While I generally detest for-classroom text books with their “read the chapter, answer the questions approach,” left to my own devices I can never seem to fully launch into the “living history” method that homeschooled kids love. This is where belonging to a homeschool support group really pays off. With all sorts of talented homeschoolers -- left-brain, right brain, and menopause brain -- you are sure to find people who will complement your strengths, compensate for your deficiencies and create magic for your students.
Ancient History assignments had my kids merrily creating maps, time-lines, poetry, vocabulary or costumes for the Big Day. We recited the bloody portions of "Horatius at the Bridge" (did I mention I have only boys?) Birthed in the crucible of necessity, the modern homeschool co-op harnesses this diversity (sorry, I usually avoid this word) and yields a blend of arts & crafts, literature, research, home-ec, drama, composition and public speaking -- all rolled into performance art. They don’t teach history to your kids, they invite them to discover history. I experienced textbook-free, blended-age learning in an Ancient History coop with families from Holy Rosary Parish in Portland, Oregon. My first clue that I was onto something special was my kids asking, "When do we get to go to co-op?" They were actually begging to do history! Soon, they became the enforcers of the schedule, hounding me for assistance as they prepared for the Big Day each week. The younger kids would listen to stories read out loud and maybe draw a picture while the older ones would work on reading a novel or encyclopedia article. Their Ancient History assignments had them merrily creating maps, time-lines, poetry, vocabulary or costumes for the Big Day. My math brain boggled at the cornucopia of offerings: carpentry, cooking, plays, painting, pottery, sewing, singing, sculpture, science, weapon making, architecture and games. No one mom could hope to teach such a series of classes, and not collapse in exhaustion. And yet, joined together, the burden was light as our kids experienced a culture distant in both time and space in a way that no text book could compete with. It was memorymaking magic.
CONSTRUCTING CATAPULTS AND ARMOR TO DEFEND ROME FROM THE BARBARIANS: An Ancient History co-op in Portland, Oregon. In studying Ancient Rome, we examined the five century development of the Republic and worked through the Pax Romana. But instead of only reading, we immersed ourselves. Tarquin brutally ruled over all in the household chores one day, which led to Brutus leading his overthrow, and the tension between the patricians and plebeians which led to a workers strike and no dishes getting done until terms of tribune representation were agreed upon. We recited the bloody portions of "Horatius at the Bridge" (did I mention I have only boys?) and constructed catapults and armor. When our Ancient History adventure was over, we celebrated. The dads joined in, all of us wearing bed-sheet togas and declaiming in simple Latin. We reclined in the backyard at our plywood table and guzzled grape juice "wine" from goblets as we were served by "slaves." We ate with our fingers off a common platter, dipping figs in honey and bread in olive oil. We will never forget these lessons and memories that our co-op adventures have brought us. And while my legs remain as inartistic as ever, to my kids I am a dancing real homeschool mom.
The dads joined in, all of us wearing bedsheet togas and declaiming in simple Latin. We reclined in the backyard at our plywood table and guzzled grape juice "wine" from goblets as we were served by "slaves." ROMAN ‘SLAVES’ PREPARING FOR A BACKYARD FEAST: An Ancient History homeschooling co-op by parishioners at Holy Rosary Parish in Portland, Oregon culminated in a ‘feast’ for all who taught their kids about the legacy of ancient Rome.
Crowning the May Queen
In May, Catholics hold a ceremony wherein a statue of the Blessed Mother is crowned by children, accompanied by solemn hymns, joyfully sung. Mary’s crown is made of woven May flowers. The Catholic practice of assigning a special devotion to each month goes back to the early 16th century. In the late 18th century the May devotion to Mary arose among Jesuits in Rome. In the early years of the 19th century, it quickly spread throughout the Western Church, and, by the time of Pope Pius IX's declaration of the dogma of the Immaculate Conception in 1854, it had become universal. May crownings in honor of Mary stem from this time and many parishes are reviving them to honor the role that the Blessed Virgin played in our salvation through her fiat-her joyous "Yes" to the will of God. This Irish hymn dates back as far as the 13th Century, though in 1883, Mary E. Walsh adapted it.
Queen of the May (Bring Flowers of the Rarest) Bring flowers of the fairest Bring flowers of the rarest From garden and woodland And hillside and vale Our full hearts are swelling Our Glad voices telling The praise of the loveliest Rose of the vale Our voices ascending, In harmony blending Oh! Thus may our hearts turn Dear Mother, to thee Oh! Thus shall we prove thee How truly we love thee How dark without Mary Life’s journey would be O Virgin most tender Our homage we render Thy love and protection Sweet Mother, to win In danger defend us In sorrow befriend us And shield our hearts From contagion and sin Of Mothers the dearest Oh, wilt thou be nearest When life with temptation Is darkly replete Forsake us, O never Our hearts be they ever As Pure as the lilies We lay at thy feet REFRAIN: O Mary! we crown thee with blossoms today Queen of the Angels, Queen of the May O Mary! we crown thee with blossoms today Queen of the Angels, Queen of the May!
Many parishes are reviving the Crowning of the May Queen to honor the role that the Blessed Virgin played in our salvation through her fiat-her joyous "Yes" to the will of God.
Papacy at a Crossroads Interview with Dr Tracey Rowland, from page 3
In Sacramentum Caritatis Pope Benedict wrote that at the moment of consecration there occurs a kind of nuclear fission when the bread and wine is changed into the body and blood of Christ. Sometimes there are moments when the Church makes this nuclear fission palpable, and grace triumphs over despair. In short, my answer is, the world craves an encounter with eternity, the world craves transcendence and this is what the Church has to offer when her officer
“Pop culture is extremely banal and as such it lacks pathos. Drama doesn’t work well unless the events which take place are of eternal significance. Catholics believe that the Pope is Christ’s vicar on earth. They believe that he holds the keys of St. Peter – to forgive sin in Christ’s name, no less. Secular journalists find it fascinating because whatever it is, it is not boring.”
OUT-POSITIONED AND OUT-CLASSED: Secular media coverage of the 2013 conclave was outshone by upstart US network EWTN – founded by Mother Angelica, a ‘nun with nerve’– and anchored by Raymond Arroyo and Colleen Carroll Campbell. I recently saw a meme on Facebook that said, "Why is it that the Catholic Church doesn't go crazy when they change heads of the International Society of Atheists?" Why IS it, do you think, that the Church seems a source of endless fascination for the secular media? I think that pop culture is extremely banal and as such it lacks pathos. Drama doesn’t work well as drama unless the events which take place are of eternal significance. Catholics believe that the Pope is Christ’s vicar on earth. They believe that he holds the keys of St. Peter – to forgive sin in Christ’s name, no less. The secular journalists find it fascinating because whatever it is, it is not boring. It also satisfies the human need for tradition. Modernity has been described as a culture of forced forgetting. The memory of the Church however stretches back not only to the Incarnation, but to Creation, and her imagination reaches forward to the consummation of the world. The Christian approach to time is liturgical. As Cardinal Scola says, Christianity is the moment when the now meets the forever.
We are living through a period in time when our general culture is really awful, really low, and we have to use our imaginations to think of a different way of being, to make friends with people who are not trapped in the culture of death, and to look after one another. As the world becomes more and more ugly, Christians will start to stand out precisely because of their personal dignity and the beauty of their family life and then the task of re-evangelisation will become much easier.
class has not been overrun by philistines or people with psychological disorders in league with the devil. Secular journalists are often people who yearn for transcendence and an experience of the infinite as much as anyone and they can see glimpses of it in the Church, notwithstanding all the blemishes.
What do you see as the greatest source of hope? The many sources of hope include the numbers of younger women entering religious life, often in new religious Orders that are seeking to re-evangelise the countries of the Christian West. If one thinks, for example, of the Sisters of Life in New York or the Dominican Sisters of St Cecilia in Nashville or the Sisters of the Immaculata in Sydney, in every case the order is teeming with vocations and the young women are all highly educated, gracious in manner and otherwise highly marriageable. They are not entering religious life to escape poverty and acquire an education. They are not people with limited social options. They are entering religious life because they really do want to be in a spousal relationship with Christ and spend their lives leading others to Christ. Then there are the young Catholic families where both parents are fully across the teachings of Blessed John Paul II on marriage and family life and are doing their best to turn their families into domestic churches, notwithstanding the fact that most government economic and educational policies are stacked against them. When I go to Mass and see a young family with several children, and see that the little girls look pretty with ribbons in their hair, and the little boys are made to stand back and allow their sisters into the pew ahead of them, then I think that the culture of death will not be victorious. We are just living through a period in time when our general culture is really awful, really low, and we have to use our imaginations to think of a different way of being, to make friends with people who are not trapped in the culture of death, and to look after one another. As the world becomes more and more ugly, Christians will start to stand out precisely because of their personal dignity and the beauty of their family life and then the task of reevangelisation will become much easier. I think that initiatives like Regina are precisely what is needed.
I think that initiatives like Regina Magazine are precisely what are needed. The first time I attended an Extraordinary Rite Mass, I was struck by the drama of the moment of consecration. I was at the Church of St. Eugene in Paris in the late 1990s. It was before Summorum Pontificum but the priests were in Communion with the Pope and their local bishop. It was not a Lefebrvist service. The choir chanted the Sanctus which went on for some minutes over the voice of the priest who continued silently saying the Eucharistic Prayer. Towards the end of the Sanctus the music became more and more dramatic, more like a fugue and then the priest held up the host, every single altar server fell completely prostrate on the floor of the sanctuary and the bells of the Church were peeled. The figure of the priest was in part blurred by a curtain of incense and one could simply see a blotch of colour created by his vestments. The only way this moment of consecration could have been any more dramatic would have been if an honour guard of officers had presented arms – something which was a tradition at Corpus Christi Masses. No journalist watching this could have found it boring.
A GREAT SOURCE OF HOPE ARE THE NEW TRADITIONAL RELIGIOUS ORDERS, teeming with vocations -- and the young women are all highly educated, gracious in manner and otherwise marriageable. They are not entering religious life to escape poverty and acquire an education. They are not people with limited social options. They have a spousal love for Jesus.
Ever the trend-setter, Roman designer Valentino has been in the business for decades. So when his newest collection featured modest clothing, ‘Downton Abbey’-style, observers reacted. “Suddenly, being covered up is sexier than showing skin!” the New York Times Magazine has breathlessly reported. Uh, yes.
Desire and Chastity The red rose whispers of passion, And the white rose breathes of love; O the red rose is a falcon, And the white rose is a dove. But I send you a cream-white rosebud With a flush on its petal tips; For the love that is purest and sweetest Has a kiss of desire on the lips. John Boyle O'Reilly
Rome, England and the Faith Monty Python’s The Life of Brian begins with a radical Jewish insurgent named Reg, (John Cleese), who asks a rhetorical question of his fellow conspirators, ‘What have the Romans ever done for us?’ ‘They built the roads, Reg!’ they answer him. John Cleese’s character responds, ‘Well, that goes without saying!’ He’s then inundated by a litany of the benefits the Romans brought to Palestine until finally, one person utters in a quiet voice, ‘Peace?’ This article - the first in a two part series - explores ‘what the Romans did for’ author Michael Durnan’s native Britain. Part One tells the fascinating story of ancient Rome’s enduring legacy, influencing Britain’s development until Christianity was legalized in the 4th century. When the Romans arrived in “Britannia,” the inhabitants were Late Iron Age Celtic tribes. Centuries before, they had migrated from the Danube Basin, a tribal warrior people always seeking to expand their territory. The Romans found the Celtic Britons a well-organised society with strict laws, a relatively advanced bronze and iron technology and skilled craftsmen who made fine jewellery and weapons. Celts lived in round houses of wood, wattle and daub -- with roofs made of thatch, or dry stone. Their houses were enclosed in huge, impressive hill forts, behind ramparts and ditches, all surrounded by wooden fences to keep out intruders or wild animals. Celtic Britons had a priestly caste known as the Druids, custodians of knowledge who allowed no written language in order to protect the secrecy of their sacred rites and their position as keepers of tribal law and history. After Julius Caesar had conquered TransAlpine Gaul (France) he set his sights on the conquest of Britannia. (Mediterranean explorers had earlier named them ‘the Pritani,’ which Latin speakers mispronounced as ‘Britanni.’) Caesar knew there was mineral wealth to be had as well as an abundance of wheat for his hungry Legions. Caesar had good military and political reasons for launching an invasion, too, as the British Celts were assisting the Gauls in their ongoing resistance to Roman conquest and occupation. Alas, both this effort and an invasion the next year were ultimately in vain, as Caesar was again forced to withdraw back to France to subdue the fractious Gauls. Nearly 100 years passed before the Romans once again attempted to conquer Britannia. This time it would be the Emperor Claudius who would lead the invasion, seeking prestige and support from the Senate and the citizens of Rome since being proclaimed Emperor by The Army. What also helped persuade Claudius to invade was the arrival in Rome of Verica, a Celtic British tribal King who sought Claudius’s help in restoring him to his throne after he was ousted by King Caratacus. In 43 AD, an invasion force of nearly 40,000 landed on the Kent Coast and then advanced on the Celtic tribal capital of Camulodunum (modern day Colchester). Claudius arrived with elephants (guaranteed to strike fear into the Celts) and the city was soon captured. One of the most famous and ambitious building projects undertaken by the Romans was the construction of Hadrian’s Wall. Remains of Hadrian’s Wall can be seen to this day; it has been designated a UNESCO World Heritage Site. The Emperor Hadrian ordered the building of his Wall, ‘To separate the barbarians
from The Romans and allow occupation to be consolidated in peace’. The Romans were constantly being attacked by the Picts from Caledonia (Scotland) and in 122 AD Hadrian visited Britannia, decided on a policy of damage limitation and ordered the building of a defensive Wall , constructed by Roman Legionaries who were as skilled as civil engineers as they were at warfare. It was a massive undertaking requiring huge amounts of labour, materials and money as well as logistical support. The wall was built 7 ft. wide and 15 ft. high with a deep ditch in front of it to entrap any would be attackers. Troops were garrisoned every mile in small castles with turrets in between each milecastle and behind the wall larger cavalry and infantry forts were constructed to house more troops to relieve or reinforce the guards in the milecastles and turrets. The whole project, including the quarrying of 27 million cubic feet of stone, took only seven years and a force of between 11,000 to 12,000 troops were needed to man the 156 turrets, 79 milecastles and 16 forts. Today, even after 1,600 years of decay and purloining of stone for other building purposes, large stretches of the original wall and forts remain which follow the outlines of the bleak undulating landscape of present day northern England. What remains is a great monument to the ambition, skill and enterprise of one of the greatest civil engineering projects ever undertaken in ancient Britain. Excavation work at some of the forts on the Wall has unearthed examples of letters written on slivers of wood which provide valuable insights to daily life on the Wall. As Roman rule consolidated, many Celtic British monarchs and their more affluent subjects adopted Roman ways in dress, food and houses. In 1960, the remains of an extensive Roman palace, named Fishbourne, were discovered in southern England. It is thought the palace belonged to a British Celtic leader, named Cogidubnus who was appointed by the Emperor Claudius as a client King to help rule the local Celtic Britons on his behalf. It is thought Cogidubnus was possibly the son, or related to King Verica who sought Claudius’s help as mentioned earlier. The palace at Fishbourne extended over 10 acres and was very opulent, boasting fine marble imported from Greece and Italy. The legacy of the Romans in Britain includes that of religion. Although Christianity did not become the official religion of the Empire until the reign of Constantine, in the 4th C. AD, it did arrive in Britain secretly as Christianity was persecuted throughout the Roman Empire. The Emperor, Septimus Severus, campaigned in Britain in 209-11 AD and to discourage the Christian faith prescribed the death penalty for anyone converting to the new religion.
A Romano-British soldier, named Albanus, was stationed at Verulamium and here he sheltered a Catholic priest during this period and was eventually converted by him. Alban was discovered and refused to renounce his new faith and so was put to death. He is the Christian proto-martyr of Britain. The Roman city of Verulamium is now named St. Albans and its cathedral, a former abbey church, which is partly constructed out of re-used Roman bricks, is also named after him. Two other Romano-British saints, Julius and Aaron, were also martyred for their faith during the persecution of Christians under the Emperor Diocletian in 304 AD. (Part Two of this article in the Summer issue of Regina Magazine.