Lies on the Crusades

What Were the Crusades?

The Crusades were a serious of military conflicts in the Middle Ages of Christian Europe that were “in response to centuries of Muslim wars of expansion,” as Encyclopedia Britannica admits. There are generally nine identified crusade, though the first four are considered the most noteworthy of them:

1. First Crusade (1096 – 1099)
2. Second Crusade (1147 – 1150)
3. Third Crusade (1187 – 1192)
4. Fourth Crusade (1202 – 1204)
5. Fifth Crusade (1217 – 1221)
6. Sixth Crusade (1228 - 1229)
7. Seventh Crusade (1248 – 1254)
8. Eighth Crusade (1270)
9. Ninth Crusade (1271 – 1272)

Why were the Crusades Initiated? 

Pope Urban who called for the First Crusade at the Council of Clermont in 1095, called for a defensive action – one that was long overdue. The Christian empire of Byzantium had been almost annihilated as it was reduced to little more than Greece. The Byzantine Emperor had asked the Pope for help. Pope Urban said the following, “They have killed and captured many, and have destroyed the Churches and devastated the empire. If you permit them to continue thus for a while with impunity, the faithful of God will be much more widely attacked by them. On this account I, or rather the Lord, beseech you as Christ’s heralds to publish this everywhere and to persuade all people of whatever rank, foot-soldiers and knights, poor and rich, to carry aid promptly to those Christians and to destroy that vile race from the lands of our friends…Moreover, Christ commands it.” Christians took up arms and answered the Holy Father’s call to defend its Christian Heritage.

The goals and actions of the Christians in the Crusade have been widely distorted. Christians did not establish European colonies in the Middle East. What the westerners did conquer was for their Eastern Brethren. Any land conquered was to revert to Byzantine Empire, the original possessor. The conquering of Jerusalem was not the slaughter that it is said to be today, the capture and the blood that was spilled was completely in alignment with the military standards of the day. The Muslim battle standards were the same. The Muslims were either equally or bloodier than the Crusades because Muslim warfare was combined with jihad once a place was captured. Perhaps the average person is not taught that Mohammed himself fought in battle and commanded many innocents to be slaughtered  – quite a contrast to the meekness and peace of Christ!

Didn’t John Paul II Apologize for the Crusades?

He did not apologize for the Crusades primary mission which was to safeguard the Holy Land. Pope John Paul said on March 12, 2000, “We cannot fail to recognize the infidelities to the Gospel committed by some of our brethren, especially during the second millennium. Let us ask pardon for the divisions which have occurred among Christians, for the violence some have used in the service of truth and for the distrustful and hostile attitudes taken towards the followers of other religions.” 

Pope Eugene III asked St. Bernard in the 1140s to preach the second Crusade, so St. Bernard traveled France and Germany preaching it. After the ultimate failure of the crusade in 1149, some people turned on St. Bernard who countered by saying that the knights failed because of their sinfulness. Thus some truth in John Paul II’s words may exist since the infidelities of some led to the loss of the Second Crusade. But just as the evils of some can not ruin the enter cause, the Crusades in themselves were a form of just war. The Catechism of the Council of Trent, commenting on the five exceptions to “Thou Shalt Not Kill” states:

“In like manner, the soldier is guiltless who, actuated not by motives of ambition or cruelty, but by a pure desire of serving the interests of his country, takes away the life of an enemy in a just war. Furthermore, there are on record instances of carnage executed by the special command of God. The sons of Levi, who put to death so many thousands in one day, were guilty of no sin; when the slaughter had ceased, they were addressed by Moses in these words: You have consecrated your hands this day to the Lord.”

The Rise of New Religious Orders 

The Crusades also brought about new religious orders like the Trinitarians, whose mission was to ransom captives enslaved by the Muslims. There was no Muslim equivalent for this work of charity!

The Order of the Holy Trinity was founded in the area of Cerfroid, some 80 km northeast of Paris, at the end of the 12th century. The founder is St. John de Matha. The Trinitarian Order and its Rule of Life were given church approval by Pope Innocent III with his letter Operante divine dispositionis issued on December 17, 1198. The founding-intention (propositum) for the Order was the ransom of Christians held captive by non-believers during the time of the Crusades. Soon after papal approbation, the Trinitarian ministry to Christian captives was incorporated into the Order's title: Order of the Holy Trinity and of Captives. In addition to the Order's purpose of ransoming Christian captives, each local community of Trinitarians served the people of its area. And so, their ministries included hospitality, care of the sick and poor, churches, education, etc. Eventually, the Trinitarians also assumed the work of evangelization.

What Exactly did the Crusades Accomplish? 

The Crusades did not regain the Holy Land for Christian pilgrims, but the Crusades helped to halt the Muslim conquest of Western Europe. Islam still sought to take Spain; therefore, the Crusades ensured that the remainder of the world was safe, even if just for a short while, from the conquest of Islam. The Crusades united the West and enabled them to form an army that would not have otherwise been created. The Crusades strengthened Europe for the ultimate conflicts centuries later in Lepanto in 1571 and Vienna in 1683.  The Catholic victories in both major conflicts led to the Feasts of the Holy Rosary and the Holy Name of Mary respectively being extended to the Universal Church. It would not be until the reign of Ferdinand and Isabella in Spain that Grenada was finally reclaimed in 1492. He should not be confused with St Ferdinand III of Castille who conquered the city of Cordoba from the Moors in 1236. His devotion to our Lady and his practice of prayer and fasting though can be a powerful example to all government officials in our day.

For much more information, see The New Concise History of the Crusades by Thomas F. Madden.

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A Catholic Life Podcast: Episode 164

This is Episode 164 of the A Catholic Life Podcast. In today’s episode I discuss virtuous pagans and salvation before the time of Christ in honor of Mission Sunday, the second to last Sunday of October. Mission Sunday was created in 1926 by Pope Pius XI as a day of prayer for missions and for the Propagation of the Faith. An additional collect for the propagation of the faith was in the Tridentine Mass required to be said on World Mission Sunday.

This episode of A Catholic Life is sponsored by the Sanctifica app — your go-to tool for living the richness of the liturgical year. From feast days and saints to traditional devotions, the rosary, and even now even with the Divine Office and an interactive map to find Traditional Latin Mass locations — Sanctifica pulls it all together in one simple, beautiful app. It’s liturgical tradition made accessible, right at your fingertips. For me, it’s been a real game-changer: quick access to novenas and the Office, gentle reminders for feast days, and countless treasures I might have otherwise missed. If you’ve been wanting to bring more order and depth into your daily spiritual life, Sanctifica makes it easy. Download it for free today on the App Store or Google Play. It’s a powerful companion for anyone striving to truly live a Catholic life.

Subscribe to the podcast on Buzzsprout, Apple Podcasts, Spotify, I-tunes, and many other platforms!

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Virtuous Pagans: Salvation Before Christ

Baptism Is Necessary for Salvation

While Baptism was instituted by our Lord Jesus Christ at His own Baptism by St. John, it was not yet made necessary for salvation until Our Redeemer’s triumph over death. At that time, it became necessary for salvation as the Catechism of the Council of Trent teaches:

“Holy writers are unanimous in saying that after the Resurrection of our Lord, when He gave to His Apostles the command to go and teach all nations: baptising them in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost, the law of Baptism became obligatory on all who were to be saved.”

The Council of Trent further affirmed what the Church had taught since the beginning, namely that Baptism is necessary for salvation: “If anyone says that baptism is optional, that is, not necessary for salvation, let him be anathema." The necessity of Baptism for the salvation of every single human person is also plainly attested to in the Catechism of the Council of Trent:

“…the law of Baptism, as established by our Lord, extends to all, so that unless they are regenerated to God through the grace of Baptism, be their parents Christians or infidels, they are born to eternal misery and destruction. Pastors, therefore, should often explain these words of the Gospel: Unless a man be born again of water and the Holy Ghost, he cannot enter into the kingdom of God.”

We further know that salvation is possible only in the Catholic Church. Being baptized and dying separated from the Church in heresy or dying as a Catholic in mortal sin would lead to the loss of Heaven and to the pains of Hell.

Were Non-Jews All Eternally Lost Before Christ?

As stated in the Baltimore Catechism #487: "The true religion was not universal before the coming of Christ. It was confined to one people - the descendants of Abraham. All other nations worshipped false gods."

Until our Lord Jesus Christ’s death on the Cross, the Jewish religion was the true religion instituted by God. Upon our Lord’s death, the veil of the temple was rent in two and the Jewish religion ceased to be the true religion. Salvation was then possible for all people of any nation, race, or tribe. And this universal religion, which we call the Catholic religion, has spread since to every corner of the world. 

But does this mean that before Christ’s death on the Cross those who were non-Jews were all condemned to hell through no fault of their own? No, not at all. These otherwise good souls are known in theology as Virtuous Pagans.

Who Are Virtuous Pagans?

Virtuous pagans refer to those who were never evangelized and who were born in a time when they had no chance to recognize Christ. Yet, these people who lived otherwise naturally virtuous lives should not be condemned to an eternity in Hell for simply being born in the wrong time and place. So long as they observed the natural law, these souls, invincibly ignorant of the true religion and the true God, could be saved.

Think of Aristotle, Plato, Socrates, Cicero, and the other great ancient philosophers and historians, whose ideas were a foundation for Catholic Theologians. St. Justin Martyr, in his First Apology, claimed that all righteous pagans were mysteriously united to the One True God, even the pagans who did not embrace monotheism in their lifetime:

"We have been taught that Christ is the First-born of God, and we have suggested above that He is the logos of whom every race of men and women were partakers. And they who lived with the logos are Christians, even though they have been thought atheists; as, among the Greeks, Socrates and Heraclitus, and people like them."

God Desires All Men to Be Saved

God does not leave the souls of virtuous pagans who obey the natural law to eternal death. In one example, in the 1600’s Franciscan missionaries arrived in the New World in modern day Mexico and came upon a group of natives. They were intent on teaching them the Faith and to their amazement, they already knew it without having yet met any European. How could this be? The natives revealed that a woman would appear to them every Friday to teach them and that she had done so for the past five years. After describing her, the Franciscans recognized it as Sister Maria of Agreda. 

After returning home and notifying the bishop regarding this astonishing event, Venerable Maria of Agreda was questioned and asked to swear under oath if this was true. It was. God had sent her to instruct these pagans by means of bilocation on account of their obedience to the natural law. As related in the Life of Venerable Mary of Jesus of Agreda:

“This holy virgin burned with a most ardent love for God and for the salvation of souls. One day, she beheld in a vision all the nations of the world. She saw the greater part of men were deprived of God's grace and running headlong to everlasting perdition. She saw how the Indians of Mexico put fewer obstacles to the grace of conversion than any other nation who were out of the Catholic Church, and how God, on this account, was ready to show mercy to them. Hence, she redoubled her prayers and penances to obtain for them the grace of conversion. God heard her prayers. He commanded her to teach the Catholic religion to those Mexican Indians. From that time, she appeared, by way of bilocation, to the savages, not less than five hundred times, instructing them in all the truths of our holy religion, and performing miracles in confirmation of these truths. When all were converted to the faith, she told them that religious priests would be sent by God to receive them into the Church by baptism. As she had told, so it happened. God, in his mercy, sent to these good Indians several Franciscan fathers, who were greatly astonished when they found those savages fully instructed in the Catholic doctrine. When they asked the Indians who had instructed them, they were told that a holy virgin appeared among them many times and taught them the Catholic religion and confirmed it by miracles.”

Pray for Pagan Souls

God desires that all men be saved. He desires for us to pray for the souls of all pagans – those still alive in far away lands and those who have died.

While we cannot refer to Aristotle as St. Aristotle, we can nevertheless entrust him and those good souls in the pagan world from long ago to the merciful heart of our Lord. Remember that God hears our prayers out of time. We can pray for the souls who died over 2,000 years ago now. And God, who is outside of time, will hear our prayers in advance that those souls are not lost. 

We can as well pray for any of these virtuous pagans who may be in purgatory to be cleansed of any temporal punishment that remains on their soul. And in a similar manner, we can pray for all the pagans who still die in far off places who have never heard Christianity and who died separated from the visible Church. We pray that their souls are not lost but are united in a mystical way with the Church before their death.

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A Catholic Life Podcast: Episode 163

This is Episode 163 of the A Catholic Life Podcast. In today’s episode I discuss the lesser-known history of the Rosary and the Catholic Reconquest of Portugal and Spain.

This episode is sponsored by PrayLatin.com. PrayLatin.com offers Latin prayer cards to learn and share prayers in the sacred language. Learn your basic prayers in Latin conveniently on the go. Practice your pronunciation with easy-to-follow English phonetic renderings of Latin words. PrayLatin.com offers prayer cards in various formats, including Latin-English rosary pamphlets with the traditional 15 mysteries. Shop for additional Latin resources like missal booklets, server response cards, and more. Visit PrayLatin.com today.

Subscribe to the podcast on Buzzsprout, Apple Podcasts, Spotify, I-tunes, and many other platforms!

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A Catholic Life Podcast: Episode 162

This is Episode 162 of the A Catholic Life Podcast. In today’s episode I discuss invincible ignorance and whether it still applies today in this digital age.

This episode of A Catholic Life is sponsored by the Sanctifica app — your go-to tool for living the richness of the liturgical year. From feast days and saints to traditional devotions, the rosary, and even now even with the Divine Office and an interactive map to find Traditional Latin Mass locations — Sanctifica pulls it all together in one simple, beautiful app. It’s liturgical tradition made accessible, right at your fingertips. For me, it’s been a real game-changer: quick access to novenas and the Office, gentle reminders for feast days, and countless treasures I might have otherwise missed. If you’ve been wanting to bring more order and depth into your daily spiritual life, Sanctifica makes it easy. Download it for free today on the App Store or Google Play. It’s a powerful companion for anyone striving to truly live a Catholic life.

Subscribe to the podcast on Buzzsprout, Apple Podcasts, Spotify, I-tunes, and many other platforms!

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What Is the Cursillo Movement

General Photograph Files-San Antonio-San José Mission; St. Francis Church rendering, Roy E. Lane papers, The Texas Collection, Baylor University.   

On the edifice of St. Francis on the Brazos in Waco, TX is a plaque that reads: “At this parish of St. Francis on the Brazos, on May 27, 1957, the Movement of the Cursillo of Christianity began in the United States under the spiritual direction of Rev. Gabriel Fernandez, Bernardo Vadell (Rector), Agustin Palomino (Prof.). Commemorated on the 20th Anniversary May 29, 1977, by Cursillistas of the USA”

The Founding of the Cursillo Movement

The Cursillo movement is a spiritual renewal movement that was founded in the early 1940s by a group of laymen, including Eduardo Bonnin Aguilo, in Majorca, Spain. It was officially recognized by the Catholic Church in 1949. The term "Cursillo" is Spanish for "little course," reflecting its focus on providing a short but intensive course in Christian living. The movement began as a way to help Catholics deepen their faith and become more effective in their everyday lives, particularly as leaders and active members of their communities.

The Cursillo Method

The central feature of the Cursillo movement is a three-day weekend retreat, often referred to as a "Cursillo." This retreat is designed to provide attendees with a deeper understanding of their faith and encourage them to continue in a closer relationship with Christ. The weekend includes a series of talks by priests and laypersons, group discussions, prayer, and reflection. The talks cover various aspects of Christian living, such as the love of God, the grace of Christ, and the role of the Holy Ghost. After the initial weekend, participants are encouraged to continue their spiritual growth through regular meetings called "Ultreyas," which provide ongoing fellowship and support.

The phrase "De Colores" is closely associated with the Cursillo movement, particularly in its Spanish-speaking communities. "De Colores" means "Of Colors" in Spanish and refers to a traditional Spanish folk song that has become an anthem for the Cursillo movement. "De Colores" is often sung during Cursillo weekends and at Ultreyas (follow-up gatherings). It emphasizes that the Church is made up of many people with individual and diverse gifts which together must serve the same Faith (cf. 1 Corinthians 12:4-11). For this reason, the symbol of the Cursillo Movement is a multi-colored rooster.

Among the terms used by the movement, Palanca is worth noting as it refers to prayers, sacrifices, and works of mercy. They are seen as a “lever” to further the Gospel message since the Spanish word means “lever.” Understood with a traditional Catholic disposition, this is good since prayers, sacrifices, and works of charity are necessary for those who claim to hold the Christian Faith.

Concerns with the Cursillo Movement

One concern with the movement in practice is that while clergy are involved, the Cursillo movement is largely driven by laypeople, emphasizing the role of the laity in the Church. Such a focus can also diminish the important role that the Sacraments play as the principal means of receiving God’s grace and thereby growing in a deeper relationship with Christ principally through the Eucharist and through the Sacrament of Confession.

Additionally, although it started within the Catholic Church, Cursillo movements have been adopted by other Christian sects, including Anglican, Lutheran, and Methodist churches. Some of them have retained the trademarked "Cursillo" name, while others have modified its talks and methods and given them a different name. Hence, not all Cursillo weekends are appropriate for Catholics to attend since worshipping with non-Catholics – and hearing them advocate heretical errors contrary to the Lord’s own teaching authority through His Church – is never permittable. 

In an era of doctrinal confusion, it is necessary to ensure that any Catholic movements, Religious Orders, or organizations are in line with the true and enduring teachings of the Catholic Church. For instance, the Neocatechumenal Way is one such movement that is contrary to the Catholic Church’s true teachings. Concern should likewise be expressed with the Cursillo Movement to ensure that no anti-Catholic teachings are taught to participants whether directly (as in Protestant-led weekends) or indirectly (by de-emphasizing the ministerial priesthood).

Conclusion

Spiritual renewal in the form of spiritual growth and revitalization along with strengthening fellowship and fostering charity are all worthwhile endeavors. But the movement's use of the post-Vatican II modernistic liturgy along with the potential for theological errors introduced during weekends are concerning. Along with these, the expressed emotionalism of movement participants can be problematic when emotion and not logic and reasoning guides decisions. However, the emphasis on retreats as a time for spiritual renewal is highly relevant and all Catholics should seek out appropriate retreats in line with the unchangeable doctrine and Liturgy of the Church. 

If anyone has participated in Cursillo weekends given by traditional Catholic priests, please share more details in the comments below.

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Does Invincible Ignorance Really Exist?

Vincible vs. Invincible Ignorance Applied to Personal Sins

Fr. Patrick Troadec in "From Trinity Sunday to the Assumption" provide a good overview of invincible and vincible ignorance in his section devoted to culpable Ignorance. He writes:

The blindness of the soul can come from ignorance and still be a cause of sin. We speak of invincible ignorance and vincible ignorance. Invincible ignorance is an ignorance that we cannot conquer because we do not have the means to do so. Thus, we sometimes fail in certain of our duties, not because we are refusing to know what they are, but because in fact we simply do not know them. Our failings are due not so much to bad faith as to simple ignorance: in that case, our ignorance is not cause of sin. On the other hand, vincible ignorance can be overcome; we are guilty of it, and it is a cause of sin.”

This distinct applies to our own lives as we are required to discern often if a particular action, thought, word, or omission is a sin as Father Troadec adds:

“In case of doubt, when we do not know if a thing is a sin or not a sin, if it is grave or not grave, we have the duty to enlighten our conscience and not act in doubt (unless we know we suffer from scruples, which creates a different situation). Moreover, this duty of eliminating doubt concerns not only ourselves but also those under our charge. Thus, parents have the duty to enlighten their children as to what they should do and what they should avoid, so their children will know the truth and not fall into the trap of blindness.”

Father Garrigou-Lagrange further notes in “The Three Ages of the Interior Life” that voluntary (i.e., vincible ignorance) of what we could and should know is a more or less a serious sin according to the gravity of the obligations in which we fail; it does not excuse sin but does diminish the culpability. Invincible ignorance is not sinful.

Invincible Ignorance Applied to Salvation

"The most Holy Roman Church firmly believes, professes and preaches that none of those existing outside the Catholic Church, not only pagans, but also Jews and heretics and schismatics, can have a share in life eternal; but that they will go into the eternal fire which was prepared for the devil and his angels, unless before death they are joined with Her; and that so important is the unity of this ecclesiastical body that only those remaining within this unity can profit by the sacraments of the Church unto salvation, and they alone can receive an eternal recompense for their fasts, their almsgivings, their other works of Christian piety and the duties of a Christian soldier. No one, let his almsgiving be as great as it may, no one, even if he pour out his blood for the Name of Christ, can be saved, unless he remain within the bosom and the unity of the Catholic Church." (Cantate Domino, 1441.)

Invincible ignorance is often used in the context of understanding the dogma that there is no salvation outside of the Church. In this context, invincible ignorance refers to the state of persons such as pagans who are ignorant of the Gospel message because they have not yet had an opportunity to hear it. The first Pope to use the term officially seems to have been Pope Pius IX in the allocution Singulari Quadam (December 9, 1854) and the encyclicals Singulari Quidem (March 17, 1856) and Quanto Conficiamur Moerore (August 10, 1863). For instance, the Holy Father writes in Singulari Quadam:

"It is to be held of faith that none can be saved outside the Apostolic Roman Church . . . but nevertheless it is equally certain that those who are ignorant of the true religion, if that ignorance is invincible, will not be held guilty in the matter in the eyes of the Lord.”

He later writes in Quanto Conficiamur Moerore:

"We all know that those who are invincibly ignorant of our religion and who nevertheless lead an honest and upright life, can, under the influence of divine light and divine grace, attain to eternal life; for God who knows and sees the mind, the heart, the thoughts, and the dispositions of every man, cannot in His infinite bounty and clemency permit any one to suffer eternal punishment who is not guilty through his own fault.”

The term, however, is far older than that. St. Thomas Aquinas uses the term “invincible ignorance” in his Summa Theologica, which has been a foundation for the Thomistic Philosophy on which the Church’s teachings are based:

“Consequently, ignorance of such like things is called invincible, because it cannot be overcome by study. For this reason such like ignorance, not being voluntary, since it is not in our power to be rid of it, is not a sin: wherefore it is evident that no invincible ignorance is a sin. On the other hand, vincible ignorance is a sin, if it be about matters one is bound to know; but not, if it be about things one is not bound to know” (First Part of the Second Part, Question 76, Article 2)

Does Invincible Ignorance Exist?

Invincible Ignorance in both the context of discerning personal sins and in the context of understanding who can be saved does exist. However, concerning the latter, invincible ignorance applies only to those who, through no fault of their own, were ignorant that the Church existed.

Yet, in our modern era, with missionaries preaching around the world and with a globalization of the world, people in diverse places have been connected through technology in ways never before possible. People around the world can read about the Faith with only an Internet connection. What does this mean? It means that with access to such a wide variety of information, it is highly unlikely that many people exist who are invincibly ignorant and have never heard of our Lord or the Church.

In fact, the Church has always and continues to profess that these souls of the invincibly ignorant are spiritually united to the Church so, nonetheless, they are still saved through the Church, although they would live and die without many graces they would have had if they had known and practiced the Faith. They will likely possess a much lower degree of glory in Heaven (cf. Matthew 16:27, 1 Corinthians 3:8, 2 Corinthians 9:6)

Outside of the Church there is no salvation. Those who fail to share this truth do great harm for souls and possibly have prevented souls from converting, thus rejecting salvation. To support religious indifferentism violates the First Commandment since, by such support, we deny that there is One God, through whom salvation alone comes.

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Why Fast on the Beheading of St. John the Baptist?

August 29th is the Feast of the Beheading of St. John the Baptist, one of the most ancient feasts in honor of a saint found in the Church’s liturgical year. While Roman Catholics today are not bound to fast on this day, the Eastern Catholic tradition has preserved a venerable custom that deserves greater attention: fasting in honor of the martyrdom of St. John the Baptist.

There could hardly be a more fitting saint with whom to associate fasting.

St. John lived a life of extraordinary penance. Sacred Scripture tells us that “his garment was of camel’s hair, and a leathern girdle about his loins: and his meat was locusts and wild honey” (Matthew 3:4). He lived apart from the comforts of the world, prepared the way of the Lord, preached repentance without compromise, and ultimately surrendered his life rather than remain silent concerning public sin.

His death itself also contains a profound lesson concerning fasting, temperance, and sensual indulgence.

St. John Was Martyred in the Midst of a Banquet

St. John was imprisoned because he publicly rebuked Herod for his unlawful union with Herodias, his brother’s wife. St. John would not alter the moral law merely because the sinner before him was powerful.

“It is not lawful for thee to have thy brother’s wife” (Mark 6:18). Herodias consequently sought his death.

The opportunity came during Herod’s birthday celebration. The Gospel describes a banquet attended by the rulers and principal men of Galilee. The daughter of Herodias danced before Herod and his guests, pleasing him so greatly that he rashly promised to grant whatever she requested. At the prompting of her mother, she demanded the head of St. John the Baptist upon a platter.

Thus, amid feasting, entertainment, sensuality, and a rash oath, the greatest of the prophets was murdered. There is therefore something particularly appropriate about answering that banquet with a fast. 

Where Herod indulged his appetites, the Christian practices restraint. Where drunken festivity contributed to sin, the Christian embraces penance. Where human respect caused Herod to murder an innocent man rather than withdraw a foolish promise before his guests, the Christian asks for the courage to obey God regardless of the cost.

Fasting on August 29th consequently becomes far more than an arbitrary dietary observance. It is a bodily rejection of the very spirit surrounding St. John’s martyrdom.

The Eastern Catholics Preserve the Fast of the Beheading

As discussed in The Definitive Guide to Catholic Fasting and Abstinence, the Eastern Churches have retained several fasting traditions that disappeared or greatly diminished in the Roman Church. Among these are the Apostles’ Fast, the Dormition or Assumption Fast, and particular one-day fasts during the year.

The Beheading of St. John the Baptist on August 29th is one of these traditional fast days.

The Melkite Catholic tradition explicitly numbers the Beheading among its annual days of fasting. Ukrainian Catholic tradition has likewise retained August 29th as a penitential day associated with abstinence. In stricter Byzantine practice, the day is observed with substantial abstinence, traditionally excluding meat and other animal products, with stricter observances also avoiding wine and oil.

This is noteworthy because August 29th is itself the feast. Ordinarily we think of fasting as something that precedes a feast. But this observance has a different character. The very mystery commemorated is penitential: the murder of the Forerunner of Christ.

The Church celebrates his triumph as a martyr, but she also places before us the horrifying circumstances of his death. The fast helps us enter into that mystery.

St. John and the Older Roman Tradition of Fasting

Roman Catholics should not imagine that fasting in honor of St. John is somehow foreign to our own heritage. Quite the opposite. The Vigil of the Nativity of St. John the Baptist on June 23rd was formerly a day of fasting and abstinence in the Roman Church.

Dom Guéranger relates that the Roman faithful once kept a strict fast before the June 24th Nativity of the Precursor. He goes further and notes that in still earlier times not merely one day but an entire period of fasting was observed before St. John’s Nativity—something resembling a “Lent of St. John.”

The importance of the feast itself was once immense. The Nativity of St. John was formerly a Holy Day of Obligation, and in some places extended preparations of fasting and abstinence preceded it. A synod at Seligenstadt in 1022, for instance, prescribed fourteen days of fasting and abstinence before the Nativity of the Baptist, though such an observance never became universal Roman law.

By the late nineteenth century, the Vigil of St. John remained among the fasting days observed at Rome. Shortly thereafter, however, this ancient fast disappeared.

The Roman Church therefore traditionally fasted in preparation for St. John’s birth, while various Eastern Catholic traditions continue to fast on the day commemorating his death.

Both customs teach us the same forgotten truth: St. John the Baptist is inseparable from the spirit of penance.

“He Must Increase, but I Must Decrease”

St. John gave us one of the most perfect summaries of the spiritual life: “He must increase, but I must decrease” (John 3:30). Fasting puts those words into practice.

Our desires decrease so that Christ may increase. Our attachment to comfort decreases so that grace may increase. Our self-will decreases so that the will of God may reign more completely within us. St. John preached penance before Our Lord began His public ministry. His first message was not one of self-esteem, material prosperity, or accommodation with the world. It was a call to conversion: “Do penance: for the kingdom of heaven is at hand” (Matthew 3:2).

It is difficult to honor such a saint adequately while refusing the very spirit in which he lived.

Consider Voluntarily Fasting on August 29th

Under the present law of the Roman Church, August 29th is not an obligatory day of fasting merely because it is the Beheading of St. John the Baptist. Catholics should therefore distinguish clearly between what binds under Church law and what may be freely adopted as a traditional devotion.

But the disappearance of an obligation does not make the older spirit worthless.

Roman Catholics may profitably learn from our Eastern Catholic brethren and voluntarily make August 29th a day of fasting and abstinence.

One might keep the customary Roman form of fasting—one principal meal with the permitted smaller collations—or undertake a stricter fast according to one’s health, duties, and prudent judgment. At a minimum, abstaining from meat and avoiding unnecessary indulgence would fittingly honor the austerity and martyrdom of the Baptist.

And because the day recalls a martyr who died for defending the sanctity of marriage and the moral law, our fasting might especially be offered in reparation for sins against marriage, chastity, and purity, and for bishops and priests to possess the courage of St. John in publicly condemning sin regardless of worldly consequences.

Restore the Spirit of St. John the Baptist

Modern Catholic life has lost much of its former rhythm of fast and feast.

Our ancestors fasted before great holy days. They kept Ember Days. They fasted on numerous vigils. They abstained from meat far more frequently than Catholics ordinarily do today. The Eastern Churches have preserved practices that can remind Roman Catholics of what our own forefathers once understood instinctively: the body should participate in the worship of God and in the penance of the soul.

August 29th gives us another opportunity to recover that spirit.

Let us ask St. John the Baptist for the courage to condemn sin, the humility to decrease so that Christ may increase, and the penitential spirit necessary for genuine conversion.

And if we are able, let us honor his martyrdom not only with words but with fasting.

St. John the Baptist, pray for us.

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A Catholic Life Podcast: Episode 161

This is Episode 161 of the A Catholic Life Podcast. In today’s episode I discuss the life, customs, and liturgical celebration of St. Joachim, father of the most blessed Virgin Mary.

This episode of A Catholic Life is sponsored by the Sanctifica app — your go-to tool for living the richness of the liturgical year. From feast days and saints to traditional devotions, the rosary, and even now even with the Divine Office and an interactive map to find Traditional Latin Mass locations — Sanctifica pulls it all together in one simple, beautiful app. It’s liturgical tradition made accessible, right at your fingertips. For me, it’s been a real game-changer: quick access to novenas and the Office, gentle reminders for feast days, and countless treasures I might have otherwise missed. If you’ve been wanting to bring more order and depth into your daily spiritual life, Sanctifica makes it easy. Download it for free today on the App Store or Google Play. It’s a powerful companion for anyone striving to truly live a Catholic life.

Subscribe to the podcast on Buzzsprout, Apple Podcasts, Spotify, I-tunes, and many other platforms!

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Liturgical Customs in Honor of St. Joachim, Father of the Mother of God

This is adapted with permission from Restoring Lost Customs of Christendom published by Our Lady of Victory Press

August 16th in the traditional Roman calendar is the Feast of St. Joachim, Father of the Blessed Virgin Mary and grandfather according to the flesh of Our Lord Jesus Christ. While the modern calendar joins St. Joachim to his spouse, St. Anne, on July 26th, the traditional calendar wisely gives each of the parents of Our Lady a separate feast. St. Anne is honored on July 26th, while St. Joachim is honored on August 16th, immediately after the Assumption of his daughter.

This placement is especially beautiful. Before the suppression of nearly all the Church's octaves in 1955, August 16th fell within the Octave of the Assumption. Thus, immediately after Holy Mother Church celebrated Mary taken body and soul into Heaven, she turned toward the father whom Divine Providence had chosen to raise her. In fact, the saints occurring during the old Assumption Octave have fittingly been described as the comites Mariae, the “companions of Mary,” with St. Joachim standing first among them on August 16th.

There is an additional peculiarity this year. In 2026, August 16th falls on the Twelfth Sunday after Pentecost. Under the 1962 calendar, the Sunday is celebrated and St. Joachim is commemorated. Nevertheless, August 16th remains his traditional feast day and is therefore an entirely appropriate day for the faithful to honor him privately and in the Catholic home.

What We Know of St. Joachim

As with St. Anne, St. Joachim is not named in Sacred Scripture. Much of what Christian tradition has preserved concerning the parents of Our Lady comes from the Protoevangelium of James, an apocryphal work dating to the second century. It is not inspired Scripture, and its individual historical details are therefore not articles of Faith. Nevertheless, it profoundly influenced Christian devotion, art, and the traditional accounts surrounding the early life of the Blessed Virgin.

The work presents Joachim as a pious man who gave generously both to God and to the poor. Yet he and Anne remained childless. After he was reproached because of his childlessness, Joachim withdrew into the wilderness where he fasted for forty days and prayed to God. An angel eventually announced that his prayers had been heard. Anne would conceive the child whom we know as the Immaculate Virgin Mary.

Later, when Mary was still a little girl, Joachim participated in fulfilling the vow by which she was consecrated to God. The account describes him arranging for young virgins carrying lamps to accompany Mary to the Temple when she was three years old. Thus, the traditional portrait of Joachim is not merely that of a grandfather. He is a father who understood that his child belonged first to God.

That alone makes him a saint desperately needed by fathers today.

The Wandering Feast of St. Joachim

The history of St. Joachim's feast is itself noteworthy because, wherever it was placed, Catholics repeatedly sought to keep him liturgically close to his daughter.

The Greeks honored him very early on the day following Our Lady's Nativity. In the West his feast appeared at different times on September 16th, after the Octave of Mary's Nativity, and on December 9th, immediately after the Immaculate Conception. Pope Julius II assigned his feast to March 20th, the day after St. Joseph, thereby placing Mary's father beside Mary's husband. After the feast disappeared from the Roman calendar during the sixteenth century, Pope Gregory XV restored it in 1622. Pope Clement XII moved it in 1738 to the Sunday after the Assumption, and Pope Leo XIII elevated it to the rank of Double of the Second Class in 1879.

Finally, following the reforms of St. Pius X, the feast was fixed on August 16th. Once again, St. Joachim was placed beside his daughter, this time immediately following her glorious Assumption.

This close association should itself shape our observance of St. Joachim's Day. August 16th should not feel detached from Assumption Day. Continue the celebration of Our Lady. Keep flowers or herbs blessed on the Assumption displayed in the home. Continue Marian prayers. And then thank Almighty God for the father He chose for the woman who would become the Mother of God.

Give Alms in Honor of St. Joachim

One of the most specifically Joachim-centered customs we can recover is almsgiving.

The Mass itself points us in this direction. The Introit and Gradual for St. Joachim employ Psalm 111 and praise the blessed man who fears the Lord and gives freely to the poor. This choice reflects the old tradition concerning Joachim's generosity and his abundant offerings to God. The traditional Mass therefore presents charity to the poor as one of the virtues through which we should contemplate him.

Accordingly, make August 16th an annual day of almsgiving. Give to a Catholic apostolate. Help a struggling Catholic family. Support a crisis pregnancy center, monastery, traditional parish, or worthy work of mercy. Fathers might especially involve their children by allowing them to choose some portion of the family's gift.

This is more than philanthropy. Joachim teaches fathers that the goods entrusted to a household are entrusted by God. The father of a family is therefore not merely an earner but a steward, responsible for teaching his children by example that material possessions must ultimately serve God and neighbor.

Fathers Should Pray to St. Joachim

St. Joachim has traditionally been invoked especially as a patron of fathers, grandfathers, grandparents, and families.

This makes August 16th an excellent occasion for fathers to examine their own responsibilities before God.

The great accomplishment of Joachim's fatherhood was not wealth, worldly success, or the social advancement of his child. His glory is that his daughter became holy. Obviously, no father can reproduce the singular grace bestowed upon Mary. But every Catholic father should desire above everything else that his children die in the state of grace and reach Heaven.

Older Catholic devotional books fittingly contained prayers addressed to St. Joachim specifically for fathers. One asks through his intercession that a father might influence his children toward holiness “by word and example.” That is precisely the responsibility modern fatherhood too often forgets.

On his feast, fathers should therefore pray for each of their children individually. Grandfathers should pray for each of their grandchildren. And children, whatever their age, should pray for their fathers and grandfathers, living or deceased.

Restore an Old Prayer to St. Joachim

Older Catholic prayer books also preserve a remarkably short invocation:

“St. Joachim, spouse of Anne, father of the Blessed Virgin, aid thy clients here on the way to salvation.”

Under the former discipline of indulgences, Pope St. Pius X enriched this invocation with an indulgence of 300 days in 1906.

It would be a fitting prayer to restore to Catholic households on August 16th. Say it after the family Rosary, after meals, or whenever passing an image of St. Joachim.

A novena to St. Joachim may likewise be made from August 7th through August 15th in preparation for his feast. This is especially appropriate for fathers and grandfathers, for married couples praying for children, and for those asking God for the conversion or perseverance of children and grandchildren. Traditional devotional collections preserve prayers specifically addressed to him for these intentions.

Imitate Joachim's Forty-Day Fast

There does not appear to have been a universal obligatory vigil fast attached specifically to St. Joachim's feast, so we should not invent one.

Nevertheless, fasting is inseparable from the traditional account of his life. Faced with sorrow and humiliation, Joachim did not turn to resentment or despair. He withdrew and fasted for forty days while imploring God's mercy. Only afterward came the angelic announcement that his prayer had been heard.

A voluntary act of penance on August 16th—or on the day before when practical—would therefore be thoroughly consonant with devotion to him. One might abstain from meat, omit a favorite food, or undertake some other modest fast and offer it for fathers who have abandoned their responsibilities, for children estranged from the Faith, or for married couples suffering from infertility.

Joachim reminds us that apparent silence from God is not an invitation to stop praying. His long period of childlessness preceded one of the greatest answers to prayer in human history.

Honor Fathers and Grandfathers

In the article on St. Anne's customs, I recommended using her feast as an occasion to honor one's grandparents. The same principle applies even more specifically to fathers and grandfathers on St. Joachim's Day.

If your father or grandfather is living, call him. Visit him if possible. Have dinner together. Ask him about family history or about those who came before him. Children should be taught that honoring one's ancestors is not sentimental nostalgia but flows naturally from the Fourth Commandment.

If your father or grandfather has died, arrange to have Mass offered for him or pray for the repose of his soul. Visit his grave if possible.

Grandfathers themselves should use the feast for an examination of conscience: What am I doing to transmit the Catholic Faith to my grandchildren? A Catholic grandfather should want to leave behind something infinitely more valuable than property, money, or family heirlooms. He should leave descendants who know the Catechism, receive the Sacraments, pray the Rosary, assist at the Holy Sacrifice of the Mass, and understand that their final end is Heaven.

Make a Torta del Nonno

The St. Anne article recommended the Italian torta della nonna, literally “grandmother's cake,” as a fitting dessert for the feast of the grandmother of Our Lord. There is fortunately an obvious counterpart for St. Joachim: torta del nonno, or “grandfather's cake.”

This is not presented as an ancient liturgical custom specifically connected with St. Joachim. Rather, it is an excellent Catholic home custom that can naturally be attached to his feast. The Italian torta del nonno is a variation of torta della nonna, generally made with a cocoa shortcrust and chocolate pastry cream, often with almonds replacing the pine nuts used on the grandmother's version. It is associated particularly with Tuscany and Lazio.

Thus July 26th can have torta della nonna in honor of St. Anne, and August 16th can have torta del nonno in honor of St. Joachim.

Little customs like this matter. Children remember feast days when those feasts acquire smells, tastes, prayers, songs, stories, and family associations. Catholic culture is built precisely through such repeated practices.

Make a Pilgrimage in His Honor

Pilgrimage is another fitting observance. Tradition associates the home of Joachim and Anne in Jerusalem with the location on which the Church of St. Anne was later built, and devotion to the site extends far back into Christian history.

Those fortunate enough to be in Rome have an even more specifically Joachim-centered destination: San Gioacchino ai Prati di Castello, a church dedicated to St. Joachim not far from Castel Sant'Angelo.

Most Catholics, of course, cannot travel to Jerusalem or Rome for August 16th. But a local church, chapel, statue, or shrine dedicated to St. Joachim can become a miniature pilgrimage. Even visiting a church bearing his name while traveling during the year is a worthwhile way to cultivate devotion to this neglected patriarch.

St. Joachim and the Catholic Father

Perhaps the most important recovery connected with St. Joachim is not a particular recipe or devotion but a renewed Catholic understanding of fatherhood.

Joachim prayed. Joachim fasted. Joachim gave alms. Joachim remained faithful to his wife during their long sorrow. And when God finally entrusted him with a daughter, he understood that she ultimately belonged to God.

That is a model for every Catholic father.

The father must provide materially for his family, but his first concern must be their salvation. He must teach his children the Faith, take them to Mass, ensure that they receive the Sacraments, correct them when necessary, pray for them constantly, and above all give them an example worth imitating.

The world desperately needs such fathers. And Catholic families desperately need the intercession of the man whom Divine Providence chose to be father of the Immaculate Virgin and grandfather of the Incarnate Word.

So on August 16th, honor your father and grandfather. Pray for those who have died. Give alms. Undertake some voluntary penance. Pray the old invocation to St. Joachim. Have a torta del nonno. Continue the joy of the Assumption. And above all ask St. Joachim to obtain from God a restoration of truly Catholic fatherhood in our homes.

St. Joachim, Father of the Blessed Virgin Mary, pray for us!

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