Thursday, June 29, 2023
European Customs in Honor of Ss. Peter and Paul


Father Weiser in the “Handbook of Christian Feasts and Customs” relates some of the following customs associated with June 29th:

In Hungary, grains are blessed by the priest after Mass on Peter and Paul's Day. People weave crowns, crosses, and other religious symbols from straw, have them blessed, and carry them on wooden poles in procession around the church. Afterward they take them home and keep them suspended from the ceiling over the dinner table. Bread is also blessed in a special ceremony on this day in Hungary.

A moving custom is practiced in rural sections of the Alpine countries. On June 29, when the church bells ring the "Angelus" early in the morning, people step under the trees in their gardens, kneel down and say the traditional prayer the "Angel of the Lord." Having finished the prayer they bow deeply and make the sign of the cross, believing that on Saint Peter's Day the blessing of the Holy Father in Rome is carried by angels throughout the world to all who sincerely await it.

Sadly, as with most customs associated with the liturgical era, these faded into history when devotion faded from modern man’s life. Learn more about the customs and liturgical heritage of Ss Peter and Paul (including its forgotten Octave).
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Sunday, June 25, 2023
A Catholic Life Podcast: Episode 19

In today’s episode, on the 4th Sunday after Pentecost, I address the following: 

  1. The Bula de Cruzada (the Crusade Bulls on Fasting in the Spanish World)
  2. The Fast of the Vigil of Ss. Peter and Paul on June 28th
  3. The Forgotten History of How Ss. Peter and Paul, on June 29th, Ceased Being an American Holy Day of Obligation.

This episode is sponsored by Ordinary Dad Life.  Ordinary Dad Life seeks to inspire courage in men to pray and live the virtues of authentic masculinity through the Rosary.  Our Lady was clear when she said to “pray the Rosary everyday” at Fatima.  Their shop on Etsy has a variety of styles for men from traditional chain rosaries to durable paracord rosaries with heavy medal beads, large crucifixes (up to 3”) and large medals such as the miraculous medal, St Michael or St Joseph medals.  Ordinary Dad Life is running a special promotion from NOW until the end of 2023.  Use the code ACATHOLICLIFE20 for 20% off and Free Shipping when you spend $50 or more at the shop. Proceeds go back into the Catholic community and those striving to live the authentic Catholic faith. 

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

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Sunday, June 18, 2023
A Catholic Life Podcast: Episode 18

In today’s episode, on the 3rd Sunday after Pentecost, I address the following: 

  1. The Vigil of St. John the Baptist Customs
  2. The Nativity of St. John the Baptist, who was born without original sin
  3. Other Feastdays Coming This Week, including St. Aloysius, Patron of Catholic Youth

This episode is sponsored by PrayLatin.comPrayLatin.com offers Latin prayer cards to learn and share prayers in the sacred language. Learn your basic prayers without spending more time looking at screens. Conveniently carry these Latin prayers with you on the go. Share basic prayers in Latin with your family and friends. PrayLatin.com prayer cards are available in various formats. Practice your pronunciation with easy-to-follow English phonetic renderings of Latin words. PrayLatin.com also offers Latin-English rosary pamphlets with the traditional 15 mysteries. Visit PrayLatin.com today and take advantage of generous free shipping offers on both domestic and international orders.

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

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Thursday, June 15, 2023
The Forgotten History of Dispensation from Fasting from the Spanish Crusade Bulls

The Spanish Crusade Bulls

In 1089 Pope Urban II granted a dispensation to Spain from abstinence on Fridays, in virtue of the Spanish efforts in the Crusades as part of the Crusade Bulls. After the Battle of Lepanto in 1571, Pope St. Pius V expanded that privilege to all Spanish colonies. That dispensation remained in place in some places as late as 1951 when the Archdiocese of Santa Fe in New Mexico, the last territory to invoke it, rescinded the privilege.

Known as the “Bula de Cruzada” (Spanish for Crusade Bulls), they were actually a series of papal bulls issued as far back as 1089 but which continued throughout the centuries with bulls issued in 1118, 1197, 1478, 1479, 1481, 1482, 1485, 1494, 1503 and 1505. One such provision of these bulls served to dispense the faithful from fasting and abstinence during Lent. The first bull of meat at the state level was delivered by Pope Julius II to the Catholic Monarchs in 1509 so that the Spanish were permitted to eat meat, eggs, and dairy on prohibited days. The town of Meco, Spain, obtained a bull from Pope Innocent VIII in the late 15th century exempting its 14,000 inhabitants from fast and abstinence, even on Good Friday, owing to their alleged large distance from the sea.

The one who originally obtained this dispensation was Íñigo López de Mendoza y Quiñones, the second Count of Tendilla and Lord of Meco. He requested the papal bull, and many say that the Vatican's favorable decision was granted in recognition of the services López de Mendoza had rendered to Innocent VIII and the Roman Court since Meco is not the farthest Spanish town from the sea. 

All of these bulls stemmed from the contributions which the Spanish made to advance the Faith against the Church's enemies through the Crusades. As such, some Spanish missals will list reduced days of fasting and abstinence with the notation “con Bula de Cruzada.”

The Bull of the Crusade was ultimately extinguished on December 31, 1914, by Pope Benedict XV, who replaced it with the Pontifical Indults, whose proceeds were used for the founding and maintenance of seminaries. The fasting and abstinence pardons were later extinguished in 1966 with the issuance of Poenitemini.

This is just another example of our forgotten fasting and abstinence heritage. Want to learn more about the history of fasting and abstinence? Check out the Definitive Guide to Catholic Fasting and Abstinence.

"Misal Diario y Vesperal" by Dom Gasper Lefebvre and translated by P. German Prado (c) 1962

This is seen in some Missals published in the mid-1950s. For instance, a Spanish Missal from the mid-1950s notes: By virtue of the decree of the Sacred Congregation of the Council, given in the 28th day of January 1949, combined with the Privilege of the Bull of the Holy Crusade, the law of fast and abstinence is modified in the following manner:

Spain

  • Days of fast only, Ash Wednesday 
  • Days of abstinence-only, all Fridays of Lent 
  • Days of fasting with abstinence, Good Friday, and the Vigils of the Immaculate Conception and the Nativity of Our Lord. 
  • Fast and abstinence for the Vigil of the Nativity is anticipated in Ember Saturday.

Note: It is supposed that all faithful enjoy the privilege of the Bull, and the bishops make use of the faculty that was granted to them.

Latin America and the Philippine Islands

By virtue of the pontifical indult, it is only obligatory:

Days of abstinence-only, without fast: the four vigils:

  1. Vigil of Christmas 
  2. Vigil of Pentecost 
  3. Vigil of the Holy Apostles Peter and Paul 
  4. Vigil of the Assumption 

Days of fasting and abstinence: Ash Wednesday and all Fridays of Lent

Days of fasting only without abstinence: all other Wednesdays of Lent, Holy Thursday, and Ember Friday during Advent

Want to learn more about the history of fasting and abstinence? Check out the Definitive Guide to Catholic Fasting and Abstinence.

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Sunday, June 11, 2023
A Catholic Life Podcast: Episode 17

In today’s episode, on the 2nd Sunday after Pentecost, I address the following: 

  1. The Feast of Corpus Christi with its Octave
  2. St. Anthony of Lisboa
  3. The Feast of the Sacred Heart with its Octave

I would like to thank CatechismClass.com for sponsoring this episode.  CatechismClass.com, the leader in online Catholic catechism classes, has everything from online K-12 programs, RCIA classes, adult continuing education, marriage preparation, baptism preparation, confirmation prep, quince prep classes, catechist training courses, and much more. Their Catholic Liturgical Year Course for a one-time cost of $99.95 includes lessons on Corpus Christi, the Sacred Heart, and so much more.

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

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Sunday, June 4, 2023
A Catholic Life Podcast: Episode 16

In today’s episode, on Trinity Sunday, I address the following: 

  1. The Feast of the Most Holy Trinity and the Importance of Praying the Athanasian Creed
  2. The Upcoming Apostles Fast
  3. The Feasts of St. Francis Caracciolo, St. Boniface and St. Norbert

This episode is sponsored by PrayLatin.comPrayLatin.com offers Latin prayer cards to learn and share prayers in the sacred language. Learn your basic prayers without spending more time looking at screens. Conveniently carry these Latin prayers with you on the go. Share basic prayers in Latin with your family and friends. PrayLatin.com prayer cards are available in various formats. Practice your pronunciation with easy-to-follow English phonetic renderings of Latin words. PrayLatin.com also offers Latin-English rosary pamphlets with the traditional 15 mysteries. Visit PrayLatin.com today and take advantage of generous free shipping offers on both domestic and international orders.

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

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