Trinity Sunday: Quicumque Vult

The creed that bears the name of St. Athanasius:

Whosoever will be saved, before all things it is necessary that he hold the Catholic Faith. Which Faith except every one do keep whole and undefiled; without doubt he shall perish everlastingly. And the Catholic Faith is this: That we worship one God in Trinity, and Trinity in Unity; Neither confounding the Persons; nor dividing the Essence. For there is one Person of the Father; another of the Son; and another of the Holy Ghost. But the Godhead of the Father, of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost, is all one; the Glory equal, the Majesty coeternal. Such as the Father is; such is the Son; and such is the Holy Ghost. The Father uncreated; the Son uncreated; and the Holy Ghost uncreated. The Father unlimited; the Son unlimited; and the Holy Ghost unlimited. The Father eternal; the Son eternal; and the Holy Ghost eternal. And yet they are not three eternals; but one eternal. As also there are not three uncreated; nor three infinites, but one uncreated; and one infinite. So likewise the Father is Almighty; the Son Almighty; and the Holy Ghost Almighty. And yet they are not three Almighties; but one Almighty. So the Father is God; the Son is God; and the Holy Ghost is God. And yet they are not three Gods; but one God. So likewise the Father is Lord; the Son Lord; and the Holy Ghost Lord. And yet not three Lords; but one Lord. For like as we are compelled by the Christian verity; to acknowledge every Person by himself to be God and Lord; So are we forbidden by the Catholic Religion; to say, There are three Gods, or three Lords. The Father is made of none; neither created, nor begotten. The Son is of the Father alone; not made, nor created; but begotten. The Holy Ghost is of the Father and of the Son; neither made, nor created, nor begotten; but proceeding. So there is one Father, not three Fathers; one Son, not three Sons; one Holy Ghost, not three Holy Ghosts. And in this Trinity none is before, or after another; none is greater, or less than another. But the whole three Persons are coeternal, and coequal. So that in all things, as aforesaid; the Unity in Trinity, and the Trinity in Unity, is to be worshipped. He therefore that will be saved, let him thus think of the Trinity.

Furthermore it is necessary to everlasting salvation; that he also believe faithfully the Incarnation of our Lord Jesus Christ. For the right Faith is, that we believe and confess; that our Lord Jesus Christ, the Son of God, is God and Man; God, of the Essence of the Father; begotten before the worlds; and Man, of the Essence of his Mother, born in the world. Perfect God; and perfect Man, of a reasonable soul and human flesh subsisting. Equal to the Father, as touching his Godhead; and inferior to the Father as touching his Manhood. Who although he is God and Man; yet he is not two, but one Christ. One; not by conversion of the Godhead into flesh; but by assumption of the Manhood into God. One altogether; not by confusion of Essence; but by unity of Person. For as the reasonable soul and flesh is one man; so God and Man is one Christ; Who suffered for our salvation; descended into hell; rose again the third day from the dead. He ascended into heaven, he sitteth on the right hand of the God the Father Almighty, from whence he will come to judge the quick and the dead. At whose coming all men will rise again with their bodies; And shall give account for their own works. And they that have done good shall go into life everlasting; and they that have done evil, into everlasting fire. This is the Catholic Faith; which except a man believe truly and firmly, he cannot be saved.

The real French national holiday: Jehanne la Pucelle

It is today the feast of Ste Jeanne d'Arc. According to genealogical research commissioned some years ago, I am a direct descendant of Jacques Darc (later du Lys), her father.

Her tale is among the most incredible in history and so well known that it scarcely bears repeating. It bespeaks the faith, loyalty, and chivalry for which France was renowned. Yet today's French seem to celebrate more the treason, apostasy, and bloodthirst that Bastille Day represents.

A pox on all that, I say. A proud diaspora Frenchmen, when I think of my motherland, I'd rather not think of my massacred Vendéen kinsmen, of the pillaged churches and martyred priests, or of the slain king, queen, and dauphin. Instead, I'd prefer to think of ma tante Jeanne.


King of England, and you, Duke of Bedford, who call yourself Regent of the kingdom France; you William de la Pole, Count of Suffolk; John, Lord Talbot; and you Thomas, Lord Scales, who call yourselves lieutenants of the said Duke of Bedford, do justly by the King of Heaven; render to the Maid who is sent here of God, the King of Heaven, the keys of all the good cities that you have taken and violated in France. She has come here from God to restore the royal blood. She is all ready to make peace, if you will deal rightly by her, acknowledge the wrong done France, and pay for what you have taken. And all of you, archers, companions of war, nobles and others who are before you; and if this is not done, expect news of the Maid, who will go to see your shortly, to your very great damage. King of England, if you do not do this, I am Chef de Guerre, and in whatever place I shall find your people in France, I will make them go whether they will or not; and if they will not obey I will have them all killed. I am sent here by God, the King of Heaven, each and all, to put you out of all France. And if they will obey I will be merciful. And stand not by your opinion, for you will never hold the kingdom of France through God, King of Heaven, son of Saint Mary; it will be thus ruled by King Charles VII, true heritor; for God , the King of Heaven, wishes it, and this to him is revealed by the Maid, and he will enter Paris in good company. If you will not believe the news from God and the Maid, in whatever place we shall find you, we shall strike in your midst, and will make so great a hurrah that for a thousand years there has not been one in France so great, if you do not deal justly. And you may well believe that the King of Heaven will send more strength to the Maid than you will be able to lead in all your assaults against her and her good soldiers. And when the blows fall we shall see who will have the better right from God of Heaven. You, Duke of Bedford, the Maid begs you and requires of you that you work not your own destruction. If you listen to her you will yet be able to come in her company to where the French will do the finest deed that ever was done for Christianity. And reply to this, if you wish to make peace at the city of Orleans; and if thus you do not do, you will shortly remember it to your great sorrow. Written this Tuesday, Holy Week. [March 22, 1429]

Ste Jeanne, priez que la fille plus aînée de l'église se souvienne de ses promesses de baptême.


Jhésus + Marie
Vive la France

Restoration

350 years ago today, the republican and Puritanical tyranny that was the Lord-Protectorate came to an end, as Charles II returned to London on his 30th birthday. The Merrie Monarch ruled for a quarter-century, rebuilding those national institutions which the Roundheads had so thoroughly desired to obliterate, allying himself to Louis XIV, and, having long held Catholic sympathies and even having attempted to rescind the penal laws, crossing the Tiber on his deathbed.

God save the King.

Sing a New Song, Please

In spite of the new and better translation of the Roman Missal, it seems that the earworm factories that are OCP and GIA are up to their old tricks yet again, making something holy and profound resemble a Disney movie or an Andrew Lloyd Webber musical.

The ever-insightful Jeffrey Tucker at the NLM has the story here.

Honestly, if we'd all just agree to use Latin once again, this wouldn't be an issue. Oremus in linguam latinam.

Announcement of the birth of two French princes

Thanks to the Mad Monarchist for this news:

Finally, some very happy news indeed from New York City, it was announced that, yesterday morning, HRH Prince Luis Alfonso de Bourbon, Duc d’Anjou (rightly King Louis XX of France to legitimists) and his wife Princess Marie Margaret welcomed twin boys into the world; Prince Luis and Prince Alfonso. They were born by c-section and mother and sons are said to be in “perfect condition”. Heartfelt congratulations to the Duke and Duchess of Anjou and the latest additions to the venerable French Royal House.

From what I can gather in the newspapers, based on my poor understanding of Spanish, Prince Louis is the Dauphin.

Vive le Roi! Vive la Reine! Vive le Dauphin! Vive le Prince Alphonse!

With immense thanksgiving for their happy birth, I entrust the health of the princes to the prayers of their great ancestor St Louis, of Ste Jeanne d'Arc, and of the martyred Louis XVII.

against a "personal relationship with the Lord Jesus"

While it is fresh in my mind, I'd like to put forth this excellent essay of The Ochlophobist. It deals with the widespread importation of the phenomena of American Evangelicalism into Catholicism and Orthodoxy, and is thus very relevant to my thinking about the varying religious cultures of this era, which I will be visiting in the near future in my ongoing series of essays.

I'll spare my elaboration on this for my own subsequent essay, but this puts to voice many misgivings that I've had regarding evangelicalism and its contemporary influence on the Catholic Church.

Red Toryism

I've long followed Phillip Blond's career, having had quite the acquaintance with the Radical Orthodox theological movement with which he was involved. When Blond moved from theology to specializing in political philosophy, I certainly paid attention.

The "Red Tory" thought that Blond espouses is, without doubt, one of the most significant ideas currently being debated, and holds much promise for anyone seeking to reintegrate our increasingly atomized and anemic society. I encourage anyone who shares the same passion that I do in this regard to read carefully this recent article from The American Conservative.