A corporal work of mercy.

A corporal work of mercy.
Click on photo for this corporal work of mercy!

Tuesday 28 March 2017

Where are the Franciscan men such as John of Capistrano?

Let us pray.
O God, Who by Thy blessed servant John didst cause Thy faithful people, through the power of the most Holy Name of Jesus, to prevail against the enemies of His Cross, grant unto us, we beseech Thee, the help of the prayers of the same Thy servant that we may prevail against our ghostly enemies, and may be made worthy to receive from Thee a crown of righteousness. Through Jesus Christ, thy Son our Lord, Who liveth and reigneth with thee, in the unity of the same Holy Ghost, ever one God, world without end.
Amen.
Let us take a look at the Reading from Matins for today in the true Roman Rite.

What would those who lead the Church think today about this politically incorrect warrior of Jesus Christ?


Image result for st john of capistrano
Painting of St. John of Capistrano commissioned by Blessed Junipero Serra


This John was born at Capistrano, in the Abruzzi. He was educated at Perugia, and became so expert in letters, both sacred and profane, that on account of his eminent knowledge of law, Ladislaus, King of Naples, set him over several cities. He was seeking in righteousness to bring the affairs of these places out of trouble into peace, when he himself was kidnapped and put in chains. From this captivity he marvellously escaped, and then professed himself a Friar Minor under the rule of Francis of Assisi. Here he went forward in the study of divinity, and had as a teacher the holy Bernardine of Sienna, of whom he was one of the most marked followers, especially in spreading abroad the honour paid to the Most Holy Name of Jesus, and to the Mother of God. The bishopric of Aquila was offered to him, but he refused it. He was chiefly known by the hardship of his self-denial, and by the writings which he published in large numbers for the reform of manners.
He devoted himself without ceasing to the preaching of the Word of God, in the which work he travelled throughout nearly all Italy, and by the power of eloquence and of miracles not a few, he recalled souls almost countless into the path of salvation. Martin V. appointed him Inquisitor to stamp out the sect of the Fraticelli. Nicolas V. appointed him Inquisitor General in Italy against Judaism and Mohammadanism, and he brought many such misbelievers to believe in Christ. He did much good work in the affairs of the Eastern Church, and at the Council of Florence, wherein he shone like a sun, he brought back the Armenians to the Catholic church. The same Pope Nicolas V., at the request of the Emperor Frederick III., sent him into Germany as Nuncio of the Apostolic See, in order that he might bring back the heretics to the Catholic faith and the minds of the princes to peace and agreement. He did a wonderful work for God's glory during the six years that he laboured in Germany and other countries, and by his teaching of the truth and the striking evidence of his miracles brought back to the bosom of the Church almost countless numbers of Hussites, Adamites, Taborites, and Jews.
It was mainly at the entreaty of John that Calistus III. proclaimed a Crusade, and John hastened about through Pannonia and other provinces, where by his words and his letters he so roused the minds of princes to that holy war, that in a short while seventy thousand Christian soldiers were enrolled. It was mainly through his advice and by his power that victory was gained at Belgrade, when one hundred and twenty thousand Turks were either slain or put to flight. The news of this victory reached Rome upon the sixth day of August, and Pope Calistus thereupon consecrated that day for ever to the solemn commemoration of the transfiguration of the Lord Christ. As John lay sick unto death at Illak, many princes came to see him, and he exhorted them to protect religion. He gave up his soul in holiness to God, (upon the 23rd day of October,) in the year of salvation 1456. God confirmed his glory by many miracles after his death, and when these had been duly proved Alexander VIII. enrolled his name with those of the saints in the year 1690, and two hundred years after his canonization Leo XIII. extended his Office and Mass to the whole Church.

3 comments:

Barona said...

It is an extraordinary thing to say - and I shall say it - that this man, now a saint, would, if he preached and taught as he did (and he would, not last as a priest 24 hours. Perhaps the greatest "sin" today is to preach the Gospel and need of conversion to Jewish nation, once God's Chosen people. This, for our insane world, is definitely the greatest of "sins". Indeed, such is the fear in most men, that they dare not raise the subject for fear if being smeared as an "anti-semite".

The second great "sin" is preaching the Gospel to the Mohommedans. These confused peoples living in darkness with their "holy book" heavily imbued and formed on the Talmud are now hearing from churchmen that they possess a sacred text, the Koran. Logically, if it is "sacred", why convert?

Indeed, St. John would be suspended and then laicized. Not for homosexual acts, not for molesting children, not for teaching heresy etc., but for a far, far worse "sin".... the "sin" of preaching the need of each and every Jew and Mohommedan to repent, convert and believe in Our Lord Jesus Christ. For, as the great Jewish convert St. Peter said: "there is no name under Heaven by which one is saved, but that of Christ Jesus". Apparently, St. Peter was wrong (so the new Superior General of the Jesuits would have us believe)and his words are very much outdated. We must also presume when St. John the Apostle (also a convert from Judaism) informed us, under the inspiration of the Holy Spirit, that those who did not believe that Jesus Christ had come in the flesh were of Antichrist (and he was speaking of disbelieving Jews)is also outdated. But, the fact remains, and St. John Capistrano knew this well; he knew well the ongoing reality of the "synagogue of Satan".


When Catholic churchmen congratulate Jews and Moslems living in the darkness of their false religions they commit a truly, great and horrible sin. We can all think of a few leading churchmen who do so, even those who masquerade as "orthodox". They are anything but. They have betrayed Our Lord.

Truly, we need men like St. John Capistrano.

Kathleen1031 said...

What a life! What a contribution. Thank you for this article about this amazing man of God. I guess we will never see the like of him again.

Unknown said...

Have you seen the "Franciscans" who occupy a handful of parishes in Toronto? No, you probably haven't, because they are invisible.