All The Classic Star Trek TV Shows To Exit Netflix Globally In January

| December 11, 2025 | By: Anthony Pascale 30 comments so far

In the USA all of the classic Star Trek shows left Netflix in the USA back in 2022, but they have remained available worldwide on the streaming giant, even in countries that also included Paramount+ (where the shows are also available). Star Trek TV has been part of Netflix around the world for the last decade, but that all comes to an end next month.

Star Trek TV’s Nexit

Netflix has had international streaming rights for Star Trek: The Original Series, Star Trek: The Animated Series, Star Trek: The Next Generation, Star Trek: Deep Space Nine, Star Trek: Voyager, and Star Trek: Enterprise since 2016. The original license agreement covered 188 countries, which extended to more countries over the last decade. However, all of that ends in January. Netflix subscribers are now seeing “Leaving Soon” warnings on the Star Trek TV shows around the world, all indicating they will not be available as of January 8, 2026.

Warnings on Star Trek shows from Netflix UK

So far, this Star Trek “Nexit” only appears to be impacting the TV shows. Netflix in many countries also streams some Star Trek feature films, but those currently have no exit warning. For example: In the UK, Star Trek Into Darkness and Star Trek Beyond are available and look to be remaining so at least through January, 2026. It is unknown why the classic Star Trek shows are exiting Netflix. It could be that Netflix was no longer interested. More likely Netflix simply couldn’t strike a deal with Paramount Skydance, who may now have different priorities when it comes to international licensing.

Warning January 8 is “Ultimo dia” (final day) to watch Star Trek: The Original Series on Netflix Brazil

For some markets around the world, fans will still be able to stream the classic Star Trek shows on Paramount+, but that streaming service is only available in 20 countries. Also, SkyShowtime (which covers half of Europe) currently only has Star Trek: Enterprise from the classic TV show library. So for most of the world, there may be no other options. It is possible that Paramount has licensed the Trek TV library to other international streamers, but the only one with the global reach of Netflix would be Prime Video.

From Netflix in Denmark with “sidste chance” (“last chance”) warning for Trek TV

The end of a partnership

The original Netflix licensing agreement coincided with Netflix partnering with CBS Studios on Star Trek: Discovery. In the USA, Discovery was the anchor show for the new CBS All Access streaming service (now Paramount+), but with the exception of Canada (where it aired on CTV), Discovery was a “Netflix original series,” as you can see below from the Netflix global premiere in London in 2017 with star Sonequa Martin-Green the red carpet. However, as Paramount+ started expanding globally, the partnership was ended in 2021, and Discovery exited Netflix. Now the classic TV shows will follow.

Embed from Getty Images

Because these deals for these licensing agreements are made so far in advance, it’s possible it’s just a coincidence that the classic Star Trek shows are leaving Netflix days after the second season of Star Trek: Prodigy gets removed. In 2023, Netflix “saved” the animated series and debuted the second season in 2024. But the show didn’t get picked up for a third season, and Prodigy exits Netflix around the world on December 31st, 2025.

In Japan warning on TNG states “Netflix streaming end

date: January 8″

It’s also likely that this pullback is not related to the current corporate struggle between Paramount and Netflix, where both media companies are competing to purchase Warner Bros.

TrekMovie will continue to monitor the situation and if anything changes, we will update fans around the world about if and where they can stream Star Trek.

Keep up with news about the Star Trek Universe at TrekMovie.com

https://trekmovie.com/2025/12/11/all-the-classic-star-trek-tv-shows-to-exit-netflix-globally-in-january/

Benjamin Lafayette Sisko is a fictional character in the Star Trek franchise portrayed by Avery Brooks. He was the main character of the television series Star Trek: Deep Space Nine (DS9), which was originally broadcast between 1993 and 1999. The character has also appeared in various books, comics, and video games within the Star Trek franchise.

Character history

Born in 2332 in New Orleans, Louisiana, Benjamin is the son of Joseph Sisko and a human woman named Sarah, who was possessed by a Bajoran Prophet, in order to conceive Benjamin. Sarah disappeared a short time later, when the prophet left her body, and died in an accident several years later. Joseph eventually met and married another woman, who raised Benjamin as her son. Benjamin remained unaware of these events until well into his adulthood. Sisko loves baseball, a sport that has largely disappeared by the 24th century but is kept alive by a small group of aficionados.

Sisko entered Starfleet Academy in 2350. During his sophomore year, he was in a field-study assignment on Starbase 137. He met a woman named Jennifer in Babylon, New York, on Gilgo Beach, shortly after graduating from the Academy. The two eventually wed and had a son named Jake.[1] As a Starfleet officer coming up through the ranks, Sisko was mentored by Curzon Dax, a joined Trill serving as ambassador to the Klingon Empire.

In 2369, Sisko is assigned to the Bajoran sector to command Deep Space Nine and help Bajor's recovery from the recently concluded Cardassian occupation, shepherding them toward possible membership in the Federation. Upon Sisko's first visit to Bajor, the Kai (Bajor's spiritual leader), Opaka Sulan, labels him "the Emissary of the Prophets" and gives him one of the Bajoran Orbs. By studying the orb and nearby stellar phenomenon, Jadzia Dax finds a stable wormhole; the other end of which connects to the Gamma Quadrant. Sisko and Dax encounter the mysterious entities living within it, named "Prophets" by the Bajorans. Although most Bajorans immediately accept Sisko as their highest spiritual leader, this causes conflicts with his standard role as a captain, his personal discomfort with it, and the Bajorans that resent that the emissary is not a Bajoran.

The Gamma Quadrant is home to the Dominion, an aggressive and expansionist empire, which led to the Dominion War. Klingons, Romulans, and even the Cardassians eventually joined forces with the Federation against it. Sisko fulfills the Prophets' destiny for him in the series finale, "What You Leave Behind", by confronting the Kosst Amojan-possessed Gul Dukat. Sisko throws himself and Dukat into the fiery abyss of the Bajoran Fire Caves, and Sisko is pulled into the Prophets' plane of existence to live with and learn from them. Sisko imparts a farewell to his new—and pregnant—wife, Kasidy Yates, informing her that although he does not know when, he will eventually return to her.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Benjamin_Sisko

Presidential elections are scheduled to be held in the United States on November 7, 2028, to elect the president and vice president of the United States for a term of four years.

In the 2024 elections, the Republican Party gained a majority of seats in the House of Representatives and Senate. Incumbent president Donald Trump won a non-consecutive second term; per the limits set by the 22nd Amendment, he is constitutionally barred from being elected president again.[1]

Background

Related Stories

Erika Kirk Says JD Vance Has Been a ‘Blessing’ Since Husband Charlie’s Assassination, Praises JD and Wife Usha's 'Love'

Erika Kirk and U.S. Vice President JD Vance, Second Lady Usha Vance, center, and Erika Kirk deplane Air Force Two, carrying the body of Charlie Kirk,

Usha Vance's Spokesperson Addresses Marriage Rumors After She's Spotted Without Wedding Ring During Outing with Melania Trump

Second Lady Usha Vance makes a speech during a visit to Camp Lejeune and MCAS New River. Second lady Usha Vance (L) and first lady Melania Trump depart a plane as they arrive at Albert J. Ellis Airport en route to Camp Lejeune on November 19, 2025 in Richlands, North Carolina.

Erika's latest remarks about her embrace with the vice president come just a few days after JD's wife, Usha Vance, was spotted without her wedding ring on during a visit to Camp Lejeune alongside first lady Melania Trump on Wednesday, Nov. 19.

Usha and JD have been married since 2014 and share three children: sons Ewan, 8, and Vivek, 5, and daughter Mirabel, 3.

Never miss a story — sign up for PEOPLE's free daily newsletter to stay up-to-date on the best of what PEOPLE has to offer.

Amid instant internet speculation about the Vances' marriage, a spokesperson for the second lady — who is very private and rarely speaks with the press — addressed the ringless appearance in a statement to PEOPLE.

The spokesperson noted that Usha is “a mother of three young children, who does a lot of dishes, gives lots of baths, and forgets her ring sometimes.”

https://people.com/erika-kirk-reveals-what-jd-vance-said-during-intense-hug-11855667

Leif Erikson,[note 1] also known as Leif the Lucky (c. 970s – c. 1018 to 1025),[1] was a Norse explorer who is thought to have been the first European to set foot on continental America, approximately half a millennium before Christopher Columbus.[7][8] According to the sagas of Icelanders, he established a Norse settlement at Vinland, which is usually interpreted as being coastal North America. There is ongoing speculation that the settlement made by Leif and his crew corresponds to the remains of a Norse settlement found in Newfoundland, Canada, called L'Anse aux Meadows, which was occupied approximately 1,000 years ago.

Leif's place of birth is unknown,[9] although it is assumed to have been in Iceland.[10][11][12] His father, Erik the Red, founded the first Norse settlement in Greenland, where Leif was later raised. Following his voyage to Vinland and the subsequent death of his father, Leif became chief of the Greenland settlement. He had two known sons: Thorgils, born in the Hebrides; and Thorkell, who succeeded him as Greenland's chieftain.

Early life

Leif was the son of Erik the Red and his wife Thjodhild (Old Norse: Þjóðhildur), and, through his paternal line, the grandson of Thorvald Ásvaldsson. When Erik the Red was young, his father was banished from Norway for manslaughter, and the family went into exile in Iceland (which, during the century preceding Leif's birth, had been colonized by Norsemen, mainly from Norway). Leif was also a distant relative of Naddodd,[13][unreliable source?] who discovered Iceland.[14]

Leif's year of birth is often estimated in the c. 970s.[15] Though his birthplace is not accounted for in the sagas,[16] it is likely he was born in Iceland,[10] where his parents met[17]—probably somewhere on the edge of Breiðafjörður, and possibly at Haukadalur Valley, where his mother's family was based.[10] It was in this valley that Erik cleared land and built the farmstead Eiríksstaðir, in c. 970.[18]

Erik was later banished from Iceland and sailed west to a place he named Greenland. He then briefly returned to Iceland to bring his family and other colonists back with him to Greenland, establishing its first permanent settlement in 986.[16][19] Leif grew up on the family estate Brattahlíð in the Eastern Settlement of Greenland. He had two brothers, whose names were Thorstein and Thorvald, and a sister, Freydís.[20] Tyrker, one of Erik's thralls, had been specially trusted to keep charge of Erik's children, as Leif later referred to him as his "foster father."[21]

Discovering Vinland

Leif Eriksson Discovers America by Hans Dahl (1849–1937)

The Saga of Erik the Red and the Saga of the Greenlanders, both thought to have been written around 1200,[22] contain detailed, but sometimes conflicting accounts of the voyages to Vinland (usually interpreted as coastal North America).[23][24][25] These sagas are generally regarded as works of literature, rather than purely historical accounts, with scholars debating their factual accuracy.[26] The only known strictly historical mentions of Vinland appear in Adam of Bremen's historical treatise (c. 1075) and in the Book of Icelanders (c. 1122) by Ari the Wise,[27] though both are merely passing references.[28]

Account in the Saga of Erik the Red

The words Leifr hinn heppni, "Leif the Lucky", written out in the early 14th century Hauksbók, the oldest manuscript of the Saga of Erik the Red

According to this saga, Leif discovered Vinland after being blown off course on his way from Norway to Greenland.[29] Before this voyage, Leif had spent time at the court of Norwegian King Olaf Tryggvesson, where he had converted to Christianity. When Leif encountered the storm that forced him off course, he had been on his way to introduce Christianity to the Greenlanders. After they had arrived at an unknown shore, the crew disembarked and explored the area. They found wild grapes, self-sown wheat, and maple trees. Afterwards, they loaded their ship with samples of these newly-found goods and sailed east to Greenland, rescuing a group of shipwrecked sailors along the way. For this act, and for converting Norse Greenland to Christianity, Leif earned the nickname "Leif the Lucky".[30] Leif did not return to Vinland, but others from Greenland and Iceland did, including Thorfinn Karlsefni.[31]

Account in the Saga of the Greenlanders

According to this saga, Leif was not the first European to discover Vinland. Instead Bjarni Herjólfsson and his crew—on a voyage from Iceland to Greenland—were overtaken by wind and fog, missed the southern tip of Greenland, and encountered an unknown coast. Believing it to be somewhere other than Greenland, they did not disembark but rather continued to sail and found two additional coasts that did not correspond with their understanding of Greenland.[32] After sailing back east, they eventually made it to their original destination, and then told of their discoveries.[33]

Roughly 15 years later, Leif approached Bjarni, purchased his ship, gathered a crew of thirty-five men, and mounted an expedition towards the lands Bjarni had described.[34][35] Leif's father Erik was set to join him but dropped out after he fell from his horse on his way to the ship, an incident interpreted as a bad omen.[36] Leif followed Bjarni's route in reverse and landed first in a rocky and desolate place he named Helluland (Flat-Rock Land; possibly Baffin Island or northern parts of Labrador).[37] After venturing further by sea, he landed the second time in a forested place he named Markland (Forest Land; possibly near Cape Porcupine, Labrador).[37] After two more days at sea, he landed on an island to the north (possibly Belle Isle), and then returned to the mainland, going past a cape on the north side (perhaps Cape Bauld).[37] They sailed to the west of this and landed in a verdant area with a mild climate and plentiful supplies of salmon. As winter approached, he decided to encamp there and sent out parties to explore the country.[37] During one of these explorations, Tyrker discovered that the land was full of vines and grapes. Leif therefore named the land Vinland ('Wineland').[37][38] There, he and his crew built a small settlement, which was called Leifsbudir (Leif's Booths) by later visitors from Greenland.

After having wintered over in Vinland, Leif returned to Greenland in the spring with a cargo of grapes and timber.[34][39] On the return voyage, he rescued an Icelandic castaway and his crew, earning him the nickname "Leif the Lucky".[40] Leif never returned to Vinland, but others from Greenland and Iceland did.

Archeological evidence of Vinland

Modern recreation of the Norse site at L'Anse aux Meadows. The site was originally occupied c. 1021[41] and listed by UNESCO as a World Heritage Site in 1968

Most researchers and scholars agree that Vinland was a region in North America.[42]

Research done in the early 1960s by Norwegian explorer Helge Ingstad and his wife, archaeologist Anne Stine Ingstad, identified a Norse site[43] located at the northern tip of Newfoundland. It has been suggested that this site, known as L'Anse aux Meadows (carbon dating estimates 990–1050 CE[44][45][46] and tree-ring analysis dating to the year 1021[47]) could be Leifsbudir. The Ingstads demonstrated that Norsemen had reached North America about 500 years before Christopher Columbus.[48][49] Later archaeological evidence suggests that Vinland may have been the areas around the Gulf of St. Lawrence and that the L'Anse aux Meadows site was a ship repair station and waypoint for voyages there. That does not necessarily contradict the identification of L'Anse aux Meadows as Leifsbudir[49][50] since the two sagas appear to describe Vinland as a wider region which included several settlements. The Saga of Erik the Red mentions two other settlements in Vinland: one called Straumfjǫrðr, which lay beyond Kjalarnes promontory and the Wonderstrands, and one called Hóp, which was located even farther south.[51]

Personal life

Leif has been described in the Vinland sagas as a wise, considerate and strong man of striking appearance.[52] When he was of a proper age, Leif went to Norway, likely to serve as a retainer to its king, Olaf Tryggvason.[53] It was on this journey to Norway that the Saga of Erik the Red states that Leif's ship was driven to the Hebrides, where he and his crew were forced to remain for much of the summer, awaiting favorable winds.[54] During his stay there, Leif fell in love with a noblewoman, Thorgunna, who gave birth to their son Thorgils.[20] Thorgunna remained in the Hebrides when Leif left, as he refused to take her along without permission from her family.[55] Thorgils was later sent to Leif in Greenland, but he did not become popular.[56]

After arriving at the court of Norway's King Olaf Tryggvason, Leif was converted to Christianity. According to both the Saga of Erik the Red, and Olaf Tryggvason's Saga as found in Heimskringla, after Leif's conversion, the king then commissioned him to return to Greenland to convert the settlers there. During the journey, he was blown off course and discovered Vinland before finding his way to Greenland.[31] Leif's father Erik reacted coldly to the suggestion that he should abandon his religion, while his mother Thjóðhildr became a Christian and built a church called Thjóðhild's Church.[57] A different version of Olaf Tryggvason's Saga, found in Flateyjarbók, makes no reference to Leif being blown off course and discovering Vinland during his return from Norway, but indicates that after arriving in Greenland, all of that country was converted, including Leif's father Erik.[58] Some versions of Olaf Tryggvason's Saga also indicate that to help with the conversion, Leif brought a priest and clerics with him to Greenland.[59]

Chieftaincy and death

The winter following Leif's return from Vinland, his father died (shortly after 1000 CE),[1] making Leif paramount chief in Greenland.[35] Leif is last mentioned alive in 1018 in the Saga of St. Olaf.[1] According to The Saga of the Sworn Brothers, by 1025 the chieftaincy of Eiríksfjǫrðr had passed to his son Thorkell.[60][1] Nothing is mentioned about his death in the sagas—he probably died in Greenland some time between these dates.[61] Nothing further is known about his family beyond the succession of Thorkell as chieftain.[1]

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Leif_Erikson

Fulcanelli’s main strategy, the key to unraveling the mystery, lies in an understanding of what he calls the “phonetic law” of the “spoken cabala,” or the “language of the birds.” This punning, multilingual wordplay can be used to reveal unusual and, according to Fulcanelli, meaningful associations between ideas. “What unsuspected marvels we should find, if we knew how to dissect words, to strip them of their bark and liberate the spirit, the divine light which is within,” Fulcanelli writes. He claims that in our day this is the natural language of the outsiders, the outlaws and heretics at the fringes of society. (See appendix A, “Fulcanelli on the Green Language,” for the complete text of this chapter.) 6 This spoken cabala was also the “green language” of the Freemasons (“All the Initiates expressed themselves in cant,” Fulcanelli reminds us) who built the art gothique of the cathedrals. “Gothic art is in fact the art got or art cot —χοτ—the art of light or of the spirit,” Fulcanelli informs us. Ultimately the “art got,” or the “art of light,” is derived from the language of the birds, which seems to be a sort of Ur-language taught by both Jesus and the ancients."

The Mysteries of the Great Cross

by Jay Weidner

https://drive.google.com/file/d/1vrxcBcn4h7RRM2SA3X1SS1DsooSxfitI/view?usp=sharing

Erika Lane Kirk (née Frantzve; born November 20, 1988) is an American businesswoman, nonprofit executive, and podcaster. She is CEO and chair of the board of the conservative organization Turning Point USA (TPUSA), which her late husband Charlie Kirk co-founded and led until his assassination in September 2025. She was appointed as his successor following his death.

Kirk previously won Miss Arizona USA in 2012 and participated in Miss USA 2012. She is the founder of Everyday Heroes Like You, a nonprofit supporting under-recognized charities, and BIBLEin365, a faith-based initiative that promotes reading the Bible. She also hosts the Midweek Rise Up podcast. She and Charlie Kirk began dating in 2019, married in 2021, and had two children together.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Erika_Kirk

The given name Erika is a female name with multiple meanings of Classical Latin, Old Norse, and Japanese origin.

Erika and the variants Erica, Ericka, or Ereka are feminine forms of Eric, derived from the Old Norse name Eiríkr (or Eríkr in Eastern Scandinavia due to monophthongization). The first element, ei- is derived either from the older Proto-Norse *aina(z), meaning "one, alone, unique",[1] as in the form Æinrikr explicitly, or from *aiwa(z) "long time, eternity".[2] The second element -ríkr stems either from *ríks "king, ruler" (cf. Gothic reiks) or from the therefrom derived *ríkijaz "kingly, powerful, rich".[3] The name is thus usually taken to mean "sole ruler, monarch" or "eternal ruler, ever powerful".[4] It is a common name in many Western societies.

The Latin word erica means heath or broom.[5] It is believed that Pliny adapted erica from Ancient Greek ἐρείκη.[6] The expected Anglo-Latin pronunciation, /ɪˈraɪkə/, may be given in dictionaries (OED: "Erica"), but /ˈɛrɪkə/ is more commonly heard.[7] Erica is the name of a genus of about 860 species of flowering plants in the family Ericaceae, commonly known as heaths or heathers in English, and is the Latin word for heather.[8]

Erika (えりか , エリカ) is a common female Japanese given name in Japan. It has multiple meanings depending on the kanji. The Japanese origin of the given name has nothing in common with the Nordic roots of the Western version.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Erika_(given_name)

Early Female Transgender Identity after Prenatal Exposure to Diethylstilbestrol: Report from a French National Diethylstilbestrol (DES) Cohort

by Laura Gaspari 1,2,3,†,Marie-Odile Soyer-Gobillard 4,5,†ORCID,Scott Kerlin 6,Françoise Paris 1,2,3 andCharles Sultan 1,*

2. Patients and Methods

This study was based on a French national retrospective cohort of DES-treated women (HHORAGES-France Association) (n = 1200) and their families. Detailed standard questionnaires were obtained from all DES mothers when they joined the HHORAGES-France Association and all DES children were already adults at this time. The answers to this online questionnaire were used to select women who met the following inclusion criteria: (1) at least two pregnancies with two viable male babies (same father) among whom the first child was not exposed in utero to DES (pre-DES), followed by one or more children with fetal exposure to DES (DES); (2) confirmed data on the total DES dose (health record or physician’s observation). The cumulative dose D administered to the French pregnant mothers was 4050 mg < D < 7300 mg. This is considered a medium-low-dose cohort, in accordance with the observations by Tournaire et al. [31] and compared with the higher doses administered in the United States (7550 mg < D < 12,742 mg). The answers to the questionnaires were also used to identify women with a DES son who presented female gender variance. We then contacted all DES sons with female gender variance and we carried out an individual interview with them.

The local university hospital ethics committee approved this study (ID IRB No. 202301531), and all patients gave their informed consent through the HHORAGES-France Association (CNIL: J B/EM/DC042793, N° 1006460).

All DES sons who identified as transgender women underwent karyotyping at their local hospital at the moment of transition.

https://www.mdpi.com/2039-4713/14/1/10

Thomas Trace Beatie (born 1974[1]) is an American public speaker, author, and advocate of transgender rights and sexuality issues, with a focus on transgender fertility and reproductive rights.[2]

Beatie came out as a trans man in early 1997. Beatie had gender-affirming surgery in March 2002 and became known as "the pregnant man" after he became pregnant through artificial insemination in 2007.[3] Beatie chose to be pregnant, with donated sperm,[4][5] because his wife Nancy was sterile.

The couple filed for divorce in 2012. The Beatie case is the first of its kind on record, where a documented legal male gave birth within a marriage to a woman, and for the first time, a court challenged a marriage where the husband gave birth.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Thomas_Beatie

Tracing boards are painted or printed illustrations depicting the various emblems and symbols of Freemasonry. They can be used as teaching aids during the lectures that follow each of the Masonic Degrees, when an experienced member explains the various concepts of Freemasonry to new members. They can also be used by experienced members as reminders of the concepts they learned as they went through the ceremonies of the different masonic degrees.[1]

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tracing_board

Exoteric Masonry, which is only the husks of the Mystic Order formed by the Sons of Cain has in modern times attracted the masculine element with its positively polarized physical vehicles, and educated them in industry and statecraft, thus controlling the material development of the world. The sons of Seth, constituting themselves the Priestcraft have worked their spell over the positive vital bodies of the feminine element to dominate the spiritual development. And whereas, the sons of Cain working through Freemasonry and kindred movements, have openly fought for the temporal power, the Priestcraft has fought as strenuously and perhaps more effectively, by stealth, to retain their monopoly upon the spiritual development of the feminine element. To the casual onlooker it would seem as if there were no decided antagonism between these two movements at the present time, but though Freemasonry of today is but a shell of its true ancient mystic self, and though Catholicism has been terribly tarnished by the touch of time, in that one thing there is no difference, the war is as keen as ever, the efforts of the Church are not concentrated upon the masses however as much as upon those who are seeking to live the higher life, so that they may gain admission to the Mystery Temple and learn how to make the Philosophers’ Stone. As mankind advances in evolution, the vital body becomes more permanently positively polarized giving to both sexes a greater desire for spirituality, and though we change from the masculine to feminine in alternate embodiment, positive polarity of the vital body is becoming more pronounced regardless of sex, and this accounts for the growing tendency towards Altruism which is even being brought out by the suffering entailed by the great war we are now fighting, for all agree that they are seeking to obtain a lasting peace where the swords may be made into plowshares, and the spears into pruning hooks. In the past humanity has been claiming universal brotherhood as a great ideal, but we must come closer than that to be in full accord with the Christ. He said to his Disciples “ye are my friends.” Among brothers and sisters hate and enmity may exist, but friendship is the expression of love and cannot exist apart from that. This is therefore the magic word which will eventually level all distinctions, bring peace upon earth and goodwill among men. This is the great Ideal proclaimed by the Rosicrucian Fellowship, an Ideal which points the shortest way to the New Heaven and the New Earth, where the sons of Cain and the sons of Seth will eventually be united.

FREEMASONRY AND CATHOLICISM

by MAX HEINDEL

https://dn720206.ca.archive.org/0/items/freemasonryandca017137mbp/freemasonryandca017137mbp.pdf

Rosa Jesuitica, oder Jesuitische Rottgesellen, das ist, Eine Frag ob die Zween Orden, der ganandten Ritter von der Neerscharen Jesu, und der Rosen-Creuzer ein einiger Ordensen: per J. P. D. a S. Jesuitarum Protectorum. Prague, 1620.” (4to).

This is a truly curious tract upon the “relations of the Jesuits and the Rosicrucians."

https://drive.google.com/file/d/1dT28PyPUPfqDfC0iVg7nGFsle8vYBXLf/view?usp=sharing

Trump, Vance meet with Pope Leo's Florida brother, 'a major MAGA fan', at White House

Kim Luciani

USA TODAY NETWORK - Florida

May 22, 2025, 12:58 p.m. ET

Key Points AI-assisted summary

President Donald Trump met with Pope Leo XIV's brother, Louis Prevost, at the White House.

Trump publicly praised Prevost, a Florida resident, for being a "major MAGA fan."

Louis Prevost acknowledged his political views and stated his intention to "tone it down" to avoid causing issues for the pope.

President Donald Trump met with Pope Leo XIV's Florida brother Louis Prevost at the White House on May 20, after praising Prevost to reporters at the Capitol earlier in the day, calling him a "major MAGA fan."

Trump told reporters he likes the pope and both of his brothers, but spotlighted the eldest brother, Navy veteran and Port Charlotte resident Louis Prevost.

"I like the new pope and I like the pope's brother. You know, one of the pope's brothers – actually both of them – but one in particular is a major MAGA fan. Did you know that? He lives in Florida," Trump said.

"And I look forward to getting him to the White House. I want to shake his hand, I want to give him a big hug."

Later that day, the White House visit happened. Louis Prevost and his wife Deborah met with Trump and Vice President JD Vance in the Oval Office.

"Great meeting between President Trump, Vice President Vance, and @Pontifex’s brother, Louis Prevost and his wife Deborah," Special Assistant to the President and Communications Advisor Margo Martin posted on X, along with a photo of the meeting.

Louis Prevost excited and happy about brother Pope Leo XVI's papacy

The Prevost brothers — Louis, John and Robert (Pope Leo XIV) — grew up in Chicago in a traditional Catholic family.

Louis Prevost said his youngest brother Robert wanted to "play priest" when he was 6 and set his sights on the priesthood as a freshman in high school. Their parents, neighbors and even strangers told Robert, "You're going to be pope someday," he said.

Robert Prevost's election as Pope Leo XIV left Louis Prevost excited, happy, mind blown and a little worried about how the papacy would impact their relationship.

“I just freaked out and said ‘It’s Rob, OMG.’ I was up, dressed, out, just going nuts,” he told WBBH.

“We can only hope that we can maintain that closeness, and we don't do anything to embarrass him,” he said.

Louis Prevost attended Pope Leo's inaugural mass at the Vatican on May 18. The brothers shared a hug after the service.

Pope Leo's Florida brother Louis Prevost is a MAGA, Trump supporter

Trump told reporters Louis Prevost is a "major MAGA fan."

In an interview with Piers Morgan, Louis Prevost said, "I don’t want to create waves that don’t need to be there because I’m a MAGA type and I have my beliefs,” he said. “I don’t need to create heat for him. He’s going to have enough to handle as it is without the press going ‘the pope’s brother says this.’ He doesn’t need that.”

Asked about his reposts of controversial social media memes, including one calling Nancy Pelosi a drunk (expletive), and how they might affect the pope, Louis Prevost said he will "tone it down."

"He knows I am who I am," he said of the pope. "He's well aware of my position. He knows I'm probably not going to change and I don't think I will, other than to, just like you say, tone it down."

Contributing: Melissa Pérez-Carrillo, Herald-Tribune, Ashley Ferrer, USA TODAY Network-Florida

https://www.heraldtribune.com/story/news/2025/05/22/trump-pope-leo-florida-maga-brother-louis-prevost-white-house-visit/83773944007/

year 538 A.D. when Roman Emperor Justinian subdued the last of the three kingdoms, or "horns," that opposed the rise of the Papacy."

-page 137

Chapter 19 "Exposed (Again): 1260 Years of World Domination

Codeword Barbelon book 2

by P.D. Stuart

Clovis is the modern conventional French (and thence English) form of the Old Frankish name ᚺᛚᛟᛞᛟᚹᛁᚷ (in runic alphabet) or *"Hlōdowik" or "Hlōdowig" (in Latin alphabet), equivalent to the modern forms Louis (French), Lodewijk (Dutch), Lewis (English), and Ludwig (German).

Etymology

The name *Hlōdowik or *Hlōdowig is traditionally considered to be composed of two elements, deriving from both Proto-Germanic *hlūdaz ("loud, famous") and *wiganą ("to battle, to fight") respectively, resulting in the traditional practice of translating Clovis' name as meaning "famous warrior".

However, scholars have pointed out that Gregory of Tours consequently transcribes the names of various Merovingian royal names containing the first element as chlodo-. The use of a close-mid back protruded vowel (o), rather than the expected close back rounded vowel (u) which Gregory does use in various other Germanic names (i.e. Fredegundis, Arnulfus, Gundobadus, etc.) opens up the possibility that the first element instead derives from Proto-Germanic *hlutą ("lot, share, portion"), giving the meaning of the name as "loot bringer" or "plunder (bringing) warrior". This hypothesis is supported by the fact that if the first element is taken to mean "famous", then the name of Chlodomer (one of Clovis' sons) would contain two elements (*hlūdaz and *mērijaz) both meaning "famous", which would be highly uncommon within the typical Germanic name structure.[1][2]

Frankish royalty

Clovis I (c. 466 – 511), the first king of the Franks to unite all the Frankish tribes under one ruler

Clovis II (637 – c. 658), king of Neustria and Burgundy

Clovis III (reigned 675–676), the king of Austrasia

Clovis IV (682–695), the sole king of the Franks from 691 until 695

Clovis (died 580), son of Chilperic I and Audovera, assassinated by his father and stepmother

Louis the Pious, son of Charlemagne, King of Aquitaine from 781 and sole ruler of the Franks 814–840, but counted as "Louis I of France" even though West Francia (the nucleus of the later kingdom of France) was formed only after his death.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Clovis_(given_name)

Louis Raphaël I Sako (Arabic: لويس روفائيل ساكو;[1] born 4 July 1948) is a Chaldean Catholic prelate who has served as Patriarch of Baghdad since 1 February 2013. Pope Francis made him a cardinal on 28 June 2018.

Biography

Early life

Sako was born in the city of Zakho, Iraq, on 4 July 1948.[2] He comes from an ethnic Assyrian family of the Chaldean Catholic Church that has roots in a religious community that has had a presence in the city of his birth since the 5th century AD.[3]

He completed his early studies in Mosul and then attended the Dominican-run Saint Jean’s Seminary there. He was ordained a priest on 1 June 1974 and filled his first pastoral assignment at the Cathedral of Mosul until 1979. He then earned a doctorate in Eastern patrology at the Pontifical Oriental Institute. When denied a license to teach because he was only qualified for religious instruction, he earned a second doctorate in history from the Sorbonne in Paris.[4] With this he secured his teaching license and was able to provide religious instruction. From 1997 to 2002 he was rector of the Patriarchal Seminary in Baghdad. He then returned to Mosul and guided the parish of Perpetual Help for a year.[5][6]

Sako speaks Neo-Aramaic, German, French, English, Italian, Kurdish and Arabic.[2]

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Louis_Rapha%C3%ABl_I_Sako

Accused sniper jailed in Charlie Kirk killing awaits formal charges in Utah

By Andrew Hay, Jonathan Allen and Andrea Shalal

September 16, 2025 9:49 AM PDT Updated September 16, 2025

Police mugshot of Charlie Kirk shooting suspect

A police mugshot shows Tyler Robinson, the suspect in the fatal shooting of U.S. conservative commentator Charlie Kirk during an event at Utah Valley University, in Orem, Utah, U.S., in this photo released by the Utah Department of Public Safety on September 12, 2025. Utah Department of Public Safety/Handout via REUTERS/File Photo Purchase Licensing Rights, opens new tab

Summary

Companies

Tyler Robinson had enrolled in electrical apprenticeship

Governor credits suspect's family with bringing him to justice

Republicans, Democrats point fingers across partisan divide

Ideological label of suspect, if any, hard to define

https://www.reuters.com/world/us/accused-sniper-jailed-charlie-kirk-killing-awaits-formal-charges-utah-2025-09-14/

Sako Limited (natively Sako Oy)[1] is a Finnish firearm and ammunition manufacturer located in Riihimäki, Kanta-Häme in southern Finland. It also has owned the Tikka brand of bolt-action rifles since 1983, and is now owned by the Italian firearm holding company Beretta Holding. The name Sako comes from the company's former name Suojeluskuntain Ase- ja Konepaja Oy (lit. 'Civil Guard Gun and Machining Works Ltd').

History

In 1919, two years after Finland declared independence from the Russian Empire, the Suojeluskuntain Yliesikunnan Asepaja (Civil Guard Supreme Staff Gun Works) opened in a former Helsinki brewery to repair private arms and recondition Russian military rifles for Finnish service.[2] The rifle repair shop became financially independent of the civil guard in 1921. The Suojeluskuntain Yliesikunnan Asepaja moved from Helsinki to an ammunition factory in Riihimäki on 1 June 1927, and reorganized as SAKO in the 1930s. Sako started exporting pistol cartridges to Sweden in the 1930s and continued manufacturing submachine gun cartridges through World War II.[3]

Another Finnish firearms manufacturer Tikkakoski, which owned the Tikka brand, was merged into SAKO in 1983.[4] In 1986, the arms manufacturing division of the government-owned Valmet conglomerate (which itself had been derived from the Valtion Kivääritehdas, VKT) was merged with Sako and called Sako-Valmet, with ownership split evenly between Nokia and Valmet. After further organizational shifts in state ownership, the company was sold to the Italian Beretta Holding in 2000.[5]

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/SAKO

Politics

Vance says it was "pretty crazy" that he met Pope Francis in his last 24 hours

By Kaia Hubbard

April 23, 2025 / 9:58 AM EDT / CBS News

Vice President JD Vance said Wednesday that it was "pretty crazy" that he was among the last officials to meet with Pope Francis before his death earlier this week.

"When I saw him, I didn't know that he had less than 24 hours still on this earth," Vance told reporters in Agra, India. "I think it was a great blessing."

The vice president is on a four-day trip in India with his wife Usha, the first Hindu American second lady, whose parents emigrated to the U.S. from India. Vance's visit with his family comes after they traveled to Italy last week to participate in Holy Week events. Vance noted that plans remain in flux about whether he will attend the pope's funeral in the coming days.

The vice president outlined his brief visit with Francis on Easter Sunday, saying he knew the pope was "very ill," but he "didn't realize how sick he was."

"The thing that I will always remember Pope Francis for is that he was a great pastor," Vance said. "People on the margins, poor people, people suffering from diseases, they saw in Pope Francis an advocate and I think, a true expression of Christian love."

Vance added that the pontiff "affected a lot of lives," saying that he tries to remember "that I was lucky that I got to shake his hand and tell him that I pray for him every day, because I did and I do."

Vance and Francis' meeting came after the two men had sharp disagreements on immigration as the pontiff had long condemned the Trump administration's approach. Vance, who converted to Catholicism in 2019, told reporters Wednesday that he's aware of the disagreements the pope had with some of the Trump administration's policies, while noting that he would not "soil the man's legacy by talking about politics."

On the selection of the next pope, the vice president said he would "say a prayer for wisdom" for the Cardinals, saying that "I want them to pick somebody who will be good for the world's Catholics."

"But I'll let them make that decision, and obviously they're entitled to do so," he added.

The vice president's trip to India comes amid President Trump's recent actions on tariffs. Vance arrived in India on Monday and met with Prime Minister Narendra Modi, after which the leaders touted progress on trade talks.

The vice president told reporters Wednesday that "we're making progress across the board," though he said of the trade discussions more broadly that it's "a little bit too early to prejudge, to say what any of these deals is going to look like."

https://www.cbsnews.com/news/pope-francis-death-jd-vance-meeting/

James David Vance (born James Donald Bowman,[a] August 2, 1984) is an American politician and author who is the 50th vice president of the United States. A member of the Republican Party, he represented Ohio in the United States Senate from 2023 to 2025.

Born and raised in Middletown, Ohio, Vance enlisted in the U.S. Marine Corps in 2003 and was a military journalist throughout his four-year tenure until 2007. He earned a bachelor's degree from Ohio State University and a Juris Doctor from Yale Law School. After briefly working as a corporate lawyer, Vance became a venture capitalist at Peter Thiel's Mithril Capital. In 2016, he published Hillbilly Elegy, a bestselling memoir that brought him national attention.

After opposing Donald Trump's candidacy in the 2016 election, Vance became a strong Trump supporter during Trump's first presidency and was selected as his running mate in the 2024 election. He resigned from the Senate shortly before his inauguration as vice president. During his tenure as vice president, he has been the finance chair of the Republican National Committee.

Vance has been characterized as a national conservative and right-wing populist, and describes himself as a member of the postliberal right. His political positions include opposition to abortion, same-sex marriage, and gun control. Vance is an outspoken critic of childlessness and has acknowledged the influence of Catholic theology on his sociopolitical positions.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/JD_Vance

The Rime of the Ancient Mariner (originally The Rime of the Ancyent Marinere), written by English poet Samuel Taylor Coleridge in 1797–98 and published in 1798 in the first edition of Lyrical Ballads, is a poem that recounts the experiences of a sailor who has returned from a long sea voyage. Some modern editions use a revised version printed in 1817 that featured a gloss.[1][dead link]

The Rime of the Ancient Mariner (1798 edition)

Duration: 29 minutes and 50 seconds.29:50

Problems playing this file? See media help.

The poem tells of the mariner stopping a man who is on his way to a wedding ceremony so that the mariner can share his story. The Wedding-Guest's reaction turns from amusement to impatience to fear to fascination as the mariner's story progresses, as can be seen in the language style; Coleridge uses narrative techniques such as personification and repetition to create a sense of danger, the supernatural, or serenity, depending on the mood in different parts of the poem.

The Rime is Coleridge's longest major poem.[2] It is often considered a signal shift to modern poetry and the beginning of British Romantic literature.[3]

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Rime_of_the_Ancient_Mariner

Mar Raphael I Bidawid (Syriac: ܪܘܦܐܝܠ ܩܕܡܝܐ ܒܝܬ ܕܘܝܕ, Arabic مار روفائيل الاول بيداويد) (April 17, 1922 – July 7, 2003) was the Patriarch of the Chaldean Catholic Church from 1989–2003. He was also a Syriac scholar.

Life

He was born on April 17, 1922, in the northern Iraqi city of Mosul into an ethnic Assyrian family, and took his school and seminar training in Mosul. He was ordained a priest on October 22, 1944 in Rome and in 1946 he obtained the academic degrees of doctor of philosophy and theology. Between 1948 and 1956, he worked as a professor of philosophy and theology in Mosul. On October 6, 1957, at the age of 35, he was ordained Bishop of Amadiya, by Patriarch Yousef VII Ghanima,[1] becoming the youngest Catholic bishop in the world.[2] As bishop of Amadiya he experienced the mass exodus of Christians from Iraq. Mar Raphael Bidawid was then appointed bishop of Beirut, Lebanon in 1966 and served in this capacity for 23 years.

On March 21, 1989 Raphael I Bidawid was elected Patriarch of Babylon, head of the Chaldean Catholic Church. His election was confirmed by Pope John Paul II in June of 1989. During his patriarchate, in agreement with the Chaldean Synod, he established The Pontifical Babel College for Philosophy and Theology in 1991. The Babel College is situated in Baghdad, Dora, El-Mekaniek, next to St. Peter Chaldean Seminary. The Babel College became an instrumental educational institution for the Chaldean Catholic Church.[3][4] Patriarch Bidawid could speak 13 languages. He died in Beirut, Lebanon, on July 7, 2003, at the age of 81.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Raphael_I_Bidawid

Pope John Paul II[b] (born Karol Józef Wojtyła;[c] 18 May 1920 – 2 April 2005) was head of the Catholic Church and sovereign of the Vatican City from 16 October 1978 until his death in 2005. He was the first non-Italian pope since Adrian VI in the 16th century, as well as the third-longest-serving pope in history, after Pius IX and St. Peter.[d]

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pope_John_Paul_II

The Carolingian dynasty (/ˌkærəˈlɪndʒiən/ KARR-ə-LIN-jee-ən;[1] known variously as the Carlovingians, Carolingus, Carolings, Karolinger or Karlings) was a Frankish noble family named after Charles Martel and his grandson Charlemagne, descendants of the Arnulfing and Pippinid clans of the 7th century AD.[2] The dynasty consolidated its power in the 8th century, eventually making the offices of mayor of the palace and dux et princeps Francorum hereditary, and becoming the de facto rulers of the Franks as the real powers behind the Merovingian throne. In 751 the Merovingian dynasty which had ruled the Franks was overthrown with the consent of the Papacy and the aristocracy, and Pepin the Short, son of Martel, was crowned King of the Franks. The Carolingian dynasty reached its peak in 800 with the crowning of Charlemagne as the first Emperor of the Romans in the West in over three centuries. Nearly every monarch of France from Charlemagne's son Louis the Pious till the penultimate monarch of France Louis Philippe have been his descendants. His death in 814 began an extended period of fragmentation of the Carolingian Empire and decline that would eventually lead to the evolution of the Kingdom of France and the Holy Roman Empire.

Name

The Carolingian dynasty takes its name from Carolus, the Latinised name of multiple Frankish kings including Charlemagne and Charles Martel.[3] The name originates from a common Germanic word, rendered in Old High German as Karl or Kerl,[4] meaning 'man', 'husband', or 'freeman'.[5]

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Carolingian_dynasty

Theologian: John Paul II wanted to show respect by kissing the Koran

Bonn - John Paul II kissed the Koran as a gesture of respect. The picture went around the world. In an interview with katholisch.de, Islamic scholar Felix Körner talks about the sign of the Polish head of the Church and looks at the following pontificates.

Published on 14.05.2024 at 00:01 – by Mario Trifunovic

The picture of 14 May 1999 of Pope John Paul II kissing the Koran went around the world and sparked discussions within the Church. At that time, the Polish Pope received a Muslim delegation of Shiites and Sunnis as well as the Chairman of the Iranian Ministry of Religion in the Vatican. Among them was the then Archbishop of Baghdad, Raphael I. Bidawid. The Polish church leader received a copy of the Koran as a gift from the Muslim visitors. As a sign of respect, John Paul II kissed the book, which is sacred to Muslims. In an interview with katholisch.de, the Islam expert and Jesuit Felix Körner talks about the gesture 25 years ago and takes a look at the pontificates of Benedict XVI and Francis.

Question: Mr Körner, it is now 25 years since John Paul II kissed the Koran. Why was this event so controversial?

Körner: Behind it was the big theological question: what is the Koran for us? For in Christ are hidden all the treasures of knowledge. That's what it says in Colossians. But for the Koran, Jesus is just one of many prophets. So if the Pope kisses the Koran, does that mean that the Catholic Church no longer sees Jesus as the all-important Saviour? Of course not! The dispute about the kiss only arises if you want to misunderstand John Paul II.

Question: What was the significance of this gesture? Does it still have an effect on the dialogue between Christians and Muslims?

Körner: What did the Pope want to say with it in 1999? Firstly, that he was happy about the gift; and secondly, that he respects the faith of others. In other words, a gesture that was completely in line with the Second Vatican Council. And it went even further: Benedict XVI prayed in the Blue Mosque in Istanbul. No press spokesperson said afterwards that it was a silent meditation. Benedict prayed in the mosque and Francis said to the Muslim guests: "Pray for me. In an atmosphere like this, we can also say clearly today where we disagree, what we expect from each other - and how we can work together.

Question: Have there been similar actions, whether by John Paul II or his predecessors?

Körner: Yes, there certainly were. As Apostolic Envoy to Turkey, John XXIII already made the Muslims feel that he liked them. Then Paul VI - he introduced the word dialogue into the vocabulary of the Church, also for Islamic-Christian relations. John Paul II later brought real experts on Islam into the dialogue council. Networks were established, texts written - the 1984 document "Dialogue and Mission" was already outstanding. And John Paul II himself then in his encyclical "Redemptoris missio" that the Holy Spirit also touches cultures and religions. In doing so, he opened doors.

Bild: ©KNA/Stefano dal Pozzolo/Romano Siciliani

The Jesuit Felix Körner is Professor of Theology at the Pontifical Gregorian University in Rome. He is considered one of the Catholic Church's best experts on Islam.

Question: What was the headwind like in this regard?

Körner: Sometimes the headwind seemed to slam the doors of dialogue shut again. But now there are the texts, the relationships and above all the institutions - and ever more courageous signs. In the Holy Year 2000, we saw the Pope praying in the Umayyad Mosque in Damascus. At the time, his press spokesman said he had to deny it afterwards, saying it was just a moment of quiet meditation.

Question: Fundamentalist Christians criticised John Paul II for his gesture. Some said at the time that he was confirming the Islamic faith. What can be said in response?

Körner: There are fundamentalists on all sides, because they want to establish a firm identity for themselves. The Christian faith is much more exciting. You can always discover something new there! If you look into the world with the gospel, you can see how the kingdom of God is already growing, how the spirit of Christ is already at work. When I say that I see the good in you, your faithfulness, your seriousness, I am not saying that I am adopting your view. Sometimes we agree to disagree. But there are things that we find exemplary in each other, and in the end we learn from each other.

Question: Benedict XVI was criticised for his Regensburg speech, while Francis was criticised for the Abu Dhabi document on brotherhood between people, which he signed in 2019 together with Sheikh Ahmed al-Tayeb, the Sheikh of Azar University and therefore one of the most respected representatives of Sunni Islam. What is the current mood on both sides?

Körner: I am interested in the arguments of the critics. Those who are worried are often right, because there is cause for concern. But the crucial question is not how bad it is, but what we do now. After Regensburg, we have started a new, serious series of Christian-Islamic encounters. This has become theologically serious. There are now even Islamic theology programmes at German universities. I have respectful and curious encounters with students and colleagues on an almost daily basis. You can also bear witness to your own faith.

Joint declaration by Pope Francis and Grand Imam Ahmad Mohammad Al-Tayyeb

Bild: ©picture alliance/AP Photo/Andrew Medichini

Pope Francis and Grand Imam Ahmad Mohammad Al-Tayyeb sign a joint declaration on "Human Fraternity" on 4 February 2019.

Question: The so-called Abu Dhabi Document provided a new impetus in the Church's dialogue with Islam. How did this come about?

Körner: The document is also based on the Second Vatican Council. There it said: We condemn all discrimination based on skin colour or religion. In 2019, it now said: Differences are willed by God. In the case of religious differences, this means that if the other person believes differently, then the encounter can also be purifying and enriching for me - and that is God's will.

Question: Francis has been sharply criticised for this God-ordained pluralism. Why?

Körner: Well, almost everything a pope does gets a shitstorm, including a Catholic one. Good theology helps here too. The question behind such voices is usually whether the Gospel is still really being emphasised. And we can use it to make that clear. In any case, these gestures are a testimony to the Gospel.

„Wir haben nach Regensburg eine neue, ernsthafte Reihe christlich-islamischer Begegnungen begonnen. Das ist theologisch seriös geworden.“

— Zitat: Jesuit und Islamkenner Felix Körner zum interreligiösen Dialog

Question: In what way do these gestures serve to clarify?

Körner: Pope Francis aptly said in the programmatic letter "Evangelii gaudium" at the beginning of his pontificate: evangelising means making the kingdom of God present in the world. When people come closer to God and to one another, then what the Good News of Jesus promises happens: then God's kingdom grows among us. A sign of this can also be a courageous word of fraternity, or a respectful kiss on a book that is sacred to Muslims and which they present to a pope.

Question: In your opinion, what else should Francis do to advance the dialogue?

Körner: Francis knows that Christian-Islamic dialogue is not about agreement on matters of faith. Rather, he is talking about the courage to be different and to deal with each other as people of different religions. He is now moving from friendship to institutions, from the atmospheric to the legal. Because living in dialogue also requires political freedom.

by Mario Trifunovic

https://english.katholisch.de/artikel/53269-theologian-john-paul-ii-wanted-to-show-respect-by-kissing-the-koran

Marduk ({{|ˈ|m|ɑr|d|ʊ|k}};[2] cuneiform: 𒀭𒀫𒌓 dAMAR.UTU; Sumerian: amar utu.k "calf of the sun; solar calf"; Hebrew: מְרֹדַךְ, Modern: Murder, Tiberian: [undefined] Error: {{Transliteration}}: no text (help)) is a god from ancient Mesopotamia and patron deity of Babylon who eventually rose to prominence in the 1st millennium BC. In Babylon, Marduk was worshipped in the temple Esagila. His symbol is the spade and he is associated with the Mušḫuššu.[3]

By the 1st millennium BC, Marduk had become astrologically associated with the planet Jupiter. He was a prominent figure in Babylonian cosmology, especially in the Enūma Eliš creation myth.

Name

The name of Marduk was solely spelled as dAMAR.UTU in the Old Babylonian Period, although other spellings such as MES and dŠA.ZU were also in use since the Kassite Period. In the 1st millennium BC, the ideograms dŠU and KU were regularly used.[4] The logogram for Adad is also occasionally used to spell Marduk.[5]

Texts from the Old Babylonian period support the pronunciation Marutu or Marutuk, with the shortened spelling Martuk or Marduk attested starting from the Kassite period. His name in Hebrew, Merodak, supports the longer version,[6] and First Millennium Assyrian and Babylonian texts employ the long spelling when the circumstances call for the precise form of the name.[7] The personal name Martuku is not to be confused with the god Marduk.[8] Marduk was commonly called Bēl (lord) in the First Millennium BC.[9]

The etymology for the name Marduk is generally understood to be derived from damar-utu-(a)k, meaning "bull-calf of Utu".[7] Sommerfield suggests this is used to explain the name Marduk in the Enuma Elish as "He is the 'son of the sun[a]' of the gods, radiant is he."[11] While the name may suggest a relationship with Shamash, Marduk has no genealogy with the sun god.[12] However, Babylon was closely associated with the city of Sippar in this period, which may have been the reason for the name.[13]

History

3rd millennium BC

Marduk, along with the city of Babylon, was unimportant[14] and sparsely attested in the 3rd millennium BC. The earliest mention of Marduk comes from a fragmentary inscription, most likely dating to the Early Dynastic II period (ED II). It is left by an unnamed ruler of the city of BAR.KI.BAR (likely Babylon[15]) who constructed a temple for Marduk.[16] A text from the Fara period (ED IIIa) seems to mention Marduk without the divine determinative, and a fragment of a contemporary god list from Abu Salabikh contains dutu-ama[r], likely Marduk written with reversed sign order.[17] A dubious reference to Marduk from the subsequent Ur III period comes from the possible personal name "Amar-Sin is the star of Marduk",[18] although Johandi suggests that the god Martu who appeared together with Enki and Damgalnuna in the Ur III period could possibly refer instead to the similarly named Marduk who is otherwise missing in Ur III documentation, as Martu is later attested to have a different parentage (Anu and Urash) and Marduk is later considered the son of Enki/Ea.[19] If so, this could be evidence that Marduk was already part of the pantheon of Eridu during the Ur III period.

Old Babylonian period

Main article: Old Babylonian period

During the First Dynasty of Babylon under the king Sumu-la-El, Marduk appeared in oaths and several year names,[20] namely year name 22, which recorded fashioning a throne for Marduk, and year name 24, which recorded making a statue for the goddess Zarpanitum, his spouse.[21] Marduk also started to appear in theophoric names, which would become more frequent in the following decades but would remain rare, appearing in less than 1% of names, although it would grow to 1-2% under Hammurabi.[22] During the reigns of Sabium, Apil-Sin and Sin-muballit, Marduk started to be mentioned outside of the city of Babylon and was invoked alongside local gods in cities subject to the Babylonian kings.[23] Starting from the reign of Hammurabi, sanctuaries to Marduk were found in other cities.[24]

In the Old Babylonian Period, while Marduk is acknowledged to be the ruler of the people,[25] there is no evidence that Hammurabi or his successors promoted Marduk at the expense of other gods.[26] Enlil was still recognized as the highest authority, and Marduk was far from being the pantheon head,[27] instead appearing to be a mediator between the great gods and Hammurabi.[28] This is also expressed in inscriptions from Hammurabi's successor Samsu-iluna, expressing that he receives Enlil's orders through the other gods, such as Ishtar, Zababa, Shamash and of course Marduk.[29]

A key development during the Old Babylonian period was the association of Marduk with the pantheon of Eridu. Marduk was syncretized with Asalluhi in the later half of the Old Babylonian period, and the opening of the Code of Hammurabi identify Ea as the father of Marduk,[30] a genealogy that would remain canonical. God lists from the Old Babylonian period sometimes place him within the circle of Enki.[31] TCL 15 10 lists Asalluhi and Marduk as separate gods, but close together in the list. Lambert suggests that this may be an intrusion by another scribe, and that the editor scribe did so under the belief that Marduk and Asalluhi were the same god.[31] Johandi on the other hand suggests that Marduk and Asalluhi were not seen as the same god, but were viewed to be related to one another.[32] The Nippur God List also lists Asalluhi and Marduk separately, with Marduk appearing seventy names before Asalluhi.[33] In the Weidner god list, however, it appears that Marduk and Asalluhi were viewed as the same god.[34]

According to the Marduk prophecy and inscriptions of Agum II, the statue of Marduk and Zarpanitum were removed from Babylon by Mursili I during his raid on Babylon (middle chronology 1595 BC), which was returned during the reign of Agum II.[35]

Middle Babylonian period

Main article: Middle Babylonian period

In the Kassite period, theophoric names containing Marduk grew to over 10%, and the local temple to Marduk in Nippur was firmly integrated and well established.[26] The Kassite kings sometimes gave Marduk pompous epithets,[26] showing Marduk's growing popularity, however Enlil still ranks as the most important Mesopotamian god, still heading the list along with Anu and Ea. At least five Kassite kings bore theophoric names containing Enlil,[36] and Kassite kings, especially Nazi-Maruttash and Kudur-Enlil, are known to have visited Nippur at the beginning of the year.[37] Kurigalzu calls himself the "regent of Enlil"[38] and Dur-Kurigalzu's temple complex holds temples to Enlil, Ninlil and Ninurta.[39]

There are two administrative documents from Nippur from the reigns of two Kassite kings, perhaps Nazi-Maruttash and Shagarakti-Shuriash, that mention the celebration of the akitu festival connected to Marduk.[40] Another text claims the late Kassite king Adad-shuma-usur embarked on a pilgrimage from Babylon to Borsippa and Kutha, Marduk, Nabu and Nergal respectively.[37] However, there are reasons to doubt the historicity of these texts, especially the alleged journey of Adad-shuma-usur since the trio of Marduk, Nabu and Nergal fit the ideology of the 1st millennium BC.[37] Nonetheless, the texts could be evidence that the rise of Marduk was a gradual process that began before Nebuchadnezzar I.[41] Similarly, in the god list An = Anum the number 50, Enlil's number, was assigned to Marduk instead.[42]

A private document dating to the reign of Ashur-uballit I in Assyria refers to a sanctuary of Marduk in the city of Assur. A gate of Marduk was also attested in Assur in the 13th Century.[43] Similar to the Neo-Assyrian period, Marduk was mentioned to receive offerings and gifts in Assur. In the Coronation text of Tukulti-Ninurta, Marduk even received the same amount of offerings as Ashur.[43] The statue of Marduk was carried off by Tukulti-Ninurta I to Assyria, where it would stay until it was returned. The cult of Marduk in Assyria would remain attested in the Neo-Assyrian period.

Marduk was found in Ugarit in an Akkadian hymn that may have been part of the scribal school curriculum.[44]

During the Kassite period, Nabu, previously the scribe of Marduk, came to be viewed as Marduk's son.[45]

Second dynasty of Isin

By the time of the Babylonian Dynasty of Isin (not to be confused with the Sumerian Dynasty of Isin), an established syncretism of Babylon and Nippur (and by extension Marduk and Enlil) was in place. The names of the city walls were switched, with Imgur-Enlil and Nimit-Enlil in Babylon while Imgur-Marduk and Nimit-Marduk were in Nippur.[46] A first millennium bilingual hymn to Nippur links Babylon and Nippur together:

Nippur is the city of Enlil, Babylon is his favorite. Nippur and Babylon, their meaning is the same.[37]

The ideology of the supremacy of Marduk is generally viewed to have been promoted by Nebuchadnezzar I and his successors. Nebuchadnezzar's second campaign into Elam and the return of the statue of Marduk that was carried off to Elam by either Shutruk-Nahhunte[47] or his son Kutir-Nahhunte[48][49][50] in 1155 BC is thought to be the trigger.[51] However, there are chronological problems regarding the abduction of the statue by the Elamites, as the statue of Marduk abducted by Tukulti-Ninurta I wasn't returned yet by the Assyrians before the Elamites sacked Babylon in 1155 BC. Johnson suggests that Tukulti-Ninurta could have taken a different statue of Marduk while the main cult statue was taken by Kuter-Nahhunte,[52] while Bányai believes that immediately following the return of the statue of Marduk by Ninurta-tukulti-Ashur a second invasion by Kuter-Nahhunte carried off the same statue.[49]

Nonetheless, beginning from the reign of Nebuchadnezzar, acknowledgement of Marduk's supremacy over other gods was now the norm. A kudurru dating to the reign of Nebuchadnezzar claims that Marduk, now the "king of the gods" directly dispatched Nebuchadnezzar and gave him weapons,[47] and in the Epic of Nebuchadnezzar, it is Marduk who commanded the gods to abandon Babylonia.[53] A kudurru from the reign of Enlil-nadin-apli calls Marduk the "king of the gods, the lord of the lands", a title that Enlil traditionally held.[47] Likewise, when Simbar-shipak, the first king of the Second Dynasty of Sealand, made Enlil a replacement throne for the one made by Nebuchadnezzar, in his mind this was actually dedicated to Marduk.[54] Other texts, such as Akkadian prayers and incantations also call Marduk the king of the gods.[55]

1st millennium BC

The earliest copy of the Enuma Elish, the Babylonian epic of creation, was found in the city of Assur and dated to the 9th century,[56] although the text could go back to the Isin II period.[53] Dalley believes that the Enuma Elish may have been composed during the Old Babylonian Period,[57] although other scholars consider it unlikely.[58] The Enuma Elish describes Marduk's ascendance to kingship by defeating Tiamat. In the end, Marduk is proclaimed the ruler, declares Babylon as the city of kingship, received his fifty names (fifty being the number of Enlil), while Enlil is ignored.[59]

In Assyrian sources, most of the mentions of Marduk's power and authority came from the reigns of the Sargonids.[55] Generally, the Neo-Assyrian kings cared for Babylon and the cult of Marduk. Shalmaneser III visited multiple Babylonian sanctuaries, including that of Marduk.[60] Tiglath-pileser III, after conquering Babylonia, participated in the Akitu festival in Babylon,[61] and Sargon II made Babylon his temporary residence while Dur-Sharrukin was under construction and took part in the Akitu.[62][63] Marduk frequently appears in Assyrian royal inscriptions, before the Assyrian kings even gained control over Babylonia.[64] In continuation from the Middle Assyrian times, an actual cult of Marduk seemed to have also existed in the Neo-Assyrian period. The Assyrian Divine Directory mentioned that a shrine to Marduk existed in the temple of Gula in Ashur in the Neo-Assyrian period.[43] Marduk and his son Nabu also shared a sanctuary in Nineveh, although it seemed that Nabu was the main deity in contrast to Marduk.[43]

One exception was Sennacherib, who after a series of revolts and the extradition of the crown prince Assur-nadin-shumi to the Elamites (who then probably killed him), decided to destroy Babylon.[65] The Destruction of Babylon in 689 BCE was, judging from Sennacherib's own accounts, bad by Neo-Assyrian standards.[66] Outside of claiming to have destroyed the temples and the cult statues, there was no explicit mention of the fate of Marduk's statue, although Esarhaddon would later claim that the cult statue was taken from Babylon.[67] Sennacherib followed with what has been called a religious reform, the infrastructure of Assur being refashioned in the model of Babylon's, and the Assyrian edition of the Enuma Elish replaced Marduk with the god Ashur (spelled as Anshar) and Babylon with Assur (spelled as Baltil).[68] Other texts referencing Marduk were also adapted and changed to fit Ashur instead, and a bed and throne dedicated to Marduk were rededicated to Ashur after the furniture was brought from Babylon to Assur.[69] The Marduk Ordeal contained cultic commentaries on the Akitu festival reinterpreted to refer to instead Marduk's punishment.[61][70] However, the more radical reforms were reversed under the reign of his successor Esarhaddon, who also oversaw the reconstruction of Babylon and the eventual return of the statue of Marduk under Šamaš-šuma-ukin. Esarhaddon also crafted a narrative justifying both Sennacherib's destruction and his rebuilding by citing Marduk's divine anger as the cause for Babylon's destruction, who originally decreed for the city to be abandoned for seventy years, but Marduk relented and allowed Esarhaddon to rebuild it.[71][b]

Nabonassar claimed that Marduk proclaimed him lordship and had ordered him to "plunder his enemy's land" (referring to Assyria), who only ruled Babylonia due to divine anger. He claimed that he killed the Assyrian and laid waste to his lands by the command of Marduk and Nabu and with the weapons of Erra,[74] which was the main trio of the First Millennium Babylonian ideology.[37] In literary texts from the Achaemenid and Seleucid eras, Marduk is said to have commissioned Nabonassar to take revenge on the land of Akkad (Babylonia).[75]

In royal inscriptions of the Neo-Babylonian kings, Marduk is exalted as the king of the gods and as the source of their authority, while Enlil is hardly ever mentioned except when in relation to the city of Nippur.[76] In a Late Babylonian god list, all the gods on the list were identified with Marduk. For example, Ninurta was Marduk of the pickaxe, Nabu was Marduk of accounting, Shamash was Marduk of justice and Tishpak was Marduk of the troops.[77] This "syncretistic tendency" is observed in other late texts, where the other gods appear as aspects of Marduk.[78]

Cyrus, justifying his conquest of Babylonia, claimed that Marduk had abandoned Nabonidus who offended Marduk by turning his back on the Esagila in the Cyrus Cylinder.[79] Another anti-Nabonidus text, the Verse Account, explains that Nabonidus favoured Sin over Marduk.[80] Nabonidus' reverence for the moon god may have been because of familial roots to the city of Harran, and later he even revived the religious institutions of Ur, the main sanctuary of Sin.[81]

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Marduk

Baldr (Old Norse also Balder, Baldur) is a god in Germanic mythology. In Norse mythology, he is a son of the god Odin and the goddess Frigg, and has numerous brothers, such as Thor and Váli. In wider Germanic mythology, the god was known in Old English as Bældæġ, and in Old High German as Balder, all ultimately stemming from the Proto-Germanic theonym *Balðraz ('hero' or 'prince').

During the 12th century, Danish accounts by Saxo Grammaticus and other Danish Latin chroniclers recorded a euhemerized account of his story. Compiled in Iceland during the 13th century, but based on older Old Norse poetry, the Poetic Edda and the Prose Edda contain numerous references to the death of Baldr as both a great tragedy to the Æsir and a harbinger of Ragnarök.

According to Gylfaginning, a book of Snorri Sturluson's Prose Edda, Baldr's wife is Nanna and their son is Forseti. Baldr had the greatest ship ever built, Hringhorni, and there is no place more beautiful than his hall, Breidablik.

Name

The Old Norse theonym Baldr ('brave, defiant'; also 'lord, prince') and its various Germanic cognates – including Old English Bældæg and Old High German Balder (or Palter) – probably stems from Proto-Germanic *Balðraz ('Hero, Prince'; cf. Old Norse mann-baldr 'great man', Old English bealdor 'prince, hero'), itself a derivative of *balþaz, meaning 'brave' (cf. Old Norse ballr 'hard, stubborn', Gothic balþa* 'bold, frank', Old English beald 'bold, brave, confident', Old Saxon bald 'valiant, bold', Old High German bald 'brave, courageous').[1][2]

This etymology was originally proposed by Jacob Grimm (1835),[3] who also speculated on a comparison with the Lithuanian báltas ('white', also the name of a light-god) based on the semantic development from 'white' to 'shining' then 'strong'.[1][2] According to linguist Vladimir Orel, this could be linguistically tenable.[2] Philologist Rudolf Simek also argues that the Old English Bældæg should be interpreted as meaning 'shining day', from a Proto-Germanic root *bēl- (cf. Old English bæl, Old Norse bál 'fire')[4] attached to dæg ('day').[5]

Old Norse also shows the usage of the word as an honorific in a few cases, as in baldur î brynju (Sæm. 272b) and herbaldr (Sæm. 218b), in general epithets of heroes. In continental Saxon and Anglo-Saxon tradition, the son of Woden is called not Bealdor but Baldag (Saxon) and Bældæg, Beldeg (Anglo-Saxon), which shows association with "day", possibly with Day personified as a deity. This, as Grimm points out, would agree with the meaning "shining one, white one, a god" derived from the meaning of Baltic baltas, further adducing Slavic Belobog and German Berhta.[6]

Attestations

Merseburg Incantation

One of the two Merseburg Incantations names Balder (in the genitive singular Balderes), but also mentions a figure named Phol, considered to be a byname for Baldr (as in Scandinavian Falr, Fjalarr; (in Saxo) Balderus : Fjallerus). The incantation relates of Phol ende Wotan riding to the woods, where the foot of Baldr's foal is sprained. Sinthgunt (the sister of the sun), Frigg and Odin sing to the foot in order for it to heal.[7] The identification with Balder is not conclusive. Modern scholarship suggests that the god Freyr might be meant.[8]

Poetic Edda

"Mímir and Baldr Consulting the Norns" (1821–1822) by H. E. Freund.

Baldr in an illustration to a Swedish translation of the Elder Edda.

Unlike the Prose Edda, in the Poetic Edda the tale of Baldr's death is referred to rather than recounted at length. Baldr is mentioned in Völuspá, in Lokasenna, and is the subject of the Eddic poem Baldr's Dreams.

Among the visions which the Völva sees and describes in Völuspá is Baldr's death. In stanza 32, the Völva says she saw the fate of Baldr "the bleeding god":

Henry Adams Bellows translation:

I saw for Baldr, | the bleeding god,

The son of Othin, | his destiny set:

Famous and fair | in the lofty fields,

Full grown in strength | the mistletoe stood.[9]

In the next two stanzas, the Völva refers to Baldr's killing, describes the birth of Váli for the slaying of Höðr and the weeping of Frigg:

Stanza 33:

From the branch which seemed | so slender and fair

Came a harmful shaft | that Hoth should hurl;

But the brother of Baldr | was born ere long,

And one night old | fought Othin's son.

Stanza 34:

His hands he washed not, | his hair he combed not,

Till he bore to the bale-blaze | Baldr's foe.

But in Fensalir | did Frigg weep sore

For Valhall's need: | would you know yet more?[9]

In stanza 62 of Völuspá, looking far into the future, the Völva says that Höðr and Baldr will come back, with the union, according to Bellows, being a symbol of the new age of peace:

Then fields unsowed | bear ripened fruit,

All ills grow better, | and Baldr comes back;

Baldr and Hoth dwell | in Hropt's battle-hall,

And the mighty gods: | would you know yet more?[9]

A depiction of Loki quarreling with the gods (1895) by Lorenz Frølich.

Baldr is mentioned in two stanzas of Lokasenna, a poem which describes a flyting between the gods and the god Loki. In the first of the two stanzas, Frigg, Baldr's mother, tells Loki that if she had a son like Baldr, Loki would be killed:

Jackson Crawford translation:

You know, if I had a son

like Balder, sitting here

with me in Aegir's hall,

in the presence of these gods,

I declare you would never come out

alive, you'd be killed shortly.[10]

In the next stanza, Loki responds to Frigg, and says that he is the reason Baldr "will never ride home again":

You must want me

to recount even more

of my mischief, Frigg.

After all, I'm the one

who made it so that Balder

will never ride home again.[10]

"Odin rides to Hel" (1908) by W. G. Collingwood

The Eddic poem Baldr's Dreams opens with the gods holding a council discussing why Baldr had had bad dreams:

Henry Adams Bellows translation:

Once were the gods | together met,

And the goddesses came | and council held,

And the far-famed ones | the truth would find,

Why baleful dreams | to Baldr had come.[9]

Odin then rides to Hel to a Völva's grave and awakens her using magic. The Völva asks Odin, who she does not recognize, who he is, and Odin answers that he is Vegtam ("Wanderer"). Odin asks the Völva for whom are the benches covered in rings and the floor covered in gold. The Völva tells him that in their location mead is brewed for Baldr, and that she spoke unwillingly, so she will speak no more:

Here for Baldr | the mead is brewed,

The shining drink, | and a shield lies o'er it;

But their hope is gone | from the mighty gods.

Unwilling I spake, | and now would be still.[9]

Odin asks the Völva to not be silent and asks her who will kill Baldr. The Völva replies and says that Höðr will kill Baldr, and again says that she spoke unwillingly, and that she will speak no more:

Hoth thither bears | the far-famed branch,

He shall the bane | of Baldr become,

And steal the life | from Othin's son.

Unwilling I spake, | and now would be still.[9]

Odin again asks the Völva to not be silent and asks her who will avenge Baldr's death. The Völva replies that Váli will, when he will be one night old. Once again, she says that she will speak no more:

Rind bears Vali | in Vestrsalir,

And one night old | fights Othin's son;

His hands he shall wash not, | his hair he shall comb not,

Till the slayer of Baldr | he brings to the flames.

Unwilling I spake, | and now would be still.[9]

Odin again asks the Völva to not be silent and says that he seeks to know who the women that will then weep be. The Völva realizes that Vegtam is Odin in disguise. Odin says that the Völva is not a Völva, and that she is the mother of three giants. The Völva tells Odin to ride back home proud, because she will speak to no more men until Loki escapes his bounds.[9]

Prose Edda

Baldr's death is portrayed in this illustration from an 18th-century Icelandic manuscript.

In Gylfaginning, Baldr is described as follows:

Annarr sonr Óðins er Baldr, ok er frá honum gott at segja. Hann er beztr, ok hann lofa allir. Hann er svá fagr álitum ok bjartr, svá at lýsir af honum, ok eitt gras er svá hvítt, at jafnat er til Baldrs brár. Þat er allra grasa hvítast, ok þar eftir máttu marka fegurð hans bæði á hár ok á líki. Hann er vitrastr ásanna ok fegrst talaðr ok líknsamastr, en sú náttúra fylgir honum, at engi má haldast dómr hans. Hann býr þar, sem heitir Breiðablik. Þat er á himni. Í þeim stað má ekki vera óhreint[.][11]

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Baldr

The Norman Conquest of England (or the Conquest) was an 11th-century invasion by an army made up of thousands of Norman, French, Flemish, and Breton troops, all led by the Duke of Normandy, later styled William the Conqueror.

William's claim to the English throne derived from his familial relationship with the childless Anglo-Saxon king Edward the Confessor, who may have encouraged William's hopes for the throne. Edward died in January 1066 and was succeeded by his brother-in-law Harold Godwinson. The Norwegian king Harald Hardrada invaded northern England in September 1066 and was victorious at the Battle of Fulford on 20 September, but Godwinson's army defeated and killed Hardrada at the Battle of Stamford Bridge on 25 September. Three days later on 28 September, William's invasion force of thousands of men and hundreds of ships landed at Pevensey in Sussex in southern England. Harold marched south to oppose him, leaving a significant portion of his army in the north. Harold's army confronted William's invaders on 14 October at the Battle of Hastings. William's force defeated Harold, who was killed in the engagement, and William became king.

Although William's main rivals were gone, he still faced rebellions over the following years and was not secure on the English throne until after 1072. The lands of the resisting English elite were confiscated; some of the elite fled into exile. To control his new kingdom, William granted lands to his followers and built castles commanding military strong points throughout the land. Under his authority, the Domesday Book, a manuscript record of the "Great Survey" of much of England and parts of Wales, was completed by 1086. Other effects of the conquest included the court and government, the introduction of a dialect of French as the language of the elites, and changes in the composition of the upper classes, as William enfeoffed lands to be held directly from the king. More gradual changes affected the agricultural classes and village life: the main change appears to have been the formal elimination of slavery, which may or may not have been linked to the invasion. There was little alteration in the structure of government, as the new Norman administrators took over many of the forms of Anglo-Saxon government.

Origins

13th-century depiction of Rollo (top) and his descendants William I Longsword and Richard I of Normandy

In 911, the Carolingian French ruler Charles the Simple allowed a group of Vikings under their leader Rollo to settle in Normandy as part of the Treaty of Saint-Clair-sur-Epte. In exchange for the land, the Norsemen under Rollo were expected to provide protection along the coast against further Viking invaders.[1] Their settlement proved successful, and the Vikings in the region became known as the "Northmen" from which "Normandy" and "Normans" are derived.[2] The Normans quickly adopted the indigenous culture as they became assimilated by the French, renouncing paganism and converting to Christianity.[3] They adopted the Old French language of their new home and added features from their own Old Norse language, transforming it into the Norman language. They intermarried with the local population[4] and used the territory granted to them as a base to extend the frontiers of the duchy westward, annexing territory including the Bessin, the Cotentin Peninsula and Avranches.[5]

In 1002, English king Æthelred the Unready married Emma of Normandy, the sister of Richard II, Duke of Normandy.[6] Their son Edward the Confessor, who spent many years in exile in Normandy, succeeded to the English throne in 1042.[7] This led to the establishment of a powerful Norman interest in English politics, as Edward drew heavily on his former hosts for support, bringing in Norman courtiers, soldiers, and clerics and appointing them to positions of power, particularly in the Church. Childless and embroiled in conflict with the formidable Godwin, Earl of Wessex, and his sons, Edward may also have encouraged William of Normandy's ambitions for the English throne.[8]

When King Edward died at the beginning of 1066, the lack of a clear heir led to a disputed succession in which several contenders laid claim to the throne of England.[9] Edward's immediate successor was the Earl of Wessex, Harold Godwinson, the richest and most powerful of the English aristocrats. Harold was elected king by the Witenagemot of England and crowned by the Archbishop of York, Ealdred, although Norman propaganda claimed the ceremony was performed by Stigand, the uncanonically elected Archbishop of Canterbury.[9][10] Harold was immediately challenged by two powerful neighbouring rulers. William claimed that he had been promised the throne by King Edward and that Harold had sworn agreement to this;[11] King Harald III of Norway, commonly known as Harald Hardrada, also contested the succession. His claim to the throne was based on an agreement between his predecessor, Magnus the Good, and the earlier English king Harthacnut, whereby if either died without an heir, the other would inherit both England and Norway.[12][a] William and Harald at once set about assembling troops and ships to invade England.[16][b]

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Norman_Conquest

William of Tyre (Latin: Willelmus Tyrensis; c. 1130 – 29 September 1186) was a medieval prelate and chronicler. As archbishop of Tyre, he is sometimes known as William II to distinguish him from his predecessor, William I, the Englishman, a former prior of the Church of the Holy Sepulchre, who was Archbishop of Tyre from 1127 to 1135.[1] He grew up in Jerusalem at the height of the Kingdom of Jerusalem, which had been established in 1099 after the First Crusade, and he spent twenty years studying the liberal arts and canon law in the universities of Europe.

Following William's return to Jerusalem in 1165, King Amalric made him an ambassador to the Byzantine Empire. William became tutor to the king's son, the future King Baldwin IV, whom William discovered to be a leper. After Amalric's death, William became chancellor and archbishop of Tyre, two of the highest offices in the kingdom, and in 1179 William led the eastern delegation to the Third Council of the Lateran. As he was involved in the dynastic struggle that developed during Baldwin IV's reign, his importance waned when a rival faction gained control of royal affairs. He was passed over for the prestigious Patriarchate of Jerusalem, and died in obscurity, probably in 1186.

William wrote an account of the Lateran Council and a history of the Islamic states from the time of Muhammad, neither of which survives. He is famous today as the author of a historical chronicle of the Kingdom of Jerusalem. William composed his chronicle in excellent Latin for his time, with numerous quotations from classical literature. The chronicle is sometimes given the title Historia rerum in partibus transmarinis gestarum ("History of Deeds Done Beyond the Sea") or Historia Ierosolimitana ("History of Jerusalem"), or the Historia for short. It was translated into French soon after his death, and thereafter into numerous other languages. Because it is the only source for the history of twelfth-century Jerusalem written by a native, historians have often assumed that William's statements could be taken at face value. However, more recent historians have shown that William's involvement in the kingdom's political disputes resulted in detectable biases in his account. Despite this, he is considered the greatest chronicler of the crusades, and one of the best authors of the Middle Ages.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/William_of_Tyre

Baldwin IV (1161–1185), known as the Leper King, was the king of Jerusalem from 1174 until his death in 1185. Baldwin ascended to the throne when he was thirteen despite having leprosy. He launched several attempts to curb the increasing power of the ruler of Egypt, Saladin, though much of his life was marked by infighting amongst the kingdom's nobles. Throughout his reign, and especially at the end of his life, he was troubled by his succession, working to select a suitable heir and prevent a succession crisis. Choosing competent advisers, Baldwin ruled a thriving crusader state, protecting it from Saladin.

Baldwin's parents, King Amalric and Agnes of Courtenay, separated when Baldwin was two. At nine years old, he was sent to be educated by Archbishop William of Tyre. William noticed preliminary symptoms of leprosy, but Baldwin was only diagnosed after he succeeded his father as king. Thereafter, his hands and face became increasingly disfigured. He mastered horse riding despite gradually losing sensation in his extremities and fought in battles until his last years. First, Miles of Plancy ruled the kingdom in Baldwin's name, then Count Raymond III of Tripoli took over until the king reached the age of majority in 1176. Baldwin's mother then returned to court, and he became closer to her and her brother, Joscelin.

As soon as he assumed government, Baldwin planned an invasion of Egypt, which fell through because of his vassals' uncooperativeness. Leprosy prevented Baldwin from marrying; he hoped to abdicate when his older sister, Sibylla, married William of Montferrat in 1176, but William died the next year. Saladin attacked Baldwin's kingdom in 1177, but the king and the nobleman Raynald of Châtillon repelled him at Montgisard, earning Baldwin fame. In 1180, to forestall a coup by Count Raymond III of Tripoli and Prince Bohemond III of Antioch, Baldwin had Sibylla marry Guy of Lusignan. However, Guy was opposed by a large fraction of the nobility, and soon permanently impaired his relationship with Baldwin through his insubordination. Although Baldwin wished to abdicate, the internal discord that followed forced him to remain on the throne, as only he was capable of uniting the quarreling nobility.

Baldwin again repelled Saladin in 1182 at the Battle of Le Forbelet, but leprosy rendered him near-incapable in 1183. After Guy's failure to lead, Baldwin disinherited him and had Sibylla's son, Baldwin V, crowned co-king before travelling in a litter to lift Saladin's Siege of Kerak. Because of their refusal to attend court, Baldwin failed to have Sibylla's marriage to Guy annulled and Guy's fief of Ascalon confiscated. In early 1185, he arranged for Raymond to rule as regent for Sibylla's son, dying of a fever before 16 May 1185. Two years after his death, his realm was destroyed by Saladin at the Battle of Hattin.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Baldwin_IV_of_Jerusalem

Order of Assassins and the establishment of Knights Templar

by Mehmet Hasan Bulut

Jan 26, 2022 - 2:14 pm GMT+3

An illustration of the Knights Templar. (Shutterstock)

The Catholic military order of the Knights Templar was actually founded in Jerusalem in 1118 as an equivalent to Hassan-i Sabbah’s Order of Assassins. From their ranks to clothing and rituals, the Templars were inspired and influenced by this sect of the Nizari Ismailis

After the death of the Prophet Muhammad, the Islamic state grew rapidly during the reign of the first two caliphs. Egypt, Palestine, Syria, Mesopotamia and Iran were conquered. The power and spread of the state in such a short time brought major disruptions and instigations with it.

A miniature depicts people swearing allegiance to Caliph Ali following the murder of Uthman. (Wikimedai)

In the early days of Islam, a group of men brought from Egypt by a Yemenite Jew named Abdullah ibn Saba', who posed as a Muslim, killed the son-in-law of the Prophet Muhammad and the third caliph, Uthman ibn Affan. The unrest that broke out after the death of the caliph continued during the life of the prophet's other son-in-law and the fourth caliph Ali ibn Abi Talib. Among the friends of the prophet, namely his companions, the issue of punishing the murderers of Uthman caused stark differences of opinion. The problem grew and caused the companions to fight among themselves. Those who sided with Ali in the war were called Shia (supporters).

Abdullah ibn Saba', who played a major role in the outbreak of the war, attributed divinity to Ali. Caliph Ali wanted to have this man executed, but he was afraid of the growing instigation and sent him into exile. However, Abdullah ibn Saba' did not remain docile in his travels. He began saying that the three caliphs before Ali usurped his right to the caliphate. He fabricated hadiths in this direction and distanced the Shia people from the Sunni branch and laid the foundations of Shiism, which is similar to Catholicism in Christianity.

Ismailism

Shiism was divided itself into various sects over time. Those who accepted Ismail, one of the grandchildren of Ali, as imam, took the name Ismaili. The Ismailis established the Fatimid State, with its center in Cairo. Their states spread to North Africa, Sicily and Arabia. After the eighth caliph of the Fatimids, the Ismailis split into two branches. Some supported the caliph's eldest son Nizar, and became known as Nizari.

Ismailis believe the Quran has two layers of meaning as an apparent (zahir) and a hidden (batıni) meaning. (Sabah File Photo)

Among the Ismailis, the Jewish ophthalmologist Maymun al-Qaddah, who followed the footsteps of Abdullah ibn Saba', founded Batiniyya. Batiniyya was a Hermetic belief system that is similar to the Kabbalah of the Jews and was formed by blending the philosophy of Ancient Egypt and Plato with religions such as Zoroastrianism and Manichaeism.

Batinis said that the Quran has an apparent (zahir) and a hidden (batıni) meaning. The apparent meaning, namely prayer, fasting, zakat, etc., is not important, but rather symbolic. The main thing is the hidden meaning, which not everyone can understand. Those who spread this belief were called “Dai.”

Hassan-i Sabbah

One of the Ismailis who supported Nizar was Hassan-i Sabbah. Hassan, the son of a Shiite imam, was a Batini missionary, that is, a dai. He went to Egypt in 1076 and studied there. When he returned to Iran, he started his missionary work under the name of “ad-Da'watu'l-Jadidah,” that is, “New Propaganda.”

An illustratıon of Hassan-i Sabbah and his soldiers. (Sabah File Photo)

Hassan, together with the men he gathered as a result of his work, captured the Alamut fortress in Daylam, where Zoroastrianism was dominant in Iran, in 1090 and made it a base. He classified his men and established a new organization. He declared himself as "Sheikh-ul-Jebel" ("Old Man of the Mountain"). He called those who propagated their faith “dai,” like the Ismailis, and named his men, whom he would use as terrorists, as “fedai", or also commonly known as the "fedayeen."

Hassan-i Sabbah exploited his fedais, whom were later known as “Hashashins” in Europe as they used hashish, by promising paradise to them. According to the narration of the Venetian traveler Marco Polo, Hassan had a fake paradise built in a valley of beautiful gardens for this reason.

The Hashashins, who would later be called the Assassins, organized assassinations against the Sunni state leaders who opposed the Batiniyya propaganda. Especially the Seljuk Turks became their worst enemy, epitomized by their famous killings of Seljuk leaders such as vizier Nizam al-Mülk.

https://www.dailysabah.com/arts/order-of-assassins-and-the-establishment-of-knights-templar/news

The Islamic State (IS),[a][b] is a transnational Salafi jihadist group and unrecognized quasi-state. It is designated as a terrorist organisation by the United Nations and many countries around the world, including Muslim countries.[162]

IS gained global prominence in 2014, when its militants conquered large territories in northwestern Iraq and eastern Syria, taking advantage of the ongoing civil war in Syria and the disintegrating local military forces of Iraq. By the end of 2015, its self-declared caliphate ruled an area with a population of about 12 million,[117][118][163] where they enforced their extremist interpretation of Islamic law, managed an annual budget exceeding US$1 billion, and commanded more than 30,000 fighters.[164] After a grinding conflict with American, Iraqi, and Kurdish forces, IS lost control of all its Middle Eastern territories by 2019, subsequently reverting to insurgency from remote hideouts while continuing its propaganda efforts. These efforts have garnered a significant following in northern and Sahelian Africa,[165][166] where IS still controls a significant territory.[167][168]

Originating in the Jaish al-Ta'ifa al-Mansurah founded by Abu Omar al-Baghdadi in 2004, the organisation (primarily under the Islamic State of Iraq name) affiliated itself with al-Qaeda in Iraq and fought alongside them during the 2003–2006 phase of the Iraqi insurgency. The group later changed their name to Islamic State of Iraq and Levant for about a year,[169][170] before declaring itself to be a worldwide caliphate,[171][172] called simply the Islamic State (الدولة الإسلامية, ad-Dawlah al-Islāmiyya).[173]

As a caliphate, IS demanded the religious, political, and military obedience of Muslims worldwide,[174] despite the rejection of its legitimacy by mainstream Muslims and its statehood by the United Nations and most governments.[175] During its rule in Syria and Iraq, the group "became notorious for its brutality".[173] Under its rule of these regions, IS launched genocides against Yazidis and Iraqi Turkmen; engaged in persecution of Christians, Shia Muslims, and Mandaeans; publicised videos of beheadings of soldiers, journalists, and aid workers; and destroyed several cultural sites. The group has perpetrated terrorist massacres in territories outside of its control, such as the November 2015 Paris attacks, the 2024 Kerman bombings in Iran, and the 2024 Crocus City Hall attack in Russia. Lone wolf attacks inspired by the group have also taken place.

After 2015, the Iraqi Armed Forces and the Syrian Democratic Forces pushed back IS and degraded its financial and military infrastructure,[176] assisted by advisors, weapons, training, supplies, and airstrikes by the American-led coalition,[177] and later by Russian airstrikes, bombings, cruise missile attacks, and scorched-earth tactics across Syria, which focused mostly on razing Syrian opposition strongholds rather than IS bases.[178] By March 2019, IS lost the last of its territories in West Asia, although its affiliates maintained a significant territorial presence in Africa as of 2024.[167][168]

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Islamic_State

Ignatius of Loyola: Apostle to the Muslims

Posted on: 26th July 2016 |Author: Damian Howard SJ

Category: The Jesuits

Tags: Feast of St Ignatius, Ignatius, Islam, interreligious, Jesuit history

To educate the youth of Europe? To fight the spread of Protestantism? While many people would guess that one or both of these ambitions drove Ignatius of Loyola to found the Jesuits, he actually had something else in mind: a mission to the Muslim world. For the feast of St Ignatius, Damian Howard SJ considers how ‘Islam haunted Ignatius’s understanding of his calling’ and celebrates the fruitful work of the many Jesuits who have tried to realise Ignatius’s vision in their engagement with Muslims.

Ask the average Catholic why St Ignatius of Loyola founded the Society of Jesus and they will likely say one of two things. First, remembering the Jesuits as bastions of the Counter-Reformation they might assume that Ignatius, militant Catholic that he was, had set out with a dream of a new religious order capable of defeating Protestantism. But whilst it was the case that the Jesuits would be active in efforts to reform the Catholic Church from within and to take on the growing power of Protestant theology and culture as it spread across Europe, this was never Ignatius’s underlying vision. Second, they might suppose that Ignatius had planned from the start a vast network of new schools which would revolutionise education throughout the continent. It’s true that this is indeed what Jesuit schools ended up doing, earning the order’s members the epithet of the ‘schoolmasters of Europe’, but this huge and innovative project came about as the result of a proposal made to Ignatius after he had already become Superior General of the new order; it was never education per se that he saw as its prime mission.

So the following claim may be unexpected: Ignatius’s original apostolic orientation was actually defined in relation to the Muslim world.

This shouldn’t be entirely surprising given the state of Europe at that time in history. Ignatius was born in the Basque country in 1491. Just one year later, the Reconquista reached its conclusion with the Catholic Kings finally ousting the last Muslim rulers from their vestigial Andalusian states, giving Christian princes possession of the whole Iberian Peninsula. The year 1492 was also notable for another major geopolitical event involving Spain: the European discovery of the New World. It was all but impossible to avoid the thought that America was the reward for Spanish triumph against the Moors. Now, the energy which had propelled the Spanish conquest of the Iberian Peninsula would be released outwards; the colonial age of conquest and exploitation was dawning for a new Catholic Spain and it was to be a golden age for Spanish Catholicism. We may rightly harbour ambiguous feelings about this aggressively Christian state but this was a moment when Spanish Catholics must have felt like masters of the world.

https://www.thinkingfaith.org/articles/ignatius-loyola-apostle-muslims

Kike, (pronounced "kee-kay"), also spelled Kiké or Quique, is a Spanish masculine given name, often as a diminutive of Enrique. It is unrelated to the differently pronounced anti-Semitic slur.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kike_(given_name)

Although in the first 30 years of the existence of the Society of Jesus there were many Jesuits who were conversos (Catholic-convert Jews and Muslims and their descendants), an anti-converso faction led to the Decree de genere (1593) which proclaimed that either Jewish or Muslim ancestry, no matter how distant, was an insurmountable impediment for admission to the Society of Jesus.[191] This new rule was contrary to the original wishes of Ignatius who "said that he would take it as a special grace from our Lord to come from Jewish lineage".[192] The 16th-century Decree de genere was repealed in 1946.[b] Bylaws requiring "blood purity" became common across Early Modern Spain and Portugal.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jesuits

Al-Andalus[a] (Arabic: الأَنْدَلُس) was the Muslim-ruled area of the Iberian Peninsula. The term is used by modern historians for the former Islamic states in modern Spain, Portugal[1] and France. The name describes the different Muslim[2][3] states that controlled these territories at various times between 711 and 1492. At its greatest geographical extent, it occupied most of the peninsula[4][5][6] and part of present-day southern France (Septimania) under Umayyad rule. These boundaries changed constantly through a series of conquests Western historiography has traditionally characterized as the Reconquista,[2][3][7][8][9] eventually shrinking to the south and finally to the Emirate of Granada.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Al-Andalus

1236

June 29 – Siege of Córdoba: Castilian forces under King Ferdinand III (the Saint) capture Muslim Córdoba from Emir Ibn Hud, as part of the Reconquista of the Iberian Peninsula.[2]

July – At a diet (princely convention) in Piacenza, Emperor Frederick II proclaims his wish to recover all Italy for the Holy Roman Empire.[3]

Pope Gregory IX condemned the links that both the Knights Templer and Knights Hospitaller have with the Assassin fighters in the Middle East. He issues a bull, a formal proclamation issued by the pope, preventing further contact with the Assassins.

May 6 – Roger of Wendover, English Benedictine monk and chronicler, dies at St. Albans Abbey. His chronicle is continued by Matthew of Paris.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/1236

Atheism: resisting it with all our forces is a special mission given to the Society by the supreme pontiff, 253 2°; a mission which should permeate all forms of our apostolate, 254; our efforts are to be directed toward nonbelievers, ibid.; toward that end, an experience of God must be fostered in ourselves, 223 §§3-4, 224, 247

1° 2° 3° 6°;

and also in others, by means of the Spiritual Exercises, 271

The Constitutions of The Society of Jesus and Their Complimentary Norms

A Complete English Translation of the Official Latin Texts

THE INSTITUTE OF JESUIT SOURCES

SAINT LOUIS, 1996

https://web.archive.org/web/20200211182223/https://jesuitas.lat/uploads/the-constitutions-of-the-society-of-jesus-and-their-complementary-norms/Constitutions%20and%20Norms%20SJ%20ingls.pdf

The idea of uniting the Templars with the Hospitallers was first argued publicly in a book published in 1305 by Raimon Llull, a renowned illuminatus from Majorca. Llull’s book, Libre de Fine, (“Free At Last”) appeared in the midst of a raging controversy between the French monarchy and the Roman papacy over who held jurisdiction over the Templars. That is the subject of our next chapter.

Rulers of Evil

by F. Tupper Saussy

https://dn790006.ca.archive.org/0/items/rulers-of-evil-f.-tupper-saussy/Rulers%20of%20Evil%20-%20F.%20Tupper%20Saussy.pdf

CHAPTER 1

INTRODUCTION AND HISTORICAL BACKGROUND

The alumbrados of Castile were a movement that caused much trouble during the first three decades of the sixteenth century. Their ideas were represented by the “Big Three” beatas who, under noble patronage, for at least a decade previous to the arrest in 1524 of the “mother” of the movement (Isabel de la Cruz) had successfully proselytized and spread their ideas throughout Old and New Castile.1

The alumbrados certainly were a charismatic bunch; they enjoyed success with the elites of Castilian society, comuneros, but above all with women and conversos. As a religious movement led by women the alumbrados were part of a growing trend of individual, charismatic female piety. By the time of Cardinal Cisneros’s death in 1517, however, the era of the alumbrados and their grassroots converso spirituality was nearing its end. While the actual heyday of their movement was short-lived the alumbrados made a huge impact upon the minds Prospering in the environment of Catholic spiritual exploration fostered by the personal theological interests of the Archbishop of Toledo Cardinal Ximenez de Cisneros the alumbrados presented an interiorized approach to Christianity. Equipped with the meditational practice of dejamiento the alumbrados stressed the importance of an individual, pseudo-mystical “abandonment” to God and His will. They also emphasized the insignificance of external rituals and works, calling them ataduras or “shackles” to the material world, ties that only served to hinder one’s abandonment to God.

of the Inquisitors who prosecuted them and upon the Spanish religious imagination, an impact that would last across seas and time."

EL SABOR DE HEREJIA: THE EDICT OF 1525, THE ALUMBRADOS

AND THE INQUISITORS’ USAGE OF LOCURA

JAVIER A. MONTOYA

http://etd.fcla.edu/UF/UFE0041385/montoya_j.pdf

Alumbrado, (Spanish: “Enlightened”, ) Italian Illuminato, plural Illuminati, a follower of a mystical movement in Spain during the 16th and 17th centuries. Its adherents claimed that the human soul, having attained a certain degree of perfection, was permitted a vision of the divine and entered into direct communication with the Holy Spirit. From this state the soul could neither advance nor retrogress. Consequently, participation in the liturgy, good works, and observance of the exterior forms of religious life were unnecessary for those who had received the “light.” The Alumbrados came primarily from among the reformed Franciscans and the Jesuits, but their doctrines seem to have influenced all classes of people. The extravagant claims made for their visions and revelations caused them to be relentlessly persecuted. The Inquisition issued edicts against them on three occasions (1568, 1574, and 1623)."

https://www.britannica.com/event/Alumbrado

Etymology

Learned borrowing from Pali Buddha (“the Awakened One, the Enlightened One”), from buddha (“awakened, enlightened”), from Sanskrit बुद्ध (buddha, “awakened, enlightened”), past participle of बोधति (bodhati, “to wake, to awaken”). Distantly related to English bid and bede. Also cognate with Russian будить (buditʹ, “to wake up”)."

https://en.wiktionary.org/wiki/Buddha

Gautama

surname of the Buddha, from Sanskrit Gotamah, properly a patronymic, literally "descendant of the greatest ox," from superlative of gauh "ox, bull, cow."

https://www.etymonline.com/word/buddha

Unam Sanctam

One God, One Faith, One Spiritual Authority

Pope Boniface VIII - 1302

Bull of Pope Boniface VIII promulgated November 18, 1302

https://www.papalencyclicals.net/bon08/b8unam.htm

[In the year 1110, a mysterious order called the Prieuré de Sion appeared upon the Temple Mount in Jerusalem. This mysterious secret order, the Prieuré de Sion, was eventually to crown the first king, the first Christian king of Jerusalem. When they appeared in the Temple Mount in 1110, they recruited nine knights to comb, to scour the Temple Mount, the passages and caverns and tunnels beneath for the ancient remains of the relics of their religion.]

Later in A.D. 1118, nine knights, [supposedly] concerned for the welfare of pilgrims to the Holy Land, bound themselves together in the creation of a knightly Order. [This order, again existing of nine knights, just like the original nine knights, were commissioned by the Prieuré de Sion.] In under two hundred years [folks] this organization had become one of the most powerful single entities—if not the greatest—[power ever to exist] in Europe. [They were the first international bankers. The first that ever existed in the world.] A few years later it was utterly destroyed. [They say, however, as you're going to find out, they were not destroyed at all, but merely driven underground.] The zeal of religion, the conditioning which made men support a dedicated cause with all of their might, was likewise the instrument of their destruction. Nothing less than religious fervor could have smashed the Order: as nothing less could have created it.

[And folks, you're going to find it difficult to believe, but the rise of this order and destruction, at least publically, of this order has such a great bearing on events today that you could say that everything that has happened since has been brought about by this one series of acts.]

Were the Knights Templar devil-worshippers, secret Saracens indulging in obscene orgies? Did they adore a head, spit on the Cross, use the word, 'Yallah' [which means literally in Arabic,] (O Allah!) in their rituals? Did they learn their ways from the terrible sect of the Assassins?

[Well, yes folks, they did. And they are the link—at least, in that day, would have been considered the modern link—between the ancient Mystery Religion of Babylon and Europe. For the religion had come to Europe long, long before the Templars ever emerged, and made their appearance in the ancient worship of the sun by the Druids and the Celts, and the tribes, the Germanic tribes who had made their way thousands of years ago from the Middle East up through Asia, and across Russia and into Europe. They brought Mystery Babylon with them, and practiced it as what we now know of today as the pagan religion. And Stonehenge is actually an ancient Babylonian temple of the sun. And you will find how all this connects later.]

[But the origin of this was lost, and the ability to control large numbers of people, by the use of the hidden knowledge of the ages, was lost. It wasn't until the Knights Templar bought [sic] and brought the Mystery Religion of Babylon to Europe, that the ancient, ancient worship of the sun again took hold. Amongst the Christian countries, in the guise of Christianity, which was itself at that time—I'm not talking about the teachings of Christ now, I'm talking about the perversion of the teachings of Christ—the melding of the teachings of Christ with the ancient worship of the sun, the Mystery Religion of Babylon which became the Catholic church was indeed another branch of the ancient Mystery Religion of Babylon. And some of you out there may be confused from all of this.]

[If you've been listening from the beginning of this series, then you're right on target; you're not confused, you know exactly what I'm talking about. If you picked up this series somewhere in the middle, then you need to call Stan and order the studio quality tapes. They're in stereo, they're on TDK tapes, first-quality tapes and crystal clear. You need to order this series from the first tape, the very first, and that was broadcast on February the 12th, I believe, a Friday. But anyway, Stan will know. Give him a call at (602) 567-6109. That's (602) 567-6109 or write to Stan and ask him for an information packet at P.O. Box 889, Camp Verde, Arizona, 86322. That's P.O. Box 889, Camp Verde, Arizona, 86322.]

[Now, folks,] the original objective of the Order [of the Temple—Knights Templar], which immediately because the subject of applause throughout Christendom, was to combine the two functions of monk and knight, to live chastely and fight the Saracents with the sword and spirit. The Sweet Mother of God [at least outwardly they say] was chosen as their patroness; and they bound themselves to live in accordance with the rules of St. Augustine, electing as the their first leader Hugh de Payens. [Now] King Baldwin II granted him a part of his palace to live in and gave them a grant toward its upkeep. [Now the part of the palace they lived in was an ancient mosque, which was built upon the actual location of the old Temple of Solomon, on the Temple Mount in Jerusalem.]

[The Knights Templar] vowed to consecrate their swords, arms, strength and lives to the defense of the mysteries of the Christian faith; to pay complete and utter obedience to the orders of the Grand Master; to fight whenever commanded, regardless of perils, for the faith of Christ as they understood it. Among the vows taken which were forbade their yielding even a foot of land to the enemy [whoever the enemy was] and not to retreat, even if attacked in the proportion of three to one. They choose the name militia temple—Soldiers of the Temple—after the temple supposedly built by Solomon in Jerusalem, near which they had been assigned quarters by the King. [But in reality had nothing to do with the Temple of Solomon.]

Some say that the Templars derived their idea of their Order from that of the Hospitallars, who looked after Catholic pilgrims to Palestine; for there was little hospitality to be had from the native Orthodox Christians of those parts. Others hold that there was an even older Order from which they received their inspiration. No reliable evidence is, at this point however, available. [According to the "establishment" historians, although for those who really, really research the true history of the secret orders, and specifically the Knights Templars, there's a direct connection to the Assassins and the Roshaniya.]

Although the Templars were so poor than two men had to share a horse [they say, but that is not true at all] (and their Seal commemorated this decades after they became one of the richest communities of their time), they soon attracted favorable notice and support. [Now, the two knights riding a horse was a symbol of sacrifice. It denoted their vows of poverty. In truth, each knight now only had a horse, but he had what they called a yeoman. He had a spare horse, he had a pack horse, and he had several horses in reserve, and a whole train of servants. But the Knights Templar were the first true—as we know it in modern times, in modern times there were others before, but they were the first true in modern times—and by modern, 112 I'd say, from the time that Europe escaped from the old tribal of paganism. In other words in 1110, I consider that to be beginning of the modern age. Although historians may disagree with me, it's the beginning of everything that has happened since, and everything that's happening today can be traced right to the door of the Knights Templar, and that's why I say that. They were the first modern order to practice what we now know as true Communism. They were the ones who brought international Socialism into Europe, which has always been the tenet and the creed of the Mystery Religion of Babylon.] Only one year after their establishment, Fulk, Count of Anjou, who had come to Jerusalem on a pilgrimage, joined as a married member and gave them an annual grant of thirty pounds of silver. This example was soon followed by other devout Western princes.

For the first nine years of their existence, the knights continued to live a life of chastity and poverty in accordance with their vows. They adopted a striped black and white banner, called the Beauséant, after their original piebald horse; and this word also became their battle-cry. Special raiment they had none, and they wore whatever clothes were given to them by the pious. But little by little, as one writer puts it, they were to become “haughty and insolent”.

[And the black and white banner, the translation of the meaning of which was for the, again, exoteric, for the real meaning of the black and white banner was the meaning of the androgynous god, the positive and the negative, the black and the white, the yin and the yang, the male and the female combined into one, and that was the real meaning of the black and white banner. And it's carried forth today on the floor of many of the temples of Freemasonry where the black and white checkered pattern exists, and in one famous cathedral in Europe built by the Knights Templar. They disguised their esoteric religion in an exoteric manner that would be accepted by Christianity.]

Baldwin of Jerusalem, who had been a prisoner in the hands of the Saracens and knew of their disunity, realized at about this time that Islam must eventually unite against the Christian invasion, and the decided that the Templars who prove ideal allies in the battles which were to come. In 1127, therefore, he sent two Templars with his strong recommendation to the Pope, applying for official recognition of the Order by the Holy See. [And this is the first time that the Templars even were considered to be close to the center of religion, the Christian religion in that day, the Catholic church, the Pope. For they were not commissioned as a Christian order; they were not commissioned by the Pope or by the church, and this is a big myth that the Knights Templar started out to protect the church and to protect the pilgrims on their way to Jerusalem. They were established first, primarily, and foremost as a branch of the ancient order of the Religion of Mystery Babylon. And it's indicative of the strategies that they've used since to endear themselves to whatever the established power, or the beliefs of the majority of the people might be.]

[When they went to see the Pope,] they had an introduction to St. Bernard himself, the Abbot of Clairvaux, who was known to be admirer of theirs, and who was a nephew of one of their envoys. Then the Grand Master himself arrived in Europe, and received the eulogistic opinion of the Abbot: “They go not headlong into battle, but with care and foresight, peacefully, as true children of Israel. But as soon as the fight had begun, they rush without delay upon the foe . . . and know no fear . . . one has often put to flight a thousand; two, ten thousand . . . gentler than lambs and grimmer than lions; theirs is the mildness of monks and the valor of the knight.” [Now folks, this was a strong recommendation, and this testimonial was part of the campaign of the Templars in their efforts at recognition of the Pope. All of you who have thought that they began as a religious order in the first place are so way off base that it's pathetic. And neither were the Jesuits a religious order in the first place, but we'll get that together in another broadcast.] [But] on the 31st [of] January [in the year] 1128, the Master appeared before the Council of Troyes. This formidable body consisted of the Archbishops of Rheims and Sens, ten bishops and a number of abbots—including St. Bernard himself - presided over by the Cardinal of Albano, the Papal legate. They were approved; and Pope Honorius chose for them a white mantle, completely plain. The red cross was added by order of Pope Eugenius III in 1146. [And see, you thought the Templars thought of this. Nope not at all. This was mandated by two Popes: first, the white mantle, completely plain; and then later the red cross was added by Pope Eugenius III in 1146.]

Hugh de Payens now took his delegation through France and England, and collected a number of recruits. Gifts and grants were showered upon the Order; lands, rents and arms were forthcoming from all quarters. Richard I of England was enthusiastic about them. By 1133, King Alfonso of Aragon and Naverre, who had fought the Spanish Moors in twenty-nine 113 battles, had willed his country to them; although when the Moors finally laid him low his nobles prevented the Templars from claiming their rights. [Nevertheless, this was of great honor. In fact, to my knowledge and to our research into history, it never had before been done.]

In 1129 the Master, accompanied by three hundred knights, recruited from the noblest houses of Europe, led a huge train of pilgrims to the Holy Land. It was at this time that the Templars formed part of the Christian contingent which, allied with the Assassins, tried to take Damascus. [And it wasn't the first time nor the last that the Christian Knights Templar, or supposedly Christian Knights Templar (they really weren't Christian at all) were allied with the Assassins.] Were they (as the Orientalist von Hammer alleges)109 connected in some secret way with the Assassins? [Yes, our research shows that it is a historical fact. And it is also a historical fact that the Assassins were prepared to adopt Christianity if they could gain greater power thereby (Christianity, that is, on the surface, just as the Knights Templar had done)]. Hammer points to the similarities of the two organizations. The followers of Hasan Ibn Sabah were in contact with the Templars, and had a similar method of organization. They were in existence before the Templars were formed: “The Ismailians ([or] Assassins) was the original, and [folks] the Order of the Templars, [was] the copy.”

The balance of Western opinion is against this contention; more particularly because, one feels from wide reading of historians, great sympathy is felt for the cruelly treated and a arbitrarily dispossessed Templars. Thus Keightley, who made a close study of the Order those who would claim that the Templars were an Assassin branch [but, when you do research into the (laughs) associations and memberships of Keightley, you'll find that Keightley was himself a Knight Templar. And he said:]

“When, nearly thirty years after their institution, the Pope gave them permission to wear a cross on their mantle, like the rival Hospitaller Order, no color could present itself to well suited to those who daily and hourly exposed themselves to martyrdom as that of blood, in which there was so much of what was symbolical. With respect to internal organization it will, we apprehend, be always found that this is for the most part of the growth of time and the product of circumstances; and it always nearly the same where these last are similar.”110

[And you find this kind of rhetoric, semantics, all throughout the writings of those who wish to cover the true origin and the true meaning of Mystery Babylon.]

The famous question of the three thousand gold pieces paid by the Syrian branch of the Assassins to the Templars is another matter which has [of course] never been settled. One opinion holds that this money was given as a tribute to the Christians; the other, that it was a secret allowance from the larger to the small organization. [Which it really was as the Assassins wished to expand their control and remember their original goal was to take over the entire world by the systematic infiltration and control of each individual country.] Those who think that the Assassins were fanatical Moslems, and therefore would not form any alliance with those who to them were infidels, should be reminded that to the followers of the Old Man of the Mountains only he was right, and the Saracens who were fighting the Holy War for Allah against the Crusaders were as bad as anyone else who did not accept the Assassin doctrine.

[And it is true today: “If you are not one of us, you are nothing.” “The ends justify the means.” “The strength of our Order exists in the fact that we manifest ourselves under many different names and many different occupations, and sometimes even seem to oppose ourselves. But at the highest level, we are of one mind."

And I could go on, and on (laughs), and on, and you all know that I could go on and on and on. For I have studied this for so many years that I eat, drink and sleep it. Oh yes.]

[Well, eventually] grave charges against the Templars during the Crusades included the allegation that they were fighting for themselves alone. More than one historical incident bears this out. The Christians had besieged the town of Ascalon in 1153, and were engaged upon burning down the walls with large piles of inflammable materials. Part of the wall fell after a whole night of this burning. The Christian army was about to enter, when the Master of the Temple (Bernard de Tremelai)

109 Chevalier Joseph von Hammer, The History of the Assassins: Derived from Oriental sources, 1835

110 Thomas Keightley, Secret Societies of the Middle Ages, 1837

claimed the right to take the town himself. This was because the first contingent into a conquered town had the whole spoils. As it happened, the garrison rallied and killed the Templars, closing the breach. There seem good grounds for believing that the power which they had gained caused the Templars to devote their efforts as much to their own Order's welfare as to the cause of the Cross, in spite of their tremendous sacrifices for that cause. Having no loyalty to any territorial chief, they obeyed their Master alone, and hence no softening political pressure could be put upon them. [Well,] this might well have led to an idea that they were an invisible super-state [and that is exactly the fact]; and this does show some similarity with the invisible empire of the Assassins. If none can deny their bravery, their high-handedness and exclusivity, in less than a hundred and fifty years after their founding gave them the reputation of considering themselves almost a law unto themselves.

[No longer reading] And now, dear listeners, we get into the meat, the direct connection between the historical events and the events that are happening today. Don't miss even one episode of this series. Good night, and may God bless each and every one of you.

(Outro music: Stardust)111

The Templars and the Assassins (aired March 2nd, 1993)

https://viefag.files.wordpress.com/2011/08/transcripts-of-william-cooper-s-mystery-babylon-series.pdf

U.S. Department of Labor

Friday, November 28, 2025 at 4:43PM

The fight for Western Civilization has begun—and Americanism will Prevail.

https://www.facebook.com/departmentoflabor/posts/pfbid02xCjL5Qh84cox3waa3XhDeVApZMR7RytDqSp6uftsr8udFR6uLvpxzcb4vBcrWyfWl

Americanism was, in the years around 1900, a political and religious outlook attributed to some American Catholics and denounced as heresy by the Holy See.

In the 1890s, European "continental conservative" clerics detected signs of modernism or classical liberalism, which Pope Pius IX had condemned in the Syllabus of Errors in 1864, among the beliefs and teachings of many members of the American Catholic hierarchy, who denied the charges.[1] Pope Leo XIII wrote against these ideas in a letter to Cardinal James Gibbons, published as Testem benevolentiae nostrae.

The long-term result was that the Irish Catholics who largely controlled the Catholic Church in the United States increasingly demonstrated loyalty to the pope, and suppressed traces of liberal thought in Catholic colleges. At bottom, the conflict was cultural, as conservative American Catholics from continental Europe, angered at the heavy attacks on the Catholic Church in Germany, France and other countries, sought to weaken individualist attitudes among American Catholics.[2]

In Europe

During the French Third Republic, which began in 1870, the power and influence of French Catholicism steadily declined. The French government passed laws bearing more and more stringently on the Catholic church, and the majority of French citizens did not object. Indeed, they began to look toward legislators and not to the clergy for guidance.[3]

Observing this, and encouraged by the action of Pope Leo XIII, who in 1892 called on French Catholics to accept the Republic, several young French priests set themselves to stop the decline in church power. They determined that because the church was predominantly sympathetic to the monarchists and hostile to the Republic, and because it held itself aloof from modern philosophies and practices, people had turned away from it. Some progressive priests believed that the church had not adapted to modern needs. They began a domestic apostolate which had for one of its rallying cries, "Allons au peuple" ("Let us go to the people"). They agitated for social and philanthropic projects, for closer contacts between priests and parishioners, and for general cultivation of personal initiative, both in clergy and in laity. They looked for inspiration to America, where they saw a vigorous church among a free people, with priests publicly respected, and with a note of aggressive zeal in every project of Catholic enterprise.[3]

Isaac Hecker

In the 1890s, this issue was brought forcefully to the attention of European Catholics by Comtesse de Ravilliax's translation of a biography of Isaac Hecker by the Paulist priest Walter Elliott in 1891; the book's introduction by Félix Klein drew ire from the Vatican. Hecker, commonly known as "The Yellow Dart," had been dead for years at this point and had never been viewed by the Pope with disfavor. The French translation of Hecker's biography and Klein's introduction to the book made him appear to have been much more of a radical than he in fact was.[4]

Hecker had sought to reach out to Protestant Americans by stressing certain points of Catholic teaching, but Pope Leo XIII understood that effort as a watering down of Catholic doctrine. Hecker also had used terms such as "natural virtue," which to the pope suggested the Pelagian heresy. Because members of the Paulist Fathers took promises but not the vows of religious orders, many concluded that Hecker denied the need for external authority.[5]

The French liberals particularly admired Hecker for his love of modern times and modern liberty and his devotion to liberal Catholicism. Indeed, they took him as a kind of patron saint. Inspired by Hecker's life and character, the activist French priests undertook the task of persuading their fellow-priests to accept the political system, and then to break out of their isolation, put themselves in touch with the intellectual life of the country, and take an active part in the work of social amelioration. In 1897, the movement received a new impetus when Denis J. O'Connell, former rector of the Pontifical North American College in Rome, spoke on behalf of Hecker's ideas at the Catholic Congress in Fribourg.[3]

Opposition

Some Catholics complained to the Pope, and in 1898, Charles Maignen wrote an ardent polemic against the new movement called Le Père Hecker, est-il un saint? ("Is Father Hecker a Saint?").[3] The critiques of European conservatives were reinforced by those of German American Catholic bishops in the Midwest, such as Frederick Katzer and John Joseph Frederick Otto Zardetti, who were deeply concerned by how completely Americanist Bishops of Irish descent like John Ireland, John J. Keane, and James Gibbons had come to dominate the American Catholic Church.[6] Arthur Preuss (1871–1934) the foremost German American Catholic intellectual in the United States, was an outspoken enemy, filling his scholarly journal Fortnightly Review with criticisms of Americanist theology.[7][8]

Many powerful Vatican authorities also opposed the "Americanist" tendency. Pope Leo XIII was reluctant to chastise the American Catholics, whom he had often praised for their loyalty and faith. In 1899 he wrote Cardinal Gibbons, "It is clear...that those opinions that, taken as a whole, some designate as 'Americanism' cannot have our approval."[9]

Suppression

Pope Leo XIII

In the 1895 encyclical Longinqua oceani ("Wide Expanse of the Ocean"),[10] Pope Leo XIII indicated a generally positive view of the American Church, commenting mostly on the success of Catholicism in the US but also noting the view that the church "would bring forth more abundant fruits if, in addition to liberty, she enjoyed the favor of the laws and the patronage of the public authority." Leo warned the American church hierarchy not to support this unique system of separation of church and state.[11]

In 1898, Leo lamented for America where church and state are "dissevered and divorced", and wrote of his preference for a closer relationship between the Catholic Church and the State, along European lines.[12]

Finally, in his letter Testem benevolentiae nostrae (January 22, 1899; "Witness to Our Benevolence")[13] addressed to James Gibbons, Archbishop of Baltimore, Leo condemned other forms of Americanism.

Pope Leo XIII also expressed concerns about the cultural liberalism of some American Catholics: he pointed out that the faithful could not decide doctrine for themselves. He emphasized that Catholics should obey the magisterial teaching authority of the church. In general, he deemed it dangerous to expose children to schools that would prove to be detrimental to their Christian upbringing.[14] The Pope derided the idea that all opinions should be aired publicly, as he felt certain speech could harm general morality. He also condemned the biography of Hecker and Americanism.[15]

This document condemned the following doctrines or tendencies:

Undue insistence on interior initiative in the spiritual life, as leading to disobedience

Attacks on religious vows, and disparagement of the value of religious orders in the modern world

Minimizing Catholic doctrine

Minimizing the importance of spiritual direction

The brief did not assert that Hecker and the Americans had held any unsound doctrine on the above points. Instead, it merely stated that if such opinions did exist, the local hierarchy was to eradicate them.

American response

James Gibbons, cardinal archbishop of Baltimore

In response to Testem benevolentiae, Gibbons and many other American prelates replied to Rome with a near-unanimous voice, denying that American Catholics held any of the condemned views. They asserted that Hecker had never countenanced the slightest departure from Catholic principles in their fullest and most strict application.[16]

The disturbance caused by the condemnation was slight; almost the entire laity and a considerable part of the clergy were unaware of this affair. The Pope's brief did end up strengthening the position of the conservatives in France.[3] Leo's pronouncements effectively ended the Americanist movement and curtailed the activities of American progressive Catholics. Historian Thomas McAvoy argues there were grave long-term negative effects on the intellectual life of American Catholics.[17]

Bernard McQuaid, bishop of Rochester, was a forerunner of the Americanism dispute. He was quick to recognize the mingling of liberalism and Catholicism—which he called "false Americanism"—and distinguish it from living the ideals of republicanism and democracy—"true Americanism." McQuaid was very suspicious of secret societies, non-Catholic schooling, and even some of his fellow bishops.[18] He was particularly concerned about John Ireland, John Keane, and James Cardinal Gibbons, all of whom McQuaid considered "too conciliatory to Protestant-minded America."[19]

John Ireland, archbishop of Saint Paul, Minnesota and a foremost modernizer, had to take extreme care to avoid condemnation for his views. Ireland, joined by John J. Keane, archbishop of Dubuque,[18] sought to adapt the social and religious values of the Catholic Church to American political and cultural values, especially religious liberty, separation of church and state, cooperation with non-Catholics, and lay participation in ecclesiastical decisionmaking. Many of his ideas were implicitly condemned by Pope Leo XIII's Testem benevolentiae (1899) as a heresy and Americanism. Nevertheless, Ireland continued to promote his views. When similar European views were condemned by Pope Pius X's Pascendi Dominici gregis (1907), Ireland actively campaigned against what the pope declared the heresy of modernism. This apparently inconsistent behavior stemmed from Ireland's concept of a "golden mean" between "ultraconservatism", rendering the Catholic church irrelevant, and "ultraliberalism," discarding the church's message.[20]

Americanization

Others, such as Orestes Brownson—an abolitionist Catholic public intellectual—were not satisfied with the system of national parishes. Considered an Americanizer, he advocated for immigrants to believe their Catholic identities supersede national divides and personally opposed training priests in the ethnically divided American seminaries. Bishop John Hughes believed that Brownson was part of a "'club' of liberal intellectuals...who wanted to Americanize the church". He publicly denounced Brownson for giving the 1860 commencement address at Fordham University.[21]

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Americanism_(heresy)

Pearl Harbor and our declaration of war put a temporary end to the political organization that Clerical Fascism was in the process of forging. Coughlin was just about to take over majority control of America First and form it into a political party, when war was declared.

He had already given hints, which were seconded by Philip LaFollette and the N. Y. Daily News. He was about to replace Catholic John T. Flynn of the strategic New York chapter with a more obedient lackey.

AMERICA FIRST, started by fascist minded business magnates, had at first been independent of Coughlin. But by infiltration the Coughlinites became the dominant element. Catholic church prelates gave it their enthusiastic approval.

At one of its mass meetings in Madison Square Garden in New York City, under the chairmanship of John T. Flynn, Cardinal O’Connell, dean of the American Catholic hierarchy and Bishop Shaughnessy of Seattle, formerly of the Apostolic Delegation in Washington, D.C., sent telegrams of congratulation which were publicly read.

Carlson (p. 260) quotes an official of America First to the effect that its membership was 80 per cent Coughlinite and would eventually be under Coughlin’s complete control. General Wood had at first objected to Coughlinite dominance but later ‘‘humbled himself before the reverend-dictator of Royal Oak?’ in a letter published in SOCIAL JUSTICE.

In addition to the Coughlinite majority, America First included large numbers of the Ku Klux Klan element who in recent years have allied themselves with Catholic Fascists in a war on Jewry and ‘Communist’ unions. Louis B. Ward, one of Coughlin’s chief assistants, addressed the Pontiac chapter of America First four different times. This chapter was made up almost exclusively of Klan members. Garland Alderman, secretary of the National Workers League, a fascist organization of KKK members, said that he was nurtured in Fascism by Father Coughlin’s Social Justice and had also attended a series of ““special lectures’’ by Coughlin one winter. ( Under Cover, p, 305)

He named Coughlin as one of the Americans who in the opinion of his organization would negotiate with Hitler after the hoped-for world triumph of Nazism." pages 6-7

In Social Justice of Sept. 1, 1939 Coughlin predicted that it would take seven to ten years to win control. He added :

“We predict that .. . the National-Socialists in America—organized under that or some other name—eventually will take control of the government on this continent. We predict, lastly, the end of democracy in America.”’

Even when he was put off the radio he confidently threatened:

"I have been retired temporarily . . .

Not until there is an opportunity for the pendulum of reaction to swing to the right will I resume my place before a microphone . . . I extend to them (‘men powerful in the field of radio and other activities’) my heartiest congratulations for all that the future holds in store for them."

pages 8-9

"Clerical Fascism, driven underground during the war, is certain to rise again with a cry to ‘SAVE AMERICA for the Americans.’ Those who fail to realize this threat to our future should ponder well the following facts:

America First controlled by Coughlinites boasted of 15,000,000 members.

In one meeting in the Hollywood Bowl in California it drew a crowd of 100,000 ‘patriots.’ Gerald L. K. Smith, Fascist, polled 100,000 votes in Michigan last year. The Hearst-Gannett and the Mc-Cormick-Patterson newspaper chains have over 15,000,000 readers. Mrs. Finley J. Sheppard, daughter of the late Jay Gould, gave millions to American Fascists. Robert O’Callaghan, Irish- Catholic friend of Joe McWilliams and Ku Kluxer Edward Smythe, is doing confidential government work in the Chicago office of the Alien Property Custodian, Leo Crowley.

If America waits too long to wake up to its danger, it may ironically fulfill the words of Jesuit-trained Goebbels, spokesman for Catholic Hitler:

“IT WILL ALWAYS REMAIN THE BEST' JOKE MADE BY THE DEMOCRATIC SYSTEM THAT IT PROVIDED ITS DEADLY ENEMIES WITH THE MEANS TO DESTROY IT.” page 11

Clerical Fascism In The United States

Clerical Fascism In The United States, James J. Murphy, (1944).pdf (archive.org)

https://ia801004.us.archive.org/34/items/ClericalFascismInTheUnitedStatesJamesJ.Murphy1944/Clerical%20Fascism%20In%20The%20United%20States%2C%20James%20J.%20Murphy%2C%20%281944%29.pdf

Carson Lodge #1 is the home of Carson Cities Freemasons. This is a fraternal organization with over 4 million members nation wide. The goal of this organization is to create a moral center where all men are brothers. This is an open chapter looking for all men that are willing to be apart of something bigger than themselves. If you are interested in applying, reach out to any member of this chapter for more information.

113 E Washington St, Carson City, NV 89701

https://www.carson1.com/

Valley of Traverse City

ANCIENT ACCEPTED SCOTTISH RITE

The History and Legend of Scottish Rite Origins

The Story Unfolds…

Like much of early Masonic history, the origins of the Scottish Rite are uncertain. This is primarily due to the lack of historic documentation prior to the early 1700’s and not to any great veiled mystery. The few records kept were subject to loss, fire, weather and aging. So we can at best only speculate on many of our origins by looking at the few documents, historical references and legends that remain.

What We Know

n 1754, near Paris, Chevalier de Bonneville established the Chapter of Clermont. The Chapter resided in the College of Jesuits of Clermont, hence the name. It is said to have been created to honor the Duc de Clermont, then Grand Master of the English Grand Lodge of France.

The Chapter of Clermont was a “Chapter of the Advanced Degrees” and initially entailed six degrees and was later extended to 25 known degrees. The six initial degrees were 1˚, 2˚ and 3˚ St John’s Masonry, 4˚ Knight of the Eagle, 5˚ Illustrious Knight or Templar, 6˚ Sublime Illustrious Knight.

Interestingly enough historically, prior to the time of the Rite’s creation, James II had been in residence at Clermont in exile from Britain from 1688 to his death in 1701. As noted by German Masonic historian, Lenning… “whilst in exile, James II residing at the Jesuit College of Clermont in France, allowed his closest associates to fabricate certain degrees in order to extend their political views.” Lenning believed this to have been an attempt on the part of James and his associates to regain control of the British throne for the House of Stuart. If Lenning is right, this places the origins of the “Rite of Perfection” in the hands of James II and the Jacobite (Stuart) Freemasons who at the time were in exile from Great Britain throughout France and Italy. Lenning also contends that these degrees were introduced into French Freemasonry under the name of the Clermont System.

James II died in exile in 1701. His son James III is said to have continued his father’s Masonic legacy and later created further higher degrees.

Perhaps James II saw in the Jesuit morality plays of the College of Clermont a vessel for passing on a set of moral lessons. Some of the world’s greatest playwrights had emerged from Clermont. Jesuit tutelage had previously produced great writers such as Lope de Vega, Moliere, Racine, and the Corneille brothers. Ensconced in exile, I believe James II did find the inspiration and the training to help produce what would later become the first six degrees. From out of the darkness… comes light.

To be continued… (Author’s note… An in depth look at the Templar influence in Scottish Rite masonry’s origins can be found by visiting the Rosslyn Templars’ website.)"

https://web.archive.org/web/20190615041607/http://www.traversecityscottishrite.com/scottish-rite-history.html

PART VI 1THE PERSONAL LIFE OF THOSE ALREADY ADMITTED AND INCORPORATED INTO THE BODY OF THE SOCIETY

SECTION 1: THE APOSTOLIC CHARACTER OF OUR VOWS IN GENERAL

143 §1. Our consecration by profession of the evangelical counsels, by which we respond to a divine vocation, is at one and the same time the following of Christ poor, virginal, and obedient and a rejection of those idols that the world is always prepared to adore, especially wealth, pleasure, prestige, and power. Hence, our poverty, chastity, and obedience ought visibly and efficaciously to bear witness to this attitude, whereby we proclaim the evangelical possibility of a certain communion among men and women that is a foretaste of the future kingdom of God.[1]

§2. Our religious vows, while binding us, also set us free:

free, by our vow of poverty, to share the life of the poor and to use whatever resources we may have, not for our own security and comfort, but for service;

free, by our vow of chastity, to be men for others, in friendship and communion with all, but especially with those who share our mission of service;

free, by our vow of obedience, to respond to the call of Christ as made known to us by him whom the Spirit has placed over the Church, and to follow the lead of all our superiors.[2] [1] See GC 32, d. 4, no. 16; see GC 31, d. 16, no. 4; d. 17, no. 2; d. 18, no. 3. [2] GC 32, d. 2, no. 20. 215

The Constitutions of The Society of Jesus and Their Complimentary Norms

A Complete English Translation of the Official Latin Texts

THE INSTITUTE OF JESUIT SOURCES

SAINT LOUIS, 1996

https://web.archive.org/web/20200211182223/https://jesuitas.lat/uploads/the-constitutions-of-the-society-of-jesus-and-their-complementary-norms/Constitutions%20and%20Norms%20SJ%20ingls.pdf

Note 370.—"Sublime Prince of the Royal Secret. The 32nd degree of the Ancient and Accepted rite, and for many years, or until the institution of the 33d degree, this was the highest degree, or ne plus ultra of Masonry. The body is styled a Consistory, and should be held in a building of two stories. The officers are, a Thrice Illustrious Commander, First and Second Lieutenants, a Minister of State, a Grand Chancellor, a Grand Treasurer, a Grand Secretary, and a Grand Captain of the Guard. In the East a throne, elevated on seven steps, which is the seat of the Thrice Illustrious Commander, who wears a robe of royal purple, and he and the Lieutenants, wear swords. The collar of this degree is black, lined with scarlet, and in the center, at the point, a double-headed eagle, of silver or gold, on a red Teutonic cross. The apron is of white satin, with a border of gold lace, one inch wide, lined with scarlet; on the flap is a double-headed eagle, on each side of which is the flag of the country in which the body is located, the flag of Prussia and the Beause- -ant of the Kadosh degree; on the apron is the camp of the Crusaders, , which is thus explained; it is composed of an enneagon, within which is ' inscribed a heptagon, within that a pentagon, and in the center an equilateral triangle, within which is a circle. Between the heptagon and pentagon are placed five standards, in the designs of whigjl are five letters, which form a particular word. The first standard is purple, on which is emblazoned the ark of the covenant, with a palm, tree on each side; the ark has the motto Laus Deo. The second is blue, on which is a lion, of gold, couchant, holding in his mouth a golden key, with a collar of the same metal on his neck, and on it is the device, Ad majorem Dei gloriam. The third is white, and displays a heart in flames, with two wings; it is surmounted by a crown of laurels. The fourth is green, and bears a double-headed black eagle, crowned, holding a sword in his right claw, and a bleeding heart in his left. The fifth bears a black ox. on a field of gold. On the sides of the enneagon are nine tents, with flags, representing the divisions of the Masonic army; on the angles are nine pinions, of the same color as the flag of the tent that precedes it. The hall of the Consistory is hung with black, strewed with tears of silver. The jewel is a double-headed white and black eagle, resting on a Teutonic cross, of gold, worn attached to the collar or ribbon. ^The members are called Sublime Princes of the Royal Secret. The moral of the degree teaches opposition to bigotry, superstition, and all the passions and vices which disgrace human nature."—Macoy's Encyclopaedia and Pictionary of Freemasonry, Article Sublime Prince of the Royal Secret

MISSIONS FROM THE SUPREME PONTIFF

252 §1. To be truly Christian, our service to the Church must be anchored in fidelity to Christ, who makes all things new; to be proper to the Society, it must be done in union with the SUCCESSORS OF PETER[32]

The Constitutions of The Society of Jesus and Their Complimentary Norms

A Complete English Translation of the Official Latin Texts

THE INSTITUTE OF JESUIT SOURCES

SAINT LOUIS, 1996

https://web.archive.org/web/20200211182223/https://jesuitas.lat/uploads/the-constitutions-of-the-society-of-jesus-and-their-complementary-norms/Constitutions%20and%20Norms%20SJ%20ingls.pdf

Kim Jong Un[d] (born 8 January 1982, 1983 or 1984)[b] is a North Korean politician and dictator who has been the third supreme leader of North Korea since 2011 and general secretary of the Workers' Party of Korea (WPK) since 2012.[e] He is the third son of Kim Jong Il, who was the second supreme leader of North Korea, and a grandson of Kim Il Sung, the founder and first supreme leader of the country.

From late 2010, Kim was viewed as the successor to the North Korean leadership. Following his father's death in December 2011, state television announced Kim as the "great successor to the revolutionary cause". Kim holds the titles of General Secretary of the Workers' Party of Korea and President of the State Affairs. He is also a member of the Presidium of the WPK Politburo, the highest decision-making body in the country. In July 2012, Kim was promoted to the highest rank of marshal in the Korean People's Army, consolidating his positions as commander-in-chief of the Armed Forces and Chairman of the Central Military Commission. North Korean state media often refer to him as "Respected Comrade Kim Jong Un" or "Marshal Kim Jong Un". He has promoted the policy of byungjin, similar to Kim Il Sung's policy from the 1960s, referring to the simultaneous development of both the economy and the country's nuclear weapons program. He has also revived the structures of the WPK, expanding the party's power at the expense of the military leadership.

Kim Jong Un rules North Korea as a totalitarian dictatorship, and his leadership has followed the same cult of personality as his father and grandfather. In 2014, a United Nations Human Rights Council report suggested that Kim could be put on trial for crimes against humanity. According to reports, he has ordered the purge and execution of several North Korean officials including his uncle, Jang Song-thaek, in 2013. He is also widely believed to have ordered the assassination of his half-brother, Kim Jong-nam, in Malaysia in 2017. He has presided over an expansion of the consumer economy, construction projects and tourist attractions in North Korea.

Kim expanded the country's nuclear weapons program, which led to heightened tensions with the United States and South Korea, as well as China. In 2018 and 2019, Kim took part in summits with South Korean president Moon Jae-in and U.S. president Donald Trump, leading to a brief thaw between North Korea and the two countries, though the negotiations ultimately broke down without progress on reunification of Korea or nuclear disarmament. He has claimed success in combating the COVID-19 pandemic in North Korea, as the country did not report any confirmed cases until May 2022, although several independent observers have questioned this claim. Under his rule, North Korean soldiers have been deployed under Russian command in the Russian invasion of Ukraine.

Early life

North Korean authorities and state-run media have stated that Kim Jong Un was born on 8 January 1982,[4] but South Korean intelligence officials believe that the actual date is a year later, in 1983.[5] The US government lists his birth year as 1984, based on the passport he used while studying in Switzerland.[6] Ko Yong Suk, Kim's aunt who defected to the United States in 1997 also confirmed the 1984 birthdate, claiming that Kim was the same age as her own son who was a playmate from a young age.[7] It is thought that Kim's official birth year was changed for symbolic reasons; 1982 marked the seventieth birthday of his grandfather Kim Il Sung, and forty years after the official birth of his father Kim Jong Il.[8]

Kim Jong Un is the second of three children of Ko Yong Hui and Kim Jong Il; his elder brother, Kim Jong Chul, was born in 1981, while his younger sister, Kim Yo Jong, is believed to have been born in 1987.[9][10] He is a grandson of Kim Il Sung, who was the founder of and led North Korea from its establishment in 1948 until his death in 1994.[11] Kim is the first leader of North Korea to have been born a North Korean citizen, his father having been born in the Soviet Union and his grandfather having been born during the Japanese colonial period.

All of Kim Jong Il's children are said to have lived in Switzerland, as well as the mother of the two youngest sons, who lived in Geneva for some time.[12] First reports said that Kim Jong Un attended the private International School of Berne in Gümligen in Switzerland under the name "Chol-pak" or "Pak-chol" from 1993 to 1998.[13][14] He was described as shy, a good student who got along well with his classmates, and was a basketball fan.[15] He was chaperoned by an older student, thought to be his bodyguard.[16] His elder brother Kim Jong Chul also attended the school with him.[17]

The Liebefeld-Steinhölzli public school in Köniz, Switzerland, reportedly attended by Kim Jong Un

Later, it was reported that Kim Jong Un attended the Liebefeld Steinhölzli state school in Köniz, near Bern, under the name "Pak-un" or "Un-pak" from 1998 until 2000 as the son of an employee of the North Korean embassy in Bern. Authorities confirmed that a North Korean student attended the school during that period. Kim first attended a special class for foreign-language children and later attended the regular classes of the 6th, 7th, 8th and part of the final 9th year, leaving the school abruptly in the autumn of 2000. He was described as a well-integrated and ambitious student who liked to play basketball.[18] However, his grades and attendance rating are reported to have been poor.[19][20] The ambassador of North Korea in Switzerland, Ri Chol, had a close relationship with him and acted as a mentor.[12] One of Kim's classmates told reporters that he had told him that he was the son of the leader of North Korea.[21][22] According to some reports, Kim was described by classmates as a shy child who was awkward with girls and indifferent to political issues, but who distinguished himself in sports and had a fascination with the American National Basketball Association and Michael Jordan. One friend claimed that he had been shown pictures of Kim with Kobe Bryant and Toni Kukoč.[23]

In April 2012, new documents came to light indicating that Kim Jong Un had lived in Switzerland since 1991 or 1992, earlier than previously thought.[24]

The Laboratory of Anatomic Anthropology at the University of Lyon, France, compared the picture of Kim taken at the Liebefeld Steinhölzli school in 1999 with a picture of Kim Jong Un from 2012 and concluded that the faces show a conformity of 95%, suggesting that it is most likely that they are the same person.[25]

The Washington Post reported in 2009 that Kim Jong Un's school friends recalled he "spent hours doing meticulous pencil drawings of Chicago Bulls superstar Michael Jordan".[26] He was obsessed with basketball and computer games,[23][27][28] and was a fan of Jackie Chan action movies.[29]

Most analysts agree that Kim Jong Un attended Kim Il Sung University, a leading officer-training school in Pyongyang, from 2002 to 2007.[30] Kim obtained two degrees, one in physics at Kim Il Sung University and another as an Army officer at the Kim Il Sung Military University.[31][32]

In late February 2018, Reuters reported that Kim and his father had used forged passports—supposedly issued by Brazil and dated 26 February 1996—to apply for visas in various countries. Both 10-year passports carry a stamp saying "Embassy of Brazil in Prague". Kim Jong Un's passport records the name "Josef Pwag" and a date of birth of 1 February 1983.[33]

For many years, only one confirmed photograph of him was known to exist outside North Korea, apparently taken in the mid-1990s, when he was eleven.[34] Occasionally, other supposed images of him surfaced but were often disputed.[35][36] It was only in June 2010, shortly before he was given official posts and publicly introduced to the North Korean people, that more pictures were released of Kim, taken when he was attending school in Switzerland.[37][38] The first official image of him as an adult was a group photograph released on 30 September 2010, at the end of the party conference that effectively anointed him, in which he is seated in the front row, two places from his father. This was followed by newsreel footage of him attending the conference.[39]

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kim_Jong_Un

Switzerland - The Oligarchy Strongbox

During the course of nine months, from September 1814 to June 1815, the crowned heads and their renowned diplomats had redrawn the map of Europe. They were not, however, secure in what they had accomplished. Although they scorned the theories of democratic government and opposed the doctrines of national self-determination, they feared the principles of the French Revolution. Not only had the Revolution endangered their sovereignty, it had compromised their wealth as well. The final agenda at the Congress was to remedy that problem.

The House of Rothschild had in the past played a significant role in the transport and protection of royalty's wealth, but in 1815 their banks were not in neutral nations. A nonpartisan location was needed to satisfy all parties. Austria was not acceptable. Moreover, the Merovingians were insecure in their remote headquarters in Vienna. Should the Templar Republicans revive, territory closer to the French border was more desirable for intelligence gathering. Switzerland had proven its strategic worth earlier. When the Big Four were closing in on Napoleon, Metternich had shifted Austrian imperial headquarters from Vienna to Freiburg, Switzerland, to better organize at close range his defense against the Corsican.66 Hence, the decision was made at the Congress of Vienna to create Switzerland as a bank with an army attached.67 Should the revolutions ever again regain momentum, and royalty be exiled from their respective lands, neutral Switzerland would protect them, as well as supply them with ample funds to live several lifetimes in luxury.

England, not hampered by the fears of the Venetian oligarchy and determined to safeguard her commercial and colonial interests, was fully agreed to ratify the neutrality of Switzerland. Before any financial moves were made, however, London required Swiss Grand Orients closed and replaced with Swiss Grand Lodges with English obedience. Only then would England cooperate.

In Paris on November 20, 1815, Switzerland's neutrality was guaranteed by France, Austria, Great Britain, Portugal, Prussia, Sweden, and Russia. A century later, in 1919, at the Treaty of Versailles, neutrality was again confirmed. In 1920 the League of Nations acknowledged Switzerland as "conditioned by a centuries-old tradition explicitly incorporated in international law."68 The tradition of Swiss neutrality was again upheld from 1935 to 1945 - even while war raged around its borders.

The Congress of Vienna adjourned on June 18, 1815. Two days earlier Napoleon had been defeated at Waterloo. Over the next few decades the oligarchy's Grail bloodline moved their financial headquarters from Vienna to Zurich, Switzerland. Immediately they went to work absorbing the French Grand Orient Lodges, placing them under English Masonic obedience. Thirty-second degree Mason A.E. Waite, in A New Encyclopaedia of Freemasonry, gives us a century of history concerning the Masonic maneuvers in Switzerland. He reports that Swiss Freemasonry was founded by the British as early as 1736. In 1775 the Swiss lodges transferred their allegiance from English Masonry to the German Strict Observance. Under Napoleon the French Grand Orient invaded Switzerland, and a certain number of existing lodges came under its obedience. Geneva was ceded to France during the wars of Napoleon, and Swiss Masonry then became an appendage of the French Grand Orient. In 1818, as demanded by London, English Masonic obedience began to replace the Grand Orients, except in Geneva where the aristocracy permitted one Grand Orient Lodge to function.69

By 1844 fourteen lodges in Switzerland had united under English obedience, agreed to a Grand Lodge Constitution, and organized the Grand Lodge Alpina in Zurich.70 Within a few decades Alpina headquarters moved to Geneva, next to its Grand Orient rival. From these two lodges, both within a neutral nation, both headquartered in the same city, Scarlet and the Beast would continue to plot their separate intrigues to dominate the world. From Geneva both the right wing and the left wing revolutions would spread over the face of the earth. In Geneva both would unite a century later.

Scarlet and the Beast

by John Daniel

https://ia803001.us.archive.org/28/items/ScarletAndTheBeastJohnDaniel1995/Scarlet%20and%20the%20Beast,%20John%20Daniel%20(1995).pdf

Operation Warp Speed (OWS) was a public–private partnership initiated by the United States government to facilitate and accelerate the development, manufacturing, and distribution of COVID-19 vaccines, therapeutics, and diagnostics.[1][2] The first news report of Operation Warp Speed was on April 29, 2020,[3][4][5] and the program was officially announced on May 15, 2020.[1] It was headed by Moncef Slaoui from May 2020 to January 2021 and by David A. Kessler from January to February 2021.[6] At the end of February 2021, Operation Warp Speed was transferred into the responsibilities of the White House COVID-19 Response Team.[7]

The program promoted mass production of multiple vaccines, and different types of vaccine technologies, based on preliminary evidence, allowing for faster distribution if clinical trials confirm one of the vaccines is safe and effective.[citation needed] The plan anticipated that some of these vaccines will not prove safe or effective, making the program more costly than typical vaccine development, but potentially leading to the availability of a viable vaccine several months earlier than typical timelines.[8]

Operation Warp Speed, initially funded with about $10 billion from the CARES Act (Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security) passed by the United States Congress on March 27, 2020,[1] was an interagency program that includes components of the Department of Health and Human Services, including the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Food and Drug Administration, the National Institutes of Health, and the Biomedical Advanced Research and Development Authority (BARDA); the Department of Defense; private firms; and other federal agencies, including the Department of Agriculture, the Department of Energy, and the Department of Veterans Affairs.[1]

History

President Donald Trump formally announced Operation Warp Speed on May 15, 2020, in the White House Rose Garden.

On May 15, 2020, President Donald Trump officially announced the public-private partnership.[4][1][9] The purpose of Operation Warp Speed was to coordinate Health and Human Services-wide efforts, including the NIH ACTIV partnership for vaccine and therapeutic development, the NIH RADx initiative for diagnostic development, and work by BARDA.[1]

Operation Warp Speed was formed to encourage private and public partnerships to enable faster approval and production of vaccines during the COVID-19 pandemic.[2] The name was inspired by terminology for faster-than-light travel used in the Star Trek fictional universe, evoking a sense of rapid progress.[10][11]

The Food and Drug Administration announced on June 30, 2020, that a vaccine would need to be at least 50% effective for diminishing the severity of COVID-19 symptoms to obtain regulatory and marketing approval.[12]

In January 2021, White House press secretary Jen Psaki announced that the program was expected to undergo a restructure and renaming under the Biden administration.[13][14] Also in January 2021, Dr. Moncef Slaoui, former Operation Warp Speed lead, was told not to use the name Operation Warp Speed anymore.[15] At the end of February 2021, responsibilities of Operation Warp Speed were transferred into the White House COVID-19 Response Team.[7][16]

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Operation_Warp_Speed

Lieutenant Harry S.L. Kim was a Human Starfleet officer who served as the operations officer aboard the starship USS Voyager during the seven years it was lost in the Delta Quadrant and, in the 2380s, he served as a tactical officer aboard the USS Dauntless. (VOY: "Caretaker", "Non Sequitur", "The Disease", "Warhead", "Nightingale": PRO: "Supernova, Part 1")

https://memory-alpha.fandom.com/wiki/Harry_Kim

The Final Coup

Can anyone doubt that Freemasonry, specifically English Freemasonry, is behind the recent

break-up of the Soviet Union? From the moment Kerensky's democratic government was ousted

by the Bolsheviks, London backed the White Russian counterrevolution. When the atrocities of

the Red Terror were exposed, London was strengthened in her resolve to topple the Soviet

Union.

The seriousness of the situation in the Soviet Union was brought to light by Admiral "Blinker"

Hall, head of British naval intelligence. Hall informed his colleagues at the end of World War I

427

that the "most durable monster Western intelligence has ever faced had surfaced in Moscow....

Therefore, it was not only necessary to discover the other side's secrets but to protect our own

from disciples of communism, one of whom could well be the colleague beside you."135

In the early 1920s, the British Special Intelligence Service (SIS) made its first attempt to break

up the Soviet Union. They nearly succeeded. The plot called for an uprising of the bodyguards of

the communist leaders, who would seize Lenin and Trotsky. (The plot also included the

assassination of Lenin if the occasion arose, which it did, but failed.)

British agents would then establish a provisional anti-communist government. However, agents

loyal to the communists penetrated the operation, and the whole plot fell apart. Phillip Knightley,

author of The Master Spy (1989), said that the CHEKA, realizing a formidable foe in the SIS,

from that moment planned "the long-term.. .Soviet penetration of Western intelligence... "136

When Hitler rose to power, London made a second attempt to destroy the Soviet Union by

pushing Nazi Germany east to war with Russia (see chapter 22). Having failed to topple the

Soviet Union with Hitler, London continued her objective. "The Final Coup" was well thought

out and took 59 years to perfect.

The most brilliant intelligence operation to topple a nation involved English Freemasonry, the

KGB and a man named Kim Philby, one of England's senior intelligence officers in MI-6

(Mission Impossible, department 6). As a young man, Philby was groomed for the task by his

father, Freemason St.-John Philby. The senior Philby was the British intelligence specialist in the

Arabian peninsula for forty years following the Bolshevik Revolution. He assisted in setting up

Masonic Lodges throughout Arabic speaking nations.137 Although there is no record that young

Philby joined Freemasonry (and he stated he had not), his father taught him free-thinking.

Moreover, he was educated at Cam-bridge, a college rife with secret societies, including

Freemasonry. There he learned the politics of the intellectual Left and became a communist

during the Third International, but never joined the Party. When he graduated in June 1933, he

went to Vienna under orders from the French Communist Party, which was headquartered in the

Grand Orient at Paris.138

When Philby knew all there was to know about the enemy, he was hired by British intelligence

as a correspondent and in 1939 sent to Spain to observe the communist revolution in progress

there. No one knows for sure when, or if, he was "recruited" by the KGB, but he did give away

secrets. The secrets he gave to his controller, however, were miniscule compared to those he

never revealed, such as operation "Ultra" during World War II. (Ultra was the code name given

to information gathered through deciphering German signal traffic produced by the radio

enciphering machine known as "Enigma.")139

After the War, Philby was given permission by British intelligence to try the "full double." He

was so instructed: "If an opportunity arises to convince the Russian intelligence service that you

are willing to betray your own service and work for the other side, then you have permission to

428

seize it."140

In 1949 Philby was sent to Washington as Great Britain's SIS representative in the United States,

working in liaison with the CIA and the FBI. By the time he left Washington to return to

London, no other British intelligence officer was as well equipped to perform "The Final Coup"

on Soviet Russia.

When he returned to London, Philby began to develop his cover that would make the KGB

believe he was a Soviet double agent. In 1952 two British SIS agents, Donald Maclean and Guy

Burgess, defected to Russia. Philby was suspected of helping them. In 1955, 33rd degree

Freemason J. Edgar Hoover cleared Philby ofinvolvement.141 After this reprieve, Philby was sent

to the Middle East as a correspondent for the London Observer and The Economist. The real

reason for this transfer was to debrief his father. The senior Philby introduced his son to the

entire range of his Middle East contacts. Together, Philby and Philby traveled the Middle East

from 1955 until September 1960, when SL John Philby died.142 The time had come for Kim

Philby's defection.

In January 1963, Philby disappeared while on his way to a diplomatic party in Beirut. In April he

surfaced in Moscow. Shortly thereafter, Khrushchev fell from power. After 1963 the West heard

nothing of Philby, until 1979. That year Western intelligence discovered that Philby had just

been promoted to the rank of General of the KGB. Then in 1980, shocking news came from

London that Kim Philby had never had a KGB controller, that Sir Anthony Blunt had all along

been Philby's intelligence controller for Britain's Royal Court. Translated, this meant that Philby

was a triple-agent, a British intelligence operative disguised as a Soviet double-agent. 143

In the next few years Brezhnev died and each of the next two Soviet leaders, Yuri Andropov and

Konstantin Chernenko, died suddenly and under mysterious circumstances.

When Mikhail Gorbachev came to power, Kim Philby granted an unprecedented interview to

Phillip Knightley, author of The Master Spy. Knightley's conclusion was that "the British had let

him [Philby] go."144 In "The Final Coup," the last chapter of his book, Knightley records Philby's

statement: "In Gorbachev I have a leader who has justified my years of faith."145

What did Philby mean? The policies implemented by Gorbachev dismantled the Soviet Union.

Was Philby involved in this process? Was this his assignment? Did he have something to do with

bringing Gorbachev to power?

In 1984, one year before Gorbachev took office, he travelled to the two Masonic headquarters in

London and Paris, to make a "report." Subsequent events suggest that while on that trip he was

initiated into French Freemasonry. The next year, in 1985, Gorbachev was at the helm of the

Soviet Union. A major Paris daily newspaper, Le Figaro, reported on Gorbachev's intense

interest in Freemasonry. By 1989 reports were coming out of France that Gorbachev was

planning to reopen Masonic lodges inside the Soviet Union and its satellite states. According to

429

Floshpoint (September 1990), a monthly newsletter published by Texe Marrs exposing the most

current developments in the conspiracy, "Both of the top masonic [sic] organizations in France,

the Grand Orient.. .and the Grand Lodge.. .are now working on this high priority project."146

When Freemasonry is permitted to operate within a nation, there will be revolution. The peaceful

demise of the Soviet Union in December 1991 can only be attributed to the activity of these new

lodges established inside Russian borders since 1989. We may never know what intrigue took

place to topple communism, but on December 26, 1991, when Gorbachev voluntarily stepped

down from power, he said in true Masonic terminology, "I hereby discontinue my activities at

the post of president of the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics. We're now living in a New

World!" 147

In Conclusion

The Russian Revolution occurred in cooperation with English Masonic Socialists, funded by the

House of Rothschild, and in conflict with Grand Orient Communists, funded by the House of

Warburg. English Masonry wanted the Zionists out of Russia in order to establish a Jewish

homeland in Palestine, while French Grand Orient Masonry desired to keep the Zionists within

Russia. Russian Jews, although covertly manipulated by both Gentile Freemasonries, played a

significant role in the two Russian Revolutions of 1917. Even the wealthy Rothschilds and

Warburgs were pawns in the hands of the Priory of Sion and the Gentile Templars. Jews were

used, then abused as scapegoats. Freemasonry went unscathed.

Indeed, the Russian Revolution, the secret conflict it provoked between English and French

Freemasonry, and the financial competition it generated between the Rothschilds and the

Warburgs, was, and still is, only a manifestation of the thousand-year-old struggle between the

Priory of Sion and the Knights Templar.

Scarlet and the Beast

by John Daniel

https://ia803001.us.archive.org/28/items/ScarletAndTheBeastJohnDaniel1995/Scarlet%20and%20the%20Beast,%20John%20Daniel%20(1995).pdf

The hunt for Soviet spies within the CIA started after Kim Philby was forced to resign as British Security Service Director in 1951. James Jesus Angleton and Kim Philby worked very closely together and shared an office in London during WW-II. In 1963 Kim Philby defected to the USSR. In 1964 the HONETOL Committee was formed to look into the mole question. It was in existence from November 1964 to April 1965, and consisted of ANGLETON, Newton S. Miler and Bruce Solie from the CIA's Office of Security, FBI domestic intelligence chief William C. Sullivan, FBI CIA liaison Sam Papich and two others. About six members of CI/SIG worked on HONETOL, including Edward Petty. Author David Wise reported other CIA officers assigned to HONETOL included Jean M. Evans, who had worked with Reinhardt Gehlen, Albert P. Kergel, John D. Walker (former Chief of Station in Israel), Charles Arnold and William F. Potocki (a former subordinate of William K. Harvey). CIA Soviet Bloc Division officers Tennent Bagley and David Murphy were the targets of this mole hunt. Both were found innocent of being moles.

"When William Colby became Director/Counter-Intelligence on May 10, 1973, he was the recipient of a report prepared by Clare Edward Petty which stated ANGLETON was the KGB mole in the CIA. Clare Edward Petty's report suggested that ANGLETON had studied under, and been too close to, Kim Philby; had spread misinformation when he suggested the Sino/Soviet split had been contrived; and had trusted Anatoliy Golitsyn. Clare Edward Petty suggested ANGLETON demoralized the CIA: "ANGLETON put forth the proposition that the KGB was so totally superior, and so all-knowing, that anything CIA or any of the other allied intelligence services tried to do was negated from the word go. The operational side was totally frustrated over a period of years. ANGLETON propounded the proposition that operations against the Soviets were doomed to failure." To William Colby, Edward Petty's report was a product of "the ultra-conspiratorial turn of mind" which he disliked in ANGLETON. " - from "The Mole Hunt"

The truth is that Angleton did all of the above except "trusted Anatoliy Golitsyn". James Jesus Angleton never trusted Golitsyn although Angleton convinced Golitsyn that he did. Angleton did everything in his power to discredit and debunk Anatoliy Golitsyn. It was primarily because of Angleton's opposition to Golitsyn's information that it was ignored by the majority of senior officials within the government. I know this to be fact as I was privy to many of the official analysis' regarding the "Golitsyn Debriefings" and Angleton's many warnings that Golitsyn's revelations regarding the Soviet's long range plans to disarm the west were misinformation.

https://web.archive.org/web/20200211065921/https://hourofthetime.com/majestyt.htm

9. Interprovincial Works and Houses in Rome

304 §1. In the spirit of our fourth vow, the Society confirms its commitment to the interprovincial Roman works entrusted to it by the Holy See: the Pontifical Gregorian University and its associated institutes, the Pontifical Biblical Institute and the Pontifical Oriental Institute, as well as the Pontifical Russicum College, the Vatican Radio, and the Vatican Observatory, all of which are common works of the whole Society, placed directly under the superior general. Recognizing the very valuable service that these institutions have offered and continue to offer today, it calls upon major superiors who share Father General s responsibility for them to continue their help through subsidies and especially by training and offering professors and other personnel to them.

§2. Also recommended to the care of all the provinces are those other works or houses in Rome that render a service to the entire Society, such as the Historical Institute of the Society of Jesus and the international colleges of the Society in Rome.[142]

The Constitutions of The Society of Jesus and Their Complimentary Norms

A Complete English Translation of the Official Latin Texts

THE INSTITUTE OF JESUIT SOURCES

SAINT LOUIS, 1996

https://web.archive.org/web/20200211182223/https://jesuitas.lat/uploads/the-constitutions-of-the-society-of-jesus-and-their-complementary-norms/Constitutions%20and%20Norms%20SJ%20ingls.pdf

A famous Jesuit General Michael Angelo Tambourini once boasted, in 1720, to the Duke of Brissac: " See, My Grace [my Lord], from this room, I govern not only Paris, but China; not only China, but the whole world, without anyone knowing how it is managed."

"Andrew Steinmetz, History of the Jesuits, Vol. 1 (Philadelphia, Pennsylvania; Lea and Blanchard Publ.,/New York: Richard Bentley, 1848), pp.107, 168-169; see also, Constitution of the Jesuits, edited by Paris Paulin (1843); Eugene Sue (Marie Joseph), The Wandering Jew, (London: Chapman and Hall, 1844/ New York; Harper & Brothers,, 1845), Bk I, Chap. XV, P. 183; see also, p. 618, and Bk. II, p. 21; Abrige de I'Hist. Eccles. de Racine, Chap. xii. P. 77." page 129 Chapter XII "Unhesitating Obedience: The General And The Holy Office" Codeword Barbelon book One by P.D. Stuart

"Steinmetz was fourteen years a Jesuit; see also, Constitutions of the Jesuits, ed. by P. Paulin (1843); Morale Pratique Des Jesuites: Histoire De La Persecution De deux Saints, Vol. I (Cologne, 1669), pp. 50 and 51." "Epilogue-For Such A Time As This"

Pope Francis Lord of the World

by P.D. Stuart

Covid origins: Chinese scientists publish long-awaited data Published 7 April

By Victoria Gill Science correspondent, BBC News

A research team in China has published analysis of samples taken more than three years ago from the market linked to the outbreak of Covid-19. The Huanan seafood and wildlife market has been a focal point in the search for the origin of the coronavirus. But this is the first peer-reviewed study of biological evidence gathered from the market back in 2020. By linking the virus with animals sold in the market, it could open new lines of inquiry into how the outbreak began. The research reveals swabs that tested positive for the virus also contained genetic material from wild animals. Some scientists say this is further evidence that the disease was initially transmitted from an infected animal to a human. But others have urged caution in interpreting the findings and it remains unclear why it took three years for the genetic content of the samples to be made public. Another theory has centred on the suggestion that the virus accidentally leaked from a laboratory in Wuhan. No definitive proof The Chinese research team posted an early version of their study online back in February 2022, but they did not publish the full genetic information that was contained in the samples gathered from the market. In March this year, another international group of researchers shared their own assessment of what those crucial market swabs had revealed, after spotting that the genetic sequences had been posted on a scientific data-sharing website. This new analysis, which has been validated by other scientists before being published in the journal Nature, includes more important detail about the content of those samples, which were collected from stalls, surfaces, cages and machinery inside the market. The Chinese research team's paper showed that some samples - collected from areas where wildlife was being sold - had tested positive for the virus. Their analysis also showed that animals now known to be susceptible to the virus, particularly raccoon dogs, were being sold alive in those locations. But the Chinese researchers have pointed out that their discoveries fall short of definitive proof of how the outbreak started. "These environmental samples cannot prove that the animals were infected," the paper explains. The possibility remains, it adds, that the virus was brought into the market by an infected person, rather than an animal. Prof David Robertson, from the University of Glasgow, is a virologist who has been involved in the genetic investigation into the origin of SARS-CoV-2 since it emerged in 2020. He told BBC News: "The most important thing is that this very important dataset is now published and available for others to work on." But he added that the contents of the samples were "compelling evidence that animals there were probably infected with the virus". "It's the whole body of evidence that's important," he said. "When you bring this together with the fact that the early Covid-19 cases in Wuhan are linked to the market, it's strong evidence that this is where a spillover from an animal in the market occurred." The published findings come amid signs that the lab leak theory is gaining ground among authorities in the US. The Chinese government has strenuously denied suggestions that the virus originated in a scientific facility, but the FBI said it now believes that scenario is the "most likely", as does the US Department of Energy. Various US departments and agencies have investigated the mystery and produced differing conclusions, but on 1 March the FBI's director accused Beijing of "doing its best to try to thwart and obfuscate", and disclosed the bureau had been convinced of the lab leak theory "for quite some time now". The FBI has not made their findings public, which has frustrated some scientists. The lead researcher of the new report, from the Chinese Center for Disease Control and Prevention (China CDC) in Beijing, has been contacted by the BBC for comment."

Covid origins: Chinese scientists publish long-awaited data - BBC News

https://www.bbc.com/news/science-environment-65204169

Crown Plaza - Chinese restaurant 1 Tiyuguan Rd Wuchang District, Wuhan, Hubei China 430071

"Nowadays, everyone is aware of the word “corona” in the wake of the COVID-19 global pandemic. “Corona” is a Latin word which means “crown or garland”. Coronaviruses have a crown or halo-like appearance of their envelope glycoproteins.[1] Few body structures and dermatoses also share the name corona. This article summarises all such structures and diseases." Coronavirus is Not the Only Corona We Know in Dermatology - PMC (nih.gov)

East Lake High-tech Zone is short for Wuhan East Lake High-tech Development Zone, which is also known as Optics Valley of China (OVC). East Lake High-tech Zone was founded in 1988 and was approved by the State Council in succession as one of the first national high-tech zones, the second National Innovation Demonstration Zone, the China (Hubei) Pilot Free Trade Zone – Wuhan Area and the core area for the Hubei Cross-Straits Industrial Cooperation Zone. Optics Valley has also been recognized as a National Optoelectronic Information Industrial Base, a National Bio-industry Base, a talent base for central SOEs, a National Innovation and Entrepreneurship Demonstration Base, as well as a National Memory Base.

Developmental milestones Establishment of East Lake High-tech Development Zone (1988)

Approved as one of the first national high-tech zones (1991)

Recognized as National Optoelectronics Information Industrial Base, also known as Wuhan Optics Valley of China (2001)

Approved as National Bio-industry Base (2007)

Approved by the State Council as the second National Innovation Demonstration Zone (2009)

Wuhan Future City was set to be a talent base for central SOEs (2011)

Recognized as China (Hubei) Pilot Free Trade Zone Wuhan Area (2016)

Recognized as one of the national innovation and entrepreneurship demonstration bases (2016)

National Memory Base (2016)

Listed as one of the top 10 high-tech zones to receive prioritized support by Ministry of Science and Technology (2017)

The zone has a planned area of 518 square kilometers and a population of about 1.8 million. It has 42 institutes of higher learning, including Wuhan University and Huazhong University of Science and Technology. It also has 56 research institutes at the national, provincial and ministerial levels and more than 300,000 professional and technical personnel, making Optics Valley one of the three most talent-intensive areas in the country. The zone has eight sub-districts: Guandong, Fozuling, Baoxie, Jiufeng, Huashan, Zuoling, Longquan and Binhu. It has eight industrial parks: the Biolake, Wuhan Future City, Wuhan East Lake Free Trade Zone, Optics Valley Optoelectronic Information Industrial Park, Optics Valley Modern Service Industrial Park, Optics Valley Smart Manufacturing Industrial Park, Optics Valley Chinese Sci-tech City and Optics Valley Central City. To augment its industrial ecosystem, the zone is constructing two world-class trillion-yuan-level industry clusters – namely the "Optics, IC, Displays, Terminals and Internet" cluster and the biomedicines cluster. It is also vigorously developing industrial forms of new economy and advancing the layout of future industries such as artificial intelligence, to constantly upgrade its primacy. In accordance with a three-step strategy for its development as a World Optics Valley, the zone is adhering to international standards. It is vigorously implementing a three-year action for high-quality development and is accelerating its construction as an internationally innovative Optics Valley, a modern and prosperous Optics Valley and an environmentally beautiful Optics Valley. OVC is currently home to 144 enterprises recognized among the new group of little giant companies set by the Department of Economy and Information Technology of Hubei Province."

Profile (chinaopticsvalley.com)

http://www.chinaopticsvalley.com/2021-03/23/c_631197.htm

The CORONA [1] program was a series of American strategic reconnaissance satellites produced and operated by the Central Intelligence Agency (CIA) Directorate of Science & Technology with substantial assistance from the U.S. Air Force. The CORONA satellites were used for photographic surveillance of the Soviet Union (USSR), China, and other areas beginning in June 1959 and ending in May 1972."

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/CORONA_(satellite)

Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) is a contagious disease caused by the coronavirus SARS-CoV-2. The first known case was identified in Wuhan, China, in December 2019.[7] Most scientists believe the SARS-CoV-2 virus entered into human populations through natural zoonosis, similar to the SARS-CoV-1 and MERS-CoV outbreaks, and consistent with other pandemics in human history.[8][9] Social and environmental factors including climate change, natural ecosystem destruction and wildlife trade increased the likelihood of such zoonotic spillover.[10][11][12][13] The disease quickly spread worldwide, resulting in the COVID-19 pandemic.

The symptoms of COVID‑19 are variable but often include fever,[14] fatigue, cough, breathing difficulties, loss of smell, and loss of taste.[15][16][17] Symptoms may begin one to fourteen days after exposure to the virus. At least a third of people who are infected do not develop noticeable symptoms.[18][19] Of those who develop symptoms noticeable enough to be classified as patients, most (81%) develop mild to moderate symptoms (up to mild pneumonia), while 14% develop severe symptoms (dyspnea, hypoxia, or more than 50% lung involvement on imaging), and 5% develop critical symptoms (respiratory failure, shock, or multiorgan dysfunction).[20] Older people are at a higher risk of developing severe symptoms. Some complications result in death. Some people continue to experience a range of effects (long COVID) for months or years after infection, and damage to organs has been observed.[21] Multi-year studies are underway to further investigate the long-term effects of the disease.[22]

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/COVID-19

Markers In The Blood

An accusation that another state has been harming US officials is a consequential one. "That's an act of war," says Mr Polymeropolous. That makes it a high bar to reach. Policymakers will demand hard evidence, which so far, officials say, is still lacking. Five years on, some US officials say little more is known other than when Havana syndrome started. But others disagree. They say the evidence for microwaves is much stronger now, if not yet conclusive. The BBC has learnt that new evidence is arriving as data is collected and analysed more systematically for the first time. Some of the cases this year showed specific markers in the blood, indicating brain injury. These markers fall away after a few days and previously too much time had elapsed to spot them. But now that people are being tested much more quickly after reporting symptoms, they have been seen for the first time. The debate remains divisive and it is possible the answer is complex. There may be a core of real cases, while others have been folded into the syndrome. Officials raise the possibility that the technology and the intent might have changed over time, perhaps shifting to try and unsettle the US. Some even worry one state may have piggy-backed on another's activities. "We like a simple label diagnosis," argues Professor Relman. "But sometimes it is tough to achieve. And when we can't, we have to be very careful not to simply throw up our hands and walk away." The mystery of Havana syndrome could be its real power. The ambiguity and fear it spreads act as a multiplier, making more and more people wonder if they are suffering, and making it harder for spies and diplomats to operate overseas. Even if it began as a tightly defined incident, Havana syndrome may have developed a life of its own."

https://www.bbc.com/news/world-58396698

CHAPTER SEVEN – SHABTAI, SHIMON AND SHARON – DESTROYING THE JEWS

ALM 1 - THE DEUTSCH DEVILS

Rabbi Marvin Antelman was right all along. Way back in 1974, he identified the source of all the evil against Jews and humanity but his message and style were too unaccessible to get through to anyone but the most advanced students of antisemitism. What he lacked most was simplicity, a common enough failure of thinkers decades in advance of their contemporaries. What he needed was someone to put out a Cliff's Notes simplified explanation of his thesis...and someone, without intention, just did. The name of the book is, 50 Jewish Messiahs by Jerry Rabow (Gefen Publishing, Jerusalem). It is an informative but shallow overview of just what the title says, but in its shallowness lies vital depth. We begin with Chapter 17, about the "most damaging messiah to the Jewish people," Shabbatai Zvi. First we'll read Rabow and then add commentary opening Rabbi Antelman's work to the wide world. Recall that there are various accepted English spellings for Shabtai Tzvi, and the Sabbataians. The spelling presented depends on the writer:

pp 91 - Shabbatai Zvi was born in Smyrna, Turkey on the ninth of Av, 1626. The ninth day of Av is the day of a triple tragedy for the Jewish nation. According to tradition, the First Temple, the Second Temple and Bar Kokhba's Betar fortress all fell on this day.

pp 93 - He changed the holiday celebrations and violated the dietary prohibitions. All of this followed from his declaration that the usual rules were inapplicable to messianic times.

pp 95 - He declared that the coming of the messianic era meant that the biblical commandments were no longer binding. He proclaimed that God now permitted everything. ** This is Rabbi Antelman's central assertion; that Shabbataism was the polar opposite of Judaism. That Shabbatai Zvi's program was to destroy all the tenets of the Torah and replace them with their opposites. Incredibly, more than half the Jews of the world at the time, believed he would be revealed as their promised messiah: **

pp 101 - Then he finally made the announcement for which the Jewish community had been waiting for 1600 years - he would begin the Redemption on the 15th day of the month of Sivan, June 18, 1666. ** There are many who will recognize the significance of the date. June is the sixth month, 18 divided by three is 6+6+6 and 1666 is clear enough. Either he knew what he was doing or the prophesies of the emergence of an evil false messiah or anti-Christ are right, and Shabbatai Zvi was him. **

pp 110 - Through all of this, Shabbatai continued to issue proclamations of the theological changes wrought by the coming of the messianic age. Shabbatai's new prayer was, "Praised be He who permits the forbidden." Since all things would be permitted in the age of the messiah, Shabbatai declared many of the old restrictions of the Torah no longer applicable. He abolished the laws concerning sexual relationships. He eventually declared that all of the thirty six major biblical sins were now permitted and instructed some of his followers that it was their duty to perform such sins in order to hasten the Redemption.

Shabtai Tzvi, Labor Zionism and the Holocaust

by Barry Chamish

https://drive.google.com/file/d/0B66Pc9x2hkIrV2Y3QWxPbkpKYWc/view?usp=sharing&resourcekey=0-5ak831cRNQohyyjZYfFKvw

Nova music festival massacre

On 7 October 2023, the Izz al-Din al-Qassam Brigades, the military wing of the Palestinian nationalist organization Hamas, initiated a sudden attack on Israel from the Gaza Strip. As part of the attack, 364 individuals, mostly civilians, were killed and many more wounded at the Supernova Sukkot Gathering, an open-air music festival during the Jewish holiday of Shemini Atzeret near kibbutz Re'im. Hamas also took 40 people hostage, and men and women were reportedly subject to sexual and gender-based violence.[4][5][6][7][8][9][10]

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nova_music_festival_massacre

A nova (pl. novae or novas) is a transient astronomical event that causes the sudden appearance of a bright, apparently "new" star (hence the name "nova", Latin for "new") that slowly fades over weeks or months. All observed novae involve white dwarfs in close binary systems, but causes of the dramatic appearance of a nova vary, depending on the circumstances of the two progenitor stars. The main sub-classes of novae are classical novae, recurrent novae (RNe), and dwarf novae. They are all considered to be cataclysmic variable stars.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nova

Revelation 16:8

1599 Geneva Bible

8 [a]And the fourth Angel poured out his vial on the sun, and it was given to him to torment men with heat of fire,

https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Revelation%2016%3A8-10&version=GNV

SpaceX Roadster is not a natural celestial object, but rather a man-made object launched by SpaceX in February 2018 as part of the Falcon Heavy test flight. It is a red sports car owned by SpaceX CEO Elon Musk, and was launched as a demonstration of the Falcon Heavy's capabilities. The Roadster is not in a stable orbit around the Sun, but is instead on a heliocentric orbit that will take it to the asteroid belt and then back to the inner Solar System in the future. The Roadster also carries a mannequin named Starman, dressed in a spacesuit, in the driver's seat. The name "Roadster" refers to the type of car that is used as the payload for the Falcon Heavy, while "SpaceX" is the name of the private space exploration company founded by Elon Musk in 2002.

https://theskylive.com/roadster-info

416 Finally, those means that are proposed by our holy father Saint Ignatius in Part X of the Constitutions for the preservation and development not only of the body or exterior of the Society but also of its spirit, and for the attainment of the objective it seeks, which is to aid souls to reach their ultimate and supernatural end, [10] are to be observed eagerly and diligently by all, with a truly personal sense of responsibility for its increase and development, for the praise and service of our God and Lord Jesus Christ, and the help of souls.[11]

L. D. S. "

The Constitutions of The Society of Jesus and Their Complimentary Norms

https://jesuitas.lat/uploads/the-constitutions-of-the-society-of-jesus-and-their-complementary-norms/Constitutions%20and%20Norms%20SJ%20ingls.pdf

A red giant is a luminous giant star of low or intermediate mass (roughly 0.3–8 solar masses (M☉)) in a late phase of stellar evolution. The outer atmosphere is inflated and tenuous, making the radius large and the surface temperature around 5,000 K [K] (4,700 °C; 8,500 °F) or lower. The appearance of the red giant is from yellow-white to reddish-orange, including the spectral types K and M, sometimes G, but also class S stars and most carbon stars.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Red_giant

In physics, string theory is a theoretical framework in which the point-like particles of particle physics are replaced by one-dimensional objects called strings. String theory describes how these strings propagate through space and interact with each other. On distance scales larger than the string scale, a string acts like a particle, with its mass, charge, and other properties determined by the vibrational state of the string. In string theory, one of the many vibrational states of the string corresponds to the graviton, a quantum mechanical particle that carries the gravitational force. Thus, string theory is a theory of quantum gravity.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/String_theory

A chain reaction is a sequence of reactions where a reactive product or by-product causes additional reactions to take place. In a chain reaction, positive feedback leads to a self-amplifying chain of events.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Chain_reaction

2 Peter 3:10

1599 Geneva Bible

10 [a]But the day of the Lord will come as a thief in the night, in the which the heavens shall pass away with a [b]noise, and the elements shall melt with heat, and the earth with the works that are therein shall be burnt up.

Read full chapter

Footnotes

2 Peter 3:10 A very short description of the least distinction of the world, but in such sort as nothing could be spoken more gravely.

2 Peter 3:10 With the violence as it were of a hissing storm.

https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=2%20Peter%203%3A10&version=GNV

14We ought to act on the principle that everyone who lives under obedience should let himself be carried and directed by Divine Providence through the agency of the superior 15as if he were a lifeless body, which allows itself to be carried to any place and treated in any way; or an old man s staff, which serves at any place and for any purpose in which the one holding it in his hand wishes to employ it. 16For in this way the obedient man ought joyfully to employ himself in any task in which the superior desires to employ him in aid of the whole body of the religious order; 17and he ought to hold it certain that by so doing he conforms himself with the divine will more than by anything else he could do while following his own will and different judgment.[3]"

page 221

The Constitutions of The Society of Jesus and Their Complimentary Norms

A Complete English Translation of the Official Latin Texts

THE INSTITUTE OF JESUIT SOURCES

SAINT LOUIS, 1996

https://web.archive.org/web/20200211182223/https://jesuitas.lat/uploads/the-constitutions-of-the-society-of-jesus-and-their-complementary-norms/Constitutions%20and%20Norms%20SJ%20ingls.pdf

Pope Leo XIV declares ‘I am Roman!’ as he completes formalities to become bishop of Rome

The pontiff said he felt the “serious but passionate responsibility” to serve all Romans.

By Associated Press

05/25/2025 01:16 PM EDT

ROME — Pope Leo XIV declared himself a Roman on Sunday as he completed the final ceremonial steps cementing his role as the bishop of Rome.

The first American pope formally took possession of the St. John Lateran Basilica, which is Rome’s cathedral and seat of the diocese, with an evening Mass attended by Roman priests and faithful.

In his homily, Leo said he wanted to listen to them “in order to learn, understand and decide things together.”

One of the many titles that Leo assumed when he was elected May 8 was bishop of Rome. Given his responsibilities running the 1.4-billion strong universal Catholic Church, popes delegate the day-to-day governance of running of the diocese of Roman to a vicar.

Sunday’s ceremonies at the St. John Lateran and a stop at St. Mary Major basilicas follow Leo’s visit last week to the St. Paul Outside the Walls basilica. Together with St. Peter’s Basilica in the Vatican, the four papal basilicas are the most important basilicas in the West.

Rome’s Mayor Roberto Gualtieri welcomed Leo first at the steps to City Hall, noting that his May 8 election fell during a Holy Year, an event occurring every 25 years to invite pilgrims to Rome. The city underwent two years of traffic-clogging public works projects to prepare and expects to welcome upward of 30 million people in 2025.

Leo said he felt the “serious but passionate responsibility” to serve all Romans during the Holy Year and beyond.

Wearing his formal papal garb, Leo recalled the words he had uttered from the loggia of St. Peter’s Basilica on the night of his election. The Augustinian pope quoted St. Augustine in saying: “With you I am Christian, and for you, bishop.”

“By special title, today I can say that for you and with you I am Roman!” he said.

The former Robert Prevost replaced Pope Francis, the first Latin American pope. Francis died April 21 and is buried at St. Mary Major, near a beloved icon of the Madonna.

https://www.politico.com/news/2025/05/25/pope-leo-bishop-rome-00369700

A papal renunciation (Latin: renuntiatio), also called a papal abdication, occurs when the current pope of the Catholic Church voluntarily resigns his position. As a pope conventionally holds the office for life, a papal renunciation is an uncommon event. Before the 21st century, only five popes unambiguously resigned with historical certainty, all between the 10th and 15th centuries. There are disputed claims of four popes having resigned, dating from the 3rd to the 11th centuries; a fifth disputed case may have involved an antipope.

Additionally, a few popes during the saeculum obscurum were "deposed", meaning driven from office by force. The history and canonical question here is complicated; generally, the official Vatican list of popes seems to recognize such "depositions" as valid renunciations if the pope acquiesced, but not if he did not. The later development of canon law has been in favor of papal supremacy, leaving no recourse to the removal of a pope involuntarily.[1]

The most recent pope to resign was Benedict XVI, who vacated the Holy See on 28 February 2013, the date of his effective resignation. He was the first pope to do so since Gregory XII in 1415.

Despite its common usage in discussion of papal renunciations,[2] the term abdication is not used in the official documents of the church for renunciation by a pope.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Papal_renunciation

All historians acknowledge the ascendancy of the popes began in 308 A.D., when King Clovis of the Salian or Merovingian Franks (later France), won the decisive battle in the Catholic and Arian religious war, thereby settling the dispute in favor of the Catholics. But the popes' temporal reign officially began in the year 538 A.D. when Roman Emperor Justinian subdued the last of the three kingdoms, or "horns," that opposed the rise of the Papacy."

-page 137

Chapter 19 "Exposed (Again): 1260 Years of World Domination

Codeword Barbelon book 2

by P.D. Stuart

Etymology

Frankish royalty

Clovis I (c. 466 – 511), the first king of the Franks to unite all the Frankish tribes under one ruler

Clovis II (637 – c. 658), king of Neustria and Burgundy

Clovis III (reigned 675–676), the king of Austrasia

Clovis IV (682–695), the sole king of the Franks from 691 until 695

Clovis (died 580), son of Chilperic I and Audovera, assassinated by his father and stepmother

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Clovis_(given_name)

Biography

Early life

Sako speaks Neo-Aramaic, German, French, English, Italian, Kurdish and Arabic.[2]

Archeparch

A synod of the bishops of the Chaldean Catholic Church meeting in Baghdad elected Sako Archeparch of Kirkuk on 24 October 2002. Pope John Paul II gave his assent on 27 September 2003.[7] He received his episcopal consecration on 14 November 2003 from his predecessor in Kirkuk, André Sana.[8]

In August 2009, and at the beginning of Ramadan, Sako organized an appeal for national peace, reconciliation and end to violence on the part of more than fifty religious leaders in Kirkuk. He called it "a gesture of closeness to our Muslim brothers. We are all brothers, sons of the same God we must respect and cooperate for the good of the people and our country." The participants included representatives of Ali Sistani and Muqtada al Sadr.[9]

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Louis_Rapha%C3%ABl_I_Sako

Star Trek: Voyager - Our situation's getting worse every day. (Course: Oblivion)

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=orVcKEnaV2M

Agent Orange: This nickname gained traction during Trump's presidency, alluding to his controversial policies and the color of his trademark hair. It has a dual meaning, referencing both his hair color and the herbicide of the same name used during the Vietnam War.

https://abatul.com/

Former Sacramento deputy kills 11-year-old son, is fatally shot after I-5 chase, officials say

Marvin Morales, 40, was previously found to have lied about a 2023 fentanyl overdose on the job.

KCRA logo

Updated: 10:17 AM PST Dec 2, 2025 Editorial Standards ⓘ

Jonathan Ayestas

Senior Digital Producer

Daniel Macht

Digital Media Manager

LODI, Calif. —

A former Sacramento County deputy suspected of stabbing and killing his 11-year-old son was fatally shot after multiple law enforcement officers fired their weapons, following a chase on Interstate 5, officials said Tuesday.

Elk Grove police and the Sacramento County Sheriff's Office confirmed with KCRA 3 that the father was 40-year-old Marvin Morales, a former deputy who was found to have lied about his drug use following an investigation into his 2023 fentanyl poisoning while on the job.

On Wednesday, the Sacramento County Coroner's Office identified Mar Aris Untalan Morales as the child who was killed.

Leer en español.

Elk Grove police said they got a call after 8 a.m. from a mother concerned about the safety of her two children. There are cameras in their home, and the mother saw the father, later identified as Morales, assaulting his 11-year-old son, and then saw her son lying on the ground unresponsive. That prompted her to call the police out of concern.

Officers went to the 7600 block of Ferrell Way near Whitelock Parkway and Bruceville Road and found the boy with multiple stab wounds. The child died from his injuries after he was taken to the hospital.

https://www.kcra.com/article/sacramento-deputy-shooting-interstate-5-thornton-road/69609754

Sacramento County Sheriff's Office

4500 Orange Grove Avenue

Sacramento, CA 95841

Non-Emergency: 916-874-5115

TDD Non-Emergency: 916-874-7128

https://www.sacsheriff.com/pages/contact_us.php

History of the Orange Order

The Loyal Orange Institution was formed on 21st September 1795 shortly after the ‘Battle of the Diamond’ outside Loughgall, Co. Armagh. Three well-known local men of the area, James Wilson, Dan Winter, and James Sloan, established the institution. Whilst much is made of these ‘founding fathers’ within Orange circles; from a spiritual perspective we see no evidence that any of them had evangelical credentials. History, in fact, shows that all three men were dedicated Freemasons and two of the three were actually proprietors of licensed premises.

The Bible addresses such people, saying, “Woe unto him that giveth his neighbour drink, that puttest thy bottle to him, and makest him drunken also, that thou mayest look on their nakedness!” (Habakkuk 2:15). The Rev. Allan Dunlop, addressing this passage of Scripture in his book ‘Where Shadows Fall’ (p. 37), says, “The curse of God is upon the drink trade for what profits it brings are wrung from widows tears, children’s terror, women’s virtue and young men’s strength; and of wives and mothers broken hearts.”

It is true to say that Dan Winter came from a Quaker background, although his ungodly lifestyle shows he was anything but a dedicated Quaker. Firstly, Quakers have always practised strict ‘total abstinence’ and have always opposed the devilish influence of alcohol. Winter was the proprietor of a public house. Secondly, Quakers have always been opposed to the heathenish practices and teachings of Freemasonry. Winter was a zealous Freemason. Thirdly, Quakers have always been pacifists, opposing all type of fighting. Winter was the leader of the local ‘Peep O’ Day Boys’ (an illegal Protestant militia group of the day), and he was also a well-known ‘cock fighter’ in the area.

The ‘Battle of the Diamond’ itself lasted only fifteen minutes and was centred on Dan Winter’s public house, which was located at the Diamond crossroads. This battle (or skirmish) resulted in Winter’s premises being burnt to the ground by the attacking Roman Catholics who were ironically known as ‘the Defenders’. This place was the special focus of the attack as it was the gathering house for the local ‘Peep O’ Day Boys’. Prior to the battle, the authorities had made several arrests and various arms seizures relating to this illegal group.

Winter’s supporters, many of whom were Freemasons, gathered around the debris of the public house and pledged themselves to form a new secret society, made up wholly of Protestant men. Now that they no longer had Winter’s premises as a meeting place the men retired to James Sloan’s public house in the local village of Loughgall. Here the Orange Institution was properly organised.

The founders of the Orange Institution were known as ‘unwarranted masons’, ‘clandestine masons’ or ‘hedge’ Masons. These Masons were a rebellious group who would not accept the existing degree format of the ruling Masonic Grand Lodge of the day. Belinda Loftus, in her book ‘Mirrors’ (p.24) confirms that the clandestine or hedge Masons were “unwarranted by the Grand Lodge in Dublin” because Irish Masonry “refused to recognise any degrees but craft.” Up until the early 1800s the Grand Masonic Lodge of Ireland only accepted three degrees, – Entered Apprentice, Fellowcraft and Master Mason, collectively known as the ‘Craft degrees’ or the ‘Blue Lodge’. All other degrees were held to be illegal.

Read a detailed exposure of the Royal Arch Purple by W P Malcomson:

The Unwarranted Masons were the more zealous (or esoteric) Masons who adhered to the many mystical degrees, which today are accepted within the domain of higher degree Freemasonry. These degrees are found under the auspices of the Red Lodge, known as the Chapter and the Chivalry degrees, known as the Preceptory.

The Irish Masonic publication ‘History of Freemasonry in the Province of Antrim’ alludes to these clandestine Masons. It explain how these men would ascend to “the top of some neighbouring hill, and there, towards the close of a summers evening, after the manner of the ancient Druids, perform their rites and ceremonies, the meeting being properly tyled and guarded…They were unwarranted and recognised no authority and no authority recognised them” (p.143&144).

Winter, Sloan and Wilson, accompanied by others, felt the great need to instigate a ceremony of initiation into the new body and not surprisingly Freemasonry was chosen as the model. They used the Masonic template to formulate their degree structure. That is why the Loyal Orders teaching, titles, symbols and rituals so closely resembles that of Freemasonry.

Initially the Orange had one sole degree known simply as the ‘Orange degree’. As the months progressed the founding fathers introduced a further degree somewhere around late 1796. The ‘Orange Marksman’ degree as it was originally designated, became better known as the ‘Purple degree’. It was constructed in Portadown, in the home of prominent Freemason, John Templeton – a location frequently used for Masonic ceremonies. Orange historian (and well known Freemason of his day) Colonel R.H. Wallace outlined in his ‘History of the Orange Order’ (1899) how the founders “were observed going into and out of a house in which a Masonic Lodge held its meetings,” and that, “He [Mr Templeton] invited them into the Masonic room, and there and then satisfactory arrangements were made.” He concluded by saying, “the influence of the place and its associations can be discerned in the results” (p. 50). Another Orange historian R.M. Sibbett in ‘Orangeism in Ireland and Throughout the Empire’ (1938) explained how, “The subject uppermost in their minds was touched upon and discussed, and, at the request of Mr. Templeton, they adjourned to a room which had been used for other ceremonies. Here the warrant was produced, the lodge was reopened, and a higher Order was added.”

A further degree was added as Orangeism consolidated itself. The Royal Arch Purple Chapter book states that, “Probably late in the year 1796 or early 1797 a third degree known as Purple Marksman was added to the ritual. It is likely to have been composed by the same hands, probably in the same room as that of the Orange Marksman or Purpleman” (History of the Royal Arch Purple Order p. 39).

Whilst little is known of the exact content of these three degrees it seems certain that they were highly ritualistic in character, being modelled on the first three degrees of Freemasonry, namely, Entered Apprentice, Fellowcraft and Master Mason. The Royal Arch Purple Chapter book testifies that these three initial Orange degrees were “elaborate degrees” (p. 59).

Orange degree – Entered Apprentice degree

Orange Marksman degree – Fellowcraft degree

Purple Marksman degree – Master Mason degree

These were the three main degrees that were worked within the Order between 1795 and 1798, although many other ritualistic degrees were finding their way into Orangeism throughout the island of Ireland. Most of these degrees can today be found within the Royal Black Institution.

During this early period each individual Orange lodge administered its own control over the working of degrees, as no controlling authority existed to govern the degree system. A Grand Lodge of Ulster, as it were, was formed on 12th of July 1797, although it seemed to exercise little power over the whole island of Ireland.

The prevailing confusion within the Order, coupled with a large influx of new members, due to the deteriorating political situation in the form of the Republican uprising of the ‘United Irelanders’, resulted in the formation of a Grand Orange Lodge of Ireland on 21st April 1798. This brought much needed stability and leadership to the Order at a strategic period in its history.

Grand Lodge immediately addressed the bewildering amount of unnecessary ritualism that had found its way into Orangeism, and here began a process of reform which purged out all the ritualistic baggage which had settled itself within the Order. This resulted in the disposal of the original three (elaborate) degrees of the Orange. These were replaced with two simplified degrees of ‘Orange’ and ‘Plain Purple’. Out with the old degrees went the old leadership of James Wilson, Dan Winter, and James Sloan.

Wasting little time, Grand Lodge released a strong statement on 13th December 1798 which reflected the hierarchy’s strong desire to separate themselves from former error, stating: “That many persons having introduced various Orders into the Orange Society which will very much tend to injure the regularity of the institution. The Grand Lodge disavows any Order but Orange and Purple and there can be none other regular unless issuing and approved by them.”

From this date forward, the Grand Orange Lodge of Ireland accepted only two degrees within the Order – ‘Orange’ and ‘Plain Purple’. Between 1798 and 1800 Grand Lodge began a process of implementing this simplification by standardising procedures throughout every lodge in Ireland. That they might eradicate any lingering injurious behaviour by spurious characters, they abolished the old Orange Order in 1800, with its ritualistic connections, obliging every Orangeman to rejoin a now simplified new Orange Institution.

Grand Lodges opposition to Royal Arch Purple and Black degrees

1798-1801

1802-1828

1834-1875

1876-1878

1880-1913

1925

Those ritualistic Orangemen inside the Order who bore allegiance to the former neo-Masonic degrees were far from happy at this radical reform. Some continued to practise these illegal degrees in a clandestine manner, in blatant violation of the rules of the Grand Orange Lodge of Ireland.

Facing strong persecution from a now powerful Grand Lodge and realising their beleaguered position, they merged the three old degrees into one large ritualistic degree. The Arch Purple Chapter’s book ‘History of the Royal Arch Purple Order’ explains: “Sometime between 1800 and 1811, possibly in 1802, a new degree was devised by the Brethren who valued and loved the old traditions and who were concerned by the turn of events” (p. 58). This degree was ” developed from the three pre 1798 ‘old degrees’ ” (p. 59). This elaborate degree became known as the ‘Royal Arch Purple degree’.

Orange degree

Orange Marksman degree – Royal Arch Purple degree

Purple Marksman degree

The Arch Purple Chapter’s book also confirms its composition, how that it was designed to “include as much as possible of the travel and ritual of the original three.”

The draft to the Arch Purple Chapter’s book diplomatically traces the roots of the Royal Arch Purple degree, stating that, “In light of the evidence available it would appear that the degree given today evolved from certain practices which had their origin in the Masonic Order, together with some innovations which had been introduced by those brethren conferring the degree in different areas being added to the original theme of the pre 1800 degrees to form a new ritual.” Even this guarded statement was omitted from the published book!

Nevertheless, in their book ‘The Orange Order: An Evangelical Perspective’ Grand Chaplain of the Grand Orange Lodge of Scotland (which owns the Royal Arch Purple as its third degree) Rev. Ian Meredith and Irish Arch Purple man Rev. Brian Kennaway comment on the Arch Purple degree. They state, “It has to be admitted that this is the most ‘Masonic-like’ part of our ceremony.” They later describe it as “a Christianised or ‘Reformed Freemasonry’ ” (pp. 12, 25).

From its inception, the Grand Orange Lodge of Ireland looked upon this neo-Masonic Royal Arch Purple degree with understandable abhorrence. It was viewed as being incompatible with, and contrary to, both Protestantism and Orangeism. Those ritualistic Orangemen who practised the degree were persecuted by Grand Lodge, forcing them to practise the degree in great secrecy for fear of expulsion from the Order. Grand Lodge maintained this position throughout the whole of the 1800s and into the early 20th century. The hard line assumed by the Orange Institution in Ireland mirrored the resolute stance of Orangeism throughout Great Britain.

The history of the Royal Black Institution

The history of the Royal Black degrees

Royal Black Institution, the Crusades and the Jesuits

https://www.evangelicaltruth.com/royal-black-institution-crusades-the-jesuits/

President Trump Meets with Sheriffs in First 100 Days

On Monday, April 28, President Donald Trump signed Executive Orders focused on law enforcement and the protection of American communities. Members of the National Sheriffs’ Association Executive Committee were invited to attend.

https://www.sheriffs.org/president-trump-meets-sheriffs-first-100-days

Aid and Abet Newsletter (aired January 3rd, 1994)

Across the Americas and around the world, once again, you're listening to the Hour of the Time. I'm your host, William

Cooper, and in studio...

[voice of Carolyn Nelson]: Carolyn Nelson.

Folks, I'm going to be on a little investigative trip here for the next week. And while I'm gone, you are you going to hear

re-runs on both time slots. Those of you listening now have probably never heard these episodes of the Hour of the Time, and

you should always listen to this broadcast with a pad of paper and a pencil or pen by your side. Never, ever, make the mistake

of sitting down without a pad of paper and a pen or pencil to listen to the Hour of the Time. We have very short patience

around here for people who do not follow directions, so if you call up and want us to recount the show for you because you

didn't have your pad of paper and your pencil, I'm sorry, we don't have time to do that. We're very, very busy here. So, make

sure you get it the first time. If you miss a telephone number because I only say it once, that's OK.

(William Cooper continues to talk about his different time slots)

Tonight's show is important, for it verifies everything that I've been telling you in the Mystery Babylon series, which we

have done 31 episodes of. And we have included, "The Dawn of Man," which ran prior to the production of the Mystery

Babylon series and any orders for this series. So, that actually makes 32 tapes. But tonight's episode will be episode number 32

of the series known as Mystery Babylon.

Don't go away, folks. You need to know what you're going to hear tonight.

(opening music: God Part II, performed by U2)

For those of you who don't believe that those who call themselves illumined, the only truly mature minds in this world

and thus, are the only ones capable of deciding the future, or of ruling the rest of us...those of you who don't believe these

people have infiltrated all levels of our society -- our government, our military, our law enforcement -- I want you to listen

carefully to what I'm going to read you. I'm going to quote, verbatim, an article which appeared in the newsletter called Aid

and Abet Police Newsletter, volume 2, Constitutional Issues for Lawmen, number 1...volume 2, number 1. That's Aid and Abet

Police Newsletter.

Now, this letter, according to the editor of this newsletter, was written by a police chief. Here, he uses a pseudonym, so he

says, so that the police chief's identity is not revealed. However, as you will find out, if you have listened to our series on

Mystery Babylon, this is not just a police chief. This is a highly degreed member of the Masonic Lodge, and he gives himself

away with his symbology. For the end of his article, he signs it, "So mote it be."

Aid and Abet is put out by officer Jack McLamb, who has been written up as one of the best police officers ever produced

by the state of Arizona. We neither endorse him, nor do we condemn him. As far as CAJI is concerned, our vote is not in yet

on this organization. We know that in order to bring about the New World Order, they need to identify everyone who will

uphold the real law, the Constitution, the supreme law of the land. They need to identify those people and get them out of

positions of authority and, if necessary, take them out of society completely. There are organizations which exist solely for the

purpose of identifying those people in government, those people in the patriot community, those police officers serving in

police organizations, who would ultimately support the Constitution and the Bill of Rights against any effort to destroy it. Aid

and Abet may be one of these means. We do not know that for certain. But if you listen to this letter...this letter, because it's

signed with a pseudonym, may not be from a police chief at all, but may be from those who control Aid and Abet to tell the

police officers what is expected of them in the New World Order.

Again, we do not know this to be true. But we have discovered, ladies and gentlemen, that in our investigations, that those

who oppose us -- who would destroy us -- used the Hegelian dialectic of political conflict resolution. They control both sides

of every issue. They set in motion methods and means to identify their enemy, and destroy their enemy, before their enemy

318

can hurt them. And that's why we have been on the losing end for literally thousands of years with these people.

I now quote from this newsletter:

[Reading from Aid and Abet:]

(start of quote)

=====================================================

To the question of, "Do some judges, prosecutors and police officers today commit dishonest acts to put criminals away?"

I answer an unequivocal, Yes! But, it is hoped that it is not done without just cause. True immorality exists only when the

cause is not just.

[William Cooper: Notice how they turn the definition of morality around. He goes on:]

After more than 20 years of service to my fellow Americans I realize what reality is. The truth is that today many judges,

attorneys, police officials and officers are devotees of the religion of Secular Humanism (S.H.), myself included.

Some of our members (mainly out of fear) will not admit that S.H. is a religion [William Cooper: that's Secular

Humanism is a religion]. They are apprehensive that we might be treated as the so-called "Christians" have been treated under

the doctrine of Separation of Church and State. Such fear might be well founded if this were 15 to 20 years ago. Not so today.

Reason being, colleagues of our faith are, for the most part, in control of the agencies and organizations, such as the ACLU,

ABA, Justice Dept. etc., that would normally protest such cases. Although this may at first seem unfair, it is not. But allow me

to proceed, and I believe you will come to full understanding of this and many other important facts.

My feelings are that it is time we shepherds open the eyes of our flock and further sort out those we cannot take with us

into the 21st century.

[William Cooper: I'm going to pause here. In case you don't understand exactly what this man just said, I'm going to read

this paragraph again to you. Remember, this is purported to be a police chief writing under a pseudonym to the police

newsletter called Aid and Abet. Listen very carefully, ladies and gentlemen, and you'll see when I've labeled you sheeple, I have

not been...I have not been incorrect.]

[repeats:] My feelings are that it is time we shepherds open the eyes of our flock and further sort out those we cannot take

with us into the 21st. Century.

[William Cooper: Now, those of you who thought that I was insane when I told you that, if you don't go along with the

New World Order -- if you can't renounce your old religion and your old societal ways and your old morals and conform to

the new age -- you will be exterminated. They make no secret of this. I continue:]

Any that would deny that our religion of [Secular Humanism] is not a valid religion should do their homework. The

Supreme Court decided that it is a religion some years ago in the Torcaso vs Abington, Abington vs Schempp, and in Torcaso

vs Watkins cases. According to the High Court, it is "...belief, not body, creed, or cult which appears to be the essence of

religion." It further explains that, "...'belief' refers to some sort of universal view of life, of the world of mankind - a belief that

is held to be true about mankind." In essence the Supreme Court said that one's religion can be "...any world view with or

without reference to GOD, theistic or non-theistic in nature". I hope this helps others to understand our Faith, however, this

of course is not the main point of my speech.

I wish to address the abuse of Police Officers who ascribe, knowingly or unknowingly, to the moral tenants of our religion

319

in regards to ethics and morals. Nationwide our devotees are enduring horrible discrimination at the hands of a very

hypocritical faction of society, the Christians. This discrimination comes as we Humanists exercise our own religious beliefs

and apply our morals "on the job," so to speak. Yet, other officers may apply their own individual belief systems (morals and

ethics) at will, without any condemnation. This is undeniable discrimination!

Fortunately, our religion is the fastest growing of any in all of history and many of the younger generation within the

criminal justice system, including police officers, who ascribe to sound Secular Humanist principals are now in management

which is of benefit to all. This does give us sway power, and is a plus for our side. Still, there is far too much discrimination

against those who would apply a most important principle of our religion -- "Situation Ethics".

The principal of Situation Ethics allows the individual to focus correctly on only the goal to be accomplished. Morally

speaking, little if any consideration need be given to the method or means, as nothing else supersedes its importance. Of

course concern is given to finding a means of accomplishing a task or goal, so as to have the least negative impact on the least

amount of our people.

[William Cooper: Notice he says, "our people."]

In my youth I recall hearing the great Green Bay Packers coach Vince Lombardi describe it this way: "Winning is not

everything; it is the only thing." Much of our society lives by this principal today. Yes, even many of those who "profess other

faiths" and occupy pulpits throughout America. Personally, I think the principle of Situation Ethics is best described by

examining the legal definition of ethics and morals given by our now compatriots, the Communists. The Communist

definition is: "EVERYTHING is ethical and moral as long as it promotes World Communism." This is pure Secular

Humanism. We can learn much, incidentally, about total commitment from the Communists. The Marxists have, out of

pragmatic necessity, expurgated a minimum of 90 million people in the pursuit of man's noblest mission -- world peace. What

intelligent person could call "immoral" any means used to accomplish this all important goal?

[William Cooper: (laughs) Do you...do you think this guy is playing with a full load of bricks, here? I don't. And he

continues:]

In our great Humanist Manifesto signed in 1933 and 1973, we explain our moral creed which is very much the same as

the Marxist creed, yet set forth in much more palatable and tactful terms. Here is a brief summation of our beliefs regarding

Ethics and Truth:

"Moral values derive their source from human experience. Ethics is autonomous and situational, needing no theological

or ideological sanction. Ethics stems from human need and interest. To deny this distorts the whole basis of life...We strive for

the good life, here and now." -- [William Cooper: and that's from the] Humanist Manifesto II, [written and signed in] 1973.

AUTHORITY AND TRUTH

"We reject those features of traditional religious morality that deny humans a full appreciation of their own potentialities

and responsibilities. Traditional religions often offer solace to humans, but, as often, they inhibit humans from helping

themselves or experiencing their full potentialities...We can discover no divine purpose or providence for the human

species...Humans are responsible for what we are or will become.

[William Cooper: Remember, folks, I educated you in the part of the Masonic religion, and the religion of the Rose and

Cross, and the Knights Templar, and the Knights of Malta, the Red Cross of Constantine? All of these believe that man is in a

state of becoming. Becoming what? Becoming gods. I continue:]

Humans are responsible for what we are or will become. No deity will save us: we must save ourselves." -- [That's from

the] Humanist Manifesto II, 1973.

320

After 20 plus years of conditioning, our society now largely subscribes to this philosophy. Some of you who practice

"selective" Christianity are closer to our faith than to the superstitions of the Bible Thumpers of old. (In selective Christianity,

of course, you choose [certain portions of the so-called Word of God] to believe in, and discard the parts that are not

convenient.) Don't you see that in this we are just alike? Your "faith" is actually based on what is right under man's desire. We

Humanists are in fact more honest. We admit that there is no God -- that it is only Man's desires that are important. You

leaders of these "selective Christians" preach that your faith is based on some parts of "God's Law" but, in actuality the

majority is based on what feels good or is convenient.

[William Cooper: Now I must break here for just a second, folks, to tell anyone who may have just tuned in that these are

not my words. If you're sitting there with your lower jaw on your chest, looking aghast at your radio, you are not listening to

the thoughts of William Cooper or the Hour of the Time. I am quoting verbatim from a letter attributed to a police chief, and

this letter can be found in Aid and Abet, a police newsletter, volume 2, number 1, in case you want to pursue this.]

Quite obviously [I'm continuing now. Quite obviously], America's government now operates under the guiding principles

of Humanism. Deception, lying, cheating, stealing, killing is all moral if it promotes the attainment of our essential goals. This

is true righteousness.

[William Cooper: Folks, I gotta stop right here and tell you: this is true bullshit. This is deception at its worst, for these

people are actually believing that wrong is right and right is wrong. And that is exactly what we were warned about in these

days. And that is what I warned you about in my book, Behold A Pale Horse. And I told you years ago that the belief of these

people is that the ends justify the means, whatever they might be. If they must kill two billion people to make their dream

come true, they will do it. Mark my words: they will do it.]

A prime example [I'm continue now. A prime example] can be seen in the recent war against Iraq. Over 250,000 have lost

their lives so far, and more are dying every day -- all for the attainment of a higher good, the goal of our great Humanist

leaders: WORLD PEACE through World Government.

[William Cooper: You see, the writer of this letter understood what I understood about the Gulf War. It wasn't about Iraq

taking Kuwait. It was in fact about the New World Order. George Bush even stated that. He said in our speech -- his speech I

should say: "Our fifth goal in the Middle East is a New World Order," though I would venture to say that he stated it as his

fifth goal in order not to give it too much attention in the public eye. It was actually the first goal, ladies and gentlemen. I

continue:]

This New Age teaching is the reason why, for example, a police officer (one of Secular Humanist persuasion) is likely to

risk his very life to save a member of society one moment and the very next moment take the witness stand and lie in order to

win an important case. This is not to be considered immoral, given the particular standard of ethics upon which such an

officer bases his morality -- namely, that the end justifies any means. (In other words again, the "Higher Good" principle!)

Many people still do not understand this. They don't understand that this is why our presidents and their staffs, members of

Congress and hosts of others with leadership roles in America -- lawyers, judges, etc. -- lie and cheat right alongside our

dedicated humanist Law Enforcers. To repeat, all for the greater good of society, [or, in effect,] the system.

[William Cooper: And I add outside the letter written by the chief -- if it is really a chief, ladies and gentlemen -- that all

of these people belong to the secret societies. The ones who lie and cheat and murder. And I continue:]

What the Masses must be made to understand, and never be allowed to forget, is that this is for their own good. They

should know by now that those who are actually in control of our government (as Col. Oliver North explained) truly know

what is best for the people. They must also know that under the New World Order, the Justice System's primary mission will

be to protect the system from the masses. It is precisely in view of this that we on the inside have been obligated all along to

use the system to suppress dissenters as quickly as possible -- before any radical Anti-World Government, Anti-Humanist

group can gain the upper hand.

321

[William Cooper: I must read that again, folks, for those of you who may be a little bit slow in understanding. And some

of us are, especially with something that you can't quite grasp and never heard before. That's excusable. Again:]

What the Masses must be made to understand, and never be allowed to forget, is that this is for their own good. They

should know by now that those who are actually in control of our government (as Col. Oliver North explained) truly know

what is best for the people. They must also know that under the New World Order, the Justice System's primary mission will

be to protect the system from the masses. It is precisely in view of this that we on the inside have been obligated all along to

use the system to suppress dissenters as quickly as possible -- before any radical Anti-World Government, Anti-Humanist

group can gain the upper hand.

You're aware of course, that the vast majority of Americans seek only peace and security. They hardly even realize that

they have virtually made government their new god, to which they turn for the fulfillment of every need. Our New Age

leaders (and we soldiers as their "arms and legs") stand ready to give the Masses all for which they pray.

[William Cooper: And, ladies and gentlemen, I, William Cooper, and the Hour of the Time have warned you that if you

don't wake up, if you don't change the course of the future, that you would get exactly what you want, and that you would be

slaves in a New World Order. You see, to revert to the state of childhood means you must have a daddy. Some daddies aren't

too nice, and even the nice ones restrict your personal freedoms until you reach the age of maturity. In this case, there will be

no age of maturity, I can assure you. I continue with the letter:]

Let me repeat: Our job within the Criminal Justice system today is to protect the PLAN, the SYSTEM, and punish those

that our leaders decide are enemies of that System.

[William Cooper: You doubted me when I said there was a plan, ladies and gentlemen? There is the verification that there

is, in fact, a plan…an ancient plan. I continue:]

Of course now, as with our Soviet colleagues, under New Age Humanist Situation Ethics, we are not limited in the

methods we may apply to win. We can therefore proceed with unobstructed haste to make the masses safe and peaceful.

[William Cooper: (laughs)]

Let's look again at our example of that police officer who routinely risks his life for others and yet will lie on the witness

stand to help his government win some case in court. If some of you are still surprised at this then perhaps you haven't

understood what I have been trying to convey. Nor have you understood what your children have learned so well over the last

20 years within the government

school system.

It is that we are living in a new age where man has wisely placed his trust in government instead of some superstition

called the divine or God. It is the old religious morals that have caused all of our problems. A new age calls for a new belief

system, a new moral code, a new religion. It is exciting to see most all of the religions of the world coming nicely together,

united in preparation to serve the New World Order.

[William Cooper: Remember, I told you that your religious leaders are not really on your side, and all the churches that

belong to the World Council of Churches are all bring you closer to one religion, which will not resemble anything that Christ

taught. I continue:]

We must all dedicate ourselves to obeying our leaders without question and to the instruction of succeeding generations

toward our Utopian goals of World Peace.

I would like to introduce you to one present-day scholar Dr. Sidney Simon, who has been very effective, and deserving of

much credit [repeats: deserving of much credit] for his efforts in this work of re-educating humanity. He speaks plainly and

322

his meaning is unmistakable, as when he says:

"We do not need any more preaching about right and wrong. The old 'thou shalt nots' simply are not relevant." He goes

on to explain to the child educators he is addressing that "values clarification" is a method for teachers to change the values of

children 'without getting caught'. (Values Clarification is another term for Situation Ethics).

A book in use by our educators called, Weep for Our Children, spells out "values clarification" as part of the new morality.

[William Cooper: Listen to this carefully. This is a book in use by teachers, teaching your children, right this moment. It's

called Weep for Our Children:]

"It's OK to lie. It's OK to steal. It's OK to have premarital sex. It's OK to cheat or to kill if these things are part of your

value system, and you have clarified these values for yourself. The important thing is not what values you choose, but that you

have chosen them yourself freely and without coercion of parents, spouse, priest, friends, ministers or social pressure of any

kind."

=====================================================

(end of quote)

And that makes me very, very angry. That's one of the reasons my daughter is not in school and never will be in school.

She already knows more now than most children twice her age from the home schooling that she gets. This is incredible.

Don't go away. I have to take a breath. It makes me angry just to read this crap.

(break music: I Still Haven't Found What I'm Looking For, performed by U2)

[William Cooper does a commercial for Swiss American Trading Corporation]

(break music: continuation of I Still Haven't Found What I'm Looking For, performed by U2)

Ladies and gentlemen, I'm going to read the last paragraph again. I want you to hear this. Remember, this is a book in use

by teachers -- educators -- called Weep for Our Children and it spells out values clarification as part of the new morality:

[Continuing from Aid and Abet:]

(start of quote)

=====================================================

"It's OK to lie. It's OK to steal. It's OK to have premarital sex. It's OK to cheat or to kill if these things are part of your

value system, and you have clarified these values for yourself. The important thing is not what values you choose, but that you

have chosen them yourself freely and without coercion of parents, spouse, priest, friends, ministers or social pressure of any

kind."

It is such [Secular Humanism] proponents in the government schools (the teachers) whom we can thank for re-molding

the values of these next generations.

323

When the government national Child Care bill is passed it will be a great day for Humanists and proponents of World

Peace. What wonders we can achieve once we have the attention of the nation's pre-schoolers for 6 to 9 hours a day! Look

what we have already accomplished with the older age groups of America's youth.

As I hinted earlier, this new society, based on the deity of Man, will demand a new kind of Law Enforcer.

[William Cooper: Remember I told you: they believe that man is in a state of becoming. Becoming what? A god.]

[repeats:] As I hinted earlier, this new society, based on the deity of Man, will demand a new kind of Law Enforcer.

One of our educators said to me some weeks ago, "America's religious zealots of the past would be shocked at the changes

the people have allowed." She was correct, for after all, it was James Madison that said, "We have staked the whole future of

American civilization, not upon the power of government, far from it. We have staked the future...upon the capacity of each

and all of us to govern ourselves, to sustain ourselves, according to the Ten Commandments of God."

Ah, but it is a new day, and we are fast proceeding into the 21st Century. Americans no longer wish to assume the

responsibilities of governing themselves. Happily, for them, there is a whole new generation of very dedicated leaders and

enforcers in government to see that they are cared for.

[ENFORCEMENT MANPOWER]

Let me address for a moment the question of Police manpower. As the citizens relinquish, out of fear, more of their rights,

more Enforcers are required to regulate and supervise the people's activities so that they remain safe and peaceful. Who

would have thought 100 years ago that the integration of fear of literally everything would have been the answer to

establishing the New World Order? Credit for this innovation goes to the Free Thinkers of the last generation.

[William Cooper: Now, folks, if you think he's wrong, just look at yourselves; look at what you put up with; look what

you've allowed to happen; look at the state our nation is in; look at the fact that we've already lost most of the Bill of Rights

and a portion of the Constitution known as the first ten amendments. You all file and pay income taxes but you are not

required to file or pay. You do everything out of fear, and that's why you're known as "the sheeple." Most of you; not all, but

most, without any doubt. Most of you...that title fits like a hand-made pair of Italian shoes. It's very comfortable, isn't it? Isn't

it?]

Now the older generation known as "Peace Officers", "Servants of the People", might not so readily have adopted, nor fit

into, this new order of things. Fortunately, this has not posed too great a problem, due to the fact that they are rapidly being

replaced through natural attrition, [in effect] death or retirement.

[William Cooper: And now Hilary is running around the country, folks…wants to open a dialogue on euthanasia. Timely,

isn't it? I continue:]

The next seven or eight years will see the last of them removed.

At the same time, police agencies are of necessity attempting more and more to screen out before hiring those

prospective officers who believe in the old religious superstitions. This is wise because these zealots will not do the things that

will be required of them under the new system. Those remaining police officers who openly profess a belief system steeped in

old world Religious Fundamentalism, can be and are being phased out on any number of charges, such as can be

substantiated over time or with the help of a little innovation on the part of new management.

[William Cooper: And we believe that this organization, Aid and Abet, may be the organ [sic] used to identify those

police officers. I continue...before I continue, folks, we believe that and have good grounds to believe. However, we cannot

prove it. You must make up your own mind yourselves. I continue:]

324

Some of the "old time" officers complain that this type of job discrimination is "unconstitutional and immoral," but we

know they are wrong. Under Situation Ethics all things are moral as long as they promote the goal. Therefore they are not

being removed for any evil cause; they are incompatible and simply non-functional for the duties that will be required of

them.

[William Cooper: You might ask yourself, ladies and gentlemen: what are the duties that will be required of them? I think

you've already seen some examples at Ruby Ridge and Waco, Texas and many other places. And I go on with the letter:]

[SUPERVISING A HYPOCRITICAL PUBLIC]

I feel I need to say again that if a professional police officer must lie against those who violate the Law, then it is moral.

The same is true when government judges and attorneys withhold evidence and witnesses from the jury to win their cases.

When a politician lies to win an office, or makes deals that promote the New Order, it is moral.

Let me tell you what is truly immoral. I will use the issuance of traffic violations as only one example. True immorality is

when 5 out of 10 "good upstanding citizens" take the witness stand, swear an oath to their God, and then proceed to fabricate

lies to get out of their tickets. This our Enforcement Officers witness daily in court. To them this is not only immoral but

highly hypocritical.

The Enforcer's dishonesty helps society as a whole. If a government agent lied for personal reasons [then] it would be

immoral; if done for the betterment of mankind, it is not. And that is the most important lesson I bring you today. It is one

thing when a leader or agent of government has to lie or otherwise deceives his subjects. It is quite another when an ordinary

individual from among the masses, "bites the hand that feeds him" by lying to those who are bringing salvation in this brave

new world. Do we see this important difference?

The Old World understood that it was the greatest of sins to lie to or deceive God. The generations of devotees that wish

to enter the New World must likewise be brought to the understanding that it is the greatest of sins to lie to or deceive their

new God, Government. Any such disloyalty would surely hamper the progress of those engaged in ushering in the glorious

New World Order.

[RESISTANCE TO THE NEW ORDER]

We are not concerned with the few who may resist this New Order, for out of pragmatic necessity their fate has been

amply allowed for in the Master Plan. What we are most concerned about at present is that the obedient masses be made to

understand that it is detrimental to progress for them to suggest that their Supervisors wallow under the pressure and futility

of the antiquated superstitions, morals and dogma of the past. There will be some difficult changes facing the person entering

this New Society. On these issues, however, we can assure the people there will be no compromise.

Thank you for listening. May the blessing of the New Order come swiftly upon us.

So Mote It Be.

=====================================================

(end of quote)

"So Mote It Be" is taken directly from the initiation ceremonies of the Scottish Rite of Freemasonry, and you will hear it

nowhere else, ladies and gentlemen. Whoever wrote this was a highly degreed Freemason of the Scottish Rite. And he is

under a pseudonym explaining the true purpose, the true religion and the true plan for the religion that those who frequent

the lodge actually adhere to.

325

So you see, in Aid and Abet, a police newsletter, volume 2, number 1, all of the police officers who subscribe to this

newsletter are the good guys. The good guys. They have been delivered a warning from a police chief under a pseudonym

which makes it very plain what will happen to any police officer who does not go along with the New World Order. And I say

that it was intentionally that way. And that there is no police Chief Rupert Orpheus, pseudonym or not. But this is the policy

that needed to be explained to all of these officers at once to hasten their decision. You see, ladies and gentlemen, when it

comes right down to it, most people will do what they're told, when they're told if they're told, and they have been told.

I hope that you are intelligent enough to understand what you have just heard, and exactly what it means. If you are

not...if you are not, dear sheeple, God have mercy upon your soul. You're going to need it.

Those long time listeners to the Hour of the Time; those who have been awake for quite some time; those who were never

asleep, understand that there is a plan in the world that the members of the secret societies, by whatever name they call

themselves to you, the profane, in their exoteric language, are using to bring about the ages-old dream of a New World Order.

For the masses are totally and completely controlled for each and every second of every moment of every hour of every day of

their lives. And where the priests of the Mysteries govern in what they call a "Council of Wise Men."

The public at large will not know much about this Council of Wise Men, for there will be at the head of this Council a

charismatic, religious, and political leader. This is necessary for the public needs somewhere to vent their emotions, their

elations, their angers. And it makes no difference if they topple this leader from his throne. The real leaders will remain

untouched as they have remained untouched throughout the history of the world.

Those of you who really believe this hick, William Clinton, is leading this nation and making the decisions...you probably,

at some point within the last 24 hours, thought you were Rush Limbaugh and sat on half your brain. And those of you who

believe that you really have a choice at election time, when the choice has already been made, and it's especially damaging if

you believe that your vote really counts, when it is the Electoral College that elects the president. And in fact, that's really not

necessary, unless some ringer slips into the choice, like Gary Hart. Didn't you wonder why Gary Hart was completely and

totally destroyed forever because someone photographed him on a boat with one woman, not doing anything wrong? And Bill

Clinton is not even tarnished.

Don't you understand? Bill Clinton is just a messenger boy. And if he gets impeached, it will not solve anything. And

those of you running around signing petitions to impeach William Clinton had better read the Constitution of the United

States of America. You see, you cannot impeach a president because somebody signed a petition. I don't care if 200,000,000

Americans sign that petition, you cannot impeach William Clinton, you fools! You must prove that he has committed high

crimes and misdemeanors, and you must have solid evidence. And you must have witnesses that don't die overnight, and

documentation that doesn't disappear by the time next week comes along.

Do you understand? Once again they have you whirling around in circles at the end of a cul-de-sac.

Good night, and God bless you all.

(closing music: The Rose performed by Bette Midler)

https://viefag.wordpress.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/08/transcripts-of-william-cooper-s-mystery-babylon-series.pdf

No charges for Lyon County Sheriff Brad Pope after leaking case information on fake profile during 2022 election

by Ben MargiottTue, January 2nd 2024 at 4:05 PM

LYON COUNTY, Nev. (News 4 & Fox 11) — State investigators determined Lyon County Sheriff Brad Pope did not break any laws when he created a fake Facebook profile and leaked confidential case information during his campaign for sheriff in 2022.

News 4-Fox 11 obtained a redacted copy of the investigation through a public records request. The story was first reported by the Las Vegas Review-Journal.

No charges for Lyon County Sheriff Brad Pope after leaking case information on fake profile during 2022 election

The investigation, finished in January 2023, concluded that Pope did not violate laws regarding interference with an investigation, official misconduct or possible interference with an election.

The public comments and messages posted from a fake Facebook profile by "Hank Tyme," later identified as Brad Pope, leaked information regarding the details of murder suspect Troy Driver's 2022 suicide attempt.

One message sent to News 4-Fox 11 sought to undermine then-Sheriff Frank Hunewill, Pope's opponent in the 2022 election, by accusing him of covering up the suicide attempt without a proper investigation.

Comments from Tyme included calling Hunewill dishonest, incompetent and a joke. One accused Hunewill of dismissing complaints about Driver's suicide attempt to make it 'go away.'

https://foxreno.com/news/local/no-charges-for-lyon-county-sheriff-brad-pope-after-leaking-confidential-case-information-fake-facebook-profile-hank-tyme

innocentii xii pm inornatum monumentum in hanc elegantem formam redigy curavit adprobante benedicto xiv pm vincentius sre card petra ep praen et m pceniten

AI Overview

The Latin inscription translates to:

"Vincentius S.R.E. Cardinalis Petra, Bishop of Praeneste and Major Penitentiary, took care to restore the unadorned monument of Innocent XII P.M. (Pontifex Maximus) to this elegant form, with the approval of Benedict XIV P.M."

This text is likely an inscription found on a monument in a church, probably St. Peter's Basilica, detailing a restoration or beautification project.

Innocentii XII P.M.: Refers to Pope Innocent XII (born Antonio Pignatelli, reigned 1691–1700).

Benedicto XIV P.M.: Refers to Pope Benedict XIV (reigned 1740–1758).

Vincentius S.R.E. Card. Petra Ep. Praen. et M. Pœniten: Identifies the person responsible as Vincentius Petra, a Cardinal of the Holy Roman Church (S.R.E., Sanctæ Romanæ Ecclesiæ), the Bishop of Praeneste (Episcopus Praenestinus), and the Major Penitentiary (Maior Pœnitentiarius).

inornatum monumentum in hanc elegantem formam redigy curavit: Describes the action taken: "took care to restore the unadorned monument into this elegant form".

"Vincentius S.R.E. Cardinalis Petra" refers to Cardinal Vincenzo Petra, who was born in Naples, Italy, and served as a Cardinal from 1724 until his death. He held several prominent positions, including Camerlengo of the Sacred College of Cardinals from 1733 to 1734, and was a Cardinal-Bishop from 1740 to 1747.

Title: S.R.E. (Sanctae Romanae Ecclesiae) Cardinalis Petra, which translates to "Cardinal of the Holy Roman Church Petra".

Role: He was a Cardinal of the Roman Catholic Church.

Positions held:

Cardinal-Bishop (1740–1747)

Camerlengo of the Sacred College of Cardinals (1733–1734)

Titular Archbishop (1712–)

Location: He was associated with Naples.

AI responses may include mistakes. Learn more

Hank FM is the on-air brand name of several radio stations in the United States and Canada. Stations using the Hank FM brand name typically air a country format, in configurations of classic country, contemporary country, or a less tightly formatted mix of the two. They generally use the slogan (He) Plays Everything Country on their mixed country radio stations, (He) Plays Country Legends on their classic country radio stations or (He) Plays New Country on their contemporary country radio stations.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hank_FM

“The organization of the Hierarchy is a complete military despotism, of

which the Pope is the ostensible head; but of which, the Black Pope, is

the real head. The Black Pope is the head of the Order of the Jesuits,

and is called a General. He not only has the absolute command of his

own Order, but directs and controls the general policy of the Church.

He is the power behind the throne, and is the real potential head of the

Hierarchy.

The whole machine is under the strictest rules of military discipline. The

whole thought and will of this machine, to plan, propose and execute, is

found in its head. There is no independence of thought, or of action, in its

subordinate parts. Implicit and unquestioning obedience to the orders of

superiors in authority, is the sworn duty of the priesthood of every grade;

just as it is the duty of officers in the army; and as much the duty of the

laity to their priests, as it is of the rank and file in an army to their

immediate commanders.

There is a complete chain of responsibility, extending from the head all the

way down to the membership. Thus the whole vast organization can be

wielded, as a unit, to accomplish the plans and purposes of its head. The

priest is virtually an intellectual slave to his bishop, the bishop to his archbishop,

and these again to the cardinals, and all, finally, to the Popes, white

and black [the Jesuit Superior General ruling not only the Company, but the

Pope, the Hierarchy and the entire Papal System]. . . .

The Jesuit plans with the utmost art and cunning, unhampered by any moral

restraints, and always with the utmost secrecy; and carries out his plans in

the dark. We think; however, that in this case, we have succeeded in

tracing him through all the devious wanderings of his dark and slimy path,

and, in fixing upon him the responsibility for the assassination of President

Lincoln. . . .

Our inquiry then, thus far, has established the fact that five of the

conspirators were members of the Roman Catholic Church and that these

five were its leaders, to whom the execution of the plot had been confided.

We have also seen that their meeting place, or council chamber, in

Washington, whilst engaged in perfecting their arrangements for the

assassinations that had been determined upon, was the dwelling place and

under the control of Mrs. Mary Surratt and John H. Surratt, her son;

both of whom were zealous slaves of the Pope, and clearly proven, by the

evidence given before the [Military] Commission and by that given two

years later, on the trial of John H. Surratt in a civil court, to have been

leading and active members of the conspiracy. . . .

Vatican Assassins

The Jesuits — 1865

634

One of these [priests having testified as to the “Christian character” of

Mary Surratt], Father Wiget [Jesuit Bernardin F. Wiget], was Mary

Surratt’s pastor during all this time, and testified that he knew her well; but

did not know whether she was loyal [to the Northern Union] or disloyal.

This would seem to be very doubtful testimony, as Father Wiget was noted

for his disloyalty [the Jesuits working within both factions of the war, while

the Black Pope’s Roman Hierarchy, led by Pope Pius IX, was ordered to

openly ally itself with the leaders of the Southern Confederacy, with which

treasonous Confederate leaders the Hierarchy had secretly collaborated in

purposing to lose the war and thereby use the Republican armies to destroy

White Protestant Southern civilization. This same policy would be followed

during the Order’s Second Thirty Years’ War (1914-1945) in the

destruction of Protestant Prussia and Old Catholic Bavaria, the Roman

Hierarchy, led by Pope Pius XII, openly allying—via a Concordat—with

the leaders of the Nazi Third Reich, with which treasonous Nazi leaders the

Hierarchy had secretly collaborated in purposing to lose the war and

thereby use the Allied armies to destroy Protestant Prussian and anti-

Vatican I, anti-Papal Infallibility, Old Catholic German civilization.]; . . .

He said he had become acquainted with her through having had the care of

two of her sons as his pupils; one of these was serving in the rebel army,

and the other, John H. Surratt, had been a rebel emissary and spy for three

years, passing back and forth between Washington and Richmond, and

from Richmond to Canada and back, as a bearer of dispatches, and yet, this

Jesuitical priest, endeavored to shape his testimony as to leave the

impression that the topics of conversation between himself and Mrs.

Surratt, whilst all this was going on, and much more, was confined to such

topics as the state of her health, the weather, etc. . . .

We cannot help thinking that all of these holy or unholy Fathers testified

under the well understood mental reservations of the Jesuits. Father Wiget

was, as we have said, her pastor, and so, we take it, was her confessor. We

cannot think it at all probable that she would have engaged in a conspiracy

fraught with so much danger to her, and such grave consequences hereafter,

without having confided to him her terrible secret; nor without his approval.

It certainly is rather strange that she should have broken her relations with

him after her conviction, and taken [non-Jesuit] Father [Jacob A.] Walter

for her confessor and spiritual guide in her preparation for death.

There must have been a grave reason for this change; and it was made for

her, by these Jesuit priests, for some important reason. It is not at all likely

that at such a time, and under such solemn circumstances, she would have

made this change from her pastor to another priest with whom she had not

Chapter 28

The Jesuits — 1865

635

had any previous acquaintance, of her own volition. Had she been

innocent, her trusted pastor would have been the one to whom she naturally

would have looked for consolation. But Wiget had no doubt told her that

she would incur no guilt in aiding the conspiracy, and so to Walter she

could declare her innocence, having the faith of a Catholic in Wiget’s

power to grant her a dispensation. . . . There was to be a great effort made to

get a commutation, or reversal of her sentence; and the strong plea of the

Father was to be based on this assertion of her innocence. Failing in this,

Father Walter, for thirty years, persisted in his efforts to fix upon the

government the stigma of having murdered an innocent woman. . . .

We now come to the trial of John H. Surratt before a civil court. . . . The

hand of the Jesuit is everywhere traceable throughout the history of this

trial; and by that hand, one of the most important trials that the history of

American jurisprudence records, was well nigh turned into a farce by the

skill and cunning of the defense. The cunning of the Jesuit was exercised in

the preparations made in advance, to make sure of acquittal of the accused.

The law of Congress, specifying particularly how juries to try cases in the

criminal court, in the District of Columbia, should be secured, was entirely

ignored, in some of its most important essential particulars. Counsel for the

defense had been selected with special care. There were three of these: Mr.

Merrick and the two Bradleys, Sr. and Jr. Of these, only one, Mr. Merrick,

was a member of the Roman Catholic Church. . . . A jury was finally

obtained, through a two-days effort and as the prosecution desired to

remove, as far as possible, all religious and political considerations, and

influences, from the trial, a considerable number of Roman Catholics were

accepted on this jury. The trial then proceeded. . . .

The result was a hung jury. The author was informed by a very intelligent

man, who took a prominent part in this trial, that, meeting one of the jurors,

who appeared to be a very frank and intelligent man, on the day after the

trial, he asked him if he felt free to tell how the jury stood. He replied that

they were very nearly equally divided for conviction and acquittal. He then

asked him if they did not think that he was proven guilty. ‘Oh, yes,’ he

replied, ‘we thought he was proven guilty, but we thought his conviction

would be a triumph for the [Republican] Radicals, and we thought that the

hanging of his mother [Mary Surratt] was about enough.’ . . .” {6}

[Emphasis added]

Thomas M. Harris, 1897

Brigadier General, U.S. Army

Member, Military Tribunal, 1865

Rome’s Responsibility for the

Assassination of Abraham Lincoln

Vatican Assassins:

“Wounded In The House Of My Friends”

Third Edition

by Eric Jon Phelps

https://ia802505.us.archive.org/28/items/EricJonPhelpsVaticanAssassins3rdEdition/Eric%20Jon%20Phelps%20-%20Vatican%20Assassins%203rd%20Edition.pdf

Diving into Daniel: A Strange Vision

Daniel 7:1-8 - Analyzing Biblical prophecy is a way to grow in spiritual understanding and belief, even if some things don’t make sense (yet).

Barbara Sande

Apr 22, 2025

This image was created using DALL·E, OpenAI’s legacy image generation model.

“In the first year of Belshazzar king of Babylon Daniel saw a dream and visions in his mind as he lay on his bed; then he wrote the dream down and related the following summary of it. Daniel said, “I was looking in my vision by night, and behold, the four winds of heaven were stirring up the great sea. And four great beasts were coming up from the sea, different from one another. The first was like a lion and had the wings of an eagle. I kept looking until its wings were plucked, and it was lifted up from the ground and made to stand on two feet like a man; a human mind also was given to it. And behold, another beast, a second one, resembling a bear. And it was raised up on one side, and three ribs were in its mouth between its teeth; and thus they said to it, ‘Arise, devour much meat!’ After this I kept looking, and behold, another one, like a leopard, which had on its back four wings of a bird; the beast also had four heads, and dominion was given to it. After this I kept looking in the night visions, and behold, a fourth beast, dreadful and terrifying and extremely strong; and it had large iron teeth. It devoured and crushed and trampled down the remainder with its feet; and it was different from all the beasts that were before it, and it had ten horns. While I was contemplating the horns, behold, another horn, a little one, came up among them, and three of the first horns were pulled out by the roots before it; and behold, this horn possessed eyes like the eyes of a man and a mouth uttering great boasts.”

‭‭Daniel‬ ‭7‬:‭1‬-‭8‬ ‭NASB1995‬‬

Here we go! The first 6 chapters of Daniel are frequently taught and are well-known to believers and document historical events while Daniel is in exile. Chapters 7 through 12 are less popular and not taught very often because they are challenging to the best Biblical scholars (and as a reminder I’m a rank amateur who is learning along with my readers). So now I’m plunging into the first chapter of the apocalyptic prophecies beginning in Chapter 7. I looked at commentary and it is all over the map, although most commentators agree that this chapter mirrors the statue vision that King Nebuchadnezzar had in Daniel 2; that vision was from a human perspective of power and might, while this vision has been described as the way the world systems were seen by God. The vision that Daniel has is about the four Gentile kingdoms: Babylon, Medo-Persia, Greece and Rome. This is explained in further detail later in Daniel 7.

The AI image above isn’t bad, as it attempts to show the four beasts as described in the first part of Daniel 7. The first creature, the winged lion on the left, is before it is lifted up and its wings were plucked and made to stand on its own two feet. The second beast, the bear-like creature is missing the ribs in its mouth, but the AI tool that Steve uses refused to spit out that little detail and keep the other details intact. The third creature is missing a couple of wings but the leopard-like beast with four heads is pretty convincing. Finally, the fourth beast is intimidating, but I’m not sure that the 10 horns came out quite right and the teeth don’t look like they’re made of iron. The little horn is not present at all. These AI resources are probably completely confused about the descriptions from the Bible but I’m amazed at how they try to comply.

This vision comes to Daniel during the first year of Belshazzar, the same king who saw the handwriting on the wall. Scholars estimate this timeframe to be about 553 BC, about fourteen years before the fateful party of Belshazzar. This would coincide with the timeline of events after Daniel 4 but before Daniel 5. So in looking at commentary, I think that Enduring Word has done an excellent job on the book of Daniel. I will supplement their commentary with information from Precept Austin.

Let’s start with the first beast that arises from the sea (assumed to be the Mediterranean). This is the Lion with Eagle wings. Enduring Word has this to say:

a. The first was like a lion: The first beast was more majestic than any of the following beasts (lions and eagles are “kings” of their realms). But this majestic beast was humbled (wings were plucked off) and made human (a man’s heart was given to it).

i. A little later (Daniel 7:17) Daniel tells us that these four beasts are four kingdoms ruling over the earth. The first kingdom is the Babylonian Empire, represented by a lion and an eagle. This fits in well with the majesty and authority of Nebuchadnezzar in his reign over the empire of Babylon.

ii. Jeremiah used both the lion and the eagle as pictures of Nebuchadnezzar (Jeremiah 49:19-22), and Babylon’s winged lions can be seen at the British Museum today.

The Babylonian Empire is shown in the following map, taken from Precept Austin:

The second beast, the bear is described by Enduring Word in this commentary:

b. A second, like a bear: The second beast didn’t have the majestic bearing of either the lion or the eagle. A bear is slower, stronger, and more crushing than a lion – and this bear had a voracious appetite for conquest (Arise, devour much flesh!).

i. The bear represented the Medo-Persian Empire, succeeding the Babylonian Empire. In this partnership between the Medes and the Persians, the Persians dominated the relationship. Most think the three ribs represent their three great military conquests: Babylon, Egypt and Lydia.

ii. The slow, crushing armies of the Medo-Persian Empire were well known. They simply overwhelmed their opponents with superior size and strength. “The Medes and Persians are compared to a bear on account of their cruelty and thirst after blood, a bear being a most voracious and cruel animal.” (Adam Clarke)

iii. Arise, devour much flesh: “The command to arise and devour much flesh indicates the extreme cruelties often practiced by the Persians, and the wide extent of their conquests.” (H.A. Ironside)

iv. Liberal commentators have a vested interest in identifying the bear with only the Median state, and not the combined Medo-Persian Empire. They assign the third beast to the Persian Empire, and the fourth to Alexander’s Greek Empire, so as to remove (even for a second century author) any element of predictive prophecy. Their analysis doesn’t fit. There are many good reasons why the second kingdom could not be exclusively the Median kingdom.

· The Median kingdom did not follow the Babylonian in historical sequence, but was contemporary with it, even rising to strength before the Neo-Babylonian period.

· The Median kingdom never had a world position ranking with the Persian, Grecian or Babylonian Empires.

· The motivation for the interpretation is solely to remove any reference to Rome – and to divinely predictive prophecy.

Here is a map of the Medo-Persian Empire, demonstrating the voraciousness of conquest for that Gentile empire (from Precept Austin):

The third beast, the winged/four-headed leopard creature is described in this commentary from Enduring Word:

c. Another, like a leopard: The leopard was known for its sudden, unexpected attacks. This one was especially swift (with four wings), and clever (having four heads).

i. Each animal is mighty, but dominates its prey in a different way. “The lion devours, the bear crushes, and the leopard springs upon its prey.” (Lehman Strauss)

ii. The leopard represented the Greek Empire. Alexander the Great quickly conquered the civilized world by age 28. “Nothing in the history of the world, was equal to the conquests of Alexander, who ran through all the countries from Illycrium and the Adriatic Sea to the Indian Ocean and the River Ganges; and in twelve years subdued part of Europe, and all Asia.” (Adam Clarke)

iii. After his death his empire was divided into four parts (four heads). Specifically, the four heads were Casander, Lysimachus, Seleucus, and Ptolemy, who inherited Alexander’s domain after his death.

iv. The Babylonian Empire dominated in Daniel’s day. One might have guessed – especially in the reign of Belshazzar – that the next empire would be the Medo-Persian Empire. But how could Daniel know that the next world empire would be like a leopard in its rise and prominence, and that it would be divided into four parts? This shows a plain principle: God knows the future, and reveals certain details of the future through His prophets. It shows that God lives outside our time domain and can see the future as well as the past. He sees the whole parade of human history, not just the part passing in front of a single spectator. The proof of fulfilled prophecy is exceptionally persuasive; no wonder Peter says: We have the prophetic word confirmed, which you do well to heed as a light that shines in a dark place, until the day dawns and the morning star rises in your hearts (2 Peter 1:19).

God does indeed know the future! Here is the map of the Greek Empire that was found on Precept Austin; the four subdivisions of the empire after the death of Alexander are noted in the different colors.

Finally, the dreadful and terrifying fourth beast with ten horns is the Roman Empire. Here is the commentary from Enduring Word

a. A fourth beast, dreadful and terrible: The fourth beast was indescribable, and uniquely horrific in its power and conquest.

b. Different… it had ten horns: In the ancient world horns expressed the power and fearsomeness of an animal. This fourth beast was so strong it had ten horns.

i. Different people picture this in different ways. Some suggest that the ten horns were actually two five-pointed antlers, rather than ten separate horns.

ii. In historical fulfillment, the fourth beast represents the Roman Empire, which was the largest, strongest, most unified and enduring of them all.

iii. “There is an unmistakable correspondence between these horns and the ten toes of the dream image (ch. 2), and the mention of iron in the teeth suggests the legs and toes of iron in that image.” (Gleason Archer)

c. Another horn, a little one… a mouth speaking pompous words: Among the ten horns, three are replaced by one horn that was conspicuous for its dominance (before whom three of the first horns were plucked out by the roots), intelligence (eyes like the eyes of a man), and its boastful talk (speaking pompous words).

Here is a map of the Roman Empire at its peak, from Precept Austin:

I’ll be honest with you, dear readers: The part of the vision about the conspicuous horn (the small horn that supplants three horns and has eyes and a boastful manner) on the fourth beast is something I don’t comprehend in any way at this early point in this analysis. This nuance is explained in greater detail later in Daniel 7, so I will defer that until I get to those verses.

So I think this covers the first eight verses pretty well and most of it makes sense to me. My next devotional examines Daniel 7:9-12 - The Ancient of Days reigns.

https://www.heavenonwheels.org/p/diving-into-daniel-a-strange-vision

San Diego (/ˌsæn diˈeɪɡoʊ/ ⓘ SAN dee-AY-goh, Spanish: [san ˈdjeɣo]) is a city on the Pacific coast of Southern California, adjacent to the Mexico–United States border. It is the eighth-most populous city in the U.S. and second-most populous city in California with a population of over 1.4 million, while the San Diego metropolitan area with over 3.3 million residents is the 18th-largest metropolitan area in the nation. San Diego is the county seat of San Diego County.[17] It is known for its mild Mediterranean climate, extensive beaches and parks, long association with the United States Navy, and recent emergence as a wireless, electronics, healthcare, and biotechnology development center.

Historically home to the Kumeyaay people, San Diego has been referred to as the Birthplace of California, as it was the first site visited and settled by Europeans on what is now the West Coast of the United States.[18] In 1542, Juan Rodríguez Cabrillo claimed the area for Spain, forming the basis for the settlement of Alta California, 200 years later. The Presidio and Mission San Diego de Alcalá, founded in 1769, formed the first European settlement in what is now California. In 1821, San Diego became part of the newly declared Mexican Empire. California was ceded to the U.S. in 1848 following the Mexican–American War and was admitted as the 31st state in 1850.

The largest sectors of the economy of San Diego include military and defense-related activities, tourism, international trade, research, and manufacturing. The city is home to several universities, including UC San Diego, San Diego State University, and the University of San Diego. San Diego is the economic center of the San Diego–Tijuana region, the second-most populous transborder metropolitan area in the Western Hemisphere, home to an estimated five million people as of 2022.[19] The primary border crossing between San Diego and Tijuana, the San Ysidro Port of Entry, is the busiest international land border crossing in the world outside of Asia (fourth-busiest overall). San Diego International Airport (SAN) is the busiest single-runway airport in the United States.[20]

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/San_Diego

The Order of Santiago (/ˌsɒntiˈɑːɡoʊ/; Spanish: Orden de Santiago [sanˈtjaɣo]) is a religious and military order founded in the 12th century. It owes its name to the patron saint of Spain, Santiago (St. James the Greater). Its initial objective was to protect the pilgrims on the Way of St. James, to defend Christendom and to remove the Muslim Moors from the Iberian Peninsula with the Reconquista.[1] Entrance was not restricted to nobility of Spain exclusively, and some members have been Catholic Europeans from other parts of Europe. The Order's insignia is particularly recognisable and abundant in Western art.[2]

With the culmination of the Reconquista and the death of the Grand Master Alonso de Cárdenas, the Catholic Monarchs incorporated the Order into the Spanish Crown, and the Pope Adrian VI forever united the office of Grand Master of Santiago to the Crown in 1523.

The First Republic suppressed the Order in 1873, but it was re-established in the Restoration as a nobiliary institute of honorable character. The Order was again suppressed after the proclamation of the Second Republic in 1931. With the fall of the Republic and the re-establishment of the Monarchy, the Order of Santiago was definitely restored with the kingship of Juan Carlos I with the character of a nobiliary, honorable, and religious order; and remains as such.

The Order of Santiago is one of the four Spanish military orders, together with those of Calatrava, Alcántara, and Montesa.

Insignia

Main article: Cross of Saint James

The Order's insignia is said to originate from the Battle of Clavijo and is a red cross resembling a sword, with the shape of a fleur-de-lis on the hilt and the arms.[3] The knights wore the cross stamped on the royal standard and white cape. The cross of the royal standard had a Mediterranean scallop in the center and another one at the end of each arm.[4]

The three fleurs-de-lis represent the "honor without stain", which is in reference to the moral features of the Apostle's character.[4]

The sword represents the chivalrous character of the apostle St. James and his martyr ways, since he was decapitated with a sword. It can also symbolize taking the sword in the name of Christ, in a certain sense.[3]

It is said that its shape originated in the era of the Crusades, when the knights took with them small crosses with sharpened bottoms to stick them in the ground and carry out their daily devotions.[5]

Insignia

Main article: Cross of Saint James

The three fleurs-de-lis represent the "honor without stain", which is in reference to the moral features of the Apostle's character.[4]

History

Badge of order at the Walters Museum, 17th century

Middle Ages

Álvaro de Luna (between 1388 and 1390; 2 June 1453), Constable of Castile, Grand Master of the Order of Santiago, and favorite of King John II of Castile

Portrait of Íñigo López de Mendoza with the embroidered cross of the order, by Frans Pourbus the Elder

Santiago de Compostela, in Galicia, the centre of devotion to this Apostle, is neither the cradle nor the principal seat of the Order. Two cities contend for the honour of having given it birth, León in the kingdom of that name, and Uclés in Cuenca Province in Castile. At that time (1157–1230) the royal dynasty was divided into two branches; this rivalry tended to obscure the beginnings of the Order. The Order had possessions in each of the kingdoms, but Ferdinand II of León and Alfonso VIII of Castile, in bestowing these possessions, both set the condition that the seat of the Order should be in their respective states. Hence arose long disputes which only ended in 1230 when Ferdinand III, the Saint, united both crowns. Thereafter, Uclés was regarded as the headquarters of the order; there the Grand Master habitually resided, aspirants passed their year of probation, and the rich archives of the order were preserved until united in 1869 with the "Archivo Histórico Nacional" in Madrid. The Order received its first rule in 1171 from Cardinal Jacinto (later Pope Celestine III), then legate in Iberia of Pope Alexander III. The first Grand Master was Pedro Fernández de Castro, also known as Pedro Fernández de Fuentecalada, a soldier of King Ferdinand II and a former crusader.

Unlike the contemporary Order of Calatrava and Order of Alcántara, which followed the severe rule of the Benedictines of Cîteaux, Santiago adopted the milder rule of the Canons of St. Augustine. In León, they offered their services to the Canons Regular of Saint Eligius in that town for the protection of pilgrims to the shrine of St. James and the hospices on the roads leading to Compostela. This explains the mixed character of the Order: like the Knights Hospitaller, they both accommodated pilgrims and provided military service. They were recognized as a religious order by Pope Alexander III, whose Bull of 5 July 1175,[1] was subsequently confirmed by more than twenty of his successors. These pontifical acts, collected in the Order's Bullarium , secured them all the privileges and exemptions of other monastic orders. The order comprised several affiliated classes: canons, charged with the administration of the sacraments; canonesses, who provided services to pilgrims; religious knights living in community; and married knights. The right to marry, which other military orders only obtained at the end of the Middle Ages, was accorded them from the beginning under certain conditions, such as the authorization of the king, and sexual continence during Advent and Lent, and on certain festivals of the year, which they spent at their monasteries in retreat.

The mildness of this rule furthered the rapid spread of the Order, which eclipsed the older orders of Calatrava and Alcántara, and whose power was reputed abroad even before 1200. The first bull of confirmation, that of Pope Alexander III, already enumerated a large number of endowments. At its height Santiago alone had more possessions than Calatrava and Alcántara together. In Spain, these possessions included 83 commanderies (of which 3 were reserved to the grand commanders), 2 cities, 178 boroughs and villages, 200 parishes, 5 hospitals, 5 convents, and 1 college at Salamanca. The number of knights was then 400 and they could muster more than 1,000 lances. They had possessions in Portugal, France, Italy, Hungary, and even Palestine. Abrantes, their first commandery in Portugal, dates from the reign of Afonso I in 1172, and soon became a distinct order which Pope Nicholas IV released from the jurisdiction of Uclés in 1290.

Their military history is linked with that of the Iberian states. They assisted in the eviction of the Muslims and did battle with them, sometimes separately, sometimes with the royal armies. A notable example was the conquest of Algarve in modern-day Portugal. They also had a share in the fatal dissensions which disturbed the Christians of Iberia and brought about more than one schism in the Order. Finally they took part in maritime expeditions against the Muslims. Thus arose the obligation imposed upon aspirants to serve six months in the galleys, which still existed in the eighteenth century, but from which exemption was easily purchased. Authority was exercised by a Grand Master, assisted by a Council of Thirteen. The Council elected the Grand Master and had the right to depose him for due cause; they had supreme jurisdiction in all disputes between members of the Order. The first Grand Master, Pedro Fernández de Castro, died in 1184. He had 39 successors, among them several Spanish Infantes. In 1499, Ferdinand II of Aragon induced the pope to assign to him the administration of the order.

Council of Orders

Under Charles V, Pope Adrian VI annexed to the crown of Spain the three great military orders (Alcántara, Calatrava, and Santiago) with hereditary transmission even in the female line (1522). Thenceforth the three orders were united under one government, though their titles and possessions remained separate. To discharge the detail of this administration, Charles V instituted a special ministry, the Council of Orders, composed of a president named by the king, whom he represented, and six knights, two delegates from each order. To this council belonged the presentation of knights to vacant commanderies and jurisdiction in all matters, civil or ecclesiastical, save the purely spiritual cases reserved for ecclesiastical dignitaries. Thus ended the autonomy of the orders, but not their prestige.

17th century

In the 17th century, García de Medrano y Castejón, Lord of San Gregorio, a key minister of Castile, president of the Council of Orders, a historian and knight of the Order of Santiago and a member of the Council of Orders, wrote the Rules and Establishments of the Order of Santiago of the Sword: Its History and Origin, published in 1603; and the Compilation of the Chapter Laws of the Order of Knighthood of Santiago of the Sword, Compiled and arranged by Licenciado Don García de Medrano, of the Royal Council of Justice, published in Madrid after his death in 1605. Licentiate García de Medrano made significant changes to the laws within the Order of Santiago.[6]

Modernity

The Order of Santiago still exists under the protection of the Spanish Crown. As of 2014, there were 35 knights and 30 novices in the order. Admission to the Order was restricted to applicants of noble blood. Until 1653, nobility was checked by looking at only the paternal grandparents' family history. Changes were made so that maternal grandparents are included in verifying noble ancestry. The applicant must be a practicing Roman Catholic, be of legitimate birth through both parents and grandparents, not be descended from non-Christians,[7] and prove at least 200 years of confirmed nobility of birth (not of privilege) from each of their four grandparents by legitimate marriage. Duties added in 1655 included defence of the belief in the Immaculate Conception of Mary.[8]

Their symbol is a cross of Saint James, a red cross terminating in a sword (cross fleury fitchy in heraldry), which recalls their title De la Espada.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Order_of_Santiago

Rancho Cordova is a city in Sacramento County, California, United States. Incorporated in 2003, it is part of the Sacramento Metropolitan Area. The population was 79,332 at the 2020 census. In 2010 and 2019, Rancho Cordova received the All-America City Award.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rancho_Cordova,_California

As a political domain, it successively constituted a province of the Umayyad Caliphate, initiated by the Caliph al-Walid I (711–750); the Emirate of Córdoba (c. 750–929); the Caliphate of Córdoba (929–1031); the first taifa kingdoms (1009–1110); the Almoravid Empire (1085–1145); the second taifa period (1140–1203); the Almohad Caliphate (1147–1238); the third taifa period (1232–1287); and ultimately the Nasrid Emirate of Granada (1238–1492). Under the Caliphate of Córdoba, the city of Córdoba became one of the leading cultural and economic centres throughout the Mediterranean Basin, Europe, and the Islamic world. Achievements that advanced Islamic and Western science came from al-Andalus, including major advances in trigonometry (Jabir ibn Aflah), astronomy (Al-Zarqali), surgery (Al-Zahrawi), pharmacology (Ibn Zuhr),[10] and agronomy (Ibn Bassal and Abū l-Khayr al-Ishbīlī). Al-Andalus became a conduit for cultural and scientific exchange between the Islamic and Christian worlds.[10]"

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Al-Andalus

1236

June 29 – Siege of Córdoba: Castilian forces under King Ferdinand III (the Saint) capture Muslim Córdoba from Emir Ibn Hud, as part of the Reconquista of the Iberian Peninsula.[2]

July – At a diet (princely convention) in Piacenza, Emperor Frederick II proclaims his wish to recover all Italy for the Holy Roman Empire.[3]

May 6 – Roger of Wendover, English Benedictine monk and chronicler, dies at St. Albans Abbey. His chronicle is continued by Matthew of Paris.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/1236

1° 2° 3° 6°;

and also in others, by means of the Spiritual Exercises, 271

The Constitutions of The Society of Jesus and Their Complimentary Norms

A Complete English Translation of the Official Latin Texts

THE INSTITUTE OF JESUIT SOURCES

SAINT LOUIS, 1996

https://web.archive.org/web/20200211182223/https://jesuitas.lat/uploads/the-constitutions-of-the-society-of-jesus-and-their-complementary-norms/Constitutions%20and%20Norms%20SJ%20ingls.pdf

Rulers of Evil

by F. Tupper Saussy

https://dn790006.ca.archive.org/0/items/rulers-of-evil-f.-tupper-saussy/Rulers%20of%20Evil%20-%20F.%20Tupper%20Saussy.pdf

CHAPTER 1

INTRODUCTION AND HISTORICAL BACKGROUND

of the Inquisitors who prosecuted them and upon the Spanish religious imagination, an impact that would last across seas and time."

EL SABOR DE HEREJIA: THE EDICT OF 1525, THE ALUMBRADOS

AND THE INQUISITORS’ USAGE OF LOCURA

JAVIER A. MONTOYA

http://etd.fcla.edu/UF/UFE0041385/montoya_j.pdf

https://www.britannica.com/event/Alumbrado

Etymology

https://en.wiktionary.org/wiki/Buddha

Gautama

surname of the Buddha, from Sanskrit Gotamah, properly a patronymic, literally "descendant of the greatest ox," from superlative of gauh "ox, bull, cow."

https://www.etymonline.com/word/buddha

Unam Sanctam

One God, One Faith, One Spiritual Authority

Pope Boniface VIII - 1302

Bull of Pope Boniface VIII promulgated November 18, 1302

Urged by faith, we are obliged to believe and to maintain that the Church is one, holy, catholic, and also apostolic. We believe in her firmly and we confess with simplicity that outside of her there is neither salvation nor the remission of sins, as the Spouse in the Canticles [Sgs 6:8] proclaims: ‘One is my dove, my perfect one. She is the only one, the chosen of her who bore her,‘ and she represents one sole mystical body whose Head is Christ and the head of Christ is God [1 Cor 11:3]. In her then is one Lord, one faith, one baptism [Eph 4:5]. There had been at the time of the deluge only one ark of Noah, prefiguring the one Church, which ark, having been finished to a single cubit, had only one pilot and guide, i.e., Noah, and we read that, outside of this ark, all that subsisted on the earth was destroyed.

We venerate this Church as one, the Lord having said by the mouth of the prophet: ‘Deliver, O God, my soul from the sword and my only one from the hand of the dog.’ [Ps 21:20] He has prayed for his soul, that is for himself, heart and body; and this body, that is to say, the Church, He has called one because of the unity of the Spouse, of the faith, of the sacraments, and of the charity of the Church. This is the tunic of the Lord, the seamless tunic, which was not rent but which was cast by lot [Jn 19:23- 24]. Therefore, of the one and only Church there is one body and one head, not two heads like a monster; that is, Christ and the Vicar of Christ, Peter and the successor of Peter, since the Lord speaking to Peter Himself said: ‘Feed my sheep‘ [Jn 21:17], meaning, my sheep in general, not these, nor those in particular, whence we understand that He entrusted all to him [Peter]. Therefore, if the Greeks or others should say that they are not confided to Peter and to his successors, they must confess not being the sheep of Christ, since Our Lord says in John ‘there is one sheepfold and one shepherd.’ We are informed by the texts of the gospels that in this Church and in its power are two swords; namely, the spiritual and the temporal. For when the Apostles say: ‘Behold, here are two swords‘ [Lk 22:38] that is to say, in the Church, since the Apostles were speaking, the Lord did not reply that there were too many, but sufficient. Certainly the one who denies that the temporal sword is in the power of Peter has not listened well to the word of the Lord commanding: ‘Put up thy sword into thy scabbard‘ [Mt 26:52]. Therefore, both are in the power of the Church, namely, the spiritual sword and the material. But indeed, the latter is to be exercised on behalf of the Church; and truly, the former is to be exercised by the Church. The former is of the priest; the latter is by the hand of kings and soldiers, but at the will and sufferance of the priest.

However, one sword ought to be subordinated to the other and temporal authority, subjected to spiritual power. For since the Apostle said: ‘There is no power except from God and the things that are, are ordained of God‘ [Rom 13:1-2], but they would not be ordained if one sword were not subordinated to the other and if the inferior one, as it were, were not led upwards by the other.

For, according to the Blessed Dionysius, it is a law of the divinity that the lowest things reach the highest place by intermediaries. Then, according to the order of the universe, all things are not led back to order equally and immediately, but the lowest by the intermediary, and the inferior by the superior. Hence we must recognize the more clearly that spiritual power surpasses in dignity and in nobility any temporal power whatever, as spiritual things surpass the temporal. This we see very clearly also by the payment, benediction, and consecration of the tithes, but the acceptance of power itself and by the government even of things. For with truth as our witness, it belongs to spiritual power to establish the terrestrial power and to pass judgement if it has not been good. Thus is accomplished the prophecy of Jeremias concerning the Church and the ecclesiastical power: ‘Behold to-day I have placed you over nations, and over kingdoms‘ and the rest. Therefore, if the terrestrial power err, it will be judged by the spiritual power; but if a minor spiritual power err, it will be judged by a superior spiritual power; but if the highest power of all err, it can be judged only by God, and not by man, according to the testimony of the Apostle: ‘The spiritual man judgeth of all things and he himself is judged by no man‘ [1 Cor 2:15]. This authority, however, (though it has been given to man and is exercised by man), is not human but rather divine, granted to Peter by a divine word and reaffirmed to him (Peter) and his successors by the One Whom Peter confessed, the Lord saying to Peter himself, ‘Whatsoever you shall bind on earth, shall be bound also in Heaven‘ etc., [Mt 16:19]. Therefore whoever resists this power thus ordained by God, resists the ordinance of God [Rom 13:2], unless he invent like Manicheus two beginnings, which is false and judged by us heretical, since according to the testimony of Moses, it is not in the beginnings but in the beginning that God created heaven and earth [Gen 1:1]. Furthermore, we declare, we proclaim, we define that it is absolutely necessary for salvation that every human creature be subject to the Roman Pontiff.

https://www.papalencyclicals.net/bon08/b8unam.htm

John Hyrcanus (/hɜːrˈkeɪnəs/; Hebrew: יוחנן הרקנוס, romanized: Yoḥānān Hurqanos; Koine Greek: Ἰωάννης Ὑρκανός, romanized: Iōánnēs Hurkanós) was a Hasmonean (Maccabean) leader and Jewish High Priest of Israel of the 2nd century BCE (born 164 BCE, reigned from 134 BCE until he died in 104 BCE). In rabbinic literature he is often referred to as Yoḥanan Cohen Gadol (יוחנן כהן גדול‎), "John the High Priest".[a]

Name

Josephus explains in The Jewish War that John was also known as "Hyrcanus" but does not explain the reason behind this name. The only other primary sources—the Books of the Maccabees—never used this name for John. The single occurrence of the name Hyrcanus in 2 Maccabees 3:11 refers to a man to whom some of the money in the Temple belonged during the c. 178 BCE visit of Heliodorus.[1]

The reason for the name is disputed amongst biblical scholars, with a variety of reasons proposed:

Familial origin in the region of Hyrcania on the Caspian Sea[2]

A Greek regnal name, which would have represented closer ties with the Hellenistic culture against which the Maccabees had revolted under Seleucid rule. However, the region of Hyrcania had been conquered by Mithridates I of Parthia in 141–139 BCE

Given the name by the Seleucids after he fought in the region alongside Antiochus VII Sidetes against Phraates II of Parthia in 130–129 BCE, a campaign which resulted in the release of Antiochus' brother Demetrius II Nicator from captivity in Hyrcania

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/John_Hyrcanus

St. John Lateran Basilica in Rome is considered the mother church of all the Catholic churches in the Western world; inscribed on the church facade for all to see are the Latin words “omnium urbis et orbis ecclesiarum mater et CAPUT,” meaning, “The mother and HEAD of all the churches of the city and of the world.”

https://www.simplycatholic.com/st-john-lateran-basilica/

The Art of War is an ancient Chinese military treatise dating from the late Spring and Autumn period (roughly 5th century BC). The work, which is attributed to the ancient Chinese military strategist Sun Tzu ("Master Sun"), is composed of 13 chapters. Each one is devoted to a different set of skills or art related to warfare and how it applies to military strategy and tactics. For almost 1,500 years, it was the lead text in an anthology that was formalized as the Seven Military Classics by Emperor Shenzong of Song in 1080. The Art of War remains one of the most influential works on strategy of all time[1] and has shaped both East Asian and Western military theory and thinking.[2]

The book contains a detailed explanation and analysis of the 5th-century BC Chinese military, from weapons, environmental conditions, and strategy to rank and discipline. Sun also stressed the importance of intelligence operatives and espionage to the war effort. Considered one of history's finest military tacticians and analysts, his teachings and strategies formed the basis of advanced military training throughout the world.

The text was first translated into a European language in 1772, when the French Jesuit priest Jean Joseph Marie Amiot produced a French version; a revised edition was published in 1782. A partial translation into English was attempted by British officer Everard Ferguson Calthrop in 1905 under the title The Book of War. The first annotated English translation was completed and published by Lionel Giles in 1910.[3] Military and political leaders such as the Chinese communist revolutionary Mao Zedong, Japanese daimyō Takeda Shingen, Vietnamese general Võ Nguyên Giáp, and American generals Douglas MacArthur and Norman Schwarzkopf Jr. are all cited as having drawn inspiration from the book.[4]

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Art_of_War

Pope Francis Lord of the World

by P.D. Stuart

AI Overview

Learn more

Both "Evan" and "Jean" are variations of the name "John" and ultimately derive from the Hebrew name "Yochanan," meaning "God is gracious"; "Evan" is a Welsh variation while "Jean" is the French version, essentially sharing the same core meaning of "God is gracious.".

Breakdown:

Evan: A Welsh form of "John," meaning "God is gracious".

Jean: The French version of "John," also signifying "God is gracious".

Key points:

Origin: Both names stem from the Hebrew name "Yochanan".

Language variations: "Evan" is Welsh, while "Jean" is French.

Meaning: Both names essentially mean "God is gracious".

Generative AI is experimental.

Evan Wyman

in Dayton, NV (Nevada)

Age 27

Current Address (Since January 2020)

2033 Lonnie Ln

Dayton NV 89403

Jean Rae Malone's Nevada Voter Registration

Dayton, Nevada

Jean Rae Malone (age 66) is listed at 2030 Lonnie Ln Dayton, Nv 89403 and is affiliated with the Non-Partisan Party. Jean is registered to vote in Lyon County, Nevada.

Overview of Jean Rae Malone

Lives in: Dayton, Nevada

Phone: View phone number Ad

Age: 66

Jean Malone's Voter Registration

Party Affiliation: Non-Partisan

Registered to Vote In: Lyon County, Nevada

Registration Date: 12/18/2023

Voter Status: ActivePrecinct: 13.00

Congressional District: Cd2

House District: Ad39

Senate District: Sd17

School Board District: Ed2

https://voterrecords.com/voter/129532222/jean-malone

CERTIFICATE OF FOSTER PARENTHOOD

THIS IS TO CERTIFY THAT SUE DUNN

HAS BECOME A FOSTER PARENT ON THIS DAY DEC. 25, 1986 OF A BOWLSIE CREATION OF LITTLE PEOPLE.

Frances & Bowles

FRANCES A. BOWLES

A SPECIAL CREATION FOR A SPECIAL FRIEND SUSAN JEAN LITTLE SU SU)

HAS BEEN CREATED ESPECIALLY FOR YOU

Susan Lohrey Dunn's Nevada Voter Registration

Dayton, Nevada

Susan Lohrey Dunn (age 73) is listed at 2031 Lonnie Ln Dayton, Nv 89403 and is affiliated with the Republican Party. Susan is registered to vote in Lyon County, Nevada.

Overview of Susan Lohrey Dunn

Lives in: Dayton, Nevada

Phone: View phone number Ad

Age: 73

Susan Dunn's Voter Registration

Party Affiliation: Republican Party

Registered to Vote In: Lyon County, Nevada

Registration Date: 05/28/2015

Voter Status: ActivePrecinct: 13.00

Congressional District: Cd2

House District: Ad39

Senate District: Sd17

School Board District: Ed2

https://voterrecords.com/voter/124466056/susan-dunn

2030-2031 APPARITION CHARACTERISTICS

Another general rule for predicting oppositions of Mars is from the following: the planet has an approximate 15.8-year periodic opposition cycle, which consists of three or four Aphelic oppositions and three consecutive Perihelic oppositions. Perihelic oppositions are also called "favorable" because the Earth and Mars come closest to each other on those occasions. We sometimes refer to this as the seven Martian synodic periods. This cycle is repeated every 79 years (± 4 to 5 days) and, if one were to live long enough, one would see this cycle nearly replicated in approximately 284 years. The 2031 Mars apparition is considered Transitional (between Aphelic and Perihelic) because the orbital longitude at opposition will be 68.4° from the aphelion longitude of 70° Ls and 111.6° Ls from perihelion (250° Ls).

NOTE: Ls is the planetocentric longitude of the Sun along the ecliptic of Mars’ sky. 0° Ls is defined as that point where the Sun crosses the Martian celestial equator from south to north, that is the planet’s northern hemisphere vernal equinox. The other Ls values that define the beginnings of Martian northern hemisphere seasons are: summer, 90° Ls; autumn, 180° Ls; and winter, 270° Ls. For Mars’ southern hemisphere these values represent the opposite seasons. Distance (A.U.) - Distance from Earth to Mars in astronomical units, where one (1) A.U. equals 92,955,807.267 miles or 149,597,870.691 km.

Opposition occurs 11 months after conjunction when Mars is on the opposite side of the Earth from the Sun. At that time, the two planets will lie nearly in a straight line with respect to the Sun, or five weeks after retrogression begins. Opposition will occur at 1157 UT on May 04, 2031 (138.4° Ls) with an apparent planetary disk diameter of 16.7 arcsec. Mars will remain visible for more than twelve months after opposition and then become lost in the glare of the Sun around May 31, 2032 as it approaches the next conjunction (July 11, 2032). The cycle is complete in 780 Earth days.

Closest approach occurs at 0350 UT on May 12, 2031 (142.1° Ls) with an apparent planetary disk diameter of 16.9 at a distance of 0.5533578 astronomical units (AU) or 51,437,823 miles (82,781,152 km). During closest approach in 2031 the apparent diameter of Mars will be 2.4 arcsec larger than it was at the same period in 2029; however, it will be 17.1 degrees lower in the sky - not quite as good for observing the Red Planet for observers in the northern hemisphere. It should also be noted that closest approach between Earth and Mars is not necessarily coincident with the time of opposition but varies by as much as two weeks.

https://www.alpo-astronomy.org/jbeish/2031_MARS.htm

Baron Rothschild, of Tring in the County of Hertfordshire, is a title in the Peerage of the United Kingdom.[1] It was created in 1885 for Sir Nathan Rothschild, 2nd Baronet, a member of the Rothschild banking family.[2] He was the first Jewish member of the House of Lords not to have previously converted to Christianity. The current holder of the title is Jacob Rothschild, 4th Baron Rothschild, who inherited the barony in 1990."

In 1822, the hereditary title of Freiherr (baron) of the Austrian Empire was granted in the Austrian nobility by Emperor Francis I of Austria to the five sons of Mayer Amschel Rothschild.[5] In 1838, Queen Victoria authorized the use of this Austrian baronial title in the United Kingdom by Lionel de Rothschild and certain other members of the Rothschild family.[6][7] However, the use of such foreign titles in the United Kingdom was subsequently limited by a warrant of 27 April 1932.[8]"

Baron Rothschild - Wikipedia

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Baron_Rothschild

The family of Donald Trump, the 45th president of the United States from 2017 to 2021 and owner of The Trump Organization, is a prominent American family active in real estate, entertainment, business, and politics. Trump, his wife Melania, and son BARRON were the first family of the United States for the duration of his presidency. Trump's paternal grandparents, Frederick Trump and Elizabeth Christ Trump, had immigrated to the United States from Germany. Donald Trump's mother, Mary Anne MacLeod, came from the Hebridean Isle of Lewis, off the west coast of Scotland.[1] Trump has five children from three wives, and 10 grandchildren."

Family of Donald Trump - Wikipedia

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Family_of_Donald_Trump#Barron_Trump

Trump International, Scotland

@TrumpScotland

Donald J Trump, 45th President of the United States, announced today the start of a new golf venture in Scotland: the MacLeod course, to be built at Trump International Scotland in Aberdeenshire in honor of his late mother Mary Anne MacLeod.

10:47 AM · May 1, 2023

https://x.com/TrumpScotland/status/1653093764271857666

James Francis Edward Stuart (10 June 1688 – 1 January 1766) [a] was the House of Stuart claimant to the thrones of England, Ireland and Scotland from 1701 until his death in 1766. The only son of James II of England and his second wife, Mary of Modena, he was Prince of Wales and heir until his Catholic father was deposed and exiled in the Glorious Revolution of 1688. His Protestant half-sister Mary II and her husband William III became co-monarchs. As a Catholic, he was subsequently excluded from the succession by the Act of Settlement 1701.

Raised primarily in France and Italy, when his father died in September 1701 James claimed the thrones. As part of the War of the Spanish Succession, in 1708 Louis XIV of France backed a landing in Scotland on his behalf. This failed, as did further attempts in 1715 and 1719. Led by his elder son Charles Edward Stuart, the 1745 Rising was the last serious effort to restore the House of Stuart.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/James_Francis_Edward_Stuart

The Monument to the Royal Stuarts is a memorial in St. Peter's Basilica in the Vatican City State. It commemorates the last three members of the Royal House of Stuart: James Francis Edward Stuart ("the Old Pretender", d. 1766), his elder son Charles Edward Stuart ("the Young Pretender" or "Bonnie Prince Charlie", d. 1788), and his younger son, Henry Benedict Stuart ("the Cardinal Duke of York", d. 1807). The Jacobites recognised these three as kings of England, Scotland and Ireland.

The marble monument is by Antonio Canova (1757–1822), the most celebrated Italian sculptor of his day. It was erected in 1819.

Description

The monument takes the form of a truncated obelisk. It carries bas relief profile portraits of the three exiled princes, and the following inscription:

IACOBO·III

IACOBI·II·MAGNAE·BRIT·REGIS·FILIO

KAROLO·EDVARDO

ET·HENRICO·DECANO·PATRVM·CARDINALIVM

IACOBI·III·FILIIS

REGIAE·STIRPIS·STVARDIAE·POSTREMIS

ANNO·M·DCCC·XIX

("To James III, son of King James II of Great Britain, to Charles Edward and to Henry, Dean of the Cardinal Fathers, sons of James III, the last of the Royal House of Stuart. 1819")

Below the inscription are two weeping angels, symbolising the lost hopes of the exiled Stuarts.

The monument to the Royal Stuarts was originally commissioned by Monsignor Angelo Cesarini, executor of the estate of Henry Benedict Stuart. Among the subscribers, curiously, was King George IV, who (once the Jacobite threat to his throne had ended with the death of Cardinal Stuart in 1807) was an admirer of the Stuart legend.[1]

The monument stands towards the back of the basilica in the left aisle opposite the door from which people coming down the spiral staircase from the dome and roof exit. It is frequently adorned with flowers by Jacobite romantics.

Burials

The monument is, strictly speaking, a cenotaph, not a tomb. The three Stuarts are buried in the crypt below the basilica. James Francis Edward Stuart was buried here at his death in 1766. When Charles Edward Stuart died in 1788, he was buried in the Basilica of St Peter Apostle in Frascati. When his brother Henry Benedict Stuart died in 1807, both brothers were laid to rest next to their father in the crypt of St. Peter's. Three separate tombstones were erected on the site.

Until 1938 the bodies of the three Stuarts were buried where the tomb of Pius XI now stands. In that year the bodies were moved slightly further east on the left side of the crypt, to make room for Pius's tomb. In 1939 a single sarcophagus was erected over the three graves. On top of the sarcophagus is a bronze pillow on which is placed a bronze crown. On the front of the sarcophagus is the same inscription quoted above.

Other monuments

Opposite the monument to the Royal Stuarts in St. Peter's Basilica is a monument to Maria Clementina Sobieska, wife of James Francis Edward Stuart and mother of Charles Edward Stuart and Henry Benedict Stuart. Its inscription reads:

MARIA CLEMENTINA M. BRITANN.

FRANC. ET HIBERN. REGINA

("Maria Clementina, Queen of Great Britain, France and Ireland"[a])

Queen Christina of Sweden, the only other monarch with a memorial in the church, also lies entombed in the crypt below the basilica, with the Royal Stuarts. She abdicated her throne in 1654 to convert to Catholicism.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Monument_to_the_Royal_Stuarts

The Crowns of America

So often one hears politicians quoting the British Constitution as if it actually exists by way of adocumentary privilege — but it does not. It is simply an accumulation of old customs and precedents concerning parliamentary sanctions, together with a number of specific laws defining certain aspects. Since Scotland's 1320 Declaration of Arbroath was nullified by England's Treaty of Union in 1707, the oldest Written Constitution now in force is that of the United States of America. It was adopted in 1787, ratified in 1788, and effected in 1789. In that same year began the French Revolution, which abolished feudalism and ‘absolute’ monarchy in France, thereby influencing politics in much of Europe. In close to 200 years since the Revolution, France and other European States (with Britain as a noticeable exception) have adopted Written Constitutions to protect the rights and liberties of individuals — but who champions these Constitutions on behalf of the people? A popular alternative to absolute monarchy or dictatorship has been found in Republicanism. The Republic of the United States was created primarily to free the emergent nation from the despotism of Britain’s House of Hanover. Yet its citizens tend still to be fascinated by the concept of monarchy. No matter how Republican the spirit, the need for a central symbol remains. Neither a flag nor a president can fulfil this unifying role, for by virtue of the ‘party system’ presidents are always politically motivated. Republicanism was devised on the principle of fraternal status, yet an ideally classless society can never exist in an environment that promotes displays of eminence and superiority by degrees of wealth and possession. For the most part, those responsible for the United States’ morally inspired Constitution were Rosicrucians and Freemasons, notable characters such as George Washington, Benjamin Franklin, Thomas Jefferson, John Adams and Charles Thompson. The last, who designed the Great Seal of the United States of America, was a member of Franklin’s American Philosophical Society — a counterpart of Britain’s Invisible College. The imagery of the Seal is directly related to alchemical tradition, inherited from the allegory of the ancient Egyptian Therapeutate. The eagle, the olive branch, the arrows, and the pentagrams are all occult symbols of opposites: good and evil, male and female, war and peace, darkness and light. On the reverse (as repeated on the dollar bill) is the truncated pyramid, indicating the loss of the Old Wisdom, severed and forced underground by the Church establishment. But above this are the rays of ever-hopeful light, incorporating the ‘all-seeing eye’, used as a symbol during the French Revolution.

In establishing their Republic, the Americans could still not escape the ideal of a parallel monarchy — a central focus of non-political, patriotic attachment. George Washington was actually offered kingship, but declined because he had no immediately qualifying heritage. Instead he turned to the Royal House of Stuart. In November 1782 four Americans arrived at the San Clemente Palazzo in Florence, the residence of Charles III Stuart in exile. They were Mr Galloway of Maryland, two brothers named Sylvester from Pennsylvania, and Mr Fish, a lawyer from New York. They were taken to Charles Edward by his secretary, John Stewart. Also present was the Hon Charles Hervey-Townshend (later Britain’s ambassador to The Hague) and the Prince's future wife, Marguerite, Comtesse de Massillan. The interview — which revolved around the contemporary transatlantic dilemma — is doctimented in the US Senate archives and in the Manorwater Papers. Writers such as Sir Compton Mackenzie and Sir Charles Petrie have also described the occasion when Charles Edward Stuart was invited to become ‘King of the Americans’. Some years earlier, Charles had been similarly approached by the men of Boston, but once the War of Independence was over George Washington sent his own envoys. It would have been a great irony for the House of Hanover to lose the North American colonies to the Stuarts. But Charles declined the offer for a number of reasons, not the least of which was his lack of a legitimate male heir at the time. He knew that without a due successor the United States could easily fall to Hanover again at his death, thereby defeating the whole Independence effort. Since those days, many other radical events have taken place: the French Revolution, the Russian Revolution, two major World Wars, and a host of changes as countries have swapped one style of government for another. Meanwhile, civil and international disputes continue just as they did in the Middle Ages. They are motivated by trade, politics, religion, and whatever other banners are flown to justify the constant struggle for territorial and economic control. The Holy Roman Empire has disappeared, the German Reichs have failed, and the British Empire has collapsed. The Russian Empire fell to Communism, which has itself been disgraced and crumbled to ruin, while Capitalism teeters on the very brink of acceptability. With the Cold War now ended, America faces a new threat to her superpower status from the Pacific countries. In the meantime, the nations of Europe band together in what was once a seemingly well conceived economic community, but which is already suffering from the same pressures of individual custom and national sovereignty that beset the Holy Roman Empire. Whether nations are governed by military-style regimes or elected parliaments, by autocrats or democrats, and whether formally described as monarchist, socialist or republican, the net product is always the same: the few control the fate of the many. In situations of dictatorship this is a natural experience — but it should not be the case in a democratic institution based on the principle of majority vote. True democracy is government by the people for the people, in either direct or representative form, ignoring class distinctions and tolerating minority views. The American Constitution sets out an ideal for this form of democracy ... but, in line with other nations, there is always a large sector of the community that is not represented by the party in power. Because presidents and prime ministers are politically tied, and because political parties take their respective turns at individual helms, the inevitable result is a lack of continuity for the nations concerned. This is not necessarily a bad thing, but there is no reliable ongoing institution to champion the civil rights and liberties of people in such conditions of ever-changing leadership. Britain does, at least, retain a monarchy, but it is a politically constrained monarchy, and as such is ineffectual in performing its role as guardian of the nation. The United States, unlike Britain, has a Written Constitution — but has no one with the power to uphold its principles against successive governments who determinedly pursue their own politically vested interests. Is there an answer to the anomaly — an answer that could bring not just a ray of hope but a shining light for the future? There certainly is, but its energy relies on those in governmental service appreciating their roles as ‘representatives’ of society rather than presuming to stand at the head of society. Alongside the political administration, an appointed Constitutional champion would be empowered to keep check on any potential disparities and infringements of the Constitution that might occur. This can be achieved in the manner first envisaged by George Washington and the American Fathers. Their original plan was for a democratic Parliament combined with a working Constitutional Monarchy bound not to Parliament or the Church but to the people and their Written Constitution. In such an environment, sovereignty would ultimately rest with the people, while the monarch (as an operative Guardian of the Realm) would pledge an ‘Oath of Fealty to the Nation’ — not the reverse, as in Britain’s case, whereby the nation pays homage to the sovereignty of Parliament and the monarchy. The unfulfilled ambition of the American Fathers was that government ministers should be elected by the majority vote of the people, but that their actions be directed within the boundaries of the Constitution. Because that Constitution belongs to the people, its champion — as George Washington perceived — should be a monarch whose obligation is not to politics or religion but to the sovereign nation. Through the natural system of heredity (being born and bred to the task), such a Constitutional guardian would provide an ‘ongoing continuity’ of public representation through successive governments. In this regard both monarchs and ministers would be servants of the Constitution on behalf of the Community of the Realm. Such a concept of moral government lies at the very heart of the Grail Code, and it remains within the bounds of possibility for every civilized Nation State. A leading British politician recently claimed that it was not his job to be popular! Not so—a popular minister is a trusted minister, and holding a deserved electoral trust facilitates the democratic process. No minister can honestly expound an ideal of equality in society when that minister is deemed to possess some form of prior lordship over society. Class structure is always decided from above, never from below. It is therefore for those on self-made pedestals to be seen to kick them aside in the interests of harmony and unity. Jesus was not in the least humbled when he washed his Apostles’ feet; he was raised to the realm of a true Grail King — the realm of equality and princely service. This is the eternal ‘Precept of the Sangréal’, and it is expressed in Grail lore with the utmost clarity: only by asking ‘Whom does the Grail serve?’ will the wound of the Fisher King be healed, and the Wasteland returned to fertility.

pages 438-443

"The Sangreal Today"

Bloodline of the Holy Grail

by Laurence Gardner

https://drive.google.com/file/d/1zsH4O_ls0IgWEYXLXWCo7I3IUi32FJhq/view?usp=sharing

Santiago de Compostela,[a] simply Santiago, or Compostela,[4] in the province of A Coruña, is the capital of the autonomous community of Galicia, in northwestern Spain. The city has its origin in the shrine of Saint James the Great, now the Cathedral of Santiago de Compostela, as the destination of the Way of St. James, a leading Catholic pilgrimage route since the 9th century.[5] In 1985, the city's Old Town was designated a UNESCO World Heritage Site.

Santiago de Compostela has a very mild climate for its latitude with heavy winter rainfall courtesy of its relative proximity to the prevailing winds from Atlantic low-pressure systems.

Toponym

According to Richard A. Fletcher, scholars now agree that the origin of the name Compostela comes from the Latin compositum tella, meaning a well-ordered burial ground, possibly referring to an ancient burial ground on the site of the Church of Santiago de Compostela that pre-dates the Christian building.[6]

Santiago is the local Galician evolution of Vulgar Latin Sanctus Iacobus "Saint James". According to folk etymology Compostela derives from the Latin: Campus Stellae ('field of the star').

City

See also: Cathedral of Santiago de Compostela

According to a medieval legend, the remains of the apostle James, son of Zebedee were brought to Galicia for burial, where they were lost. Eight hundred years later the light of a bright star guided a shepherd, Pelagius the Hermit, who was watching his flock at night to the burial site in Santiago de Compostela.[7] This site was originally called Mount Libredon [gl] and its physical topography leads prevalent seaborne winds to clear the cloud deck immediately overhead.[8] The shepherd quickly reported his discovery to the bishop of Iria, Theodemir.[7] The bishop declared that the remains were those of the apostle James and immediately notified King Alfonso II in Oviedo.[7] To honour St. James, the cathedral was built on the spot where his remains were said to have been found. The legend, which included numerous miraculous events, enabled the Catholic faithful to bolster support for their stronghold in northern Spain during the Christian crusades against the Moors, but also led to the growth and development of the city.[7]

Along the western side of the Praza do Obradoiro is the elegant 18th-century Pazo de Raxoi, now the city hall. On the right from the cathedral steps is the Hostal dos Reis Católicos, founded in 1492 by the Catholic Monarchs, Isabella of Castille and Ferdinand II of Aragon, as a pilgrims' hospice (now a Parador). The Obradoiro façade of the cathedral, the best known, is depicted on the Spanish euro coins of 1 cent, 2 cents, and 5 cents (€0.01, €0.02, and €0.05).

Santiago is the site of the University of Santiago de Compostela, established in the early 16th century. The main campus can be seen best from an alcove in the large municipal park in the centre of the city.

Santiago de Compostela has a substantial nightlife. Both in the new town (a zona nova in Galician, la zona nueva in Spanish or ensanche) and the old town (Galician: a zona vella, Spanish: la zona vieja, trade-branded as zona monumental), a mix of middle-aged residents and younger students maintain a lively presence until the early hours of the morning. Radiating from the centre of the city, the historic cathedral is surrounded by paved granite streets, tucked away in the old town, and separated from the newer part of the city by the largest of many parks throughout the city, Parque da Alameda.

Santiago gives its name to one of the four military orders of Spain: Santiago, Calatrava, Alcántara and Montesa.

One of the most important economic centres in Galicia, Santiago is the seat for organisations like Association for Equal and Fair Trade Pangaea.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Santiago_de_Compostela

Alan fitz Flaad (c. 1060 – after 1120) was a Breton knight, probably recruited as a mercenary by Henry I of England in his conflicts with his brothers.[1] After Henry became King of England, Alan became an assiduous courtier and obtained large estates in Norfolk, Sussex, Shropshire, and elsewhere in the Midlands, including the feudal barony and castle of Oswestry in Shropshire.[2][3][4] His duties included supervision of the Welsh border.[5] He is now noted as the progenitor of the FitzAlan family, the Earls of Arundel (1267–1580), and the House of Stuart,[6] although his family connections were long a matter of conjecture and controversy.

Career

Arrival in England

Flaad and his son Alan had come to the favourable notice of King Henry I of England who, soon after his accession, brought Flaad and Alan to England. Eyton, consistently following the theory of the Scottish origins of the Stewarts, thought this was because he was part of the entourage of the Queen, Matilda of Scotland,[7] Round pointed out that Henry had been besieged in Mont-Saint-Michel during his struggle with his brothers,[1] an event which probably occurred in 1091. He is known to have recruited Breton troops at that time and, after his surrender, left the scene via the adjoining regions of Brittany, where Dol is situated. This is a likely explanation for the Bretons in the military retinue he brought to England after the death of William Rufus.

Alan's career in England can be traced largely through his presence as a witness to charters granted by the king during his travels in the first decade or more of his reign. Some of his activities were traced by Eyton, and his researches overlap with William Farrer's calendar of Henry I travel. All of the business in which he took part was ecclesiastical, involving grants, sometimes disputed, to churches and monasteries.

Appearances at court

Alan appeared in Henry I's company at least as early as September 1101, probably at a court held in Windsor Castle,[8] when he witnessed important grants to Norwich Cathedral, confirming its foundation and various endowments.[9][10] Next, he appeared with the king at Canterbury in 1103,[11] where he witnessed the grant of a market to the nuns of Malling Abbey and land acquisitions by Rochester Cathedral, then in the process of rebuilding.[12]

Later that year,[13] or early in the next,[14] Alan was with the king in the New Forest, where the business concerned Andover Priory, a daughter house of the great Benedictine Abbey of Saint-Florent de Saumur.[15] He was probably selected deliberately for this meeting because of his family's close connections with Saumur Abbey: one of his uncles was a monk there.[16] William Rufus had decreed that all chapels in the parish of Andover church should be handed over to the monks or destroyed.[17] One problem at issue revolved around the Foxcote chapel, which was evidently being defended from destruction or annexation by Edward de Foscote, a local landowner. Another seems to have been the administration of justice in the monastic estates.[18] Wihenoc, a monk of St Florent, had initiated an action against the reeve of Andover to have these issues clarified and resolved. Alan Fitz Flaad was called upon to witness a compromise, although Foxcote was among the properties confirmed to the priory by Pope Eugenius III in 1146.[19]

In the autumn of 1105, Alan was called to York to witness confirmation of Ralph Paynel's transfer of his refounded Holy Trinity Priory in York to Marmoutier Abbey, Tours[20][21] and his many endowments of the priory itself.[22][23] At some point, he also witnessed the Roger de Nonant's gift of the church at Totnes and various tithes to the Abbey of Ss Sergius and Bacchus at Angers, a gift earmarked as being for the souls of the royal family.[24]

In May 1110, Alan was at court at Windsor again to witness the king's settlement of a property dispute between Hervey le Breton, Bishop of Ely, and Ranulph Flambard, Bishop of Durham, resolved in favour of the former.[25]

Probably only later did he appear as a witness to a royal command issued to Richard de Belmeis I, the Bishop of London and the king's viceroy in Shropshire, to see that justice was done in the case of a disputed prebend at Morville.[26][27] The collegiate church there had been dissolved and replaced with a priory attached to Shrewsbury Abbey[28] and it seems that the son of one of the prebendaries was resisting the loss of what he regarded as his patrimony. Alan is listed among a group of Shropshire magnates, including Corbets and a Peverel, meeting perhaps during Henry I's 1114 military expedition into Wales. Johnson and Cronne tentatively place the meeting at Holdgate Castle in Shropshire. Eyton dates the event earlier, around the time of a royal expedition to Shropshire in 1109.[29] Whatever the date, it shows Alan as an important member of the Shropshire landowning class.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Alan_fitz_Flaad

Stuart's Cape Audio CD – CD, May 1, 2013

Stuart's got problems...It's raining. He's bored.And worst of all, he's new in town.So he's got a lot to worry about.But what does a kid like Stuart need in order to have an adventure? A cape, of course.

https://www.amazon.com/Stuarts-Cape-Sara-Pennypacker/dp/1470886391

Elizabeth died childless. Her successor was her cousin Mary, Queen of Scots' son James VI of Scotland. The thrones of England and Scotland were joined in a dynastic union until 1707. The seven monarchs of this period continued to use the style King/Queen of France, though their claim was merely nominal. None of them was willing to engage in military campaigns for France against the actual Kings of France Henry IV, Louis XIII and Louis XIV of France. Indeed, Charles I married a sister of Louis XIII, and his son Charles II spent much of his exile during the Interregnum in France (at which time, even if not formally abandoning his claim for its throne, he certainly did not emphasise it).

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/English_claims_to_the_French_throne

The Capetians generally enjoyed a harmonious family relationship. By tradition, younger sons and brothers of the king of France were given appanages for them to maintain their rank and to dissuade them from claiming the French crown itself. When Capetian cadets did aspire for kingship, their ambitions were directed not at the French throne, but at foreign thrones. As a result, the Capetians have reigned at different times in the kingdoms of Portugal, Sicily and Naples, Navarre, Hungary and Croatia, Poland, Spain and Sardinia, grand dukedoms of Lithuania and Luxembourg, and in Latin and Brazilian empires.

In modern times, King Felipe VI of Spain is a member of this family, while Grand Duke Henri of Luxembourg is related to the family by agnatic kinship; both through the Bourbon branch of the dynasty. Along with the House of Habsburg, arguably its greatest historic rival, it was one of the two oldest European royal dynasties. It was also one of the most powerful royal families in European history, having played a major role in its politics for much of its existence. According to Oxford University, 75% of all royal families in European history are related to the Capetian dynasty.[4][5][6]

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Capetian_dynasty

When were the Jesuits restored?

August 7, 1814

Pressured by the royal courts of Portugal, France and Spain, Pope Clement XIV suppressed the Society, causing Jesuits throughout the world to renounce their vows and go into exile. Pope Pius VII, a Benedictine, restored the Society on August 7, 1814."

https://www.xavier.edu/jesuitresource/online-resources/video-resources/jesuit-values-videos/suppression-of-the-society-of-jesus

In the second prelude, for Chief- Gene ral read highest Leader, and for captain read leader. For the first Leader the Spanish Autograph has Captain General, and for the second (leader), caudillo ; the former title expressing, as Father Rothaan remarks, a Commander-in-Chief of lawful warfare, the latter designating rather the leader of a faction, and being often used in a bad sense, as of a captain of robbers or malefactors. In order to express in some measure this distinction, he has made use of the terms Dux Generalis (LeaderGeneral) and CAPUT (HEAD) in his literal Version. The Common Version makes no distinction ; and hence, in order to render this Version with strict faithfulness, must read, both here and in the next two paragraphs, leader instead of captain, although (as the reader will already have perceived) this latter is the term which erceived) this latter is the term which corresponds the more nearly with the Spanish original. In all three places Father Rothaan has caput : in the third prelude he has again Dux instead of Imperator : see above. In the first point, in order to be strictly with the Common Version, readier?/ and smoky chair in stead of chair offire and smoke ; although this latter is what the Autograph has, a certain great chair of fire and smoke, " in which", observes Father Rothaan, there is no solidity, no true glory, but mere agitation and perpetual disturbance joined with thick darkness"; And this image", he adds, " exhibits the evil spirit such as he is, but not such as he offers himself to men's minds."

The Spiritual Exercises of Loyola

https://ia801306.us.archive.org/8/items/a588350800loyouoft/a588350800loyouoft.pdf

https://www.simplycatholic.com/st-john-lateran-basilica/

Caput Mundi is a Latin phrase which literally means "Head of the world" whereas Roma Caput Mundi means "Rome capital of the world" and is one of the many nicknames given to the city of Rome throughout its history.[1]

The phrase is related to the enduring power of the city first as the capital of the Republic and the Empire, and later as the centre of the Catholic Church.[2]

Although it is not known for sure when it was first used, Rome was already named in this way by the poet Ovid in 1st century BC.[3]

Along with "Eternal City" and the "City of Seven Hills", Caput Mundi remains as one of the most commonly used names to refer to the city of Rome.[4]

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Caput_Mundi

Scottish baronies were historically the only form of British nobility held by prescriptive feudal tenure, capable of being disponed with the land or the caput (seat) rather than passing solely through heritable succession. The earliest formal structuring of the Scottish table of precedence appears in 1592 statutes and King Charles I's warrants, which positioned barons as ranking below baronets and knights, but above lairds, esquires, and gentlemen. Sir Thomas Innes of Learney explained that the 1672 Act, cap. 47, classified ranks as peers, barons (if without a fief, equivalent to heads of Continental baronial houses), and gentlemen (including all other armigers).[17] In this framework, baronets and knights were considered gentlemen and thus ranked below barons. Though a barony was not a peerage, it was recognised as a noble dignity, and titles such as "Baron of X" reflected the territorial nature of Scottish nobility.

The General Register of Sasines, established by statute in 1617, allowed baronies to be legally registered, granting prescriptive rights to the caput over time. Possession of the land containing the caput conferred the title of baron or baroness. In 1672, the Lyon Register was created to regulate armorial bearings; no arms could be legally used in Scotland unless recorded therein, resolving disputes over heraldic rights.

Until 1874, new barons were confirmed by the Crown through charters of confirmation. By law, a Scottish barony required a Crown charter erecting the land into a barony, recorded in the Register of the Great Seal of Scotland. Even if the original charter was lost, an official extract carried the same legal weight. Barons held their estates directly of the Crown or the Prince and Great Steward of Scotland, and the barony's legal status depended on this superior feudal relationship.

Scottish barons were part of the political structure of pre-Union Scotland. They sat in the Parliament of Scotland as members of the Second Estate. In 1428, lesser barons were permitted to elect commissioners to represent them, due to the burdens of travel. These representatives joined the Third Estate alongside burgh and shire commissioners, though the barons retained their personal right to attend until the Union of 1707. Greater barons often gained peerages over time, becoming lords of parliament, earls, or dukes, while lesser barons retained local influence, particularly through baron's courts and administrative roles.

Following the 1707 Acts of Union, legislative power affecting Scottish private law transferred to the unified British Parliament at Westminster. This arrangement remained in place until the establishment of the devolved Scottish Parliament in 1999. During this period, landowners often used "prescriptive feudal grants" to impose perpetual obligations - called real burdens - on land, which were recognised by courts and functioned similarly to English leaseholds.

The first Scottish Government (or Executive) was committed to abolishing the feudal system. This culminated in the Abolition of Feudal Tenure etc. (Scotland) Act 2000, which came fully into effect on 28 November 2004. With the Act, the feudal system was abolished, and baronies became incorporeal hereditaments[18][19] - intangible in status, similar to hereditary peerages, baronetcies, and coats of arms. Although baronies no longer conferred any legal right to land, the Act explicitly preserved their status as a dignity.[20][21] This marked the end of the ability to acquire a barony by purchasing land containing the caput.

Baronies are now fully "floating" meaning that they are detached from land and can be freely assigned or bequeathed[22]. If a baron dies intestate, the dignity is inherited according to the pre-1964 rules of succession, preserved for titles and dignities by the Succession (Scotland) Act 1964.[23] The Court of the Lord Lyon, as the heraldic authority of Scotland, continues to regulate the heraldic aspects of baronies. The holder of a barony may petition the Lyon Court for a grant of arms and is entitled to bear the appropriate helm and additaments befitting the dignity.[24] However, the Lyon Court has no jurisdiction over the legal assignation of baronies, which is a matter of civil law.[citation needed]

Most Scottish baronies were created prior to 1745, though some were erected as late as 1824. One of the oldest surviving baronies, the Baron of the Bachuil, is exceptional in that it does not depend on land ownership. Instead, the title passes with possession of an ancient staff known as the Bachuil Mór, once belonging to Saint Moluag. The lawful possessor of the staff is recognised as the Baron of the Bachuil, irrespective of any landholding - a tradition predating the feudal system itself.[25]

Although Scottish baronies are now entirely incorporeal in law, in some common law jurisdictions outside Scotland, particularly the United States, a barony may still be treated as a landholding entity. In these cases, land titled to "the Baron of X" is considered held in a fee simple attached to the barony.[26] This concept has not yet been tested in the Scottish courts.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Baronage_of_Scotland

Charles Edward Louis John Sylvester Maria Casimir Stuart[1] (31 December 1720[b] – 30 January 1788) was the elder son of James Francis Edward Stuart, making him the grandson of James VII and II, and the Stuart claimant to the thrones of England, Scotland, and Ireland from 1766 as Charles III.[c] He is also known as the Young Pretender, the Young Chevalier and Bonnie Prince Charlie.

Born in Rome to the exiled Stuart court, he spent much of his early and later life in Italy. In 1744, he travelled to France to take part in a planned invasion of England to restore the Stuart monarchy under his father. When storms partly wrecked the French fleet, Charles resolved to proceed to Scotland following discussion with leading Jacobites. This resulted in Charles landing by ship on the west coast of Scotland, leading to the Jacobite rising of 1745. The Jacobite forces under Charles initially achieved several victories in the field, including the Battle of Prestonpans in September 1745 and the Battle of Falkirk Muir in January 1746. However, by April 1746, Charles was defeated at Culloden, effectively ending the Stuart cause. Although there were subsequent attempts such as a planned French invasion in 1759, Charles was unable to restore the Stuart monarchy.[4]

With the Jacobite cause lost, Charles spent the remainder of his life on the continent, except for one secret visit to London.[5] On his return, Charles lived briefly in France before he was exiled in 1748 under the terms of the Treaty of Aix-la-Chapelle. Charles eventually returned to Italy, where he spent much of his later life living in Florence and Rome. He had a number of mistresses before marrying Princess Louise of Stolberg-Gedern in 1772. In his later life, Charles's health declined greatly, and he was said to be an alcoholic. However, his escapades during the 1745 and 1746 uprisings and his escape from Scotland led to his portrayal as a romantic figure of heroic failure.[6][7] His life and the once possible prospects of a restored Stuart monarchy have left an enduring historical legend that continues to have a legacy today.[8][7]

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Charles_Edward_Stuart

Baron Rothschild - Wikipedia

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Baron_Rothschild

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Family_of_Donald_Trump#Barron_Trump

Trump International, Scotland

@TrumpScotland

10:47 AM · May 1, 2023

https://x.com/TrumpScotland/status/1653093764271857666

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/James_Francis_Edward_Stuart

Holy Apostle James, Brother of St. John the Theologian

by Kyleshkaupdated on September 30, 2021Leave a Commenton Holy Apostle James, Brother of St. John the Theologian

April 30th is the feast of Saint James, who is the brother of St. John the Theologian.

I recently posted an article about St. James who is called the brother of Our Lord. This article goes into the etymology of James/Jacob in scripture, and also about St. James. But there are two other major James’ in the New Testament. (Personally, I find all the James more confusing than all the Marys. How about you?). So today we will look at what makes this James unique, and how we celebrate him.

Celebrating James

The St. James we are celebrating in this article is one of the sons of Zebedee. While his brother John is more well known to us (hence he is called the brother of John, rather than John being called the brother of James). However, he is also called James the Greater. This is because he is the elder of the two apostle James’.

St. James joined Christ at the same time as his brother John, and St. Peter. He too left being a fisherman to follow Christ. We also know from scripture that St. James was present at the Transfiguration. Also, we know that he, like his brother John, was deeply passionate. For he was reprimanded by Christ for wanting to ask God to destroy a Samaritan village which had not welcomed the Son of God. Finally, we know James preached to the Jews and Romans in the Empire, and he went and evangelized in Spain.

Celebrate St. James with an icon of him in your icon corner. (Or, an icon of the Transfiguration)! Also, pray the tropars for the day listed below. And

Prayers and Tropars

Matins Gospel: John 21: 15-25

Troparion Tone 3

O James, worthy of all praise, chosen apostle of Christ and only brother of the beloved theologian. Ask God to bestow on those who hymn you, forgiveness of sins, and to grant our souls great mercy.

Kontakion Tone 2

When you heard God’s voice calling to you, you spurned the love of your father, and fled to Christ with your kinsman, O glorious James. With him you were favoured to see the Lord’s divine transfiguration.

And finally, Prokeimenon Tone 8

Their utterance has gone forth into all the earth, and their words into the ends of the world.

The Byzantine Life

If you enjoyed this week’s article, you might also be interested in reading about the name James/Jacob in the Bible, or about Guardian Angels.

Please share our article on social media! On our Pinterest we have boards full of different icons and faith life ideas! Also, you can follow our Facebook to see our latest blog posts as they publish. The Badger Dad also runs our Twitter (@TheByzLife) and Instagram accounts (username: thebyzantinelife)!

Do you appreciate our work at TheByzantineLife.com? Consider joining us on Patreon for as little as $5 a month. In other words, you can help us run this website and produce quality content. And in return, you get exclusive access to special posts, photos, and updates from our family! As more people join, we will be adding bonus faith and family resources too. In short, click here to find out more: https://www.patreon.com/thebyzantinelife

https://thebyzantinelife.com/holy-apostle-james/

https://www.facebook.com/4williamdunn/posts/pfbid0CHQpHTiRBvEfiLfYKWbAHde4DBhEf2X5mLnsvdyU5nzGQMz4zb13gdTfbySwBKDTl

The Carter Center is part of the Carter Presidential Center, which includes both The Carter Center, our nonprofit organization advancing peace and health worldwide, and the Jimmy Carter Presidential Library and Museum, operated by the National Archives. Together, we share a 37-acre campus located just two miles from downtown Atlanta.

Address

The Carter Center

453 John Lewis Freedom Parkway NE

Atlanta, GA 30307-1406

Since 1989, The Carter Center has stood as democracy’s guardian, observing 128 elections across 40 countries and pioneering the techniques that set global standards.

Introduction

Focus Areas

Democratic Republic of the Congo(opens in new window)

Sri Lanka(opens in new window)

Sudan(opens in new window)

United States(opens in new window)

Zambia(opens in new window)

How We Introduced Election Observation in Montana

Read the Story

Democracy faces unprecedented challenges worldwide: digital disinformation, voter suppression, and eroding trust.

Strategic Objectives

Democracy Needs Guardians

The global state of democracy continues to decline, with a growing number of countries experiencing backsliding, stagnation, and erosions in core freedoms of opinion, expression, and speech. Since 1989, The Carter Center has stood as democracy’s guardian, observing over 125 elections across 40 countries and three Native American nations while pioneering the techniques that set today’s global standards.

Our work spans five essential areas:

Election Observation: Documenting truth through impartial monitoring when it matters most.

Digital Democracy Defense: Protecting against online threats that undermine democratic processes.

Democratic Standards & Governance: Creating and maintaining global frameworks for electoral integrity.

Participatory Rights: Ensuring historically excluded voices shape their nations’ futures.

Building Public Trust: Educating citizens about the processes and safeguards in their election systems to bolster confidence in the outcome.

“In our democracy, the only title higher and more powerful than that of president is the title of citizen. It is every citizen’s right and duty to help shape the future legacy of our nation.”

Jimmy Carter

(opens in new window)

Former U.S. President and Co-founder of The Carter Center

https://www.cartercenter.org/programs/democracy/

Jimmy Carter Criticizes Bush Administration

ABC News via GMA logo

October 1, 2006, 5:34 AM

Oct. 1, 2006  -- Jimmy Carter has long been a critic of the war in Iraq. Now, he has stepped up the attack, calling the war "a terrible mistake" and "a flat disaster."

Former President Carter expressed his views to ABC's Ron Claiborne on "Good Morning America Weekend."

"First of all, I thought it was a horrible mistake to abandon Afghanistan and the war against al Qaeda and the effort to capture Osama bin Laden. And left that half undone and go into Iraq, which was an unjustified war," Carter said.

"Since then, of course, terrorism has increased in the world," Carter continued. "And that was the main reason I was against the war in Iraq."

Former President Carter has largely stayed out of the political spotlight in the 25 years since he left office after a single term.

He is better known for his humanitarian work, human rights efforts and his writing -- he's authored 21 books.

But this fall he is back on the campaign trail, in Nevada, where his eldest son, Jack, is the Democratic nominee for Senate. He, too, is a critic of the war in Iraq.

Claiborne asked if Carter thought President Bush has been honest with the American people about the situation in Iraq.

"Well, I am a former president and I have been very careful not to criticize President Bush personally," Carter said. "But his administration and particularly the vice president and the secretary of defense have, I think, quite often deliberately misled the American people about the danger in Iraq to begin with, the causes for going to war in Iraq, and they have also misled the American people about what is happening in Iraq since we invaded."

While he disagrees with Bush's administration, he doesn't criticize the president himself.

"[I] think he makes -- he rationalizes what happened, which I did when I was in office, so I don't really feel inclined to personally criticize President Bush."

Carter did say he thinks Defense Secretary Donald Rumsfeld should step down.

"Almost every strategic decision that he has made has proven to be faulty or erroneous and a mistake. Every one," Carter said.

https://abcnews.go.com/GMA/story?id=2513387&page=1

President Bush says He Sees God in the Eyes of Pope

"He Represents Values That Are Important for the Health of the Country"

Interview of Raymond Arroyo with President George Bush

April 11, 2008

www.zenit.org

WASHINGTON, D.C., APRIL 13, 2008 (Zenit.org).- Here is a transcription of the interview held by EWTN anchor Raymond Arroyo with U.S. President George Bush on Friday. Arroyo spoke with the president leading up to Benedict XVI's April 15-20 visit to the United States. The interview can be viewed at EWTN's Web site.

Q Mr. President, this is the first head of state, Pope Benedict the XVI, you will ever greet on a tarmac. I was stunned to learn this. Why are you going and greeting him at an airstrip? Usually the heads of states come here.

THE PRESIDENT: Because he is a really important figure in a lot of ways. One, he speaks for millions. Two, he doesn't come as a politician; he comes as a man of faith. And, three, that I so subscribe to his notion that there are -- there's right and wrong in life, that moral relativism has a danger of undermining the capacity to have more hopeful and free societies, that I want to honor his convictions, as well.

Q You read his book on Europe, I'm told.

THE PRESIDENT: Well, I read parts of it, yes.

Q What do you take generally from his appraisal of Europe and the world? And why is this relationship between the United States and the Holy See so important to you?

THE PRESIDENT: Well, first of all, it's important to me because the Holy Father represents and stands for some values that I think are important for the health of the country, and when he comes to America, millions of my fellow citizens will be hanging on his every word. And that's why it's important.

I really don't want to get into -- spend time being critical of Europe. My main objective is to make sure our country is strong and solid and remains in the lead. One of the tenets of my foreign policy is that there is an Almighty, and a gift of that Almighty to every man, woman and child is freedom. And, you know, His Holiness speaks with that kind of clarity.

I'm also, as you know, a believer in the value of human life for the -- whether it's -- you know, the most vulnerable amongst us. And he speaks clearly to that, as well.

Q Yes, I want to talk about that a little bit later, because you -- you know, he has commended, and no doubt will again, for your bold stance on pro-life issues. I want to touch on some of the points he will no doubt raise.

One of them is Africa. I watched with great interest your visit to Africa. You looked like the Pope of Tanzania when you arrived. (Laughter.) I mean, the whole town erupted. People I don't think have given you just desserts or credit for what you've done there. You've quadrupled aid to Africa. Your President's Emergency Plan for AIDS Relief is now treating 1.4 million people. The malaria treatment is unbelievable -- something like 50 million people now being helped. When you look at that -- I was told by a group of people who came here to meet you at the White House, you said, to whom much is given, much is expected.

Is there a compulsion of faith here, personally --

THE PRESIDENT: Absolutely.

Q -- with this aid?

THE PRESIDENT: Well, it's a combination of faith and practicality. From the practical perspective, hopelessness is the only way for ideologues who murder the innocent to be able to recruit their followers. No one who's got a vision as dark and dim as al Qaeda can possibly say to somebody, follow me, my vision is hopeful or positive. Its like, you're so hopeless, this is your only out. And therefore, dealing with disease and hunger and despair helps defeat this -- these bunch of ideologues.

And then, secondly, I believe it's in our individual and collective interests to use our great blessings to help others, whether it be at home or abroad. And so, "to whom much is given, much is required" is a part of my belief. And I say to people all the time that it's in our national -- it's in our moral interests. It invigorates our soul to know that we have saved a baby that could be dying of a mosquito bite.

And I'm looking forward to talking to His Holy Father, and I will remind him this isn't a George W. Bush deal; this is America. This is

America at its best. But, yes, it was amazing to see the great appreciation that the citizens share for -- with us -- or about us.

Q Let's talk a moment about Iraq. The Pope will no doubt raise this.

THE PRESIDENT: Sure.

Q I think his perspective is going to be very different from what we're reading in the newspapers this week. I think what he'll primarily talk about, and if my sources at the Vatican can be believed, he will probably talk about the 40 bombed churches --

THE PRESIDENT: Yes.

Q -- 40 percent of the refugees being Christian --

THE PRESIDENT: Yes.

Q -- he's very concerned about that Christian minority in Iraq.

THE PRESIDENT: Absolutely.

Q When he spoke to you in 2007 he raised this. What is the administration prepared to do for this fledgling remnant of Christianity -- an ancient community there?

THE PRESIDENT: Well, absolutely. You know, it's something we have been doing all along, is urging the government to understand that minority rights are a vital part of any democratic society. And by the way, my concern isn't just for minority rights in Iraq; it's for minority rights throughout the Middle East.

And I have dealt with the Holy Father about -- with not only the issue of Iraq, but also the issue of Catholics in -- and Christians in the Holy Land. I can remember very well, early in my presidency, I think it was Cardinal Egan or maybe Cardinal McCarrick came to see me about the mosque encroaching on the Catholic -- the great Catholic Church, and would I use my influence with the Israelis to convince them to be mindful of the need for minority rights? And I said, absolutely. In my visit to the Holy Land, this recent time, there's a lot of concern about the kind of, the -- I guess, non-acceptance. I met Sisters that were in the Galilean area that were just serving mankind so beautifully, and yet their leadership was concerned about minority rights.

So my view is like -- Iraq is important, but I've used our influence all throughout the region. And I've used our influence all

throughout the world to promote rights for all religious minorities, including China.

Q. We saw that Archbishop Rahho, he was murdered in Iraq. This past weekend --

THE PRESIDENT: Yes, yes.

Q -- an Orthodox priest slain on the doorstep of his home. Is the administration -- do you believe that this is religiously motivated violence?

THE PRESIDENT: Yes, I do. I believe they're -- I believe what they're trying to do is trying to send messages -- "they" being the killers -- trying to send messages that it's not worth your time, that you must abandon the efforts of helping this free society deliver. I don't think this is government-sponsored. I think these are a bunch of thugs and killers who have this kind of dark, dim view of the world, and are willing to kill anybody who's willing to stand up to them.

And it's not just these religious figures. There are a lot of innocent men, women and children who are being killed by them, as well. This is their techniques, this is their tactics, and it's the same type of mentality that caused people to fly airplanes into our buildings to kill 3,000 of our citizens.

Q What can we tangibly do? What can the administration tangibly plead with the Iraqi government to do to protect this fledgling minority? Is there anything we can do --

THE PRESIDENT: Well, one thing we can do is to keep our troops there long enough to have a civil society emerge, and go after them, and go after these killers, and bring them to justice so they quit killing people, including our own troops, because this is a war.

Q Would you commit our troops to protecting those communities where they're endangered?

THE PRESIDENT: I commit our troops to helping the Iraqis provide safety for all innocent Iraqis. In other words, I -- you got to

understand that what you're witnessing is not just an assault on innocent Christians; you are witnessing assault on innocent people of all faiths by a group of cold-blooded killers who want to drive the United States out of the Middle East because they hate free societies.

Q Even here on Capitol Hill, we're hearing talk of withdrawals.

They want this drawdown. General Petraeus is at this very hour saying we shouldn't be doing this, we should have a pause. What is your take? Now, even members of your own administration in the Defense Department are saying we might not be able to respond to other events if we have our troops spread this thin.

THE PRESIDENT: Yes, I disagree with those people. There's nothing -- the real threat for the 21st century is dealing with these thugs and killers. They're the ones who attacked us. We got to defeat them overseas so we don't face them here. And our people are very well trained to take on these threats.

And so, therefore, my answer is, is that whatever it takes to help succeed. And to answer your question, the best thing we can do for minorities, particularly Christian minorities, in Iraq, or any minority in Iraq, is to help this society develop into a peaceful society, where minority rights are respected.

Q Even your critics say they are amazed by you, and baffled by you, because you remain so positive, so upbeat -- (laughter) -- so on point. How much of that is a function of your faith?

THE PRESIDENT: Well, that's a very good question. You know, I don't think you can disassociate your faith with how you live your life. I mean, I think it's all engrained. And I am optimistic because I happen to believe in certain universal principles, and I do believe that freedom is universal, and if just given a chance, people will live in a -- will self-govern and live in a peaceful, free society.

And history is my witness. I mean, after all, one of my best buddies in the international community was Prime Minister Koizumi. My dad fought the Japanese. Prime Minister Koizumi and I worked to keep the peace. It's an amazing -- it's one of the great ironies.

And my faith has -- you know, my faith has been so sustaining in the midst of -- in the midst of what is a pretty hectic life, full of flattery and criticism. And faith keeps a person grounded. Faith reminds people that there's something a lot more important than you in life.

I've been inspired by the prayers from ordinary citizens. And I have come to realize one -- more clearly the story of the calm in the rough season.

Q Let's talk for a moment. You had Cardinal Zen, who is a freedom fighter --

THE PRESIDENT: Yes.

Q -- in Hong Kong. You invited him to a private meeting here at the White House, which was totally unexpected. You are now planning on going to the Olympics there in --

THE PRESIDENT: Yes.

Q -- to be at the opening ceremonies at the Olympics. You just said earlier, freedom is a gift from the Almighty. Considering the human rights record --

THE PRESIDENT: Yes.

Q -- of that regime, how can you in good conscience go to that ceremony, Mr. President?

THE PRESIDENT: Because I -- you know, I'm going to the Olympics, for starters. And I've -- my plans aren't -- haven't changed. And the reason why is because I can talk to him about religious freedom prior to the Olympics, during the Olympics and after the Olympics -- which I have done. I don't need the Olympics to express my position to the Chinese leadership on freedom. I just don't need them -- because that's all I have been doing as your President. In other words -- if people say, well, you need to express yourself clearly about freedom of religion, my answer is, what do you think I've been doing?

Q Angela Merkel boycotted it --

THE PRESIDENT: I don't think she boycotted it, necessarily.

Q She's not attending the Opening Ceremonies, it appears.

THE PRESIDENT: She's not attending the games, period. She's not going to -- I don't think she's going to Beijing at all, at least that's what she told me. But, look, I hear all this rhetoric. I want to be an effective President. And I don't think it -- as I say, I'm going to Beijing. And I'm -- we're talking about the Chinese people, as well. And the question is, does the American President take [sic] decisions that will enable the next President to be effective or not -- because I've made my case; these Chinese leaders know exactly my position. I've talked about freedom of religion every time I visited with them. I've talked about Darfur. I've talked about Burma. I've talked about the Dalai Lama. As a matter of fact, I'm the only President to ever stand up in public with the Dalai Lama here in the United States. So they know my position.

And my question that I think about is, if I politicize the Olympic Games, will that make it less effective for me to deal with them, or more effective? But nobody needs to call old -- tell old George Bush what to -- that he needs to bring religious freedom to the doorstep of the Chinese, because I've done that now for -- I'm on my eighth year doing it.

Q This stick-to-it-iveness that I just saw in your eyes here I think animated this stem cell decision that you looked at, prayed over, spent a long time considering with experts from across the field. In 2001 you met with then-Pope John Paul II; he encouraged you not to endorse federal funding. You didn't; you restricted the federal funding of embryonic stem cell research.

THE PRESIDENT: Right.

Q As a result of that move, alternative technologies were analyzed; adult stem cells have now produced 80 -- cures for 80 different diseases. Do you feel vindicated?

THE PRESIDENT: That's an interesting question. I don't take these things personally, nor am I that concerned about my own personal standing based upon an issue. I feel like it was the right decision to begin with, and we'll let history judge whether or not vindication is the right word.

Q Or confirmed in your decision, certainly.

THE PRESIDENT: Well, yes, I do feel -- I feel like it was the right decision then, and obviously the data has now shown that -- I hope it shows to people it's the right decision. But, you know, I think it's going to be -- by the way, I think this is the beginning of what is a very interesting debate that future Presidents are going to have to deal with, and that is science versus ethics, the value of life versus saving life -- supposedly. And it's -- I believe -- I've obviously drawn the line in the sand that honoring life in all forms is a touchstone for good science.

Q Do you think in your lifetime you might see a pro-choice Republican nominee for President?

THE PRESIDENT: I don't know. That's an interesting question. No telling what you'll see in my lifetime when it comes to American politics -- from both sides.

Q Do you think it's important, though, to have a pro-life President on the Republican ticket? What might be the ramifications?

THE PRESIDENT: I think it's important for people to understand that a culture of life is in our national interests and that -- it's also important to understand that the politics of abortion isn't going to change until people's hearts change, and fully understand the meaning of life and what it means for a society to value life in all forms -- whether it be the life of the unborn, or the life of the elderly; whether it be the life of the less fortunate among us, or the life of the rich guy. I mean, it's a moral touchstone, I think, that will speak to a healthy society in the long run.

And I don't know what's going to happen in American politics, I really don't. I do know that in order for a President to be effective he better bring a set of principles from which he will not deviate, and articulate them as clearly as he can -- or she can -- and then not worry about immediate popularity, because popularity comes and goes, but what doesn't change are solid principles. And I'm going to remind His Holy Father how important his voice is in making it easier for politicians like me to be able to kind of stand and defend our positions that are, I think, very important positions to take.

Q Mr. President, final question.

THE PRESIDENT: Yes, sir.

Q You said, famously, when you looked into Vladimir Putin's eyes you saw his soul.

THE PRESIDENT: Yes.

Q When you look into Benedict XVI's eyes what do you see?

THE PRESIDENT: God.

Q Good way to end the interview.

THE PRESIDENT: Thank you, sir.

Q Thank you, sir. My pleasure.

[Text provided by EWTN]

https://www.piercedhearts.org/benedict_xvi/apostolic_journey/USA2008/interview_pres_bush.htm

The Holy See

the holy see

English

The Holy See

the holy see

Magisterium

Calendar

Supreme Pontiffs

Roman Curia and Other Organizations

Liturgical Celebrations

College of Cardinals

Press Office

Vatican News - Radio Vaticana

L'Osservatore Romano

John Paul II Speeches 1991 January

EN - IT

MESSAGES OF JOHN PAUL II

TO HIS EXCELLENCY SADDAM HUSSEIN,

PRESIDENT OF IRAQ,

AND TO HIS EXCELLENCY GEORGE BUSH,

PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA

To his Excellency Saddam Hussein

President of Iraq

I am deeply concerned by the tragic consequences which the situation in the Gulf region could have, and I feel the pressing duty to address you and, echoing the feelings of millions of people, to repeat what I have already had occasion to say in recent days and months.

No international problem can be adequately and worthily solved by recourse to arms, and experience teaches all humanity that war, besides causing many victims, creates situations of grave injustice which, in their turn, constitute a powerful temptation to further recourse to violence. We can all imagine the tragic consequences which an armed conflict in the Gulf region would have for thousands of your fellow-citizens, for your Country and for the entire area, if not for the whole world. I truly hope and earnestly implore the Merciful God that all the parties involved will yet succeed in discovering, in frank and fruitful dialogue, the path for avoiding such a catastrophe. This path can be taken only if each individual is moved by a true desire for peace and justice. I am confident that you too, Mr President, will make the most appropriate decisions and will take courageous steps which can be the beginning of a true journey towards peace. As I said publicly last Sunday, a demonstration of readiness on your part cannot fail to bring you honour before your beloved Country, the region and the whole world. In these dramatic hours, I pray that God will enlighten you and grant you the strength to make a generous gesture which will avoid war: it will be a great step before history, for it will mark a victory of international justice and the triumph of that peace to which all people of good will aspire.

From the Vatican, January 15, 1991.

IOANNES PAULUS PP. II

***

To the Honorable George Bush

President of the United States of America

I feel the pressing duty to turn to you as the leader of the Nation which is most involved, from the standpoint of personnel and equipment, in the military operation now taking place in the Gulf Region.

In recent days, voicing the thoughts and concerns of millions of people, I have stressed the tragic consequences which a war in that area could have. I wish now to restate my firm belief that war is not likely to bring an adequate solution to international problems and that, even though an unjust situation might be momentarily met, the consequences that would possibly derive from war would be devastating and tragic. We cannot pretend that the use of arms, and especially of today’s highly sophisticated weaponry, would not give rise, in addition to suffering and destruction, to new and perhaps worse injustices. Mr President, I am certain that, together with your advisers, you too have clearly weighed all these factors, and will not spare further efforts to avoid decisions which would be irreversible and bring suffering to thousands of families among your fellow citizens and to so many peoples in the Middle East. In these last hours before the deadline laid down by the United Nations Security Council, I truly hope, and I appeal with lively faith to the Lord, that peace can still be saved. I hope that, through a last minute effort at dialogue, sovereignty may be restored to the people of Kuwait and that international order which is the basis for a coexistence between peoples truly worthy of mankind may be re-established in the Gulf area and in the entire Middle East. I invoke upon you God’s abundant blessings and, at this moment of grave responsibility before your Country and before history, I especially pray that you be granted the wisdom to make decisions which will truly serve the good of your fellow-citizens and of the entire international community.

From the Vatican, January 15, 1991.

IOANNES PAULUS PP. II

https://www.vatican.va/content/john-paul-ii/en/speeches/1991/january/documents/hf_jp-ii_spe_19910115_saddam-hussein-bush.html

Louis Sako, Bishop of Kirkuk: "I know Who Doesn´t Want Iraq To Be Free"

"They are Arab fighters who have entered Iraq, financed by fundamentalist movements in nearby countries, or maybe even by the governments." An interview with the rising star of the Chaldean Church

by Sandro Magister

ROMA - In Iraq, the Chaldean Catholic Church has not yet chosen its new patriarch, who will succeed the deceased Raphael I Bidawid (see photo). John Paul II has summoned the Chaldean bishops to Rome December 2-3, to come to an agreement. But in the meantime, important things have been happening at the top levels of some dioceses.

Bidawid was hotly contested within his own Church. He was accused of governing it in an authoritarian way, and of carrying on an excessively fawning relationship with the Baathist regime and Saddam Hussein.

After the fall of Saddam, the Chaldean Church was afraid of paying dearly for its link with the defunct regime. But events belied these fears. Now the danger looming over Iraqi Christians is the same that threatens the whole country: terrorism, which strikes without distinction not only the American occupation, but the U.N., the Red Cross, foreign embassies, police forces, local authorities, religious leaders, and the Iraqi population itself, in its various components.

The Chaldean Church is one of the participants in the laborious process of democratization now underway. The Vatican is apprehensively following this process, and the steady stream of terrorist attacks, while abstaining from any public comments.

But one of the newly appointed Chaldean bishops has spoken openly: Louis Sako, nominated as bishop of Kirkuk on September 28. He has spoken, among other places, in an interview - reproduced below - with the magazine of the Pontifical Institute for Foreign Missions, published in Milan, "Mondo e Missione."

Sako, 55, an outstanding figure in the Chaldean community, was until recently a parish priest in Mosul, and before that the rector of the seminary in Baghdad. He knows twelve languages, has studied in Rome and Paris, is an expert in ancient Christian literature, and has a master´s degree in Islamic history. His is a consultant for the Pontifical Council for Interreligious Dialogue, and has often been the guest of "Pax Christi" in Italy.

Mosul, his home town, which was the ancient city of Nineveh, was the first in Iraq to be provided with a provisory provincial council, shortly after the end of the war. And Sako was elected its vice-president. The Mosul model was later reproduced in Kirkuk and other provinces.

Sako told the Italian newspaper "Il Foglio" on October 21 that "Iraq as an engine of democracy does not sit well with Saudi Arabia, Iran, Syria, Egypt, and other neighbors," because "civil rights for non-Arab minorities, religious liberty, and legal reform would bring into question the power upon which atavistic tyrannies and proven systems of repression are based."

He raised the alarm over certain Muslim imams "who are not as moderate as they would like to be believed. They are ´Radio Islam,´ more capillary than Al Jazeera."

But he has said he trusts that "the Iraqi New Deal can become reality." And thanks to whom? "To the Americans. The pope was opposed to it, and he had his reasons, but for all Iraqis the destruction of the dictatorship was a liberation. We could never have done it by ourselves."

Here is the interview with Sako in "Mondo e Missione," published in the November 2003 edition:

A Light at the End of the Tunnel

An interview with Louis Sako, bishop of Kirkuk

The news media speak of an interminable post-war period. What is life like in Iraq now?

"Like in a country emerging from thirty-five years of dictatorship, during which the people were deprived of everything: of oil, but even of air to breathe. Saddam Hussein had transformed Iraq into an enormous barracks. Two wars, first with Iran and then the Gulf War, and twelve years of embargo produced a massive exodus of Iraqis abroad and a million deaths. And yet, faced with such a disastrous situation, today the people are satisfied with the change, with the renewed possibility for freedom. In just a few months eighty new political parties have arisen, five of them Christian, freedom of the press has blossomed in dozens of new publishers, six of them Christian. And even some of the television stations that have sprung up in the zone of Mosul are Christian. None of this was here with Saddam! Even from the economic point of view, everything has changed: before it was not possible to make any plans, but now we can construct projects, albeit modest ones, for the future. One example: state employees receive 150-200 dollars a month, before only 3-4."

But all of this was achieved through war.

"Yes, but the civilians were not the targets. The Americans did a lot of bombing, especially in Baghdad, striking government buildings, and the bombs were usually precise."

Do you defend the American action?

"I´m not saying that they´re angels! They have their interests, and they came to Iraq for those, not to liberate the Iraqis. But, in fact, freedom was the result. They made mistakes; for example, eliminating all of the old guard of the Baath party from the scene and dismantling the army. There were good-hearted people there, too."

Are you afraid that there are still some of Saddam´s men around?

"There aren´t any more people linked to the dictator. What we have instead are Arab fighters who have entered Iraq, financed by fundamentalist movements in nearby countries, or maybe even by the governments. There are those who do not want Iraq to be open and free. Those responsible for the stream of attacks are loose cannons, without any popular support."

Are you satisfied with the test of democracy in course, for example, at Mosul and Kirkuk?

"Yes. The people treasure freedom. Sometimes they criticize the decisions of the Americans, but the process underway is working. I myself was elected by popular vote as the vice-president of the interim council in Mosul. I have resigned from office, but being still part of the council. We have been working with the Americans since last May, and I am optimistic. Gradually roads and hospitals are being constructed, and I ask myself, Why should we resist? It´s useless! Of course, the United States made mistakes."

Can you mention one of them?

"They are slow in acting, and above all, they do not understand the Iraqi mentality and habits, the history of the country. But they have undoubtedly done good things as well. The trouble is that, not knowing whom they can trust, they live in a state of perpetual suspicion; the soldiers tend to open fire at the first sign of danger."

Why do you think the Americans do not understand the Iraqis?

"We are moderates by nature; the extremists who are operating are supported from outside. It is obvious that, if a democracy is born in Iraq, the surrounding countries will be worried."

Are you hoping for a domino effect? That is, do you think that a democratic solution for Iraq would have positive effects on the whole region?

"I don´t know. The Iraqi people are among the best-educated in the area. The embargo weighed heavily on education, but the Iraqi cultural and academic tradition is well advanced; the Americans have recognized this. But there isn´t the same degree of education everywhere. This is certainly the moment in which we have the greatest need for you Europeans: Europe should put pressure on the countries bordering Iraq. And we need to learn; U.S. democracy is not the only model; Europe also has a valuable heritage. The point now is to create a democracy with Iraqi characteristics."

How is the writing of the new constitution proceeding?

"The national committee is working on it, and there are five Christians among its two hundred members [ed.: one of whom is Sako]. But we need time. The future is prepared through small steps; the people must be instructed in a new mentality."

What role do you see for Christians?

"The Christians have a great task, even though we are relatively few. But our strength is not in numbers; it is rather in our culture, values, openness, fraternity, and capacity for friendly criticism."

What influence did the pope have in preventing the war from being interpreted as a war of religion?

"A great one. The Muslims tried to paint the war as a crusade against islam; but they quickly saw that the bombings touched everyone, including Christians, and they understood that the United States was intervening in Iraq for economic and political reasons, not religious ones. On our part, we formed a mixed group of Christians and Muslims to defend the churches and mosques before and during the war. We furthermore promised conferences to explain Christianity and islam; many friendships were born, and some of the Muslims have welcomed our appeal for national unity. Finally, the aid we distributed, which also went to Muslims, was a witness of charity, which did not draw accusations of proselytism."

Is this more than ever the time for dialogue?

"In the municipal council [of Mosul], where I hold a seat, I was able to do a lot as a priest to help the Muslims to work for peace and dialogue, renouncing the weapons of violence. I always speak of reconciliation and forgiveness, on television, too. I have even had the opportunity to do so with an imam at my side."

What do you ask of the international community and of the Churches of the West?

"Don´t forget us! There are 700,000 Christians in Iraq, and in a year, when the emphasis on Iraq is gone, who will remember them? It has already happened with the Gulf War and the embargo. I make this appeal to all the religious congregations: come to Iraq to lend a hand, especially in education, and not only for the Christians. Here in Iraq, man himself must be reconstructed, and we can´t do it alone. Iraq is rich in economic potential, but it also needs spiritual resources."

What future do you imagine for Iraq? And what role do you see for the United Nations?

"The United Nations is finished; we need to think of other instruments. Europe must have a crucial role. Before the war its support was strong, but now we lack its political support. It would be an error for Europe to leave the reconstruction of the country to the Americans."

Your Excellency, how should your nomination as bishop be interpreted?

"In the context of the delicate phase of transition underway, Catholics - especially those with responsibility - must become involved. They have more courage and an adequate cultural formation: they can contribute to widening the horizons, strengthened by the universal vision of the Church."

(Interview by Gerolamo Fazzini)

__________

A link to the magazine "Mondo e Missione":

> Pontifical Institute for Foreign Missions, Milan

__________

Naturally, the Louis Sako´s positions are not shared by all the Chaldean bishops. An opposed view, for example, is that of Shlemon Warduni, provisory administrator for the patriarchate of Baghdad, in an interview with the weekly magazine "Vita":

"We said, with the pope, that war does not solve problems; it increases them. And that is what happened. Everything has been destroyed. We are living in a great prison. War was not necessary to defeat Saddam Hussein. With less than a tenth of the more than fifty billion dollars spent in the conflict, we could have paid the tuition of all the young Iraqis, and Saddam´s regime would have imploded without a single bomb or a single victim. But to the contrary, the United States sold weapons to Iraq, pocketing our money; then they destroyed those weapons, again using our money; and now they have to rebuild, using money obtained from our oil."

For the sake of accuracy, the Center for Strategic and International Studies documents that in the period from 1973 to 1991, prior to the embargo, the biggest arms dealers to Iraq were the USSR, at 31.8 billion dollars; France, at 9.24 billion; China, at 5.5 billion, and Germany, at 995 million. During the same period, the United States sold Iraq 5 million dollars´ worth of weapons.

__________

On this website, on the issue of Iraq prior to, during, and after the war:

> A Reminder for the Vatican: There´s No Way Out of Alliance with America (27.10.2003)

> Islam and Democracy in Iraq. The Martyrdom of the Shiite Muslims (1.9.2003)

> With the Pope or with Bush? "Studi Cattolici" Stands with Both (29.7.2003)

> The Vatican Against America: A War of Words (9.6.2003)

> Poland´s Catholics Depart for Iraq. With the United States and the Pope (12.5.2003)

> Secularism and Fundamentalism in Iraqi Islam. The Double Misinterpretation (30.4.2003)

> "War Diary, January-April, 2003." Author: Pietro De Marco (18.4.2003)

> Bush & God: A Puzzle for the Church in Europe (8.4.2003)

> War Report. The Paper Dragons of the Pacifist Theologians (31.3.2003)

> The Postwar Era According to Camillo Cardinal Ruini (25.3.2003)

> War in the Gulf. What the Pope Really Said (20.3.2003)

> Is Europe a Province of Islam? The Danger is Called Dhimmitude (17.3.2003)

> The Interventionist Church. Archbishop Migliore´s Peace Offensive (6.3.2003)

> A Test of Catholic Geopolitics: How to Read the World After September 11 (3.3.2003)

> "L'Osservatore Romano" and "Avvenire": The Two Discordant Voices of the Church of Rome (26.2.2003)

> After - and Beyond - the Tide of Pacifism. An Essay by Pietro De Marco (24.2.2003)

> From Assisi to Baghdad. If This is the Way to Make Peace (17.2.2003)

> The Theory and Practice of Just War. Nine Documents to Understand It Better (12.2.2003)

> It´s Islam Against the United States - but the Shiite Muslims Are an Exception (5.2.2003)

> Iraq: The Purely Political Reasons for the Church's "No" to War (30.1.2003)

> Exclusive Interview with Ambassador Nicholson: "The Points of Disagreement between Bush and the Pope" (27.1.2003)

> The Three Mysteries of John Paul II, Solved by His Cardinal Vicar (23.1.2003)

> The Pope's Jesuit Allies Duel with Bush's Strategists over Preventive War (21.1.2003)

> Iraq, Europe, and Russia: John Paul II's Three Active Fronts (13.1.2003)

> The Church and Iraq. How to Get Rid of Saddam Hussein without Making War on Him (7.1.2003)

> Saddam Hussein massacres Shiite Muslims, and the Vatican looks away (27.11.2002)

> Iraq. Anche il papa dà l´ultimatum a Saddam (18.9.2002)

__________

Go to the home page of > www.chiesa.espressonline.it/english/, to access the latest articles and links to other resources.

Sandro Magister´s e-mail address is s.magister@espressoedit.it

English translation by Matthew Sherry: > traduttore@hotmail.com

https://chiesa.espresso.repubblica.it/articolo/6989%26eng%3Dy.html