Sunday, July 12, 2009

Absolute best place to stay in Rome...




You asked and this is it: l'Angolo di San Pietro. They've only been open for a year and are a tiny bit expensive, but this is it if you want the best.
The top photo is the view from the roof terrace and the bottom is from one of the bedrooms. It's a historic old little palace. Really a tiny place, with a few nice sized rooms. All renovated and new and clean. Rooms each have a small kitchen. The best location, the best views and the best place to boast about.
And you can host small private parties on the roof, too.
See their site and enjoy this fabulous place on your next trip to Rome: http://www.langolodisanpietro.com/.

From the Vatican Museums: the Latin t-shirt...


FSSP IN URBE...


The summer schedule.

http://roma.fssp.it/

Our sisters as they lead by example...


It is comfort that makes us shirk the work of evangelization. We are clothed, but are we warmed by the fire of Pentecost? The Lord bless and reward the good sisters for leading the way.

Cute little girl: pilgrims of all ages...


Welcome to the Vatican and remember that even kids are pilgrims, too!

Where to stay in Rome: get the list...

I put together a list of where to stay in Rome to aid pilgrims.

If you want me to send it to you, just send me an e-mail and in the subject line write: WHERE TO STAY IN ROME.

jpsonnen@orbiscatholicus.com

Please pray for Patricia (RIP)...

Wife, mother, grandmother - she led a wonderful life. May she rest in peace. Amen.

"And fanning us, affirm'd that those, who mourn,
Are blessed, for that comfort shall be theirs."

-Canto XIX (Purg.) of the Divine Comedy

Friday, July 10, 2009

Catholic Australia: holiness and youthfulness...


The Church universal. St. Francis, pray for us!

Thursday, July 09, 2009

Those who lead us today: our fouled leaders...

Dupes of error are a dime a dozen. What do we do when they lead us?

Meanwhile, the people have voted while the candidates continue to get worse.

Hebrews 6.6: "Would they crucify the Son of God a second time, hold Him up to mockery a second time, for their own ends?"

These few days the Italian Prime Minister has been hosting the world's leaders in Italy.

As the freak show continues through the streets of Rome it reminds one of the first many canto chapters of the Divine Comedy while Dante is guided by Virgil through the tangle of hell. While there Dante sees all of these then-personalities and celebrities in the hell which befell them for their evil and corrupt ways.

Anybody read Dante?

Veronica Lario is married to the Italian Prime Minister, Berlusconi. She has wept bitterly and complained that her husband is in a relationship with a teenage model. Her husband is in his seventies.

For years good clean citizens have complained of the "showgirls" and prostitutes that their Prime Minister hosts in his homes. This poor battered wife has complained that she is seeking a divorce because she could not stay with a man who "frequents minors."

3 Kings 11.9: "So the Lord was angry with Solomon for playing Him false."

Do we believe this abused wife? Italy's new "Equalities Minister" appointed by Berlusconi is a young woman by the name of Mara Carfagna who was a Miss Italia contestant once upon a time. Photos of her big-eyed naked body are all over the Internet. These few days she is representing the Government to the world's first ladies while in Rome.

Suitability to lead?

Christians, circle the wagons.

The French first lady Carla Bruni announced she will not attend the official G8 events in Rome with the other first ladies. She's the one who is married to a divorced man, was having a relationship with him while he was still married and photos of her skinngy-looking naked body are all over the Internet. In their evil and corruption these people are merciless.

James 2.3: "The merciless will be judged mercilessly."

Christians, homeschool your kids.

And to be orative? Is that what we look for in a head of state? Or to be moral?

Christians, vote pro-life.

Tomorrow the Obamination will be in Rome and the Vatican and in protest Catholic students will leave the city and spend the afternoon at Castel Gandolfo in a spirit of prayer and penance. See you there.

Our wonderful sisters: the best for the Lord...





In Rome's July heat - all for Our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ!

Catholic South Korea in the Holy City...


For the G8 conference different navy ships are in port at Civitavecchia, the port of Rome. Today the President of South Korea met with the Pope and so the sailors came to greet him.

Wednesday, July 08, 2009

To build Christian marriage: how to get a date...

So you want to marry an Italian?

Everybody has their type, and some like Italians.

If you're one of these, try here: http://www.canticodeicantici.com/.

Or, try here for an American: http://www.avemariasingles.com/.

The good old days...

Before it got bad the legends used to study the sacred sciences in Louvain, Belgium. Their drink of choice? Stella Artois, naturally!

Where to hold your convention in Rome...

If you wish to hold a conference or convention in Rome then consider this venue: the Casa Tra Noi.

It's a cheap(er) hotel south of the Vatican and they have nice meeting/conference rooms. Una Voce held their last Rome conference here in 2007.

See here: http://www.tranoi.it/.

Where to stay in Rome (near the Vatican)...

For some it's better to rent a flat instead of getting a hotel room.

Coccinella's House Apartments Bed & Go: http://www.coccinellashouse.com/.

How the sixties touched the Vatican and Italy and the Church...


Live in Italy and you will see how the sixties never ended.
Older Romans will share that the best time in Rome was the dolce vita of the sixties - Via Veneto with all the best poets and journalists and political thinkers and musicians and literary giants.
They still talk on TV ad infinitum about the student protests, communism, marxist economists and socialist government of the time with all its change, change, change.
They still play on TV constant "classic" films of the era and the music is still enjoyed.
See these films for yourself and then you will understand why things are the way they are today in the Vatican, Rome, Italy and the Church:
La Dolce Vita (1960)
8 1/2 (1963)
Deserto rosso (1964)
La Ciociara (1960)
L'avventura (1960)

In tribute: Don Lorenzo Perosi...


Listen to his sacred music - find it on the Internet.

Vatican City State: 80 years old...


The colours.

Catholic Korea: Rome's Pontificium Collegium Coreanum...


Always nice to see our Catholic language - team spirit for the home team!

The Anniversary Anthology: 07-07-07

Tuesday, July 07, 2009

Asking for prayers for this blog...

We continue on as pilgrims: usually on foot and sometimes lacking the best of shoes.

I've never asked for prayers for this blog, but please do pray for the success of this effort - it is a ministry. Pray for this piece in a puzzle looking to inspire Catholic youth to take an interest and to study the sacred sciences in the Holy City.

In our new epoch of the indolent Internet viewer Catholic Internet evangelization is of growing importance with the dawn of each new day. How do we reach the millions? Evangelicals beat us with radio and TV. Let's do our best to hit the Internet world.

Blog ministry is a labor and a prayer. Zeal can fan duty into an ardor that feels no obligation, but drives with the strongest thirst for the conversion of souls. We say laborare est orare and also orare est laborare. All of it is a labor!

Thanks to all for prolonged intercession.

"Pray for me too, that I may be given words to speak my mind boldly, in making known the Gospel Revelation, for which I am an ambassador in chains."

-Ephesians 6:19-20

And this blog is dedicated to the Madonna under the title Salus Populi Romani.

In gratitude for a new camera (thanks, Deb!)...

We all know that poverty is not always an economic, but a spiritual condition. This is why Christ says in Matthew 5:3: "Blessed are the poor (in spirit)."

For some of us it's fun to be poor. Strange, but true. It's just where the Lord has put us today. Where we belong, at least for the moment. And we don't always even know what we lack.

But poverty sometimes hurts, like when you get burned. As some readers know, a few weeks ago my photo camera was stolen. It was a struggle...

...then along came a saintly American woman who offered through her amazing and extraordinary generosity to buy me a new camera (and for this I am truly grateful)!

The new camera is just perfect - a Canon that fits blog needs (it can take video and fit in a side pocket).

Thank you, Deb and family and be assured of a prayer with every click and readers please pray for the benefactors of this blog ministry!

"If God will be with me, he said, and watch over me on this journey of mine, and give me bread to eat and clothes to cover my back, till at last I return safe to my father's house, then the Lord shall be my God."

-Genesis 28:20-21

Archbishop Sheen on the breviary...

"The breviary can never be properly read while the priest is listening to the radio or watching television or has one ear and half his mind concentrated on a baseball game. Magna abusio est habere os in brevario, cor in foro, oculus in televisifico."

-The Priest Is Not His Own, 1963.

Pope has private meeting with FSSP brass: thanks them for their fidelity to the See of Peter...








On Monday, July 6 the Holy Father met in private audience the Superior General of the Priestly Fraternity of Saint Peter, Fr. John Berg. The meeting took place in the Holy Father's private library in the Apostolic Palace. After the meeting the Holy Father had the pleasure to greet some of the founding members of the F.S.S.P. and he thanked them for their labors while giving each a small gift.
Photo credit: L'Osservatore Romano.


Monday, July 06, 2009

Marktl Am Inn: where the Pope was born!








With a rental car be sure to make a visit to Catholic Bavaria and see this little town just east of Munich called Marktl. It's on a river called the Inn and here you can see the museum in the house where der Papst was born in a.D. 1927!


Catholic culture: the galero...


From Altötting: bring back the galero!

Catholic culture: the processional banner...


This is how it's done as seen in Rome. Nice banners such as this can be purchased in Belgium (i.e. downtown Brugge).

As times change: the cappelleria (hat shop)...


In the good old days there were lots of these old shops in Rome; now just a few are left. Cappelleria dell'Urbe can be seen on Rome's Via Merulana.

Sunday, July 05, 2009

Catholic culture: the altar card...



The baroque altar card - this is what it looks like!

Catholic culture: coat-of-arms on pianeta...


This is how it's done: Carmelite arms on a nice Roman style chasuble.

Saturday, July 04, 2009

Catholic Scotland: the best...


Pontifical Scots College in Rome: team spirit for the home team!

Catholic China: arise!


Fidelity to the See of Peter in the land of martyrs...

Rome's "traditionalist" youth to make pilgrimage...

Iuventutem Rome invite youth to join them on a day pilgrimage to the famed Sanctuary of Genazzano, just east of Rome on Saturday, July 18 between 9 a.m. - 9 p.m.

Details to be announced.

See the Facebook page to R.S.V.P.: http://www.facebook.com/event.php?eid=221855805295.

Get the new book on clerical gear...

See here: http://www.dieter-philippi.de/mydante_1429.html.

Catholic Malta: holiness!


My confessor in Italy...

Catholic Lebanon: monastic origins...


Always faithful to the See of Peter...

The Obamination: an outrage...

This coming Friday the Obamination will be in Rome. We students will leave the city in protest and spend the day at Castel Gandolfo.

Such a nefarious leader that does not go to church on Sundays, but instead takes himself to the gym for a "work out."

Dads, bring your kids to church. Bring yourselves to church and accompany your wives to church. And keep America Judeo-Christian.

Friday, July 03, 2009

Solemn High Mass from Milan's Cattolica...





The student choir seen above was magnificent.


Solemn High Mass from Milan's Cattolica...











Solemn High Mass from Milan's Cattolica...






On July 1 Solemn High Mass was sung in the Extraordinary Form of the Roman rite at Milan's famed Catholic University of the Sacred Heart (Universita' Cattolica del Sacro Cuore).
The Mass was sung in the main university chapel, the Cappella Sacro Cuore. The celebrant was the Superior General of the FSSP, Fr. John Berg. The chapel was packed with students and faculty alike and the student choir did a fabulous job.
Thanks, guys, it was wonderful and hope to see you all in Rome sometime soon!



Tuesday, June 30, 2009

From Trent with love (and prayers)...

It's dusk in the north of Italy and yours truly is smoking a cigar (dipped in cognac) and offering a prayer for you and yours.

Greetings fom Trento, high in the Alto Adige of the South Tirol. This is the old Roman city of Tridentum located on the Adige River.

After the day in Salzburg and Innsbruck it was time to cross the Alps on the way back to Rome via Bolzano - and here the summer heat hit!

Prayers for everybody. Tonight you were prayed for in Trent in its famous old Cathedral of St. Vigilius where the Holy General Council of Trent was held between 1545 - 1563.

If you have an interest in the Council then Trent is a must - so close to Rome and just a lovely little town with a great diocesan museum. At leat once in your lifetime be sure to cross the Alps, too (it's spectacular!).

Not to boast, but last year yours truly read all of the Council of Trent cover to cover and this year yours truly read all of the Vatican Council II cover to cover. Catholic youth: read the Councils!

The Holy Ghost does not get it wrong. Today in the Cathedral of Trent I prayed for the success of each and every one of the twenty-one holy, general and ecumenical Councils.

P.S. If you read Trent you'll see that this present era in which we are now living in is not the "worst" epoch in the history of the Church as some mostly ignorant Catholics of today might suggest.

Sunday, June 28, 2009

First Mass of a new priest...








Across the corn fields from the Seminarium Sancti Petri ( the FSSP seminary in Bavaria) is located a lovely little country chapel where these photos were taken yesterday morning after the first Holy Mass of this neopresbyter. Hearty congrats to the new priests and their families! Pray for priests.


FSSP Seminary in Wigratzbad...








It´s a very special place on the planet earth - the European seminary of the Priestly Fraternity of St. Peter.
Crop and pasture land, corn, cows, sunny Bavarian farm families and this new seminary complex constructed just ten years ago.
What a place to form priests of the third millennium!
Link here and support these men - the finest of them all: http://www.fssp.org/.
Our holy German Pope, born of the same rich Bavarian soil must be so proud to know these guys are here - point for the team!