The following comes from a July 31 email from a Cal Catholic reader.
In popular imagination the Crusades were an exercise in the brutal and intolerant colonization of the peaceful people of Islamic Palestine by savage French knights determined to enrich themselves. In purpose and in action, however, the Crusades were something very different.
This lecture will help Catholics understand what the Crusades really were and also help them defend the Church against the charge that Catholic should apologize for this sometimes glorious and sometimes tragic moment in the history of Christendom.
Sunday, August 3 – 9:30am
Santa Sophia
9800 San Juan Street
Spring Valley, CA 91977
Monday, August 4 – 7:00pm
Our Lady of Grace Parish
2766 Navajo Road
El Cajon, CA 92020
Saturday, September 6 – 9:00 am
Sheraton San Diego Hotel & Marina
1380 Harbor Island Drive
San Diego, CA 92101
For more information, click here
https://www.catholic.com/speakers/talks/what-were-the-crusadesChristopher Check
Or contact: Catholic Answers Seminar Dept
Phone: 619-387-7200
The Crusades were holy and righteous and just actions against minions of Satan who sought to destroy the Church, the Body of Christ.
I know. I know. Long live the Shire!
“To the Old Rugged Cross I will ever be true. Its shame and reproach gladly bear. Till He calls me someday to my home far away, and His glory forever I will share.”
Praise Be Jesus Christ! This sounds lovely! I barely heard of this today, too bad I missed this one today but just in time for me to attend one of them on another day. With our church, we shall stand tall and learn from this historical times. We can evangelize and spread the gospel all for the Glory of Jesus Christ!
God bless Catholic Answers! Praise Be Jesus Christ, God bless our Pope!
AMEN to that Anne T.
Hello. I hope the lecture will be available in writing in a near future for those of us that cannot be there. Thank-you
What we witness today by Muslim fanatics in the Middle East and Africa is no different than what Christians during the Middle Ages experienced in the Holy Land. The Christians living there suffered under Muslim tyranny, and the pilgrims who traveled to the Holy Land were attacked. The Crusades were undertaken to make the Holy Land safe again for Christians.
As to the argument that it was to pillage the Holy Land by Christians, keep in mind that many rich land holders sold or mortgaged their lands in order to financially support the Crusades. Both rich and poor Christians went on Crusade, and well over a third or more never returned home. I suspect that few Christians today would be willing to make the sacrifices that these Christians made.
Xavier you are right. Well at least not here in USA, socialism pretty much tells people what they can say, do or act. Sometimes things have to get even worst than they are now before more and more people will act.
Seeing what is around us, I have witnessed and still do, faithful church militant in union with Rome, making choices to get involved in ways that help with evangelizing and living the gospel day in and day out. We have similar qualities in today’s lay faithful, on fire for the Lord, that you would witness back in those days. Different yes, because we are living different times, but the spiritual attacks are still the same, we just have to handle them in which meet modern days.
The only true riches are those that make us rich in virtue. Therefore, if you want to be rich, beloved, love true riches. If you aspire to the heights of real honor, strive to reach the kingdom of Heaven. If you value rank and renown, hasten to be enrolled in the heavenly court of the Angels.
Pope St. Gregory the Great
The Church has ever proved indestructible. Her persecutors have failed to destroy her; in fact, it was during times of persecution that the Church grew more and more; while the persecutors themselves, and those whom the Church would destroy, are the very ones who came to nothing. . . .Again, errors have assailed her; but in fact, the greater the number of errors that have arisen, the more has the truth been made manifest. . . . Nor has the Church failed before the assaults of demons: for she is like a tower of refuge to all who fight against the Devil.
St. Thomas Aquinas
The crusade was the response to the barbarism of Muslims. The muslims used this event to portray that they were attacked, but the truth is they were the aggressors and their purpose was to spread their demonic belief. The crusade was to defend the holy land which the muslims took. That is why they have that doom of the rock erected in the holy land. That is the great symbol that the holy land was desecrated by muslims. They were just intruders and believe that they own everything that belongs to christians or jews including their life and property. But the christians stood against these bearded herd of hell bound people and stopped them. Also thanks to the Polish king who drove these weeds out of Europe.
Anonymous the Muslims are still committing barbarisms against Christians. There is a famous priest who is in hiding because the Muslims put a high reward of money if anyone would capture this priest, who converted many Muslims, and behead him. They already beheaded a few of our priests and they continue to persecute Christians.
CCC 780 The Church in this world is the sacrament of salvation, the sign and the instrument of the communion of God and men.
CCC 775 “The Church, in Christ, is like a sacrament – a sign and instrument, that is, of communion with God and of unity among all men.”197 The Church’s first purpose is to be the sacrament of the inner union of men with God. Because men’s communion with one another is rooted in that union with God, the Church is also the sacrament of the unity of the human race. In her, this unity is already begun, since she gathers men “from every nation, from all tribes and peoples and tongues”;198 at the same time, the Church is the “sign and instrument” of the full realization of the unity yet to come.
Ignatius of Antioch
“Be not deceived, my brethren: If anyone follows a maker of schism [i.e., is a schismatic], he does not inherit the kingdom of God; if anyone walks in strange doctrine [i.e., is a heretic], he has no part in the passion [of Christ]. Take care, then, to use one Eucharist, so that whatever you do, you do according to God: For there is one flesh of our Lord Jesus Christ, and one cup in the union of his blood; one altar, as there is one bishop, with the presbytery and my fellow servants, the deacons” (Letter to the Philadelphians 3:3–4:1 [A.D. 110]).