[Robert Drobot]

Commemorating † The Feast of Saint Eulogius, Holy Priest and Martyr † Saint Eulogius beheaded, by Lochner > Saint Eulogius was a Spanish priest and martyr of the ninth century. Because of his fearless and intrepid confession of Christ, he was scourged and beaten with rods, and finally beheaded during a Saracen persecution in the city of Cordova. A.D. 850 the Cordoban caliph initiated a violent persecution against the Catholics. Eulogius, a member of one of the most distinguished families of the area, stood out for his writings defending the various martyrs of that persecution. He defended the voluntary martyrs who presented themselves to be killed, a position criticized by many as rash. The Muslims, surprised to see so many Catholics offering themselves as martyrs, became fearful of a Catholic uprising that could threaten their rule. Caliph Abd-er-Rahman II called together the Bishops to meet in Cordoba and put a halt to these voluntary martyrdoms. In fact, the council convened and forbade anyone henceforth to offer himself as a martyr. But the council did so in ambiguous and allegorical terms so that the Bishops might remain in the good graces of the caliph, while not directly condemning the martyrs, who were very popular. Saint Eulogius did not approve of this dissimulation and strongly resisted it. As a result, he was persecuted by both the Muslims and the Catholics who favored adaptation of the Faith to mollify the ruling Muslims. Firm in the defense of the voluntary martyrs, he was beheaded A.D.11 March 859. Comments of Professor Plinio Corrêa de Oliveira : At that time, there were two different problems: one moral and another political. The moral problem is based on a psychological presupposition. For many persons, it is an unbearable torment to spend one’s life running away from danger. The ninth century persecution in Spain obliged Catholics to hide and run under cover of night from one place to another in order to avoid being caught and killed. For some of these Catholics, it was much easier to present themselves to the Arab authorities and say: “I am a Catholic. Kill me if you so desire.” It was a way to end the affliction of continuous flight. This psychological position, which is understandable, is accompanied by a moral problem. Would this voluntary deliverance for martyrdom be a kind of suicide? It is a valid question. Saint Eulogius defended these Spanish martyrs, as did Saint Francis of Sales many centuries later. Both argued that this action did not constitute suicide, and that the ones who acted in this way were true Catholics and real saints. At any rate, this was the reason why many Catholics delivered themselves to martyrdom in this way. The number of martyrs was growing so much that the caliph of Cordoba became concerned and decided to convene a council of Bishops so that they would put a stop to it. It seems strange that a caliph could call together a council of Bishops, but one should remember that the Catholic Religion was only tolerated by the Muslims under the condition that Catholics would not cause any problems for the authorities. Therefore, the Bishops were under pressure and obeyed. It is similar to the policy that Communism adopts in the countries it dominates. It tolerates the Catholic religion only so long as it does not create any problems that could threaten its stability. It is a bad - but intelligent - policy, since it smashes the authentic Catholics and permits only the collaborators to survive. The good Catholics are destroyed or forced underground. Since the number of voluntary martyrs in Cordova was increasing, the caliph feared that this phenomenon could generate a general radicalization that would endanger Muslim dominion over that part of Spain. So, he convened a council of Bishops to put a halt to the preaching of Saint Eulogius against Islamism and his praise of the movement of voluntary martyrdom. As the caliph expected, the council condemned both the Saint and voluntary martyrdom. That condemnation was both ambiguous and groundless. Saint Eulogius resisted the order and continued to courageously support the martyrs. He was so bold in his defense that the only way they found to silence him was to kill him. He became a martyr. What is the lesson we can take from this? In all epochs of the Church there are two currents within her bosom. One wants to be faithful to the Faith as it is. Another is composed of soft Catholics who want to accommodate, to lead good lives, to die tranquilly, and to that end, they compromise the Faith. One is a current of heroism, and the other of accommodation, compromise, and treason. Today, we have those true Catholics who want to keep the Church with the face she always had, and those compromised Catholics who want to adapt themselves as well as the Catholic Faith to the demands of the Revolution in our days. Saint Eulogius fought like a lion and passed through the difficult trial of being condemned by the Catholic Episcopate. It is easy to imagine how this made a man with the soul of a saint suffer. Notwithstanding, he resisted the bad Bishops and, doing so, he gave us an example of how an authentic love for the Church should be. That is, we should love the Church and her institutions in such a way that, even should the men who occupy places of authority condemn us, we would defend the Faith against them, since we should obey God first, and then men. We must be willing to suffer the condemnations and persecutions of those who want to accommodate the Faith to the world. In this sense, Saint Eulogius is our patron saint, and we should ask him to give us the special kind of courage to face such situations, which in many cases is more meritorious than the courage of martyrdom. Α ☧ Ω

[Robert Drobot]

CALENDAR of the SAINTS Anno Dómini 11 March 2012 Ceiling Paintings of Balilihan Roman Catholic church "....and, lo, a great multitude, which no man could number, of all nations, and kindreds, and people, and tongues, stood before the throne, and before the Lamb, clothed with white robes, and palms in their hands; And cried with a loud voice, saying, Salvation to our God which sitteth upon the throne, and unto the Lamb. ~ ~ Apocalypse Α ☧ Ω Bishop Saint Aengus the Culdee Hermit or culdee near the River Nore in Ireland where he was known to commune with angels. Hermit near Maryborough. Monk at Clonenagh in Ireland. His reputation for holiness attracted so many would-be students that he retired to be a lay brother at the monastery of Tallaght near Dublin, Ireland under the abbacy of Saint Maelruan. With Maelruan he wrote the Martyrology of Tallaght in 790. Wrote Felire, a poetic version of the martyrology. These works complete, he resumed life as a hermit and then a bishop. Α ☧ Ω Saint Alberta of Agen, Martyr One of the first martyrs in the persecutions of Diocletian. Martyred A.D. 286 in Agen, France. Α ☧ Ω Saint Amunia, Martyr Married and the mother of Saint Aurea of San Millán. Widow. Hermitess. Saint Aurea of San Millán Daughter of Saint Amunia, she grew up a Christian child in a village invaded by Moors. She was devoted to Saint Agatha, Saint Eulalia of Merida, and Saint Cecilia. Benedictine nun and hermit at San Millán de la Cogolla, La Rioja, Spanish Navarre. Received a vision from Agatha, Saint Eulalia of Merida, and Saint Cecilia in which they supported her vocation. Spiritual student of Saint Dominic of Silos. Miracle worker. Α ☧ Ω Archbishop Saint Benedict Crispus of Milan Archbishop of Milan, Italy from A.D. 681 until his death 45 years later. Wrote the epitaph for King Caedwalla of Wessex. Α ☧ Ω Saint Candidus the Martyr, Martyr One of a group of twenty-two martyrs who died together, A.D..257 in North Africa. Α ☧ Ω Saint Constantine II, Martyr Scottish prince, son of King Kenneth II. Murdered A.D.874 in a cave near Crail by Danish invaders. He is onsidered a martyr in Scotland for defending his Catholic land against pagan invaders. Α ☧ Ω Saint Constantine of Carthage Confessor of the faith at Carthage. Saint Eulogius of Cordoba, Martyr Son of a senatorial family from Cordoba, Spain. Well educated. Holy Priest. Head of an ecclesiastical school. Worked to comfort and support Christian martyrs and their survivors during muslum persecutions in Moorish occupied Spain. Arrested several times for his faith, he wrote Exhortation to Martyrdom while during one of his imprisonments. Appointed to succeed the Archbishop of Toledo, Spain, but was never consecrated. Imprisoned after he gave shelter to Saint Leocritia of Cordoba, he preached the Gospel in court, then in front of the king‘s counsel. Scourged and beheaded A.D. 11 March 859 at Cordoba, Spain. Α ☧ Ω Saint Firmian the Abbot, Martyr Abbot of San Sabino Piceno near Fermo, Italy. Α ☧ Ω Saint Firmus the Martyr, Martyr Third century martyr. Α ☧ Ω Saint Gorgonius the Martyr , Martyr Third century martyr. Α ☧ Ω Saint Heraclius of Carthage, Martyr Martyred A.D. 263 in Carthage, North Africa, during the persecutions of Valerian and Gallienus. Blessed John Righi Fabriano Joined the Franciscan Order A.D. 1484 at Forano, Italy. Lived as a hermit at Cupramontana, Ancona, Italy, preaching and caring for the sick. Α ☧ Ω Saint Peter the Spaniard, Martyr Pilgrim from Spain to Rome. Settled to live as a hermit in Babuco, Italy. Α ☧ Ω Saint Piperion the Martyr, Martyr One of a group of twenty-two martyrs who died together, A.D..257 in North Africa. Α ☧ Ω Saint Sophronius Native of Damascus, Syria. Travelled widely in the East and West. Lived several years at Alexandria, Egypt near Saint John the Almoner. Ecclesiastical writer of distinction. Poet and extensive correspondent; some of his writings have survived. Fought the Monothelitism heresy. Patriach of Jerusalem from A.D. 634 until his death, but was driven from the city by Saracens. Α ☧ Ω Saint Thalus the Martyr, Martyr Crucified A.D. 300 at Laodicea, Syria, during the persecutions of Diocletian. Saint Thomas Atkinson, Martyr Studied and was ordained at Rheims, France. Returned to England A.D. 1588 to minister to covert members of the Church of England to Roman Catholicism. He travelled by night, hid by day, and served his flock for decades. Betrayed to the authorities, he was arrested along with the family who was hiding him. Hanged, drawn, and quartered A.D. 11 March 1616 at York, England for the crime of being a Roman Catholic Priest. One of the thousands of Roman Catholic martyrs of England, Scotland and Wales. Α ☧ Ω Saint Trophimus, Martyr Crucified A.D. 300 at Laodicea, Syria, during the persecutions of Diocletian. Α ☧ Ω Bishop Saint Vigilius of Auxerre, Martyr Succeeded Saint Palladius as bishop of Auxerre, France A.D. 661. Murdered by order of Waraton, mayor of the palace.A.D. 685 in a forest near Compiègne, France. Α ☧ Ω Saint Vindician of Cambrai Spiritual student of Saint Eligius. Bishop of Arras-Cambrai, France A.D. 669. Promoted monasticism in his diocese. Protested against the excesses of the Merovingian kings, including Theirry III, and the powerful mayors of the palace. In his later years he retired to the Saint Vaast monastery in Arras, France. Α ☧ Ω Saint Zosimus of Carthage, Martyr Martyred A.D. 263 in Carthage during the persecutions of Valerian and Gallienus. Α ☧ Ω