Defending the 12th century since the 14th; blogging since the 21st.

Catholicism, Conservatism, the Middle Ages, Opera, and Historical and Literary Objets d'Art blogged by a suburban dad who teaches law and writes stuff.


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Who was Cacciaguida? See Dante's PARADISO, Cantos XV, XVI, & XVII.


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Seventy years ago today, Spain's generals, with the support of many of her people, rose in revolt against a government stitched together from a variety of Moscow Communists, non-Moscow Communists, Socialists, and left-Anarchists, a government that was systematically ripping out centuries' worth of Catholic infrastructure, preferring to leave students schoolless rather than allow religious to continue to teach, turning a blind eye to escalating church-burnings and killings of priests, monks, and nuns by party-affiliated militias, and moving toward giving Stalin his westernmost outpost and making the still-to-be-named Iron Curtain run to the Atlantic.

The generals' revolt prevented all that -- and now, official Spain is sorry. For 31 years since Franco's death, the Left has been free to chant "Franco Asesino" and the Right has been free to chant "Con Las Mismas Banderas," but now, it seems, we all have to accept the standard liberal historiography. This is called "healing."

Well, heal this:

Pope begins path to a Sainthood declaration for 149 Spanish Martyrs

Vatican City, Jun. 26, 2006 (CNA) - Today in Rome, Pope Benedict XVI opened the cause of Beatification for 149 Spaniards killed during the Spanish Civil War.

Below are the names of the martyrs, who today are called “Servants of God.” The naming of a person “Servant of God” is the first step in the long process of Canonization.

- Servants of God Bonaventura Garcia Paredes, Spanish, professed priest of the Order of Friars Preachers (1866-1936), Miguel Leibar Garay, Spanish, professed priest of the Society of Mary (1885-1936), and 40 companions killed in 1936.

- Servants of God Simon Reynes Solivellas (1901-1936), Spanish, and five companions of the Congregation of Missionaries of the Sacred Hearts of Jesus and Mary and of the Congregation of the Franciscan Sisters of Mercy, and Prudenza Canyelles i Ginesta, Spanish, laywoman, all killed in 1936.

- Servants of God Celestino Jose Alonso Villar (1862-1936), Spanish, and nine companions of the Order of Friars Preachers, killed in 1936.

- Servants of God Angelo Maria Prat Hostench (1896-1936) and 16 companions of the Order of Friars of the Blessed Virgin Mary of Mount Carmel, killed in 1936.

- Servants of God Enrique Saiz Aparicio (1889-1936), Spanish, and 62 companions of the Salesian Society of St. John Bosco, killed in 1936 and 1937.

- Servants of God Mariano de San Jose Altolaguirre y Altolaguirre, ne Santiago (1857-1936), Spanish, and nine companions of the Order of the Most Holy Trinity, killed in 1936 and 1937.

And read this. This, this, and this are helpful too.

EDITED TO ADD: Good to see Al-Jazeera is also in high dudgeon against those "right-wing army officers" and "their their revolt that led to war 70 years ago." Many of Franco's well-wishers called his campaign a "crusade," and it's mighty thoughty of Al-Jazeera to take notice. Catch the picture, too: somehow that down jacket lends a modern touch. (Can't be a July 18 photo, though, unless way up in the Pyrenees....)

FURTHER EDITED TO ADD: Cara al sol. Try it at a toasting session near you.
posted by Cacciaguida at 1:27 PM