Posted on 05/12/2013 4:46:13 AM PDT by BarnacleCenturion
The 800 men of Otranto – whose names are lost, except for that of Antonio Primaldo, an old tailor – were rounded up and killed because they refused to convert to Islam. In 2007, Pope Benedict recognised them as martyrs “killed out of hatred for the faith”. That is no exaggeration. Earlier, the Archbishop of Otranto had been cut to pieces with a scimitar.
Some accounts of the martyrdoms will raise a sceptical eyebrow: Primaldo reportedly remained standing after he was decapitated, a Pythonesque miracle that stretches credulity.
But the murders really happened, and their significance is immense. The Turks had been sent by Mohammed II, who captured the “second Rome” of Constantinople and planned to do the same to the first. His fleet landed in Otranto, Italy’s easternmost city, and laid siege. The citizens held out for two weeks, allowing the King of Naples to muster his forces. Rome did not fall.
“All of this took place because of the indifference of the political leaders of Europe to the Ottoman menace,” wrote the conservative Italian senator Alfredo Mantovano in an article about the martyrdoms in 2007. You can guess where his argument was heading. “In Otranto, no one displayed rainbow pacifist flags, nor invoked international resolutions… Today Europe is under attack, not by an institutionally organised Muslim phalanx but by a patchwork of non-governmental organisations of fundamentalist Muslims.”
(Excerpt) Read more at blogs.telegraph.co.uk ...
“Primaldo reportedly remained standing after he was decapitated a pythonesque miracle that stretches credulity.”
I have no problem believing that at times God has worked miracles through martyrs to confound their persecutors and to prove the truth of what the martrys were dying for. However He did it, I have no problem believing that God protected the purity of St.Agnes and more than once has not let pure martyrs be defiled by the impure.
Jesus looked at them and said, “With man this is impossible, but with God all things are possible.” Matthew 19:26
Jesus is Lord!
Meanwhile, expect violent muzzie protests over this canonization. Count on it.
Col 1:2 To the saints and faithful brethren in Christ which are at Colosse: Grace [be] unto you, and peace, from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ.
Saints for our times. May Christians everywhere follow their example and resist the onslaught of Islam. Now if the West could find a leader to follow the example of Charles Martel.
Yes, I agree. If the muzzies were furious at Pope Benedict 16, they will be apoplectic over this one!! Go, Pope Francis! The Truth will set you free.
Mat 23:9 And 2532 call 2564 no 3361 [man] your 5216 father 3962 upon 1909 the earth 1093: for 1063 one 1520 is 2076 your 5216 Father 3962, which 3588 is in 1722 heaven 3772.
Islam is not an Abrahamic religion. Abraham did not worship Allah. Equating Allah with the Lord God is a violation of the first commandment.
Watch. The American leftist/media complex will make an issue of it and some high bearded savage will stir up the masses of dirty bearded savages and get them out in the streets throwing stones and shouting curses.
How true! It must be noted however, Mohamedans will be appoplectic if Pope Francis belches, scratches, passes gas, blinks his eyes, inhales or exhales! The same goes for Billy Graham, R. C. Sproule, Nicky Gumbel, Charles Stanley, T. D. Jakes, Wintley Phipps, or anyone else who dares to preach ANY truth about Jesus! After all, the Koran IS Satan’s gospel, reading like a VERY twisted version of the Bible!
I am not sure that Mohamedans would even be slightly upset at any sermons given by Jeremiah Wright, Al Shapton or Jesse Jackson. That speaks volumes, considering they each choose to use the title “Reverend”.
I haven’t read the article, nor do I know what the Pope has said about Islam, but if what you cited is true ... I think I’d have serious second thoughts, if I was a Papist ... about remaining one.
"And think not to say within yourselves, We have Abraham for our father. For I tell you that God is able of these stones to raise up children to Abraham." Matthew 3:9
"Honour thy father and thy mother: and, Thou shalt love thy neighbor as thyself." Matthew 19:19
"And he cried, and said: Father Abraham, have mercy on me, and send Lazarus, that he may dip the tip of his finger in water, to cool my tongue: for I am tormented in this flame." Luke 16:24
"Who said: Ye men, brethren, and fathers, hear. The God of glory appeared to our father Abraham, when he was in Mesopotamia, before he dwelt in Charan." Acts 7:2
"MEN, brethren, and fathers, hear ye the account which I now give unto you." Acts 22:1
"Therefore is it of faith, that according to grace the promise might be firm to all the seed; not to that only which is of the law, but to that also which is of the faith of Abraham, who is the father of us all, (As it is written: I have made thee a father of many nations,) before God, whom he believed, who quickeneth the dead; and calleth those things that are not, as those that are." Romans 4:16-17
"I write not these things to confound you; but I admonish you as my dearest children. For if you have ten thousand instructors in Christ, yet not many fathers. For in Christ Jesus, by the gospel, I have begotten you." 1 Corinthians 4:14-15
"As you know in what manner, entreating and comforting you, (as a father doth his children,)" 1 Thessalonians 2:11
"I beseech thee for my son, whom I have begotten in my bands, Onesimus," Philemon 1:10
"Persevere under discipline. God dealeth with you as with his sons; for what son is there, whom the father doth not correct? But if you be without chastisement, whereof all are made partakers, then are you bastards, and not sons. Moreover we have had fathers of our flesh, for instructors, and we reverenced them: shall we not much more obey the Father of spirits, and live?" Hebrews 12:7-9
"I write unto you, fathers, because you have known Him, who is from the beginning. I write unto you, young men, because you have overcome the wicked one. I write unto you, babes, because you have known the Father. I write unto you, young men, because you are strong, and the word of God abideth in you, and you have overcome the wicked one." 1 John 2:13-14
(emphasis added for your much needed edification)
"Ignorance of Scripture is ignorance of Christ." Saint Jerome
These 800 are indeed Martyrs For The Faith, and I commend the Catholic Church for recognizing this fact.
Those who have died defying islam have a special place in heaven, I believe.
And I have NO PROBLEM calling them “Saints” even though I am not Catholic.
It reads nothing like the Bible! It reads more like some demagogue in a podium shouting at the audience.
I should also mention that even reading the Koran in English hurts my ears, like someone scratching a blackboard.
Jerome was/still is correct. In Mt. 23:9 Jesus, in this case, used the word "father" not referring to the literal line-of-descent ancestors, but rather grammatically and syntactically was ordering his disciples not to confer the title "Father" to anyone but The God of The Heaven, Who in the figurative-literal sense is The Only One Who can save and impart a spiritual birth to a sin-sick soul.
Looking at the context, here is a precise translation of the Koine:
"But yourselves be not titled, Rahb-bee! For One is The Leader of you, The Christ. But you all yourself are brothers. And do not title anyone upon the Earth, Father of You! For One is The Father of you, The One in the Heavens. Neither be titled Leaders! For One is The Leader of you, The Christ. But the greatest one of you shall be your domestic servant. But who ever shall exalt himself, he shall be humbled. And who ever humble himself, he shall be exalted" (Mt. 23:8-12 from "The Gospels: A Precise Translation", published by Happy Heralds, Inc., see home page).
The context here in this chapter points out that Jesus is dealing with the leaven of hypocrisy by either Jews or would-be "Christians" who allow themselves to be called pompous titles (and similarly to wear distinctively ostentatious clothes, and obtain preferred status, I presume, from the immediate context)(and not to be shared, Is. 42:8).
My feeling is that your post does not make the distinction between being the physical or/and spiritual father of one or more children; as opposed to permitting a mantle of titled veneration to be conferred on one. Let me suggest that it is not wise to confuse paternity with organizational titles.
Thus referring to early apostles and prophets, or their disciples as Papal, or Patristics, or Father, or Reverend, or Holy Father, as earned figurative-literal titles, is quite contrary to the literal command of The Anointed One and Master, Jesus, to not ever allow this elevation by a title of veneration to be settled on oneself other than Himself, as it is a defining mark of blatant hypocrisy.
"He sent redemption unto His People: He hath commanded His Covenant for ever: "Holy" and "Reverend" is His Name" (Ps. 111:9).
It is a fearsome thing to ever permit a spiritually immature fellow human to mistakenly misuse this form of address, a misplaced devotion to one's spiritual elder; much less to personally aspire to the title, apparel, and preferred treatment that such election by humans bring.
The humble recognition afforded by "Brother" or "Sister" is good and honorific enough.
And BTW Jerome, though a great scholar and translator of his day, is no greater a saint, than myself or any other citizen of the Kingdom of The God, a title conferred by The God Himself, and not by (a) human(s) (Colossians 1:2, Philippians 4:21, Hebrews 13:24, for examples of many).
Respectfully -- a sermonette for Mothers' Day. Now, there's a good address form -- hope you love and respect your Mom, today and every day!
The understanding that I have of Ahmadinejad's appocalytic beliefs of a '12th imam', seems to be a pre-trib rapture perspective EXCEPT from Satan's view, where the evil one wins. We all know the outcome, with the deceiver being sent to the bottomless pit!
Of course, Mad Mo was read parts of the OT by Arabian Jews. Mo asked them to accept him as another prophet and he was laughed at and ridiculed be the Jews. He tried the same thing with Arab Christians and they refused. Mo's anger at rejection played right into the evil one's hands; hence the vitrolic Koran, filled with hatred of Jews and Christians; Mo was the deceiver's perfect tool.
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