Free Republic

What is the difference between Barack Obama and Ignatius Loyola? Not a hell of a lot. I’m thumbing through a copy of The Ten Commandments of Propaganda, a book by my academic buddy Brian Patrick. Aside from being a well-rounded review of the dark art, Brain illustrates historical cornerstones of propaganda, which includes Ignatius. The Roman church originated modern techniques for thought control with their Congregation for the Propagation of the Faith, known in Latin as “Congregatio de Propaganda Fide” and hence the modern perversion of the word ‘propaganda’.  In its purest form, ‘propaganda’ means to propagate information. It took...

The Spiritual Exercises of St. Ignatius of Loyola translated by Elder Mullan [1914] These are the Spiritual Exercises of St. Ignatius of Loyola, a plan of contemplation to be carried out over about a month. St. Ignatius of Loyola (1419-1556) was the founder of the Jesuits, and was canonized by Pope Gregory XV in 1622. He published the Spiritual Exercises in 1548. The Exercises were intended for use during a retreat; and are a central part of the first year training of Jesuit novitiates. However, one does not have to be a Jesuit-in-training to take advantage of the Exercises:...

  Jesuit Family Album The Inn at the End of the World recalls St. Robert Southwell, SJ, one of the 40 Martyrs of England and Wales, who died for the Faith on this day in 1595. Rev. Joseph MacDonnell, SJ, whose web site at Fairfield is a cyberspace font of Jesuitica, has reproduced online a fascinating resource volume, Jesuit Portraits: Some Sketches of Chivalry from the Early Society, with 202 capsule portraits of Jesuit scholars, scientists, artists, explorers and saints who impacted history during the first two and a half centuries of Jesuit history. See also a 1609 pictorial biography...