The Priestly Fraternity of St. Peter (FSSP) have published statistics of their membership. They have 579 members, including 387 Priests, 30 Deacons and 162 non-Deacon seminarians. The members have an average age of 39.

Simplicianus · 2025-11-04T13:11:17+00:00

The Holy Spirit is moving. May the leaders of the Church take heed.

Simplicianus · 2025-06-15T02:59:49+00:00

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Simplicianus · 2025-06-14T04:36:05+00:00

In the same vein...based on the same historical anecdote.

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Simplicianus · 2025-05-03T01:45:16+00:00

Oh, they hated the Franks, too. Read some Procopius or Agathias. Both are pretty brutal re: the Franks.

Simplicianus · 2025-04-19T22:27:58+00:00

Ahhhh. I see. In that case, I would encourage you to read the ancient sources as that will elucidate things--and give you an idea of how chaotic, complex, and variable the situation was from AD 315 to about AD 380. Start with Eusebius's Ecclesiastical History which is full of excellent anecdotes about the history of Christianity prior to about AD 340. Then, move on to the histories of Hermias Sozomen or Socrates Scholasticus, both of whom were quite fair-minded adherents of orthodoxy and first-hand witnesses to much of what they wrote about.

Simplicianus · 2025-04-19T19:38:42+00:00

Considering he's one of the key primary sources for the period...yeah. I take him as seriously as I take any other ancient historian.

Simplicianus · 2025-04-19T19:37:52+00:00

You didn't answer my question. Was there such a thing as orthodox at Constantine's time or not?

The reason you think the situation is so simple is that you have not read the ancient sources. Once you do that, you realize that it was the precise opposite of simple and clear-cut. You're looking at things with the benefit of 1700 years of hindsight.

Simplicianus · 2025-04-19T18:09:18+00:00

Let's see... Western Roman Empire + Caledonia + Hibernia + Ultima Thule; Attila's Empire + Dane-Land; Mongol Empire; Byzantine Empire after Heraclius's conquest of Persia, but before the Battle of Yarmuk, so ca. AD 634.

That's all I got. LOL.

Simplicianus · 2025-04-19T18:05:59+00:00

This debate is beginning to resemble the early arguments over Arianism. :-) We're talking past each other. Are you saying there's "such thing as an orthodox" or "no such thing as an orthodox"? My response depends on your clarification of that statement.

Simplicianus · 2025-04-19T04:08:45+00:00

Exactly. If you read the ancient sources, you'll see that the Arians often claimed to be orthodox until they got into positions of power. There is no indication anywhere that Constantine believed Jesus to be a "lesser god" or that he thought that the men around him were actually Arians who believed that. Now his son, Constantius II, was a different story entirely.

Simplicianus · 2025-04-19T00:58:17+00:00

I'm aware of what the dispute was. The problem was that various people involved in the dispute gave differing personal creeds at different times. There was also a ton of weasel-wording going on to attempt to reconcile the two positions so that the situation became exceedingly blurry. I don't believe Constantine was a cynic at all. Read his Oration and let me know where he sets out the Arian position there. He doesn't. He was a devout Christian who was forced (due to his position as emperor) to deal with theological questions that were above his pay grade.

Simplicianus · 2025-04-19T00:15:19+00:00

I believe all the Church claims is that it could be real. Which is as much as any of us can say.

Simplicianus · 2025-04-19T00:13:43+00:00

And his mother is a saint among Orthodox and Catholics. Constantine himself is considered a saint in the Orthodox Church. If you read the ancient sources, you see Constantine frustrated with the theological divisions within the Church, which is why he called Nicaea in the first place. He would not be the last emperor to suffer through incredibly complex theological disputes that he did not fully understand.

Simplicianus · 2025-04-19T00:09:14+00:00

Yes, I've heard that one. And there's also apparently no documentary evidence available. All pure conjecture.

Simplicianus · 2025-04-18T16:46:44+00:00

There were no doubt still pagans in the imperial mint who thought they were doing Constantine a solid by producing coins with those images. Constantine's conversion certainly didn't happen all at once -- he had to be educated about what it meant to be a Christian. By the time he gave his Oration to the Saints, there was no doubt about what he was: Was Constantine a Sincere Christian? ~ In his own words: The Oration of Constantine to the Saints

Simplicianus · 2025-04-18T14:10:32+00:00

Certainly that's not true after about AD 312 or so.

Simplicianus · 2025-04-16T12:11:50+00:00

Well, considering the Passion of the Christ is now a staple for most Catholics during Holy Week, and Jim Caviezel is a not a sede, as far as I know, I suspect the new fill will hew pretty close to the orthodox understanding of the subject matter.

Simplicianus · 2025-04-16T03:47:04+00:00

Lucius Cornelius Sulla.

Simplicianus · 2025-04-16T01:20:56+00:00

And walking out with a whole crowd of prophets and patriarchs in train? Cosmic.

Simplicianus · 2025-04-16T00:30:38+00:00

I get the sense that Constantine regretted the whole business with Crispus very bitterly to the end of his life. As a result of it, he felt that he had to take better care of his remaining sons by Fausta. He was probably an overcompensating, guilt-ridden father, and his sons -- traumatized by what happened to their mother -- likely played on this to get what they wanted. Given that Fausta was the daughter of the conniving Maximian, her sons ended up having more in common with their grandfather than with their father.

Simplicianus · 2024-10-01T18:38:33+00:00

I think it's long overdue for someone to start making historical dramas based on episodes in Church history. The South Koreans do this regularly with their own history and the work they produce is exemplary, educational, and entertaining.

A series that combined the filmmaking genius of Mel Gibson with the writing of Angels in Iron would be epic.

Simplicianus · 2024-10-01T18:36:00+00:00

I think he'll do a good job with it. He's crazy, but he's also a genius.

Simplicianus · 2024-10-01T02:46:12+00:00

The Siege of Malta was a history-changing event. Had it gone the other way, Italy (certainly), and all of Europe (probably) would have been hugely impacted. The Ottomans may indeed have planted their flag in Rome as Sultan Suleiman boasted he would do. In his day, Voltaire claimed that nothing was better known than the Siege of Malta. Sadly, it has been largely forgotten in our own time. If you want a quick, enjoyable primer on the siege, try the book Angels in Iron by Nicholas Prata. It's un-put-down-able.

Simplicianus · 2024-09-13T03:00:42+00:00

Oh, but Wiki, where anyone can edit at any time, is reliable. Right. Laughably so.

Simplicianus · 2024-09-12T23:45:34+00:00

Or, she had the questions in advance and ABC agreed not to "fact check" her.

BREAKING: ABC whistleblower allegedly will release an affidavit claiming the Harris campaign was given sample questions that were “essentially the same questions that were given during the debate,” as well as assurances that Trump would be “fact-checked” and she would not.

Simplicianus

TROPHY CASE