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The Twenty-Eighth International Eucharistic Congress (Chicago, June 20-24, 1926) was an unprecedented celebration: hundreds of thousands of participants from thirty-seven nations attended, and about six hundred journalists covered the event. Such an impressive outcome was far from guaranteed, considering the predominantly Protestant population in the US, the lack of diplomatic relations between the US and the Holy See, and the significant doctrinal differences between Catholics and Protestant churches regarding the Eucharist. The Congress, along with the organizational effort that made it possible, greatly impressed Pope Pius XI, his representatives, and the Italian Catholic hierarchy. Drawing on Vatican archives and published documents to reconstruct the organization and development of the Congress, this article sheds light on how the Vatican and Italian Catholic hierarchy perceived American society's ability to conceive and execute a religious event of unprecedented proportions. This reconstruction also helps to illuminate the broader European fascination and anxiety toward the vision of the future emerging in American society and presented to the Old World after the Great War. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This contribution explores Henri de Lubac's changing relationship with the papacy and its magisterial role. The mutation of his relationship with the different popes with whom he interacted illustrates the tense, problematic, and necessary link between Jesuit theologians and the hierarchy of the Church. Lubac's contrasting relationship with the papacy can be explained, on the one hand, by his quest, and that of other theologians of his generation, for an aggiornamento of the Church in a context marked by the aftermath of the modernist crisis and, on the other hand, by the theological and ecclesiological debates that arose from the reception of the Second Vatican Council. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This article sets out historiographical engagement with the papal tiara since the late sixteenth century, examining the range of questions asked about the object and the motivations behind them. Early modern Catholic writers developed a consistent line of inquiry into the tiara based on an evolving agenda to affirm the pope's majesty. More recent scholars, though motivated by very different concerns, have nevertheless retained many of their lines of questioning. Indifference to practical questions about exactly how the tiara was used as a ceremonial object has sometimes been a feature of this discourse. However, contemporary discussion of the tiara's medieval origins now integrates it. The oddity that tiaras have still been produced for late twentieth- and twenty-first century popes needs to be included in the story told. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The article explores the encyclical "Humani generis" by Pope Pius XII and its relevance to evangelization. It discusses the encyclical's emphasis on preserving and defending Catholic doctrine while presenting it in a way that is understandable and persuasive to contemporary society. The article also addresses the historical context and debates surrounding the encyclical, highlighting the need for a balanced approach to reform and ressourcement in the church's theology and philosophy. It emphasizes the importance of doctrinal fidelity and a robust concept of human reason in evangelization. The article concludes by advocating for a careful and nuanced approach to change and development in the church. [Extracted from the article]

The article is a review of the book "Benedict XVI: A Life. Volume 2, Professor and Prefect to Pope and Pope Emeritus 1966-The Present" by Peter Seewald. The reviewer praises the book for its thorough research, engaging writing style, and revealing new information about Pope Benedict XVI's life. It also discusses the media's portrayal of Benedict XVI, acknowledging both positive and negative perspectives. The review concludes by highlighting the strong friendship between Pope Benedict XVI and Pope Francis and discouraging criticism of the latter. Additionally, Stephen L. Brock's book, "The Light that Binds: A Study in Thomas Aquinas's Metaphysics of Natural Law," is recommended for those interested in exploring the topic of natural law and its philosophical foundations from a Thomistic perspective. [Extracted from the article]

This article explores the ambiguity surrounding Thomas Aquinas's views on the relationship between the Church and the state. It examines conflicting texts and argues that Aquinas's political thought is focused on the integrity of political life and offers guidance for political arrangements. The article also discusses different medieval traditions of understanding Church-state relations and highlights the differences and similarities between them. Aquinas's belief in the natural origins and importance of political authority is emphasized, as well as his distinction between temporal and spiritual goods. The concept of unity of order is explored, which involves a coordinated relationship between the Church and the state for the common good. Overall, Aquinas presents a view of politics as a natural and significant aspect of human life. [Extracted from the article]

The article explores the concept of synodality in the Catholic Church and its relationship to Pope Francis's theology of mission. It discusses the theological basis of synodality in Pope Francis's papal exhortation Evangelii Gaudium and argues against interpretations that prioritize historicism and democratization of Church structures. The article also discusses Pope Francis's emphasis on popular piety, the importance of inculturation in mission, and the need for dialogue and collaboration to overcome polarizations in the Church. It references Pope Francis's writings and the International Theological Commission's document on synodality to support its arguments. Overall, the article presents a nuanced understanding of synodality and its role in the Church's mission of evangelization. [Extracted from the article]

This paper will discuss the considerations of theological and canonical scholars from France and Italy during the Great Western Schism to solve the division of the Church using the via concilii. The main focus will be on the accentuation of conciliar thought, depending upon the various times and the places where the via concilii was discussed. While at the beginning of the schism a solution involving the two contenders was in the foreground, its continuation led to a rethinking—a search for a solution which did not require, and was indeed against, the resisting popes. No attempt will be made to discuss in this paper other issues treated by contemporary scholars such as the fundamental relationship between the pope and the council (although this is relevant to the question of the positioning of the council), or the reform. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The article discusses a book titled "Les Saints anciens au temps de la Réforme catholique: Déclin ou renouveau?" which explores the cult of ancient saints during the Catholic Reformation. The book focuses on the forms and meanings of devotion to ancient saints in the context of the Merovingian and Carolingian kingdoms in Transalpine Gaul. It examines the centralizing logic of the relationship with Rome and the role of religious orders, particularly the Jesuits, in promoting new saints and using the cult of ancient saints for evangelization and anti-Reformation policies. The article highlights the complexity of this dynamic and suggests a dialogical approach to understanding the connection between the ancient age of Christian conquest and the Early Modern Catholic reconquest. [Extracted from the article]

The nunciature at the imperial court in Prague at the turn of the seventeenth century represented an important power center for Catholicism. Nuncios carried out their mission at the level of diplomatic negotiations and effectively incorporated the sacred space of the mostly non-Catholic Prague into their strategy. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Through an examination of the contents, context, and material characteristics of the first administrative register surviving at the abbey of Cava dei Tirreni, this essay argues that the "documentary revolution" in thirteenth-century Italy was not only the accomplishment of the communal governments of the north. Political instability throughout the peninsula in the late twelfth century fostered enduring changes in documentary practices in both monastic and diocesan institutions. The first Cava register, drawn up under Abbot Balsamon (r. 1208-1232)-- possibly responding to the legislation of his sovereign, Emperor Frederick II--reveals that he and his brothers innovated to protect the property underpinning their religious life. The artifacts of their innovation, moreover, underscore the primary influence of temporal rulers, rather than the papacy, on ecclesiastical administrative practices. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The figure of the Jesuit Francesco Antonio Zaccaria (1714-1795) is exemplary for considering the style that the controversy acquired in the early modern period, when he abandoned the strictly theological-doctrinal debate in an anti-Protestant function and also expanded to the legal, historical, and literary in defense of the rights of the Church and of the papacy. This essay highlights and analyzes, in particular, the widespread eighteenth-century custom of anonymous writings. Authors did not want to escape censorship as much as to draw more attention to the contents and leave the writer the freedom of greater aggression of language and more effective apologetics. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

46 Secondly, however, the term "ordinary magisterium" is also sometimes used to refer to the explicit but non-de*nitive teaching of the pope or the college of bishops, 47 which is more properly called the "authentic magisterium" of the pope or bishops.

Since the fifteenth century, scholars have wondered about the authorship of the anonymous series of papal biographies from St. Peter onwards, now known as the Liber pontificalis. Bartolomeo Platina (ca. 1421-81) and Onofrio Panvinio (1530-68) were responsible for the false notion that "Anastasius the Librarian" was the book's principal author. This article reconsiders why the myth of Anastasius was created and how it was passed on. It rejects the thesis by Girolamo Arnaldi that Platina created this myth on purpose, with the intention of furthering his own career. Rather, Platina produced the myth more or less accidentally. Yet this myth proved so powerful that it was not completely dispelled until the late nineteenth century. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A selection of letters composed by St. Anselm in the years between his two exiles from England, namely 1100-1104, offer the clearest glimpse into his thinking on the nature of the Church. In particular, they mark an intensification of his commitment to the papacy and eleventh-century ecclesiastical reform. They also reveal points of resonance between, on the one hand, his vision of papal primacy and the Church's identity as "spouse" and "mother," and on the other, his devotional writings and pastoral letters to religious women, the brides of Christ. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Historiography has shown great interest for many decades in eunuchs and their role in premodern societies. But scholars of medieval Europe have not paid a great deal of attention to the clerics whose genitals were amputated. Drawing upon the example of men who had mutilated themselves and sought to become deacons, priests or bishops, this paper shows how their exclusion from the sacred sphere has been shaped in medieval canon law and what were the possible exemptions to the general rule. The pope himself and more especially the Apostolic Penitentiary played an eminent role in their integration, since they granted special authorizations and dispensations to all priests or aspiring priests who were lacking their virilia. Finally, we try to explain why this prohibition addressed to eunuchs reflects the Catholic Church's broader conception of masculinity. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The article presents updates on the Catholic Church and the American Catholic Historical Association (ACHA). Topics covered include ACHA officers elected for 2020, declaration of the Venerable Fulton J. Sheen as Blessed in a ceremony set to take place in the Cathedral of Saint Mary of the Immaculate Conception in Peoria, Illinois and workshop on the archives of the Holy See to be held in Rome, Italy sponsored by the Istituto Sangalli of Florence, Italy.

The Second Vatican Council, among other things, heralded the opening of the Catholic Church to atheist societies and the beginning of dialogue with communist regimes. It also ushered in a period of more intensive pursuit of the Holy See's Eastern Policy, whose objective was to improve the position of the Church in communist countries. Not being a part of the Soviet Bloc, Yugoslavia was considered the best place to start working towards this goal. his paper relies on original archival materials and relevant literature to elaborate on the implementation of the Holy See's policy and its bearing on the normalization of the relations between the Church and the government in Yugoslavia and between Yugoslavia and the Holy See. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

By analyzing Frances Cabrini as a canonized saint, a U.S. citizen, and an immigrant, this essay shows that American exceptionalism has shaped U.S. Catholic historiography as well as hagiography, and suggests that emphasizing the centrality of the Holy See to the American Catholic story can help historians consider U.S. Catholicism in local, national, and transnational registers. This essay also suggests that Cabrini's story can inspire a new generation of historians to integrate the approaches of several previous generations, by adopting a more expansive vision of the institutional Church that also includes the ordinary people who had little or no direct engagement with its structures. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

By exploring the events surrounding the Council of Reims convened by Pope Eugenius III in 1148, this article argues that the council is an important example of the exercise of ecclesiastical power in the twelfth century. The council featured decisions on the marriage of Ralph of Vermandois, debates on the heresy case of Gilbert of Poitiers, arguments over episcopal primacy, and impressive displays of ecclesiastical grandeur. It demonstrates the difficult balancing act performed by Eugenius, as well as the extent and limitations of his power. And it illustrates how a pope could use ritual, liturgy, and public display to lead the Church, even when restricted by competing ecclesiastical forces. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The diplomatic mission of the Holy See is a little-known and often underappreciated facet of the Church's life. Not only does this work provide an invaluable network of intra-ecclesial communication, ensuring the universality and unity of the Church through the maintenance and strengthening of bonds of communion, it also extends to the interaction of the Holy See with other sovereign states. In this article the history and development of the diplomatic work of the Holy See is presented, together with an overview of the principal means by which such work is carried out. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The article focuses on the social dimensions of Cardinal Louis Billot's unique brand of Thomism. It refers to how the Holy See regarded France during the latter half of the nineteenth century. It mentions that Jesuit author Gerald McCool describes Billot as the first really distinguished Neo-Scholastic theologian to be appointed to the Gregorian.

Towards the end of the 19th century, the then-Sacred Congregation de Propaganda Fide began erecting the Missiones sui luris or independent missions as an alternative viable structure in areas where the mission diocese, apostolic vicariate or apostolic prefecture could not be initiated for various reasons. Although such a structure existed in limited circumstances from the time the Congregation was founded in 1622, it was after the First Vatican Council that the structure Of an independent mission became more prevalent. By the early 20th century, the yearbooks of the Holy See, the Gerarchia Cattolica and the Annuario Pontificio, began listing independent missions initially to with the apostolic prefectures, and later as a separate category of particular church structure. An apparent anomaly is the historical reference published for decades in the Annuario Pontificio attributing this structure to the decree Excelsum of September 12, 1896. This decree from the Sacred Congregation de Propaganda Fide was addressed specifically to territories under the jurisdiction of the Oriental Churches in the Middle East, and it was never explicitly cited in any of the documentation of the general congregations of the 19th and early 20th centuries where independent missions were erected. The Missio sui luris was omitted in the 1917 Code of Canon Law, but both Benedict XV and Pius XI recognized the structure as one offour structures in mission territories. While the independent missions were omitted in the 1983 Code of Canon Law, in the 198o's and until 2002 the structure was again employed for special missionary circumstances. Today there are eight independent missions listed in the Annuario Pontificio, and these structures continue to follow the criteria originally established for them: an ecclesial structure erected from a previous territory, with explicit boundaries, under the care of a religious community or other diocese, responding to a missionary exigency and headed by a superior nominated by the Holy See, under the aegis of the Congregation for the Evangelization of Peoples. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This article examines the character and scope of research on medieval Catholicism published in The Catholic Historical Review. It considers the rate of publication of medieval scholarship in the journal over the past century and classifies these contributions by subject matter and geographical focus. The article also shows how The Catholic Historical Review has widened its scope since the Second Vatican Council to include new approaches to the medieval past. As a result, the journal has emerged as an important venue for historical research in medieval ecclesiastical history. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

An essay is presented on the theological issues and questions related to the ministry of the Bishop of Rome, highlighting the resignation of Pope Benedict XVI. It states that Pope Benedict made history when he announced his resignation due to the deterioration of his physical capacity. It examines whether papal resignation is similar to abandonment of the cross, the apostolic ministry in Pope John Paul II's theology, and the implications of Benedict's resignation to future papacies.