Online text: Apostolic Letter to the Youth of the World, by Pope John Paul II

See this online text:

• Apostolic Letter “Dilecti Amici” to the Youth of the World on the Occasion of International Youth Year, by Pope John Paul II, 31 March 1985. May be read online at the Holy See and at IntraText.

Posted on the occasion of International Youth Day. See also these related texts:

• Christian Pedagogy; or, The Instruction and Moral Training of Youth, by Patrick Albert Halpin (New York: J.F. Wagner, 1909). With Imprimatur. Available in multiple formats (pdf, epub, Kindle, Daisy, text, djvu) at Internet Archive and Open Library, with a 2^nd copy at Internet Archive.
• A Course of Religious Instruction for Catholic Youth, by Rev. John Gerard, S.J. [1840-1912] (London: Burns & Oates; New York, Cincinnati, Chicago: Benziger Brothers, 1901). With Imprimatur. May be read online, and available in pdf, epub, mobi, and other formats, at Internet Archive with a 2nd copy at Internet Archive. The 4th edition is available at Internet Archive and Open Library.
• Guide for Catholic Young Women, Especially for Those Who Earn Their Own Living, 35^th ed., revised, by the Rev. George Deshon (New York: The Columbus Press, 1910). May be read online, and available in pdf, epub, mobi/kindle, djvu, Daisy and txt formats at Internet Archive and Open Library. The 29^th edition (New York: Catholic Books Exchange, 1893) is available in at Internet Archive and Open Library.
• Lettre Apostolique “Dilecti Amici” à Tous les Jeunes du Monde à l’Occasion de l’Année Internationale de la Jeunesse, du Pape Jean-Paul II, 31 mars 1985. Disponible à le Saint Siege.
• Pastoral Letter to Young People on Chastity, from the Episcopal Commission on Doctrine of the Canadian Conference of Catholic Bishops (Ottawa: Concacan, 2011). Available in pdf format at Archdiocese of Vancouver.
• Theology of the Body for Families & Single People, plus Family Chastity Formation in Virtue and Purity of Heart: Universal Truths about Human Sexuality for People of All Ages, with Extensive References to the Official Teachings of the Roman Catholic Church (Kettle River, Minnesota: Communitas Dei Patris, 2006-2017). (Rev: 1/25/2017). Available in pdf format (here) through this page of Family Prayer Night. [The text states: “This free pdf version of Theology of the Body for Families & Single People plus Family Chastity Formation in Virtue & Purity of Heart is a gift from parents to parents with the blessings of the Church. Any reproductions, full or partial, are not to be sold; sales, as such, are strictly forbidden.”]
• The Young Man’s Guide: Counsels, Reflections, and Prayers for Catholic Young Men, by Rev. F. X. Lasance (New York, Cincinnati, Chicago: Benzinger Brothers, 1910). With Imprimatur. Available at HathiTrust Digital Library; and available in pdf, epub, mobi, and other formats at Open Library and Internet Archive. [N.B.1, According to the author’s Preface, the work is adapted from Hinaus ins Leben by Fr. Colestin Muff, O.S.B.] [N.B.2, We learned from Internet Archive that Fr. Lasance lived until 1946, but no online source appears to indicate the year of the decease of Fr. Muff. Therefore, while we have assessed as uncertain but probable that this work is in the public domain, we would appreciate further information on Fr. Muff and the text. Thank you.]

For other online texts and legally free ebooks, you may access the List of Free eBooks (Arranged by Title) and the List of Free eBooks (Grouped by Subject).

Free audiobook & ebook: “The Great Encyclical Letters of Pope Leo XIII”

See this legally free audiobook and ebook:

• The Great Encyclical Letters of Pope Leo XIII: Translations from Approved Sources, with Preface by Rev. John J. Wynne, S.J. (New York, Cincinnati, Chicago: Benziger Brothers, 1903). With Imprimatur.
  • The ebook may be read online, and is available in pdf, epub, mobi, and other formats at Internet Archive, with a 2^nd copy at Internet Archive and Open Library. It may also be read online at Wikisource; and it is available in pdf format at Today’s Catholic World.
  • The audiobook, read by Maria Therese, may be listened to online and downloaded in mp3 and other formats at LibriVox and at Internet Archive. [N.B., The recording states that it is in the public domain.]
  • The LibriVox audio is also reproduced for Youtube in 2 parts at Classic Catholic Audiobooks: Part 1 of 2 (11:16:51) and Part 2 of 2 (7:70:43), said Part 2 being also available at Padre Manuel Antonio Garcia Salcedo; and in 2 parts at Full Audiobooks: Part 1/2 (9:10:55) and Part 2/2 (9:56:40); and in 13 parts at Priceless Audiobooks: Part 1/13, Part 2/13, Part 3/13, Part 4/13, Part 5/13, Part 6/13, Part 7/13, Part 8/13, Part 9/13, Part 10/13, Part 11/13, Part 12/13, and Part 13/13.  A portion of the recording (4:26:34) is available at Padre Manuel Antonio Garcia Salcedo and Free Audio Books, and likewise, a part (10:42:14) is available at GreatAudioBooks In Public Domain.

• The work (audiobook/ebook) includes the following encyclicals and other letters (as listed on LibriVox):
  • On the Evils Afffecting Modern Society “Inscrutabili”;
  • Socialism, Communism, Nihilism “Quod Apostolici Muneris”;
  • The Study of Scholastic Philosophy “Aeterni Patris”;
  • Christian Marriage “Arcanum Divinae”;
  • Freemasonry “Humanum Genus”;
  • The Christian Constitution of States “ Immortale Dei”;
  • Human Liberty “Libertas Praestantissimum”;
  • The Right Ordering of Christian Life “Exeunte Jam Anno”;
  • On the Chief Duties of Christians as Citizens “Sapientiae Christianae”;
  • The Condition of the Working Classes “Rerum Novarum”;
  • Allegiance to the Republic “Au Milieu des Sollicitudes”;
  • The Pope and the Columbus Tercenary “Quarto Abrupto Saeculo”;
  • The Study of Holy Scripture “Provindentissimus Deus”;
  • The Reunion of Christendom “Praeclara Gratulationis Publicae”;
  • Catholicity in the United States “Longuinque Oceani”;
  • To the English People “Amantissima Voluntatis”;
  • The Unity of the Church “Satis Cognitum”;
  • Anglican Orders “Apostolicae Curae”;
  • The Prohibition and Censorship of Books “Officiorum ac Munerum”;
  • The Holy Spirit “Divinum Illud”;
  • True and False Americanism in Religion “Testem Benevolentiae”;
  • On the Consecration of Mankind to the Sacred Heart of Jesus “Annum Sacrum”;
  • Christ Our Redeemer “Tametsi”;
  • Christian Democracy “Graves de Communi”;
  • The Religious Congregations in France;
  • Congratulations to the American Hierarchy;
  • The Most Holy Eucharist “Mirae Caritatis”;
  • The Holy Scriptures; The Biblical Commission “Vigilantiae”;
  • The Church in the Philippines; and
  • Review of His Pontificate.

In remembrance of Pope Leo XIII (d. 20 July 1903), vicarius Ss. Petri et Pauli, faithful shepherd and teacher. For other online texts and legally free ebooks, you may access the List of Free eBooks (Arranged by Title) and the List of Free eBooks (Grouped by Subject).

Online text: “Loyalty to the Church”, by St. Josemaria Escriva

See this online text:

• “Loyalty to the Church”: a homily given by St. Josemaria Escriva on June 4, 1972. May be read online on this page of Escriva Works.org, on this page of the St. Josemaria Institute;, and at the Work of God; and available in pdf format on this page of the University of Navarre.
  • The text may be found in the larger work: In Love with the Church, by St. Josemaria Escriva (Scepter Publishers). May be read online through through this page of Escriva Works.org. The book may be purchased on this page of Scepter Publishers; on this page of the St. Josemaria Institute; on this page of the Midwest Theological Forum; and at Amazon.com. A brief synopsis is available on this page of Opus Dei.

Posted on the Memorial of the First Martyrs of the Church of Rome in the Ordinary Form of the Roman Rite. See also these related texts:

• “Catholic Faith and Martyrdom”, lecture by the Most Rev. Athanasius Schneider, Auxiliary Bishop of Astana, Kazakhstan. The audio of the lecture, together with the question-and-answer session that followed, is available at Soundcloud, posted by Radio Maria; and the text of the lecture be read online at Echt Katholiek.
• “Christian Martyrdom in the Thought of the Servant of God, Father John A. Hardon, S.J.” (lecture), by Raymond Cardinal Burke. Delivered 13 March 2012, at the 15th Annual Lenten Symposium on “The Christian Vocation: A Call to Martyrdom” of the Holy Trinity Apostolate. A video of the lecture, entitled, Cardinal Burke on Fr John Hardon’s ‘Call to Martydom’, published on 12 March 2013, may be viewed on this page of the Youtube channel of Sensus Fidelium. Another copy of the same video, entitled Call to Martyrdom talk by Cardinal Burke, published on 22 February 2013, may be viewed on this page of the wwwtldmorg Youtube channel.
• ‘“Intrepid, Even to the Shedding of His Blood”: Homily on the occasion of the Ordinary Public Consistory, November 20, 2010′, by Cardinal Raymond L. Burke, D.D., J.C.D., from Inside the Vatican, November 23, 2010. May be read online on this page of Catholic Culture. Another copy is reproduced in the post “The Calling of a Cardinal: ‘Intrepid, Even to the Shedding of His Blood’”, 28 June 2017, at OnePeterFive. Also reproduced, with comments by Fr. John Zuhlsdorf, in the post “Card. Burke’s first big sermon as Cardinal S.R.E.” at Fr. Z’s Blog.
• “Loyalty to the Church”, by Martin J. Scott, S.J. (4/1/1999), at Catholic Answers.
• “Martyrdom for the Faith in Our Times”, address by His Eminence Raymond Leo Cardinal Burke on 7 May 2016, delivered at the Rome Life Forum organized by the Voice of the Family. The video of the address may be watched on this page of the LifeSiteNews youtube channel; and on this page of Gloria.tv. The text of the address may be read on this page of Voice of the Family, and on this page of Gloria.tv, which webpages also have the embedded video of the address.
• “Religious Freedom, Persecution of the Church, and Martyrdom”, by Archbishop Carlo Maria Viganò, Apostolic Nuncio to the United States. Address delivered at the University of Notre Dame, 4 November 2012. Th text of the address is available in PDF format on this page of the Institute for Church Life, Notre Dame University. The video of the address may be viewed on this page of the Institute for Church Life Youtube channel.

For other online texts and legally free ebooks, you may access the List of Free eBooks (Arranged by Title) and the List of Free eBooks (Grouped by Subject).

Afterwards… the disciples came to him privately, and said, Tell us, when will this be? And what sign will be given of thy coming, and of the world being brought to an end? Jesus answered them … In those days, men will give you up to persecution, and will put you to death; all the world will be hating you because you bear my name; whereupon many will lose heart, will betray and hate one another. Many false prophets will arise, and many will be deceived by them; and the charity of most men will grow cold, as they see wickedness abound everywhere; but that man will be saved who endures to the last. (St. Matthew xxiv, 3-4, 9-13. Formatting supplied.)

“Many, therefore, of his disciples, hearing it, said: This saying is hard, and who can hear it? … After this many of his disciples went back: and walked no more with him. Then Jesus said to the twelve: Will you also go away? And Simon Peter answered him: Lord, to whom shall we go? thou hast the words of eternal life. And we have believed, and have known that thou art the Christ, the Son of God.” (St. John vi, 61, 67-70. Formatting supplied.)

 

 

 

Online ebook: “Faith and Reason according to Benedict XVI”

See this online ebook:

• Faith and Reason according to Benedict XVI: Six Key Texts: Subiaco, Regensburg, Paris, London, Berlin (Opus Dei Information Office, 2017). Available in ePub format and Mobi format, and may be downloaded at iTunes iBooks and Google Play Books, through Opus Dei. Also available at Google Books.

This ebook collects the following addresses:

• “Europe in the Crisis of Cultures” (also titled “Cardinal Ratzinger on Europe’s Crisis of Culture” and, in the Opus Dei collection, “On the Crisis in Cultures”), lecture delivered by then-Cardinal Joseph Ratzinger in Subiaco, Italy on April 1, 2005.
  • The text of the lecture may be read online (on this page) at the Catholic Education Resource Center, and available in pdf format at The Way.
  • It may also be read online in 4 parts at Zenit News Service, linked by The Ratzinger Archives: Part I: “Excludes God From the Public Conscience”, Part II: “A Confused Ideology of Freedom Leads to Dogmatism”, Part III: “Meaning and Limits of the Present Rationalist Culture”, and Part IV: Christianity: “The Religion According to Reason”.
• “Faith, Reason and the University: Memories and Reflections” (also known as the Regensbur Lecture or the Regensburg Address), lecture delivered by Pope Benedict XVI at his meeting with the representatives of science at the University of Regensburg on 12 September 2006 (part of his Apostolic Journey to München, Altötting and Regensburg on 9-14 September 2006) (© 2006, Libreria Editrice Vaticana).
  • The text of the lecture may be read online at the Holy See and available in pdf format at The Catholic Church of England and Wales and at The Catholic Church of England and Wales (catholicnews.org.uk).
  • A collection of commentaries on and responses to the address may be read through this page of Pontificate of Pope Benedict XVI.
• “On the Rationality of Faith”, homily delivered by Pope Benedict XVI at Islinger Feld, Regensburg, 12 September 2006 (during his Apostolic Journey to München, Altötting and Regensburg on 9-14 September 2006) (© 2006, Libreria Editrice Vaticana). May be read online at the Congregation for the Clergy and at the Holy See.
• Address of Pope Benedict XVI on the occasion of his Meeting with Representatives from the World of Culture, Friday, at the Collège des Bernardins, Paris, 12 September 2008 (during his Apostolic Journey to France on the Occasion of the 150th Anniversary of the Apparitions of the Blessed Virgin Mary at Lourdes on September 12-15, 2008) (© 2008, Libreria Editrice Vaticana).
  • The text of the address may be read online at the Holy See.
  • The video of the address, with the English text in the video and with the Italian translation in audio, is available in 3 parts at the channel Felix Nobilis: Part 1, Part 2, and Part 3.

• Address of Benedict XVI at Westminster Hall on 17 September 2010 on the occasion of his Meeting with the Representatives of British Society, including the Diplomatic Corps, Politicians, Academics and Business Leaders (during his Apostolic Journey to the United Kingdom, September 16-19, 2010) (© 2010, Libreria Editrice Vaticana).
  • The text of the address may be read online (here) through this page of the EWTN Library; on this page of Totus Tuus; on this page of The Papal Visit; at the Holy See; and at the Congregation for the Clergy.
  • The audio of the address is available in mp3 format (here) through this page of The Papal Visit; at the Holy See; and at the Congregation for the Clergy.
  • The video of the address may be viewed on this page of the Ascendit Deus Youtube channel.

• “The Listening Heart: Reflections on the Foundations of Law”, address of Benedict XVI at the Reichstag Building, Berlin on the occasion of his visit to the Bundestag on 22 September 2011 (during his Apostolic Journey to Germany, on 22-25 September 2011) (© 2011, Libreria Editrice Vaticana).
  • The text of the lecture may be read online at the Holy See. Synopses of the address are available in pdf format on this page of The Athenaeum of Ohio, and at Catholic News (Archdiocese of Singapore).
  • The video of the lecture (with the English translation in voiceover) may be viewed at Youtube, with a second copy (without English voiceover) on this page.

Posted for the Feast of Our Lady of Good Counsel, and in belated commemoration of the anniversary of the election of Joseph Cardinal Ratzinger (Pope Benedict XVI) as Bishop of Rome (19 April). For other online texts and legally free ebooks, you may access the List of Free eBooks (Arranged by Title) and the List of Free eBooks (Grouped by Subject).

“[N]ot to act in accordance with reason is contrary to God’s nature…

“John began the prologue of his Gospel with the words: “In the beginning was the λόγος”… Logos means both reason and word—a reason which is creative and capable of self-communication, precisely as reason. John thus spoke the final word on the biblical concept of God… From the very heart of Christian faith and, at the same time, the heart of Greek thought now joined to faith, Manuel II was able to say: Not to act ‘with logos’ is contrary to God’s nature.

“[T]he faith of the Church has always insisted that between God and us, between his eternal Creator Spirit and our created reason there exists a real analogy… [T]he truly divine God is the God who has revealed himself as logos and, as logos, has acted and continues to act lovingly on our behalf… Consequently, Christian worship is, again to quote Paul—”λογικη λατρεία”, worship in harmony with the eternal Word and with our reason”. (Pope Benedict XVI, 2006 Regensburg Address)

Free ebook: “Manual of Christian Doctrine, Comprising Dogma, Moral, and Worship”, by a seminary professor

See this legally free ebook:

• Manual of Christian Doctrine, Comprising Dogma, Moral, and Worship, authorized English version, 39^th edition, by a seminary professor (Philadelphia, Pa.: John Joseph McVey, 1923). With Imprimatur. [N.B., The Internet Archive index page states that the author is Brother John Chrysostom, who, according to HathiTrust index page, lived in 1863-1917.] . May be read online, and available in pdf, epub, mobi and other formats, at Internet Archive. The 37th edition (1921) is available at Internet Archive. The 1919 edition is available at Internet Archive. The 13th edition (1910) is available at Internet Archive. The 6th edition (1906) is available at Internet Archive and HathiTrust Digital Library.

On the Feast of Pope St. Urban I and St. Epaphroditus in the Maronite church: may their prayers be with us. For other legally free ebooks, you may access the List of Free eBooks (Arranged by Title) and the List of Free eBooks (Grouped by Subject).

“If you continue in my word, you shall be my disciples indeed: And you shall know the truth, and the truth shall make you free.” (St. John viii, 31-32)

“Go out all over the world and preach the gospel to the whole of creation; he who believes and is baptized will be saved; he who refuses belief will be condemned.” (St. Mark xvi, 15-16)

“God hath from the beginning chosen you to salvation through sanctification of the Spirit and belief of the truth: Whereunto he called you by our gospel, to the obtaining of the glory of our Lord Jesus Christ. Therefore, brethren, stand fast, and hold the traditions which ye have been taught, whether by word, or our epistle.” (II Thessalonians ii, 13-15 KJV)

Free ebook: “Helps to a Spiritual Life”, by Rev. Joseph Schneider & Rev. Ferreol Girardey

See this legally free ebook:

• Helps to a Spiritual Life; for Religious and for All Persons in the World Who Desire to Serve God Fervently, from the German of Rev. Joseph Schneider, with additions by Rev. Ferreol Girardey, C.Ss.R. (New York, Cincinnati, Chicago: Benziger, 1903). Available in pdf, mobi, and epub formats at Internet Archive, with a 2nd copy at Internet Archive.

On the Feast of Saint Julie Billiart. For other online texts and more legally free ebooks, you may access the List of Free eBooks (Arranged by Title) and the List of Free eBooks (Grouped by Subject). Blessed be God in His angels and in His saints!

Free ebook: “Catechism on Modernism”, by Jean Baptiste Lemius

See this legally free ebook:

• Catechism on Modernism according to the Encyclical ‘Pascendi dominici gregis’ of His Holiness Pius X, from the French of Jean Baptiste Lemius, translated by John Fitzpatrick (London, Glasgow: R. & T. Washbourne; New York, Cincinnati, Chicago: Benziger Brothers, 1908). With Imprimatur. Available in pdf, epub, mobi/kindle and other formats at Internet Archive, Internet Archive; and in pdf format at Today’s Catholic World.
  • [N.B.1, This work reproduced the content of the encyclical Encyclical “Pascendi Dominici Gregis” on the Doctrines of the Modernists of Pope St. Pius X  in question-and-answer form.
  • [N.B., The last-mentioned website denies the hermeneutic of continuity and reform propounded by Pope Benedict XVI. Please approach its other contents with prayerful caution.]

See also these related texts and ebooks:

• The Catholic Church and the Counter-Faith: A Study of the Roots of Modern Secularism, Relativism, and de-Christianity, by Philip Trower (Family Publications, 2006). It may be read online at Christendom Awake (version dated 28 September 2011), which states: “Family Publications has now ceased trading. The copyright has reverted to the author Philip Trower who has given permission for the book to be placed on this website. Further chapters will be added as time permits.”
• “The Centennial of Pascendi” by Luiz Sérgio Solimeo, at The American Society for the Defense of Tradition, Family and Property.
• The Commonitory of Vincent of Lérins, For the Antiquity and Universality of the Catholic Faith Against the Profane Novelties of all Heresies, translated by Rev. C. A. Heurtley, D.D., in A Select Library of the Nicene and Post-Nicene Fathers of the Christian Church. Second Series, translated into English with Prolegomena and Explanatory Notes, edited by Professor Philip Schaff and Henry Wace, Volume XI: Sulpitius Severus, Vincent of Lerins, John Cassian (Edinburgh: T&T Clark; Grand Rapids, Michigan: Wm. B. Eerdmans Publishing Company). Also called the Commonitorium of Saint Vincent of Lerins.
  • The printed text of the translation may be read online at Wikisource, at the Christian Classics Ethereal Library, and at Bible Hub.
  • The version revised and edited by Kevin Knight may be read online on this page at the library of the works of The Fathers of the Church of New Advent; and in 5 parts through this page of Una Voce Canada: Part I, Part II, Part III, Part IV, and Part V.
  • [One may also see the excellent introductory essay by Dr. Bryan Cross, “The Commonitory of St. Vincent of Lérins”, posted May 25, 2011 at Called to Communion.]
• Encyclical “Pascendi Dominici Gregis” on the Doctrines of the Modernists, by Pope St. Pius X, September 8, 1907. Available online (on this page) of Catholic Culture, at the Holy See, at Papal Encyclicals Online, and at Internet Archive. A facsimile of the printed text (London: Burns & Oates) is available in pdf, epub, mobi/kindle and other formats at Internet Archive.
• Modernism, by Cardinal Mercier, Archbishop of Malines, translated from the French by Marian Lindsay (London: Burns & Oates, 1910) is available in various formats at Internet Archive and at Open Library.
• Modernism and Modern Thought, by Father [Joseph M.] Bampton, S.J., 1854-1933 (London and Edinburgh: Sands and Company; St. Louis, Mo.: B. Herder). With 1913 Imprimatur. Available in pdf, epub, mobi, and other formats at Internet Archive (linked from the library of the Saint John Paul II Institute of Marian Studies) and Internet Archive; and may be read online on this page of the Jacques Maritain Institute.
• [Reflections on Questions of Present Importance in the Life of the Church], by Gerhard Ludwig Cardinal Müller. Available at First Things: “What Does It Mean to Say ‘I Absolve You’?” (December 15, 2017); “By What Authority? On the Teaching Office of the Pope” (January 16, 2018); “Development, or Corruption?” (February 20, 2018); “Is There a Saving Truth? The Salvific Relevance of the Rule of Faith” (March 13, 2018); “Who May Receive Communion?” (April. 20, 2018)
• Turmoil & Truth: The Historical Roots of the Modern Crisis in the Catholic Church, by Phillip Trower (San Francisco: Ignatius; Oxford: Family Publications, 2003). May be read online at on this page of Christendom Awake. (The webpage states: “Family Publications has now ceased trading. The copyright has reverted to the author Philip Trower who has given permission for the book to be placed on this website.”)
• “Under the Ban: Modernism, Then and Now”, by Russell Shaw, on this page of Crisis Magazine and on this page of Catholic Culture.

Posted on the commemoration of the Second Ecumenical Council of Nicaea in the Maronite church; and in belated observance of the feast of Pope Celestine I. For other online texts and more legally free ebooks, you may access the List of Free eBooks (Arranged by Title) and the List of Free eBooks (Grouped by Subject).

“Christ our God, when he took for his bride his holy catholic church, having no blemish or wrinkle, promised he would guard her and assured his holy disciples saying, I am with you every day until the consummation of this age. This promise however he made not only to them but also to us, who thanks to them have come to believe in his name…

“Therefore the Lord God, not bearing that what was subject to him should be destroyed by such a corruption, has by his good pleasure summoned us… who are those responsible for the priesthood everywhere, in order that the divinely inspired tradition of the catholic church should receive confirmation by a public decree…

“[W]e declare that we defend free from any innovations all the written and Unwritten ecclesiastical traditions that have been entrusted to us… following as we are the God-spoken teaching of our holy fathers and the tradition of the catholic church — for we recognize that this tradition comes from the holy Spirit who dwells in her” (Second Council of Nicaea, from Papal Encyclicals Online, formatting supplied)

Online text: “Henri de Lubac on the Development of Doctrine”, by Nicholas J. Healy Jr.

See this online text:

• “Henri de Lubac on the Development of Doctrine”, by Dr. Nicholas J. Healy Jr., Communio: International Catholic Review, vol. 4, no. 4 (Winter 2017): pp. 667-689. Available in pdf format through this page of Communio (linked by this page of the Communio Circle of the Diocese of Hamilton).

On the Commemoration of the Second Ecumenical Council (Constantinople I) in the Maronite church; and in advance of the Memorial of St. Cyril of Jerusalem in the Latin church. For other online texts and more legally free ebooks, you may access the List of Free eBooks (Arranged by Title) and the List of Free eBooks (Grouped by Subject).

“Jesus Christ is the same yesterday, today, and forever (Heb 13:8)—this is… our paradigm, which we will not exchange for any other. For no other foundation can any one lay than that which is laid, which is Jesus Christ (1 Cor 3:11)… [T]here can be no paradigm shifts in the Catholic faith…

“[I]n the exercise of its teaching ministry, it is not enough for the Church’s Magisterium simply to appeal to its judicial or disciplinary power… Rather, the Magisterium must seek to present a convincing case, showing how its presentation of the faith is in itself coherent and in continuity with the rest of Tradition…”

(Gerhard Ludwig Cardinal Müller, “Development, or Corruption?“)

Online text: “Homilies of a Petrine Heart”, by Pope Benedict XVI

See this online text:

• Pope Benedict XVI, Homilies of a Petrine Heart (2005). May be read online on this page of Servants of the Pierced Hearts of Jesus and Mary. This is a collection of the following homilies:
  • Homily at Funeral Mass of the Roman Pontiff John Paul II-  April 8, 2005.
  • Homily at Mass «Pro Eligendo Romano Pontifice»- April 18, 2005. An alternate translation is available at Zenit.
  • Message at the End of the Eucharistic Concelebration with the College of Cardinals- April 20, 2005.
  • Homily at Mass, Imposition of the Pallium and Conferral of the Fisherman’s Ring- April 24, 2005, which is also available on this page of EWTN, and on this page of the Holy See.

Posted on the Feast of Chair of St. Peter, in earnest prayer that his Barque may be soon delivered from the storms of sin and error, through the grace and truth of our divine Lord Jesus Christ. For other online texts and legally free ebooks, you may access the List of Free eBooks (Arranged by Title) and the List of Free eBooks (Grouped by Subject).

“The power of teaching in the Church involves a commitment to the service of obedience to the faith. The Pope is not an absolute monarch whose thoughts and desires are law. On the contrary: the Pope’s ministry is a guarantee of obedience to Christ and to his Word. He must not proclaim his own ideas, but rather constantly bind himself and the Church to obedience to God’s Word, in the face of every attempt to adapt it or water it down, and every form of opportunism…

“The Pope knows that in his important decisions, he is bound to the great community of faith of all times, to the binding interpretations that have developed throughout the Church’s pilgrimage. Thus, his power is not being above, but at the service of, the Word of God. It is incumbent upon him to ensure that this Word continues to be present in its greatness and to resound in its purity…” (Homily of Pope Benedict XVI at the Mass of Possession of the Chair of the Bishop of Rome, 7 May 2005)

Free ebook: “The Creed Explained”, by Rev. Arthur Devine

See this legally free ebook:

• The Creed Explained; or, An Exposition of Catholic Doctrine According to the Creeds of Faith and the Constitutions and Definitions of the Church, 4th edition, by the Rev. Arthur Devine, 1849-1919 (London: R. & T. Washbourne; Dublin: M.H. Gill & Son; New York, Cincinnati, Chicago, 1903). With Imprimatur. Available in pdf, epub, mobi, and other formats at Internet Archive and Open Library. The 2^nd edition (1897) is available in pdf, epub, mobi, and other formats at Internet Archive and Open Library, with a second copy at Internet Archive.

On the Memorial of Saints Basil the Great and Gregory Nazianzen in the Ordinary Form of the Roman Rite. For other online and legally free ebooks, you may access the List of Free eBooks (Arranged by Title) and the List of Free eBooks (Grouped by Subject).

“If you continue in my word, you shall be my disciples indeed: And you shall know the truth, and the truth shall make you free.” (St. John viii, 31-32)

“How then shall they call on him, in whom they have not believed? Or how shall they believe him, of whom they have not heard? And how shall they hear, without a preacher? And how can they preach, unless they be sent?… Faith then cometh by hearing: and hearing by the word of Christ.” (Romans x, 14-15, 17)

“God hath from the beginning chosen you to salvation through sanctification of the Spirit and belief of the truth: Whereunto he called you by our gospel, to the obtaining of the glory of our Lord Jesus Christ. Therefore, brethren, stand fast, and hold the traditions which ye have been taught, whether by word, or our epistle.” (II Thessalonians ii, 13-15 KJV)