Death and the Medici

LiveScience had an interesting report this week about an analysis of the remains of some members of the  Medici family from the later sixteenth century.

 

The coat of arms of the Grand Dukes of Tuscany

Image: Wikimedia 

The particular object of the research was to determine the cause of death of leading figures in the Tuscan Grand Ducal family. Were they poisoned by mother member of the family as some believed at the time and subsequently,or did they die of natural causes? Three family members died in 1562, and Grand Duke Francesco I and his Grand Duchess in 1587. Was there something sinister going on, or were they just unfortunate as a family?

The article about the research and what it revealed can be read at Ancient-DNA analysis solves 500-year-old mystery of what killed 2 Medici brothers

Wikipedia has a biography of Grand Duke Francesco, who ruled from 1574 until his death, and which gives more about his medical history at Francesco_I_de'_Medici

Grand Duke Francesco I

Image: Wikipedia 

Trouble in the Colonies

I am given to understand that the residents of the former British colonies in North America south of the St Lawrence are celebrating the anniversary of their breaking away from the Crown two hundred and fifty years ago. 

The National Archives at Kew recently discovered that their holdings included one of the eleven surviving first printed copies of the Declaration of Independence, and the only one of these outside the USA. It was printed at Exeter in New Hampshire between July 16th and 19th 1776. 

It is shown and its history set out, explaining how it came to Great Britain in Rare 1776 Declaration of Independence discovered at The National Archives

A friend has shared with me the following from the Prayers issued in 1776 by the Church of England:

O Lord God of our salvation, in whose hands are the issues of life and death, of good and evil, and without whose aid the wisest counsels of frail men, and the multitude of an host, and all the instruments of war are but weak and vain; incline thine ear, we pray thee, to the earnest and devout supplications of thy servants, who, not confiding in the splendour of any thing that is great, or the stability of any thing that is strong here below, do most humbly flee, O Lord, unto thee for succour, and put their trust under the shadow of thy wings. Be thou to us a tower of defence against the assaults of our enemies, our shield and buckler in the day of battle, and so bless the arms of our gracious Sovereign, in the maintenance of His just and lawful rights, and prosper His endeavours to restore tranquillity among His unhappy deluded subjects in America, now in open rebellion against His Crown, in defiance of all subordination and legal government, that we being preserved by thy help and goodness from all perils and disasters, and made happily triumphant over all the disturbers of our peace, may joyfully laud and magnify thy glorious Name; and serve thee from generation to generation in all godliness and quietness; through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.

I am not particularly drawn to looking at counter factuals in history as one can normally only take one step on such routes before moving into historic fiction. Yes, suppose the Thirteen Colonies had not broken away, or other European powers had not intervened to score points, or had the British defeated the rebels ….. but what then? A larger Canada? Two or three federal Atlantic dominions? We cannot know, and indeed can hardly, realistically, imagine.

Equally would there have been a Civil War between north and south, or would the policies voted through the Westminster Parliament have resolved the situation a generation earlier?

We might be on safer ground if we reflect of how continuing British rule along the Atlantic seaboard and west of the Appalachians according to the 1763 treaties might have affected what is now the USA. We need to recall that British policy was not to expand westwards towards the Mississippi because there was no desire to become one over extended nor to take territory from the native Americans. Those were not, as soon became clear after 1783, the attitudes of many of the colonists.

One wonders would Louisiana - and this all hinges on what happened to France having nearly bankrupted itself intervening in the British colonies and the part that played in the very regrettable events in France after 1789, be a Francophone state ruled by the French crown, or whatever form of government that country had at any particular time? If so would it stretch from the mouth right across the basin of the Mississippi to the Rockies?

As for the west if  New Spain had broken up as it did would Mexico extend as far as the Pacific North West? 

Would Texas still be part of Mexico? Would Mexico still be an Empire ruled by the Iturbide dynasty (they still survive as a family)

Russian rule might still continue in Alaska and Hawaii might be an independent kingdom like Tonga.

On this significant anniversary I send my greetings and good wishes to my friends and readers in the rebel colonies and hope for their peace and prosperity, and indeed their pursuit of happiness.

The Écône Consecrations

If you were unable to watch live the SSPX episcopal consecrations which went ahead at Écône this morning, or want to see them again, or want to have a rare opportunity to see the traditional rite of elevating a priest into a bishop then the website ReturnToTradition seemingly full coverage with detailed commentary about the liturgy.

This can be watched at The SSPX Consecrates Bishops In Historic Act: Live Coverage

The consecrating bishop imposes his hands on the head of one of the candidates 

Image:ncronline.org

One of the new bishops is anointed with chrism 

Image:KTVN

The newly chrismated bishops at the Mass

Image:vanguardnhr.com

The newly consecrated bishops with the consecrating bishop Alfonso de Galatetta and the co-consecrator Bernard Fellay 

Image:fsspx.news

Feast of the Most Precious Blood

  

Today is, in the traditional calendar, the Feast of the Most Precious Blood, and also the feast of title of the mother church for the English Catholic community, Westminster Cathedral.

Although the feast originated in the fifteenth or sixteenth century in Spain and then spread to Italy - whence came in the eighteenth century the wonderful hymn translated as Glory be to Jesus - it was only in 1849 that Pope Pius IX, whilst in exile at Gaeta, extended it to the whole Church.

The website OnePeterFive has a history of the feast and the slight modifications to its date in the earlier twentieth century. This an be read at Forgotten Customs of the Precious Blood

Wikipedia also has an illustrated history of the observance, which is available online at  Feast_of_the_Most_Precious_Blood

Although removed from the General Calendar for the new Missal in 1969 it is still celebrated in the 1962 Missal and calendar by Traditional groups and by institutions under its patronage.

The Vatican and SSPX

With the SSPX announced episcopal consecrations due to take place in Écône tomorrow morning the standoff between the Holy See and the Society continues with statements such as the twenty eight page Profession of Faith from the Society last week, but no meetings - so far as we know - and seemingly no dialogue, unless it is one of the deaf, for all the popularity of that idea in the contemporary world.

There is a lot of comment and speculation on the internet about the situation, much heat but little light.

Readers, if they have not already searched this material,  will have found a lot of it verbose from US based commentators and opinion formers. You might agree with them but not with the style or delivery. 

However they may find some of the following of interest.

Ready to Harvest has a balanced account of the issue over the Latin liturgy, with some telling quotations from Pope Paul VI in the lead up to the introduction of the new Missal in 1969. The views he expresses suggest someone not happy with what he was doing, but having been told it would bring great benefits. Well, we now know how how successful it has been….

The video can be seen at What's the Big Deal with the Latin Mass?

 

An article from the National Catholic Register looks at the institutional significance of a rupture between the Church and the Society and draws especial attention to Pope Benedict XVI’s heroic attempts to resolve the issues. This can be read at This Is the Real Divide Between Rome and the SSPX

Similar themes are explored in an article from OnePeterFive which seeks a balanced discussion of the issues, not the outright hostility it rightly condemns. This can be seen at Clarifying Our Position on the SSPX

Veritatis Vox has a valuable interview with Bishop Athenasius Schneider about the issue in which the bishop sets out a clear understanding of the positions of both sides, as well as drawing out his established stance on the validity and legitimacy of the Traditional Latin Mass. Bishop Schneider’s calm, considered, prayerful manner should be an object lesson and guide to those engaged in this issue. 

The interview can be seen at The Core Question: Vatican II and the SSPX w/ Bishop Schneider

Life Site News has a report about Cardinal Müller’s intervention at the recent Consistory in which he said there was a need for a new Ecclesia Dei commission to draw people back into full communion. This can be read at Cardinal Müller calls for Vatican response to SSPX, new commission for those seeking ‘full communion’

There has been quite a bit about ‘partial communion’ and whether such a status exists, or can exist, within the Church

I also came upon a video from @MISUNDERSTOOP

in the form of a personal testimony by an American woman who came as an uninstructed Catholic to SSPX and, having become a member, can now look back on twenty eight years of week by week worship and clearly shows a real sense of belonging. It can be seen at My Experience with the SSPX

Today the always forceful Return To Tradition website has a commentary by its presenter Anthony Stine on the Pope’s letter dated yesterday to the head of SSPX. This video is robust in its argument and worth watching. It can be seen at BREAKING: VATICAN RESPONDS TO SSPX IN FINAL APPEAL TO BLOCK CONSECRATIONS

My own view, as I have stated in other posts is that I regret the failure to talk between the Vatican and SSPX. The failure must in that regard lie more with the Holy See, especially at a time when the Church in Germany seems to have gone haywire, and other European bishops are threatening to break canon law in respect of ordinations, or disciplining clergy of a traditionalist mindset. Yet there is no talk of sanctions against them.

I think a great opportunity was lost when SSPX did not accept the reconciliation moves made by Pope Benedict XVI. The reason seems to have been mistrust of the Vatican. With hindsight the woeful papacy of Pope Francis with Traditiones Custodes may well have proved them right.

Barring any last minute changes we must assume that the consecrations will go ahead, and then we must see how the Vatican  responds. To draw an analogy from a forthcoming anniversary will the first North American Pope end up playing the role of Lord North?

Since I wrote the article above the website Rorate Cæli has published, as a friend has now shared with me, a very dignified response from the Superior General of SSPX, Fr Pagliarani, in the form of a letter to the Pope. It can be read at SSPX Superior General Responds to Pope's Appeal

Let us pray, at this eleventh hour, for an amicable resolution of this seeming impasse.

Images:Wikipedia 

Reconstruction of a medieval male skeleton from Stirling Castle

I came across on YouTube a video from the History Cold Case UK series which was looking at a male skeleton discovered in Stirling Castle during excavations as part of the ongoing restoration of the buildings. The Dundee based team led by Prof. Sue Black who carried out the research on the skeleton have great expertise in facial and body reconstruction both in respect of contemporary crime and violence and regarding historic remains from archaeological sites.

The skeleton was dated to the fourteenth century and the man had apparently been between 25 and 40 when he died. His death may well have been the result of an arrow, whose head was found near his body. 

What made this particular investigation interesting was that it revealed not only much about the active life the man had led, but eventually came to a potential identification in the records from the time, and giving him a name.  

The reconstruction of the knight’s head.

In the absence of any evidence no attempt has been made to indicate his hairstyle. The scar from a possible axe blow has however been included 

Image: Heritage World

The video can be seen at Who Is the Knight with an Axe Scar on His Head? | History Cold Case UK

There are articles about the investigation from 

The History Blog at Stirling Castle knight identified and reconstructed from the BBC News website at Stirling Castle knight revealed as English nobleman and from Heritage World at Experts reveal the face of Stirling’s medieval knight after 650 years

Other episodes from the series, can also be found on YouTube

Real Tennis

With Wimbledon upon us there is a topical video about
the original form of tennis, which begat lawn tennis in the mid-nineteenth century as a simplified form for genteel amusement, which has turned up on the internet.

Made by Historic Royal Palaces in the Real Tennis court at Hampton Court it explains something of its more complicated rules and regulations. It also looks at what gentleman players would have worn. 

 

The short video can be viewed at Henry VIII's Tennis Court at Hampton Court Palace

We know that the game was being played in and around court circles by the 1460s, but the Hampton Court example is the earliest example to survive.

The exterior of the Real Tennis Court at Hampton Court

Image: Wikipedia 

Oxford has in Merton Street a court that is still in use as well as the shell of another, now holding a lecture theatre and student accommodation, in Oriel. That seems to date from about 1570, and was apparently played in by King Charles I and Prince Rupert during their time in the city in the Civil War.

One of the very last students to play the game there was the future King Edward VII, then at Christ Church, in 1860, just before it was converted into a music hall. It was while visiting the theatre that William Morris, working on the Oxford Union murals was smitten with the barmaid, and went on to marry her.

Restoring Salford Cathedral

As a consequence no doubt of a searching made the other day the algorithm delivered to my inbox a video about the recent restoration of both the fabric and significant features of the original decorative scheme in Salford Cathedral.

 

Salford Cathedral  

 

Image: Tripadvisor

 

Wikipedia has an illustrated history of the building at Salford_Cathedral 

The video can be seen at Salford Cathedral: A Glory Renewed and Restored  

I have only ever seen the cathedral from a distance but it is clearly a fine mid-nineteenth century essay in the eastern English fourteenth century school, copying significant features from Howden, Selby, and Newark. This may reflect the interests and visits of its Sheffield based architect.

Manchester might not immediately come to mind as good cathedral visiting territory yet in Manchester Cathedral it has a wonderful fifteenth century collegiate church elevated to cathedral rank in 1847, the year before what became in 1852 the cathedral in Salford was completed in one of the heartlands of residual Catholicism.