#jansenism — Public Fediverse posts

Thank you for your service

It is forbidden to kill; therefore all murderers are punished unless they kill in large numbers and to the sound of trumpets.

–Voltaire

The U.S. has been involved in military conflicts of one type or another for about 229 years of its 250-year history. That means that its population has experienced only about 20 years of total peace.

During wartime, a significant number of Americans must surely feel convinced that they’re justified in their bellicose attitude, or how else can one explain such a continuous history of aggression? The U.S.’s prosperity and dominance certainly seem to support the idea that war is a dominant factor in its economic success on the world stage.

I have little doubt that there is no stronger inducement in matters of war than the invoking religion doctrine, and Jesus, particularly, to sway the masses in favour of military action. It has been done for thousands of years and very successfully.

While American sentiment is generally anti-war (there was a brief period in the 60s when they really demonstrated their resentment), there can be no doubt that there is an appetite for it if the right buttons are pushed. The “thank you for your service” culture is pervasive and goes beyond mere patriotism, found among liberals and conservatives alike.

Has anyone questioned what exactly you are thanking them for? I sometimes question how many patriots are genuinely troubled that the service includes killing a stupendous number of innocent men, women and children on a regular basis. Or whether they even know.

The U.S. may rank only third among the world’s armed forces in active-duty personnel, behind India and China, but its military budget outstrips that of the next six countries combined, including Russia and the two previously mentioned. That astounding level of spending spawned what is now commonly referred to as the Military Industrial Complex, which has a whole separate level of derangement and depravity associated with it.

It is therefore not surprising that there has been insignificant resistance to the Trump Administration’s renaming of the Department of Defence to the Department of War. It is ironically one of the most honest things any administration has done. Why fuck around? Just call it what it is, right?

If the renaming wasn’t enough to validate America’s ambition to be the premier imperialist empire, then the retention of Pete Hegseth as Secretary of War, despite his conspicuous unsuitability to command a military force, must leave no doubt. Hegseth’s giant Deus Vult tattoo, meticulously sculpted hairline, fake TV-host charm, and fanatical evangelical bigotry are otherwise perfect credentials for steering the charge to mass murder.

Hegseth almost always invokes nationalist rhetoric and biblical language and scripture to justify military engagements. He conducts Christian worship and prayer services at the Pentagon and has made no effort to conceal his thirst for blood and violence. His other accomplishments include marginalising non-Christian and minority personnel in the armed forces, because I guess it’s much harder to motivate those who don’t share your religious worldview.

Let’s not forget the narcissistic man-child currently heading the evil empire. No person has obliterated the same nuclear stockpile and weaponry of another country more times than Donald Trump. Laugh you may, but it gets better!

Nobody has won the same war more times than him, and nobody has negotiated the same ceasefire more times either. It is truly an accomplishment that will never be repeated, ever. It’s no wonder he’s immortalised in such memes as the one below:

I am frequently bewildered by why ordinary Christians cannot recognise how and when their faith is being perverted, and not only seem helpless to do anything about it, but are frequently willing to look past the transgressions. The 17th-century French mathematician and physicist Blaise Pascal, who identified with the Jansenism movement within Catholicism, famously observed how religion is so often misappropriated by immoral men:

Men never do evil so completely and cheerfully as when they do it from religious conviction.

I recently discovered the music of David Rovics, an independent singer/songwriter who releases his music for free so that his anti-war and social justice messages are widely distributed. Together with Jordan Smart, another activist and folk-music singer/songwriter, they have both been asking a very important question that the followers of Christ need to take more seriously.

Who would Jesus bomb?

I will leave the YouTube videos together with the lyrics below. Same rhetorical question, different approach in asking, same outcome. Enjoy!

https://youtu.be/RXXt5q3OwPg?si=1rAjxMBXEwymXS_F

I’ve seen you in the markets
I’ve seen you in the streets
And at your political convention
Talking of your crusade
Talking of your nation
And other things too terrible to mention
And you proclaim your Christianity
You proclaim your love of God
You talk of apple pie and mom
Well I’ve just got one question
And I want an answer
Tell me, who would Jesus bomb?

Maybe Jesus would bomb the Syrians
Cause they’re not Jews like him
Maybe Jesus would bomb the Afghans
On some kind of vengeful whim
Maybe Jesus would drive an M1 tank
And he would shoot Saddam
Tell me, who would Jesus bomb?

I’ve seen you on the TV
And on the battleships
I’ve seen you in the house upon the hill
And I’ve heard you talking
About making the world safer
And about all the men you have to kill
And you speak so glibly
About your civilization
And how you have the moral higher ground
While halfway around the world
Your explosives smash the buildings
Ah, if you could only hear the sound

But maybe Jesus would sell land mines
And turn on his electric chair
Maybe Jesus would show no compassion
For his enemies in the lands way over there
Maybe Jesus would have flown the planes
That killed the kids in Viet Nam
Tell me, who would Jesus bomb

Yes I hear you shout with confidence
As you praise the lord
And you talk about this God you know so well
And you talk of Armageddon
And your final victory
When all the evil forces go to hell
Well you’d best hope you’ve chosen wisely
On the right side of the lord
And when you die your conscience it is clear
You’d best hope that your atom bombs
Are better than the sword
At the time when your reckoning is here

Cause I don’t think Jesus would send gunships into Bethlehem
Or jets to raze the towns of Timorese
I don’t think Jesus would lend money to dictators
Or drive those SUV’s
And I don’t think Jesus would ever have dropped
A single ounce of napalm
So tell me, who would Jesus bomb?

https://youtu.be/hE-yXDsmaKQ?si=L8PsyZ07hK6zwkwK

If Jesus Christ came back today, like you threaten he will
Which poor group of people do you think that he would kill?
Who would Jesus choose to starve if you gave him the chance
And if there was a genocide, would he take a neutral stance?

Who would Jesus bomb?
Tell me, who would Jesus bomb?
Would it be kids in Palestine, or how ’bout Vietnam?
Would Jesus bomb the Atheists, the Muslims or the Jews?
I want you to ask yourself, “What would Jesus do?”

Would he say, “it’s complicated, there’s sinners on all sides”
Or would he say that some people, they just deserve to die
If Christ the Savior rose again, then on a sidewalk slept
Would you extend a hand to him, or just watch where you stepped?

Who would Jesus bomb?
Tell me, who would Jesus Bomb?
Would it be kids in Palestine, or how ’bout Vietnam?
Would Jesus bomb the Atheists, the Muslims or the Jews?
I want you to ask yourself, “What would Jesus do?”

Would Jesus hate the Gay folks, or the Queer folks or the Trans
Would he suggest they end their lives according to God’s plans?
Would Jesus tell the homeless man to get a fucking job
Or turn his back on the poor, would Jesus be a snob?

Who would Jesus bomb?
Tell me, who would Jesus bomb?
Would it be kids in Palestine, or how ’bout Vietnam?
Would Jesus bomb the Atheists, the Muslims or the Jews?
I want you to ask yourself, “Well, what would Jesus do?”

Would Jesus Vote Republican, or would it be Democrat?
Would he be chanting four more years, or wear a MAGA hat?
Would Jesus run for president, or dictator, or worse?
Would Jesus be the pastor of his own mega church?

Who would Jesus bomb?
Tell me, who would Jesus bomb?
Would it be kids in Palestine, or how ’bout Vietnam?
Would Jesus bomb the Atheists, the Muslims or the Jews?
I want you to ask yourself, “What would Jesus do?”

Would Jesus build a border wall? Would Jesus drive a tank?
Would Jesus own an arsenal? Would Jesus run a bank?
Would Jesus feel safe in his skin if he came to your town?
Would you still believe in Jesus if you found out he was brown?

Who would Jesus bomb?
Tell me, who would Jesus bomb?
Would it be kids in Palestine, or how ’bout Vietnam?
Would Jesus bomb the Atheists, the Muslims or the Jews?
I want you to ask yourself, “What would Jesus do?”
I want you to ask yourself, “What would Jesus do?”
I want you to ask yourself, “What would Jesus do?”

Rate this:

Thank you for your service

It is forbidden to kill; therefore all murderers are punished unless they kill in large numbers and to the sound of trumpets.

–Voltaire

The U.S. has been involved in military conflicts of one type or another for about 229 years of its 250-year history. That means that its population has experienced only about 20 years of total peace.

During wartime, a significant number of Americans must surely feel convinced that they’re justified in their bellicose attitude, or how else can one explain such a continuous history of aggression? The U.S.’s prosperity and dominance certainly seem to support the idea that war is a dominant factor in its economic success on the world stage.

I have little doubt that there is no stronger inducement in matters of war than the invoking religion doctrine, and Jesus, particularly, to sway the masses in favour of military action. It has been done for thousands of years and very successfully.

While American sentiment is generally anti-war (there was a brief period in the 60s when they really demonstrated their resentment), there can be no doubt that there is an appetite for it if the right buttons are pushed. The “thank you for your service” culture is pervasive and goes beyond mere patriotism, found among liberals and conservatives alike.

Has anyone questioned what exactly you are thanking them for? I sometimes question how many patriots are genuinely troubled that the service includes killing a stupendous number of innocent men, women and children on a regular basis. Or whether they even know.

The U.S. may rank only third among the world’s armed forces in active-duty personnel, behind India and China, but its military budget outstrips that of the next six countries combined, including Russia and the two previously mentioned. That astounding level of spending spawned what is now commonly referred to as the Military Industrial Complex, which has a whole separate level of derangement and depravity associated with it.

It is therefore not surprising that there has been insignificant resistance to the Trump Administration’s renaming of the Department of Defence to the Department of War. It is ironically one of the most honest things any administration has done. Why fuck around? Just call it what it is, right?

If the renaming wasn’t enough to validate America’s ambition to be the premier imperialist empire, then the retention of Pete Hegseth as Secretary of War, despite his conspicuous unsuitability to command a military force, must leave no doubt. Hegseth’s giant Deus Vult tattoo, meticulously sculpted hairline, fake TV-host charm, and fanatical evangelical bigotry are otherwise perfect credentials for steering the charge to mass murder.

Hegseth almost always invokes nationalist rhetoric and biblical language and scripture to justify military engagements. He conducts Christian worship and prayer services at the Pentagon and has made no effort to conceal his thirst for blood and violence. His other accomplishments include marginalising non-Christian and minority personnel in the armed forces, because I guess it’s much harder to motivate those who don’t share your religious worldview.

Let’s not forget the narcissistic man-child currently heading the evil empire. No person has obliterated the same nuclear stockpile and weaponry of another country more times than Donald Trump. Laugh you may, but it gets better!

Nobody has won the same war more times than him, and nobody has negotiated the same ceasefire more times either. It is truly an accomplishment that will never be repeated, ever. It’s no wonder he’s immortalised in such memes as the one below:

I am frequently bewildered by why ordinary Christians cannot recognise how and when their faith is being perverted, and not only seem helpless to do anything about it, but are frequently willing to look past the transgressions. The 17th-century French mathematician and physicist Blaise Pascal, who identified with the Jansenism movement within Catholicism, famously observed how religion is so often misappropriated by immoral men:

Men never do evil so completely and cheerfully as when they do it from religious conviction.

I recently discovered the music of David Rovics, an independent singer/songwriter who releases his music for free so that his anti-war and social justice messages are widely distributed. Together with Jordan Smart, another activist and folk-music singer/songwriter, they have both been asking a very important question that the followers of Christ need to take more seriously.

Who would Jesus bomb?

I will leave the YouTube videos together with the lyrics below. Same rhetorical question, different approach in asking, same outcome. Enjoy!

https://youtu.be/RXXt5q3OwPg?si=1rAjxMBXEwymXS_F

I’ve seen you in the markets
I’ve seen you in the streets
And at your political convention
Talking of your crusade
Talking of your nation
And other things too terrible to mention
And you proclaim your Christianity
You proclaim your love of God
You talk of apple pie and mom
Well I’ve just got one question
And I want an answer
Tell me, who would Jesus bomb?

Maybe Jesus would bomb the Syrians
Cause they’re not Jews like him
Maybe Jesus would bomb the Afghans
On some kind of vengeful whim
Maybe Jesus would drive an M1 tank
And he would shoot Saddam
Tell me, who would Jesus bomb?

I’ve seen you on the TV
And on the battleships
I’ve seen you in the house upon the hill
And I’ve heard you talking
About making the world safer
And about all the men you have to kill
And you speak so glibly
About your civilization
And how you have the moral higher ground
While halfway around the world
Your explosives smash the buildings
Ah, if you could only hear the sound

But maybe Jesus would sell land mines
And turn on his electric chair
Maybe Jesus would show no compassion
For his enemies in the lands way over there
Maybe Jesus would have flown the planes
That killed the kids in Viet Nam
Tell me, who would Jesus bomb

Yes I hear you shout with confidence
As you praise the lord
And you talk about this God you know so well
And you talk of Armageddon
And your final victory
When all the evil forces go to hell
Well you’d best hope you’ve chosen wisely
On the right side of the lord
And when you die your conscience it is clear
You’d best hope that your atom bombs
Are better than the sword
At the time when your reckoning is here

Cause I don’t think Jesus would send gunships into Bethlehem
Or jets to raze the towns of Timorese
I don’t think Jesus would lend money to dictators
Or drive those SUV’s
And I don’t think Jesus would ever have dropped
A single ounce of napalm
So tell me, who would Jesus bomb?

https://youtu.be/hE-yXDsmaKQ?si=L8PsyZ07hK6zwkwK

If Jesus Christ came back today, like you threaten he will
Which poor group of people do you think that he would kill?
Who would Jesus choose to starve if you gave him the chance
And if there was a genocide, would he take a neutral stance?

Who would Jesus bomb?
Tell me, who would Jesus bomb?
Would it be kids in Palestine, or how ’bout Vietnam?
Would Jesus bomb the Atheists, the Muslims or the Jews?
I want you to ask yourself, “What would Jesus do?”

Would he say, “it’s complicated, there’s sinners on all sides”
Or would he say that some people, they just deserve to die
If Christ the Savior rose again, then on a sidewalk slept
Would you extend a hand to him, or just watch where you stepped?

Who would Jesus bomb?
Tell me, who would Jesus Bomb?
Would it be kids in Palestine, or how ’bout Vietnam?
Would Jesus bomb the Atheists, the Muslims or the Jews?
I want you to ask yourself, “What would Jesus do?”

Would Jesus hate the Gay folks, or the Queer folks or the Trans
Would he suggest they end their lives according to God’s plans?
Would Jesus tell the homeless man to get a fucking job
Or turn his back on the poor, would Jesus be a snob?

Who would Jesus bomb?
Tell me, who would Jesus bomb?
Would it be kids in Palestine, or how ’bout Vietnam?
Would Jesus bomb the Atheists, the Muslims or the Jews?
I want you to ask yourself, “Well, what would Jesus do?”

Would Jesus Vote Republican, or would it be Democrat?
Would he be chanting four more years, or wear a MAGA hat?
Would Jesus run for president, or dictator, or worse?
Would Jesus be the pastor of his own mega church?

Who would Jesus bomb?
Tell me, who would Jesus bomb?
Would it be kids in Palestine, or how ’bout Vietnam?
Would Jesus bomb the Atheists, the Muslims or the Jews?
I want you to ask yourself, “What would Jesus do?”

Would Jesus build a border wall? Would Jesus drive a tank?
Would Jesus own an arsenal? Would Jesus run a bank?
Would Jesus feel safe in his skin if he came to your town?
Would you still believe in Jesus if you found out he was brown?

Who would Jesus bomb?
Tell me, who would Jesus bomb?
Would it be kids in Palestine, or how ’bout Vietnam?
Would Jesus bomb the Atheists, the Muslims or the Jews?
I want you to ask yourself, “What would Jesus do?”
I want you to ask yourself, “What would Jesus do?”
I want you to ask yourself, “What would Jesus do?”

Rate this:

Thank you for your service

It is forbidden to kill; therefore all murderers are punished unless they kill in large numbers and to the sound of trumpets.

–Voltaire

The U.S. has been involved in military conflicts of one type or another for about 229 years of its 250-year history. That means that its population has experienced only about 20 years of total peace.

During wartime, a significant number of Americans must surely feel convinced that they’re justified in their bellicose attitude, or how else can one explain such a continuous history of aggression? The U.S.’s prosperity and dominance certainly seem to support the idea that war is a dominant factor in its economic success on the world stage.

I have little doubt that there is no stronger inducement in matters of war than the invoking religion doctrine, and Jesus, particularly, to sway the masses in favour of military action. It has been done for thousands of years and very successfully.

While American sentiment is generally anti-war (there was a brief period in the 60s when they really demonstrated their resentment), there can be no doubt that there is an appetite for it if the right buttons are pushed. The “thank you for your service” culture is pervasive and goes beyond mere patriotism, found among liberals and conservatives alike.

Has anyone questioned what exactly you are thanking them for? I sometimes question how many patriots are genuinely troubled that the service includes killing a stupendous number of innocent men, women and children on a regular basis. Or whether they even know.

The U.S. may rank only third among the world’s armed forces in active-duty personnel, behind India and China, but its military budget outstrips that of the next six countries combined, including Russia and the two previously mentioned. That astounding level of spending spawned what is now commonly referred to as the Military Industrial Complex, which has a whole separate level of derangement and depravity associated with it.

It is therefore not surprising that there has been insignificant resistance to the Trump Administration’s renaming of the Department of Defence to the Department of War. It is ironically one of the most honest things any administration has done. Why fuck around? Just call it what it is, right?

If the renaming wasn’t enough to validate America’s ambition to be the premier imperialist empire, then the retention of Pete Hegseth as Secretary of War, despite his conspicuous unsuitability to command a military force, must leave no doubt. Hegseth’s giant Deus Vult tattoo, meticulously sculpted hairline, fake TV-host charm, and fanatical evangelical bigotry are otherwise perfect credentials for steering the charge to mass murder.

Hegseth almost always invokes nationalist rhetoric and biblical language and scripture to justify military engagements. He conducts Christian worship and prayer services at the Pentagon and has made no effort to conceal his thirst for blood and violence. His other accomplishments include marginalising non-Christian and minority personnel in the armed forces, because I guess it’s much harder to motivate those who don’t share your religious worldview.

Let’s not forget the narcissistic man-child currently heading the evil empire. No person has obliterated the same nuclear stockpile and weaponry of another country more times than Donald Trump. Laugh you may, but it gets better!

Nobody has won the same war more times than him, and nobody has negotiated the same ceasefire more times either. It is truly an accomplishment that will never be repeated, ever. It’s no wonder he’s immortalised in such memes as the one below:

I am frequently bewildered by why ordinary Christians cannot recognise how and when their faith is being perverted, and not only seem helpless to do anything about it, but are frequently willing to look past the transgressions. The 17th-century French mathematician and physicist Blaise Pascal, who identified with the Jansenism movement within Catholicism, famously observed how religion is so often misappropriated by immoral men:

Men never do evil so completely and cheerfully as when they do it from religious conviction.

I recently discovered the music of David Rovics, an independent singer/songwriter who releases his music for free so that his anti-war and social justice messages are widely distributed. Together with Jordan Smart, another activist and folk-music singer/songwriter, they have both been asking a very important question that the followers of Christ need to take more seriously.

Who would Jesus bomb?

I will leave the YouTube videos together with the lyrics below. Same rhetorical question, different approach in asking, same outcome. Enjoy!

https://youtu.be/RXXt5q3OwPg?si=1rAjxMBXEwymXS_F

I’ve seen you in the markets
I’ve seen you in the streets
And at your political convention
Talking of your crusade
Talking of your nation
And other things too terrible to mention
And you proclaim your Christianity
You proclaim your love of God
You talk of apple pie and mom
Well I’ve just got one question
And I want an answer
Tell me, who would Jesus bomb?

Maybe Jesus would bomb the Syrians
Cause they’re not Jews like him
Maybe Jesus would bomb the Afghans
On some kind of vengeful whim
Maybe Jesus would drive an M1 tank
And he would shoot Saddam
Tell me, who would Jesus bomb?

I’ve seen you on the TV
And on the battleships
I’ve seen you in the house upon the hill
And I’ve heard you talking
About making the world safer
And about all the men you have to kill
And you speak so glibly
About your civilization
And how you have the moral higher ground
While halfway around the world
Your explosives smash the buildings
Ah, if you could only hear the sound

But maybe Jesus would sell land mines
And turn on his electric chair
Maybe Jesus would show no compassion
For his enemies in the lands way over there
Maybe Jesus would have flown the planes
That killed the kids in Viet Nam
Tell me, who would Jesus bomb

Yes I hear you shout with confidence
As you praise the lord
And you talk about this God you know so well
And you talk of Armageddon
And your final victory
When all the evil forces go to hell
Well you’d best hope you’ve chosen wisely
On the right side of the lord
And when you die your conscience it is clear
You’d best hope that your atom bombs
Are better than the sword
At the time when your reckoning is here

Cause I don’t think Jesus would send gunships into Bethlehem
Or jets to raze the towns of Timorese
I don’t think Jesus would lend money to dictators
Or drive those SUV’s
And I don’t think Jesus would ever have dropped
A single ounce of napalm
So tell me, who would Jesus bomb?

https://youtu.be/hE-yXDsmaKQ?si=L8PsyZ07hK6zwkwK

If Jesus Christ came back today, like you threaten he will
Which poor group of people do you think that he would kill?
Who would Jesus choose to starve if you gave him the chance
And if there was a genocide, would he take a neutral stance?

Who would Jesus bomb?
Tell me, who would Jesus bomb?
Would it be kids in Palestine, or how ’bout Vietnam?
Would Jesus bomb the Atheists, the Muslims or the Jews?
I want you to ask yourself, “What would Jesus do?”

Would he say, “it’s complicated, there’s sinners on all sides”
Or would he say that some people, they just deserve to die
If Christ the Savior rose again, then on a sidewalk slept
Would you extend a hand to him, or just watch where you stepped?

Who would Jesus bomb?
Tell me, who would Jesus Bomb?
Would it be kids in Palestine, or how ’bout Vietnam?
Would Jesus bomb the Atheists, the Muslims or the Jews?
I want you to ask yourself, “What would Jesus do?”

Would Jesus hate the Gay folks, or the Queer folks or the Trans
Would he suggest they end their lives according to God’s plans?
Would Jesus tell the homeless man to get a fucking job
Or turn his back on the poor, would Jesus be a snob?

Who would Jesus bomb?
Tell me, who would Jesus bomb?
Would it be kids in Palestine, or how ’bout Vietnam?
Would Jesus bomb the Atheists, the Muslims or the Jews?
I want you to ask yourself, “Well, what would Jesus do?”

Would Jesus Vote Republican, or would it be Democrat?
Would he be chanting four more years, or wear a MAGA hat?
Would Jesus run for president, or dictator, or worse?
Would Jesus be the pastor of his own mega church?

Who would Jesus bomb?
Tell me, who would Jesus bomb?
Would it be kids in Palestine, or how ’bout Vietnam?
Would Jesus bomb the Atheists, the Muslims or the Jews?
I want you to ask yourself, “What would Jesus do?”

Would Jesus build a border wall? Would Jesus drive a tank?
Would Jesus own an arsenal? Would Jesus run a bank?
Would Jesus feel safe in his skin if he came to your town?
Would you still believe in Jesus if you found out he was brown?

Who would Jesus bomb?
Tell me, who would Jesus bomb?
Would it be kids in Palestine, or how ’bout Vietnam?
Would Jesus bomb the Atheists, the Muslims or the Jews?
I want you to ask yourself, “What would Jesus do?”
I want you to ask yourself, “What would Jesus do?”
I want you to ask yourself, “What would Jesus do?”

Rate this:

St. Vincent de Paul

Author’s Note: This post contains mentions of slavery. If this triggers you, you may go to the next post. We understand.

Vincent de Paul (April 24, 1581-September 27, 1660; 79 years old at the time of his passing) was a French Catholic priest who dedicated himself to serving the poor & is best known for founding the Congregation of the Mission & Daughters of Charity.

After being ordained a priest in 1600, de Paul was kidnapped/adult-napped (he was 19 years old at the time) & enslaved for 2 years in Tunis (This was a semi-autonomous territory of the Ottoman Empire; it’s in modern-day Tunisia). He returned to Europe after escaping in 1607 (26 years old at the time).

He then served as a parish priest & in the French royal court before dedicating himself to the poor, founding the Ladies of Charity in 1617 (36 years old at the time). In 1622, de Paul was appointed as chaplain to the galley slaves in Paris.

De Paul founded the Congregation of the Mission (a.k.a. the Vincentians or Lazarists) in 1625 (44 years old). Having vowed poverty, chastity, obedience, & stability, they were to devote themselves entirely to people in smaller towns/villages.

He was a pioneer in seminary education & also founded the Daughters of Charity in 1633 (52 years old). He’s the namesake of the Vincentian Family of organizations, which includes the religious order he founded, among others.

He was renowned for his compassion, humility, & generosity. He was canonized in 1737. He was venerated as a saint in both the Catholic Church & the Anglican Communion.

Vincent de Paul was born on April 24, 1581, in the village of Pouy, in the province of Guyenne & Gascony, Kingdom of France, to peasant farmers. His dad was Jean de Paul & his mom was Bertrande de Moras. He wrote the name on 1 word, Depaul, but none of his correspondents did so.

He had 3 brothers & 2 sisters. He was the 3rd child & demonstrated a talent for literacy early in life. He worked as a child, herding his family’s livestock. At age 15, his dad sent him to a seminary. He paid for this by selling the family’s oxen.

For 3 years, he studied at a college in Dax, Aquitaine. It adjoined a monastery of the Friars Minor (a.k.a. the Franciscans), where he resided. In 1597, he enrolled in theology at the University of Toulouse. The atmosphere at the university was rough. Fights broke out between various factions of students, which escalated into armed battles. An official was murdered by 2 students. Vincent continued his studies, financing them by tutoring others.

Vincent was ordained subdeacon & deacon at Tarbes Cathedral in the French Great South-West, near Périgueux. This was against the regulations established by the Council of Trent, which required a minimum of 24 years old for ordination. So when he was appointed parish priest in Tilh. An appeal against the appointment was made to the Roman Curia.

Rather than respond to a lawsuit in which he would probably not have prevailed, he resigned from the position & continued his studies. On October 12, 1604, he received his Bachelor of Theology from the University of Toulouse. Later, he received a Licentiate in Canon Law from the University of Paris.

Vincent wrote a letter in July 1607 & a postscript in February 1608 that described his experience of abduction & slavery. In 1605, he sailed from Marseille on his way back from Castres, where he had gone to sell property he’d inherited from a wealthy patron in Toulouse. He was taken captive by Barbary pirates, who took him to Tunis. Vincent was auctioned off as a slave, & spent 2 years in bondage.

His 1st “master” was a fisherman. But this wasn’t the life for Vincent because he got seasick. He soon was sold. His next “master” was a spagyric physician (this is a modern medical movement based on the theories & therapies of Paracelsus), alchemist, & inventor. Vincent became fascinated by his art & was taught how to prepare the attention of men who summoned him to Istanbul.

During the passage, the old man died & Vincent was sold once again. His new “master” was a former Catholic priest & Franciscan from Nice, Guillaume Gautier. Gautier had converted to Islam to gain his freedom from slavery & was living in the mountains with 3 wives.

The 2nd wife, a Muslim by birth, was drawn to & visited Vincent in the fields to question him about his faith. She became convinced that his faith was true & admonished her husband for renouncing his Christianity. Her husband became remorseful & decided to escape back to France with his slave.

They had to wait 10 months. But finally they secretly boarded a small boat & crossed the Mediterranean, landing in Aigues-Mortes on June 29, 1607. After returning to France, Vincent went to Rome. There he continued his studies until 1609, when he was sent back to France on a mission to King Henry IV.

Once in France, he made the acquaintance of Pierre de Berulle, whom he took as his spiritual advisor. Andre Duval, of the Sorbonne, introduced him to Canfield’s Rule of Perfection.

In 1612, he was sent as a parish priest to the Church of Saint-Medard in Clichy. In less than a year, Berulle recalled him to Paris to serve as a chaplain & tutor to the Gondi family. The Gondi family was a prominent Florentine banking family and a financial partner of the Medici family.

Although Vincent had initially begun his priesthood with the intention of securing a life of leisure for himself, he underwent a change of heart after hearing the confession of a dying peasant. It was the Countess de Gondi who persuaded her husband to endow & support a group of able & zealous missionaries who would work among poor tenant farmers & country people in general.

On May 23, 1643, after King Louis XIII had passed away, Queen Anne had her husband’s will annulled by the Parlement de Paul (a judicial body composed mostly of nobles & high clergymen), thereby making her the sole Regent. Anne appointed Vincent de Paul as her spiritual advisor.

He helped her deal with religious policy & the Jansenist issue. Jansenism is/was a 17th-18th century Christian theological movement within the Catholic Church, rooted in the writings of Dutch bishop Cornelius Jansen.

Vincent is the patron of all works of charity. Several organizations inspired by his work & teaching & which claim Vincent as their founder or patron saint are grouped in a loose federation known as the Vincentian Family.

Vincent died in Paris on September 27, 1660. Vincent’s body was exhumed in 1712, 53 years after his death. The written account of an eyewitness states that “the eyes & nose alone showed some decay.” However, when the body was exhumed again during the canonization in 1737, it was found to have decomposed due to an underground flood.

According to the custom of the time, his bones were encased in a waxen figure, which is displayed in a glass reliquary in the chapel of the mother house of the Vincentian fathers in Paris (the St. Vincent de Paul Chapel). His heart is still incorrupt & is displayed separately in a reliquary in the chapel of the mother house of the Daughters of Charity.

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