The Fifth Commandment of Medieval Chivalry – Thou shalt not recoil in the face of the enemy. That’s the great commandment of masculine courage. It’s the commandment that forbids cowardice, which was a great dishonour. ‘It is much better to die than to be a coward’ was the motto of the Knights. And Roland, the first Knight of Charlemagne, who volunteered to remain and to die in the rearguard of the Frankish army in the Battle or Roncevaux Pass, he curses the coward, saying, “That he be forever … [Read more...]
The ideal of Catholic masculinity – Part IV
On the Fourth of July all true Americans celebrate their country’s independence. It is natural for a true Catholic man to love his country. Patriotism is a natural virtue, a consequence of the fourth commandment of God’s Law: Thou shalt honor thy father and thy mother. The very word Patriotism derives from the Latin, Pater, Father. Just as the knight was called to honor his parents, he was also called to honor and love the country in which he was born, the culture which he received in childhood … [Read more...]
The Ideal of Catholic Masculinity – Part I
[Editor's Note: This is Part I in a new series by Sir Raymond J de Souza, KHS.] The Lepanto Institute takes its name from the famous naval battle of Christians against Muslims, when the latter suffered an amazing, crushing defeat. The invocation of “Mary, Help of Christians”, that is contained in Our Lady’s Litany, was added by Pope Saint Pius V, to commemorate the victory of Lepanto. In those days, Catholic men were men, ready to fight and die for the Church and Christian … [Read more...]
