Servant Of God, Cardinal Rafael Maria Merry Del Val. Appointed Secretary Of State In 1903 By Pope Saint Pius X.

Cardinal Raphael Merry Del Val.

Illustration: SENSUS TRADITIONIS

The following Text is from Wikipedia - the free encyclopaedia - unless stated otherwise.
Rafael Merry del Val y de Zulueta (10 October 1865 – 26 February 1930), was a British-born, Spanish, Roman Catholic Cardinal.

Before becoming a Cardinal, he served as The Secretary of The Papal Conclave of 1903 that Elected Pope Saint Pius X, who is said to have accepted his Election through Merry del Val's encouragement.

Pope Saint Pius X later appointed him as The Cardinal Secretary of State. Merry del Val's writings inspired The Litany of Humility.

A cause for his Canonisation was opened in 1953 at the behest of Venerable Pope Pius XII. He now has the Title of Servant of God.

"Our Lady of Ushaw",

Saint Cuthbert's Chapel, 

Ushaw Seminary,

Ushaw, County Durham, 

England,

Where Cardinal Rafael Merry Del Val Y De Zulueta studied.

Illustration: Zephyrinus.

Photo: April 2010.

Source: Own work.

Author: Zephyrinus.

He was born Rafael María José Pedro Francisco Borja Domingo Gerardo de la Santíssima Trinidad Merry del Val y Zulueta, at The Spanish Embassy in London, England, son of Rafael Carlos Merry del Val, as the second of four sons. 

His mother was Sofia Josefa de Zulueta (died 1925), elder daughter of Pedro José de Zulueta, Count of Torre Díaz, of The London bank of Zulueta and Co., and his wife, Sophia Ann Wilcox, who was of Scottish and Dutch ancestry. 

The Zuluetas were an old Basque family, ennobled as Counts de Torre Díaz in the 19th-Century. His father was Rafael Carlos Merry del Val (1831–1917), Marquess of Merry del Val, Secretary to The Spanish Legation in London, a Monarchist supporter of King Alfonso XII and Nobleman. 

The del Vals were an Aragonese family, originally from Zaragoza, claiming descent from a 12th-Century Breton Crusader; the surname, Merry, came from a Line of Irish Merchants from County Waterford, Ireland, who settled in the Late-18th-Century in Seville, Spain. His elder brother, Alfonso, Marquess of Merry del Val (born 1864), was Spanish Ambassador to The United Kingdom between 1913 and 1931.

Ushaw Seminary, County Durham, England,

where Cardinal Rafael Merry Del Va Y De Zulueta studied.

Solemn High Mass 1960.

Available on YouTube at

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Merry del Val lived in England until 1878. His mother's family owned a large villa in Boscombe, a suburb of Bournemouth, Dorset. He attended a Jesuit Preparatory School in Bournemouth at the time The Society was establishing what were to become five Parishes and a School. 

He received his First Holy Communion at Sacred Heart Church on Richmond Hill, and later enrolled at The Northern Seminary of Ushaw College in County Durham in Northern England. He was Ordained a Priest on 30 December 1888, after receiving a Doctorate in Philosophy at The Pontifical Gregorian University. He later received a Doctorate in Theology, and then a Licentiate in Canon Law.

Immaculate Heart Of The Blessed Virgin Mary. Feast Day 22 August.

Text from The Saint Andrew Daily Missal.

The Immaculate Heart of The Blessed Virgin Mary.
Feast Day 22 August.

Double of The Second-Class.

White Vestments.

The Blessed Virgin Mary.

Illustration: WALLPAPER CAVE

According to a Tradition, sanctioned by authority, it was at Jerusalem, near the room of The Last Supper, at the spot where now stands a Church committed to the care of The Benedictines, that Mary breathed her last (Secret).

And it is at the foot of The Mount of Olives, in a place where, about 1130, a Monastery of The Benedictine Monks of Cluny was built, that her mortal remains were laid and "she was carried up to Heaven" (Alleluia).

The Pilgrimages, made to this tomb, originated The Feast of The Assumption, which was already Solemnised in The East at the end of the 6th-Century A.D. At the beginning of the 7th-Century A.D., The Feast was also Solemnised at Rome, and it spread with The Roman Liturgy over The Whole West. Pope Leo IV instituted The Octave in 847 A.D.

The Virgin and Infant with Angels.

Artist: William-Adolphe Bouguereau (1825–1905).

Date: 1900.

Current location: Petit Palais, Paris, France.

Source/Photographer: Art Renewal Center – description

Copied from the English Wikipedia to Commons.

(Wikipedia Commons)

"We have accompanied thee with all our Prayers, when thou didst ascend towards thy Son," says Saint Bernard of Clairvaux, "and we have at least followed thee at a distance, O Blessed Virgin ! May thy goodness make known to the World, the Grace bestowed on thee by God: Obtain by thy Holy Prayers, the forgiveness of the guilty, health for the sick, strength for weak Souls, consolation for the afflicted, help and deliverance for those in peril.

O Mary, Queen of Clemency, on this joyful Solemnity, may thy humble servants, who praise and invoke thy sweet name, be overwhelmed with Graces by Jesus Christ thy Son, Our Lord, Who is The Sovereign God, Blessed throughout the ages. Amen." [Fifth and Sixth Lessons at Matins.]

Let us honour Mary with special confidence during these Feasts, which Celebrate her Triumph.

Mass: Adeamus.
Commemoration: Saints Timothy, Hippolytus and Symphorian. Martyrs.

The Virgin and Infant of The Lilies.

Artist: William-Adolphe Bouguereau (1825–1905).

Date: 1899.

Source: PaintingHere.com

Author: William-Adolphe Bouguereau (1825–1905).

(Wikimedia Commons)

The Liturgical worship of "The Most Pure Heart of Mary" was suggested by The Fathers who commented The Canticle of Canticles; it was first joined to that of The Sacred Heart of Jesus, in the 17th-Century, by Saint John Eudes; however, it was only at the beginning of the 19th-Century that Pope Pius VII allowed some places to keep a Feast in its honour, on The Sunday after The Octave of her Assumption.

Blessed Pope Pius IX granted it a Proper Mass and Divine Office (Mass: Omnis Gloria).

In other places, it was kept on the Sunday, or, rather, (since the present Edition of The Roman Missal, made in 1920 in the spirit of Pope Saint Pius X) [Editor: This Text is from the 1945 Edition of The Saint Andrew Daily Missal] on The Saturday after The Feast of The Sacred Heart of Jesus.

"Regina Caeli"

(Queen of Heaven).

By Marco Frisina.

Available on YouTube at

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On 8 December 1942 [Editor: The Feast Day of The Immaculate Conception], during the terrible World War, Pope Pius XII Consecrated the whole of mankind to "The Immaculate Heart of Mary"; consequently, he extended The Feast to The Universal Church and gave it a new Mass and Divine Office by Decree of 4 May 1944.

That Feast, of The Immaculate Heart, is fixed, not to a Sunday, but to the very Octave-Day of The Assumption: Mary in Heaven goes on interceding lovingly on our behalf. Her Heart is the symbol of the ardent love, which she fosters first for God and for her Divine Son (Epistle), but also of her maternal care for all human Souls, which Jesus entrusted her when He died (Gospel, Communion).

We exalt the particular Holiness of her Heart (Gradual, Offertory), and we Pray her (Introit, Collects) to obtain "Peace for all Nations, freedom for The Church, conversion for the sinners, and for all Faithful, love for Chastity and the practice of all Virtues" (Decree 4 May 1944).

The Blessed Virgin Mary 

is Crowned Queen of Heaven 

by Her Beloved Son,

Illustration: CALEFACTORY.ORG

The following Text is from DRUMCREE PARISH

In the midst of The Second World War, Pope Pius XII made an Act of Consecration of The Church and The Whole World to The Immaculate Heart on 31 October 1942, which was then Solemnly proclaimed on 8 December 1942.

Two years later, by a Decree of 4 May 1944, The Holy Father extended The Feast of The Immaculate Heart of Mary to The Universal Church.

[Editor: Prior to which, 22 August had been "The Octave Day of The Assumption". Greater-Double. White Vestments.]

Missa Papae Marcelli. Composed By Giovanni Pierluigi Da Palestrina (1525 - 1594).

Text from Wikipedia - the free encyclopaedia,
unless otherwise stated.

Pope Marcellus II.

Date: 16th-Century.

Source: http://www.pitts.emory.edu/woodcuts/1568Panv/00019428.jpg.

Author: Onofrio Panvinio 1529-1568.

(Wikimedia Commons)

Missa Papae Marcelli, or "Pope Marcellus's Mass", is a Mass by Giovanni Pierluigi da Palestrina. It is his most well-known and most often-performed Mass, and is frequently taught in University Courses on music. It was always sung at The Papal Coronation Mass (the last being The Coronation of Pope Paul VI in 1963).

"Missa Papae Marcelli".

Composed by: Giovanni Pierluigi da Palestrina (1525 - 1594).

Sung by: The Tallis Scholars.

Director: Peter Phillips.

Available on YouTube at

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The Mass was composed in honour of Pope Marcellus II, who reigned for three weeks in 1555. Recent scholarship suggests the most likely date of composition is 1562, when it was copied into a Manuscript at the Basilica di Santa Maria Maggiore in Rome.

The third and closing Sessions of The Council of Trent were held in 1562-1563, at which the use of polyphonic music in The Catholic Church was discussed. Concerns were raised over two problems: First, the use of music that was objectionable, such as secular songs provided with religious lyrics (contrafacta) or Masses based on songs with lyrics about drinking or lovemaking; and, second, whether imitation in polyphonic music obscured the words of The Mass, interfering with the listener's devotion.

Some debate occurred over whether polyphony should be banned outright in worship, and some of the auxiliary publications by attendants of The Council caution against both of these problems. However, none of the official proclamations from The Council mention polyphonic music, excepting one injunction against the use of music that is, in the words of The Council, "lascivious or impure".

Starting in the Late-16th-Century, a legend began that the second of these points, the threat that polyphony might have been banned by The Council, because of the unintelligibility of the words, was the impetus behind Palestrina's composition of this Mass.

It was believed that the simple, declamatory, style of Missa Papae Marcelli convinced Cardinal Carlo Borromeo, on hearing, that polyphony could be intelligible, and that music such as Palestrina's was all too beautiful to ban from The Church.

"The Rosary Is The Weapon For These Times." - Saint Padre Pio.

"The Rosary is the weapon for these times." - Saint Padre Pio.

Illustration: PRAYER FOR PRIESTS, TWITTER

León Cathedral, Spain.

English: León Cathedral, Spain.

España:

 Catedral de León in León, Castilla y León.

Illustration: PINTEREST

The following Text is from Wikipedia - the free encyclopaedia.

Santa María de León Cathedral, also called The House of Light, or the Pulchra Leonina (The Beauty of Leon), is situated in the City of León, in North-West Spain. It was built on the site of previous Roman Baths of the 2nd-Century A.D., which, 800 years later, King Ordoño II converted into a Palace.

León Cathedral, Dedicated to Santa María de la Regla, was declared of Cultural Interest in 1844. It is known as the Pulchra Leonina and is a masterpiece of The Gothic Style of the Mid-13th-Century. The design is attributed to the Architect, Enrique. By the Late-16th-Century, it was virtually completed.

The main façade has two Towers. The Southern Tower is known as the 'Clock Tower'. The Renaissance Retro-Choir contains alabaster sculptures by Jusquin, Copin of Holland and Juan de Malinas. Particularly noteworthy is the Plateresque Iron Grill-Work Screen, or Reja, in the wall behind the Sepulchre of King Ordoño.

Leon Cathedral, Spain.

Available on YouTube at

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It has three Portals decorated with sculptures situated in the Pointed Arches between the two Towers. The central section has a large Rose Window. Particularly outstanding is the image of The Virgen Blanca and The Locus Appellatione, where justice was imparted.

The Church has nearly 1,800 square metres of Stained-Glass Windows. The great majority of them date from the 13th- to the 15th-Century: A rarity among Mediaeval Gothic Churches.

English: The Gothic Cathedral of Saint Mary of León, Spain.

Español: Catedral Gótica de Santa María, en León.

Photo: 19 March 2014.

Source: Own work.

Author: David Jiménez Llanes

(Wikimedia Commons)

In the Main Chapel, there is an Altarpiece by Nicolás Francés (15th-Century) and a Silver Urn containing the Relics of San Froilán, the Town's Patron Saint, made by Enrique de Arfe. The 13th- to 15th-Century Cloister contains sculpted details in the Capitals, Friezes and Ledges.

The Cathedral Museum houses a large collection of Sacred Art. There are almost 1,500 pieces, including fifty Romanesque sculptures of The Virgin, dating from pre-historic times to the 18th-Century (Neo-Classicism), with works by Juan de Juni, Gregorio Fernández, Mateo Cerezo, a Triptych of The School of Antwerp, a Mozarabic Bible and numerous Codices. The first Manuscript in the Leonese language, the Nodicia de Kesos, can be found in its archives.

Leon Cathedral is also one of the three most important Cathedrals, along with that of Burgos and Santiago de Compostela, on The Way of Saint James (or, in Spanish, El Camino de Santiago).

The Screen, León Cathedral, Spain.

Photo: 12 October 2010.

Source: Own work by uploader, http://bjornfree.com/galleries.html

Author: Bjørn Christian Tørrissen

(Wikimedia Commons)

The Roman Baths and the first Cathedral

Originally, under the current location of the Cathedral, the Legio VII Gemina had built the Baths, with a size larger than the current building. During the great restorations of the 19th-Century, its remains were discovered, and, in 1997, others were explored near the South Façade.

[Editor: Legio Septima (VII) Gemina (properly Geminia: Latin for "The Twins' Seventh Legion") was a Legion of The Imperial Roman Army. It was Founded in 68 A.D., in Spain, by General Galba to take part in his rebellion against the Emperor, Nero. "Gemina" means the Legion was dedicated to the legendary twin founders of Rome, Romulus and Remus, who were suckled by a she-wolf. The Legion was deployed to the City called Legio (modern-day León, Spain) in 74 A.D., and remained in Hispania to the end of the 4th-Century.]

During the Christian reconquest of Spain, the ancient Roman Baths were converted into a Royal Palace. King Ordoño II, who had occupied the Throne of Leon in 916 A.D., defeated the Arabs in The Battle of San Esteban de Gormaz, in 917 A.D. As a sign of gratitude to God for victory, he gave up his Palace to build the first Cathedral. Under the Episcopate of Fruminio II, the building was transformed into a Sacred Place. The tomb of Ordoño II of Leon, who died in 924 A.D., is found in the Cathedral.

Leon Cathedral, Spain.

Available on YouTube at

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The Cathedral was guarded and governed by Monks of The Order of Saint Benedict, and it is likely that its structure was very similar to many others existing during the Leonese Mozarabic period. Almanzor campaigned through these lands in the Late-10th-Century, devastating the City and destroying the Churches. However, damage to the building of the Cathedral appears to have been rapidly addressed, since, in the year 999 A.D., King Alfonso V was Crowned in the Church.

After the political turmoil and Moorish raids, that lasted till 1067, the state of the Cathedral was in extreme poverty. This would move to King Ferdinand I of León, who, after transferring the remains of San Isidoro to León, sought to restore the Cathedral.

With the help of Princess Teresa Urraca of Navarre, sister of the King, the construction of a second Cathedral, was started. It was within the Pelayo II Episcopal See. Its style was essentially Romanesque, built in brick and masonry, with three Naves finished in Semi-Circular Apses, the central one Dedicated to Saint Mary, as in the previous Church. The Cathedral was Consecrated on 10 November 1073 during the Reign of King Alfonso VI. Presumably, the same Masons who were building the Basilica of San Isidoro of Leon worked on the Cathedral.

English: Stained-Glass Windows in Leon Cathedral, Spain.

Español: Catedral dedicada a Santa María de Regla. Iniciada su construcción en el siglo XIII,

es una de las grandes obras del estilo gótico de influencia francesa. Se la conoce con

el nombre de Pulchra leonina, que significa "la bella Leonesa".

Photo: 8 May 2010.

Source: Own work.

Author: AdriPozuelo

(Wikimedia Commons)

This Cathedral remained standing until the end of the next Century. When the last proprietary King of Leon, Alfonso IX, rose to the Throne, the City and the Kingdom witnessed major social, artistic, and cultural changes.

The Third Cathedral

Construction of the third Cathedral, Gothic in style, began circa 1205, but problems with the Foundation delayed work until 1255, under Bishop Martín Fernández, with the support of King Alfonso X of Castile and León. The design is attributed to the Master Mason Enrique, perhaps a native of France, who had previously worked on the Cathedral of Burgos.

The Cathedral of Leon, like its sister predecessor, Burgos Cathedral, follows the layout of Rheims Cathedral (although at a reduced scale). Like most French cathedrals, the one of Leon is built with a geometric module based on the triangle (ad triangulum), the primary lines of which relate to the square root of three.

In addition to its layout, the Cathedral of Leon is also inspired by that of Rheims in its structure, the form of the Chapels of its Ambulatory (in this case Polygonal), and the development of its Transept. The influence of Chartres Cathedral can be seen in the Western Porch.

This Spectacular Version Of Toto's "Africa" Will Give You Goose-Bumps !!!

The Continent of Africa.

Illustration: GEOLOGY.COM

"Africa".

The Angel City Chorale.

Available on YouTube at

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Title: "Africa".

Melody and Lyrics by David Paich and Jeff Porcaro.

Performed by Angel City Chorale.

Soloists: Rich Kennedy, Tommy Lamb,

Tina Mitro, and Duff Watrous.

Artistic Director, Sue Fink.

Video edited by Alex Chaloff, Annika Benitz.

Performance inspired by Eric Whitacre.

https://youtu.be/0Zqp0OpzMAI,

and Perpetuum Jazzile, https://youtu.be/yjbpwlqp5Qw

Angel City Chorale is a non-profit Arts Organisation located in Los Angeles, CA, USA. We could not exist without our generous donors and sponsors. Want to help us make inspiring music and build community ?

DONATE AT: http://angelcitychorale.org/support-t...

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Within The Octave Of The Assumption. Today, 18 August.

Text from The Saint Andrew Daily Missal,
unless stated otherwise.

Within The Octave Of The Assumption.
   18 August.

Semi-Double.

White Vestments.

English: The Assumption of The Virgin Mary.

Deutsch: Maria Himmelfahrt, Hochaltar für St. Maria Gloriosa dei Frari in Venedig.

Français: L'Assomption de la Vierge.

Artist: Titian (1490–1576).

Date: 1516-1518.

Current location: Institution:Santa Maria Gloriosa dei Frari, Venice, Italy.

Source/Photographer: The Yorck Project: 10.000 Meisterwerke der Malerei.

DVD-ROM, 2002. ISBN 3936122202. Distributed by DIRECTMEDIA Publishing GmbH.

(Wikimedia Commons)

"The Immaculate Body of Mary remained without corruption and was borne up to Heaven, before The General Resurrection." [Fifth Lesson at Matins.]

The Council of The Vatican [Editor: The First Vatican Council], which had to be adjourned in 1870, was not able to carry out the desire which had been expressed for the definition of this Dogma.

But the proclamation of The Immaculate Conception of Mary justifies all hopes, for the final triumph of The Assumption corresponds with this initial privilege.

As The Feast of The Conception of The Virgin affirmed in certain Liturgies how appropriately God Almighty had made Mary a creature apart from her very birth, so The Feast of The Assumption each year proclaims the same appropriateness when she leaves this Earth.

The harmony which reigns in the works of God required an earlier Resurrection of The Mother of God, who, Holy among all and Ever Virgin, deserved on the part of her Son an adequate reward worthy of her position as Queen of Heaven and Mediatrix of all mankind.

Although not defined as a Dogma of our Faith, this Truth is of those no-one is permitted to doubt, as Pope Benedict XIV declares. [De Canone S. S. 1, 1, 42, 15.]

Mass: As on The Day of The Feast.

Commemoration: Of Saint Agapitus.