Missionary Peter Chanel, protomartyr of Oceania
He had been passionate about the missions since he was an adolescent. He became a priest, but for years he was unable to fulfil his desire to leave. He succeeded after joining the Marists, going as a missionary to the island of Futuna. He cared for the sick, baptised dying children, and converted many to Catholicism. He was killed for his faith, becoming the protomartyr of Oceania.
- THE RECIPE: FISH SALAD FROM FUTUNA
Hubert of Liège, a Good Friday conversion
He had decided to go deer hunting, his great passion, rather than go to church for the Good Friday services. At that point, he had no idea what was about to happen to him. Or that he would become St Hubert, the first bishop of Liège.
Lucy, the beauty of being bride of Christ
Lucy suffered martyrdom under Diocletian because of her firm decision to live as a woman consecrated to Christ and therefore not to abjure her faith. Her patronage of the eyes does not stem from the acts of martyrdom, but from the devotion linked to her name (from lux, light). For centuries, her testimony of life has inspired the faithful, artists, and poets.
Francesca Cabrini, an intransigent saint
Foundress of the Missionaries of the Sacred Heart of Jesus, on the advice of Leo XIII she left for America to evangelise and help Italian emigrants. She set up nurseries, schools, boarding schools for students, orphanages, rest homes, and hospitals. She gave extraordinary value to female religiosity and practised charity in a thousand ways. She never compromised with evil.
Narcissus, the oldest bishop in history
He lived during the Roman domination of Palestine and was elected bishop of Aelia Capitolina (Jerusalem) at a very advanced age. Because of his moral rigour, he attracted the hatred of the corrupt, who slandered him. But the truth emerged and Saint Narcissus returned to the bishop's chair; he appointed a coadjutor – the first in history – who was also a saint. He lived to the age of 116.
Squid Game: a tsunami of evil with no way out or redemption
Airing on Netflix, Squid Game is a TV series with attention-grabbing ingredients. It’s supposed to be a denunciation of capitalist society, but the level of violence is extremely high and gratuitous (even children and teenagers are viewing it and cases of imitation are already being recorded). In addition, evil overcomes and overwhelms the little good that is present, leaving the viewer shocked. There is no way out, and no hope.
Red terrorism and sexual revolution go hand in hand
A 2008 film by Uli Edel tells the story of the Baader Meinhof gang, the future Red Army Faction (RAF), the German equivalent of the Red Brigades. In an undervalued scene, the true meaning of the revolution is expressed: “Sexual liberation and the anti-imperialist struggle are one and the same thing!”. De Sade spread the same message during the French Revolution.
