In his heartrending groans, his sighs to Christ
I heard song, whilst he suffered his trials,
Savagely racked, broken.
Now at Tyburn,
On this frozen winter’s morn, Campion,
My most exquisite priest presents to die.
The hangman himself is moved to mercy.
Thus, when the rope snaps, wrenching round his neck,
The twitching legs are tugged to make death quick,
Sparing him the horrors of hacked off limbs,
Disembowelling.
A faint Te Deum
Rises from the crowd. This will be my task:
Immortalise this hero in music.
With sacred hymns, stately marches, will I
Emblazon his name for eternity.
The Queen’s Musician William Byrd On the Execution of Edmund Campion December 1, 1581
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Against the backdrop of deep differences with the Trump administration over migration and foreign aid as well as concerns for Ukraine and for Gaza, the Vatican secretary of state welcomed U.S. Vice President JD Vance to the Vatican.
Vance, who converted to Catholicism in 2019, attended the liturgy with his wife, Usha, a practicing Hindu, and his three children after meeting with Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni earlier in the day.
My Catholic identity and my wife’s Protestant identity continue to endure, and our faith has developed together in greater harmony, knowing that our love for each other was ultimately grounded in our love for God.
the wily accuser
tempted him in just the way to confuse a savior:
All this I will give you.