A geopolitical history of the cataclysmic events that shaped the First Vatican Council and the Dogma of Papal Infallibly.This new pope, Pius IX, immediately displayed the qualities the power brokers of Europe, both lay and ecclesiastic, had hoped for. He was young and affable, conciliatory and responsive to modern sensibilities. He was popular among the local Italian citizenry, spoke to their interests and gained a reputation for being an Italian patriot. He demonstrated a willingness to impl...
16 Feb 2024
Rome Has Spoken, Part Three: Rejoice, O Pope, You Are King
A geopolitical history of the cataclysmic events that shaped the First Vatican Council and the Dogma of Papal Infallibly.An Ultramontane Church instantly became a cause for the papacy. Pius threw his weight in on the issue, choosing sides where previous popes declined to get involved. Gueranger, doing the bidding of Pius, went for the low hanging fruit first, he attacked the hymns of the French liturgy were written in the 17th and 18th centuries that lacked the weight of tradition behind them...
16 Feb 2024
Rome Has Spoken, Part One: Plenitude of Power
A geopolitical history of the cataclysmic events that shaped the First Vatican Council and the Dogma of Papal Infallibly. After Gregory XVI died, the aristocracy of Europe convened to pressure the college of cardinals to ensure the next pope is an inexperienced liberal, someone who can be told what to do, that the fate of European monarchies hung in the balance. Another backward troglodyte would surely invoke revolution. This message was primarily delivered and enforced by Prince Metternich o...
16 Feb 2024
Rome Has Spoken, Part Four: I Am Tradition, I Am the Church
A geopolitical history of the cataclysmic events that shaped the First Vatican Council and the Dogma of Papal Infallibly.Many bishops were just simply skeptical of anything Pius IX was up to, from Bishop Freppel of Anger, France:The Council is being held either too soon or too late. Too late, because we are at the end of the pontificate of a tired and discouraged old man who views everything through the misfortunes he has suffered. For him, everything that takes place in the modern world is, ...
16 Feb 2024
Rome Has Spoken, Part Five: It Is Impossible to Govern the Church
A geopolitical history of the cataclysmic events that shaped the First Vatican Council and the Dogma of Papal Infallibly.On September 8th, the Italian king’s messenger arrived in Rome to deliver the last plea of Victor Emanuel III. Reading the letter, Pius slammed the document on the table and unleashed his famous temper. He raged at the Italian diplomat, calling his countrymen a set of vipers, whited sepulchers, and wanting in faith. Then he made a strange divination:I am no prophet, nor son...
29 Jul 2023
The Christ Nation, Part Five: Whispers of Freedom
A story of the persecution and survival of the Polish Church during communist rule.Jaruzelski too recognized the winds of change and embraced Gorbachev’s policies of perestroika and glasnost: progress and transparency. Jaruzelski desperately needed an off ramp from where he had taken Poland. After the kidnapping and murder of Father Jerzy, his regime was completely delegitimized, and only sustained itself by tanks and guns. So, he suddenly eased censorship, and allowed for new associations fo...
28 Jul 2023
The Christ Nation, Part One: Antemurale Christianitatis
A story of the persecution and survival of the Polish Church during communist rule.The story of this Christ-nation begins over a thousand years ago with the conversion of this agrarian people and ends in the offices of the most powerful people in the world. The pope, representing a Vatican at peak world-wide influence, and the president of the United States, at peak geopolitical consequence, when at any moment the world might well end in nuclear war – the central, significant, centrifugal, ge...
28 Jul 2023
The Christ Nation, Part Three: The Pope in Poland
A story of the persecution and survival of the Polish Church during communist rule.The head of the KGB in Moscow, Yuri Andropov, telephoned the KGB office in Warsaw and demanded to know how they could possibly let this happen. They responded that Mr. Andropov should direct his questions to Rome, not Warsaw. When Polish communist politician Stanislaw Kania read the news that Wojtyla had been elected pope, he uttered under his breath: Holy Mother of God. In his shock it seems Comrade Kania had ...
28 Jul 2023
The Christ Nation, Part Two: Church or State?
A story of the persecution and survival of the Polish Church during communist rule.And so, it was these two men, Wyszynski and Gomulka who would represent the front lines of a new yet long forecasted confrontation: Communism VS Roman Catholicism. Prior to occupying Poland, the Soviets had a relatively easy time of taking over state churches. The Orthodox disciplines of the east were already highly nationalistic with few, if any, external allegiances. The Roman Catholic Church, on the other ha...
28 Jul 2023
The Christ Nation, Part Four: Solidarity
A story of the persecution and survival of the Polish Church during communist rule.On the dark night of December 12th, as most Poles were preparing for the coming Christmas season, Operation Azalea commenced. Phone lines in Poland were suddenly cut. Radio and television stations were swarmed and commandeered by military police who came out of nowhere. At exactly midnight, military reserves loyal to Jaruzelski combined with Soviet forces began Operation Fir. The homes of Solidarity leaders wer...
9 Feb 2023
The Business of the Cross
The Crusades, these Christian holy wars emblazoned into modern consciousness are explicit Catholic history. Therefore, as Catholics, we must reckon with them. In this historical narrative I attempt to answer two surprisingly difficult questions: What were the Crusades and why did they happen?For show transcripts and sources, please visit gatesofhellpod.com.
9 Feb 2023
Episode Zero: What This Is and What This Will Never Be
Welcome to the Gates of Hell Podcast.For show transcripts and sources, please visit gatesofhellpod.com.
Reach and audience
Public platform figures. Ratings count people who left a rating, not total listeners.
Apple Podcasts (US)
5.0 / 5
5 ratings
Spotify
5.0 / 5
4 ratings
Contact Gates of Hell Podcast Project
Guest appearances
Does not typically book guests
Based on episode analysis; this does not confirm that the show is currently accepting guests.
Host of Gates of Hell Podcast Project?
Claim your podcast to manage its listing and keep your show details accurate.
Pod Engine is an independent podcast discovery and analytics service and is not affiliated with or endorsed by this podcast. Artwork and show content belong to their owners. Full legal notice.
Explore this show Podcast research with Pod Engine
