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Events that happened Today in Church History
Today is the 136th anniversary of the last hurrah for the Papal States as Blessed Pope Pius IX, beatified along with Blessed Pope John XXIII last month by Pope John Paul II, opted for discretion rather than valor. In other words, to save countless of the faithful from bloodshed he reluctantly surrendered the city of Rome to King Victor Emmanuel, the Sardinian ruler who was uniting all of Italy. While it marked the end of the Papal States, the Vatican itself was preserved as a compromise was worked out between the Vicar of Christ and the king. Pius IX was not harmed and allowed to stay in Vatican City. In addition the Church was given an annual stipend by the Italian government of 3 million liras. However Pius, a proud and noble man, felt he would be selling out by taking the money, feeling it akin to Judas taking the thirty pieces of silver and thus, he steadfastly refused, opting instead to be a prisoner within the Holy See until his death on February 7, 1878. Six years after surrendering, Rome became the capital of Italy, and, despite the secularization of the city, has remained the hub of Catholicism throughout the world. The Lateran Treaty that would be signed between a distant successor of Pius IX - Pope Pius XI and Benito Mussolini would eliminate all temporal power but open the door for the Church to be truly universal and a spiritual influence throughout the 20th century. For other time capsule events that happened Today in Church history, see MILLENNIUM MILESTONES AND MEMORIES
 Silence is indeed golden!
They say a picture is worth a thousand words, but the words of Bishop Fulton J. Sheen have been known to launch a thousand images in one's mind, one of the ways this late luminary did so much to evangelize the faith. Because of the urgency of the times and because few there are today who possess the wisdom, simplicity and insight than the late Archbishop who touched millions, we are bringing you daily gems from his writings. The good bishop makes it so simple that we have dubbed this daily series: "SIMPLY SHEEN".
"The ancient Spartans used to say that 'a fool cannot be silent' and the Scriptures say that 'a fool's voice is known by many words' (Ecclesiastics 5: 3). It is all very well to plaster our church lawn with placards saying: 'Leave the world better than you find it,' but we will never leave the world better until through silence, contemplation and prayer we improve ourselves. We must leave the world to help the world. That life is most effectively lived which every now and then withdraws from the scene of action to contemplation where one learns the terrible defeat and futility which come from excessive absorption in detail and action."
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