History is the paint that God uses as the Greatest Artist He is.
September 20, 1870: Fall of Rome
- Donald R. McClarey
Donald R. McClarey
Cradle Catholic. Active in the pro-life movement since 1973. Father of three, one in Heaven, and happily married for 43 years. Small town lawyer and amateur historian. Former president of the board of directors of the local crisis pregnancy center for a decade.
Or
The pope was resolute, and appeared on the walls of Rome holding aloft a monstrance.
He was quoted as saying “Behold the Lord! If you are going to act like Huns, I oppose you in the same way my predecessor did Atila!”
Moments later, what has been called a “stray bullet” pierced the chest of the Holy Father. Pius was rushed to an Italian field hospital as fighting ceased for that day and for the three weeks that the pope lingered in unconsciousness, passing on the 13th of October.
The grief and guilt are largely responsible for the Seventies Revival, which began in Italy and is called by some the new springtime.
Rome and the surrounding district have remained in papal hands ever since.
God is the greatest artist, yes. But He often paints a very messy picture.
To our eyes but I doubt it is messy at all from His perspective.