Alex > Recent Status Updates

The Bishops instituted by Mary I sound amazing, honestly.

One stumbling block for Mary I was that many formerly ecclesiastical properties were now held by aristocrats who had purchased them from the crown, and who were afraid that those lands would be given back to the Church if the schism with Rome ended.

Pater Calciu decided to become a priest after being imprisoned at Pitesti. I think Matthew 5:10 fits his biography, which is filled with persecution:
Blessed are those who are persecuted because of righteousness, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.

God bless Alfred Foscolo and Raina Arachewa. The two wanted to marry, but on the occasion of Alfred trying to get a marriage permit in Sofia, he was arrested and sentenced to many years in prison, along with Raina. He then applied for a marriage permit while in prison, which was denied. Eventually, he got free, and was reunited with Raina and his daughter, which was an adventure of its own.

I've had this book on hiatus for too long.

I can't blame Traulos for betraying the emperor after his sisters were imprisoned. Traulos' faith was good enough for the emperor, so I doubt the religious motive was significant.

The way Alexius dealt with the Paulicians was mild (if his daughter is to be believed), but dishonorable.

So far, Bayard sounds like an upright man to me.

Miklos Molnar said that most of the leading figures of the hungarian communist party were petty bourgeois of Jewish heritage. According to the author of this part of the Schwarzbuch, Andrzej Paczowski, one aim of Stalin was to eliminate such Jews, and that this explains his selection of victims for his persecutions.

Once again, I'm left wondering what exactly the problem is that communists have with this book. The dates and names are so precise that I find it hard to believe it was all made up.