Understanding the Faith
Guide
Clearly explained: prayers, devotional items and the Catholic faith from a traditional Catholic perspective.
GlaubenswissenIHS: Meaning of the Monogram of Christ
Three letters in a halo of rays: where the IHS really comes from, why “Iesus Hominum Salvator” is a later interpretation and...
GlaubenswissenChristian Symbols: the Meaning of the Cross, Fish, Lamb and Anchor
Fish, anchor, lamb and Chi-Rho: how the first Christians expressed their faith in signs, what each symbol means and which ancient source...
GlaubenswissenLourdes 1858: the apparitions of the Immaculate Conception
Eighteen apparitions in a grotto in the Pyrenees, a name that a shepherd girl did not understand, and a feast on 11...
GlaubenswissenMeaning of the Cross: the Sign of the Redemption Explained
From an instrument of shame to the sign of salvation: what the cross means according to the teaching of the Church, what...
GlaubenswissenINRI: the Meaning of the Inscription on the Cross of Christ
Four letters above the head of the Crucified: what INRI means, why Pilate had the inscription written in three languages and where...
GlaubenswissenDeus Vult: Meaning, Origin and Wording of the Crusaders’ Cry
Deus vult means “God wills it”. Who first raised the cry at Clermont in 1095, how the chroniclers write it and what...
GlaubenswissenThe Meaning of the Rosary: Why Catholics Pray It
The Our Father, the Angelic Salutation and fifteen mysteries: what the Rosary is, why Catholics pray it and what Leo XIII, Pius...
GlaubenswissenHow Many Beads Are on a Rosary: the Structure Explained
59 beads, a cross, a centrepiece: which bead belongs to which prayer, why the whole Rosary numbers 150 Hail Marys and where...
GlaubenswissenHoly Water: Meaning, Blessing and Use at Home
Water, salt and the prayer of the Church: what holy water is made of, what the Church asks for when she blesses...
GlaubenswissenThe Knights Templar: the history of the Order of the Temple from Jerusalem to Vienne
Nine knights in Jerusalem, an order with castles across Europe and an end at the stake: the history of the Templars from...
GlaubenswissenCrusader Knights: Who They Were and What They Fought For
What a crusader knight vowed, why he wore the cross on his cloak and what he fought for, told from the chronicles...
GlaubenswissenThe Crusades: History and Background from Clermont to Acre
From Clermont in 1095 to Acre in 1291: what the Crusades were, what the popes required of the crusaders, and which widespread...
GlaubenswissenCrucifix: Meaning, Difference from the Cross and Its Place in the Home
A cross shows the sign of the Redemption, a crucifix the Redeemer Himself. What the crucifix means, why it stands on every...