Zeno (d. 303) was a soldier martyred at Nicomedia (modern Turkey). He was seized and condemned to death for laughing while Emperor Diocletian offered a sacrifice to the Roman god Ceres. Zeno had his jaws shattered and was then beheaded. His feast day is December 22.
The statue of the Laughing San Zeno, dating from the 13th century, inside the Basilica di San Zeno in Verona. Photo credit: Paul Turner
This is a documentary-style film by the BBC about the famous Christmas Truce that happened in World War I.
Joyeaux Noel (2005) is a wonderful Christmas film that dramatizes the same true story.
Ann Jones is author of the recently published book, They Were Soldiers: How the Wounded Return from America’s Wars: The Untold Story.
Haymarket Books, 2013
The following article written by Ann Jones on child soldiers was originally published at TomDispatch.com:
Congress surely meant to do the right thing when, in the fall of 2008, it passed the Child Soldiers Prevention Act (CSPA). The law was designed to protect kids worldwide from being forced to fight the wars of Big Men. From then on, any country that coerced children into becoming soldiers was supposed to lose all U.S. military aid.
It turned out, however, that Congress — in its rare moment of concern for the next generation — had it all wrong. In its greater wisdom, the White House found countries like Chad and Yemen so vital to the national interest of the United States that it preferred to overlook what happened to the children in their midst.
As required by CSPA, this year the State Department once again listed 10 countries that use child soldiers: Burma (Myanmar), the Central African Republic, Chad, the Democratic Republic of the Congo, Rwanda, Somalia, South Sudan, Sudan, Syria, and Yemen. Seven of them were scheduled to receive millions of dollars in U.S. military aid as well as what’s called “U.S. Foreign Military Financing.” That’s a shell game aimed at supporting the Pentagon and American weapons makers by handing millions of taxpayer dollars over to such dodgy “allies,” who must then turn around and buy “services” from the Pentagon or “materiel” from the usual merchants of death. You know the crowd: Lockheed Martin, McDonnell Douglas, Northrop Grumman, and so on.
Here was a chance for Washington to teach a set of countries to cherish their young people, not lead them to the slaughter. But in October, as it has done every year since CSPA became law, the White House again granted whole or partial “waivers” to five countries on the State Department’s “do not aid” list: Chad, South Sudan, Yemen, the Democratic Republic of the Congo, and Somalia.
Too bad for the young — and the future — of those countries. But look at it this way: Why should Washington help the children of Sudan or Yemen escape war when it spares no expense right here at home to press our own impressionable, idealistic, ambitious American kids into military “service”?
It should be no secret that the United States has the biggest, most efficiently organized, most effective system for recruiting child soldiers in the world. With uncharacteristic modesty, however, the Pentagon doesn’t call it that. Its term is “youth development program.”
Pushed by multiple high-powered, highly paid public relations and advertising firms under contract to the Department of Defense, the program is a many splendored thing. Its major public face is the Junior Reserve Officers Training Corps or JROTC.
What makes this child-soldier recruiting program so striking is that the Pentagon carries it out in plain sight in hundreds and hundreds of private, military, and public high schools across the U.S.
Unlike the notorious West African warlords Foday Sankoh and Charles Taylor (both brought before international tribunals on charges of war crimes), the Pentagon doesn’t actually kidnap children and drag them bodily into battle. It seeks instead to make its young “cadets” what John Stuart Mill once termed “willing slaves,” so taken in by the master’s script that they accept their parts with a gusto that passes for personal choice. To that end, JROTC works on their not-yet-fully-developed minds, instilling what the program’s textbooks call “patriotism” and “leadership,” as well as a reflexive attention to authoritarian commands.
The scheme is much more sophisticated — so much more “civilized” — than any ever devised in Liberia or Sierra Leone, and it works. The result is the same, however: kids get swept into soldiering, a job they will not be free to leave, and in the course of which they may be forced to commit spirit-breaking atrocities. When they start to complain or crack under pressure, in the U.S. as in West Africa, out come the drugs.
The JROTC program, still spreading in high schools across the country, costs U.S. taxpayers hundreds of millions of dollars annually. It has cost some unknown number of taxpayers their children…
Click here to read more.
This “Catholic meme” perfectly encapsulates pervasive misunderstandings about the Hunger Games on the part of the Christian community, which I wrote about at length here. Below is a photograph of St. Maximillian Kolbe, who volunteered to die in place of a stranger in the Nazi German death camp of Auschwitz. He is being compared to Katniss in the Hunger Games. This is obviously a reference to the scene where Katniss volunteers to go to the “games” in place of her sister. Many Christians call Katniss a Christ-like figure because this was an act of self-sacrifice.
“Catholic meme” with St. Maximillian Kolbe
There is one very important difference between Katniss and St. Maximillian Kolbe: St. Maximillian Kolbe was a nonviolent individual who never, as far as I know, killed anyone. Katniss is a killer, no matter which way you slice it. Many people would surely say that the difference between them is so obvious it does not even need to be pointed out, but to borrow a line from Neko Case, the difference between these two tributes/martyrs/heroes is “so clear it is almost invisible.” And there are those who wish to make that difference invisible, so as to be better able to propagate untruths and half truths, so as to serve their own dark ends.
There is a difference between offering to suffer in place of another and offering to kill in place of another. There is also a difference between person A being willing to sacrifice his own life so that person B can live, and person A being willing to kill person C (and maybe persons D, E and F) so that person B can live, even if person A is risking his own life in the process. In a certain light, both can be seen as acts of self-sacrifice, but only the first one is Christ-like. The second is not.
Venantius Fortunatus Reading His Poems to Radegonda VI.
Quick shout-out to Saint Venantius Fortunatus, a poet and Bishop of the early Church who died in 610. He was a big fan of Saint Martin of Tours, one of the greatest military saints (as are we). A bit of a wandering minstrel, St. Venantius went out of his way to visit the shrine of St. Martin on his travels and eventually wrote a book about him called Vita S. Martini. It is a long narrative poem, reminiscent of the classical epics of Greek and Roman cultures but replete with Christian references and allusions, depicting the life of Saint Martin. We hope Venantius told the whole story!
Recently, Christian pastors in Kenya have been asking for AK-47s to defend themselves and their churches from Islamic extremists.
Rev. Peter Karanja (center), of the National Council of Churches of Kenya, addresses a news conference on Wednesday, Oct 30. He said the government should see this as writing on the wall and that Kenyans are getting tired of the continuing insecurity. (Fredrick Nzwili/RNS)
“’Our many churches are not under any protection. They do not have walls or gates. The government should issue AK-47 rifles to every church so that we can stop them from being burnt, our property from being looted and our pastors and Christians from being killed,’ said Lambert Mbela, a pastor at Mathole’s church.”
It is interesting to contemplate the examples of St. Nicasius and St. Jucundus (from Catholic.org):
An army of barbarians ravaging part of Gaul plundered the city of Rheims. Nicasius, the Bishop, had foretold this calamity to his flock in consequence of a vision, and urged them to prepare for the visitation by works of penance. When he saw the enemy at the gates and in the streets, forgetting himself and solicitous only for his spiritual children, he went from door to door encouraging all to patience and constancy. When the people asked him whether they should yield or fight to the end he, knowing that the city must fall, replied, “Let us abide the mercy of God and pray for our enemies. I am ready to give myself for my people.” Standing at 
the door of his church, in endeavoring to save the lives of some, he exposed himself to the swords of the infidels, who cut off his head. St. Florentius, his deacon, and St. Jucundus, his lector, were massacred by his side. His sister, St. Eutropia, seeing herself spared in order that hers might be another fate, threw herself upon her brother’s murderer and kicked and scratched him till she too was cut down and killed.
From the website of St. Lucy’s Church in the diocese of Scranton (abridged):
The story of St. Lucy is connected with a period of great political uncertainly and anxiety in the Roman Empire. After 400 years, the Roman Empire was declining under the constant onslaught of its enemies. Diocletian became the Emperor in 284 and set about trying to regain Rome’s former power and glory. It was into this time that Lucy was born into a rich and noble Roman family about the year 283 in Syracuse, Sicily. Lucy raised a devout Catholic and privately decided in her teenage years to consecrate her virginity to God and devote her worldly goods to the service of the poor. However, her mother, not knowing of Lucy’s promise and suffering from a bleeding disorder feared for Lucy’s future. She arranged Lucy’s marriage to a young man of a wealthy pagan family.
St. Lucy, holding the palm branch and dish with eyes
Not far away was the shrine of the famous virgin-martyr Agatha, who had been executed in the Decian persecution (5 Feb. 251 A.D.). St. Agatha came to Lucy in a dream and told her that because of her faith her mother would be cured. Agatha also told Lucy that God would do great things through her. Eutychia was in fact cured. Joyful at her cure, Lucy’s mother agreed to let Lucy help the poor and for now not marry. As Lucy’s reputation grew in Syracuse, the clouds of persecution gathered over Sicily. Lucy was renowned for her beauty and her sparkling eyes. It was said she had a radiance about her that came from her love for Christ.
Meanwhile, at the imperial palace in Rome, Diocletian realized that the empire was now too unwieldy and too exposed. To better manage the empire he split the Empire into three parts with himself as Augustus Caesar (or head Caesar). General Galerius was appointed Caesar in the East and General Maximian as Caesar in the West. They would report to Diocletian. Diocletian at first was very tolerant of the Catholic Faith. However, as the Empire reeled under the continued attacks of its many enemies, Galerius and Maximian persuaded Diocletian to attempt to reinstate the ancient pagan religion throughout the empire. It was thought that this would unify and strengthen the empire as in centuries past.
In 303 A.D, Diocletian issued three edicts that began the last and worst of the persecutions against the Catholic Faith. The first ordered the destruction of the churches and the burning of all Catholic writings, especially the Bible. The second edict was directed against the clergy. Great numbers of bishops, priests and deacons were arrested and martyred. Others were sold off as slaves in the salt and copper mines. The third edict was directed at the laity. Villages and towns would be leveled and their inhabitants slaughtered or sold into slavery for being Catholic.
In 304 A.D. the frightful persecution came to Sicily. The Roman governor, Pascasio, probably to court favor with the emperor, was determined to carry out the three decrees with the full weight of the Roman Army behind him.
With the persecution in full swing, Lucy had now to help the poor and her fellow Catholics who had taken refuge in the extensive catacombs underneath Syracuse. Lucy had become well known in Syracuse for her faith and charitable works. In these sorrowful days Lucy carried food and drink to Catholics hiding in the dark underground catacombs. It is said she wore a wreath on her head with candles to light her way because her arms were full of food and water. Word of her heroic deeds spread and did not escape the ears of informants. It was the pagan youth to whom Lucy had been betrothed, motivated by pride, greed, jealousy or a combination of all three, who in his anger he denounced Lucy to Pascasio, the governor, as a Christian. Lucy was now caught up in the great persecution of Diocletian. Her patrician status could no longer save her.
Pascasio seized this opportunity to make Lucy an example of Rome’s greatness and displeasure. Thus, the governor wanted to destroy the beautiful “light” that was Lucy. He was not content to just kill Lucy’s body. Lucy had radiance about her, both physically and spiritually. It was his intent to show the Catholics of Syracuse that the Roman Empire was greater than their God. Lucy’s public humiliation was designed to discredit the power of Christ and His Church. And so Lucy, a beautiful young woman, noted for her eyes that shined with a glow of inner beauty and goodness was hauled before the governor. Lucy would be forced to renounce her faith and worship the pagan gods. If Lucy could be forced to renounce her faith, than other Catholics would follow suit.
Pascasio order a public spectacle in the magnificent amphitheater of Syracuse. Looking down on the helpless Lucy was the governor sitting in the royal box, surrounded by politician and generals in their splendid Roman armor and vibrant red clocks. The might of Rome pitted against Lucy.
The governor’s plan was to plunge Lucy into the darkness and degradation of sin. She was first condemned to suffer the shame of prostitution; but when the soldiers came take her to a brothel, in the strength of God, she stood immovable. No matter how they tried, they could not drag her away to that place of shame. In a desperate effort, a team of oxen was used, but to no avail. Frustrated, the governor demanded of Lucy, “How are you doing this?” Lucy could only respond that it was not she, but Jesus Christ.
Infuriated, he governor then ordered Lucy to be burned alive if she didn’t deny Jesus and worship the pagan gods. Lucy refused. Bundles of twigs were placed around her. When the soldiers tried to ignite the bundles, they would not burn. The governor ordered the wood to be soaked with oil, but the oil would not ignite. When asked how she was doing all this, Lucy could only answer once again that it was not her but the power of Jesus Christ. The pagans in the crowd were being won over by this hapless girl.
Sensing that his demonstration of Roman might was becoming undone, in desperation, Pascasio ordered Lucy’s eyes to be gouged out. Still, Lucy refused to deny Christ. Then Pascasio ordered a soldier to stab Lucy in the neck with his sword. She won her crown of martyrdom on December 13, 304.
In death, Lucy became an even greater example of Christian witness. Miracles started immediately. Lucy was carried to the cemetery and in Roman tradition her body was prepared for burial in the family mausoleum. Here, they discovered that her eyes had been miraculously restored. To mark this miracle, Lucy is often pictured with a dish on which is a set of eyes. She also hold the palm branch, symbol of victory over evil.
Be sure to follow Veterans for Peace if you’re on Twitter! They reminded us about this wonderful moment in history:
#vets4peace remembers the #ChristmasTruce of #1914, when German and British soldiers refused to fight. #peacepic.twitter.com/EMyqwDM6VZ
— Veterans For Peace (@VFPNational) December 12, 2013
Title: “An Historic Group: British and German Soldiers Photographed Together”
This Christmas, be sure to watch Joyeaux Noel (2005): On Christmas Eve during world War I, the Germans, French, and Scottish fraternize and get to know the men who live on the opposite side of a brutal war, in what became a true lesson of humanity.
Anno was religious as a child and entertained thoughts of a military life, but he was guided by his uncle into an ecclesiastical state. In 1055 he became the archbishop of Cologne. He was canonised in 1183 by Pope Lucius III. He was a founder or co-founder of monasteries (Michaelsberg, Grafschaft and Affligem) and a builder of churches, advocated clerical celibacy and introduced a strict discipline in a number of monasteries. He was a man of great energy and ability, whose action in recognizing Alexander II was of the utmost consequence for Henry IV and for Germany.
One father kept his son aloof from the “savage habits of war” and hooked him up with a good tutor instead. His son went on to become a saint:
Saint John Damascene (645-749) has the double honor of being the last but one of the fathers of the Eastern Church, and the greatest of her poets. It is surprising, however, how little that is authentic is known of his life. The account of him by John of Jerusalem, written some two hundred years after his death, contains an admixture of legendary matter, and it is not easy to say where truth ends and fiction begins. It is said that he was baptized immediately on his birth, probably by Peter II, bishop of Damascus, and his father was anxious to keep his son aloof from the savage habits of war and piracy, to which the youths of Damascus were addicted, and to devote John to the pursuit of knowledge.
The Saracen pirates of the seashore neighboring to Damascus, swept the Mediterranean, and brought in Christian captives from all quarters. A monk named Cosmas was captured, his executioners, probably Christian slaves, fell at his feet and entreated his intercession with the Redeemer. The Saracens enquired of Cosmas who he was. He replied that he had not the dignity of a priest; he was a simple monk, and burst into tears. The father of John was standing by, and expressed his surprise at this exhibition of timidity. Cosmas answered, “It is not for the loss of my life, but of my learning, that I weep.” The father of John, thinking he would make a valuable tutor for his son, begged for or bought his life from the Saracen governor, gave him his freedom, and placed his son under his tuition.
Under the instruction of Cosmas, John is said to have made great advances in music, astronomy and theology, soon rivaling Pythagoras in arithmetic and Euclid in geometry. As a refugee from Italy, Cosmas brought with him the scholarly traditions of Western Christianity. John went on to write works expounding the Christian faith, and composed hymns which are still used both liturgically in Eastern Christian practice throughout the world as well as in western Lutheranism at Easte. He is considered “the last of the Fathers” of the Eastern Orthodox church and is best known for his strong defense of icons. The Catholic Church regards him as a Doctor of the Church, often referred to as the Doctor of the Assumption due to his writings on the Assumption of Mary.
via St. John of Damascus – Saints & Angels – Catholic Online