Top 10 Books from 2019
Matthew Bellisario O.P. 2020
Many Catholics are ignorant of their faith and it is unfortunate that many do not appreciate the gift of literacy. This post marks the first a series of upcoming posts that will promote Catholic literature as a means to feed the intellect and help us on the path to virtue and holiness. As a Dominican, prayerful study is an integral part of my spiritual life. This, however, does not mean that only Dominicans should be prayerfully studying the faith. As Catholics, we are obliged to always be learning more about God so that we may love Him more. Choosing good books and other literature to read and meditate on is an important component in achieving this end. The past year was another productive year for me in book reading. Below is a list of some of the books that I found to be 2019's best of those I have read. If these topics interest you and you have not read them then I recommend putting them on your reading list for 2020! Feel free to post any books from last year that you read and recommend, and put them in the comments section.
Counting down to #1...
10. Anneliese Michel: Lawrence LeBlanc
This book covers the true story of the possession of Anneliese Michel, which the movie 'The Exorcism of Emilie Rose' is based on. It is interesting to learn about this victim soul and the suffering she endured for the salvation of others. What is worth the price of admission is that it also contains a complete transcript of what was said during the exorcism including the demonic responses to questions which are very interesting, to say the least.
9. The Dominican Lay Brother: Victor Francis O'Daniel
For those wanting to learn more about the much underappreciated Dominican lay brothers, this book is for you. It includes some interesting stories about the lay brothers in the US and their role in evangelization and tells how of them lived their Dominican vacations.
8. Mary Crushes the Serpent/Begone Satan
This book contains an exorcist's explanation of the diabolical plans of Satan and the remedy against them. The book demonstrates the plan of the Blessed Virgin Mary and how she will come to the aid of the Church in her present crisis. As a bonus, you get the true account of diabolical possession in Earling, Iowa in 1928, in which a woman cursed by her own father was possessed from her 14th year until her 40th year, the year of the exorcism.
7. A Notebook on the Devil and Exorcism: Fr. Dominic Szymanski, O.F.M.
This small book is just over 100 pages but don't let that deter you from buying it. It offers a valuable summary of this priest's experiences with exorcism and the demonic. It is a quick but informative read and only $3.99 on Amazon.
6. Apologia For Tradition: Roberto de Mattei
Just off the press at Angelus Press, Roberto de Mattei is one of today's most reliable Catholic historians. In this book, de Mattei returns Tradition to its proper place within the Church and also explains the true role of the Magisterium and what the "living" Magisterium truly is. As the crisis in the Church grows this is a must-have for your library.
5. Can a Pope be a Heretic? Arnaldo Xavier da Silveira
This is another important book for our time and one of the few detailed books in English on this subject. As the crisis in Church escalates many Catholics are looking at the sedevacantist route. This book offers a valuable refutation of that position and offers a true historical look at what the most reputable theologians throughout Church history actually thought about the possibility of a heretical pope and the different opinions of what could be done about it. See my post here for more of my thoughts on this issue.
4. God and Intelligence: Fulton Sheen
If you want to understand the philosophy of modernism and how Thomism counters its errors, this book is for you. Sheen's first book which was his dissertation focuses on the popular modernist philosophers of his day, which are still relevant in our age, and how their thinking pollutes their theology. This book is well worth pulling out your pencil and underlining passages to look back at later.
3. The Godmother: Madre Pascalina, A Feminine Tour de Force: Charles Murr
This is one entertaining read! The book offers several accounts of this priest's meetings with Pope Pius XII's long-time secretary and housekeeper Sister Josefine Lehnert. If you want to know about what Vatican II was supposed to be about and what kinds of things Pope John XXIII and Paul VI were up to before they became pope, this book offers some insight. Broken into short chapters each giving a separate account makes for great evening reading.
2. Love for the Papacy and Filial Resistance to the Pope in the History of the Church: Roberto de Mattei
This is another gem from Roberto de Mattei. For those who are concerned about the direction Pope Francis is taking the Church today, this book is for you. In the first part of the book, Roberto de Mattei does a great job of showing historical circumstances in which those in the Church legitimately opposed various popes for different reasons. This includes 19 essays that cover historical events such as Pope Honorius who was called out as a heretic by the Cardinals of the Church and Pope John XXII who was also a known heretic.
There are also other interesting essays such as the one on Pope Leo XIII's poor decisions on how he delegated the Church's relationship with secular society, which Pope Pius X later reversed. The second part of the book consists of four lectures and a postscript which offer a terrific defense of the papacy while maintaining a proper critical response to a pope when he is in error. The book is not just a critical look at the present papacy but offers hope that God will bring the Church through this crisis as He has done many other times in the history of the Church. The author calls all men of good faith to remain in the Church and fight for the papacy! I can't recommend this book enough. This book is mandatory reading for all Catholics.
![Christus Vincit: Christ’s Triumph Over the Darkness of the Age by [Schneider, Bishop Athanasius, Montagna, Diane]](https://images-na.ssl-images-amazon.com/images/I/51cwGgAlcUL.jpg)
1. Christus Vincit: Athanasius Schneider
Coming in at #1 is Bishop Athanasius Schneider's interview style book which offers a full account of the crisis in the Church today and the remedy for it. In my opinion, this is the most important book published this year. The rocky and unsettling pontificate of Pope Francis has caused immense confusion in the Church and this book offers a prudential, and reasonable perspective on how Catholics should cope with the consequences. Read my full book review here!
Happy reading to you in 2020!
Matthew Bellisario O.P. 2020
Many Catholics are ignorant of their faith and it is unfortunate that many do not appreciate the gift of literacy. This post marks the first a series of upcoming posts that will promote Catholic literature as a means to feed the intellect and help us on the path to virtue and holiness. As a Dominican, prayerful study is an integral part of my spiritual life. This, however, does not mean that only Dominicans should be prayerfully studying the faith. As Catholics, we are obliged to always be learning more about God so that we may love Him more. Choosing good books and other literature to read and meditate on is an important component in achieving this end. The past year was another productive year for me in book reading. Below is a list of some of the books that I found to be 2019's best of those I have read. If these topics interest you and you have not read them then I recommend putting them on your reading list for 2020! Feel free to post any books from last year that you read and recommend, and put them in the comments section.
Counting down to #1...
10. Anneliese Michel: Lawrence LeBlanc
This book covers the true story of the possession of Anneliese Michel, which the movie 'The Exorcism of Emilie Rose' is based on. It is interesting to learn about this victim soul and the suffering she endured for the salvation of others. What is worth the price of admission is that it also contains a complete transcript of what was said during the exorcism including the demonic responses to questions which are very interesting, to say the least.
9. The Dominican Lay Brother: Victor Francis O'Daniel
For those wanting to learn more about the much underappreciated Dominican lay brothers, this book is for you. It includes some interesting stories about the lay brothers in the US and their role in evangelization and tells how of them lived their Dominican vacations.
8. Mary Crushes the Serpent/Begone Satan
This book contains an exorcist's explanation of the diabolical plans of Satan and the remedy against them. The book demonstrates the plan of the Blessed Virgin Mary and how she will come to the aid of the Church in her present crisis. As a bonus, you get the true account of diabolical possession in Earling, Iowa in 1928, in which a woman cursed by her own father was possessed from her 14th year until her 40th year, the year of the exorcism.
7. A Notebook on the Devil and Exorcism: Fr. Dominic Szymanski, O.F.M.
This small book is just over 100 pages but don't let that deter you from buying it. It offers a valuable summary of this priest's experiences with exorcism and the demonic. It is a quick but informative read and only $3.99 on Amazon.
6. Apologia For Tradition: Roberto de Mattei
Just off the press at Angelus Press, Roberto de Mattei is one of today's most reliable Catholic historians. In this book, de Mattei returns Tradition to its proper place within the Church and also explains the true role of the Magisterium and what the "living" Magisterium truly is. As the crisis in the Church grows this is a must-have for your library.
5. Can a Pope be a Heretic? Arnaldo Xavier da Silveira
This is another important book for our time and one of the few detailed books in English on this subject. As the crisis in Church escalates many Catholics are looking at the sedevacantist route. This book offers a valuable refutation of that position and offers a true historical look at what the most reputable theologians throughout Church history actually thought about the possibility of a heretical pope and the different opinions of what could be done about it. See my post here for more of my thoughts on this issue.
4. God and Intelligence: Fulton Sheen
If you want to understand the philosophy of modernism and how Thomism counters its errors, this book is for you. Sheen's first book which was his dissertation focuses on the popular modernist philosophers of his day, which are still relevant in our age, and how their thinking pollutes their theology. This book is well worth pulling out your pencil and underlining passages to look back at later.
3. The Godmother: Madre Pascalina, A Feminine Tour de Force: Charles Murr
This is one entertaining read! The book offers several accounts of this priest's meetings with Pope Pius XII's long-time secretary and housekeeper Sister Josefine Lehnert. If you want to know about what Vatican II was supposed to be about and what kinds of things Pope John XXIII and Paul VI were up to before they became pope, this book offers some insight. Broken into short chapters each giving a separate account makes for great evening reading.
2. Love for the Papacy and Filial Resistance to the Pope in the History of the Church: Roberto de Mattei
This is another gem from Roberto de Mattei. For those who are concerned about the direction Pope Francis is taking the Church today, this book is for you. In the first part of the book, Roberto de Mattei does a great job of showing historical circumstances in which those in the Church legitimately opposed various popes for different reasons. This includes 19 essays that cover historical events such as Pope Honorius who was called out as a heretic by the Cardinals of the Church and Pope John XXII who was also a known heretic.
There are also other interesting essays such as the one on Pope Leo XIII's poor decisions on how he delegated the Church's relationship with secular society, which Pope Pius X later reversed. The second part of the book consists of four lectures and a postscript which offer a terrific defense of the papacy while maintaining a proper critical response to a pope when he is in error. The book is not just a critical look at the present papacy but offers hope that God will bring the Church through this crisis as He has done many other times in the history of the Church. The author calls all men of good faith to remain in the Church and fight for the papacy! I can't recommend this book enough. This book is mandatory reading for all Catholics.
1. Christus Vincit: Athanasius Schneider
Coming in at #1 is Bishop Athanasius Schneider's interview style book which offers a full account of the crisis in the Church today and the remedy for it. In my opinion, this is the most important book published this year. The rocky and unsettling pontificate of Pope Francis has caused immense confusion in the Church and this book offers a prudential, and reasonable perspective on how Catholics should cope with the consequences. Read my full book review here!
Happy reading to you in 2020!
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