Journeying for the Lord

Another apostolic journey was undertaken by Francis in 1213-1214. This time he wanted to go to Spain, in order to evangelise the Saracens in Morocco. Even this time Francis did not succeed, because of an illness which forced him to return to Italy. At the Porziuncola he received a group of learned men who came to his Order. One of them was friar Thomas of Celano, who would become the author of three biographies on Francis.

… Francis decided to leave for Acre and Damiata, in Egypt, where the fifth crusade was trying to conquer Egypt. During the autumn of 1219 Francis arrived at Damiata and requested permission from the papal legate to enter the saracen camp at his own risk. Together with frate Illuminato he went into the saracen camp and even spoke to the sultan Melek-el-Kamel. The sultan listened willingly to Francis, and it seems that he also gave Francis permission to visit the Holy Land. After the crusades conquered Damiata in 1220 Francis went to Acre, probably after having had the occasion to see the Christian sanctuaries of the Holy Land, then in the hands of the saracens. Francis and his followers have remained in the Holy Land ever since. The historical facts of Francis’ journey to the orient are documented also in a letter written by Jacques de Vitry, from Diamata in 1220.

St Francis, urged by zeal for the faith of Christ and by a wish to suffer martyrdom, took with him one day twelve of his most holy brethren, and went beyond the sea with the intention of going straight to the Sultan of Babylon. They arrived in a province belonging to the Saracens, where all the passes were guarded by men so cruel, that no Christian who passed that way could escape being put to death. Now it pleased God that St Francis and his companions should not meet with the same fate; but they were taken prisoners, and after being bound and ill-treated, were led before the Sultan. Then St Francis standing before him, inspired by the Holy Spirit, preached most divinely the faith of Christ; and to prove the truth of what he said, professed himself ready to enter into the fire. Now the Sultan began to feel a great devotion towards him, both because of the constancy of his faith, and because he despised the things of this world (for he had refused to accept any of the presents which he had offered to him), and also because of his ardent wish to suffer martyrdom. From that moment he listened to him willingly, and begged him to come back often, giving both him and his companions leave to preach wheresoever they pleased; he likewise gave them a token of his protection, which would preserve them from all molestation.
From Little Flowers

The Battle of Lepanto…In 1571, Don John of Austria commanding the fleet of the Holy League, met the Ottoman Turks in the waters at the mouth of the Gulf of Patros. Here,where the Peleponnese meets the Morea, the basis of Western civilation had been laid thousands of years before in the city states of ancient Greece. When the smoke cleared after a hard fought naval engagement, thousands of men would be dead, the Turkish fleet broken and the Christian powers freed from the fear of the Mediterranean ever becoming a Muslim lake.
It was one of the most decisive battles in history.
The feast of the Holy Rosary was established by Saint Pius V on the anniversary of the naval victory won by the Christian fleet at Lepanto, October 7, 1571. The victory was attributed to the help of the holy Mother of God whose aid was invoked through praying the rosary. The celebration of this day invites all to mediate upon the mysteries of Christ, following the example of the Blessed Virgin Mary who was so singularly associated with the incarnation, passion and glorious resurrection of the Son of God.

Pope John Paul II asks us to pray the Rosary!

On September 30, 2001, after the morning Mass opening the Synod of Bishops, Pope John Paul II asked people to pray the Rosary:

“October is the month in which Mary Most Holy, Queen of the Holy Rosary, is venerated. Within the current international context, I invite all — individuals, families, communities — to pray this Marian prayer, possibly every day, for peace, so that the world can be preserved from the wicked scourge of terrorism.
“The terrible tragedy of September 11th will be remembered as a dark day in the history of humanity. In the face of this, the Church tries to be faithful to her prophetic charism and remind all men about their duty to build a future of peace for the human family. Certainly, peace is not separated from justice, but it must be nourished by mercy and love.
“We cannot forget that Jews, Christians and Muslims adore God as the only God. The three religions, therefore, have the vocation of unity and peace. May God allow the Church’s faithful to be agents of peace, in the front line of the search for justice and the prohibition of violence.
“May the Virgin Mary, Queen of Peace, intercede for all humanity, so that hate and death never have the last word!”

On September 29, 2002, Pope John Paul II asked that we pray the Rosary for Peace:

JOHN PAUL II
ANGELUS
Castel Gandolfo
Sunday, 29 June 2002

Dear Brothers and Sisters,

1. We are already on the threshold of the month of October, which, with the liturgical memorial of Our Lady of the Rosary, inspires us to rediscover this traditional prayer, so simple yet so profound.
The Rosary is a way of contemplating the face of Christ seeing him - we may say - with the eyes of Mary. For this reason, it is a prayer that drawing upon the core of the Gospel is in full accord with the inspiration of the Second Vatican Council and very much in keeping with the direction I gave in the Apostolic Letter Novo Millennio ineunte: the Church has to launch out “into the deep” in the new millennium beginning with the contemplation of the face of Christ.
Therefore, I wish to suggest the recitation of the Rosary to individuals, families and Christian communities. To give force to this invitation, I am preparing a document which will help to rediscover the beauty and depth of this prayer.

2. I wish once again to entrust the great cause of peace to the praying of the Rosary. We are facing an international situation that is full of tensions, at times threatening to explode. In some parts of the world, where the confrontation is harsher - I think particularly of the suffering land of Christ - we can realize that, even though they are necessary, political efforts are worth little if one remains exacerbated in his mind and no one cares to demonstrate a new disposition of heart in the hope of reviving the struggle and effort of dialogue.
Who but God alone can infuse such sentiments? It is more necessary than ever that from every part of the earth prayer for peace be made to Him. In this perspective, the Rosary turns out to be the form of prayer most needed. It builds peace because, while it appeals to the grace of God, it sows in the one praying it the seed of good from which we can expect the fruit of justice and solidarity for personal and community life.
I am thinking of nations and also of families. How much peace would flow into family relationships if the family would begin again to pray the Rosary.

… again the townsfolk of Castel Gandolfo: Goodbye until next year. Next Sunday, 6 October, God willing, we shall be in St Peter’s Square.

On October 16, 2002, the 25th year of his pontificate, Pope John

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The Rosary — from the Catechism of the Catholic Church

971 “All generations will call me blessed”: “The Church’s devotion to the Blessed Virgin is intrinsic to Christian worship.” The Church rightly honors “The Blessed Virgin with special devotion. From the most ancient times the Blessed Virgin has been honored with the title of ‘Mother of God’, to whose protection the faithful fly in all their dangers and needs…This special devotion…differs essentially from the adoration which is given to the incarnate Word and equally to the Father and the Holy Spirit, and greatly fosters this adoration.” The liturgical feasts dedicated to the Mother of God and Marian prayer, such as the rosary, an “epitome of the whole Gospel,” express this devotion to the Virgin Mary.
1674 Besides sacramental liturgy and sacramentals, catechesis must take into account the forms of piety and popular devotions among the faithful. The religious sense of the Christian people has always found expression in various forms of piety surrounding the Church’s sacramental life, such as the veneration of relics, visits to sanctuaries, pilgrimages, processions, the stations of the cross, religious dances, the rosary, medals, etc….Crusades
2678 Medieval piety in the West developed the prayer of the rosary as a popular substitute for the Liturgy of the Hours. In the East, the litany called the Akathistos and the Paraclesis remained closer to the choral office in the Byzantine churches, while the Armenian, Coptic, and Syriac traditions preferred popular hymns of St. Ephrem or St Gregory of Narek, the tradition of prayer is basically the same.
2708 Meditation engages thought, imagination, emotion, and desire. This mobilization of faculties is necessary in order to deepen our convictions of faith, prompt the conversion of our heart, and strengthen our will to follow Christ. Christian prayer tries above all to mediate on the mysteries of Christ, as in lectio divina or the rosary. This form of prayerful reflection is of great value, but Christian prayer should go further: to the knowledge of the love of the Lord Jesus, to union with him.
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Excerpt From the Directory on Popular Piety and the Liturgy, Principles and Guidelines

The Rosary

197. The Rosary, or Psalter of the Blessed Virgin Mary, is one of the most excellent prayers to the Mother of God (234). Thus, “the Roman Pontiffs have repeatedly exhorted the faithful to the frequent recitation of this biblically inspired prayer which is centered on contemplation of the salvific events of Christ’s life, and their close association with the his Virgin Mother. The value and efficacy of this prayer have often been attested by saintly Bishops and those advanced in holiness of life” (235).
The Rosary is essentially a contemplative prayer, which requires “tranquility of rhythm or even a mental lingering which encourages the faithful to meditate on the mysteries of the Lord’s life” (236). Its use is expressly recommended in the formation and spiritual life of clerics and religious (237).
198. The Blessing for Rosary Beads (238) indicates the Church’s esteem for the Rosary. This rite emphasizes the community nature of the Rosary. In the rite, the blessing of rosary beads is followed by the blessing of those who meditate on the mysteries of the life, death and resurrection of Our Lord so as to “establish a perfect harmony between prayer and life” (239).
As indicated in the Benedictionale, Rosary beads can be blessed publicly, on occasions such as a pilgrimage to a Marian shrine, a feast of Our Lady, especially that of the Holy Rosary, and at the end of the month of October (240).
199. With due regard for the nature of the rosary, some suggestions can now be made which could make it more proficuous.
On certain occasions, the recitation of the Rosary could be made more solemn in tone “by introducing those Scriptural passages corresponding with the various mysteries, some parts could be sung, roles could be distributed, and by solemnly opening and closing of prayer” (241).
200. Those who recite a third of the Rosary sometimes assign the various mysteries to particular days: joyful (Monday and Thursday), sorrowful (Tuesday and Friday), glorious (Wednesday, Saturday and Sunday).
Where this system is rigidly adhere to, conflict can arise between the content of the mysteries and that of the Liturgy of the day: the recitation of the sorrowful mysteries on Christmas day, should it fall on a Friday. In cases such as this it can be reckoned that “the liturgical character of a given day takes precedence over the usual assignment of a mystery of the Rosary to a given day; the Rosary is such that, on particular days, it can appropriately substitute meditation on a mystery so as to harmonize this pious practice with the liturgical season” (242). Hence, the faithful act correctly when, for example, they contemplate the arrival of the three Kings on the Solemnity of the Epiphany, rather than the finding of Jesus in the Temple. Clearly, such substitutions can only take place after much careful thought, adherence to Sacred Scripture and liturgical propriety.
201. The custom of making an insertion in the recitation of the Hail Mary, which is an ancient one that has not completely disappeared, has often been recommended by the Pastors of the Church since it encourages meditation and the concurrence of mind and lips (243).
Insertions of this nature would appear particularly suitable for the repetitive and meditative character of the Rosary. It takes the form of a relative clause following the name of Jesus and refers to the mystery being contemplated. The meditation of the Rosary can be helped by the choice of a short clause of a Scriptural and Liturgical nature, fixed for every decade.
202. “In recommending the value and beauty of the Rosary to the faithful, care should be taken to avoid discrediting other forms of prayer, or of overlooking the existence of a diversity of other Marian chaplets which have also been approved by the Church” (244). It is also important to avoid inculcating a sense of guilt in those who do not habitually recite the Rosary: “The Rosary is an excellent prayer, in regard to which, however, the faithful should feel free to recite it, in virtue of its inherent beauty” (245).

From: Women of Faith and Family…Family Activity

• Initiate the practice of praying the Rosary as a family at least once a week. If children are very small, you could start with just one decade. Older children can take turns “leading” the family members in prayer.

Pray before the Cross:

“Lord Jesus Christ, Son of the Father, send now Your Spirit over the earth. Let the Holy Spirit live in the hearts of all nations, that they may be preserved from degeneration, disaster and war. May the Lady of All Nations, who once was Mary, be our Advocate. Amen.”

The Prayer in other languages, please pass this page on to others: http://www.laudate.org/en/prayer/prayer.htm

1st MESSAGE From: Circle of Prayer

March 25, 1945 - Feast of the Annunciation, Palm Sunday

The Lady appears

It was March 25, 1945, the Feast of the Annunciation. My sisters and I sat talking in the drawing-room, around the pot-bellied stove. The war was still going on, and it was the time of the ‘hunger-winter’. Father Frehe [1] was in town that day and stopped by for a brief visit. We were in deep conversation when, all at once, I felt drawn to the adjoining room and suddenly saw a light appearing there. I got up and couldn’t help going towards it. The wall disappeared before my eyes, and with it everything that had been there. It was one sea of light and an infinite depth. And out of that depth I suddenly saw a figure coming forward, a living figure, a female form. I saw her standing to my left above me, dressed in a long, white garment and wearing a sash, very feminine. She was standing with her arms lowered and the palms of her hands turned outwards, towards me. As I looked, something strange came over me. I thought, “It must be the Blessed Virgin; it can’t be otherwise.”

Prediction of the liberation

Then, all at once, the figure begins to speak to me. She says,
“of the liberation of the Netherlands on May 5, 1945 Repeat after me.”
I therefore begin––she speaks very slowly––to repeat after her, word-for-word. She raises first three, then four and finally five fingers, while telling me,
“The 3 is March, the 4 is April and the 5 is May 5th.” [2]
The Rosary and the prayer then she lets me see the Rosary and says,
“It is thanks to this. Persevere!”
She waits a little, and then says,

“The prayer must be spread.”

Then I see nothing but soldiers in front of me, many Allies, and the Blessed Virgin points at them. Then she takes the crucifix of the Rosary and points at the corpus. Then she points again at these soldiers. I should understand that it must become the life support of these soldiers, for that voice continues,
“Now they will soon go home, these.” And she points at the troops.

The Lady, Mother

My sisters and Fr. Frehe had gathered around me. When he heard me begin speaking, he said to one of my sisters, “Just write down what she says.” After I had repeated a couple of sentences, I heard him say, “Listen, just ask who it is.”
And then I ask, “Are you Mary?” The figure smiles at me and answers,
“They will call me ‘The Lady’, ‘Mother’.”

A cross

The image fades away before my eyes and then I look into my hand. Then a cross is laid down before me and I have to take it up. I take it up very slowly, and it is heavy.
After that figure had said everything for me to repeat, she disappeared very slowly. Only then did the light also go away, and all at once I saw everything around me in the room as it had always been.
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[1] For fifty years, from 1917 until his death in 1967, Father J. Frehe O.P. was the spiritual director and confessor of the visionary.
[2] Prediction
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A Brief War Primer

by James V. Schall, S. J. more on Crusades…From Women of Faith

Editor’s Note: Since September 11, 2001, the United States and other countries have been involved in what has been termed a “war on terrorism”. There has been much serious discussion among Catholics, especially after the war in Iraq began, about the justification for war, and the present conflict in particular.

In the essay below, Father James Schall, professor of politicial science at Georgetown University, offers insightful observations on this unique conflict, which he says is “at its heart a ‘civilizational’ war”. The essay is published here with the author’s permission.

Since and because of 9/11, 2001, this country and other nations have been at war. For many people, it is difficult to form a clear idea of what it is all about. In most wars, the enemy side is a nation state. Certain formalities, both on the enemy’s side and on our side have been reached. This war, at first, seems to be a different kind of war, and it is. But it is still a war.
It might be of some use to spell out, as a matter of opinion, the main elements of what this war is about. The most dangerous position is the one that does not know that a war does exist and we are its main target because, evidently, we are the only power that is willing or able to stop the enemy, in his own estimation, from achieving his end.

1. This is a real war with an active, dangerous enemy. It is at its heart a “civilizational” war, however reluctant we might be to acknowledge it. It is not due merely to a few “fanatics,” not forgetting that the few have always led great movements.
2. The enemy is not directly a “nation-state,” but that does not mean it is not dangerous or incapable of highly damaging activity. It does use nation-states who will cooperate with its goals. Had all ten or twelve planes, evidently planned to be used on 9/11, reached their targets, probably the White House, the Congress, the Court, the Sears Tower in Chicago, perhaps the Golden Gate or George Washington Bridge, or other similar targets, not only American, this country would have been much more seriously paralyzed than it momentarily was. The order to ground all planes on 9/11 was little short of brilliant.
3. Recently, al-Qaeda planners are surveying the American financial institutions or power grids. This plotting suggests that the enemy is shrewd and knows how to inflict maximum damage at the heart of a modern, complex society. It is probable that these organizations have or will have some nuclear capacity that need not be delivered from the sky. Nothing indicates that this enemy will not use such weapons when he can. If they are not physically stopped, they will use them.
4. Above all, this is not a war against “terrorists.” This definition of the enemy has been most unfortunate. It has obscured us from seeing the face of an enemy that must be dealt with. The word “terrorism” makes it sound like those who attack us are members of a political science sub-set that appears out of some oft-recurring aberration throughout the globe. It abstracts from the cause that actually motivates this enemy. Terrorists, supposedly, can be “explained” in terms of just reaction to mal-distribution of goods, or by poverty, or some social justice excuse. Little or none of this sort of explanation applies here. These men are not motivated by these reasons.
5. The war is caused, planned, and carried out by specific religious groups within Islam. They claim, and probably justly according to their own lights, to be implementing the demands of their religion. They have a pious long-range purpose, to destroy the opponents of Allah, to make everyone else a believer. Generally speaking, we are so indoctrinated with ecumenism or liberalism that we cannot comprehend how this thinking could be credible, even though, in the long history of Islam, its own expansion and consolidation were largely due to such successful military forces. Islam did not, except in rare cases like Indonesia, expand by “peaceful” means. It expanded by war and military control, particularly against, but not only against, Christian peoples.
6. Not all Muslims follow these movements, but many, probably the majority, are sympathetic with their goals, especially when they seem victorious. From within Islam itself, it is almost impossible to oppose these movements except by Muslim government forces, themselves often under threat from these same movements if they do not support them.
7. This war is not “caused” by Israel. Obviously, Israel provides grounds or pretext of complaint. No one, even itself, holds that Israel has done everything right. But if Israel were to disappear tomorrow, the same problem would exist, probably on a greater scale. Israel may well be the most visible example of what our cities and country-sides would be like once similar militant Muslim forces began operating effectively with similar tactics within our borders or in those areas in Europe where Muslim populations are steadily increasing.
8. This is not a war of American imperialism caused by a misreading of the doctrine of Woodrow Wilson about making the world safe for democracy. Every one, including the President and the Pope, would like to see a “democratic” government in Islamic countries, where there are at best presently only one or two. The basic pattern of Islamic government is a military overlord elevated to some monarchal status, usually in control of the army. Recently, Afghanistan and Iran, and some others, have seen more specifically religious leaders take over rule.
9. Almost nowhere within Islamic states is there anything like freedom of religion. What is meant by tolerance is merely second-class citizenship as opposed to elimination. There are no “conversions” except to Islam permitted. All non-Muslim religions are placed under legal constraint, when not subject to violence. There has been a constant flow of Christian martyrs within Muslim states in the last half century, Sudan being the most notorious. Christians within Muslim lands have largely now fled to the West when they could.
10. The purpose of this war, from the American side, is very straight-forward to seek out, identify, and destroy those al-Qaeda and other Muslim militant forces that have initiated the war and continue to carry it out.. There is no “dialoguing” with these forces. They have a “mission” and intend to carry it out. The only thing that will stop them is force. No argument, dialogue, pressure will be effective against them. The failure to understand the nature of this implacable enemy is itself a cause of his continued success.
11. Can we lose this war? It is quite possible, particularly if we fail to see that it is a war of civilization in the eyes of those who attack us. The Spanish election was a case in point. Blowing up a train just before an election was enough to panic the Spanish electorate to vote for the weakest possible opponent. In all probability, this is the al-Qaeda strategy for the American elections. The fact that Bush, not Clinton, was in the White House when the bombing of the World Trade Center in 2001 (recall the inept response of the earlier attempt in 1993) took place was probably one of al-Qaeda’s great miscalculations. This is why, from all we can tell, al-Qaeda is making every effort is to defeat Bush in this election, something even Kerry seems to suspect, hence his war-hawk transformation during the Democratic Convention..
12. Is President Bush’s effort to make Iraq into a democracy feasible? Practically no one thinks that Islam and democracy are compatible. On the other hand, both American and Catholic theories hold that nations ought to be ruled with this form of rule, when possible, and that anyone can learn it with proper opportunity and instruction. It is certainly worth a try, though it is not unreasonable to settle for something less. But the normal occurrence of murdering democratic leaders when they do arise in such societies makes one very cautious
13. The war is not against Iraq or Afghanistan as such, but against al-Qaeda in any country that protects and harbors these movements. Without some sort of national protection in the Islamic world, this movement would have never gotten off of the ground. Saudi Arabia is a particularly difficult problem since much of the current terrorist theory comes from the Wahabbi sect, while the oil money of the Saudi is used to finance, under freedom of religion, mosques and schools all over the world, including in the United States, that foster this radical version of Islam on the march. The House of Saud itself is in proximate danger of being taken over by this movement.
14. In today’s ecumenical world, about the only thing we hear about the Muslim religion is that it is a religion of peace and that Jews, Christians, and Muslims worship the same God. The differences between what the religions hold are put on the back burner in popular parlance and the practice is practically unknown. Islam denies the two basic Christian positions, the Trinity and the Incarnation and the version of the Bible in which these positions are established. This makes Christians dangerous enemies. Muslim states, following their own positions on the duty of state to religion, restrict in almost every way the religions within their borders. The state power is generally at the service of religion. The distinction of state and religion is unknown, when not considered blasphemous . The state should foster the religion and suppress its enemies.
15. Historically, and even today, Muslim armies have attacked and occupied not only Christian lands, but those of the Hindus, Buddhists, Chinese, the African tribes. Muslim armies came within an inch of conquering western Europe twice. Al-Qaeda Islam takes seriously its central notion that the world is intended by Allah to be Muslim. War is a legitimate means to accomplish this goal, which, though it is difficult to comprehend, is a spiritual tool.
16. Suicide bombers are a form of martyrdom. They have become a particularly effective weapon in recent decades in part because of their effectiveness in causing chaos, and in part as a deep expression of Muslim faith. Because such bombings violate almost every human instinct and principle, they are particularly difficult to handle both morally and militarily. They bring terror and war to everyone’s bus stop. Indeed, suicide bombing may prove to be a much more lethal weapon than any of the unused nuclear weapons we have been worried about. No doubt if a nuclear weapon is used in some American or western city, it will be set off by a suicide bomber who will consider himself a martyr. Likewise, like the 9/11 pilots, he will be an intelligent man probably trained how to use it in some American or European school or university.
17. Religious opposition to war is based on a laudable preference for “peaceful” means, such as dialogue or unending negotiations. No dialogue is possible with this particular enemy except as a tactic to gain time. Religious leaders are not in charge of defending us in actual concrete situations. It is unfortunate in this case that religious leaders have not accurately seen the nature of this enemy, what he is capable of, and how and why he must be stopped, indeed of his religious motives. The older tradition in which religious leaders better understood the need, even for religion’s sake, of a measured and adequate creation and use of force would have better served the only real peace that is possible as long as the world-conquering intention of al-Qaeda types is present and operative. Al-Qaeda is capable of operating from almost any point in the world, including from American and European cities. They need to be met where they are. It is a world war in that sense.
18. Can the United Nations handle this problem? If the UN handled Iraq, Saddam would still be in power. Not a few would accept that. In some respects, the United Nations is part of the problem. The United Nations has no forces adequate to meet this particular challenge and no effective political will to do so. The United Nations Charter did not set up a world government, but a place where problems might be discussed and in certain carefully defined cases, acted upon. But it left to individual nations the major responsibility of effective action against movements that actually attacked other countries. The alternative is not the United States with its allies or the United Nations. The alternative, in effect, is the United States or no effective action at all. Al-Qaeda leaders know this. This is why they would seek the weakest possible American government, with a people least informed about what they really stand for.
19. One final time, this is a real war. The men who are responsible for attacking us consider that we are a decadent society whose influence would corrupt their peoples. They are not wholly wrong about this. What they seek is a religious goal, all the world subject to Allah. That is their peace. To accuse them of anything less is to do a disservice to them. This particular group will only be stopped by intelligent and adequate force. Military defeat leads to a theological crisis within Islam. At some level, the question of the truth of Islam has to be faced. It is not enough to say that we all worship the same God. If this is so, on their own terms, there is no reason why the al-Qaeda dream should not conquer. Their conquest would prove their point.
    ***

Adela Maria:________________________________________
More on Crusades…I HIGHLY RECOMMEND THE EFFORT TO READ THIS ARTICLE.

Crisis Magazine

The mission of CRISIS Magazine is to interpret and shape the direction of contemporary culture from a standpoint of Catholic tradition. We are dedicated to the proposition that the crisis of modernity can be answered by a Christian humanism rooted in the teachings of the Catholic Church. We bring the wisdom of the Catholic tradition into direct dialogue with contemporary politics and culture.

The History of the Crusades by Thomas F. Madden found under Contents in Crisis Magazine

Thomas F. Madden is associate professor and chair of the Department of History at Saint Louis University. He is the author of numerous works, including A Concise History of the Crusades, and co-author, with Donald Queller, of The Fourth Crusade: The Conquest of Constantinople.