#catholic anime

[animechristi]

Ranking of Kings: Hell and Demons

Offered to Jesus through Mary

Matthew 22:13 “Then the king said to the attendants, ‘Bind him hand and foot and cast him into the outer darkness. In that place there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth.’”

Spoilers?

No big spoilers this time around. I’ll refer to one scene and one character out of context, but that’s all. If this whets your appetite for the show then go ahead and watch it. If not, then still give it a try. It’s a good show that keeps you hooked. Not to mention the second opening is a banger.

Our Topic

Towards the end of the show, we’re shown a depiction of hell where the souls of the damned are eaten, regurgitated, reformed, and then eaten again ad infinitum. If this reminds you of Dante’s Inferno, you’re not alone. Also, good job! Being well-read in literature guarantees you pick up on all the inside jokes and references people make. Setting aside the early Italian renaissance – what’s important here is that Hell isn’t just a fiery time out corner. The damned aren’t just thrown into Hell. They are actively punished while in Hell and they’ll be in Hell forever. This should properly terrify us. If we think the “sweet release of death” frees us from all our problems, we may be in for a rude awakening.

The unnamed demon eating someone’s soul.

But before we get too gloomy, let’s take a step back. Ranking of Kings did a good job showing us how horrific hell is. But if this article is going to serve a purpose, we should see how someone ends up in Hell. We could say ultimately this is done by rejecting salvation through Christ. That’s the general answer. For specific answers we can look at all the various ways someone separates himself from Christ. For now, I’d like to focus only on one way: pacts with devils. If we believe the rising statistics of people claiming to worship pagan gods, then we shouldn’t be surprised that more people – knowingly or unknowingly – are entering into pacts or contracts with devils.  

In Ranking of Kings things are comically straightforward. Miranjo, a young woman, has made a pact with a demon who tells her upfront “when you die, I’ll devour your soul”. We might dismiss this and say “she was desperate, and it was for the sake of the plot.” That’s fine with me. I’m not trying to prove or disprove her character. Pay attention to what the demon says. It’s simplistic, sure, but the pact made between Miranjo and the demon demonstrates truths about our spiritual warfare this side of Heaven. Contracts are a two-way street. Each party does something for or to the other. But this doesn’t mean both sides are equal. In making a pact or contract with a demon, a human places himself under that creature’s power structure in the hopes that one metaphysically higher than himself can achieve what he cannot.

Christ casting out demons

Here’s the catch. Demons cannot guarantee their side of the bargain. All their actions are confined by the permissive will of God. They serve the father of lies, so why should we believe anything they promise?

Alternatively, the Paschal Mystery of Christ is what establishes a new covenant (i.e. contract) between God and mankind. In Baptism we die and rise with Christ. This takes us out from the domain and power structure of sin and death and places us in our Heavenly Father’s house. Only by our own free choices do we find ourselves outside such divine protection.

Okay, so what?

I don’t expect many readers to have experimented with occult practices. Again, good job! But regardless of our history, I want to recommend a simple practice: repeating the renunciations made at our Baptism. It’s a small way of reminding ourselves who exactly we’ve put our trust and hope in. Let us firmly say I do to the follow.

Do you renounce Satan?

And all his works?

And all his empty show?

Do you believe in God, the Father almighty, Creator of Heaven and Earth?

Do you believe in Jesus Christ, His Son, our Lord, who was born of the Virgin Mary, suffered death and was buried, rose again from the dead and is seated at the right hand of the Father?

Do you believe in the Holy Spirit, the holy Catholic Church, the communion of saints, the forgiveness of sins, the resurrection of the body, and life everlasting?

St. Justin Martyr, pray for us!

#catholicism #catholic anime #anime analysis #animechristi #ranking of kings #ousama ranking #hell #baptism

[canisalbus]

✦ Milk and Honey ✦

#I've been going through some of the pieces from the past few months #the oldest of these are from... late may early july I think? felt like making a little compilation to get a better overall picture #fixation has been strong this is just a fraction of them all #gay catholic dog era #own art #own characters #CanisAlbus #art #artists on tumblr #Vasco #Machete #anthro #sighthound #dogs #canine #animals #I think my personal favorites this far are the body heat piece and the bathtub scene #but their composition didn't work with this format so I left them out

[infamouslydorky]

Ngl, I just like the muck monster design, so I wanted to doodle it

#the owl house #sketches #emperor belos #toh belos #body horror tw #the owl house spoilers #well animated and well written show from what ive seen of clips. im not gonna buy disney plus for it tho sorry #to hell with Michael rodent i say #that aside this guy really is despicable. like wow. disney frollo level but a calvanist instead of catholic. still fits #i would say ''celestial'' by falconshield is a song that fits his character

[catswarmth]

I think she is trying to say something 🤔

Check the link for high quality cat products with a discount!!

meowmeowmarket.com

#baby animals #cat #catblr #catholic #cats #cats of tumblr #caturday #cute kitty #funny pets #kitten #white kitty #pets

[virgocurator]

La Bête de la Mer / Tapisserie de l’Apocalypse (Tapestry of the Apocalypse)

Medieval tapestry of the Ignatius of Antioch (Christian saint and martyr)

#art history #art #history #european art #medieval #animals #medieval art #christian art #middle ages #apocolyptic #catholic art #Catholicism #catholic saints #lions #satan #medieval manuscripts #tapestry

[dykealloy]

the catholic rejection of it all

#one piece #op #trafalgar law #monkey d. luffy #gear 5 luffy #song is big god by florence and the machine #religious symbology? in my shounen anime protagonist? it's more likely than you think #im 24 years old it's the end of 2023 it's MY turn to finally make a cringe amv for christmas #to be clear. i dont think law sees luffy as his god. but i definitely think he's helped law regain some faith #i.e. catholicism (yeah hardy-hah one piece character is an ex-catholic its all very silly but let's take it unironically for a second) #it would've drilled into law as a child to believe in one true cause (that cause being god). and that will supposedly carry him through lif #give hope purpose etc. but a lot of former catholics choose instead to find that in something else. in law’s cause: #the freedom and hope corasan gave him #the freedom that luffy brings. the will of D. the goodness in the people around him #it's a transfer of faith that feels real and tangible #it's a neat concept and I don't see it talked about much #CJ's op watch-through #corasan #donquixote rosinante #sun god nika #CJ's edits #op analysis #amv

[vampyrgrl]

bone rosary by vampyrgrl

#bone #rosary #goth #gothic #tagging the hell out of this #animal bone #bone jewelry #bone rosary #catholic #memento mori #goth decor #gothic decor #rosaries #snake vertebrae #artists on tumblr #small artist #small business #small biz #mine #my art #art

[itsmovere]

Enraptured

#vashwood #nicholas d. wolfwood #vash the stampede #trigun #trigun anime #trigun stampede #tristamp #the catholic imagery about this ship is just immaculate #no pun intended

[neo--queen--serenity]

The Black Butler revival will, of course, in this day and age, be the complete embodiment of pro-ship vs. anti-ship discourse, given the subject matter.

But for those of you who are watching this for the first time in 2024 (which includes myself!), there are certain things about the show you simply must understand, for the sake of media literacy.

The first is that Black Butler is supernatural gothic romanticism at its core. This genre alone should tell you that the relationships integral to the plot will be complex, messy, and toxic, by default. That is not only a huge part of this genre’s appeal, but very much the point of the story.

The themes are dark, the terrible things that happen to the main characters are dark, and therefore the relationships at the forefront (and in the background) will reflect that.

The gothic genre has been alluringly popular for over a century (longer, if you know your history) because audiences are entranced by the macabre, the tainted antiheroes, the monsters who live inside us all. It’s popular for a reason.

That being said, understand that whether you, the viewer, ship Sebastian and Ciel or not is irrelevant. Their bond doesn’t need to be understood as romantic or sexual, but it sure as hell isn’t normal. It isn’t healthy. And the audience knows that. That’s the draw. It’s what makes them compelling to watch.

Ciel and Sebastian’s relationship mirrors many gothic novels, poems, and penny dreadfuls written in the Victorian Era (the very same time period in which Kuroshitsuji takes place). The Victorian folks who read these tales for the first time ate that shit up, because it was tantalizing. It was shocking. It was inappropriate, and monstrous, and violent, and erotic, and went against societal norms. But that was the point.

A huge part of gothic romanticism is the blatant sexualization of the relationship between the “monstrous” characters and their human counterparts in the story. Sex itself doesn’t need to take place for their bond to be sexually charged. The forbidden nature of their relationship—which typically involves layers of social taboos, moral ambiguity, or simple infatuation—is what makes their interactions erotic. Sexual contact rarely ever actually happens in these stories. It’s the taboo nature of their bond that creates the tension.

One of the many reasons audiences love this genre is the constant question of morality in its themes. Who, between them, is the real monster? Could the human character have ever been saved? This genre is often associated with tragedy, because the bond forged between the characters in these stories are destined to end in death and destruction. The reader knows it can’t end any other way. How can it?

But an integral element of these gothic tales is the catharsis that comes with this tragedy. The corrupted human often gets what they want in the end, even if it’s at the cost of their own life. Whether they regret their choice to foster this monstrous relationship varies on the story, but it doesn’t change the trajectory of their descent.

Sebastian and Ciel’s relationship is the whole plot of Black Butler. Their closeness bears a grotesque ick factor, but it is deliberate. It is a constant reminder of how unnatrual their bond truly is. Rationalizing or watering down how abnormal they are about each other misses the point entirely. They will never have a normal, healthy relationship, and that’s what moves the plot forward.

That’s why you’re watching it.

#black butler #kuroshitsuji #ciel phantomhive #sebastian michaelis #the soundtrack repeatedly uses gregorian chants of the agnus dei. like COME ON. gothic media loves a catholic allegory #gothic literature #gothic romanticism #neo queen serenity’s posts #please remember to be civil! or else my block button will be upon ye #black butler analysis #kuroshitsuji anime #yana toboso #black butler anime #classic literature #black butler meta #black butler season 4 #black butler s4 #kuroshitsuji season 4

[hulahoopsoupgroup]

the seven deadly sins are such bullshit fear tactics. if youve left the church, embrace them.

be proud of who you are. be happy when you look in the mirror and see how hot you are. yeah i see you flexing in the mirror after a workout. nice progress btw honey you look nice today.

dont worry about getting seconds, or thirds even, at dinner. dont worry about eating what society says is "too much" or "too little". eat until youre full. set aside what you cant finish for later so you dont waste food.

its okay to be greedy. its okay to want things for yourself. sometimes we see things that people have and we're like "dude i wish i had that." thats just human. envy and greed on that level are normal.

take a rest day. dont bother going to church this sunday. take a shower, read a book, drink some tea, eat some good food, pet a cat or dog. take care of yourself; its not lazy.

be angry with those who wronged you. punch a punching bag, write about how much you hate them, go work out aggressively and take care of your emotions in a way that doesnt hurt yourself or others. its okay to not forgive the people who hurt you. you arent doing anything wrong, babe.

embrace your sexuality (or, if it applies, asexuality, cause yall need love too). stop feeling shame for wanting pleasure. go read or watch something that turns you on. explore your body. ask your partner to try something new. if youre asexual, then fucking step on the people who say you need to have sexual attraction to be human. you dont. you dont need to be allosexual (or alloromantic) to "qualify as a human." we all experience life in different ways. find your way to experience it.

thought crime isnt real

do no harm but take no shit

#deconversion #deconstruction #exvangelical #ex fundamentalist #atheist #ex christian #ex religious #lgbtq #queer #lgbt #lgbtqia #deconstructing christianity #deconstructing religion #affirmations #ex fundie #ex catholic #self care #mental health #seven deadly sins #not the anime tho

[corvidcall]

pope frankies still at it

the only thing that gives me pleasure anymore is seeing american tradcaths be soooo mad about this stuff. sorry bitch!! you're the one who decided to be catholic!!! according to your doctrine, this dude is INFALLIBLE. soooo sorry that catholicism didnt turn out to just be what if evangelicals had better architecture.

#anime life #nothing else makes me laugh anymore. all i have is frankie saying that catholics and marxist have common goals

[animechristi]

Teenage Mercenary: Humility

Luke 1:48 “Because he hath regarded the humility of his handmaid; for behold from henceforth all generations shall call me blessed.”

Disclaimers

Teenage Mercenary as of June 2023 is an incomplete Webtoon so I can’t comment on the series as a whole.

Big surprise a series about mercenaries will contain violence and cursing and there are advisories for each chapter. Webtoon itself puts a warning up but there’s no hard lock out to my knowledge so do with that what you will.

Boilerplate a.k.a. “The Premise”

Our main character “Ijin Yu” was raised with mercenaries and has recently quit to finish high school and meet the little family he has left. Unfortunately for those Ijin runs into, you can’t take the fight out of the kid. While protecting his friends and sister, he is slowly drawn into the messy life of Korean corporate manage while he’s fine with keeping a simple bodyguard job to support his family.

Our main theme: Humility

Ijin is a man of few words. This of course gives him the silent but deadly fighter trope. But more surprising is that when he is complimented or offered extra compensation, he turns it down saying he was only doing his job. Here we see that Ijin practices the virtue of humility.To clarify, humility is the proper estimation of our own skills and on a fundamental level a proper knowledge of who we are (cf. the Catholic Encyclopedia). For Christians this means acknowledging our worth before God our Father. We are completely dependent on Him for everything (1 Cor 4:7). We are incapable of praying without His help, but because by Baptism we have become His sons we now are capable because of the Holy Spirit in us (Gal 4:6).

Our Specific Scene:

Very minor spoilers: At one point, after a successful rescue mission Ijin is given the classic “we couldn’t have done it without you.” His response is that he couldn’t have done it without the others on the mission as neither of them could have done it alone. He praises the work of his partner and shuts down any further discussion with a great line: “The goal is to secure the safety of the VIP, not to figure out who made the greatest contribution.”  This is a great example of how humility helps us avoid the self-glorification of pride.

Ijin's friend is surprised to find him praising his teammates

Okay, so what’s the point?

I’m getting there, but first:

In recent years, June has been dubbed “Pride month,” so that under the guise of community support, individuals defend misguided love and promote a morality based on only on emotions. For Catholics, June is a month to celebrate the Sacred Heart of Jesus, a heart which loves more than we ever could, a heart which has experienced the same emotions we have, a heart which always shared those emotions and struggles with His Father, a heart which drew the power to carry on from His constant conversation with His Father.

Here’s the point:

Humility, a.k.a. the first beatitude “poor in spirit,” is the foundation of the Christian life. Our goal isn’t to see who is holiest, our goal is to see God, to get to heaven. I am not saying “don’t aspire to greatness.” We are all called to and made for greatness. But our greatness comes from looking at Jesus and imitating Him, not from looking at others and trying to be better than them.

Remember: Humility isn’t beating ourselves up. Our protagonist Ijin knew his abilities, but knew his limits and his need for help.

Perhaps the best imitator of Jesus was Mary His mother. She humbled herself knowing exactly who she was and just how much God had done for her. It was this humility that won her the privilege to have all generations call her blessed.

Mary and Elizabeth don’t compete for whose child will be greater, rather they both rejoice in how good God is to His people.

To close I leave you with the Litany of Humility. It’s a prayer I struggled with at first but have grown to love.

LITANY OF HUMILITY

O Jesus, meek and humble of heart, Hear me!

From the desire of being esteemed, Deliver me, O Jesus.

From the desire of being loved, Deliver me, O Jesus.

From the desire of being extolled, Deliver me, O Jesus.

From the desire of being honored, Deliver me, O Jesus.

From the desire of being praised, Deliver me, O Jesus.

From the desire of being preferred to others, Deliver me, O Jesus.

From the desire of being consulted, Deliver me, O Jesus.

From the desire of being approved, Deliver me, O Jesus.

From the fear of being humiliated, Deliver me, O Jesus.

From the fear of being despised, Deliver me, O Jesus.

From the fear of suffering rebukes, Deliver me, O Jesus.

From the fear of being calumniated, Deliver me, O Jesus.

From the fear of being forgotten, Deliver me, O Jesus.

From the fear of being ridiculed, Deliver me, O Jesus.

From the fear of being wronged, Deliver me, O Jesus.

From the fear of being suspected, Deliver me, O Jesus.

That others may be loved more than I, Jesus, grant me the grace to desire it.

That others may be esteemed more than I, Jesus, grant me the grace to desire it.

That, in the opinion of the world, others may increase and I may decrease, Jesus, grant me the grace to desire it.

That others may be chosen and I set aside, Jesus, grant me the grace to desire it.

That others may be praised and I go unnoticed, Jesus, grant me the grace to desire it.

That others may be preferred to me in everything, Jesus, grant me the grace to desire it.

That others may become holier than I, provided that I may become as holy as I should, Jesus, grant me the grace to desire it.

Amen.

#catholicism #anime analysis #overthinking #catholic anime #animechristi #webtoon #teenage mercenary #humility #litany of humility

[murderonthedullexpress]

Hey! Want to help out a struggling trans guy? Then please check out my Bonfire! I’ll be adding more designs soon. I appreciate any little bit!

#trans #transgender #trans guy #trans masc #trans man #lgbt #queer #gay #lgbtq #nonbinary #non binary #horror #reanimator #re animator #herbert west #catholic guilt #catholicism #antifascist #vintage queer #queer history #queercore #shirts #bonfire

[ranminfan]

St. Francis of Assisi, founder of the Franciscans.

Did you know his nickname was "Il Poverello" or The Poor little Man.

.

I've always seen him as generous and warm man, and I can imagine him being lively and extroverted. Someone you'd like to be friends with.

#One of the most well known saints and one that is attributed with the love of animals #He's one of my favorite saints #Saint Francis of Assisi #Saints #Catholic art #my art #christianity #friars #Franciscans #St. Francis of Assisi #catholicism

[catswarmth]

Cute kitten and her mom sleeps together 😍🐱

High quality cat products: meowmeowmarket.com

#baby animals #catblr #cats of tumblr #caturday #cute kitty #funny pets #kitten #catholic #cat lovers #cute cat #cute cats #catlover #catstagram #black cat #grey cat #white kitty #kittens #kitties #kitty #sleepy kitty #cat mother #cat mom #momlife #mother #sleepy cat #no sleep #cats of instagram #pretty cats #cat #cats

[virgocurator]

Wild Goats, Horns Interlocked

Detail from “The Ashmole Bestiary”

1511 (Bodleian Library)

#art history #art #history #european art #medieval #medieval art #middle ages #animals #catholic art #illuminated manuscript #illustrated manuscript #early medieval #medieval manuscripts #medieval history #goats