Thanks to technology, and perhaps due to Christianity’s low status in our modern liberal age, there is a fantastic treasure trove of good, traditional Catholic books available for free or near-free. Below are links to valuable and timeless Catholic texts (including those written by great saints and Fathers and Doctors of the Church) that you can read and download for free. Take advantage of this – they have changed my life and will change yours, too. Tolle et lege!
Please say a prayer for my sanctification. May God reward you for your charity.
Catholic life, path to holiness
Our Lord, Our Lady
The Watches of the Sacred Passion (Fr. P. Gallwey) – pdf, text, kindle format:
volume I,
volume II
The Interior of Jesus and Mary (Fr. J. N. Grou) – pdf, text, kindle:
volume I,
volume II
Lives of Saints
St. Padre Pio and the Miracle of Stigmata – In His Own Words (
part 1,
part 2,
part 3,) – pdf
Pio X, un Papa Veneto (
part I – pdf,
part II – pdf,
part III – pdf) … illustrated book about St. Pius X (in Italian language, but even if you don’t read Italian, it’s worth looking at the 100+ historic photographs)
The Fathers of the Desert (I. Hahn-Hahn) – pdf, text, kindle format:
volume I,
volume II
History of the Life and Institute of St. Ignatius de Loyola (Fr. D. Bartoli) –
volume I,
volume II
Writings and sermons of the Saints
[Books listed above in the sections “Catholic life” and “Our Lord, Our Lady” are not duplicated here, to avoid multiple listings of the same works.]
Works of St. Thomas Aquinas – read online [latin/english] (largest collection of his works translated to english); [All of St. Thomas’ works in latin are
here.]
Essay on the Development of Christian Doctrine (Bl. John Henry Newman) – audio:
part 1,
part 2
Miracles, prodigies, prophecies
Miscellaneous
A Manual of Church History (F. X. Funk) – pdf, text, kindle format:
volume I,
volume II
A Manual of the History of Dogmas (Fr. Bernard J. Otten) – pdf, text, kindle:
volume I,
volume II
A Manual of Modern Scholastic Philosophy (Cardinal Mercier) – pdf, text, kindle:
volume I,
volume II
Short articles and texts
Free Traditional Catholic Books II
Due to the length of the (ever growing) book list it became necessary to split it in two. Here’s the second part, consisting of the following sections:
Our Faith
Problems with the modern(ist) Church
Catholic Bible, Catechism, Doctrine
Traditional Liturgy
Understanding Latin
Traditional prayer books, devotions, etc
Papal Encyclicals and related texts
Gregorian chant (CDs)
Our Faith
The Truths of the Catholic Religion Proved from Scripture Alone – pdf, text, kindle:
volume I,
volume II
Notes on Doctrinal and Spiritual Subjects (Fr. F. W. Faber) – pdf, kindle format:
volume I,
volume II
Problems with the modern(ist) Church
The Suicide of Altering the Faith in the Liturgy (Fr. Paul Kramer) –
book 1 and
book 2
Catholic Bible, Catechism, Doctrine
The Knox Bible – read online (trilingual: english Knox translation/greek Septuagint/latin Vulgata)
Catechism Made Easy: A Familiar Explanation of the Catechism of Christian Doctrine (Fr. Henry Gibson) – pdf, text, kindle format:
volume I,
volume II,
volume III
Traditional Liturgy
Liber Usualis – 1961 (pdf)
here; 1903 (pdf, text, kindle format)
here
Understanding Latin
Traditional prayer books, devotions, etc
Papal Encyclicals and related texts
Some of the noteworthy encyclicals –
Bl. Pius IX –
Quanta Cura (1864, Condemning Current Errors)
St. Pius X –
Vehementer Nos (1906, Condemning Separation of Church and State)
St. Pius V –
Quo Primum (1570, Promulgating the Tridentine Liturgy)
Pius XI –
Quas Primas (1925, on the Kingship of Christ)
Gregory XVI –
Mirari Vos (1832, On Liberalism and Religious Indifferentism)
Leo XIII –
Arcanum (1880, On Christian Marriage)
Leo XIII –
Diuturnum (1881, On the Origin of Civil Power)
Gregorian chant (CDs)
—
Countless other classics on Church history, doctrine, lives and thoughts of saints and Church Fathers (including all the volumes of “Nicene and Post-Nicene Fathers” and “Ante-Nicene Fathers”) can be downloaded at
ccel.org. (The site unfortunately carries many Protestant books as well, so do your research to make sure any book you intend to read is Catholic and doctrinally sound.)
CAMINO DE LA EXCELENCIA (archivo pdf)
