Dr. John Rao says that the danger to the Papal States became more clear by 1859. A call to create an international Papal Army went out. Men from all over the world responded: France, Belgium, Austria, Ireland, Canada, and even the United States sent recruits. A retired French general led the forces. Dr. John Rao describes their life, their songs, their esprit-de-corps, their successes, and their ultimate tragic defeat on September 20, 1870, when Rome was occupied by the Kingdom of Italy. Taken from Crusading, the Crusader & the Christian Order – 2002 VonHildebrand Institute