tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-112948552024-03-14T01:17:03.212-05:00Pro Ecclesia * Pro Familia * Pro CivitatePro Ecclesiahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03814831624547392519noreply@blogger.comBlogger6638125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11294855.post-78495038640523092712022-06-24T09:42:00.005-05:002022-06-24T09:57:52.444-05:00Soli Deo gloria<p> Mark the date. And celebrate.<br /><br /></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhkGuxSR89duNbpDF0g0zdQLNagt_kkhgMWTSui05WOnaUL1NtE0gI2Bj3jG59WIADz1-70aZqjOulEM93AqbnIR3irDA6QJ-H4hQMm836JCka8juoHnxgpeSzjOII3kz-Y9DOcOmerAc5UstXHLw0GblXJIlw8MoU6vaiRxC63y3vpDfBCByM/s1536/Fireworks.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1024" data-original-width="1536" height="213" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhkGuxSR89duNbpDF0g0zdQLNagt_kkhgMWTSui05WOnaUL1NtE0gI2Bj3jG59WIADz1-70aZqjOulEM93AqbnIR3irDA6QJ-H4hQMm836JCka8juoHnxgpeSzjOII3kz-Y9DOcOmerAc5UstXHLw0GblXJIlw8MoU6vaiRxC63y3vpDfBCByM/w320-h213/Fireworks.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgJJknbylCbfJ7ecOUPOi8IjWUjlFbrLpON1m-IAX6RguCPTsCr_pTOjuPX9WGTFe5wWP027s02R5D2sEwmTv5408jTTTj31mB3_KYTbGdYXXcyZ4pLcHV4xmK-cCIET0Ijjf-W9LRpMqWiTKTlUKwFUClUdTKAHYWmVSpCw4D9KeZq0B0K4QA/s885/Feast%20of%20Sacred%20Heart.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="325" data-original-width="885" height="118" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgJJknbylCbfJ7ecOUPOi8IjWUjlFbrLpON1m-IAX6RguCPTsCr_pTOjuPX9WGTFe5wWP027s02R5D2sEwmTv5408jTTTj31mB3_KYTbGdYXXcyZ4pLcHV4xmK-cCIET0Ijjf-W9LRpMqWiTKTlUKwFUClUdTKAHYWmVSpCw4D9KeZq0B0K4QA/s320/Feast%20of%20Sacred%20Heart.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><br />Pro Ecclesiahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03814831624547392519noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11294855.post-74048630958940531302022-05-04T20:49:00.006-05:002022-05-05T11:30:10.985-05:00Letters from Cato: The Anti-Anti-Abortionists<p><span style="font-family: inherit;">My friend, <a href="https://letters-from-cato.com/2022/05/04/the-anti-anti-abortionists/" target="_blank">Paul Zummo, writing at <i>Letters from Cato</i>, takes on some of the putative "pro-lifers" who now make their living attacking actual pro-lifers in exchange for the approval of their new-found followers among the leftist mob</a>.<br /><br />Paul begins by noting that the overturning of <i>Roe</i> and <i>Casey</i> are by no means a done deal. There is no final decision at this point, and the Justices are still free to change their minds. We've been down this road before in both <i>Webster</i> and <i>Casey</i> itself:<br /><i><span style="background-color: white; color: #383838;"></span></i></span></p><blockquote><span style="font-family: inherit;"><i><span style="background-color: white; color: #383838;">I don’t have much to add on the substance of the leaked decision that may spell the end of </span><span style="background-color: white; color: #383838;">Roe</span><span style="background-color: white; color: #383838;">. Pro-lifers have had too many Lucy pulling the football away moments to feel comfortable until the decision is actually handed down.</span></i></span></blockquote><span style="font-family: inherit;">He then notes that <i>IF</i> the decision stands, it's a pretty big deal:<br /><i><blockquote>... <span style="background-color: white; color: #383838;">many conservatives have been quite happy to laud the draft opinion. Personally, I refuse to read it until </span><span style="background-color: white; color: #383838;">Dobbs </span><span style="background-color: white; color: #383838;">is formally and officially decided, but those who have read it, at least among actual conservatives (more on that in a moment), have universally and unapologetically praised it...</span></blockquote><span style="background-color: white; color: #383838;"></span></i>Then Paul gets to the crux of his post:<br /><i></i></span><p></p><blockquote><p><i><span style="background-color: white; color: #383838;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">What I would like to discuss are the erstwhile conservatives and Catholics who have either thrown cold water on the decision or else have actively derided it. I won’t even bring up the folks at the Grifter Project. Everyone already knows their principles are subject to being changed by the highest bidder, so I will go on ignoring them as every good and decent person should.</span></span></i></p><p data-adtags-visited="true" style="background-color: white; color: #383838; margin-bottom: 0.875em;"><i><span style="font-family: inherit;">No, I would like to talk about the more “enlightened,” principled conservatives, especially those whose mission is to conserve conservatism.</span></i></p></blockquote><p data-adtags-visited="true" style="background-color: white; color: #383838; margin-bottom: 0.875em;"><i><span style="font-family: inherit;"></span></i></p><p><span style="font-family: inherit;">Paul follows with a discussion of the various weasel-word responses to the leaked draft of Justice Alito's opinion from such formerly "principled" pro-life conservatives as Evan McMullin (some of y'all voted for this fraud), Bill Kristol (who once wrote a piece for the <i>Weakly Substandard</i> titled (in all caps) "ROE MUST GO"), Jonathan Last (who "was once a staunch pro-life advocate and author of books like <i>What to Expect When No One’s Expecting</i>" and who once wrote “I’m one of those anti-abortion nut jobs who thinks that every embryo is sacred life and abortion is killing an innocent.”), and last, but not least, Mark Shea (who once actually thought with the Church instead of just pretending to while actually aligning himself with the DNC platform).<br /> <br />This one, in particular, rankles:</span></p><blockquote><span style="font-family: inherit;"><i><span style="font-family: inherit;">[Mark] Shea calls the evident reversal of Roe a pyrrhic victory, but perhaps he is upset because it’s a victory he has assured us for decades was never coming because the GOP has been playing us. Now that two decades of doomcasting have been proven to be bogus, Shea wants to pretend it is utterly meaningless...</span></i></span></blockquote><p></p><span style="font-family: inherit;">These people have shown that they would rather “own the right” than rejoice at what *may* turn out to be the greatest pro-life victory of our lifetime … a result for which they ALL once openly advocated. Back when they at least pretended to be pro-life. BUT they’ve all been frauds all along. <div><br /></div><div>“It profits a man nothing to give his soul for the whole world, but for [‘likes’ from rabid pro-infanticide leftists]?”</div></span><p></p>Pro Ecclesiahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03814831624547392519noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11294855.post-6131336859360617262020-06-03T16:15:00.001-05:002020-06-03T16:16:50.921-05:00Do Justice. Love Mercy. Walk Humbly.<div class="_5pbx userContent _3576" data-ft="{"tn":"K"}" data-testid="post_message" id="js_113b">
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He
has shown you, O man, what is good. And what does the Lord require of
you But to do justice, To love mercy, And to walk humbly with your God?<br />
~ Micah 6:8<br />
_________________________<br />
<br />
"I now make it my earnest prayer, that God would have you, and the
State over which you preside, in his holy protection, that he would
incline the hearts of the Citizens to cultivate a spirit of
subordination and obedience to Government, to entertain a brotherly
affection and love for one another, for their fellow Citizens of the
United States at large, and particularly for their brethren who have
served in the Field, and finally, that he would most graciously be
pleased to dispose us all, to do Justice, to love mercy, and to demean
ourselves with that Charity, humility and pacific temper of mind, which
were the Characteristicks of the Divine Author of our blessed Religion,
and without an humble imitation of whose example in these things, we can
never hope to be a happy Nation."<br />
~ His Excellency, George Washington<br />
Circular to the States | Sunday, 8 June 1783 <br />
_________________________<br />
<br />
Some thoughts:<br />
<br />
DO JUSTICE<br />
* Black Lives Matter. Period. No buts.<br />
<br />
* The response "All Lives Matter" to the Black Lives Matter movement is
the equivalent of the "Seamless Garment" response to the Pro-Life
Movement. Standing alone, they are nice-sounding and even laudable
sentiments. Juxtaposed against the justice movements to which they are a
response, they have the effect -- and perhaps even the intention -- of
undermining those justice movements.<br />
<br />
* Both / And. It is entirely
possible to criticize, protest, and call for the reform of shortcomings
in society and in our criminal justice system that unduly and
negatively impact the lives of African-Americans, while at the same time
criticizing and calling for an immediate cessation of ongoing riots
resulting in violence and destruction of personal property.<br />
<br />
*
Order precedes justice, and BOTH precede freedom. In a review of a
biography of Founding Father and first Chief Justice John Jay a few
years ago, The Imaginative Conservative noted: "a civilized society
must have order, justice, and freedom. The sequence is essential.
Without order, nothing can function. Once order is established,
justice can come into being and once order and justice prevail,
freedom can arise and flourish." The rioting and violence needs to stop
-- order needs to prevail. Only once order is established can we then
move to the very necessary work of seeing that justice toward our
African-American brothers and sisters can be achieved. There is much
work to be done. Liberty and freedom follows from that. If only some of
us are free, then none of us are free.<br />
<br />
<br />
LOVE MERCY<br />
* Walk a
mile in a man's shoes. If you don't fully understand what Black Lives
Matter is all about, try to put yourself in the place of those who do.
Not the violent rioters who hijacked the legitimate protests in order to
push for revolution. No, I'm talking about putting yourself in the
shoes of people for whom their skin color makes every traffic stop a
"What if ...?" And even if you think that's BS (and it's not), at least
have some empathy for the individuals who do feel that way. Ask yourself
why they feel that way. And try to imagine that there might be some
legitimacy to their concerns.<br />
<br />
* Rioters and their apologists are
not showing much mercy to anyone who gets in their way. Beatings and
even deaths have occurred. Homes, businesses, livelihoods, life savings,
neighborhoods have been destroyed. Most often, those hurt by the
destruction are those for whom the protests are supposed to help. And
the response of the rioters and their apologists? "F*ck 'em, they have
insurance." No, not all of them do. And it's not even clear that
insurance will cover riot damage. As others have pointed out, this
elitist response is the "Let them eat cake" of this particular crisis
(and with the previous crisis and the "Let them eat cake" response of
the very same elites -- COVID, remember that? -- not even over yet).<br />
<br />
* We need to stop seeing people as nothing more than the sum of their
skin color and their political beliefs, and start loving them as
individuals and fellow human beings. It's okay to disagree. It's not
okay to hate. In fact, it's imperative to love.<br />
<br />
<br />
WALK HUMBLY WITH YOUR GOD<br />
* Needless to say, EVERYONE could use a good dose of humility right
now, including yours truly. No one has all the answers. No one is right
all the time. No one is wrong all the time. There is no
one-size-fits-all approach that is going to work for everyone. There is
no magic wand that can be waved to fix everything. There is no
ideological solution that is going to bring about Heaven on earth.
Contemplate that you might be wrong about something. Imagine that your
ideological opponent might be right about something. Think about ways
you can serve others humbly and without regard to whether they might
think differently, look differently, smell differently, live differently
than you do.<br />
<br />
* Seek something higher than yourself. For many,
that will be God. Seek HIS will in your life and in this world, not your
own. "THY will be done on earth as it is in Heaven." That's not a call
for Utopia; that's a call for you to be like Him, to seek Him, to
reflect Him in living out your life. For a sadly increasing number, that
"something higher" will not be God. For you, seek out what there is to
love about humanity. Seek what it is that compels you to do good for
all, not just most or some. Seek out what there is to love in EACH
individual person, as a person, even when you dislike or disagree with
them -- seek that individual's personal well-being, by seeing them as an
individual, not as a statistic.<br />
<br />
* Pray.</div>
Pro Ecclesiahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03814831624547392519noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11294855.post-87390798361644436052018-07-12T10:47:00.001-05:002018-07-12T10:55:51.568-05:00I May Be Pro Ecclesia, Pro Familia, and Pro Civitate, But I No Longer Call Myself "Pro-Life"For quite a while now, I have been contemplating briefly -- for just one post -- coming out of blog retirement to explain why I no longer refer to myself as being "pro-life". I had it all written in my head, and had only to actually sit down, revisit my old blogger interface, and start typing.<br />
<br />
Fortunately, <a href="https://www.catholicvote.org/why-im-through-being-pro-life/" target="_blank">Eric Sammons, writing at CatholicVote, has saved me the trouble by writing, essentially, the very apologia I had planned</a>:<br />
<blockquote class="tr_bq">
<span class=" UFICommentActorAndBody"><span data-ft="{"tn":"K"}"><span class="UFICommentBody _1n4g"><span class=" UFICommentActorAndBody"><span data-ft="{"tn":"K"}"><span class="UFICommentBody _1n4g">... </span></span></span></span></span></span>No matter the reason, by calling every issue a “pro-life” issue, we
dilute and fracture the brand. We make other, less important issues as
important as the abortion issue. We needlessly divide pro-lifers over
prudential issues about which we should be able to respectfully
disagree.<br />
<br />
As for me, I’ve come to realize that I’m no longer pro-life. Just
call me anti-abortion. It’s accurate, specific, and tells the whole
world that I’m unabashedly opposed to child-killing.</blockquote>
<span class=" UFICommentActorAndBody"><span data-ft="{"tn":"K"}"><span class="UFICommentBody _1n4g"><span class=" UFICommentActorAndBody"><span data-ft="{"tn":"K"}"><span class="UFICommentBody _1n4g"></span></span></span>So, no longer refer to me as "pro-life" -- not if being "pro-life" means I also have to accept a hodgepodge of DNC platform positions
pushed by lefty Catholics and the USCCB bureaucracy. I want to oppose
abortion on MY terms ... not the terms of people who, in the end, don't
really give two squirts about ending abortion. <br /><br />Call me "anti-abortion".<br /><br />(And with that, I sign off.)</span></span></span>Pro Ecclesiahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03814831624547392519noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11294855.post-18688555349570933722017-08-17T07:18:00.003-05:002017-08-20T22:58:08.801-05:00Alternate title for David Mills' piece at Crux today: Crux STILL Telling Converts "Shut Up!"<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://cruxnow.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/08/20160329T1643-0555-CNS-NEW-CATHOLICS-HOUSTON_800.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="533" data-original-width="800" height="212" src="https://cruxnow.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/08/20160329T1643-0555-CNS-NEW-CATHOLICS-HOUSTON_800.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
<br />
<a href="https://cruxnow.com/commentary/2017/08/17/newcomers-church-speak-less-listen/" target="_blank">Alternate title for David Mills' piece at Crux today: Crux STILL Telling Converts "Shut Up!"</a><br />
<br />
David Mills admonishes that "Newcomers to the Church should speak less, listen more." And here's the thing. On one level I DO agree with what Mills writes
about converts needing a period of reflection, adjustment, and
additional mystagogy -- of getting our feet wet, so to speak, before
pronouncing on any and all things Catholic. In retrospect, I wish I had
waited before i began to blog about Catholicism shortly after I
converted almost a decade-and-a-half ago (I only had been Catholic for 9
months when I "took up the pen" in the Catholic blogosphere.)<br />
<br />
But then Mills completely goes off the rails:<br />
<blockquote class="tr_bq">
<i>"... He may be full of book-learning. But of the real Catholic mind or
imagination - the Catholic paradigm, the way Catholics see the world -
he knows little. The new Catholic <span style="font-size: small;"><b>**must work for many years**</b></span> to get
that, and <b>**never will get it fully**</b>. </i>(emphasis added)<br />
<i><br /></i>
<i>"Most
converts, as I wrote in The New Oxford Review, will never think and feel
exactly as do cradle Catholics. They do by instinct what we will always
do by analysis followed by choice.</i><br />
<i><br /></i>
<i>"For a long time, and perhaps
a very long time, the convert will see the Catholic Thing as you see a
garden through a bay window, not as you see it when you’re standing
amidst the flowers. He sees its design and beauty, but doesn’t feel the
sun or smell the flowers or enjoy walking barefoot on the grass. Nor
does he know what it is like to get caught in the rain or stung by a
bee, or to spend hours weeding. He has to spend many years outside to
know what life in the garden is really like..."</i></blockquote>
<br />
What a crock!
This is fetishizing the cradle Catholic experience as being the *REAL*
Catholic experience, and holding up any alternative to that as somehow
less than. I used to do this exact same thing that Mills is doing when I
was a new Catholic. I used to lament that I would never be able to
experience the Faith with the instinct and the ethos of a cradle
Catholic. That I would somehow always be an "incomplete" or not "REAL"
Catholic like all my brethren born into the Faith and that I had somehow
been "deprived" of my "birthright" as a "true" Catholic.<br />
<br />
Now I
recognize that for the utter horseshit that it is. It is nothing more
than fetishizing cradle Catholicism ... in the same way many people
fetishize the conversion experiences of the new Catholic. Converts are
no less or no more "REAL" Catholics than are cradle Catholics. We all
have our gifts that we bring to how we live our Faith and we all have
our shortcomings. And NONE of those gifts or shortcoming are inherent,
innate, ingrained, implicit, instinctive, distinctive, or integral (or
whatever other word or clinical diagnosis you choose to plug in) to
being either a cradle Catholic or a convert. And they are most
definitely NOT fixed or inalienable based upon such status.<br />
<br />
St.
Paul was no more or no less competent to speak out against St. Peter
for his having been a convert than were any of the other Apostles who
had been with Peter all along. It is high time we stop criticizing and /
or fetishizing the experiences of our fellow Catholics based on whether
or not they are cradle, convert, or revert Catholics. How 'bout we all
just be CATHOLICS?<br />
<br />
<b>UPDATE</b><br />
Upon further reflection, this piece (and it's "speak less, listen more" headline) i<span data-ft="{"tn":"K"}"><span class="UFICommentBody">s actually far more condescending than "Shut Up!"<br /><br />It's more like "Shhhhh."</span></span><br />
<br />
<span data-ft="{"tn":"K"}"><span class="UFICommentBody"><b>UPDATE #2</b><br />For more background on the anti-convert dustup taking place at Crux (funded by your Knight of Columbus dues) and elsewhere, read <a href="http://the-american-catholic.com/2017/08/15/will-no-one-rid-us-of-these-turbulent-converts/" target="_blank">Paul Zummo's excellent post at <i>The American Catholic</i></a>.</span></span><br />
<br />
<span data-ft="{"tn":"K"}"><span class="UFICommentBody"><span data-ft="{"tn":"K"}"><span class="UFICommentBody"><b>UPDATE #3</b> </span></span></span></span><br />
<span data-ft="{"tn":"K"}"><span class="UFICommentBody"><span data-ft="{"tn":"K"}"><span class="UFICommentBody"><a href="https://cruxnow.com/commentary/2017/08/19/catholic-wisdom-isnt-date-baptismal-certificate/" target="_blank">Deal Hudson has written an excellent response</a> to Mills' piece ... also published at Crux.</span></span> </span></span>Pro Ecclesiahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03814831624547392519noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11294855.post-30010276204853213112017-02-07T19:33:00.001-05:002017-02-07T19:38:10.522-05:00The New Catholic Debate: Is It Ever OK to Punch a Heretic?<h2 style="text-align: center;">
Catholics can't agree on whether violence is an appropriate response to heresy</h2>
<div style="text-align: left;">
From <a href="http://www.salon.com/2017/01/23/the-new-national-debate-is-it-ever-ok-to-punch-a-nazi/">Saloon.com</a>:<br />
<blockquote class="tr_bq">
<i>Arius, leader of the anti-Homoousian Christology movement and advocate for the Father's divinity over the Son, was
punched in the face by Bishop Nicholas of Myra while bragging about the success of Arianism in spreading the heresy denying the consubstantiality of the Father and Son throughout Europe, the Middle East, North Africa, and also in various Germanic kingdoms.</i><br />
<br />
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<br />
<i>Illustrations of the punch were seen more than a million and half times. Arius has said he’s not a heretic — even though his “Arianism” has devolved into supporting heretical tendencies.</i><br />
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<i><br /></i></div>
<i>The punch has spurred a flurry of parodies and memes on Facebook:</i><br />
<br />
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<i>Although the number of views of the memes and the glee with which the
memes are being shared suggest many find it fun to watch someone who professed heresy at an Ecumenical Council get clocked, a serious debate over the act is
going down over: If you see someone espousing the views of Arius
in public, should your knuckles meet their jaw? The Church needs answers,
apparently. Even <a href="https://www.nytimes.com/2017/01/21/us/politics/richard-spencer-punched-attack.html?_r=1" target="_blank">the New York Times jumped into the debate</a>:</i></div>
<blockquote>
<div class="story-body-text story-content" data-para-count="230" data-total-count="2392">
<i>There
was little substantive debate online about the ethics of punching Bishop Arius. Facebook is not a place where minds are often changed, and the
supporters and opponents of the sucker punch were unmoved by one
another’s quips.</i></div>
</blockquote>
<blockquote>
<div class="story-body-text story-content" data-para-count="266" data-total-count="2658">
<i>Opponents
of the punch tended to say that violence had no place in theological
debate. Supporters tended to say the punch was funny, and more than a
few compared Bishop Arius’s attacker to famous punchers from pop
culture, like Batman.</i></div>
</blockquote>
<i>A glance at history indicates that violence towards heretics has been something Christians have advocated for a while now.</i><br />
<br />
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<br />
<i>Thankfully, the Times didn’t bury the most important hidden gem:</i><br />
<blockquote>
<div class="story-body-text story-content" data-para-count="182" data-total-count="1678">
<i>Bishop Arius's sore jaw resulted from a sucker punch in what he described as “a safe space.” (It was a Church-sponsored event, after all.) He said he thought the attack happened, in part, because he was in the
wrong place at the wrong time — sitting next to Bishop Nicholas.</i></div>
</blockquote>
</blockquote>
<blockquote>
<i>Maybe the question shouldn’t be, “Is it OK to punch a heretic?” but, “If
you don’t want to be punched in the face, maybe you shouldn’t
preach heresy to the faithful?”</i></blockquote>
<br /></div>
Pro Ecclesiahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03814831624547392519noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11294855.post-27216047610400130842016-10-13T02:28:00.000-05:002016-10-13T12:42:39.161-05:00WikiLeaks Confirms Democrat Conspiracy to "Plant Seeds of Revolution" in Catholic Church, Vindicates Catholic Blogs That Exposed Front Groups<h3 style="text-align: center;">
<span style="color: #666666;">In case you're wondering, the "middle ages dictatorship" that is the Catholic Church and her Bishops is right there in the middle of Hillary Clinton's so-called "basket of deplorables". And the Clinton team had a plan to rid themselves of these troublesome priests by "plant[ing] the seeds of the revolution" against the Catholic hierarchy and its teachings via infiltration and subversion.
</span></h3>
<h3 style="text-align: center;">
<span style="color: #666666;">Some of us caught on to this plan a decade ago...
</span></h3>
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<span style="font-size: xx-small;">John Podesta. <a href="https://www.flickr.com/photos/americanprogress/4054273768">Image courtesy of the Center for American Progress </a> via <a href="http://www.onepeterfive.com/leftist-conspiracy-orthodox-catholicism/" target="_blank">OnePeter5</a> </span><br />
<span style="font-size: xx-small;">(Creative Commons) </span></div>
<br />
Vindication. Yes, an opportunity to gloat. To say "I told you so." <br />
<br />
Not a very pretty sentiment, but that's about the only thing that could bring me out of blogging retirement (but only for this one post) in the electoral <i>Annus Horribilis</i> that is 2016.<br />
<br />
So it turns out that what we knew <i><b>ALL ALONG</b></i> about the Soros-funded DemoCatholic front groups Catholics in Alliance for the Common Good and its sister organization Catholics United was, in fact, 100% on the money. We have an admission right out of the horse's mouth (or, rather, out of the horse's leaked emails). I haven't the time nor the inclination to get into a long retrospective detailing the war of words that I and other like-minded bloggers waged over several years -- beginning a decade ago -- against Catholics in Alliance for the Common Good and Catholics United. Instead, I will direct you to the links below, which will more than fill you in and give you a taste of what was being said and what was at stake.<br />
<br />
In short, my part in this drama began a decade ago during the 2006 elections, when <a href="http://proecclesia.blogspot.com/2006/09/dueling-catholic-voter-guides.html" target="_blank">Catholics in Alliance for the Common Good published a Catholic voter guide that played down the priority given by the Church to traditional life issues in favor of a hodge-podge of issues straight out of the Democrat Party platform</a>. At first, I began by just blogging about and linking to what others were saying about this mysterious group who had suddenly appeared on the scene in the midst of a mid-term election. As the evidence poured in, especially evidence that linked the group to funding provided by none other than George Soros, it soon became clear that Catholics in Alliance for the Common Good was little more than a front group for the Democrat Party and its efforts to blur the lines on life issues with Catholic voters.<br />
<br />
And then, <i><b>the week before the November 2006 elections</b></i>, our own <i>Catholic Chronicle</i> -- the usually fairly orthodox newspaper of the Diocese of Toledo, Ohio -- published a <a href="http://proecclesia.blogspot.com/2006/11/not-approved-catholic-voter-guide.html" target="_blank"><i><b>front-page puff piece</b></i></a> on the efforts of Catholics in Alliance for the Common Good in our own diocese to promote their vision and their voter guide (the story reported the efforts in a straightforward manner, without questioning the problematic aspects of the group and its voter guide).. The proverbial you-know-what must've hit the fan in the Chancery offices once the very orthodox then-Toledo Bishop Leonard Blair (now Archbishop of Hartford, CT) caught wind of it, because the article was gone from the Chronicle's website within a matter of hours after it was published. Alas, it was too late to remove the article from the print editions, which went out the weekend before the elections on the following Tuesday to parishes Diocese-wide. So, in response to the <i>Chronicle</i>'s article, <a href="http://proecclesia.blogspot.com/2006/11/vote-your-values.html" target="_blank">I penned a letter to the editor taking the <i>Chronicle</i> and the main protagonist of the article, Prof. Richard Gaillardetz, to task for the misrepresentation and manipulation of Catholic teaching</a>. The Chronicle eventually <a href="http://proecclesia.blogspot.com/2007/01/in-januarys-catholic-chronicle-vote.html" target="_blank">published my letter, along with a few others disagreeing with the article and its timing</a>, a couple of months later. Following the letter's publication, the response from the Catholics in Alliance crowd was swift and predictably unpleasant. You can read the <a href="http://proecclesia.blogspot.com/2007/01/in-januarys-catholic-chronicle-vote.html#c116827366955482633" target="_blank">comments here</a> for a taste. This war of words against Catholics in Alliance for the Common Good and Catholics United (and various offshoots like Catholic Democrats, etc.) went on for several years and took many twists and turns, which you can read about in the links at the bottom of this post.<br />
<br />
In the end, it is my belief that, ultimately, those of us leading the charge against these groups lost that war (at least in the short term covering 2006, 2008, and 2012). Catholics in Alliance for the Common Good and Catholics United accomplished their aims of convincing Catholics that voting for a party that views government-funded abortion on demand as a sacrament, and that views the destruction of the traditional family as a prerequisite to achieving its policy goals and destroying the institutions -- such as the Church and other religious people and organizations -- that might stand in that party's way of achieving said policy goals, was not only morally acceptable, but was, in fact, the MOST Catholic way to vote. <i>See, e.g.,</i> <a href="http://proecclesia.blogspot.com/2014/01/the-passion-of-kmiec-revisited-wtf.html" target="_blank">Doug Kmiec</a>. "These groups are merely drawing attention to long-ignored issues of importance to Catholics," some said. "These groups are doing the Church a service by focusing on the need for a 'consistent ethic of life'," they said (<a href="http://proecclesia.blogspot.com/2006/11/whats-missing.html" target="_blank">never mind that these groups NEVER talked about such life issues as abortion, euthanasia, or the sanctity of the family</a>). Entire blogs were established for the purpose of propagandizing the issues that the DemoCath groups argued were being ignored because of Catholic voters' allegedly "obsessive" focus on "<a href="http://proecclesia.blogspot.com/2006/11/vote-your-values.html" target="_blank">a narrow spectrum of issues regarding family and sexuality</a>" (i.e. the sanctity of life and the family). Sometimes, these blogs had well-meaning founders who definitely raised important issues for Catholics to consider when they were deciding how to vote, but these blogs often quickly devolved into DemoCath propaganda organs as certain bloggers and frequent combox commentators used those fora to press forward the agitprop that ultimately undermined the good of the Catholic Church and her teachings in favor of the pursuit of Democrat Party policy goals. Far too many Catholics who should have known better allowed themselves to be swayed by the arguments of those whose only purpose was to weaken the resolve of Catholic voters to stand for the Catholic Church's teachings on the primacy of life and family issues, and instead were duped by these malefactors to trade that birthright for a mess of feel-good leftist policy pottage. And that party repaid them by, among many other things, suing nuns to force them to provide birth control in their medical policies. And, in response, Catholic voters had so weakened their resolve to stand for traditional life issues, that they re-elected the guy who has consistently attacked their Church. Which was the goal of Catholics in Alliance for the Common Good and Catholics United all along. Today, <a href="http://proecclesia.blogspot.com/2014/11/did-catholics-abandon-democrats-in-2014.html" target="_blank">there is no identifiable "Catholic Vote" left</a> to speak of thanks to the likes of Catholics in Alliance for the Common Good and Catholics United.<br />
<br />
So, it turns out to be a rather bittersweet bit of gloating, at best, when I read the latest WikiLeaks email dump, which includes a 2012 email exchange in which HilLIARy Clinton's current campaign chairman, John Podesta, openly brags about being involved in efforts to infiltrate the Catholic Church and foment a "Catholic Spring" (i.e. a bottom-up rebellion against the Church hierarchy and its teaching authority akin to the "Arab Spring" -- albeit without the violence, one hopes -- that led to revolutions in Egypt, Libya, and Syria). The means of fomenting this takeover of the Church? Why, <a href="https://wikileaks.org/podesta-emails/emailid/6293" target="_blank">none other than Catholics in Alliance for the Common Good and Catholics United</a>:<br />
<blockquote>
<i>Hi, John, </i><br />
<i>This whole controversy with the bishops opposing contraceptive coverage even though 98% of Catholic women (and their conjugal partners) have used contraception has me thinking . . . <span style="font-size: large;"><b>There needs to be a Catholic Spring, in</b></span> <span style="font-size: large;"><b>which Catholics themselves demand the end of a middle ages dictatorship</b></span> and the beginning of a little democracy and respect for gender equality in the Catholic church. Is contraceptive coverage an issue around which that could happen. The Bishops will undoubtedly continue the fight. Does the Catholic Hospital Association support of the Administration's new policy, together with "the 98%" create an opportunity? </i><br />
<br />
<i>Of course, this idea may just reveal my total lack of understanding of the Catholic church, the economic power it can bring to bear against nuns and priests who count on it for their maintenance, etc. Even if the idea isn't crazy, I don't qualify to be involved and I have not thought at all about how one would <span style="font-size: large;"><b>"plant the seeds of the revolution,"</b></span> or who would plant them.</i>
<br />
<br />
<i>Just wondering . . .</i><br />
<br />
<i>Hoping you're well, and getting to focus your time in the ways you want. </i><br />
<i>Sandy </i><br />
<br />
<i>Sandy Newman, President </i><br />
<i>Voices for Progress </i><br />
<i>202.669.8754 </i><br />
<i>voicesforprogress.org <br /><br />_________________________________</i><br />
<br />
<br />
<i>From:john.podesta@gmail.com
</i><br />
<i>To: sandynewman@gmail.com
</i><br />
<i>Date: 2012-02-11 11:45
</i><br />
<i>Subject: Re: opening for a Catholic Spring? just musing . . .
</i><br />
<i><br /></i>
<i>
<span style="font-size: large;"><b>We created Catholics in Alliance for the Common Good to organize for a
moment like this.</b></span> But I think it lacks the leadership to do so now.
<span style="font-size: large;"><b>Likewise Catholics United.</b></span> Like most Spring movements, I think this
one will have to be bottom up. I'll discuss with Tara. Kathleen
Kennedy Townsend is the other person to consult.
(emphasis added)</i></blockquote>
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That there is what we call a "smoking gun". Again, we knew ALL ALONG what these groups were up to, but they always had some plausible deniability along with their apologists making the case that they were honest-to-goodness "Faithful Catholics"™️ just arguing for a "consistent ethic of life" (again, albeit one that never ever quite mentioned abortion). But this Podesta email is a validation and vindication of the efforts of myself and like-minded bloggers such as, for example, <a href="http://proecclesia.blogspot.com/2008/07/convention-for-common-good.html" target="_blank">Rich Leonardi</a>, to expose this infiltration of the Catholic Church by political subversives bent on "plant[ing] the seeds of ... revolution".<br />
<br />
If you have the time, I encourage you to read as many of the links below as you can to get some indication of what these subversive groups were up to and the efforts to which bloggers were going to expose them. You might find of particular interest the links detailing how former Ohio Gov. Ted Strickland (a Democrat who is now challenging U.S. Sen. Rob Portman for his Senate seat) had a man at Catholics in Alliance for the Common Good whom he also appointed to head up the Ohio Faith-Based Initiatives office and who was, at the same time, <a href="http://proecclesia.blogspot.com/2009/01/breaking-catholic-democrat-who-once.html" target="_blank">running a prostitution ring</a>. Yep.<br />
<br />
Others commenting on this story:<br />
<ul>
<li>Don McClarey at <i>The American Catholic</i>: <a href="http://the-american-catholic.com/2016/10/12/democrat-attempts-to-control-the-church/" target="_blank">Democrat Attempts to Control the Church</a> </li>
<li>Steve Skojek at <i>OnePeterFive</i>: <a href="http://www.onepeterfive.com/leftist-conspiracy-orthodox-catholicism/" target="_blank">The Leftist Conspiracy Against Orthodox Catholicism</a> </li>
<li>Rod Dreher at <i>The American Conservative</i>: <a href="http://www.theamericanconservative.com/dreher/democrats-conspiracy-the-catholic-church/" target="_blank">Democratic Conspiracy Against Catholic Church</a><i> </i></li>
<li><i>CatholicVote</i>: <a href="https://www.catholicvote.org/ongoing-updates-clinton-campaign-anti-catholic-wikileaks-scandal/" target="_blank">[Ongoing Updates] Clinton Campaign Anti-Catholic WikiLeaks Scandal</a></li>
<li><i>The Catholic Herald</i>: <a href="http://www.catholicherald.co.uk/news/2016/10/12/clinton-campaign-chief-helped-start-catholic-organisations-to-create-revolution-in-the-church/" target="_blank">Clinton Campaign Chief Helped Start Catholic Organisations to Create "Revolution" in the Church</a></li>
<li>Archbishop Charles J. Chaput at <i>National Catholic Register</i>: <a href="http://www.ncregister.com/daily-news/about-those-unthinking-backward-catholics" target="_blank">About Those Unthinking, Backward Catholics ...</a> </li>
<li><i>The Wall Street Journal</i>: <a href="http://www.wsj.com/articles/anti-catholics-for-clinton-1476315156" target="_blank">Anti-Catholics for Clinton</a> </li>
</ul>
<br />
<br />
<span style="font-size: xx-small;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><b>Previous <i>Pro Ecclesia</i> posts on this subject:</b></span></span> <br />
<span style="font-size: xx-small;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><a href="http://proecclesia.blogspot.com/2013/05/prominent-catholic-professor-claims-irs.html" target="_blank"><span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: xx-small;">Prominent Catholic Professor Claims IRS Audited Her After Speaking Out Against Obama and Demanded to Know Who Was Paying Her</span></span></a></span></span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-size: xx-small;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><a href="http://proecclesia.blogspot.com/2010/09/soros-funded-pro-obama-catholics-to.html" target="_blank">Soros-Funded Pro-Obama Catholics to Launch News Service?</a></span></span><br />
<span style="font-size: xx-small;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"> </span></span>
<span style="font-size: xx-small;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><br /></span></span>
<span style="font-size: xx-small;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><a href="http://proecclesia.blogspot.com/2010/09/catholic-key-blog-asks-is-catholics-in.html">Catholic Key Blog Asks "Is Catholics in Alliance Kaput?"</a></span></span><br />
<span style="font-size: xx-small;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><br /><a href="http://proecclesia.blogspot.com/2010/08/soros-funded-catholic-groups-still.html">Soros-Funded "Catholic" Groups Still Running Cover for Pro-Aborts (Of Course, That's the Sole Reason They Exist)</a></span></span><br />
<span style="font-size: xx-small;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><br /><a href="http://proecclesia.blogspot.com/2010/07/nonpartisan-catholics-united-to-set.html">"Nonpartisan"
Catholics United to “Set the Record Straight” by Trying to Convince
Catholics That New Healthcare Law is "Pro-Life"</a></span></span><br />
<span style="font-size: xx-small;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><br /><a href="http://proecclesia.blogspot.com/2010/03/archbishop-chaput-bad-bill-and-how-we.html">Archbishop Chaput: A Bad Bill and How We Got It</a></span></span><br />
<span style="font-size: xx-small;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><br /><a href="http://proecclesia.blogspot.com/2010/03/archbishop-chaput-those-confusing.html">Archbishop
Chaput: Those Confusing the Catholic Stance on Health Care Will Bear
the Blame for Anti-Life Effects of Heath Care Bill</a></span></span><br />
<span style="font-size: xx-small;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><br /><a href="http://proecclesia.blogspot.com/2010/03/catholicvote-takes-on-soros-funded.html"><i>CatholicVote</i> Takes on Soros-Funded Catholics in Alliance and Catholics United</a></span></span><br />
<span style="font-size: xx-small;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><br /><a href="http://proecclesia.blogspot.com/2009/03/sebelius-and-kmiec-catholicism-catholic.html">Sebelius and Kmiec Catholicism - the Catholic Left Declares War on Pro-Lifers</a></span></span><br />
<span style="font-size: xx-small;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><br /><a href="http://proecclesia.blogspot.com/2009/02/apologists-for-abortion-loving.html">Apologists for Abortion-Loving Catholics Attack Archbishop ... Again</a></span></span><br />
<span style="font-size: xx-small;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><br /><a href="http://proecclesia.blogspot.com/2009/02/catholic-news-agency-catholics-in.html">Catholic
News Agency: Catholics in Alliance "Abortion Reduction" Study Found to
be Faulty - Social Welfare Policies Have Little Effect on Abortion</a></span></span><br />
<span style="font-size: xx-small;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><br /><a href="http://proecclesia.blogspot.com/2009/01/what-did-gov-strickland-know-and-when.html">What Did Gov. Strickland Know, and When Did He Know It (re: Eric McFadden)?</a> [UPDATED]<br /><br /><a href="http://proecclesia.blogspot.com/2009/01/breaking-catholic-democrat-who-once.html">Breaking: Catholic Democrat Who Once Headed Up Ohio's Faith-Based Initiatives Arrested for Running Prostitution Ring</a> [UPDATED]</span></span><br />
<span style="font-size: xx-small;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><br /><a href="http://proecclesia.blogspot.com/2008/11/seamless-garment-has-lost-thread.html">"Seamless Garment Has Lost a Thread"</a><br /><br /><a href="http://proecclesia.blogspot.com/2008/11/catholics-in-alliance-voter-survey-of.html">Catholics in Alliance Voter Survey of "Little Value," Archdiocese of Denver Says</a></span></span><br />
<span style="font-size: xx-small;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><br /><a href="http://proecclesia.blogspot.com/2008/09/nonpartisan-catholics-united-attacks.html">"Nonpartisan" Catholics United Attacks the Knights of Columbus</a></span></span><br />
<span style="font-size: xx-small;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><br /><a href="http://proecclesia.blogspot.com/2008/09/nonpartisan-catholics-united-hits.html">"Nonpartisan" Catholics United Hits McCain with Ad Questioning His Pro-Life Credentials</a></span></span><br />
<span style="font-size: xx-small;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><br /><a href="http://proecclesia.blogspot.com/2008/07/non-partisan-group-of-catholic-obama.html">"Non-Partisan" Group of Catholic Obama Supporters Calling Itself "Catholics United" Gets Divisive</a></span></span><br />
<span style="font-size: xx-small;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><br /><a href="http://proecclesia.blogspot.com/2008/07/catholic-left-meets-in-philadelphia.html">The Catholic Left Meets in Philadelphia</a></span></span><br />
<span style="font-size: xx-small;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><br /><a href="http://proecclesia.blogspot.com/2008/07/convention-for-common-good.html">Convention for the "Common Good"</a></span></span><br />
<span style="font-size: xx-small;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><br /><a href="http://proecclesia.blogspot.com/2008/06/bill-donohue-how-catholic-left-is-boxed.html">Bill Donohue: "How the Catholic Left Is Boxed in by Abortion"</a></span></span><br />
<span style="font-size: xx-small;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><br /><a href="http://proecclesia.blogspot.com/2008/05/catholic-democrats-attack-registered.html">"Catholic Democrats" Attack "Registered Republican Archbishop of Kansas City" for "Using Communion" to "Take Down" Sebelius</a></span></span><br />
<span style="font-size: xx-small;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><br /><a href="http://proecclesia.blogspot.com/2008/05/i-missed-seminar.html">I Missed the Seminar</a> [UPDATED]<br /><br /><a href="http://proecclesia.blogspot.com/2008/04/deal-hudson-catholics-organize-to-elect.html">Deal Hudson: "Catholics Organize to Elect Barack Obama"</a><br /><br /><a href="http://proecclesia.blogspot.com/2007/12/democrat-front-group-posing-as-catholic.html">Democrat Front Group Posing as Catholic Org Calls for End to "Christmas Culture War"</a><br /><br /><a href="http://proecclesia.blogspot.com/2007/05/fidelis-dismisses-religious-left-media.html"><i>Fidelis</i> Dismisses Religious Left Media "Report"</a><br /><br /><a href="http://proecclesia.blogspot.com/2007/06/democrats-set-their-sights-on-winning.html">Democrats Set Their Sights on Winning Back Catholics</a><br /><br /><a href="http://proecclesia.blogspot.com/2007/03/mark-shea-in-national-catholic-register.html">Mark Shea in <i>National Catholic Register</i>: "Richard Rich Lives"</a><br /><br /><a href="http://proecclesia.blogspot.com/2007/02/edwards-blogger-flap-discomforts.html">Edwards Blogger Flap Discomforts Religious Left</a><br /><br /><a href="http://proecclesia.blogspot.com/2007/02/mark-shea-whores-for-edwards-swings.html">Mark Shea: "Whores for Edwards Swings into Action"</a><br /><br /><a href="http://proecclesia.blogspot.com/2007/03/catholics-in-alliance-respond-with.html">Catholics in Alliance Respond With Letter to Editor</a><br /><br /><a href="http://proecclesia.blogspot.com/2007/01/continue-to-raise-our-voices-on-issue.html">Continue to Raise Our Voices on Issue of Voting</a><br /><br /><a href="http://proecclesia.blogspot.com/2007/01/in-januarys-catholic-chronicle-vote.html">In January's <i>Catholic Chronicle</i> - "Vote Your Values" Revisited</a><br /><br /><a href="http://proecclesia.blogspot.com/2006/11/vote-your-values.html">Vote Your Values</a><br /><br /><a href="http://proecclesia.blogspot.com/2006/11/not-approved-catholic-voter-guide.html">"NOT An Approved Catholic Voter Guide"</a><br /><br /><a href="http://proecclesia.blogspot.com/2006/11/whats-missing.html">What's Missing?</a><br /><br /><a href="http://proecclesia.blogspot.com/2006/10/toledo-blade-catholic-voting-guide.html"><i>Toledo Blade</i>: "Catholic Voting Guide Gives Church Perspective"</a><br /><br /><a href="http://proecclesia.blogspot.com/2006/10/catholics-find-voting-guides-test-of.html">Catholics Find Voting Guides a Test of Allegiance</a><br /><br /><a href="http://proecclesia.blogspot.com/2006/10/weigel-electoral-battle-of-booklets.html">Weigel: "An Electoral Battle of the Booklets?</a><br /><br /><a href="http://proecclesia.blogspot.com/2006/10/more-from-amy-welborn-on-dueling.html">More From Amy Welborn on the "Dueling Catholic Voter Guides"</a><br /><br /><a href="http://proecclesia.blogspot.com/2006/10/columnist-christian-right-driving.html">Columnist: "Christian Right Driving Wedge Into U.S."</a><br /><br /><a href="http://proecclesia.blogspot.com/2006/10/more-on-catholic-voter-guides.html">More on Catholic Voter Guides</a><br /><br /><a href="http://proecclesia.blogspot.com/2006/09/dueling-catholic-voter-guides.html">Dueling Catholic Voter Guides</a></span></span>Pro Ecclesiahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03814831624547392519noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11294855.post-19646707022294390612015-04-17T18:54:00.003-05:002015-05-27T12:29:36.411-05:00"The Wrong Side of History" -- Francis Cardinal George, RIP<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-K5uy-XXE-qw/VTGcvuvc9dI/AAAAAAAALRs/mubZTYh8cQY/s1600/Francis%2BCardinal%2BGeorge.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="290" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-K5uy-XXE-qw/VTGcvuvc9dI/AAAAAAAALRs/mubZTYh8cQY/s1600/Francis%2BCardinal%2BGeorge.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
<br />
<br />
<br />
<a href="http://www.catholicnewworld.com/cnwonline/2012/1021/cardinal.aspx" target="_blank"><i>“... God sustains the world, in good times
and in bad. Catholics, along with many
others, believe that only one person has
overcome and rescued history: Jesus
Christ, Son of God and Son of the Virgin
Mary, savior of the world and head of his
body, the church. Those who gather at
his cross and by his empty tomb, no matter
their nationality, are on the right side
of history. Those who lie about him and
persecute or harass his followers in any
age might imagine they are bringing
something new to history, but they inevitably
end up ringing the changes on
the old human story of sin and oppression.
There is nothing 'progressive'
about sin, even when it is promoted as 'enlightened.'</i></a><br />
<a href="http://www.catholicnewworld.com/cnwonline/2012/1021/cardinal.aspx" target="_blank"><br /></a>
<a href="http://www.catholicnewworld.com/cnwonline/2012/1021/cardinal.aspx" target="_blank"><i>
“The world divorced from the God who
created and redeemed it inevitably comes
to a bad end. It’s on the wrong side of
the only history that finally matters...”</i></a><br />
<a href="http://www.catholicnewworld.com/cnwonline/2012/1021/cardinal.aspx" target="_blank"><br /></a>
<a href="http://www.catholicnewworld.com/cnwonline/2012/1021/cardinal.aspx" target="_blank">~ Francis Cardinal George </a><br />
<br />
<b>My Comments: </b><br />
The ONLY "side of history" that I'm particularly concerned about: Revelation 20:11-15Pro Ecclesiahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03814831624547392519noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11294855.post-55806269349027891372015-03-05T11:03:00.001-05:002015-03-06T23:55:36.376-05:00Everything Old is New Again -- The Return of Catholic Advocacy for Judicial Activism to End the Death PenaltyOkay. This time will DEFINITELY be my last post here. But just had to acknowledge one last thing on my almost blogiversary.<br />
<br />
Two days from today, Saturday, 7 March, will be the 10th anniversary of this blog. The <a href="http://proecclesia.blogspot.com/2005/03/roper-v-simmons-judicial-activism-and.html" target="_blank">very first substantive post</a> on this blog was about capital punishment. To be precise, it was about the then recent Supreme Court ruling in <i><a href="http://scotus.ap.org/scotus/03-633p.zo.pdf">Roper v. Simmons</a></i>, which held that it was cruel and unusual punishment in violation of the 8th
Amendment to the U.S. Constitution to execute those who have been
convicted of committing murder prior to their 18th birthday. The effect
of the <i>Roper</i> decision was to abolish the juvenile death penalty in at least 19 states.<br />
<br />
In that post, I acknowledged my opposition to the juvenile death penalty (which has now become an opposition to all forms of capital punishment). However, I also noted the troubling aspect of many anti-death-penalty Catholics hailing the <i>Roper</i> decision as a positive thing. While I agreed with the desired outcome of abolishing capital punishment for those who had committed murder before reaching the age of majority, I warned against the impulse of looking to the judicial branch to implement our agendas:<br />
<blockquote class="tr_bq">
<i>Catholics who are opposed to capital punishment in general, or who, like
me, are opposed to the juvenile death penalty in particular, may be
tempted to hail the Court’s Roper decision as a favorable
development. Indeed, the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops on March 2
stated that it was “very encouraged that the United States Supreme Court
has recognized that executing juvenile offenders is indeed cruel and
unusual.” However, notwithstanding the desirable result, I would like to
warn Catholics against viewing the Court’s decision in too positive a
light, as the Court’s majority, in reaching its holding, relied on
reasoning that could lead to outcomes that are problematic for
Catholics.</i><br />
<br />
<i>First, it must be noted that what the Court did in Roper was,
in my view, an abusive exercise of judicial fiat by unelected and
life-tenured judges, who usurped what should be the function of the duly
elected and politically accountable legislative branch of government.
The majority on the Court ignored the views of the electorate on this
issue and read its own policy preferences into the Constitution in order
to create a constitutional right that was never there before. In doing
so, the Court’s ruling flies in the face of over 200 years of 8th
Amendment jurisprudence, and is at odds with the Court’s own previous
ruling 15 years earlier in Stanford v. Kentucky, which held
that the death penalty for minors was NOT unconstitutional. Amazingly,
the Court essentially concluded, as pointed out by Justice Antonin
Scalia in his dissenting opinion, “that the meaning of our Constitution
has changed over the past 15 years – not, mind you, that this Court's
decision 15 years ago was wrong, but that the Constitution has changed.”</i><br />
<br />
<i>This type of activist judicial lawmaking is essentially the same thing
the Court did in creating (out of whole cloth) a constitutional right to
abortion in Roe v. Wade, as well as in recently striking down
laws banning the practice of partial birth abortion. Those Catholics who
think the Court acted properly in abolishing the juvenile death penalty
in the Roper decision, should not be surprised when the Court
uses that same judicial fiat to rule in a manner opposed by Catholics,
such as it did in Roe and subsequent abortion-related cases. </i></blockquote>
I also noted the troubling trend of the Court's increasing reliance upon foreign precedence and the potential ill effects that might have in the arena of creating additional "rights" -- some of which would undermine Catholic views of the family -- out of whole cloth.<br />
<br />
Next, I noted the troubling acceptance of the Court's ruling by people who ought to know better:<br />
<blockquote class="tr_bq">
<i>Again, I realize that many Catholics, despite the concerns I have
raised, will nevertheless be tempted to rejoice at the result of the Roper
ruling, as evidenced by the positive statement coming from the Bishops’
Conference. I have corresponded with other Catholics who, although
troubled by the Court’s reasoning, believe that the “legal
technicalities” of the Roper decision should be ignored because
the result was just. I would caution Catholics, however, to keep in
mind that such good ends cannot justify improper means. And, in my view,
running roughshod over the rule of law, as the Roper Court has done, in order to reach a particular desired result simply cannot be justified.</i></blockquote>
Finally, I concluded with a quote from A Man for All Seasons, and applied it as a warning for what was likely to come from an acceptance of raw judicial activism:<br />
<br />
<blockquote class="tr_bq">
<i>Roper: So now you'd give the Devil benefit of law! </i><br />
<br />
<i>More: Yes. What would you do? Cut a great road through the law to get after the Devil? </i><br />
<br />
<i>Roper: I'd cut down every law in England to do that! </i><br />
<br />
<i>More: Oh? And when the last law was down, and the Devil turned round on you - where would you hide, Roper, the laws all being flat? This country's planted thick with laws from coast to coast - man's laws, not God's - and if you cut them down - and you're just the man to do it - d'you really think you could stand upright in the winds that would blow then? Yes, I'd give the Devil benefit of law, for my own safety's sake. </i><br />
<br />
<i>Sir Thomas More’s admonition to Roper should serve as a warning and a reminder to Catholics that the activist Court that sides with us in this particular instance is the same activist Court that is likely in the future (as it has in the past) to “turn round on us” and use its increasingly strident activism to decide cases contrary to our Catholic values.</i></blockquote>
Now, fast forward 10 years, and along comes <a href="http://www.ncregister.com/daily-news/national-catholic-journals-unite-capital-punishment-must-end/" target="_blank">this joint editorial </a>from "the national Catholic journals":<br />
<blockquote class="tr_bq">
<h1 class="headline">
National Catholic Journals Unite: ‘Capital Punishment Must End’ <span style="font-size: 10px;"></span></h1>
<h2 class="subhead">
Joint Editorial of America, National Catholic Register, National Catholic Reporter, and Our Sunday Visitor</h2>
<br />
<i>Next month, the U.S. Supreme Court will hear arguments in Glossip v. Gross, a case out of Oklahoma that challenges the most widely used lethal injection protocol as being cruel and unusual punishment.</i><br />
<br />
<i>The court took up the case in January after a year of three
high-profile, problematic executions in three states. The court will
likely issue a ruling by June. Our hope is that it will hasten the end
of the death penalty in the United States.</i><br />
<br />
<i>[...]</i><br />
<br />
<i>We, the editors of four Catholic journals — America, National Catholic Register, National Catholic Reporter and Our Sunday Visitor
— urge the readers of our diverse publications and the whole U.S.
Catholic community and all people of faith to stand with us and say,
“Capital punishment must end.”</i><br />
<div style="background-color: white; border: medium none; color: black; overflow: hidden; text-align: left; text-decoration: none;">
</div>
<div style="background-color: white; border: medium none; color: black; overflow: hidden; text-align: left; text-decoration: none;">
<i>[...]</i></div>
<div style="background-color: white; border: medium none; color: black; overflow: hidden; text-align: left; text-decoration: none;">
</div>
<i>The Supreme Court has agreed with Archbishop Coakley and will consider
the issue. We join our bishops in hoping the Court will reach the
conclusion that it is time for our nation to embody its commitment to
the right-to-life by abolishing the death penalty once and for all.</i><br />
<div style="background-color: white; border: medium none; color: black; overflow: hidden; text-align: left; text-decoration: none;">
<br />
Read more: <a href="http://www.ncregister.com/daily-news/national-catholic-journals-unite-capital-punishment-must-end/#ixzz3TWgEeACO" style="color: #003399;">http://www.ncregister.com/daily-news/national-catholic-journals-unite-capital-punishment-must-end/#ixzz3TWgEeACO</a></div>
</blockquote>
So, here we go again. I can understand <i>America</i>'s and <i>National Catholic Reporter</i>'s affinity for judicial activism, since those publications have never been averse to the Court's using its raw power to push agenda items to which those editorials staffs are friendly. But <i>National Catholic Register</i> and <i>Our Sunday Visitor</i> should know better. They have seen the pro-life and pro-family causes burned time and time again by unelected, life-tenured, activist judges.<br />
<br />
The editors at <i>National Catholic Register</i> did feel the need to at least provide an <a href="http://www.ncregister.com/blog/jdemelo/why-the-register-opposes-the-death-penalty" target="_blank">explanation</a>, although they avoided discussing the problematic stance of urging the Court to engage in raw judicial tyranny. My response in the comments to the Register's statement was as follows:<br />
<blockquote class="tr_bq">
<i>I oppose capital punishment. I want it to be abolished. </i><br />
<i>
***</i><br />
<i>
BUT the remedy for which the national Catholic journals are advocating
is a recipe for judicial tyranny. You are asking for unelected
life-tenured judges to usurp a power unto themselves that they do not
have—to find something in the Constitution that simply is not there
(although they are certainly not shy about doing so when it comes to
declaring a constitutional right to abortion on demand and same-sex
“marriage”).</i><br />
<i>
***</i><br />
<i>
In fact, you are asking the Supreme Court to find “unconstitutional”
something that is explicitly provided for in the Constitution. The
Constitution itself, by its terms, validates the “constitutionality” of
capital punishment by making it the penalty for treason. How can
something be “unconstitutional” when it is called for by the
Constitution? What this editorial proposes is for the Supreme Court to
ignore the clear language of the Constitution and substitute the judges’
own personal policy preferences.</i><br />
<i>
***</i><br />
<i>
Yes, capital punishment should be abolished, but not by judges who, by
doing so, would be making up the law, not following it. Instead, we
should be advocating the abolition of the death penalty to those in the
elected branches in the state and federal governments who are empowered
to act in this regard. It is in the lawmaking branches across the
nation—in the legislatures and executive branches—that we should be
looking to for action. Movement in the right direction is already
happening in several states throughout the nation, as this editorial
acknowledges.</i></blockquote>
<div style="background-color: white; border: medium none; color: black; overflow: hidden; text-align: left; text-decoration: none;">
</div>
<div style="background-color: white; border: medium none; color: black; overflow: hidden; text-align: left; text-decoration: none;">
Well, that's all I have to say on the matter. Just thought it interesting to see this "joint editorial" encouraging the Supreme Court to abolish capital punishment almost 10 years to the day after I published my first blog post on exactly the same topic.<br />
<br />
Thanks for a great 10 years. Goodbye.</div>
<br />
<br />
<b>UPDATE (6 March 2015)</b><br /><a href="http://www.creativeminorityreport.com/2015/03/the-death-penalty-blunder.html" target="_blank">Pat Archbold</a>, writing at <i>National Catholic Register</i><a href="http://www.ncregister.com/blog/pat-archbold/how-the-register-is-wrong-on-the-death-penalty" target="_blank">, takes issue with the publication's advocacy of judicial tyranny</a>, citing the same concerns I have cited here and that I cited 10 years ago in response to the <i>Roper</i> decision. (Hat tip: <a href="http://the-american-catholic.com/2015/03/06/various-sundry-3615/" target="_blank">Paul Z at <i>The American Catholic</i></a>)Pro Ecclesiahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03814831624547392519noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11294855.post-45719936156787494592014-11-07T12:05:00.000-05:002014-11-07T12:06:19.013-05:00Did "Catholics Abandon Democrats" in 2014?Folks, it comes as no surprise to you, given my absence, that I'm no longer blogging. Haven't been for a while. So, don't be surprised if this is the last post you ever see at this blog. But I felt like I needed to say something, and, given the overriding theme of this blog for the past 10 years, a post about the so-called "Catholic Vote", and whether such a thing even exists, seems as good a way to wrap things up as there is.<br />
<br />
Today, the <a href="http://www.catholicleague.org/catholics-abandon-democrats/" target="_blank">Catholic League put out a press release on the results of the 2014 elections</a>:<br />
<blockquote class="tr_bq">
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<i>Just two years ago, Catholics voted for
President Barack Obama by a margin of 50 percent to 48 percent. On
Tuesday, they abandoned Obama’s party: 54 percent voted for Republican
candidates and 45 percent went for the Democrats (60 percent of white
Catholics chose GOP candidates). What is most startling about the
Catholic vote is that it represents an exact turnaround from 2008: 54
percent voted for Obama and 45 percent cast their ballot for Senator
John McCain.</i></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<i>Catholics are pragmatic. Until the
McGovernization of the Democratic Party in 1972, they were among the
most reliably Democratic voters in the nation. Since that time, they
have been politically homeless, which is why both parties vie for their
vote so aggressively. Catholics are a bellwether: whoever wins their
vote, generally wins the election. By contrast, Protestants vote
Republican and Jews vote Democrat...</i></div>
</blockquote>
<br />
<span data-reactid=".su.1:3:1:$comment10152459344254290_10152459465674290:0.0.$right.0.$left.0.0.1:0"></span><span data-ft="{"tn":"K"}" data-reactid=".su.1:3:1:$comment10152459344254290_10152459465674290:0.0.$right.0.$left.0.0.1:$comment-body"><span class="UFICommentBody" data-reactid=".su.1:3:1:$comment10152459344254290_10152459465674290:0.0.$right.0.$left.0.0.1:$comment-body.0"><span data-reactid=".su.1:3:1:$comment10152459344254290_10152459465674290:0.0.$right.0.$left.0.0.1:$comment-body.0.0"><span data-reactid=".su.1:3:1:$comment10152459344254290_10152459465674290:0.0.$right.0.$left.0.0.1:$comment-body.0.0.$end:0:$0:0">I'm
sorry, but these particular numbers regarding "the Catholic Vote" just don't stand out to me. In fact,
it's time we stop talking about "the Catholic vote" or "Catholic voters"
because such a thing no longer exists. </span></span></span></span><br />
<br />
<span data-ft="{"tn":"K"}" data-reactid=".su.1:3:1:$comment10152459344254290_10152459465674290:0.0.$right.0.$left.0.0.1:$comment-body"><span class="UFICommentBody" data-reactid=".su.1:3:1:$comment10152459344254290_10152459465674290:0.0.$right.0.$left.0.0.1:$comment-body.0"><span data-reactid=".su.1:3:1:$comment10152459344254290_10152459465674290:0.0.$right.0.$left.0.0.1:$comment-body.0.0"><span data-reactid=".su.1:3:1:$comment10152459344254290_10152459465674290:0.0.$right.0.$left.0.0.1:$comment-body.0.0.$end:0:$0:0">Bill Donohue says "Catholics are pragmatic." But when I look at these numbers, all I
see is Catholics supporting the Democra</span></span><span data-reactid=".su.1:3:1:$comment10152459344254290_10152459465674290:0.0.$right.0.$left.0.0.1:$comment-body.0.3"><span data-reactid=".su.1:3:1:$comment10152459344254290_10152459465674290:0.0.$right.0.$left.0.0.1:$comment-body.0.3.0"><span data-reactid=".su.1:3:1:$comment10152459344254290_10152459465674290:0.0.$right.0.$left.0.0.1:$comment-body.0.3.0.$end:0:$0:0">ts
in 2012 by the same proportion as the rest of the country, and
Catholics supporting Republicans in 2014 by the same proportion as the
rest of the country.</span><br data-reactid=".su.1:3:1:$comment10152459344254290_10152459465674290:0.0.$right.0.$left.0.0.1:$comment-body.0.3.0.$end:0:$1:0" /><br data-reactid=".su.1:3:1:$comment10152459344254290_10152459465674290:0.0.$right.0.$left.0.0.1:$comment-body.0.3.0.$end:0:$3:0" /><span data-reactid=".su.1:3:1:$comment10152459344254290_10152459465674290:0.0.$right.0.$left.0.0.1:$comment-body.0.3.0.$end:0:$4:0">In
other words, there doesn't appear to be anything unique to or distinct
about Catholic voters that differentiates them from the rest of the
country at large. Catholic voters appear to be merely a mirror of the
rest of society in their voting patterns. And that's just sad. </span><span data-reactid=".su.1:3:1:$comment10152459344254290_10152459465674290:0.0.$right.0.$left.0.0.1:$comment-body.0.3.0.$end:0:$8:0"> </span></span></span></span></span><br />
<br />
<span data-ft="{"tn":"K"}" data-reactid=".su.1:3:1:$comment10152459344254290_10152459465674290:0.0.$right.0.$left.0.0.1:$comment-body"><span class="UFICommentBody" data-reactid=".su.1:3:1:$comment10152459344254290_10152459465674290:0.0.$right.0.$left.0.0.1:$comment-body.0"><span data-reactid=".su.1:3:1:$comment10152459344254290_10152459465674290:0.0.$right.0.$left.0.0.1:$comment-body.0.3"><span data-reactid=".su.1:3:1:$comment10152459344254290_10152459465674290:0.0.$right.0.$left.0.0.1:$comment-body.0.3.0"><span data-reactid=".su.1:3:1:$comment10152459344254290_10152459465674290:0.0.$right.0.$left.0.0.1:$comment-body.0.3.0.$end:0:$8:0">Catholics
appear to have become what many of our forebears, culminating in the election of President John F. Kennedy, seem to have wanted -
to just fit in. To be seen as "normal Americans". To not be seen by the
rest of the country as in any way beholden to our Faith (certainly not be
be seen as beholden to a "foreign power", i.e. the Pope).</span><br data-reactid=".su.1:3:1:$comment10152459344254290_10152459465674290:0.0.$right.0.$left.0.0.1:$comment-body.0.3.0.$end:0:$9:0" /><br data-reactid=".su.1:3:1:$comment10152459344254290_10152459465674290:0.0.$right.0.$left.0.0.1:$comment-body.0.3.0.$end:0:$11:0" /><span data-reactid=".su.1:3:1:$comment10152459344254290_10152459465674290:0.0.$right.0.$left.0.0.1:$comment-body.0.3.0.$end:0:$12:0">But
"fitting in" isn't what is required of us. We're called to be in the
world, but not of it. We're called to be counter-cultural. We're called
to be witnesses of our Faith. We're supposed to change the world, NOT
let the world change us.</span><br data-reactid=".su.1:3:1:$comment10152459344254290_10152459465674290:0.0.$right.0.$left.0.0.1:$comment-body.0.3.0.$end:0:$13:0" /><br data-reactid=".su.1:3:1:$comment10152459344254290_10152459465674290:0.0.$right.0.$left.0.0.1:$comment-body.0.3.0.$end:0:$15:0" /><span data-reactid=".su.1:3:1:$comment10152459344254290_10152459465674290:0.0.$right.0.$left.0.0.1:$comment-body.0.3.0.$end:0:$16:0">So,
no, I don't believe that "Catholics abandoned Democrats" in the 2014
elections. The VOTERS abandoned the Democrats in the 2014 election, and
Catholics just went along for the ride. By contrast, <a href="http://www.christianpost.com/news/evangelical-vote-played-key-role-in-republican-victories-data-shows-129197/" target="_blank">our evangelical brethren voted against the Democrats</a> in a proportion that <a href="http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2014/11/05/election-2014-religion-evangelicals_n_6107842.html" target="_blank">FAR exceeded the proportion of the electorate at large</a>. THERE's an instance where
faith seems to make a difference in voting patterns. With us Catholics,
not so much. Again, sad.</span></span></span></span></span>Pro Ecclesiahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03814831624547392519noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11294855.post-52439410299288405522014-04-30T12:03:00.000-05:002014-04-30T06:16:02.254-05:00225 Years Ago Today - First Presidential Inauguration of His Excellency, George Washington<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-mNDCDsay64U/U2Bt_WvoKQI/AAAAAAAAEgw/_0iAEhYh58w/s1600/Washington%27s+First+Inauguration.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-mNDCDsay64U/U2Bt_WvoKQI/AAAAAAAAEgw/_0iAEhYh58w/s1600/Washington's+First+Inauguration.jpg" height="272" width="400" /></a></div>
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225 years ago today - 30 April 1789, George Washington was inaugurated as our Nation's first President on the steps of Federal Hall in New York City. In his <a href="http://www.archives.gov/legislative/features/gw-inauguration/" target="_blank">First Inaugural Address</a>, President Washington TWICE invoked God and asked for His divine guidance and blessings upon the new Nation:<br />
<blockquote class="tr_bq">
<i>"... Such being the impressions under which I have, in obedience to the public summons, repaired to the present station, it would be peculiarly improper to omit in this first official act my fervent supplications to that Almighty Being who rules over the universe, who presides in the councils of nations, and whose providential aids can supply every human defect, that His benediction may consecrate to the liberties and happiness of the people of the United States a Government instituted by themselves for these essential purposes, and may enable every instrument employed in its administration to execute with success the functions allotted to his charge. In tendering this homage to the Great Author of every public and private good, I assure myself that it expresses your sentiments not less than my own, nor those of my fellow-citizens at large less than either. No people can be bound to acknowledge and adore the Invisible Hand which conducts the affairs of men more than those of the United States. Every step by which they have advanced to the character of an independent nation seems to have been distinguished by some token of providential agency; and in the important revolution just accomplished in the system of their united government the tranquil deliberations and voluntary consent of so many distinct communities from which the event has resulted can not be compared with the means by which most governments have been established without some return of pious gratitude, along with an humble anticipation of the future blessings which the past seem to presage. These reflections, arising out of the present crisis, have forced themselves too strongly on my mind to be suppressed. You will join with me, I trust, in thinking that there are none under the influence of which the proceedings of a new and free government can more auspiciously commence...</i><br />
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<i>"... Having thus imparted to you my sentiments as they have been awakened by the occasion which brings us together, I shall take my present leave; but not without resorting once more to the benign Parent of the Human Race in humble supplication that, since He has been pleased to favor the American people with opportunities for deliberating in perfect tranquillity, and dispositions for deciding with unparalleled unanimity on a form of government for the security of their union and the advancement of their happiness, so His divine blessing may be equally conspicuous in the enlarged views, the temperate consultations, and the wise measures on which the success of this Government must depend."</i></blockquote>
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<span style="font-size: x-small;"><b>Previous <i>Pro Ecclesia</i> posts on this subject:</b></span><br />
<span style="font-size: x-small;"><span style="font-family: arial;"><a href="http://proecclesia.blogspot.com/2013/02/happy-281st-birthday-to-father-of-our.html" target="_blank">Happy 281st Birthday to the Father of Our Country, His Excellency George Washington </a></span></span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-size: x-small;"><span style="font-family: arial;"><a href="http://proecclesia.blogspot.com/2010/02/his-excellency-george-washington.html" target="_blank">His Excellency, George Washington </a></span></span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-size: x-small;"><a href="http://proecclesia.blogspot.com/2009/11/remember-remember-fifth-of-november.html"><span style="font-family: arial;">Remember Remember the Fifth of November</span></a><br /><span style="font-family: arial;"></span><br /><a href="http://proecclesia.blogspot.com/2007/02/in-honor-of-father-of-our-country-his.html"><span style="font-family: arial;">In Honor of the Father of Our Country - His Excellency, George Washington</span></a><br /><span style="font-family: arial;"></span><br /><a href="http://proecclesia.blogspot.com/2007/02/bill-would-honor-washington-and-lincoln.html"><span style="font-family: arial;">Bill Would Honor Washington and Lincoln Separately</span></a><br /><span style="font-family: arial;"></span><br /><a href="http://proecclesia.blogspot.com/2007/01/conversion-of-george-washington.html"><span style="font-family: arial;">The Conversion of George Washington</span></a></span><a href="http://proecclesia.blogspot.com/2006/02/in-honor-of-father-of-our-country-his.html"><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: 85%;"></span></a>Pro Ecclesiahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03814831624547392519noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11294855.post-65121570968673339002014-04-27T21:46:00.000-05:002014-04-27T21:46:33.671-05:00St. John Paul II, Ora Pro Nobis!<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-NtkJrAkfzW8/U13AvBgtNBI/AAAAAAAAEgg/f9uj_XywnEI/s1600/John+Paul+II.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-NtkJrAkfzW8/U13AvBgtNBI/AAAAAAAAEgg/f9uj_XywnEI/s1600/John+Paul+II.jpg" height="320" width="214" /></a></div>
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<span class="userContent">We have this photo hanging in the entryway
hall of our home. We bought it shortly after the death of Pope John Paul
II, which occurred less than a year after we entered the Catholic
Church. If it weren't for this man, I would not be Catholic. For that
reason alone, I am thrilled with his canonization today.<br /> <br /> St. John Paul II, ora pro nobis!</span><br />
Pro Ecclesiahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03814831624547392519noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11294855.post-67079756767238592162014-03-17T00:00:00.000-05:002014-03-16T23:04:34.069-05:00Happy Feast Day of St. Patrick - 17 March <a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_OG3i1o1f67E/R-F5QT_zAJI/AAAAAAAABuY/qiOoTcPDi78/s1600-h/stpatrickday.jpg"><img alt="" border="0" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_OG3i1o1f67E/R-F5QT_zAJI/AAAAAAAABuY/qiOoTcPDi78/s320/stpatrickday.jpg" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5179554367605506194" style="cursor: hand; display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center;" /></a><br />
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<span style="color: #cc0000;">[<b>NOTE:</b> This is my annual St. Patrick's Day post, originally posted on St. Patrick's Day 2005]</span></center>
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<br />
<a href="http://photos1.blogger.com/img/96/4142/280/saintpatrick.jpg"><img alt="" border="0" src="http://photos1.blogger.com/img/96/4142/320/saintpatrick.jpg" style="cursor: hand; float: left; margin: 0px 10px 10px 0px; width: 150px;" /></a> <span style="color: #006600;"><b><i>Lá Fhéile Pádraig Sona Daoibh!</i></b><br />(Happy St. Patrick's Day!)</span><br />
As a Roman Catholic of Irish descent, I am, quite predictably, a big fan of St. Patrick. Long before I became Catholic, St. Patrick - with his bishop's mitre and crozier - stood there beckoning me home to the Church of my forebears. Indeed, the first rosary I ever purchased (again, <i>before</i> I ever became Catholic) had a St. Patrick junction and a Celtic Cross Crucifix. St. Patrick's feast day, therefore, is a cause for great celebration in our household.<br />
<br />
But just what is it about this British-born saint - who (1) was kidnapped as a boy from his home in Britain by Irish pirates, (2) was sold into slavery in Ireland, (3) escaped from his Irish oppressors, and (4) returned to Ireland to evangelize his former captors (the same Irish who would, a century later, with saints like Columba and Aidan, re-evangelize Britain after the Anglo-Saxon invasions) - that makes his feast day celebrated to a greater extent around the world than most other saints?<br />
<br />
<a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_OG3i1o1f67E/Rfoc8uBppwI/AAAAAAAAARM/Fd7mSLwrdBo/s1600-h/st+patrick+1.jpg"><img alt="" border="0" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_OG3i1o1f67E/Rfoc8uBppwI/AAAAAAAAARM/Fd7mSLwrdBo/s200/st+patrick+1.jpg" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5042374562267375362" style="cursor: hand; float: right; margin: 0px 0px 10px 10px;" /></a>Perhaps it is because of the extent of the <a href="http://www.brad.ac.uk/acad/diaspora/">Irish Diaspora</a>, which stretches from Continental Europe to North America to South America to Australia, and numbers in the tens of millions - making St. Patrick not only the patron saint of Ireland, but of <i>all Irish</i> all over the world. Possibly, it could be St. Patrick's contribution to Celtic Christianity, an influence that can be seen in the <a href="http://www.ewtn.com/Devotionals/prayers/patrick.htm">Lorica of St. Patrick</a>, which has been attributed to him.<br />
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For more on the story behind why St. Patrick is such a significant personage within the Church, especially where the Irish are concerned,<br />
<blockquote>
go here: <a href="http://www.catholic-forum.com/saints/saintp01.htm">Patron Saints Index - Patrick</a>,<br />
<br />
and here: <a href="http://www.history.com/minisites/stpatricksday/">The History of St. Patrick's Day</a>,<br />
<br />
and here: <a href="http://www.catholic.org/saints/saint.php?saint_id=89" target="_blank">Catholic Online - St. Patrick<span id="goog_832120270"></span><span id="goog_832120271"></span></a>.</blockquote>
But unfortunately, I think the real reason this particular feast day has such resonance with so many people has nothing whatsoever to do with its religious significance. St. Patrick's Day, like Christmas, is a religious feast day that has lost much of its meaning due to over-secularization. Rather than a day to celebrate the life of this great British saint who evangelized the Irish, St. Patrick's Day has become just another excuse to get drunk and tell stupid Irish jokes.<br />
<br />
Personally, one of the biggest problems I have with the secular celebrations of St. Patrick's Day is the <a href="http://www.sassycats.com/leprechauns.html">ubiquitous presence of the leprechaun</a>. On and around St. Patrick's Day, this little fairy creature can be seen on the front pages of major newspapers, on greeting cards, and on televisions selling used cars, credit cards, and beer in a cheesy Irish brogue accent.<br />
<br />
<a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_OG3i1o1f67E/RfofJuBppyI/AAAAAAAAARc/wG_HbJtn7CY/s1600-h/KellsFol007vMadonnaChild.jpg"><img alt="" border="0" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_OG3i1o1f67E/RfofJuBppyI/AAAAAAAAARc/wG_HbJtn7CY/s200/KellsFol007vMadonnaChild.jpg" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5042376984628930338" style="cursor: hand; float: left; margin: 0px 10px 10px 0px;" /></a>Given the artistic legacy of beautiful music, poetry, literature, and liturgical art bequeathed to us by the Irish; given the indispensable contributions the Irish have made to Christianity and Western Civilization as documented by Thomas Cahill in his best-selling book <i><a href="http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/ASIN/0385418485/qid=1110997622/sr=2-2/ref=pd_bbs_b_2_2/102-3884220-4460925">How the Irish Saved Civilization</a></i>; and given the steadfastness of the Irish in overcoming historical persecution - racial, cultural, economic, and religious; I find the use of the leprechaun on St. Patrick's Day as a symbol of the Irish people and their cultural contributions about as appropriate as a lawn jockey on Martin Luther King Day.<br />
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Some will think that is not an apt comparison. Sorry, but I think it quite apt. The leprechaun as a symbol of this holy feast day is just plain offensive, and should go the way of the kerchief-headed version of Aunt Jemima.<br />
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<a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_OG3i1o1f67E/Rfogb-Bpp1I/AAAAAAAAAR0/9oa2dD7zcgk/s1600-h/St-Patrick.gif"><img alt="" border="0" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_OG3i1o1f67E/Rfogb-Bpp1I/AAAAAAAAAR0/9oa2dD7zcgk/s200/St-Patrick.gif" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5042378397673170770" style="cursor: hand; float: right; margin: 0px 0px 10px 10px;" /></a>The Irish - that mystical race of warriors and poets, saints and scholars, who brought us great works of literature like <a href="http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/tg/detail/-/0679600116/ref=sib_rdr_dp/102-2590141-6725719?%5Fencoding=UTF8&no=283155&me=ATVPDKIKX0DER&st=books"><i>Ulysses</i></a> and <a href="http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/tg/detail/-/0141439491/qid=1111036983/sr=1-2/ref=sr_1_2/102-2590141-6725719?v=glance&s=books"><i>Gulliver's Travels</i></a>, early medieval illuminated manuscripts like the Books of <a href="http://www.bookofkells.com/">Kells</a> and <a href="http://www.unc.edu/celtic/catalogue/manuscripts/durrow.html">Durrow</a>, musicians like <a href="http://www.contemplator.com/carolan/">Turlough O'Carolan</a>, <a href="http://www.amazon.com/Best-Altan-Songs/dp/B0000C3I8J/ref=sr_1_11?ie=UTF8&s=music&qid=1268368228&sr=8-11">Altan</a>, <a href="http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/ASIN/B000001FS3/qid=1111009013/sr=2-1/ref=pd_bbs_b_2_1/102-3884220-4460925">U2</a> and <a href="http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/ASIN/B000002KAT/qid=1111009054/sr=2-1/ref=pd_bbs_b_2_1/102-3884220-4460925">Van Morrison</a>, wordsmiths like <a href="http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/ASIN/0684807319/ref=sib_rdr_dp/102-2590141-6725719">W.B. Yeats</a> and <a href="http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/ASIN/0374526788/ref=sib_rdr_dp/102-2590141-6725719">Seamus Heaney</a>, kings like <a href="http://fermoyireland.50megs.com/Brian_Boru.htm">Brian Boru</a> and ... (well, Brian's about it as far as great Irish kings go), political heroes like <a href="http://www.historyplace.com/speeches/oconnell.htm">Daniel O'Connell</a> and <a href="http://proecclesia.blogspot.com/2007/08/85th-anniversary-of-death-of-big-fella.html">Michael Collins</a>, and saints like <a href="http://proecclesia.blogspot.com/2007/06/this-saturday-9-june-is-feast-of-st.html">Columcille (a.k.a. Columba)</a>, <a href="http://www.monasticireland.com/storiesofsaints/brendan.htm">Brendan</a>, <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Aidan_of_Lindisfarne">Aidan</a>, and <a href="http://www.monasticireland.com/storiesofsaints/columbanus.htm#columbanus">Columbanus</a> - deserve better on the feast day of their patron saint than to be represented by a short, ruddy (and might I add, pagan) fairy dressed in a green suit.<br />
<br />
The <a href="http://www.nd.edu/">University of Notre Dame</a> is also guilty of this blood libel against the children of Erin. The University does quite a disservice to the true spirit of the "Fighting Irish" by representing that spirit in the <a href="http://und.collegesports.com/trads/nd-m-fb-mas.html">form of a leprechaun</a> (of course, <a href="http://www.ewtn.com/library/ACADEMIC/CATHACAD.HTM">some would argue</a> that Notre Dame also does a disservice to <i>Ex Corde Ecclesiae</i> by calling itself "Catholic" while allowing such nonsense as prominent positions for <a href="http://www.womenofgrace.com/blog/?p=3647" target="_blank">Fr. Richard McBrien</a> and Prof. <a href="http://the-american-catholic.com/2013/03/12/the-myth-of-candida-moss/" target="_blank">Candida</a> <a href="http://the-american-catholic.com/2013/03/14/bad-history-was-the-persecution-of-christians-a-myth/" target="_blank">Moss</a> in the Theology Department, not to mention honoring the anti-Catholic bigot and all-around pro-abort, President Obama, with an honorary law degree). Bring back the <a href="http://www.irishlegends.com/pages/reflections/reflections59.html">Irish Terrier to represent the Fighting Irish</a>, as it did in the days of <a href="http://www.irishlegends.com/image/reflections/ClashmoreRockne2.gif">Knute Rockne</a>. Just get rid of that <a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_OG3i1o1f67E/RifGWbdEZWI/AAAAAAAAAew/fcpnLjUK5Ss/s1600/O">damned leprechaun</a>!!! (Oops! Sorry about that. That should be "damned <i><b><a href="http://www.nd.edu/~sheridan/fighting%20Irish.jpg">leprechaun</a></b></i>".)<br />
<br />
Okay. Rant over.<br />
<br />
<a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_OG3i1o1f67E/R8m_M-yL6FI/AAAAAAAABrs/pn_hdJCHMnE/s1600-h/St.+Patrick"><img alt="" border="0" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_OG3i1o1f67E/R8m_M-yL6FI/AAAAAAAABrs/pn_hdJCHMnE/s200/St.+Patrick%27s+Day.jpg" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5172875876744554578" style="cursor: hand; float: left; margin: 0px 10px 10px 0px;" /></a>Hopefully, we can try to keep in mind today (1) the spiritual legacy of Ireland's patron saint, and (2) the many cultural contributions of the people he loved so dearly as to bring them the Light of Christ - which are, after all, the primary reasons we celebrate the feast of St. Patrick. Even if the rest of the world is too deep in a drunken stupor to notice.<br />
<br />
And so I end with the following blessing:<br />
<br />
<a href="http://photos1.blogger.com/img/96/4142/320/St.%20Patrick1.jpg"><img alt="" border="0" src="http://photos1.blogger.com/img/96/4142/320/St.%20Patrick1.jpg" style="cursor: hand; float: right; margin: 0px 10px 10px 0px; width: 200px;" /></a><span style="color: #006600;"><span style="font-size: 130%;"><b><i>Beannachtaí na Féile Pádraig oraibh!</i></b><br />(St. Patrick's Day Blessing On You!)</span></span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-size: 85%;"><span style="font-family: arial;"><b>Recommended Reading:</b></span></span><i><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: 85%;"> </span></i><br />
<a href="http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/tg/detail/-/0060009020/qid=1111033906/sr=1-1/ref=sr_1_1/102-2590141-6725719?v=glance&s=books"><i><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: 85%;">Patrick: The Pilgrim Apostle of Ireland</span></i></a><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: 85%;"> by Maire B. de Paor</span><i><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: 85%;"> </span></i><br />
<a href="http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/tg/detail/-/0385491638/ref=pd_sr_ec_ir_b/102-2590141-6725719?v=glance&s=books&st=*"><i><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: 85%;">The Confession of St. Patrick</span></i></a><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: 85%;"> by John Skinner</span><i><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: 85%;"> </span></i><br />
<a href="http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/ASIN/0385418485/qid=1110997622/sr=2-2/ref=pd_bbs_b_2_2/102-3884220-4460925"><i><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: 85%;">How the Irish Saved Civilization</span></i></a><span style="font-size: 85%;"><span style="font-family: arial;"> by Thomas Cahill<br /><i><a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/0877934924/qid=1142200009/sr=1-1/ref=sr_1_1/002-6661819-2183235?s=books&v=glance&n=283155">Wisdom of the Celtic Saints</a></i> by Edward C. Sellner<br /><i><a href="http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/tg/detail/-/0151002770/qid=1111035488/sr=1-1/ref=sr_1_1/102-2590141-6725719?v=glance&s=books">Sun Dancing</a></i> by Geoffrey Moorhouse</span> </span><br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<span style="font-family: arial;"><span style="font-family: arial;"><span style="font-size: 85%;"><b>Previous <i>Pro Ecclesia</i> posts on this subject:</b><br /><a href="http://proecclesia.blogspot.com/2010/03/st-patricks-breastplate-deers-cry.html">St. Patrick's Breastplate (The Deer's Cry)</a><br /><br /><a href="http://proecclesia.blogspot.com/2010/03/happy-feast-day-of-st-patrick-17-march.html">Happy Feast Day of St. Patrick - 17 March (2010)</a><br /><br /><a href="http://proecclesia.blogspot.com/2009/03/happy-feast-day-of-st-patrick-17-march.html">Happy Feast Day of St. Patrick - 17 March (2009)</a><br /><br /><a href="http://proecclesia.blogspot.com/2008/03/happy-feast-day-of-st-patrick-17-march.html">Happy Feast Day of St. Patrick - 17 March (2008)</a><br /><br /><a href="http://proecclesia.blogspot.com/2008/03/what-im-listening-to-in-honor-of-st.html">What I'm Listening to in Honor of St. Patrick's Day</a><br /><br /><a href="http://proecclesia.blogspot.com/2008/03/dont-drink-green-beer.html">Don't Drink Green Beer!</a><br /><br /><a href="http://proecclesia.blogspot.com/2008/02/st-pats-spat-pits-church-vs-cities.html">St. Pat's Spat Pits Church vs. Cities</a></span></span><a href="http://proecclesia.blogspot.com/2007/03/happy-feast-day-of-st-patrick-17-march.html"><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: 85%;">Happy Feast Day of St. Patrick - 17 March (2007)</span></a></span><br />
<span style="font-family: arial;"><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: 85%;"> </span><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: 85%;"><br /></span><a href="http://proecclesia.blogspot.com/2007/02/slur-of-fighting-irish.html" rel="nofollow"><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: 85%;">"... The Slur of the Fighting Irish"</span></a></span><br />
<span style="font-family: arial;"><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: 85%;"> </span><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: 85%;"><br /></span><a href="http://proecclesia.blogspot.com/2006/03/happy-feast-day-of-st-patrick-17-march.html"><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: 85%;">Happy Feast Day of St. Patrick - 17 March (2006)</span></a><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: 85%;"><br /><br /><a href="http://proecclesia.blogspot.com/2006/03/search-terms-st-patricks-day-lent.html">Search Terms: St. Patrick's Day, Lent, Abstinence, Meat - Corned Beef, Dispensation, Indult, Catholic</a></span><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: 85%;"> </span></span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-family: arial;"><a href="http://proecclesia.blogspot.com/2005/03/happy-feast-day-of-st-patrick-17-march.html"><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: 85%;">Happy Feast Day of St. Patrick - 17 March (2005)</span></a><br /><br /><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_OG3i1o1f67E/Rfof3OBpp0I/AAAAAAAAARs/DFpHN-ncmDw/s1600-h/patrick+relief.gif"><img alt="" border="0" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_OG3i1o1f67E/Rfof3OBpp0I/AAAAAAAAARs/DFpHN-ncmDw/s200/patrick+relief.gif" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5042377766312978242" style="cursor: hand; display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center;" /></a></span><span style="font-family: arial;"></span>Pro Ecclesiahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03814831624547392519noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11294855.post-54619944128939322102014-02-25T23:02:00.000-05:002014-02-25T23:03:17.389-05:00Pat Archbold's "Controversial" Call for Pope Francis to Normalize Relations With SSPX Removed by National Catholic RegisterSince the <i>Register</i> won't carry it, I will (and <a href="http://www.creativeminorityreport.com/2014/02/pope-francis-and-sspx-opportunity.html" target="_blank">Pat also has it at <i>Creative Minority Report</i></a>):<br />
<blockquote class="tr_bq">
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%;">
<h2>
<span style="font-size: small;"><b><span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; line-height: 150%;">Pope Francis and the SSPX:
An Opportunity</span></b></span></h2>
</div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%;">
<span style="font-size: xx-small;"><span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; line-height: 150%;">By PATRICK ARCHBOLD</span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%;">
</div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%;">
<i><span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 150%;">By now, many of you have
probably seen the Tony Palmer video last week that was so exciting to many.</span></i></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%;">
<i><span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 150%;">At a Protestant conference,
Tony Palmer, an Anglican priest, brought along an iPhone video of greeting from
Pope Francis. The subject of the presentation and of the Pope’s recording was
unity of Christians.</span></i></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%;">
<i><span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 150%;">In his remarks, Pope Francis
made the following statements to our separated brethren regarding the
separation: “Separated because, it’s sin that has separated us, all our sins.
The misunderstandings throughout history. It has been a long road of sins that
we all shared in. Who is to blame? We all share the blame. We have all sinned.
There is only one blameless, the Lord.”</span></i></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%;">
<i><span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 150%;">It is certainly true.
Regardless of the truth of Catholic doctrine, the Church has accepted its share
of the blame for the misunderstanding that were allowed to deepen and harden,
leading to centuries of separation.</span></i></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%;">
<i><span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 150%;">When I heard this, something
else written by Pope Francis’ predecessor came immediately to mind. In 2007,
along with the issuance of the “motu proprio” </span><a href="http://www.vatican.va/holy_father/benedict_xvi/letters/2007/documents/hf_ben-xvi_let_20070707_lettera-vescovi_en.html"><span style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 150%;">Summorum Pontificum</span></span></a><span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 150%;">,
Pope Benedict XVI issued a letter explaining his reasoning. In that letter, he
made the following statement.</span></i></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%; margin-left: .5in;">
<i><span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 150%;">Looking
back over the past, to the divisions which in the course of the centuries have
rent the body of Christ, one continually has the impression that, at critical
moments when divisions were coming about, not enough was done by the Church’s
leaders to maintain or regain reconciliation and unity. One has the impression
that omissions on the part of the Church have had their share of blame for the
fact that these divisions were able to harden. This glance at the past imposes
an obligation on us today: to make every effort to unable for all those who
truly desire unity to remain in that unity or to attain it anew. I think of a
sentence in the Second Letter to the Corinthians, where Paul writes: “Our mouth
is open to you, Corinthians; our heart is wide. You are not restricted by us,
but you are restricted in your own affections. In return … widen your hearts
also!” (2 Corinthians 6:11-13). Paul was certainly speaking in another context,
but his exhortation can and must touch us too, precisely on this subject. Let
us generously open our hearts and make room for everything that the faith
itself allows.</span></i></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%;">
<i><span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 150%;">It strikes me that this may
be one of those critical moments in history to which His Holiness refers.</span></i></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%;">
<i><span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 150%;">With the breakdown of
discussion between the Holy See and the Society of St. Pius X at the end of the
previous pontificate, the public mood during this first year of the current
pontificate, and other internal events, traditional Catholics, both inside and
outside the Church, have felt increasingly marginalized. Whether fair or true, I say
without fear of contradiction that this is a prevailing sentiment.</span></i></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%;">
<i><span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 150%;">This perception of
marginalization has manifested itself in increasingly strident and frankly
disrespectful rhetoric on the part of some traditionalists and their leaders.</span></i></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%;">
<i><span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 150%;">I have great concern that
without the all the generosity that faith allows by the leaders of the Church,
that this separation, this wound on the Church, will become permanent. In fact,
without such generosity, I fully expect it. Such permanent separation and
feeling of marginalization will likely separate more souls than just those
currently associated with the SSPX.</span></i></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%;">
<i><span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 150%;">I have also come to believe
that Pope Francis’ is exactly the right Pope to do it. In his address to the
evangelicals, he makes clear his real concern for unity.</span></i></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%;">
<i><span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 150%;">So here is what I am asking.
I ask the Pope to apply that wide generosity to the SSPX and to normalize
relations and their standing within the Church. I am asking the Pope to do this
even without the total agreement on the Second Vatican Council. Whatever their
disagreements, surely this can be worked out over time with the SSPX firmly
implanted in the Church. I think that the Church needs to be more generous
toward unity than to insist upon dogmatic adherence to the interpretation of a
non-dogmatic council. The issues are real, but they must be worked out with our
brothers at home and not with a locked door.</span></i></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%;">
<i><span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 150%;">Further, Pope Francis’
commitment to the aims of the Second Vatican Council is unquestioned. Were he
to be generous in such a way, nobody would ever interpret it to be a rejection
of the Council. How could it be? This perception may not have been the case in
the last pontificate. Pope Francis is uniquely suited to this magnanimous
moment.</span></i></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%;">
<i><span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 150%;">I believe this generosity is
warranted and standard practice in the Church. We do not insist on religious
orders that may have strayed even further in the other direction sign a copy of
</span><a href="http://www.vatican.va/holy_father/pius_x/encyclicals/documents/hf_p-x_enc_19070908_pascendi-dominici-gregis_en.html"><span style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 150%;">Pascendi Dominici Gregis</span></span></a><span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 150%;">
before they can be called Catholic again. So please let us not insist on the
corollary for the SSPX. Must we insist on more for a group that doctrinally
would not have raised an eyebrow a mere fifty years ago? I pray not.</span></i></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%;">
<i><span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 150%;">Give them canonical status
and organizational structure that will protect them. Bring them home, for their
sake and the sake of countless other souls. I truly believe that such
generosity will be repaid seven-fold. Pope Benedict has done so much of the
heavy lifting already, all that is required is just a little more.</span></i></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%;">
<i><span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 150%;">Please Holy Father, let us
not let this moment pass and this rift grow into a chasm. Make this generous
offer and save the Church from further division. Do this so that none of your
successors will ever say, “If only we had done more.”</span></i></div>
</blockquote>
<br />Pro Ecclesiahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03814831624547392519noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11294855.post-50920753603381768042014-01-21T09:42:00.002-05:002014-01-27T10:08:29.236-05:00The Passion of the Kmiec Revisited: WTF?<a href="http://joshblackman.com/blog/2014/01/19/pepperdine-law-prof-and-former-ambassador-to-malta-doug-kmiec-seeks-to-be-clintons-vp-huh/" target="_blank">Doug Kmiec has, apparently, gone off the deep end. Seriously, I got nothing. In fact, this latest cry for attention is ... well ... just sad</a>:<br />
<blockquote class="tr_bq">
<i>... Since he has returned, I’ve followed his curious posts on Facebook and
Twitter. He consistently refers to himself in the third person as
Ambassador, and posts these odd videos and photos of himself in his
Ambassadorial role. But a few months ago, it got really weird. He
started posting <a href="https://www.facebook.com/photo.php?fbid=3326955790936&set=a.1459511305991.43444.1779682517&type=1">images</a> promoting himself as Vice President in 2016.</i><br />
<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-6ZCaV2bh-us/Ut6DLEThUPI/AAAAAAAAEgM/Ou_VhNUVGYU/s1600/VP+Kmiec.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-6ZCaV2bh-us/Ut6DLEThUPI/AAAAAAAAEgM/Ou_VhNUVGYU/s1600/VP+Kmiec.jpg" height="240" width="320" /></a></div>
<br />
<i>At first I thought it may be some kind of joke, but it wasn’t. Then on
October 6, 2013, he announced his “decision to run for vice presidency
in 2016,” and noted that he had a “steering committee.” ...</i></blockquote>
Read more at "<a href="http://joshblackman.com/blog/2014/01/19/pepperdine-law-prof-and-former-ambassador-to-malta-doug-kmiec-seeks-to-be-clintons-vp-huh/" target="_blank">Pepperdine Law Prof, and former Ambassador to Malta, Doug Kmiec Seeks To Be Clinton’s VP. Huh?</a>".<br />
<br />
<span data-ft="{"tn":"K"}" data-reactid=".r[at].[1][3][1]{comment10103003608835845_28188901}[0].[0].{right}.[0].{left}.[0].[0].[0][3]"><span data-reactid=".r[at].[1][3][1]{comment10103003608835845_28188901}[0].[0].{right}.[0].{left}.[0].[0].[0][3].[0]"><span data-reactid=".r[at].[1][3][1]{comment10103003608835845_28188901}[0].[0].{right}.[0].{left}.[0].[0].[0][3].[0].{end}[0]{0}[0]">Please tell me I'm not going to have to start blogging about this guy again.<br /><br />(Hat tip: <a href="https://www.facebook.com/permalink.php?story_fbid=10103003608835845&id=23433605&comment_id=28188901&notif_t=like" target="_blank">Michael Denton via Facebook</a>)</span></span></span><br />
<br />
<br />
<b><span data-ft="{"tn":"K"}" data-reactid=".r[at].[1][3][1]{comment10103003608835845_28188901}[0].[0].{right}.[0].{left}.[0].[0].[0][3]"><span data-reactid=".r[at].[1][3][1]{comment10103003608835845_28188901}[0].[0].{right}.[0].{left}.[0].[0].[0][3].[0]"><span data-reactid=".r[at].[1][3][1]{comment10103003608835845_28188901}[0].[0].{right}.[0].{left}.[0].[0].[0][3].[0].{end}[0]{0}[0]">UPDATE:</span></span></span></b><br />
<span data-ft="{"tn":"K"}" data-reactid=".r[at].[1][3][1]{comment10103003608835845_28188901}[0].[0].{right}.[0].{left}.[0].[0].[0][3]"><span data-reactid=".r[at].[1][3][1]{comment10103003608835845_28188901}[0].[0].{right}.[0].{left}.[0].[0].[0][3].[0]"><span data-reactid=".r[at].[1][3][1]{comment10103003608835845_28188901}[0].[0].{right}.[0].{left}.[0].[0].[0][3].[0].{end}[0]{0}[0]">Kmiec's <a href="https://www.facebook.com/Amb.Kmiec" target="_blank">Facebook page</a> bears every indication that he's taking himself seriously in this regard. Sad, really. <br /><br />And his support for Hillary's candidacy proves that Kmiec's decision to venture into the party of abortion-on-demand - the party that forces Catholic organizations like the Little Sisters of the Poor to violate their Faith - wasn't just a one-time fling with The One. </span></span></span><br />
<br />
<br />
<b><span data-ft="{"tn":"K"}" data-reactid=".r[at].[1][3][1]{comment10103003608835845_28188901}[0].[0].{right}.[0].{left}.[0].[0].[0][3]"><span data-reactid=".r[at].[1][3][1]{comment10103003608835845_28188901}[0].[0].{right}.[0].{left}.[0].[0].[0][3].[0]"><span data-reactid=".r[at].[1][3][1]{comment10103003608835845_28188901}[0].[0].{right}.[0].{left}.[0].[0].[0][3].[0].{end}[0]{0}[0]">UPDATE #2 (27 January):</span></span></span></b><br />
My friends Matthew Archbold at <i>Creative Minority Report</i> and Donald McClarey at <i>The American Catholic</i> have posted recent commentary on Kmiec's bizarre behavior:<br />
<br />
<span class="col2"><span class="cmrpostheader"><a href="http://www.creativeminorityreport.com/2014/01/heh-doug-kmiec-wants-to-be-hillarys.html">Heh. Doug Kmiec Wants to Be Hillary's Running Mate</a></span></span><br />
<span class="col2"><span class="cmrpostheader"></span></span><br />
<span class="col2"><span class="cmrpostheader"><a href="http://the-american-catholic.com/2014/01/24/doug-kmiec-jumps-shark/" target="_blank">Doug Kmiec Jumps Shark</a></span></span><br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<span style="font-family: arial;"><span style="font-size: 85%;"><span style="font-size: small;"><b><u>The Passion of the Kmiec - A <i>Pro Ecclesia</i> Timeline</u>:</b></span></span></span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-family: arial;"><span style="font-size: 85%;"><b><span style="font-family: arial;"><span style="font-size: 85%;"><span style="font-size: x-small;"><b>January 2014</b></span></span></span></b> </span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: arial;"><span style="font-size: 85%;"><a href="http://proecclesia.blogspot.com/2014/01/the-passion-of-kmiec-revisited-wtf.html" target="_blank">The Passion of the Kmiec Revisited: WTF?</a></span></span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-family: arial;"><span style="font-size: 85%;"><br /></span></span>
<span style="font-family: arial;"><span style="font-size: 85%;"><b>February 2012</b><br /><a href="http://proecclesia.blogspot.com/2012/02/doug-kmiec-back-in-obamas-embrace.html">Doug Kmiec Back in Obama's Embrace</a></span></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: arial;"><span style="font-size: 85%;"><a href="http://proecclesia.blogspot.com/2012/02/doug-kmiec-thinks-hes-breaking-up-with.html">Doug Kmiec Thinks He's Breaking Up With Obama, But Obama Already Jilted Him First</a><br /><br /><br /><b>September 2009</b><br /><a href="http://proecclesia.blogspot.com/2009/09/kmiec-lies-again-obama-has-taken-some.html">Kmiec Lies Again: "Obama Has Taken Some Steps Towards [Protecting Life], Perhaps Not as Fast as Some Would Like"</a><br /><br /><br /><b>July 2009</b><br /><a href="http://proecclesia.blogspot.com/2009/07/passion-of-kmiec-saga-continues.html">"The Passion of the Kmiec" ... The Saga Continues</a><br /><br /><br /><b>May 2009</b><br /><a href="http://proecclesia.blogspot.com/2009/05/kmiec-tells-another-lie-in-service-of.html">Kmiec Tells Another Lie in Service of Obama</a><br /><br /><a href="http://proecclesia.blogspot.com/2009/05/robert-p-george-on-obama-and-his-pro.html">Robert P. George on "Obama and His Pro-Life Apologists"</a><br /><br /><a href="http://proecclesia.blogspot.com/2009/05/robert-george-vs-douglas-kmiec-how.html">Robert George vs Douglas Kmiec: How Should a Pro-Life Citizen Respond to Obama?</a> [UPDATED]<br /><br /><br /><b>April 2009</b><br /><a href="http://proecclesia.blogspot.com/2009/04/cardinal-rigali-calls-out-kmiec-on-his.html">Cardinal Rigali Calls Out Kmiec on His ESCR Lies</a></span></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: arial;"><span style="font-size: 85%;"><a href="http://proecclesia.blogspot.com/2009/04/new-front-in-churchs-civil-war.html">A New Front in the Church's Civil War</a></span></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: arial;"><span style="font-size: 85%;"><a href="http://proecclesia.blogspot.com/2009/04/fr-z-fisks-pathetic-sycophant-kmiec-on.html">Fr. Z Fisks Pathetic Sycophant Kmiec on Notre Dame's Obama Invite</a></span></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: arial;"><span style="font-size: 85%;"><a href="http://proecclesia.blogspot.com/2009/04/prof-george-schools-prof-kmiec-again.html">Prof. George Schools Prof. Kmiec ... Again</a><br /><br /><br /><b>March 2009</b></span></span><span style="font-family: arial;"><span style="font-size: 85%;"> </span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: arial;"><a href="http://proecclesia.blogspot.com/2009/03/scholar-vs-hack-prof-george-schools.html"><span style="font-size: 85%;">Scholar vs. Hack: Prof. George Schools Prof. Kmiec re: "Did Obama Allow Human Cloning?"</span></a></span><br />
<span style="font-family: arial;"><span style="font-size: 85%;"> </span><span style="font-size: 85%;"><br /></span><span style="font-family: arial;"><a href="http://proecclesia.blogspot.com/2009/03/kmiec-brushes-aside-another-non.html"><span style="font-size: 85%;">Kmiec Brushes Aside Another Non-Negotiable by Coming Out Against Prop 8</span></a><span style="font-size: 85%;"><br /><br /><br /><b><span style="font-family: arial;">February 2009</span></b></span></span><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: 85%;"><br /></span><a href="http://proecclesia.blogspot.com/2009/02/kmiec-calls-popes-comments-intrusive.html"><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: 85%;">Kmiec Calls Pope's Comments "Intrusive"</span></a></span><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: 85%;"></span><br />
<span style="font-family: arial; font-size: 85%;"><br /></span><span style="font-family: arial;"><span style="font-size: 85%;"></span></span><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 85%;"></span><span style="font-family: arial;"><span style="font-size: 85%;"><a href="http://proecclesia.blogspot.com/2009/02/catholic-world-report-douglas-kmiec-and.html"><i>Catholic World Report</i>: "Douglas Kmiec and His Misinformation Offensive for Barack Obama"</a></span></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: arial;"><span style="font-size: 85%;"><b>January 2009</b><br /><a href="http://proecclesia.blogspot.com/2009/01/kmiec-claims-hes-in-loop-for-vatican.html">Kmiec Claims He's In the Loop for Vatican Post</a></span></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: arial;"><span style="font-size: 85%;"> </span></span><a href="http://proecclesia.blogspot.com/2009/01/american-papist-s-open-letter-to-prof.html"><span style="font-family: arial;"><span style="font-size: 85%;"><i>American Papist</i>'s Open Letter to Prof. Kmiec</span></span></a><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: 85%;"></span><br />
<span style="font-family: arial; font-size: 85%;"><br /></span><a href="http://proecclesia.blogspot.com/2009/01/kmiec-martyr.html"><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: 85%;">Kmiec the Martyr</span></a><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: 85%;"></span><br />
<span style="font-family: arial; font-size: 85%;"><br /></span><a href="http://proecclesia.blogspot.com/2009/01/prof-kmiec-eulogizes-fr-neuhaus-in.html"><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: 85%;">Prof. Kmiec Eulogizes Fr. Neuhaus in a Manner That is All About Prof. Kmiec and Justifying his Obama Vote</span></a><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: 85%;"> [UPDATED]<br /><br /><br /><b>December 2008</b></span><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: 85%;"> </span><br />
<a href="http://proecclesia.blogspot.com/2008/12/prof-bainbridge-on-doug-kmiec-and-us.html"><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: 85%;">Prof. Bainbridge on Doug Kmiec and U.S. Diplomatic Relations with the Holy See</span></a><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: 85%;"><br /><br /><br /><b>November 2008</b></span><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: 85%;"> </span><br />
<a href="http://proecclesia.blogspot.com/2008/11/vatican-official-says-kmiec-will-not.html"><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: 85%;">Vatican Official Says Kmiec Will Not Become New Vatican Ambassador</span></a><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: 85%;"></span><br />
<span style="font-family: arial; font-size: 85%;"><br /></span><a href="http://proecclesia.blogspot.com/2008/11/kmiec-catholic-re-education-camp.html"><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: 85%;">The Kmiec Catholic Re-Education Camp</span></a><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: 85%;"></span><br />
<span style="font-family: arial; font-size: 85%;"><br /></span><a href="http://proecclesia.blogspot.com/2008/11/former-student-of-prof-kmiec-calls-him.html"><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: 85%;">Former Student of Prof. Kmiec Calls Him Out on "Revealing His True Colors"</span></a><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: 85%;"></span><br />
<span style="font-family: arial; font-size: 85%;"><br /></span><a href="http://proecclesia.blogspot.com/2008/11/modern-day-vicar-of-bray.html"><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: 85%;">A Modern-Day "Vicar of Bray"</span></a><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: 85%;"></span><br />
<span style="font-family: arial; font-size: 85%;"><br /></span><a href="http://proecclesia.blogspot.com/2008/11/douthat-smacks-kmiec.html"><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: 85%;">Douthat Smacks Kmiec</span></a><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: 85%;"></span><br />
<span style="font-family: arial; font-size: 85%;"><br /></span><a href="http://proecclesia.blogspot.com/2008/11/amys-wrap-up-of-pre-election-abortion.html"><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: 85%;">Amy's "Wrap-Up" of Pre-Election Abortion Coverage</span></a><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: 85%;"></span><br />
<span style="font-family: arial; font-size: 85%;"><br /></span><a href="http://proecclesia.blogspot.com/2008/10/pathetic.html"><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: 85%;">Pathetic</span></a><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: 85%;"><br /><br /><br /><b>October 2008</b></span><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: 85%;"> </span><br />
<a href="http://proecclesia.blogspot.com/2008/10/george-weigel-on-kmiecs-flawed-thinking.html"><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: 85%;">George Weigel on Kmiec's "Flawed Thinking"</span></a><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: 85%;"></span><br />
<span style="font-family: arial; font-size: 85%;"><br /></span><a href="http://proecclesia.blogspot.com/2008/10/archbishop-chaput-kmiec-doing.html"><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: 85%;">Archbishop Chaput: Kmiec Doing a "Disservice to the Church"</span></a><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: 85%;"></span><br />
<span style="font-family: arial; font-size: 85%;"><br /></span><a href="http://proecclesia.blogspot.com/2008/10/mainstream-media-compliant-in-obamas.html"><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: 85%;">Mainstream Media Compliant in Obama's "Faith Outreach" Pitch</span></a><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: 85%;"></span><br />
<span style="font-family: arial; font-size: 85%;"><br /></span><a href="http://proecclesia.blogspot.com/2008/10/bill-donohue-im-catholic-staunchly-anti.html"><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: 85%;">Bill Donohue: "I'm Catholic, Staunchly Anti-Racist, and Support David Duke"</span></a><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: 85%;"> [UPDATED]</span><br />
<span style="font-family: arial; font-size: 85%;"><br /></span><a href="http://proecclesia.blogspot.com/2008/10/debate-over-at-amys-should-catholics.html"><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: 85%;">Debate Over at Amy's: Should Catholics Work for Legal Restrictions on Abortion?</span></a><a href="http://proecclesia.blogspot.com/2008/10/faith-family-car-seat-culture.html"></a><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: 85%;"></span><br />
<span style="font-family: arial; font-size: 85%;"><br /></span><a href="http://proecclesia.blogspot.com/2008/10/deacon-fournier-puts-smack-down-on-prof.html"><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: 85%;">Deacon Fournier Puts Smack Down on Prof. Kmiec</span></a><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: 85%;"></span><br />
<span style="font-family: arial; font-size: 85%;"><br /></span><a href="http://proecclesia.blogspot.com/2008/10/kmiecs-payoff.html"><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: 85%;">Kmiec's Payoff?</span></a><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: 85%;"> [UPDATED]<br /><br /><br /><b>September 2008</b></span><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: 85%;"> </span><br />
<a href="http://proecclesia.blogspot.com/2008/09/obama-kmiec-magical-mystery-faith-tour.html"><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: 85%;">The Obama-Kmiec Magical Mystery "Faith Tour"</span></a><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: 85%;"></span><br />
<span style="font-family: arial; font-size: 85%;"><br /></span><a href="http://proecclesia.blogspot.com/2008/09/deacon-fournier-doug-kmiecs-can.html"><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: 85%;">Deacon Fournier: "Doug Kmiec’s ‘Can a Catholic Support Him?’ Asks the Wrong Question"</span></a><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: 85%;"></span><br />
<span style="font-family: arial; font-size: 85%;"><br /></span><a href="http://proecclesia.blogspot.com/2008/09/ponnuru-raps-kmiec-for-defending-obamas.html"><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: 85%;">Ponnuru Raps Kmiec for Defending Obama's Born-Alive Vote</span></a><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: 85%;"></span><br />
<span style="font-family: arial; font-size: 85%;"><br /></span><a href="http://proecclesia.blogspot.com/2008/09/separate-but-equal-redux-pro-life.html"><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: 85%;">"Separate But Equal" Redux - Pro-Life Edition</span></a><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: 85%;"></span><br />
<span style="font-family: arial; font-size: 85%;"><br /></span><a href="http://proecclesia.blogspot.com/2008/09/mark-stricherz-why-democratic-abortion.html"><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: 85%;">Mark Stricherz: "Why the Democratic Abortion Strategy is Worse"</span></a><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: 85%;"></span><br />
<span style="font-family: arial; font-size: 85%;"><br /></span><a href="http://proecclesia.blogspot.com/2008/09/whither-catholic-vote-some-interesting.html"><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: 85%;">Whither the "Catholic Vote"? Some Interesting Posts at the <i>Fidelis</i> Blog</span></a><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: 85%;"><br /><br /><br /><b>August 2008</b></span><span style="font-family: arial;"><span style="font-size: 85%;"><i> </i></span></span><br />
<a href="http://proecclesia.blogspot.com/2008/08/darwin-catholic-douglas-kmiec-master-of.html"><span style="font-family: arial;"><span style="font-size: 85%;"><i>Darwin Catholic</i>: "Douglas Kmiec, Master of Dissembling"</span></span></a><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: 85%;"> [UPDATED]</span><br />
<span style="font-family: arial; font-size: 85%;"><br /></span><a href="http://proecclesia.blogspot.com/2008/08/prof-rick-garnett-on-kmiecmissing-point.html"><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: 85%;">Prof. Rick Garnett on Kmiec's "Missing the Point"</span></a><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: 85%;"></span><br />
<span style="font-family: arial; font-size: 85%;"><br /></span><a href="http://proecclesia.blogspot.com/2008/08/former-student-of-prof-kmiec-speaks-out.html"><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: 85%;">A Former Student of Prof. Kmiec Speaks Out ...</span></a><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: 85%;"></span><br />
<span style="font-family: arial; font-size: 85%;"><br /></span><a href="http://proecclesia.blogspot.com/2008/08/prof-kmiec-shifts-goalposts.html"><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: 85%;">Prof. Kmiec Shifts the Goalposts</span></a><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: 85%;"></span><br />
<span style="font-family: arial; font-size: 85%;"><br /></span><a href="http://proecclesia.blogspot.com/2008/08/kmiecs-bridge-too-far-obamas-attacks-on.html"><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: 85%;">Kmiec's "Bridge Too Far"? Obama's Attacks on Justice Thomas</span></a><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: 85%;"></span><br />
<span style="font-family: arial; font-size: 85%;"><br /></span><a href="http://proecclesia.blogspot.com/2008/08/without-further-ado-doug-kmiec-on.html"><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: 85%;">Without Further Ado: Doug Kmiec on McCain v. Obama at Saddleback</span></a><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: 85%;"> [UPDATED]</span><br />
<span style="font-family: arial; font-size: 85%;"><br /></span><a href="http://proecclesia.blogspot.com/2008/08/paging-prof-kmiec.html"><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: 85%;">Paging Prof. Kmiec ...</span></a><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: 85%;"></span><br />
<span style="font-family: arial; font-size: 85%;"><br /></span><a href="http://proecclesia.blogspot.com/2008/08/doug-kmiec-claims-democrats-making.html"><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: 85%;">Doug Kmiec Claims Democrats Making "Steps Toward Honoring Life" in Platform</span></a><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: 85%;"></span><br />
<span style="font-family: arial; font-size: 85%;"><br /></span><a href="http://proecclesia.blogspot.com/2008/08/prof-garnett-takes-on-prof-kmiec-again.html"><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: 85%;">Prof. Garnett Takes on Prof. Kmiec ... Again</span></a><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: 85%;"></span><br />
<span style="font-family: arial; font-size: 85%;"><br /></span><a href="http://proecclesia.blogspot.com/2008/08/casey-jr-to-get-prime-time-slot-in.html"><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: 85%;">Casey Jr. to Get Prime-Time Slot in Denver to Appease Catholics</span></a><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: 85%;"> [UPDATED]<br /><br /><br /><b>July 2008</b></span><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: 85%;"> </span><br />
<a href="http://proecclesia.blogspot.com/2008/07/fr-neuhaus-responds-to-doug-kmiec.html"><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: 85%;">Fr. Neuhaus Responds to Doug Kmiec</span></a><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: 85%;"></span><br />
<span style="font-family: arial; font-size: 85%;"><br /></span><a href="http://proecclesia.blogspot.com/2008/07/deal-hudsons-open-letter-to-doug-kmiec.html"><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: 85%;">Deal Hudson's Open Letter to Doug Kmiec</span></a><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: 85%;"></span><br />
<span style="font-family: arial; font-size: 85%;"><br /></span><a href="http://proecclesia.blogspot.com/2008/07/national-catholic-register-on-catholics.html"><span style="font-family: arial;"><span style="font-size: 85%;"><i>National Catholic Register</i> on Catholics, Kmiec, and Obama</span></span></a><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: 85%;"></span><br />
<span style="font-family: arial; font-size: 85%;"><br /></span><a href="http://proecclesia.blogspot.com/2008/07/prof-hadley-arkes-political-distraction.html"><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: 85%;">Prof. Hadley Arkes: "Political Distraction Among the Catholics"</span></a><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: 85%;"><br /><br /><br /><b>June 2008</b></span><br />
<span style="font-family: arial; font-size: 85%;"><b> </b></span><a href="http://proecclesia.blogspot.com/2008/06/doug-kmiec-what-he-said-then-vs-what-he.html"><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: 85%;">Doug Kmiec - What He Said Then vs. What He Says Now Re: Constitutional Jurisprudence</span></a><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: 85%;"></span><br />
<span style="font-family: arial; font-size: 85%;"><br /></span><a href="http://proecclesia.blogspot.com/2008/06/what-is-pro-life-position-regarding.html"><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: 85%;">What is the "Pro-Life Position" Regarding Abortion?</span></a><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: 85%;"></span><br />
<span style="font-family: arial; font-size: 85%;"><br /></span><a href="http://proecclesia.blogspot.com/2008/06/traumatized.html"><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: 85%;">Traumatized</span></a><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: 85%;"></span><br />
<span style="font-family: arial; font-size: 85%;"><br /></span><a href="http://proecclesia.blogspot.com/2008/06/unrequited-love.html"><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: 85%;">Unrequited Love</span></a><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: 85%;"></span><br />
<span style="font-family: arial; font-size: 85%;"><br /></span><a href="http://proecclesia.blogspot.com/2008/06/doug-kmiec-after-meeting-with-barack.html"><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: 85%;">Doug Kmiec: "After Meeting with Barack"</span></a><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: 85%;"> [UPDATED]</span><br />
<span style="font-family: arial; font-size: 85%;"><br /></span><a href="http://proecclesia.blogspot.com/2008/06/cranky-conservative-but-at-least-he.html"><span style="font-family: arial;"><span style="font-size: 85%;"><i>Cranky Conservative</i>: "But At Least He Says It with a Smile"</span></span></a><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: 85%;"></span><br />
<span style="font-family: arial; font-size: 85%;"><br /></span><a href="http://proecclesia.blogspot.com/2008/06/doug-kmiec-again-places-platitudes.html"><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: 85%;">Doug Kmiec Again Places Platitudes Above Policy</span></a><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: 85%;"> [UPDATED]</span><br />
<span style="font-family: arial; font-size: 85%;"><br /></span><a href="http://proecclesia.blogspot.com/2008/06/prof-bainbridge-on-obama-abortion.html"><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: 85%;">Prof. Bainbridge on "Obama, Abortion, & Catholics"</span></a><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: 85%;"></span><br />
<span style="font-family: arial; font-size: 85%;"><br /></span><a href="http://proecclesia.blogspot.com/2008/06/prof-rick-garnett-on-kmiecs-latest.html"><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: 85%;">Prof. Rick Garnett on Kmiec's Latest Nonsense</span></a><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: 85%;"></span><br />
<span style="font-family: arial; font-size: 85%;"><br /></span><a href="http://proecclesia.blogspot.com/2008/06/deacon-keith-fournier-why-i-disagree.html"><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: 85%;">Deacon Keith Fournier: "Why I Disagree with Doug Kmiec, Once Again"</span></a><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: 85%;"></span><br />
<span style="font-family: arial; font-size: 85%;"><br /></span><a href="http://proecclesia.blogspot.com/2008/06/give-it-rest-already-prof-kmiec.html"><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: 85%;">Give It a Rest Already, Prof. Kmiec!</span></a><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: 85%;"></span><br />
<span style="font-family: arial; font-size: 85%;"><br /></span><a href="http://proecclesia.blogspot.com/2008/06/doug-kmiec-enjoying-his-newfound.html"><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: 85%;">Doug Kmiec's Newfound Celebrity Status Among Those on the Left</span></a><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: 85%;"></span><br />
<span style="font-family: arial; font-size: 85%;"><br /></span><a href="http://proecclesia.blogspot.com/2008/06/doug-kmiec-soon-to-be-sorely.html"><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: 85%;">Doug Kmiec Soon To Be Sorely Disappointed</span></a><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: 85%;"></span><br />
<span style="font-family: arial; font-size: 85%;"><br /></span><a href="http://proecclesia.blogspot.com/2008/06/ej-dionne-reports-old-news-regarding.html"><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: 85%;">E.J. Dionne on Kmiec Being Denied Communion</span></a><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: 85%;"> [UPDATED]<br /><br /><br /><b>May 2008</b></span><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: 85%;"> </span><br />
<a href="http://proecclesia.blogspot.com/2008/05/deal-hudson-on-kmiec-and-blurring-lines.html"><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: 85%;">Deal Hudson on Prof. Kmiec and Blurring the Lines Between "Pro-Choice" and Pro-Abortion</span></a><br />
<span style="font-family: arial; font-size: 85%;"> </span><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: 85%;"><br /></span><a href="http://proecclesia.blogspot.com/2008/05/did-doug-kmiec-just-now-catch-on-that.html"><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: 85%;">Did Doug Kmiec Just Now Catch On That Obama and NARAL Are Politically Conjoined?</span></a><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: 85%;"> [UPDATED]</span><br />
<span style="font-family: arial; font-size: 85%;"><br /></span><a href="http://proecclesia.blogspot.com/2008/05/deal-hudson-on-how-obamas-catholics.html"><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: 85%;">Deal Hudson on "How Obama's Catholics Will Dodge the Infanticide Question"</span></a><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: 85%;"></span><br />
<span style="font-family: arial; font-size: 85%;"><br /></span><a href="http://proecclesia.blogspot.com/2008/05/kmiecs-dishonesty.html"><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: 85%;">Kmiec's Dishonesty</span></a><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: 85%;"> [UPDATED]</span><br />
<span style="font-family: arial; font-size: 85%;"><br /></span><a href="http://proecclesia.blogspot.com/2008/05/catholic-teaching-and-political-risk.html"><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: 85%;">Catholic Teaching and Political Risk Taking: When Credit Isn't Given Where Credit is Due</span></a><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: 85%;"> [UPDATED]<br /><br /><br /><b>April 2008</b></span><br />
<span style="font-family: arial; font-size: 85%;"><b> </b></span><a href="http://proecclesia.blogspot.com/2008/04/kmiecs-wishful-thinking-on-obama-and.html"><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: 85%;">Kmiec's Wishful Thinking on Obama and Abortion</span></a><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: 85%;"><br /><br /><br /><b>March 2008</b></span><span style="font-family: arial;"><span style="font-size: 85%;"><i> </i></span></span><br />
<a href="http://proecclesia.blogspot.com/2008/03/curt-jester-shameless-garment.html"><span style="font-family: arial;"><span style="font-size: 85%;"><i>The Curt Jester</i>: "Shameless Garment"</span></span></a><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: 85%;"> [UPDATED]</span><br />
<span style="font-family: arial; font-size: 85%;"><br /></span><a href="http://proecclesia.blogspot.com/2008/03/so-called-catholic-reaganite-doug-kmiec.html"><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: 85%;">So-Called "Catholic Reaganite" Doug Kmiec Endorses Obama</span></a><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: 85%;"> [UPDATED]</span><br />
<span style="font-family: arial; font-size: 85%;"><br /></span><a href="http://proecclesia.blogspot.com/2008/03/nobama-for-me-thanks.html"><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: 85%;">No'bama for Me, Thanks"</span></a><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: 85%;"></span><br />
<span style="font-family: arial; font-size: 85%;"><br /></span><a href="http://proecclesia.blogspot.com/2008/03/can-catholic-vote-for-obama.html"><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: 85%;">Can a Catholic Vote for Obama?</span></a><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: 85%;"><br /><br /><br /><b>February 2008</b></span><br />
<span style="font-family: arial; font-size: 85%;"><b> </b></span><a href="http://proecclesia.blogspot.com/2008/02/obamas-pledge-to-planned-parenthood-i.html"><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: 85%;">Obama's Pledge to Planned Parenthood: "I Will Not Yield"</span></a><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: 85%;"></span><br />
<span style="font-family: arial; font-size: 85%;"><br /></span><a href="http://proecclesia.blogspot.com/2008/02/why-american-catholics-are-supporting.html"><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: 85%;">"Why American Catholics are Supporting Barack Obama"</span></a><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: 85%;"></span><br />
<span style="font-family: arial; font-size: 85%;"><br /></span><a href="http://proecclesia.blogspot.com/2008/02/how-catholic-left-will-tackle-mccain.html"><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: 85%;">How the Catholic Left Will Tackle McCain</span></a><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: 85%;"></span><br />
<span style="font-family: arial; font-size: 85%;"><br /></span><a href="http://proecclesia.blogspot.com/2008/02/why-does-kmiec-criticize-mccain-for.html"><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: 85%;">Why Does Kmiec Criticize McCain for Positions on Which He Gave Romney a Pass?</span></a><br />
<span style="font-family: arial; font-size: 85%;"> </span><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: 85%;"><br /></span><a href="http://proecclesia.blogspot.com/2008/02/deal-hudson-on-douglas-kmiec-and-lure.html"><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: 85%;">Deal Hudson on "Douglas Kmiec and the Lure of Obama"</span></a><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: 85%;"></span><br />
<span style="font-family: arial; font-size: 85%;"><br /></span><a href="http://proecclesia.blogspot.com/2008/02/douglas-w-kmiec-on-moral-duty-to.html"><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: 85%;">Douglas W. Kmiec on "The Moral Duty to Inquire"</span></a><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: 85%;"></span><br />
<span style="font-family: arial; font-size: 85%;"><br /></span><a href="http://proecclesia.blogspot.com/2008/02/professor-bainbridge-will-catholic.html"><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: 85%;">Professor Bainbridge: "Will Catholic Reaganites Go for Obama?"</span></a><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: 85%;"></span><br />
<span style="font-family: arial; font-size: 85%;"><br /></span><a href="http://proecclesia.blogspot.com/2008/02/deal-hudson-preacher-man-barack-obama.html"><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: 85%;">Deal Hudson: "Preacher Man: Barack Obama and the the Gospel of Liberalism"</span></a><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: 85%;"></span><br />
<span style="font-family: arial; font-size: 85%;"><br /></span><a href="http://proecclesia.blogspot.com/2008/02/sorry-doug-kmiec-but-this-catholic-isnt.html"><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: 85%;">"Sorry, Doug Kmiec, But This Catholic Isn't Buying Obama"</span></a><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: 85%;"></span><br />
<span style="font-family: arial; font-size: 85%;"><br /></span><a href="http://proecclesia.blogspot.com/2008/02/ramesh-ponnuru-on-douglas-kmiec-and.html"><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: 85%;">Ramesh Ponnuru on Douglas Kmiec and "Catholic Reaganites for Obama"</span></a><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: 85%;"> [UPDATED]</span><br />
<span style="font-family: arial; font-size: 85%;"><br /></span><a href="http://proecclesia.blogspot.com/2008/02/romneys-catholic-guy-now-says-obama.html"><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: 85%;">Romney Advisor Says Obama "a Natural for the Catholic Vote"</span></a><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: 85%;"><br /></span><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: 85%;"></span><br />
<br />Pro Ecclesiahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03814831624547392519noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11294855.post-37990407557080639972014-01-05T11:43:00.001-05:002017-01-05T08:15:16.803-05:00A Poem for Twelfth Night - "How the Puritans Stole Christmas" Yes, it's that time of year again. Christmastide is approaching it's festive conclusion, punctuated by the Twelfth Night revelry. And, of course, that means that it's time, once again, for my traditional Twelfth Night post* : a poem titled "How the Puritans Stole Christmas" ...<br />
<br />
... with apologies to Dr. Seuss:<br />
<br />
<blockquote>
<a href="http://photos1.blogger.com/x/blogger/3209/910/1600/711394/Puritans.gif"><img alt="" border="0" src="http://photos1.blogger.com/x/blogger/3209/910/320/441496/Puritans.png" style="cursor: hand; display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center;" /></a><br />
<b><span style="font-family: "arial";">How the Puritans Stole Christmas</span></b><br />
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<span style="font-family: "arial";"><i>Every High-Church Anglican and Catholic<br />Living in Jolly Olde England<br />Liked Christmas a lot...<br /><br />But the Puritans,<br />Who were infected with Calvinism,<br />Did NOT!</i><a href="http://photos1.blogger.com/x/blogger/3209/910/1600/800582/Puritans%202.jpg"><i><img alt="" border="0" src="http://photos1.blogger.com/x/blogger/3209/910/320/219461/Puritans%202.jpg" style="cursor: hand; display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center;" /></i></a><i> </i></span><br />
<center>
<span style="font-family: "arial";"><span style="color: #cc0000; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 78%;">Puritans</span></span></center>
<span style="font-family: "arial";"><br /><i>The Puritans hated Christmas!<br />The whole Christmas season!<br />Now, please don't ask why. No one quite knows the reason.<br />It could be that their round heads weren't screwed on just right.<br />It could be, perhaps, their predestinarian arses were too tight.</i></span>
<br />
<span style="font-family: "arial";"><i>But I think that the most likely reason of all<br />Was a distaste for mince pies - shaped like a manger-bed in a stall.</i><a href="http://photos1.blogger.com/x/blogger/3209/910/1600/101069/Mince%20Pies.jpg"><i><img alt="" border="0" src="http://photos1.blogger.com/x/blogger/3209/910/320/578534/Mince%20Pies.jpg" style="cursor: hand; float: right; margin: 0px 0px 10px 10px;" /></i></a><i></i></span>
<span style="font-family: "arial";"><i></i></span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-family: "arial";"><i>But, <br />Whatever the reason,<br />Mince pies or their arses,<br />The Puritans saw the yuletide celebrations as farces,<br />Staring down on the festivities with sour, dour frowns<br />At the merriment and good will of those in the towns.<br />For they knew all the revelers were engaged in such vices<br />As eating tarts made of suet and spices.<br /><br />"And they're eating plum pudding!" they snarled with a sneer.<br />"Tomorrow is Christmas! It's practically here!"<br />Then they growled, with their greedy fingers nervously drumming,<br />"We MUST find a way to keep Christmas from coming!"<br />For, tomorrow, they knew...<br /><br />...That the Christmas events<br />Would involve the consumption of pies made of mince!<br />And then! Oh, the noise! Oh, the noise! Noise! Noise! Noise!<br />That's one thing they hated! The NOISE! NOISE! NOISE! NOISE!</i><a href="http://photos1.blogger.com/x/blogger/3209/910/1600/45726/boarshead.jpg"><i><img alt="" border="0" src="http://photos1.blogger.com/x/blogger/3209/910/320/591173/boarshead.jpg" style="cursor: hand; float: left; margin: 0px 10px 10px 0px;" /></i></a><i>Then the revelers, young and old, would sit down to a feast.<br />And they'd feast! And they'd feast!<br />And they'd FEAST! FEAST! FEAST! FEAST!<br />They would start on plum pudding, and rare roast-beef<br />Foods again giving Puritans nothing but grief!<br /><br />And THEN<br />They'd do something Puritans liked least of all!<br />Every merry-maker in town, the tall and the small,<br />Would stand close together, with Christmas bells ringing.<br />They'd stand hand-in-hand. And they all would start singing!</i><a href="http://photos1.blogger.com/x/blogger/3209/910/1600/411953/MUMMERS.gif"><i><img alt="" border="0" src="http://photos1.blogger.com/x/blogger/3209/910/200/485748/MUMMERS.png" style="cursor: hand; float: right; margin: 0px 0px 10px 10px;" /></i></a><i>They'd sing! And they'd sing!<br />AND they'd SING! SING! SING! SING!<br />And the more the Puritans thought of the whole Christmas-Sing<br />The more the Puritans thought, "We must stop this whole thing!<br />"Why for over sixteen hundred years we've put up with it now!<br />We MUST stop Christmas from coming!<br />...But HOW?"<br /><br />Then they got an idea!<br />An awful idea!<br />THE PURITANS<br />GOT A WONDERFUL, AWFUL IDEA!<br /><br />"We know just what to do!" The Puritans began plot-ting.<br />And they made civil war against England's King.<br />And they built a new model army, and the Puritans said,<br />"When we've won this war, we'll remove the King's head!"<br /><br />"All we need is a ploy..."<br />To get the job done.<br />But since kings are kings,<br />It was difficult to come up with one.<br />Did that stop the Puritans...?<br />No! The Puritans said,<br />"Charges of treason and Romish sympathies will cost him his head!"<br />So they called a rump court; charges the King refused to refute.<br />And the court issued the sentence to execute.<br /><br />THEN<br />They loaded poor Charles<br />Dressed in clothes resembling sacks<br />On a ramshakle scaffold<br />And severed his head with an ax.</i><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_OG3i1o1f67E/SWOORL7sthI/AAAAAAAADLY/XIZ4-UGxYYk/s1600-h/Beheading+of+Charles+I.jpg"><img alt="" border="0" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5288226813375198738" src="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/_OG3i1o1f67E/SWOORL7sthI/AAAAAAAADLY/XIZ4-UGxYYk/s320/Beheading+of+Charles+I.jpg" style="cursor: hand; display: block; height: 315px; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; width: 320px;" /></a><br /><i>Then the Puritans said, "Huzzah!"<br />For they had brought the King down<br />And they began to march<br />On all the churches in town.<br /><br />All their stained-glass windows were dark. Quiet filled the air.<br />All the vestrymen were all dreaming sweet dreams without care<br />When the Puritans came to the first church in the square.<br />"This is stop number one," The Puritans hissed<br />And each Puritan approached shaking his fist.<br /><br />Then they broke all the stained-glass.<br />And smashed statues galore.<br />Their horses dishonored the graves in the floor.<br />Then they burned all the vestments,<br />And prayer books, too.<br />Then they said "Let's move on, we have much to do!"</i><a href="http://photos1.blogger.com/x/blogger/3209/910/1600/369744/Father%20Christmas%20Trial.jpg"><i><img alt="" border="0" src="http://photos1.blogger.com/x/blogger/3209/910/320/194774/Father%20Christmas%20Trial.jpg" style="cursor: hand; display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center;" /></i></a><i> </i></span><br />
<center>
<span style="font-family: "arial";">
<span style="color: #cc0000; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 78%;">Father Christmas on Trial</span></span></center>
<span style="font-family: "arial";">
<br /><i>Then they slithered and slunk, with dour looks most unpleasant,<br />Around the whole town, to despoil places where Christ was once present!<br />Stained glass! Statuary! Painted images! Candles!<br />All manner of popish influences that for years had caused scandals!<br />And they smashed them to pieces and threw them on piles<br />And set them ablaze, smiling devilish smiles!<br /><br />Then they turned to the larders. They banned the Yule feast,<br />The plum pudding, the boar's head, and all toasts to that beast!<br />They forbade all the foods that had given offense.<br />And they succeeded in banning the pies made of mince!</i><a href="http://photos1.blogger.com/x/blogger/3209/910/1600/931522/Puritan%20Ban%20on%20Christmas.jpg"><img alt="" border="0" src="http://photos1.blogger.com/x/blogger/3209/910/320/217202/Puritan%20Ban%20on%20Christmas.jpg" style="cursor: hand; display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center;" /></a> </span><br />
<center>
<span style="font-family: "arial";">
<span style="color: #cc0000; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 78%;">The Puritan Ban on Christmas</span></span></center>
<span style="font-family: "arial";">
<br /><i>Then the last thing they took<br />Was the yule log for the fire.<br />On the walls they left nothing but hooks, and some wire.<br /><br />And the one little speck<br />Left in the church house<br />Was a crumb that was even too small for a mouse.<br /><br />Then<br />They did the same thing<br />To the other church houses<br /><br />Leaving crumbs<br />Much too small<br />For the other church mouses!<br /><br />And what happened then...?<br />Well...in England they say</i><a href="http://photos1.blogger.com/x/blogger/3209/910/1600/133998/Lord%20Protector.jpg"><i><img alt="" border="0" src="http://photos1.blogger.com/x/blogger/3209/910/200/849845/Lord%20Protector.jpg" style="cursor: hand; float: left; margin: 0px 10px 10px 0px;" /></i></a><i><br />That the Lord Protector's round head<br />Grew three sizes that day!<br />And the minute that "defender of liberty" felt safe from the strife,<br />He became the Commonwealth's dictator for life!<br />And he enforced the outlawing of Christmas! And all the foods for that feast!<br />And he...<br /><br />...HE HIMSELF...!<br />The Lord Protector ruled the realm like a tyrannical beast!</i></span></blockquote>
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<a href="http://photos1.blogger.com/x/blogger/3209/910/1600/752171/Mince%20Pie%20Still%20Life.jpg"><img alt="" border="0" src="http://photos1.blogger.com/x/blogger/3209/910/320/25603/Mince%20Pie%20Still%20Life.jpg" style="cursor: hand; display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center;" /></a> <br />
<center>
<span style="color: #cc0000; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 78%;">Mince Pie Still Life</span></center>
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<span style="font-family: "arial";"><span style="font-size: 85%;"><b>NB:</b> Christmas was not only outlawed in the British Isles but in parts of colonial America, as well. In 1659, a law was passed by the General Court of Massachusetts Bay Colony requiring a five-shilling fine from anyone caught <i>"observing any such day as Christmas or the like, either by forbearing of labor, feasting, or any other way."</i></span></span><br />
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<a href="http://photos1.blogger.com/x/blogger/3209/910/1600/324458/Outlawed.jpg"><img alt="" border="0" src="http://photos1.blogger.com/x/blogger/3209/910/320/973167/Outlawed.jpg" style="cursor: hand; display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center;" /></a><br />
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<span style="color: #cc0000; font-family: "arial";"><span style="font-size: 78%;"><span style="font-size: 85%;">*</span> Originally posted as "</span><a href="http://proecclesia.blogspot.com/2007/01/poem-for-twelve-days-of-christmas-how.html"><span style="font-size: 78%;">A Poem for the Twelve Days of Christmas - 'How the Puritans Stole Christmas' ...</span></a><span style="font-size: 78%;">" on 3 January 2007, and again on 5 January 2007 under the title "</span><a href="http://proecclesia.blogspot.com/2007/01/repost-poem-for-twelfth-night-how.html"><span style="font-size: 78%;">A Poem for Twelfth Night - 'How the Puritans Stole Christmas' ...</span></a><span style="font-size: 85%;"><span style="font-size: 78%;">"</span></span></span><span style="color: #cc0000; font-family: "arial";"></span><br />
<br />
<br />
<span style="font-family: "arial";"><span style="font-size: 85%;"><b>Previous <i>Pro Ecclesia</i> posts on this subject:</b></span></span><span style="font-family: "arial"; font-size: 85%;"> </span><br />
<a href="http://proecclesia.blogspot.com/2009/12/how-puritans-stole-our-lady.html"><span style="font-family: "arial"; font-size: 85%;">How the Puritans Stole Our Lady</span></a><br />
<span style="font-family: "arial"; font-size: 85%;"></span><br />
<a href="http://proecclesia.blogspot.com/2009/01/song-for-end-of-christmas.html"><span style="font-family: "arial"; font-size: 85%;">A Song for the End of Christmas</span></a><br />
<br />
<a href="http://proecclesia.blogspot.com/2008/01/song-and-poem-for-end-of-christmas.html"><span style="font-family: "arial"; font-size: 85%;">A Song (and a Poem) for the End of Christmas</span></a>Pro Ecclesiahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03814831624547392519noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11294855.post-76011945679813690692013-09-10T00:00:00.000-05:002013-09-10T07:51:13.361-05:00"We Have Met the Enemy and They Are Ours"<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-E_k2BtVkq4w/Uip_QE1aC5I/AAAAAAAAEVA/es8WPiX_-a0/s1600/Battle+of+Lake+Erie.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="256" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-E_k2BtVkq4w/Uip_QE1aC5I/AAAAAAAAEVA/es8WPiX_-a0/s400/Battle+of+Lake+Erie.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-size: x-small;"><b><i>Perry's Victory on Lake Erie</i> by Currier and Ives.</b></span></div>
<br />
On this day 200 years ago - 10 September 1813, Master Commandant Oliver Hazard Perry, United States Navy, won a <a href="http://www.nps.gov/pevi/historyculture/battle_erie_detail.htm" target="_blank">resounding victory over a British fleet near Put-in-Bay, Ohio, in the Battle of Lake Erie during the War of 1812</a>:<br />
<blockquote class="tr_bq">
<i>At dawn on the morning of September 10, 1813, a lookout spotted six
British vessels to the northwest of Put-in-Bay beyond Rattlesnake
Island. Immediately Master Commandant Oliver Hazard Perry issued a
flurry of orders and made preparations to sail forth to engage the
British. </i><br />
<i> </i>
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-mW4uRaI_5_c/UiqB9qYREZI/AAAAAAAAEVg/KCDWXv0sfIo/s1600/Oliver+Hazard+Perry+3.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-mW4uRaI_5_c/UiqB9qYREZI/AAAAAAAAEVg/KCDWXv0sfIo/s320/Oliver+Hazard+Perry+3.jpg" width="241" /></a></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-size: x-small;"><b>Oliver Hazard Perry by Gilbert Stuart</b></span></div>
<br />
<i>With Perry's fleet on Lake Erie the British supply route from Fort
Malden to Port Dover had been severed. The British had to either fight,
or abandon Fort Malden. The British squadron consisted of six ships with
sixty-three cannons, while the American flotilla comprised nine vessels
and fifty-four guns. The British were armed with long guns that could
throw a cannonball approximately one mile, accurately to about one-half
mile. The American ships primarily armed with carronades had less than
half the range of a long gun. The carronades could inflict much more
damage at close range. Perry needed the wind to his back to close within
carronade range. </i>
<br />
<i><br />
When the squadron sailed from Put-in-Bay harbor at 7 a.m. the American
vessels were steering west-northwest; the wind was blowing from the
west-southwest. For more than two hours Perry repeatedly tacks his ships
in an effort to put the wind to his back, but with no success. The
frustrated Perry, conceded to mother nature at 10 a.m., issuing orders
to turn his fleet in the opposite direction. But before the order could
be executed the wind suddenly shifted and blew from the southeast,
placing the wind directly behind the Americans. </i>
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<i><br />
Perry's opponent, Commander Robert Heriot Barclay, was an experienced
Royal Navy officer who had fought with Lord Nelson at Trafalgar in 1805,
and two years later he lost an arm fighting the French. Barclay's
options did not alter when the wind shifted, so the Scotsman pointed his
bow sprits to the westward, and hove to in line of battle. </i>
<br />
<i><br />
With the wind at his back and the British battle line finally revealed,
Perry made his own tactical adjustments. The Schooners Ariel and
Scorpion were placed off the flagship's weather bow to engage the first
British vessel and to prevent the enemy from raking his fleet. The
Lawrence, a 20-gun brig serving as Perry's flagship, was third in line
and would engage the Detroit, Barclay's 19-gun flagship. Next in line
floated the Caledonia, a small brig with only three guns. Fifth in the
American line of battle was the Niagara, Perry's other 20-gun brig and
the Lawrence's sistership. </i>
<br />
<i><br />
The Niagara, captained by Master Commandant Jesse Elliott, would engage
the 17-gun Queen Charlotte, the second largest British ship. Lastly came
the smaller schooners and sloop; these would engage the smaller British
vessels. </i>
<br />
<i><br />
Just before the engagement opened Perry hoisted his battle flag to the
flagship's main truck. The large navy blue banner was emblazoned with
the crudely inscribed words, "DONT GIVE UP THE SHIP". For his battle
slogan Perry used the dying words of Captain James Lawrence, a friend of
the commodore who was killed on June 1, 1813. Perry's flagship was
named for the fallen Lawrence, and the dead hero's inspiring words
clearly indicated Perry's determination to prevail.</i><br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-BPeoEEtAhUg/Uizqiw049DI/AAAAAAAAEWY/nyKSOMEonK8/s1600/Don%27t+Give+Up+the+Ship+Flag.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="257" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-BPeoEEtAhUg/Uizqiw049DI/AAAAAAAAEWY/nyKSOMEonK8/s320/Don%27t+Give+Up+the+Ship+Flag.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
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<a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/--T50-7DtRCQ/UiqDHzRmHuI/AAAAAAAAEVs/Z0EB6lGJnVE/s1600/Don%27t+Give+Up+the+Ship+Flag.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/--T50-7DtRCQ/UiqDHzRmHuI/AAAAAAAAEVs/Z0EB6lGJnVE/s1600/Don't+Give+Up+the+Ship+Flag.jpg" /></a></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-size: x-small;"><b>Perry's Battle Flag, "Don't Give Up the Ship"</b></span></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-size: x-small;"><b>U.S. Naval Academy Museum, Annapolis, MD</b></span></div>
<br />
<i>[...]</i><br />
<br />
<i>By 2:30 p.m. the flagship was a floating wreck; every gun on her engaged
side was disabled and four of every five men fit for duty were either
killed or wounded. Perry was facing the dismal prospect of surrender.</i>
<br />
<i><br />
Then, as he gazed across to the Niagara, still out of range and
relatively undamaged, the commodore made a fateful decision. Collecting
four unwounded men Perry manned the flagship's first cutter and rowed
through a hail of shot to the Niagara. Miraculously Perry and his boat
crew reached the Niagara unscathed.</i>
<br />
<i><br />
</i><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<i><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-2xIlQAnjc1g/UiqASj6zPMI/AAAAAAAAEVM/6hT0s5WIayo/s1600/Oliver+Hazard+Perry+1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="232" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-2xIlQAnjc1g/UiqASj6zPMI/AAAAAAAAEVM/6hT0s5WIayo/s320/Oliver+Hazard+Perry+1.jpg" width="320" /></a></i></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-size: x-small;"><b>Perry transfers (along with his battle flag) from the badly damaged flagship <i>Lawrence </i>to the unscathed <i>Niagara</i>. </b></span><i><br /></i></div>
<br />
<i>[...]</i>
<br />
<i><br />
The British, though they had pounded the Lawrence into a crippled hulk,
had suffered terribly. During the engagement Barclay was severely
wounded, plus the captain and first lieutenant of every British vessel
was incapacitated. The English fleet was now commanded by junior
officers - brave men, but with little or no experience maneuvering ships
in the chaos of combat. When they observed the Niagara bearing down on
their line the British attempted to wear ship - to turn their vessels
around to bring the unused starboard broadsides to bear. Orders were
issued, but amidst the tumult of battle the battered Detroit and Queen
Charlotte collided, becoming helplessly entangled.</i>
<br />
<i><br />
Taking full advantage of the enemy blunder, Perry steered the Niagara
through the jumbled British battle line. Unleashing both broadsides, the
American commodore ravaged the vulnerable British ships. As the Niagara
pressed through the British line Perry backed the maintop sail, holding
the Niagara stationary while her belching carronades decimated the
enemy decks. The wind had also picked up by this time, allowing the
sluggish gunboats to rush forward and rake the enemy from astern.</i><br />
<br />
<i>A few minutes after 3 p.m. the British bowed to the inevitable, the four
largest vessels surrendering one by one. The gunboats Chippawa and
Little Belt sheered off and tried to escape, but they were tracked down
and snared by the Scorpion and Trippe. The entire British fleet had been
captured. <br />
<br />
The vessels anchored and hasty repairs were underway near West Sister
Island when Perry composed his now famous message to William Henry
Harrison. Scrawled in pencil on the back of an old envelope, Perry
wrote, "Dear General: We have met the enemy and they are ours. Two
ships, two brigs, one schooner and one sloop. Yours with great respect
and esteem, O.H. Perry".</i>
<i> </i><br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-sUvNFjZi_vY/UiqBbXQrZ7I/AAAAAAAAEVY/3Jn3Ggj-Ups/s1600/Oliver+Hazard+Perry+2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="260" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-sUvNFjZi_vY/UiqBbXQrZ7I/AAAAAAAAEVY/3Jn3Ggj-Ups/s320/Oliver+Hazard+Perry+2.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
<br />
<i>The Battle of Lake Erie proved one of the most resounding triumphs of
the War of 1812. The victory secured control of the lake, forcing the
British to abandon Fort Malden and retreat up the Thames River.
Harrison's army pursued, decisively defeating the small British army and
its allied Indian force on October 5, 1813 at the Battle of the Thames.
And later, during the peace talks, the dual victories of Lake Erie and
the Thames insured that the states of Ohio and Michigan would remain the
sovereign territory of the United States of America.</i></blockquote>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<i> </i><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-UVGYa5sg8LI/UiqFB1gmVUI/AAAAAAAAEV4/oYp5oR_4fu4/s1600/Battle+of+Lake+Erie+Bicentennial.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="300" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-UVGYa5sg8LI/UiqFB1gmVUI/AAAAAAAAEV4/oYp5oR_4fu4/s400/Battle+of+Lake+Erie+Bicentennial.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-size: x-small;"><i> </i><span class="fbPhotosPhotoCaption" data-ft="{"type":45}" id="fbPhotoSnowliftCaption" tabindex="0"><span class="hasCaption"><b>Perry's Victory and International Peace Memorial and a </b></span></span><span class="fbPhotosPhotoCaption" data-ft="{"type":45}" id="fbPhotoSnowliftCaption" tabindex="0"><span class="hasCaption"><b>modern replica of the Flagship <i>Niagara</i> at Put-in-Bay, Ohio, </b></span></span><span class="fbPhotosPhotoCaption" data-ft="{"type":45}" id="fbPhotoSnowliftCaption" tabindex="0"><span class="hasCaption"><b>during the Battle of Lake Erie Bicentennial celebrations over Labor Day weekend.</b></span></span></span></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
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<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-UDdIwVXxKc8/UiqUXLmGNBI/AAAAAAAAEWI/rwgcj1v47Lo/s1600/Battle+of+Lake+Erie+Bicentennial+2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="303" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-UDdIwVXxKc8/UiqUXLmGNBI/AAAAAAAAEWI/rwgcj1v47Lo/s320/Battle+of+Lake+Erie+Bicentennial+2.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-size: x-small;"><b>The blogger a<span class="fbPhotosPhotoCaption" data-ft="{"type":45}" id="fbPhotoSnowliftCaption" tabindex="0"><span class="hasCaption">t Put-in-Bay for the Battle of Lake Erie Bicentennial, wearing his "Don't Give Up the Ship" battle flag tie from <a href="http://buffalojackson.com/dontgiveuptheship-bowtie-battle-flag.html" target="_blank">Buffalo Jackson Trading Co</a>.</span></span></b></span></div>
<br />
<span style="color: blue;"><i><span style="font-size: x-large;"><b><u>Don't</u> <u>Give</u> <u>Up</u> <u>the</u> <u>Ship</u>!</b></span></i></span><br />
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: small;"><b><span class="fbPhotosPhotoCaption" data-ft="{"type":45}" id="fbPhotoSnowliftCaption" tabindex="0"><span class="hasCaption"><u>Additional Online Resources</u>:</span></span></b></span></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: small;"><span class="fbPhotosPhotoCaption" data-ft="{"type":45}" id="fbPhotoSnowliftCaption" tabindex="0"><span class="hasCaption"><a href="http://www.nps.gov/pevi/index.htm" target="_blank">Perry's Victory and International Peace Memorial (National Park Service)</a>, Put-in-Bay, OH</span></span></span></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<span class="fbPhotosPhotoCaption" data-ft="{"type":45}" id="fbPhotoSnowliftCaption" style="font-size: small;" tabindex="0"><span class="hasCaption"><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><a href="http://battleoflakeerie-bicentennial.com/" target="_blank">Battle of Lake Erie Bicentennial</a> </span></span></span></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<span class="fbPhotosPhotoCaption" data-ft="{"type":45}" id="fbPhotoSnowliftCaption" style="font-size: small;" tabindex="0"><span class="hasCaption"><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><a href="http://www.history.navy.mil/library/online/battle_lake_erie.htm" target="_blank">Battle of Lake Erie: Building the Fleet in the Wilderness</a>, Navy Department Library</span></span></span></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<span class="fbPhotosPhotoCaption" data-ft="{"type":45}" id="fbPhotoSnowliftCaption" style="font-size: small;" tabindex="0"><span class="hasCaption"><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><a href="http://www.battleoflakeerieart.com/battle.php" target="_blank">The Battle of Lake Erie: Building the Fleet, Alliances and the Battle</a></span></span></span><br />
<span class="fbPhotosPhotoCaption" data-ft="{"type":45}" id="fbPhotoSnowliftCaption" style="font-size: small;" tabindex="0"><span class="hasCaption"><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span class="fbPhotosPhotoCaption" data-ft="{"type":45}" id="fbPhotoSnowliftCaption" tabindex="0"><span class="hasCaption"><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span class="fbPhotosPhotoCaption" data-ft="{"type":45}" id="fbPhotoSnowliftCaption" tabindex="0"><span class="hasCaption"><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><a href="http://www.history.navy.mil/bios/perry_oliver_h.htm" target="_blank">Oliver Hazard Perry</a></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span><br />
<span class="fbPhotosPhotoCaption" data-ft="{"type":45}" id="fbPhotoSnowliftCaption" style="font-size: small;" tabindex="0"><span class="hasCaption"><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span class="fbPhotosPhotoCaption" data-ft="{"type":45}" id="fbPhotoSnowliftCaption" tabindex="0"><span class="hasCaption"><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span class="fbPhotosPhotoCaption" data-ft="{"type":45}" id="fbPhotoSnowliftCaption" tabindex="0"><span class="hasCaption"><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span class="fbPhotosPhotoCaption" data-ft="{"type":45}" id="fbPhotoSnowliftCaption" tabindex="0"><span class="hasCaption"><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><a href="http://www.flagshipniagara.org/" target="_blank">Flagship <i>Niagara</i></a></span></span></span> </span></span></span></span></span></span> </span></span></span><br />
<span class="fbPhotosPhotoCaption" data-ft="{"type":45}" id="fbPhotoSnowliftCaption" style="font-size: small;" tabindex="0"><span class="hasCaption"><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><a href="http://www.toledomuseum.org/exhibitions/the-battle-of-lake-erie/" target="_blank">"Perry's Victory: The Battle of Lake Erie"</a> - Toledo Museum of Art exhibition </span></span></span><br />
<span class="fbPhotosPhotoCaption" data-ft="{"type":45}" id="fbPhotoSnowliftCaption" style="font-size: small;" tabindex="0"><span class="hasCaption"><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FP2JGRiB9sQ" target="_blank">"Perry's Victory: The Battle of Lake Erie"</a> - Toledo Museum of Art exhibition (video)<br /><a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=v3kutN3Rge4" target="_blank">"Perry's Victory: The Battle of Lake Erie"</a> - Toledo Museum of Art exhibition (TV ad)</span></span></span><span class="fbPhotosPhotoCaption" data-ft="{"type":45}" id="fbPhotoSnowliftCaption" style="font-size: small;" tabindex="0"><span class="hasCaption"><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"> </span></span></span></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<span class="fbPhotosPhotoCaption" data-ft="{"type":45}" id="fbPhotoSnowliftCaption" style="font-size: small;" tabindex="0"><span class="hasCaption"><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><a href="http://freemusicarchive.org/music/Roger_McGuinn/Folk_Den_Project/20090517154709135" target="_blank">"Perry's Victory" (trad. folk song)</a> sung by Roger McGuinn</span></span></span><br />
<span class="fbPhotosPhotoCaption" data-ft="{"type":45}" id="fbPhotoSnowliftCaption" style="font-size: small;" tabindex="0"><span class="hasCaption"><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><a href="http://www.traditionalmusic.co.uk/song-midis/Perrys_Victory.htm" target="_blank">"Perry's Victory" song lyrics</a></span></span></span></div>
<span class="fbPhotosPhotoCaption" data-ft="{"type":45}" id="fbPhotoSnowliftCaption" style="font-size: small;" tabindex="0"><span class="hasCaption"><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><a href="http://www.fortmeigs.org/" target="_blank">Fort Meigs: Ohio's War of 1812 Battlefield</a></span></span></span>
<br />
<div style="text-align: left;">
<span class="fbPhotosPhotoCaption" data-ft="{"type":45}" id="fbPhotoSnowliftCaption" style="font-size: small;" tabindex="0"><span class="hasCaption"><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><a href="http://www.pc.gc.ca/eng/lhn-nhs/on/malden/visit.aspx" target="_blank">Fort Malden (Parks Canada)</a> </span></span></span></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<span class="fbPhotosPhotoCaption" data-ft="{"type":45}" id="fbPhotoSnowliftCaption" style="font-size: small;" tabindex="0"><span class="hasCaption"><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><a href="http://www.battleofthethames.ca/" target="_blank">Battle of the Thames</a></span></span></span></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<span class="fbPhotosPhotoCaption" data-ft="{"type":45}" id="fbPhotoSnowliftCaption" style="font-size: small;" tabindex="0"><span class="hasCaption"><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><a href="http://www.galafilm.com/1812/e/people/barclay.html" target="_blank">Robert Heriot Barclay</a> </span></span></span></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<span class="fbPhotosPhotoCaption" data-ft="{"type":45}" id="fbPhotoSnowliftCaption" style="font-size: small;" tabindex="0"><span class="hasCaption"><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><a href="http://www.whitehouse.gov/about/presidents/williamhenryharrison" target="_blank">William Henry Harrison</a></span></span></span></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<span class="fbPhotosPhotoCaption" data-ft="{"type":45}" id="fbPhotoSnowliftCaption" style="font-size: small;" tabindex="0"><span class="hasCaption"><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><a href="http://www.eighteentwelve.ca/?q=eng/Topic/6" target="_blank">Tecumseh</a></span></span></span><br />
<span style="font-size: small;"><br /></span>
<span class="fbPhotosPhotoCaption" data-ft="{"type":45}" id="fbPhotoSnowliftCaption" style="font-size: small;" tabindex="0"><span class="hasCaption"><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><b><u>Recommended Books</u>:</b> </span></span></span></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<span class="fbPhotosPhotoCaption" data-ft="{"type":45}" id="fbPhotoSnowliftCaption" style="font-size: small;" tabindex="0"><span class="hasCaption"><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><a href="http://www.amazon.com/Signal-Victory-Lake-Campaign-1812-1813/dp/1557500304/ref=tmm_hrd_swatch_0?_encoding=UTF8&sr=&qid=" target="_blank"><i>A Signal Victory: The Lake Erie Campaign, 1812-1813</i></a> by David Curtis Skaggs and Gerard T. Altoff</span></span></span></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: small;"><span id="fbt_y_title"><i><a href="http://www.amazon.com/Oliver-Hazard-Perry-Battle-Lake/dp/1887794034/ref=pd_bxgy_b_text_y">Oliver Hazard Perry and the Battle of Lake Erie</a></i><span class="bxgy-binding-byline"> <span class="bxgy-byline-text">by Gerard T. Altoff</span></span></span></span></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: small;"><span id="fbt_z_title"><a href="http://www.amazon.com/Oliver-Hazard-Perry-Patriotism-Biography/dp/1591147921/ref=pd_bxgy_b_text_z"><i>Oliver Hazard Perry: Honor, Courage, and Patriotism in the Early U.S. Navy</i> (Library of Naval Biography)</a><span class="bxgy-binding-byline"> <span class="bxgy-byline-text">by David Curtis Skaggs</span></span></span></span></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: small;"><span id="fbt_x_title"><a href="http://www.amazon.com/Perrys-Lake-Erie-Fleet-History/dp/1609496108/ref=pd_sim_b_4" target="_blank"><i>Perry's Lake Erie Fleet: After the Glory</i></a> (PA) (The History Press)<span class="bxgy-binding-byline"> <span class="bxgy-byline-text">by David Frew</span></span></span></span></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<span class="fbPhotosPhotoCaption" data-ft="{"type":45}" id="fbPhotoSnowliftCaption" style="font-size: small;" tabindex="0"><span class="hasCaption"><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span id="fbt_y_title"><i><a href="http://www.amazon.com/The-Lake-Erie-Campaign-1813/dp/1609497147/ref=pd_bxgy_b_text_y">The Lake Erie Campaign of 1813: I Shall Fight Them This Day</a></i><span class="bxgy-binding-byline"> <span class="bxgy-byline-text">by Walter P. Rybka</span></span></span> </span></span></span></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<span class="fbPhotosPhotoCaption" data-ft="{"type":45}" id="fbPhotoSnowliftCaption" style="font-size: small;" tabindex="0"><span class="hasCaption"><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><a href="http://www.amazon.com/have-met-enemy-wilderness-commodore/dp/0070169810/ref=pd_sim_b_9" target="_blank"><i>We Have Met the Enemy: Oliver Hazard Perry, Wilderness Commodore</i></a> by Richard Dillon </span></span></span></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<span id="fbt_x_title" style="font-size: small;">
<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><i><a href="http://www.amazon.com/Chasing-Oliver-Hazard-Perry-Footsteps/dp/1578603455/ref=pd_sim_b_7" target="_blank">Chasing Oliver Hazard Perry: Travels in the Footsteps of the Commodore Who Saved America</a></i><span class="bxgy-binding-byline"> <span class="bxgy-byline-text">by Craig Heimbuch</span></span></span></span></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<span class="fbPhotosPhotoCaption" data-ft="{"type":45}" id="fbPhotoSnowliftCaption" tabindex="0"><span class="hasCaption"><span style="font-size: xx-small;"><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: small;"> </span><b> </b></span> </span></span></div>
Pro Ecclesiahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03814831624547392519noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11294855.post-88736545225064775742013-08-11T18:56:00.000-05:002013-08-11T18:56:05.766-05:00William P. Clark, R.I.P.<a href="http://www.americanthinker.com/blog/2013/08/reagans_top_hand_dies.html" target="_blank">William P. Clark, Ronald Reagan's closest advisor, passed away yesterday</a>. It's quite possible that you've never heard of Judge Clark, but he just so happens to be one of the chief architects of Reagan's vision for the downfall of Soviet communism, and played a key role in implementing that plan.<br />
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The following excerpt is from an<a href="http://www.ignatiusinsight.com/features2007/pkengor_interview_nov07.asp" target="_blank"> interview <i>Ignatius Insight</i> did a few years ago with Paul Kengor</a>, Clark's biographer (his book is <a href="http://www.amazon.com/Judge-William-Clark-Ronald-Reagans/dp/1586171836/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1376264257&sr=1-1&keywords=the+judge+william+p+clark" target="_blank"><i>The Judge: William P. Clark, Ronald Reagan's Top Hand</i></a>):<br />
<blockquote class="tr_bq">
<i>... Clark helped set up that initial and historic June 1982 meeting between President Reagan and Pope John Paul II, where the two men confided in one another that they believed that God had spared their lives for a special purpose, which they concluded was to undermine Soviet communism, beginning particularly in Poland, which both men—as well as Clark—saw as the wedge that could crack the entire Communist Bloc.</i><br />
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<i>Over the next year and a half that followed, Clark became the primary White House conduit to the Vatican. Along with CIA director Bill Casey, another committed Catholic, Clark met very frequently with Pio Laghi, the apostolic delegate to Washington. He and Casey had code language when discussing over the telephone the need for a quick meeting with Laghi: "It's time to get some cappuccino," they would say. That meant a visit to Laghi's residence for a cappuccino and to share information about the critical activities going on around the world, especially in Poland. They were the middle men between Reagan and Pope John Paul II, the principal liaisons. Clark was the point man who would then report that information directly back to Reagan...</i></blockquote>
<a href="http://www.nationalreview.com/corner/355466/judge-clark-rip-kathryn-jean-lopez" target="_blank">Kathryn Jean Lopez's tribute to Judge Clark at <i>National Review</i></a> is definitely worth a read. <br />
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Requiescat in pace, Judge Clark.<br />
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Pro Ecclesiahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03814831624547392519noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11294855.post-76008211406522140462013-06-24T17:58:00.001-05:002013-06-24T18:07:57.916-05:00Scots Wha Hae"Scots Wha Hae" is a poem written by Robert Burns that is supposed to approximate the speech Robert the Bruce, King of Scots, delivered to his troops prior to leading them into battle against the English under Edward II at Bannockburn. The poem was set to music and became one of Scotland's great anthems of national pride.<br />
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Scots, wha hae wi' Wallace bled,<br />Scots, wham Bruce has aften led;<br />Welcome to your gory bed,<br /> Or to victory!<br /><br />Now's the day, and now's the hour;<br />See the front o' battle lour;<br />See approach proud Edward's power—<br /> Chains and slavery!<br /><br />Wha will be a traitor knave?<br />Wha can fill a coward's grave!<br />Wha sae base as be a slave?<br /> Let him turn and flee!<br /><br />Wha for Scotland's king and law<br />Freedom's sword will strongly draw,<br />Freeman stand, or freeman fa',<br /> Let him follow me!<br /><br />By oppression's woes and pains!<br />By your sons in servile chains!<br />We will drain our dearest veins,<br /> But they shall be free!<br /><br />Lay the proud usurpers low!<br />Tyrants fall in every foe!<br />Liberty's in every blow!—<br /> Let us do or die! </div>
Pro Ecclesiahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03814831624547392519noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11294855.post-24288937074822834512013-06-24T05:14:00.000-05:002013-06-24T05:22:21.270-05:00Battle of Bannockburn - 699 Years Ago Today<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-unyz2nUGurc/UcgakxVujeI/AAAAAAAAEUQ/lkRrALrGEas/s1600/Bruce+at+Bannockburn.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-unyz2nUGurc/UcgakxVujeI/AAAAAAAAEUQ/lkRrALrGEas/s320/Bruce+at+Bannockburn.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
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<span class="messageBody" data-ft="{"type":3}" style="font-size: small;"><span class="userContent">On
this day 699 years ago - 24 June 1314, Robert the Bruce, King of Scots,
led his vastly outnumbered army into battle against the English under
King Edward II at Bannockburn, near Stirling Castle, in Scotland. Edward
had more than 2000 battle-hardened knights to Bruce’s 500 horsemen, and
a force of 16,000 infantry to Bruce's 6000 foot soldiers.<br /> <br /><span class="text_exposed_show"> It was Midsummer Day, the Feast of St John the Baptist. <br /> <br />
The day before, an English knight, Sir Henry de Bohun, had seen the
Bruce separated from the rest of his army and turned his war-horse to
charge him. De Bohun thundered across the field levelling his lance at
Bruce. The Bruce stood his ground and waited until the English knight
was almost upon him, then stood up in his stirrups and brought his
battle-axe crashing down, splitting de Bohun's helmet and skull in two.<br /> <br /> The Bruce would own this day as well. </span></span></span></h5>
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<a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-ztHGSc5Ulu4/Ucga6jrtcuI/AAAAAAAAEUY/HBD9EOl0NWk/s1600/Robert+the+Bruce+-+Bannockburn+3.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="263" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-ztHGSc5Ulu4/Ucga6jrtcuI/AAAAAAAAEUY/HBD9EOl0NWk/s400/Robert+the+Bruce+-+Bannockburn+3.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
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<span class="messageBody" data-ft="{"type":3}" style="font-size: small;"><span class="userContent"><span class="text_exposed_show">The
Scots had carefully chosen their ground at Bannockburn. They used the
natural terrain to counter the threat of Edward’s heavy cavalry and dug
small pit traps or ‘pots’ to defend their flanks and force the English
to fight them head on. Disastrously, Edward ordered his men to cross the
Bannockburn river onto boggy ground. Bruce ordered the Scots to push
forward and a forest of spears sent Edward’s army crashing back upon
itself. The Scots pushed Edward’s army back to the steep-sided
Bannockburn until the river was filled with bodies. King Edward II fled
the field, escaped to Dunbar Castle, and then sailed back to England.
Others weren't so fortunate - the Scots killed or captured many of the
greatest knights of England.<br /> <br /> For the next 15 years - until the
Bruce's death in 1329, the Scots held the upper hand over the English
militarily, including a significant victory at the Battle of Byland in
Yorkshire, in which a young, newly crowned Edward III was almost
captured.<br /> <br /> The ultimate result of Bannockburn was that the Scots
had won their independence on the battlefield, an achievement that was
to receive legal sanction a few years later when the Scots obtained
papal recognition of their claim for independence as laid out in the
Declaration of Arbroath (considered by many to be a forerunner to the American
Declaration of Independence).</span></span></span></h5>
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<a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-1cjnbz0ni68/UcgbMzGi6KI/AAAAAAAAEUg/mt9u7fLhGJs/s1600/Robert+the+Bruce+-+Bannockburn+2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="246" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-1cjnbz0ni68/UcgbMzGi6KI/AAAAAAAAEUg/mt9u7fLhGJs/s320/Robert+the+Bruce+-+Bannockburn+2.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
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<span class="messageBody" data-ft="{"type":3}"><span class="userContent"><span class="text_exposed_show">(<a href="http://www.educationscotland.gov.uk/scotlandshistory/warsofindependence/battleofbannockburn/index.asp" target="_blank">Source</a>)<br /> </span></span></span></h5>
Pro Ecclesiahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03814831624547392519noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11294855.post-68829207993090641032013-06-21T04:27:00.000-05:002013-09-24T08:21:42.406-05:00A Man For All Seasons: Feast Day of St. Thomas More, 22 June<center>
<span style="color: #cc0000;"><i>___________________________________<br /><br />“…it would be hard to find anyone who was more truly a man for all seasons and all men…”</i></span></center>
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<span style="color: #cc0000;"><span style="font-size: 85%;">~ Erasmus, 1521</span><i> </i></span></div>
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<embed src="http://www.youtube.com/v/5DpkNX2GxRw&hl=en_US&fs=1&" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" allowscriptaccess="always" allowfullscreen="true" width="400" height="325"></embed></object><br /><span style="font-size: 85%;">The Execution of St. Thomas More - "A Man For All Seasons"</span><span style="font-size: 85%;"></span></center>
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<a href="http://www.franciscan-archive.org/more/"><img alt="" border="0" src="http://photos1.blogger.com/blogger/3209/910/320/thomas_more_large.jpg" style="cursor: hand; float: left; margin: 0px 10px 10px 0px;" /></a>Tomorrow, 22 June, is the feast day of St. Thomas More, martyr and patron of lawyers, civil servants, politicians, statesmen, "difficult marriages", and this blog.<br />
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As he went to his death, ordered beheaded by Henry VIII for refusing to swear the Oath of Supremacy declaring the King head of the Church in England, More humbly stated that he would die <i>"the King's good servant, and God's first."</i><br />
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From the <a href="http://www.catholic-forum.com/saints/saintt04.htm">Patron Saints Index</a>:<br />
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<i><b>Memorial:</b> 22 June<br /><br /><b>Profile:</b> Studied at London and Oxford. Page for the Archbishop of Canterbury. Lawyer. Twice married, father of one son and three daughters, and a devoted family man. Writer. Friend of King Henry VIII. Lord Chancellor of England, a position of power second only to the king. Opposed the king on the matter of royal divorce, and refused to swear the Oath of Supremacy which declared the king the head of the Church in England. Resigned the Chancellorship, and was imprisoned in the Tower of London. Martyred for his refusal to bend his religious beliefs to the king's political needs.<br /><br /><b>Born:</b> 1478 at London, England<br /><br /><b>Died:</b> beheaded in 1535; head kept in the Roper Vault, Saint Dunstan's church, Canterbury, England; body at Saint Peter ad Vincula, Tower of London, England<br /><br /><b>Canonized:</b> 1935 by Pope Pius XI<br /><br /><b>Patronage:</b> adopted children, diocese of Arlington Virginia, civil servants, court clerks, difficult marriages, large families, lawyers, diocese of Pensacola-Tallahassee Florida, politicians, politicos, statesmen, step-parents, widowers</i></blockquote>
<b><a href="http://www.nd.edu/~ndlaw/prospective_students/academics/thomasmore.html">A Prayer to St. Thomas More</a>:</b><br />
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<i><span style="color: #000099;">Thomas More, counselor of law and patron of statesmen, merry martyr and most human of saints:<br /><br />Pray that, for the glory of God and in the pursuit of His justice, I may be able in argument, accurate in analysis, keen in study, correct in conclusion, loyal to clients, honest with all, courteous to adversaries, trustworthy with confidences, courageous in court. Sit with me at my desk and listen with me to my clients' tales. Read with me in my library and stand always beside me so that today I shall not, to win a point, lose my soul.<br /><br />Pray that my family may find in me what yours found in you: friendship and courage, cheerfulness and charity, diligence in duties, counsel in adversity, patience in pain -- their good servant, and God's first.<br /><br />Amen.</span></i></blockquote>
<b>Quotes:</b><br />
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<i><span style="color: #cc0000;">"The ordinary acts we practice every day at home are of more importance to the soul than their simplicity might suggest."</span><br /><br /><span style="color: #006600;">"What does it avail to know that there is a God, which you not only believe by Faith, but also know by reason: what does it avail that you know Him if you think little of Him?"</span></i><br />
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<span style="color: blue;"><i>"The things that we pray for, good Lord, give us grace to labour for."</i></span><br />
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(Against Martin Luther)<span style="color: purple;"><i> "Come, do not rage so violently, good father; but if you have raved wildly enough, listen now, you pimp. You recall that you falsely complained above that the king has shown no passage in your whole book, even as an example, in which he said that you contradict yourself. You told this lie shortly before, although the king has demonstrated to you many examples of your inconsistency .... But meanwhile, for as long as your reverend paternity will be determined to tell these shameless lies, others will be permitted, on behalf of his English majesty, to throw back into your paternity's sh**ty mouth, truly the sh**-pool of all sh**, all the muck and sh** which your damnable rottenness has vomited up, and to empty out all the sewers and privies onto your crown divested of the dignity of the priestly crown, against which no less than against the kingly crown you have determined to play the buffoon. In your sense of fairness, honest reader, you will forgive me that the utterly filthy words of this scoundrel have forced me to answer such things, for which I should have begged your leave. Now I consider truer than truth that saying: 'He who touches pitch will be wholly defiled by it' (Sirach 13:1). For I am ashamed even of this necessity, that while I clean out the fellow's sh**-filled mouth I see my own fingers covered with sh**. But who can endure such a scoundrel who shows himself possessed by a thousand vices and tormented by a legion of demons, and yet stupidly boasts thus: 'The holy fathers have all erred. The whole church has often erred. My teaching cannot err, because I am most certain that my teaching is not my own but Christ's,' alluding of course to those words of Christ, 'My words are not my own but His who sent me, the Father's' (John 12:49)?</i></span>
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From the <a href="http://groups.yahoo.com/group/Medieval_Saints/">Medieval Saints Yahoo Group</a>:<br />
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<b>Thomas More, Knight, Lord Chancellor of England, author and martyr, Lay Franciscan</b><br />
<i><b>Beheaded</b> in 1535; head kept in the Roper Vault, Saint Dunstan's church, Canterbury, England; body at Saint Peter ad Vincula, Tower of London, England Beatified in 1886;<br /><br /><b>Canonized</b> by Pope Pius XI in 1935 as the "Martyr of the Papacy"<br /><br /><b>Commemorated</b> June 22, feast day formerly on July 6 (with fellow martyr, St. John Fisher)<br /><br /><b>Patronage:</b> adopted children, civil servants, court clerks, difficult marriages, large families, lawyers, politicians, statesmen, step-parents, widowers<br /><br /><b>In art: </b>English Lord Chancellor carrying a book; English Lord Chancellor carrying an axe</i>
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<b>SAINT THOMAS MORE, Martyr (1480-1535)</b><br />
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<i>Saint Thomas More, born in 1480, was the precocious and amiable son of an English magistrate. Very well educated and brilliant, when he was placed at the age of fifteen in the household of the Archbishop of Canterbury, he soon attracted the Archbishop's attention, and was sent by him to study at Oxford. He debated interiorly for a long time as to whether he should become a priest, but decided otherwise with the approbation of his director.<br /><br />The practice of civil law was not enough to absorb all his time or energy. The author of the famous satire "Utopia," wrote poetry while still young, in both English and Latin. He had completely mastered Latin, as he had also the Greek tongue, "by an instinct of genius," as one of his preceptors said. Saint Thomas in 1505 married a virtuous and beloved wife who, after bearing four children, three daughters and a son, died six years later. His second wife, older than himself, took excellent care of the household and of the children; but it was said she could not grasp the sense of her husband's subtle humor, which was a characteristic trait of his cheerful disposition.<br /><br />Saint Thomas came under suspicion by King Henry VII when he strove in the Parliament to reduce the burden of excessive taxes which the people bore, though he never spoke against the king. But his capacities were appreciated, and when Henry VII died, his 18-year-old son, who was to become Henry VIII in 1509, showed him great favor during the first twenty years of his reign. Saint Thomas was knighted in 1521, and was made Speaker of the House of Commons in 1523, High Steward of Cambridge University in 1525, and Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster in the same year. Nonetheless, the king's protege foresaw what could easily happen to anyone who did not agree with his sovereign; he said to his son-in-law in 1525, "If my head could win him a castle in France, it would not fail to go." In effect, when in 1530 the order was issued to the clergy to acknowledge Henry as "Supreme Head of the Church, insofar as the law of God would permit," Saint Thomas immediately resigned as Lord Chancellor.<br /><br />His resignation was not accepted. Two years later, in May 1532, after he had lost the royal favor on several counts — his reticence concerning the king's divorce, his non-attendance at the king's illegal marriage, and his formal non-recognition of any future children of Henry and Anne Bolyn as rightful heirs to the throne — he was permitted to retire. The king, the apostate Archbishop Cranmer, and Anne Bolyn were all excommunicated in that year.<br /><br />Saint Thomas lived in retirement from the age of 52, his revenues considerably diminished, and his health somewhat uncertain. When the king decided to require of the laity, as well as of the clergy, the oath supporting his alleged "supremacy," he wanted to obtain first of all the signature of Thomas More, to make of him an example. The Saint declined to sign the oath and thereby brought upon himself a sentence of incarceration in the Tower of London, and a short time afterwards, of death. He was beheaded in 1535, after having said, with his ordinary humor, that "he did not consider the severing of his head from his body as a circumstance that should produce any change in the disposition of his mind."<br /><br />Saint Thomas while in retirement continued to write a number of religious treatises of great value, including an unfinished one on the Passion. He was beatified by Pope Leo XIII and canonized by Pius XI in 1935, with Cardinal John Fisher, who was martyred like himself in the same year and for the same reasons. That year was the 400th anniversary of their death.<br /><br />"These things, good Lord, that we pray for, give us Thy grace to labor for." --Saint Thomas More.</i><br />
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<span style="font-family: arial;"><span style="font-size: 85%;"><b>More on St. Thomas More at:</b></span></span><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: 85%;"><br /></span><br />
<a href="http://magnificat.ca/cal/engl/07-06.htm">http://www.cin.org/farmor.html</a><br />
<a href="http://magnificat.ca/cal/engl/07-06.htm">http://magnificat.ca/cal/engl/07-06.htm</a>
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<span style="font-size: x-small;">Fr. Robert Barron on St. Thomas More</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: arial;"><span style="font-size: 85%;"><b>Links:</b></span></span><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: 85%;"> </span><br />
<a href="http://www.vatican.va/holy_father/john_paul_ii/motu_proprio/documents/hf_jp-ii_motu-proprio_20001031_thomas-more_en.html"><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: 85%;">Apostolic Letter of Pope John Paul II, naming St. Thomas More the patron of politicians and statesmen</span></a><span style="font-family: arial;"><span style="font-size: 85%;"><br /><a href="http://dmoz.org/Society/Religion_and_Spirituality/Christianity/Denominations/Catholicism/Saints/T/Saint_Thomas_More/">Saint Thomas More - Open Directory Project</a> (links to practically everything you'd want to know about St. Thomas More)</span><span style="font-size: 85%;"> </span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: arial;"><a href="http://www.thomasmorestudies.org/"><span style="font-size: 85%;">Center for Thomas More Studies</span></a><span style="font-size: 85%;"><br /></span></span><a href="http://www.luminarium.org/renlit/tmore.htm"><span style="font-family: arial;"><span style="font-size: 85%;">Sir Thomas More (1478-1535) - <i>Luminarium</i></span></span></a><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: 85%;"><br /></span><a href="http://www.franciscan-archive.org/more/"><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: 85%;">St. Thomas More on The Franciscan Archive</span></a><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: 85%;"><br /></span><a href="http://www.catholic-forum.com/saints/saintt04.htm"><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: 85%;">St. Thomas More on the Patron Saints Index</span></a><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: 85%;"><br /></span><a href="http://www.apostles.com/thomasmore.html"><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: 85%;">The St. Thomas More Web Site</span></a><span style="font-family: arial;"><span style="font-size: 85%;"><br /></span></span><a href="http://oregonstate.edu/instruct/phl302/philosophers/more.html"><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: 85%;">Sir Thomas More - Oregon State University Philosophy Dept.</span></a><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: 85%;"><br /></span><a href="http://www.thomasmore.org/"><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: 85%;">Thomas More Law Center</span></a><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: 85%;"><br /></span><a href="http://www.thomasmoresociety.org/"><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: 85%;">Thomas More Society</span></a><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: 85%;"><br /></span><a href="http://www.stthomasmore.net/"><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: 85%;">The St. Thomas More Society</span></a><span style="font-family: arial;"><span style="font-size: 85%;"><br /></span><a href="http://www.amici-thomae-mori.com/uk/"><i><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: 85%;">Amici Thomae Mori</span></i></a><span style="font-size: 85%;"><br /></span></span><a href="http://www.fordham.edu/halsall/mod/16Croper-more.html"><span style="font-family: arial;"><span style="font-size: 85%;"><i>The Life of St. Thomas More</i> by William Roper</span></span></a><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: 85%;"><br /></span><a href="http://www.angelusonline.org/index.php?section=articles&subsection=show_article&article_id=30" target="_blank"><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: 85%;">Saint Thomas More - The King's good servant but God's first! (<i>The Angelus</i>)</span></a><br />
<a href="http://www.firstthings.com/article/2007/01/thomas-more-for-our-season-19"><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: 85%;">"Thomas More For Our Season" by Judge Robert Bork</span></a><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: 85%;"> (<i>First Things</i> archives)<br /><a href="http://www.familylifecenter.net/article.asp?artId=110">Saint Thomas More: A Father for All Seasons</a> - Essay on Thomas More as a model Christian father</span><span style="font-family: arial;"><span style="font-size: 85%;"><i> </i></span></span><br />
<a href="http://www.amazon.com/Man-All-Seasons-Special/dp/B000LPR6GA/ref=imdbpov_dvd_0/104-7546918-9247926?ie=UTF8&qid=1119462737&sr=11-1"><span style="font-family: arial;"><span style="font-size: 85%;"><i>A Man For All Seasons</i> (DVD available from Amazon.com)</span></span></a><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: 85%;"><br /></span><a href="http://www.thomasmorestudies.org/docs/TM%20Guide%20book-web%202008.pdf"><i><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: 85%;">Thomas More's England: A Guide Book</span></i></a><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: 85%;"> (pdf file)</span><span style="font-family: arial;"><span style="font-size: 85%;"><br /></span><a href="http://www.chelseaoldchurch.org.uk/thomasmore" target="_blank"><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: 85%;">Chelsea Old Church - Sir Thomas More</span></a><span style="font-size: 85%;"><br /><br /><b>Recommended Reading:</b><br /><i><a href="http://www.neumannpress.com/lifofstthomm.html">The Life of St. Thomas More</a></i> by his son-in-law William Roper<br /><i><a href="http://www.amazon.com/Thomas-More-Portrait-Gerard-Wegemer/dp/188933412X/ref=sr_1_12?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1277212918&sr=1-12">Thomas More: A Portrait of Courage</a></i> by Gerard B. Wegemer<br /><i><a href="http://www.amazon.com/Life-Thomas-More-Peter-Ackroyd/dp/0385496931/ref=sr_1_3?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1277212606&sr=1-3">The Life of Thomas More</a></i> by Peter Ackroyd<br /><i><a href="http://www.amazon.com/Thomas-More-Source-Book/dp/0813213762/ref=sr_1_7?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1277212918&sr=1-7">A Thomas More Source Book</a></i> ed. by Gerard B. Wegemer and Stephen W. Smith<br /><i><a href="http://www.amazon.com/Thomas-More-Statesmanship-Gerard-Wegemer/dp/0813209137/ref=sr_1_17?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1277213032&sr=1-17">Thomas More on Statesmanship</a></i> by Gerard B. Wegemer<br /><i><a href="http://www.amazon.com/Man-All-Seasons-Robert-Bolt/dp/0679728228/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1277213271&sr=1-1">A Man for All Seasons</a></i> by Robert Bolt<br /><a href="http://www.amazon.com/Sir-Thomas-More-First-Printed/dp/1144477573/ref=sr_1_24?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1277213032&sr=1-24"><i>Sir Thomas More: A Play, Now First Printed</i></a> by William Shakespeare, et al<br /><i><a href="http://www.amazon.com/Utopia-Norton-Critical-Editions-Thomas/dp/0393961451/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1277212758&sr=1-1">Utopia</a></i> by Thomas More<br /><i><a href="http://www.amazon.com/Dialogue-Comfort-Against-Tribulation/dp/1889334138/ref=pd_sim_b_1">A Dialogue of Comfort Against Tribulation</a></i> by Thomas More<br /><i><a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/0933932669/sr=1-1/qid=1277213691/ref=sr_1_1_oe_1?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1277213691&sr=1-1">The Sadness of Christ</a></i> by Thomas More<br /><br /><b>Prayers:</b></span></span><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: 85%;"> </span><br />
<a href="http://www.apostles.com/bishopmore.html"><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: 85%;">Prayer to St. Thomas More for Conversion of Pro-Abortion Politicians</span></a><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: 85%;"><br /></span><a href="http://www.cdow.org/stmore.html"><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: 85%;">Litany of St. Thomas More, Martyr and Patron Saint of Statesmen, Politicians and Lawyers</span></a><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: 85%;"> (pdf version <a href="http://www.cdow.org/inside.pdf">here</a>)</span><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: 85%;"> </span><br />
<a href="http://proecclesia.blogspot.com/2007/03/prayers-for-friday-of-lent.html"><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: 85%;">Prayers of St. Thomas More (Psalm on Detachment; A Devout Prayer Before Dying)</span></a><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: 85%;"><br /><a href="http://v-forvictory.blogspot.com/2007/03/novena-to-st-thomas-more.html">Novena to St. Thomas More</a></span><br />
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<br />
<a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_OG3i1o1f67E/ReN_NpNYu7I/AAAAAAAAAKA/Mvmy2ajL1K8/s320/St.+Thomas+More+prayer+card.jpg"><img alt="" border="0" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_OG3i1o1f67E/ReN_NpNYu7I/AAAAAAAAAKA/Mvmy2ajL1K8/s320/St.+Thomas+More+prayer+card.jpg" style="cursor: hand; display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; width: 150px;" /></a><br />
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<center>
<a href="http://www.aquinasandmore.com/index.cfm/FuseAction/Store.ItemDetails/SKU/16475/ImageSize/Lg/index.htm">Prayer to St. Thomas More for Lawyers and Judges</a><br /><i>Dear Scholar and Martyr,<br />it was not the King of England<br />but you who were the true Defender of the Faith.<br />Like Christ unjustly condemned,<br />neither promises nor threats<br />could make you accept a civil ruler<br />as head of the Christian Church.<br /><br />Perfect in your honesty and love of truth,<br />grant that lawyers and judges<br />may imitate you and achieve true justice for all people.<br />AMEN.</i><br /><br />*****<br /><br /><a href="http://www.aquinasandmore.com/index.cfm/FuseAction/Store.ItemDetails/SKU/16475/ImageSize/Lg/index.htm">Lawyer's Prayer</a><br /><i>"Give me the Grace Good Lord,<br />to set the world at naught;<br />to set my mind fast upon Thee<br />and not to hang upon the blast of men's mouths.<br />To be content to be solitary.<br />Not to long for worldly company<br />but utterly to cast off the world<br />and rid my mind of the business thereof.</i>"<br /><br />*****<br /><br /><a href="http://www.cdow.org/stmore.html">Litany of St. Thomas More, Martyr and Patron Saint of Statesmen, Politicians and Lawyers</a><br /><i>V. Lord, have mercy<br />R. Lord have mercy<br />V. Christ, have mercy<br />R. Christ have mercy<br />V. Lord, have mercy<br />R. Lord have mercy<br />V. Christ hear us<br />R. Christ, graciously hear us<br /><br />V. St. Thomas More, Saint and Martyr,<br />R. Pray for us (Repeat after each invocation)<br />St. Thomas More, Patron of Statesmen, Politicians and Lawyers<br />St. Thomas More, Patron of Justices, Judges and Magistrates<br />St. Thomas More, Model of Integrity and Virtue in Public and Private Life<br />St. Thomas More, Servant of the Word of God and the Body and Blood of Christ<br />St. Thomas More, Model of Holiness in the Sacrament of Marriage<br />St. Thomas More, Teacher of his Children in the Catholic Faith<br />St. Thomas More, Defender of the Weak and the Poor<br />St. Thomas More, Promoter of Human Life and Dignity<br /><br />V.Lamb of God, you take away the sin of the world<br />R.Spare us O Lord<br />V.Lamb of God, you take away the sin of the world<br />R.Graciously hear us O Lord<br />V.Lamb of God, you take away the sin of the world<br />R.Have mercy on us<br /><br />Let us pray:<br /><br />O Glorious St. Thomas More, Patron of Statesmen, Politicians, Judges and Lawyers, your life of prayer and penance and your zeal for justice, integrity and firm principle in public and family life led you to the path of martyrdom and sainthood. Intercede for our Statesmen, Politicians, Judges and Lawyers, that they may be courageous and effective in their defense and promotion of the sanctity of human life - the foundation of all other human rights. We ask this through Christ our Lord.<br /><br />R. Amen.</i></center>
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<br />Pro Ecclesiahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03814831624547392519noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11294855.post-73260887123996166752013-05-23T09:23:00.000-05:002013-05-23T09:23:18.972-05:00Notre Dame "Honors" Fr. Hesburgh on FacebookCheck out the photo that Notre Dame chose to highlight on its <a href="https://www.facebook.com/photo.php?fbid=10151925832883098&set=a.122817353097.128453.113174253097&type=1&theater" target="_blank">Facebook page</a> to "honor" former Notre Dame president Fr. Theodore Hesburgh on his birthday:<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-Xk50_GBi0PU/UZ4j46XANBI/AAAAAAAAETo/sfHRMYsXDz4/s1600/Pelosi+and+Hesburgh.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="245" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-Xk50_GBi0PU/UZ4j46XANBI/AAAAAAAAETo/sfHRMYsXDz4/s400/Pelosi+and+Hesburgh.png" width="400" /></a></div>
<br />
Highlighting perhaps the most prominent pro-abortion politician on Capitol Hill. Could you imagine Notre Dame posting a picture of Fr. Hesburgh with a segregationist? For that matter, could you imagine Fr. Hesburgh appearing at an event - even one in his own honor - if a prominent segregationist were in attendance?<br />
<br />
The thing is that Notre Dame had plenty of other photos to choose from (see <a href="http://notredame.photoshelter.com/gallery/Fr-Hesburgh-Birthday-Celebration-D-C/G000020OTVzENV6o/" target="_blank">here</a>), and decided to use this one.<br />
<br />
Shameful.Pro Ecclesiahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03814831624547392519noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11294855.post-58739877279238906752013-05-20T09:30:00.002-05:002013-05-20T09:30:26.812-05:00IRS Targets Catholic Critics of Obama Regime<a href="http://www.crisismagazine.com/2013/irs-targets-catholic-critics-of-obama-regime?utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=feed&utm_campaign=Feed%3A+CrisisMagazine+%28Crisis+Magazine%29" target="_blank"><i>Crisis</i> Magazine reports that the IRS scandal goes far beyond the targeting of tea party groups, and includes the targeting of Catholics critical of the Administration's agenda</a>:<br />
<blockquote class="tr_bq">
<i>...There have also been revelations that the IRS made as a condition of a
favorable ruling for tax-exempt status for a pro-life group that it not
actively protest at Planned Parenthood facilities. Another pro-life
group—a Christian organization—was closely scrutinized for involvement
in the annual “Life Chain” and prayer vigils and was probed about the
viewpoint content of its educational materials. The Thomas More Society,
a national public interest law firm, has taken up their cases. The one
involves an attempt to stop constitutionally protected peaceful
picketing, and the other more unconstitutional viewpoint-based
discrimination and a threat to the freedom of assembly.</i><br />
<br />
<i>
</i><i>Perhaps most troubling is the situation of Dr. Anne Hendershott, my
colleague on the Franciscan University of Steubenville faculty and the
Society of Catholic Social Scientists Board of Directors. Dr.
Hendershott is one of the leading Catholic sociologists in the U.S. When
the current IRS scandals broke, <a href="http://www.aleteia.org/en/politics/news/anne-hendershott-harrassed-by-irs-1413003">she decided to go public </a>about
the questionable audit she was subjected to in 2010, apparently because
she wrote articles that: questioned the true Catholic character of two
well-known sister non-profit organizations, Catholics in Alliance for
the Common Good and Catholics United; exposed the funding sources from
these organizations (which included George Soros’ Open Society Institute
and a major Democratic party fundraiser); and her raising tax questions
about the leftist activist leader of these organizations. She had also
written a series of articles critical of Obamacare. According to
reports—I have not communicated with Dr. Hendershott about the
matter—she was called into the IRS’s New Haven office for an audit of
her “business” affairs connected with her writing. She said that at the
audit session she was asked about who paid her for writing the articles
and what their political viewpoint was. The effect of the audit was that
Dr. Hendershott stopped writing about these topics. This is the very
essence of “chilling effect.” The Supreme Court has consistently held
that government cannot act in such a manner that it will have a
“chilling effect” on speech so that people will be fearful of expressing
their opinions. Moreover, the fact that Dr. Hendershott’s criticism was
partly questioning whether these organizations were correct in
understanding and interpreting Catholic social teaching adds another
possible constitutional dimension to this. Did the IRS violate both the
establishment and the free exercise clauses of the First Amendment? Did
it effectively make an official governmental judgment about correct
Catholic doctrine relating to certain public questions, and then called
Dr. Hendershott to task for criticizing the positions of these
left-tilting Catholic organizations?</i><br />
<br />
<i>
</i><i>It is not an overreaction to say that these IRS scandals sound like
official favoritism of certain organizations and political viewpoints
and an attempt to suppress opposition. The question of undue political
influence also presents itself. For example, did the people who were
prominent in the Obama campaign and the Democratic party go to contacts
in the administration or in the agency itself to ask for the IRS action?
While the IRS has had a history of taking actions that curry favor with
the current political powers and has sometimes been accused of a
pro-Democratic bias, the funneling of information to ProPublica and the
HRC, the “hands-off Planned Parenthood” demand, the Hendershott matter,
and the late-breaking news that information about the scandal was known
about but not disclosed during the 2012 election year suggest political
pressure from outside the agency. That would not be surprising. After
all, this is the administration that has given us the HHS Mandate,
supported the claim in the Hosanna-Tabor case that a religious
body could not choose its own ministers, wouldn’t defend the Defense of
Marriage Act in court, increased federal financial support for Planned
Parenthood, and is trying to stop military personnel from sharing their
faith. This all indicates an agenda of hostility to traditional
Christian morality and a willingness to share in the repressiveness that
has come to characterize the political left...</i><br />
<br />
[<a href="http://www.crisismagazine.com/2013/irs-targets-catholic-critics-of-obama-regime?utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=feed&utm_campaign=Feed%3A+CrisisMagazine+%28Crisis+Magazine%29" target="_blank">More</a>] </blockquote>
<br />
Hat tip: <a href="http://reader.creativeminorityreport.com/2013/05/irs-targeted-catholic-critics-of.html" target="_blank"><i>Creative Minority Report</i></a><br />
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<br />
<span style="font-size: x-small;"><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><b>Previous Pro Ecclesia posts on this subject:</b></span></span><br />
<div class="post-title">
<span style="font-size: x-small;"><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><a href="http://proecclesia.blogspot.com/2013/05/prominent-catholic-professor-claims-irs.html" target="_blank">Prominent Catholic Professor Claims IRS Audited Her After Speaking Out Against Obama and Demanded to Know Who Was Paying Her </a></span></span></div>
Pro Ecclesiahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03814831624547392519noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11294855.post-69515309914397853802013-05-15T13:45:00.003-05:002013-05-15T13:58:19.076-05:00Prominent Catholic Professor Claims IRS Audited Her After Speaking Out Against Obama and Demanded to Know Who Was Paying Her<a href="http://www.theblaze.com/stories/2013/05/15/exclusive-prominent-catholic-prof-claims-irs-audited-her-after-speaking-out-against-obama-and-demanded-to-know-who-was-paying-her/" target="_blank">Catholic professor / writer audited after connecting the dots on Soros-funded fake Catholic groups, Catholics United and Catholics in Alliance for the Common Good</a>:<br />
<blockquote class="tr_bq">
<i>... And the plot thickens. Among the organizations she targeted in her
writings were progressive groups highly supportive of Democratic causes,
including: Catholics in Alliance for the Common Good, Catholics United,
and Catholic Democrats.</i>
<br />
<br />
<div data-key="attio" data-num="21">
<i> At the time, one of the founders of
Catholics United, Chris Korzen, had become a target of her work, as she
exposed, in her view, his true leftist agenda and some of the
complicated theological stances the left-of-center organizations he
associated with were taking. Plus, there were alleged financial ties
with billionaire liberal George Soros. Here’s <a href="http://www.catholicadvocate.com/2010/03/who-are-these-fake-catholic-groups/" target="_blank">just two paragraphs</a> from an article she wrote in March 2010, just months before her meeting with IRS officials:</i></div>
<i>
</i>
<br />
<blockquote class="tr_bq">
<div data-key="oiwp" data-num="22">
<i>On its website, Catholics
United describes itself as a 501(c) (4) non-profit organization—eligible
to accept donations. But, Catholics in Alliance for the Common Good
emerged in 2005 as a kind of sister organization to Catholics United. A
501(c) (3) organization, donors can claim a deduction against personal
income tax when they donate money to Catholics in Alliance. Reviewing
the 2007 IRS 990 forms for both Catholics in Alliance for the Common
Good and Catholics United raises some questions, because Chris Korzen is
listed as having received $84,821 in compensation for 40 hours per week
from Catholics in Alliance on the group’s 990 Form—even though the
Catholics United website claimed he was the director there during the
same time period. </i></div>
<br />
<i>[...]</i>
<br />
<br />
<i>Despite their inability to engage in
extensive lobbying, Catholics in Alliance has been extremely successful
in attracting large donors. Never a friend to the Catholic Church,
George Soros, one of the earliest donors, contributed $50,000 to
Catholics in Alliance in 2005 and another $100,000 in 2006 through his <a href="http://www.soros.org/">Open Society Institute</a>.
Likewise, Smith Bagley, a major Democratic donor and fundraiser, whose
wife, Elizabeth Frawley Bagley, is Chairman of the Board of Catholics in
Alliance, came close to matching Soros with grants from his family’s <a href="http://www.arcafoundation.org/">Arca Foundation</a>.
With a long history of supporting progressive organizations like ACORN,
the Gamaliel Foundation, People for the American Way, and Planned
Parenthood, Arca contributed $50,000 to Catholics in Alliance in 2007
and another $75,000 in 2008.</i>
<i>
</i></blockquote>
<br />
<i>Hendershott can’t help but wonder if
her writings against progressive groups played a role in her audit. It’s
obvious that before she was notified by the IRS she was commenting
regularly about matters of faith and politics and, in particular,
Obamacare. While she doesn’t have proof that the IRS investigation was
political in nature, she has strong suspicions that it was.</i>
<br />
<div data-key="hchiw" data-num="24">
<br /></div>
<i>
</i>
<br />
<div data-key="iswha" data-num="25">
<i>“I started writing articles like crazy
saying these are fake Catholic groups,” she said of
the aforementioned organizations, noting that Korzen would often target
her work and rail against her assertions.</i></div>
<div data-key="iswha" data-num="25">
<br /></div>
<i>
</i>
<br />
<div data-key="hntsm" data-num="26">
<i>Hendershott noted that the progressive
leader once called into a radio show she appeared on to challenge
her contention that he had accepted Soros money.</i></div>
<div data-key="hntsm" data-num="26">
<br /></div>
<i>
</i>
<br />
<div data-key="ihtr" data-num="27">
<i>“I had the tax return in front of me
and read off the amounts that Chris Korzen was getting paid from
Catholics in Alliance for the Common Good — a Soros supported fake
Catholic group,” she told TheBlaze, noting that, through Catholics in
Alliance, he had received $85,000.</i></div>
<div data-key="ihtr" data-num="27">
<br /></div>
<i>
</i>
<br />
<div data-key="wkdia" data-num="28">
<i>While Korzen denied this on the air,
Hendershott read from the 990 form in an effort to prove he wasn’t
telling the truth. This, she believes, may have sparked — or played a
role — in spawning the IRS audit.</i></div>
<div data-key="wkdia" data-num="28">
<br /></div>
<i>
</i>
<br />
<div data-key="hwgat" data-num="29">
<i>“He was getting paid by one
organization and working for another,” the professor said of
Korzen. ”The IRS should have gone after them.”</i></div>
<div data-key="hwgat" data-num="29">
<br /></div>
<i>
</i>
<br />
<div data-key="hwfci" data-num="30">
<i>Her writings for the Catholic Advocate
soon ceased because, Hendershott admits, the IRS audit silenced her. If
her suspicions are true, this may have been its chilling intention.</i></div>
<div data-key="hwfci" data-num="30">
<br /></div>
<i>
</i>
<br />
<div data-key="iftau" data-num="31">
<i>“I haven’t written for them since the audit, because I was so scared,” she said (records show <a href="http://www.catholicadvocate.com/tag/anne-hendershott/" target="_blank">her last article for the organization</a> was on July 10, 2010 — the same month the IRS audit unfolded)...</i><br />
<br />
[<a href="http://www.theblaze.com/stories/2013/05/15/exclusive-prominent-catholic-prof-claims-irs-audited-her-after-speaking-out-against-obama-and-demanded-to-know-who-was-paying-her/" target="_blank">Read the whole thing</a>] </div>
</blockquote>
<br />
<div data-key="iftau" data-num="31">
</div>
Scary.
<br />
<br />
<br />
<span style="font-size: x-small;"><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><b>Previous <i>Pro Ecclesia</i> posts on this subject:</b></span></span> <br />
<span style="font-size: x-small;"><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><a href="http://proecclesia.blogspot.com/2010/09/soros-funded-pro-obama-catholics-to.html" target="_blank">Soros-Funded Pro-Obama Catholics to Launch News Service?</a></span></span><br />
<span style="font-size: x-small;"><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><br /></span></span>
<span style="font-size: x-small;"><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><a href="http://proecclesia.blogspot.com/2010/09/catholic-key-blog-asks-is-catholics-in.html">Catholic Key Blog Asks "Is Catholics in Alliance Kaput?"</a></span></span><br />
<span style="font-size: x-small;"><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><br /><a href="http://proecclesia.blogspot.com/2010/08/soros-funded-catholic-groups-still.html">Soros-Funded "Catholic" Groups Still Running Cover for Pro-Aborts (Of Course, That's the Sole Reason They Exist)</a></span></span><br />
<span style="font-size: x-small;"><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><br /><a href="http://proecclesia.blogspot.com/2010/07/nonpartisan-catholics-united-to-set.html">"Nonpartisan"
Catholics United to “Set the Record Straight” by Trying to Convince
Catholics That New Healthcare Law is "Pro-Life"</a></span></span><br />
<span style="font-size: x-small;"><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><br /><a href="http://proecclesia.blogspot.com/2010/03/archbishop-chaput-bad-bill-and-how-we.html">Archbishop Chaput: A Bad Bill and How We Got It</a></span></span><br />
<span style="font-size: x-small;"><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><br /><a href="http://proecclesia.blogspot.com/2010/03/archbishop-chaput-those-confusing.html">Archbishop
Chaput: Those Confusing the Catholic Stance on Health Care Will Bear
the Blame for Anti-Life Effects of Heath Care Bill</a></span></span><br />
<span style="font-size: x-small;"><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><br /><a href="http://proecclesia.blogspot.com/2010/03/catholicvote-takes-on-soros-funded.html"><i>CatholicVote</i> Takes on Soros-Funded Catholics in Alliance and Catholics United</a></span></span><br />
<span style="font-size: x-small;"><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><br /><a href="http://proecclesia.blogspot.com/2009/03/sebelius-and-kmiec-catholicism-catholic.html">Sebelius and Kmiec Catholicism - the Catholic Left Declares War on Pro-Lifers</a></span></span><br />
<span style="font-size: x-small;"><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><br /><a href="http://proecclesia.blogspot.com/2009/02/apologists-for-abortion-loving.html">Apologists for Abortion-Loving Catholics Attack Archbishop ... Again</a></span></span><br />
<span style="font-size: x-small;"><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><br /><a href="http://proecclesia.blogspot.com/2009/02/catholic-news-agency-catholics-in.html">Catholic
News Agency: Catholics in Alliance "Abortion Reduction" Study Found to
be Faulty - Social Welfare Policies Have Little Effect on Abortion</a></span></span><br />
<span style="font-size: x-small;"><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><br /><a href="http://proecclesia.blogspot.com/2009/01/what-did-gov-strickland-know-and-when.html">What Did Gov. Strickland Know, and When Did He Know It (re: Eric McFadden)?</a> [UPDATED]<br /><br /><a href="http://proecclesia.blogspot.com/2009/01/breaking-catholic-democrat-who-once.html">Breaking: Catholic Democrat Who Once Headed Up Ohio's Faith-Based Initiatives Arrested for Running Prostitution Ring</a> [UPDATED]</span></span><br />
<span style="font-size: x-small;"><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><br /><a href="http://proecclesia.blogspot.com/2008/11/seamless-garment-has-lost-thread.html">"Seamless Garment Has Lost a Thread"</a><br /><br /><a href="http://proecclesia.blogspot.com/2008/11/catholics-in-alliance-voter-survey-of.html">Catholics in Alliance Voter Survey of "Little Value," Archdiocese of Denver Says</a></span></span><br />
<span style="font-size: x-small;"><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><br /><a href="http://proecclesia.blogspot.com/2008/09/nonpartisan-catholics-united-attacks.html">"Nonpartisan" Catholics United Attacks the Knights of Columbus</a></span></span><br />
<span style="font-size: x-small;"><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><br /><a href="http://proecclesia.blogspot.com/2008/09/nonpartisan-catholics-united-hits.html">"Nonpartisan" Catholics United Hits McCain with Ad Questioning His Pro-Life Credentials</a></span></span><br />
<span style="font-size: x-small;"><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><br /><a href="http://proecclesia.blogspot.com/2008/07/non-partisan-group-of-catholic-obama.html">"Non-Partisan" Group of Catholic Obama Supporters Calling Itself "Catholics United" Gets Divisive</a></span></span><br />
<span style="font-size: x-small;"><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><br /><a href="http://proecclesia.blogspot.com/2008/07/catholic-left-meets-in-philadelphia.html">The Catholic Left Meets in Philadelphia</a></span></span><br />
<span style="font-size: x-small;"><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><br /><a href="http://proecclesia.blogspot.com/2008/07/convention-for-common-good.html">Convention for the "Common Good"</a></span></span><br />
<span style="font-size: x-small;"><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><br /><a href="http://proecclesia.blogspot.com/2008/06/bill-donohue-how-catholic-left-is-boxed.html">Bill Donohue: "How the Catholic Left Is Boxed in by Abortion"</a></span></span><br />
<span style="font-size: x-small;"><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><br /><a href="http://proecclesia.blogspot.com/2008/05/catholic-democrats-attack-registered.html">"Catholic Democrats" Attack "Registered Republican Archbishop of Kansas City" for "Using Communion" to "Take Down" Sebelius</a></span></span><br />
<span style="font-size: x-small;"><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><br /><a href="http://proecclesia.blogspot.com/2008/05/i-missed-seminar.html">I Missed the Seminar</a> [UPDATED]<br /><br /><a href="http://proecclesia.blogspot.com/2008/04/deal-hudson-catholics-organize-to-elect.html">Deal Hudson: "Catholics Organize to Elect Barack Obama"</a><br /><br /><a href="http://proecclesia.blogspot.com/2007/12/democrat-front-group-posing-as-catholic.html">Democrat Front Group Posing as Catholic Org Calls for End to "Christmas Culture War"</a><br /><br /><a href="http://proecclesia.blogspot.com/2007/05/fidelis-dismisses-religious-left-media.html"><i>Fidelis</i> Dismisses Religious Left Media "Report"</a><br /><br /><a href="http://proecclesia.blogspot.com/2007/06/democrats-set-their-sights-on-winning.html">Democrats Set Their Sights on Winning Back Catholics</a><br /><br /><a href="http://proecclesia.blogspot.com/2007/03/mark-shea-in-national-catholic-register.html">Mark Shea in <i>National Catholic Register</i>: "Richard Rich Lives"</a><br /><br /><a href="http://proecclesia.blogspot.com/2007/02/edwards-blogger-flap-discomforts.html">Edwards Blogger Flap Discomforts Religious Left</a><br /><br /><a href="http://proecclesia.blogspot.com/2007/02/mark-shea-whores-for-edwards-swings.html">Mark Shea: "Whores for Edwards Swings into Action"</a><br /><br /><a href="http://proecclesia.blogspot.com/2007/03/catholics-in-alliance-respond-with.html">Catholics in Alliance Respond With Letter to Editor</a><br /><br /><a href="http://proecclesia.blogspot.com/2007/01/continue-to-raise-our-voices-on-issue.html">Continue to Raise Our Voices on Issue of Voting</a><br /><br /><a href="http://proecclesia.blogspot.com/2007/01/in-januarys-catholic-chronicle-vote.html">In January's <i>Catholic Chronicle</i> - "Vote Your Values" Revisited</a><br /><br /><a href="http://proecclesia.blogspot.com/2006/11/vote-your-values.html">Vote Your Values</a><br /><br /><a href="http://proecclesia.blogspot.com/2006/11/not-approved-catholic-voter-guide.html">"NOT An Approved Catholic Voter Guide"</a><br /><br /><a href="http://proecclesia.blogspot.com/2006/11/whats-missing.html">What's Missing?</a><br /><br /><a href="http://proecclesia.blogspot.com/2006/10/toledo-blade-catholic-voting-guide.html"><i>Toledo Blade</i>: "Catholic Voting Guide Gives Church Perspective"</a><br /><br /><a href="http://proecclesia.blogspot.com/2006/10/catholics-find-voting-guides-test-of.html">Catholics Find Voting Guides a Test of Allegiance</a><br /><br /><a href="http://proecclesia.blogspot.com/2006/10/weigel-electoral-battle-of-booklets.html">Weigel: "An Electoral Battle of the Booklets?</a><br /><br /><a href="http://proecclesia.blogspot.com/2006/10/more-from-amy-welborn-on-dueling.html">More From Amy Welborn on the "Dueling Catholic Voter Guides"</a><br /><br /><a href="http://proecclesia.blogspot.com/2006/10/columnist-christian-right-driving.html">Columnist: "Christian Right Driving Wedge Into U.S."</a><br /><br /><a href="http://proecclesia.blogspot.com/2006/10/more-on-catholic-voter-guides.html">More on Catholic Voter Guides</a><br /><br /><a href="http://proecclesia.blogspot.com/2006/09/dueling-catholic-voter-guides.html">Dueling Catholic Voter Guides</a></span></span><br />
<br />Pro Ecclesiahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03814831624547392519noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11294855.post-64094965960201912462013-05-08T12:25:00.002-05:002013-05-08T13:25:18.430-05:00Uhhhh ... Gosh ... Errrr ... Nope, I Got Nothin'I'll just let it speak for itself. <a href="https://twitter.com/iowahawkblog/status/331961940517740544" target="_blank">This</a>, from the inimitable Iowa Hawk, is ... well ... special:<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-FKoETIa8LVI/UYqGYO5NHlI/AAAAAAAAETI/Lc_ErOvnxHg/s1600/Meggy+Mac+1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="258" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-FKoETIa8LVI/UYqGYO5NHlI/AAAAAAAAETI/Lc_ErOvnxHg/s400/Meggy+Mac+1.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
<br />
Oh, but that's not all:<br />
<br />
<a href="http://twitchy.com/2013/05/07/meghan-mccain-any-republican-who-voted-for-sanford-but-is-against-gay-marriage-is-a-hypocrite/">http://twitchy.com/2013/05/07/meghan-mccain-any-republican-who-voted-for-sanford-but-is-against-gay-marriage-is-a-hypocrite/</a><br />
<br />
<a href="http://twitchy.com/2013/05/08/generation-gestation-deleted-meghan-mccain-tweet-sparks-mockery-and-mccainhaiku/">http://twitchy.com/2013/05/08/generation-gestation-deleted-meghan-mccain-tweet-sparks-mockery-and-mccainhaiku/</a><br />
<br />
<br />
Nope. Still got nothin'.<br />
<br />
<br />
<span style="font-size: x-small;"><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><b>Previous Pro Ecclesia posts on this subject:</b> </span></span><br />
<span style="font-size: x-small;"><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><a href="http://proecclesia.blogspot.com/2012/01/powerful-political-insights-of-paris.html" target="_blank">The Powerful Political Insights of the Paris Hilton of Pundits</a>
</span></span><br />
<br />
<a href="http://proecclesia.blogspot.com/2011/02/who-cares.html" target="_blank"><span style="font-size: x-small;"><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">Who Cares ...</span></span></a><br />
<br />
<span style="font-size: x-small;"><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><a href="http://proecclesia.blogspot.com/2010/09/b-slapping-of-meggie-mac.html">"The Completely Unedited Ramblings of an Idiot"</a></span></span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-size: x-small;"><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><a href="http://proecclesia.blogspot.com/2009/07/pot-kettle.html">Pot ... Kettle</a></span></span>
Pro Ecclesiahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03814831624547392519noreply@blogger.com0