God Created the Patriarchy

In many conversations in the past nine months or so, I have noted that many adults simply do not understand that difference between a patriarchal and a matriarchal society or culture. Now, I learned these concepts in History class in junior high school classes when studying the ancient civilizations,which would fall into one or the other category.

That God actually created the patriarchal society of the Jews is a shock to many Christians, especially Catholics. That the Hebrews were one small group of Chosen People among many larger and stronger groupings, such as the Hittites and Assyrians, is forgotten, or never understood. The small Hebrew community was organized first under Moses, and then more so under Joshua and the High Priests. Leviticus is a good read for those who want the details. The Covenant came with many rules, but the primary purposes of God, if we can understand the Old Testament in light of the New, was to create a Nation of people who had a system of governance and hereditary priesthood which was male. Matriarchies dotted the ancient world, and one only needs to think of the religious aspects of female priestesses and the rules of sexual engagement these religions demanded. That God intervened and separated this type of occult power and created a People who had male leaders, male priests and the heads of the family were now male. Of course, the feminists hate all this and do their best to undermine this to the detriment of the Church and Church organization.

All of these is a denial of the Incarnation. And, a denial of the Revelation of the Old and New Testament is the  keystone of Modernist Heresies. Some Catholics look at the stronger wording of patriarchal theology of the Evangelical Churches and want to remove themselves from those influences and even vocabularies. However, the basis for the patriarchy in the Church cannot be ignored or swept under the carpet. That Christ came as a Man into the world strengthens and indeed, fulfills the patriarchal structures, especially that of priest, as seen clearly in the theology of Hebrews.

That Christ is the High Priest and that an ordained priest is an "alter Christus" has been debated by the feminists for the past thirty years. The Popes who wrote against the Modernist errors warned us of this type of re-reading and reinterpretation of Scripture. That Christ was Divinely Chosen to be a priest, is worth following in the Epistle. I have remarked on the Order of Melchizedeck before on this blog.

The point here is not merely reminding all of the fact of the Incarnation, but that Christ ordained, with the Father and the Holy Ghost, (not the Creator and the Sustainer), that His Church be based on a patriarchal system. One can go back to the Covenant of Abraham and trace the chosing of leadership, through the hereditary and even non-hereditary positions of the sons of the Patriarchs. I say non-hereditary, as some of those chose were not the oldest son, as in the case of David, the King. Solomon was not the oldest son, either.

Some feminists do not want to use the matriarchy, but matristic. Having a woman-centered society involves keeping the maternal side as the controlling unit in passing down land or even names. In a government by mothers, or even women who are unmarried with children, this type of society decides on the rules in families, etc. I have had many Irish friends state that the Celtic families are ruled by the women in the families. I think some of the families in England are matriarchies. 

Tappe, Sherman and Crisis Magazine on Castro and Obama

Christian Tappe in Crisis Magazine online, a link which is in my blog list, has a brilliant article on the losing of religious freedom in America and comparing it with what happened in Cuba. It is really on the mark.Tappe refers to a 1960  article by George Sherman. Why do we not learn from history? Here is a section:

To isolate rather than destroy. To allow worship…and nothing else. Sound familiar? It should.

President Obama began using the term “freedom to worship” in his speech at Fort Hood in 2009, less than a year into his presidency. And he and his administration have notably continued to use this language—as opposed to “freedom of religion”—a significant difference in terms.

Furthermore, unless the new HHS mandate changes, many Catholic hospitals (and possibly colleges) will either have to compromise the very beliefs that make them Catholic hospitals (or colleges) or shut down. Or serve only Catholics, thus accomplishing a major step toward Catholic “isolation.”

In his piece from fifty years ago, Sherman noted, significantly: “Priests are the first to admit that large sections of the population have little religious training.” In other words, Castro pounced when the Church was already weak. Many so-called Catholics likely didn’t notice any changes. They likely agreed with Castro over the Church on certain policies. And the faithful? Well the faithful, recognizing their reduced numbers and the potential dangers the Castro regime brought, were concerned . . . yet happy they were “allowed” to worship.

And, just like that, the Catholic Church in Cuba was reduced to a bunch of harmless, pious old church ladies. Catholics could still worship, sure. But the hospitals, orphanages, schools, etc. that were run by the Church were taken over by the state. Soon after, Christians were barred from participating in government.

Sound familiar?

The Church in America is weak. Secularism has been chipping away at it for decades. In recent years, many Catholic orphanages have closed after being cut off from public funds because they would not promote abortion, contraception, and the like. And we already know the precarious state of Catholic hospitals and colleges.

Sherman begins his piece with a warning that the Church and the Castro regime were quickly moving toward a clash, but that “Both sides are extremely reluctant to turn to all-out warfare.” He goes on to write, “For the government it is a question of tactics. . . . The position of the Church is much weaker. It is fighting for its life.”

Sherman’s observation was dire, terrifying, and prescient . . . and it still applies today. Perhaps the Church is stronger now in the United States than it was then in Cuba, but not exponentially so. The Church here is indeed struggling. The bishops, led by Cardinal Dolan, have spoken out, but then again, as Sherman tells us, two of the leading archbishops in Cuba “demonstrated publicly against Soviet influence.”

For the Obama administration, just like in Castro’s fledgling Cuba, it is merely a matter of tactics. How to isolate the Church without inciting a riot. It’s a line that Obama and his administration are toeing, and they’ve come close to crossing it with the HHS mandate. And yet they seem to have caught their balance, rallying the support of the media, the “public,” and even a depressingly high number within the Church.

Santorum wins Louisiana

I am hoping he does not throw in the towel, yet. The voters in the Southern States, traditionally more religious and conservative than the North, know a real conservative when they see one....Here is the article and a snippet. "Every day that passes with President Obama in the White House is a missed opportunity for America to get back on the right path. It’s time for all Americans to come together and help return our country to the conservative principles that made America free and prosperous, secure and respected around the world."

The Battle for Marriage in Britain continued

The gay marriage debate is heating up in the British press and in the blogsphere. Why there is so much support among Catholics in England is a mystery to me until one considers the horrible lack of catechesis in the last fifty years, and the obvious detrioration of Catholic teaching in the so-called Catholic schools. How many schools at any level in England, Scotland, Wales and even Northern Ireland, which are labelled Catholic actually teach the Deposit of Faith. I know of one for sure and that is Chavagnes International College in France, an English school up, which is truly Catholic. For one thing, the priest who teaches religion, Father Bede Rowe, knows his stuff and is truly Catholic. For the sake of the souls of our youth, parents, you must consider where you are sending your children.

God will ask you at your particular judgement whether you passed the Faith of the Holy Roman Catholic Church down to your children. not your own version of the Faith. The laxity among the laity to learn their Faith is their fault and not the fault of poorly educated priests, although that does not help. Do not blame priests but look at your own priorities as to the teaching of Christ and His Church.

The gay marriage (so-called) argument is based on the faulty idea of "civil rights" for gays. Sin has no rights. And the definition of marriage is as ancient as man and woman. Indeed, for those who believe, one only has to look at the Book of Genesis.

The Catholic Herald has many interesting articles and comments on the problem. Here is a link to the discussion on the paper's blog. The connection between contraception and gay marriage is discussed there. Also, you may look at my comments on The Tablet articles on civil unions below. Another interesting take it found by Christopher West.

Hail Mary, Full of Grace, the Lord is with Thee

The simplicity and beauty of the Feast of the Annunciation, traditionally March 25th, moves one to contemplate on the humility of Our Blessed Virgin, Mary. I find it odd that so many seminarians and youth in Catholic schools never or rarely hear about the few Scriptural texts which refer to Our Lady, the Theotokos, outside of Mass. The reverence and duty which are due to her seem to be more and more slipping away. Indeed, several years ago, some sems said to me that they were surprised at the lack of Marian devotion in their seminary. Also, the lack of Marian devotion in seminaries was one of the leading criticisms of the American Visitation from Rome several years ago. Not much has changed.

Young men can benefit greatly from a devotion the the Blessed Virgin Mary, and my own experience is that those who love Mary have much healthier relationships with women, either young or old. The number of priests I have met in my life who openly dislike women and their company would fill a book, sadly, and I include several countries in that criticism. However, I have found less love for Mary and women among priests in America than in other places. In fact, one of the worst scenarios included my stint of teaching religion to all four levels of a supposed Catholic school, where I was told by the priest-president not only to stop teaching the Rosary, but not to emphasize Mary in my classes or teaching. It simply was not "done at this school". Needless to say, many boys had terrible relationships with girls, and lacked any sense of gentlemanly behavior. The priest turned out to be the best friend of a homosexual, pedophile priest in the diocese, which confirmed my suspicions that priests who do not love Mary have serious sexual problems of that ilk. Another priest who claimed to love Mary, who I met a year ago, has very odd ideas about women, which amount to a hidden hatred for them. His love for Mary is based on a false idea of womanhood. This is an important point. Mary is not only Queen, but the Mother, the Mother of God and the Mother of all of us, her children through grace. 

I find that the recent plethora of false visions do not help the real concept of Mary as Mother of God, but only emphasize her role as petitioner, not even her role as Mediatrix of All Grace. The quicker Rome clarifies her position as the Mediatrix and Co-Redemptorix, the better, as some priests do not want to accept these roles. I have discussed this with teaching priests in seminaries who really do not want to pay attention to the Theotokos at all. Draw your own conclusions.

That young men need to learn to love Mary, for an understanding of the dignity of all women, is of primary importance. No marriage class or no class on the spirituality of the priest should be taught without reference to this simple, but great Woman, who turned the curse of Eve into the Alleluias of Christmas and Easter.

Good Scholastic Theology from the Heart for Young Men on Sexual Sins, Which Have Been Ignored by the Clergy to the Peril of Their Souls and the Souls of the Laity

Without a doubt, masturbation leads to other sexual sins. It is a gateway sin so to speak and must no be downplayed .. dismissed or made light of so at to gain a tacit acceptance--from The Vortex

Second Open Letter to the Knights of Malta

In January, I wrote a long open letter to the Knights of Malta, which may be found here. Now, I write again from a different slant. In January, I was appealing to the Knights to support the Pope in his efforts to promulgate the Tridentine Mass. Particularly, there is no regular Tridentine Mass in Malta. The denial of the Mass is in direct contradiction to the wishes and teachings of Pope Benedict XVI, and the Knights and Dames owe their allegiance to him and the Catholic Church. Peter and Paul gave their lives for the Truth and the times are here again when those who are in positions of influence and authority must consider whether social standing or Catholicism is more important to their immortal souls.

Now, I appeal to the Knights for a review of the reason for their existence. I recognize and applaud the charitable works done by several friends of mine who are Knights and Dames. However, I would ask for a review of their political and religious covenants, a strong word, demanding a support of the Church Militant under siege. Many Catholics are becoming, a bit late, but better than never, aware of the anti-Catholicism growing in the Middle East, including the so-called Arab Spring nations. Egypt is no longer becoming a threat to Catholics and other Christians, but is a threat. My earlier post today points to other real and demanding answers from the Catholic Lay Community, which is the Knights of Malta. I beg these good and influential people to pay attention to the sufferings of their brothers and sisters in Christ in Muslim countries, and in other places, where anti-Catholicism is rising, and do two things: first, assiduously work for those politicians who see the threat of anti-Catholicism and those who are willing to stop being "politically correct" or politically asleep, and help these Europeans get into office. Secondly, work in the Middle East for those who are being targeted, marginalized, killed. Stop playing the false ecumenism game which led to the escalation of these persecutions in the first place. For the second time this week, I refer to Aleksandr Isayevich Solzhenitsyn, who was always clear who the enemies of the Church and Western values were and did not mince words. Too many Knights and Dames I have met continue to be blinded by the older rhetoric of the Islamists, ignoring the threats, deaths and increasing violence, which is inherent in the religion. Also, with those with whom I have discussed this in the past, my brothers and sisters in Christ seemed to think the religion of Islam was of equal value to that of Catholicism. That is a heretical and weak position. The Catholic Faith is the one, true, revealed Faith. There are only two revealed religions-the Jewish and the Catholic. All others are man-made. If one does not believe this, one is not a Catholic, but a relativist, or a follower of other Modernist heresies, all emphasized on this blog as undermining the laity's ability to think as Catholics.  If we pretend there are no threats to the Western World from Muslim hatred, we only have ourselves to blame when worst persecution comes. I challenge the Knights of Malta again.

Some Bishops in Europe Have Awakened to the Presence of the Persecutor

Valletta

The Orthodox Bishops and the Catholic Bishops, of certain dioceses in Europe, have made statements as to the denial of human rights, specifically the right to worship, which is being more and more severely curtailed in the Gulf States. Thankfully, Archbishop Robert Zollitsch, chairman of the German Bishops Conference is part of this outcry against the persecution of the 3.5 million Catholics who live and work in the Arabia Peninsula. The Muslim leaders and their people are becoming more strident and bold in these types of persecutions. We must, as Catholics, highlight this problem, which will only spread. This story may be found here. Thank you, Mr. Spencer, for bringing this our attention.

PARIS, March 23 (Reuters) - Christian bishops in Germany, Austria and Russia have sharply criticised Saudi Arabia's top religious official after reports that he issued a fatwa saying all churches on the Arabian PenTinsula should be destroyed.

In separate statements on Friday, the Roman Catholic bishops in Germany and Austria slammed the ruling by Grand Mufti Sheikh Abdulaziz Al al-Shaikh as an unacceptable denial of human rights to millions of foreign workers in the Gulf region.

Archbishop Mark of Yegoryevsk, head of the Russian Orthodox department for churches abroad, called the fatwa "alarming" in a statement on Tuesday. Such blunt criticism from mainstream Christian leaders of their Muslim counterparts is very rare.

Christian websites have reported Sheikh Abdulaziz, one of the most influential religious leaders in the Muslim world, issued the fatwa last week in response to a Kuwaiti lawmaker who asked if Kuwait could ban church construction in Kuwait.

Citing Arab-language media reports, they say the sheikh ruled that further church building should be banned and existing Christian houses of worship should be destroyed.

Archbishop Robert Zollitsch, chairman of the German Bishops Conference, said the mufti "shows no respect for the religious freedom and free co-existence of religions", especially all the foreign labourers who made its economy work.

"It would be a slap in the face to these people if the few churches available to them were to be taken away," he said.

At least 3.5 million Christians live in the Gulf Arab region. They are mostly Catholic workers from India and the Philippines, but also Western expatriates of all denominations.

Saudi Arabia bans all non-Muslim houses of prayer, forcing Christians there to risk arrest by praying in private homes.

There are churches for Christian minorities in the United Arab Emirates, Qatar, Kuwait, Bahrain, Oman and Yemen. The bishops conference in Austria, where Saudi King Abdullah plans to open a controversial centre for interfaith dialogue, demanded an official explanation from Riyadh.

"How could the grand mufti issue a fatwa of such importance behind the back of his king?" they asked. "We see a contradiction between the dialogue being practiced, the efforts of the king and those of his top mufti."

Indeed. Different audiences, different messages. What's the word from the King Abdullah Bin Abdulaziz International Centre for Interreligious and Intercultural Dialogue in Vienna?

In Moscow, Archbishop Mark told the Interfax news agency he hoped that Saudi Arabia's neighbours "will be surprised by the calls made by this sheikh and ignore them".

The Catholic Church has urged Muslim states in recent years to give Christian minorities in their countries the same freedom of religion that Muslims enjoy in Western countries.

There are few Orthodox Christians in the Gulf region, but the Moscow Patriarchate - which was mostly silent during the decades of Soviet communism that ended in 1991 - has become increasingly vocal in defending the rights of Christians around
the world.

Bishop Paul Hinder, who oversees Catholic churches in the United Arab Emirates, Oman and Yeman, told Catholic news agency KNA that the fatwa had not been widely publicised in Saudi Arabia. "What is worrying is that such statements have influence in part of the population," he said.

Posted by Marisol on March 

Lies and Denial--a Continuation of the Political Delusions of the French

http://www.jihadwatch.org/   Today, updates, March 23, 2012. 

Imam Sarkozy on Toulouse jihadist: "The Muslim faith has nothing to do with the insane acts of this man"

Muhammad Merah's murders had everything to do with Islam: he claimed affiliation with al-Qaeda and may have trained with the Taliban, both of which are explicitly and ostentatiously Muslim groups that justify all their actions by reference to the Qur'an and Sunnah. He claimed to be a mujahid, which is a warrior of jihad, which is an Islamic theological and legal concept. He killed Muslim soldiers who fought in the infidel military -- something that only someone who considered one's loyalty to the umma to trump all other loyalties would have done. So grounded is Merah's massacre in Islam that it is virtually inconceivable that he would have carried it out had he not been a Muslim. And so Sarkozy is, like every other leader in the West, whistling in the dark, trying to pretend that there is no problem when there is a huge problem, and basing the future of his nation on the fantasy that the overwhelming majority of Muslims in France do not believe the same things Muhammad Merah believed.

Meanwhile, he says he is going to make habitually visiting jihadi websites a crime, which would land me in the bastille fairly quickly. I hope that French law enforcement will not just go on the visiting of such websites alone, but will combine that with other factors to make an intelligent assessment of Muslims who may be plotting jihad murder. In any case, as long as Sarkozy and the French establishment continues in denial about the nature, source and magnitude of the threat, monitoring websites may stop a few jihad attacks, but it will do nothing to stop the Islamization of French society by gradual capitulation to Sharia demands. The hijab ban was one step to prevent that, but Sarkozy is going to have to be prepared to be much more "implacable in defending our values" than he has been up to now, if he is really serious about doing so.

So, Big Brother Government could book me for a crime if I want to study such websites on terrorism. And, the denial of the fact that Islam is radical at its roots, no pun intended, continues. Sick thinking on both accounts. Today, a series of ridiculous statements from French authorities basically deny that the killer of seven people in France, including the three children in Toulouse, was not connected to the fact that the man was trained in Pakistan and Afghanistan terrorist camps, that he had explosives and an arsenal in his flat, and that he planned to kill more people. His targets were Muslims in the French army and Jewish people. Why do so-called intelligent people in the politics put on blinders as to the violence of Islam? It is not the religion of peace nor does it call for loving one's enemies. I would highly suggest that we would pray for enlightenment for those politicians who seem to be living in a world of their own making, which is totally out of touch with reality.  Thank God for some in the media who have some rationality left.

The Pernicious Rise of Antisemitism

As one can pick up from the media and even some conversations here, Antisemitism is on the rise in France. A recent poll on this site  pointed out the stereotypical criticizes of the Jewish community in France. Some of the comments regarding the poll, which is a new one, on the ADL website here and below, March, 2012, indicate that:

 Nearly one third of the Europeans surveyed held "pernicious anti-Semitic beliefs," the Anti-Defamation League said. Five thousand telephone interviews were conducted across Europe for the poll, 500 in each country surveyed.

Though the killings at the Jewish school have focused attention on attitudes against Jews in France, the new poll indicated that such beliefs are markedly more common in Hungary, Poland and Spain than in France.

Anti-Semitism "infects many Europeans at a much higher level than we see here in the United States," said Abraham H. Foxman, national director of the league, which is based in New York City. "In Hungary, Spain and Poland the numbers for anti-Semitic attitudes are literally off the charts.”

For instance, 14% of French people surveyed said they agreed that Jews were responsible for the death of Jesus Christ; 38% of Hungarian respondents and 46% of Polish people surveyed said the same. While 45% of French people surveyed said Jews were more loyal to Israel, 72% of Spainards interviewed said so.

http://frontpagemag.com/2009/12/08/the-persistence-of-islamic-anti-semitism-by-robert-spencer/ 

The most common reason for such prejudice is ignorance and the passing down in families of such biases. I am surprised at the level of the commonly held prejudices, including ancient arguments. On the Anti-Defamation League site, more details may be found. I think the Western Catholics need to pay attention to such a rise in Antisemitism, as seen in the poll, that the traditionally Catholic countries have fallen into a habit of hatred. Of course, many of those people polled most likely have no religious practices or beliefs, and are completely secularized. The problems spinning off from hatred of the Jews include an over-sensitivity and an ignoring of the intolerance of the Islamic religion towards the Jews. If one has not read the Koran, do so. It is all in the book. 

Poor Journalism and the Culture of Victim-hood

Here is one of the Real Victims; name withheld.

I am so disappointed in the French media and the attitude of the Muslim community regarding "victim" status. The fact that three beautiful children, a father and soldiers, who defend us, were killed in cold blood by a jihadist is being morphed into a complaint from some in the Muslim community that they are afraid of backlash because of the murders.

Why can't the Muslim community either control these jihadists, or stop the movement of killing Jews and military men, which happens not only in France, but in other countries. Immediately, the Muslim community turns the news into a narcissistic groan that they are victims, when the innocent dead have barely been buried. It is not only scandalous, but an age-old tactic of blaming others for one's own sins...I think of Cain and Abel. One Muslim leader commented that “What shocked me most was that the victims were children,” he said. “But the media is putting the spotlight more on the fact it concerns Jews and Muslims or for example that a Muslim killed an Arab.”


Well, I am sorry to say this, but in the short and long term, the murderer killed for political, religious, and racial reasons. Note this:


 REUTERS - A besieged gunman suspected of shooting dead seven people in the name of al Qaeda boasted to police on Wednesday he had brought France to its knees and said his only regret was not having been able to carry out his plans for more killings.

In an unfolding drama that has riveted France, about 300 police, some in body armour, cordoned off a five-storey building in a suburb of Toulouse where the 24-year-old Muslim shooter, identified as Mohamed Merah, is holed up.

Authorities said the gunman, a French citizen of Algerian origin, had been to Pakistan and Afghanistan, where he claimed to have received training from al Qaeda.

This is from the France 24 site, here.

Why does the Islamic community begin to whine about prejudice, when one of the community, who believes in the Koran and does what the Prophet says to do, kill Jews and Arabs who leave the fold, gets bad press? Why? Because, this strategy works again and again and again.

That the arrested man had explosives and was planning more killings in the name of (who? Al Qaeda? What a joke and what bad journalism) Mohammed seems to justify comment on so-called "radical Islamists".  That the man under arrest claims he has "grievances against the Jews" is barely covered in the press. Check out the great Spencer's site for more detail. 


Sadly, and this is an update, the young man jumped from a window in a shoot-out with police and is dead. He wounded two more policemen at least at the end. He chose his lifestyle of violence and hatred. Interior Minister Claude Gueant stated that "The killer came out" firing "with extreme violence," Gueant told reporters. Police "tried to protect themselves and fired back."

"Mohamed Merah jumped out the window, gun in hand, continuing to fire. He was found dead on the ground," Gueant said.

Tablet article continued...

Image thanks to Hermeneutic of Continuity

Timothy Radcliffe commenting on the debate over so-called "gay marriage" is an attempt, I think, to uphold the traditional teaching of the Church. Some points he makes are fine and incorporate of bit of the Theology of the Body thinking of Blessed John Paul II. However, his argument gets bogged down in a lack of the spirituality of marriage. We cannot merely uphold marriage on the grounds of the physical relationship between the man and the woman, or else we are merely falling into the same heresies which Radcliffe denounces. The spiritual aspect of marriage is that the two become one and that this physical union is an expression of what should be happening in cooperation with the Indwelling of the Holy Trinity, the example of the Trinity in love and commitment. If Radcliffe expressed that most excellent marriages get beyond the physical relationship into something more sublime and holy, his argument would not only be stronger, but more in keeping with the beautiful teaching of the Church on the fact that marriage transforms two people into something more than what each would be if not joined in holy matrimony. Indeed, the spiritual growth and move to holiness and saintliness is one of the real reasons for matrimony. One is called to marriage as a vocation which leads one into heaven, as well as providing stability to the couple, the family, and society. The goal is not merely sexual happiness or babies, but the ultimate purification of the mind and body, in a union which more perfectly mirrors that of the God-Head. I do not mind the emphasis on bodily union as ordained and blessed by God, but that is simply not all there is to a good marriage. Perhaps, Radcliffe did not have the space to develop his ideas.f Also, look at my post on chaste marriages, http://supertradmum-etheldredasplace.blogspot.fr/2012/01/unusual-controversial-catholic-subject.html

Ah, the Rubbish Published in The Tablet....

I actually picked up and read a few articles in The Tablet today, and my hands did not dissolve into leprosy. However, the stupidity and political correctness of the "magazine" reveals a relativism which endangers all good and clear catechesis. Great Britain and Ireland, and I guess France, where I have picked up this edition, exhibit a majority of Catholic adults who do not know a thing about the teaching of the Catholic Church. The ignorance and arrogance of the adult Catholics in a typical parish astound one. Anti-intellectualism is rife and the idea that the study of one's Faith ends at school leaving is profoundly common. I have written many times on the subject of one, adults taking responsiblity for their own Faith, and two, the halting of blaming priests for ignorance. Look at previous posts, including a link with the Vatican document on the laity here in my post of January 16th,  APOSTOLICAM ACTUOSITATEM  and the dumbing down of lay expectations:
http://www.vatican.va/archive/hist_councils/ii_vatican_council/documents/vat-ii_decree_19651118_apostolicam-actuositatem_en.html

That The Tablet panders to weak-minded and less than accurate thinking may be one of the reasons it succeeds in selling. As a famous author told me years ago about the editorial staff, one cannot do much with mediocrity.

In a cover article on the gay marriage question in Britain, "Can marriage ever change?", three people are allowed to give comments on the present crisis. I shall refer to the two shorter ones first and then take on the longer comment. Martin Pendergast is a master of the cliche. He also makes banal sweeping statements such as "The model of marriage that we have today is rooted more strongly in eighteenth-and nineteenth-century social patterns than it is in earlier religious tradition", completely ignoring centuries of social behavior among Catholics of all classes, which benefited from the Scriptures and the increase in the dignity of women as found in the Gospels. That such women as Brigid of Sweden and others give us examples of married women who knew their role in marriage and society is a fact ignored. Also, the old and boring references to David and Jonathan and Ruth and Naomi, etc, implying friendships are more enduring than the Catholic Church's idea and teaching on marriage are laughable. That David was a potentate with myriad partners, that the Queen Mother was Queen and not a "wife" and that the relationship of Jonathan and David was close has nothing to do with gay marriage. Ruth and Naomi were related and following the age-old traditions of duty and committed love in the extended family. That he uses these as examples defies explanation. The Church has always valued friendship, which has nothing to do with gay marriage. Statistics on the number of sexual partners the typical homosexual has may be found elsewhere. Sex and friendship are not mutually exclusive, but cannot be confused, especially theologically.

Criticizing the idea that procreation is not longer an important part of marriage is simply wrong. If he does not know this, the question of being open to life is still number one or two on the pre-marriage interview by the priest in Great Britain. I have seen the forms, and have been part of the process myself. That there are exceptions has always been the case, for older couples beyond child-bearing age, for example, but these remain exceptions.

More drivel.
The essence of civil unions is that they are based on an equality of persons legally expressed in a mutual signing of a contractual covenant, rather than expressed in vows of subjection, one to another."
I have worked in the past in homosexual recovery groups. This is more controversial in Great Britain than in America, but I can tell you from experience and working with psychologists that the typical gay relationship is not about equality, but subjection.  The partnership involves a "feminine" and a "masculine" psychological and physical relationship. Sorry, this is not a reflection of equality. Pendergast does not want a "buying into a marital bond, the sacramentality of such unions is what many of us strive to live out." This is self-deception and taking the idea that the sacrament of matrimony is given one to the other to an obscene nuance. That he wants to avoid an official sacrament just shows that he not only does not understand the depth of a real marriage contract between two people, but that he does not understand the sacramental theology of marriage in its fullness.

The second banal comment is by Tina Beattie, who does her best, I guess at referring to the sexuality of homosexuals, completely forgetting that such a relationship is out of the bounds of natural law and one of the sins which cries out to heaven. She writes that, "the loving relationships of my gay friends have helped me to understand more deeply what marriage means as a partnership of equals....maybe we heterosexuals need the marriages of our homosexual friends to help us to understand what marriage looks like when it's not corrupted by traditions of domination and subordination." The feminist speaks.

I have only two questions to ask the lady--what about the corruption of a serious sin against nature and the long Catholic teaching that the wages of sin is eternal death? Obviously, the woman does not believe in hell or sin, or even the long lists of Modernist Heresies her type of comment reveals undermining her understanding of marriage, sin, etc. Of course, she uses the buzz word of "diversity", which in American journalism is always a tip-off. More later on the Radcliffe commentary.

The Church is the Enemy to POTUS

Check out this cartoon on Fr. Z's blog.....http://wdtprs.com/blog/2012/03/dear-taliban/?utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=feed&utm_campaign=Feed%3A+wdtprs%2FDhFa+%28Fr.+Z%27s+Blog+-+What+Does+The+Prayer+Really+Say%3F%29
,
and another good comment by Buchanan on his site http://buchanan.org/blog/the-glaring-inequality-of-obamaville-5040

Thoughts on Simone Weil

Simone Weil is one of my favorite philosophers and being in France reminds me of her great contribution to the mystical theology which joined philosophy, political activism and mystic thought.

She is buried in Ashford, Kent and last year, I visited her grave with a friend of mine. Simone was only 34 for she died and her writing may appeal to young people. I read her over thirty years ago and I had the honor of attending a three day conference at the University of Notre Dame concerning her thought. Simone never became a Catholic, although she loved Christ and His saints, such as St. Francis. She said she wanted to sit on the steps of the great cathedral which was the Church, waiting outside with her people, the Jews. I think she may have had the Baptism of Desire.

What is significant is Simone, who came from a brilliant family, represents the end of a generation of mystical philosophers, so common on the Continent in the 19th and early 20th centuries. As philosophy became more and more modern, post-modern, etc., separation between prayer and philosophy, between religious experience and philosophy and theology and philosophy has been irrevocably broken. Her death and her small grave symbolize to me the end of the great tradition of philosophy being the handmaid of theology.

At the end, she had a disease or condition which made it difficult for her to eat. Her biographer said this of her, that as she identified with the sufferings of the Jews and others in the War,  "As for her death, whatever explanation one may give of it will amount in the end to saying that she died of love."Sir Richard Lodowick Edward Montagu Rees, 2nd Baronet translated many of her works and wrote a biography of her. May her spirit of compassion and real thought be passed down to other youths who may want to restore philosophy to its rightful place in the Church and in the world.

Just are reminder--Harry Potter

Just a reminder on the evils of Harry Potter. And, do not ignore these....

So, Harry Potter is NOT the same thing as more traditional fairy tales. In Harry Potter there is even a desensitization to sin. O’Brien goes on to say in this same interview:

“There are other serious problems in these books, notably the question of authority and obedience. Harry’s faults are rarely punished, and usually by the negative authority figures in the tale. The positive authority figures actually reward Harry for his disobedience when it brings about some perceived good. His lies, his acts of vengeance and his misuse of his powers are frequently ignored. The message of ’the end justifies the means’ is dominant throughout.”

Now remember, Harry Potter is attending witchcraft school. O’Brien then describes a shocking and terrifying scene:

“In one class, the students are taught to cut up mandrake roots, which are living human babies, for use in a potion. At the least this can cause a subconscious desensitization to abortion.”

http://www.stmichaels.org/01-harrypotter.shtml

Russell Crowe as Noah?

I have to get my head around this. Russell Crowe is set to be Noah in the new making of the Biblical tale. Here is the article on the news.

Can you imagine what he would act and look like? Something like Captain Jack Aubrey meets God...Well, we shall see. I find the attempt interesting. I am looking forward to the special animal effects....

We Must Forgive and Forget. We Must

The Anime for Adults--the Count of Monte Cristo

I have written about forgiveness on this blog many times. I have noted the hatreds of even Catholics towards national enemies. I am sick to death of forgiveness which passes for patriotism.

If Catholics or Muslims do not forgive, then we shall not inherit the Kingdom of God. Salvation only comes to those who forgive and not those who hate.

I have written much about the litany of hate I have heard from the Irish. I am writing about the litany of hate I am hearing against the Jews. Anti-semitism is alive and well in Europe and the non-Jews cover it up with politically correct nonsense about "radicalized" Muslims or the history of Palestine. If those in power or around the table insist on remembering past sins against their peoples, we shall only repeat the past. I have even heard hatred for Germany, who has bailed out the very countries who now seem to resent the bail-outs. In Iowa, we call that biting the hand that feeds one.

Hatred does not create, only destroys and it destroys the soul of those who continue in that national, historical and philosophical hatred. The children in France would not have been killed except for political correctness and no one cares about the military men who were killed. In fact, the lack of investigation about those murders led directly to the horrible murders of those beautiful children.

I have referred to the anime, The Count of Monte Cristo before as well. The Count was almost damned by his unforgiveness. This can happen to anyone.

Christ gives us clear words on forgiveness. We have the words of the Our Father. We shall not get to heaven with vengeance and hatred in our hearts.

And be ye kind one to another; merciful, forgiving one another, even as God hath forgiven you in Christ.

Ephesians 4:32

Yet another terrorist who has not been labeled such in the past....and he killed as he was not investigated thoroughly

Surprise, surprise, the man arrested for the murders of soldiers and three Jewish school children and a parent, is a terrorist. When will Europe, and France, wake up to profiling? If the first military murders would have been investigated in the complete way the murders of this past week were done, this man would have been found earlier.

Let us stop pretending at the reality of more of these types of murder not happening again....Note the section from this site--the Telegraph online.http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/worldnews/europe/france/9157126/Toulouse-siege-live.html

13.14 The Telegraph's Ben Farmer reports from Kabul that Merah fled Sarposa Prison in Afghanistan in June 2008 after a Taliban attack.

Ghulam Farouq, general director of Kandahar prison, said Mohammed Merah, son of Mohammed Siddique, was arrested sometime in 2007 while working with Taliban insurgents as a bombmaker.

He spent around a year in the Sarposa Prison on bombmaking charges before he and hundreds of others escaped on June 13, 2008 in a huge breakout. Up to 1,000 inmates, including 350 Taliban militants escaped that day when a suicide lorry bomb breached the prison walls and up to 30 Taliban fighters then attacked and helped inmates escape.......

The daily Le Monde said Merah had trained with Pakistani Taliban fighters in a border tribal zone before being sent into southwestern Afghanistan to fight against NATO forces supporting the Kabul government.

French troops are part of that NATO operation, which may explain why the first victims of the gunman's killing spree were serving paratroopers killed in Toulouse on March 11 and Montauban on March 15.

French intelligence sources said about 30 French fighters trained by the Taliban were believed to have taken part in attacks on Western forces in Afghanistan.

Go to this site to see the beautiful photos of the children killed. Explosives were found in the suspect's apartment today. 

Feast of St. Benedict, March 21

St. Benedict, Pray for Us

Today in the Tridentine Calendar, the Benedictines celebrate the Feast of St. Benedict. His gifts to Western Civilization are enormous, including the Rule, the monastic system we take for granted, and the European-wide establishment of schools. As a Benedictine at heart, I have nothing but admiration and praise for this man, who is one of the Patrons of Europe, along with SS. Cyril and Methodius. Pray to him for humility this Lent. He has in his rule a list of goals for those who aspire to that virtue. One is considering one's self inferior to all others. For some, this is not hard, as one may feel like a failure in life and see one's inadequacies. For others, this is a challenge, to see the worth of those around them. I highly suggest reading the Rule for Lenten reading.There is also a daily reading from the Rule on this website, for those who do not have the time to sit and read the entire book, although it is very short. Here is today's reading:

Chapter 42: That No One Speak After Compline

Monastics ought to be zealous for silence at all times,
but especially during the hours of the night.
For every season, therefore,
whether there be fasting or two meals,
let the program be as follows:

If it be a season when there are two meals,
then as soon as they have risen from supper
they shall all sit together,
and one of them shall read the Conferences
or the Lives of the Fathers
or something else that may edify the hearers;
not the Heptateuch or the Books of Kings, however,
because it will not be expedient for weak minds
to hear those parts of Scripture at that hour;
but they shall be read at other times.

If it be a day of fast,
then having allowed a short interval after Vespers
they shall proceed at once to the reading of the Conferences,
as prescribed above;
four or five pages being read, or as much as time permits,
so that during the delay provided by this reading
all may come together,
including those who may have been occupied
in some work assigned them.

When all, therefore, are gathered together,
let them say Compline;
and when they come out from Compline,
no one shall be allowed to say anything from that time on.
And if anyone should be found evading this rule of silence,
let her undergo severe punishment.
An exception shall be made
if the need of speaking to guests should arise
or if the Abbess should give someone an order.
But even this should be done with the utmost gravity
and the most becoming restraint.