Awe and Wonder

Welcome to Your New Home, Archbishop Lucas!

2009-06-03T18:17:00.009-05:00

It's a day of rejoicing for Catholics in Omaha.
Everyone's first comment seems to be, George Lucas... as in Star Wars?

OK, not that George Lucas. (Of course, if we start having Sunday night moving showings from the cathedral then we'll really know that the former Star Wars director really has gone incognito to live out his vocation as a Catholic bishop... you know, I always thought there were a lot of Christian parallels in those Star Wars films!)
Beyond the obvious name, I'd say that Lucas' appointment is good news. A former seminary rector at St. Louis' Kenrick-Glennon (to which Omaha has sent the bulk of its seminarians for years), he would seem a natural fit for Omaha's current needs. With no ordinations this year and next, and Pope Benedict's track record with other appointments, it seems like Rome is clearly interested in turning the recent vocations drought around.
Given his St. Louis roots, one can only assume that Bishop Lucas comes with the stamp of approval with the important "kingmaker" Cardinal Rigali (with his many connections from his days in Rome serving under the Secretary of State) and Archbishop Burke, who is of course now in Rome.
A few notes on Bishop Lucas: He came out with a public statement about Notre Dame's decision to honor President Obama. He is a friend of the traditional Latin Mass, which is always a good sign. And on the diocese's website, it looks like they recently started Totus Tuus, which is a stellar youth organization that is active in Lincoln. I was especially interested in his comment that he planned to take a hands-on approach to overseeing Catholic schools. The hands-on, active approach toward overseeing our diocese has been one of my prayers for our next shepherd.
Not a few are simply breathing a sigh of relief at the appointment (see these comments at American Papist , for example). Rightly or wrongly (I do not know his Excellency), Rapid City Bishop Cupich, who hails from Omaha and many thought to be one of the favorites to get the post, has gained a reputation as a bishop cut from the cloth of the typical bishops from the '70s and '80s who does not share quite the same sympathy of thought that resonates with more orthodox, younger Catholics of the "JPII generation."
Of course, some were hoping that we would get Bishop Aquila from Fargo or Bishop Sheridan from Colorado Springs, well-known as they are as "orthodox stalwarts" with connections to Archbishop Chaput and the wonderful Archdiocese of Denver. I doubt that there is disappointment that it was neither of these 2 and certainly do not want to suggest there is, but simply saying that no one knows much about Bishop Lucas as he is not well-known like some other bishops, so it remains to be seen what exactly Archbishop Lucas will mean for our archdiocese.
But given the info we have, I think there is good reason to believe that he will be a solid leader for our archdiocese. Let's rejoice that the Lord has sent Archbishop Lucas and pray for his ministry over the next 15+ years as our leader in the Faith.
Installation Date: July 22, Feast of St. Mary Magdalene

Awe and Wonder... going on hiatus

2009-02-15T15:19:00.002-06:00

Lots going on in our household of late, so the postings have slowed to a crawl.
I'm going to declare the blog on temporary hiatus until things settle down a bit.
Unless of course, we get some big news.

New Archbishop for New York?

2009-02-15T15:08:00.006-06:00

The rumors are now gathering to a chorus saying that Milwaukee Archbishop Dolan will be named the next Archbishop of New York. If this turns out to be true, I would think he will be an excellent choice, given his gift of a winning charisma combined with--by all accounts--a strong faith and commitment to dynamic orthodoxy.

A couple years ago, we were in Milwaukee and attended an early Sunday Mass at the cathedral which was only a couple blocks from our hotel. It was a fairly small gathering on a very quiet Sunday morning, and the Archbishop celebrated the Mass in a reverent though still "intimate" manner, which was very fitting for the occasion. Following the Mass, he greeted us on our way out and upon telling His Excellency that we were in town for my sister's Mamma Mia! performance, he bellowed to everyone within earshot, "Hey everybody, his sister's in Mamma Mia!"
Whatever the future brings, it was a blessing and we wish him the best.

More Election Reflections, 1 Week Out

2008-11-10T22:32:00.002-06:00

A Catholic Scripture class became the vehicle for getting some of my thoughts over the past week out on paper. Not that these reflect all of my thoughts, by any means. For that one would need almost a daily update.
The best advice I've heard over the past week came from the women of pro-sanctity on the great KVSS morning shows on the 2 days following the election: There is nothing wrong in being sorrowful over evil. Sorrow is not the same as despair. Our Lady mourned at the foot of the cross, and she was not without hope. We can feel sorrow over the great evil of abortion and still have hope in the Lord that death and evil shall be defeated. (paraphrase)

Now, for my reflections (from a study of the Gospel of Mark):
Q: As you reflect on your study of Mark's Gospel, what have you learned about the mystery of suffering?
The suffering of Christ entailed rejection by his own people and his own creation; betrayal by his friends in Judas and the abandonment of the other apostles; the physical agony of the Passion; the sorrow of facing all of this, as Jesus tells his friends, the apostles, “My soul is very sorrowful, even to death” (14:34, emphasis added). Even Pilate saw the injustice of his conviction: “And Pilate said to them, ‘Why, what evil has he done?’ (15:14)”
Jesus also expresses frustration with the apostles at their inability to heed his request and keep watch with him in Gethsemane: “Are you still sleeping and take your rest?” One can almost hear the annoyance in his voice. Still Jesus is not deterred from following the path marked out for Him: “It is enough; the hour has come; the Son of man is betrayed into the hands of sinners. Rise, let us be going; see my betrayer is at hand” (14:42).
And later to the crowd, “Have you come out as against a robber…? Day after day I was with you in the temple teaching, and you did not seize me. But let the Scriptures be fulfilled” (v. 49). Again, Jesus, in his humanity, sounds almost incredulous at the extent of the injustice being done to him, but recognizes that this too must be accepted as the Father’s will. So be it. Let the Scriptures be fulfilled.
The recent elections have weighed heavily on my heart. And while it may sound like a bit of an exaggeration, I can see some parallels between the story of Christ’s death and the election. While I believe there are many virtuous people in our country, I also believe that we are guilty of great sin through greed, exploiting other countries, willingness to start wars, the great immorality in our entertainment and, above all, through the murder of innocent, unborn children in abortion. While it is a great cause of sorrow to elect a president who has a record of being extremely pro-abortion and has pledged to expand legalized abortion, in retrospect I realize that I should not be that surprised that Obama was elected. Obama has promised to the masses that he will staunch the bleeding of the declining stock market and as a society we care more about money than any “narrow” issues like abortion.
I have a sense that it just “has to be this way” as Jesus said, “let the Scriptures be fulfilled.” In other words, perhaps our country—and, especially, believers in our country—must see the evil of the culture of death come to fruition before it will be moved to repentance and conversion. Perhaps our suffering and sacrifices must grow greater—more intense, more painful, more difficult—before we will see real change in our country.
This premonition—if that be the right word for it—causes me concern and sorrow, like Jesus. But I also know that we should not fear the future or long for some mythical golden age from days gone by. Instead we should say with Jesus, “the hour has come; rise, let us be going, my betrayer is at hand,” and press on toward the goal.
And, then, perhaps all of this will turn out to be wrong—I certainly hope so. Obviously there are good things about the election, such as the impact it could have on the African-American community, race relations throughout the entire world, and even some issues that need attention such as health care. I will pray for Obama and our country and not consign our country to oblivion. Still I have been speaking from the heart about a sense of sorrow and foreboding that I (and others) have felt at times over the past week regarding my concern about what Obama will do as president and what God’s justice will require of this nation.

Damage Control

2008-11-05T09:07:00.006-06:00

First from the Liturgy of the Hours this morning:
"Naked I came forth from my mother's womb, and naked shall I go back again. The Lord gives and the Lord takes away, blessed be the name of the Lord. We accept good things from God; and should we not accept evil?" (Job 1:21; 2:10b)

Robert Novak points out something that is worth keeping in mind: Obama's percentage of the overall vote was a mere 52% to 46%. A solid win, but hardly a "mandate."
Moreover, there is some good news:
First and foremost all 3 marriage amendments passed! (the AP and others are still not calling the CA measure, which kind of irks me because there is a pretty sizeable lead and looking over the county map, almost all of the places left with votes to be counted look to be "Yes" counties).
The importance of these wins cannot be overstated.
This morning I actually feel upbeat. The election is over and we can move forward. Yes, I'm still concerned about Obama: will he try to impose the fairness doctrine? Freedom of Choice Act? will he try to appease our enemies will delusionary "talking"?
But by the looks of it, Republicans in MN, OR and GA look to be (just barely) hanging onto their seats (pray God these all hold and survive recount challenges, etc.). 3 seats is a really big deal, and at one point last night it looked like all 3 would go down so this is huge. Norm Coleman, a Catholic, actually beat arch-liberal Al Franken by a mere 600 votes out of over 2 million or something, which is unbelievable. And remember that many of the democrats that have been elected in 2006 and 2008 are moderate to conservative pro-life democrats. They will not be voting for freedom of choice act measures and can't see them enacting a massive new deal-type program. Obama will have to govern from the center or he will quickly earn the wrath of this country, which remains firmly in the middle. And, I really think that having won these 3 senate races will be critical to putting the brakes on any Obama-Pelosi-Reid master plans.

Lastly, it was interesting to see which polls got it right and which didn't. Bottom line, almost all of them overstated Obama. In fact, late polls actually showed McCain leading in OH and FL, which mean that they were overstating McCain's strength. I had always assumed McCain would at least get what the polls showed, hence my shock that actually Obama came out on top in some of these states.
A George Washington Univ. poll and "Diageo/Hotline" were the ones that got it closest. Of the major polls, Rasmussen came out pretty darned close and looking good (as they did in '04). So on the part of Rasmussen, at least, there was no massive error. As for the others, well, they need to go back to polling school or find a new line of work.

Election Night Reflections: The country has shifted

2008-11-05T00:01:00.004-06:00

A page has turned. Not just the election of a new president, but a new era, I think. Seeing names like Dole go down and watching states like NC, IN, and CO turn blue confirm something I suspected: the nation has truly changed these past 8 years. Not that it isn't always changing every day, minute and second. But a generational shift has taken place. We will look back at 2004 as the last election of a now bygone era. Not that conservatives are gone. I'm talking about generations here.
I think what happened in this election is this:
The WWII "greatest" generation is passing from the scene. Think about it--how many have we buried in the past 8 years or so? Reagan, Buckley, Pope John Paul, Sister Lucia from Fatima, my grandpa.
Just enough of the older folks have passed on to the next world over the past 8 years--and just enough of the younger folks have entered the ranks of voters, and just enough hispanics who were voting democrat to put Obama over the top.
The true x-factor, however, was the fact that Obama was African-American (who came out in droves to support their candidate). There is no denying that, for better or worse, race had a lot to do with today's result, and helped get Obama the win whereas Gore and Kerry still came up short.
As for election stuff, I'm still dubious about Ohio. It's still running pretty close and seemed like it was called way too early. All of the voter fraud questions make me wonder whether it was stolen.
But when McCain loses Nevada, get pummeled in Wisconsin, and looks like he just might get beat in North Carolina and Indiana, you know it's not your day. History is on the side of Obama tonight (assuming there's no Supreme Court surprise in store, courtesy of Philip Berg)
Today we elected our first African-American president. In his acceptance speech Obama said that he wants to be my president too. President-elect, I fear you because of your positions. I do not trust that you really are who you say you are. I wonder what you really believe and what you really want to impose on this country. That being said, tonight you have my congratulations and I will give you the respect that the office you are about to hold calls for.
Tracie said she felt a distinct sorrow at Mass today for our nation, almost an intuition about what was taking place. I felt a similar feeling in prayer tonight before I had seen a single result--a deep sorrow and, yes, a fear and forboding about the future. Yes we have elected our frist black president, which is a wonderful thing. We have also placed the most radical pro-abortion candidate ever in the White House. For this I mourn. And wonder what will become of this nation. A relatively benign center-left government or a massive new deal? Will electing a black president exorcise our nation's racial demons or have we invited diving recompense for failing to protect the unborn? Literally, I have no idea what to expect in the months and years ahead.
But the page has turned. I miss John Paul. I miss my Grandpa. I miss that solid generation that fought Nazism and Communism to defend freedom. They were the last generation to grow up in a world prior to the social upheaval unleashed during the 60s. The last generation of Christendom, it might even be appropriate to say. Our world is almost unrecognizable today compared with what it was 50 years ago just before that decade in which the whole world changed.
I don't know what the future will bring. I know that God is good to his people. I also know that He allows great suffering to come upon mankind at various times. We must stay close to Jesus, and one another, in order to love our fellow man and build up the kingdom and, if necessary, to share in His sufferings. The coming days will tell what the future brings.

Eduardo Verastegui (Bella star) for McCain

2008-10-23T21:43:00.002-05:00

See this courageous Latino actor's website, his hard-hitting video on the abortion holocaust, and his endorsement for John McCain and Sarah Palin, as one of the most important aspects of stopping the war against beautiful, unborn babies.

Who is Barack Obama?

2008-10-20T20:59:00.002-05:00

This revelation about the citizenship question, got me to looking into more of Obama's intruiging, mysterious background. Mom and Dad are both gone. Grandparents were conservative Kansas folks, but their daughter marries a Kenyan and an Indonesian (this in the early 60s, mind you). What doesn't compute here?
This article offered a little insight into Obama's family background. I'm not here to pile on because of inter-racial relationships, but it's the leftist radicalism that concerns me. Especially enlightening is the claim that Obama's grandparents were not conservative Kansas baptists, but left-wing unitarians whose church was known as "the little red church."
In spite of the way that the McCarthy hearings have been portrayed in the popular media as a witchhunt against anyone left of center (which they may or may not have been), there were communists in this country seeking to undermine our government. Read Thomas Merton's Seven Story Mountain and you can hear his own experience with the reds. The fact that Obama's family comes from this same group, not to mention his other connections, are more than enough reason to give Americans serious pause.

Berg Interview on Monday

2008-10-20T20:45:00.002-05:00

Update as of today---interesting news comes at the end of the interview. If Obama was legally adopted by his step-father, then he is an Indonesian citizen. If he became an Indonesian citizen, he lost his American citizenship because Indonesia did not allow dual citizenship at the time. So even if he re-emigrated to the U.S. legally he would be a naturalized citizen, not a natural born citizen.
Wow... the story gets murkier by the day.

October surprise?

2008-10-20T20:37:00.003-05:00

Hmmmmm....
Not quite sure what to make of this, but as one website says, it's up to Obama to refute these claims if they are false. It's hard to see why he wouldn't just produce a birth certificate unless...

The Anchoress on Fasting Before the Elections

2008-10-16T21:23:00.002-05:00

Interesting thoughts from someone else focusing on praying and fasting prior to the elections. The peace that is felt from ignoring the media and spending time in prayer. Also, the sense that we are in the midst of a generational shift, regardless of election outcome:

Grounding myself in prayer, examining every odd yearning (and not just for food) and choosing to surrender that yearning rather than gratify it has had an empowering effect, and a clarifying one.
What I am reminded, repeatedly, is that time is a construct - that everything is happening simultaneously. Right now, I am writing at my computer. Right now, I am voting at my local school. Right now, Christ is dying on a cross. Right now, He is making a covenant and receiving a kiss. Right now, Napoleon is heading to Waterloo. Right now, George Washington is facing defeat for the umpteenth time. Right now, I am being needlessly cruel to someone. Right now I am being born. Right now I am 78 years old and grousing that my kids never visit me. Right now, Obama has won the election. Right now John McCain has won the election.
This is why prayer has power. In the quantum world, where everything is occurring all at once, prayer changes things. Sacrifice changes things. Wisdom knows this - it is why every religious tradition, Eastern or Western, encourages prayer and sacrifice - because this is how you pierce illusions.
Last week Pope Benedict XVI said: ”He who builds only on visible and tangible things like success, career and money builds the house of his life on sand”…money vanishes, it is nothing. All these things that appear to be real are in fact secondary. Only God’s words are a solid reality”. ...
About a year ago, out of the blue - a friend of mine - a social studies teacher who is politically “interested” but not active, and who does not go to church - said to me: “I get the feeling that George W. Bush is going to be the last American president of “old” America, and Benedict is going to be the last pope of the “old” Catholic church.” She had a sense of things cresting, of a cusp being reached.
Right now, a typesetter is laying down the words Dewey Wins! Right now, Hillary Clinton is the presumptive Democrat nominee. Right now, George Washington is refusing a crown. Right now, Barack Obama is training ACORN workers. Right now, Margaret Sanger is preaching eugenics. Right now, a Pole is made Pope. Right now, Nero is watching Rome burn. Right now, Peter, that city’s first Bishop, is being crucified and turned upside down.
Right now, in prayer and in fasting, one may penetrate the illusions of the world and, touching eternity, impact them.
Obama may win this election. Obama may lose this election. McCain may win this election. McCain may lose this election. No matter what happens, we are entering a new era, and I believe everyone knows it. With the prayer and fasting, I am “in training” making myself ready for whatever comes, because whatever comes is going to be very different; it will jar us from all of our complacencies.

Not sure I know what she means here, or that I relate to it completely. But we can all benefit from prayer and readying ourselves for whatever might come, be it good or bad.

Dancing with the First Freeze

2008-10-16T13:38:00.004-05:00

Speaking of weather, we dipped down to 32-degrees last night. The first hard freeze is imminent, but here's hoping it can be held off for a couple more weeks for the sake of the pretty annuals and garden veggies, which are still going strong: peppers, tomatoes, and a few eggplants and zucchinis to boot.

Autumnal Splendor

2008-10-16T13:35:00.000-05:00

It's that time again...

Obama's Days in Springfield

2008-10-09T23:17:00.004-05:00

The Washington Post ran this very interesting story about how Obama "the outsider" became the "ultimate insider." Fascinating tales of his battles with fellow African-American legislators from Chicago's south side that found him "too white" as well as his poker games with white democrats in their 50s and 60s from rural Illinois. A few snippets:

Barack had this misconception that you could change votes with thoughtful questions and good debate," said Jacobs, who has since retired from politics to become a lobbyist. "That was a little idealistic, if you ask me. It's not necessarily about smarts and logic down there. Votes are made with a lot of horse trading, compromise, coercion, working with the other side. Those are things that Barack can do -- can do very well, actually. But it took him a little while to figure it out."
...
Obama needed allies to make headway in a place like this, so he set out to find some. A group of Springfield political aides and lobbyists invited him to join their poker game, a low-stakes gathering attended by three other senators. On a weeknight in April 1996, Obama met the other players in a private room at a local country club. Big-screen TVs showed a Chicago Bulls game, and cigar smoke clouded the air.
His arrival surprised the other senators at the table. Jacobs, Terry Link and Larry Walsh -- all white Democrats, all older than 50, all from rural parts of the state -- would become Obama's closest friends in Springfield, but they viewed his initial arrival as the intrusion of an outsider. Jacobs was a loudmouth from the Iowa border, a self-described "backroom dinosaur" famous for his love of gambling. Walsh was a farmer from Elmwood who sometimes snuck out of session for a hot toddy. Link was a forklift business owner who narrowly graduated from high school.
As the young black senator from Chicago -- an Ivy Leaguer, a law professor -- bought into the poker game for $100 and lit a cigarette, Jacobs wondered: "What could he have in common with us?"
"It wasn't the most obvious fit," Jacobs said. "You've got two fat guys, a medium-heavy guy and then Obama. On the surface, there's not a lot that we shared."
Obama folded frequently during the games, preferring to watch the action unfold until he could pounce with the occasional great hand. He filled the long gaps in between by seeking advice from his playing partners about balancing work and family, crafting legislation and aligning with Republicans. Even as Obama routinely took their money, the other players regarded him as naive but genuine. In various capacities, Link, Walsh and Jacobs all considered themselves Obama's mentors.
Obama was never a big drinker, but he faithfully brought along a six-pack of beer and downed a couple. He smoked and pitched in for midnight pizza. The poker game eventually migrated to Link's house and became the one social staple on Obama's schedule. The Committee Meeting, Obama called it -- and the appointment stood for eight years. His poker-mates sometimes teased him for becoming "one of the good ol' boys."
Fitting in, for Obama, had never been a natural process so much as a learned skill -- something that required adjustment and work. At Harvard, he befriended conservatives who eventually helped elect him president of the Law Review. As a young community organizer in Chicago, he emulated the speaking cadence of black pastors and joined Trinity United Church of Christ to help him connect with the city's South Side.
In Springfield, he decided he needed to play golf. Democrats who felt useless in the legislative minority sometimes left the session to play 18 holes in the early afternoon, and their on-course conversations ranged from meaningless trash talk to political dealmaking. Link invited Obama to play and watched the beginner hack his way around the course. Frustrated by his incompetence and worried he might not be invited again, Obama signed up for lessons. He almost beat Link the next year.

You can't help but admire his rise and his apparent earnestness in doing whatever it takes to get the job done (in a good sense--i.e., taking golf lessons to be able to participate in the requisite country club networking).
As for the election, I think Sarah Palin might be McCain's best shot for turning things around. He has left me uninspired of late, to put it mildly.
Let us pray, and leave the results up to God. As St. Paul says, I am learning how to be content in all situations, and trust that we will get through whatever the future brings...

Student Campaign for Marriage in California

2008-09-29T21:02:00.003-05:00

I think that it's hard to overstate the importance of passing Proposition 8 this November. Big kudos go out to this student group from Tradition, Family and Property (TFP) that are taking it to the streets--and sometimes to the most hostile of places:

Catholic Vote Video

2008-09-29T20:49:00.001-05:00

If this doesn't get you fired up, you might want to check your pulse.

No Mo' Political Posts

2008-09-25T21:38:00.003-05:00

Until the election, I am going to refrain from commenting on politics. I shall also refrain from reading political commentary about the latest polls, gaffes, etc. I am focusing on praying the daily prayers of the Nineveh Journey, and, speaking personally as one who can easily fall into 'political junkie-ism', I think one of the best ways to approach God with a clean heart is to leave the chatter and speculation behind, and simply beseech the Lord that His Will be done for our nation.
In this spirit, I am happy to post the litany to my patron saint, Sir Thomas More, about which the new bishop of Wilmington, DE just issued this excellent pastoral letter.
Litany of St. Thomas More,Martyr and Patron Saint of Statesmen, Politicians and Lawyers
V. Lord, have mercy
R. Lord have mercy
V. Christ, have mercy
R. Christ have mercy
V. Lord, have mercy
R. Lord have mercy
V. Christ hear us
R. Christ, graciously hear us
V. St. Thomas More, Saint and Martyr,
R. Pray for us (Repeat after each invocation)
St. Thomas More, Patron of Statesmen, Politicians and Lawyers
St. Thomas More, Patron of Justices, Judges and Magistrates
St. Thomas More, Model of Integrity and Virtue in Public and Private Life
St. Thomas More, Servant of the Word of God and the Body and Blood of Christ
St. Thomas More, Model of Holiness in the Sacrament of Marriage
St. Thomas More, Teacher of his Children in the Catholic Faith
St. Thomas More, Defender of the Weak and the Poor
St. Thomas More, Promoter of Human Life and Dignity
V.Lamb of God, you take away the sin of the world
R.Spare us O Lord
V.Lamb of God, you take away the sin of the world
R.Graciously hear us O Lord
V.Lamb of God, you take away the sin of the world
R.Have mercy on us
Let us pray:
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.
R. Amen.

"Beauty persuades by itself"

2008-09-19T12:47:00.003-05:00

Cardinal Ennio Antonelli, the new prefect for the Pontifical Council for the Family, focuses more on lighting a candle than cursing the darkness. While his predecessor, Cardinal Lopez-Trujillo, RIP, was a true warrior and hero for life and family, I think that the Benedict-ine style of Antonelli, which emphasizes the good as an example more than decrying the bad is a Christ-like and effective way to change the world. An exerpt from the full article:

The first priority is to build up Christian families," said the cardinal ... We must care for normal families first so that they become a sign for others. Without examples, how can we persuade others? ... [T]he accent must be on the beauty of the Gospel lived in the family. That is clear. Beauty persuades by itself. But that can happen only when there are strong families"

Amen and amen.

The Lying King Spreading the Lies

2008-09-13T01:06:00.001-05:00

Check out this amazing parody of the Lion King featuring media's all-out, daily assault on Sarah Palin.

10 Reasons Christians Shouldn't Vote for Obama

2008-09-13T00:33:00.005-05:00

Even if Obama was more supportive of drilling off-shore and nuclear power; even if Obama was stronger in dealing with international threats; even if Obama was fully committed to seeing the job through in Iraq now that we have invested five years of American and Iraqi blood and suffering (not to mention billions of dollars) and victory appears to be in sight... yes, even if Obama were more to my liking on all of these very important issues, I could not vote for him--and neither should any Christian for that matter.

Read why here.

Ingrid Betancourt and the Sacred Heart

2008-09-08T06:45:00.002-05:00

ZENIT had a touching story about the freed-hostage, Ingrid Betancourt. She listened to Catholic short-wave radio and read the Bible during her captivity. Betancourt reveals that she heard a program about the Sacred Heart of Jesus and made a promise to Jesus:

"Jesus, over these years I have never asked you for anything, but today I am going to ask you for something."As this is the month of the Sacred Heart, your month, I am going to ask you for a miracle for me, not for my release because I don't think it's possible, but let me know miraculously when I will be released because, if I know when, even if it is not for many years, so I will have the strength to endure."If you do this miracle for me, Lord, I will be yours."

Needless to say, her prayer was answered and then some.

Electoral Math

2008-09-08T06:40:00.010-05:00

I was taking a look at the electoral college numbers. Supposedly, Virginia, Colorado and New Mexico (all 3 of which were Bush "red states") have been leaning toward Obama. But, I noticed that even if Obama were to win a couple of these, if McCain can hold the rest of Bush's states (esp. Ohio) and manage to take New Hampshire (which loves McCain) and simply win either Wisconsin or Minnesota or Michigan then McCain should win. I bring up this scenario because I can easily see the earthy, outdoorsy, populist-leaning folks of the upper Midwest being attracted to the addition of an earthy, outdoorsy populist from Alaska. Which is why I also find it hard to imagine Colorado going to Obama with Palin on the ticket, let alone Montana or North Dakota.
The main point is that the electoral math looks even brighter than the polls (which have been pretty doggone bright of late, as you can see). Seriously, check out the math:

If the 2008 election follows 2004 except for the following conceivable switches:
Obama wins Bush states IA, NM, VA
McCain wins Kerry state NH
Then if McCain wins either WI or MN, McCain wins 275-263 (with only MI, it's 282-256)
(if McCain loses both WI and MN under the above scenario, Obama wins 273-265)

If McCain can just hold VA and take NH (which seems fairly probable at this point in the game, at least), he still wins 278-260 even while losing IA and NM and all the Kerry states.

If McCain holds VA, takes NH, but loses CO, IA and NM, then it's a 269-269 tie.

And then, there's the McCain dream scenario:
McCain holds all of the Bush states, and manages to pick up the NH and the major "rust belt-dairy states" of WI, MN, MI and PA: McCain wins it 348 - 190 in a landslide.

OK, so that last scenario may be a little wishful thinking--Obama's supporters can envision all of those states swinging in Obama's direction as well--and then again it may not be. McCain's got a lot of momentum now, and if he and Sarah perform well in the debates with no major gaffes or surprises, I like our chances in a lot of these midwestern swing states that went Democratic in 2000 and 2004. If McCain manages to pick off even just one or two of them (let alone all of them), it should be curtains for Obama.

So here would be my strategy advice to the McCain campaign:
1. Must hold VA, CO and OH (and all the other red states with the possible of exception of IA which I consider to be all but lost to Obama-fever),
2. Take NH,
3. Campaign hard in the blue swing-states of MN, WI, MI, PA
= Win the White House.
Holy Innocents, pray for us.

"She's just what I need. She's just what this country needs."

2008-08-31T15:25:00.004-05:00

Wow! Couldn't agree more with McCain's assessment--just what he needed.
Thrilled with the pick. Amazed that he pulled off the secret that no one expected. And, like many other pro-lifers, suddenly excited and enthusiastic about this campaign.

Noonan: "They don't exactly see the bright side of America"

2008-08-31T15:21:00.003-05:00

Peggy Noonan's hysterical commentary on the speeches at the Democratic convention:

Princess Alessandra Borghese

2008-08-28T12:02:00.005-05:00

Marcus Grodi's Journey Home program this week featured an Italian princess--namely, Alessandra Borghese. Not only was the novelty of a real-life, modern-day Princess, who has been raised amid the high culture and glamour of Europe's royal set and still chosen to seriously commit to her Catholic Faith intriguing, but Borghese is blessed with a magnetic personality and the gift of gab (which was no doubt helped by her upbringing in a historic, aristocratic family). Now as a devout Catholic, her natural vivacity is combined with the joy of the Lord, which came through in the show and made for an excellent program. Particularly, I was impressed by her very Benedict-esque statement she made in her strong Italian accent about Catholicism being a joy to live (here paraphrasing):

Our religion does not say that I must be sad or being alone. I am still the same girl. Our religion does not say that I cannot still love music and people and culture and travel and all of that. Of course there are rules and commands, but those are for our happiness. Our religion is the religion of joy. It is the religion of hugging people. Even a religious sister who makes a radical decision--which is not my decision--she makes it out of joy.

It strikes me, especially in contrast with the hatred of radical Islam and the empty soul-less spirit of the materialism that is prevalent in the modern world, how true this is; how it so sets authentic Christian discipleship apart from everything else.
Followers of Christ should have a certain sense of joy in spite of trials and even persecutions. Not a silly happiness, but a real serenity. How much we reflect this in our hearts to others can tell us how effective we will be at sharing the Good News and, furthermore, is a good indicator of close we are to our Lord.
It also makes me wonder how much the Church corporately reflects this to the greater world--when non-believers look at the Church, do they say, those people are so happy and loving? or do they see a bunch of grumps who are always cursing the darkness? For even in our battle against evil we are called to love our enemies, and look upon others with love and mercy. I am certainly guilty of this at times, probably above all in politics, where it is easy to get swept up in the demonization that dominates cable TV, talk radio, etc. Christians should not be party to this. We can disagree, and disagree vigorously, without becoming hateful.
For the rest of the show, click here. Borghese has written a story of her conversion. She also wrote a "behind-the-scenes" look at the man Joseph Ratzinger, whom she has known since he was a mere priest and bishop, and a book about famous modern converts or "re-verts" to the Faith in secularized Europe. Unfortunately, her works have yet to be translated into English, but they have made a great splash in Europe, where they are in Italian, French, German, and Spanish.

More 'Alibis' from Pro-Choice Catholics

2008-08-26T12:33:00.005-05:00

Speaker Nancy Pelosi has raised another bruhaha with her remarks to Tom Brokaw on Meet the Press this past weekend. This time, however, she manifested her ignorance of Church teaching in particularly egregious fashion:

Ed Morrissey has written an awesome response to her non-sense here.
Thankfully, the USCCB's Pro-Life committee and D.C. Archbishop Wuerl did not waste time in setting the record straight. And Archbishop Chaput--perhaps the nation's best archbishop in my humble opinion--also made sure that the Truth was known. Interestingly, there has been no response from Pelosi's own Archbishop Niederauer or any of the other left-coast cardinals and bishops.
First, from the USCCB:
In the course of a “Meet the Press” interview on abortion and other public issues on August 24, 2008, House Speaker Nancy Pelosi misrepresented the history and nature of the authentic teaching of the Catholic Church against abortion.The Church has always taught that human life deserves respect from its very beginning and that procured abortion is a grave moral evil. In the Middle Ages, uninformed and inadequate theories about embryology led some theologians to speculate that specifically human life capable of receiving an immortal soul may not exist until a few weeks into pregnancy. While in canon law these theories led to a distinction in penalties between very early and later abortions, the Church’s moral teaching never justified or permitted abortion at any stage of development.These mistaken biological theories became obsolete over 150 years ago when scientists discovered that a new human individual comes into being from the union of sperm and egg at fertilization. In keeping with this modern understanding, the Church has long taught that from the time of conception (fertilization), each member of the human species must be given the full respect due to a human person, beginning with respect for the fundamental right to life.

Next, from His Excellency, Archbishop Chaput:
Catholic public leaders inconvenienced by the abortion debate tend to take a hard line in talking about the "separation of Church and state." But their idea of separation often seems to work one way. In fact, some officials also seem comfortable in the role of theologian. And that warrants some interest, not as a "political" issue, but as a matter of accuracy and justice.Speaker of the House Nancy Pelosi is a gifted public servant of strong convictions and many professional skills. Regrettably, knowledge of Catholic history and teaching does not seem to be one of them....Ardent, practicing Catholics will quickly learn from the historical record that from apostolic times, the Christian tradition overwhelmingly held that abortion was grievously evil. In the absence of modern medical knowledge, some of the Early Fathers held that abortion was homicide; others that it was tantamount to homicide; and various scholars theorized about when and how the unborn child might be animated or "ensouled." But none diminished the unique evil of abortion as an attack on life itself, and the early Church closely associated abortion with infanticide. In short, from the beginning, the believing Christian community held that abortion was always, gravely wrong.Of course, we now know with biological certainty exactly when human life begins. Thus, today's religious alibis for abortion and a so-called "right to choose" are nothing more than that - alibis that break radically with historic Christian and Catholic belief.Abortion kills an unborn, developing human life. It is always gravely evil, and so are the evasions employed to justify it. Catholics who make excuses for it - whether they're famous or not - fool only themselves and abuse the fidelity of those Catholics who do sincerely seek to follow the Gospel and live their Catholic faith.

All of this pro-choice Catholic business has simply become wearisome. It is the tired remnant of the post-Vatican II collapse in authority and clear teaching. One cannot just blame the politicians because in truth they are simply visible examples of what a ton of Catholics think. They simply don't get it, because they've been improperly formed in their younger years and that un-Catholic formation has only been reinforce by years of more wishy-washy if not outright heretical teaching (OK, now I'm officially on a rant). Liberal Catholicism a-la-1970 is dying a slow death, but alas, it is still with us, and reigns supreme among the baby-boomers and their children. Yet I remain very hopeful about the future thanks to those who have experienced a conversion and the younger bishops and priests that are committed to an authentic renewal of the Church in line with the vision of Rome and the proper interpretation of Vatican II

I will close with Grand Knight Carl Anderson's advice that this year Catholics should stop accepting the alibis from the pro-choicers and just say NO. Regardless of party, location, etc., if every Catholic simply voted pro-life, the Democratic party would be forced to change its position overnight in order to remain viable:
During the Pope’s visit to the United States in April, he urged those gathered at Yankee Stadium to protect “the unborn child in the mother’s womb.” That statement drew the loudest, longest applause of his trip. In this election year, when the Catholic vote is crucial, politicians who choose to ignore that thunderous response do so at their peril.Imagine the effect if this year millions of Catholic voters simply say “no” — no to every candidate for every office of every political party who supports abortion rights. It’s time Catholics stop accommodating pro-abortion-rights politicians and it’s time to start demanding that they accommodate us. This is the only decision that offers the real chance for real change, because no candidate or political party can withstand the loss of millions of Catholic voters in this — or any other — election. In this election, if a Catholic cannot vote for the pro-life candidate, then not voting for that office may be the sincerest expression of faithful citizenship.This year, Catholic voters have the power to transform politics. As faithful citizens, Catholics can build a new politics — a politics that is not satisfied with the status quo, but one that is dedicated to building up a culture of life. If they stand together and demand better from politicians, Catholics can transform politics, and that would be real change.

Let's hear it for Humanae Vitae

2008-07-29T21:00:00.005-05:00

Check the link for a wonderful article from the Chicago Daily Observer summarizing how 40 years hindsight proves the prophetic nature of Pope Paul VI's encylclical. Snip:

When we contrast the promised benefits of contraception (spontaneity, romance, pleasure) with the realities that Paul VI predicted (divorce, adultery, political tyranny, even disease), we should not be surprised to discover that the proliferation of contraception has done nothing to slow abortion. On the contrary, the former leads to the latter. It’s easy enough to see how abortion steps in when contraception all too frequently fails. But the more profound relationship between contraception and abortion is this: Both are a deliberate rejection of human life, the true end of marriage. Marriage begins as an act of love, the total gift of oneself to another. The child is the fruit of this love.
Contraception deforms marriage into an arena of self-gratification or lust, to use a word out of fashion. What is the bitter fruit of lust? Abortion. This year, we marked the 35th anniversary of the Supreme Court’s creation, out of whole cloth, of a mother’s “right” to kill her baby. If you fear for the soul of a nation that promotes this “right” to the tune of some million-and-a-half innocent babies a year, here is my suggestion: Read Humanae Vitae, toss out your pills and prophylactics, and (if you are married, of course) have another baby. Bringing a child into the world is the most pro-life thing you can do.

John Allen also had a pretty good column published in the New York Times of all places too.
Light triumphs over the darkness. Life conquers death. The goodness of holy families will save the world.
Keep having those babies, y'all!

The Candidate of Change (as in every month)

2008-07-08T20:36:00.005-05:00

From yahoo news:
"Barack Obama struggled Thursday to explain how his upcoming trip to Iraq might refine, but not basically alter, his promise to quickly remove U.S. combat troops from the war..."

What a fraud. Seriously. It's not just that he's changing his positions, but, as Rick Lowry deftly explains, he's revealing that the entire theme of his candidacy (no more special interests or political games as usual) is not true. The guy is just a fraud , and people need to wake up to it.
I really really really hope he doesn't get elected.

Anglicans to Join Rome en masse?

2008-07-08T20:21:00.005-05:00

From Mary's Dowry, the bad news came to pass as expected, except without any concessionsfor conservatives (such as a parallel bishop structure, which, incidentally, probably only helped to get rid of any last-minute cold feet on the part of those looking toward Rome).
Now we have word that good news looks to be very much in the offing. Praying that this happy event come to fruition!

Turbulence in Canterbury

2008-07-01T12:56:00.004-05:00

The controversies threatening to tear apart the Anglican Communion have reached a new level of seriousness of late. First, there is the ongoing, behind-the-scenes negotiations between the estimated 400,000 Anglicans worldwide that are associated with the Traditional Anglican Communion (TAC), whose leaders last fall unanimously voted to write a letter to the Pope requesting acceptance of mass reunion.
The Lambeth Council is scheduled to meet this summer, but will be boycotted by a number of bishops throughout the world who reject the ordination of active homosexuals. A large number of these bishops met last week in Jerusalem, at a rival meeting called "Gafcon" (Global Anglican Future Conference). Damian Thompson's blog reports that it essentialy laid the groundwork for a "fellowship" within the Communion among more orthodox-minded believers that rejects the leadership of the liberal American and Canadian churches. For more on this go here.
Thompson offers some helpful clarification for those of us not familiar with the various factions within the Anglican Communion. There are 3 primary groups within Anglicanism:
1) Liberals (in the 19th century language of Newman these would be the Latitudinarian)
2) Anglo-Catholics (high church--think more Catholic than the pope--just no Pope!)
3) Evangelicals (low church, more in common with American Evangelical or Charismatic
churches)
Those who met at Gafcon were more of an "evangelical" mindset, but certainly not the high church, Anglo-Catholics such as TAC and others that have been talking to Rome of late, as Thompson writes: "Bear in mind, though, that nearly all these "conservative Anglicans" are Protestants - "lower than a snake's belly", [as in low church] as Anglo-Catholics like to say."
As for the high church group, Thompson wrote last week that at least one more bishop is planning on coming over to Rome after the Lambeth.
For more info on all things Anglican and Catholic, Marcus Grodi has had a number of great Journey Home shows with Anglicans in the past couple months (to listen click here). I found Fr. Geldard's (5/12/08) and William Oddie's (6/12/08) shows to be particularly enlightening. Be sure not to miss the last 10 minutes of Oddie's program where he leaves Grodi speechless upon revealing that the Roman Catholic bishops of England actually shut down Anglican use parishes in England due to, according to Oddie, their fear of a large number of conservative, "pre-Vatican II Anglicans" coming over en masse and tilting the balance within the Catholic Church in England. Thankfully, the negotiations now are bypassing the English bishops altogether, working directly with Rome instead.
Pray for the Anglicans, and pray for God's people, that we may be one.

Congratulations KVSS 88.9!

2008-06-24T21:53:00.004-05:00

Big kudos to KVSS, for the recent contract acquiring a 100,000 watt FM signal that will cover all eastern Nebraska, including a strong in-home signal in both Omaha and Lincoln. Needless to say, this is an amazing answer to prayer for the continued spread of the New Evangelization. Moreover, it marks the first Catholic station of this magnitude (the largest allowed by law) anywhere in the country, with the possible exception of one that I know of that is basically a contemporary Christian music station in the Tampa area.

We still need to pray that all goes well with the FCC applications, but it's looking awfully good that we will be able to turn on 102.7 and hear Catholic radio by the end of the year.

McCain-Pawlenty 08?

2008-06-24T21:41:00.006-05:00

The word in the blogosphere is that Pawlenty is most likely to get the nod from John McCain, with Andrew Sullivan saying it's a done deal. If you're not familiar with Pawlenty, here's a description from Newsweek's Andrew Romano:

Pawlenty is the rare Republican who could reassure supply-siders and social conservatives still skeptical of McCain without scaring off blue-state moderates. (After all, they've elected him twice.) As governor, he's cut taxes and spending, backed an anti-gay marriage amendment, signed a law requiring doctors to explain the risks and alternatives to abortion and maintained close ties to the evangelical community (his wife Mary attended an evangelical college and counts the president of the National Association of Evangelicals as a personal friend). At the same time, Pawlenty, who refuses to wear his religion on his sleeve, has branded himself as reformist/maverick in the McCain mold. He speaks out against global warming. He rails against oil and pharmaceutical companies. And he stresses the need for a new kind of conservatism. "I believe the Republican brand needs refreshment,” Pawlenty has said. “Our principles haven’t changed but the country is changing in terms of demographics, culture and technology and we need to make sure the Republican messenger has a modern message.” As the Times of London put it last week, he's "the thinking man’s blue-collar conservative, a political moderate and environmentalist." That's a tricky balance to strike--and it's exactly what McCain needs to win in November.

He may not be the red meat that hardcore conservatives were looking for, but he sounds great to me (but, oh yeah, I'm no hardcore conservative). Here's a youtube that offers a decent flavor of what Pawlenty's politics are about and his vision of where the GOP should be heading:

Latin Mass Hubbub & Weigel's Response

2008-06-24T21:19:00.004-05:00

Cardinal Castrillon-Hoyos, only a few weeks removed from his touchdown right here in Nebraska to ordain 4 new priests for the Fraternity of St. Peter, created quite the stir by his recent words in England:

When asked by The Catholic Herald if the Pope wanted to see many ordinary parishes making provision for the traditional form, the cardinal said: "All the parishes. Not many - all the parishes, because this is a gift of God. He [the Pope] offers these riches, and it is very important for new generations to know the past of the Church. This kind of worship is so noble, so beautiful - the deepest theologians' way to express our faith. "The worship, the music, the architecture, the painting, make a whole that is a treasure. The Holy Father is willing to offer to all the people this possibility, not only for the few groups who demand it but so that everybody knows this way of celebrating the Eucharist in the Catholic Church." ...

In Summorum Pontificum, the Pope stated that Tridentine Masses should be made available in every parish where groups of the faithful desire it. He also said any priest could freely celebrate the Mass. He did not require all parishes to establish a Tridentine Mass schedule, but said that where "a group of faithful attached to the previous liturgical tradition exists stably" the priest should "willingly accede" to their request to make the Mass available.Cardinal Castrillon, visiting London at the invitation of the Latin Mass Society (LMS), said that a stable group could mean just three or four people not necessarily from the same parish. ...

When Pope Benedict liberated the older Mass in July last year, many commentators argued that his main intention was to bring traditionalists back into the fold. But Cardinal Castrillon's comments imply that Benedict XVI wishes the old rite to be celebrated regularly in all churches so that it might enrich the celebration of Novus Ordo Masses and help to eradicate liturgical abuses.

On a sidenote: Of course, anyone could have found out about this last paragraph simply by reading the Pope's own public letter that accompanied Summorum Pontificum, which stated:

"For that matter, the two Forms of the usage of the Roman Rite can be mutually enriching ... [with the greater re-introduction of the ancient Latin liturgical tradition, the] celebration of the Mass according to the Missal of Paul VI will be able to demonstrate, more powerfully than has been the case hitherto, the sacrality which attracts many people to the former usage."

This remains the most important aspect, I think, of Pope Benedict's entire Latin Mass initiative--not so much the 'Tridentine' Latin Mass itself, but the reconciliation of the two forms of the Roman rite as well as the sometimes militant adherence to the Missals of their choice between the two groups (ultra-traditionalists on the right and anti-traditionalists, if you will, on the left), as the Holy Father's letter explains:

There is no contradiction between the two editions of the Roman Missal. In the history of the liturgy there is growth and progress, but no rupture. What earlier generations held as sacred, remains sacred and great for us too, and it cannot be all of a sudden entirely forbidden or even considered harmful. It behooves all of us to preserve the riches which have developed in the Church’s faith and prayer, and to give them their proper place. Needless to say, in order to experience full communion, the priests of the communities adhering to the former usage cannot, as a matter of principle, exclude celebrating according to the new books. The total exclusion of the new rite would not in fact be consistent with the recognition of its value and holiness.

That being said, George Weigel has an interesting summary of the "reform of the reform" with a helpful explanation of the entire liturgical controversy for the Masses, including a nice clarification about what Vatican II did and, more to the point, did not actually teach.
Go check it out here, and here's a snippet, in which he basically echoes my thoughts above:

Will this Benedictine reform-of-the-reform mean that every Catholic parish will soon have at least one Sunday celebration of mass in Latin, using the Missal of John XXIII? It seems unlikely, not least because very few priests today are competent Latinists. But in those places where the Latin mass of 1962 is celebrated reverently and without nostalgic accretions (lace-bedecked older vestments, for example), it will be a source of spiritual nourishment for the minority that prefers this way of worship, even as it introduces a new generation to what will be, for them, a new form of liturgy. In international settings, the use of this rite in Latin may help revive that ancient tongue as a common Catholic language for common worship--no small matter in an increasingly diverse and pluralistic church. Among scholars and parish clergy alike, the more widespread celebration of mass according to the Missal of John XXIII may prove to be the reformist magnet that Benedict XVI wants it to be, encouraging those who are already at work re-sacralizing the liturgy.
And the net result, over time? Almost certainly not "Latin days are here again" in every Catholic parish but rather a more reverent, more prayerful celebration of mass according to a reformed missal of 1970--and according to what the Second Vatican Council actually prescribed.

You Can't Keep Cutting the Trees without a Response from the Heavens

2008-05-28T23:13:00.007-05:00

An article on the spiritual response to the China earthquakes from the NY Times. Here are some good snips from the article:

“I think the heavens were teaching us a lesson,” said Mr. Wang, 36, one of the monastery’s resident monks. “This is what happens when the world is out of balance.” ...
As they sat around the ruins drinking tea and reading religious texts, members of the order talked about the earthquake as retribution for humanity’s misplaced priorities. Zhong Zongji, 38, a nun in a navy blue robe, said the symptoms were plainly visible in Dujiangyan, a city of 600,000 whose residents, she said, were too obsessed with chasing money to notice the beauty and sanctity of the natural world. “They have good material lives but they are empty inside,” she said, sitting near the row of tents that is now home to the temple’s 20 resident Taoists.

It's interesing to note is the universality of understanding of the redemptive nature of suffering. Tragedy is always an opportunity, if we seize it and offer our suffering to God. Perhaps in some partial way, these Taoists get that, and probably moreso than many in our "Christian" culture:
Two days before the ground shook, Ai Zongling said, she had a premonition that something terrible was going to happen. She woke up dizzy on the day of the quake and felt inexplicably drawn to the monastery’s biggest structure, one of the few religious buildings to escape complete destruction. “I felt in my heart I would be safe there,” she said.
Many of the men and women who live at Two Kings view the earthquake as a comeuppance for man’s endless wars, the neglect of the elderly, the abuse of the environment. “You can’t keep cutting down the trees and destroying the land without a response from the heavens,” said Ms. Ai, as the daylight faded and the monks and nuns retreated to their tents. Still, she said she thought some good might come from the calamity. Down in the city, she had been moved by the sight of strangers helping one another. Perhaps people will learn what she and the other Taoist devotees view as the elements of a harmonious life: self-discipline, kindness and the pursuit of simplicity. “Maybe people will learn that you cannot keep living a corrupted life without consequences,” she said. “Maybe this earthquake can redeem us.”

Note the universality of the sense that the world is suffering from a sea of crass consumerism and greed, themselves the effects of original sin upon humanity. While we must be careful not to deify the environment or put nature above people, as Greens on the Left are wont to do, we must also remember that Nature is sacred--God's handiwork-which is oftentimes an instrument of divine communication (see Ps 19). As Joseph Pearce puts it, we're called to be stewards of the earth, not locusts. While one must be careful (ie, not concluding that town X necessarily got hit by the tornado because it was bad and town Y was spared because it was good, as Jesus cautioned) these Taoists are not off-base, imho, when they draw a general connection between the violence of nature with man's sinfulness and the just wrath of a holy and loving God. Catholics have good reason to be concerned with the apparent growth in unbridled greed and consumerism in the world today, which might just, in fact, be part of the Pope's message in his next encyclical, by the way.

Chopping Down the Cherry Trees for Want of Help

2008-05-28T22:54:00.005-05:00

Two comments on this interesting story from the Grey Lady. (1), one of the big questions during the immigration debate of the past few years has been whether we really don't have enough Americans to do the work that the illegals do, or whether Americans just need to pay more. This and other stories I've heard recently would suggest that we really don't have enough people to do all of the work out there to be done (any guesses as to why this might be, anyone?).

That being said, (2) I would also offer that we could go a long way toward solving this, in addition to fixing the immigration issue, by allowing kids to work younger. I was talking with a Deacon from my parish after Mass last Sunday and he told me how he started working at age 11. And while kids can still mow lawns or babysit, I really don't see the value in making them wait until they're 16 to be able to work a standard job. Wouldn't a 14 year old boy learn more life-lessons by working hard in a job than by sitting around playing video games and swimming with his friends? I could go on and on about this... I think a major problem in our society is the "perpetual adolescence" of many young adults, which I think is fostered, in part, because teenagers have few opportunities to work and develop good virtues, so instead it is all to easy to grow in laziness and selfishness. Add on top of that the years of college--when, traditionally, men and women were getting married and starting families and becoming adults, and instead today they encounter a culture that encourages a responsbility-free life of rampant over-drinking and promiscuity, which gives people the idea that this is not only normal but the "good life", rather than the truly Good Life of living holy and growing in grace and virtue. And we're surprised that we find people in their 30s that still act like they're 17 and, moreover, wonder why we're falling behind in economic and academic competitiveness with other countries?

Coburn: GOP Sinking Ship, But McCain Could Be Savior

2008-05-28T22:33:00.003-05:00

Senator Coburn offers the standard right-wing critique of the GOP's current malaise: namely, that K-street (think Delay-era corruption, corporate welfare and big business giveaways) and compassionate conservatism (see Bush era growth in federal expenditures) are to blame.
Now I don't disagree that spending has been too high, and I especially agree that the corruption and gvmt. for sale to the highest bidder has been particularly bad this past 8 years. That being said, I don't think that the average American is mostly upset about the federal gvmt. being too big. Rather, I think that most Americans want to see the gvmt. refocused and, yes, trimmed down a bit, cleansed of the corruption and filth, but especially (and this is where I might tend to differ a bit with what I'm calling the standard right-wing call for a total return to the Reagan philosophy), that government should become effective and competent to provide the services to its citizens that it claims to offer (see David Brooks column below as well as the recent conservative renaissance in the UK based on this basic idea). McCain could be just the man for this sort of task.

However, I also am intrigued by the fact that Coburn, known as one of the most outspoken conservatives in the Senate (and one who is not afraid to take on fellow Republicans) is so hopeful about McCain at a time when so many among the conservative base in the GOP are so unenthusiastic (see: Limbaugh, Rush; et al.):

Regaining our brand is not about "messaging." It's about action. It's about courage. It's about priorities. Most of all, it's about being willing to give up our political careers so our grandkids don't have to grow up in a debtor's prison, or a world in which other nations can tell a weakened and bankrupt America where we can and can't defend liberty, pursue terrorists, or show compassion.
John McCain, for all his faults, is the one Republican candidate who can lead us through our wilderness. Mr. McCain is not running on a messianic platform or as a great healer of dysfunctional Republicans who refuse to help themselves. His humility is one of his great strengths. In his heart, he's a soldier who sees one more hill to charge, one more mission to complete.

Brooks on McCain's Veep: Go for Competence

2008-05-28T22:22:00.003-05:00

One of my favorite columnists, David Brooks, writes that McCain should eschew the calls to select a veep based on geography, gender, ethnicity, the electoral college, or any other of the reasons given by most pundits today, and instead select someone based on his/her, gasp, ability to be a good vice president.

He also gave some interesting insights about the vision he thinks McCain has (or at least, what Brooks hopes McCain has) for the future of the GOP--and it is not the standard right-wing call for a return to the glorious Reagan conservatism (for that, see my upcoming post on Senator Tom Coburn's column), but of course, Brooks himself holds this view and has written extensively on this in the past:

McCain seems to be looking at business leaders like Meg Whitman. But among politicos, the shining stars would seem to be Rob Portman and Tim Pawlenty. Portman is an Ohioan with the mind of a budget director and a mild temperament that is a credit to his Midwestern roots. His résumé is ideal: He directed legislative affairs for the first President Bush, served in Congress for more than a decade and managed the Office of Management and Budget under Bush the younger. He excelled in every role.
Pawlenty, the governor of Minnesota, is one of the G.O.P.’s leading and most likable modernizers. The son of a truck driver (his mother died when he was 16), he is the godfather of Sam’s Club conservatism, the effort to reconnect the party to the needs of the working class. Pawlenty could help McCain play the Theodore Roosevelt-style role — reforming the nation’s institutions to fit a new century and epoch.
Both presidential candidates are surrounded by campaign advisers, campaign coverage and campaign frenzy. But the vice presidential pick is not really a campaign decision. It’s the first governing decision — and a way to see who is thinking seriously about how to succeed in the White House.

"It feels more, well, manly when you offer Mass that way" - High Schooler

2008-05-13T23:16:00.007-05:00

From Fr. Dwight Longenecker, who's now back in the States--Greenville, SC, to be specific--on facing the altar (ad orientum, or "toward the East," as in the direction from which the Lord comes, if you will):

Six high school boys stayed after Thursday's daily Mass at St Joseph's Catholic School:
"Father, why didn't you celebrate Mass facing East today?"
"I'm doing so on two days of the week, and on the other two the usual way. Do you like the Mass when I celebrate facing East?"
"Yes."
"Why?"
"It feels more holy. It's older right? But you're not really facing East here."
"There's something called 'liturgical East.' It's when the priest faces what used to be the East 'cause all the churches were built to face the rising sun, which was a symbol of the resurrection and also because Jesus would return to Jerusalem, which was in the East."
"Like Muslims facing Mecca."
"Sort of, but I'm not going to start wearing a turban"
"You could wear your biretta more often."
"Shall I?"
"I like Mass when you face East because it feels like you are offering the Mass for us more."
"I just like stuff that's more traditional."
"I think it feels more, well, manly. Do you know what I mean. Is that dumb?"
"That's interesting. No, I don't think it's dumb, but I have to think about why it might be true."
"I think it's good because I was thinking more about God and not you, and when you elevated the host it was like Jesus floating there. It was more mysterious. It was cool."
"Would you like me to continue saying Mass facing with you to the Lord?"
"Yes please."
"You don't feel slighted because I have turned my back to you? You sure I haven't hurt your feelings?"
Laughter all around. "You're not that good looking anyway Father."
"OK, why don't you all go to lunch now?"

Is this John McCain's Worst Nightmare?

2008-05-13T22:37:00.007-05:00

The Philly Inquirer asks whether Bob Barr might be the Republican Nader?

Clearly there is a lot of discontent on the right with the direction of the Republican party. The elephantine growth in federal spending over the past 8 years, combined with the consternation over the decision to invade Iraq (now recognized even by most Republicans for the blunder that it was), the lack of enthusiasm for John McCain (evidenced yet again on Monday by his speech on global warming, which was roundly denounced in conservative circles).

Along comes Bob Barr, the conservative Republican-turned Libertarian former congressman from Georgia. Picking up the Ron Paul banner of civil liberties, really really small government, and non-interventionist foreign policy, Barr stand poised to have an impact on the election in the fashion of Ralph Nader or perhaps even along the lines of Ross Perot. The guy has some skeletons in the closet from the days of the Clinton impeachment battle and his own life, but he seems to have undergone a political conversion of sorts since leaving congress (more Libertarian, less typical conservative Republican), and so you really have to look at where he is in 2008.

While 2008 is shaping up as a wacky year for politics, it is clear that this cannot be good news for the McCain campaign. He will need every vote he can get, and if disgruntled conservatives are given a viable option, just enough of them could jump ship to put Obama/Clinton over the top.

But that's a long ways off yet, and I'd prefer to to wait and see where the cards fall (me, make a prediction?). How many more months before the election?

Michael Yon

2008-05-13T12:32:00.004-05:00

You may have heard of Michael Yon. He is a citizen-reporter who has spent more time with troops in Iraq than anyone else (and also the one who snapped this famous pic at right). He has recently published a book and on the link below you can read the first chapter. His stories are amazing and inspiring and objective. For instance, he was the first one to report that Iraq was in the midst of a civil war a few years ago, which earned him some heavy criticism from some war supporters. He returned to Iraq in 2006 and now reports on the amazing turnaround that he has seen not only in the military side but in the relationships between the American soldiers and the Iraqi people thanks to General Petraus' strategy. His testimony has single-handedly changed my mind about whether we should keep our troops there (and convinced me that John McCain has the right strategy on Iraq after all, notwithstanding my post from earlier this week).

Amazon.com of his book

Chapter one of his book (via Townhall)

Laura Ingraham interview excerpt

NPR Interview

Let's Get Cracking Tomorrow, and Have a Drink Tonight!

2008-05-10T03:16:00.004-05:00

In contrast to the current American political malaise (see my last post), the conservatives in the UK have experienced a renaissance and offer a ray of hope for depressed State-side conservatives.
Interestingly, David Brooks explains how David Cameron has led the tories with a new approach focusing not so much on getting rid of all government Thatcher-style, but moreso on devlolving power to the people at the lowest level (that old Catholic principle of subsidiarity working again for ya) and using government intelligently to provide basic services well and help promote low-level social networks (again, sounds awfully similar to the rising tide of populism in the face of the nameless, soulless corporate and government entities that I was talking about). Enjoy the show!

Election 2008 and the Bush Malaise

2008-05-10T02:40:00.009-05:00

The Nebraska primary is coming up this week long after the Republican nomination has been wrapped up. The length of time combined with my general hiatus from news and politics during Lent make it feel like a very long time since the heat of the G.O.P. nomination battle—the days of Huckabee, Fred, Rudy, Mitt, and the bunch. (anyone remember Tommy Thompson?)

The nomination being wrapped up, my vote is completely meaningless, and even led me to consider casting a ballot on the democratic side since I’m a registered independent and can vote in either party’s primary for federal offices.

Up until a few days ago I would have happily told you I was voting for John McCain, but I’ve actually considered casting a vote for Ron Paul, the reasons for which I will attempt to explain.

This nation is in a malaise on so many levels, but, right or wrong, I believe it hovers around George Bush and Iraq. Did you ever notice that you that Bush’s only two major domestic legislative accomplishments, the tax cuts and the No Child Left Behind program, were both accomplished in the first two years of his presidency—i.e., before the Iraq War? Since then we’ve been in a rut. Honestly, I’m not trying to pile on, because I like Bush personally, but some things are just stubborn facts. The country is stuck and desperately yearning to move forward. Indeed, it’s almost symbolic that in his Bush’s year in office, so much of the legislation is being passed symbolically to face a certain veto. The business of the federal government goes on thanks to continuing resolutions (on this note, Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid’s recent comments on NPR about the broken relationship between the President and Congress are interesting). The problem is not fighting terrorists, but that we have gotten bogged down in Iraq. Staying there may be making the problem worse, although leaving will certainly be interpreted as a sign of weakness. Ron Paul said in one of the debates in an exchange with Huckabee that all we're doing there now is "saving face."

John McCain has been doing his best to present himself as a fresh face and distance himself from Bush and the current malaise. But John McCain can’t excite the conservative base no matter how hard he tries because, in spite of his fiscal conservatism, he’s simply not one of them. Instead, he’s trying to win a campaign based on winning over moderates and conservative democrats, a much more natural constituency (though a very questionable election strategy), and perhaps he can actually pull it off, though November is a long, long way off yet, and I remain skeptical.

I hope to goodness that McCain proves me wrong. But right now I see in him a whole lot of the same that has many on both the right and the left upset with the direction of this country. I'm talking about problems such as the buying and selling of candidates; tax giveaways to the biggest campaign supporters; jobs headed overseas; spiraling health care costs; gas prices soaring through the roof; unmitigated illegal immigration. People do not believe that the government is working in their interest, but that it is run by the powerful and well-connected. In so many ways, this country is stuck, and hungering for a new dawn, as David Brooks eloquently explained in a recent column.

This is, I think, the real source of the excitement behind the Obama campaign. It is not just about Barack Obama, the senator from Illinois. It is about the common hopes and dreams of so many people desirous of our nation turning over a new page. To his credit, Obama generally carries himself in a respectable, dignified manner and promises an administration freed the sinister influence and greed of the lobbyists and the corporate Haliburtons and Enrons of the world. He portrays himself as a breath of fresh air, a man that pledges to put the common man ahead of the rich and powerful, which is music to this country’s ears.

This populist note was also a big part of Mike Huckabee’s campaign, by the way, and his populist rhetoric was part of the reason that many fiscal conservatives looked on him with suspicion or, to use the words of Fred Thompson, as a “pro-life liberal.” This was also one of the big knocks on Romney—a lot of folks right not don’t want a rich guy because they’re skeptical of everyone with money or power.

All of which brings me back to John McCain. In many respects, he represents the old school country-club wing of the Republican party. He still refuses to recognize the role that free trade policies like NAFTA have played in the hollowing out of our economy and sending jobs overseas. And while he talks a good game about corporate welfare, many have noted that his policies are more likely to continue our current “corporate socialism,” which, as Ralph Nader explains, is not a conservative, free-market economy. He rails against earmarks, but truth be told, these represent a tiny portion of federal spending and do not begin to come close to the spending that goes into the large entitlement programs of Medicare and Social Security.

And when it comes to Iraq, he promises more of the same, in the hope that the Iraqis will stop fighting each other and that their army and central government will become strong enough to stand up by themselves. I say hope because that is all it is. Iraq's fate is ultimately up to the Iraqis alone, and many (such as this article) have said that our continued presence there is exacerbating the sectarian divisions more than the good that our brave troops are accomplishing. And may God help us if the Bush administration decides that Iran’s interference in Iraq merits a military reprisal (not that they would invade, but don’t think that a strategic bombing strike hasn’t already been drawn up by the Pentagon).

Ron Paul rejects the big-government liberal statism of the left and the big-business, transnationalist corporatism of the right (these are the real powers running the Republican party as Tucker Carlson and Michael Savage--start at 3:30--point out).

Ron Paul understands that 5 years of American blood is enough, and that we must begin withdrawing and forcing the Iraqis to assume responsibility for their country, and get on with the business of fighting terrorists and winning the hearts and minds of moderate muslims throughout the middle east
And Ron Paul is, by all accounts, a genuinely good, Christian man, of unimpeachable integrity.
Which tempt me to vote for Ron Paul instead of John McCain in my meaningless vote to show that I'm not happy with the current direction of the Republican party.
Come November it will be interesting to see what happens. Michael Savage (below) says he will be voting for John McCain as a better alternative to Obama. Perhaps if McCain loses, 4 years of an Obama presidency will temper the Bush malaise, and also allow a conservative rebound in 2012. Or maybe McCain will surprise us yet...

Final Thoughts on the Papal Visit (for now)

2008-04-23T08:29:00.005-05:00

Fr. Neuhaus from First Things and Fr. Thomas Rosica of Canda's Salt and Light TV have two of the best summaries of Pope Benedict's week that I've read. In short, while the long-term effects remain to be seen over the coming years (CWN pointed out some disappointing responses from some of the bishops and Catholic college representatives), I--as Fr. Neuhaus and Fr. Rosica--am convinced that the Spirit of that week will not be without its fruits. Only the Lord knows what was begun last week. People watched and listened, and now we must pray and get to work, and trust the Lord who gives growth to the seed.

Thoughts on Pope Benedict's Visit

2008-04-21T22:26:00.006-05:00

A moment of grace. A time for healing. A triumph for the Church. Is this Benedict's version of John Paul's 1979 trip to Poland?

All of these describe the great blessing that became Pope Benedict's apostolic visitation to the U.S. this past week--but there is so much more to say than brief clichés like these.

Having been in New York for 4 memorable days, I do not think that the success of the trip can be overstated. It was much more than getting to see the Pope in person. It was a great grace, both individually and corporately.

The Catholic Church in this country--and above all in the Northeast--has suffered in almost every possible aspect for decades: hordes of youth leaving the Church's doors (as the recent Pew survey confirmed all too well), dissent from theologians, disobedience of the Church's teachings by the laity, brutal battles between warring "factions", an endless stream of parish and school closings, the drying up of vocations to the priesthood and religious life.

Yet no one of these problems have so embodied the Church's current woes as the sexual abuse crisis. The Holy Father used the perfect word to describe the crisis during his inflight conversation with reporters on his way to America: shame. It is an emotion that is seldom invoked in our contemporary culture, and yet it is one that can never be completely erased from the human heart. Shame is indeed the proper and fitting reaction to the unspeakable acts that took place, and the corresponding failure on the part of many of the Church's shepherds to be the fathers they were called to be, protecting children and saving souls.

Pope Benedict addressed this issue head-on and repeatedly and in a manner that, by all accounts, was full of genuine compassion and selfless humility as is fitting for a man whose office bears the title, among many others, "servant of the servants of God." In so doing, his presence here was like a badly needed balm of healing upon the wounds of so many our Church.

Yes this was a smashing success. And for that we give thanks to Almighty God, who has mercifully blessed His people with this grace after years of suffering and shame.

Time will tell whether this was simply a few days of blessing or something more. Russell Shaw suggests that we've been here before with Pope John Paul II's "successful" visits to the United States. But, as Whispers in the Loggia's Rocco Palmo movingly wrote (and I copy below), not a few think that this was something more----yea, a turning point in the life of the Church in this country. I tend to agree with Rocco's take as I will explain.

First, I would respectfully disagree with the implication that JPII's visits did not bear much fruit. Yes, the statistics continue to show the decline among "typical Catholics," but anyone paying attention in the Church here over the past couple decades knows that a sizeable minority has been awoken by a Renewal, one which only gains momentum with each passing year. The Scott Hahns (and other converts) of the world, Catholic radio and TV, the pro-life movement, and the young vocations, so many of whom were inspired by John Paul the Great testify to it. No statistic can show depth of commitment, but the John Paul/Mother Angelica era has left an indelible imprint on the Church in this country so that you will find these orthodox Catholics, on-fire for their faith, and very committed to the Church's teaching on human life and sexuality (which sets them apart in stark contrast with our mainstream culture) in almost every corner of the country. These Catholics were visible in full force in New York this weekend, and I experienced it in a very tangible way as we were waiting to get in to Yankee Stadium: the line was moving painfully slow and the morning was cold and dreary. A Franciscan Friar of the Renewal jumped atop a barrier and began leading the crowd in chants: "Christ our Hope! Benedict our Pope!" "Ave... Maria! Ave.. Maria!" "God is good, all the time... All the time, God is good!" Some older nuns standing nearby enthusiastically joined in as did other people of all sorts around, including a family of at least 7 (by my count) women who were sisters (not talking about nuns here) and their spouses and many children, as well as the amazing diversity of immigrants in evidence everywhere at Yankee stadium.

It was as though the whole Church is ready to turn the page. Having tasted the bitter fruits of our coarse culture, people are hungrier than ever for Truth, for Purity, for God.

I feel this as a sense of momentum for the Church in this country. And neither do I think that it is merely a cult of personality or empty emotionalism. The excitement experienced last week goes the core of our being: the recognition that at the heart of all we do is our Faith. And I dare say that this was something felt not only by the young, on-fire Franciscan Friars, but also by middle-aged Catholics who have lived through all of the turbulence in society and the Church of the past 40 years.

I believe that a Renewal of the Church has been growing for many years now. The pain and loss of recent years have been devastating, and yet, simultaneously, there are so many signs of hope and excitement for the future. Pope Benedict's visit tapped into this and let it loose so that it became an explosion of emotion. For it was this of emotion that formed the common thread for so many who saw the Pope last week. After much sorrow, there were tears of joy. After much suffering, tears of hope.

And now we can offer our tears of thankfulness before the goodness of our God.

Rocco's Take on the Papal Visit from Whispers:

The Pope might've finally employed the term "New Pentecost" yesterday morning, but the newness of springtime had already come with him to the canyons of Manhattan.
Friday was the season's first genuinely beautiful day in the "capital of the world." But that doesn't explain why something unique could be felt in the Gotham air.
Believe me, I've been 'round these parts long enough to know.
Many moons ago, I spent a year living in New York, down on the friendly confines of the Lower East Side. By Providence, that year just happened to be 2002 -- the year everything we thought we knew was turned upside down... the year we came to know the extent to which our leadership had failed us... the year that remains the most painful of my life.
And in its way, this city saved me. Its life filled me with the kind of wonder you can't find anywhere else on this earth, its energy provided a shot of hope and, well, blessed distraction at the time I needed it most. And it was here when, late one fall night of that dreadful year, something snapped inside me and I sat down at the computer and started writing... and writing... and writing... and, after sunrise, looked out onto Union Square and realized that it was what I wanted to do with my life.
I'm not here full-time anymore, but this is still the place that I love more than any other... indeed, the place I call home. And yet, for all the time I've ever spent holding court on Avenue A, watching out for moving platforms and slipping off to the Cloisters, I never felt anything like what rocked the night here on the Pope's first night in town.
Of course, it'd been 13 years since a pontiff had come to this island, and much had changed since the fall of 1995, the first time I ever saw a Pope in the flesh, albeit from a football field away.
This time, though, given what's since transpired, it was completely different. At least, it was supposed to be. And, so it was said, not for the better, either.
In my prayer, I've long felt that the ground here in the Northeast has cried out for renewal -- (what should be) panic-inducing levels of participation, low credibility of local leadership, little to no sense of general vocation (along with a concurrent lack of seminarians) and an institutional culture that evolved from administration to management and, in the process, sought to replace fire with a light-bulb can easily lead one to that conclusion. But given the premium on pack mentality of this part of the Big Tent, where change of any sort can seem akin to denying Revelation, it's very easy to feel that you're alone and, ergo, crazy, that everything's fine and you're just connecting dots that don't exist.
Not anymore.
A friend in Midtown told me that Friday at St Patrick's was like a Sunday in terms of turnout, people flooding the place. Once I made my own way into town, it was easier than usual to find crosses or rosaries around necks abounding on the streets, and the feeling was just... Good. Encouraging. Supportive. Enthusiastic. All in a way it hadn't felt here, or anywhere around here, in a long time.
Later in the evening, while waiting to do a radio interview, I sat by the big fountain behind 30 Rock -- the GE Building, NBC Studios, etc. -- to kill time and just soak up being back here again.
It was a picture-perfect night, with just enough haze/smog in the air to give the lights of Times Square a brilliant shade of a "halo" effect. And then... from the distance... music could be heard. Voices and guitar. Joyous song.
"Holy! Holy! Holy!"
Over and over again.
"Holy! Holy! Holy!"
With each iteration, it came closer.
"Holy! Holy! Holy!"
Repetitive, exuberant chants are no surprise to anyone used to this place -- but from the sound, it became clear that these weren't the Hare Krishnas everyone's used to seeing roam the downtown streets.
And then they appeared: Franciscan Friars of the Renewal, Sisters of Life, a host of other orders male and female, cassocked sems and, more than any other, layfolk. Fifty, maybe 70 of 'em. All young. All together. All one. All looking just like me.
"Holy! Holy! Holy!"
Each bore candles, turned heads and kept the singing up, making it a bit louder as the horns and engine-noises of 6th Ave. right by Radio City on a Friday night sought to drown them out.
I couldn't help but smile, simply to find that, in the midst of the city some have sought to portray as the global seat of the secularist behemoth, I wasn't alone.
"Holy! Holy! Holy!"
Seeing a beaming onlooker, one perceptive Sister of Life jumped out of the crowd and handed me a prayer-card.
"We're heading down to where he's staying to sing 'Happy Birthday,'" she said. Clearly, no further explanation was necessary.
"You're welcome to join us."
With a studio cameo on deck, I couldn't... and only later did I learn that, from all over the city, crowds like this one were walking, making station stops at the various parishes -- many of which stayed open, many welcoming large crowds of their own into the night -- all to congregate at the Mission House to sing and pray together.
In a word, it was... amazing. It blew me away. The contagious joy that marked each face, the light each carried -- not the candles -- broke through a darkness that's long existed on these streets... one that could never be measured in watts or stops of sunlight.
It's common knowledge that the busiest day of the year at the House That Hughes Built isn't Christmas or Easter, or even St Paddy's Day... but Ash Wednesday, when no less than 60,000 penitents pour through its doors. They come from all backgrounds -- CEOs and housecleaners, teachers and technicians, Anglo, Latino, Asian, African... even Hindu, Jewish, Jain and Evangelical. Along these lines, it's been said that, for all the grief and pain of these last years, anyone -- anyone -- who doesn't have a bit of burnt palm on their forehead in the city that day gets looked at funny.
That same sense of identity showed itself last night. But this time, it wasn't Lent they were claiming... but Easter. The New Pentecost. Indeed, their energy, their desire seemed to say that the light-bulb would never suffice and the moment had come to bring the Fire back to the heart of the church in the very midst of this "capital of the world."
(Burn, baby, burn.)
Seeing that felt so good, words still can't describe it. And long after they left, something hung in the air that hadn't in a good while, and never before in my memory. (To back this up, even my cousin on the Upper West Side said she could feel something stirring in the city that day which she couldn't exactly pinpoint.)
It might be a bit presumptuous to immediately say "the Holy Spirit," but whatever it was, it was something.
Earlier tonight, I was sitting with a senior official as we compared notes from the last few days. And we both agreed that, for all the concerns, difficulties, delays and what seemed like debacles in the planning and run-up, not only has every expectation of these days been exceeded, but that this experience was "just what we needed." All of us. And hopefully not a few of you who haven't been so blessed and lucky to be here have felt a bit of that over these days, this moment of grace.
Providentially enough, I was sitting by a fountain when that prayer-card came my way. Quoting from B16, its message read thus:
Holy Mary, Mother of God you have given the world its true light,Jesus, your Son -- the Son of God.You abandoned yourself completely to God's call and thus became a wellspring of the goodness which flows forth from him. Show us Jesus. Lead us to him.Teach us to know and love him,so that we too can become capable of true loveand be fountains of living water in the midst of a thirsting world.
Lord, send out your Spirit, and renew the face of the earth... of this earth... of this church!
"May tongues of fire, combining burning love of God and neighbor with zeal for the spread of Christ’s Kingdom, descend on all present!"
These have been amazing days, friends, and in that moment by the fountain it became clear that, as in a miracle, the tide had, at long last, begun to turn.
His own energy-level at an apex unequaled over his three-year reign, Papa Ratzi might be heading home tonight... but, church, our work is just beginning.
It's been said before but bears repeating: "the Holy Spirit is ready -- but the answer depends on us."
It's the call of our time, and the work of renewal is already underway in our midst. But it can only happen if each of us go "all in."
Gratefully, it's not a question of programs, budgets, committees or technologies. All it takes is just one word -- YES.
It's time, gang -- our time.
All in, all together, let's get to it.

The Pope is Coming, the Pope is Coming!

2008-04-14T20:59:00.003-05:00

I heard Mark Hart this morning on the local Catholic radio station. He commented on the upcoming Pope's visit (I'm paraphrasing): "You know it's funny how people say all sorts of things about the Pope, but when Peter arrives on your shore for a visit, it seems like the whole world snaps to attention."

Yes, Peter is coming to confirm the brethren (Lk. 22). Let us rejoice and give thanks, and may the God of all mercies grant the great success of this apostolic visit, and shed His abundant grace and mercy upon our fellow countrymen to receive the Word of Christ.

Remembering William F. Buckley

2008-04-07T19:12:00.004-05:00

Over the Lenten season, William F. Buckley Jr. passed away. The family had a funeral immediately following his death, but this past weekend a public farewell Mass at St. Patrick's cathedral was celebrated by Fr. Rutler. I knew Buckley as a well-known conservative, but am too young to have enjoyed his years as the "godfather" or intellectual architect of the modern conservative movement during the 1950s-70s. I became very interested in Buckley as I read one tribute after another to him after his passing. I found George Will's and David Brooks' pieces to be particularly moving. Writes David Brooks of his mentor's virtues and accultured tastes:

I don’t know if I can communicate the grandeur of his life or how overwhelming it was to be admitted into it. Buckley was not only a giant celebrity, he lived in a manner of the haut monde. To enter Buckley’s world was to enter the world of yachts, limousines, finger bowls at dinner, celebrities like David Niven and tales of skiing at Gstaad.
Buckley’s greatest talent was friendship. The historian George Nash once postulated that he wrote more personal letters than any other American, and that is entirely believable. He showered affection on his friends, and he had an endless stream of them, old and young. He took me sailing, invited me to concerts and included me at dinners with the great and the good.
He asked my opinion about things, as he did with all his young associates, and he worked hard on polishing my writing. My short editorials would come back covered with his red ink, and if I’d written one especially badly there might be an exasperated comment, “Come on, David!”
His second great talent was leadership. As a young man, he had corralled the famously disputatious band of elders who made up the editorial board of National Review. He changed the personality of modern conservatism, created a national movement and expelled the crackpots from it.
He led through charisma and merit. He was capable of intellectual pyrotechnics none of us could match. But he also exemplified a delicious way of living.
Magazines are aspirational. National Review’s readers no doubt shared a hatred for Communism, but many of them simply wanted to be like Buckley. He had a Tory gratitude for the pleasures of life: for music, conversation, technology and adventure.
Days at the magazine were filled with rituals. And through all the fun, I don’t recall him talking about politics much. He talked about literature, history, theology, philosophy and the charms of the peculiar people he had known.

Intrigued to learn more about Buckley's strong Catholic faith, I've been reading his spiritual autobiography, Nearer My God, which I highly recommend. He describes his privileged upbringing, but he was one of ten and as he once said as only Buckley could, "large families tend to be quite egalitarian, so it was quite hard to develop an affectation of any sort." He includes an amazing vision of the crucifixion from Maria Valtorta, and also has some interesting takes on Vatican II, an excerpt of which I have written below.
If you've never seen Buckley's old shows, be sure to enjoy these clips that show him as his classic self. First, with an inebriated Jack Kerouac on the hippies (must be said in drawn-out aristrocratic, Buckley-esque fashion), "an understand of which we must gain lest we die painfully":

Also, he offers this conservative take on during the 1968 election--would that we had commentators and thinkers half so eloquent today:

In Nearer, my God Buckley writes movingly of his experience as a boy taking in the "mystical things that were taking place of the altar" in English boarding school. In the following section, he describes the liturgical reform, as he experienced it, ever so painfully:

...in January, my sister Aloise died, aged forty-nine, eldest of ten children, mother of ten. The family--her children and her siblings--were catapulted into a dumb grief. We took refuge in our conviction that our separation from her was impermanent. It was for us acutely the time not merely to recall the promises of Christ but to invoke ther magical capacity to mitigate grief. We wanted to relive, in the funeral ceremony, the liturgical experience we had all grown up with--indeed, what had been the universal practice up until a few years before--the Mass in Latin. This request the priest we dealt with gladly granted.
And so on January 18, 1967, the weather in the little town in northwestern Connecticut, at subzero, in the homely brick church we had all known since childhood, the priest recited the Mass of the Dead and the organist accompanied the soloist, who sang the Gregorian dirge in words the mourners did not clearly discern, words which, had we discerned them, we could not exactly have translated; and yet we experienced--not only her family but her friends; not alone the Catholics among us but also the Protestants and the Jews--something akin to that spiritual transport which, in the late sixties, many restless folks were finding it necessary to search out in drugs or from a guru in Mysterious India.
Six months later (we were in the storm center of Vatican II) Aloise's oldest daughter was married. With some hesitation Ben Heath, her widower father, asked the same priest whether this happy ritual might also be performed in the Latin. The priest replied, with understanding and grace, that unhappily that would not be possbile inasmuch as he would be performing on this occasion not in a remote corner of connecticut, but in West Hartford, practically within earshot of the bishop. We felt wicked at having attempted anything so heterodox--Latin in church!--so to speak within the walls of the episcopacy; and so the wedding Mass was conducted according to the current cant, with everybody popping up and kneeling down and responding, more or less to the stream of objurgations that issued from the nervous and tone-deaf young commentator: All together now, who do we appreciate?--Jesus! Jesus! Jesus! Jezus--it was awful. My Protestant wife, to whom I had been beholden for seventeen years and who had borne with me countless weddings of my countless relatives, was with me, alongside. She had in January clutched my hand during the funeral service of the birde's mother. Now she turned to me early in the new liturgy to express utter incredulity, wondering whether something was awry. Defensively I rebuked her, muttering something to the effect that she should not be so ignorant of what had been going on in my Church for three years; she turned her head away from my asperity.
She was right, I utterly wrong. How could she, an innocent Anglican, begin to conceive of the liturgical disfigurations of those years? My own reaction had been the protective reaction of the son whose father, a closet drunk, is spotted outside his household unsteady on his feet.
All of those daffy innovations did not matter, to be sure, in any Benthamite reckoning: the sacraments of the Mass, its canon, were undeniably still there. But as with the new rules for Friday, the obvious question came to mind: What goal was being served by the new liturgy? One one point I--and other dissenters--were ready to yield from the first moment the liturgy was changed. It was incontestably right that the vernacular should displace the Latin if by so doing the rituals of Catholic Christianity brought greater satisfaction to the laity along with a deeper comprehension of what was going on at the altar. Though even then I'd continue to cherish the bodkin Arnold Lunn inserted so deftly in the soft tissues of the revisionists' argument: "If it is so," he wrote in a letter addressed to the London Times, alongside Evelyn Waugh and a few others pleading for the one (1) Latin Mass each Sunday in the larger churches, "that the Latin Mass is only for the educated few, surely Mother Church, in all her charity, can find a place even for the educated few?"

An Inspiration to Us All

2008-03-25T08:00:00.003-05:00

Congratulations to Mr. Magdi Allam, Italy's famous Muslim journalist, on receiving his first sacraments. Having stayed away from blogs, etc., during Lent, I was unaware of his conversion until, thankfully, my pastor talked about him in his homily for the Easter Vigil. While his life has already been at risk, it is now even moreso. He is an example to all of us of being ready and willing to sacrifice all for our Lord if the Father should will it.
But with the victory of Christ assured for the faithful, what do we have to fear?
Resurrexi, et adhuc tecum sum. (I have risen, I am still with you) Alleluia!

Site Closed for Lent

2008-02-06T00:36:00.000-06:00

Be back around Easter. A Holy and Blessed Lent to all.

Super Tuesday Reflections

2008-02-05T23:56:00.000-06:00

With the minutes ticking down until the clock strikes 12 (ie, Ash Wednesday, the commencement of my 40 day fast from all things electronic), Super Tuesday results are still coming in. However, it looks like John McCain continues to solidify his position as the front-runner. Huckabee performed surprisingly strong, which could set him up as the McCain alternative (although that doesn't seem very likely). Romney would appear to be really, truly out after losing California and Missouri, two important states in which he had been running close. Of course, in this crazy year, you never know--by the time Easter comes things might have changed again--though I doubt it. Deal Hudson's blog has some great analysis of the Catholic vote in Super Tuesday, including this juicy tidbit:
The big news tonight is the strength of Mike Huckabee, and the idea that he might by McCain's Vice President appears more likely than it did to me last week when it was proposed on this blog by Mark Stricherz. I was told a few days ago, by someone who knows, that McCain and Huckabee talk every day on the phone.
On the Democratic side, it's anyone's guess who will end up the nominee, although I have a sneaking suspicion Hillary might just squeak it out thanks to her large support from women, older voters, and "lunch pale democrats" that are part of the Democratic/union voting machines. If it ends up being a Hillary-McCain race, all is certainly not lost. I even like our chances, though a betting man would probably have to take Clinton, esp. if she were to tap Obama as her VP.
On the other hand, if Obama-mentum continues to catch fire and Obama takes the nomination, then it would be a very tough race for McCain, no doubt. One ominous sign in this direction is the late come-from-behind win for Obama in Missouri, the quintessential "bellweather" state.
Now that Lent is upon us, what better time to begin praying all the more for our nation and for courageous bishops and priests to charitably and calmly teach on properly forming our consciences when we go into the voting booth. We are called to build the Kingdom, although we political junkies must also bear in mind that the Kingdom is the Body of Christ, not the United States, and that our salvation does not lie in politics.
Candidly, I have found Romney to be the more compelling GOP candidate over the past week (esp. his California debate performance), but I do not like the way that some of the right-wing talk show hosts have gone after McCain in such vitriolic fashion. If any conservatives out there have been convinced that McCain is the Republican party's worst nightmare, let me offer some links to check out on the "glass is half full side."
First from the Wall Street Journal on the issue of judges, and this endorsement from Manny Miranda, who opposed the Miers nomination and sheperded the fight for Alito and Roberts' nominations.
Then there's this Catholics for McCain Brochure, which is worth checking out.
And finally on the emotional issue of immigration--a very real problem in need of a real solution--we do well to bear in mind that the kick'em out rhetoric of the talk shows is not in line with the Church's thinking on the issue. The words of our late Holy Father, JPII:
"The Church in America must be a vigilant advocate defending against any unjust restriction of the natural right of individual persons to move freely within their own nation and from one nation to another. Attention must be called to the rights of migrants and their families and to respect for their human dignity, even in cases of nonlegal immigration." (“Eccelsia in America,” 1999, #65).
Given John McCain's stellar voting records on the vast majority of conservative issues, his impressive list of endorsements from solid conservatives who've worked with him for years, I simply cannot understand the level of opposition being waged by some conservatives. Yes, McCain has his flaws--a temper, soft-spot for the media and polls, to name a couple. But peruse the list of history and you'll find many great leaders with plenty of flaws. Folks, it's time to bury the axes, and support the likely nominee. John McCain is definitely a candidate that Catholics can support in good conscience. Assuming he goes forth to win the nomination, it's time for everyone in the conservative bus to get behind him. As the Senator from Arizona is fond of saying, "Let us win."

(Re)Converting England

2008-02-05T00:24:00.000-06:00

Recently we have heard of Tony Blair's conversion and the revelation that more Englishmen are now worshipping at the Holy Sacrifice of the Mass than at their national Church each Sunday. Now we are hearing 'rumours' on the 'favourites' to become the next Primate of the country once known as the "Dowry of Mary." Via Rocco, we are told that the traditionally-minded Abbot of Scotland's Pluscarden Abbey has emerged as a strong contender.
But today the Catholic Herald reports on this gem of an essay written by another frequently mentioned as a candidate for the post, Fr. Aidan Nichols. The good Father says that its high time the Church got on with its primary job--namely, the conversion of England to the one true Faith.

The Second Vatican Council, he argued, did not replace mission with dialogue. Instead it drew attention to respectful dialogue and an understanding of other faiths as a necessary condition of missionary work. Fr Nichols, a Dominican friar, argues that the disappearance of other Christian and non-Christian religions would not necessarily be “a Bad Thing”, since the Catholic faith contains all the elements of truth, goodness and beauty that are present in other forms of Christianity and faith traditions. He argues that Catholicism was crucial in the formation of England and suggests that the Church is well suited to remaking a “not terribly impressive culture” dominated by “supermarkets and sport”. [Ha! Doesn't this describe the entire Western world at present, sad to say?]
English Catholicism is fit for the challenge, he explains, because it is a “pot-pourri” of recusant families, Anglican converts and Irish, Polish and Filipino immigrants. He says the example of the original Anglo-Saxon conversion of England showed that only a mixture of “indigenous and exogenous elements” can successfully transform a whole society. Fr Aidan Nichols's plan for renewal:
- Firmer doctrine in our teaching and preaching
- Re-enchant the liturgy
- Recover the insights of metaphysics
- Renew Christian political thought
- Revive family life
- Resacralise art and architecture
- Put a new emphasis on monastic life
- Strengthen pro-life rhetoric
- Recover a Catholic reading of the Bible

Prayer for England
O Blessed Virgin Mary, Mother of God and our most gentle Queen and Mother look down in mercy upon England, thy dowry, and upon us who greatly hope and trust in thee.
By thee it was that Jesus, our Saviour and our hope was given unto the world; and He has given thee to us that we might hope still more.
Plead for us thy children, whom thou didst receive and accept at the foot of the cross, O Sorrowful Mother, Intercede for our separated brethren, that with us in the one true fold, they may be united to the Chief Shepherd, the Vicar of thy Son.
Pray for us all, dear Mother, that by faith, fruitful in good works we may all deserve to see and praise God, together with thee in our heavenly home.

L'Osservatore's Makeover

2008-02-04T23:59:00.001-06:00

According to many, L'Osservatore Romano, the Vatican's offical newspaper, has long been predictable, boring even (not to mention expensive). The Pope's recent appointment of Gian Maria Vian, a lay Italian journalist, has revolutionized its pages according to John Allen:

Today’s graphic overhaul, including the use of color on L’Osservatore’s legendarily gray first and last pages, marks another stage in this transformation. In just 100 days, L’Osservatore has metamorphasized into a paper widely seen as creative, provocative, and a virtually indispensable resource on church affairs.

The front page of its weekly English edition is available for free on the web. Allen reports that Vian is hoping to create daily versions in non-Italian languages in the future.

It's Identity, Stupid.

2008-02-04T00:09:00.000-06:00

Fr. Z points out that John Allen's latest column hits the nail on the head in describing Pope Benedict's papacy:

Without a doubt, the push for robust assertion of traditional Catholic identity is the most consequential mega-trend in the life of the church today, and it is also the core of Benedict XVI’s agenda as pope. Emboldened by the election of John Paul II in 1978, the identity wave hit the arena of liturgy first, then went on to engulf Catholic education, Catholic media, priestly identity and formation, religious orders, and virtually every other sphere of ecclesiastical life.

Fr. Z then elaborates with his own take:

Pope Benedict has a plan, a "Marshall Plan" for the Church, focusing especially on reinvigorating Catholic identity. The liturgy is the tip of the spear. Change the liturgy, you change everything else.Note also that Allen brings in the point of priestly identity. Clearly this is what Summorum Pontificum is aiming at. The Motu Proprio is about priestly identity as much as it is about anything else.If Catholics do not recover and strengthen a clear Catholic identity, one that is coherent in teaching and practice and in continuity with our past, then the Church cannot make the contribution the Lord commands her to give to the world.

The Pro-Life "Wolf"

2008-02-03T23:50:00.000-06:00

Just read the article. An excerpt:

Catholics [must] return to their roots,” he said. “If Catholics kept the faith, Roe versus Wade would never have happened. There’s no question in my mind. If Francis Cardinal Spellman was the archbishop of New York and Bishop Fulton J. Sheen was still on television, 90 percent of these things wouldn’t have occurred because people would’ve formed their consciences in accordance with the teaching of Holy Mother Church. Catholics would know what the teachings are because they would’ve been discussed from the pulpit and in the marketplace. But today’s sermons are frequently given by deacons and they frequently sound like [motivational speaker] Tony Robbins—work hard, keep your nose to the grindstone. There’s nothing wrong with that in life, but there’s nothing particularly Catholic about it either.
“I was about to explode there,” Judge Napolitano exclaimed. “Patrick Cardinal O’Boyle, down where you are in Washington, D.C., used to banish priests to a Trappist monastery if they dared to speak out against Humanae Vitae. You don’t hear about that kind of stuff anymore, but we need that type of courage in the hierarchy. Unless and until we get it, you can’t expect the average Catholic to change—because they don’t know what to believe. The bishops have lifetime jobs, so what the heck are they worried about? This is a longtime problem and I think my generation was the last to be raised in traditional Catholicism.”

The Old Latin Mass

2008-02-01T23:43:00.000-06:00

Thomas Woods offers a new synopsis of the traditional Latin liturgy and Pope Benedict's "hermeneutic of continuity":

My book’s title, Sacred Then and Sacred Now, is drawn from Pope Benedict XVI’s letter to bishops that accompanied his 2007 motu proprio liberating the Church’s traditional liturgy. There he rebuked the Orwellian mindset at the heart of those who have taught us to despise the old missal: "What earlier generations held as sacred, remains sacred and great for us too, and cannot be all of a sudden entirely forbidden or even considered harmful. It behooves all of us to preserve the riches which have developed in the Church’s faith and prayer, and to give them their proper place." ...
Almost immediately, opponents of liberalization, including some bishops, tried to portray what Benedict had done as a grudging allowance aimed merely at old fogies who refused to get with the times. That claim doesn’t survive even chapter one of my book, which synthesizes decades of Ratzinger’s liturgical writings and reveals the Pope to be pointing to the old missal as a treasure to be cultivated, not an annoyance to be kept at arm’s length.
As Benedict said while Cardinal Joseph Ratzinger, "I well know the sensibilities of those faithful who love this [traditional] Liturgy – these are, to some extent, my own sensibilities."

Oklahoma's State Meal

2008-01-31T21:17:00.000-06:00

OKC's Mayor has put his city--the nation's 15th fattest--on a diet. But what I loved in the story is the State's Official Meal, designated in 1988 by the Legislature:

Cornbread, sausage and gravy, chicken fried steak, pecan pie.

And if that doesn't fill you up, they have the following items also listed as additional options:

Fried okra, squash, barbecue pork, biscuits, grits, corn, strawberries and black-eyed peas.

Good eatin just don't get any betta than that, folks!

Benedict's Team in Place

2008-01-29T09:28:00.000-06:00

Sergio Magister's Chiesa Website excellently sums up how, patiently and methodically, piece by piece, the Holy Father has been assembling his lieutenants in the Curia. Many expected a house-cleaning after his election and were surprised when, one year passed, even two years passed, and it never came. But those who were watching noted that individual moves here and there have been made steadily, and the results of the new team are now evident: Ranjith, Marini (as in Luigi, not Piero), Hummes, and, of course, the ubiquitous Bertone, with the overhaul of "L'Osservatore Romano" as a key means of communiation under the new regime.
Pray for the Pope. These appointments are very important and have a large bearing on how effectively the Holy Father's initiatives are communicated to the wider Church and implemented.

St. Vincent, Deacon Martyr

2008-01-22T22:43:00.001-06:00

What a fitting saint for today, January 22. A martyr whose hopeful confidence in the face of evil should be emulated by pro-lifers. A martyr whose serenity is reminiscent of the descriptions of the new Superior General of the Jesuits.

Thanks to Marcellino D'Ambrosio for the full text of this powerful homily from St. Augustine about the deacon-martyr from today's Office:

Call to mind the Lord Christ warning and encouraging his disciples in the gospel; call to mind the king of martyrs equipping his troops with spiritual weapons, indicating the wars to be fought, lending assistance, promising rewards; first saying to his disciples, In this world you will have distress; then immediately adding words that would allay their terrors: But have confidence: I myself have vanquished the world. ...

At each attack, Christ comes running to the defence, and the Christian is not vanquished. If, in this passion of Vincent’s, one only gave thought to human powers of endurance, it would begin to look unbelievable; but if one acknowledges divine power, it ceases even to be wonderful.
Such hideous cruelty was being unleashed on the martyr’s body, and such calm serenity was displayed in his voice; such harsh, savage punishments being applied to his limbs, but such assurance echoing in his words, that we would have imagined that in some marvellous way, while Vincent was suffering, that it was someone else and not the speaker that was being tortured.
And indeed, my dearest brethren, that is how it was; undoubtedly that is how it was: someone else was speaking. Christ, you see, promised even this to his witnesses in the gospel, when he was preparing them for this sort of contest. For he said: 'Do not think beforehand about how or what you are to speak. For it is not you that are speaking, but the Spirit of my Father who is speaking in you.'
So the flesh was suffering, and the Spirit was speaking. And while the Spirit was speaking, not only was ungodliness being confounded and convicted, but weakness was even being strengthened and comforted.

22 January 2008: 35 Years of Tragedy

2008-01-22T20:13:00.001-06:00

Today has been proclaimed a day of penance in recognition of the anniversary of Roe v. Wade. As the total of legal abortions since the 1973 decision creeps upward toward 50 million, all the more urgent is the call to pray, offer sacrifice, and action against this scourge facing our nation and world.

Let us pray that our next president will be one that will be happy to echo our current president's proclamation of the "Sanctity of Human Life Day".

Thanks to the bishops of our state for supporting the great work of Virtue Media, who create high quality TV ads, which have been shown to drop abortion rates an amazing 40-70% in markets where they are shown on a regular basis.

Our Lady of Guadalupe, Patroness of Life, ora pro nobis.

Jesuits Pick the Next Successor to St. Ignatius

2008-01-22T20:02:00.000-06:00

Fr. Adolfo Nicolas has been elected as the 29th successor to St. Ignatius of Loyola to lead the Society of Jesus. I must admit I've been taken with the stories about him, thanks especially to Rocco for his stellar coverage. Big props go to Creighton University for their unparalleled coverage of the Jesuit's General Covention. Special recognition goes to Fr. Don Doll for his photography of the event.
While CWN opines that this election of the Arrupe-esque Spaniard only signals more turmoil between the Order and the Vatican, I am more hopeful that this will turn out to not be the the case. Fr. Daniel Patrick Huang offers this glowing report about Fr. Nicolas, which describes him as "warm," "serene," "peaceful," as well as:
"one of the most youthful in energy and spirit. 'He has the mind of a young man,' someone told me in admiration. 'I have never walked with anyone who walked so fast. I have to tell him to slow down when I walk with him,' a Latin American Jesuit told me.

But the best thing that I've read this week by far was Nicolas' description of Fr. Pedro Arrupe, the controversial former Jesuit Superior. Here are some of the my favorite snippets:

The first time I did not meet [Arrupe], really. I saw him. It was late 1952 or early 1953. I was 17, in my last year of high school in Madrid. He gave a lecture on his experiences at Hiroshima after the atomic bomb. The special auditorium was packed. I had to sit on a stairway. At that time I had already decided to become a Jesuit. Fr Arrupe was the great missionary, a national hero, a man on fire. ...
The second time was in Japan in 1961. I had him as Provincial for almost four years. I remember his talks to scholastics. He was still on fire. ...
In his key address to us, he spoke of Obedience and stated emphatically: ‘If there is no Obedience, we will have "chaos" in the Society'. In his enthusiasm he pronounced ‘chaos' in Spanish, which sounds very much like ‘cows'. You can imagine now the confusion of the English-speakers among us. The question going around during the break was: ‘Where did those cows come from?' ...
Next was Peninsular Malaysia in 1980. ... The Homily of Arrupe on that day concentrated on the last months of Francis Xavier, his experience of abandonment, failure, loneliness in the Shangchuan Island. The Saint was going nowhere and experienced in his body the mystery of the Cross. That homily gave us all a glimpse at his heart and at the Ignatian Spirituality we had learnt in the early years incarnated in Don Pedro. It was also a prophetic anticipation of things to come.
In 1981 he visited the Philippines. He charmed staff and participants at the EAPI who had the privilege to listen to him. The fire was still there, as well as his openness and imaginative vision of evangelisation. I had a chance to share with him a few minutes walk during one of his very few breaks. It was in Angono. He shared his concern for the Society and summed it all in his last letter on Love. This was his last word. He was ready to go. The next day he flew to Bangkok and from Bangkok to the infirmary.
It was after this last visit that I heard the story. An old Japanese man who had received ‘instruction' and baptism from a younger Fr Arrupe was sharing his memories: ‘I asked to be baptised, not because he was a good catechist; not because I understood what he said (in fact I understood close to nothing); not because he tried to pull me in... But because of the Goodness of his person. If Christianity, I told myself, can produce such quality in a person, it will be good for me too.'

And Now for the Anti-McCain

2008-01-22T19:31:00.000-06:00

Conservatives Rick Santorum and George Will offer their reasons why John McCain would be bad for the conservative cause. One particularly interesting argument from Santorum is that McCain will be a loser in the general election (his supposed strength) because the base will not turn out in large numbers for him:

I think right now, we’re looking at the media trying to make Barack Obama the president, and make John McCain the shill for him. And I don’t see, I think they know that John McCain can’t win this election, and they know…it’s probably the best chance for them to do it. ... John McCain will not get the base of the Republican Party. I mean, there was a reason John McCain collapsed last year, and it’s because he was the frontrunner, and everybody in the Republican Party got a chance to look at him.

And perhaps the most disturbing comment of all:
[O]n the issue of, on social conservative issues, you point to me one time John McCain every took the floor of the United States Senate to talk about a social conservative issue. It never happened. I mean, this is a guy who says he believes in these things, but I can tell you, inside the room, when we were in these meetings, there was nobody who fought harder not to have these votes before the United States Senate on some of the most important social conservative issues, whether it’s marriage or abortion or the like. He always fought against us to even bring them up, because he was uncomfortable voting for them.

There you have it: Santorum vs. Brownback. Two of the greatest champions for the pro-life, pro-family cause. One says McCain's our best bet. The other sounds like he wouldn't trust him with his loose change.

Deal Talks to Brownback on John McCain

2008-01-21T15:23:00.000-06:00

Deal Hudson offers a fantastic interview with Sam Brownback about John McCain, the winner of South Carolina's primary and the closest thing to a frontrunner in the GOP race. In short, he offers a very compelling case for social conservatives to support John McCain. He addresses all of the conservative beefs against McCain, including McCain-Feingold, immigration, and perhaps most exciting of all, on embryonic stem cell research:

[Brownback] told [McCain] he should reconsider his position on this issue. He said, "With you by my side we will take another look at this issue."
But he also made clear that he would appoint strong judges, which is the key pro-life issue in the next election. If we lose the presidency this fall we will be set back one or two judges on the Supreme Court, and we will go back to the activist court controlled by the Left.
On top of all this, just after my endorsement, we witnessed the scientific breakthrough allowing the creation of stem cells from skin tissue, so I think the science is putting us all on the other side of this issue. (emphasis added)

This has always been one of my major concerns about McCain, and there are 2 exciting points: 1, McCain is willing to reconsider and, 2, as I had suspected, the recent scientific discoveries may render this entire debate obsolete.
The last answer of the interview offers one of the clearest pictures of the current GOP race and the argument for McCain:

Romney is probably the best on economic growth issues; Huckabee is the best on social conservative issues; McCain is the best on fiscal, foreign policy, and security issues.
But McCain is the most experienced of all the candidates. He has learned the hard way by his service and leadership in the Senate. Of all the GOP candidates, McCain is the most capable of beating the Democrats in November and preserving the Reagan coalition.

I agree with Brownback that Romney is attractive on economic issues. And it seems more and more like this race might (emphasis on might) be coming down to Mitt vs McCain. When it comes to the current economic worries and concerns about global competition in the coming years, Romney is the most compelling (and most passionate) on the issue.

But I still find myself leaning toward McCain as the strongest candidate for a general election because of what I call the "Harley test:" The Harley test is to ask yourself if you can see a guy who rides Harleys voting for him come November. In other words, is this the kind of guy with populist appeal. Someone that your unafiliated, blue-collar folks are going to want to vote for as did some actor named Reagan back in the 1980s, and the type of folks that a Republican needs to win a general election this year. I think of one man in particular when I speak of my "Harley test." This person is an avid biker, a Catholic (though not very devout), a registered democrat, has never voted in a primary in his entire life, and he voted for Bush in 2004 because he "kicks a**". I really couldn't see him voting for Romney, given Mitt's wealthy background, the charges of flip-flopping and saying anything to get elected, and his image (whether fair or not) as being a little 'too perfect."

McCain is attractive because, in spite of his flaws, everyone knows he is authentic and genuine. And that is something I truly believe that much of the country is hungering for right now: someone who is trustworthy, transparent, and blessed with enough competence enough to get the job done. He has principles but is willing to work with others to get things done. Ironically, McCain may be the very one who can best do what Romney (and Obama) are running on: going to Washington to fix the "broken government." Deal's last question sums it up, "It sounds like you're saying that McCain has the best chance of making the government work more smoothly than it has over the last few years."

All that being said, the most recent Rasmussen poll shows Romney ahead in Florida, where primaries are limited to registered Republicans. If McCain loses Florida it would be a major blow going into Feb. 5

Romney Gets the Win

2008-01-15T22:17:00.000-06:00

Anyone making any predictions this year is downright foolish. Nevertheless, the one constant in each primary has been Romney. One wonders whether we might look back at tonight's victory as the turning point. We'll be a lot closer to that answer come Feb. 5th.

Current Delegate Scorecard:
Romney 42
Huckabee 21
McCain 19
Thompson 6
Paul 2
Giuliani 1
Hunter 1

Pray for Spain

2008-01-14T22:22:00.000-06:00

Ora por mi querida tierra espanola (Pray for my dear Spain). The bishops there took a courageous, public stand, and commentators are now saying that their speaking out just might have cost conservatives the election (at least, so they hope).

Spain, the land of so many saints, so many holy kings who courageously fought against the Church's enemies from within and without, the nation whose precise middle point is marked by the large statue, "Christ, King of Spain!"
The election is March 8 and I pray that Zapatero's government will be ousted as they justly deserve. And I pray that the Spanish people will tire of the pleasures of this world and that a true renewal of the Church will catch fire in their souls and spread across that holy land.
Will you join me in praying for la bendita Espana Catolica?

Huck's Awesome Answer

2008-01-14T22:17:00.001-06:00

Whether or not you want him to be the Republican nominee, you can't help but stand up and cheer at this response, which was deemed by one political watcher to be "something straight from JPII." I don't know how this crazy election will end up, but if Huckabee pulls off the win, it will be because of superb answers like this:

Catholic Radio Comes to the Mecca of Liberalism

2008-01-11T12:09:00.000-06:00

First the Walk for Life came to San Fran. Now we have the joyous news that a large Catholic AM radio station is up and running in the Bay Area. You know that the enemy hates this one--a beacon of light in the darkness. Let us pray that this station will be supported (or perhaps even give some money) and not go off the air like what happened to Houston's Catholic radio station a couple years ago.

Here's a current rundown of Catholic radio stations in the twelve largest metro areas in the USA:

New York, NY-NJ-PA: WDDM–FM 89.3 in Northern NJ and parts of Staten Island and Brooklyn in NYC

Los Angeles, CA: Spanish Guadalupe Radio 87.7 FM (Not part of the Guadalupe Radio Network)

Chicago, IL-IN-WI: Relevant Radio (2 Stations)

Philadelphia, PA-NJ-DE: WISP–AM 1570 (EWTN)

Dallas-Fort Worth, TX: English KATH 910 AM (Guadalupe Network); Spanish KJON 850 AM

Miami-Fort Lauderdale, FL: English (Part-time only) Radio Peace on Family Values Radio 1040 AM); Spanish (Full-time) Radio Paz on 830 AM

Washington, DC-VA-MD: None, but Catholic Answers airs on WUST–AM 1120

Houston, TX: None (the former Maximilian Kolbe Radio went off the air in late 2003)

Detroit, MI: WDEO 990 AM (Ave Maria)

Boston, MA-NH: No full time station. The Archdiocese's Boston Catholic Radio programs can be heard on various stations and times.

Atlanta, GA: None

San Francisco-Oakland, CA: The NEW KSFB 1260 AM (Immaculate Heart)

Tom Monaghan Endorses Romney

2008-01-11T00:32:00.000-06:00

In the interest of fair coverage--or at least some pathetic attempt at it--Ave Maria mogul Tom Monaghan is supporting Mitt Romney. Michigan is a largely Catholic state and whoever can win the most Catholics in Ave Maria Radio land will go a long way toward winning the primary. Michigan will end up being either be "Mitt's Last Stand" or Mitt's first major victory which could completely change the current McCain momentum. But, again, I'm absolutely NOT listening to any pundits. No, really.

John McCain and the 'Catholic Vote'

2008-01-10T23:13:00.000-06:00

Sam Brownback surprised a lot of folks when he endorsed John McCain last fall:

Most thought that the strong pro-lifer would get behind someone better known for his social conservativism like a Huckabee or a Fred Thompson. Now Brownback is a co-chair with former Oklahoma governor Frank Keating of Catholics for McCain.
Of course, McCain has a checkered past with the "religious right" and, although he has been a very consistent foe of abortion, supports funding for human embryo-destroying stem cell research (let us pray that this position changes in light of the recent discoveries of ethical alternatives to derive the pluripotent cells that scientists crave)
But Deal Hudson, the ever-astute observer of Catholic voting patterns, is a fan of McCain and offers the following assessment of the current GOP selection:

I personally do not support all the positions espoused by the war hero [McCain]. But that does not make McCain less electable or attractive. If I have a choice between the phony Catholicism of Giuliani, the house of waffles of Romney, the half-baked Huckabee cake or the independent streak of McCain, I'll pick the fourth anytime.

Hudson's point is well-taken. There are flaws in all of the candidates, but McCain at least seems like the man in the bunch--leaving aside Thompson, whom many conservatives still consider to be the most serious candidate for having provided meaty proposals for what he would do as the leader of the free world.

Another reason why McCain is attractive is that he would be strong with all those Roman Catholics in the famous "swing states" of the industrial Midwest (especially one starting with an "O"). The same Catholics that Deal Hudson taught Karl Rove and George W. Bush how to court so effectively will be big McCain voters, says Hudson:

The Catholic vote will be of tremendous importance for whoever wants to succeeds President Bush in the Oval Office. In the Republican field, who can win the hearts and votes of the Catholics? Romney - forget it. Thompson - I don't want to shoot at an ambulance. Giuliani - let me doubt it. Huckabee - may I suggest you ask Senator Brownback what he thinks about it. That leaves McCain, who is way better positioned to succeed where the others could only scramble. Not by default, but because he can efficiently represent what they are and what they seek in the American public sphere.

What is it that Catholics "are and represent" in the American public sphere? Someone basically conservative, but not overly partisan. Someone who likes business and free markets but takes on pharmaceutical companies and a corrupt lobbying system. Someone tough on terrorists but who draws the line at torture (unlike any single other GOP candidate). Someone who wants to fix our borders, but doesn't hate the immigrant for speeaking another language. In short, someone just like the quintessential swing voter that is the so-called "Catholic voter."

For all these reasons, Deal Hudson is saying, John McCain might be the preferred option for many Catholics in 2008. And if his theory is true, then prospects are bright for the Republicans.

Thoughts on New Hampshire, Iowa, and Pundits

2008-01-09T22:58:00.000-06:00

I admit I bought the hype after Iowa. I read the political "pundits" and bought into it hook, line and sinker. Obama had it all wrapped up. He was a "movement." Republican hopes were looking bleak because America's time for a black President had come and the energy, excitement of Obama-mania was generating turnouts never seen before.
Then came New Hampshire and the astonishing display of sister-hood in support of Hillary, perhaps helped by a few tears shed at just the right moment.
On a trip out of town this week with politics on my mind I tuned into Rush (something I wouldn't normally admit in print), who offered some sage advice:
Don't listen to the pundits. The truth is that no one knows who is going to win this year. There is no "momentum." Someone is not going to win South Carolina just because they won in Michigan just because they won in New Hampshire just because they won in Iowa.
Therefore, I am pledging myself to swear off any further predictions, strategy, or punditry. I will simply watch the debates, ignore the polls, and see who wins each primary.
That being said, the latest poll puts McCain up in South Carolina, and if he can knock off Huckabee and Romney in the South (as well as in New Hamp and Michigan--where, did I mention he's also leading in polls?), he will really be in the driver's seat to the nomination. And make no mistake, folks, John McCain is still your best bet to overturn Roe v. Wade and fight Al-Qaida and the Jihadists. At least, that's what the pundits tell me.

South Carolina Primary Poll (January 9, 2007)

John McCain 27%
Mike Huckabee 24%
Mitt Romney 16%
Fred Thompson 12%
Rudy Giuliani 6%
Ron Paul 5%
Some other candidate 2%

A Tale of Two Marinis

2008-01-01T22:09:00.000-06:00

Piero v. Guido The former, in case you do not know, was the chief Papal liturgist for many a year under JPII and until last fall under Pope Benedict. He has been replaced by Msgr. Guido, who, though sharing the same last name, comes from the other end of the spectrum on liturgical views.
Piero Marini was described by John Allen as the "Vatican's top liturgical liberal." He loved 'creativity' and 'inculturation' in the liturgy and, consequently, was one of conservatives' top targets when Ratzinger was elected to the Chair of Peter. In fact, it surprised many that he lasted as long as he did, but bear in mind that Benedict is a gentleman and that Piero Marini was a professional--he might have preferred a different style in liturgy than Benedict, but he was still a man who could be worked with to produce the more majestic, reverent style that is Benedict's.
All that being said, I would still love to read Piero Marini's new book reviewed here by CNS. His book is generating a lot of interest, which isn't surprising. After all, he worked closely with Bugnini (the chief architect behind the post-conciliar liturgical reform) and represents one of the key players in an important era in the Church's history--viz., that of the post-conciliar liturgical reform and, not uncommonly, liturgical chaos. It is an era which, under Pope Benedict, is now in its final stages and dying a slow death--only too happily, I might add.
At Awe and Wonder, we of course prefer to see the liturgy celebrated with great beauty and reverence, which brings out the transcendent nature of the sacred rites. On the other hand, Piero Marini has a point that one can get too swept away in making liturgy beautiful. If you're more focused on the externals than you are on communication with the Lord then it is the same pompous religion of the Pharisees. He says as much when speaking on the liturgical 'nostalgia' of the "young priests" in an interview with John Allen:

The danger today, on the other hand, is a ‘neo-ritualism,’ meaning a sort of exhaustion that one sees in many priests who celebrate the rite almost as if it’s a magical formula rather than a real participation of life. I see, therefore, a certain separation between celebration and life. Obviously, this separation can induce nostalgia for the past, for a time when everything was easier … when we used a language that no one understood, the rites were often incomprehensible, there were signs of the Cross everywhere, and so on. There wasn’t the same expectation that liturgy should speak to life. If one doesn’t insist on the link, it’s easy to see the liturgy more in terms of theatre. I believe this, to some extent, is the basis of the nostalgia we see today.

In everything there must be balance. As for me, I am more concerned about the loss of our liturgical traditions during the "Piero" era than I am about any theatrical over-ritualism of the "Guido" era. Apparently, the Pope thought so too so I think I'm in good company.

Of course, there are some out there with too much time on their hands, who have made this silly little video about the Marinis--two brothers in Christ, it might be helpful to remember.

McCain's the Man (of the minute, at least)

2007-12-17T23:27:00.000-06:00

John McCain has had a good few days, to put it lightly. The endorsements keep rolling in, including The Des Moines Register, Boston Globe, and the New Hampshire Union-Leader. New England's favorite pitcher, Curt Schilling, has joined the effort as well.
But today, the most interesting of endorsements came from the "Independent Democrat," and one time running mate of Al Gore, Joe Lieberman.
Republicans would do well to sit up and take notice (as Bill Clinton notes). McCain is almost certainly the single most electable candidate they have. He can easily hold together the "Reagan coalition" of social, military, and fiscal conservatives. Year in and year out he has one of the most conservative voting records in the Senate, but he is also well-known for his "maverick moves" that buck the party line and endear him to independents. Who else could win endorsements from Joe Lieberman (for his stands war and terror and bi-partisanship) and Sam Brownback (for his stands on life and judges) and very nearly, Andrew Sullivan, who writes:

And what these two mavericks [John McCain and Ron Paul] share, to my mind, is a modicum of integrity. At one end of the character scale, you have the sickening sight of Mitt Romney, a hollow shell of cynicism and salesmanship, recrafted to appeal to a base he studied the way Bain consultants assess a company. Paul and McCain are at the other end. They have both said things to GOP audiences that they knew would offend. They have stuck with their positions despite unpopularity. They're not saints, but they believe what they say. Both have also taken a stand against the cancerous and deeply un-American torture and detention regime constructed by Bush and Cheney and Rumsfeld. In my book, that counts.
I admire McCain in so many ways. He is the adult in the field, he is attuned to the issue of climate change in a way no other Republican is, he is a genuine war hero and a patriot, and he bravely and rightly opposed the disastrous occupation policies of the Bush administration [the Rumsfeld strategy] in Iraq.

John McCain is known for integrity in a country hungering, I think, for some authenticity.
He will fight corruption and spending. And he is pro-life, to which Brownback's endorsement testifies. He lost a lot of support on immigration, no doubt, but now tells audiences that he has gotten the message that border security must come first, while admirably recognizing that the immigration issues will require a lot more fixing than simply enforcing current immigration laws and building walls.
The most recent polls have him rising to a mere 3 points behind Huckabee and Giuliani nationally. Here's the McCain strategy, and now more than ever, it seems entirely plausible, especially if Huckabee knocks off Romney in Iowa. Win New Hampshire and take that momentum into Michigan (where he won in 2000) and South Carolina, and then to Florida, who just might get to play the role of "kingmaker" going into Super-Duper Tuesday.
If McCain train got rolling, one question that comes to mind: Would he consider Lieberman as a running mate? That might be a little too much for the conservative base to handle in spite of Lieberman's steadfast support of President Bush, but if anyone had the hutzpah to do it, that would be McCain.
What a race, folks. Let's pray the best man wins.

Greg's Election Update: Endorsements and other News

2007-12-12T21:21:00.001-06:00

It's been quite a while since I've been posting and the race has changed SIGNIFICANTLY. Of course, it is now well know that Huckabee has opened up an unbelievable lead in Iowa and is tied nationally in the GOP polls. Thus, my prediction about Huckabee has come to fruition beyond anything I ever thought possible.

This week, though, I wanted to highlight a couple endorsements. First, there's New Hampshire's leading paper's support for John McCain. I think that McCain has been too easily dismissed by Republican voters. In spite of his reputation for being a maverick that bucks the party, he has arguably the most conservative voting record of any of the main candidates. He's a war hero, he was the only one right on the Surge, and he is the only candidate that beats the Democrats in the general election polls, for whatever that's worth (a lot of that has more to do with name recognition than anything--as we have seen in the recent changes in the primary polling). Probably thanks in no small part to this endorsement and Curt Schilling's pitch for McCain McCain is said to have now pulled away from Guiliani as a strong 2nd in New Hampshire. But for all that, his campaign doesn't seem to be catching on nationally.

While Huckabee is the flavor of the month, that could change quickly with the recent negative news headlines. Romney stands a chance of rebounding to the front-runner role. His "Faith in America" address last week was terrific in my opinion (watch it here). As Pat Buchanan writes:

Romney understands that while the First Amendment proscribes the establishment of religion, it guarantees the free expression of all religions, even in the public school. Supreme Court, take note. "I will not separate us from the God who gave us liberty," said Romney.
This was a tour de force, and it was delivered before perhaps the largest audience Romney will have for any speech before the January caucuses and primaries. It will be the subject of editorials and columns in coming weeks. And it is hard to see how Romney does not benefit hugely from what was a quintessentially "American" address.

Today, however, Romney received some of his best news yet: an unconditional endorsement from National Review, one of the nation's leading and most influential conservative journals. Apparently, McCain and Thompson were the other two in the running, but the article explains in persuasive fashion why the editors went with Romney:

Our guiding principle has always been to select the most conservative viable candidate. In our judgment, that candidate is Mitt Romney, the former governor of Massachusetts. Unlike some other candidates in the race, Romney is a full-spectrum conservative: a supporter of free-market economics and limited government, moral causes such as the right to life and the preservation of marriage, and a foreign policy based on the national interest. ...
Uniting the conservative coalition is not enough to win a presidential election, but it is a prerequisite for building on that coalition. Rudolph Giuliani did extraordinary work as mayor of New York and was inspirational on 9/11. But he and Mike Huckabee would pull apart the coalition from opposite ends: Giuliani alienating the social conservatives, and Huckabee the economic (and foreign-policy) conservatives. A Republican party that abandoned either limited government or moral standards would be much diminished in the service it could give the country. ...
Romney is an intelligent, articulate, and accomplished former businessman and governor. At a time when voters yearn for competence and have soured on Washington because too often the Bush administration has not demonstrated it, Romney offers proven executive skill. He has demonstrated it in everything he has done in his professional life, and his tightly organized, disciplined campaign is no exception. He himself has shown impressive focus and energy.

It is perhaps this last paragraph that most strikes me when considering Romney. I am not worried about his being strong on social conservative issues. But if Romney has an edge in any one area, it is on fiscal discipline and managerial competence--two things, as NRO mentions, which have been sorely wanting these past 7 years. Romney boasts a strong business background and a serious grasp of finance and economics. Many voters do not take this area seriously enough. Of course, a president relies heavily on advisers and need not be an economist. But one cannot listen to Romney speak on fiscal issues for long and not come away impressed, which bodes well for creating jobs and helping our economy hum along. And in this area, he particularly separates himself from Huckabee, who, Bob Novak, writes, causes serious Republicans to 'shudder'.

And, finally, in today's debate--the last before the Jan. 3rd Iowa Caucuses--Fred Thompson is said to have given an impressive performance, according to the Des Moines Register's political writer, David Yepsen. Just think, in only a month or two this should all be sorted out.

Revisiting a Classic Interview with Archbishop Ranjith

2007-11-15T20:30:00.000-06:00

Speaking of liturgical matters, I wanted to draw your attention to this interview with Archbishop Ranjith, the Secretary of the Congregation for Divine Worship and the Discipline of the Sacraments (CDW). In layman's terms , Ranjity is #2 at CDW and is often considered the favorite to succeed Cardinal Arinze as the Prefect for the Congregation. In other words, His Excellency is likely to be charged with overseeing all things liturgical for the universal Church. Folks, it just doesn't get any better than this if you believe in the "Reform of the Reform." The entire interview must be read, but one brief excerpt below concerns the distorted horizontal orientation of the liturgy since the reform.
This is a classic example of how what the progressives thought would bring "renewal" to the Church by "updating" it or making it more "accessible" has in reality only made it less attractive and zapped the Church of much of its appeal and its power to draw souls toward God. People today--especially the young--are looking for the divine more than ever, and in the liturgical form, at least as it was implementd in the vast majority of the Western world, liturgies have become more about the "community" and less about giving glory and asking pardon before the Throne of the Almighty. This is not only the case in the West, but also in Asia, as Abp. Ranjith explains below. But again, read the whole interview--it's worth it.

As I mentioned, Asia is deeply mystical and conscious of the value of the Sacred in human life, moving a human being to look for the deeper mysteries of religion and spirituality. The tendency to banalise the celebration of the Eucharist through a somewhat horizontal orientation, often visible in modern times. is not consonant with that search. Hence, the general orientation of the document [Pope Benedict's Sacramentum Caritatis] is good for Asia.

The Bigger Picture on Summorum Pontificum

2007-11-01T00:00:00.000-05:00

Those who follow church events as they relate to the liturgy know that Summorum Pontificum, Pope Benedict's moty proprio liberalizing the norms for celebrating the traditional Latin Mass was about a lot more than simply satisfying the desires of traditional Catholics by ensuring more abundant access to the Latin Mass. Pope Benedict has something bigger in mind: namely, the "reform of the reform." As the letter accompanying the Summorum explictily states:

[Thanks to the greater usage of the "extraordinary form"] [t]he celebration of the Mass according to the Missal of Paul VI will be able to demonstrate, more powerfully than has been the case hitherto, the sacrality which attracts many people to the former usage. The most sure guarantee that the Missal of Paul VI can unite parish communities and be loved by them consists in its being celebrated with great reverence in harmony with the liturgical directives. This will bring out the spiritual richness and the theological depth of this Missal.

Recently, while surfing the web, I came across this article that spoke of something I had not previously heard about in a communique that went out from the Vatican to all the seminaries of the world requesting that priests receive training in Latin. This is marvelous news, for it reiterates that Pope Benedict is wasting no time in implementing the measures he sees fit to help restore reverence and beauty to our liturgies even "behind the scenes," shall we say. An excerpt from the article:

But the Vatican document will affect more than just traditionally-minded Catholics. It may also have implications for the training of seminarians, as priests may be asked to celebrate either form of Mass.Fr Hugh Connolly, the newly-appointed president of the national seminary at Maynooth, told The Sunday Business Post: ‘‘The Holy See last spring drew the attention of all seminaries to Pope Benedict’s request ’that future priests from their time in seminary receive the preparation needed to understand and to celebrate Mass in Latin’.

Fall Foliage Update

2007-10-24T12:18:00.000-05:00

Thanks be to God, middle America is beginning to peak in autumnal splendor.

Brownback Out, Huckabee on the Rise?

2007-10-18T20:47:00.001-05:00

Granted, the Presidential campaign has been about as interesting and entertaining as driving through Kansas on I-70 (can we see the mountains yet Dad? can we see the mountains yet Dad?). Nevertheless, those who follow politics for a living have noted some interesting trends in the past month or so, some of which I noted in a post below:

1, Hillary appears to be pulling away from Obama in the polls.

2, Rudy appears to be getting stronger, not weaker, as the primaries draw closer.

Since I don't plan on voting for Hillary or Rudy (at least in the primary), I've been largely disinterested. One Christian conservative put out a recent interesting memo which essentially argued that the nominees will be chosen before we know it, it's down to Rudy, Hillary, or Mitt Romney, and so Christian conservatives better get behind Romney fast or else they will end up with Rudy and Hillary.

But an interesting news I read today made me wonder if there might not be another option on the table that many hadn't considered as realistic. Sam Brownback is said to be formally exiting the race tomorrow. While Brownback's campaign started with a lot of excitement, it never seemed to break through to the next tier, and eventually fizzled after the 3rd place finish at the Iowa Straw poll. The important point now, though, is that Brownback's 3 or so percent in Iowa is likely to go to Mike Huckabee, whose run is quickly becoming the story of the campaign on the GOP side. In recent Iowa poll, Huckabee came in 2nd with nearly 20%, trailing only Romney by a mere 5 points and beating out Fred Thompson, John McCain, and tying Rudy. Give him Brownback's 3 points and Huckabee's almost even with Romney. And give him a strong 2nd or a 1st place showing in the Iowa caucuses and it's a whole new race.

As we said before, Huckabee's personal skills have won him the admiration of politicians as diverse as Newt Gingrich and former President Clinton. He is probably the best hope for a Populist Republican candidate. He is one of the few Republicans who actually bothered to show up at the Republican debate at Morgan State College, an historically black college. He denounced his front-leading competitors for not coming, saying with conviction that he was "embarrassed" for his party. His smooth, Southern oratory makes him a a conservative that can connect with the hearts of people, especially the lower and middle classes, which would be huge for Republicans. For example, in Arkansas he won 42% of the African-American vote in '98 and when he ran for re-election in '02 he got nearly 50%. Many have opined that he is the one Republican that appears to be capable of winning significant numbers of black voters (especially if he were facing Hillary and not Obama) thanks to both his style and his substance.

He is conservative, but he has a different tone than many in the GOP--dare we say that he is a "compassionate conservative," though he seems to be a more authentic and effective embodiment of at this term than the other former governor who has made it famous. He says he is friendly on Green issues because his faith calls him to be a "steward of creation." He is perhaps the only Republican that talks about poverty and bread-and-butter issues--viz., the fact that while our economy is performing well on a macro-level, the lower and middle classes have not seen real incomes rise--which are sure to be important in the campaign next year. While he does not advocate a precipitous withdrawal in Iraq, he clearly distances himself from neo-conservative doctrine of launching wars to "spread democracy," saying that we must have a more humble foreign policy that allows us to take care of home first.

Needless to say, I am excited about Huckabee's new momentum. Nationwide he's at 7% and he is rising in New Hampshire. I think Brownback's exit will bolster this momentum and hopefully solidify social conservatives around Huckabee.

Lone Star Cardinal

2007-10-18T20:25:00.000-05:00

Congrats to Archbishop DiNardo and the Archdiocese of Galveston-Houston, which has seen its "rank" in the American Church rocket of late. Just a few years ago DiNardo was still bishop of nearby Sioux City. A native Pittsburgher, he was named bishop of Galveston-Houston, which was simultaneously changed from a Diocese (at the time under the Archdiocese of San Antonio) to an Archdiocese. Now it's given the first Cardinal ever of the American South/Southwest, a symbol of the Church's growth in the Sun Belt from places like Charlotte and Atlanta on the East Coast through the desert southwest. The Catholic population in these areas have been rapidly growing thanks to Hispanic and Asian immigration, Northern transplants, and a healthy number of steady conversions, as noted in this Time magazine article on "Bible Belt Catholics" from a couple years ago. As for Archbishop DiNardo, Rocco has some great background stories about him (and an upcoming interview) at Whispers in the Loggia.

Roooock Chaaaalk Jahaaaawk, GO KU!!

2007-10-10T20:40:00.000-05:00

While the Husker Nation is in a state of meltdown, it's nice (for once) to be a Jayhawk. Mangino's squad, led by Sophomore sensation QB Todd Reesing, accomplished something that warms the heart of every Jayhawk: beat K-State! And in Manhattan, no less. They are now officially in the Big XII North race and it should be interesting to watch with Colorado and, sorry to say, Mizzou looking strong--and whatever will become of the Huskers (along with their coach and AD).

Last Week in St. Louis

2007-10-10T20:30:00.000-05:00

A fun time was had by the family in St. Louis. It's full of fun little village-style neighborhoods like this one. And beer--and lots of it. As my friend put it, "When you go to France you drink the champaign, when you go to Rome you drink the wine, and when you go to St. Louis you drink the beer." We had a tour of the Anheiser Busch brewery which reminded us of being in a set for Strange Brew. Drinks were also served at the end of the Grant's Farm tour. And the local microbrew, Schlafly's, was also enjoyed at our friends' house (though we weren't allowed to drink it on the back patio because the neighbor had worked for 40 years at the A.B. brewery!). As for food, we enjoyed the local fave, Imo's Pizza, and were planning on going to the Hill for Italian, but it didn't happen this time.

We also enjoy St. Louis because it is a very Catholic town. The "Rome of the West," as it was once known, is full of beautiful old churches wherever you go--the South City skyline features a breathtaking vista of steeples as far as the eye can see in all directions. And Archbishop Burke is a bishop leading the way toward integrating the "extraordinary form" of the Roman rite into the mainstream by requiring all of his seminarians to learn both forms of the Roman rite. Our friends attend at the Institute of Christ the King Sovereign Priest, which is pictured at right. I was also able to attend Mass one morning at the old cathedral beneath the arch, which reminded me of the great history and the numerous saints and missionaries who had gone through St. Louis on they traveled toward the American West to evangelize, including one of my favorites, Fr. Peter de Smet, whose awesome biography moved me to no end.

All in all it was a nice getaway for the family and seeing good friends and we hope to return again.

On the Race for '08

2007-10-08T22:01:00.000-05:00

A few thoughts on things political:

Kathleen Parker on Townhall.com offers some interesting food for thought when she encourages us social conservatives to get over ourselves and get behind Mitt Romney, whom she terms "the obvious pick for the values party." The article concludes:

Ultimately, Christian leaders (some of whom make off-the-record, supportive calls to Romney, I'm told) most likely will back the Mormon. But their actions meantime have hurt Romney as he tries to close the deal nationally.
If they were smarter, they'd embrace Romney as the one who can beat Hillary because he, more than anyone else, unites all wings of the party -- economic, security and social.
If.

The candidate that many are raving about--including characters as diverse as Newt Gingrich and Bill Clinton--as the most attractive candidate on the GOP side of the aisle is Mike Huckabee. Not only is does he have the capacity to turn on the preacher switch with his oratory like the other former governor of Arkansas from Hope, but I also like what I hear on the issues. Per foreign affairs, he clearly diverges from the Bush doctrine, essentially saying that our policies must be in the true national interest, and not simply trying to be the world's police or democracy-promoter as the neo-conservatives would have it. He supports low taxes (evidenced by signing the fair tax pledge), but his record in Arkansas shows that he is not so locked into the anti-tax rhetoric of the right that he won't raise a tax when it's necessary. And of course, as a former Baptist minister he comes from the same general world-view and is rock solid on social issues. The only problem seems to be that he is not even within a mile of competing when it comes to raising funds and, like it or not, it takes moolah to play the game and win.

Speaking of politicians from Hope, President Clinton's recent interview with George Stephanopoulos on This Week was fascinating. Whatever else may be said about him, the guy's brilliant, a political genius, and always has something interesting to say--this time was no different.

Lastly, from Jim Geraghty at NRO you might hesitate about whether you'd vote for Giuliani, but what if it were Giuliani-Santorum? If Rudy can manage to win the nomination, it might not be that far-fetched as you think since he would have everything to gain by selecting a social conservative to try to keep the pro-life base of the party from staying home or voting third party on principle:

This strategist believed that if Rudy Giuliani gets the nomination, he could defuse a lot of the tension on this issue if he picked a staunch conservative with serious street cred in the pro-life community.
The strategist mentioned a conversation with a figure he described as ‘one of the largest Catholic pro-life donors in the country’. “He said, ‘I can’t support Rudy, and I won’t vote for him.’ I asked him, ‘What if he picks Rick Santorum as his running mate?’ Then he said, ‘well, that’s a different story!"

Yes, despite the lack of enthusiasm from Republicans, 2008's still going to be an interesting race, and we all can use a reminder, I think, to pray with fervor for our leaders and our country--present and future.

On Translations of Holy Writ

2007-10-08T21:14:00.000-05:00

On Sundays I like to prepare for Mass by looking at the entire chapter for each of the readings. For the past year or so, I've been doing this using my old Jerusalem Bible that I purchased for a whopping penny off Amazon (which means it really cost $3.51, but I try to emphasize the penny part when speaking to my wife). It's quite an interesting translation--it's a very loose, literary translation, and for devotional reading I love it. It was the version that Mother Angelica always used during her show on EWTN and Tolkien is said to have participated in translating part of it. I think I read somewhere that Job is attributed to him (For more on the JB, check out the Bible-Researcher Web page on it).
Anyhow, I noticed a remarkable difference in how the translations struck me last week in the readings for the 26th Sunday in Ordinary Time (Sept. 30th). For instance, contrast some of the verses from the first reading taken from the Book of Amos, chapter 6. First, for our NAB version that we hear at Mass:

Woe to the complacent in Zion! Lying upon beds of ivory, stretched comfortably on their couches, they eat lambs taken from the flock, and calves from the stall! Improvising to the music of the harp, like David, they devise their own accompaniement. They drink wine from bowls and anoint themselves with the best oils; yet they are not made ill by the collapse of Joseph!

And now for the (old) Jerusalem Bible's take:

Woe to those ensconced so snugly in Zion! ... You think to defer the day of misfortune, but you hasten the reign of violence. Lying on ivory beds and sprawling on their divans, they dine on lambs from the flock, and stall-fattened veal; they bawl to the sound of the harp, they invent new instruments of music like David, they drink wine by the bowlful, and use the finest oil for anointing themselves, but about the ruin of Joseph they do not care at all.

Read them through side by side a couple times and tell me which one places a more vivid image in your mind--e.g., "They drink wine from bowls" vs. "they drink wine by the bowlful." Granted, the difference is a bit subtle, but I think the JB comes across a lot different than the less-than-fully-inspiring NAB.
So for kicks I started comparing some other passages, such as Psalm 110, which is prayed each week in Evening Prayer (Vespers) on Sundays. Check out the difference between the Liturgy of the Hours version ("Grail" translation) and the Jerusalem Bible here:

(Grail) The Lord has sworn an oath he will not change. "You are a priest for ever, a priest like Melchizedek of old." The Master standing at your right hand will shatter kings in the day of his great wrath. He shall drink from the stream by the wayside and therefore he shall lift up his head.

(JB) Yahweh has sworn an oath which he will never retract, "You are a priest of the order of Melchizedek, and for ever." The Lord is at your right hand. When he grows angry he shatters kings, he gives the nations their deserts, smashing their skulls, he heaps the wide world with corpses. Drinking from the stream as he goes, he can hold his head high in victory.

One teacher who wrote a review of the Jerusalem Bible on Amazon said:

"Both the language and the format of this Bible make it one of the most beautiful and readable translations available. ... The text is eminently understandable. I have ordered this hardback re-edition for several years for my middle and high school students. They find the text far easier to understand than the New American or the Revised Standard editions."

I agree that the elegant flow of the Jerusalem Bible makes it easier to understand, although the older, more British vocabulary can sometimes require consulting a dictionary (not a bad thing). I would have to second her recommendation for high school students. I mean, it's always a challenge keeping teenage guys engaged in church (even without the feminized version of Christianity that has been presented to countless Catholic youths over the past 40 years), and what guy wouldn't crack a smile when reading a prophetic Psalm about Our Lord in which "[H]e gives the nations their deserts, smashing their skulls, he heaps the wide world with corpses". Folks, who needs Mel Gibson when you've got the Jerusalem Bible?!

Fall is in the Air

2007-09-18T08:54:00.000-05:00

Hallelujah!

In my excitement about the coming autumn, I did some googling and came across this Web site:

http://www.foliagenetwork.com/default.php

It's pretty interesting, although it shows no change as of last weekend in the northern areas of the country known for their resplendent foliage, which I find hard to believe given that somewhere in the middle of America, i.e., Omaha, we are already seeing the first twinges of red and yellow in some trees (maples mostly). I hope that the Almighty breaks out His painter's brush and has some fun this fall.

It's Time for a New Blog

2007-09-18T08:39:00.000-05:00

There's just too much to say in this short life... My original Web site, Awe and Wonder.net, had a run of about one year (or, more accurately, about 9 months before I really slacked off on the posting). This is my latest attempt at a blog that is less formal so that I can post when I feel the need and ignore it for weeks on end if necessary (as can easily be the case with 3 small children, church activities, college football season, and a gardening habit). When one undertakes something under compulsion rather than freely, the creative juices can be a bit more stubborn. Here's hoping that this will be a more fun and interesting blog, well, at least for me anyway!