tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-65748161270790378792024-03-08T04:36:53.026-05:00Ignem Veni Mittere in TerramГосподи Ісусе Христе Сыне Божїй помилѹй мѧ грѣшнаго.ACEGChttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15975266500628440339noreply@blogger.comBlogger26125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6574816127079037879.post-25317233418452561982008-10-02T15:28:00.003-04:002008-10-02T15:32:48.020-04:00CAGE MATCH: Pope Leo XIII vs. James Madison<meta equiv="Content-Type" content="text/html; charset=utf-8"><meta name="ProgId" content="Word.Document"><meta name="Generator" content="Microsoft Word 11"><meta name="Originator" content="Microsoft Word 11"><link rel="File-List" href="file:///C:%5CDOCUME%7E1%5CCORYCA%7E1%5CLOCALS%7E1%5CTemp%5Cmsohtml1%5C01%5Cclip_filelist.xml"><o:smarttagtype namespaceuri="urn:schemas-microsoft-com:office:smarttags" name="PlaceType"></o:smarttagtype><o:smarttagtype namespaceuri="urn:schemas-microsoft-com:office:smarttags" name="PlaceName"></o:smarttagtype><o:smarttagtype namespaceuri="urn:schemas-microsoft-com:office:smarttags" name="place"></o:smarttagtype><o:smarttagtype namespaceuri="urn:schemas-microsoft-com:office:smarttags" name="City"></o:smarttagtype><!--[if gte mso 9]><xml> <w:worddocument> <w:view>Normal</w:View> <w:zoom>0</w:Zoom> <w:punctuationkerning/> <w:validateagainstschemas/> <w:saveifxmlinvalid>false</w:SaveIfXMLInvalid> <w:ignoremixedcontent>false</w:IgnoreMixedContent> <w:alwaysshowplaceholdertext>false</w:AlwaysShowPlaceholderText> <w:compatibility> <w:breakwrappedtables/> <w:snaptogridincell/> <w:wraptextwithpunct/> <w:useasianbreakrules/> <w:dontgrowautofit/> </w:Compatibility> <w:browserlevel>MicrosoftInternetExplorer4</w:BrowserLevel> </w:WordDocument> </xml><![endif]--><!--[if gte mso 9]><xml> <w:latentstyles deflockedstate="false" latentstylecount="156"> </w:LatentStyles> </xml><![endif]--><!--[if !mso]><object classid="clsid:38481807-CA0E-42D2-BF39-B33AF135CC4D" id="ieooui"></object> <style> st1\:*{behavior:url(#ieooui) } </style> <![endif]--><style> <!-- /* Style Definitions */ p.MsoNormal, li.MsoNormal, div.MsoNormal {mso-style-parent:""; margin:0in; margin-bottom:.0001pt; mso-pagination:widow-orphan; font-size:12.0pt; font-family:"Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-font-family:"Times New Roman";} p.MsoFootnoteText, li.MsoFootnoteText, div.MsoFootnoteText {mso-style-noshow:yes; margin:0in; margin-bottom:.0001pt; mso-pagination:widow-orphan; font-size:10.0pt; font-family:"Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-font-family:"Times New Roman";} span.MsoFootnoteReference {mso-style-noshow:yes; vertical-align:super;} /* Page Definitions */ @page {mso-footnote-separator:url("file:///C:/DOCUME~1/CORYCA~1/LOCALS~1/Temp/msohtml1/01/clip_header.htm") fs; mso-footnote-continuation-separator:url("file:///C:/DOCUME~1/CORYCA~1/LOCALS~1/Temp/msohtml1/01/clip_header.htm") fcs; mso-endnote-separator:url("file:///C:/DOCUME~1/CORYCA~1/LOCALS~1/Temp/msohtml1/01/clip_header.htm") es; mso-endnote-continuation-separator:url("file:///C:/DOCUME~1/CORYCA~1/LOCALS~1/Temp/msohtml1/01/clip_header.htm") ecs;} @page Section1 {size:8.5in 11.0in; margin:1.0in 1.25in 1.0in 1.25in; mso-header-margin:.5in; mso-footer-margin:.5in; mso-paper-source:0;} div.Section1 {page:Section1;} --> </style><!--[if gte mso 10]> <style> /* Style Definitions */ table.MsoNormalTable {mso-style-name:"Table Normal"; mso-tstyle-rowband-size:0; mso-tstyle-colband-size:0; mso-style-noshow:yes; mso-style-parent:""; mso-padding-alt:0in 5.4pt 0in 5.4pt; mso-para-margin:0in; mso-para-margin-bottom:.0001pt; mso-pagination:widow-orphan; font-size:10.0pt; font-family:"Times New Roman"; mso-ansi-language:#0400; mso-fareast-language:#0400; mso-bidi-language:#0400;} </style> <![endif]--> <p class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: 0.5in; line-height: 200%;"><span style="font-size:100%;">In the American political conscience, the thought of freedom of religion is hardly given a passing glance. Indeed, we owe this which has become such a fundamental part of our collective national psyche to the philosophies which went into our founding credos, and to the men who distilled these ideas and placed them securely into the practice of the jurisprudence of our nation and unto the present age. </span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: 0.5in; line-height: 200%;"><span style="font-size:100%;">Among these men was James Madison, the Princeton-educated Virginian who takes his place in the Pantheon of American statesmen as the “Father of the Constitution.” His contribution to the doctrines of religious freedom which sit so firmly entrenched in our laws and our political consciences may be seen most clearly in his “Memorial and Remonstrance Against Religious Assessments,” written to the Virginia General Assembly in 1785. In that year, the legislature of the Commonwealth had taken up a bill concerning the granting of tax monies to the support of teachers of religion. Madison “remonstrates” against this bill, which he holds to be an usurpation of the rights of the citizens of the Commonwealth, and while a number of the arguments he takes up in this letter are specifically targeted to the character of the bill, his philosophy regarding the matter of Church-State relations in general is quite evident in most of his arguments. Chiefly, he argues that religious faith ought not to be prevailed violently or forcefully upon men, and that it ought to be arrived at through use of rational faculties and conviction. He states that the religion of every man must be left to his own discretion; that the dictates of conscience are to be the arbiter of religious faith for each individual<a style="" href="http://www.blogger.com/post-create.g?blogID=6574816127079037879#_ftn1" name="_ftnref1" title=""><span class="MsoFootnoteReference"><span style=""><!--[if !supportFootnotes]--><span class="MsoFootnoteReference"><span style=";font-family:";" >[1]</span></span><!--[endif]--></span></span></a>. He goes on to underline that religion ought to be exempt from the authority of society at large and that of the civil government<a style="" href="http://www.blogger.com/post-create.g?blogID=6574816127079037879#_ftn2" name="_ftnref2" title=""><span class="MsoFootnoteReference"><span style=""><!--[if !supportFootnotes]--><span class="MsoFootnoteReference"><span style=";font-family:";" >[2]</span></span><!--[endif]--></span></span></a>, and that the government ought not to interfere with what he calls a natural right of man to practice whichever religion his conscience dictates to him to be true and right<a style="" href="http://www.blogger.com/post-create.g?blogID=6574816127079037879#_ftn3" name="_ftnref3" title=""><span class="MsoFootnoteReference"><span style=""><!--[if !supportFootnotes]--><span class="MsoFootnoteReference"><span style=";font-family:";" >[3]</span></span><!--[endif]--></span></span></a>. Madison then turns to an accusatory and suspicious tone, saying that entanglements of religion and the state have only led to a denigration of the purity of the Christian religion, of the lessening of sanctity of the clergy due to their being given over to pride, of the ignorance of the laymen, and of “superstition, bigotry, and persecution.<a style="" href="http://www.blogger.com/post-create.g?blogID=6574816127079037879#_ftn4" name="_ftnref4" title=""><span class="MsoFootnoteReference"><span style=""><!--[if !supportFootnotes]--><span class="MsoFootnoteReference"><span style=";font-family:";" >[4]</span></span><!--[endif]--></span></span></a>” He goes on to state that these entanglements of Church and State have led to hardships and bloodshed brought on by the State’s attempts to remedy the discord between the various sects of Christianity. The American way of “equal and compleat liberty,” <st1:place st="on"><st1:city st="on">Madison</st1:city></st1:place> asserts, prevents such discord within society<a style="" href="http://www.blogger.com/post-create.g?blogID=6574816127079037879#_ftn5" name="_ftnref5" title=""><span class="MsoFootnoteReference"><span style=""><!--[if !supportFootnotes]--><span class="MsoFootnoteReference"><span style=";font-family:";" >[5]</span></span><!--[endif]--></span></span></a>. </span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: 0.5in; line-height: 200%;"><span style="font-size:100%;">Such thoughts are, to the modern American mind, merely the way things work and have worked. However, it is apparent from a simple reading of Madison’s letter that his case is made with some less-than-grievous flaws which, once exposed to the light of a higher truth than that of mere human wisdom, are exposed as fundamental errors in the judgment of the workings of society—and especially in relation to the Creator and whichever duty must be paid Him. </span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: 0.5in; line-height: 200%;"><span style="font-size:100%;">By this light of a higher truth, of course, it is meant that supreme wisdom which comes from Almighty God and is transmitted through His Church by those to whom it has been imputed to guard and hold sacred the truths of his law. Among the shepherds of the Holy Catholic Church who have spoken at length on such matters as would concern these matters of the State, the most resonant in our own time is Pope Leo XIII. Pope Leo wrote extensively on a number of matters which concern the modern political mind by drawing on that timeless wellspring of wisdom of the Church’s teaching and presenting, boldly and clearly, the truth of many matters political. His encyclical <i style="">Immortale Dei </i>is no exception. Intrepidly, the Holy Father of blessed memory argues the fundamentals of the traditional Catholic theology on the relationship between Church and State. The purpose of the Church, he states, is the salvation of souls in the first place, but it also provides many temporal goods—a fact which is broadly witnessed to in history by the immense growth in the arts and sciences in particular and in the advancement of civilization in general in the Western world, a growth and advancement for which no other than the Holy Church could have been given praise. Everything which the Church has touched in civil society, the Holy Father asserts, has been changed for the better—especially in the spheres of morality, virtue, culture, and justice. He denies the charge that the Church is unable to assist in the attainment of the ends of civil governments—indeed, the strife in the early centuries of the existence of the Christian religion which was often blamed on Christian presence in the social order was, according to the Holy Father, the just punishment of “an avenging God” upon that social order which opposed and persecuted the Church.<a style="" href="http://www.blogger.com/post-create.g?blogID=6574816127079037879#_ftn6" name="_ftnref6" title=""><span class="MsoFootnoteReference"><span style=""><!--[if !supportFootnotes]--><span class="MsoFootnoteReference"><span style=";font-family:";" >[6]</span></span><!--[endif]--></span></span></a></span> </p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%;"><span style="font-size:100%;"> </span><span style="font-size:100%;">The Holy Father then constructs an argument in support of a close association between the Church and civil governments from the groundwork laid by centuries of Christian philosophy. Firstly, he acknowledges that man is naturally societal—man is incapable of provision for himself apart from that which is afforded by dependence upon others, both in terms of temporal gains and moral and mental goods. In order to attain to a higher state of being, man must exist in society, and from this it is inferable that man dwelling in community is in accord with the natural order and therefore divinely ordained (the equation of natural ordering and divine ordinance is an obvious one; God is creator of all things and set the order to nature—thus, that which is found to be in harmony with the natural order must be divinely ordained to be so).</span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%;"><span style="font-size:100%;"> </span><span style="font-size:100%;">Since society is both a natural and divine ordinance and in the interest of the good of the men existing in them, it then follows that there is need for some principle with which society must be together bound: a ruler is necessary to hold societies of men together. Citing Romans 13:1, the Holy Father asserts that rulers of men must be subordinate to the will of God, “for there is no power but from God: and those that are, are ordained of God.”<a style="" href="http://www.blogger.com/post-create.g?blogID=6574816127079037879#_ftn7" name="_ftnref7" title=""><span class="MsoFootnoteReference"><span style=""><!--[if !supportFootnotes]--><span class="MsoFootnoteReference"><span style=";font-family:";" >[7]</span></span><!--[endif]--></span></span></a> The right to rule over human society, Pope Leo continues, is “not bound up with any special mode of government,” but rulers in any system of governance must remember that their power is derived ultimately from that of God and must “set Him before themselves as exemplar and law in administration of the state.” Inspired by the example of God’s dominion over all of Creation, then, it follows that rulers must govern with a fatherly justice—they must rule concerned, above all, with the well-being of the citizens, and not show partisanship toward one individual or a few persons.<a style="" href="http://www.blogger.com/post-create.g?blogID=6574816127079037879#_ftn8" name="_ftnref8" title=""><span class="MsoFootnoteReference"><span style=""><!--[if !supportFootnotes]--><span class="MsoFootnoteReference"><span style=";font-family:";" >[8]</span></span><!--[endif]--></span></span></a></span> </p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%;"><span style="font-size:100%;"> </span><span style="font-size:100%;">The fundamental doctrine of the political philosophy of Pope Leo XIII—and indeed, the Church’s tradition on such matters—is found in where he next carries his argument. Since rulers must govern in the interest of their citizens, since rulers are subordinately ultimately to God, and since the Church has done supreme good to the people both in things heavenly and things of the world, it would behoove those who hold power in the state to act by the public profession of religion. Nature and reason, he says, command us to worship God, and “it is a public crime to act as if there were no God.” Therefore, it is sinful that the state should not care for religion, regardless of its reasons against such consideration—be it out of pragmatism which avoids entanglements with religion for the sake of things running smoothly or because one religion or another is popular among the people. All are bound to worship God in the way in which He has commanded, and as such religion must be shielded under law—not compromised by it. All are destined toward Heaven, the Holy Father continues, and so the state must be ordered so as to allow the freedom of human persons to achieve what is their ultimate end and the very reason for their creation on this earth. Upon this sort of granting of freedom to men in society “depends the full and perfect happiness of all mankind.”<a style="" href="http://www.blogger.com/post-create.g?blogID=6574816127079037879#_ftn9" name="_ftnref9" title=""><span class="MsoFootnoteReference"><span style=""><!--[if !supportFootnotes]--><span class="MsoFootnoteReference"><span style=";font-family:";" >[9]</span></span><!--[endif]--></span></span></a></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%;"><span style="font-size:100%;"> </span><span style="font-size:100%;">Civil societies, then, to safeguard both the well-being of community in general but also of each individual in which communities consist ought to protect and profess religion, which is man’s link to God. The argument thus far has raised a fundamental question—which religion is true? We can see that allowing a religion to guide the state is certainly a worthy thing, but which religion ought that to be? As the Holy Father demonstrates, the true religion is easily proved—in prophecies, miracles, the propagation of the faith in spite of constant and vigorous opposition, and of course, the fervor of the martyrs who gave their lives for the Christian faith.<a style="" href="http://www.blogger.com/post-create.g?blogID=6574816127079037879#_ftn10" name="_ftnref10" title=""><span class="MsoFootnoteReference"><span style=""><!--[if !supportFootnotes]--><span class="MsoFootnoteReference"><span style=";font-family:";" >[10]</span></span><!--[endif]--></span></span></a> It is clear that the Holy Father means to say that the Catholic religion is and ought to be viewed as the supreme expression of the Christian faith, and indeed the <st1:place st="on"><st1:placename st="on">One</st1:placename> <st1:placetype st="on">Church</st1:placetype></st1:place> which was founded by Christ. Upon this principle his entire argument rests. Since the Church is not only a society, and association, but that association which is brought together through and in Christ and ordered by his command, it is then wholly apparent that it must not be subservient to the state—but rather that the state ought to be guided by the wisdom of the Church. Indeed, God has ordained two powers over all things in this world—powers ecclesiastical, which govern the divine things, and powers civil, which govern temporal things.<a style="" href="http://www.blogger.com/post-create.g?blogID=6574816127079037879#_ftn11" name="_ftnref11" title=""><span class="MsoFootnoteReference"><span style=""><!--[if !supportFootnotes]--><span class="MsoFootnoteReference"><span style=";font-family:";" >[11]</span></span><!--[endif]--></span></span></a> Pope Leo states that each is to be supreme in its own kind—the state ought to rule over things temporal, and the Church over things heavenly. In this way, he echoes the thought of <st1:city st="on">St. Augustine</st1:city>, who taught of the separation of the Cities of God and of Man, whilst asserting the supremacy of the City of <st1:city st="on"><st1:place st="on">God</st1:place></st1:city>. Anywhere in which it would seem that the authority of the two spheres overlap, deference is to be given to the Church, since it is the perfectly constituted society of divine right—and as such aims for the highest end in all things. If it were not true that the Church’s right must be observed in matters where its authority seems to run concurrent with that of civil authority, then man would not know which to follow—“it would be a dereliction of duty to disobey either of the two,”<a style="" href="http://www.blogger.com/post-create.g?blogID=6574816127079037879#_ftn12" name="_ftnref12" title=""><span class="MsoFootnoteReference"><span style=""><!--[if !supportFootnotes]--><span class="MsoFootnoteReference"><span style=";font-family:";" >[12]</span></span><!--[endif]--></span></span></a> says the Holy Father, and thus there would be necessity of one to have greater authority than the other in certain circumstances. God does not allow even the minutest things in nature to work in opposition to one another, but establishes harmony amongst them—and so this harmony must be reflected in societies, also under God’s sovereignty.</span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%;"><span style="font-size:100%;"> </span><span style="font-size:100%;">The relationship of Church to State, then, Pope Leo asserts, may be likened to that of the union of Body and Soul. The Body, that is, the State, has authority over attaining earthly goods, while the Soul, the Church, that of attaining Heavenly delights. This echoes the words of Christ in the Gospel of Matthew: “Render therefore to Caesar the things that are Caesar’s, and to God the things that are God’s.” From all of this we see that there is to be no suspicion of civil societies for the Church or likewise of the Church for governments, there is to be no opposition—but harmony between the two that the good of mankind may flourish both to the attainment of advancement of virtues in this life and the joys of heaven in the next.<a style="" href="http://www.blogger.com/post-create.g?blogID=6574816127079037879#_ftn13" name="_ftnref13" title=""><span class="MsoFootnoteReference"><span style=""><!--[if !supportFootnotes]--><span class="MsoFootnoteReference"><span style=";font-family:";" >[13]</span></span><!--[endif]--></span></span></a></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%;"><span style="font-size:100%;"> </span><span style="font-size:100%;">A number of doctrines stand in opposition to this sort of harmony, and the Holy Father summarily denounces them as being at variance with both the precepts of the Gospel and with natural law. Firstly, that all men are in equal control of their lives and moreover masters of their own destinies; second, that government is nothing more than the will of the people; third, that “the authority of God (may be) passed over in silence, just as if there were no God or as if He cared nothing for human society, or as if man…owed nothing to God.”<a style="" href="http://www.blogger.com/post-create.g?blogID=6574816127079037879#_ftn14" name="_ftnref14" title=""><span class="MsoFootnoteReference"><span style=""><!--[if !supportFootnotes]--><span class="MsoFootnoteReference"><span style=";font-family:";" >[14]</span></span><!--[endif]--></span></span></a> These doctrines place the Church in a position less than or equal to that of all other associations which may exist in a society, making her out to be “just another denomination” or a mere group—owing no credit to her divine foundations. When these doctrines come to dominate the consciousness of a society, then the Church suffers—to the point that even when the Church is given what is rightfully hers in society, men cry out in opposition and demand that she be separated from the state. From this opposition, much harm comes to the Christian life—marriage becomes redefined, goods of the clergy and of the Church’s associations are taken, and the Church becomes just another place for people to gather of their own volition, as if it were not divinely founded. The Church is kept thusly in bondage to the state, not allowed to act freely. The Holy Father boldly condemns the doctrine of popular sovereignty, saying that it is “exceedingly well calculated to flatter and to inflame many passions, but which lacks all responsible proof and all power of insuring public safety and preserving order.”<a style="" href="http://www.blogger.com/post-create.g?blogID=6574816127079037879#_ftn15" name="_ftnref15" title=""><span class="MsoFootnoteReference"><span style=""><!--[if !supportFootnotes]--><span class="MsoFootnoteReference"><span style=";font-family:";" >[15]</span></span><!--[endif]--></span></span></a> This doctrine, once enthroned as the animating principle of the state, leads to an emphasis on the sovereignty of man and an indifference to religion—which in turn can lead to atheism. If believers are to be consistent, the Holy Father says, they must acknowledge that the One God could not have established disparate and opposing wills, but one will and therefore one Church to transmit his will (thus adding another layer to the fundamental argument). <st1:city st="on"><st1:place st="on">Liberty</st1:place></st1:city> of thought, then, can have a destabilizing effect upon the state and is not to its advantage. True liberty “is a power perfecting man and hence should have truth and goodness for its object.”<a style="" href="http://www.blogger.com/post-create.g?blogID=6574816127079037879#_ftn16" name="_ftnref16" title=""><span class="MsoFootnoteReference"><span style=""><!--[if !supportFootnotes]--><span class="MsoFootnoteReference"><span style=";font-family:";" >[16]</span></span><!--[endif]--></span></span></a> True liberty is the freedom to do what one must to attain sanctification. </span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%;"><span style="font-size:100%;"> </span><span style="font-size:100%;">And thus we return to the arguments set forth by James Madison, and it is plain to see that Madison’s philosophy is at variance with that of Pope Leo XIII and of the broader body of the Church’s tradition. There are many points of <st1:place st="on"><st1:city st="on">Madison</st1:city></st1:place>’s letter which the Holy Father would find himself in agreement with. Notably, these include that religion is “the duty which we owe to the Creator and the manner of discharging it,” that it “can only be directed by reason and conviction, not by force or violence;”<a style="" href="http://www.blogger.com/post-create.g?blogID=6574816127079037879#_ftn17" name="_ftnref17" title=""><span class="MsoFootnoteReference"><span style=""><!--[if !supportFootnotes]--><span class="MsoFootnoteReference"><span style=";font-family:";" >[17]</span></span><!--[endif]--></span></span></a> that civil magistrates are not competent to judge matters relating to religious truth; and that the Christian faith flourished apart from the support of human laws and even in spite of those laws which were hostile to her. Where <st1:city st="on"><st1:place st="on">Madison</st1:place></st1:city> says such things, he agrees with Pope Leo—and indeed, the wording which the Holy Father uses in stating these things is quite similar. However, these points of agreement, however significant, pale when <st1:city st="on">Madison</st1:city>’s arguments are scrutinized in light of those of Pope Leo XIII, who makes a far more compelling case for a close relationship between Church and State than <st1:city st="on"><st1:place st="on">Madison</st1:place></st1:city> does for their disparity. </span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%;"><span style="font-size:100%;"> </span><span style="font-size:100%;">In the first case, <st1:city st="on"><st1:place st="on">Madison</st1:place></st1:city> posits that religion ought to be left to the individual conviction and conscience of every man. While the Catholic tradition holds that man must act according to his conscience, it would also hold that a conscience may be properly or improperly formed. <st1:city st="on"><st1:place st="on">Madison</st1:place></st1:city> does not allow for this in his assessment—in other words, if a man has a malformed conscience which would cause him to be opposed to what is good and right as concerns religion, a choice in accord with such should not be seen as wrong or in need of correction. Madison’s continuance of this line of thinking finds itself to be in serious contradiction of even itself—that man must render his duty to the Creator as each believes is acceptable to himself. Pope Leo answers this eloquently—if there is one Creator, then there is only one will of that Creator, and therefore only one way which is proper to render homage unto Him. Thus, religion is not a matter of individual tastes, but one rooted in eternal truth as revealed by the one God. <st1:place st="on"><st1:city st="on">Madison</st1:city></st1:place> again contradicts himself when he says that before man may enter into civil society, “he must be considered as a subject of the Governour of the Universe.” If a man’s conscience dictates that there is no “Governour of the Universe,” then how may he enter into political society? To what principle do we look and call supreme when these two dictates contradict—the mandates of individual conscience and the prerequisites of societal association? To Pope Leo, the answer is clear—the wisdom of the Church is supreme to the will of man and to the will of governments. </span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%;"><span style="font-size:100%;"> </span><span style="font-size:100%;">A further contradiction in <st1:place st="on"><st1:city st="on">Madison</st1:city></st1:place>’s thinking is found in his description of why freedom of conscience on matters of religion is an “unalienable right;” that it is unalienable because “the opinions of men, depending only on the evidence contemplated by their own minds cannot follow the dictates of other men.”<a style="" href="http://www.blogger.com/post-create.g?blogID=6574816127079037879#_ftn18" name="_ftnref18" title=""><span class="MsoFootnoteReference"><span style=""><!--[if !supportFootnotes]--><span class="MsoFootnoteReference"><span style=";font-family:";" >[18]</span></span><!--[endif]--></span></span></a> This denies that fundamental and natural state of man as societal which Pope Leo identifies—it is patently impossible for a man to contemplate that which came from his own mind, since all ideas, all thoughts, even the simplest expression of speech, must have come from some other apart from himself. <st1:city st="on"><st1:place st="on">Madison</st1:place></st1:city>, then, is lacking in epistemological analysis. No man can think independently, since all thoughts are at least in some part inspired by some other thought. It would then follow that men may think good things as concern religious matters, and men may think bad things as concern them, depending upon what evidence has been given to their contemplation. However, <st1:city st="on"><st1:place st="on">Madison</st1:place></st1:city> seems to rule out the possibility that in political society, the wrongness of one man’s doctrines would require the correction of his brethren.</span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%;"><span style="font-size:100%;"> </span><span style="font-size:100%;"><st1:city st="on"><st1:place st="on">Madison</st1:place></st1:city> very interestingly raises the point that religion ought not to be under the sovereignty of the state, which would seem to support the argument contrary to his—that true religion is supreme to the will of the state. In failing to acknowledge one religion or another as supreme in this manner, he errs, at least in kind, in a way identified by Pope Leo—that the Catholic religion is reduced to one option among many or is thought of as equal to, or less than the others. While <st1:city st="on"><st1:place st="on">Madison</st1:place></st1:city> does not directly imply this, his line of argument depends upon this. In the following section of his letter, he then contradicts himself by implying that establishment of religion is something which must be contracted by the state, when the supremacy of one religion or another is not determined by the majority rule—it is the true Church by her own nature as being founded by Christ that makes her supreme, and it is not for the state to judge whether the Church holds primacy, least of all when the state is constituted according to the majority’s will. <st1:city st="on"><st1:place st="on">Madison</st1:place></st1:city> says that we acknowledge religion to be of Divine origin, and if this is so, says Pope Leo, then why do we compromise and acknowledge a multiplicity of religions? If there is one God, there is one Divine Will, not many—and not many disparate cults which pay homage to the Almighty in varied and contradictory ways. The believer, says Pope Leo, ought to be consistent<a style="" href="http://www.blogger.com/post-create.g?blogID=6574816127079037879#_ftn19" name="_ftnref19" title=""><span class="MsoFootnoteReference"><span style=""><!--[if !supportFootnotes]--><span class="MsoFootnoteReference"><span style=";font-family:";" >[19]</span></span><!--[endif]--></span></span></a>—and here we see where <st1:place st="on"><st1:city st="on">Madison</st1:city></st1:place>’s argument fails. Madison is content to acknowledge that all religions are equally valid, content to an indifference to which religion might contain more or less truth—or even truth in its fullness. <st1:city st="on"><st1:place st="on">Madison</st1:place></st1:city> does not seem open to the possibility that there might be a religion which claims primacy, a religion which claims a power that comes from on high to the exclusion of other claims to the same power. It is this sort of religious indifference which has pervaded our society—and even those sects found in our society—even up to this day, and which have made the Church’s task in this country difficult. Even the sects who exist in this county seem content to disavow any varying degree of truth and to consider themselves to exist in a sort of false unity—a unity based solely on mutual acceptance of particular errors. </span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: 0.5in; line-height: 200%;"><span style="font-size:100%;">When the freedom of men to enter into whichever religious affiliation they so choose according to the dictates of their consciences is abused, continues <st1:city st="on"><st1:place st="on">Madison</st1:place></st1:city>, it is not only an offense against man, but against God. Here again, <st1:city st="on"><st1:place st="on">Madison</st1:place></st1:city> finds himself to be inconsistent with what is true and natural, and here again he ignores the possibility that men may be wrong in their doctrinal observances. It is in the abuse of free will by choosing false doctrines that men offend God, not in men seemingly encroaching on other men’s versions of truth. True freedom, as Pope Leo emphasizes in another encyclical (<i style="">Libertas Praesentissimum</i>), does not come from slavery to falsehoods, but to obedience to the will of Christ—it is only in obeying Christ and His Church that men are free to grow into what they ought to be. As the Gospel of John says, “the truth will make you free.” Truth is not determined by the will of the majority, but is true by itself, regardless of the opinions of men about it. </span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: 0.5in; line-height: 200%;"><span style="font-size:100%;"><st1:place st="on"><st1:city st="on">Madison</st1:city></st1:place> goes on to bolster the case against his own argument by speaking of the pre-existence of the religious truth to human policies.<a style="" href="http://www.blogger.com/post-create.g?blogID=6574816127079037879#_ftn20" name="_ftnref20" title=""><span class="MsoFootnoteReference"><span style=""><!--[if !supportFootnotes]--><span class="MsoFootnoteReference"><span style=";font-family:";" >[20]</span></span><!--[endif]--></span></span></a> By acknowledging that religion is not of human invention, but Divine provenance, he then opens his own argument up to historical criticism. It is plain that there was one Christian faith—plain for the reasons that Madison himself outlines in much the same way that Pope Leo does, as we have already noted—and that it flourished in spite of injurious human activity. If there was a religion which pre-existed such human societies, does it not stand to reason that that religion might also be pre-eminent to the state? <st1:place st="on"><st1:city st="on">Madison</st1:city></st1:place> then continues with his historical errors, saying almost hysterically that no good can come of the legal establishment of Christianity—that it has “been on trial” for “almost fifteen centuries.”<a style="" href="http://www.blogger.com/post-create.g?blogID=6574816127079037879#_ftn21" name="_ftnref21" title=""><span class="MsoFootnoteReference"><span style=""><!--[if !supportFootnotes]--><span class="MsoFootnoteReference"><span style=";font-family:";" >[21]</span></span><!--[endif]--></span></span></a> He makes this claim without offering any evidence, merely pointing to a few generalized negative effects to arise from such an association between Church and State. In the first place, before whom has this legal establishment “been on trial?” <st1:city st="on"><st1:place st="on">Madison</st1:place></st1:city> asserts over and over that the state is not competent to judge religions, so is Christianity on trial before men? How can this be if states constituted of men—which are themselves necessarily greater than individuals—cannot judge religion? <st1:place st="on"><st1:city st="on">Madison</st1:city></st1:place>’s “evidence” against the association of religion with the state include “pride and indolence among the clergy, ignorance and servility in the laity, in both superstition, bigotry, and persecution,”<a style="" href="http://www.blogger.com/post-create.g?blogID=6574816127079037879#_ftn22" name="_ftnref22" title=""><span class="MsoFootnoteReference"><span style=""><!--[if !supportFootnotes]--><span class="MsoFootnoteReference"><span style=";font-family:";" >[22]</span></span><!--[endif]--></span></span></a> and later on, when speaking of sectarian discord that “torrents of blood have been spilt in the old world.”<a style="" href="http://www.blogger.com/post-create.g?blogID=6574816127079037879#_ftn23" name="_ftnref23" title=""><span class="MsoFootnoteReference"><span style=""><!--[if !supportFootnotes]--><span class="MsoFootnoteReference"><span style=";font-family:";" >[23]</span></span><!--[endif]--></span></span></a> While it is true that these things have happened in some circumstances, <st1:city st="on"><st1:place st="on">Madison</st1:place></st1:city> does not seem to be allowing for the principle of <i style="">abusus non tollit usum</i>. It must be conceded that ill effects have come from Church-State relationships, but these effects must not be blamed on the Church and her doctrines—but rather on the corrupt men who inhabit both Church and State. As Pope Leo says, everywhere that the Church has touched, she has brought change for the better, improvement in virtue and advancement in culture.<a style="" href="http://www.blogger.com/post-create.g?blogID=6574816127079037879#_ftn24" name="_ftnref24" title=""><span class="MsoFootnoteReference"><span style=""><!--[if !supportFootnotes]--><span class="MsoFootnoteReference"><span style=";font-family:";" >[24]</span></span><!--[endif]--></span></span></a> History’s verdict here does not seem to be in <st1:place st="on"><st1:city st="on">Madison</st1:city></st1:place>’s favor.</span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: 0.5in; line-height: 200%;"><span style="font-size:100%;">Above all, when James Madison’s doctrines of separation of Church and State, and indeed, those of the American political conscience from his time into our own, are scrutinized in light of the Church’s consistent and ancient teachings, it is apparent that the freedom preached by the American regime then and now is not freedom in its truest sense—freedom in Christ—but a sort of imagined freedom, a sort of license which, if left unbridled, leads to all manner of falsities that are destructive to the constitution of individual souls and to the soul of the state. <st1:city st="on"><st1:place st="on">Madison</st1:place></st1:city> lacks a clear hierarchy in his division of the wills of the Church, the State, and the individual. He claims that the individual is subordinate to the State, and that religious sentiments then subordinate to the will of the individual—and that the two ought never to interfere with one another. How can this be, when he asserts over and over that the State is not supreme to religion? Further, how can it be when the state is constituted according to the will of the men in whom it consists? It can only be in a mindset which does not allow for there to be one, solid, objective truth. It can only consistently occur in a society wherein state sanctioned relativism is the manner of governance. The near-hysteria of the Founding Fathers of the American regime is echoed today in the anti-religious sentiments of a society which finds itself increasingly individualistic, increasingly opposed to God. These things the Church has met and continues to meet head-on with the ancient wisdom evident from the beginning of creation in its ordering, and then revealed in the fulfillment of God’s promises to men. The Holy Father Pope Leo XIII is a servant of this holy wisdom, and when his thought is matched against that of the Father of the Constitution, it is clear to see which one preaches true freedom. It is clear to see from this assessment the very fortitude of the laws of Almighty God.<i style=""><o:p></o:p></i></span></p> <div style=""><!--[if !supportFootnotes]--><span style="font-size:100%;">
<br /></span> <hr style="height: 3px;font-size:78%;" width="33%" align="left"> <!--[endif]--> <div style="" id="ftn1"> <p class="MsoFootnoteText"><span style="font-size:100%;"><a style="" href="http://www.blogger.com/post-create.g?blogID=6574816127079037879#_ftnref1" name="_ftn1" title=""><span class="MsoFootnoteReference"><span style=""><!--[if !supportFootnotes]--><span class="MsoFootnoteReference"><span style=";font-family:";" >[1]</span></span><!--[endif]--></span></span></a> <i style="">Memorial and Remonstrance </i>1</span></p> </div> <div style="" id="ftn2"> <p class="MsoFootnoteText"><span style="font-size:100%;"><a style="" href="http://www.blogger.com/post-create.g?blogID=6574816127079037879#_ftnref2" name="_ftn2" title=""><span class="MsoFootnoteReference"><span style=""><!--[if !supportFootnotes]--><span class="MsoFootnoteReference"><span style=";font-family:";" >[2]</span></span><!--[endif]--></span></span></a> Ibid., 2</span></p> </div> <div style="" id="ftn3"> <p class="MsoFootnoteText"><span style="font-size:100%;"><a style="" href="http://www.blogger.com/post-create.g?blogID=6574816127079037879#_ftnref3" name="_ftn3" title=""><span class="MsoFootnoteReference"><span style=""><!--[if !supportFootnotes]--><span class="MsoFootnoteReference"><span style=";font-family:";" >[3]</span></span><!--[endif]--></span></span></a> Ibid., 4</span></p> </div> <div style="" id="ftn4"> <p class="MsoFootnoteText"><span style="font-size:100%;"><a style="" href="http://www.blogger.com/post-create.g?blogID=6574816127079037879#_ftnref4" name="_ftn4" title=""><span class="MsoFootnoteReference"><span style=""><!--[if !supportFootnotes]--><span class="MsoFootnoteReference"><span style=";font-family:";" >[4]</span></span><!--[endif]--></span></span></a> Ibid., 6</span></p> </div> <div style="" id="ftn5"> <p class="MsoFootnoteText"><span style="font-size:100%;"><a style="" href="http://www.blogger.com/post-create.g?blogID=6574816127079037879#_ftnref5" name="_ftn5" title=""><span class="MsoFootnoteReference"><span style=""><!--[if !supportFootnotes]--><span class="MsoFootnoteReference"><span style=";font-family:";" >[5]</span></span><!--[endif]--></span></span></a> Ibid., 11</span></p> </div> <div style="" id="ftn6"> <p class="MsoFootnoteText"><span style="font-size:100%;"><a style="" href="http://www.blogger.com/post-create.g?blogID=6574816127079037879#_ftnref6" name="_ftn6" title=""><span class="MsoFootnoteReference"><span style=""><!--[if !supportFootnotes]--><span class="MsoFootnoteReference"><span style=";font-family:";" >[6]</span></span><!--[endif]--></span></span></a> <i style="">Immortale Dei</i>, 1</span></p> </div> <div style="" id="ftn7"> <p class="MsoFootnoteText"><span style="font-size:100%;"><a style="" href="http://www.blogger.com/post-create.g?blogID=6574816127079037879#_ftnref7" name="_ftn7" title=""><span class="MsoFootnoteReference"><span style=""><!--[if !supportFootnotes]--><span class="MsoFootnoteReference"><span style=";font-family:";" >[7]</span></span><!--[endif]--></span></span></a> Ibid, 3</span></p> </div> <div style="" id="ftn8"> <p class="MsoFootnoteText"><span style="font-size:100%;"><a style="" href="http://www.blogger.com/post-create.g?blogID=6574816127079037879#_ftnref8" name="_ftn8" title=""><span class="MsoFootnoteReference"><span style=""><!--[if !supportFootnotes]--><span class="MsoFootnoteReference"><span style=";font-family:";" >[8]</span></span><!--[endif]--></span></span></a> Ibid, 4</span></p> </div> <div style="" id="ftn9"> <p class="MsoFootnoteText"><span style="font-size:100%;"><a style="" href="http://www.blogger.com/post-create.g?blogID=6574816127079037879#_ftnref9" name="_ftn9" title=""><span class="MsoFootnoteReference"><span style=""><!--[if !supportFootnotes]--><span class="MsoFootnoteReference"><span style=";font-family:";" >[9]</span></span><!--[endif]--></span></span></a> Ibid., 6</span></p> </div> <div style="" id="ftn10"> <p class="MsoFootnoteText"><span style="font-size:100%;"><a style="" href="http://www.blogger.com/post-create.g?blogID=6574816127079037879#_ftnref10" name="_ftn10" title=""><span class="MsoFootnoteReference"><span style=""><!--[if !supportFootnotes]--><span class="MsoFootnoteReference"><span style=";font-family:";" >[10]</span></span><!--[endif]--></span></span></a> Ibid., 7</span></p> </div> <div style="" id="ftn11"> <p class="MsoFootnoteText"><span style="font-size:100%;"><a style="" href="http://www.blogger.com/post-create.g?blogID=6574816127079037879#_ftnref11" name="_ftn11" title=""><span class="MsoFootnoteReference"><span style=""><!--[if !supportFootnotes]--><span class="MsoFootnoteReference"><span style=";font-family:";" >[11]</span></span><!--[endif]--></span></span></a> Ibid., 13</span></p> </div> <div style="" id="ftn12"> <p class="MsoFootnoteText"><span style="font-size:100%;"><a style="" href="http://www.blogger.com/post-create.g?blogID=6574816127079037879#_ftnref12" name="_ftn12" title=""><span class="MsoFootnoteReference"><span style=""><!--[if !supportFootnotes]--><span class="MsoFootnoteReference"><span style=";font-family:";" >[12]</span></span><!--[endif]--></span></span></a> Ibid., 13</span></p> </div> <div style="" id="ftn13"> <p class="MsoFootnoteText"><span style="font-size:100%;"><a style="" href="http://www.blogger.com/post-create.g?blogID=6574816127079037879#_ftnref13" name="_ftn13" title=""><span class="MsoFootnoteReference"><span style=""><!--[if !supportFootnotes]--><span class="MsoFootnoteReference"><span style=";font-family:";" >[13]</span></span><!--[endif]--></span></span></a> Ibid., 14</span></p> </div> <div style="" id="ftn14"> <p class="MsoFootnoteText"><span style="font-size:100%;"><a style="" href="http://www.blogger.com/post-create.g?blogID=6574816127079037879#_ftnref14" name="_ftn14" title=""><span class="MsoFootnoteReference"><span style=""><!--[if !supportFootnotes]--><span class="MsoFootnoteReference"><span style=";font-family:";" >[14]</span></span><!--[endif]--></span></span></a> Ibid., 25</span></p> </div> <div style="" id="ftn15"> <p class="MsoFootnoteText"><span style="font-size:100%;"><a style="" href="http://www.blogger.com/post-create.g?blogID=6574816127079037879#_ftnref15" name="_ftn15" title=""><span class="MsoFootnoteReference"><span style=""><!--[if !supportFootnotes]--><span class="MsoFootnoteReference"><span style=";font-family:";" >[15]</span></span><!--[endif]--></span></span></a> Ibid., 31</span></p> </div> <div style="" id="ftn16"> <p class="MsoFootnoteText"><span style="font-size:100%;"><a style="" href="http://www.blogger.com/post-create.g?blogID=6574816127079037879#_ftnref16" name="_ftn16" title=""><span class="MsoFootnoteReference"><span style=""><!--[if !supportFootnotes]--><span class="MsoFootnoteReference"><span style=";font-family:";" >[16]</span></span><!--[endif]--></span></span></a> Ibid., 32</span></p> </div> <div style="" id="ftn17"> <p class="MsoFootnoteText"><span style="font-size:100%;"><a style="" href="http://www.blogger.com/post-create.g?blogID=6574816127079037879#_ftnref17" name="_ftn17" title=""><span class="MsoFootnoteReference"><span style=""><!--[if !supportFootnotes]--><span class="MsoFootnoteReference"><span style=";font-family:";" >[17]</span></span><!--[endif]--></span></span></a> <i style="">Memorial and Remonstrance, </i>1</span></p> </div> <div style="" id="ftn18"> <p class="MsoFootnoteText"><span style="font-size:100%;"><a style="" href="http://www.blogger.com/post-create.g?blogID=6574816127079037879#_ftnref18" name="_ftn18" title=""><span class="MsoFootnoteReference"><span style=""><!--[if !supportFootnotes]--><span class="MsoFootnoteReference"><span style=";font-family:";" >[18]</span></span><!--[endif]--></span></span></a> Ibid., 1</span></p> </div> <div style="" id="ftn19"> <p class="MsoFootnoteText"><span style="font-size:100%;"><a style="" href="http://www.blogger.com/post-create.g?blogID=6574816127079037879#_ftnref19" name="_ftn19" title=""><span class="MsoFootnoteReference"><span style=""><!--[if !supportFootnotes]--><span class="MsoFootnoteReference"><span style=";font-family:";" >[19]</span></span><!--[endif]--></span></span></a> <i style="">Immortale Dei, </i>31</span></p> </div> <div style="" id="ftn20"> <p class="MsoFootnoteText"><span style="font-size:100%;"><a style="" href="http://www.blogger.com/post-create.g?blogID=6574816127079037879#_ftnref20" name="_ftn20" title=""><span class="MsoFootnoteReference"><span style=""><!--[if !supportFootnotes]--><span class="MsoFootnoteReference"><span style=";font-family:";" >[20]</span></span><!--[endif]--></span></span></a> <i style="">Memorial</i>, 6</span></p> </div> <div style="" id="ftn21"> <p class="MsoFootnoteText"><span style="font-size:100%;"><a style="" href="http://www.blogger.com/post-create.g?blogID=6574816127079037879#_ftnref21" name="_ftn21" title=""><span class="MsoFootnoteReference"><span style=""><!--[if !supportFootnotes]--><span class="MsoFootnoteReference"><span style=";font-family:";" >[21]</span></span><!--[endif]--></span></span></a> Ibid., 7</span></p> </div> <div style="" id="ftn22"> <p class="MsoFootnoteText"><span style="font-size:100%;"><a style="" href="http://www.blogger.com/post-create.g?blogID=6574816127079037879#_ftnref22" name="_ftn22" title=""><span class="MsoFootnoteReference"><span style=""><!--[if !supportFootnotes]--><span class="MsoFootnoteReference"><span style=";font-family:";" >[22]</span></span><!--[endif]--></span></span></a> Ibid., 7</span></p> </div> <div style="" id="ftn23"> <p class="MsoFootnoteText"><span style="font-size:100%;"><a style="" href="http://www.blogger.com/post-create.g?blogID=6574816127079037879#_ftnref23" name="_ftn23" title=""><span class="MsoFootnoteReference"><span style=""><!--[if !supportFootnotes]--><span class="MsoFootnoteReference"><span style=";font-family:";" >[23]</span></span><!--[endif]--></span></span></a> Ibid., 11</span></p> </div> <div style="" id="ftn24"> <p class="MsoFootnoteText"><span style="font-size:100%;"><a style="" href="http://www.blogger.com/post-create.g?blogID=6574816127079037879#_ftnref24" name="_ftn24" title=""><span class="MsoFootnoteReference"><span style=""><!--[if !supportFootnotes]--><span class="MsoFootnoteReference"><span style=";font-family:";" >[24]</span></span><!--[endif]--></span></span></a> <i style="">Immortale Dei</i>, 1</span></p><p class="MsoFootnoteText">
<br /></p><p class="MsoFootnoteText">
<br /></p><p class="MsoFootnoteText">
<br /></p><p class="MsoFootnoteText">
<br /></p><p class="MsoFootnoteText"><span style="font-size:100%;">Encyclical Letter <a href="http://www.vatican.va/holy_father/leo_xiii/encyclicals/documents/hf_l-xiii_enc_01111885_immortale-dei_en.html"><span style="font-style: italic;">Immortale Dei</span></a> of Pope Leo XIII, 1885
<br /></span></p><p class="MsoFootnoteText"><span style="font-size:100%;"><a href="http://religiousfreedom.lib.virginia.edu/sacred/madison_m&r_1785.html"><span style="font-style: italic;">Memorial and Remonstrance</span></a> by James Madison, 1785
<br /></span></p> </div> </div> ACEGChttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15975266500628440339noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6574816127079037879.post-79619046831772353142008-10-01T10:14:00.003-04:002008-10-01T10:17:02.491-04:00So it's been a while...I realize I haven't updated this in quite a while, but now I have cause to. I finished a paper the other day on Church-State relations--the view of James Madison vs. the teaching of the Church per Leo XIII. It's a nice little cage match between these two thinkers, so I'll be putting it up soon. I had hesitated to do so since the argument I make seems a bit odd at best for an American to be making (and next to crazy at worst), but then I realize that I am what I am, and the Church is what she is, and there to excuse either wouldn't be the wisest thing. But enough rambling.<br /><br />Eucharistic Congress this weekend, there might be some reporting and photos from that. I'm going to try to update this thing more often, amidst my rather tangled schedule.ACEGChttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15975266500628440339noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6574816127079037879.post-2074683540978942782008-05-25T23:26:00.002-04:002008-05-25T23:26:56.490-04:00<a href="http://www.oneplusyou.com/bb/view2/countries" style="background: rgb(51, 51, 51) url(http://www.oneplusyou.com/bb/img/countries/badge.jpg) no-repeat scroll 0% 50%; display: block; -moz-background-clip: -moz-initial; -moz-background-origin: -moz-initial; -moz-background-inline-policy: -moz-initial; width: 320px; height: 90px; font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 35px; color: rgb(255, 255, 255); text-decoration: none; text-align: center; padding-top: 110px;">70</a><div><br /><a href="http://www.oneplusyou.com/"></a></div>ACEGChttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15975266500628440339noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6574816127079037879.post-42782597126856770922008-05-17T02:18:00.000-04:002008-05-17T02:19:09.304-04:00Quote"Atheism turns out to be too simple. If the whole universe has no meaning, we should never have found out that it has no meaning. . ."<br /><br />C.S. Lewis, <span style="font-style: italic;">Mere Christianity</span>ACEGChttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15975266500628440339noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6574816127079037879.post-27787960580144580272008-05-17T01:05:00.000-04:002008-05-17T01:06:19.893-04:00<a href="http://www.oneplusyou.com/q/v/space_vacuum"><img border="0" src="http://www.oneplusyou.com/q/img/badges/space_vacuum_1_minute_47_seconds.jpg" alt="How long could you survive in the vacuum of space?" /></a>ACEGChttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15975266500628440339noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6574816127079037879.post-70739835124712307042008-05-09T14:30:00.000-04:002008-05-09T14:31:18.305-04:00Reflections on the Church<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%;">“Go forth, therefore, and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Ghost. Teaching them to observe all things whatsoever I have commanded you: and behold I am with you all days, even to the consummation of the world.” (Matthew 28:20). The final words spoken by Christ in Matthew’s Gospel are a good starting point for the mission of the Church, for an ecclesiology founded in Christ’s words will most clearly reflect his will. </p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%;"><span style=""> </span>In the first place, we must ask ourselves: what is the Church? And further, what is salvation? The Church is essentially salvific, it is the way in which Christ’s grace is manifested to the world and the way by which we attain heaven. Biblical scholars have long regarded Noah’s <st1:place st="on"><st1:state st="on">Ark</st1:State></st1:place> as a type of the Church, and indeed this is where the language of the “Barque of Peter” originates—if one is on board the Barque, then it will take him to heaven. So what is salvation, then? Salvation is unity with the Body of Christ. The Church is the Body of Christ, and so salvation is attained by uniting oneself to it. In doing so, one may attain unity with Christ throughout eternity in heaven and gaze upon the unveiled face of God—seeing him as he is. So, then, it is the duty of the Church to preach this call to salvation to the entire world, for God does not desire the death of a sinner (Ezechiel 18:32), but rather wills that all be saved. In preaching the Gospel to the world, and in bringing forth the graces of the Holy Spirit, the Church has a definite role of both herald and sanctifier of the people of the world, preaching the Gospel, and then making holy those who hear it. </p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%;"><span style=""> </span>How, then, should the Church relate to the world in which it lives? The Church must be open and compassionate of all by virtue of their human dignity, but must also not seek to tolerate deviations from its truth—for if truth is discarded, the Church is no longer distinguished as that which it is and has become a mere man-made organization, it loses its essence. The maxim for guiding the Church in its pastoral labors should be that “the Church is a hospital for sinners, not a gallery of saints.” Man in his imperfection naturally seeks the good, and naturally seeks God, so the Church should proclaim God to man and bring the two together. Thus the Church’s role in the world continues to be the same as its essence of that as the Body of Christ, and it must proclaim Christ and bring him to the world for its sanctification. A certain duty falls upon the state in this regard; states should be comprised such that they aid the citizenry in attaining the good, and thus it would seem prudent that the state derive its laws and ordering from the guidance of the Church. There is a dangerous mindset which pervades the modern society, one that seeks to banish the Church from the legislative assemblies. If we do not found our human laws, though, on divine ones, then upon what shall we found them? Man is not a sure, steady rock of truth—indeed, he changes and moves with different tides of attitude and thought, with different emotions and inclinations of the time. Thus, the eternal truths taught by the Church should be if nothing else given some consideration in the proceedings of a state. If this happens, then the state will tend essentially toward the good, if the state does otherwise, then the inclinations of man toward evil will come to reign, and society will be ordered around the individual good. A rightly ordered state will recognize that individual good flows first from the common good, and if the common good of man is to do the will of God, then it should follow that the state should give the Church’s guidance some credence. The Church itself should not come to dominate governments, however, for it is better that the men who govern the Church not concern themselves with the world’s claim, but with God’s. However, in its role of herald of the Gospel, the Church should see one of its tasks in the world to be the guidance of the ordering of states toward the common good of humanity.</p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%;"><span style=""> </span>In what does the Christian life consist? Drawing on her role as <i style="">mater et magistra</i>, the Church should seek always to provide access to Christ, and the freedom and consolation that come from him and from living in the life of grace. Since Christ’s Great Commission was that his Apostles “go forth and make disciples of all nations,” the individual prerogative of the Christian should be that of discipleship—he should be a follower of Christ, and strive to imitate the Lord. “If any man will come after me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross, and follow me.” (Matthew 16:24). So in what does following Christ consist? From the Gospels it is clear that a sort of radical dispossession of the world is necessary for discipleship—indeed, Christ tells the rich man who already follows the commandments to sell all he has and give it to the poor—a demand which makes the man go away saddened. (Luke 18:20-25) What is the reward for this dispossession of worldly things? “Thou shalt have treasure in heaven.” Indeed, the more we dispossess ourselves of the worldly, the more room we have in our lives for the multitudinous and everlasting gifts which the Father bestows upon us. In seeking those gifts in this life, we come to share in that treasure in heaven, for we are not capable of receiving all we can in this life while we are still imperfect. In the life to come, however, we shall receive the fullness of what we are willing to receive. So again, how do we do this? We must follow Christ who, “thought it not robbery to be equal with God: <span class="highlight">But emptied himself, taking the form of a servant, being made in the likeness of men, and in habit found as a man.</span> He humbled himself, becoming obedient unto death, even to the death of the cross.” (Philippians 2:7) Therefore, we must imitate this emptying of self, and even more this dying of Christ. This dying does not have to consist of complete bodily death, but merely the death of our inclinations away from Christ and our evil desires—thus we must die daily to self. The rewards of this are sure, as Paul exhorts Timothy: “<span class="highlight">A faithful saying: for if we be dead with him, we shall live also with him.” <o:p></o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%;"><span class="highlight"><span style=""> </span>The way in which we worship is also central to the Christian life. In our worship we come into contact directly with the Risen Lord, for he has given us his Body and Blood to sustain us. In the Gospel of John, Christ tells us that we must eat his flesh and drink his blood to be saved; this is not symbolic or metaphorical, but entirely literal—he does not attempt to equate his words with any other meaning, and he does not stray from saying those words over and over again. Then at the Last Supper, he gives a foretaste of how we are to encounter him again and again by speaking over the earthly gifts of bread and wine those eternal words which echo through the centuries “This is my body,” and “This is my blood.” How can this, then be a symbol, if the Creator of the Universe, who merely willed all things into existence, speaks these words as a reality? Thus he gives us the surest sign of hope in his promise to be with us always by giving himself to us, to sustain us throughout all ages. Since we are receiving such a great gift, we should approach it as such in our worship. Here we welcome the King of Kings into our midst, and so we should give him no less of a welcome than that of an earthly king, welcoming him in splendor and state. His surroundings at birth, life, and death were humble and rude, but because he emptied himself in this way, he is exalted forever and the angels sing his praises—thus should we highly exalt him when he comes to us in this way. Therefore, worship should be befitting that which is central to it, the Eucharist. We should seek to de-center ourselves, to transcend our own selves and to commune with the Risen Lord. In this way, we become united as a race, united to the Risen Lord, united with the whole Church—yet still distinct. Worship, in order to effect this decentralization of the self, should then give us a way to step out of the mundane and everyday, and into the very courts of heaven—for that is where we at the foot of the altar stand at that sublime moment when Christ comes into our midst. The priest who offers the sacrifice is to take on this decentralization to the utmost, for he is standing in the person of Christ—Christ who is both priest and the sacrifice offered, and so the priest must sacrifice his own identity and put on that of Christ. The surroundings in which we worship should stand in continuity to this obligation of interior disposition away from the self and toward the glory of God. If we truly believe what we say we are in the presence of, then why should we not give what is due? If we truly believe that the King of Kings has come down, why do we welcome him with places suited to entertainment and socialization, and not with a throne in the court of heaven as is befitting him?<o:p></o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%;"><span class="highlight"><span style=""> </span>It is clear that the people of God and those who are given to caring for their souls from this must see a certain call to discipleship. We have already treated the subject of discipleship at length, and so let us ground our examination of the people and the ministers in that idea of discipleship. In the first place, the people are obligated to serve Christ through the Church, to give to the support of the Church and to ensure that their families are raised up in the image of the Church. Indeed, Pope Leo XIII says in his seminal encyclical <i style="">Rerum Novarum</i> that the family is a microcosm of the Church. Conversely, the Church is a macrocosmic family—it has a father who guides and governs the household, and then each member contributes something to the family’s betterment. The role of ministers then is to reflect the role of Christ; they must not act on their own initiative but in the mind of Christ—they must empty themselves, stripping themselves of their own identities and putting on Christ. This is not limited to when they are offering the sacrifice at the altar, but also when they are out in the world. In this way they bring the ministry of Christ to the world for each successive generation. From the very genesis of the Church structures have been enacted to ensure that the true faith is taught and practiced in multitudinous places in accord with the traditions which are handed down, which have their origin in Christ. As such, we have now a Church which is built of a hierarchy of pastors, each insuring that the will of Christ is carried out among those whom have been entrusted to his care. One man could not possibly rule over the whole world and all the faithful, save without Christ and the graces which he sends forth to his shepherds. To some it is given to guide but a few, and to others still more, and to some others, the world entire—and all of this comes from the grace of Christ, who both ministered to those gathered masses in his own time and also to the whole world though his Church in the succeeding ages.<o:p></o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%;"><span class="highlight"><span style=""> </span>In the interest of maintaining the visible unity of the Church, it is and ought to be the duty of all of those pastors entrusted with the care of souls to strive for the essential unity which lies in truth itself, the Lord Jesus Christ. As he is the source and summit of the Christian faith, every effort should be taken both to proclaim his Gospel to the world and to ensure that it is taught faithfully to those in the Church. Thus, the priests of the Church should serve it faithfully, and in doing so they serve Christ. They should seek to serve both the people of God entrusted to their care, just as did Christ, who is the Good Shepherd. Further, they should strive to direct obedience toward the Bishop, who stands in the person of Christ over the territory which it is given him to govern. All of these should then submit to the one who is the Vicar of Christ on earth, the Roman Pontiff who sits on the chair of Peter. He then must faithfully submit himself in all ways and at all times to the will of Christ, who came not to be served but to serve—he must be the Servant of the Servants of God. If all of these strive faithfully after seeking the will of Christ and lifting him up to the world, then through them Christ will draw all things to himself (John 12:32). He is the only way in which man can achieve unity, a unity which transcends mere associational unity—a unity which lies in the soul of every man, a will to be united to Christ. </span></p>ACEGChttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15975266500628440339noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6574816127079037879.post-47989443109608468362008-04-29T16:21:00.001-04:002008-04-29T16:23:52.723-04:00<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://bp0.blogger.com/_HjzQBkjHy3k/SBeD0CrviJI/AAAAAAAAAG4/9RTOPGtbO_4/s1600-h/prost.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer;" src="http://bp0.blogger.com/_HjzQBkjHy3k/SBeD0CrviJI/AAAAAAAAAG4/9RTOPGtbO_4/s400/prost.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5194765625291933842" border="0" /></a><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://bp3.blogger.com/_HjzQBkjHy3k/SBeDeyrviII/AAAAAAAAAGw/6NWdIATR4Kg/s1600-h/prost.jpg"><br /></a>ACEGChttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15975266500628440339noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6574816127079037879.post-75741465813907715762008-04-16T00:36:00.003-04:002008-04-16T00:38:33.111-04:00PrayersI found another great prayer for the Pope, this one fairly old.<br /><br /><br /><div style="font-weight: bold;">"O Lord, we are the millions of believers, humbly kneeling at Thy feet and begging Thee to preserve, defend and save the Sovereign Pontiff for many years. He is the Father of the great fellowship of souls and our Father as well. On this day, as on every other day, he is praying for us also, and is offering unto Thee with holy fervor the sacred Victim of love and peace. </div><br /><div style="font-weight: bold;">Wherefore, O Lord, turn Thyself toward us with eyes of pity; for we are now, as it were, forgetful of ourselves, and are praying above all for him. Do Thou unite our prayers with his and receive them into the bosom of Thine infinite mercy, as a sweet savor of active and fruitful charity, whereby the children are united in the Church to their Father. All that he asks of Thee this day, we too ask it of Thee in union with him. </div><br /><div style="font-weight: bold;">Whether he weeps or rejoices, whether he hopes or offers himself as a victim of charity for his people, we desire to be united with him; nay more, we desire that the cry of our hearts should be made one with his. Of Thy great mercy grant, O Lord, that not one of us may be far from his mind and his heart in the hour that he prays and offers unto Thee the Sacrifice of Thy blessed Son. At the moment when our venerable High Priest, holding in His hands the very Body of Jesus Christ, shall say to the people over the Chalice of benediction these words: "The peace of the Lord be with you always," grant, O Lord, that Thy sweet peace may come down upon our hearts and upon all the nations with new and manifest power." Amen.</div><br /><div><span style="font-weight: bold;">-From the </span><em style="font-weight: bold;">Raccolta</em><span style="font-weight: bold;">.<br /><br /></span><br />Also, today is the one-year anniversary of the shootings at Virginia Tech. If you pray the Liturgy of the Hours, it would be quite fitting to pray the Offices for the Dead today.<br /><br />May the souls of the faithful departed, through the mercy of God, rest in peace.<span style="font-weight: bold;"><span style="font-weight: bold;"><span style="font-weight: bold;"><span style="font-weight: bold;"><br /><br /></span></span></span></span> </div>ACEGChttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15975266500628440339noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6574816127079037879.post-61456100487006901852008-04-15T16:14:00.003-04:002008-04-15T16:27:54.350-04:00HE'S HERE!!Just a few minutes ago, the Holy Father's plane touched down at Andrews Air Force Base, where he was greeted by President Bush, the First Lady, and members of the American hierarchy.<br /><br />Full coverage available at http://pope2008.typepad.com<br /><br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">Oratio pro summo Pontifice:</span><br /><br /><span style="font-style: italic; font-weight: bold;">Oremus pro Pontifice nostro Benedicto.</span><br /><br /><span style="font-style: italic; font-weight: bold;">Dominus conservet eum, et vivificet eum, et beatum faciat eum in terra, et non tradat eum in animam inimicorum eius. [Ps 40:3]</span><br /><br /><dl style="text-align: left; font-style: italic; font-weight: bold;"><dd>Pater noster, qui es in caelis:<br /></dd><dd>sanctificetur Nomen Tuum;<br /></dd><dd>adveniat Regnum Tuum;<br /></dd><dd>fiat voluntas Tua,<br /></dd><dd>sicut in caelo, et in terra.<br /></dd><dd>Panem nostrum cotidianum da nobis hodie;<br /></dd><dd>et dimitte nobis debita nostra,<br /></dd><dd>Sicut et nos dimittimus debitoribus nostris;<br /></dd><dd>et ne nos inducas in tentationem;<br /></dd><dd>sed libera nos a Malo. Amen.</dd></dl><span style="font-style: italic; font-weight: bold;">Ave Maria, gratia plena, Dominus tecum.</span><br /><span style="font-style: italic; font-weight: bold;">Benedicta tu in mulieribus, et benedictus fructus ventris tui, Iesus.</span><br /><span style="font-style: italic; font-weight: bold;">Sancta Maria, ora pro nobis peccatoribus nunc et in hora mortis nostrae. Amen</span><br /><br /><span style="font-style: italic; font-weight: bold;">Deus, omnium fidelium pastor et rector, famulum tuum N., quem pastorem Ecclesiae tuae praeesse voluisti, propitius respice: da ei, quaesumus, verbo et exemplo, quibus praeest, proficere: ut ad vitam, una cum grege sibi credito, perveniat sempiternam. Per Christum, Dominum nostrum. Amen.</span><br /><br />Translation available <a href="http://www.preces-latinae.org/thesaurus/Varia/ProPapa.html">here</a>.<br /><br />More to come--for extensive coverage check out the blogs I have linked in the sidebar.ACEGChttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15975266500628440339noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6574816127079037879.post-53268236866461254332008-04-15T12:39:00.003-04:002008-04-15T16:16:08.709-04:00<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://bp0.blogger.com/_HjzQBkjHy3k/SATaUNvaYvI/AAAAAAAAAGE/Knuj8UobM6o/s1600-h/vt-requiem.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer;" src="http://bp0.blogger.com/_HjzQBkjHy3k/SATaUNvaYvI/AAAAAAAAAGE/Knuj8UobM6o/s320/vt-requiem.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5189512711458415346" border="0" /></a>ACEGChttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15975266500628440339noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6574816127079037879.post-25733375151284758492008-04-13T15:13:00.002-04:002008-04-13T15:26:03.385-04:00Upcoming projects: No promises, but pray for me...maybe I'll get some of this done.I started this blog earlier this semester as a repository for my writings and whatnot, also for things that are just on my mind that I want to share or otherwise report. Unfortunately, there's this thing called schooling that keeps me from more educational pursuits, like writing.<br /><br />Wait. Allow me to rephrase: schooling keeps me from more educational pursuits, like writing what I want to.<br /><br />In the next three weeks, I have to write and submit five papers--it shouldn't be too bad, provided I get a good start this week, and also since two of the assignments are so simple that I've gotten approval from the professors involved to write a paper to fulfill the assignment for one and then edit it to fit the requirements for the other. In reality, I have to write four papers, plus one "second edition" of another. Not so terrible--most of these papers are on subjects I find very pleasing; it's not as if I were writing lengthy scientific research analyses (not to say that I don't like science, I'm just not a fan of writing about it) or other such things--I get to write about Philosophy (somewhat fun) and Theology (fun <span style="font-style: italic;">par excellence). </span><br /><br />But I digress.<br /><br />The reason I make this post is sort of as a preview of the projects I wish to undertake over the summer. I think it would be a good idea to keep myself occupied by something to keep my mind and spirit working when my body is not (i.e. when I'm not making money, I should be storing up other sorts of treasures, as the Gospels would have it). I have three such projects in mind:<br /><br />In the first place, I have long contemplated doing a series of reflections on the mysteries of the Rosary, and I have some good things in mind for this. This will probably be about a week long project in the summer, maybe very soon after school gets out.<br /><br />In the second, I am going to begin a large project wherein I will simply gather writings I have already produced, most especially since I started at Belmont Abbey, but possibly some earlier ones, and compiling them into a single location. Afterward, I will work on editing them (so this will be an ongoing thing) so that they could be compiled into one work rather than remaining disparate. This is mainly being done for the sake of doing it, but also because it may give me some foundation for writing my thesis in a couple of years (that's only three semesters away, you know) as well as for other things I may do in the future. I may publish this online somewhere (probably as a PDF or something, not sure yet), but I don't know yet. It may be something that's done on demand, but we'll have to see if I can get it done first.<br /><br />Finally, I am planning a major project that I'm not entirely sure of the topic yet, but I would like to write a lengthy commentary on something. At the moment, I have two possibilities in mind: either the Psalms, which would be rather easy considering my familiarity with them, or else the Encyclicals and other writings of Pope Leo XIII. I recently got a book of about half of his encyclicals compiled, and I look very much forward to reading it after I finish the Confessions of St. Augustine.<br /><br />This leads me to remember another project I would like to undertake by means of this blog: I have read a number of books this semester both on my own and for my classes, and I would like to do some commentary on them, as it's been some very beneficial stuff. At least to me, that is--my commentaries are probably going to be for the sake of doing them, and if someone else gets something out of it, wonderful. God be praised, as the Abbot would say in similar circumstances.<br /><br />So that's pretty much what I have planned, whether it happens or not, we shall see. The Rule of St. Benedict says that we should, before beginning a work, pray that it be brought to completion. So I will start praying that these things may be completed, and I hope that if there's anyone out there who reads this, they'll pray for me too.ACEGChttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15975266500628440339noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6574816127079037879.post-91042367423508470762008-04-11T12:57:00.002-04:002008-04-11T12:58:02.620-04:00John Paul II speaks to Irish SeminariansWhile on a visit to a seminary in Ireland in 1979, the late Holy Father John Paul II gave this speech to the seminarians there. Very inspiring message.<br /><br /><object style="width: 512px; height: 404px; z-index: 100;" classid="clsid:d27cdb6e-ae6d-11cf-96b8-444553540000" width="512" height="404" codebase="http://fpdownload.macromedia.com/pub/shockwave/cabs/flash/swflash.cab#version=7,0,0,0"><param name="movie" value="http://www.gloria.tv/flvplayer.swf?file=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.gloria.tv%2F%3Fembed%26video%3Dhtiqtbwkeimkxqsntsxg%26width%3D512%26height%3D384&type=flv&image=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.gloria.tv%2F%3Fembed%26image%3Dhtiqtbwkeimkxqsntsxg%26width%3D512%26height%3D384&autostart=false&showdigits=true&usefullscreen=false&logo=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.gloria.tv%2Fimage%2Flogo_embed.png&link=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.gloria.tv%2F%3Fvideo%3Dhtiqtbwkeimkxqsntsxg%26amp%3Bview%3Dflash&linktarget=_blank&volume=100&backcolor=0xe0e0e0&frontcolor=0x000000&lightcolor=0xf00000"><param name="bgcolor" value="#000000"><param name="menu" value="false"><param name="quality" value="high"><param name="scale" value="noborder"><param name="wmode" value="opaque"><embed src="http://www.gloria.tv/flvplayer.swf?file=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.gloria.tv%2F%3Fembed%26video%3Dhtiqtbwkeimkxqsntsxg%26width%3D512%26height%3D384&type=flv&image=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.gloria.tv%2F%3Fembed%26image%3Dhtiqtbwkeimkxqsntsxg%26width%3D512%26height%3D384&autostart=false&showdigits=true&usefullscreen=false&logo=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.gloria.tv%2Fimage%2Flogo_embed.png&link=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.gloria.tv%2F%3Fvideo%3Dhtiqtbwkeimkxqsntsxg%26amp%3Bview%3Dflash&linktarget=_blank&volume=100&backcolor=0xe0e0e0&frontcolor=0x000000&lightcolor=0xf00000" width="512" height="404" bgcolor="#000000" menu="false" quality="high" scale="noborder" wmode="opaque" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" pluginspage="http://www.macromedia.com/go/getflashplayer"></embed></object>ACEGChttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15975266500628440339noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6574816127079037879.post-56128982199617745552008-03-13T12:43:00.004-04:002008-03-14T18:33:28.310-04:00Requiescat in Pace<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://bp0.blogger.com/_HjzQBkjHy3k/R9r9LA7UpgI/AAAAAAAAAF4/ik43XRE-9F4/s1600-h/mar+paulos3.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer;" src="http://bp0.blogger.com/_HjzQBkjHy3k/R9r9LA7UpgI/AAAAAAAAAF4/ik43XRE-9F4/s320/mar+paulos3.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5177729087285011970" border="0" /></a><br />The Chaldean Catholic Archbishop of Mosul, His Excellency Paulos Faraj Rahho, has been murdered.<br /><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><br />From CNN, via <a href="http://closedcafeteria.blogspot.com/2008/03/chaldean-archbishop-murdered.html">The Cafeteria is Closed</a>:<br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">Chaldean Catholic Archbishop Paul Faraj Rahho's body was found Thursday near the town of Mosul, where he and three companions were ambushed by gunmen on February 29.</span><br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">The archbishop's driver and two security guards were killed during the attack. Iraqi Prime Minister Nuri al-Maliki had ordered security services to make it a priority to find and free the archbishop.</span><br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">Nineveh Deputy Gov. Khasro Goran, in Mosul, told CNN that the kidnappers had been in touch with the church and the relatives and wanted to be a paid a ransom for the archbishop's release. The contacts ended a few days ago.</span><br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">The apparent kidnappers had contacted relatives on Thursday and told them the body was in the eastern part of town. Relatives and authorities went to the location and found the body, which had gunshot wounds.<br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;"><br /><br /></span></span>For more coverage, see <a href="http://www.americanpapist.com/2008/03/breaking-kidnapped-iraqi-abp-rahho-has.html">American Papist</a>, who has a roundup.<br /><br />Let us remember Archbishop Rahho in our prayers, and pray for the protection of our Christian brethren in Iraq, particularly the Cardinal Patriarch.<br /><span style="font-weight: bold;"><span style="font-weight: bold;"></span></span>ACEGChttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15975266500628440339noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6574816127079037879.post-13226753398338671352008-02-26T11:57:00.002-05:002008-02-26T11:57:54.932-05:00Random, Celtic, Whimsical, and FunnyThis song is sure to get stuck in your head due to its simple lyrics and melody. Don't say I didn't warn you.<br /><br /><object width="425" height="355"><param name="movie" value="http://www.youtube.com/v/XG3uXEcZIFk&rel=1"></param><param name="wmode" value="transparent"></param><embed src="http://www.youtube.com/v/XG3uXEcZIFk&rel=1" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" wmode="transparent" width="425" height="355"></embed></object>ACEGChttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15975266500628440339noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6574816127079037879.post-70129000744859812622008-02-07T19:04:00.000-05:002008-02-07T19:27:14.781-05:00Home AltarThe home altar is a practice I was not much familiar with until I came to Belmont Abbey (and therefore spent loads of time on the internet and got to learn about such things). The apartment that I live in (for the time being, that is, until I move to one of the dorms--I got a job as a resident assistant) is inhabited by others who are rather enthusiastic about the faith, and as such we have an altar in the living room. Here are some pictures of it, prompted by <a href="http://thecrescat.blogspot.com/2008/02/home-altar-tour-2008.html">this post</a> by Carolina Cannonball.<br /><br /><div style="text-align: center;">The Whole Setup<br /></div><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2241/2249716740_b44663884a.jpg?v=0"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px;" src="http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2241/2249716740_b44663884a.jpg?v=0" alt="" border="0" /></a>Detail of the Altar<br /></div><div style="text-align: center;"><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2207/2248921949_7404bb1e6e.jpg?v=0"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px;" src="http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2207/2248921949_7404bb1e6e.jpg?v=0" alt="" border="0" /></a><br /><br />Icon of Mary; Smaller pictures of the Saints<br /></div><div style="text-align: center;"><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2337/2249722766_4d1d279309.jpg?v=0"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px;" src="http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2337/2249722766_4d1d279309.jpg?v=0" alt="" border="0" /></a><br /><br />Censer that we never use because we used up all the coal the first<br />week we had it playing with it...<br /></div><div style="text-align: center;"><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2004/2249720274_e720d2d756.jpg?v=0"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px;" src="http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2004/2249720274_e720d2d756.jpg?v=0" alt="" border="0" /></a><br />Detail of Creche (note the nightlight/star)<br /></div><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2353/2248929807_e327e8bdf6.jpg?v=0"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px;" src="http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2353/2248929807_e327e8bdf6.jpg?v=0" alt="" border="0" /></a>ACEGChttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15975266500628440339noreply@blogger.com10tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6574816127079037879.post-13611361061910165642008-01-20T03:15:00.001-05:002008-02-22T15:08:27.947-05:00Tempest in a Teapot<span style="font-weight: bold; color: rgb(204, 0, 0);">UPDATE </span><span style="color: rgb(204, 0, 0);"><span style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0);">So I was wrong. He did change the prayer. I have miscalculated. Mea culpa.</span></span><br /><br />If you have read the rather small collection of posts I've amassed here, you know that I have two habits that will continue in this post. First off, I am late to the sky on writing about this--every other blog I read has already covered it, and here I am, days later, finally speaking on the issue. Part of this is laziness, part is lacking time when I'm not being lazy. A big part of it is that I want to analyze the issue and form my opinion before I go off half-cocked (a phrase that originated with flintlock rifles in the 18th century; while loading and preparing to fire a rifle, it was set at "half-cock," which means that the part of the lock that held the flint was pulled back halfway, rather than "full-cock," which would enable the gun to fire. To go off half-cocked is to fire before the gun is ready in spite of the safety device of sorts that lay in the half-cock stop mechanism. This going off half-cocked usually resulted in exceptional surprise, partial deafness, and occasionally burns and death. But I digress. A whole lot).<br /><br />The other habit you will notice is that when I am trying to generate content for this blog, I occasionally draw from other things I've written--sometimes my better posts on the Catholic Answers Forum. I promise you that this post is a continuation of both habits, which I don't expect to try and break anytime soon. It seems to be working--not all habits are bad, after all (tell that to the Sisters of Mercy down the street, though. God how I love double meanings).<br /><br />Lately, the Catholic blogosphere has been buzzing with the rumor that the Pope is going to edit the Good Friday prayers for the conversion of the Jews in the 1962 Missal. This has caused an uproar among more traditionally-minded readers of a number of blogs, but honestly I think it's a lot of fuss over nothing. From my post at the Catholic Answers Forum:<br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">I'm with all those who say we should just watch and wait. I think this is a lot of pink smoke over an unsubstantiated rumor, and if you ask me it's a media effort to make the Pope look bad after the La Sapienza incident turned around to be positive for the Holy Father (students showed up at his Angelus to show support in spite of their fellow students protesting just days before). If you are familiar at all with the thought of Pope Benedict as evidenced by his copious scholarly writings, such a change would be the exact opposite of what he believes in. This would completely go against the thinking behind Summorum Pontificum, not to mention most of His Holiness' work on liturgical theology.</span><br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;"> I think this is a tempest in a teapot, and all in all, it doesn't add up. Like any tempest, I expect this to blow over pretty soon.</span><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><a href="http://forums.catholic.com/showthread.php?t=212668">Here</a> is a link to the relevant discussion on Catholic Answers Forum.<br />For well thought out, excellently clear commentary on the issue, check out Fr. Z's blog <a href="http://wdtprs.com/blog/2008/01/jewish-prayer-about-gentiles-and-catholic-prayer-for-the-jews/">here.</a>ACEGChttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15975266500628440339noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6574816127079037879.post-400506480395318622008-01-20T03:11:00.000-05:002008-01-20T03:15:52.876-05:00What Everyone involved in Liturgy/Music in a Parish or Campus setting should read.Apart from the then-Cardinal Ratzinger's <span style="font-style: italic;">Spirit of the Liturgy</span>, which I'm working on now (review to follow), that is.<br /><br />http://www.adoremus.org/MotuProprio.html<br /><br />This is the motu proprio of Pope St. Pius X on Sacred Music. While some of the regulations (and definitely most of the attitudes) on this subject have changed in the nearly 100 years since he wrote it, the reasoning behind it is still very much relevant (Good Theology doesn't go out of style, one would think--it merely gets ignored by generations of progressive "reformers" who want things their way).<br /><br />Particularly poignant is this quote:<br /> <p style="font-weight: bold;"><span style="font-family:Times New Roman, Times, Arial;font-size:100%;">On these grounds Gregorian Chant has always been regarded as the suprememodel for sacred music, so that it is fully legitimate to lay down thefollowing rule: the more closely a composition for church approaches in its movement, inspiration and savor the Gregorian form, the more sacred and liturgical it becomes; and the more out of harmony it is with that supreme model, the less worthy it is of the temple.</span></p> <p style="font-weight: bold;"><span style="font-family:Times New Roman, Times, Arial;font-size:100%;">The ancient traditional Gregorian Chant must, therefore, in a large measure be restored to the functions of public worship, and the fact must be accepted by all that an ecclesiastical function loses none of its solemnity when accompanied by this music alone.</span></p><br />An interesting read, to be sure--more to follow on liturgy when I finish <span style="font-style: italic;">Spirit of the Liturgy.</span>ACEGChttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15975266500628440339noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6574816127079037879.post-17912287464128197572008-01-19T21:43:00.000-05:002008-01-19T21:45:11.474-05:00March For LifeI will be going to March For Life this weekend in DC. Pictures and other such reporting likely to follow.ACEGChttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15975266500628440339noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6574816127079037879.post-45239717368286896002008-01-13T13:43:00.001-05:002008-01-13T13:45:13.828-05:00In Other News...It seems that Archbishop Milingo (remember him?) has been denied Communion at a parish Church near Naples while on a visit to Italy. Bravo to the priest who stood up for the Holy Eucharist, who stood up for the Church, and most of all--who did exactly what he was supposed to do as a priest of the Holy Church.<br /><a href="http://orthometer.blogspot.com/2008/01/over-wall-archbishop-sighting.html"><br />Story available here</a>.ACEGChttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15975266500628440339noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6574816127079037879.post-10481213761127501602008-01-13T13:24:00.000-05:002008-01-20T03:40:55.310-05:00Pope Leads People in Prayer, toward God--Reuters gets it wrong...And objective commentary roundup...So I'm a little late to the game on this one, mostly because I don't blog that frequently. But if you've been keeping up with the Pope lately (easily doable through the blogs linked on the right of this page), you know that for the Feast of the Baptism of the Lord, His Holiness celebrated Mass in the Sistine Chapel, as he always does for this feast; he baptized some Roman children, as he always does; but there was something strikingly different about this year's Mass. The Pope celebrated Mass on the old high altar--the one which holds the ballots for Papal elections. This means, of course, that the Pope was saying the Mass facing the altar, the crucifix, and (liturgical) east. This represents a great joy for those who wish to see the state of the liturgy return to reverence and an orientation toward God--more than a fixation with "community."<br /><br />Reuters, however, as usual, doesn't see it that way:<br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;"> Pope Benedict celebrated parts of Sunday's Mass with his</span><span style="font-weight: bold; font-style: italic;"> <span style="color: rgb(255, 0, 0);">back turned on the congregation,</span></span><span style="font-weight: bold;"> re-introducing an old ritual that had not been used in decades.</span><br /><br />Of course, I take issue with this. First off, as a priest I know once said, when celebrating Mass facing the altar, "my back is no more turned on you you than those of the people sitting in the front row." Rather, this gesture represents turning toward God, turning toward the East from whence the Resurrected Lord will return. The Pope is setting an excellent example for the whole world by doing this. I hope that in time we will see more of this--on altars the world over. As the Pope has said before, we shouldn't be looking at the priest, but the priest should be looking with us at the Lord.<br /><br />By the way, there was one good point in the Reuters article, but it was a quote:<br /><br /><span id="midArticle_1"></span> <p> A statement by the Vatican's office for liturgical celebrations said it had been decided to use the old altar, where ballots are placed during papal elections, <span style="font-style: italic;">to respect "the beauty and the harmony of this architectonic jewel."</span></p>For the full article, if you dare, you may go <a href="http://in.reuters.com/article/lifestyleMolt/idINL1345368220080113">here.</a><br /><br />For objective commentary, however, check out<br /><br /><a href="http://thenewliturgicalmovement.blogspot.com/2008/01/hermeneutic-of-continuity.html">The New Liturgical Movement</a><br /><a href="http://hallowedground.wordpress.com/2008/01/13/shepherd-leading-the-flock-towards-the-lord/">Hallowed Ground</a><br /><a href="http://closedcafeteria.blogspot.com/2008/01/look-ma-no-peoples-altar.html">The Cafeteria is Closed</a><br /><a href="http://wdtprs.com/blog/2008/01/benedict-xvi-for-baptism-of-the-lord-mass-ad-orientem-in-the-sistine-chapel/">What Does the Prayer Really Say?</a><br />(Fr. Z has a good fisk of another article that commits the same blunders as the one that I quoted).<br /><br /><br /><p style="font-weight: bold;"><br /><span style="font-style: italic;"></span></p>ACEGChttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15975266500628440339noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6574816127079037879.post-79780382938349232582007-12-29T00:19:00.000-05:002007-12-29T00:22:16.752-05:00On the recent changes to the Papal LiturgyShouts in the Piazza has a great post about the recent changes in Papal Liturgies, most notably the older vestments and furniture that are being used around the Vatican nowadays. This paragraph kind of stands out:<br /><br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">Second, it looks as though the Pope and those who advise him have gotten tired of listening to ageing hippies tell everyone the lies that, "Vatican II did away with all that". The Council concerned itself with ecumenism, religious liberty and updating the methodology of the Church in its relationship to the world. There was no time (or desire) for the Council Fathers to ban Latin, do away with chant, discontinue the biretta, redesign the cut of chasubles, rise up against Communion rails, mandate the use of guitars, instruct on the importance of Communion-in-the-hand and Extraordinary Ministers of Communion, advocate for Communion under both species, ban lace, etc., etc., etc. As I always say, in between the votes on the Dogmatic Constitution on the Sacred Liturgy and the Pastoral Constitution on the Church in the Modern World there was </span><strong style="font-weight: bold;">no</strong><span style="font-weight: bold;"> all-important "vote on banning hats"! So using furnishings and vestments that belonged to Pope Leo XIII or Blessed John XXIII is not "going backwards".<br /><br /></span>You can see the complete post <a href="http://shoutsinthepiazza.blogspot.com/2007/12/just-whats-going-on.html">here</a>.<span style="font-weight: bold;"><br /></span>ACEGChttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15975266500628440339noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6574816127079037879.post-30441954335798347582007-12-23T21:05:00.000-05:002007-12-23T21:11:13.614-05:00In Principio Erat Verbum...Since the Feast of the Incarnation is nearly upon us, here's another bit of material drawn from a paper I'd written for a philosophy class that explores how one pre-Socratic philosopher knew who Christ was before Christ ever existed in time.<br /><br /> <p style="font-weight: bold;" class="MsoNormal">The pre-Socratic philosophers had to deal with the problem of “the One and the Many,” or “what is the one which explains the many?” That is, what is the one thing that is the origin or underlying nature of all things? Each philosopher attempted to deal with it in different ways, often building on (or criticizing) the ideas of one another. </p> <p style="font-weight: bold;" class="MsoNormal"><o:p> </o:p></p> <p style="font-weight: bold;" class="MsoNormal">Heraclitus is one of these pre-Socratics, perhaps best remembered for his maxim “one can never step in the same river twice.” He believed that everything was changing, and tended toward order. According to him, an immortal “logos,” or word, ordered the world (this was his answer to the problem of the One and the Many—the One was the logos, an immortal, divine, reason); the world was ordered how the logos thought it best, and since the logos is divine, this way of ordering the world must be the best. Heraclitus, then, extends this to say that in order to attain happiness, we must conform to the way things are ordered—in other words, we must follow the logos. </p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left: 0.5in; font-weight: bold;"><o:p> </o:p></p> <p style="font-weight: bold;" class="MsoNormal">The Christian will find much wisdom in what Heraclitus wrote—several centuries later, <st1:city st="on"><st1:place st="on">St. John</st1:place></st1:City> the Evangelist began his Gospel with the words: </p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left: 0.5in; font-weight: bold;"><o:p> </o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left: 0.5in; font-weight: bold;">In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, </p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: 0.5in; font-weight: bold;">and the Word was God. </p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left: 1in; font-weight: bold;"><o:p> </o:p></p> <p style="font-weight: bold;" class="MsoNormal">The Word, to Christians, is Jesus Christ. This passage of John’s Gospel goes on to describe how Christ made all things, indeed “All things were made by him; and without him was made nothing that was made.”<span style=""> </span>He is already identified as divine (the Word was God). It seems almost, then, as if Heraclitus was writing of Christ many centuries before Christ’s incarnation!<a style="" href="#_ftn1" name="_ftnref1" title=""><span class="MsoFootnoteReference"><span style=""><!--[if !supportFootnotes]--><span class="MsoFootnoteReference"><span style="font-size: 12pt; font-family: "Times New Roman";">[1]</span></span><!--[endif]--></span></span></a></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left: 0.5in; font-weight: bold;"><o:p> </o:p></p> <p style="font-weight: bold;" class="MsoNormal">Augustine would find no fault with reading Logos in Heraclitus’ philosophy as Christ, even more so when one takes the rather striking conclusion Heraclitus reached and applies it to Christ—in order to attain happiness, we must <i style="">follow the Logos</i>. This is in perfect harmony with what Augustine taught in his prolific work <i style="">City of <st1:place st="on"><st1:city st="on">God</st1:City></st1:place></i>. In this book, Augustine posits that there are two cities: the earthly one, and the heavenly one, and furthermore that life is a journey toward our true home—the heavenly city, the city of <st1:city st="on"><st1:place st="on">God</st1:place></st1:City>. We are not residents of this world, Augustine says, our true home is heaven. In order to attain the everlasting happiness of heaven, then, we must follow Christ. </p> <div style="font-weight: bold;"><!--[if !supportFootnotes]--><br /> <hr align="left" size="1" width="33%"> <!--[endif]--> <div style="" id="ftn1"> <p class="MsoNormal"><a style="" href="#_ftnref1" name="_ftn1" title=""><span class="MsoFootnoteReference"><span style="font-size: 10pt;"><span style=""><!--[if !supportFootnotes]--><span class="MsoFootnoteReference"><span style="font-size: 10pt; font-family: "Times New Roman";">[1]</span></span><!--[endif]--></span></span></span></a><span style="font-size: 10pt;"> <span style=""> </span>In this way, he finds himself concurring with other early philosophers, as Archbishop Fulton Sheen points out in his prolific “Life of Christ.” In the opening chapter of the work, Msgr. Sheen says that Christ is the only man in history whose coming was pre-announced. He cites the Greeks, quoting Aeschylus’ <i style="">Prometheus</i> (written six centuries before Christ’s birth): “Look not for any end, moreover, to this curse until God appears, to accept upon His Head the pangs of thy own sins vicarious.” He goes on to quote <st1:place st="on"><st1:city st="on">Cicero</st1:City></st1:place> speaking of a “King whom we must recognize to be saved,” and then asking “To what man and to what period of time do these predictions point?” The answer was found in the Fourth Ecologue of Virgil when he spoke of “a chaste woman, smiling on her infant boy, with whom the Iron Age would pass away.”<o:p></o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoFootnoteText"><o:p> </o:p></p> </div> </div>ACEGChttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15975266500628440339noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6574816127079037879.post-39625953870632044442007-12-19T21:49:00.000-05:002007-12-19T21:53:33.574-05:00On the EucharistHere is yet another post about my sojourns into Catholic Answers Forum land. A rather long thread has erupted wherein the initial poster makes the claim that <a href="http://forums.catholic.com/showthread.php?t=205815">The Eucharist is NOT the body of Christ</a>.<br /><br />Here is my explanation, a few pages in. The thread is now over 40 pages, and likely to get longer--the arguments have mostly been small blow for blow things, rather than lengthy discourses, so it's moving quickly.<br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">Perhaps an analogy would be helpful. Let us say that we have put a lamp in a house with many windows. As we pass by the windows, we see the light. As we pass by the walls, we do not see the light, but it is continually burning. Therefore, we do not relight the lamp each time we pass by a window; the lamp is burning independently of our passing by. </span><br /> <br /><span style="font-weight: bold;"> To translate: the Sacrifice of Calvary is the lamp, it is an eternal, timeless reality. When we attend the Holy Mass, we are passing by a window to Calvary--that is, the light of Christ's sacrifice shines down through the ages and is made present every time the Mass is said. No matter how many windows we pass by, there is still one light continually shining, just as every Mass is truly one sharing in that continually merit-bearing sacrifice. </span><br /> <br /><span style="font-weight: bold;"> Admittedly, this analogy is imperfect, as Christ's sacrifice on the Cross does not just bear us merit when we attend Mass--indeed, it touches every part of our lives. But it is when we are at Mass that we are placed at the foot of the Cross. As Archbishop Fulton Sheen of blessed memory said in the introduction to the book "This Is the Mass:"</span><br /> <br /> <div style="margin: 5px 20px 20px; font-weight: bold;"> <div class="smallfont" style="margin-bottom: 2px;">Quote:</div> <table border="0" cellpadding="5" cellspacing="0" width="100%"> <tbody><tr> <td class="alt2" style="border: 1px inset ;"> If the Blessed Mother and St. John at the foot of the Cross had closed their eyes when Our Lord was offering himself for the sins of the world, the spiritual effects on them would have been no different from those which we may receive as we assist at the Sacrifice of the Mass. But if their eyes were open, there would have been this difference: they would have seen the sacrifice offered in bloodshed with blood pouring from gaping holes in hands and feet and side. In the Mass, we see it performed without bloodshed. </td> </tr> </tbody></table> </div><span style="font-weight: bold;">So to sum up, the Mass is not a re-sacrificing of Christ anymore than walking past our analogy house's windows is a re-lighting of the lamp therein. We cannot re-sacrifice Christ, as he offered his sacrifice once and for all. But we can still share in the salvific merit of that sacrifice every time we go to Mass.</span>ACEGChttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15975266500628440339noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6574816127079037879.post-19090062709347696812007-10-28T18:00:00.001-04:002007-12-19T21:54:03.278-05:00Does JPII get too much attention?The question was recently asked on the Catholic Answers Forum: Does John Paul II get too much attention? The question is rather broad in scope (and begs further--in what way does he get too much attention if he does?), but I answered this as it is a matter of some concern to me. Here is my response:<br /><br /><blockquote></blockquote><blockquote>Before I say this, let me preface it by saying that I think that John Paul II was a very good Pope--he reached out to all the world through his travels and was a prolific writer. He most definitely stood out as a world leader and philosopher, as well as an excellent pastor of souls.<br /><br />However, I think that the trap that most younger Catholics fall into nowadays (and by younger, I mean those between the ages of 15-30 for the most part) is that they seem to think that John Paul II was the only Pope who ever existed (not literally, of course). This may be due to the fact that for most of them, this is the only Pope they have ever known. However, I see it quite often here at my college--everyone has such an attachment to John Paul II that they seem to forget the vast history of Popes leading up to him, as well as an immense corpus of Papal writings. John Paul II was a prolific writer, to be sure, but he is not the only Pope who ever wrote anything. Leo XIII wrote 31 encyclicals, including Rerum Novarum--the foundation of Catholic social teaching in modern times, as well as a great many encyclicals on the Rosary.<br /><br />One major place I have seen this is the Catholic Scripture Study program. We have a group for it here on campus, and while it is an excellent program, the "Rome to Home" section is comprised entirely of quotes from John Paul II's teaching. Dozens of other Popes and loads of the Church Fathers apart from the Popes had plenty to say on the matters discussed in Scripture, so why not include them?<br /><br />In short, John Paul II deserves a lot of attention because of what he was to the Church and to the world. But let us not forget the Holy Fathers who proceeded him, those who continue to teach us with the legacies they left behind and who constantly intercede for us at the right hand of the Father Almighty.</blockquote><br />The original thread may be found here:<br />http://forums.catholic.com/showthread.php?t=194308ACEGChttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15975266500628440339noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6574816127079037879.post-56674850631353965732007-10-05T13:25:00.001-04:002007-12-19T21:54:58.347-05:00Dom Paschal Baumstein, OSB, Requiescat in Pace.Last night around 6 pm, Fr. Paschal Baumstein, OSB, passed away at the age of 54. He will be greatly missed by the monastic community and by all else who knew him. His work as the Abbey's resident historian and archivist provided much to the whole community and will surely be instrumental in preserving the traditions and history of the Abbey for years to come.<br /><br />From the monastery's website: <strong><br /><br />Father Paschal Baumstein </strong> was the biographer of our first abbot, and formerly worked to preserve and organize the abbey’s historical record. Trained in Intellectual History, he has written extensively for scholarly journals, was book editor of the monastic periodical Cistercian Studies Quarterly, and has been a calligrapher for Catholic Worker. Father Paschal was born in Tennessee and lived in Connecticut before coming to Belmont. He has consulted in works of public broadcasting (both radio and television). The encyclopedia of monasticism that was published in 2000 empoyed him as an author and member of the board.<br /><br /><i style="font-weight: bold;">In paradisum deducant te Angeli; in tuo adventu suscipiant te martyres, et perducant te in civitatem sanctam Ierusalem. Chorus angelorum te suscipiat, et cum Lazaro quondam paupere æternam habeas requiem.<br /><br /></i><i style="font-weight: bold;">Requiem æternam dona eis, Domine, et lux perpetua luceat eis.</i>ACEGChttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15975266500628440339noreply@blogger.com0