The Monsignor, Italy, And The Untapped Reservoir.

Another beautiful blog post of Mgr Charles Pope (this is the Monsignor with no uncertain trumpet, or talking about locks and keys: when are they going to make him a bishop?), reminiscing of a country in which Christianity was not the enemy, but a deeply felt part of the everyday – and national – consciousness.

I could very well relate to his situation because, on a slightly different plane, I had analogous experiences and I saw the Italian society change in the meantime, though not in such a dramatic way. We had the “Hail Mary” and “Our Father” every morning at school before beginning lessons; religion (that is: Catholicism) was part of the curriculum from kindergarten on, and at school we had religion one hour a week. The country lived at the rhythm of the Christian clock; Christmas was very keenly felt, and the music above one of the most popular Christmas jingles, back in every home year after year. Sunday was the day of rest, Mass and football; the Crucifix was in every classroom, the Pope unceasingly on TV, the mass televised in its entirety at twelve every Sunday. There was a very fortunate radio program every evening and replied every morning: “ascolta, si fa sera”. Millions of children have listened to it whilst having breakfast, for sure, with Handel’s music the same year after year.

Many things have changed now. Sunday is not such a Christian day as it used to be, as the necessity to stress oneself seems to have extended to the seventh day; come to that, Sunday football has also been massacred on the altar of television, and a generation of Italians has grown up without knowing the incredible emotion of “tutto il calcio minuto per minuto”, the most beloved (from men) and most hated (from women) radio program of all times, with a soundtrack and emotions every Italian knew. No TV could ever equal it, I never felt the same emotion again.
Technology has made us stupid, the relentless quest for televised excitement has taken the best emotions away from us. We just pay much more for them; but I digress…

Crucifixes are still in every classroom, and in a healthy reaction to the attack of mad atheists and subversive Muslims the country has successfully fought to keep them where they are supposed to be. But you see that the country has changed; if not dramatically so, certainly worryingly so. “Ascolta, si fa sera” and “tutto il calcio minuto per minuto” are both still there, but the first now hosts Evangelicals and Jews, the second is mutilated by the TV-dictated match schedule.

In all this, the country is being rather admirable at keeping its Catholic roots. Not because of the generally disgraceful clergy (this is the country where some member of the clergy has the nerve of supporting the building of mosques, and others lend churches to Muslims; I hope they repent before they kick the bucket), but because Catholicism is surprisingly resilient, is in the very bone marrow of the country. In Italy, what Catholicism you still have you owe it to the wisdom and resilience of the people, not to the courage of the priests.

Like Monsignor Pope (I always smile at the name…), I see changes around me, and a society certainly less Christian. But I also see a huge untapped reservoir of Christian resources all over the West. It seems to me that Christianity is not dying at all, rather a bit of a sleeping giant; that when the Christian leaders (and most importantly, the Catholic ones) wake up and start to blow the battle horn, the soldiers will not be slow in rallying. In Italy, euthanasia and crucifixes have been clear Christian victories, and after four decades of clerical silence (meaning with this: clerical silence) opposition to abortion is probably not far from 40%. In England, a Pope whose attempted arrest had been feared has drawn crowds unthinkable just the week before; always in England, the virulent anti-Catholic media attack of Easter 2010 has caused a spectacular run of faithful to the churches in the Holy Week in what was clearly a massive popular reaction to the media attacks.

The troops are there. Even in England! Yes, they must be mobilised and trained. But the real problem is not the absence of troops. It’s the lack of willing generals.

Mundabor

Episcopalians In New York State: When Confusion Becomes Comedy

It's a sin if they live together; but not if they are homos; but again yes if they are homos and can marry, says Mouseton's bishop.

This might well make your day.

There’s an Episcopalian soi-disant bishop in Long Island who has decided to, erm, take a moral stand. Therefore, whilst he has up to now allowed that his homosexual soi-disant priests lived together in sodomitic “luuv” without blinking an eye, now that the State of New York has decided that unrepentant sodomites may, erm,” marry” he will not tolerate it anymore and….. will require them to “marry”, too.

This funny episode is truly indicative of the confusion of these circus articles, now completely delivered to secular thinking. It is already beyond every stretch of Christian logic how two homosexuals would be ever allowed to live together in an official, “under the sun” sodomitic convivence and for this to be fine according to their bishop; it is even more delirious to accept this when one of the two is a supposed mickey mouse “priest” of this cartton bishop. But it truly represents a new and unheard-of stage of confusion to demand that, now that a secular instance has created a purely secular legal instrument, it be a religious requirement that a religious comply with it.

In other words, this mickey mouse “bishop” is saying that he had no qualms, from a religious point of view, with two poofs living in “luuuv” Sodom-style; but that the very same behaviour he was fine with before is not fine now, when a purely secular instance has created a purely secular and purely optional legal instrument. This man is desperately trying to take a “moral stance”, looking for his morals everywhere but in Christianity.

This is the same as if the Church would say that drinking tea is perfectly fine, but as the law now gives one the legal possibility of drinking his tea with absynth, then tea-drinking Catholic priests must put the absynth in their tea.

Drinking tea (or sodomy) is either a sin, or it isn’t. It can’t be fine today, and a sin tomorrow according to what a bunch of prostitutes politicians in Albany say. Last time I looked, Christianity didn’t allow any secular authority to decide what behaviour constitute a sin. Of course you must respect the laws, and of course to disobey to a law can often – and not even always – be a sin. But the New York State hasn’t given anything else than an option to (oh, that word!) “marry”, so the bishop is desperately running after some form of politically correct “respectability” for something he doesn’t even condemn as a sin! Blimey!

Tellingly, Mouseton’s bishop gives his sodomite priests nine months (the time to make a baby; funny, that…) to decide what to do. He recognises, namely, that these people might be together only for the sake of each other’s perverted sexual gratification and not really having any long-term “luuuv” project. But that they lived together until yesterday, with that he was fine.

Oh well, I imagine the bishop of Mouseton isn’t bothered by these stupid Christian details….

Mundabor

Poll: The Tridentine Mass And You

APPEAL (Sticky): Please Help Stop The Heresy In Austria!

Peter Paul Rubens, “The Victory of Eucharistic Truth Over Heresy”

Cardinal Schönborn, Protector of Heretics

In Austria, in the middle of Europe, a heretical movement has already gained the approval and open support of more than 250 priests, around 6% of the Austrian clergy. Their “Call to Disobedience” is openly advertised on the Internet.

All the members of this heretical uprising are still in good standing as Archbishop Cardinal Schönborn refuses to do anything to effectively counter this heretical insurgence. He limits himself to obligatory meowing, but in fact he helps the heresy to spread through his inaction.

Cardinal Schönborn’s motivation is – besides his vanity and desire of popularity – the money of the Austrian dissidents. His desire is for the vast number of Austrian dissidents to continue to fill the pockets of the Austrian Church. For this reason he pronounces some faint words of circumstance, but in fact allows the heretics to continue their work undisturbed.

This scandal must stop. Souls are at stake. Cardinal Schönborn’s inaction, motivated by vanity and greed, endangers souls and makes the work of the devil. Every day that this uprising is allowed to survive the reputation of the Church is damaged, the Magisterium sabotaged, the faithful confused. Cardinal Schönborn doesn’t care, provided he is popular among the dissident and they continue to finance the Church.

This shame must cease. The heretical priests must be punished and Catholic orthodoxy restored.

Please help by sending your protest to the following email addresses:

Congregation for the Clergy: clero@cclergy.va

Papal Nuncio in Austria: nuntius@nuntiatur.at

Holy Father: benedictxvi@vatican.va

Cardinal Schönborn will not act unless forced to. Please stop this scandal by sending your protest emails and forwarding them. You may want to forward (and mention in the protest emails you send) the links to blogs written by priests as they will be very effective. Two beautiful examples are EF Pastor Emeritus and Father Z.

Please take the time. Souls are at stake. Heresy is spreading in the middle of Europe.

Mundabor

Stop The Heresy In Austria!

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