AnarchoCatholic: Musings of Ultramontane Liberals

Silly CDF, Jesuits Always Get Paid

Georgetown theologian, Fr. Peter Phan, is under investigation from the Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith for writings in "open contrast with almost all the teachings of the declaration Dominus Iesus."  Sandro Magister reports:

The congregation asked Phan to write an article correcting his theses, and not to have the book reprinted. Phan responded with a letter in April of 2006, in which he posed objections to the measures taken and asked for monetary compensation for the writing of the requested clarification.

One would think Fr. Phan remuneration as a professor at Georgetown would be sufficient.

CK

Benedict XVI & Ron Paul

In August of 2005, over four hundred thousand youths from around the world flocked to Cologne to see a frail old man preach the message of the Gospel.  Benedict XVI did not have the fire or charisma of his predecessor John Paul II, but nonetheless, the world's youth hung on this man's every word.  There was no need for fireworks, no need for liturgical dance, the world's youth needed none of the worldly things many of their parents try to placate them with.  What they needed was the Message:  "My dear young people, you too offer to the Lord the gold of your lives, namely, your freedom to follow Him out of love, responding faithfully to His call..."  With that call, thousands knelt behind this old bishop in Eucharistic adoration.  Benedict XVI's profound commitment to the Message, in spite of his relatively bland persona, has won over world youth.  It is their hope that Benedict will deliver into action the wonderful ideas and rhetoric espoused by the great John Paul. 

 

Currently, in America we have a similar phenomena with Dr. Ron Paul.  The media, the elites, and most baby boomers are baffled by the growing youth movement in support of a man whom they describe as "ordinary, frial-looking" with an "unexceptional" speaking ability.  Of course, once again youth are lured not by the condescending superficialities of the candidate's persona, but his commitment to a profound message, freedom.  Paul's predecessor in the freedom message was none other than the late Ronald Reagan.  Like John Paul II, Reagan's charisma and freedom oriented rhetoric inspired Americans throughout the 1980's.  What America's youth are hoping for in Ron Paul today, is that Reagan's freedom oriented rhetoric is set into action, particularly against both the domestic and foreign policies of the culture of death. 

 

Time for a Crusade?

There are days when I read headlines in the Middle East and I think maybe it's time for the next Crusade.  No, I don't mean the evangelical secularist variety that is coming in the form of the Iraq invasion and the general American interevention in the region.  I'm thinking of the long forgotten Christians in the region who are being crushed in the middle of the American-Israeli secularist alliance against the various factions of the Islamic world.  In Iraq the Maronites are leaving in droves.  In Israel, the Melkites are systematically persecuted by both sides.  [M.J. Ernst-Sandoval of the Philadelphia Roamin' Catholic has done a great job of bringing these issues to our attention to the problems in Israel and Lebanon.  Also see his brilliant critique of Christian Zionism.]

 

Maybe it's time for Catholics to help our brothers and sisters in Christ in the region.  One suggestion is the initiative to move the Iraqi Christian population to good ole Nineveh.  You know, the place Jonah refused to go to.  I think this could be a good plan, but many are seeking the support of the US government, which I think is a mistake.  With US protection comes US demands, particularly on Catholic Christians.  With Hillary's annointing around the corner, this could mean horrid things worse than the Shi-ite horde, namely that criminal organization Planned Parenthood with a new US NGO office in Nineveh.  Maybe we Catholics should be doing what we can, at least in financial support to help out people like the Maronites and Melkites who bear the Cross in the Holy Lands.

 

One organization in Israel is Archbishop Elias Chacour's educational organization, Mar Elias Educational Institutions.

 

Here is a site dealing with the Vanishing Christians of Iraq.

   

CK

The Majesty

"You are a priest forever according to the order of Melchizedek." Heb 7:17

These gorgeous pictures are from EWTN and NLM.

CK

Ron Paul on War and Families

At the upcoming Iowa Christian Alliance dinner, I would be interested to see Ron Paul give a talk on the devastating effects war has upon families.  In this war, families of Marines and Soldiers have seen loss of consortium, divorce, and death.  As for the families in Iraq, we've seen the death of inocents, especially children.  With war comes inflation.  With war comes a shortening of time preferences.  With war comes great calamaties for families to which nobody wins.  And with the world's Greatest War, WWII, has come a generation of some of the most self-centered, megalomaniacal people the world has ever seen, babyboomers. 

The so called pro-life, pro family movement has really failed to focus on the detrimental effects war has upon the family.  As such, we Catholics must do our part to help these extremely disadvantaged people on both sides of the war.

CK

Hadley Arkes takes on the establishment

It is widely known and certainly expected that the American Democratic political party, at least as a national party, is openly a proponent of what John Paul the Great called, "the culture of death." The Republican party, as a counter, enjoys the cooling support from "religious conservatives" or what the mainstream media insultingly refers to as "values voters." However, many of us who are traditional and orthodox and have in the past been supporters of the Republican party, are sickened by what we see. Aside from other issues, the Republican party many times likes to paint itself as the religious party or as the "pro-life" party. Many of my colleagues in fact look up to the Republican party as if it is some new church on earth. However, what goes oftentimes unsaid is how Republican party members and even the party as a whole, play and exploit religious conservatives for fools by saying one thing yet doing another. Hadley Arkes takes on the establishment in a must read response to an editorial in the WSJ. It's time to get something done about abortion and national politics does not seem to be the answer. Another thing it illustrates is how the Bush administration has been almost a complete failure and hypocrisy. If ever there was a time to restrict or end abortion, and yet...

Ron Paul Raising to Win

Ron Paul is giving a big internet push to raise $500k by the end of the quarter.  It's great to see there are so many people out there giving money to Paul, supporting freedom.  Unlike the other candidates with large donations from big corporate interests and mega law firms, Paul raises a substantial sum from the average Joe.  I wonder what their average donation turns out to be?  I'm betting it is less that $50 a person.

----------------------------------------------------------------------

Update: Ron Paul Raised 500k in three days, all online.  Now he's going for a million.  Good for him.

Donate to Ron Paul's Campaign!

CK

Pelagius Americanis

Glenn Greenwald reminds us why we Americans need a good reminder of original sin; we have become extreme Pelagians:

"The idea that we are the source of all Good in the world and that all anti-American anger is irrational is just the opposite side of the same Manichean coin that holds that the U.S. is the principal source of evil in the world. But while the latter form of irrational moralism is relegated to the fringes (at least in American politics), the former predominates in virtually all political discussions. On an individual level, most people have little difficulty understanding that a refusal to recognize one's own faults is one of the most self-destructive attributes a person can possess. But when it comes to the U.S. collectively, recognizing America's faults -- the actions we take to trigger anti-American animus -- is virtually prohibited."

CK

Grey Lady: GOP Race "Wide Open," No mention of Paul

As if we needed reinforcement of the fact that the establishment media is minimizing any news of Ron Paul, the New York times lays it on pretty thick.

A third place finish in the Michigan Straw Poll and not even one mention or reference in a three-page article? I don't know which is worse; that the Times does it or that they get away with it.  Neither is surprising in the least.

JMM

Paul Edges Julia

...in the Michigan Straw Poll. Romney's purchase of the victory there smacks of a prelude to a flame-out for his campaign.

On my way up to da UP for other business Saturday morning, we saw no less than five guerilla Ron Paul banners on US 127 north from Lansing, and I-75 north from Grayling. Five more than I saw for all other candidates in either party, combined. They hung from overpasses and were strung between the supports of various exit signs, etc.

I would also like to thank the Michigan State Highway Patrol for keeping off the highways on Sunday evening, it made the drive a pleasure.

And cut driving time by at least an hour.

JMM