First let me share with you a little gem that I read this past summer.
Now that you've taken a stroll through that diatribe, I'd like to point out a few things. There is, of course, the socialistic kvelling about the "gap" between the wages of CEOs and their employees. In the right-hand column she asks, "what will it take to bring executive pay under control?" My reply to that would be another question: "under the control of whom or what?" Well, you get the drift..
This thing reads like coursework from "socialism 101" or maybe the Pravda. But it isn't, as you see in the top and the bottom. I was at Maryland's eastern shore this past summer. That area lies within the Diocese of Wilmington and the clip above is from the Diocese's official newspaper, The Dialog. Moreover, you see at the bottom that this article came from the Catholic News Service, the official propaganda arm of the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops. One would hope that a Catholic newspaper would be printing things designed to encourage use of the Sacraments or meditation on the Last Four Things: in other words, matters pertaining to our eternal salvation, for the salvation of souls is the Church's mission. Sadly its dereliction of duty is not the exception, but the rule.
And that, George Weigel, is why we bloggers and - how did you so eloquently define us? - "hysteria-mongers and propagandists" must continue our work. We have to counteract the communist codswallop (such as the Dialog piece above) and advise our fellow Catholics of the true dangers that threaten our Church, many of those dangers being inflicted by the current pontiff.
As another "case in point" regarding the absolute uselessness and even dishonesty of the "reliable Catholic news" that Weigel lovingly extols. recall the horrific way in which Father Marcel Guarnizo was treated at my parish almost eight years ago. This was in the Archdiocese of Washington and much of the thuggery that he endured was at the hands of the DC chancery, then headed by Cardinal Wuerl. Neither the Catholic Standard or Our Parish Times uttered one peep over that disgraceful incident, although in the secular outlets, it was broadcast world-wide. The two Catholic publications in the area, by their silence, not only showed themselves to be utterly useless but patently dishonest as well. By the way - I understand that George Weigel resides in Montgomery County MD, within the Archdiocese of Washington. I just tried to google anything that he might have written about the matter, but my search yielded nothing. If any such work exists, please advise via the combox. Otherwise, I might find such absence to be quite telling.
The LifeSiteNews piece gives a summary of Janet Smith's rebuttal of Weigel. I think it is excellent, but I do have one minor disagreement with her. She writes, "those who are excessively troubled by the relentless revelations should lmit themselves to reading only safe sources". No. For one thing, what constitutes "safe"? Those sources that paint happy-clappy pictures of Church situations sin by dishonesty. Moreover, I would challenge those "excessively troubled" to stop playing the wimp, to stiffen the spines, thicken the skins, harden the noses and just plain grow up. We are the Chuirch Militant, not the Church Mellow nor the Church Miserable nor the Church Milquetoast. We are to fight for the Church, not take flight and run.
Silver Bells
2 hours ago
For one thing, what constitutes "safe"?
ReplyDeleteIn the novel, "Soma" was 'safe.'
I understand Smith's warning, however: the Catholic who is inclined to give up on the Faith due to the Sins of the Prelates should probably spend time in adoration chapel. As you state in your closing graf, we must soldier on to salvation, not be deterred by the evils surrounding us.
Thank you, Janet! Written as a true defender of the Holy Catholic Church and a staunch defender of the lives of the unborn,...you are most definitely a warrior of the Church Militant. Thank you for your service and your strong stand for the Church and life.
ReplyDeleteI get so tired of the milquetoasts and the scared ones putting their heads in the sand or the 3 monkeys, as you noted. It’s time for people to wake up, pull their heads from the sand, and get out of their insular worlds of denial. The evil still goes on around them, even though they choose to be deaf or blind to it. No one is so blind as he who refuses to see. Choosing to be ignorant is the choice of a coward and it leads to all kinds of problems.
George Weigel was spot on when he described you as 'hysteria-mongers and propagandists' - these ultra-conservative, right-wing, traditionalist blogs - including Rorate Caeli, Vox Cantoris, are nothing other than a disgrace to the Church with such hatred for the Pope it is incredible. Shame on you all
ReplyDeletePlease describe in detail any factual errors on our parts. If you cannot, I suggest that the hysteria is on your part.
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