Will be out most of the day, traveling some distance to attend the wake of a long-lived lady who has finally passed. Blogging will be very light.
But I’ll leave you with three cool reads:
Alec Baldwin: He’s mulling over a run for the Senate, and takes exception to Jack Cafferty’s typically snobbish assessment that anyone without an ivy-league education is insufficiently equipped to serve the nation in those exalted chairs. Since the Speaker of the House was educated at Trinity College in Washington, DC – not in the Ivy or near the Ivy, academically or otherwise – I am not sure where Cafferty gets off with his snoots.
Baldwin, who is Irish, just takes off on Cafferty, who is also Irish, so this is going to be a fun one to watch.
DO go read Baldwin’s remarks, and take some satisfaction in knowing that if Alec Baldwin knows nothing else, he has just learned what it was like for Ronald Reagan (former actor) and Sarah Palin (former newsreader) to be sniffed at as somehow “lesser beings” because they did not get their degrees at the equivalent of Cornell Agricultural College, like Keith Olbermann.
Barack Obama: I come to praise him, not bury him. Why am I praising Barack Obama? Because after a couple of mis-starts, he finally presented a really well-done diplomatic gift – this very beautiful stole, which is actually a relic, as well, as it was placed on the remains of St. John Neumann. Good for Obama.
Sr. Mary A-Rod: Fr. James Martin writes about Mother Mary McKillop, the foundress of the Australian-based Sisters of St. Joseph of the Sacred Heart, who bears a startling resemblence to Yankee Third Baseman Alex Rodriguez in this picture but who – more importantly – once suffered excommunication.
Martin notes, “The idea of a holy woman who had been at loggerheads with the hierarchy–and was even excommunicated–is not new in the annals of the saints.” Nope, and let us recall that St. Catherine of Siena told the pope what to do. In fact, let us recall some other strong-headed holy women, who -despite the popular narrative- found their freedom to be who they were (and to build, create and challenge) within the confines of the big, mean old misogynist Catholic Church!
Oh, and since we were discussing Summer Reading Lists yesterday, it’s worth noting that Amazon has the Kindle on Sale! See you tomorrow!
July 9th, 2009 | 2:59 pm | #1
I can’t stand Jack Cafferty. Years ago, when we lived in Montclair, he must have lived near us because we would always run into him at a nearby 7/11 where he’d be picking up his booze. He was surly and creepy way back then, and he’s even worse now.
July 9th, 2009 | 3:23 pm | #2
OK—I need some education here—how is the stole Obama’s to give? Don’t you need to own something to give it?
Don’t get me wrong, the symbolism of the gift is lovely, but it seems as if Obama is taking something from the Catholic Church and “giving” it to the Pope.
Please let me know if I am missing something here.
July 9th, 2009 | 3:44 pm | #3
[...] A far-away wake for a long-lived lady – The Anchoress [...]
July 9th, 2009 | 5:24 pm | #4
The gift: nice indeed.
Let’s pray for his conversion of heart to follow. And for wisdom for the Holy Father. And–just in case–for wisdom for the Catholic voters, so they can discern between truly ‘nice’ and truly ‘good’.
July 9th, 2009 | 5:36 pm | #5
Yes. It would be nice to be in a position to say something of praise for Caesar, but it’s pretty clear that he is merely acting as a deliveryman, not as a gift-giver.
Said Father Patrick Woods, provincial of the Redemptorists’ Baltimore province, which is headquartered in Brooklyn, N.Y. “We’re delighted as Americans that our president is visiting the Holy Father and delighted that something belonging to our province would be given to him.”
July 9th, 2009 | 6:19 pm | #6
As a person who graduated from an Ivy, I think that is maybe the stupidest qualification for public office that I can imagine. Most of my friends who would make fine legislators would have nothing to do with politics, and are in business of some sort or another. The people who had political aspirations…well, for goodness’ sake, do the math.
July 9th, 2009 | 9:46 pm | #7
The stole given to Our Holy Father is a very nice gesture, but a sthe above post states, it must still belong to the Redemptorists. Maybe zippy can wrap up an iPod inside it?
July 9th, 2009 | 9:51 pm | #8
That last part raises questions: if one is unjustly excommunicated, is the person really outside the Church? Are they “let back in” when the bogus excommunication is lifted?
July 10th, 2009 | 1:24 am | #9
Jack Cafferty can go jump in a lake. I used to like him before he became political-man on his news show. He used to have common sense indignation but now he’s a shill.
July 10th, 2009 | 10:22 am | #10
Momma K–I’m with you–who gave the stole to give to the Pope? Who came up with the idea? Did the Redeptorists of Baltimore call the WH to say “Hey, we’ve got a perfect gift for you to give the Pope!” Does BHO even know that it is considered a relic? Does he understand the significance of a relic? Has he even seen it? I doubt any of my questions could be answered with a “yes”. I know, I know, it’s all protocol and doesn’t really matter anyway for the giver or the receiver—but as Bender points out, he is really a deliveryman. I guess that’s what happens in ’share the weatlth’ societies—your gift to give is my gift to give.
July 10th, 2009 | 11:53 am | #11
The lady of the wake’s last name wouldn’t start with an F would it? Just curious if there are less degrees of separation between us than I thought.
[No. -admin]
July 10th, 2009 | 2:31 pm | #12
Greta said…
“I agree with those above wondering how the president gains possession of something that should be owned by the Catholic Church. Maybe thats why it is called a stole??”
July 10th, 2009 | 2:57 pm | #13
About the gift giving – it isn’t really a gift from the President to the Holy Father, but a gift from the American people to the people of Rome.
That is how diplomatic gifts are supposed to be chosen. I think this is the first time I’ve read about a gift given by this president that was well thought-out. As far as I can determine in articles about the stole, the WH consulted a Catholic gift-shop in DC about an appropriate gift and after the shop called around a bit, this stole was offered as a good choice.
To answer the question of dying outside the church if invalidly excommunicated the answer is No. She was NOT outside the Church (as the sentence was invalid) and the bishop responsible for excommunicating her invalidly had placed himself in danger of losing his salvation for violated the commandment against bearing false witness. Had she died before the charges were lifted, she would have had a funeral Mass and been reburied in a Catholic cemetary afterward. The Church relies on the perfect mercy and justice of God to be done in eternity when the mercy and justice of man is lacking in the present.
She wrote about the hour of her unlawful excommunication: “I was intensely happy and I never felt nearer to God than I had ever felt before. The sensation of calm and the beautiful presence of God I shall never forget.” (Mary MacKillop, Faithful in the Dark, Sealey, Pickering and Cormack)
AND she never once uttered a word in her own defense, nor did she speak or permit to be spoken any word against the bishop. (Her mother did write one scathing letter to that bishop though!)
July 10th, 2009 | 3:27 pm | #14
The gifts of the President to foreign heads of state are never his personal possessions, but rather those of the United States. He gives them as our representative. Come on, people, stay classy.
July 10th, 2009 | 4:41 pm | #15
Everyone here HAS BEEN and IS classy Elizabeth Anne.
As for the stole — it didn’t belong to the people of the United States either. It wasn’t Obama’s to give, either from himself or from the United States as a whole. It was from the Redemptorists.
July 10th, 2009 | 6:00 pm | #16
shanasfo said “…nor did she speak or permit to be spoken any word against the bishop. (Her mother did write one scathing letter to that bishop though!)”
Moms are supposed to do things like this (it’s in the DNA) so I guess shes exempt.
Thanks for a making my next pleasure book choice very easy.
July 10th, 2009 | 6:17 pm | #17
And he, what, snuck in during the dead of night, swiped it, and dashed onto Air Force One to make his getaway? I loved that episode of South Park, too, but he’s not actually an international cat burglar. The Redemptorists gave it to him to give to the Holy Father.
July 10th, 2009 | 6:34 pm | #18
The Redemptorists gave it to him to give to the Holy Father.
Like I said, Obama was merely the deliveryman.
July 10th, 2009 | 8:54 pm | #19
Prayers for the spirit of your friend. I hope you have a safe trip back.
July 11th, 2009 | 12:56 am | #20
This is beyond disgusting, from Newsweek –
“Barack Obama represents American Catholics better than the pope does.”
July 11th, 2009 | 12:06 pm | #21
I would like to say that after seeing a picture of the meeting with the Pope, Mrs. Obama looked lovely! And my goodness, she looked happy!!
July 11th, 2009 | 1:49 pm | #22
Stephie:
Don’t be too impressed by the book title!
It was a gift to my children from an Aussie friend, and its cross between a biography and a comic book!
But it was written by sisters of Mother MacKillop’s order at the time they were presenting her cause for Sainthood to Rome.
Although it is for children, it is an excellent short biography of the Saint, and does quote her letters and writings.
July 11th, 2009 | 1:52 pm | #23
Bender,
Considering how many American Catholics think that it’s ok to do all kinds of gravely sinful things and still receive Holy Communion without repenting, confessing and doing penance for their sins, maybe the headline isn’t so far removed from the truth?
July 11th, 2009 | 3:38 pm | #24
Most self-styled Catholics I’ve met don’t take their religion seriously. The majority of people I know, when doing a census, say they are “Church of England”. Being “Catholic” is a bit different, usually a sign of having an Irish, Polish or Italian background.
As a matter of fact, I know a fair few people who would call themselves Muslims but who are essentially atheists. As a person without belief, I think it is good that they are becoming westernised & secularised. It is bound to happen even more in a country like America, where people basically inherit “Catholicism” or “Episcopalianism” but don’t take it seriously.
On the specific matter of contraception, I think the Vatican is actually causing great harm by its stance, because far too many people especially in the Third World engage in unprotected sex, having children who will often have short, miserable lives & die young. I also think population growth will cause us many headaches in the years to come, but I also think that with education & contraception birthrates will start to fall so they are the things any foreign aid programme should urgently promote.
In general, we need to stop worrying about an ageing population & dependency. We will have a hard time adapting to these things, yes. But better this than having mass immigration (which I oppose, & I know I’m not a typical left-winger in taking this stance) to prop up the population, or finding ways to “encourage” women to have more children when they fundamentally no longer want to.
There is surely a happy medium between humanity dying out & rampant population growth. It will find itself in a free, prosperous, well-educated society, which is why I support a free-trade economy with open markets (though with some vague form of government regulation & environmental protections, etc) to create the best life that can exist on planet earth, whgat with the constraints of human nature & the natural environment.
PS- Sorry for the length. You can always tell when I’ve got excited
July 11th, 2009 | 4:50 pm | #25
Bender,
That Kennedy-Townsend piece was the most horrifying thing I’ve read today. A few days ago, it was the excerpts from the pope’s encyclical about one world government. Last week it was an article in the Liguorian from a Redemptorist priest in Berkeley about the evils of capitalism and the Church’s social justice teachings. Hurry – pass the duct tape – my head is about to explode!
The argument that the Church takes these positions to maintain its authority, rather than from centuries of moral consideration, is rich coming from leftist ideologues who constantly give into the totalitarian temptations to control our lives for our own good. They’re just so darn smart.
What is happening to our church?
July 12th, 2009 | 8:01 pm | #26
That is just an astonishing statement. America is a country whose people are unusually religious compared to the rest of the world. Including a pretty big cohort who have changed from whatever religion they grew up in — obviously people who take it seriously enough to take that initiative.
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