It has been nearly an entire year since the providential founding of our little blog. For some years before that date, a fledgling group of mostly graduate students, usually ranging from three to fifteen in number, met at 9PM every weeknight in a tiny closet. In that closet, waiting, was Our Lord Jesus Christ in His most Blessed Sacrament. Through this small Rosary and Adoration group, by the mighty intercession of the Blessed Virgin, and her faithful children Pope St. Pius X and St. Louis Grignon de Montfort, many Cornellians have been called to the Faith and to Tradition.
As a Society, we seek the very same goods which Don Bosco and his young peers recognized in the nineteenth century: a pleasant society of Christian brethren, suggestions of good Catholic literature, and friendly support in our spiritual lives. Central to our group is that opportunity for lively conversation and debate which so recommends study at a University. Our learned President once revealed our various disciplines, and, despite the prevalence of philosophers, they cover a wide breadth of subjects. More noticeable to readers of our blog is the relatively wide range of opinions we hold despite being traditionalists. From Feeneyites to supposed feminists, we are a pretty diverse bunch of crazy Catholics.
Eventually we decided to found this blog, so we could carry out our live discussions despite conflicting schedules, and our online ones without the inconveniences of email. As we have said repeatedly, that is the character we wish the blog to have. Years from now, when we have all departed from Cornell, we would still like to be having a Good Time, sharing stories and discussing issues, even controversial ones, which are important to our Faith.
It is crucial to us that every discussion on this blog be conducted with Christian Charity. We know that this can be difficult, especially when our interlocutor is merely an anonymous name on a computer monitor. However, it is helpful to remember that here, just as in other parts of our daily lives, we are not called to do what is necessary, but what is perfect.
Very often comments will be made which are improprietous, discourteous, or even blasphemous, and the discussion must be moderated. Unfortunately, this is complicated by our different sensitivities. Since we cannot always agree on the removal of comments, and since our President, whom we would otherwise defer to, has not the time to police them, we have arrived at a compromise solution. Each contributor has the right to deal with the comments under their post in the way they see fit. That is, you own any thread which you start. This is the simplest and most effective policy we can think of.
Know that we are not in any way politically correct, like so many moderns. As Christians, we gladly accept hard sayings. We are willing to listen to your opinions. Nevertheless, we will not always agree with you, even if it is something that you think is crucial to our salvation. If you think the issue is grave enough, then approach it as your duty before God, and not as some zinger you dish off in a debate. Fraternal correction, if it must be done, is an action calling for pronounced gravity, not levity. Moreover, remember that it is almost always better to address someone in private. Our contact information is available – that is what it is there for.
However, the nature of our topics is such that it is easy to bump into this sort of situation. If you think that what we are saying is heresy – by all means, tell us so. We will do likewise. But we must be on guard that our conversations do not devolve into mere orgies of personal criticism. Let us be frank: there is absolutely no good that will come of personal criticism on the internet. In Don Bosco’s days, he and his schoolmates used to address each other’s faults as one of the activities of their Società dell’ Allegria. In person, that sort of thing is possible. While this might one day be a feature of our real life Society, it will never be an online feature. The anonymity we possess here does not aid us by allowing us to make blunt remarks to strangers. Rather, it most dreadfully hinders our ability to make such criticism with true Christian charity.
“There is no accomplishment so easy to acquire as politeness, and none more profitable.” ~ G. B. Shaw
The truth of this saying is easily recognized, even by the heathens. Be polite, be courteous, and use your best manners, for Charity demands it. Yes, there are places and times when you can speak quite bluntly and still be perfectly charitable. We repeat: they do not exist in this medium.
Finally, An Admonishment Concerning Ladies
Another aspect where we differ from our namesake Society is in the gender of our members. While the ideal might be to spin off our female members into a separate Ladies’ Guild, we do not have the numbers to do this. Moreover, our public existence on the internet, that most egalitarian of modern inventions, precludes any sort of gender discrimination. Recognize that this seriously limits the topics we can discuss and the manner in which we can approach them. Modern women may want to cast off Chivalry, but men must stand firm on this point. We cannot allow this. Even if a woman is an outright feminist, a veritable Jezebel, Gypsy, or Harpy, we must treat her as a Lady. If this is an arduous undertaking, as it sometimes can be, let us think often of the Blessed Virgin, and how we might address a daughter of hers, wayward or not. While it is usually easy to understand what is appropriate language in the presence of a Lady, it is often harder to recognize which topics are to be avoided, especially in so androgynous and informal an atmosphere. I think the most important ones are obvious.
However, so that there is a complete absence of any confusion, insofar as our blog is concerned, it is not entirely appropriate for men to debate women at length on subjects including, but not limited to: their intelligence, modesty of dress (including pants), veiling, other difficult issues regarding their personal lives, practical matters concerning sexuality or impurity, or anything dealing in any way with their character. Another helpful rule can be drawn. If the issue is liable to be extremely personal, men and women probably ought not to be arguing about it in public together.
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Lest, by continuing, we seem to patronize our readers, most of whom are older and wiser, we shall merely indicate that we hope that a thorough consideration of this brief note will lead our readers, and ourselves, to greater enjoyment of a Good Time.
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PRINCEPS gloriosissime caelestis militiae, sancte Michael Archangele, defende nos in proelio et colluctatione, quae nobis adversus principes et potestates, adversus mundi rectores tenebrarum harum, contra spiritualia nequitiae, in caelestibus. Veni in auxilium hominum, quos Deus creavit inexterminabiles, et ad imaginem similitudinis suae fecit, et a tyrannide diaboli emit pretio magno. Proeliare hodie cum beatorum Angelorum exercitu proelia Domini, sicut pugnasti contra ducem superbiae luciferum, et angelos eius apostaticos: et non valuerunt, neque locus inventus est eorum amplius in caelo. Sed proiectus est draco ille magnus, serpens antiquus, qui vocatur diabolus et satanas, qui seducit universum orbem; et proiectus est in terram, et angeli eius cum illo missi sunt.
St. Louis-Marie de Montfort,
Pope St. Pius X,
St. Joseph,
St. Ambrose of Milan,
St. Thomas Aquinas,
St. Francis (and St. Clare),
St. Catherine of Siena,
St. Alphonsus Ligouri,
St. John Chrysostom,