I don’t follow the news much, but I have been paying just a bit of attention to the British Columbia Human Rights Commission’s tribunal to determine whether Mark Steyn’s writing is in violation of their hate crime laws. I like Mark Steyn. He is both very perceptive and very funny, and is willing to say things that other people won’t say. I like him particularly because one of his central themes is also a deep concern of mine: the spinelessness of people in the West today. Mark Steyn has correctly observed that people in the west today are mainly a lot of pampered, chicken-hearted wimps, which fact explains much about the political agendas of liberals. But this isn’t something most people like to hear about themselves, so unsurprisingly the Canadians now want to shut him up. It’s an important moment for them, though they themselves might not fully appreciate it. It may be a watershed case for determining how much control the Human Rights Commissions will have over Canadian speech.

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In connection with this story I was reading at Rorate Caeli about the EU’s denial of special visa preference to Christians desirous of leaving Iraq, I thought that these comments from our regular correspondent in Turkey were interesting:

Last Sunday at Mass, I met another Iraqi family traveling through Turkey - this time on their way to the USA. I’ve met and had occasion to talk to a few dozen now. Each time I feel slightly awkward - especially when I’m inevitably asked what my profession is — wondering if they harbor any resentment. I’ve yet to come across one family with any resentment or anger toward the USA. And I don’t think they are just being polite. This particular family from last Sunday were on their way to either California or Michigan (not surprising since those are where most of the Chaldean churches are within the USA). I’ve not thought it appropriate in these situations to talk politics or inquire about their feelings. But this is a region where people have an opinion on everything and aren’t shy to share it with you. So it’s my estimation that even given all that’s happened to their communities, they don’t blame America. As the EU continues to play the politically correct game of not showing any special preference to the plight of Christian refugees over Muslim refugees, I’m glad to see the US State Department continue to expand their visa program for the Christians (predominantly Catholics) feeling Iraq.

I wanted to share some of my impressions after watching a good bit of the coverage of the first day of Pope Benedict’s visit to America. First of all, I should mention that EWTN has a nice page where you can view the various events (with the stupid Windows Media Player, unfortunately), fast forwarding, as it were, or rewinding to watch an exciting part again. :) It’s a great thing not to have to watch the coverage live because this would require listening to Raymond Arroyo and, far worse, Fr. Richard John Neuhaus.

- Thank the good Lord for Msgr. Guido Marini! At so-called “Evening Prayer” on Wednesday, the Pope wore a magnificent cope, recently restored, Arroyo said, and dating from the time of the original dedication of the shrine to Our Lady of the Immaculate Conception. And, as according to the story I linked in the Ephemeris a couple days ago, the beautiful and impressively large staff (is there a more proper name for it?) - it looks like the Pope could fit off the Huns single handedly with it, given its size and apparent weight - was also used.
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While paging through an odd little South African newspaper on a plane, I found this random tidbit of rather amusing news. It seems that Mircea Pavel, a Romanian man serving a 20-year prison sentence for murder, attempted to sue God for failing to answer his prayers. “The defendent, God, who lives in the heavens and is represented in Romania by the Orthodox Church,” was charged with fraud and “betrayal of trust”. Move over, Job.

In an interview with the Romanian newspaper Evenimentul Zilei, Pavel elaborated on the complaint. “At my christening,” he explained, “I made a deal with the defendant aimed at freeing me from evil. But the latter has not respected that agreement until now, although He received from me various assets and numerous prayers.”
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I don’t think that the Catholic Church is the right faith community for Tony Blair. (Clara’s thoughts here.) From the sounds of it, he’s a very good protestant. “Last month Father Michael Seed, a Westminster priest close to the Blairs, predicted that Mr Blair would become a Catholic. But he later told The Times he did not know if Mr Blair would ever be received ‘formally’ into the Roman Catholic Church.” Will never “formally” be received into the Church? I don’t know what his plan is, but it sounds fishy. Apparently, Benedict wasn’t overly impressed with Blair’s plan for Great Britain over these past ten years; abortion, gay adoption and stem cell research highlighted the discussion between the two men, reports the London Times.

But this was an interesting part of the Times‘ article: Continue reading

I would call to our readers’ attention an article in the July/August issue of the Atlantic about Bishop Jin Luxian of Shanghai. The article is an extremely favorable portrait of Bishop Jin, who languished in prison for many years, like Cardinal Kung, but then after his release, began to cooperate with the Communist government and became a member of the Communist-approved episcopal hierarchy. The rationale for this collaboration with the Communists, which the author, Adam Minter, seems to have swallowed hook, line, and sinker, was that millions of Chinese Catholics were in need of the sacraments, a need which the underground Church could never hope to meet. Thus, even though it meant disobedience to Rome and, as far as I can see, latae sententiae excommunication, Bishop Jin agreed to the Communists’ terms and carried on his episcopal ministry.

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There has been talk recently of a distinction between “tradition” and “traditionalism.” This includes a critique of what some view as non-essential religious, cultural, political, and social positions (baggage?) often associated with Catholic traditionalism. Andrew of the Holy Whapping has proposed alternative models for traditionalism: “To sloganize the idea, think Latin Mass with an Ignatius Press reading list, perhaps. But of course, that’s a very simplistic example.”

This proposal led me to ask, “What are some positions generally associated with Catholic traditionalism, other than devotion to the Latin Mass and traditional liturgy in general, a critical attitude toward ecumenism, and a critical attitude toward the reforms (at least in their implementation) of the Second Vatican Council?” I regard these three as pretty much the defining characteristics of traditionalism, though perhaps not the only ones.

The rest of this post will be a list, not necessarily in any particular order, of other positions/attitudes often held by Catholic traditionalists. Continue reading

I recently read a little pamphlet, last published in 1993 by Angelus Press, entitled the Duties of the Catholic State in Regard to Religion, a lecture by Alfredo Cardinal Ottaviani. The translation from Italian was done by the Rev. Fr. Denis Fahey, C.S.Sp. and first printed in 1953. Fr. Fahey explains the occasion of the lecture in the Translator’s Foreword:

On March 2, 1953, the Pontifical Lateran University in Rome celebrated the fourteenth anniversary of Pope Pius XII’s election to the Supreme Pontificate. . . . After the address of homage in Latin to His Holiness, Pope Pius XII, read by the Right Reverend Rector of the University, and the address of welcome in Italian to the distinguished gathering, delivered by the same, the Schola Cantorum of the Roman Seminary sang the Ave Maria of Da Vittoria. His Eminence, Cardinal Ottaviani, then gave his eagerly awaited lecture on “Church and State: Some Present-day Problems in the light of Pope Pius XII’s Teaching.” It is this Lecture, published later in pamplet form by the Pontifical Lateran University, which, by the kind permission of His Eminence, I now have the honor of presenting to readers of English. I am certain that in doing so I am rendering a great service to those who would otherwise be deprived of its luminous exposition of Catholic doctrine. . . .

Luminous exposition, indeed! and not, of course, the type of thing one is liable to read hot off the press of the Pontifical Lateran University today. From the opening paragraphs:
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