Tag: Catholicism

Cardinal Dolan’s public flattery of Trump forgets a few things

I wonder whether the U.S. Catholic bishops have crossed a sort of Rubicon recently.

When their Roman predecessor, the general Julius Caesar, brought his army illegally over the Rubicon River, he set in motion the events that ended the Republic and saw him presented with a crown. “The die is cast,” he is reputed to have said as he marched his army toward Rome: there was no going back. What he had done could not be undone and it would change the shape of history.

I do not think that New York Cardinal Timothy Dolan is in any danger of being crowned emperor (or, anything else). But I do believe that his public flattery of President Donald Trump from the pulpit of St. Patrick’s Cathedral and on Fox News may prove to be a moment from which American Catholicism cannot turn back.

Smart analysts have interpreted the cardinal’s blandishments as a savvy effort to smooth-talk the president into devoting stimulus funds to help Catholic schools that, no doubt, will struggle in the post-pandemic environment. Maybe that is what the cardinal thinks he is doing. Maybe it even looks smart from one point-of-view. But it seems to me that we have to overlook a lot to see how smart the cardinal is being.

Dolan praised Trump’s sensitivity to the “feelings of the religious community” on Fox News. Think about that.

Cardinal Dolan’s homily praising Donald Trump

Then, think about this. “I think Islam hates us,” or, “The children of Muslim American parents, they’re responsible for a growing number for whatever reason a growing number of terrorist attacks,” or think about what Trump said after the Supreme Court struck down his first travel ban that fulfilled his campaign promise of a “total and complete shutdown of Muslims entering the U.S.” — “Put a commission together. Show me the right way to do it legally.”

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Cardinal’s cover-up trial puts French Catholic Church in glare of abuse scandal

The highest-profile Catholic cleric to be caught up in a paedophile scandal in France goes on trial on Monday charged with failing to report a priest who abused boy scouts in the 1980s and 90s.

Source: Cardinal’s cover-up trial puts French Catholic Church in glare of abuse scandal

“Grâce à Dieu” de François Ozon

Synopsis : Alexandre vit à Lyon avec sa femme et ses enfants. Un jour, il découvre par hasard que le prêtre qui a abusé de lui aux scouts officie toujours auprès d’enfants. Il se lance alors dans un combat, très vite rejoint par François et Emmanuel, également victimes du prêtre, pour « libérer leur parole » sur ce qu’ils ont subi. Mais les répercussions et conséquences de ces aveux ne laisseront personne indemne.

Alexandre lives in Lyon with his wife and children. One day, he discovered by chance that the priest who abused him to scouts always officiates with children.He then starts a fight, quickly joined by François and Emmanuel, also victims of the priest, to “release their word” on what they suffered.But the repercussions and consequences of these confessions will leave no one unscathed.

The Feast of St. Thérèse of Lisieux

On this feast day of my favorite saint (sorry Ignatius!) a reflection from My Life with the Saints, on Thérèse Martin.

On January 2, 1873, Marie Francoise Thérèse Martin is born in Alençon, France, to Louis and Zélie Martin, two devout Catholic parents.  Louis, a watchmaker, had earlier in his life presented himself to a monastery but was refused permission, because of his lack of knowledge of Latin.  Zélie was similarly rejected by a local order of nuns called the Sisters of the Hôtel Dieu; she becomes, instead, a lacemaker.  But the couple’s intense love for Catholicism and for religious life will be passed on to their children.When Thérèse is four her mother dies.
Shortly afterwards,[ . . . ]

Read full post at: The Feast of St. Thérèse of Lisieux | America Magazine