extreme Catholic 

 

UK Telegraph: Zimbabwe introduces $100 trillion banknote Zimbabwe's central bank will introduce a $100 trillion Zimbabwean banknote, worth about US $33 on the black market, to try to ease desperate cash shortages, state-run media said on Friday. This country was once known as Southern Rhodesia after Cecil Rhodes. The tragedy unfolding in this country almost makes one doubt that democracy can be practiced everywhere and for all. I doubt that any elections in this country were ever free.

We now owe the Weimar Republic an apology. Their inflation was nothing compared to this.

Labels: banking, history

posted by Patrick Sweeney at 11:21 PM   Permalink  

 
"I'm perfectly happy to say I'm a Roman Catholic and that doesn't mean I'm a nutter."

To even form such a statement tells you that something has gone terribly wrong.

This is from

UK Telegraph: Christians are becoming social pariahs in Britain, claims Jeremy Vine

The Radio 2 host said that he feels unable to talk about his faith on his show because he fears how people would react.

He argues that society has become increasingly intolerant of the freedom to express religious views.

"You can't express views that were common currency 30 or 40 years ago," he said.

"Arguably, the parameters of what you might call 'right thinking' are probably closing.

"Sadly, along with that has come the fact that it's almost socially unacceptable to say you believe in God."

His comments follow the claim from Cardinal Cormac Murphy-O'Connor, the head of the Catholic Church in England and Wales, that Britain is an "unfriendly" place for religious people to live.

We weren't promised a world that would be friendly to us. In fact we were told to expect that the world would reject Christ and Christians. 2 Timothy 3:10 -- Indeed all who desire to live a godly life in Christ Jesus will be persecuted. I don't shout to the world "Bring it on!" -- but "Lift high the cross, the love of Christ proclaim, Till all the world adore His sacred Name."

We can no longer take for granted that the world and in particular the United States is aligned with Christianity. Think back to the year I was born -- the phrase "under God" was officially added to the Pledge of Allegiance and the national motto proclaimed "In God We Trust" in 1956. It would be unthinkable today. Pushing religion out of public life and to the margins of the culture is something to be resisted and not acquiesced to.

Labels: anti-catholic, culture

posted by Patrick Sweeney at 10:31 PM   Permalink  

 
History Channel, complaint number 38

All the content from History Channel International is gone -- it redirects to the other web site. Worse yet. The feedback page to let them know of the problem returns an error when attempting to send a message to them.

Labels: internet, media

posted by Patrick Sweeney at 7:10 PM   Permalink  

 
Cardinal Jose Policarpo warns Catholic women

LISBON, Jan 14 (Reuters) - Portugal's Cardinal Jose Policarpo has warned young women in the predominantly Catholic nation against marrying Muslims. "The advice that I give to young Portuguese girls is -- be careful with relationships, think twice about marrying Muslims," the patriarch of Lisbon said. "It is getting into a pile of troubles, that not even Allah knows where would end."

Policarpo made the statement at a gathering on Tuesday evening in a well-known casino that organizes meetings of public figures with paying guests. His comments were repeated on several television stations on Wednesday.

There are about 40,000 Muslims in Portugal, which like neighboring Spain was once ruled by Muslims from north Africa, where many Muslim immigrants come from. The country's biggest Islamic organization said it was upset by the comments.

"We were in a way hurt by the choice of words by the patriarch of Lisbon about our community and about the dialogue that we have sought with all religious denominations, and especially with the Christian religions," the Islamic Community of Lisbon said in a statement.

The Vatican discourages Catholic women from marrying Muslims and Policarpo echoed that position in blunt terms. "I know that if a young European of Christian background marries a Muslim, as soon as they go to his country, they'll be subject to the regime of Muslim women," Policarpo said. "Just imagine it." Policarpo, a leading cardinal who was tipped as a contender in the 2005 conclave that elected Pope Benedict, also said dialogue with Muslims was not easy in Portugal. "It is only possible to dialogue with those who want to have dialogue, for example with our Muslim brothers dialogue is very difficult," he said.

Labels: catholic, church, guest theologian, islam, marriage

posted by Patrick Sweeney at 11:28 PM   Permalink  

 
Patrick McGoohan has died

I loved this actor -- from his Disney run as the Scarecrow (1963, I'm 9) to Secret Agent to the Prisioner, to his guest star roles in Columbo... (1990's, I am 40)

More about him on IMDB

Labels: celebrity, culture, obituary

posted by Patrick Sweeney at 11:06 PM   Permalink  

 
Fr Neuhaus Tribute

From "Catholic Matters" (p.226)

Monday, April 18. At the moment, at this very moment of writing, my dominant thought and feeling is far from edifying. This wretched laptop computer lost all 2,000 words of today's dispatch, and the technological wizards of EWTN have not been able to retrieve them.

As John Calvin is said to have said upon delivering a book to the printer, "It is very much like dropping a beau­tiful rose down a very deep well, never to be heard of again." That was centuries ago, and he had the satisfaction of knowing that determined folk would be able to find a copy. Not so in this age of digital revolution, and digital frustration. But enough. By an act of near-heroic self­discipline, I banish distracting outrage and set about reconstructing at least a digest of what seems worthy of re­port.

A few hours ago, the Sistine Chapel was hermetically sealed, or as hermetically sealed as anything can be in a world of high-tech communications, as a journalist de­scribed the world upon the laying of the first transatlantic telegraphic cable in 1858 or thereabouts. There is some­thing deliciously satisfying in watching the more than 6,000 reporters accredited to these events, along with their hundreds of satellite trucks and anchorpersons at the ready, being forced to watch a stovepipe for a puff of smoke.

posted by Patrick Sweeney at 12:19 AM   Permalink