[Land of the Irish]

Ping

[Robert Drobot]

"One can undoubtedly learn from the United States [and this] process by which the state makes room for religion, which is not imposed, but which, thanks to the state, lives, exists and has a public creative force. It certainly is a positive way.

This forked tongued prince needs to read our Declaration of Independence. It is through this document that passage of the Constitution was made possible. Had the Constitutional Convention balked at the inclusion of the ten amendments to that document, there would not have a ratification of it by the states.

It is by and through our Creator - not the state - that American Citizens gained their freedom from state interference into their religious choices, and their ability to assemble for any other purpose.

[Unam Sanctam]

Troubled by the total secularization of European life—reflected, most recently, in the battles over European unification and the continental chorus of criticism accompanying Professor Rocco Buttiglione’s reiteration of the Church’s teaching on homosexuality—the cardinal now suggests that the United States may perhaps offer the better model of Church-State relations for a desacralized world.

I guess you would prefer the post-Christian European model, with churches a museum pieces and any speach condemning abortion or homosexual activity is outlawed. Frankly, I prefer the United States, where for the moment at least, the Church has legal freedom of cult, and the Church still has some orthodox vibrancy left to pass on to future generations.

[royalcello]

Careful; nothing will enrage Catholic Americanists more than criticism of their favorite heresy. I sometimes get the idea that even some traditionalists are embarrassed by John Rao. I think he's great, even though I haven't always fully understood some of his previous articles. This one is quite clear.

[royalcello]

Another important thread for our side, even if this great article by John Rao doesn't specifically mention monarchy.

[pascendi]

This is brilliance, right here:

"America, with Catholic Americans in lock-step, thus marched forward to nurture what St. Cyril of Alexandria called “dypsychia”: a two-spirited existence. On the one hand, it loudly proclaimed outward commitment to many traditional doctrines and “moral values” making it look spiritually healthy. On the other, it allowed “the practical life”, to which it was really devoted, to be defined by whatever the strongest and most successful men considered to be most important, silencing discussion of the gross contradiction by laughing such fruitless intellectual quibbles out of the parlors of a polite, common-sense guided society. It marched this approach into Europe in 1945, ironically linking up with one strain of Modernism that itself encouraged Catholic abandonment to the direction of anti-intellectual “vital energies” and “mystique”. Vitalism and Americanism in tandem then gave us Vatican II which, concerned only with “getting the practical pastoral job done”, has destroyed Catholic doctrine infinitely more effectively than any mere straightforward heretic like Arius could have done."

[Wessex]

Following the rejection of Christian references by a secular Europe, Ratzinger is now scouring the globe in search of terra firma that is prepared to accommodate the latest abridged version of Catholicism. So, goodbye Catholic or even Christian states and hello free tolerant democratic ones! America should suit him down to the ground with its superficial religious aspect and just the minimum reference to God without any Catholic dogma or tradition to worry about. If the ambition of modern Rome is to be treated like any other religion and to invite regulation by secular authorities, its eventual demise will come sooner than later.

[royalcello]

Interesting discussion here if you're still around.

[AnimalLover]

Bump

[Tribune7]

This, of course, was the position of the Americanists of the 1890’s, who argued that things spiritual thrived in the United States to a degree that Europeans, passive and obedient to their manipulative governments, could never match.

Pretty hard to argue with. The biggest problem has been that our government has stopped being neutral. Consider public funding of religiously insulting art and promotion of policies that are in opposition Christian and Jewish tradition. These, of course, are a twisting of the intent of our Constitution, Declaration and the beliefs of our founders. And mostly, a violation of the democratic process.

It does appear to be changing.

[DBeers]

Yet more of John Rao's anti-American drivel...

[Askel5]

I don't like this at all.

I'll come back later and try again to see if I still feel sick to my stomach reading it.

[Askel5]

This puts me in mind of a couple of essays (and several articles on Leo) which I found in this 1895 mambo Catholic Book from Baltimore. I was disappoined when first it arrived because it seemed to be only bios/histories, diocese by diocese. Interesting enough but not what I thought I was getting.

Then I realized there was a whole introductory section well worth the book's seriously hefty postage weight in gold. =)

I'll post some. The duality between the "Know Nothing" reaction and the fervently beating patriotic heart appears just to be beginning. Interesting reads.