It’s a shame about Conclave. I agree with you about the actors, especially Fiennes, and I would love to see a well made movie about a papal enclave. There have been movies (mostly British, fwiw) that take what could be sort of boring, lots of sitting and talking, and made them very interesting (I recall Tinker, Tailor, Soldier, Spy for instance) and it is a bummer Conclave instead had to go for stereotype and the “shocking twist” 🙄.
Thank you for taking one for the team on the movie. When I found out the excessively modern twist, I gave up on an possibility of watching it. I fully expected the movie to be negative about the church, but that was a bridge too far. Such a waste of an opportunity and of such a great cast, which is what caught my eye in the first place.
The fact that the cinematography and casting were well done makes Conclave even more of a spiritually dangerous movie, in my opinion. I mean, Satan can appear and masquerade as something beautiful when in reality he’s evil and rotten to the core. I don’t care how well the direction, scripting, acting, and cinematography are done if they are done in the service of attacking Holy Mother Church, which is both the Mystical Body of Jesus Christ and His Family that we are a part of.
It’s a shame that all that money and talent were used to make such an evil film.
I agree with Bishop Barron on this: Conclave isn’t worth your time: boycott it and run away from it as fast as you can. If people keep going to see anti-Catholic trash films like Conclave, then Hollywood is going to keep pumping them out.
Hollywood can’t seem to make any film about the Church without turning it into an anti-Catholic film. I didn’t bother to see Conclave because I knew it would be an anti-Catholic diatribe pushing an agenda and relies on a bunch of standard anti-Catholic tropes dating back to at least the American Revolution (Britain allowing French Canadians to practice their Catholic faith was one of the famous “intolerable acts” by the British government that the colonists cited in their manifesto justifying the Revolutionary War). Anti-Catholicism is pretty much baked into the DNA of the USA, unfortunately, so those of us who live in the USA really have our work cut out for us. In the past 12 years, two different parishes I’ve been a parishioner at here in the southern suburbs of Saint Paul, MN were spray painted with hateful graffiti (either part of the exterior, in the case of one, or a traveling cemetery of the unborn, in the case of the other), and in the case of one of them, that happened in 2012, the blessed sacrament was stuck in the backs of hymnals in a section of the church (a parishioner alerted Father to this and he wept as he discovered the Eucharist stuck in the backs of more hymnals in this particular section of the church.
I and others have also overheard snide remarks about Catholics and Catholic teaching. Glitzy Anti-Catholic books and movies keep being written and made because a lot of our fellow Americans hate Holy Mother Church, we have to be honest about that, and that is especially true of the wealthy ruling class in the USA, what I like to call the “limousine liberals” and the “country club Republicans”.
We need to be aware of that reality in our efforts to evangelize our fellow Americans: it’s not going to be an easy thing to do because of the deeply entrenched anti-Catholic prejudice in American society.
Phillip Jenkins has an excellent book called The New Anti-Catholicism that I highly recommend.
Anti-Catholicism is the one prejudice in the USA that isn’t just tolerated, but, as films like Angels and Demons, Dogma, The Da Vinci Code, The Last Temptation of Christ, and now Conclave show, it’s something that is celebrated, especially by the wealthy ruling class in our society. That’s the ugly truth about anti-Catholicism here in the United States.
We definitely have an uphill battle to evangelize our fellow Americans, and it’s a battle well worth fighting, but we need to be honest about what we’re up against when seeking to do so.
The country club Republicans became Democrats in 2018 because of their hatred of Donald Trump and his opposition to their use of abortion to keep down the number of minorities. But one must include the mainstream American press in the general condemnation of anti-Catholics. If they weren't too lazy to read the Catechism or too stupid to understand what it says they would be able to properly interpret the Pope's comments in their appropriate Catholic context, but they aren't. Just another form of anti-Catholicism.
Not just the USA, but the English-speaking world at large...English language literature has a lot of anti-Catholicism baked right into it. And despite the flashy contemporary repackaging of it all, the tropes are old and tired. I'd even argue that it created a blindspot regarding the abuse crisis. The claim that Catholic clergy and religious are all sexual deviants with pathological personality disorders is old hat and you can see it going back to polemic from centuries ago. We're so used to tuning it out as just another anti-Catholic canard that reports of genuine abuse were probably dismissed as being part of the same smear campaign. Priests using convents as their personal harems? Yawn...try coming up with something CREATIVE next time you're making up ragebait stories, why don't you? And then we have cases like Marko Rupnik or the priest who abused the Daughters of St. Paul which are actually true.
Books could be written about the effect of an anti-Catholic culture on Catholics and the abuse crisis. I'm not going to write one here, so this is the end of my inane, long-winded comment.
"It’s a shame no one seems to have confidence that all that ready source material could stand on its own feet, or consider that true faith is an engine of real drama."
Indeed, but why would they when they consider faith to be an object of contempt?
Silence was a film that let faith lead to real drama, even if the people making it were not exactly orthodox. It can be done, but usually only in a context that’s far away enough from us to feel non-threatening. See also The Mission.
Why all the text about a splashy Hollywood movie based on a trendy American novel about papal politics? Is it because you think that many or most Pillar readers are American and that they really care deeply about this stuff?
It's because it's the last section of the newsletter, which is where JD and Ed both put a blurb about something they think is interesting. It could be whales, albatrosses, baseball, or any (probably) non-Catholic subject they wish.
He wrote it because he wanted to. Read it if you wish. Skip it if you don't.
I like this section (and so do many other subscribers) because it helps foster discussion and a sense of community within our own little corner of the Catholic internet. So, why do you insist on coming in hot to disparage it? Pax.
I always look forward to the essays at the end of the newsletter. They are a welcome relief from the relentlessly depressing news of "knavish imbecility" of the Vatican.
As an American myself, I’m curious about why Ed chose to highlight Conclave too. I mean I knew Conclave was going to be a visually splashy piece of repackaged anti-Catholic trash when I first heard about it, because Hollywood is obsessed with blasting Catholicism every chance they get, and so when it turned out that’s exactly what this movie was, I wasn’t surprised at all. Hollywood’s anti-Catholic prejudice and the deeply embedded anti-Catholic prejudice in the United States is pretty well known and has been around for quite a while.
Gaudete Sunday is the third Sunday of Advent in the liturgical calendar of the Catholic Church. The name “Gaudete” comes from the Latin word for “rejoice,” which is the first word of the Introit (opening chant) for the Mass of this day: “Gaudete in Domino semper: iterum dico, gaudete.” (Philippians 4:4) — “Rejoice in the Lord always; again I say, rejoice.”
Key Features of Gaudete Sunday:
1. Theme of Joy: The day emphasizes joy and hope in anticipation of the coming of Christ, as Christmas is near.
2. Liturgical Color:
• Rose (a lighter shade of violet/purple) is used for the vestments and Advent candle to symbolize joy amidst the penitential season of Advent.
• The rose candle is the third candle lit on the Advent wreath.
3. Contrast to Other Sundays in Advent: Advent is generally a season of preparation and penance, but Gaudete Sunday provides a moment of joyful reprieve.
4. Scripture Readings:
• The readings for this day, especially from Philippians 4:4-7 and Isaiah 35:1-6, 10, emphasize rejoicing and the nearness of salvation.
In summary, Gaudete Sunday is a joyful midpoint in the Advent season, reminding Catholics to prepare their hearts with hope and gladness for the celebration of Christ’s birth.
Follow-up:
Gaudete Sunday has been part of the liturgical year for well over a millennium. Its origins are rooted in the early practices of Advent in the Western Church.
Key Historical Points:
1. Advent as a Liturgical Season:
• The season of Advent was formally established by the 6th century as a time of preparation for Christmas. It mirrored Lent as a penitential season of fasting and prayer.
• By the 9th century, Advent had four weeks, with Gaudete Sunday marking the midpoint.
2. Inclusion of Gaudete Sunday:
• The specific emphasis on Gaudete Sunday likely emerged around the same time that Advent became more formalized.
• The name “Gaudete” comes from the Latin Introit (entrance antiphon) for the Mass on this day, which was part of the Gregorian chant tradition.
3. Middle Ages and Beyond:
• The joyful tone of Gaudete Sunday provided a break from the more somber and penitential themes of Advent. This is similar to the role of Laetare Sunday during Lent.
• Rose-colored vestments and the rose candle on the Advent wreath are medieval developments emphasizing this day’s distinctive joyful nature.
Conclusion:
Gaudete Sunday has likely been celebrated since at least the 9th century, making it a longstanding tradition in the Roman Catholic liturgical year. Its roots, however, may go back even earlier, tied to the development of Advent as a penitential season in the Western Church.
This is where generative AI can be useful. Clarify to yourself what you want to learn, articulate it clearly and succinctly, and type it in. If the response is off target, point that out in a follow-up query. Programs like ChatGPT and Perplexity are conversational.
It was mostly a joke—it's a rare experience. I use Bing copilot and find it very helpful in many situations. Copilot is easy to access—the button is right there on my web browser.
I was born on December 17 and thus born waiting. December 17 is the day that the great O Antiphons begin in the advent liturgy—crying out in deep pain for the coming of the Lord. It's kind of a spiritual labor, crying out for the birth of Jesus.
Apologies if I've missed (or forgotten!) this in the Pillar's previous reporting, but I wonder how US sentencing for Church-related financial crimes compares to sentencing for all similar US financial crimes. And, once we have data, can we pick out why the Church is similar/different/etc to the whole? I'll have to do some earnest googling...
Very good review. The film was good, definitely not great. It did get much right visually as you say "it is wonderfully shot in places, and the voting scenes inside the Sistine Chapel are excellent (and reasonably canonically correct) eye candy." The characters, and their positions on certain issues, are cookie cutter as you say as well. Ralph Fiennes is amazing in his role. Just such an incredible actor. This is a process movie, it's not about spirituality, so to each his own I guess, but I can understand why for many the film will be a failure.
"I would argue that an unwillingness to impose, or real discomfort with calling for, just punishment in response to crime isn’t, as I suspect many like to think, evidence of a merciful disposition but rather a badly coarsened conscience." I often wonder if this is the same ideology that caused the imprecatory psalms to be cut out of the Liturgy of the Hours and passages that speak of Hell or God's anger to largely be left out of Mass readings. Someone uncomfortable with punishing earthly crimes certainly won't want to be reminded of the possibility of divine punishment.
If only there were a couple of very talented writers, well versed in Catholicism in general and Vatican hoo-hah in particular, who could write some sort of screen play...
The problem is that the film would almost certainly be a financial failure. Anti-Catholic movies sell well, unfortunately, but movies that present Catholicism accurately do not, with the exception of a few like The Passion of the Christ.
Movies/films/plays are entertainment, brain candy. I've long been puzzled why they are taken so seriously and consumed so eagerly by so many. But of course they are only one symptom of this fantasy-rich, entertainment-besotted culture. In Neil Postman's phrase, we are amusing ourselves to death.
That’s a very good book! Everyone talks about Orwell’s 1984, but the much more spot-on dystopia is Huxley’s Brave New World. The United States eerily resembles the world described in that novel.
Ahhhh ..... two buttons pushed (or three if you count mentioning the continuing trashing of our Faith by Hollywood). Pelosi is a very vicious human being. Abp Cordileone should act as if he in fact does have the heart of a lion and publicly acknowledge her self chosen excommunication, and let her appeal that to Rome. The priest who regularly allows her to receive Our Lord is, of course, a coward.
And while I deeply love Our Lady of _________ (fill in the blank with any of her approved appearances), it is well to remember that as Her Immaculate Conception she is the Patroness of the United States. That Feast day is a Holy Day of obligation in our country, and it is routinely spurned, not merely ignored, by the immigrants from Mexico in our diocese - which is in the archdiocese shepherded by Abp Cordileone. Reflection on the Immaculate Conception of Our Lady, and the sexual purity it connotes, is very much needed in our country today. Yet we hear very little about it. On the other hand, Her appearance in Mexico is lauded here constantly, and many immigrants from Mexico sport her image on their T-shirts - while saying and doing damnable things. When asked where the Virgin of Guadalupe was born, some of them answer "Mexico". The focus is not on the fact that as the Virgin of Guadalupe she is the Patroness of the whole hemisphere - from Patagonia to the Arctic - and NOT just Mexicans. And there are many Mexicans who claim - falsely - that the apparition was of an Aztec demon.
I hope that the Archbishop's focus on Guadalupe will address and correct the abuses, remind his flock that there is only one Virgin Mary (who is the same in all of her appearances!), and foster healthy devotion to Our Lady in service to Her Son.
Regarding "the movie", it is well to remember that anti-Catholicism is the ONLY socially acceptable, politically correct and economically rewarding bigotry in the U.S. The good news in this fact is that, as Chesterton pointed out, it makes a lot of people curious about the Faith. And that has led to conversions - even GKC's! I've been graced with bearing the brunt of this bigotry professionally. "Graced" because it not only deepened my own Faith, but others who witnessed it, and my response, began to see two things for what they are: the bigotry and the Faith.
Trenchant comment on “The Young Pope.” While it had the same defects, I found “The New Pope” more satisfying, and Cardinal Voiello’s homily in the penultimate episode the best ten minutes of television I’ve seen since Tony Soprano was or wasn’t shot.
“E’s expired and gone to meet 'is maker! 'E's a stiff! Bereft of life, 'e rests in peace! 'Is metabolic processes are now 'istory! 'E's off the twig! 'E's kicked the bucket, 'e's shuffled off 'is mortal coil, run down the curtain and joined the bleedin' choir invisible!!”
May I suggest that you find the movie "The Return" while it is still in the theatre. I would be interested in your review.
What the--? I haven't even heard of this film. Thanks for calling it out.
It’s a shame about Conclave. I agree with you about the actors, especially Fiennes, and I would love to see a well made movie about a papal enclave. There have been movies (mostly British, fwiw) that take what could be sort of boring, lots of sitting and talking, and made them very interesting (I recall Tinker, Tailor, Soldier, Spy for instance) and it is a bummer Conclave instead had to go for stereotype and the “shocking twist” 🙄.
The shoes of the fisherman, with Anthony Quinn.
Thank you for taking one for the team on the movie. When I found out the excessively modern twist, I gave up on an possibility of watching it. I fully expected the movie to be negative about the church, but that was a bridge too far. Such a waste of an opportunity and of such a great cast, which is what caught my eye in the first place.
The fact that the cinematography and casting were well done makes Conclave even more of a spiritually dangerous movie, in my opinion. I mean, Satan can appear and masquerade as something beautiful when in reality he’s evil and rotten to the core. I don’t care how well the direction, scripting, acting, and cinematography are done if they are done in the service of attacking Holy Mother Church, which is both the Mystical Body of Jesus Christ and His Family that we are a part of.
It’s a shame that all that money and talent were used to make such an evil film.
I agree with Bishop Barron on this: Conclave isn’t worth your time: boycott it and run away from it as fast as you can. If people keep going to see anti-Catholic trash films like Conclave, then Hollywood is going to keep pumping them out.
Hollywood can’t seem to make any film about the Church without turning it into an anti-Catholic film. I didn’t bother to see Conclave because I knew it would be an anti-Catholic diatribe pushing an agenda and relies on a bunch of standard anti-Catholic tropes dating back to at least the American Revolution (Britain allowing French Canadians to practice their Catholic faith was one of the famous “intolerable acts” by the British government that the colonists cited in their manifesto justifying the Revolutionary War). Anti-Catholicism is pretty much baked into the DNA of the USA, unfortunately, so those of us who live in the USA really have our work cut out for us. In the past 12 years, two different parishes I’ve been a parishioner at here in the southern suburbs of Saint Paul, MN were spray painted with hateful graffiti (either part of the exterior, in the case of one, or a traveling cemetery of the unborn, in the case of the other), and in the case of one of them, that happened in 2012, the blessed sacrament was stuck in the backs of hymnals in a section of the church (a parishioner alerted Father to this and he wept as he discovered the Eucharist stuck in the backs of more hymnals in this particular section of the church.
I and others have also overheard snide remarks about Catholics and Catholic teaching. Glitzy Anti-Catholic books and movies keep being written and made because a lot of our fellow Americans hate Holy Mother Church, we have to be honest about that, and that is especially true of the wealthy ruling class in the USA, what I like to call the “limousine liberals” and the “country club Republicans”.
We need to be aware of that reality in our efforts to evangelize our fellow Americans: it’s not going to be an easy thing to do because of the deeply entrenched anti-Catholic prejudice in American society.
Phillip Jenkins has an excellent book called The New Anti-Catholicism that I highly recommend.
Anti-Catholicism is the one prejudice in the USA that isn’t just tolerated, but, as films like Angels and Demons, Dogma, The Da Vinci Code, The Last Temptation of Christ, and now Conclave show, it’s something that is celebrated, especially by the wealthy ruling class in our society. That’s the ugly truth about anti-Catholicism here in the United States.
We definitely have an uphill battle to evangelize our fellow Americans, and it’s a battle well worth fighting, but we need to be honest about what we’re up against when seeking to do so.
The country club Republicans became Democrats in 2018 because of their hatred of Donald Trump and his opposition to their use of abortion to keep down the number of minorities. But one must include the mainstream American press in the general condemnation of anti-Catholics. If they weren't too lazy to read the Catechism or too stupid to understand what it says they would be able to properly interpret the Pope's comments in their appropriate Catholic context, but they aren't. Just another form of anti-Catholicism.
Very good point! And Phillip Jenkins talks about that in his book The New Anti-Catholicism too. It’s an excellent and insightful read.
Not just the USA, but the English-speaking world at large...English language literature has a lot of anti-Catholicism baked right into it. And despite the flashy contemporary repackaging of it all, the tropes are old and tired. I'd even argue that it created a blindspot regarding the abuse crisis. The claim that Catholic clergy and religious are all sexual deviants with pathological personality disorders is old hat and you can see it going back to polemic from centuries ago. We're so used to tuning it out as just another anti-Catholic canard that reports of genuine abuse were probably dismissed as being part of the same smear campaign. Priests using convents as their personal harems? Yawn...try coming up with something CREATIVE next time you're making up ragebait stories, why don't you? And then we have cases like Marko Rupnik or the priest who abused the Daughters of St. Paul which are actually true.
Books could be written about the effect of an anti-Catholic culture on Catholics and the abuse crisis. I'm not going to write one here, so this is the end of my inane, long-winded comment.
See the "Black Legend" for a lot of info on it. Very interesting stuff, for sure.
Yes. I highly recommend that as a place to start for anyone looking to to get [whatever color is relevant to anti-Catholicism] pilled.
Incense pilled?
"It’s a shame no one seems to have confidence that all that ready source material could stand on its own feet, or consider that true faith is an engine of real drama."
Indeed, but why would they when they consider faith to be an object of contempt?
Silence was a film that let faith lead to real drama, even if the people making it were not exactly orthodox. It can be done, but usually only in a context that’s far away enough from us to feel non-threatening. See also The Mission.
Why all the text about a splashy Hollywood movie based on a trendy American novel about papal politics? Is it because you think that many or most Pillar readers are American and that they really care deeply about this stuff?
It's because it's the last section of the newsletter, which is where JD and Ed both put a blurb about something they think is interesting. It could be whales, albatrosses, baseball, or any (probably) non-Catholic subject they wish.
He wrote it because he wanted to. Read it if you wish. Skip it if you don't.
I like this section (and so do many other subscribers) because it helps foster discussion and a sense of community within our own little corner of the Catholic internet. So, why do you insist on coming in hot to disparage it? Pax.
I always look forward to the essays at the end of the newsletter. They are a welcome relief from the relentlessly depressing news of "knavish imbecility" of the Vatican.
As an American myself, I’m curious about why Ed chose to highlight Conclave too. I mean I knew Conclave was going to be a visually splashy piece of repackaged anti-Catholic trash when I first heard about it, because Hollywood is obsessed with blasting Catholicism every chance they get, and so when it turned out that’s exactly what this movie was, I wasn’t surprised at all. Hollywood’s anti-Catholic prejudice and the deeply embedded anti-Catholic prejudice in the United States is pretty well known and has been around for quite a while.
I needed a refresher on Gaudete Sunday. ChatGPT:
Gaudete Sunday is the third Sunday of Advent in the liturgical calendar of the Catholic Church. The name “Gaudete” comes from the Latin word for “rejoice,” which is the first word of the Introit (opening chant) for the Mass of this day: “Gaudete in Domino semper: iterum dico, gaudete.” (Philippians 4:4) — “Rejoice in the Lord always; again I say, rejoice.”
Key Features of Gaudete Sunday:
1. Theme of Joy: The day emphasizes joy and hope in anticipation of the coming of Christ, as Christmas is near.
2. Liturgical Color:
• Rose (a lighter shade of violet/purple) is used for the vestments and Advent candle to symbolize joy amidst the penitential season of Advent.
• The rose candle is the third candle lit on the Advent wreath.
3. Contrast to Other Sundays in Advent: Advent is generally a season of preparation and penance, but Gaudete Sunday provides a moment of joyful reprieve.
4. Scripture Readings:
• The readings for this day, especially from Philippians 4:4-7 and Isaiah 35:1-6, 10, emphasize rejoicing and the nearness of salvation.
In summary, Gaudete Sunday is a joyful midpoint in the Advent season, reminding Catholics to prepare their hearts with hope and gladness for the celebration of Christ’s birth.
Follow-up:
Gaudete Sunday has been part of the liturgical year for well over a millennium. Its origins are rooted in the early practices of Advent in the Western Church.
Key Historical Points:
1. Advent as a Liturgical Season:
• The season of Advent was formally established by the 6th century as a time of preparation for Christmas. It mirrored Lent as a penitential season of fasting and prayer.
• By the 9th century, Advent had four weeks, with Gaudete Sunday marking the midpoint.
2. Inclusion of Gaudete Sunday:
• The specific emphasis on Gaudete Sunday likely emerged around the same time that Advent became more formalized.
• The name “Gaudete” comes from the Latin Introit (entrance antiphon) for the Mass on this day, which was part of the Gregorian chant tradition.
3. Middle Ages and Beyond:
• The joyful tone of Gaudete Sunday provided a break from the more somber and penitential themes of Advent. This is similar to the role of Laetare Sunday during Lent.
• Rose-colored vestments and the rose candle on the Advent wreath are medieval developments emphasizing this day’s distinctive joyful nature.
Conclusion:
Gaudete Sunday has likely been celebrated since at least the 9th century, making it a longstanding tradition in the Roman Catholic liturgical year. Its roots, however, may go back even earlier, tied to the development of Advent as a penitential season in the Western Church.
I love the phrase earnest Googling. Alas, I have earnestly Googled on numerous occasions and caught nothing.
Yep. You often need to know the vocabulary before you can google to find the proper vocabulary.
This is where generative AI can be useful. Clarify to yourself what you want to learn, articulate it clearly and succinctly, and type it in. If the response is off target, point that out in a follow-up query. Programs like ChatGPT and Perplexity are conversational.
It was mostly a joke—it's a rare experience. I use Bing copilot and find it very helpful in many situations. Copilot is easy to access—the button is right there on my web browser.
I was born on December 17 and thus born waiting. December 17 is the day that the great O Antiphons begin in the advent liturgy—crying out in deep pain for the coming of the Lord. It's kind of a spiritual labor, crying out for the birth of Jesus.
Thanks.
https://catholiceducation.org/en/culture/what-are-the.html
Apologies if I've missed (or forgotten!) this in the Pillar's previous reporting, but I wonder how US sentencing for Church-related financial crimes compares to sentencing for all similar US financial crimes. And, once we have data, can we pick out why the Church is similar/different/etc to the whole? I'll have to do some earnest googling...
Very good review. The film was good, definitely not great. It did get much right visually as you say "it is wonderfully shot in places, and the voting scenes inside the Sistine Chapel are excellent (and reasonably canonically correct) eye candy." The characters, and their positions on certain issues, are cookie cutter as you say as well. Ralph Fiennes is amazing in his role. Just such an incredible actor. This is a process movie, it's not about spirituality, so to each his own I guess, but I can understand why for many the film will be a failure.
"I would argue that an unwillingness to impose, or real discomfort with calling for, just punishment in response to crime isn’t, as I suspect many like to think, evidence of a merciful disposition but rather a badly coarsened conscience." I often wonder if this is the same ideology that caused the imprecatory psalms to be cut out of the Liturgy of the Hours and passages that speak of Hell or God's anger to largely be left out of Mass readings. Someone uncomfortable with punishing earthly crimes certainly won't want to be reminded of the possibility of divine punishment.
If only there were a couple of very talented writers, well versed in Catholicism in general and Vatican hoo-hah in particular, who could write some sort of screen play...
The problem is that the film would almost certainly be a financial failure. Anti-Catholic movies sell well, unfortunately, but movies that present Catholicism accurately do not, with the exception of a few like The Passion of the Christ.
Movies/films/plays are entertainment, brain candy. I've long been puzzled why they are taken so seriously and consumed so eagerly by so many. But of course they are only one symptom of this fantasy-rich, entertainment-besotted culture. In Neil Postman's phrase, we are amusing ourselves to death.
That’s a very good book! Everyone talks about Orwell’s 1984, but the much more spot-on dystopia is Huxley’s Brave New World. The United States eerily resembles the world described in that novel.
Cabrini did well. It just wasn't done by Hollywood, where they generally only make anti-Catholic movies - and anti-Christian movies.
Ahhhh ..... two buttons pushed (or three if you count mentioning the continuing trashing of our Faith by Hollywood). Pelosi is a very vicious human being. Abp Cordileone should act as if he in fact does have the heart of a lion and publicly acknowledge her self chosen excommunication, and let her appeal that to Rome. The priest who regularly allows her to receive Our Lord is, of course, a coward.
And while I deeply love Our Lady of _________ (fill in the blank with any of her approved appearances), it is well to remember that as Her Immaculate Conception she is the Patroness of the United States. That Feast day is a Holy Day of obligation in our country, and it is routinely spurned, not merely ignored, by the immigrants from Mexico in our diocese - which is in the archdiocese shepherded by Abp Cordileone. Reflection on the Immaculate Conception of Our Lady, and the sexual purity it connotes, is very much needed in our country today. Yet we hear very little about it. On the other hand, Her appearance in Mexico is lauded here constantly, and many immigrants from Mexico sport her image on their T-shirts - while saying and doing damnable things. When asked where the Virgin of Guadalupe was born, some of them answer "Mexico". The focus is not on the fact that as the Virgin of Guadalupe she is the Patroness of the whole hemisphere - from Patagonia to the Arctic - and NOT just Mexicans. And there are many Mexicans who claim - falsely - that the apparition was of an Aztec demon.
I hope that the Archbishop's focus on Guadalupe will address and correct the abuses, remind his flock that there is only one Virgin Mary (who is the same in all of her appearances!), and foster healthy devotion to Our Lady in service to Her Son.
Regarding "the movie", it is well to remember that anti-Catholicism is the ONLY socially acceptable, politically correct and economically rewarding bigotry in the U.S. The good news in this fact is that, as Chesterton pointed out, it makes a lot of people curious about the Faith. And that has led to conversions - even GKC's! I've been graced with bearing the brunt of this bigotry professionally. "Graced" because it not only deepened my own Faith, but others who witnessed it, and my response, began to see two things for what they are: the bigotry and the Faith.
Thanks for the reminder, brother. I needed that today.
Trenchant comment on “The Young Pope.” While it had the same defects, I found “The New Pope” more satisfying, and Cardinal Voiello’s homily in the penultimate episode the best ten minutes of television I’ve seen since Tony Soprano was or wasn’t shot.
was definitely shot.
Deader than Elvis.
So, in other words, alive and well? You know, like Tupac.
“E’s expired and gone to meet 'is maker! 'E's a stiff! Bereft of life, 'e rests in peace! 'Is metabolic processes are now 'istory! 'E's off the twig! 'E's kicked the bucket, 'e's shuffled off 'is mortal coil, run down the curtain and joined the bleedin' choir invisible!!”