Chaldean Patriarch Sako:" America is behind Isis..."

The Patriarch of the Chaldeans, Sako has made a series of powerful statements to the press regarding the advance of the scourge of the ISIS Islamist sect, and their campaign of extermination. The Patriarch accuses the United States government of being implicated in the growth of this evil organization. Certainly, its unabated growth in Syria, with US help, against the "wicked" Assad has effectively spelled doom for the indigenous Christian populations of Iraq; and, if "moderate" forces succeed in Syria, we will no doubt be hearing more about mass exterminations in that country. US policy in Libya, given its extraordinary "success", is being replicated in Iraq, and will be put to use in Syria (and Lebanon). 

Manhattanization of Toronto

Construction cranes will continue to dot Toronto’s skyline, with city council approving 755 storeys in new development this week, including three new office towers – a trend that underlines the increasing density in the downtown core and the need to plan transit and infrastructure to support it, says the city’s chief planner.

Toronto city council is meeting for the last time before the fall election – a fact that had developers rushing to get approvals before the months-long break. The result is that this week’s marathon meeting has given the green light to 6,887 new units and 377,900 square metres of non-residential development, according to figures from Toronto’s planning department.

 “We’re experiencing the Manhattanization of the downtown core,” Mr. Mihevc said after the vote. “This is going to be a very different city in 20 years when these developments all get built out.”             The Globe and Mail, August 27,2014

I have lived in Manhattan. Let me tell you what that was like. Manhattan is an island of contrasts with the extreme wealth of Park Avenue and fashionable neighborhoods sitting alongside Harlem and East Harlem. The hip neighborhood of Greenwich Village is just a few blocks from the Lower East Side.  It is an island of the rich and poor. If you ever go to Manhattan one of the sights you must see is The Cloisters in Fort Tryon Park but don't take the A train... take the bus. It will take you on a tour of Manhattan's best and worst neighborhoods. You can see the contrasts for yourself.

This Mahattanization of Toronto which seems to excite our city councilors is going to mean an exodus of the middle class to the suburbs. The poor will not leave because they have nowhere to go and no means to get there. The polarization between the extremes of wealth and poverty will continue leading to increased intolerance and conflict. One of my neighbors was recently told when going to a local restaurant for lunch "We don't serve charity cases."  The local coffee and donut shop which used to cater to the area's seniors and parishioners returning from mass has been sold to make room for a condo. It has been replaced by a rather small and expensive Starbucks. Grocery stores have long since given way to boutique foods and health stores. If this is the first fruits of Manhattanization I want no part of it.

The Pornography of Sentiment

Catchy title, eh? I only wish I had thought of it but it comes from a blog called Waiting For Godot to Leave written by Kevin O'Brian. You might remember him from some EWTN show or other. Two things bring this idea of the pornography of sentiment to mind. The first is me pushing an ancient Volkswagen back into a garage after it had conked out after only a block. The owner of said vehicle was looking at me with great concern and sympathy while i pushed the dead bug back to the garage. Her concern did not extend to opening the garage door, however. I had to stop pushing and do that myself. You see the utter disconnect between feeling and action?

The other thing I have been reading about is this ice bucket challenge and the various protests against it by animal rights activists. Apparently the fact that ALS research might harm Pamela Anderson's little furry friends is of more significance that the fact that this is funding embryonic stem cell research. Furry critters trump dead babies any day. I once called this the "cute and furry syndrome" but I like the "pornography of sentiment" much better. Thanks.

The Pornography of Sentiment by Kevin O'Brian

Pope Francis and Just War Doctrine

I had a conversation with Barona this morning and we discussed among other things the just war theory. We talked about the situation in the middle east and the application of the just war theory at the beginning of the Iraq conflict and in face of the refugee crisis we are seeing now. We also discussed the misinterpretations of the various media of papal pronouncements in this area. He made a point that it was in fact a theory. As is my custom in such cases, I went to the catechism to research this. This is what I found.

2309 The strict conditions for legitimate defense by military force require rigorous consideration. The gravity of such a decision makes it subject to rigorous conditions of moral legitimacy. At one and the same time:

- the damage inflicted by the aggressor on the nation or community of nations must be lasting, grave, and certain;

- all other means of putting an end to it must have been shown to be impractical or ineffective;

- there must be serious prospects of success;

- the use of arms must not produce evils and disorders graver than the evil to be eliminated. The power of modem means of destruction weighs very heavily in evaluating this condition.

These are the traditional elements enumerated in what is called the "just war" doctrine. The evaluation of these conditions for moral legitimacy belongs to the prudential judgment of those who have responsibility for the common good.

The weakness of this doctrine over the centuries has always been this last sentence. The judgement of those who would plunge us into a war is suspect at the best of times. Who would trust the judgement of  George Bush over that of Pope St. John Paul II when he told us unequivocally that the Iraq war was unjust? This was unheard of, that a reigning pontiff would pronounce upon the justness of a war before the first shot was fired. It also points to a serious attempt on the part of recent popes to rectify this enormous defect in the just war doctrine by pointing out precisely where the prudential judgement of those who would start a war is lacking.

This is the sense in which Pope Francis' recent remarks on the refugee crisis in Iraq ought to be understood. He is not making some grand change in Catholic doctrine as some pundits would have it. Nothing has changed in the doctrine as stated in the catechism. However, Pope Francis is taking seriously his responsibility to point out those situations where the judgement of those who would engage in war is made suspect by vested interests, ideology and moral blindness.

2246 It is a part of the Church's mission "to pass moral judgments even in matters related to politics, whenever the fundamental rights of man or the salvation of souls requires it. The means, the only means, she may use are those which are in accord with the Gospel and the welfare of all men according to the diversity of times and circumstances."

So it would seem that the just war doctrine is to be believed by the faithful as is the right and duty of the pope to pass moral judgement over the kings of men in the application of that doctrine.

St. Hyacintus (Jacek) Odrowaz

St. Hyacintus

Saint Hyacinth, whom ecclesiastical writers are rightly wont to call the apostle of the north and one of the wonder-workers of his century, was of the house of the Odrowaz, counts of Konski, an old and noble Polish family. Some of his ancestors enjoyed palatine rights. To his line also belonged a number of military officers whose bravery and patriotism more than once proved their country's bulwark against invasions by barbarian hordes. 

His great-grandfather, Saul Odrowaz, defeated the enemy in several bloody engagements. The saint's grandfather, Saul Odrowaz, who gained an enviable reputation for courage by his martial exploits in the twelfth century, had two sons. Ivo, the younger, studied for the ministry, filled the office of chancellor for the king of Poland, became bishop of Cracow, and died with a great reputation for sanctity. Eustachius, the elder, married a lady whose piety ranked with her birth. God seems to have blessed their union with a fine family. Hyacinth, of whom we now write, was the eldest. According to the more common opinion he first saw the light of day in 1185. His birthplace was the Castle of Lanka, Kamin, in Silesian Poland, now a part of Prussia. The next sketch will be of a younger brother, or at least a near relative, Blessed Ceslas.

Almost from the cradle, nature seemed to have disposed Hyacinth to virtue. His parents not only studiously fostered this happy disposition, but also used great care to procure for their son teachers who would protect his innocence. In this way, he was so well grounded in his religious duties that he passed through his higher studies at Cracow, Prague, and Bologna, without tarnish to his pure soul. Doubtless his model life had not a little to do in helping him to win the admiration of both his professors and fellow-students. God also blessed him with, a splendid mind. Thus, through diligent study, at Bologna he obtained the degree of doctor in canon law and theology...

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Feast of the Assumption of Our Lady: Latin Mass for Toronto in the Extraordinary Form of the Roman Rite

A Missa Cantata will be celebrated in Richmond Hill, this coming Friday, August 15th, for the Feast of the Assumption of the Blessed Virgin Mary. The Mass is being organized by Una Voce Toronto - The Traditional Toronto Mass Society. Further information may be obtained here. 

Christians in Iraq are the "new Jews"

The genocidal horror that we are witnessing being committed against the last remnants of the Christian communities in Iraq reflects the horror of the SS death squads on the eastern front.... once again, the world is sitting by....

URGENT: Archdiocese of Toronto endorses a public protest against the persecution of Iraqi Christians

Today, this very afternoon - please be present in person - if possible - if not, please unite in prayer. 

Add caption

His Eminence, Thomas Cardinal Collins has taken a strong, public stance against this murderous persecution. The above poster is reproduced from the Twitter feed of the Archdiocese. No copyright is identified; I reproduce it here in the same spirit of the Archdiocese. It is wonderful to see the inclusion of the now tragic letter "Nun"; the Cardinal joining with those who have taken this now tragic letter as a badge of honour: I am a Christian...."

Pope Francis: "Iraq leave us in dismay and disbelief..."

Pope Francis: Angelus Address, Sunday August 10, 2014

"The news reports coming from Iraq leave us in dismay and disbelief: 

thousands of people, including many Christians, driven from their homes in a brutal manner; children dying of thirst and hunger in their flight; 

women taken and carried off; violence every kind; destruction of historical, cultural and religious patrimonies. 

All this gravely offends God and humanity. Hatred is not to be carried in the name of God! War is not to be waged in the name of God!" 

Pope Francis is praying for Iraqi Christians

His Holiness, Pope Francis on July 20th, during an Angelus Address spoke out on the persecution of Christians in Iraq. Listen to his heart-rending call for prayer. 

Saddam Hussein: Protector of Iraqi Christians

Saddam Hussein defending himself at his show trial

The late President Saddam Hussein, hurriedly executed during the night, was a protector of minorities in Iraq. He was a tyrant, but for Christians he was a benevolent tyrant. Christianity in what is present day Iraq, goes back to the first century. Ethnically Assyrian, a  Christian who steered clear of Ba'athist politics, merely wishing to go to church with his wife and children, return home safely from work each day, could do so. His wife could be in public without Islamist dress and be unmolested. His children playing on the street, or returning home from school did not fear abduction.  His home would not be spray painted with the gruesome nazi-like "nun" letter, identifying him as a Christian to be exterminated. Yes, Saddam Hussein was good for Iraqi Christians. 

And, he was also good for Muslims. He firmly kept a lid on any Islamist movements that - as we now well know - take great delight in exterminating those who do not share their brand of Islam, or hold the Christian Faith. 

Bush and Blair having a laugh

Having said that, it is becoming very plainly clear that George W. Bush and Tony Bair were very bad for Iraq; very, very bad for the Christian communities. And, indeed, very bad for the Muslim communities. In directing, permitting, being manipulated by evil men into a war that both Pope John Paul and Pope Benedict both opposed - launching it on the eve of the Feast if St. Joseph -  these two opened the door to the worst elements of ISIS Islamist brutality that have been responsible for the deaths of over 300,000 Iraqis (the vast majority moderate Muslims). It may well be that these two "Christians" achieve what Islamist fanatics over the centuries could not: the total elimination of Christianity from Iraq, and eventually the Middle East. Was it all planned by some secret hand? One wonders who actually sits in the State Department and White Hall... for, at the same time, it must be conceded that Presidents and Prime Ministers are invariably puppets. I ask: who are the puppet masters? 

After 12 years of "war", we see the poor country of Iraq still engulfed in a bloodbath. We now have the specter of ISIS being active, not only in Iraq, but in Syria and Lebanon. 

There can be no doubt: Christians in Iraq would not be being massacred today if President Hussein were still in power. 

Recommended Reading: Christians for Saddam? 

Immodesty and the need for purity

There are many arguments why the closing Glasgow Games contained grossly immodest performances. My dear friend, Susan Fox provides a serious reflection on immodesty. It is tragic to see so many people who claim to be Christian, yet support such gross immodesty. Again, i ask: would our Lady dress immodestly, would Our Lord attend such vulgar performances? 

ISIS beheads Christian children; world sits by silent

The Christian community is being slaughtered and genocidally purged from the Middle East. ISIS has increased its persecution, even to the beheading of children. How is it possible that the world sits by in silence? We hear of Gaza... but where is the Arab outrage over this extermination? Where is the Muslim outrage? 

Here is the reality, the proof of what ISIS is doing, reminiscent of the Katyn Forest Massacre by the NKVD, or SS exterminations conducted in the eastern campaign. It should be noted that we cannot, by the video determine that all are Christian. There probably are Muslims amongst these groups as well; certainly, more Muslims are victims of ISIS than Christians. The uniqueness of the Christian slaughter is the campaign for total extermination of the Christian communities. 
  All of this is happening 100 years after the Great War started. Britain entered that war, having guaranteed Belgium's neutrality. Within weeks, German troops were "executing" hundreds, if not thousands of Belgians and French. Sir Arthur Currie's speech to the House warned that not doing anything would stain Britain's honour. What of British honour now? Where are the marvelous NATO forces? History will judge the "western" powers as evil co-collaborators with these filthy, dirty, evil men, who follow with the false prophet from the desert (of whom the great Jewish convert Abbe Lemann identified as a  precursor of the Antichrist). 

Where is Mr. Obama?

Where is Mr. Putin?

Where is Mr. Cameron?

Where is M. Hollande? 

Where is Frau Merkel? 

Well, where are they? 

Video link for mass killing of 1500 Christians. WARNING GRAPHIC CONTENT

Here is a public letter and call for prayer from the Bishops Conference from England and Wales, seemingly a voice in the wilderness. Alas. 

Please see below the statement issued by Bishop Declan Lang of Clifton and Bristol: 

Iraq Prayer Appeal

“As the Chairman of International Affairs at the Catholic Bishops’ Conference of England and Wales, I invite you to join with many people from across Iraq in praying for an end to the violent persecution that threatens to extinguish the ancient Iraqi Christian community.

 Church leaders in Iraq have selected Wednesday 6 August – the Feast of the Transfiguration – to be observed as a universal day of prayer. It is one of the major feasts in the Chaldean Catholic Church calendar.

In addition to this global day of prayer, we would also encourage you to pray for Iraq's Christians on Sunday 10 August.

Events in Iraq over the past few weeks have been disastrous. Christians have been systematically driven out of Mosul. A community of 60,000 before 2003 has dwindled over the years and is now down to almost nothing. For the first time in 1,600 years, no Masses are being celebrated in Mosul. Many Christians have fled to the surrounding Nineveh Plains and into Kurdistan as militants from the Islamic State, formerly the Islamic State of the Levant (ISIS), threaten those who do not subscribe to their fundamentalist ideology.

 We are witnessing today an act of religious and ethnic cleansing toward Christians as well as many other communities such as Sufis, Shabaks, Mandaeans, Yazidis, Turkmen, let alone Shi’is and Sunnis, as extremists drive people out of the lands that have been their home for thousands of years; some churches have been converted into mosques, ancient monasteries lie abandoned and the homes of Christians have been daubed with signs that would mark them out as a target for the extremists.

I call on our government and those of other states to prioritise action to save the Christian and other persecuted communities of Iraq and to offer them the help and support they need urgently.

I invite you to support Aid to the Church in Need as well as all other Catholic charities offering emergency and pastoral support to Iraqis at a time of great crisis.

Most important of all, I appeal for your prayers so that God may show the people of Iraq his infinite mercy - comfort the mourners, bind up their wounds and heal the broken-hearted in those biblical lands that have been a cradle of civilisation.”

Rt Rev Declan Lang

Bishop of Clifton

Chair, International Affairs Department, Catholic Bishops’ Conference of England and Wales

WAGNER BIRTHDAY GALA

A Gala held in Dresden, celebrating the great man's birth. 

Georges Pretre conducts Lumbaye's "Champagner Galopp"

The great Vienna Philharmonic conducted by a man in his mid 80s. 

August 4th, 2014 - the British Empire declares war on the German Empire to hang the Kaiser "under the Linden tree"

On this day, following the German Empire's invasion of Belgium, the British Empire declared war.  Pope Benedict XV, the Pope of Peace was consistently ignored and shouted down by the various imperialists who were literally, hell bent on war. 

David Lloyd George, the British PM, even campaigned on the slogan "hang the Kaiser". To further distinguish himself, along with his French masonic colleague, Georges Clemenceau, he worked might and main to try to block the resurrection of Catholic Poland after the Great War, as well as ensure that Catholic Bavaria was not joined with Austria, but would remain under Prussian hegemony. The British and French got their Anchluss and more besides. Lloyd George ended his "illustrious" career lauding the new German Chancellor, Der Fuhrer. The rest is history....  

Whorish performance brings debauched Glasgow Commonwealth 2014 Games to close

“There is no dignity when the human dimension is eliminated from the person. In short, the problem with pornography is not that it shows too much of the person, but that it shows far too little.”

St. Pope John Paul II

There are Catholics who excuse this type of "performance". Would Our Lady excuse it, dress like this? This is nothing but sluttery that would make a prostitute blush not a mere few years ago. Yet, this is "acceptable" and excused. Our society is being pornogrified. No doubt, I will be dismissed as a fanatic. If you believe this is not sinful, gravely so, then that is your problem, and you will answer for it on Judgment Day. 

There was a time when the Gospels permeated the Scottish nation; no more. Even remove the indecency and what are you left with? Primitive, sterile mimed noises. This is not music, this is barbarism.  

There was a time when Catholics stood up for Mary-like standards: no exceptions, no excuses. We were warned about the world, the flesh and the devil. Well, here it is in all its grotesqueness. 

"Men occasionally stumble over the truth, but most of them pick themselves up and hurry off as if nothing ever happened.” Churchill

UPDATE: No intention was to "troll". The intention to present a few photos was to underscore the vulgarity. As to taking it seriously; please see my other posts on the various Popes call for action on sexual morality. The claim that it is not being pushed is hollow. This was and remains the argument of the pornography industry. It does not work. One does not ignore disease. 

However, Freyr does have a point that such vulgarity does not belong on this blog; the point has been made, and the point taken. Hitting "off" buttons, changing channels is not the solution. We could apply that to the killing of Sammy Yatim. Indeed, Lifesitenews was criticized for doing just that. The correct response to evil is to expose and oppose...