AUTHOR: Earl TITLE: Onward and, Hopefully, Upward DATE: 3/10/2004 05:01:00 PM ----- BODY: This is likely to be my last post on this site. No, I am not following the good example of so many former St. Blog brothers and closing this blog. I am, after all, a writer at heart, and what is a writer without an audience--unless, of course, your taste runs to diaries.

Times Against Humanity is moving to a new home at cyberCatholics, and I hope you will join us there, if only to see our new banner, courtesy of the artful hand and kind heart of cyberCatholic's genial host, Joshua LeBlanc. Why, you can even bring your blog along, just ask Josh.

I'll be leaving our archives here, at least until I can import them, but I wouldn't want to make my departure without thanking Blogger for giving me my first blog home. It will always have a special spot in my memories. Nor will I be absent from the joys--and trials--of Blogger, as CURE's blog, Life Matters!, continues to bear a "blogspot" address.

Finally, a word of appreciation to our readers. We end this page as we began it: you are what this is all about --after God, of course. I invite you to turn the next page with us as the adventure continues. Please pray for our apostolate and, as always, please let me know how we may serve you and our common faith more faithfully!

Your brother in Jesus and Mary,

Earl -------- AUTHOR: Earl TITLE: Fidelis: A Faithful Star in a Faithless World DATE: 3/09/2004 11:57:00 PM ----- BODY: As the sky darkens, the stars shine even more brilliantly. That is why Times Against Humanity welcomes the appearance on the St. Blog horizon of cyberCatholics' brand new team blog, Fidelis, a ray of Catholic truth shining resplendently in the night of moral darkness descending on America.

As its masthead declares, Fidelis is designed "for Catholics, by Catholics." Thus its message is truly catholic, i.e., universal, for every man is created by God with an unquenchable thirst for the truth. We invite our readers to slake that thirst by adding Fidelis to their bookmarks--or links--and visiting it often.

Editor's Notes: As previously noted, Fidelis is a team blog, I am pleased to report that I have accepted Joshua LeBlanc's gracious invitation to join the team in this exciting endeavor as one of Fidelis' five resident pundits. My inaugural post follows:

From the pages of Fidelis . . .

St. Fidelis: Faithful Witness and Worthy Model

Josh LeBlanc has chosen a noble name to symbolize our endeavor and a high standard for its contributors: Fidelis, i.e., faithful to truth and thus to the one true Holy, Catholic, and Apostolic Church founded by Our Lord Jesus Christ. But if Fidelis represents a challenge to be met, we have a patron well armed to intercede on our behalf, St. Fidelis of Sigmaringen.

Born in 1577, at Sigmaringen, Prussia, where his father, Johannes Rey, was burgomaster, the future St. Fidelis pursued his studies at the University of Freiburg. In 1604, he became tutor to Wilhelm von Stotzingen, with whom he travelled in France and Italy. In the process that led to his tutor's canonization, von Stotzingen bore witness to the severe mortifications that he practised on these journeys.

In 1611, he returned to Freiburg to take the doctorate in canon and civil law and began to practise as an advocate. The open corruption he witnessed in the law courts, however, led him to relinquish the law and enter the Church. He was ordained priest the following year, and immediately afterwards was received into the Order of Friars Minor of the Capuchin Reform at Freiburg, taking the name Fidelis.

During his noviate, he wrote a devout personal book of spiritual exercises, published centuries after his death under the title S. Fidelis a Sigmaringen exercitia seraphicae devotionis. From the novitiate, he was sent to Constance to finish his studies in theology under Fr. John Baptist, a Polish friar renown for his holiness and learning. At the conclusion of his theological studies, Fr. Fidelis was appointed guardian first of the community at Rheinfelden and later at Freiburg and Feldkirch.

As a preacher, Fr. Fidelis was known for his burning zeal for souls. Untiring in his efforts to convert heretics from the pulpit and by his pen, he wrote many pamphlets exposing the errors of Calvinism and Zwinglianism. In 1621, Fr. Fidelis was appointed to undertake a mission among the Grisons to free lost souls from Calvinist heresy and restore them to the sound doctrine of the Catholic faith that they had so recklessly abandoned.

Fr. Fidelis embarked on his mission with an apostolic spirit. From the day he had entered the order, he had prayed that God might grant him two favors: one, that he might never fall into mortal sin; the other, that he might die for the faith. In this spirit, he set out, ready to give his life in preaching the faith. He took with him his crucifix, Bible, breviary, and the Capuchin rule, trusting in Divine Providence to provide for his daily needs.

Fr. Fidelis arrived in Mayenfeld in time for Advent and began at once to preach and catechize; often speaking in several places during the same day. His witness aroused rabid opposition, and he was frequently insulted and threatened with bodily harm. He not only preached in Catholic churches and public streets, but even in the conventicles (meeting places) of the heretics. At Zizers, he held conferences with the magistrates and chief townsmen, often far into the night. This resulted in the conversion of Rudolph de Salis, the town's most influential citizen, whose public recantation was followed by many conversions.

Throughout the winter, Fr. Fidelis laboured indefatigably and with such success that the heretical preachers grew alarmed and stirred up the people against him by mischaracterizing his mission as political rather than religious. During the Lent of 1622, he preached with special fervor. At Easter, he returned to Feldkirch to attend a chapter of the order and settle some affairs of his community. During a farewell sermon, he intimated that his labors would soon end with a martyr's death.

On his return to the Grisons, Fr. Fidelis was met on all sides with the cry: "Death to the Capuchins!" On April 24, at Grusch, he made his confession, celebrated Mass, and preached before setting out for Sevis. His companions observed that he was especially cheerful. On his arrival at the church, he had scarcely begun to preach when he was interrupted by a sudden tumult--from within and without. Several soldiers guarding the doors of the church were killed, and Fr. Fidelis was struck. Offered refuge, he thanked his would-be protector, but replied that his life was in the hands of God. 0utside the church, he was surrounded by a mob led by Protestant preachers who offered to save his life if he would apostatize. The heroic priest replied, "I came to extirpate heresy, not to embrace it" and was immediately struck down.

Beatified in 1729, and canonized in 1745. St. Fidelis is often represented in art with a crucifix and with a wound in the head. His emblem is a bludgeon. His feast is April 24. [adapted from Catholic Encylopedia, 1914] St. Fidelis, keep us faithful to Christ and to His Holy Catholic Church now and forever. Amen. -------- AUTHOR: Earl TITLE: Bully for the "Bully" Bishop! DATE: 3/06/2004 07:32:00 AM ----- BODY: Writing in the Bulletin, Jennifer Byrne describes--but cannot comprehend--the Archbishop of Sydney, Cardinal George Pell. "Wishy-washy is not the way most people would describe His Eminence," she begins, immediately distinguishing him from the typical American bishop."

The rest of her introductory paragraph also redounds to the credit of this "recent recipient of the red cardinal's hat which marks him as a prince of the Church and member of the Pope's inner sanctum. Conservative, yes, and hardline. A lightning rod for controversy. Unyielding on theology and unforgiving on morality, a reputation he cemented when Archbishop of Melbourne by repeatedly refusing communion to homo­sexual activists."

"Certainty is Pell's strong suit," Byrne continues. "He carries Truth like a banner behind which all may gather, even wrongdoers (if sincerely repentant) provided they accept it is an absolute truth."

What other kind is there, Jenny, that is worth living and dying for? Thus the world continues to echo Pilate's cynical query of despair: "Quid est veritas?"

One thing is certainly true. The reason the world hates Cardinal Pell is not because of his failings but because of his fidelity to truth. For this, we say, "Bully for the 'bully bishop from central casting.'" Better to be cast as a "bully" by modernists and other liars than to be cast into the unquenchable fires of hell by the One Who is Truth. -------- AUTHOR: Earl TITLE: Point Blank DATE: 3/02/2004 09:21:00 AM ----- BODY: They say that a word to the wise is sufficient. Not being wise, I need several. Here's a half dozen that make sense to me:

Still Waiting

I await the day a single American bishop stands up and says "Mea culpa." I await the day his brother bishops stand up and say, "Seek forgiveness, brother, from God and His people, for the sins you have committed." I think I’ll be waiting a long time. --Dom Bettinelli

God Told Me?

Andy Rooney is a thug. God didn't tell me that; I figured it out all by myself with the brain that God gave me. --The Mighty Barrister

Toss This One Around

The Weather Channel has a build your own tornado game on their Web site. It will provide you a two minute diversion in its current form. An upgrade that would make me play longer: The ability to put Andy Rooney in the path of an F5 tornado. --John Schultz

Love Conquers All

It made us pray. It made us feel ashamed of our sins. It made us embrace each other. It made us weep. It took our breath away at times--both because of the depth of human cruelty and the awe of divine love. --Mark Shea

Back to the Bible

While liberals privately marvel at the lack of theological sophistication and "backwardness" of minority Christians, I will marvel at the biblical "sense of the faithful" shown by minority Christians who will dominate the "Next Christendom." --Oswald Sobrino

The Last Word

So be not afraid, for the devil has no power compared to God and the Holy Spirit is within you. Fight temptation and worry only about pleasing God. --Jay -------- AUTHOR: Earl TITLE: On Viewing The Passion of The Christ DATE: 3/02/2004 12:32:00 AM ----- BODY: Sunday afternoon, my wife, Sonia Maria, our 15-year-old daughter, Maria Gabriella, and I joined some three dozen friends of our former pastor, Fr. Patrick Gillooly, as his grateful guests for a local screening of The Passion of The Christ.

For some time after the credits had rolled off the screen, I hesitated to talk--much less blog--about what I pray will prove a life-changing experience, sensing it might somehow be diminished in the telling. Here, at last, was a time where the trite excuse "words fail me" was in order.

The first substantive words that we spoke as a family, uttered in the privacy of our car, were those of a prayer. You might call it a sinner's prayer since it begins, "O my God, I am heartily sorry for having offended Thee."

It is said that the Holy Father said of Mel Gibson's labor of love, "It is as it was." Turning to my wife and soul mate, I could only whisper, "I could never begin to imagine how it was."

Of course, such total, selfless, sacrificial, and unconditional love still remains a mystery to my fallen nature, but, thanks to The Passion, I understand it better than in the past 57 years of my life. I can only acknowledge my guilt like the good thief and beg with him, "Lord, remember me when Thou shalt come into Thy kingdom." --------