"Children, be on your guard against idols."

We know that we belong to God,
and the whole world is under the power of the Evil One. - 1 Jn 5

This past week, Josiah Colt was one of the insurrectionists who stormed the Capitol and broke into Congress. He has since apologized profusely, begging forgiveness for violating the 'sacred ground':

"While in the Chamber I told the other protesters that this is a sacred place and not to do any damage. Some of them wanted to trash the place and steal stuff but I told them not to and to leave everything in its place. We're still on sacred ground." - source

I was a bit cynical about his apology, perhaps he's hoping for a pardon from Trump?  More likely, he understands that he can be charged and prosecuted, or at best, find himself unemployed for a long time, after potential employers see his social media activity and current media exposure.  

Just yesterday, a friend who has a couple of websites and her own news aggregator site, posted a bit of fake news about the discovery of discarded ballots in Georgia.  There is a fair amount of documentation refuting that story.  I didn't comment but left a link to an AP article contradicting the story.  I'm not getting into linking all of these threads, I just want to note that my friend said she doesn't believe anything from the AP.  Trump campaigned on fake news - repeating claims that MSM was totally and completely fake news, implying that he and a few rightwing news outlets was the only source for truth, Trump picked up on every conspiracy theory and used them to promote his lies and half truths.  The result was a huge success with his followers and supporters.

“People were willing to die for this man and he just threw them all under the bus. That’s the only thing that’s shameful about the events of the past 36 hours,” Nick Fuentes.

Until, faced with the blow back after the assault on the Capitol, wherein 5 people lost their lives - for him (yet as of this writing, I haven't heard or read if he even extended sympathy for the deceased and their families) Trump turned on his supporters.  The last I heard, his last ditch effort to save his 'legacy' by denouncing those who attacked the Capitol, some of the MAGA people have turned on him. 

"After years of fidelity, Donald Trump's most ardent online fans have finally turned on him.
All it took was for the president to acknowledge the reality of his loss a little over a day after they, the MAGA faithful, stormed the Capitol in a violent attempt to stop the certification of President-elect Joe Biden’s win.".- Politico

Yet that won't deter his pro-life militia and Catholics for Trump, inspired by such luminaries as Archbishop Vigano, followed by Catholic sacerdotal-personalities Fr. Pavone, Z, Heilman, et al - along with the EWTN Night Gallery network of dark fantasies and pro-Trumpsters and anti-papists.

Children, be on your guard against idols.

Seemingly unrelated, yet returning to the title of this post, the final words of today's first reading at Mass made a deep impression upon me - a sort of wonderful reprimand after engaging with people online over the past few days, and watching news coverage almost non stop: "Children, be on your guard against idols." I've pondered it all morning, so now I would like to offer a couple of thoughts which compliment my own.

“Once capital becomes an idol that presides over a socioeconomic system, it enslaves us, sets us at odds with each other, excludes the poor, and endangers the planet we all share.”
- Pope Francis, Let Us Dream: The Path to a Better Future

"As Francis also says in Fratelli Tutti: “We need to learn how to unmask the various ways that the truth is manipulated, distorted and concealed in public and private discourse.”
Post-truth journalism is not just about narratives for financial profit; it can also be for political or ideological ends. Whole media organizations can degenerate into “an association of individuals united against a perceived common enemy,” as Francis puts in Fratelli Tutti referring to “digital campaigns of hatred and destruction.” - Austen Ivereigh

“Whoever takes refuge in fundamentalism is afraid of setting out on the road to truth. He already “has” the truth, and deploys it as a defense, so that any questioning of it is interpreted as an aggression against his person.”
- Pope Francis, Let Us Dream: The Path to a Better Future

Happy New Year as we return to Ordinary Time.

Hot topics: Fighting over the bodies of saints and parades for Irish gay people.

And they both involve Cardinal Dolan.

The decision is another sign of how quickly changing public attitudes 

toward gay people have pushed changes 

in state laws, government policies

 and the practices of private entities...

and the Catholic hierarchy.

Body, Body, Don't you doubt my body, body...

Archbishop Sheen's cause has been held up because there is a dispute over the body.  This is nothing new in the history of the Church and there is even a scriptural precedent for it.  There was a dispute over the body of Moses: "When Michael the archangel, disputing with the devil, contended about the body of Moses, he durst not bring against him the judgment of railing speech, but said: The Lord command thee." [Jude 1:9]  And yet not a few Catholics online durst rebuke Cardinal Dolan for withholding the body of Fulton Sheen from Peoria.

The Cardinal is doing nothing wrong in this case.  He is also showing great sensitivity to the family of the deceased, as well as abiding by the rules in the process.  As soon as I read the 'reactions' to the announcement of delay I knew there had to be more to the story.  Cardinal Dolan also wants to avoid dismemberment of the body for relics.  This happened in the case of Pier Giorgio Frassati as well - the body was not violated because it was uncorrupt during the recognitio.

In earlier times the bodies of the candidates for canonization were dismembered for relics - and their bodies were fought over.  St. Teresa of Avila is a perfect example, the body was fought over and subsequently dismembered.  It happened to other saints as well.  In fact the body of St. Francis had to be guarded and hidden lest it be stolen by factions within the order.

This stuff happens and it is simply a delay.  It's not a conspiracy.  Strange as it seems, in this case it appears Cardinal Dolan is actually willing to be faithful to the letter of the law.

UPDATE:  More on the transfer of relics here.

Did I ever mention I hate parades?

I think they are dumb.  Having come from shanty-Irish stock - nasty when they are drunk - I have never liked celebrating St. Patrick's Day.  My dislike for holidays and parades can be linked to what I experienced as phony celebration - an excuse to call in sick and get drunk and fight.  Therefore, the fact Cardinal Dolan is taking a place in the St. Pat's Day parade in NYC isn't really a big deal - for me.  However, the participation of the gay group from NBC and Dolan's imprimatur taints my perspective - even though it is just a stupid parade.

I think it would be better if Dolan dropped out - I'm not scandalized that he consented to be Grand Marshall gig - I just think it's stupid - however, I am disappointed that he endorses the participation of the gay marching unit.  Pope Francis didn't take part in the Corpus Christi procession in Rome because he didn't want to be the center of attention...  So I think it might be better for Cardinal Dolan to stop making himself the center of attention, and drop out of a much more vulgar procession.

As for the participation of a gay group?  To me it has become a more secular event - and as I said, I don't like parades or the boisterous celebrations of St. Patrick's day.  As a secular event, I really don't care.  However, in my opinion, it could have been-should have been, an excellent opportunity for the Archdiocese to bow out.  Nevertheless, on account of the fallout after these announcements, there is still time for Cardinal Dolan to drop out and for the Archdiocese to no longer support or participate in the parade.  Sadly, I doubt that will happen.

That said, it seems to me that Cardinal Dolan's participation and his attitude towards the gay marching unit participation, at the very least, dishonors the memory of his predecessor, Cardinal John O'Connor.

Cardinal O'Connor was very clear on the issue of gay participation in the parade.

In 1993, Cardinal John O'Connor opposed the campaign by the Irish Lesbian and Gay Organization for permission to march under their own banner. More than 200 gay rights protesters staged a countermarch that year and were arrested.

"Irish Catholics have been persecuted for the sole reason that they have refused to compromise church teaching," O'Connor said. "What others may call bigotry, Irish Catholics call principle." - abc

In 1993, then-Cardinal John O'Connor, facing gay protesters who staged a sit-in during the parade, vowed that he "could never even be perceived as compromising Catholic teaching" by entertaining their admission as an identifiable group in the event. "Neither respectability nor political correctness is worth one comma in the Apostles' Creed," O'Connor declared in his homily at a Mass for St. Patrick's Day that year. - NCR

I'm sorry to say it, but I think Cardinal Dolan has betrayed not only the patrimony of the Archdiocese of New York and traditional Irish Catholicism, he has betrayed faithful Roman Catholics - especially Roman Catholics who strive to live chaste and celibate lives in obedience to Catholic teaching.

So what's the big deal?

This is exactly what Cardinal Dolan's imprimatur means to the LGBTQ collective:

Catholics and LGBT advocates are welcoming both the parade committee’s decision and Dolan’s acceptance of it.

Lifting the ban on lesbian and gay organizations in the St. Patrick’s Day Parade (front page, Sept. 4) is one more step toward the full equality of lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender people in Catholic circles. Too often, Catholics are told that the church cannot change its practices and policies about lesbians and gay men. The parade committee’s decision shows that even long-held and deeply entrenched prejudices can be overcome.
This decision is a victory not only for lesbian and gay groups but for all Catholics, and indeed for all Americans. - FRANCIS DeBERNARDO

All I can say is that I have to agree with what one priest wrote:  Now the St. Patrick’s Parade is becoming of parade of disorder, chaos, and fake unity. Let’s be honest: St. Patrick’s Day nationally has become a disgraceful display of drunkenness and foolishness in the middle of Lent that more often embarrasses the memory of Patrick than honors it.

For the sake of His sorrowful passion, have mercy on us and on the whole world! - Source