Monday, September 23, 2013

Thought-Provoking



A very thought-provoking article on Rorate.

I read it several times. It gave me the chills.

There are things that, even when one wants to, one cannot let go: it happened thus with Jonah and his duty of preaching in Nineveh; and it thus happens with me regarding my faith. But Saint Augustine taught us that, even though we must never refuse martyrdom, neither must we deliver ourselves to it senselessly.

I who am the most senseless man in the world spent many years delivering myself joyfully into martyrdom, in a battle with the world that left me in shreds, with my literary career thrown in the wastebasket and turned into the laughing stock of all my colleagues; and I made this daily exercise of immolation joyfully, because I considered that my obligation was not to please the world, but to fight it until my last breath.

Where there were nests yesteryear there are no birds this year, Don Quixote tells us, when he comes back to his senses. I am unaware if I was insane before; but today, reading a certain interview that kicked up a dust cloud, I felt that I played the fool during all these years.

And, following the example of the distinguished interviewee, I will dedicate myself from this day forward to pleasing and flattering the world, in order to avoid its condemnation.

My head is still reeling that the Pope thinks the murder of unborn children is a small-minded rule and he has instructed prelates to withhold the tenets of our religion to the faithful.

7 comments:

JB said...



He is so wrong in his thinking on so many things apparently. It's a tragedy for the Church. Those comments were incomprehensibly foolish and damaging. It is a lie that all the Church ever talks about, or has talked about for the last 40 years, is abortion, or contraception, or same sex marriage. A total like. He is fomenting confusion in a way that frightens me.

Dymphna said...

Mr. de Prada's essay incredibly moving and it made me worry for him. He sounds like he's had it.

breathnach said...

Contrast Mr. de Prada's heart wrenching essay with Elizabeth Scalia's offering at First Things:"Is There Room, for Sarah?", which concerns her online trans-gendered friend. (I'm reminded of Mike Barnicle and his tear jerking articles full of imaginary troubled characters, who were used to push an agenda). Apparently Sarah is/was a wounded transgender who loved the Rosary, and wanted to enter the RC Church. According to Scalia, only under the influence of Pope Francis could such a thing ever happen. The Anchoress is unmoored.

Anonymous said...

Why, is it her?

breathnach said...
This comment has been removed by the author.
breathnach said...

haven't a clue if it's her or not. Only "Sarah's" surgeon knows for sure.

Restore-DC-Catholicism said...

Why First Things saw fit to publish that drivel is beyond me. But at least I could read it without clicking into Patheos. Here is the comment I left at First Things. Who knows whether or not it will see the light of day? Here goes..
"May Sarah be admitted into this field hospital for sinners?" Of course. However the very nature of any hospital requires that the patient be willing to undergo medicinal remedies to be cured of his/her spiritual illness; else the stay in the hospital will be to no avail for them. That entails repentance. Did Our Lord meet people where they were? Yes! But let's ask the next question. "Did He allow them to remain where they were?" The answer is an emphatic "NO!" He always challenged them to repent of their sins and worldly attachments. Some refused to do so and were so vehement that they crucified Him.

I will call this person Sarah for no doubt he legally changed his name. Yes, the masculine pronouns are the correct ones for Sarah. Why Ms. Scalia uses feminine pronouns for Sarah is beyond comprehension. At the very least we should not acquiesce to Sarah's self-deception. Let us pray for Sarah and so many like him.