December Intentions

VATICAN CITY, 30 NOV 2010 (VIS) - Benedict XVI's general prayer intention for December is: "That our personal experience of suffering may be an occasion for better understanding the situation of unease and pain which is the lot of many people who are alone, sick or aged, and stir us all to give them generous help".

His mission intention is: "That the peoples of the earth may open their doors to Christ and to His Gospel of peace, brotherhood and justice".

Korean War 2.0

Technically it's the same war. In 1953, an armistice was signed, ending hostilities. Over time, there were incidents, but the armistice held. A few years ago, North Korea (Norks) unilaterally pulled out of the armistice. Several months ago, a South Korean (ROK) ship was sunk, most likely by a Nork submarine. Today, if you haven't seen the news, the Norks fired about 200 artillery shells at an ROK island close to the maritime border and the ROK retaliated with 80 shells of its own. Two ROK marines died and others were wounded. The ROK has stated that any further provocation would be met with retaliation. Japan is on alert.

Let us pray for those who've died and for those still alive on the front lines. Let us ask that the leaders on both sides be given wisdom that they may avoid a deadly and costly confrontation.

The Condom Drama is in the past. Welcome to the real world.

The Pope's Position On Condoms

For a summary up until now of what this latest bit of media hype is all about, I recommend Damian Thompson here, here, and here. I don't agree with all of it, but the three posts together are good for catching up.

In his third post, Mr. Thompson quotes with his bolding the relevant paasages of the new book coming out, Light of the World: The Pope, the Church and the Signs of the Times, based on 20 hours of interviews conducted by German journalist Peter Seewald:

There may be a basis in the case of some individuals, as perhaps when a male prostitute uses a condom, where this can be a first step in the direction of a moralisation, a first assumption of responsibility, on the way toward recovering an awareness that not everything is allowed and that one cannot do whatever one wants …

And then:

[Question:] Are you saying, then, that the Catholic Church is actually not opposed in principle to the use of condoms?

[Answer by the Pope:] She of course does not regard it as a real or moral solution, but, in this or that case, there can be nonetheless, in the intention of reducing the risk of infection, a first step in a movement toward a different way, a more human way, of living sexuality.

Father Z is still jet-lagged from travel, but he has a post up on this. It doesn't say much, but I recommend reading through the comments for an 'on the ground' response to this, especially Prof. Basto here, here, and here. He has some excellent points and analysis in the three comments I have linked to here that deserve to be read for a better understanding of the context here.

Baghdad Massacre

Rorate Caeli has the full text by Father Raymond J. de Souza. Or if you prefer, Father Z is it as well with his own interspersed commentary.

It's a race against time and we're probably going to lose the Middle East before we reach the finish line.

Eventually though, Globalization is going to neuter the Muslim countries as it has the West with its tools of abortion and contraception to the point where their own populations will start falling. Iran with its huge population of young people born since the Revolution of 1979 who have collectively chosen to not procreate is the prime example of this demographic trend (check out the graph at the right).

The battlefield now truly is Europe where the question is if the European states (for example, Germany and Merkel's recent statement that multiculturalism has failed) will be able to rouse themselves soon enough to hold off the tide or if the Muslims will take control of a decayed secular Europe just in time for their own implosion.

Not So Classy

I was watching EWTN's rerun of the Pope consecrating Sagrada Família today (it happened live early this morning when I was assleep). Off to the side were seated a man and a woman whom I assumed were the king and queen of Spain (the lady had on white). The king didn't receive communion from the Pope, but the queen did.

1. A kneeler was right in front of her, but she chose to awkwardly bend her knees and bend forward since she was on this step up from the Pope.
2. Then she stuck out her hand.

Not the way to do it with Benedict XVI.