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Daniel,
I know you were not, but read down and you will see were the alarm starts to pick up and continue. Then you will see what is going on.
In IC XC,
Father Anthony+
Everyone baptized into Christ should pass progressively through all the stages of Christ's own life, for in baptism he receives the power so to progress, and through the commandments he can discover and learn how to accomplish such progression. - Saint Gregory of Sinai
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Dear Rilian,
As to Blessed Charles of Austria-Hungary, here are some pertinent facts:
a) the Emperor was opposed to the use of poison gas in warfare - that particular offense should be laid at the door of Kaiser Wilhelm of Germany.
b) at the conclusion of World War I, both the Austrians and the Hungarians wanted to retain the monarch; the Big Three (London, Paris and Washington) would not permit it.
c) yes, there were two street-scuffles when Blessed Charles, in response to the desires of his people, sought to return to the throne. How one evaluates those sad events depends on how one understands the monarch's responsibility.
d) the Austrian government of a year ago was a bit startled, though not seriously upset, at the beatification. The Holy See pointed out that there could be no question of restoring an Emperor who had been dead for 82 years! The Austrian government has attempted to repatriate the Emperor's relics for reburial in the Imperial vault of Saint Stephen's Cathedral in Vienna, but the people of Madeira, where the Emperor died in exile and where he is highly venerated, would not agree to allow the relics to leave their present resting-place. However, when the Empress Zita died 20 years ago, the Austrian government gave her a full Imperial funeral in Saint Stephen's, with all the trimmings.
e) the real source of the attempt to question the beatification of Blessed Charles is London, which played a very nasty double game in World War I. Emperor Charles sought to make peace on the terms proposed by Pope Benedict XIV - as Pope John Paul II pointed out, but London and Paris successfully blocked the peace-making effort.
The best published source in English on Blessed Charles to date is the book of James Bogle, A Heart for Europe, (published by Grace Wing) which I gladly recommend.
Incognitus
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Marvellous, incognitus. Thank you for this information. I was not aware of these facts re: Blessed Charles.
Many years,
Gordo
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This is from the Vatican website. CHARLES OF AUSTRIA (1887-1922)
Charles of Austria was born August 17, 1887, in the Castle of Persenbeug in the region of Lower Austria. His parents were the Archduke Otto and Princess Maria Josephine of Saxony, daughter of the last King of Saxony. Emperor Francis Joseph I was Charles' Great Uncle.
Charles was given an expressly Catholic education and the prayers of a group of persons accompanied him from childhood, since a stigmatic nun prophesied that he would undergo great suffering and attacks would be made against him. That is how the �League of prayer of the Emperor Charles for the peace of the peoples� originated after his death. In 1963 it became a prayer community ecclesiastically recognized.
A deep devotion to the Holy Eucharist and to the Sacred Heart of Jesus began to grow in Charles. He turned to prayer before making any important decisions.
On the 21st of October, 1911, he married Princess Zita of Bourbon and Parma. The couple was blessed with eight children during the ten years of their happy and exemplary married life. Charles still declared to Zita on his deathbed: �I'll love you forever.�
Charles became heir to the throne of the Austro‑Hungarian Empire on June 28, 1914, following the assassination of the Archduke Francis Ferdinand.
World War I was underway and with the death of the Emperor Francis Joseph, on November 21, 1916 Charles became Emperor of Austria. On December 30th he was crowned apostolic King of Hungary.
Charles envisaged this office also as a way to follow Christ: in the love and care of the peoples entrusted to him, and in dedicating his life to them.
He placed the most sacred duty of a king - a commitment to peace - at the center of his preoccupations during the course of the terrible war. He was the only one among political leaders to support Benedict XV's peace efforts.
As far as domestic politics are concerned, despite the extremely difficult times he initiated wide and exemplary social legislation, inspired by social Christian teaching.
Thanks to his conduct, the transition to a new order at the end of the conflict was made possible without a civil war. He was however banished from his country.
The Pope feared the rise of communist power in central Europe, and expressed the wish that Charles re‑establish the authority of his government in Hungary. But two attempts failed, since above all Charles wished to avoid the outbreak of a civil war.
Charles was exiled to the island of Madeira. Since he considered his duty as a mandate from God, he could not abdicate his office.
Reduced to poverty, he lived with his family in a very humid house. He then fell fatally ill and accepted this as a sacrifice for the peace and unity of his peoples.
Charles endured his suffering without complaining. He forgave all those who conspired against him and died April 1st 1922 with his eyes turned toward the Holy Sacrament. On his deathbed he repeated the motto of his life: �I strive always in all things to understand as clearly as possible and follow the will of God, and this in the most perfect way�.
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Incognitus, my point in bringing up Karl I is that these issues are never as simplistic as they seem. I�ll state again that I think it probably quite unwise to appoint a patron saint of these particular parts of the Russian military. Quite likely though, the patronage is more directed at the crews than the hardware, and that the hope would be that the patron would stop these things from ever being used, as was echoed elsewhere. I would assume we have a number of Catholics in the military in this country who are assigned to managing our nuclear stockpile and our strategic air defenses. I would not consider their actions immoral, nor would I liken them to abortionists, etc.
I will investigate the book you mention about Karl. There are differing opinions about his role in several areas. It seems quite likely to me that he authorized the use of mustard gas on the Italian front, even if with reservations. The actions of the Hapsburgs in Serbia during World War I, particularly in regards to the civilian population, while not mentioned in the article to me are equally as troubling.
Andrew
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Dear Gordo,
You are most welcome!
Dear Andrew,
Please keep in mind that Blessed Charles did not ascend the throne until the death of Emperor Franz Joseph in 1916 - so he was not responsible and cannot be held responsible for whatever the Imperial armies may or may not have done before that time.
Incidentally, there is also a movement to seek the beatification of Empress Zita, the wife of Blessed Charles, who survived her husband by many decades. May she pray for us.
Incognitus
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Dear Daniel you said:
"I am not in any way criticizing any saints [!] but only the too human tendency to appropriate godliness for worldly ends; surely this is a familiar evil to all!"
I say:
The Russian Patriarch gave those that are in the position of flying nuclear arms a patron saint. By what you said above, you are assuming that it was for 'wordly ends'. That is 'your' assumption from 'your' experiences within the limitations of your enviornment and knowledge.
First of all the Patriarch's action was undoubtably for the flyers physical protection, the physical protection of those that they might be used against and/or the protection of the soul of those that might have to use them.
Remember we are thousands of miles away from Russia's situation. They are next to China, a nuclear power, and also Iran, that is developing nuclear arms. This would be like Castro, (with a much more powerful Cuba), and Venezuela, (with a much more powerful Venezuela), having nuclear arms. Actually it would be a much worse situation.
Russia might have to use them someday for self defense in case of a nuclear attack. What I would have immediately wondered, rather than the judgemental attacks on the Russian Patriarch is; what is the political situation right now in that part of the world so that a saint would have to be designated for the pilots.
Let us not forget that certain provinces of Russia are predominantly Muslim, (the one's with the oil), and can easily align themselves with Iran and demand independence. Then again, there is an aliance in Europe that is ending right at her borders, no doubt giving her the appearance that 'she' is the enemy. Think about that one? Especially with her arch enemy Turkey entering the E.U.
Couldn't Russia perceive that as a threat against her?
Zenovia
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A specific patron saint for a weapon that can destroy the world ?
The Russian Patriarch hungers for power.He wants the ROC to be the state church as it was under the Tsars and Stalin.That day will be a sad one for all other religions in Russia.
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Dear JohnyJ,
Apparently you have not been up to date on your information. The present patriarch in fact spearheaded the ROC from officially seperating from the state government. I do not think that in any way he wants to return to a government offical, let alone an aetheist telling him how or what he may say or do. His decision may be misguided or even misinterpreted, but in no way may lead one to think he is looking for state control again.
In IC XC,
Father Anthony+
Everyone baptized into Christ should pass progressively through all the stages of Christ's own life, for in baptism he receives the power so to progress, and through the commandments he can discover and learn how to accomplish such progression. - Saint Gregory of Sinai
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But does he not have a long history of placating the State? Because the State has changed hands does not negate this tendency...
How else to explain this bizarre assignment of patronage?
-Daniel
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And Zenovia- nuclear weapons as defensive?
Are you serious?
Retaliatory, perhaps, but that is no defense. Anti-missle weaponry is defensive, not weapons that indiscriminately slaughter civilians.
Remember Mutually Assured Destruction? Is that a sane policy?
-Daniel, who was taught to duck and cover as a defense[!]
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Dear Daniel you said:
"Remember Mutually Assured Destruction? Is that a sane policy?"
I say:
No, but it works. The Soviets are gone.
Zenovia
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The Soviet Union fell because of the nonviolent witness of John Paul the Great, not because we threatened to annihilate them...
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Dear Daniel you said:
"The Soviet Union fell because of the nonviolent witness of John Paul the Great, not because we threatened to annihilate them..."
I say:
I never underestimate the power of prayer. Certainly the prayers of John Paul brought down the Soviet Union.
Of course God works in mysterious ways...and the mysterious way was that Ronald Reagan became president. Europe was in a fury...'A fascist is president of the U.S.' And so on and so on. The European mind can only relate 'conservatism' to nationalistic fascism.
Well Ronald Reagan really drove them batty. Of course we have to realize that the Soviet nuclear arms were all facing Europe, especially Germany. If the least thing happened Europe would be anhilated. But Reagan didn't bat an eyelid. He continued building up his arsenal knowing that the Soviet Union would go broke trying to keep up... and it did. Gorbachov was forced to dissolve it.
That is how the works and prayers of Pope John Paul II were answered.
As for Ronald Reagan, he was a great man. His economic theories were called 'voodoo' economics by the Democrats, yet the economic boom that he started has continued up to this day.
He was also very funny. Every now and then he would make a joke when the camera's were off. One day Reagan snapped, "okay, now we'll bomb Russia". It just happened the camera's were still on and it caused quite an uproar...especially with the Soviets.
Zenovia
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