Defending the 12th century since the 14th; blogging since the 21st.

Catholicism, Conservatism, the Middle Ages, Opera, and Historical and Literary Objets d'Art blogged by a suburban dad who teaches law and writes stuff.


"Very fun." -- J. Bottum, Editor, FIRST THINGS

"Too modest" -- Elinor Dashwood

"Perhaps the wisest man on the Web" -- Henry Dieterich

"Hat tip: me (but really Cacciaguida)" -- Diana Feygin, Editor, THE YALE FREE PRESS

"You are my sire. You give me confidence to speak. You raise my heart so high that I am no more I." -- Dante

"Fabulous!"-- Warlock D.J. Prod of Didsbury

Who was Cacciaguida? See Dante's PARADISO, Cantos XV, XVI, & XVII.


E-mail me

 
Picture This

A week ago, I blogged about rediscovering Blondie’s Parallel Lines.

Some of you know that I am given to tweaking the words of songs to make them serve some purpose of my own. As few tweaks as possible for a maximum commandeering of meaning: that’s the ticket.

Herewith, then, my own version of Picture This. This one goes out to T.F.C. This calls for wisdom; let her interpret who can.


PICTURE THIS

All I want is a room with a view
A sight worth seeing, a candidate, you
All I want is a room with a view, oh-a-oh

I will give you my finest hour
The one in which you rose to power
I will give you my finest hour, oh yeah

All I want is a photo in my wallet
A small remembrance of something more solid
All I want is election of you.


CHORUS:
Picture this – a night in December
Picture this – freezing cold weather
Every vote has your name
And you’d win by acclaim
If it weren’t for our rules that don’t allow
If you could only, oh-a-oh
Picture this – a room full of wonder
Picture this – unanimous number
Wow oh wow is what I’m tellin’ you, oh yeah

[Extended riff, then:]

All I want is always to remember
My MSL with the vote of every member
All I want is a vision of you, oh-a-oh
If you can

[Repeat chorus, then:]

Be an FC/SC, and you’ll do to what you used to do, yeah!



posted by Cacciaguida at 4:27 PM

 
Confirmation

Cacciagiuseppe, 17, was confirmed last Sunday, five years after the confirmation of his 19-year-old brother, the latter having received this sacrament back in a diocese where they sensibly confirm in 8th grade instead of 11th. Sigh. Still, it was a fine ceremony. Details from Elinor here. (Blogger still hasn't fixed permalinks, but see post titled "Sacrament" under today's date.)
posted by Cacciaguida at 6:23 PM

 
UN seeks a "gender officer" for Afghanistan

The following job posting was sent to me by an academic friend who received it from a friend at the UN who, understandably, did not want his/her name and address publicized.

Text of UNAMA-03-020 Gender Officer.doc:

United Nations - UN Logo - Nations Unies

Internal/External

Vacancy Announcement for Mission Assignment

Vacancy #: AMA-03-020
Deadline: 1 May 2003
Mission: United Nations Assistance Mission in Afghanistan
Location: Kabul, Afghanistan

The Department of Peacekeeping Operations invites qualified external applicants and staff members in the relevant occupational group to apply for the position highlighted below. Interested UN staff at the level of the post or one level below should apply by forwarding an updated United Nations P.11 form and a copy of most recent performance appraisal.

External applicants are requested to send a detailed curriculum vitae including date of birth, nationality, educational qualifications, a summary of professional skills and/or expertise, a summary of relevant work experience, publications written and languages spoken, or to complete a United Nations Personal History form (P.11), available at United Nations offices. The P.11 form may also be downloaded from www.un.org/Depts/dpko/field/howto.htm.

Kindly note that applications upon receipt will be reviewed and only applicants who are short-listed will receive an acknowledgement within six weeks from the deadline for submission of applications.

Vacancy #: AMA-03-020, Deadline: 1 May 2003

Mission: United Nations Assistance Mission in Afghanistan

Duty Station: Kabul, Afghanistan

Family/Non-Family: Non-Family

Initial Appointment: Six (6) Months
Renewable subject to extension of mandate, operational requirements
and satisfactory performance.

Post Title & Level: Gender Officer (P-4)

Indicative Minimum Gross Annual Remuneration: US$ 84,435.00

Description of Main Duties:

The Gender Officer will be located in the Gender Affairs Unit of the Office of the Special Representative of the Secretary General (SRSG) for Afghanistan at UNAMA headquarters in Kabul. Under the supervision of the Gender Adviser, the incumbent will undertake the following
responsibilities:

- Assist the Advisor in coordinating UNAMA activities related to Gender sensitive policies and programmes within UNAMA (Pillar 1 and 2) as well as other UN agencies;

- Assist the Advisor in consolidating and analyzing data on Gender programmes and recent developments received from designated staff in both pillars;

- Undertake daily liaison with the Ministry of women's affairs and relevant NGOs;

- Assist Gender Advisor in ensuring policy coherence and an integrated, coordinated approach including in particular, gender mainstreaming activities by meeting regularly with staff with Gender
responsibilities from across the mission;

- Assist in the development and implementation of duty-specific Gender training for designated groups of staff from across the mission, and develops tools and methodologies to assist mission staff in carrying out their Gender relevant functions;

- Deliver the "Gender and Peacekeeping" training course to all newly arrived military advisers and civilian police, in coordination with the Training Officer;

- Assist the Gender Advisor in maintaining regular liaison with the Afghan Gender network;

- Participate in the orientation course for civilian personnel on briefing Gender Awareness;

- In consultation with the Senior Gender Adviser, liaise with the NGO community and other international partners for the coordination of capacity-building activities targeting the civil society, especially women's groups;

- Participate in the meetings of the Gender Working Group that comprises all Gender Focal Points of the UN system, as required;

- Liaise with relevant Departments at UN Headquarters and/or UN agencies in New York for any gender-related matters;

- Draft monthly activities reports and any other relevant analysis papers as requested by the Senior Gender Adviser.

Core Competencies:

- Professionalism - Sound knowledge of and exposure to a range of gender issues, humanitarian assistance, emergency relief and related human rights issues, to include approaches and techniques to address difficult problems; strong analytical capacity and in particular the ability to analyze and articulate the dimension of issues that require a coordinated UN response; ability to identify issues and to use sound judgment in applying technical expertise to resolve a wide range of problems; strong research skills, including ability to evaluate and integrate information from a variety of sources; ability to work under extreme pressure, on occasion in a highly stressful environment (e.g. civil strife, natural disasters and human misery); ability to provide guidance to new/junior staff.

- Commitment to Continuous Learning - Willingness to keep abreast of new developments in the field.

- Communications - Good communication (spoken and written) skills, including the ability to draft/edit a variety of written reports and communications and to articulate ideas in a clear, concise style.

- Planning & Organizing - Ability to plan own work, manage conflicting priorities and work under pressure of tight and conflicting deadlines.

- Technological Awareness - Fully proficient computer skills and use of relevant software and other applications, e.g. word processing, spreadsheets, internal databases, Internet, etc.

- Teamwork - Very good interpersonal skills and ability to establish and maintain effective partnerships and working relations in a multi-cultural, multi-ethnic environment with sensitivity and respect for diversity

Qualifications and Experience:

Education: Advanced university degree (Masters or higher), preferably in Political or Social Science, Gender Studies, International Studies, Public Administration, Economics, or other relevant field; or the equivalent combination of education and experience in a related area.

Experience: Seven to twelve (7-12) years of progressively responsible professional experience in gender affairs, human rights, humanitarian affairs, emergency preparedness, crisis/emergency relief management, rehabilitation and development, or other related area, of which at least 3 years should be in the field, preferably in humanitarian emergency efforts. Familiarity with issues affecting women's rights in Afghanistan

Languages: Fluency in oral and written English is essential. Knowledge of any of the languages spoken in Afghanistan, in particular Dari or Pashto, is highly desirable.

Preference will be given to equally qualified women candidates.

Completed detailed Application Documentation as specified above referring to Vacancy number AMA-03-020 should be forwarded to the attention of:

Human Resources Planning and Development Section, PMSS/DPKO, Room # DC1-980,
1 United Nations Plaza New York, NY 10017, USA Fax No.: 1-917-367-4102 or by e-mail to dpko-missions-internalva@un.org

Remove by 1 May 2003

Now, I don't doubt that there are some, ahem, "gender issues" that could usefully be addressed in Afghanistan in the wake of Taliban rule. Still, my colleague's remarks seem on point:

...only in the last line is it even admitted that there might be anything remotely Afghan about Afghanistan: some indefinite number of languages, and it might be nice if the candidate had heard of one of them. But nothing else about Afghanistan. In short, there is an implied premise of the ideology that, just as men of color have no sex (EEO tag lines ask for minorities and women) likewise persons of gender have no culture....

posted by Cacciaguida at 6:11 PM

 
Merck, fetal cell-lines, and AIDS vaccine

This Newsweek story barely mentions this issue near the end of an otherwise bland business report. For more, here is the story as supplied by Steven Erfelt's Pro-Life Infonet:

--------------------
From: The Pro-Life Infonet
Subject: Pro-Life Group Forces Merck to Disclose Use of Aborted
Fetal Tissue
Source: Children of God for Life; April 24, 2003

Pro-Life Group Forces Merck to Disclose Use of Aborted Fetal
Tissue

North Branch, NJ - While Merck was somewhat successful in keeping pertinent information from shareholders about their use of aborted fetal tissue in vaccines, those in attendance at the annual meeting yesterday at Raritan Community College in North Branch got an earful - much to the dismay of Merck CEO, Raymond Gilmartin. Through joint efforts between Children of God for Life and Human Life International, enough stock was purchased to file a formal resolution which received the shareholder votes needed for approval.

Father Thomas Euteneuer, President of Human Life International opened the 3 minute allotted speaking time saying, "Merck has violated its own Statement of Values by profiting from the destruction of innocent human life. Their $546.6 million net profit margin on vaccines - many of which use aborted fetal cell lines supports this fact." The microphone was then turned over to Debi Vinnedge, Executive Director of Children of God for Life who blasted the Board for their inherent disregard for the American public's plea for ethical vaccines.

"I've heard a lot of talk today about how Merck is so highly committed to ethical behavior, but that is pretty hard to swallow in light of your business practices." In a prepared statement to the Board, Vinnedge went on to say, "Certainly, abortion is an acutely painful, controversial, and bitterly divisive issue. Any manufacturer that deliberately and needlessly chooses to utilize abortion-derived cell lines causes great hardship for thousands, if not millions, of people worldwide by excluding a large number of them from the benefits of preventative medicine. Whether by intent or indifference, such action constitutes an attempt to force the acceptance of fetal exploitation."

The reaction from the shareholders was immediate. As Ms. Vinnedge concluded her statement and questions were put to the floor, one gentleman stood up and demanded to know if what had just been
stated was true. He wanted to know if Merck was using embryos -- an unfortunate mistake in his choice of wording, since it is fetal tissue and not embryos that are used in the vaccines. Gilmartin craftily answered the question, "No, we are not using embryos or researching them." When the man asked, "Well is she lying then?, Gilmartin did not answer and instead moved to other questions from the floor.

But Father Euteneuer was not about to let it go unchallenged. Taking the microphone he told the audience about the aborted fetal cell lines, emphasizing the newest innocent victim, PER C6 which would be used in their new HIV vaccine. "This fetal cell line was taken from the retinal tissue of an 18 week gestation baby and Merck just bought the rights on it last year. We demand that you give full disclosure of this activity to your shareholders!" His words were greeted with an immediate round of
applause from the audience!

As the meeting drew to a close the shareholder votes were tallied and read. In order for the resolution to be adopted, 3% of the proxy votes would be needed. The pro-life resolution drew nearly 5% with final numbers to be added in the coming days. It was a great victory for the Campaign and the pro-life movement for it now sets the stage for further action, much of which will be sorted out during the coming weeks.

At the conclusion of the meeting Vinnedge presented several three-ring binders bulging with petition signatures, letters from the public and the Merck Boycott to Raymond Gilmartin. "I know there is a great deal of information here, but you need to read what the public is saying, Mr. Gilmartin", she said quietly. "Please listen to them." Gilmartin took the binder graciously and thanked her for bringing the matter to his attention.
--
Reach more than 44,000 pro-life leaders and activists with your message. Contact advertising@prolifeinfo.org




posted by Cacciaguida at 12:06 PM

 
Blog-break until April 28 or so.

Meantime, Stanley Kurtz at NRO says almost everything that needs to be said about l'affaire Santorum here; only things missing are the reporter's Democratic activist connections, and you can search Fox for that.

Also, the Ninomaniac has updated his blog ('bout time). Posts about the cross-burning case, and about the Court's sovereign immunity decisions this week. (Notice that we're not hearing sqawks in the media about the Court "expanding" state sovereign immunity -- and that's the point.)
posted by Cacciaguida at 11:17 AM

 
Have your commitments been approved by the University administration?

It would appear that, according to NYU's Office of Student Life, I belong to about four or five different cults, and so, probably, do you. Via The Rat, and thanks also to Gene.

My favorite line: They may convince you to reject previously held values, abandon friends and family, and virtually change your identity. Imagine -- one's values changing during college!

posted by Cacciaguida at 12:18 AM

 
Once more unto the bleach*

It’s been a long Lent. It’s also been a long time since senior year (1979-80), and both before and since that there've been an awful lot of operas I wanted to listen to. Always will be, of course.

But today, the playlist is headed up by – Parallel Lines, by Blondie! Yes, in some corner of my mind it will always be Senior Week....

“I’m in the phone booth, it’s the one across the hall….”
“All I want is a room with a view, a sight worth seein’, a vision of you….” (“a photo in my wallet/A small remembrance of something more solid….”)
“Leaning in your corner like a candidate for wax…..” (“Take tomorrow by the hand….”)
“I know a girl from a lonely street….”
“You’re gonna say you miss me….”

And of course –
“Once I had a love and it was a gas….”


*Not my joke. Cribbed it from Ralph Heibutzki, “Once More (Into the Bleach): Blondie Returns for Its Fifteenth Round,” DISCOVERIES, Sept. 1999 at 41.

posted by Cacciaguida at 8:35 AM

 
Ecclesia de Eucharistia, cont.

Chapter Two is entitled "The Eucharist Builds the Church." Since my family and I have just watched Heston in The Ten Commandments, in gives me pleasure to blog this text from the Holy Father:

By analogy with the Covenant of Mount Sinai, sealed by sacrifice and the sprinkling of blood,38 the actions and words of Jesus at the Last Supper laid the foundations of the new messianic community, the People of the New Covenant.

This chapter also contains -- and this must be driving the liturgical apparatchiks nuts -- a strong endorsement of Eucharistic adoration outside of Mass. Keep in mind that some bishops have actually banned this practice, on the theory that it is insufficiently communitarian.

25. The worship of the Eucharist outside of the Mass is of inestimable value for the life of the Church. This worship is strictly linked to the celebration of the Eucharistic Sacrifice. The presence of Christ under the sacred species reserved after Mass – a presence which lasts as long as the species of bread and of wine remain – derives from the celebration of the sacrifice and is directed towards communion, both sacramental and spiritual. It is the responsibility of Pastors to encourage, also by their personal witness, the practice of Eucharistic adoration, and exposition of the Blessed Sacrament in particular, as well as prayer of adoration before Christ present under the Eucharistic species.

It is pleasant to spend time with him, to lie close to his breast like the Beloved Disciple (cf. Jn 13:25) and to feel the infinite love present in his heart. If in our time Christians must be distinguished above all by the “art of prayer”, how can we not feel a renewed need to spend time in spiritual converse, in silent adoration, in heartfelt love before Christ present in the Most Holy Sacrament? How often, dear brother and sisters, have I experienced this, and drawn from it strength, consolation and support!

This practice, repeatedly praised and recommended by the Magisterium, is supported by the example of many saints. Particularly outstanding in this regard was Saint Alphonsus Liguori, who wrote: “Of all devotions, that of adoring Jesus in the Blessed Sacrament is the greatest after the sacraments, the one dearest to God and the one most helpful to us”. The Eucharist is a priceless treasure: by not only celebrating it but also by praying before it outside of Mass we are enabled to make contact with the very wellspring of grace. A Christian community desirous of contemplating the face of Christ in the spirit which I proposed in the Apostolic Letters Novo Millennio Ineunte and Rosarium Virginis Mariae cannot fail also to develop this aspect of Eucharistic worship, which prolongs and increases the fruits of our communion in the body and blood of the Lord.

“In the course of the day the faithful should not omit visiting the Blessed Sacrament, which in accordance with liturgical law must be reserved in churches with great reverence in a prominent place. Such visits are a sign of gratitude, an expression of love and an acknowledgment of the Lord's presence”: Paul VI, Encyclical Letter Mysterium Fidei (3 September 1965): AAS 57 (1965), 771.











posted by Cacciaguida at 10:50 PM

 
The Supreme Court is batty

...or, write your own headline for this one. Via How Appealing.
posted by Cacciaguida at 6:35 PM

 
Notice anything different here at Cacciaguida?

COMMENT BOXES!! (Courtesy of Squawkbox.tv)
posted by Cacciaguida at 11:00 PM

 
Renovations at St. Leo's in Fairfax, Va. (Diocese of Arlington)

...include moving the tabernacle to the center. Story in Arlington diocesan paper here.

The flame which the old knights saw from their tombs, which they saw put out; that flame burns again for other soldiers....
-- Brideshead Revisited
posted by Cacciaguida at 9:06 PM

 
From the Easter issue of the Washington Post Book World:

Douglas Rushkoff, in NOTHING SACRED: THE TRUTH ABOUT JUDAISM, denounces much of Jewish teaching as "ethnic platitudes" and demands that Judaism transform itself into a social justice movement that is not "racist, patriarchal, and homophobic". Reviewer Samuel G. Freedman lambastes Rushkoff -- for failing to acknowledge that Judaism has already done just that.

The view that traditional Jewish teaching has something of enduring value went oddly unrepresented on the Post's pages -- unless you count a similarly scathing review of a new book by neo-traditionalist Jewish writer David Klinghoffer on the facing page.

Meanwhile, the new book by U.Va. Catholic convert Robert Louis Wilken, The Spirit of Early Christian Thought (Yale Univ. Press), sounds neat. Notice how reviewer Michael Dirda struggles against faith -- and mercifully loses in the end.
posted by Cacciaguida at 6:01 PM

 
Christ is risen!

On Good Friday I blogged the introduction to the Holy Father's new encyclical Ecclesia de Eucharistia. The first chapter, called "The Mystery of Faith," discusses the Eucharist as sacrifice:

13. By virtue of its close relationship to the sacrifice of Golgotha, the Eucharist is a sacrifice in the strict sense, and not only in a general way, as if it were simply a matter of Christ's offering himself to the faithful as their spiritual food. The gift of his love and obedience to the point of giving his life (cf. Jn 10:17-18) is in the first place a gift to his Father. Certainly it is a gift given for our sake, and indeed that of all humanity (cf. Mt 26:28; Mk 14:24; Lk 22:20; Jn 10:15), yet it is first and foremost a gift to the Father: “asacrifice that the Father accepted, giving, in return for this total self-giving by his Son, who 'became obedient unto death' (Phil 2:8), his own paternal gift, that is to say the grant of new immortal life in the resurrection”.

...
15. The sacramental re-presentation of Christ's sacrifice, crowned by the resurrection, in the Mass involves a most special presence which – in the words of Paul VI – “is called 'real' not as a way of excluding all other types of presence as if they were 'not real', but because it is a presence in the fullest sense: a substantial presence whereby Christ, the God-Man, is wholly and entirely present”. This sets forth once more the perennially valid teaching of the Council of Trent: “the consecration of the bread and wine effects the change of the whole substance of the bead into the substance of the body of Christ our Lord, and of the whole substance of the wine into the substance of his blood. And the holy Catholic Church has fittingly and properly called this change transubstantiation”. Truly the Eucharist is a mysterium fidei, a mystery which surpasses our understanding and can only be received in faith, as is often brought out in the catechesis of the Church Fathers regarding this divine sacrament: “Do not see – Saint Cyril of Jerusalem exhorts – in the bread and wine merely natural elements, because the Lord has expressly said that they are his body and his blood: faith assures you of this, though your senses suggest otherwise”.

Adoro te devote, latens Deitas, we shall continue to sing with the Angelic Doctor. Before this mystery of love, human reason fully experiences its limitations. One understands how, down the centuries, this truth has stimulated theology to strive to understand it ever more deeply.

This has implications for liturgy:

19. The eschatological tension kindled by the Eucharist expresses and reinforces our communion with the Church in heaven. It is not by chance that the Eastern Anaphoras and the Latin Eucharistic Prayers honour Mary, the ever-Virgin Mother of Jesus Christ our Lord and God, the angels, the holy apostles, the glorious martyrs and all the saints. This is an aspect of the Eucharist which merits greater attention: in celebrating the sacrifice of the Lamb, we are united to the heavenly “liturgy” and become part of that great multitude which cries out: “Salvation belongs to our God who sits upon the throne, and to the Lamb!” (Rev 7:10). The Eucharist is truly a glimpse of heaven appearing on earth. It is a glorious ray of the heavenly Jerusalem which pierces the clouds of our history and lights up our journey.









posted by Cacciaguida at 4:36 PM

 
Conversation chez Cacciaguida: Resurrection of the Body


Cacciadelia (age 8): We rise again in Heaven, right?

Cacciaguida: Well, we're in Heaven, and we get our bodies back.

Elinor: Do we have to?

Cacciaguida: Well, they're glorified.

Elinor: OK then.

Cacciaguida: So it's not like, here, you left this. It's more like, here, you left this, and we cleaned it for you.

Elinor: Good.

Cacciadelia: No starch, though.

Cacciaguida: No, no starch.
posted by Cacciaguida at 5:07 PM

 
ECCLESIA DE EUCHARISTIA

...is a cool encyclical. Its major themes are the Eucharist's identity with Calvary; the indispensability of the ordained priesthood; rejection of premature intercommunion as a false detour on the road to ecumenism (where premature = with folks who don't share the Church's belief in transubstantiation, which JPII loudly reaffirms, citing Trent); the solemnity of the Last Supper, and the consequent need to combat liturgical abuses; and a Marian dimension to the Eucharist, as Our Lady was the "first tabernacle."

I think I'll blog parts of it over the next few weeks, with comments where appropriate.

From the Introduction:

Did the Apostles who took part in the Last Supper understand the meaning of the words spoken by Christ? Perhaps not. Those words would only be fully clear at the end of the Triduum sacrum, the time from Thursday evening to Sunday morning. Those days embrace the mysterium paschale; they also embrace the mysterium eucharisticum.

3. The Church was born of the paschal mystery. For this very reason the Eucharist, which is in an outstanding way the sacrament of the paschal mystery, stands at the centre of the Church's life. This is already clear from the earliest images of the Church found in the Acts of the Apostles: “They devoted themselves to the Apostles' teaching and fellowship, to the breaking of bread and the prayers” (2:42). The “breaking of the bread” refers to the Eucharist. Two thousand years later, we continue to relive that primordial image of the Church. At every celebration of the Eucharist, we are spiritually brought back to the paschal Triduum: to the events of the evening of Holy Thursday, to the Last Supper and to what followed it. The institution of the Eucharist sacramentally anticipated the events which were about to take place, beginning with the agony in Gethsemane. Once again we see Jesus as he leaves the Upper Room, descends with his disciples to the Kidron valley and goes to the Garden of Olives. Even today that Garden shelters some very ancient olive trees. Perhaps they witnessed what happened beneath their shade that evening, when Christ in prayer was filled with anguish “and his sweat became like drops of blood falling down upon the ground” (cf. Lk 22:44). The blood which shortly before he had given to the Church as the drink of salvation in the sacrament of the Eucharist, began to be shed; its outpouring would then be completed on Golgotha to become the means of our redemption: “Christ... as high priest of the good things to come..., entered once for all into the Holy Place, taking not the blood of goats and calves but his own blood, thus securing an eternal redemption” (Heb 9:11- 12).
...
8. When I think of the Eucharist, and look at my life as a priest, as a Bishop and as the Successor of Peter, I naturally recall the many times and places in which I was able to celebrate it. I remember the parish church of Niegowiæ, where I had my first pastoral assignment, the collegiate church of Saint Florian in Krakow, Wawel Cathedral, Saint Peter's Basilica and so many basilicas and churches in Rome and throughout the world. I have been able to celebrate Holy Mass in chapels built along mountain paths, on lakeshores and seacoasts; I have celebrated it on altars built in stadiums and in city squares... This varied scenario of celebrations of the Eucharist has given me a powerful experience of its universal and, so to speak, cosmic character. Yes, cosmic! Because even when it is celebrated on the humble altar of a country church, the Eucharist is always in some way celebrated on the altar of the world. It unites heaven and earth. It embraces and permeates all creation. The Son of God became man in order to restore all creation, in one supreme act of praise, to the One who made it from nothing. He, the Eternal High Priest who by the blood of his Cross entered the eternal sanctuary, thus gives back to the Creator and Father all creation redeemed. He does so through the priestly ministry of the Church, to the glory of the Most Holy Trinity. Truly this is the mysterium fidei which is accomplished in the Eucharist: the world which came forth from the hands of God the Creator now returns to him redeemed by Christ.

"Yes, cosmic!" Popes didn't used to write encyclicals in this style. But this one is very personal. Note the references to his priestly career back in Poland. Popes aren't usually that autobiographical in their encyclicals. Once again JP combines the traditional (rejection of laxness and abuses, frequent references to Trent) with the innovative. More later.

posted by Cacciaguida at 5:30 PM

 
New encyclical on the Eucharist

Here it is.
posted by Cacciaguida at 11:37 AM

 
The Historical Society

...was founded a few years ago by Eugene and Betsy Genovese, Donald Kagan, etc. etc., as a non-leftist alternative to the American Historical Association. It has neat conferences and publications, and it now has it own blog: Historacle.
posted by Cacciaguida at 11:29 AM

 
I've updated the link for the Association of Hebrew Catholics on my blogroll. See also Remnant of Israel.
posted by Cacciaguida at 9:59 PM

 
Conversation chez Cacciaguida: new desk chair

Cacciaguida: Hon', at the thrift stores, do you ever see desk chairs? I could use a new one for the library.

Elinor: Sure. I'll just need to measure your --

Cacciaguida: Couldn't I just come with you to the store?

Elinor: I was going to say, measure your desk.

Cacciaguida: Oh.

Elinor: Sheesh.
posted by Cacciaguida at 9:57 PM

 
You're in, you're not in

I serve on the Admissions Committee at the law school where I teach. Last week, we had a file that showed, among other things, that the applicant had a criminal conviction for public urination. We put him on the "wait list."

I am totally NOT making this up.
posted by Cacciaguida at 12:59 PM

 
All right, time out for a couple of Zorak's Quizillas before the Triduum gets started.

First:

You are Dilbert.
You're hard-working, misunderstood, used and
abused, ... well to be brief : You're an
engineer.


Which Dilbert character are you ?
brought to you by Quizilla

And -- well wuddya know...!

You are French-press coffee. You are full of body
and sensuality, and you love to be sipped and
savored at leisure... though you can get cold
rather quickly.


What Kind of Coffee Are You?
brought to you by Quizilla

posted by Cacciaguida at 1:26 PM

 
Just got back from my annual retreat. For those who know me and who were there, hi. For those who know me, are Catholic males, and weren't there, get your rear in gear, 'cause your comin' with me next year.
posted by Cacciaguida at 9:07 AM

 
Here's a search site on medieval law.
posted by Cacciaguida at 9:04 AM

 
Eve has a good post on justice and mercy. (Blogger is still having problems with permalinks -- well, I am, and I'm having it with every blog I try to link to, so I'm blaming Blogger -- but right now it's in the top position at her famous site. Otherwise, just scroll down to "Justice, mercy, and the fall.")
posted by Cacciaguida at 10:49 PM

 
Awakening from coma

Put this one next to the Terri Schiavo story below, or any other case in which someone is said to be in "persistent vegetative state" with "no hope" of recovery.
posted by Cacciaguida at 11:58 AM

 
Pius XII, working through Oblate Fathers, saved 800 Jews

...mainly by providing them with fake ID papers. This was not the entirety of Pius's efforts, of course, just one instance recently reported. Details here.

Likely headline tomorrow: "Pius XII Linked to Document Fraud."
posted by Cacciaguida at 8:57 AM

 
Terri Schiavo case

She's brain-damaged; said by one side to be in "permanent vegetative state"; parents want her kept alive; husband (and legal guardian) wants her dead -- excuse me, wants her feeding tubes removed.

From the Tampa Tribune:

TAMPA - An appeals court panel was urged once again to ``err on the side of life'' in the case of a woman in a comalike state whose family disagrees on whether she should be kept alive.
Terri Schiavo should at least be given a chance to improve through therapy rather than be ``put to death'' because her husband, Michael, says she would not want to continue living, an attorney for her parents argued Friday before a three-judge panel of the 2nd District Court of Appeal.

If you follow the rhetoric in this case, you'll see how, once again, "death with dignity" has turned into "dignity = death."



posted by Cacciaguida at 1:11 PM

 
Have you ever wondered what happens to the little items you lose? Not the ones you leave in a jacket pocket and find later, but the ones that to all intents and purposes just cease to be?

Well, call me a conspiracy buff, but I'd say check out this story.
posted by Cacciaguida at 11:57 AM

 
Panda news (well, for pandas, it's news)

The National Zoo's pandas appear to have done it, but only time will tell. Elinor was especially amused that the Zoo's pandologists had to rely on Tian-Tian's "vocalizations" to determine if he was accomplishing anything. That sure got the ol' imagination going; I suggested "Some enchanted evening...."

Apparently, giant pandas' mating periods are brief -- and annual. Say Elinor: "Some species you just can't help."

At our house, we think real-life giant pandas are cute, but the stuffed ones have a lot of advantages. Since the first "Pandy" came into our lives via a grandmother's gift to Caccia di Gregorio a few years ago, we've discovered that stuffed giant pandas have solved the reproduction problem: they simply appear, at irregular but frequent intervals, on the shelves of thrift stores.


Gettin' warmer....
posted by Cacciaguida at 11:53 AM

 
MICHAEL KELLY KILLED IN IRAQ

...in an auto accident possibly caused by Iraqi military action.

Kelly was an outstanding Washington Post columnist, editor of The Atlantic, and contributor to the National Journal. Unless I'm much mistaken, he also has sons at The Heights School, and once lectured there to aspiring journalists.

This is terrible news. Please pray for Mr. Kelly and his family.
posted by Cacciaguida at 7:41 PM

 
White-out

Archbishop Harry Flynn of Minneapolis-St. Paul does his duty in smacking down a parish that had invited gay activist Mel White to "preach" at a Mass. Via The Curt Jester.

Remarks Mr. White: "To be thrown out by the archbishop puts me in the ranks of the martyrs and saints." So -- wild guess, but -- perhaps we have some pride issues here as well as some gender identity issues....

posted by Cacciaguida at 5:42 PM

 
Washington scandal machine attempts early take-down of young Catholic congressman

According to this story in The Washington Post's gossipy Style Section today, Rep. Mike Ferguson, R-NJ, a rising star among pro-life politicians, stands accused of making a pass at a Georgetown student at a campus watering hole last Wednesday night.

To judge by the Post's story, both sides agree that the young lady, Michelle Mezoe, trespassorily retained possession of the congressman's "pin" (the little lapel doohickey that shows he's a congressman and is therefore allowed free access to the House floor), and disgorged it only after the police, summoned by the bar's manager, arrived and were in the process of handcuffing her. The dispute is over how she got the pin in the first place: she claims -- and Ferguson, through a spokesman, denies -- that it was a gift in support of an indecent proposition.

While reporting this tale with obvious glee, and doing some reportorial research in connection with it, the Post showed a remarkable lack of interest in the background of Ms. Mezoe. Now, here at my desk, and with my academic and family duties, my resources for investigative reporting are limited. However, 30 seconds on Google informed that Ms. Mezoe starred in a Georgetown campus production of The Vagina Monologues in February of 2001.

This play -- which certainly sounds raucously obscene, based on every review I've ever read of it, favorable as well as unfavorable -- has been a particular culture-war flashpoint at officially Catholic colleges. Read The Old Oligarch's take on this. When you've done so, tell me: is someone who would take on a prominent role in this play, on a nominally Catholic campus, the most trustworthy witness when it comes to blackguarding a young, promising, and Catholic pro-life star in Congress?
posted by Cacciaguida at 8:53 AM

 
Cannibal dinosaur discovered

I'm frankly surprised that Zorak, with her penchant for improbable animals, hasn't yet blogged this. (Busy with those finches, eh? Permalinks not working today, but scroll down to "Why birds are turned on by bright beaks.")
posted by Cacciaguida at 4:37 PM

 
Economic Substantive Due Process is Undead!

The March edition of the Heritage Foundation's Insider magazine just arrived (or I just fished it out of my mailbox, I'm not sure), and I learned this:

"In December 2002, the Institute for Justice scored another victory for economic liberty when the 6th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals upheld a lower court finding that Tennessee's state-imposed casket monopoly unconstitutionally violates independent casket retailers' right to earn a living."

Now that I think of it, I remember some buzz on a listserv for constitutional law profs about this decision when it came down: "revival of economic substantive due process...." etc.

I assume all the jokes about "stiff penalties" have already been made....
posted by Cacciaguida at 4:25 PM

 
Just so I know

Aaaaaaaaaall right. I've been making sure for some time now that my readers know about all kinds of depredations committed on behalf of, or by followers of, Islam. So when I find out that a bunch of those folks got one right big time, I can't just sit on it.

It appears that Catholics in Uzbekistan are about to get their first church, thanks to a petitioned signed not only by themselves but also by many of their Muslim neighbors.

Via Zenit.
posted by Cacciaguida at 4:06 PM

 
Prospective, hypothetical daughters-in-law

Read Elinor's epiphany on this subject here. (Permalinks aren't working just right; scroll down to "Road to Damascus department.")

BTW, in her latest "Cacc' Watch," Elinor told the two-synagogues/St. Happyface joke just fine -- except that it's not "That one we don't go to," it's "Dat vun vee don go to." Sorry, but you can't do Catskills-resort schtick without dialect.
posted by Cacciaguida at 6:12 PM

 
Well, Blogger seems to have solved whatever problem was blocking my Cacciagrammatons, so I'm back. With a new slogan at the top of my left margin, too. You like?
posted by Cacciaguida at 11:57 PM