Ok, who said it?
??…I pray like a lawyer. I try to make a deal — get me out of this jam, and I??ll start going back to church.??
and..
??My religious affiliation, my religious practices and the degree to which I am a good or not-so-good Catholic, I prefer to leave to the priests,??
Those of you who guessed Republican Presidential candidate Rudolph Giuliani give yourselves a hand. Sadly, these statements could come from just about any “catholic?? politician. “catholics?? like Barbara Boxer, Nancy Pelosi, Joe Biden, and good “ol Dick Durbin all belong to the hey-I-don??t-let-my-religious-beliefs-interfere-with-my-work crowd. These folks all have quite questionable moral and ethical “public?? values. No wonder the Holy Father calls this the age of Moral Relativism.
When I hear “catholic?? politicians proudly proclaim their religious independence by stating they don??t let their “personal beliefs?? sway their duties to the citizens I??m reminded of a scene in A Man for All Seasons where Thomas More proclaims, ??I think that when statesmen forsake their own private conscience for the sake of their public duties, they lead their country by a short route to chaos.?? I don??t know if St. Thomas actually uttered those words but it sure sounds like something a saint would say.
The sad thing is an AP poll (about the only time you can trust the AP is to Catholic bash) from June/July shows that about 25% of catholics support Mr. Giuliani with a further 22% not quite sure. Catholics need to wake up to these politicians who surrender their “private?? consciences and allow public duty to control their moral values. I, for one, don??t wish to see our country led (further) into chaos by the luke warm nor do I wish to see their souls so endangered with public scandal and misrepresentation of the Faith.
Wasn??t there something in the New Testament about luke warm catholics? Oh yes,
But because thou art lukewarm, and neither cold, nor hot, I will begin to vomit thee out of my mouth. – Apocalypse 3:16 (Douay-Rheims)
Political leadership in the past century has been so hapless that it is difficult to imagine a connection between holiness and politics. However, our Holy Father’s planned visit to Austria next month inspired me to try googling for some light in all the darkness — and I found Blessed Karl I of Austria, the last Habsburg monarch. Could he provide a model for fidelity and suffering perseverance for our times? Consider this account of his life and death:
The Holy Christian Emperor Who Died in the Cold of Exile
http://www.catholicculture.org/library/view.cfm?id=7189
Here are some additional valuable documents:
Emperor Charles I: World War I Peace Campaigner
http://www.catholicculture.org/library/view.cfm?id=7744
Saving the Best for Last: Blessed Karl I of Austria
http://www.catholicculture.org/library/view.cfm?id=6559
For complete information on the cause for beatification and canonization, go here:
Beatification and Canonization Site
http://www.emperorcharles.org/index.html
No candidates like him to vote for? Well, at least we can pray for his intercession. Politicians need a good patron saint.
Ave Maria!
Great comment, John, and great links, very worth reading. I heard of Bl. Karl before. I heard when the western supporters of Lenin asked Bl. Karl if he would let Lenin pass through Austria by train he said something to the effect, “I would not wish Lenin on my worst enemy.” and so he refused and then they had to go through Germany. I guess Bl. Karl meant what he said because at the time he was fighting a brutal war with Russia and so they were his worst enemy, or as much of an enemy as a Blessed can have, certainly his greatest opponent.
Blesssed Karl, Pray for us.