Well, they're not, anyway.
Protestant evangelicals and Anglicans in Britain have today launched a campaign to show that Christianity, the person of Christ, is not merely the solution for our personal lives, but for the nation.
The Church (the real Church, that is,) used to have a specific doctrine about this.
It's called "the social reign of Christ the King". One of those retrograde pre-Vatican II popes even instituted a feast day, the Feast of Christ the King, to try to get people to remember this. This doctrine is probably the most significant point of departure between Catholics (particularly American Catholics) who identify themselves as "conservatives" and us. Trads are usually Trads not because of the old Mass. They're Trads because they believe that democracy isn't going to work until it is under the reign of Christ (if then). We are believers in the Catholic confessional state.
And when we start talking about it, you can see the neo-cons just starting to burst...that faint popping sound you hear...
Certainly the doctrine of the social reign of Christ is one that most Catholics, and nearly all Churchmen, (yes, right up to the very top) are deeply ashamed of. But it is interesting that this group of prots has just figured it out, all by themselves. Just through the use of reason.
So maybe it is not much of a wonder that there doesn't seem to be a signficiant Catholic contingent in this campaign.
I wonder how many of the Catholic bishops of England and Wales have signed on for the Not Ashamed campaign.
Anyone?
Bueller...?
~
Feast of Christ the King?
ReplyDeleteIsn't that a bit redundant? If I recall correctly, there are twelve feasts for Christ, NOT counting Easter.
Or is it just for us Orthodox?
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Great_Feasts_of_the_Orthodox_Church
(OK, eight for Christ and four for His Mother. Sue me.)
With due respect to Dr. Michael Nazir-Ali, I really don't see the point of British Christians standing up for their faith using the channels that their godless overlords prescribe. It is much like a 1940's Jew starting a letter writing campaign to stop "marginalization" of his race in Germany.
ReplyDeleteConsider the up-and-coming status of Muslims in the UK. They have done nothing to merit special favour, have in fact done numerous things to undermine their respectability among the natives (bombings and attempted bombings) and and yet British society is bending over backwards to accommodate these people.
Am I saying that violence is the answer? I am hoping not, though the only way historically that Islamic expansion has been halted or rolled back is through warfare (Reconquista, the anti-Ottoman wars of independence).
I am ready to be contradicted and corrected. I dearly hope to be...
ReplyDeleteOur dear Pope and his predecessor are and were excellent at proclaiming Christ and his absolute necessity to the Catholic people, to the faithful, the priests, the bishops.
Why is Christ not proclaimed to the nations? Why is Christ not proclaimed to the politicians? Why do we only proclaim the natural law (and Thank God that we at least do that!)? Is there salvation in some other Name when it comes to the social, political, nation and international realms?
Yes. Some people haven't quite grasped that if you don't have a social reign of Christ, you must have a social reign of Something Else.
ReplyDeleteFr. Paul McDonald says that he dearly hopes to be contradicted. Let me not disappoint him.
ReplyDeleteFather McD says that Benedict 16 and John Paul 2 "are and were excellent at proclaiming Christ and his absolute necessity ..."
Well, it seems to me that John Paul 2 effectively denied "Christ's absolute necessity" when he kissed the Koran.
Perhaps we can explain his action (lack of prudence, got carried away etc), but it's not a clear or effective teaching.
By the way, I note that Father McD refers to the popes proclaiming this necessity "to ... the bishops". Is this an admission that the bishops need evangelizing?