Archive for February 2009
Lia of Toronto: Transcript of the 12-Year-Old’s Pro-Life Speech on Abortion
What if I told you that, right now, someone was choosing if you were gonna live or die? What if I told you that this choice wasn’t based on what you could or couldn’t do, what you’d done in the past or what you would do in the future? And what if I told you…you could do nothing about it?
Fellow students and teachers, thousands of children are right now in that very situation. Someone is choosing, without even knowing them, whether they are gonna live or die. That someone is their mother. And that choice is abortion.
Every day a hundred and fifteen thousand children are dying through abortion. A hundred and fifteen thousand. That means that five thousand children would die every hour. All those lives…gone. All that potential…gone. And all that hope in the future…gone.
Now, I know what some of you might be thinking, “Oh, it’s not really killing. After all, a fetus isn’t a child…right? Why do we think that just because a fetus can’t talk or do what we do it isn’t a human being yet? The word “fetus” comes from the Latin word meaning ‘young one” or “young child”. Some babies are born after only five months. Is this baby not human? We would never say that, yet abortions are performed on five month old fetuses all the time. Or do we only call them humans if they’re wanted? No, fetuses are definitely humans, knit together in their mothers by their wonderful Creator, who knows them all by name.
Some people might say that, since abortion’s legal now, it doesn’t matter. It’s not our business. But, if an action is unjust, it needs to be illegal, and it has to be our business. And this particular law has a huge impact on our society. In 1997 over one million abortions took place just in the U.S. And just last year over forty-two million abortions happened worldwide. I’d say that’s a huge impact.
I know some people say that the mother has a right to abort. After all, her life is dramatically impacted by having a baby. But I’m asking you to think about the child’s rights that were never given to it. No matter what rights the mother has, it doesn’t mean we can deny the rights of the fetus. Talking about the mother’s choice…the mother may have had a choice not to have unprotected sex in the first place. We must remember that with our rights and our choices come responsibilities and we can’t take someone else’s rights away to avoid our responsibilities.
At this point, I imagine the age old question arises. What if the mother didn’t choose to have sex? What if she was raped? But let’s us look at the facts for the U.S., as an example. Only one percent of all American abortions are hard case categories. This includes rape, incest, and the life of the mother being in danger. One percent. That hardly justifies the disturbing volume of abortions that happen these days.
And who’s to say abortion’s the easy way out? I don’t think people understand the effects of abortion on a woman. I don’t have time to list all the negative after effects, but here are a few examples of the physical effects. Seventeen percent of women who’ve had abortions face complications in their subsequent pregnancies. Some may not even be able give birth at all. They are also at a greater risk of developing breast cancer if they have an abortion.
But perhaps the worst effects are the emotional ones. Women who’ve had an abortion tend to have more mood disorders substantial enough to provoke them to harm themselves. In addition, woman who’ve had an abortion are five times more likely to have problems with drug and alcohol abuse. Abortion leaves a woman feeling lost and uncertain about their future. Almost one-third of all women who had an abortion are dissatisfied with their decision. It certainly is not the cure-all people think it is.
I read a story on the Focus on the Family website. It was about a girl who had an abortion. She writes:
“I had abortion at the age of seventeen. And it was the worst thing I ever did. I would never recommend it to anyone because it comes back to haunt you. When I tried having children, I lost three. Something happened in my cervix during the abortion.” – Sharon Osborne.
Hers is just one of the many heart-wrenching stories that nobody tells these days. And those same ones are the ones that we need to hear about.
Thank you for taking time to think about the issue of abortion, to think about the unborn, and to think about the effects of abortion on a mother. If you walk away with anything after this speech, walk away with the words of Horton. You know him…the elephant that risked his life to save that little speck? Remember him and his famous quote:
“Even though you can’t see them or hear them at all, a person’s a person…no matter how small.”
Thank you.
———
Note: Thanks to Abigail of the Little RV on the Hillside for the correct transcript. My original transcript was based on a You Tube link provided by Brantigny of Le Fleur de Lys too. The corresponding news report was made by Kathleen Gilbert dated 11 Feb 2009 for LifeSiteNews.com.
Updated 23 Feb 2009 Mon 10:10 am
Foederatio Internationalis Una Voce: Comment on the Guidelines Laid Down by the Archbishop of Manila With Regard to the Extraordinary Form of Mass
There is so much in error with these guidelines that even though they mention the motu proprio Summorum Pontificum, it is clear that the person who drafted the guidelines cannot possibly have read the Motu Proprio. The writer seems unaware that the previous rigidly-controlled state that existed under the indults of 1988 (Ecclesia Dei adflicta) and 1984 (Quattuor abhinc annos) ended abruptly at midnight on 13th September 2007. Under these indults, people and priests had to obtain permission from their local Ordinary before any celebrations of Mass using the Missal of 1962 could take place. Under Summorum Pontificum, which took effect from midnight on 13th September (i.e. from 14th September 2007), the permission to celebrate Mass according to the Missal of 1962 has been granted by the Supreme Legislator, the Pope, to “each Catholic priest of the Latin rite, whether secular or regular,” to “use the Roman Missal published by Blessed Pope John XXIII in 1962,…and may do so on any day with the exception of the Easter Triduum. For such celebrations……..the priest has no need for permission from the Apostolic See or from his Ordinary.” [Summ. Pont. Art 2]. The fact that one does not need the permission of the local ordinary to celebrate or attend Holy Mass in the Extraordinary Form, does not, in itself, derogate from the right of bishops to regulate liturgical matters in their sees. No doubt the Supreme Pontiff took that right into account when he assumed that no Catholic bishop would dissent from the superseding right of the Successor of Peter to regulate the liturgy for the universal Church.
Therefore, not only has any priest of the Latin rite the freedom to celebrate Mass on any day of the year (excluding the Easter Triduum but NOT excluding Sundays), but the Motu Proprio removes a need to obtain permission from anyone – either from the Holy See or his local bishop [Summ. Pont. Art.2].
To comment specifically on the detail of the guidelines:
- Despite what is said in the opening statement these guidelines are NOT in accordance with the norms laid down by the Apostolic Letter of Pope Benedict XVI.
- In Summorum Pontificum, the Supreme Pontiff dispensed local ordinaries from “regulating” the celebration according to the Extraordinary Form when, in his Letter to Bishops accompanying the Motu Proprio, His Holiness states “The present norms are also meant to free Bishops from constantly having to evaluate anew how they are to respond to various situations.”
- “The presider at this form of celebration should be a priest duly appointed by the Archbishop….” [Guidelines, para.4] There is no ‘presider’ at a Mass in the Extraordinary Form, this is a term introduced with the new order of Mass. In the Extraordinary Form of Mass there is a ‘celebrant’ who offers up the sacred mysteries acting in persona Christi.
- Concerning paragraph 5 of the Guidelines – it is the duty of all Sacred Pastors to ensure the solemnity and orderliness of the celebration of ALL forms of liturgy in their diocese so it needs to be explained why the Extraordinary Form requires special attention? As the Extraordinary Form and the Ordinary Form are “two uses of the same rite” [Summ. Pont. Art. 1], is the participation of other ministers (i.e., lectors, Master of Ceremonies, servers, choir, etc.) in the Ordinary Form also to be determined and regulated by the Ministry for Liturgical Affairs of the Archdiocese of Manila?
- It is commendable that a missal / booklet of the rite in Latin and English be prepared to help the faithful follow the celebration but why should those who wish to participate in this Mass have to undergo a catechetical orientation before the celebration? Will this requirement for a catechetical orientation apply equally to those attending the Ordinary Form?
- The local Ordinary has jurisdiction over this celebration in the sense that he must ensure that ALL liturgy under his jurisdiction is celebrated in conformity with the laws of the Church. Whatever is decided in relation with the Extraordinary Form of Mass must be decided “in full harmony, however, with all that has been laid down by the new norms of the Motu Proprio” [Letter to Bishops]. It is an abuse of authority, and in disobedience to the law expressed by the Supreme Pontiff, our Holy Father, to interfere in the right granted by the Successor of Peter to any priest in good standing to celebrate the Extraordinary Form of Mass. The Pope, the Supreme Legislator, has issued a DECREE, for the benefit of all priests and faithful of the Roman Rite in the Universal Church and no local bishop can interfere with this law and impose his own conditions in an act of public disobedience to the Vicar of Christ
The way forward for any priest or member of the faithful is clear. In accordance with article 7 of the Motu Proprio they must contact immediately the Pontifical Commission Ecclesia Dei for clarification and send a copy of the guidelines that obstruct the provisions of Summorum Pontificum. They should write to:
- H.E. Dario Cardinal Castrillon Hoyos,
President, Pontifical Commission Ecclesia Dei,
Palazzo della Congr. per la Dottrina della Fide,
Piazza del Sant Ufficio,
00193 Rome,
ITALY.
Fax: +39 06 69 88 34 12. Email: eccdei@ecclsdei.va.
Signed:
Leo Darroch
Executive President
International Federation Una Voce.
11th February 2009.
Source:
A hobbit thanks to Carlos Palad in Rorate Caeli
Tridentine Mass at Divine Mercy Church in Sikatuna, Quezon City
I
Last Sunday, my friend and I decided to hear a Tridentine mass at the Divine Mercy Church in Sikatuna, Quezon City. It was more than an hour of travel for both of us: she came from Novaliches; I came from Makati. We met at the St. Joseph’s Shrine in the corner of Anonas Street and Aurora Boulevard in Quezon City.
I waited for her at the church’s basement in the Adoration Chapel, where people sat on the benches or knelt at the pews to pray. After kneeling for a few minutes in prayer, I sat on the last row gazing at the Blessed Sacrament behind glass walls. On my left are some statues. The one closest is the Statue of The Sacred Heart of Jesus beside the portrait of Our Lady of Guadalupe. Behind the statues is a glass wall separating us from people outside standing silently in prayer before rows of lighted candles. One person limped forward with a cane. Another left with head bowed in grief. I closed my eyes.
I felt a tap on my shoulder. “You have slept,” a voice said.
I opened my eyes. It was my friend. Maybe I really slept. She knelt down to pray.
“Did you bring your beautiful veil,” I asked her when we left the chapel.
“No, it is too big,” she said. “I found something smaller.”
And she showed me a laced veil large enough to cover her head and shoulders. Her white veil matched her white dress. Had she not put on her knitted, gray sweater, she would look like a girl dressed for her first communion. Or a woman for her wedding.
II
We rode a tricycle at Anonas Street and stopped at a corner leading to the church. The Divine Mercy church stands blue and gray amidst a road strewn with stone barrels and rock fragments. I ditch is being dug. I paid the P 30.00 fare and we got off.
We entered the church. We dipped our fingers into the holy water font held by an angel and made the sign of the cross with bent knees. Most of the women wore veils. So my friend wore hers. We found an empty pew on the right side in front of the tabernacle and beside the statue of Pope St. Gregory the Great. We sat.
I gazed around. Many used missals. Others even have missals with Gregorian chant musical neumes–those little square boxes drawn rising and falling against four horizontal lines to indicate the pitch and duration of chant syllables. I forgot to bring the 17-page missal I downloaded from the internet. I used it a year ago when I tried my first Tridentine mass. I loved this mass, though this is only my third time, for it is too far from my parish. But I am glad that this time I brought a friend.
The mass began. The priest wore purple chasuble with white laces. The four old sacristans wore black with white laces; the four little ones (barely four years old) wore red with white laces. At the stomp of the feet from a senior sacristan, these little ones would kneel or walk while carrying the candles. They are too young to be boy scouts, yet these little boys are liturgically precise. They are serious.
The readings were read by the deacon and the gospel were read by a priest. Then the priest reads both the readings and the Gospel in English.
I self-studied some basic Latin and could understand the Latin sentences in my missal when I read them by sight. But since I have no missal, I could hardly catch the priest’s words. But I know now a few since the priest keeps repeating them:
“Dominus vobiscum,” the priest said.
“Et cum espiritu tuo,” the congregation responded.
“Per omnia saecula saeculorum,” the priest said.
“Amen.”
I closed my eyes when I smelled the waft of incense. I closed my eyes when I heard the choir sing the chants of angels. I closed my eyes when the priest raised the body and blood of Christ. I wish to see, smell, and hear these beautiful things more clearly and savor them while they last. I closed my eyes.
When the mass ended, the sacristan passed us by while he rang the little bells. One note resonated in my ears that it seemed prolonged to eternity. I closed my eyes. This is heaven.
If I were to be married someday, I would wish it to be in this mass.
———
Note: The Tridentine Mass in Philippines in general and in the Divine Mercy Church in particular is described by Gerald in his prodeoetpatria blog.
Fr. Joseph A. Mulry, S.J.: Principles for Philippine Agrarian Reform
In the view of Fr. Joseph A. Mulry (1889-1945), “the most pressing social problem in the Philippines at that time was the agrarian situation in central Luzon and in the province of Negros. In both regions, the ownership of land was limited to a comparatively few landowners, while the vast majority of the population were landless tenants or migrant workers. “
Fr. Mulry’s principles for agrarian reform:
- The person who tills the land should own the land he tills. But to achieve that goal, a gradual process of education is required, which is the dissemination and the inculcation of ideas. Land ownership requires maturity and skill, and both must be acquired gradually.
- Transfer of ownership of land should be effected not only gradually but also voluntarily. There should be no violence or coercion.
- Government must not intervene, for this would only bring in politics and corruption. The land problem must be solved by the private sector acting voluntarily.
Reference:
Miguel A. Bernad, S.J. “Joseph A Mulry: Founder of Social Justice Movement” in Unusual and Ordinary: Biographical Sketches of Some Philippine Jesuits (Jesuit Communications Foundation, Quezon City, 2006), pp. 105-115. See p. 110.
- Jesuit Communications Foundation
Sonolux Building, Ateneo de Manila University
U.P.P.O. Box 245, 1101 Diliman
Quezon City, Philippines
Tel. No. (02) 426-5971
Fax No. (02) 426-5970
Email: jef@admu.edu.ph
Website: www.jescom.ph
Archdiocese of Manila: Guidelines on the Celebration of the Mass According to the Rite of the Roman Missal Published in 1962 (Tridentine Mass)
In accordance with the norms laid down by the Apostolic Letter, issued motu propio, of His Holiness, Pope Benedict XVI, Summorum Pontificum, We hereby establish the following guidelines and conditions on the celebration of the Mass according to the rite of the Roman Missal published in 1962 (Tridentine Mass) in the Archdiocese of Manila:
- The regulation of the celebration of this extraordinary form of the Mass belongs to the Archbishop of Manila, through the Minister of the Ministry for Liturgical Affairs of the Archdiocese of Manila.
- This form of Mass is to be celebrated only at the Christ the King Chapel of the Metropolitan Cathedral of Manila once a month, but not on Sundays and Solemnities.
- The presider at this form of celebration should be a priest duly appointed by the Archbishop of Manila.
- To ensure the solemnity and orderliness of the celebration of this form of Mass, the participation of other ministers (i.e., lectors, Master of Ceremonies, servers, choir, etc.) in the liturgy is to be determined and regulated by the Ministry for Liturgical Affairs of the Archdiocese of Manila.
- The celebration of the extraordinary form of the Mass in this Chapel is open to any individual or group in the Archdiocese of Manila who may have the desire to participate in such celebrations. Further requests from individuals or groups from the parishes of or who belong to the Archdiocese of Manila to celebrate this form of Mass is to be directed to join the monthly celebration at the Manila Cathedral.
- It is highly encouraged that a missal / booklet of the rite in Latin and English be prepared to help the faithful follow the celebration. It is like wise encouraged that those who will participate in this Mass undergo a catechetical orientation before the celebration.
- The Archbishop of Manila has jurisdiction over this celebration and, therefore, can decide to limit or discontinue this monthly celebration anytime he judges that this is not consonance with the whole pastoral direction of the Local Church.
Given in Manila, this 8th day of December 2008.
† GAUDENCIO B. CARDINAL ROSALES
Archbishop of Manila
———
Notes:
- A list of traditional latin masses in the Philippines is provided by Gerald at prodeoetpatria. Check the sidebar.
- Read Fr. Zuhlsdorf’s comments per guideline in What Does the Prayer Really Say.
- Read the comment of Foederatio Internationalis Una Voce here.
19th Century Apparitions in France: Rue du Bac, La Salette, and Lourdes
Bro. Francis Mary Kalvelage F. F. I., ed., You Will Make This Known to All My People: 19th Century Apparitions in France–Rue du Bac, La Salette, and Lourdes (Franciscan Friars of the Immaculate, Our Lady’s Chapel, New Bedford, MA USA, 1998), 182 pages. Imprimatur by Most Rev. Sean P. O’Malley, OFM Cap., Bishop of Fall River, Mass., USA, 8 Dec 1998, Feast of Immaculate Conception. Preface by Fr. John Hardon S.J.
[Note: There is a new edition by Ignatius Press with an additional shrine of Pontmain (Our Lady of Hope). The new edition is entitled, Marian Shrines of France. This is available in the F.F.I. Immaculate Mediatrix Online bookstore. Price: $12.50. (PROD ID: SMS-MSF007, 198 pp, perfect bound, illustrated.)]
This book is a a collection of essays on the three 19th century apparitions in France: Rue du Bac, La Sallete, Lourdes. But why France?
In modern times, it seems, France has been more a prodigal daughter of the Church than her “Eldest Daughter.” The history of Catholicism in France has been a glorious and turbulent one: at times France has been a great defender of the Church and at other times, her greatest adversary.
Christianity arrived there in the middle of the Second Century in the area around what is now the city of Lyons, at that time a part of the Roman province of Gaul. Its first bishop, Hilary, was martyred but by the middle of the Third Century, there were over 30 bishoprics. Much of this expansion was due no doubt to the first Saint to be canonized other than a martyr, namely the popular St. Martin of Tours. When the Vandals and Franks overran the country, the brought with them the Arian heresy, which caused much confusion and falling away from the Faith. Following the conversion and baptism of King Clovis in 496, the Franks were converted. But it wasn’t until two centuries later that the Christianization of France was completed. From that time on virtually every development and important event revolved around the Catholic Church–through the periods of the Carolingians, feudalism, the Middle Ages and monarchies right up to the Eighteenth Century and the French revolution.
It was that revolution and the bloody persecution of the Church that caused a devastating break between church and state and the introduction of the strictly secular state. This break with the past Christian roots of France was symbolized and made visible in her national flag. For centuries the French flag had the fleurs-de-lis on a blue field. They every symbolized the Christian virtue of purity and the Immaculate Virgin in particular, thus uniting Mary and the Church with French patriotism. The present tricolor was introduced at the time of the French revolution when religion was being exiled from public life. But love and loyalty to the Church could never by taken away from the hearts of Frenchmen. Our Lady saw to that. (pp. 1-2 by the Franciscan Friars of the Immaculate)
The book does not only tell the story of the apparitions, but also provides character sketches of seers, the meaning of the message, the subsequent developments, and the testimonials on the miracles. Like a diamond cut in a multitude of facets, this book is a gem.
PREFACE
by Fr. John Hardon, S.J.
Saints and Marian Shrines are gaining in popularity. Thus, the series of Marian Saints and Shrines, of which this book is the third, is well-timed. The present Holy Father, Pope John Paul II, has been criticized for the numerous men and women, clerical and lay, whom he has beatified and canonized in the last two decades, much more than any previous pontiff. Recently, he announced that there will be many more beatifications and canonizations in celebrating the second millennium of Christianity. All of this points to the fact that we are living in extraordinary times. As the saying goes “where evil abounds, good abounds that much more.” St. Louis de Montfort predicted in his great spiritual classic, True Devotion to Mary, “God will raise up great saints towards the end of time,” and these saints will be noted for their true devotion (total consecration) to the Blessed Mother.
In recent decades there has been a diminution of the cult of the saints. One has to but look at the number of lives of the saints, books that have been written in the last thirty years, compared to the previous thirty years. But one can say today that the trend is gradually changing. The series of books on Marian Saints and Shrines published by the Franciscan Friars of the Immaculate, is one indication to that fact. Ignatius Press, possibly the largest Catholic book distributor in the country, has carried in their catalogues the first two books in this series. The Guadalupe Handbook and St. Therese, Doctor of the Church. They have found that there is a growing market for books of this type.
. . .
Thus again, the vital importance of showing Mary’s presence in our times, in particular through her apparitions and her admonitions at Lourdes, La Salette and other Church-approved apparitions. It is a well-known fact, besides the physical cures at these shrines, there are countless spiritual lepers, or sinners, who have been cleansed and reconciled to God. So I welcome this latest and third in the series of Marian Saints and Shrines. May it increase the number of those who are sincerely striving to become Saints. As Mother Theresa used to say to priests, even at this time of shortage of vocations, “We do not need more priests but holy priests.” That can apply to all of us. For the Church, the Mystical Body of Christ is built up by “little people,” the saints, and will triumph ultimately united to the Immaculate Heart of Mary.
CONTENTS
Part I. From a Historical Perspective
- The Eldest Daughter of the Church is Marian
- Mary, Mother of the Church
- The Ballad and the Message
Part II. Rue du Bac, Paris 1830–Mary’s First Message to the Modern World
- Revelation of the Medal called Miraculous
- The Triple Mission
- Rich Symbolism of the Miraculous
- The Conquest of a Rabid Anti-Catholic
- The “Bullets” Hit the Mark
- The Saint of Silence
Part III. La Sallete, 1846, The Madonna in Tears Appears as the Reconciler of Sinners
- A Mother Weeps for Her Children
- How She Touched the Most Hardened Sinners
- He Skied Into Mary’s Arms
- “. . . The Seventh I Kept for Myself”
- A Cautious “Mother” Investigates
- Why Believe in Private Revelations
- Faithful to Their Mission
- What about the Secret?
- The Lady Gives a Lesson in Theology
- The Ars Incident
Part IV. Lourdes, 1858, The Immaculate Virgin of the Grotto and Her Sainted Seer
- The Lady of the Grotto
- The Brave Little Heroine
- Lady Poverty Finds a Home
- School of Evangelical Penance
- The Penetrating Sweetness of that Smile
- Pope Pius XII Remembers Lourdes
- A Most Astounding Miracle
- “I Met a Miracle”
- Where the Miraculous Confronts the Science-Skeptics
- Interview of Doctor from the International Medical Committee
- Human Interest Side of Medical Bureau
- Two Novelists Went to Lourdes
- The Real Bernadette
- He Wrote About Lourdes and the Immaculate Conception
- The Two Things Go Together
- Guardian and Teacher of the Faith
- She Pushed Back the Germans
- Bernadette Speaks from the Heart
Ordering Information:
The following information is from the book’s last page (This was still in 1998; the website address is still valid):
Special bulk rates are available with 10% to 60% discount depending on the number of books, plus postage. For ordering books and further information:
Academy of the Immaculate, POB 667, Valatie NY 12184, phone/FAX (518) 758-1584. E-mail Mimike@pipeline.com.
Quotations on bulk rates shipped directly by the box from the printery, contact:
Friars of the Immaculate, P.O. Box 3003, New Bedford, MA 02740, (508) 984-1856, FAX (508) 996-8296, E-mail ffi@ici.net, http://www.marymediatrix.com.
The FFI website is Immaculate Mediatrix Online (same address as above). The book may be purchased in their bookstore here.
Here is a tabular list of bookstores for the book “Marian Shrines of France”:
| Company | Price | Type | In Stock | Delivery |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Immaculate Mediatrix Online |
$12.50 | softcover | Yes | |
| The Catholic Company | $12.50 | softcover | Yes | 1-2 business days |
| Family Publications |
£ 9.95 (UK) | paperback | Yes | |
| All Catholic Books |
$12.50($9.70) | softcover(paperback) | Yes | |
| EWTN Religious Catalogue |
$13.00 | softcover | Yes | |
| Freedom Publishing |
AUD 25.95 | paperback | Yes | 1-2 business days |
| Amazon |
£ 24.23 to £ 86.20 | Used and new books | Yes | |
| Leaflet Missal |
$13.95 | Softcover | Yes | |
| The Abbey Shop |
£ 9.95 | paperback | Yes |
Updated: 10 Feb 2009
Fr. Jose Calvo, S.J.: Land Reform Proposal in Spanish Colonial Philippines
Just before the mid-eighteenth century, several proposals were made for Philippine trade expansion and diversification and economic development. . . .
The next proposal came in 1753 from the Jesuit procurator Fr. Jose Calvo. He envisioned the formation of a company in Spain in order to exploit the agricultural and mineral possibilities of the Philippines and trade directly with the peninsula. He attributed the country’s underdeveloped state to the existing commercial system, illustrated by the fact that in the 188 years since its conquest not a single hereditary estate had been founded. A start would be made with gold and cinnamon, with additional items to be added by forcing tribute-paying natives to devote a part of their holdings to pepper, cloves, cocoa, and mulberry trees (for silkworm culture). Nutmeg was also mentioned. Silk and cotton weaving would be developed under master craftsmen brought over from China and the Malabar Coast. Aside from the trade and development aspects, the fiscal impact would reduce the need for the situado (subsidy) from Mexico. the route to be taken to Spain would be via Cape Horn. Again, nothing came of this proposal.
Reference:
Benito J. Legarda, Jr., After the Galleons (Ateneo de Manila University Press, Quezon City, 1999), p. 53.
Beowulf: Grendel is a Descendant of Cain
- Then the mighty spirit who dwelt in darkness angrily endured
the torment of hearing each day high revel in the hall.
There was the sound of the harp, the clear song of the minstrel. [1]
- He who could tell of men’s beginning from olden times
spoke of how the Almighty wrought the world
the earth bright in its beauty which the water encompasses;
the Victorious One established the brightness of sun
and moon for a light to dwellers in the land,
and adorned the face of earth with branches and leaves;
He also created life of all kinds which move and live.[2]
- Thus the noble warriors lived in pleasure and plenty
until a fiend in hell began to contrive malice.
The grim spirit was called Grendel, a famous march-stepper,
who held the moors, the fen and the fastness.
The hapless creature sojourned for a space in the sea-monster’s home
after the Creator had condemned him. [3]
- The eternal Lord avenged the murder on the race of Cain,
because he slew Abel. He did not rejoice in that feud.
He, the Lord, drove him far from mankind for that crime. [4]
Thence sprang all evil spawn, ogres and elves and sea-monsters,
giants too who struggled long time against God. [5]
He paid them requital for that.
Reference
Shane Weller, ed., Beowulf (New York, Dover, 1992), pp. 2-3.
Notes
[1] One of the sufferings of the demons and damned souls in hell is to know that on the other side (heaven), the angels and saints rejoice in the presence of God. And this is forever and ever. The laughter of demons are cold with malice, that even the fires of hell fail to bring warmth.
[2] This is a summary of the first chapter of Genesis. First day is separation of light and darkness. Second day is separation of heavens and seas. Third day is separation of seas and lands, and the sprouting of plants and trees over the lands. Fourth day is creation of sun, moon, and stars. Fifth day is creation of fishes and birds. Sixth day is the creation land animals and humans.
[3] The sea- or water-dwelling monsters described in the book of Job are Behemoth and Leviathan. Behemoth looks like a giant hippopotamus, while Leviathan looks like a giant fire-breathing crocodile. (See Job 40:15-24; 41:1-34)
[4] Cain’s offering was fruits, while that of Abel was fat portions of the firstlings of his flock. God accepted the offering of Abel and not that of Cain. So Cain became envious and killed his brother Abel. Because of this, God punished Cain:
What have you done? Listen; your brother’s blood is crying to me from the ground! And now you are cursed from the ground, which have opened up its mouth to receive your brother’s blood. When you till the ground, it will no longer yield to you its strength; you will be a fugitive and a wanderer on the earth. (Gen 4:10-12)
[5] It may be difficult to see how Cain could have fathered these monsters. But recent advances (?) in human-animal hybrids may make this possible soon.
Peter Parker and Eddie Brock Jr: the Demonic Suit and the Bells of Conscience
In the cathedral scene of Spiderman 3, two persons are juxtaposed: Peter Parker and Eddie Brock Jr.
Eddie Brock Jr. (a catholic in the comics) went into the front pews, knelt, and prayed:
It’s Brock sir, Edward Brock Jr. I’m here humbled and humiliated to ask you for one thing… I want you to kill Peter Parker. (About.com quotations)
This scene is opposite to that of the taxcollector in Jesus’s story who went to the backseat and prayed: “O God, be merciful to me a sinner.” Concerning anger and death wish, the Catechism says:
If anger reaches to the point of a deliberate desire to kill or seriously would a neighbor, it is gravely against charity; it is a mortal sin. (Catechism Art. 2302)
Above Eddie Brock Jr., at the bell tower, is Peter Parker as Spiderman in black alien suit. This suit is a symbiote which amplifies not only its hosts powers like strength and agility but also his sins like pride and anger. So we may say that the suit is a material form of demon or a devil. The Devil tempted Christ: “All these things I will give you if you come and worship me.” Such an offer Peter Parker could not resist. In his pride, he spurned the help of his girlfriend who told him, “Everyone needs help, even Spiderman.” And in his anger, he used his enhanced powers to try to kill Flint Marko who killed his uncle.
But deep inside, Peter Parker believes that he is a good man, and he cannot understand how he transformed from the city’s best loved hero into a monstrous villain. There is something wrong with the suit, as his scientist friend told him, and he tried to remove it. When the church bell tolled, the alien suit could not withstand the high frequency sounds. Call it divine grace. Or conscience–the bells of conscience. According to the Catechism,
Deep within his conscience man discovers a law which he has not laid upon himself but which he must obey. Its voice, ever calling him to love and to do what is good and to avoid evil, sounds in his heart at the right moment . . . . For a man has in his heart a law inscribed by God . . . . His conscience is man’s most secret core and his sanctuary. There he is alone with God whose voice echoes in his depths. (Catechism Art. 1776)
Peter Parker finally got rid of the demonic entity and it slithered down to the praying Eddie Brock. Eddie had just committed mortal sin by asking God to kill Peter. Deprived of sanctifying grace which he received during his Baptism and last Confession, Eddie became a new home of the demon. This is what Christ said in one of his parables:
When an unclean spirit has gone out of a person, it wanders through waterless regions looking for a resting place, but it finds none. Then it says, ‘I will return to my house from which I came.’ When it comes, it finds it empty, swept, and put in order then it goes and brings along seven other spirits more evil than itself, and they enter and live there; and the last state of that person is worse than the first. (Mt 12:43-45)
