THE CATHOLIC KNIGHT: On this Friday, following the Feast of the Ascension in the year of our Lord 2012, let us pray the novena (see here) of the Holy Ghost, with a special intention for the Holy Father, Pope Benedict XVI, as he considers the full reconciliation and regularisation of the Society of St. Pius X.
The Catholic Knight blog will remain silent for the duration of this novena. Pray my readers -- PRAY!!!
(WDTPRS) - The Archbishop of Colombo, Albert Malcolm Cardinal Ranjith Patabedinge would be ready to entrust the management and training of the seminarians of his Archdiocese to the SSPX. Such a step, according to the Cardinal would be possible if the SSPX is accepted and canonically erected. The Cardinal expects this project to improve training of future priests. The reports come from the Roman Rite website Messa in latino... source
THE CATHOLIC KNIGHT: Will wonders ever cease!?! Here we have an example of what many bishops in the Church feel, but now actually voiced by the good Cardinal himself. Have we found a successor to Pope Benedict XVI?
You can be sure that what Cardinal Ranjith has just voiced, other bishops will follow through should the much anticipated reconciliation happen between Rome and the SSPX. Can you imagine? Can you comprehend it? The wager has just been increased. We not only have the hope of a Personal Prelature for the SSPX, free of interference from local diocesan bishops, but NOW we have the prospect of various bishops throughout the world (following Cardinal Ranjith's lead) actually letting SSPX clergy control regular diocesan seminaries!
Rather than wait for the Church's reform, the SSPX is practically being given the chance to get out front and lead it!!! I would like to point out, these are not the Church's institutions making these offers. These offers are being made by individual men who are currently in power (for now) by the grace of God. Refusing these offers at this time would be a foolish choice indeed. It doesn't get any better than this. My advice is to seize hold of the opportunity now before it slips away. A moment like this does not come often in history.
THE CATHOLIC KNIGHT: I have it on fairly good authority that the impasse between Rome and the SSPX will soon be bridged, and the Society can soon look forward to regularisation as a Personal Prelature of the pope within the Catholic Church. What I don't know is how many of the four SSPX bishops will accept this regularisation. It is certain that one (Bishop Fellay) will accept it, while it is almost equally certain that one (Bishop Williamson) will likely reject it. We do not know of the other two, who will accept and who will reject, as it cannot be foreseen at this time. Even if, however, three of the four SSPX bishops reject the regularisation, leaving only one to accept it (Fellay himself), this will be enough to permanently change the paradigm both in the SSPX and in Rome itself. For the regularisation of just one SSPX bishop can only mean one thing. Rome has officially conceded that the Modernist interpretations of Vatican II are false, and the faith of Catholics within the SSPX is perfectly valid. In other words, Catholics are free to dissent from the Modernist interpretations of Vatican II, (we have always been free to do so), particularly those briefly outlined in the video above, and still remain Catholics in perfectly good standing within the Church.
This will come as no news to the regular readers of this blog, for yours truly has been pointing out for the last six years that this is precisely how the Holy Father interprets Vatican II within the "hermeneutic of continuity" verses the popular "hermeneutic of rupture." Essentially, what that means is this. Vatican II is a subordinate Church council, totally pastoral in nature, and it is subordinate to Vatican I and Trent. Everything written within Vatican II must be interpreted solely in the context of Vatican I and Trent, as well as previous councils. This is the "hermeneutic of continuity." In contrast, the popular "hermeneutic of rupture," a means of interpreting the council that is flat wrong and developed in the 1970s, proposed falsely that the Second Vatican Council (Vatican II) is a "super-council" that cancels out all previous councils, resetting Church doctrine and practice back to zero and starting over from scratch. Such an erroneous interpretation has caused many to embrace the so-called "Spirit of Vatican II" which is a series of ideas and innovations that have no basis in the council itself, but for whatever reason, people tend to think the council intended for them to happen. Liturgically, they consist of such things as; outlawing the use of Latin entirely, tearing down old high altars and replacing them with low table altars, eliminating the communion rails, celebrating mass ad populum exclusively, eliminating communion on the tongue, dispensing of Gregorian chant, introducing such things as liturgical dance, pop music, holding hands and other innovations. Doctrinally, it consists of such things as synchronism, feminism, and moral relativism. These notions centre around the problematic texts of Vatican II outlined in the video above. Thus it will become necessary in the months and years ahead for these texts to be further defined (clarified) either by the CDF or by the pope himself. Regular readers of this blog probably have a good understanding of what these texts are supposed to mean anyway, but for the general edification of the entire Church (ourselves included) such clarifications will need to be officially proclaimed by Rome. The regularisation of the SSPX (even just one bishop) will officially state such clarification in a defacto way already. We only need wait for the official follow-up in black and white.
Once the SSPX is regularised, there will be an immediate need for new bishops to be consecrated within this new prelature structure. How many will depend on how many of the original four assent to the regularisation. Those who remain outside of this structure will ultimately be marginalised to the point of irrelevancy, effectively becoming FUNCTIONAL sedevacatists regardless of their doctrinal take on the Chair of Peter. Of course, I would expect the prelature to maintain an open channel of communication with these dissenting bishops regardless, as it would be within the mission of such a prelature to do so. As Bishop Fellay said in the video above. The situation within the Catholic Church is far from ideal, but this is what it is, and it is what we have to work with. For any Catholic knows that reform of the Church is more likely when working from within it, rather than from the outside looking in.
UPDATE 5/16/2012...
THE CATHOLIC KNIGHT: The official Vatican press release and accompanying reports from various sources can be read HERE. At first glance the whole thing looks rather confusing, creating more questions than it answers. This is likely because of the defensive (somewhat secretive) posture Rome is taking in all of this. Remember, Rome has been burned on these things before. Thus the Vatican is being extra cautious. However, I believe everything has unfolded according to plan. The CDF has officially reviewed the revised doctrinal preamble signed by Bishop Fellay, Superior General of the SSPX. Some reservations were noted by some within the CDF, however these are non-binding. Their review is now being forwarded to the Holy Father, and will likely be placed into his hands personally tomorrow by Cardinal William Levada, Prefect of the CDF. Tomorrow is the Feast of the Ascension (Proper). Now it appears the CDF, perhaps prompted by the Holy Father, has decided to deal with the individual bishops of the SSPX separately. This may have been the plan all along, but the private letters that have surfaced recently, between Fellay and the other three bishops, highlighting the schism that appears to be developing within the SSPX over this reconciliation prospect, seems to have made such a modality of individual episcopal reconciliation absolutely necessary. Each of the four bishops has his own concerns, so each bishop will be dealt with individually.
I am convinced the Holy Father will soon regularise the SSPX, starting first with the Superior General Bishop Bernard Fellay. The pope will approve the revised preamble, or some slightly modified version of it, and probably have a private audience with Bishop Fellay. Upon signing the final draft of the preamble that is pre-approved by the pope himself, Bishop Bernard Fellay (along with all those in the SSPX who follow him) will instantly be regularised as a Personal Prelature within the Church. This will likely include most (or all) of the SSPX parishes within the United States and Canada. At that point, negotiations will begin with the other three bishops individually. Regardless of their response to the Holy See's invitation, the new Prelate (I assume Bernard Fellay) of the Personal Prelature of St. Pius X, or PPSPX (and I'm just guessing on name here as there is no way I could know), will need more bishops to assist him. I expect consecrations will begin within a year or two, regardless of the response of the other three bishops. I suspect, the response of the other three bishops will only determine "how many" PPSPX bishops would need to be consecrated.
I suspect some back channelling is going on between Bishop Fellay and the pope himself. There appears to be an unusual amount of confidence in Bishop Fellay in recent weeks, and he's dropped some clues that his relationship with Pope Benedict XVI seems to be more than official. He speaks of the "sincerity" of the pope, as if he's personally witnessed it. Some have speculated that the Holy Father already has a copy of the revised preamble, and that it was sent to him personally by Bishop Fellay through his own back channel with the Holy See. Thus, His Holiness already knows what is in the revised preamble, and may have already made his decision about it, while he allows the normative Vatican processes with the CDF to unfold. This of course is speculation, but I think it's reasonable speculation, since this is how most State Departments conduct business between nations. There is usually a back channel between the heads of state that operates independently of the normal diplomatic processes. It's reasonable to assume something similar is happening between the SSPX and Rome.
Now we wait and see. I am going to request that all my readers pray a single rosary for Pope Benedict XVI tonight in regards to this monumental decision, and I would also like to ask you to request this of other Catholics in the days ahead. We are on the cusp of something potentially VERY BIG.
THE CATHOLIC KNIGHT: Scientific studies reveal the day WILL come -- we just don't know when. WHEN it does, and it WILL happen eventually, the entire power grid of the entire world could be at risk. Even if just the North American continent were hit, it would end life as we know it in the United States, Canada and Mexico.
Catholic prophecy seems to indicate that such an event is in store for our modern world, in the not-too-distant future, as part of God's great chastisement marking the end of our current (Enlightenment inspired) geo-political-economic system and paving the way for the return of Christendom. What would such an event do? Instantly, the world would be transported to a 1900 technology level, and the modern industrialised nations are the LEAST prepared for this. Electricity would cease instantly. Electrical lines would melt. Transformer stations would explode. Power plants would shut down. Telephones, mobile devices, and the Internet would instantly shut down -- permenantly. Televisions would be rendered useless. Radios might work for a short time so long as batteries and back-up power sources last. Within hours, hospital backup generators would fail. Patients would die, and artificial life-support systems would become a thing of the past. Whatever is left in the gas tanks of cars would be all they have left, as a lack of electricity would make pumping at the gas station impossible. Within a week (two at the most) all motor vehicles would become obsolete. Slowly, their parts would be stripped for materials. Within the same amount of time, mass starvation would set in within the industrialised modern nations (ill-prepared for such a scenario). The richest nations in the world would instantly become the poorest, within just a matter of weeks. Massive casualties would be expected, measuring in the tens of millions, just in North America. Similar numbers would be expected in Europe and Northern Asia, the Pacific rim and Oceania.
Just a simple little occurrence in nature, something that has occurred hundreds of times before in human history, would have the most dramatic effect ever on the human race. In the past, before electricity, such storms simply produced spectacular displays of Aurora Borealis (northern lights). No harm came to anyone. It was just a normal day followed by a beautiful night. Not this time. Next time it happens, tens of millions will die, maybe hundreds of millions, and the beauty of the event will be followed by the horror of the aftermath.
Is it God's fault? Is he playing evil tricks on us? No. God is just doing what he's always done, in allowing nature to take its course. He provided the earth's magnetic field which protects human flesh from the harmful rays of the sun. No. The only thing that has changed this time is man, specifically our modern civilisation, which has had plenty of time to grow and flourish, making us all dependent on it. God never bargained to protect man's electrical power grids. That was man's making, and man's responsibility to protect. That however, would cost a whole lot of money to devise a protection system, and that is why it will never happen. Greed is the root of all evil my friends, and greed is what is going to get us all killed in the end.
The prophecies of our saints tell us the time is short, and there is more to the great chastisement than just events dealing with the sun, but the sun is apparently a very big part of it.
Riley Collier with truck and flag
poses with Republic High School in the background.
THE CATHOLIC KNIGHT: Back in January of this year 'The Catholic Knight' reported on an incident in a nearby town called Republic Missouri. I drive through this town frequently to visit family and friends. The incident I reported on involved a young man in high school named Riley Collier. Riley attends Republic High School in Southwest Missouri. He is a Southern gentleman who loves the symbols of our heritage. In particular, he likes to fly the Dixie flag, otherwise known as the Confederate Battle Flag, from the back of his pickup truck. He drove his truck to and from school and parked it in the school parking lot. He was asked by school officials to remove the flag while the truck was parked on campus. Riley complied, and removed the flag while the truck was parked. He continued to fly the flag from his truck on the way to and from school. For this Riley was suspended. However, when he returned from suspension, his flag came with him. This time Riley would remove the flag before entering the school parking lot, and then place it back on near the state highway when returning home. In response, the school suspended his driving privileges and no longer allowed him to park on campus. The incident made the local news. Riley insists he is not a racist, and his display of the flag in no way carries a racial message. He tells of it representing his heritage and way of life here in Southwest Missouri. (Click here to learn why the Dixie flag is a holy symbol to many Southerners.) His family is supportive of his actions, as are many Southwest Missourians.
Dixie flags such as this one are now seen all over
Republic Missouri
Since then there has been a backlash in the City of Republic. The school superintendent has submitted his resignation which may (or may not) be related to multiple scandals surrounding the school, and this one may (or may not) be included in that list. The exact reasons for the superintendent's resignation have been kept confidential. However, the most interesting aspect of this whole case is the outpouring of support Mr. Collier has received from many of the citisens of Republic Missouri. Ever since the story aired on local news, a number of Dixie flags have been spotted in Republic Missouri. These are mostly on pickup trucks seen driving around the city. One in particular is driven by a young black gentleman. Parents are now picking up their children from Republic High School in pickup trucks sporting the Dixie flag. The number of Dixie flags flown on flagpoles and on people's houses has increased as well. They can be seen on bumper stickers, license plates, t-shirts and hats all around Republic Missouri. The only place you can't seem to find them is on the shelves of the local Wal Mart, which may change if the demand for them continues to increase. The outpouring of support by fellow Missourians for Mr. Collier is very encouraging and demonstrates beyond the shadow of a doubt that the heart of Dixie is still alive and well in the Ozark Mountains.
This Confederate monument stands exactly one mile south
of Republic High School in Southwest Missouri
The irony to this whole story is that Republic High School is literally one mile north of a Confederate monument on Highway ZZ, and just 1.3 miles north of a major Civil War battlefield that was a Confederate victory! (One wonders if the school officials knew any of this.) The battlefield is a federal park that receives thousands of visitors each year. The first Union general killed in the Civil War (General Nathaniel Lyon) gave his life there. The Battle of Wilson's Creek, also known as the Battle of Oak Hills, though certainly not the largest, was considered one of the bloodiest battles in the entire war. Dozens of Republic High School students drive past this battlefield and monument every day to and from school.
Confederate Monument
Springfield, Missouri
To make matters more interesting, there is a much larger Confederate monument and cemetery in Springfield Missouri. There on the corner of Glenstone and Seminole one can view a larger monument erected in 1901 to the Confederate dead buried in that fine city. The monument is in good condition, and bears a larger-than-life bronze statue of a typical Confederate soldier atop. A bust of Confederate General Sterling Price is featured on the front, with two confederate battle flags adorning the sides of the monument. On the back of the monument is a plaque commemorating the 501 Confederate dead that fell in the Battle of Wilson's Creek. Most of their bodies are buried there in Springfield, many of them remain unidentified.
Confederate Cemetery
Springfield, Missouri
The incident in Republic Missouri serves as a great object lesson of how to deal with anti-Dixie hatred and Left-wing hysteria surrounding the Dixie flag. You see in order to win an ideological war you must first understand it. Let me dispense with the examination and just jump straight to the diagnosis. (I have some medical knowledge of these things.) Those who get hysterical about the display of the Dixie flag are not operating in a higher brain function. The upper cerebral cortex (where logic and reason originate) is not engaged here. Their hysteria and hatred for the flag is an emotional response, which is generated in the lower brain functions of the cingulate cortex and cerebellum. This is why no amount of historical teaching or logical reason will satisfy them. They are not operating on that upper level of brain function. They are operating at a lower brain function which is closer to the "survival modes" and highly charged with emotion. For whatever reason, whether it be personal experience, or media conditioning, the sight of the Dixie flag (Confederate Battle Flag) causes them to have an immediate lower brain function reaction, causing an adrenaline rush and a flood of negative emotions to follow. They are in the "fight or flight" mode initially, then after they calm down (assuming they do calm down at all), they may try to say or do something to remove what is eliciting their negative brain stem response. It's not that they won't reason. It's that they can't. Their emotions get in the way, which defaults their thinking back down to the lower brain functions. Their attempt to remove the Dixie flag is simply an effort to protect their cingulate cortex and cerebellum from getting excited, which of course makes them feel uncomfortable. Pity them, but don't hate them for this. Sadly, so long as the mainstream media continues to promote this emotional response, the government education system (and government entities in general) will continue to coddle it.
Dixie flags are now flown from
houses and fences in Republic Missouri
This one was seen off Highway 174
There is no amount of logical reason or historical education that can help people with this problem. One thing, and only one thing, can cure them. That is desensitisation. In other words, they must be desensitised to the very thing that is causing their cingulate cortex and cerebellum (lower brain) emotional response. There is only one way to do this. The Dixie Flag (Confederate Battle Flag) must be seen everywhere. It must be flown from as many flagpoles as possible. Placed on trucks, cars, t-shirts, hats, etc. It literally must be flown everywhere and placed on everything. If you're a tatoo kind of person, then consider getting one where everyone can see it. If you like t-shirts, Visit Dixie Outfitters, or some other clothing outlet that sells them, and wear them proudly. If you're a flag-waving kind of person, then you know what you need to do. This is the battle plan folks. It's the only battle plan that will work. The South must be desensitised to the Dixie Flag, and we are the only ones who can do it. Logical arguments and historical knowledge are helpful, but they will not win the battle. The only thing we can do to win back the ground we have lost is to address the mental-emotional complex that is causing it. Let's start desensitising folks! It works.
THE CATHOLIC KNIGHT: I am a Southern American man and I proudly define myself as a Dixiean. That term is not a very popular one at this time, but I insist on it, because it truly does define my REAL nationality. It is a nationality suppressed so successfully by the imperial reign of Washington DC that most of my countrymen have no knowledge of it. Many of my countrymen use the term Southerner or Southron instead, and of course there is nothing wrong with that, but in designating a term that is directional in nature, the next question that begs to be asked is "southern to what?" Thus we enter into the hyphenated identity of Southern-American or American-Southron. Again, nothing wrong with that, but I do see a slight problem. By using this terminology, the connection to the United States of America is implied, and thus my countryman identifies himself as an American primarily. If that is what one wants, then fine, but I am not an American by choice. I am an American by circumstance because my people were conquered by Washington DC about 150 years ago. Therefore I am a Dixiean. That is my real nationality. I insist. I look forward to the day when all my fellow countrymen will join me in using that term.
I am descended from Ulster-Scott (Scots-Irish), German, Scandinavian, English and Cherokee-Iroquois. My blood flows from two continents and I am connected to this land directly. I have 200 years of European connection to Dixie and 4,000 years of Native American connection to Dixie, particularly the Appalachian mountains where my Ulster-Scott ancestry first came into contact with my Cherokee-Iroquois ancestry. Yes, I am descended from many peoples, as are most of my countrymen here, and that is part of what makes us Dixieans. Half of my ancestry (on my mother's side) fought in the War for Southern Independence (American Civil War), and none of them owned slaves, not a single one. They were Ulster-Scots and Cherokee. The other half of my ancestry (my father's side) lived on the Northern side of the Mason-Dixon line in Missouri. Rather than fight however, they fled west to Colorado territory, knowing full well the federal aggression was immoral and this was not their war. My father and mother eventually met in California, where I was raised, but my mother saw to it that my connection to Dixie remained firm in values and culture.
Let me make some things crystal clear for everyone reading this....
First and foremost, I am not a racist. While I do believe that there is nothing unchristian about loving your own kind (ethnically, culturally and even racially) I do believe that hating another kind is a great sin against both God and man. As Christians we are certainly allowed to love our own, but we are forbidden to hate others. Am I proud of my ancestry? Sure. Why wouldn't I be? Do I hate or dislike other people's ancestry? Of course not! What purpose would that serve?
Second, I despise the institution of slavery, but unlike most Americans, I am actually fairly educated about what slavery really was in the New World. Slavery is a very ancient institution indeed, one which came to North America by way of the English. However, it also existed in South and Central America as well by way of the Spanish. Cuba served as a great slave-trading hub for centuries, both for North and South America. Initially, slavery was not limited to particular races. Even white Europeans could be slaves, and this remained the case well into the 1700s in some places. Nor was slave ownership limited to white men. In South America, many men of Native American ancestry owned slaves. While in North America, even black men (of African ancestry) owned slaves. This remained the case all the way until the American Civil War. It is a little known fact that the largest slave plantation in the State of South Carolina in 1860 was owned by a black man. Was slavery connected to racism? Yes, it was for most people, but it certainly wasn't that way exclusively. The institution itself knew no limits, and cared not about the colour of one's skin. Again, for the record, my Dixie Confederate ancestors did not own slaves, and that was quite common actually. Over 60% of all Southerners did not own slaves on the outset of the Civil War, and in fact, the abolition movement had considerable strength in the South at that time. General Robert E. Lee, that great Confederate warrior, was himself an abolitionist. While his Northern opponent, Union General Ulysses S. Grant, was a slave owner believe it or not. Given another couple decades, slavery would have been eradicated in the South by pure market forces, just as it was in the North. To frame the great conflict of our ancestors in the template of racist slavery is pure ignorance of history. Both the North and the South were dependent on the slave economy at the time, and while the Civil War was not caused by the slave economy, it did factor into the circumstances leading up to the war. People can ignorantly claim the Southern states were fighting for slavery all they want, but the men who did the fighting tell a different story. They tell of fighting for their independence against an authoritarian federal government that was acting as the aggressor. While the men who fought for the North, including the generals and the politicians themselves, also testified that the war was not about slavery. So people of the 21st century can frame the whole thing in the template of slavery if they want, but the people of the 19th century (who actually lived through it) will tell you a completely different story. That's not my testimony -- it's theirs -- read it and see for yourself.
Third, I despise the institution of segregation, and I would like to point out that the first segregation laws in the South were instituted by Yankee occupiers during the Reconstruction period after the Confederacy was conquered. Segregation began in the North you see, after slavery was eradicated there. This was the way Northerners dealt with "keeping the races apart" once slaves were free. Institutionalised segregation in a slave economy is nearly impossible, for slaves had to work in fields alongside many of their masters, cook in the kitchens with their master's wives, saw in the mills with their overseers and shop in the marketplaces to carry the goods. You just can't have real segregation in a slave economy. However, once the slave economy is eradicated, then you can effectively enforce segregation laws. Such was the case in the Northern states once they eliminated slavery there before the Civil War. Then after the Southern states were conquered, Southern men were no longer allowed to hold political office (see the Fourteenth Amendment to the U.S. Constitution for details) . So, Northern opportunists (carpetbaggers) came down South to run for elected office. These Yankee carpetbaggers were the men who set up the South's segregation system after slavery was eradicated by the Thirteenth Amendment to the U.S. Constitution. Segregation was foreign to the South prior to the Civil War. Yes, a Southern class system existed, but it was not segregated in the way we understand segregation today. Modern segregation is a Northern invention, exported to the Southern states, as a consequence of losing the Civil War. After a century of segregation in the Southern states, many white Southerners defended it (to their shame), but many white Southerners also opposed it. We must always keep that in mind. The Dixie flag, the Christian cross of St. Andrew, was abused by many racists during that time, but then so was the American flag right along side it. (Such abuse remains to this day.) To associate the Dixie flag with segregation and racism exclusively is intellectually dishonest. For the American flag has been used to represent those things just as much if not more so.
Fourth, I believe in culture. The people of Dixie have a distinct culture that comes directly from the English and Ulster-Scots. There is a good amount of regular Irish in that mix as well. It is a culture we as a people need to rediscover and celebrate. It is our heritage, and it unites us, regardless of our racial ancestry. We are of many races, but our culture is Anglo-Celtic. It is who we are as a people. We need to break the chains of Yankee imperialism and the tyranny of multiculturalism. For God's sake my countrymen, you are what you are, stop denying it! Bring back the kilts, bagpipes, dance and colours of our Anglo-Celtic heritage! Let us stop lamenting the loss of our past. Let us rebuild it! But this time, unshackled from the scourge of slavery and segregation, we shall remake our culture bigger and better than ever!!! I am not arguing for a preservation of what is. This is because the culture that currently exists has been diluted and gutted by 150 years of occupation. I'm talking about recognising who we are as a people, and rebuilding what we know we are supposed to be! No longer can we afford to allow ourselves to be separated culturally along racial lines. How dare anyone promote that! We are red, yellow, black and white when it comes to the colour of our skin, but when it comes to who we are as a people (our identity) we are Dixieans! and our culture is Anglo-Celtic. Let's put it back together.
Fifth, I believe in independence from the United States of America. Now the Civil War ended a century and a half ago. It's old news. In spite of the atrocities of Northern Aggression that happened, I hold no malice toward the people of the North and West. They cannot be held responsible for the crimes of their ancestors. It's not their fault. The problem I have is not with them. The problem I have is with Washington DC. This is an imperial regime. It began in violence against our people, and it has continued unstopped in constant oppression, even to the point of attacking the religious faith of our children in their schools. I believe that 150 years of history has demonstrated beyond any shadow of a doubt that Dixie cannot continue to exist under the iron fist of the federal government. The rule of Washington DC is toxic to our people, our culture, our heritage and our faith! It is inconsistent and incompatible with who we are as a people. Therefore, I am convinced that the best thing for Dixie is independence.
Sixth, I believe in the brotherhood of all English-speaking peoples. In spite of my desire for political independence from Washington DC, that does not mean I harbour animosity toward any other English-speaking people, neither toward my Yankee and Canadian cousins up North, nor toward my English and Australian blokes across the ponds. We are all part of a great and glorious Anglosphere, and there is no shame in celebrating that. It is our common heritage and our common bond. I look forward to the day when all Anglosphere countries (including Dixie) will stand united in a commonwealth of brotherhood that respects our individual sovereignty as independent nations, yet promotes our economic and cultural well-being as common peoples. The future world I see for the English-speaking people is bigger and better than the one that currently exists.
Seventh, I must confess, I am a Catholic, and as a Catholic I have a deep sense of justice. The people of Dixie are constantly maligned and ridiculed for everything from their accents to their poverty. Might I remind my Yankee cousins up North that much of the culture of poverty that exists down here in the South was caused by your ancestors. That's right, the rich European Anglo-Celtic culture that existed in Dixie prior to the Civil War was crushed by the Civil War -- literally burned to the ground! The economy of the South was pulverised, and that led to generations of extreme poverty for all races. With extreme poverty comes a rise in illiteracy. My own family of Ulster-Scots in Tennessee, well educated and prosperous for their area, was reduced to extreme poverty and absolute illiteracy within just a generation of the Civil War, and directly related to the effect of that war. The illiteracy was a problem not conquered for 100 years. It was my very own mother who became the first in her family to finish high school, only because of the extreme sacrifices of her parents, who both toiled in the cotton fields and sweatshops for two decades to make it happen. (Because of that, I was the first in my mother's family to complete a college education in nearly 150 years!) That's what a the Civil War did to my mother's ancestry. Think about that next time you make fun of our people because of their accents or living conditions. I know, it's humorous to poke fun at "rednecks" and "trailer trash," and I must admit, some of those folks are deserving because of their lack of dignity, but just remember who put their ancestors in that position in the first place. It was your Yankee ancestors. Please keep that in mind next time you tell a joke.
Eighth and finally, I want to address this to my fellow countrymen in Dixie. You know just as well as I do that the days of the imperial empire in Washington DC are numbered. The federal government has amassed a debt it cannot pay and crippled an economy it cannot fix. Many of you served in the United States military, and that is something you should be proud of. In your service to the empire, you also served your countrymen in Dixie, and I salute you for this. Let us never forget that General George Washington served in the British army before becoming an American, and General Robert E. Lee served in the United States army before becoming a Confederate. Fly your American flags high while the empire still lasts, but remember your people and your homeland first. You are sons and daughters of Dixie. Your ancestors fought for their freedom too, 150 years ago, in the War for Southern Independence. Your bond to kin and country is stronger than any bond to a federal republic that is committing suicide. Remember that, because when the empire finally falls, we the people of Dixie may need your services to secure the safety of our children. I know that you will rise to the occasion, because of who you are and what you believe in. As for all of us, veterans or not, let us begin the process of rebuilding before the inevitable fall of the empire comes. Study our heritage. Study the Ulster-Scots. Fly the flags of Dixie with pride, but do it with dignity as well. Only by continually flying the flags of Dixie without ceasing, can we desensitise our countrymen to the poison of race-baiting propaganda used by Liberal-Marxists to divide us. The key to the room in which the table of brotherhood sits is this flag -- the Dixie flag -- the Christian cross of St. Andrew. When blacks, whites and people of all races can sit together under it and work for our common benefit, then we will truly be free.
THE CATHOLIC KNIGHT: On Sunday, May 6th, 2012, the people of the new Europe sent a clear and unmistakable message to the leaders of the European Union -- "it's over." From Paris to Athens, the people have voted in accord with the words of many European leaders over the past couple years -- Multiculturalism is dead! It is an idea that has failed, miserably, and should be relegated to the historical scrap heap of bad ideas. Now, what to do with the wake of destruction it left behind?
Make no mistake about it, the French and Greek voters actually said the same thing last weekend. They just said it in different ways, which were specific to their particular circumstances. In France, the message was particularly financial in nature, in which the French people voted against European austerity measures, and against relinquishing any more sovereignty to the European Union. In Greece it was the same message, but much more profound, adding a cultural element. There the rejection of multiculturalism was more absolute, demanding a return to national identity and sovereignty.
The reaction of the mainstream liberal press in both Europe and North America was predictable. Any time nationalism begins to resurface, these shills of the Globalist elites immediately turn to cries of "extremism, fascism, racism and Nazism." This of course is designed to shut down all dialogue, marginalise the nationalists, and brainwash the general public against them. It's a tactic that has served them well in decades past but not so much any more. In Greece it's easy to demonise nationalists, because they have fully embraced the nationalist message, and that means fully rejecting the ideals of multiculturalism. Of course, anything that is not multiculturalist is obviously racist, or at least that's what the media shills tell us. In France however, it's a little harder, namely because the French have only rejected multiculturalism in a financial level so far. That however doesn't mean the cultural aspect is put aside. No, there have already been attempts to ban the burka and curb public demonstrations of Islamic prayer. In time the rejection of multiculturalism among French natives will arise to a level of open confrontation with French Muslims. Though it cannot be seen clearly now, France is well on its way toward a bloody civil war over this. Greece, while in dire straights economically today, may actually overt a cultural disaster much worse by moving strongly toward nationalism now rather than later.
As the global economic debt situation worsens, and the effects of Islamic immigration into Europe become more evident, the European Union is destined to break apart. However, don't expect the Globalists and Masonic elites to fade quietly into the night. No, these a powerful men with ambitious dreams. They will do whatever they think it takes to make those dreams come to realisation. If they cannot crush nationalism on a political level, then they will try to burn it out physically, by orchestrating confrontations that will likely turn violent. No matter how you slice it, Europe is destined for more civil unrest in the not-too-distant future. The only way Europeans can avoid it is to lie down quietly, and let the multicultural globalists have their way. It's becoming increasingly obvious however that is not going to happen. So violence it shall be. Remember that! First comes the demonising of nationalists. If that doesn't work, then violence will follow. That's how it works in Europe. The power brokers of the European Union have willed it so.
Don't think however that we Americans across the pond will escape all this. The fall of multiculturalism in Europe will spell the end of the EU, and when the EU goes down, it's going to take a lot of American finance down with it. That spells more economic trouble for the United States, which in turn compromises the integrity of the United States federal government. Make no mistake about it; what European elites strive for in the EU, was already accomplished in the United States over a hundred years ago, even if it was by force here and there. That amalgamated cultural "melting pot" that once was the late great United States was abandoned in the 1960s for the multiculturalist model, eventually resulting in a new form of factional nationalism emerging across the southern belt of America. In the southwest, a new Hispanic nation is emerging, one that is neither Mexican nor American, but something in-between. It is only a matter of time before this region of the United States seeks independence. While in the southeast of Old Dixieland, many Americans are returning to the concept of states-rights in the form of "nullification" while others are reintroducing the talk of open "secession." The window of opportunity is closing fast for the United States. Either, the federal government introduces a healthy dose of American nationalism now, by closing the borders and regulating immigration tightly, or it will completely lose control in the not-too-distant future, resulting in the breakup of the USA eventually.
In the end, nationalism is not the normal state of the body politic in any nation. Nationalism is not something that exists naturally. Rather, it is a reaction to something, and in this case, it is a reaction to the failed policies of globalism and multiculturalism. The people have tasted the fruits thereof, and it has caused them to gag. Their reaction is being manifested in the form of nationalism. The movers and shakers of both the EU and the USA would do well to listen to the nationalist message, and look to find ways to implement it in a fair and equitable way.
THE CATHOLIC KNIGHT: Elections in Europe this week produced some predictable results in France as the country swung from centre-right (neoconservative) to far-left (socialist). France has a history of this sort of thing. What was also predictable was the electoral chaos produced in Greece, as voters angry with the government's financial idiocy delivered a massive anti-incumbent vote that reshaped the make up of parliament. What was surprising about this particular backlash was the shocking election of about 21 alleged Neo-Nazis to parliament.
I didn't even know there was such a thing as Greek Neo-Nazis. Will surprises ever cease? So I decided to educate myself on this relatively new (yet strangely familiar) phenomenon.
Here is what I know so far. It's called the Chrysi Avgi or "Golden Dawn" party, and while the mainstream media and government entities have described it as "Neo-Nazi" and "fascist" the party leadership utterly rejects those labels, preferring to refer to itself as a strictly "nationalist" movement. The mainstream media has also connected the party to violence against dark-complexion minorities in Greece, but as far as I can ascertain at this time, this is unconfirmed. The problem I see here is this. The mainstream news media in the Western world is well known to be strongly Left-wing, and the label of "Nazi" is frequently bantered around by people on the Left, against the Right, so often that it has lost virtually all meaning. Like the little boy who cried "wolf!" what the mainstream press says about Golden Dawn may be true, but we have know way of knowing that for sure because the media's credibility is shot and has been for some time.
So all we really have to go by is what Golden Dawn says about itself, and how its members project themselves to the public. While I am still searching for a definitive statement on Golden Dawn's beliefs and positions, what has been clearly projected by their own statements is a strongly nationalist movement; opposing the European Union, international banking cartels, excessive immigration, Enlightenment Neo-Liberalism, and anarchism. Their members have been seen in public clashes (some violent) with anarchist demonstrators. It is alleged that Golden Dawn has a fairly large degree of sympathisers within the Greek police forces, and now after the most recent election, it can be safely said that Golden Dawn is officially a part of the Greek government. It is albeit a small part, but a part nonetheless. If it continues its current rate of exponential growth, it will control half of the Greek Parliament by the next election cycle. (It is unknown if this growth rate will continue, but I suspect it may.) Nikolaos Michaloliakos, the party's leader, appears to have successfully tapped into the fears and concerns of the Greek people. I listened to a translation of his victory speech after the election. It was vindictive and defiant. This may be some insight to the character of the man, but on the other hand, it may also be an emotional outburst of vindication after a long media smear campaign. I might find myself in a similar state after being labelled a "Nazi" in the mainstream press for months. Despite the emotional tirade, his message was clear and succinct, which is why I believe it may very well gain steam in the years ahead. What Michaloliakos says publicly (so far) about protecting the national identity of Greece is essentially true, even the pope agrees, but what is in question here are the alleged tactics of the party. The Left-wing media, and frantic government liberals, are depicting Golden Dawn's approach to immigration as equivalent to the Nazi's use of machine guns and gas chambers. Again, because of the credibility of those who report this, we have no way of knowing at this time. Liberals (both in the Western press and governments) frequently resort to Nazi name-calling and dire predictions of mass murder, any time somebody takes a nationalist approach to state politics. It's the typical scaremongering and predictions of catastrophe practised by those on the Left. It's the little boy who cried "wolf!" again. Is it true? You can run if you like, but the rest of the townspeople are growing weary of it. I for one would rather just sit and enjoy my stein of good German beer. The press be damned, I'll just watch, wait and see for myself. If they really are Nazis, or something similar to that, I'll condemn it of course. If it's true, they will not be able to hide if for long. If it's not true however, shame on the media, as usual.
The symbol of the Golden Dawn Party was of particular interest to me. As an ignorant American I immediately thought is was some variation of the Nazi swastika, but after a bit of reading I learned it's actually called a "Maeander" and it's an ancient decorative in Greek art. To my knowledge, there is no real connection to the Nazi swastika, at least not yet anyway.
Now we have no way of knowing what Golden Dawn will become, but I would like to say something about the rise of extreme right parties in general. You have to understand, that such movements are not natural to the body politic of any nation. Nor do they arise out of thin air. While "hate" may become a part of such parties, the truth is, one can just as easily find the same kind of "hate" on the political Left as well. Nationalism is reactionary -- period. It is the result of something else. It is a political backlash, nothing more and nothing less. Nationalism is the result of national governments FAILING to do their primary job, which is to protect their people in identity and culture, which if done properly, will lead to both economic and social prosperity. Immigration is not bad, but too much immigration is, especially when immigrants are not assimilated into the host population. Government entitlements aren't necessarily bad, but when so much entitlements are given that it financially ruins the country, it's easy to say the government has gone too far. Banking is not bad, but when bankers are cared for at the expense of the people, again the government is to blame. These are the things that drive normal ordinary people to nationalism. Who can blame them really? The people of Greece have no financial future, and the whole world knows it. Their economy is crushed. Their government teeters on the brink of collapse. Anarchists regularly rule the streets. Total chaos has now become a real and credible possibility for Greece. The Greek people know this, and they are desperately trying to hold things together. The Golden Dawn Party (regardless of what it may or may not be) has promised solutions if enabled with power. Whether they are enabled, and can deliver, is another story. A growing number of Greek people however, see in this party a potential solution to their problems, and even if it is fascist, they know fascism is better than anarchy. Having myself survived the Los Angeles riots in 1992, I tend to agree. Martial law is better than anarchy. We still however, do not know what kind of government the Golden Dawn Party will create if allowed by the people. If however, the Greek government would just DO IT'S JOB in the first place, political parties like Golden Dawn would simply cease to exist, or else be relegated to obscurity at least.
I do know this. The ruling Hungarian Fidesz Party was widely maligned by the mainstream press as "fascist." That party happens to be staunchly pro-Catholic, and has managed to rewrite the Hungarian constitution to eliminate abortion and gay-marriage entirely, as well is put up safeguards to encroaching European liberalism, as well as unbridled immigration. For this the party, and the new constitution, (which means ultimately the majority of Hungarian people), were maligned as "radical" and "extremist" by both the international mainstream press and the U.S. State Department. So far, no new Holocaust-style concentration camps or gas chambers have been reported. Again, we are back to the little boy who cried "wolf!"
I will say just one thing, and only one thing, in defence of the Greek Chrysi Avgi (Golden Dawn) party. For the time being, its leadership claims to support the Greek Orthodox Church. So long as this remains the case, I do believe there may be hope. If however, this support of the Church begins to wane within the party, there will most certainly be trouble.
If I may be so bold as to make a suggestion to the leadership of Golden Dawn. If you have not already done so, perhaps you may want to request an official chaplain from the Greek Orthodox Church, to help in the political formation and spiritual guidance of your members. If you really are what you say you are, this seems like the most logical and consistent thing to do.
THE CATHOLIC KNIGHT: On this first Saturday in the month of Mary (May) 2012, the skies will be illuminated by a "supermoon." While there is nothing astronomically special about this occurrence, I do find it spiritually special, in that it coincidentally occurs this year in the month of Mary, when the Fatima apparitions began, and the First Five Saturdays devotion was later revealed. Both the month of May and Saturday are dedicated to the Blessed Virgin Mary in the Catholic Church, and the moon is seen as an iconographic symbol of Mary. She is often depicted standing on a crescent moon. The reason for this is simple. The moon represents Mary only because it reflects the light of the sun. It is this reflection that gives the moon its glowing bright appearance. Without the sun to shine on it, there is no reflection, and the moon is dark. Naturally, if Mary is symbolically depicted in the moon, then Jesus Christ is symbolically depicted in the sun, because Christ is the source of the light his mother Mary reflects, just as the sun is the source of the light the moon reflects. If the moon is bright, it is only because it reflects the light of the sun which is brighter. If Mary is "bright" it is only because she reflects the light of her Son who is "brighter." So on this First Saturday in the month of May, say a rosary, and be sure to do so under the light of the supermoon if you get a chance. It's sure to be a beautiful sight indeed...
