Wisdom of the Saints XIII

The country in which I live is not my native country; that lies elsewhere, and it must always be the center of my longings.

St. Thérèse de Lisieux
1873-1897

Obispos con Cajones

In Zimbabwe, where President-for-life Robert Mugabe seems not to know the meaning of human rights, the nine Catholic bishops took a bold step on Easter Sunday.

HARARE, Zimbabwe - In an Easter message pinned to church bulletin boards around the country, Zimbabwe's Roman Catholic bishops called on President Robert Mugabe to leave office or face "open revolt" from those suffering under his government...

"As the suffering population becomes more insistent, generating more and more pressure through boycotts, strikes, demonstrations and uprisings, the state responds with ever harsher oppression through arrests, detentions, banning orders, beatings and torture," the Zimbabwe Catholic Bishops Conference said in a pastoral message pinned up at churches throughout the country.

The majority of Zimbabwe's Christians — including Mugabe — are Roman Catholics. Several thousand worshippers who packed the cathedral in Harare clustered around the bulletin boards to read the message after morning Mass on Sunday.

"Many people in Zimbabwe are angry, and their anger is now erupting into open revolt in one township after another," the nine bishops wrote.

"In order to avoid further bloodshed and avert a mass uprising, the nation needs a new people-driven constitution that will guide a democratic leadership chosen in free and fair elections," it said. MORE

How often do we see this kind of backbone in church leaders today? People who oppose Mugabe like this are routinely subject to arrest, torture, and imprisonment. These bishops are risking life and limb to protect their flock.

I know, I know, separation of church and state, etc etc. Tell it to this guy. We're not talking about whether to post the Ten Commandments or not. Zimbabwe is way past that point. But not all church leaders are in agreement:

The Anglican church has been more muted, with its leaders generally toeing the ruling party line.

Why am I not surprised?

UPDATE: Here is an excellent blog post comparing the Church in Zimbabwe to the role of the church in overthrowing communism in Poland. Hat tip: Mark Shea.

Three Presidents at Once?

Today I was listening to the podcast of NBC's Meet The Press from Sunday. They were discussing the 2008 presidential race. Somebody, I'm not sure who, said that we're going to have three competing presidents for about nine months next year. How can this be?

First there will be President Bush, of course. Meanwhile the front-loaded primary season makes it likely that the nominee of both parties will be decided by early February 2008. From then until November (and maybe longer if we get into another recount fiasco) the two nominees and the guy in the White House will all be claiming national leadership. Obviously Bush will still hold the nuclear keys, but in other ways he will become increasingly irrelevant.

The loser in this scenario has to be the GOP. Unless Bush's approval ratings go up dramatically, the Republican candidate will be forced to distance himself from the current president as much as possible. That means all the party leaders and activists will have to take sides. Few will choose the guy who already has one foot out the door. Meanwhile the Democratic candidate, whoever he/she is, will be free to exploit all the fissures on the GOP side.

Bush likes to say he doesn't make his decisions according to polls. He will probably lose that luxury for his last year in office, unless he wants to hand over the White House to a Democrat.

The Useful Dead VI

Remarkable news from China:

BEIJING (AFP) - China will formally ban the trade in human organs from May 1, state media reported, amid ongoing allegations that the nation's military is involved in harvesting organs from executed prisoners.

The regulation, issued by the State Council, or China's cabinet, does not apply to transplants of human tissue such as cells, corneas or bone marrow, the Xinhua news agency reported on Friday.

"This is the first regulation of its kind introduced by the central government, and it is a milestone in the country's organ transplant history," vice health minister Huang Jiefu was quoted as saying...

The new regulation "stipulates that human organ transplants should respect the principle of voluntary and free donation and makes it a crime to harvest organs without the owner's permission or against his will," Xinhua said.

The law, which forbids the use of organs from minors, aims to "safeguard citizens' lawful rights" and ensure the quality of transplant surgery, it added. MORE

It's about time. Some in China have apparently been selling organs harvested from prisoners for some time now. Whether the new law will actually stop this practice remains to be seen, of course. But it's a step.

McCain in Fantasy Land

Today's Washington Post carries an editorial by Sen. John McCain about his recent trip to Iraq. It is titled The War You're Not Reading About. Among other things, McCain says security isn't so bad in Baghdad. His delegation "stopped at a local market, where we spent well over an hour, shopping and talking with the local people, getting their views and ideas about different issues of the day."

What a pleasant picture. The politicos took a nice stroll through the market, buying souvenirs and having a lovely time chatting with the locals. Baghdad sounds no more dangerous than Cancun. What the Senator doesn't mention is that his trip to the market also included, according to news reports, a bulletproof vest, three Blackhawk helicopters, two Apache gunships and about 100 U.S. troops.

I guess somewhere in McCain's fantasy world, he thinks the kind of protection a U.S. Senator gets is available to everyone in Iraq.

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Hat tip: Poliblog

He is Risen

Let all pious men and lovers of God rejoice in the splendour of this feast. Let the wise servants blissfully enter into the joy of their Lord. Let those who have born the burden of Lent now receive their pay. And those who have toiled since the first hour, let them now receive their due reward. Let anyone who came after the third hour be grateful to join the feast. And those who may have come after the sixth hour, let them not be afraid of being too late, for the Lord is gracious and He receives the last even as the first.

He gives rest to him who comes on the eleventh hour as well as to him who has toiled from the first. Yes, He has pity on the last and He serves the first. He rewards the one and is generous to the other. He repays the deed and praises the effort.

Come you all, enter into the joy of your Lord. You the first and you the last, receive alike your reward. You rich and you poor, dance together. You sober and you weaklings, celebrate the day. You who have kept the fast and you who have not, rejoice today. The table is richly laden, enjoy the royal banquet. The calf is a fatted one, let no one go away hungry.

All of you, enjoy the banquet of faith; all of you receive the riches of His goodness. Let no one grieve over his poverty, for the universal has been revealed. Let no one weep over his sins, for pardon has shone from the grave. Let no one fear death for the death of our Saviour has set us free. He has destroyed death by enduring it. He has despoiled Hades by going down into its kingdom. He has angered it by allowing it to taste of His flesh.

When Isaiah foresaw this, he cried, "O Hades, you have been angered by encountering Him in the nether world."

Hades is angered because it is frustrated. It is angered because it has been mocked. It is angered because it was destroyed. It is angered because it has been reduced to naught. It is angered because it is now captive. It seized a Body and, lo! It discovered God!

O death, where is thy sting? O Hades, where is thy victory? Christ is risen and you are abolished! Christ is risen and the demons are cast down. Christ is risen and the angels rejoice. Christ is risen and life is freed. Christ is risen and the tomb is emptied of the dead. Christ, being risen from the dead, has become the Leader and Reviver of those who have fallen asleep. To Him be glory and power unto ages of ages. Amen.

St. John Chrystostom (349-407)