Syte Reitz

The hand that rocks the cradle rules the world…….

Browsing Posts tagged Pope Benedict

Christianophobia

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The headline Pope decries Christianophobia in Europe” really caught my eye!

Pope Benedict XVI

This Reuters report sure has a catchy title, and we should be pleased with the attention that intolerance and discrimination against Christians is getting.  I am particularly heartened, since one of my most active blog categories is “Don’t Diss My Church.”

Living in liberal Madison, WI, and reading the United States liberal media, one cannot help but notice the intolerance and discrimination suffered by Christians, who have even been intimidated into the fear of wishing someone “Merry Christmas” on a national holiday which even the government observes.

However, let’s be careful of what words we attribute to the Holy Father—he is a bit too diplomatic to use sensationalism, and he did not actually say “Christianophobia.”


Vatican Emblem

On Dec 16, 2010, Pope Benedict published a really elegant treatise on Religious Freedom – “MESSAGE OF HIS HOLINESS BENEDICT XVI FOR THE CELEBRATION OF THE WORLD DAY OF PEACE (1st January 2011).”  In the message written to world leaders, the Holy Father discusses the essential role of religious freedom in establishing peace, and mentions the intolerance and discrimination suffered by Christians, particularly in Europe.  The Reuters article, other than putting the word “Christianophobia” into Pope Benedict’s mouth, encapsulates many of the Holy Father’s points well and is worth reading. The Pope’s message is particularly worth reading.

The term “Christianophobia” is worthy of some discussion in itself.  Aside from appearing in the Reuters report, “Christianophobia” is also discussed by the Observatory on Intolerance and Discrimination against Christians, and is analyzed in the Observatory’s 5 year report on Intolerance and Discrimination against Christians, which states:

“Christianophobia or Christophobia are common terms that describe the phenomenon of intolerance and discrimination against Christians. The term consists of the words „Christian“ or „Christ“ and „phobos“ (φόβος) which means “irrational fear”. The term means therefore an irrational animosity towards Christ, Christians, or Christianity as a whole. As Christianity is familiar to Europeans, and antagonism against Christians is not due primarily to an „irrational fear of the unknown“, we have chosen to use the phrase Intolerance and Discrimination Against Christians when speaking about this phenomenon.”

Semantics aside, it’s great to see Pope Benedict’s message reported by the media, and secretly I really enjoyed the sensational spin Reuters put on the message – Pope Benedict’s diplomatic and humble manner does not always get him the attention his brilliant writing deserves!

It is even possible that Reuter’s use of the word “Christianophobia” is not as sensational as it first appears.  Given the dwindling familiarity and dwindling level of knowledge of Christianity prevalent in Europe and in many United States locations today, the Observatory 5 Year Report’s definition of Christophobia as an antagonism stemming from a lack of familiarity or of knowledge, might after all be the correct description for the animosity commonly seen towards religion today.

“Not a hundred people in the United States hate the Roman Catholic Church, but millions hate what they mistakenly think the Roman Catholic Church is.”

-Bishop Fulton J Sheen

http://www.intoleranceagainstchristians.eu/fileadmin/user_upload/Five-Year_Report_Intolerance_against_Christians_in_Europe_-_online_version.pdf

Rosary for the Bishop is one of my favorite cultural war weapons !

“The Heart open to God, purified by contemplation of God, is stronger than guns and weapons of every kind.”

-Joseph Cardinal Ratzinger
Prefect of the Congregation
for the Doctrine of the Faith, in the Message of Fatima

Learn more about Rosary for the Bishop in Tom Reitz’s interview with Relevant Radio:

Tom Reitz

Here goes TIME Magazine again, dissing my Church………

June 7, 2010 TIME Magazine cover:

Why would the June 7, 2010 TIME Magazine cover lie so blatantly about Pope Benedict?

  • Pope Benedict HAS apologized about the scandals ( what a saint! — he is innocent of all the charges that were thrown at him starting during Holy Week).
  • The terrible problem of sexual abuse of children is rampant in all sectors of our society, but the Catholic Church has the lowest incidence of offense of all groups. Children are (and have always been) safer in the hands of the Catholic Church than they are at government schools or in their own homes.
  • Finally, Pope Benedict has been at the forefront of developing procedures for the safety of children, which now make the Catholic Church a model for all other institutions on how to deal with child abuse prevention.

So WHY is TIME Magazine (and the NYTimes, as well as other extreme liberal media) attacking the Pope so blatantly, with old charges which have already been disproved?

They do this because the Church is the single largest, most centralized and most powerful voice threatening to undermining their extreme liberal agenda in the world today. The Church does this by proclaiming the truth courageously, and by standing up for the innocent and downtrodden. Most recently, the courageous actions of the US Bishops in opposing abortion in health care have irritated the extreme left.

Since the extreme left has no valid ammunition, they attack the Church with lies. And so the persecution of the Church continues…. ironically, the last round started up during Holy Week, with attacks peaking on Good Friday. Why TIME Magazine is trying to resurrect these now outdated issues on their June 7 cover is a good question.

More information:

Setting the Record Straight-Zenit

George Wiegel

Syte Reitz, April 28 ’10

Revealing Statistics – National Catholic Register

12 Things You Should Know About the U.S. Scandals – NCR

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