“Tension had existed for some time between socialists and the Church of Mexico. In 1917, a socialist, anti-religious constitutional government was officially established. Starting in the 1920s, President Calles enacted harsh anti-Catholic policies that included the closing of 480 churches, schools, orphanages, and hospitals, the forfeiture of citizenship for Catholic bislhops, and the arrest of clergy, as well as the public banishment of clerical clothing. Under the Calles regime, somewhere between 250,000 and 300,00 people were executed.

“BL. Miguel Pro was a Mexican priest martyred in 1927 by President Calles. Fr. Pro had gone into hiding, often wearing disguises to sneak around town and deliver the sacraments. A bomb was thrown at President Calles’ car in November 1927. Fr. Pro’s brother had once owned the car from which the bomb was thrown, so Fr. Pro and his brothers were arrested on trumped up charges of attempted assassination despite their airtight alibis. Once Calles learned that Fr. Pro was a Catholic priest, he ordered Pro’s execution to covered by journalistws in order to use it later as propaganda aimed at domoralizing the population. Fr. Pro died forgiving his killers, his arms in the shape of the Cross, and Calles’ plot backfired as the circulated pictures only inspired Mexican Catholics (they were later banned by the government). Pope John Paul II beatified Fr. Miguel Pro on September 25, 1998, and his feast day is November 23.”

Source: Steve Weidenkop and Dr. Alan Schreck, Epic: A Journey Through Church History, West Chester, PA: Ascension Press, 2009, page 186.

These so-called progressives are gnostics. They believe they know the secret knowledge about how human beings should govern their lives. People always resist and the know-it-alls will always resort to cruel, inhumane ways to force compliance to social justice.

Sorry, America, but it can happen here.

That was the billboard I saw this week as I was speeding north on US-26 just outside of Watertown, Wisconsin. At my car-speed I just barely saw the sponsor of it: I think it was call `freedom from religion.’

Playing the devil-advocate (an apt title in this case) I thought: would I be happier without my faith tradition? For the first thirty-nine years I was a nominal christian; I called myself a cultural Presbyterian, independent christian (I un-capitalize Christian here on purpose.) Succinctly, I lived a secular life.

I found the secular life unrewarding. It was not enjoyable. Christmas was an expensive day-off from work.

In the last year of my fourth decade I chose to be confirmed in my Faith Tradition. I became a practicing Christian. Life had meaning; I am enjoying life.

Whether there is an after-life or not, enjoyment is internal, it is found within each of us. Do avoid the false gods of a convenient life-style.

I can not do a thing about the leftist net-rooters but as Mel Gibson’s fellow faith believer I seek for him to advance forward up the road in his continuing conversion in our constant struggle to become like our Lord.

As for the other haters I turn away after my failure to convince them to be civil. I dust of my robe and my shoes, and I turn to my favorite radio station on my mobile: 2UE in New South Wales.

2UE Sydney Windows Media 32 Kbps News/Talk

2UE

Achieving justice against one’s trespassers is a temporary relief. Long-term peace can not be obtained from secular decrees. While forgiveness is not a substitute for justice, personal closure can not truly come from secular justice –a nagging hatred remains buried within — but it is only from the forgiveness of your bastardly trespassers will your heart mends toward a peace of mind.

This is a major difference between the Church and secular society today. The Church has placed sole remedy on forgiving wayward clerics instead of sending them off for secular punishment. The general society seeks revenge. Those who do evil should be punished and those who suffered from the evil must forgive. Closure comes from both being done; forgiving one’s trespassers is the more important one.