FRI-SAT-SUN April 14-16, 2000 volume 11, no. 75 |
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CATHOLIC PewPOINT editorial for the weekend of April 14-16, 2000
Flash back two years ago to when another who emulates Christ in everything - His Holiness Pope John Paul II arrived in Havana. He was hailed by the people and tolerated by the Pontius Pilate of modern times - Fidel Castro who, in reality, has washed his hands of responsibility for the poverty of his country that has suffered under the suffocating and now-outmoded hammer and sickle in the aftermath of the coup that ousted Cuban dictator Juan Baptista forty years ago. Meanwhile, the Scribes and Pharisees - the modern secular media as the former and the Clinton administration representing the Pharisees continue to clamor that someone be sacrificed for the "sake of justice." "Release Barrabas!" Attorney General Janet Reno cries as she musters Federal troops to take Elian by force if necessary. Meanwhile the Clinton administration supports an effort to remove the Holy Father's influence from the world by endorsing UN initiatives promulgated by Planned Parenthood and the gay agenda forwarded enthusiastically by Democratic presidential hopeful Al Gore. Just as the Sanhedrin called Jesus before them, America has called for the Holy Father to intervene in the Elian Gonzalez dilemna. In a story from Catholic World News today, Clinton has asked the Holy See to make a neutral site available for negotiations and possible an exchange to take place. That is a key word for, whether they realize it or not, the United States has the hammer and could exact a measure of compensation from Castro by cooperating and releasing little Elian to his father, a man who has been accused of being merely a puppet for Castro and whose parenthood qualities have come into question considering he divorced his first wife who drowned in seeking the promised land of Miami last year. To use another analogy, like Jonah, little six year-old Elian was preserved from certain death. Jonah was saved in order to make the power of God known to the world and convince the Ninevites to repent of their evil ways or else! Did you ever wonder if the reason for little Elian being miraculously saved from the depths of the ocean was to be an instrument to help save millions of souls from the fathoms of hell? Like Jonah, God is using Elian indirectly to demonstrate once again the sacred importance of the family and the direction society needs to alter before the collective world is swallowed by the whale of no-return, regurgitating them into the bowels of hell. While the upper hand America could use is to ask for the release of political prisoners in Havana in exchange for returning poor Elian, the country and its leaders should take stock of the sins we have individually and collectively committed and, like the inhabitants of Ninevah, turn back to God with all our hearts and souls. Then America would truly have the advantage - one that cannot be measured in finite terms. In the meantime, we forsake sackcloth and ashes for the pride of power and self-righteousness at the expense of a little boy and millions of souls. Talk about someone caught in the middle of a tug-of-war, we're appalled at how the Clinton administration waxes poetic about the importance of children and that this program, or that program are designed for the "sake of the children." Hillary Clinton is one of the biggest hypocrites parroting this mantra while the entire administration energetically works to promote more abortions worldwide...for the "sake of the children?!?" Give us a break! Think about it, here is one child who has won the hearts of America and Cuba - a heart being pulled both ways, and yet millions upon millions of children are mercilessly slaughtered for the sake of "the right of a woman to make her own choice!" Just as Jesus called the Pharisees "Serpents, brood of vipers," so also we can equate Clinton, Gore, Reno and the rest to those who "traverse see and land to make one convert; and when he has become one you make him twofold more a son of hell than yourselves" (Matthew 23: 15). Just as Our Lord says "You blind fools! ...Woe to you, Scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! because you clean the outside of the cup and the dish, but within they are full of robbery and uncleanness" (Matthew 23: 17, 25), the Clinton administration is full of robbery and uncleanness while posing as "whited sepulchres, which outwardly appear to men beautiful, but within are full of dead men's bones and of all uncleanness" (Matthew 23: 27). While Caesar sits in the White House, his modern day Caiphas Janet Reno tries to rationalize their stance, totally ignoring Christ's further words in Matthew 24: 34-35, "Therefore, behold, I send you prophets, and wise men, and scribes; and some of them you will put to death and crucify, and some you will scourge in your synogogues, and persecute from town to town; that upon you may come all the just blood that has been shed on the earth..." That just blood is the blood of the holy innocents - the aborted children. The Papal Nuncio Archbishop Gabriel Montalvo has been asked to intervene and provide a neutral site, possibly the papal nunciature in Washington D.C. Just as we said earlier that America has the upper hand with Cuba, this is an ideal opportunity for the Church to "bargain" with the Clinton administration beginning with a committment by the latter to back off on the abortion issue and not veto the Partial Birth Abortion ban when it comes before Clinton's desk in the near future. It's a start, but for the Vatican, which believes in family and has stated that the boy belongs with his natural father, simply being an ally with the US in furthering public relations for Clinton and his cronies would be a big mistake. The Church has a golden opportunity to deal from a position of strength since Clinton has come to the Pope with hat in hand asking for help. Jesus said in Matthew 23: 37-38, "How often I would have gathered thy children together, as a hen gathers her young under her wings, but thou wouldst not!", but because of this administration's perpetuation of abortion and the promotion of immorality through the gay agenda and illicit affairs, "Behold, your house is left to you desolate" (Matthew 23: 38) Finally, the Holy See can echo Our Lord's words in Matthew 23: 39, "For I say to you, you shall not see Me henceforth until you say, 'Blessed is He Who comes in the name of the Lord!'" The Papal Nuncio comes in the name of the Lord; Sister Jeanne O'Laughlin, who has been a matronly host for relatives to visit with Elian in Miami, comes in the name of the Lord as well, and, along with the aunts who truly care for little Elian's welfare, represent the holy women who remained with Christ through His terrible agony and last walk up Calvary, while the men either cower in fear or clamor for the blood of those who would persecute all who stood in their way. But, as Our Lord admonished Peter at Golgotha when he drew his sword "Put back thy sword into its place; for all those who take the sword will perish by the sword" (Matthew 26: 52), so also the Church is admonishing all to keep their cool in this heated battle that now involves the Justice Department vs. the Federal Court System and Miami Cubans passionate resistance vs. the arrogance of Castro. Into this midst comes the Church to cheers of Hosannah on this Palm Sunday 2000. The Holy See is looked upon as the trusted wise mediator in the fashion of Solomon to settle this thorny problem that evokes emotions and reasonable rationale on both sides of the issue. Right and wrong mean nothing anymore. We have to start by examining our own conscience to reestablish in ourselves the distinction between right and wrong, truth and justice as established by the Supreme Judge of all. When we have come to that conscious knowledge of right and wrong it makes an impact on the collective conscience of the world. This is the legacy Pope John Paul II is leaving to the entire world in inviting all to cross the threshold of hope with Christ. The greatest crime of all time was the death of Our Lord on Good Friday for political reasons. The names and the dates have changed but the crime scene remains the same. Good people are still being persecuted and sentenced and, like Christ, young Elian has remained, for the most part, silent as others determine his fate in the name of 'social justice,' which is pride - pure and simple! Few truly have Elian's best interests at heart except those who truly love him and the Vicar of Christ, who, in his compassion and wisdom, has already said the child belongs with his father for the sake of the family in perpetuating the Sanctity of Life. Everyone seems to be suffering over this ordeal, most of all little Elian, who, reports say, wants to stay with his relatives in Miami. But what better time to suffer with him and to offer up our own sacrifices and suffering than Holy Week for in the plight of a small Catholic boy rests the spectrum of what Our Lord suffered for the sake of all His children from Adam to Elian and beyond. The Hosannahs of Havana have transformed into the Passion of Pity, Poverty and Politics. We can only hope and pray that, through the Church's wise intervention, the Crucifixion of Crisis, in which Elian Gonzalez is being offered up to maddening crowds on both sides, will result in the Resurrection of Right Resolve!
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April 14-16, 2000 volume 11, no. 75 CATHOLIC PewPOINT
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