Tuesday, October 07, 2008

Christians persecuted in India

Continuing news of persecutions reach us almost daily. However, the Church in the United States hardly hears about it. I suggest that the following URL be followed for more information: http://www.catholicnewsagency.com/new.php?n=13987

We basically abandoned the Church in the Holy Land when, a few years ago, Mohammedan terrorists took control of the Church of the Nativity, committing sacrilege, terrorizing the clergies of the church, and committing other horrors. The Arab Catholics and Orthodox of the East Bank felt completely abandoned. No one did a thing to help them. Finally, the Israeli Defense Forces brokered a deal to get them out, but there was no consolation for the Church.

As Catholics we need to develop a more catholic understanding of the Church. If one member suffers, we have found in our day, that contrary to the Apostle, none of the other members seem to suffer with it. Of course, this has been happening for a long time. In 1917-18, during the Armenian massacre by the Turks, almost two million Armenian Christians were killed. There was not even a peep from the Western Powers to stop it. Hitler used this amazing lack of concern on the part of Europeans (and Americans) as further justification for his solution of the "Jewish Question." After all, if Christians won't even lift a finger to help their own, why would the help Jews? We know the sad result of all that.

Our Lady of the Holy Rosary (OL of Victory)


Today is the feast of our Lady of the Rosary,. This is the anniversary of the naval battle of Lepanto in Greece in which a combined Christian fleet defeated the Ottoman navy, eliminating them as a naval power in the Mediterranean.

For a good overview, go to this link to read about the battle and its significance:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Battle_of_Lepanto_(1571)

Because the victory was deemed the result of the intercession of the Mother of God, through the holy rosary, Pope Pius V declared it to be the feast of our Lady of Victory. Gregory XIII changed the name to the feast of the Holy Rosary.