The Pontius Pilate Syndrome

 Lies, lies, lies --from political ads to scam phone calls about compromised social security numbers..

Truth has become the victim. 

Among many people the end justifies the means.

"It's All About Me:" has become the theme song of a disappointingly large segment of the population.

Rioting in the streets, looting, destruction of property are justified by selfishness and the demise of reason.

Opinions are no longer conclusions drawn from a search for what is true and moral. The assumption "I'm entitled to my own opinion" is used to justify prejudice, greed, self-indulgence, hatred.

It is disheartening to be bombarded by mendacious, manipulating, and misleading reports and rumors.

It must have been more than frustrating for Jesus when he explained to the Roman procurator that he had come into the world "to testify to the truth" only to hear Pontius Pilate respond, "What is truth?"

Covid-19 has been a threat for all humanity, but I have come to believe that a culture of lying is an even greater danger.

Whom do you trust?

Jesus' affirmed, "I am the way, the truth and the life."

It is to him that we must turn.

Damnatio Memoriae

I suspect many in the cohorts of iconoclasts destroying the statues, memorials and icons of our country’s history are bent on their destruction because they have no vested interest in modern America.



Past generations struggled to form this “one nation under God.” People from across the Atlantic and the Pacific came to the shores of the new world, enticed by the hope of living under a government that was dedicated to “life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness.” And they paid a price for that dream.



Wars, economic depression, social philosophies that would undermine freedom were frequent threats to the hopes, dreams and promises which made up the American spirit. And the cost of protection and preservation was high.



Perhaps because the current generation of iconoclasts received rather than earned the peace and prosperity that the United States preserves, they can easily find fault with and eagerly dismantle the gift they have been given.



No thinking American can deny the nation’s many faults and failings. Slavery, racial discrimination, and unjust legislation have pockmarked the face of the nation. Many of the historical memorials and statues have reflected both America’s failures and defeats, but each is preserved to record a stage in the development of what many of us nonetheless consider “the world’s best hope.”



I suspect that part of the effort to blot out our history (damnatio memoriae) by destruction of icons is the result of a loss of historical perspective and personal investment in the home of the free and the brave. Education is failing us.



 It is so much easier to destroy than to build.



And two other corollaries may also come into play: 1) Those filled with hate can’t think straight; and 2) as historian Arthur Schlesinger, Jr., once opined, “We suffer today from too much pluribus and not enough unum.”

Archbishop Vignao's Analysis of the Times and Situation Facing the U.S.

The following is the June 7, 2020, letter to President Donald Trump from Archbishop Carlo Maria Vigano, former Apostolic Nuncio to the United States.

June 7, 2020

Holy Trinity Sunday

Mr. President,

            In recent months we have been witnessing the formation of two opposing sides that I would call Biblical: the children of light and the children of darkness. The children of light constitute the most conspicuous part of humanity, while the children of darkness represent an absolute minority. And yet the former are the object of a sort of discrimination which places them in a situation of moral inferiority with respect to their adversaries, who often hold strategic positions in government, in politics, in the economy and in the media. In an apparently inexplicable way, the good are held hostage by the wicked and by those who help them either out of self-interest or fearfulness.

            These two sides, which have a Biblical nature, follow the clear separation between the offspring of the Woman and the offspring of the Serpent. On the one hand there are those who, although they have a thousand defects and weaknesses, are motivated by the desire to do good, to be honest, to raise a family, to engage in work, to give prosperity to their homeland, to help the needy, and, in obedience to the Law of God, to merit the Kingdom of Heaven. On the other hand, there are those who serve themselves, who do not hold any moral principles, who want to demolish the family and the nation, exploit workers to make themselves unduly wealthy, foment internal divisions and wars, and accumulate power and money: for them the fallacious illusion of temporal well-being will one day – if they do not repent – yield to the terrible fate that awaits them, far from God, in eternal damnation.

In society, Mr. President, these two opposing realities co-exist as eternal enemies, just as God and Satan are eternal enemies. And it appears that the children of darkness – whom we may easily identify with the deep state which you wisely oppose and which is fiercely waging war against you in these days – have decided to show their cards, so to speak, by now revealing their plans. They seem to be so certain of already having everything under control that they have laid aside that circumspection that until now had at least partially concealed their true intentions. The investigations already under way will reveal the true responsibility of those who managed the Covid emergency not only in the area of health care but also in politics, the economy, and the media. We will probably find that in this colossal operation of social engineering there are people who have decided the fate of humanity, arrogating to themselves the right to act against the will of citizens and their representatives in the governments of nations.

We will also discover that the riots in these days were provoked by those who, seeing that the virus is inevitably fading and that the social alarm of the pandemic is waning, necessarily have had to provoke civil disturbances, because they would be followed by repression which, although legitimate, could be condemned as an unjustified aggression against the population. The same thing is also happening in Europe, in perfect synchrony. It is quite clear that the use of street protests is instrumental to the purposes of those who would like to see someone elected in the upcoming presidential elections who embodies the goals of the deep state and who expresses those goals faithfully and with conviction. It will not be surprising if, in a few months, we learn once again that hidden behind these acts of vandalism and violence there are those who hope to profit from the dissolution of the social order so as to build a world without freedom: Solve et Coagula, as the Masonic adage teaches.

            Although it may seem disconcerting, the opposing alignments I have described are also found in religious circles. There are faithful Shepherds who care for the flock of Christ, but there are also mercenary infidels who seek to scatter the flock and hand the sheep over to be devoured by ravenous wolves. It is not surprising that these mercenaries are allies of the children of darkness and hate the children of light: just as there is a deep state, there is also a deep church that betrays its duties and forswears its proper commitments before God. Thus the Invisible Enemy, whom good rulers fight against in public affairs, is also fought against by good shepherds in the ecclesiastical sphere. It is a spiritual battle, which I spoke about in my recent Appeal which was published on May 8.

 For the first time, the United States has in you a President who courageously defends the right to life, who is not ashamed to denounce the persecution of Christians throughout the world, who speaks of Jesus Christ and the right of citizens to freedom of worship. Your participation in the March for Life, and more recently your proclamation of the month of April as National Child Abuse Prevention Month, are actions that confirm which side you wish to fight on. And I dare to believe that both of us are on the same side in this battle, albeit with different weapons.

For this reason, I believe that the attack to which you were subjected after your visit to the National Shrine of Saint John Paul II is part of the orchestrated media narrative which seeks not to fight racism and bring social order, but to aggravate dispositions; not to bring justice, but to legitimize violence and crime; not to serve the truth, but to favor one political faction. And it is disconcerting that there are Bishops – such as those whom I recently denounced – who, by their words, prove that they are aligned on the opposing side. They are subservient to the deep state, to globalism, to aligned thought, to the New World Order which they invoke ever more frequently in the name of a universal brotherhood which has nothing Christian about it, but which evokes the Masonic ideals of those want to dominate the world by driving God out of the courts, out of schools, out of families, and perhaps even out of churches.

            The American people are mature and have now understood how much the mainstream media does not want to spread the truth but seeks to silence and distort it, spreading the lie that is useful for the purposes of their masters. However, it is important that the good – who are the majority – wake up from their sluggishness and do not accept being deceived by a minority of dishonest people with unavowable purposes. It is necessary that the good, the children of light, come together and make their voices heard. What more effective way is there to do this, Mr. President, than by prayer, asking the Lord to protect you, the United States, and all of humanity from this enormous attack of the Enemy? Before the power of prayer, the deceptions of the children of darkness will collapse, their plots will be revealed, their betrayal will be shown, their frightening power will end in nothing, brought to light and exposed for what it is: an infernal deception.

 Mr. President, my prayer is constantly turned to the beloved American nation, where I had the privilege and honor of being sent by Pope Benedict XVI as Apostolic Nuncio. In this dramatic and decisive hour for all of humanity, I am praying for you and also for all those who are at your side in the government of the United States. I trust that the American people are united with me and you in prayer to Almighty God.

            United against the Invisible Enemy of all humanity, I bless you and the First Lady, the beloved American nation, and all men and women of good will. 

+ Carlo Maria Viganò  Titular Archbishop of Ulpiana,  Former Apostolic Nuncio to the United States of America

Personal Sacrifice During Pandemic

It’s encouraging to hear of the many, many examples of people reaching out to others during the pandemic lockdown.

Today's pandemic and subsequent lockdown provide ample arena for practicing the Corporal Works of Mercy, the criteria by which we will be judged worthy or unworthy of entry into the Kingdom of Heaven  (cf Mt 25:31-46).


Instead of expecting the government to respond to every need, our fellow citizens are finding ways of providing food, offering support, and mitigating loneliness and isolation for family, neighbors and even strangers.


The stories of taking on personal responsibility to assist others remind me of one of Peter Maurin’s “easy essays.”


Maurin was the French peasant with social action concerns who teamed up with Dorothy Day to begin the Catholic Worker movement.


Maurin wrote brief essays, in a poetic form, for The Catholic Worker newspaper. Though he died in 1949 his vision, critique and advice are still au currant for our day.


The essay which strikes an obvious chord today was titled “At A Sacrifice.”

In the first centuries

of Christianity

the hungry were fed

at a personal sacrifice,

the naked were clothed

at a personal sacrifice,

the homeless were sheltered

at personal sacrifice.

And because the poor

were fed, clothes and sheltered

at a personal sacrifice,

the pagans used to say

about the Christians

“See how they love each other.”

In our own day

the poor are no longer

fed, clothed and sheltered

at a personal sacrifice,

but at the expense

of the taxpayers.

And because the poor

are no longer fed, clothed and sheltered

at a personal sacrifice

the pagans say about the Christians

“See how they pass the buck.”

Coronavirus Lessons

Things Learned (Or Confirmed) During The Cornavirus Quarantine:



It is impossible to watch one hour of TV without being told to stay home, go out for drive-through, wash your hands.



There are times when I wish I were as candid and witty as the Downton Abbey Dowager Countess Violet Crawley  (Dame Maggie Smith); for example: “I never argue. I explain.”



No cowboy movie is worthy of the name if it lacks six-shooters that can fire 15 bullets without reloading; if there isn’t at least one chase on horses; if the hero can’t have a fist fight without losing his hat.



I cannot go into a store with masked patrons without the William Tell Overture playing in the back of my mind and hearing a voice asking, “Who was that masked man?”



Nurses, doctors, firemen, policemen, first responders, mailmen, deliverymen do worry about taking illness home to their loved ones; that social distancing rule must be doubly burdensome.



Everybody checks everybody else’s shopping cart to see how many rolls of toilet paper the shopper has in it.



There are many kind people around the world eagerly phoning to offer me reduced interest on my credit card, extended warranty for my car, and a reduction on my utility bill. God bless ‘em!



Being too busy is not the real reason I do not find enough time to pray.



A law in physics I learned years ago is true beyond doubt: “A body at rest tends to stay at rest.”



What passes as news usually isn’t.



The world is full of experts --who have many opinions.



Every “could” implies a “could not.”  “There could be a second wave.”  “This thing could last for years.” “This could be the end of life as we know it.”  Every could implies a could not.



It’s one thing to decide whether your glass is half full or half empty. It’s something else to consider how big your glass is.



It’s true: “There’s No Place Like Home.”

Fighting With God During Lockdown

I’ve come to think of the Coronavirus lockdown as an opportunity to enter the desert like the early Christian hermits.

They thought their withdrawal from society was a way of getting closer to Christ.

I thought I would find peace of mind and spiritual comfort from “time away.”  Instead I’ve been fighting  with God.

Fighting with God is part of my religious heritage; our ancestors were known as Israelites, which can be translated “God-fighters.” And certainly Abraham, Moses, St Peter and a litany of saints had disagreements with the Lord.

Fighting may be an exaggeration. Maybe questioning, arguing, or expressing disappointment may be closer to the reality. Whatever the appropriate description the experience is a challenge and a struggle.

In the middle of one of my encounters with God, as I broached the subject of why Church leaders are hesitant to ordain women as deacons or married men as priests, I read a warning from the late, great theologian Yves Congar.

He explained that change and reform in the Church are good and necessary, but he cautioned,

In order that reform be realized in the Church, it is necessary that it be accompanied by patience… I mean a certain disposition of soul and spirit mindful of necessary delays, a certain humility and pliancy of spirit, the awareness of imperfections, even of inevitable ones.

I know what he means; I just didn’t like hearing it. He went on,

The reformer is always tempted not only to begin development, but to hurry it; not only to clear the field but want it free from all weeds. But the Gospel parable teaches us to respect the delays in the growth of the seed and the harvest, and not to encroach upon this by an impatient search for purity, “for fear that with the weeds one also will tear out the wheat” (Matt. 13:29).

Congar (and God) hit a nerve. I want it and I want it now! But Congar noted,

The whole work of life, at least here on earth, presupposes delays… If certain decisions or changes are to be taken, it is essential that time reveal what meaning certain events concealed, what was to become of certain possibilities, whose mysterious character –often very disturbing—it may have been impossible to guess.

I heard it said in my youth, “Patience is a virtue/ Possess it if you can / Seldom found in a woman / Never found in a man.”

This pandemic could be God’s way of saying, “Slow down! There’s more to life than you think. If you’re too busy to pray you’re too busy. Learn a lesson from the way the wild flowers grow; they do not work or spin, but I tell you not even Solomon in all his splendor was clothed like one of them. Come aside and rest awhile.”

I know he’s right; I just don’t want to hear it! I lack patience.

The fight then is not with God; it’s with me.

On Stage Now: "Coronavirus 2020"

I've come to believe that crises, like this Coronavirus experience, make good people better and bad people worse.

It is encouraging to hear stories about people sacrificing their routines, coming to the aid of a neighbor in need, or continuing to do jobs that carry a risk of contracting the disease,

Good people go out of their way to bring peace to the anxious, food to the hungry, money to the no- longer employed! The intervention of the many Good Samaritans out there makes tolerable the loneliness, anxiety, and fears that inevitably steal into the hearts of all who suffer through these trying times.

Bad people double their efforts to be self-centered and manipulative, hoarding foods or paper products, or scamming people with deceptive phone calls claiming to be from Medicare or from a medical service providing coronavirus testing.
                                               
Assessing this pandemic from my religious perspective I have to ask, "What is God trying to tell us?
What questions should we be asking ourselves? What lesson am I to learn?"

The answers may be applicable to the behaviors of the world at large, or to any given nation or political party. Above all, the answers must be personal to each individual human being! Each of us has the opportunity (responsibility) to pause, to think, to listen to conscience and the insights of ethics and morality.
                                         
Over the years I have developed for myself a fundamental principle from study of the Bible, from reading biographies, from personal experience: "God often directs us in indirect ways."

I think of God as a movie director watching the unfolding of each scene of our lives. He seldom tells us how we are to act, but more often subtly coaches from us a performance based on our own unique combination of talents.

I am not fond of this script, this "Coronavirus 2020," but I suspect the Director is watching carefully how each of us plays the role he or she has been given, trusting we will use our talents to bring this production to a happy ending.

And as is always true, God waits to see whether the bad people, the villains, will have that epiphany moment which brings about conversion. Bad people can become good. That possibility adds to the drama, and may be the raison d'etre for the entire production.

The plays the thing wherein the Divine One catches his actors. He has given the general description of the story, but allows the actors to contribute in their own way.

And still He directs in indirect ways.

The Burden of Human Freedom

I have a hunch it is harder for a human being to be a human being than it is for an angel to be an angel.

Human beings have an ongoing wrestling match between their intellect/will and their emotions.

Although the intellect seems to be naturally oriented toward truth, and the will toward good, the freedom we have allows us to thwart that natural orientation.

Emotions can either help or hinder our efforts to be homo sapiens.

Our intellects, the spiritual power that enables us to know, can be mistaken in its effort to opine, to think things through. (I think we are not entitled to our opinion until we have made an honest effort to seek the truth.) Emotions such as anger or hate can interfere in the process of thinking. (A person filled with hate usually doesn't think straight.)

And we can choose to do wrong in spite of our natural orientation toward good. Even our sinful acts are choices for good, that is, we see some good in the act, and even though the search for truth reveals that evil outweighs the good, we choose to act because of the "good" we see in it.

I realize I am on shaky ground when I question whether angels have emotional interference in the choices they make. Some have proposed that satan's fall from grace was because of jealousy. It is said that Lucifer was upset when God announced his plan to make creatures that could share in his creative power, creatures blessed with the power of pro-creation, of bringing new life into existence.
(It's a theory; any substantial evidence to back it up?)

The human burden of free-will may be among the reasons God forgives so readily. God understands.

Fyodor Dostoyevsky's The Brothers Karamazov contains a parable called "The Grand Inquisitor,"
an argument proposed by Ivan, the unbeliever, that Jesus could have relieved human beings of the wrestling match between intellect/will and emotions but failed to do so. He sees the three temptations Jesus faced in Matthew 4:1-11 as the occasion when Jesus could have acted but failed to do so. As a consequence, the parable proposes, the Church has had to step in and make decisions for people, relieving them of the need to "think things through."

There is risk in having to think. There is uncertainty. Thomas Merton wrestled with such freedom as the so-called "Merton Prayer" makes plain: "My Lord God, I have no idea where I am going. I do not see the road ahead of me... Nor do I really know myself, and the fact that I think that I am following Your will does not mean that I am actually doing so. But I believe that the desire to please does in fact please you."

I suppose that if we had all the answers and complete surety we would easily conclude we don't need God's help. It is the uncertainty that can lead us to allowing Jesus the Christ to have entrance into our life.

Among the many crosses humanity must bear I suspect freedom, the ability to choose, is one of the heaviest.  It is comforting to know that in Jesus we have someone who will accompany us all along the way, even if we stumble and fall.

Is Happiness A Matter Of Choice?

I've come to wrestle with what the former secretary general of the United Nations Dag Hammarskjold wrote in his posthumously published and translated memoir known as Markings: "The chooser's happiness lies in his congruence with the chosen."

I had to think about that, and translate that statement into simpler terms I could understand, namely,
"A person's degree of happiness can be correlated with what he or she has chosen."

That insight flows from our being made in the image of God, from being blessed with an intellect and a will - the spiritual powers which enable us to know and to choose.

The intellect (a gift from God) is by its nature geared toward truth. The will (the ability which accompanies the intellect and therefore is also a gift from the Creator) is by its nature oriented toward what is good.

The will is that power by which we choose, the power that allows us to enjoy (or be burdened by) freedom.

By God's design human beings are blessed with the ability to make choices, to choose among the variety of good things in creation, such as choices in colors, sounds, foods, companions, etc., etc.

It is also possible, however, to choose evil things: to lie or be honest, to love or to hate, to conserve or waste, etc., etc.

That natural orientation in the will toward good is so strong that even when we choose to do evil we choose to do it not because it is evil but because we see some good in it. The robber robs the bank not because it is evil but because that's where the money is, and money is the good he seeks.

When the object of a potential choice is judged by the intellect to be evil, it is the cooperation of conscience (intellect and will working together) that is supposed to lead us to withdraw the choice from evil to good, from robbing to respecting other peoples' right to property.

To violate the principle of good over evil is to thwart the blessing (or burden) of bring human, a rational animal.

Granted the weaknesses within us (excessive pride, jealousy, greed, haltered, etc., etc.) can challenge the goodness of choice, and maybe even the judgment of intellect about what is good, we still carry some degree of responsibility. The two powers remain intact.

But, at least in theory, happiness is the natural by-product of the choices we make. Choose evil, and we work against the natural orientation of the will. We work against our very selves.

Happiness (peace of mind, restful harmony) can be challenged by the outward forces of evil (e.g., being betrayed, loss of a loved one, failure to achieve or to be what we should), but happiness regains its place within one's mind, heart and soul when we think it through and assess what is true and good.
(God's forgiveness and patience give us pause, and the reason to work it through.)

Th next time I determine I am unhappy I need to ask myself, "What choices have I made?" Maybe the very choice to be happy is all its takes to overcome my unhappiness. I must wrestle with Hammarskjold's  theory and my experience.