Archive for the ‘oddities’ Category

That must be embarrassing…

Posted: December 26, 2009 by datechguy in catholic, oddities
Tags: , ,

I was going to confession on day at St. Leo’s in Leominster when I noticed a poster next to the doors of the church with a complete list of the popes up to John Paul II. When you look at the popes one name jumped out at me. Pope Liberius, the 36th pope.

He was Pope from 352-366 and is unique compared to all the popes that preceded him. He was the first pope on that list who is NOT a Canonized saint.

Today that is not so odd. Of the popes who have lived in the last 500 years only two have been canonized St. Pius X (1903-14) and St. Pius V 1566-72. To find a saint before them you have to go all the way back to St. Gregory VII in the 11th century.

But Every pope before Liberius is canonized and quite a few after him, you have to go to Pope Anastasius II (#50) 130 years later before you find another that isn’t.

I don’t know about you but I’d be very embarrassed by that. The first one not to make the official cut? It’s like being Ronald Dionne only worse.

Now if you know your Catholic theology you know that may not matter, he certainly may be in heaven but the Church has no official position on that one way or the other.

But Come on! Maybe some ancient papal scholar can do some research and decide if it’s worth starting a cause for him.

The Geek Christmas Post

Posted: December 24, 2009 by datechguy in oddities
Tags: ,

I’m sure Sheldon’s mother would approve.

1 DaH ‘oH qaSta’ Daq chaH jajmey, vetlh a decree mejta’ pa’ vo’ Caesar Augustus vetlh Hoch the qo’ should taH enrolled.

2 vam ghaHta’ the wa’Dich enrollment chenmoHta’ ghorgh Quirinius ghaHta’ governor vo’ Syria.

3 Hoch mejta’ Daq enroll themselves, Hoch Daq Daj ghaj veng.

4 Joseph je mejta’ Dung vo’ Galilee, pa’ vo’ the veng vo’ Nazareth, Daq Judea, Daq the veng vo’ David, nuq ghaH ja’ Bethlehem, because ghaH ghaHta’ vo’ the tuq je qorDu’ vo’ David;

5 Daq enroll himself tlhej Mary, ‘Iv ghaHta’ pledged Daq taH married Daq ghaH as be’nal, taH pregnant.

6 ‘oH qaSta’, qaStaHvIS chaH were pa’, vetlh the jaj ghajta’ ghoS vetlh ghaH should nob birth.

7 ghaH qempu’ vo’ Daj firstborn puqloD, je ghaH wrapped ghaH Daq baghmoHwI’ vo’ cloth, je laid ghaH Daq a feeding trough, because pa’ ghaHta’ ghobe’ room vaD chaH Daq the inn.

8 pa’ were shepherds Daq the rap Hatlh staying Daq the yotlh, je keeping watch Sum ram Dung chaj flock.

9 yIlegh, an Duy vo’ the joH Qampu’ Sum chaH, je the batlh vo’ the joH shone around chaH, je chaH were terrified.

10 The Duy ja’ta’ Daq chaH, “ yImev taH vIp, vaD yIlegh, jIH qem SoH QaQ news vo’ Dun Quch nuq DichDaq taH Daq Hoch the ghotpu.

11 vaD pa’ ghaH bogh Daq SoH, vam jaj, Daq the veng vo’ David, a toDwI’, ‘Iv ghaH Christ the joH.

12 vam ghaH the sign Daq SoH: SoH DichDaq tu’ a ghu wrapped Daq strips vo’ cloth, lying Daq a feeding trough.”

13 Suddenly, pa’ ghaHta’ tlhej the Duy a qevmey vo’ the heavenly army praising joH’a’, je ja’ta’,

14 “ batlh Daq joH’a’ Daq the highest, Daq tera’ roj, QaQ DichDaq toward loDpu’.”

15 ‘oH qaSta’, ghorgh the Duy”a’pu’ mejta’ DoH vo’ chaH Daq the sky, vetlh the shepherds ja’ta’ wa’ Daq another, “Let’s jaH Daq Bethlehem, DaH, je legh vam Doch vetlh ghajtaH qaSta’, nuq the joH ghajtaH chenmoHta’ Sovta’ Daq maH.”

16 chaH ghoSta’ tlhej haste, je tu’ta’ both Mary je Joseph, je the ghu ghaHta’ lying Daq the feeding trough.

17 ghorgh chaH leghta’ ‘oH, chaH publicized widely the ja’ta’ nuq ghaHta’ jatlhpu’ Daq chaH about vam puq.

18 Hoch ‘Iv Qoyta’ ‘oH wondered Daq the Dochmey nuq were jatlhpu’ Daq chaH Sum the shepherds.

19 ‘ach Mary polta’ Hoch Dochvammey sayings, pondering chaH Daq Daj tIq.

20 The shepherds cheghta’, glorifying je praising joH’a’ vaD Hoch the Dochmey vetlh chaH ghajta’ Qoyta’ je leghpu’, just as ‘oH ghaHta’ ja’ta’ chaH.

As you might guess this is taken from this site.

Funny christmas Picture time

Posted: December 24, 2009 by datechguy in fun, oddities
Tags: , ,

Via the Hermeneutic of Continuity and Patrick Madrid

Be sure to check out the photos at this post as well, the 2nd photo is the best.

The American Papist is wrong and right at the same time

Posted: December 22, 2009 by datechguy in catholic, oddities, opinion/news
Tags: ,

…concerning this story:

Last July, as you may remember, Christians in the Indian state of Orissa were subjected to severe persecution. A 22 year old nun was burnt to death, an orphanage in Khuntpali village was burnt down by a mob, another nun was gang raped in Kandhamal, mobs attacked churches, torched vehicles, and destroyed the houses of Christians. Fr Thomas Chellen, director of the pastoral centre that was destroyed with a bomb, had a narrow escape after a Hindu mob nearly set him on fire. All together, more than 500 Christians were murdered, and thousands of others were injured.

In an extraordinary development, a herd of elephants has travelled some 300Km to attack villages that were the worst persecutors of the Christians, leaving Christian homes untouched. See: Elephants attack in Orissa exactly one year after persecutions

Details are here:

The American Papist asks some interesting questions:

1. Who authorized posting this story as “news”?
2. Is it really a Christian sentiment to hope that our persecutors are being savaged by wild animals?
3. Is there any corroborating evidence to confirm that, as claimed, Elephants are rampaging villages?

These are all legit questions both concerning the event itself and the point about not having schadenfreude over the troubles of our foes, but he also says something that I found odd.

This is a terribly strange story.

Let’s take the idea that this is happening as started as given, why is this a strange story?

Biblically, in both the old and new testament there are precedents for this type of thing.

In more recent times two particular stories come to mind the first involves the order founded by St. Katherine Drexel during the rise of the Klan in the 20’s:

(1922) The Klu Klux Klan in Beaumont, Texas threaten to tar and feather the white pastor at one of Drexel’s schools and bomb his church. The Sisters of the Blessed Sacrament began to pray, and days later a tornado destroyed the Klan’s headquarters, killing two members, including the “wizard.” They never bother the nuns or the pastor again.

If you want something with fewer casualties but the same “coincidental” effect we need go no further back then a few months ago…to August 21st. To Wit:

The inverted Cross atop Central Lutheran Church in Minneapolis dangled from the steeple on Wednesday following a rare downtown twister as the ELCA Churchwide Assembly was in legislative session across the street at the Minneapolis Convention Center.

let me remind you of the details:

Consideration of the proposed Social Statement on Human Sexuality document was scheduled to begin on Wednesday, August 19, at 2:oo p.m.

According to the website of the Central Lutheran Church located across the street from the conference center, where the assembly was in session, the tornado passed through downtown Minneapolis near CLC at, you guessed it, approximately 2:00 p.m…

One blogger posted this quote:

“We trust that the weather is not a commentary on our work,” said the Rev. Steven Loy, who was helping oversee the convention.

That Blogger? The American Papist.

We are Christians, we believe in Miracles. As I’ve said before concerning Holy Communion:

as for transubstantiation the physics are identical to the physics of parting the Red Sea, Of Jonah and the Whale, the Feeding of the 5,000 and Peter’s healing of the cripple. Miracle of God. There is a long history of that kind of thing.

As a person who has been an eyewitness to at least one Miracle in person I’ve never understood why believing Christians have no problem believing all those other miracles but not Transubstantiation.

A Catholic should not find anything like this strange an an atheist really has to wonder about the odds. I think a firm belief in mathematical theory and probability really can really complement the Holy Spirit when it comes to convincing the doubtful.

As for what should happen assuming this report is correct? The Christians should take advantage of God’s grace offered and aid their now suffering persecutors, thus being living examples of God’s mercy and combined with the Chrism of the Holy Spirit produce conversions of both belief and action.

Something like this is also a source of temptation, first of “Spiritual Pride” and self righteousness, and secondary in terms of celebration. Both are deadly sins and are hard to resist, particularly if you have been the victim of the initial persecutions. Remember these words from Screwtape #6

The great thing is to direct the malice to his immediate neighbours whom he meets every day and to thrust his benevolence out to the remote circumference, to people he does not know. The malice thus becomes wholly real and the benevolence largely imaginary…

…All sorts of virtues painted in the fantasy or approved by the intellect or even, in some measure, loved and admired, will not keep a man from our Father’s house: indeed they may make him more amusing when he gets there

It’s important to remember this when tempted. The presence of an enemy will not make hell any more bearable.

Update: GirdyorLions links, thanks

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