Tea at Trianon: Trump and the Pope

John Wilson Croker on Marie-Antoinette

"We have followed the history of Marie Antoinette with the greatest diligence and scrupulosity. We have lived in those times. We have talked with some of her friends and some of her enemies; we have read, certainly not all, but hundreds of the libels written against her; and we have, in short, examined her life with– if we may be allowed to say so of ourselves– something of the accuracy of contemporaries, the diligence of inquirers, and the impartiality of historians, all combined; and we feel it our duty to declare, in as a solemn a manner as literature admits of, our well-matured opinion that every reproach against the morals of the queen was a gross calumny– that she was, as we have said, one of the purest of human beings."

~from History of the Guillotine by John Wilson Croker, 1844

Edmund Burke on Marie-Antoinette

"It is now sixteen or seventeen years since I saw the queen of France, then dauphiness, at Versailles; and surely there never lighted on this orb, which she hardly seemed to touch, a more delightful vision. I saw her just above the horizon, decorating and cheering the elevated sphere she had just begun to move in, glittering like a morning star full of life and splendor and joy. Oh, what a revolution....Little did I dream that I should have lived to see such disasters fall upon her, in a nation of gallant men, in a nation of men of honor and of cavaliers! I thought ten thousand swords must have leaped from their scabbards, to avenge even a look which threatened her with insult. But the age of chivalry is gone; that of sophisters, economists, and calculators has succeeded...."

~Edmund Burke, October 1790

Friday, February 19, 2016

Trump and the Pope

I guess it was inevitable that they would clash. But this article offers wise insights. From Catholic Vote:

At times like this, it’s helpful to return to the Catechism. Here again is what the Church teaches on immigration:

2241 “The more prosperous nations are obliged, to the extent they are able, to welcome the foreigner in search of the security and the means of livelihood which he cannot find in his country of origin. Public authorities should see to it that the natural right is respected that places a guest under the protection of those who receive him.

Political authorities, for the sake of the common good for which they are responsible, may make the exercise of the right to immigrate subject to various juridical conditions, especially with regard to the immigrants’ duties toward their country of adoption. Immigrants are obliged to respect with gratitude the material and spiritual heritage of the country that receives them, to obey its laws and to assist in carrying civic burdens.”

The Pope is a pastor, not a presidential candidate. The Pope has rightly called on nations and leaders to focus on the human dignity of the immigrant. But Catholic teaching also emphasizes the obligations of civil leaders and of those migrating. Both have rights and duties that must be respected.

We can’t help but conclude that the exchange between the Holy Father and Trump is regrettable. We wish it didn’t happen, and fault the media for setting up the controversy. Trump will now use the comments to further inflame the debate — in a country with a long history of prejudice against Catholicism and the papacy. Meanwhile, Catholics who want a secure border and enforcement of our laws will be told the Pope is against them.

The immigration debate needs more clarity and light, not more heat. And the papacy deserves more respect than the flippant comments from Trump.

CV is committed to an immigration solution that secures our borders, protects our national security, and is welcoming of legal immigration. We can welcome the stranger, secure the border, and demand that our laws be respected at the same time. (Read more.)

MadMonarchist said...: Would that more attention was given to the Pope's comment that Mexicans needed to make their own country a place their people want to live in rather than escape from. My problem is that the practical consequences of these mass migrations always seem to be ignored. The author refers to the U.S. as being anti-Catholic, well, at our worst we were never has anti-Catholic as Mexico used to be, or France or Spain or Italy at various times. And the Pope's actual comment, to build bridges rather than walls, did I confess rub me the wrong way. We did build bridges, we have them in every border town. The demand for a wall comes from the fact that huge numbers of people refuse to use those bridges.

As many have said, Trump is a symptom, not the problem but a big part of the problem is otherwise good and decent people feeling as though they are being cast aside. That their leaders, political and sometimes spiritual as well, are putting the needs of others before their own people and I worry that that sense will get worse. Even for the Church, history has shown that when people feel forced to choose between their faith or their family, a choice they don't want to have to make, they usually choose their family and the Church ends up the worse off for it.; February 19, 2016 at 1:39:00 AM EST
elena maria vidal said...: Great points! Thank you for your insights, as always, MM. "Even for the Church, history has shown that when people feel forced to choose between their faith or their family, a choice they don't want to have to make, they usually choose their family and the Church ends up the worse off for it." So true. For everyone but the crazy Irish, that is!; February 19, 2016 at 8:08:00 AM EST