The Less Said, The Better

Almost overnight, the news has plunged back into its usual morass of mediocrity. We have the usual dueling between Democrats and Republicans, with the Dems kicking and screaming, figuratively speaking (most of the time), over each majority thrust and parry. Soaring gas prices, manhunts for escaped cons, kooks in the Capitol--we're back in the hamster wheel of hellish headlines.

But nothing is more tedious than the so-called "celebrities" that populate today's news. Are we really as desperate for inane drivel as some of today's "stars" indicate? If so, how tragic!

There are dozens of newsmakers I could easily spend the rest of my life without hearing another single syllable about. In order to not waste your precious time, here's my personal Top Ten:

1. Michael Jackson. If only he would take a moonwalk--to the moon.

2. Paris Hilton. Does anyone really care?

3. Brad Pitt. Sorry it didn't work out with Jennifer, but must we all suffer?

4. Jennifer Aniston. Sorry it didn't work out with Brad, but must we all suffer?

5. Jessica Simpson. I think she sings, but I'm not sure. And I'd like to keep it that way.

6. Britney Spears. I know she sings, but I'm not sure why. And I'd like her to stop.

7. Christina Aguilara. Get dressed, sit down, be quiet.

8. Madonna. Enough said.

9. Anna Nicole Smith. See Number 2.

10. Hillary Rodham Clinton. Well, I can dream, can't I?

The Blogosphere Rising

The first blogger to contact me was Mover Mike.

In a comment he posted to my blog several months ago, Mike wrote that he had linked my site on his blogroll. Such a message is every blogger’s payday. In his comment, Mike alerted me to his own blog. I paid his site a few visits, linked him to my blog in return, and have been enjoying his posts ever since. If you need some pithy financial news analysis mixed with no-nonsense social commentary, Mover Mike can connect you. (By the way, Mike, have you given up on counting the days until John Kerry releases all of his military records? LOL!)

Hugh Hewitt’s terrific idea of blogger symposiums on critical political issues have been an invaluable boon to the bloggers. “Vox Blogoli” topics have ranged from liberal media coverage of North Korea to the controversies over judicial nominees. I have participated in several of the symposiums, and it’s always a thrill to see your own blog linked in Hugh’s. After all, Hugh is known as the “godfather of the blogosphere.”

I’ve become familiar with dozens of blogs through my surfing in the blogosphere, and it’s safe to say that many blogs (not all) provide better commentary and analysis of current events than the morning newspaper. With the passing of Pope John II, the blogosphere exploded with coverage. Hugh Hewitt linked my April 2 posting, and I’ve gained new blogging friends as a result. Alan Riley of In the meantime was kind enough to mention my blog several times, even quote from it on April 8, and it's been exciting to watch the traffic to my site soar as a result. As Hugh Hewitt wisely noted in his most recent book, “Blog: Understanding the Information Reformation That's Changing Your World,” “Bloggers love traffic.”

A reader named Winston7000 has also left thoughtful comments on my recent posts. It’s always a thrill to hear from a reader, even when the feedback is negative. A readership means that you are reaching people. It means that they have thought about your words and feel compelled to answer with their own perspective. That reality is a huge responsibility for any writer.

But for bloggers, who are the pioneers of the new Internet media, it is especially important to acknowledge our readers and extend our thanks to those who strengthen our web-hold. It’s impossible to know where the blogosphere will be in ten years, but it’s safe to assume that it will still be here. As we bloggers continue to explore this new channel of communication, I hope we maintain honest opinions and accurate facts as the hallmark of our postings. I also hope we continue to support each other's blogging efforts. By doing so, we not only strengthen and enrich the blogoshere’s potential for good, but we also diminish MSM’s ability to inflict harm through agenda journalism.

That’s the real payday for any sincere blogger. Thanks to all of you for reading.

Summing Things Up

I watched Pope John Paul II's funeral on videotape last night, and I would have given much to have been in St. Peter's Square when the pallbearers turned his coffin towards the crowd one last time.

Aside from the spontaneous cascade of tears, and the reverberating avalanche of cheers, I'll bet there was an indescribable electricity in the air that surged from one soul to the next, raising goosebumps and stirring chills of excitement and awe. Even in the flat two dimensions of television, one could feel it. It was an historic moment, undoubtedly a spiritual watershed for everyone present.

Millions of words have been written about John Paul II in the past week, none more substantive than the title link. More commentary here would be superfluous. It's time for the rest of us to take up the rhythm of life again.

As John Paul II would have said, "Rise, let us be on our way."

A Beautiful Tribute

Thank you to NewsMax for a beautiful tribute to the late Pope John Paul II. During the past week, NewsMax's extensive and respectful coverage has been wonderful to follow.

Considering the Sources

I did not see the funeral of Pope John Paul II. The videotape awaits me when I arrive home from work this evening.

Looking back over the past week, I can only wonder what MSM representatives are making of all this fuss. After their years of steady carping that John Paul II was woefully out of step with modern times, how do they explain the unprecedented and phenomenal outpouring of love and grief for the man, especially by the great numbers of young people?

Are all of the multi-million pilgrims to Rome uneducated simpletons? Hmm, might offend too many readers and viewers with that slant. Is MSM the only group of sophisticates in the world to grasp the complexities of our age? Considering the fact that John Paul II visited more countries and reached out to more cultures than most world leaders combined, that conclusion is doubtful.

Where does that leave MSM? Now that the necessary period of restraint has passed, I suspect MSM will quickly launch back into their politically correct agendas. They will certainly trot out the West’s unholy trinity of secular issues with Catholicism: abortion, contraception, and women in the priesthood. Negative stories on priestly celibacy will also get wide coverage. And I suspect that the sex scandal within the Church--which is truly one our most tragic and shameful hours--will be eagerly spotlighted yet again.

Considering that the Roman Catholic Church has survived for nearly 2,000 years, it’s a given that it can handle criticism. Personally, I have no problem with differing points of view. In fact, I welcome them, as they often lead to very enlightening and productive discussions on faith, philosophy, and human behavior.

However, there is not much enlightenment in MSM’s approach to religion. Many of the newscasters covering the Pope’s passing have displayed a startling ignorance of their subject. One news wire service reported that John Paul II prayed the 14 “Stages” of the Cross the day before his death, but the easily-verifiable term is “Stations” of the Cross. (Proof that even non-bloggers can exhibit sloppy reporting!) On one national nightly newscast early in the coverage, ABC’s Terry Moran mentioned that a major difference with other Christian denominations is Catholic’s “adoration of the Blessed Virgin.” Now, that was a shocking bit of news to this cradle Catholic! We do love and revere the Blessed Mother, but “adore” her? Absolutely not! Adoration is for God alone, as she would be the first to insist.

So as the various dissecting tools emerge from the elite media’s journalistic kits in an effort to pare John Paul II’s remarkable papacy down to a manageable, mediocre size, let’s keep in mind the sources.

At Opposite Extremes

“The man knows how to build a crowd," former president Bill Clinton said of Pope John Paul II.

Well, so much for thoughtful commentary on the late Pope John Paul II from that particular source. Not that I had expected much better. Bill Clinton is incapable of analyzing any situation objectively. Regardless of how momentous the circumstances, the bottom line must always relate to him and his personal world view.

Clinton stated that John Paul II had “played a role in hastening the end of communism in central Europe.” Oh, yes, maybe just a little! He also called John Paul "a consistent voice for human dignity in the face of political oppression and modern materialism." Not bad, I can give that statement a couple of points. But he went on to say that the pontiff "centralized authority in the papacy again and enforced a very conservative theological doctrine that there will be debates about."

Okay, there may be debates, but this isn’t the Senate floor, Bill. In the final analysis, John Paul II had only One constituent to keep content. He made it his mission to fulfill that commitment on a daily basis.

"He's like all of us. He may have a mixed legacy.” Clinton mused.

Excuse me, Bill, but I don’t think so. I don’t believe that Pope John Paull II was “like all of us.” In fact, I’m hard pressed to find any similarity between these two men, except perhaps some minor correlation in the area of personal charisma. Even in popular appeal, a Clinton trademark, John Paul II leaves him in the dust. “A mixed legacy” such as Clinton’s is the result of deceit and dishonesty, reflected clearly in the surprisingly low attendance levels at the Clinton Library. But the millions of people flooding Rome to bid farewell to John Paul II knew exactly where he stood on every issue of his time, and they loved and respected him for that.

By characterizing John Paul II as just another good ol’ boy, Clinton may allow himself to feel more of an equal to John Paul II. The former president may take comfort in projecting his own faults and deficiencies onto the late pontiff. But these self-serving remarks merely display further examples of Clinton’s relentless narcissism.

“I found him a very complete person," Clinton added. Oh, Bill, if you only knew.

Principle Over Politics

The inimitable Mark Steyn, with his perfect combination of hard facts and wry humor, has nailed the MSM whiners who are angst-ridden about John Paul II being “orthodox,” “conservative,” and “doctrinaire (HT: Hugh Hewitt) . “The Pope’s Divisions” and “The Splendour of Truth,” both by Steyn, sum up why the MSM will never "get" the Catholic Church.

John Paul II was not interested in winning a popularity contest; he was committed to communicating eternal truth. It was not his mission to “update” or “modernize” the Catholic Church; it was his mission to protect and nurture it. Judging from the millions of people flocking to Rome to pay him their last respects, I’d guess that his firm adherence to objective values didn’t cost him as much popular support as MSM would like us to believe.

The Roman Catholic Church is a worldwide institution with over one billion members. The next pope, whoever he may be, will have to consider a panoramic global picture of which the U.S.A. is but a small segment. Some Catholic Americans continue to harp about the Vatican’s position on such issues as abortion, birth control, and women priests. As my daughter would say, “Get over yourselves.”

For just this one crucial moment in history, let us step back and realize that it’s not always about us and our agendas first. And it’s certainly not about the liberal elite media’s agenda, either. The next pope will have much greater concerns than American tantrums over Church teachings and traditions. Let’s bear in mind that he will need our prayers and support far more than our opinions and attitudes.

Predicting the Future

One of the stories getting some media attention due to the death of John Paul II is the prediction of popes by St. Malachy, an Irish saint who was born in the year 1094.

According to the popular interpretation of Malachy’s prophecy, there are only two popes to follow John Paul II before the end of the world. This is an intriguing story that I first heard of about ten years ago, and I have done some reading on Malachy and his prophecies in the interim.

First of all, Malachy was a mystic who made several prophecies, some of them concerning his native Ireland. According to one prophecy, Malachy foresaw the struggles between Great Britain and Ireland and predicted that the tribulations between Protestants and Catholics would last for “a week of centuries.” This phrase is commonly interpreted to mean 700 years.

What is known today as “The Troubles” in Ireland can be traced to the mid-1500s, when Queen Elizabeth I put down the rebellions of Irish Catholic chieftains following the establishment of the Church of England. If Malachy’s prophecy is correct, that means there are over 200 more years of strife between the two faiths before religious peace is restored to Ireland. At that time, the prophecy predicts a harmonious reconciliation between the faiths. We can only hope and pray that part is true.

Obviously, it will take more than two popes to shepherd the Roman Catholic Church for 200 years. So what are we to make of St. Malachy’s prophecy regarding the succession of popes?

The Catholic Encyclopedia points out that “Peter the Roman” is prophesied to be the last pope, but the prophecy does not state that the “The Glory of the Olive” pope, supposedly in line to follow John Paul II, will directly precede the last pope. Prior to Peter the Roman, there is a possible gap in which the next pontiff may be succeeded by any number of popes that were not specifically named by Malachy.

“By their fruits, you shall know them” is a biblical guideline for judging the authenticity of prophecies. Religious strife has flared for over five centuries between Irish Protestants and Catholics; so far, Malachy has been correct on that prophecy. In the 110 popes to follow Malachy’s time, his lyrical predictions have been remarkably applicable to each pope.

To cite the three most recent examples, Paul VI was called “Flower of Flowers,” and his coat of arms included three iris blossoms. John Paul I was predicted in stunning detail. Known as “Of the Half Moon” in Malachy’s prophecy, the first John Paul was baptized Albino Luciani, or “white light.” He was born in the diocese of Belluno, meaning “beautiful moon,” and became pope when the moon was exactly half full. John Paul II was identified as “From the Toil of the Sun.” He was born during a solar eclipse, and his native land, Poland, is to the east of Rome, where the sun begins its travels around the globe. John Paul II was by far the most widely traveled pope in history, traversing the world many times in his “toils.”

No one knows when the last day will come. We have Our Lord’s word on that (Matt 24:36). So whether the last day arrives after two more popes, or after 200 more years of religious strife in Northern Ireland, the best we followers of Christ can do is to live each day as well and fully as our grace allows. In this way, we follow the Master's directive not to be concerned about the future. As Our Lord so wisely noted, each day has trouble enough without borrowing from unknown tomorrows.

A Man For All Ages

Today, I feel very much as I did on the day my own father died 18 years ago.

This jumble of emotions is strangely familiar. I am grateful, almost joyful, that the years of pain and suffering are over, that a very good man has stepped across the mystical divide into his just and eternal reward. Yet his passing leaves an emptiness that can not be described, a sorrow in the knowledge that the world is a poorer place now that this special soul has left us behind.

When you look at the history of Pope John Paul II's remarkable life, you can read the finger of God writing with bold and dramatic lines. You see his human suffering in the many chapters. When he was a nine-year-old child, his mother died. Three years later, his older brother died. When he was 20 years old, working as a laborer in a quarry, he returned from work one evening to find his father, his only remaining family, dead in their small apartment. Of that day, "I have never felt so alone," John Paul II is quoted as telling one of his biographers.

John Paul also suffered the loss of friends and neighbors in the Holocaust and the Nazi and Soviet occupations of Poland. This pope understood human grief in a personal way that made him famous for his loving compassion to others. It is a beautiful irony that this great man, left alone in the world by age 20, became the spiritual father to a billion Roman Catholics, and a shining example of God's goodness to the billions of people who follow a different path of faith.

As a youth, he was at various times an actor, a playwright, a poet, a laborer, a student, and finally, a seminarian. He became a priest, a teacher, an athlete, a philosopher, a bishop, a cardinal, an author--and a very great Pope. We shall not see his like again.

As a Catholic, I feel very blessed that my time on earth intersected his, and that I was witness to the greatest victory won through his fearless faith--the fall of communism and the spread of democracy in Eastern Europe. As a writer and blogger, I am touched that one of Pope John Paul II's last published writings, "The Rapid Development," was on the power and influence of the Internet. As his spiritual daughter, I feel bereft.

But as I so often do when I am troubled, I hear the voice of my own father inside my heart in the words he used whenever I was frightened as a child: "It's all right, Kathy." Today, I hear those words in the younger voice of John Paul II, a voice that is strong and vibrant once again.

Godspeed, Holy Father. I have faith, as you did, that we, your spiritual sons and daughters, will be all right.

For John Paul II

"Crossing the Bar"
by Alfred, Lord Tennyson

Sunset and evening star,
And one clear call for me!
And may there be no moaning of the bar,
When I put out to sea,

But such a tide as moving seems asleep,
Too full for sound and foam,
When that which drew from out the boundless deep
Turns again home.

Twilight and evening bell,
And after that the dark!
And may there be no sadness of farewell,
When I embark;

For though from out our bourne of Time and Place
The flood may bear me far,
I hope to see my Pilot face to face
When I have crossed the bar.