One of my great heroes is Blessed Clemens von Galen - I have mentioned him before on this blog. In the face of Nazi persecution, he stood up and preached the Gospel of Life fearlessly. Hitler both hated and feared him: the power of God, his mercy and justice emanated from this bishop, and his voice and message thundered around Germany and beyond. Last year I was given a relic of the Blessed and I can tell you, in prayer with it, the strong presence of this fearless witness can be felt.
Well my attention has been drawn to a good article on the Blessed Cardinal, concentrating on his episcopal motto: Nec laudibus, nec timore which means "Neither praise nor threats", meaning nothing will prevent him proclaiming the Gospel. It is worth reading.
We are in dark times, and Blessed Clemens stands as an example to all of us to raise our voices in defence of our faith and the moral order. If the prevailing culture wants us to stay silent in face of the great evil which is claiming innocent human life in abortuaries and clinics all over the world, then we defy that culture and proclaim the Gospel of Life.
Blessed Clemens serves as a model and intercessor for our bishops the world over: may they, like him, find the courage given them in the Sacrament of Holy Orders to do what he did. We pray for the bishops of Ireland and the US who must deal with anti-Catholic governments intent on aborting the Church from public life and forcing believers to violate their consciences. May the great "Lion of Munster" put his strong hand on the shoulders of our beloved pastors and assure them of his presence and intercession, and may he rally all of us to the cause of Christ and the cause of life!
In related news: the Thirsty Gargoyle has taken on The Irish Times and its Patsy.
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