Remembering Today

I couldn't let the day pass without remembering two anniversaries that occur. The first is the 100th anniversary of the birth of the British composer, Benjamin Britten, he was born on the 22nd November 1913, appropriately the feast of St Cecilia for a future composer. 

 

Britten is, now, very much part of the British establishment, although his personal life, and many of the themes of his music would have proved difficult for many in Britain during his lifetime.  There are also some issues concerning his personal life that have not really been clarified and at this stage pushed under the carpet. 

 

I used to be a great fan of Britten's work.  I was particularly attracted to his choral work and to this day some of his pieces I find to be most beautiful and iconic: his Hymn to St Cecilia, based on a text of W. H. Auden; his Rejoice in the Lamb, based on some verses from Christopher Smart's interesting poetic work Jubilate Agno; his beautiful Ceremony of Carols which includes poems by St Robert Southwell.  I am still very fond of his Young Person's Guide to the Orchestra, and his greatest work, I think, is his majestic War Requiem.  Since the days of my youthful musical career my interest has waned as other composers seemed more accomplished and profound in comparison.  That said, the above works are worth listening to and you can access them online.  By far one of my favourites is his poignant Hymn to the Virgin and I think we will listen to this as we might say a prayer for Britten's soul. 

 

Today is also the 50th anniversary of the assassination of President John F Kennedy in Dallas, Texas. Another figure surrounded in mystery in some ways.   Growing up in an Irish home I became accustomed to what could only be described as a veneration of this man. I think every house in Ireland had a picture of Kennedy in the sitting room or kitchen.  In my grandmother's house it was a bust, almost life-size.  I was never really impressed with it, to be honest, and when the less savoury aspects of his life began to emerge, and his ultimate undermining of the faith , I was even less impressed.  The bust was eventually replaced by an image of St Therese of the Child Jesus.

 

While I do not share the adulation many Irish people have for Kennedy, I see his death as a dreadful tragedy and historically important, one of those which revealed the real tension at the heart of the Cold War.  I do not subscribe to the conspiracy theories, it was possible for Oswald to assassinate the poor man from the window of the Book Depository, and Oswald as a communist and supporter of the USSR did not need any other motivation than his ideology to want to kill the President.  It was an awful event and my heart always went out to his wife who witnessed his violent killing first hand.  Regardless of what we think of JFK, Jackie or the Kennedys, no one should have to endure or witness events such as these.

 

There is a interesting story which I have heard, though not confirmed, regarding Kennedy's last night.  If any of you readers can confirm it I would be grateful.  Apparently the night before the assassination, a priest came to hear Jackie's confession, and when Jack heard about it he asked the priest to hear his also.  If this is true, it could only be providence and God's mercy.  Given what we has been revealed about Kennedy's private life, it was comforting to hear that he went to confession before his tragic and untimely death.  Again, as with Britten, as we remember Kennedy, let us offer a prayer for his soul.

Sarah Palin Takes on JFK

I see Kathleen Kennedy Townsend, niece of JFK has taken offence at Sarah Palin's critique of the late president's position on public office and religion.  In an article published in the Washington Post, she tells us that Palin has got JFK wrong, and that his speech to the Greater Houston Ministerial Association was just what was needed.  Palin disagrees. 

I have referred to this speech, and JFK's schizophrenic division of personal life from public life before.  It seems, reading Kennedy Townsend's article that some Kennedys at least still hold to that erroneous doctrine, as do numerous Catholic politicians the world over.  Now I realise that religion cannot dominate politics - the marriage of the two has been disastrous for both.  In reality there never has been a marriage, it has been a master-slave relationship for the most part - one always seemed to have dominated the other.  In the past we have had religion dictate to politics, and also the opposite. Indeed we are now living in an age when politics seeks to control religion, as is obvious, for example, in Europe.  What is required is a healthy relationship where there is mutual respect and which allows those involved in politics remain true to their faith and conscience, and for politics to see that this benefits society because people will then have the common good at heart.  Of course, when politics has embrace the new religion of secularism, then this proposal is not so attractive.

I would have issues with Sarah Palin, but reading what she says about JFK's position I would have to agree with her when she says that he did not reconcile faith and politics, but rather "offered an equivocal divorce of the two".  She is correct here and Kennedy Townsend is wrong.  In fact I go further than Palin and say that JFK's position subjected faith to the secular and now forces believing Christian politicians to act and legislate in a way that is not only offensive to the tenets of their religion, but also demeans that religion, and places those politicians in a position where they must be censured by the authorities of their religion because of their actions against that faith.  As a result of this we have had two generations of politicians, and a budding third, either violating their conscience, or disregarding it completely as they exercise their public office. 

The effect of this is pure and utter blindness - the sort of blindness that leads Catholics who profess to believe in Christ (and who come forward to receive the Eucharist) legislating for and supporting the murder of innocent children in the womb, or sacrificing marriage and the stability of the family home for children, on the altar of equality.  But there lingers in the future a dreadful reality which will quickly pull them out of their blindness.

Contrary to what JFK and his followers believe, they will be held responsible by God for these actions.  They will not be able to plead a "healthy separation of faith and public life" when they stand before God at their judgement.  They have acted against the teachings of Christ, they have violated or disregarded their conscience, they were "personally opposed" but fully supportive of inhuman crimes, they have desecrated the Sacred Eucharist and lead people into error by their actions and words.  I will not judge individuals, it is not my place - and in saying what I am about to say I say so in the most general terms, not applying it to any individual; but as a priest I must warn those who live by such a false creed as JFK's, that such actions as these put them in danger of hell - and it will not be a case where they will be in hell for their public actions, but enjoy heaven for the private - the greater treachery will reveal how false the schizophrenic distinction actually is. 

We must pray for our politicians and public figures who labour under the JFK delusion.  We must also pray for our bishops that they will fulfil their duty to remind the members of their flock who live according to this delusion that their position is untenable and wrong, we must also pray that these bishops will not be afraid to speak and to do what is necessary to call their erring children back to their senses.