This is from Williamson's weekly newsletter, "The Tuesday":
"Wednesday is the feast day of Our Lady of Fatima. As Franciscan Media puts it, during that famous visitation “Mary asked the children to pray the rosary for world peace, for the end of World War I, for sinners, and for the conversion of Russia.” I think it is almost safe to say that World War I has come to an end. Maybe not. If it is the case, as some historians say, that the two world wars were in effect one big war with a long intermission, if the Cold War was in effect a continuation of World War II with the victors fighting for postwar dominance, if, as David Frum argues, the Cold War never really ended . . . . History is very short, looked at the right way, and the work of prayer is never done."
If one wants to take it a step farther one could say that the roots of WWI extend prior to its outbreak, into the endless centuries of wars in Europe in which issues never got resolved to anyone's satisfaction. I agree completely that the work of prayer is never done. But as to Fatima, oy. I hope lightning doesn't strike me, but I can't engage with it.
ReplyDeleteMichael Sean Winters had an article a couple of weeks ago, "The Third Secret of Fatima; What Could Go Wrong?" Part of my problem with Fatima is the people who have hijacked it. The Third Secret will always be everyone's favorite Catholic conspiracy theory.
DeleteTo be candid, whatever impression I have of Fatima was formed by the Hollywood film from however many decades ago. The miracle wasn't really "pushed" in my Catholic school (beyond showing us the movie once or twice), and I don't really know anyone who has a fervent attachment to it. To be sure, people who go on those Catholic tours of European countries go to Fatima. But I haven't heard anyone come back and announce that it has changed their lives.
ReplyDeleteAs for the secrets: I admit I'm confused.
I don't mean to disrespect it. I believe that Our Lady really did appear there to the children. And I think that the mystical dimensions of our faith probably warrant more attention than they're generally given in our hyper-emotional, if not always hyper-rational, world.
Katherine: If one wants to take it a step farther one could say that the roots of WWI extend prior to its outbreak, into the endless centuries of wars in Europe in which issues never got resolved to anyone's satisfaction
ReplyDeleteI really don't get why so many want to destroy the EU, NATO, and international alliances in general. The structures put into place after WWII (including the Marshall Plan and the UN), especially the EU have brought about the longest period of peace in Europe in its entire history. More than 70 years.
The European wars of the 20th century resulted in dragging in other countries, so they became World Wars. Since these international institutions and alliances were formed there have still been wars, but regional, not world.
So why do so many want to throw out the very institutions and alliances that created more peace than was ever experienced in earlier centuries? I have lost track of how many times my husband and I have visited England. One of our sons went to grad school there, for two years. His French-Polish wife went to school there for 9 years, through the PhD. We have longtime friends there, from when my husband traveled there several times/year for work. The biggest weakness I have seen there in recent years was a pervasive belief that they are still a glorious Empire, the greatest nation on earth. They lost that a long time ago, but have been part of the coalition, including the US, that has helped maintain stability in the world, both economic and political, for decades. This has resulted in mostly strong economic growth, great advancements for formerly poor nations in Asia and Latin America, and no world wars.
I don't think Fatima had much to do with this. I'm not a big believer in Marian apparitions.
But maybe we should be praying that someone up there will intervene before we all self-destruct, hastened by this pandemic. Isolationist policies are not the way to go, but this pandemic is helping to push the world even more strongly in this direction. We need leaders - real leaders with vision- not Trump and not Johnson.
"I really don't get why so many want to destroy the EU, NATO, and international alliances in general." Me neither, Anne. And I would include the UN in there too. Even though it isn't perfect, we need mediating institutions now more than ever.
ReplyDeleteAmerica First! America First! Make America Great Again!
DeleteThe Fatima Blue Army, whose emails I sometimes see thanks to a zealot, prays fervently to OLoF for MAGA. Sigh.
I agree that these international institutions are important. I also agree that they are not perfect. Sometimes they can be downright dysfunctional. Those who are skeptical toward national governments are not going to be less skeptical toward supranational governments.
DeleteNone of these institutions are perfect. There is no perfect this side of heaven.
ReplyDeleteSo fix the problems with them, but don't destroy them.
I could (almost) be very susceptible to one of the conspiracy theories that maintains that the world is run for the benefit (wealth) of the military-industrial complex at this point - they make money on wars. I have forgotten the name of this supposed group that secretly runs the world. It will come to me.
Rand Corporation? Tri-Lateral Commission? Google?
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DeleteJim, Google? LOL! Our Google son is unaware of a conspiracy, at least so far.
ReplyDeleteBut he was recently informed, along with most other Google employees, that Work From Home will be extended at least to January 2021. In fact, most of the SV companies are extending WFH to at least fall and perhaps to next year.
But you nailed it. The conspiracy group that was at the edge of my memory was the Tri-Lateral Commission.