THE CATHOLIC KNIGHT: Many of my readers in the United States have written me to lament the current two-party (Democrat - Republican) political monopoly. They have rightly assessed the hopelessness of the situation and the virtual impossibility of establishing a viable third-party. They ask me what they can do, if anything, to change the system.
I am now going to reveal to you the way in which the two-party political monopoly in the United States can be broken up permenantly. The strategy is really very simple, and it's a whole lot easier than trying to establish a nationwide third-party. Are you ready? Are you sitting down? Here it is...
ESTABLISH LOCAL STATE PARTIES INSTEAD.
That's right, if your state doesn't already have one, then look toward establishing one. For example, I live in Missouri, and we don't currently have a state party. I would propose that some folks in my state get together and create the 'Missouri Party' or something akin to that. The goals and objectives of this party are simply to preserve and protect the best interests of Missourians against any threat to our state sovereignty from within or without. The state party should avoid controversial social and fiscal issues, focusing instead on what best preserves the sovereignty of the state, which of course protects the rights of Missouri voters. We would want to run state and local candidates for office, but we would limit our activities to that. We would not run federal candidates. In time, as each state party gains traction among their state population, the Democrats and Republicans will slowly lose their grip in those states, eventually losing their grip on federal politics as well.
State parties should avoid endorsing federal candidates from the Republicans and Democrats. If however, they feel they simply must endorse somebody, than the criteria should be based entirely on one thing. Which candidate will do more to preserve and protect the sovereignty of that state, and the right of that state to manage its own affairs.
If this strategy were enacted tomorrow, in at least half the states in the Union, than I predict by 2016 the Republicans and Democrats would begin losing control. By 2020, they would be bowing to kiss the rings of each state party chairman. As a result, local voters would have far more control over their local governments, and considerable more control over the runaway federal government. That is, if the federal government still exists in 2020.
Our Southern Culture Lives On The people of Dixie have survived! We want to be free!
THE CATHOLIC KNIGHT: Recently, The Catholic Knight joined the 'League of the South' (see website here), a movement seeking 'to advance the cultural, social, economic, and political well-being and independence of the Southern people by all honourable means.' This is a Dixieland Independence movement, seeking the independence of Dixie from the United States, on par with similar movements, such as the one in Scotland that seeks independence from the United Kingdom, as well as the one in Quebec, which seeks independence from Canada. I joined this movement as a practising Catholic in good standing with the Church. There are many more Catholics involved in this movement, with a good number of them in leadership positions. I myself do not aspire to a leadership position within the movement, but I do give this movement my full support and endorsement as a practising traditional Catholic. I recently granted an audio interview with the Southern Nationalist Network (SNN) detailing my thoughts behind this decision (click here to listen).
There are multiple reasons why I have decided to become a full-fledged Dixie Nationalist. I do confess to having a strong biological connection to Southern culture through my mother, both in Southern English, Irish and Scottish descent, as well as a strong Cherokee ancestry which is deeply connected to Southern history. My ancestors on my mother's side fought for Dixie in the War for Southern Independence (American Civil War). None of them were slave owners. (Contrary to what is taught in America's public schools, the overwhelming vast majority of Confederates did not own slaves.) Suffice it to say however, I had been holding back in my decision to join this secession/independence movement for nearly a decade in the hope that things might possibly turn around for the better in the United States. Those hopes have been dashed, as the U.S. Catholic Church now has a taste of things to come with the Obama administration's recent HHS mandate to force Catholic institutions to provide contraception, sterilisation and abortion-inducing drugs in their healthcare plans. It has become painfully clear that things WILL NOT get better in the years ahead, but that regardless of the election outcome in November, religious freedom in the United States is on a downward spiral.
Families that cling to their Dixie identity are frequently discriminated against by anti-Southern propaganda.
Many Americans are angry at the Obama administration, and rightfully so. Their anger is justified. It is also justified to want to defeat Obama in the November election, and indeed the opposition will get its chance soon enough. However, I would like to propose to my readers that Barack Obama is not the problem. He is just a symptom of a much bigger problem. We can get rid of Obama in November if we are able, but that does not mean the problem will go away. The problem is not a man, it is a system, and that system is Washington DC. You see, ever since the Civil War, Americans have been content to consolidate more power and influence into the federal government. Power has consistently been directed away from the states, and toward the fed. As a result, with each passing decade, our government has become more and more centralised. This trend is a violation of the Catholic social teaching called SUBSIDIARITY, and it is the core source of our problem. By centralising the government, the American people have allowed Washington DC to become so big and so powerful, that a federal bureaucrat can hardly sneeze up there without causing turmoil all over the United States. Every little decision Washington DC makes effects us in large dramatic ways. It has now reached a point when a single election can install a man to the presidency, who happens to be insensitive to the conscience issues of Catholics, and that has in turn caused all religious freedom in the United States to come into question. How can this be? This is not what America's founding fathers intended. They never intended the president of the United States to have that much power. Never in their wildest dreams could they have imagined the government they created would turn into a tyranny worse than King George III.
My regular readers know that I am a Catholic monarchist at heart, but they should also know that a truly godly monarchy is something that is given, not something that is made. By that I call into contrast the Biblical examples of David and Saul. King Saul was the first king of Israel. He was effectively 'elected' to be king by the people. In other words, they created a monarchy for themselves. The result of that was disastrous. King Saul went insane and led his kingdom into economic and military ruin. God then replaced him with a king of his own election. King David was elected by God, not the people, and he was given to the people by God. He was a king that was given and not made. So until God gives us a king of his own election, we are forced to deal with the republican system that currently exists in our present world. The Catholic Hungarians have chosen to tackle this problem head on. They have taken over their republic and are now in the process of trying to correct its course. Likewise, the people of Scotland are soon going to hold a secession referendum, in which the public will vote on whether or not to stay within the United Kingdom. We do not know what the outcome of this secession referendum will be, or even if successful, will it produce a country more conservative and traditional? Who knows! We can't fault the Scottish people for trying however. They know the problems are too big for the normal political processes (campaigns and elections) to fix. At least they are thinking outside the box. At least they are trying something different. The whole thing may go down in flames, but at least they are trying. That's more than I can say for most Americans. Until we start getting a little radical in dealing with radical Secularism, these radical Secularists are going to walk all over us. It's a fact. It's happening. Look around!
It has become clear to me that the principle of Subsidiarity will NEVER return to the United States federal government through the normal political methods. Once a government attains that much power, it never gives it up voluntarily. The only solution is for the people to unite and demand that their state governments TAKE IT BACK by asserting their tenth amendment rights, and if necessary, secede to become independent nation(s). Only a robust and credible secession/independence movement in the United States will create the necessary catalyst to restore power to the states and bring Washington DC back into a level of Subsidiarity more in line with what the founding fathers intended.
Now there are many peaceful secession movements across the United States; the Alaska Independence Party, Republic of Cascadia and the Second Vermont Republic just to name a few. None of these has the history and culture of Christendom though, except for the Old South of Dixieland. The people of the American Southeast, Dixie or Dixieland, are a separate and distinct culture from the rest of the United States. Nobody can deny that. One-hundred and fifty years ago these people seceded from the United States and sought independence. They were met with the most fiendish hostility from the federal government in Washington DC which acted illegally by making war on the very states it was designed to serve. The 'South' as it came to be called, was defeated by this federal government, and since then the people of Dixie have been forced to live under a regime that has never had their best interests in mind. These Southerners were then vilified by that same regime in every way imaginable, while the regime itself went on to commit all sorts of unspeakable crimes both at home and abroad. The latest HHS mandate by the Obama administration demonstrates this with painful clarity. The United States federal government has exhibited a steady and consistent trend toward curbing American freedoms and forcing its industrial-military hegemony around the world. The United States of America has become an 'empire' in almost every sense of the word.
Part of the federal government's strategy to keep Dixieland suppressed is to vilify its past by rewriting history and teaching it to Southern children in their public schools. All across the Southland, Dixie's youth are consistently taught to hate their ancestry and most especially the cause their Southern ancestors fought to defend. The official line from the United States federal government, in spite of historical evidence to the contrary, is that the South fought solely to defend the institution of slavery and for no other reason whatsoever. While the 'good and virtuous' federal government, headed by that great 'hero and martyr,' Abraham Lincoln (a.k.a. 'Honest Abe') was merely trying to free the poor black slaves from those wicked white crackers down South. At least, that's how the United States federal government tells the story. Of course, the victor of any conflict gets to write the history, and Washington DC has spared no expense to write the children's history textbooks and erect the monuments that honour this version of events. In Washington DC, the two largest monuments erected in the memory of a man are the Washington Monument and the Lincoln Memorial. The first was the founding father of the nation. The second was a - well - another founding father of course! Even though his term in office came eighty years after the nation was founded. So powerful are the propaganda myths surrounding Lincoln that to question the man's motives or integrity is to commit 'unpatriotic blasphemy.' These things can be questioned of the original founding fathers -- in fact they can be slandered in character with virtual impunity -- but not so with Lincoln. The man, the myth, the legend; Abraham Lincoln is revered more as a god than a politician.
Pope Pius IX
No matter how good the propaganda, and no matter how forcefully it is pushed, the truth has a way of coming out eventually. With the advent of the Internet, a different view of history is starting to come to the forefront, backed by original-source documentation from the time period, including letters written by Vatican officials to the Confederacy, both acknowledging the fact that Dixie was a separate country from the United States, and acknowledging the governing titles of officers within the Confederate States of America (C.S.A.). This should not be confused with an endorsement of the CSA, or taking sides in the Civil War, but rather a papal recognition that the South had indeed seceded, established its own government, and had become a separate nation. Naturally, this caused an uproar in Washington City, and some sources indicate President Lincoln was furious over it, prompting some explanation from the Vatican nuncio to the United States federal government that the pope had not taken sides in the Civil War. Confederate President Jefferson Davis and Confederate General Robert E. Lee (both Episcopalian-Anglicans) greatly admired the reigning pontiff of that time -- Pope Pius IX -- and it was this same pontiff who sent an autographed picture of himself to President Jefferson Davis while he was in prison after the war. (You can read more about this HERE.) I could go into a long apologetic for the South here, but I will spare you of that. Instead I will only say that the American Civil War was not fought over slavery or state's rights, but over money! Yes, after all is said and done it all came down to cold hard cash. The South was treated unfairly by the North financially. So to save money, the South seceded and formed a new independent nation. When the Northern banks realised how much money they stood to lose from this, they pressured Lincoln to take the South back by force. So that is exactly what he did. Yes, other factors played into this as well, westward expansion playing a huge role, but after all was said and done, it was a clash of civilisations that was a long time in the making. Money played a very big part in it, and no, according to the testimony of leaders from both sides, it wasn't about freeing the slaves. Any serious investigation into the attitudes that prevailed among the leaders of both sides during the time will reveal latent racism, greed and blinding self-righteousness. This was common in the middle nineteenth century, but it was especially true of Abraham Lincoln and his successors. Of the two sides, clearly the South had the most to lose and the least to gain financially from the conflict, but they fought for principle's sake and that was their undoing. If you want to learn the real history of the Civil War, and the real story behind the culture of the Old South, it should be told from the perspective of a man descended from Southern black slaves -- a man who knows his history and isn't afraid to tell it like it was. His name is H.K. Edgerton and his website is SOUTHERN HERITAGE 411.
H.K. Edgerton
This of course leads me to the second tool used against Dixie Nationalists by the U.S. federal government and its supporters in the 'politically correct' liberal modernist establishment. It is the myth that anyone who sports a Dixie flag (or one of the flags of the Confederacy) is automatically a racist white supremacist on par with a Klansman or Neo-Nazi. Of course this is poppycock! But it is typical of the liberal modernist establishment to propagate symbolism over substance. Liberal modernists often express their support or opposition to things in very cursory ways, such as sporting various coloured ribbons, bumper-stickers of different sorts, lapel buttons, rainbow flags and such. This is how they 'identify' who and what they are, and it is also how they 'label' others. Naturally of course, they think they have the authority to label all symbols based on their very narrow world view. Having been educated by America's public school systems, they immediately assume the Dixie flags stand for slavery, since after all, that's all the South fought for (according to the federal government anyway). Therefore Dixie flags MUST represent a glorification of slavery and are therefore a sign of racist white supremacy. Never mind the fact that Dixie flags are sported by men and women of colour all throughout the deep South. Not only are such banners flown by black men in various places, but it has become fashionable for many women in the deep South (including young black women) to wear bikini swimsuits patterned after the Dixie flag! Common sense would tell the average observer that this symbol obviously has some meaning other than racist white supremacy, but liberal modernists seem incapable, or else unwilling, to make this logical leap. The truth is, the racist shtick works well for them. Liberal modernists in the United States (and elsewhere) are notorious for labelling anyone who disagrees with their multicultural moral relativism as a 'racist.' It allows them to shut down the conversation, claim the moral high ground for themselves, and demonise their political opposition, regardless if there is any truth to the charge.
The Dixie Flag is a Symbol that Crosses all Racial Lines. It is a Symbol of CULTURE not Racism!
To clarify, there is a history of known racists using the Dixie flag as a symbol of their hate, but also in fact, those same racists use the American flag as a symbol of their hate. So which is the symbol of their hate? Is it the Dixie flag, or the American flag, or is it both? If it is both, than what are we to say? Could it be that these idiots will use any symbol to express their hatred? Since when do they get to define our symbols for us? If the liberal modernists use the actions of fringe idiots as an example of the Dixie flag representing racism, than intellectual honesty demands that they say the same of the American flag. Anything less is hypocrisy. Nevertheless, this is another way the liberal modernist establishment oppresses and demonises the people of the South.
So what would a free and independent Dixie look like today? Well, for starters, the circumstances behind secession today would be considerably different than those of 1860-61. Slavery is a thing of the past (thank God!) and the scourge of institutionalised segregation is behind us as well. The reasons for secession today however, would take on some similarities to those of 1860-61, centring around economics and culture -- specifically in this case focusing on freedom of religion (conscience) and our national identity as a Christian people. A free and independent South would have to manifest itself by individual state secessions, followed by a call for a constitutional convention, in which some form of constitution or 'articles of confederation' would have to be drawn up. The original Confederate constitution could be used as a template, if that is what the state delegates want. Whatever form a new Dixie Republic will take, its constitution will have to make recognition of the role of Christianity in the formation of our people and our culture. It will have to base its laws on Christian virtues, which of course would include the protection of human life from conception to natural death. Marriage would have to be based on the traditional Christian understanding of one man and one woman. Citizenship would need to be defined by the states, and the national borders would need to be enforced. Immigration would have to be stopped for the short-term to lower the unemployment rate across the Southland, and when immigration is opened back up, it will need to be tightly regulated to allow for full assimilation of those entering the country. Limits would need to be placed on corporations, so as to prevent massive international business from taking over local economies and controlling the government, as they do in the United States. Beyond that, states must be allowed to run their own business, following the principle of Subsidiarity, as the new Dixie Republic stands aside and lets state and local jurisdictions do what comes natural. For the most part, states would handle their own business, while the Dixie Republic would focus on national defence and interstate commerce, while assuming a very limited role in internal state affairs. This principle of Subsidiarity would have to be enshrined into the new constitution somehow. Culturally, Dixians (as we would likely come to be called) would need to focus on renewing their local religious establishments and rebuilding the Anglo-Celtic culture that still exists but has been nearly decimated by 150 years of Yankee oppression. A revival in the arts would be necessary, especially as they relate to our Irish and Scottish cultural roots. To clarify, this is a CULTURAL thing, not a racial thing. Black Southerners are very acquainted with the Anglo-Celtic culture of the South, and have indeed made a sizable contribution to it, especially in the arts. That contribution is already recognised, and we will need more of their help. A new Dixie Republic MUST and WILL be defined by cooperative partnership between all people of colour and ethnicity. We will NEED each other for Dixie to flourish and thrive.
Believe it or not, whites and blacks worked together under this flag, fighting big-government oppression during the Civil War, and we still do today!
Of course the question always arises; wouldn't secession/independence start another Civil War? To which I must say this is not 1861. There is little chance that a sitting president today could get away with what Abraham Lincoln did one-hundred and fifty years ago. The whole world is watching America now, in real time, via news channels and the Internet. Yes, there will likely be politicians in Washington DC who will WANT to go to war over this, but they would be few in comparison, and they would be restrained by the tide of international public opinion. You see, the United States federal government has been sponsoring and championing secession movements around the world for the last sixty years or so. Washington DC trying to explain why the federal government won't allow a similar movement in its own country would be awkward to say the least. The use of military force on its own people would be broadcast around the world, and Washington DC would lose all credibility among its international partners. No, this is not 1861. Things are a bit different now.
The League of the South is not a product of the past, but rather a completely new creation. It stands firmly against institutionalised racism and bigotry, calling upon all of its members to act in Christian charity toward their fellow man (see official statement here). The League has stood squarely with the Catholic Church in her struggle against the recent HHS mandate (see official statement here). As I said, many of the leaders within the League of the South are Catholics. Most importantly however, the League of the South stands for Subsidiarity, the very thing that would have prevented all these problems had Americans abided by it to begin with. The League also stands for promoting the religious virtues of Christendom and the cultural heritage of the Dixie people, which is Anglo-Celtic in nature -- a hybrid of English, Scottish and Irish culture.
I am convinced that a free and independent Southland of Dixie will inevitably result in more freedom and independence for those states in the North and West that choose to stay within the Federal Union of the United States of America. This is because Washington DC will likely loosen its grip on the states in order to prevent another secession/independence movement from arising elsewhere in the nation. That is assuming the United States actually survives much longer as a nation.
Dixie Nationalists Frequently Turn Out To Protest Government Suppression These Events Have Come To Be Called 'Flag Rallies' or just 'Flagging.' They irritate liberal modernists to no end.
There are many signs that indicate the United States will not last much longer anyway. The rising federal debt, along with a stagnating economy and social discord seem to be pointing in the direction of a rapid decline. It is quite possible the United States may break up into multiple smaller nation-states anyway, regardless of what happens in Dixieland. That being the case, we Americans should all be thinking about where our loyalties reside, and what culture we most closely identify with. Because in the not-too-distant future, we may need to act in accordance with that just to survive.
If you would like to join the League of the South as well, you can do so BY CLICKING HERE. You do not need to be a Southerner to join the League or support its charitable causes. Simple donations to various charitable causes can be made HERE. Donations can also be made to 'Southern Heritage 411' HERE. Or if you prefer, Southern heritage merchandise can be purchased HERE, with the proceeds going to 'Southern Heritage 411.' I don't believe one is even required to be an American to make donations. If you agree with Dixie independence and the promotion of Southern culture along with the virtues of Christendom, than supporting the 'League of the South' or 'Southern Heritage 411' are ways you can help make it happen.
The St. Andrew's Banner of Dixie Papists
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THE CATHOLIC KNIGHT: The following is an open letter from 'The Catholic Knight' to all Catholic bishops in the United States of America. Please forward this letter to your local bishop. I write this as a faithful Catholic husband and father....
Your Excellencies,
During this time when we fight for religious freedom against our own government's HHS mandate, I would like to call your attention to a common problem we face in our Catholic families.
The culture of death is pervasive. Our wives are under tremendous pressure to use artificial birth control, and this at times translates into pressure on we husbands as well. To better foster the culture of life in our own Catholic families we require the following assistance from the Church...
Regular and consistent Sunday homilies (from each and every priest) against the evils of abortion, sterilisation and artificial contraception.
Regular and consistent Sunday homilies (from each and every priest) on the nature of marriage in God's economy, along with the Christian roles of husband and wife in the home.
More open and frequent discussion on natural family planning in marriage support ministries.
Family assistance in the form of scholarships for Catholic schools and the creation of good home-school cooperatives that are interconnected with regular Catholic schools.
Inner parish networking for 'work at home' jobs designed to assist career home-makers.
In other words your excellencies, what we are crying out for is HELP! The Church has done very well instructing us on what needs to be done, but has performed very poorly on assisting us in the process. I believe it is this very circumstance that has done much to contribute to the culture of death that has penetrated Catholic families, and thereby assisted the Obama administration in this wicked and diabolical move to curtail the religious freedom of conscience within the Church.
We are with you 100% in this fight against the federal government's HHS mandate. Regardless of the outcome, we hope your excellencies will use this sad conflict as an opportunity to reform and save Catholic families in the United States.
THE CATHOLIC KNIGHT: I originally posted this on February 10, 2011. Now in face of the most recent developments regarding Catholic healthcare in the United States, it seems even more urgent. So I am posting it again, hoping that my readers will take it upon themselves to start writing their bishops to get something done about this....
-------------------------------- February 10, 2011
Medi-Share is an Evangelical Christian alternative to medical insurance, and it works! Basically the whole concept is based on the Biblical Christian model of shared responsibility and brotherly love.
Medi-Share is not medical insurance. It is a sharing technique in which monthly "share" funds are transferred between participants as the needs arise. It is what some might call a "Healthshare Cooperative" between Christians. Medi-Share does not guarantee that medical bills will be paid, hence the reason why it's not medical insurance, but nevertheless medical bills do seem to get paid anyway.
The reason why I'm bringing this up is because the Evangelicals are on to something here. They've discovered a way to bring an ancient Christian concept into the modern world. Unlike the Amish, who use a similar system on a more primitive level to pay for their medical needs, this method works for people living in the modern world and in secular life. It's a novel concept that is putting Catholics to shame and it's high time I think some of us look into this seriously.
I say a "Catholic version" because Medi-Share was designed by Evangelicals primarily for Evangelicals, as can be demonstrated by their online Statement of Faith which each new member must sign on to in order to join. On the surface it may seem there is no direct inconsistency with the tenets of this creed and the Catholic faith, but because of the way it's worded, it would give some Catholics pause for concern. That's fine though. Medi-Share can have their Evangelical Statement of Faith, because in the end I believe the Catholic Church here in the United States can build a much bigger and better system, far more robust and able to handle a much bigger pool of participants. This is why I am calling upon all of my readers to act now by doing the following.
Write a brief letter (no more than two short paragraphs) explaining that we need a Catholic version of this type of healthshare cooperative here in the United States, and that it needs the full backing of the U.S. Catholic bishops. Be sure to include a link to the website - http://mychristiancare.org/
Send a copy of this letter to three key people: (1) your local bishop, (2) your parish priest and (3) the Grand Knight of your nearest Knights of Columbus council. Contact information for your local bishop can be obtained off your diocesan website. Contact information for your parish priest can usually be obtained from the phonebook or by simply visiting the parish office. Contact information for your nearest Knight of Columbus council can be obtained here.
Send a copy of this letter to The Supreme Knight of the Knights of Columbus, Carl A. Anderson via email using this address: info@kofc.org Be sure to type in the subject line "c/o Carl A. Anderson."
THE CATHOLIC KNIGHT: This year is America's last stand. There will be no more warnings. There will be no way of turning back after this election cycle. AMERICANS MUST REPENT!!!
So long as we turn to the government to solve our problems for us, so long as we abdicate our religious responsibilities to government programs, we replace the one true God for the cult of the omnipotent state. The family is the key. Sexual purity is the key. Mental and emotional purity is the key. Obedience to Christ and His Church is the key. Trust in Christ, his Mother and the Church (not the government) is the key. Our Lady of America shows the way. REPENT! The time is now! There is no time left!
For more information about the APPROVED PRIVATE REVELATION of Our Lady of America, which is endorsed by Cardinal Raymond Burke of the Apostolic Signatura in Rome, or if you would like to order an Our Lady of America medal -- click here to visit the website.
OUR LADY OF AMERICA -- PRAY FOR US!!! Especially in reparation for acts of violence committed against the human person through abortion and for the full legal Right to Life to be restored in the United States.
THE CATHOLIC KNIGHT: A reader of this blog recently asked what my views were on Hungary's newly adopted Constitution which not only acknowledges, but honour's and enforces, Hungary's Christian heritage. In my opinion, Hungary's new constitution is a good thing and a sign of things to come. While from a democratic standpoint this may seem extreme to some Americans, we have to remember that Hungary IS NOT a federal republic made up of multiple smaller republics (like the United States). Rather, it is a singular republic nation-state. Therefore, as a singular republic nation-state, it has the right to govern itself as it sees fit, and that would include protecting its historic Christian culture in a era where that is under siege by militant Secularism and Multiculturalism, which has resulted in the emergence of militant Islam knocking on their front door. While of course I think a return to the Hapsburg Dynasty, or some form of constitutional monarchy, is preferable, this is the next best thing.
I do hope the emerging founding fathers of the renewed nation of Dixieland will look to Hungary as a model to consider when drafting a new constitution for the reborn Confederate States of Dixieland (CSD). That being said, we have to remember that a Confederate constitution need not be so strict because a revived Confederacy will be a composite of multiple sovereign states. Thus a Confederate constitution would only need to support those actions deemed necessary by the states. So for example, if the State of Alabama, for example, decided the best way to heal its own wounds inflicted by militant Secularism was to enact a constitution similar to the one in Hungary, but customised to address Southern issues, than the Confederate government's only responsibility would be to support that state's right to govern itself that way.
Our Lady of Fatima prophesied that entire nations would soon vanish as a result of this great Chastisement coming upon the earth and I am now convinced the United States is one of those nations. What replaces the former USA will likely be a Balkanised version of North America. My hope is that all of these newly formed nations will use Hungary's new constitution as a template to remodel their own governments as needed to address North American issues which thankfully are not nearly as severe as Europe's problems.
This new Hungarian constitution is a sign that the old order of militant Secularism and Multiculturalism has miserably failed. A growing number of the European population is striving for a return to something more traditional - something akin to Christendom. Our Catholic prophecies tell us they will, after much strife, eventually get what they want in the form of a new Holy Roman Empire. I think the Hungarian constitution is a sign of this, a precursor, and of course the Hungarians will likely have the least trouble integrating into the new Christendom when it comes, (that is assuming they survive the Chastisement to come), because they're government was already prepped for it.
I believe the time has come for Catholics all over the world, particularly here in North America, to abandon the militant Secularism and Multiculturalism that has brought the Western world to ruin - both socially and financially. I believe the time has come for Catholics to abandon those forms of government that are actively promoting militant Secularism and Multiculturalism. This would include, but is not limited to, the United States federal government (seated in Washington DC), the French Republic, the German Republic, the Russian Federation, and all monarchies that are no longer Catholic. When I say abandon these regimes, I am not talking about violent revolution, which contradicts our Christian virtues. Rather, we should render unto Caesar what is Caesar's, paying our taxes and obeying the laws, but all the while supporting alternate forms of government which may arise in their place, so long as those governments are friendly to the virtues of Christendom.
Considering everything that has happened, I believe this to be our religious duty as Catholics. In those places where some alternative form of government may exist in embryonic stage, which is friendly to Christendom, than that alternate form should be supported and embraced by Catholics, all within reason and civility. In those places where no such alternate government exists, than I believe it is incumbent upon Catholics to create one, all within reason and civility. The time to act is now! The Secularists and Multiculturalists have failed us. The time now has come for all good men to come together and save our civilisation from complete ruin. We should show our Secularist Multiculturalist governments a vote of 'no-confidence.'
We the people of Dixieland (Alabama, Arkansas, Florida, Georgia, Kentucky, Louisiana, Maryland, Mississippi, Missouri, North Carolina, South Carolina, Oklahoma, Tennessee, Texas, Virginia, and West Virginia) do hereby declare ourselves a separate and distinct people from the rest of the United States of America. We come from diverse ethnic, religious and social groups, but we are united in language, culture and history. We repudiate the moral abominations of slavery and segregation that were thrust upon us by the prevailing political and economic forces of their time. We stand together in Christian fraternity and charity toward our fellow man. We pledge to each other our Christian faith, our undying loyalty and our sacred honour. For it is in this context alone that true and equal freedom enters into the lives of men.
For one and a half centuries our lives have been dominated by the prevailing influence of the United States federal government's imperial power. Upon exercising the rights defined under the U.S. Declaration of Independence, our ancestors were met with the most fiendish hostility perpetrated against our people by a government sworn to protect those rights. Never in the history of North America has such savagery been unleashed by the sons of European Christendom. Even the British showed far more civility when dealing with their rebel colonies. What followed this American apocalypse was a period of occupation, wherein the rights of our ancestors were stripped for a generation, and the ability to govern ourselves was made a mockery. What followed this was a century of repression that goes on to this day, wherein our history is maligned, our symbols outlawed, our language mocked and our children propagandised to despise their own heritage. These evils alone were insufficient to crush the tolerance of a Christian people. For over a hundred years we pledged our allegiance to the American empire, we raised her banner proudly to prove our patriotism, we sang her anthems and sent our sons to die in her wars. We have done everything humanly possible to demonstrate we are 'good Americans,' far more than any other quarter of the empire, and we have quietly dismissed the words of intolerance and mockery that have repeatedly been uttered against our people and our heritage. In every way imaginable, for one-hundred and fifty years, we have followed the command of our Lord and Saviour to 'turn the other cheek' and 'carry the cloak two miles instead of just one.' For this we were met with the following.
During the last generation the American empire, with its power seated in Washington DC, has levelled an absolute war of legal oppression against our Christian faith and our Dixieland culture. This warfare began in the federal courts, denying our children the right to pray in public schools. This later extended to the suppression of all religious expression on all government owned properties. Everywhere the government advanced, religion was forced to retreat, and so it seemed as time passed, the government was advancing everywhere. Then again in the federal courts, the government stripped our states of their right to regulate and prohibit infanticide in the form of surgical and chemical abortion. This has resulted in a holocaust of death that has most severely affected our black population in what can only be compared to a form of racial genocide. Under the guise of 'compassion' our people have been heavily taxed by this imperial regime, and their wealth 'redistributed' through government agencies, to create a welfare dependent class of people, which again has disproportionately affected our black population, re-enslaving them in what has come to be called the 'government plantation.' Through all of this, the churches have been robbed of their God-given commission to feed and care for the poor, relegating many of their religious duties to social events. This combined with the imperial regime's refusal to allow states to regulate profanity and obscenity on the public airwaves, has led to a moral and social decline that is unprecedented in Western history since the fall of the Roman Empire.
Now with all this under way, this imperial regime which reigns over us, with the threat of the most malignant force should we dare to assert our political independence again, has taken its warfare against our faith and culture to the most extreme levels. Under the auspices of 'tolerance' churches are forced to shut down their charitable programs. Christian pastors face the threat of prosecution for reading portions of the Bible that contradict this new government sponsored 'politically-correct' orthodoxy. Homosexuality is promoted as 'normal,' even 'desirable,' and those who protest are labelled 'intolerant' and 'hateful,' forced to fear government reprisals should they dare to resist. Public school children are suspended or expelled for expressing their Christian beliefs or cultural heritage, and these are just the beginning of human rights violations. Over the last half-century this American empire has become a worldwide superpower, and so has thrust its weight into the far corners of the earth. Today the empire heavily taxes her people, most especially the sons and daughters of Dixieland, to pay not only for its colossal welfare state, but also for its police actions around the world. What it lacks in tax revenue it supplements in money printing through the unelected and unaccountable Federal Reserve banking system. This creates inflation which acts as a double tax on our people, impoverishing us even further, and robbing our children of any hope for the future. With these revenues the empire intervenes in the affairs of other governments across the globe, inciting their hatred of us, and provoking their retaliation against our people, leaving us nothing to show for it but a massive national debt that can never be repaid.
The empire has also waged a war against small family-run business, granting favours to large corporations, thus destroying the very fabric of our independent economy. Our people have become 'wage-slaves' to large national and international corporations, that pay us barely enough to survive and place many of our people on government program dependency for food and medical necessities. To complain against these unfair business practices is to be told we are 'lazy,' as we are forced to send our wives and older children into the workplace just to keep our households solvent. Meanwhile the few good paying jobs that exist are exported overseas, as the empire tells us this is a 'good thing' for America citing reasons that are simply unintelligible to us. For all of our loyalty, for all of the imperial flags waved across Dixieland, for all the anthems we have sung and the pledges we have made, for all the blood spilled by our sons and daughters in the empire's endless international wars, we are left with this? This is our legacy? This is our inheritance? We are left struggling for financial solvency, apologising for our culture and fighting for our religion?
We are disgusted with the outcome of this venture into American imperialism and are forced to conclude, after a century and a half, that the surrender of the Army of Virginia at Appomattox was a mistake. We are left with the sad realisation that our people would have fared much better had General Robert E. Lee taken his troops into the hills and fought a perpetual conflict of guerrilla warfare, rather than surrender to superior Union fire power. We are heartbroken that after one-hundred and fifty years of promising and proving our fidelity to the empire, we have once again become her enemies, simply for being what we are and for no more than that.
Therefore, without resorting to acts of violence, which contradicts our Christian virtue, we individually and communally pledge to undertake the following measures...
We shall no more hide the symbols of our identity in shame. We adopt the Confederate Naval Jack as the symbol of our people and our struggle, pledging to display it whenever possible, in the most honourable and dignified way. This 'Christian Cross of St. Andrew' shall be the sign of our resistance.
We shall in every way identify our land as Dixie or Dixieland, and our people as Dixians, Dixons or as the citizens of our respective states, so as to separate ourselves from the directional designation of 'Southerners' which geographically ties us to the United States. We must in every way assert ourselves as a separate and distinct people.
We shall seek to restore the manners and chivalry of Christendom in our homes, neighbourhoods and religious congregations.
We shall endeavour to persuade our local and state elected officials to enact laws that enforce the virtues of Christian civility.
We shall likewise endeavour to persuade our local and state elected officials to unceasingly petition the empire (Washington DC) for provisional self-governance, with the long-term goal of full independence. This pressure must continuously be applied to the empire even if Washington's answer is always 'no.' Likewise, we should make sure this call for independence is well known in the United Nations and the international community, thus making our struggle an international embarrassment to the empire.
We shall culturally adjure the realm by cutting off our families from the popular media.
We shall remove our money from national and international banks, supporting local credit unions instead.
We shall refuse to shop at 'big box' superstores owned by massive corporations, endeavouring instead to keep our money local, finding locally owned, or worker-owned (cooperative) places to do our business.
We shall endeavour to press our local and state politicians to break up monopolies, allowing for cooperatively owned competition in energy production and manufacturing.
We shall in every way seek a return to a simpler way of life, honouring the religion of our antebellum ancestors, showing Christian charity toward our neighbours, impartial to race, colour or creed, as we attempt to restore a remnant of Christendom for ourselves and our posterity.
The mass according to the Anglican Use of the Roman Rite
THE CATHOLIC KNIGHT: Today is the Feast of Mary, the Holy Mother of God, in the season of Christmastide. On this first day of this first month, in the year of our Lord 2012, the Holy Father, Pope Benedict XVI, creates the United States ordinariate for Anglicans, which has been named the 'Personal Ordinariate of the Chair of St. Peter' - see official website here. Former Episcopalian Bishop, now a Catholic priest, the Reverend Dr. Jeffrey Steenson, has been nominated for the position of the new Ordinary.
Fr. Jeffrey Steenson
Fr. Steenson is married with three grown children. The Catholic Church has been admitting married men into the Catholic priesthood for at least some thirty years now. Fr. Steenson was received into the Catholic Church in 2007, and ordained to the Catholic priesthood in 2009. Pope John Paul II created the 'Pastoral Provision' in 1980, which opened the door for married Protestant clergy to enter the Catholic Church and be ordained Catholic priests. Currently, there are over one-hundred such men serving as priests in the United States, most of them came from The Episcopal Church USA (American Anglicanism), but some came from Lutheran and other Protestant traditions. Because the Anglican Ordinary will likely be a married priest, he cannot be consecrated as a bishop at this time. This is a tradition going back to the earliest days of Christianity. However, the U.S. Anglican Ordinary, if he is not a bishop, is instead granted all the powers of a mitred abbot. He will have the full authority of a bishop, except he cannot ordain men to the priesthood himself. Instead regular Roman bishops may do this upon his request. He may even wear episcopal vestments during liturgical events and carry a crosier, just as if he were a bishop. That's because these are symbols of his shepherding role in the ordinariate. The Ordinary will be given an equal seat with the other prelates at the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops.
This condition of a non-episcopal Ordinary is in all likelihood a temporary one. It is designed to prepare the way for something different later on. Originally, when traditional Anglicans first opened communications with Rome, the idea was to create a whole new rite for Anglicans entering the Catholic Church, however, this proved impossible at this time because of the condition Anglicanism currently finds itself in. In order to have a full-fledged rite, there must be celibate bishops with real apostolic succession, an undisputed patrimony, and no ambiguity on the sacrament of holy orders. Historically, Anglicanism has not possessed these things, in any clear fashion, even though it has demonstrated an certain affinity toward English Catholic liturgy and sacramental life.
So what the pope did was create an incubator called the 'Anglican Ordinariate.' It is similar to the military ordinariate for Roman Catholics. The idea of the Anglican Ordinariate is to create a 'space' (if you will) within the Catholic Church, wherein traditional high-church Anglicans (i.e. Anglo Catholics) can further develop their patrimony with absolute clarity, in an environment where holy orders are no longer in question. The position of Ordinary may be occupied by a married priest for as long as these Anglo Catholics require one. However, it is envisioned in the long run that there will be some celibate men ordained into the Anglo Catholic priesthood eventually. These men will eventually become candidates for the position of Ordinary when the time is right. When that day comes, a celibate bishop will be consecrated as the next ordinary (someday in the future). Once that happens, the ordinariate becomes a 'particular church,' a full-fledged diocese (if you will), and the Anglican patrimony is well on its way to become a full-fledged rite within the Catholic Church, just as soon as all the ordinariates worldwide are similarly prepared.
As for time frame, your guess is as good as mine. Speculatively, one would think one to two generations would be ample. However, that is not a job for this pope or this generation. This pope plants the seeds of a future Anglican Rite. Another pope, someday in the future, will harvest the crop, and actually make it happen. Just as Pope John Paul II cleared the field with the Anglican Use Pastoral Provision some thirty years ago, so this pope (Benedict XVI) is laying the foundation with the Anglican ordinariates. Other popes will help build the structure as Anglo Catholics supply the living materials, and someday the Anglican Rite within the Catholic Church will be completed. Personally, I would think at least thirty to forty years will be required before this happens, perhaps longer, but you never know. The Lord works in mysterious ways.
As for Anglicans entering the Catholic Church, the ONLY thing they need to do is just keep the Anglican Patrimony and be good Catholics. As for a future Anglican Rite, that is a job best left to the Holy Spirit.
In the mean time, the Holy Father has a much broader plan for the Anglican ordinariates. First and foremost, of course, they provide an easy point of entry for Anglicans (Episcopalians) into the Catholic Church. They also provide a similarly easy point of entry for some Lutherans, as well as other traditional protestants. Second, because the ordinariates will have their own traditional English liturgy, and their own rubrics in which that liturgy MUST be celebrated, they provide yet another means through which the Holy Father can further his liturgical "reform of the reform" of the Western Church. Traditional Anglo Catholics are more than eager to help the pope in this regard, as it is primarily their love for liturgy that has driven them to the Catholic Church over the last two centuries. Third and finally, the ordinariate structure, as provided for under the Apostolic Constitution for Anglicans, puts ordinariate members under Roman canon law, and for the time being anyway, considers the Anglican ordinariate patrimony a subdivision of the Roman Rite. This allows clergy and laity to easily cross over between any Roman diocese and the Anglican ordinariate. Thus, any ordinariate priest can fill in as a substitute guest priest in a diocesan parish. The same is true vice versa. Likewise, any Roman Catholic layman can take up membership in an Anglo Catholic parish. The same is true vice versa. This crossover is designed to alleviate some of the strain caused by the priest shortage, and to give traditionally-minded Roman Catholics some more liturgical options, as well as give some ordinariate Anglo Catholics easy access to diocesan life should they prefer it. This allows for some regularisation and normalisation between the ordinariate and local dioceses as things get under way. It also introduces Catholics from both groups to opportunities to help each other out. With these Anglican ordinariates, the Holy Father has done nothing short of helping both Catholics and Anglicans, giving both groups more tools at their disposal to further nourish their spiritual needs during a period of dark times for Western Christianity.
Finally, I would like to offer a word of admonition to both Roman Catholics and Anglicans entering the Church through the ordinariate.
To Roman Catholics I say this. DON'T BE STUPID. The Holy Father has structured these ordinariates in such as way as to help struggling Roman dioceses in their time of need. Make no mistake about it. Dioceses that are accommodating to Anglican ordinariate parishes and groups will be blessed. New vocations may arise from these communities, and those vocations will likely be of service to both the diocese as well as the ordinariate. Anglo-Catholic priests are fully permitted to celebrate the Roman Rite liturgy as well as their own. This means with your local bishop's permission, they can do a regular mass in any diocesan parish, and you can be sure they will celebrate the Roman liturgy with the highest level of respect and honour given to your traditional customs. That can only serve to strengthen your local parish's Roman Catholic identity. This is a win-win situation for Roman dioceses. Don't pass the opportunity up when it arises. Embrace the Anglican ordinariate, in the true spirit of Vatican II (a spirit of continuity not rupture), and your diocese will be blessed because of it.
To all those entering the Church through the ordinariate, most especially to Anglicans for whom these ordinariates are being created, I would like to admonish you to fully embrace the Catholic faith as well as the Anglican Patrimony. Most especially, nurture the Anglican Patrimony, which is primarily liturgical of course, but can also include personal and family customs that are unique to Anglican history and English culture. The Holy Father has made it ABSOLUTELY CLEAR that he EXPECTS us to build something new and unique in the universal Church. He does not want us to be absorbed into the Roman Rite as a community. Granted, if individuals (or families) want to be absorbed into the general Roman Rite, than that is fine, and that is their choice. As an Anglo Catholic community however, those of us who choose to remain part of that, should endeavour to be unique and distinct, keeping with our Anglican Patrimony and forging ahead in Traditional development. Remember, it was our most conservative Anglican traditions that brought us INTO the Catholic Church, and it is those same conservative Anglican traditions that will help us move forward WITHIN the Catholic Church. As for today however, let us celebrate and give thanks to the Lord. Today history is made. Today marks a new beginning not only for Anglicans (Episcopalians) in the United States, but also for Roman Catholics as well, as we will both mutually benefit from this ordinariate arrangement.
On May 13 1846, (exactly seventy-one years, to the day, before the Fatima apparitions), the Catholic bishops of the United States, who were gathered for the Sixth Provincial Council of Baltimore, adopted a decree by which they chose the Blessed Virgin Mary, conceived without sin, as Patroness of the United States.
This decree, translated from Latin into English, is as follows:
With enthusiastic acclaim and with unanimous approval and consent, the Fathers [of the Council] have chosen the Blessed Virgin Mary, conceived without sin, as the Patroness of the United States of America; without, however, adding the obligation of hearing Mass and abstaining from servile work on the feast of the Conception of Blessed Mary. And, therefore, they decided that the Supreme Pontiff be humbly asked to transfer the solemnity, unless the feast fall on a Sunday, to the nearest Sunday, on which both private and solemn Masses may be celebrated of the feast thus transferred, and the vesper office of the same feast may be recited.
Sister Mildred Mary Neuzil on August 15, 1964
The choice of Our Lady, in her Immaculate Conception, as Patroness of the United States was approved by Pope Pius IX in an audience on Feb. 7, 1847; and this approval was announced in a decree of Propaganda dated July 2, the same year. Both of these decrees of Propaganda have the signature of Cardinal Fransoni.
In 1956 the Blessed Virgin Mary appeared in a vision to Sister Mildred Mary Neuzil in Rome City, Indiana. She appeared as Our Lady of Lourdes, drawing Sister Mildred's attention to that 19th century apparition in France wherein Our Lady revealed herself as the Immaculate Conception. (The United States was dedicated to the patronage of the Immaculate Conception in 1847, a full eight years before that doctrine was defined as infallible Catholic dogma by Pope Pius IX). In Sister Mildred's vision Our Lady said...
"I am pleased, my child, with the love and honor my children in America give to me, especially through my glorious and unique privilege of the Immaculate Conception. I promise to reward their love by working through the power of my Son's Heart and my Immaculate Heart miracles of grace among them. I do not promise miracles of the body, but of the soul. For it is mainly through these miracles of grace that the Holy Trinity is glorified among men and nations. Let America continue and grow in its love for me, and I in return, in union with the Heart of my Son, promise to work wonders in her. My child, I desire that this be known."
Of course with any Marian apparition there is almost always a message. What does Our Lady want of us? Why did she come? What is the message she's carrying to us from God? For the people of the United States, for all Catholic Americans, and for all Christian Americans in general, her message is one that cannot be argued, as it is in perfect alignment with the gospels. Our Lady calls us to live lives of purity and trust. Sister Mildred related the message given to her for our benefit as follows....
"I am Our Lady of America. I desire that my children honor me, especially by the purity of their lives."
“My child, I entrust you with this message that you must make known to my children in America. I wish it to be the country dedicated to my purity. The wonders I will work will be the wonders of the Soul. They must have faith and believe firmly in my love for them. I desire that they be the children of my Pure Heart. I desire, through my children of America, to further the cause of faith and purity among peoples and nations. Let them come to me with confidence and simplicity, and I, their Mother, will teach them to become pure like to my Heart that their own hearts may be more pleasing to the Heart of my Son."
In this visitation the Blessed Virgin Mary asked for no shrines to be built in her honor as Our Lady of America, but instead that a statue of her image be placed in the Cathedral of the Immaculate Conception in Washington DC, where she may be venerated as Our Lady of America, the Immaculate Virgin. As she told Sister Mildred...
"I desire to make the whole of America my shrine by making every heart accessible to the love of my Son."
She continued....
"Behold, O my children, the tears of your Mother! Shall I weep in vain? Assuage the sorrow of my Heart over the ingratitude of sinful men by the love and chasteness of your lives. Will you do this for me, beloved children, or will you allow your Mother to weep in vain? I come to you, O children of America, as a last resort. I plead with you to listen to my voice. Cleanse your souls in the Precious Blood of My Son. Live in His Heart, and take me in that I may teach you to live in great purity of heart which is so pleasing to God. Be my army of chaste soldiers, ready to fight to the death to preserve the purity of your souls. I am the Immaculate One, Patroness of your land. Be my faithful children as I have been your faithful Mother."
The United States of America has been dedicated to the patronage of St. Mary - The Immaculate Conception. For this our Land has enjoyed a special protection and blessing, but for this our nation shall also be held accountable for it's sins against purity and modesty. Through the intercession of Mary, this nation might be preserved, but not without our repentance.
AMERICA IS WORTH SAVING
While not a perfect representation the original American flag makes a nice crown for Our Lady
There is a difference between the people of the United States and the government of the United States. This is something we often get a little confused about. Perhaps this is because of our electoral process and the structural nature of our republic. Often the government is described as a government of the people, by the people and for the people. It's a nice thought to be sure, but in practical application, this is hardly the case. When we look back at the last 200 years of the American experience, it becomes clear that our government hasn't served us too well. It was our own federal government policies that preserved the institution of slavery, making it profitable to farmers in the south and bankers in the north, ultimately leading us into a Civil War. It was our own federal government policies that led us into multiple wars with our Native American neighbors, a crime our own Founding Fathers cited as one reason for secession from the British Empire. It was our own federal government policies that coddled segregation for a century, and then flipped virtually overnight, only to vilify the very people in the South who still backed the federal policy with their own state laws. It has been our own federal government policies that has kept African Americans on the proverbial "plantation" for the last 200 years. First literally with slavery, then effectively with segregation, then essentially with welfare and abortion. Now our federal government has amassed a debt so great that it can never be paid, and our national sovereignty is in danger as our economy implodes. This is just domestic issues, don't even get me started on foreign policy. When one looks at this on the surface, one might get the impression that America is a particularly bad place, and that Americans are particularly bad people.
However, that is a very superficial way to look at things. In fact, when you really get down to America on a family by family basis, what you discover is something completely different. Americans remain the most religious people in the industrialized world. Per capita, more people still identify themselves as "Christian" in America than in any other industrialized nation. American families are for the most part a generous people. Charitable giving is higher among Americans, per capita, than any other industrialized nation. This is even reflected in government policies, believe it or not, wherein the United States exports more food to poverty stricken third-world nations than any other country on the planet. America literally feeds the world. When you talk to the average American family, you'll find a people who are generally very practical, balance their home budget, don't spend more than they can afford, believe in basic morality of right and wrong, good vs. evil, trust in God, go to religious services weekly and help their neighbors. Granted, there are always exceptions to this rule, and we can find plenty in the inner cities, but for the most part this is how it is. What a contrast! To imagine these generally good people are represented by such a selfish government is unthinkable, and yet this is how it is.
Our Lady of America Medal worn by those with special devotion to Our Lady of America may be purchased here.
Yes, America is a good place, and Americans are (for the most part) good people. The American government, on the other hand, is another story. The United States of America has gone through literally four national governments since it's inception. The first was the Articles of Confederation. The first president of the United States was not George Washington. It was actually Samuel Huntington, but the term of the president was very short under this system of governance. He was followed by fifteen other men as president, until George Washington, who was in actuality the seventeenth president of the United States, but the first under the newly ratified Constitution. This Constitution of the United States served as America's second government until 1861 when the nation was torn by Civil War. From 1861 to 1865 America was governed by two constitutions; the Constitution of the United States governed the northern states, while the newly drafted Constitution of Confederate States governed the southern states. After the Civil War, the United States was unified once again under the Constitution of the United States, but with one major change that turned the whole thing on it's head -- the Fourteenth Amendment (adopted on July 9, 1868). The longest amendment ever passed, this article changed the entire reading of the Constitution, defining U.S. citizenship and giving considerable power to the federal courts. For better or worse, the fourteenth amendment remade the U.S. Constitution into a totally different form of government, which was far more centralized and powerful. This government has remained to this day, and from 1868 to present, has become our longest system of government so far. The point I'm making here is this. America has gone through four systems of government in it's 200+ year history. There is no reason why a fifth form of government cannot follow, and indeed history dictates that it will eventually. What form that government takes is entirely up to us for now. Yes, we do have a choice, and no, we don't have to do what the power brokers on Wall Street tell us, no matter how much pressure they put on us.
America is worth saving and it can be saved. Indeed Our Lady of America revealed to us that God actually WANTS to save America, and he wants America to lead the way of repentance for all the Americas (North, South and Central), thus paving the way for the rest of the world. It is not impossible, and it is within our reach, in spite of the massive economic downturn that awaits us in the very near future. This is what we can do...
Turn to Mary as the patroness of our nation. Our Lady of America is a wonderful family devotion for all of us, and it's message is more applicable now than when it was given. The Catholic Church in America honors the Immaculate Conception as our patroness. It's time we get back to basics and restore our national identity in Our Lady of America -- the Immaculate Conception. Catholics are the ONLY ones who can lead the way in this. So let's start leading already. Begin doing family rosary time, even if it's just one chaplet a day, due to the attention span of small children. Ramp it up to two decades as they get older, then three, then four, and so on. Teach your family the message of Our Lady of America and venerate her in your home.
Focus on teaching our children sexual purity in a real and adult way, guiding them in the Christian understanding of sex and marriage, and helping them reject the ways of Hollywood and Washington DC.
Embrace our Mexican neighbors to the south, by offering them citizenship in exchange for learning English and adopting an American identity. We must encourage them to be good Catholics, and introduce them to the devotion of Our Lady of America -- the Immaculate Conception -- which complements their devotion to Our Lady of Guadalupe. (Remember, Mexican immigrants are the only thing that is saving America from having to import massive waves of Muslim immigrants like Europe has. Yes, Mexicans will help save America, that is IF indeed we will let them, and teach them how to be Americans in Jesus and Mary.)
Embrace our English language, and the heritage of English Catholicism! America is an English nation, plain and simple, regardless of our racial and ethnic diversity. We speak English (or at least we're supposed to), we are governed by English common law (or at least we're supposed to be), and our culture is primarily English in nature. This is where the pope's creation of a Personal Ordinariate for Anglicans can really help us here in America. It is a vehicle through which Americans can be reintroduced to their English Catholic roots. Hopefully, the U.S. ordinariate will become more than a niche group for Anglo-Catholics, but rather an evangelistic arm of the U.S. Catholic Church that can not only bring more Protestants into the Catholic Church, but also renew American Catholicism by rubbing off various elements of the English Patrimony into various diocese throughout the United States.
Pursue papal politics! Besides being a tongue twister, this is actually very good advice for Catholic Americans. The political rivalry between Republicans and Democrats has virtually destroyed this nation. Catholicism is more than just a religion. It is a comprehensive way of life, which is why Catholics cannot be defined as Republican or Democrat, Conservative or Liberal. Parties and ideologies are woefully ineffective as far as defining Catholic politics. One of the areas we Americans are sorely lacking in is following the teachings of our pope. Both popes John Paul II and Benedict XVI have outlined a comprehensive political strategy that if followed, the United States would not be in the mess it's in today -- neither would Europe for that matter. What are papal politics? Well, an entire book could be written on it, and indeed some have, but to summarize, we should be...
Militantly Pro-Life, opposing abortion, euthanasia, human cloning and embryonic stem-cell research.
Opposed to any policy that hurts or redefines the traditional family.
Pursuing government policies that encourage traditional marriage and children.
Demanding school-choice initiatives in every state, county and city.
Opposed to all wars not directly related to self-defense.
Kind and generous to immigrants.
Conserving resources and pursuing alternate forms of energy with a passion.
I think this is a good place to start, and we as Catholics can do this. It is within our reach. I firmly believe that while Protestants formed this nation, Catholics will ultimately save it. That will be America's future. I also believe that when Americans become a moral and virtuous people again, on a widespread level, we can begin to reign in the abuses of our federal government, but not until then. So to save America, we must turn to Our Lady of America, and begin working on changing ourselves.
What happens however, if we fail to do this. Well, your guess is as good as mine, but based on my study of cultural demographics I think it's pretty safe to say the United States will break up mostly among cultural lines. If America breaks up, nobody wins. The North American continent will have consigned itself to at least fifty years of economic and political stagnation, but that's the path we will have chosen. I believe it's best for us to turn to our Lord and our Lady for assistance in these trying times, lest our future look something like this...
The people of the United States of America are now at the final crossroads in our nation's history. We have a choice. The year 2012 will be the year America chooses her fate. For 2012 marks the year of the END of the American Empire. Our Superpower status ends this year. We may not see the final results of that for a couple of years to come, but the decision will be made this year. It comes down to this. The American Empire is going to end -- period. Nothing can stop that now. The choice is this. Shall our empire decline like the British Empire or the Roman Empire?
That's it! That's the choice that faces us. It really is no more or less than that. We can either go the way of Britain or Rome.
When the British Empire became unsustainable, the Brits got smart. They permitted their colonies to become independent nations (rather than risk a repeat of 1776). They downsized and focused on rebuilding their internal economic foundations. They scaled back their military to a more reasonable size that was commensurate with national defence alone. In the process they saved billions of pounds, and gave their nation new life. Today they are no longer an empire, but many of their former colonies have erected constitutional monarchies that still (voluntarily) name the Queen of England as their sovereign -- Canada, Australia, New Zealand, etc. Today you can go to Britain and still see British society. Their government remains intact. The queen still reigns from the throne. It's all still there! And in spite of their many national problems, there is no indication that it is going extinct any time soon. We here in the United States can choose this path. We can accept that our international superpower (empire) status is unsustainable. We can scale back, downsize, and save trillions of dollars! We can refocus our efforts toward rebuilding our economic and political integrity. We can turn back to the national Constitution, and start following it for a change!
Or we can refuse to accept the unsustainable nature of our empire (superpower status), and ignore all the signs around us. We can move forward internationally in wars and conflicts, increasing our debts, just as the Roman Empire did, and in doing so, we can follow in their footsteps into oblivion. The map of the former United States above represents just one possibility of how North America will eventually be Balkanised should we refuse to accept reality. We can follow the example of Rome right into a fall so great that it results in the ripping apart of our nation into smaller nation-states in a European kind of fracture. Yes, there was once upon a time, some 1,500 years ago, when all of Europe was united under one government and one language. Today you can go to Rome and see what's left of that government, in the ruins of the Forum and Colosseum. Today Europe is still divided up into different governments, languages and cultures. Every attempt to reunify Europe in the past has failed, and it looks as if this most recent attempt to economically unify Europe (The European Union) will fail too.
So there you have it. Americans can either choose a smart decline like Britain, or a stupid suicidal decline like Rome. One way or another, we will decline, and this year (2012) marks the year we make our choice.
THE CATHOLIC KNIGHT: The people of the United States of America are now at the final crossroads in our nation's history. We have a choice. The year 2012 will be the year America chooses her fate. For 2012 marks the year of the END of the American Empire. Due to increasing national deficits and a colossal national debt, staggering trade deficits, the lack of industrial infrastructure, economic stagnation coupled with inflation (stagflation) and a general inability (or unwillingness) to secure our own national borders, our superpower status will end this coming year. We may not see the final results of that for some time, but the decision of HOW our superpower ends will be made this coming year. It comes down to this. The American Empire is going to end -- period. Nothing can stop that now. The choice is this. Shall our empire decline like the British Empire or the Roman Empire?
That's it! That's the choice that faces us. It really is no more or less than that. We can either go the way of Britain or Rome.
When the British Empire became unsustainable, the Brits got smart. It took them a little while, but they did eventually figure it out. They permitted their colonies to become independent nations (rather than risk a repeat of 1776). They downsized and focused on rebuilding their internal economic infrastructure. They scaled back their military to a more reasonable size that was commensurate with national defense alone. In the process they saved billions of pounds, and gave their nation new life. Today they are no longer an empire, but many of their former colonies have erected constitutional monarchies that still (voluntarily) name the Queen of England as their sovereign -- Canada, Australia, and New Zealand just to name a few. Today you can go to Britain and still see British society. Their government remains intact. Their queen still reigns from the throne. It's all still there! And in spite of their many national problems, there is no indication that it is going extinct any time soon. We here in the United States can choose this path. We can accept that our international superpower (empire) status is unsustainable. We can scale back, downsize, and save trillions of dollars! We can refocus our efforts toward rebuilding our economic and political integrity, reforming and downsizing the welfare state as well. We can turn back to our national Constitution, and start following it for a change!
Or we can refuse to accept the unsustainable nature of our empire (superpower status), and ignore all the signs around us. We can move forward internationally into wars and conflicts, increasing our debts, just as the Roman Empire did, and in doing so, we can follow in their footsteps into oblivion. You see, the Romans refused to accept that their empire was unsustainable and in decline. They chose to hang on to it until the bitter end, exhausting their resources and over stretching their military. We can follow their example right into a fall so great that it results in ripping apart our nation into smaller nation-states, in a European kind of fracture. Yes, there was once upon a time, some 1,500 years ago, when all of Europe was united under one government and one language. Today you can go to Rome and see what's left of that government, in the ruins of the Forum and Colosseum. Today Europe is still divided up into different governments, languages and cultures. Every attempt to reunify Europe in the past has failed, and it looks as if this most recent attempt to economically reunify Europe (The European Union) will fail too.
So there you have it. Americans can either choose a smart decline like Britain, or a stupid suicidal decline like Rome. One way or another, we will decline, and this coming year (2012) marks the year we make our choice. So America, what's it going to be?
