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Is George Orwell's 1984 coming true in the most unlikeliest place?
Dear Friends,
 "War is Peace! Freedom is Slavery! Ignorance is Strength!" — The slogans of the Ministry of Truth in George Orwell's novel "1984". Orwell must laugh that his insights from his 1948 novel, might be applied with delicious irony to the Holy Roman Catholic Church in 2008. Ripping the heart out of Vatican II while pretending that you love Vatican II and want to see its reforms rejuvenating the Catholic Church. The latest casuality in this game of casuistry it seems are the Eucharistic Prayers for Masses with Children. Fr Daniel Donovan reviews the thinking that led to the introduction of this reform and voices his protest at the game which seems to be underway at the hands of the Vandals and Visigoths (or is it the old lace and incense queens?) who seem to have invaded the citadel of early third millennium Catholicism. And we all thought the Catholic Church was the last great bulwark against totalitarianism! <Read Fr Dan's requiem for children's liturgies>
 A contrasting Good News development: In contrast to the foregoing there was a little bit of good news this morning hearing that His Holiness is having second thoughts about placing the canonisation of Pope Pius XII on the expedited list. According to Reuters "Pope Benedict on Thursday told Jewish leaders he was 'seriously considering' freezing the sainthood process of his Nazi-era predecessor Pius XII until historical archives can be opened, one Jewish leader said." My feeling is that most impartial people who have read Dr Paul O'Shea's scholarly study of Pius XII, "A Cross too Heavy — Eugenio Pacelli: Politics and the Jews of Europe 1917-1943" would feel this is a very wise and conciliatory development on Pope Benedict's part. It is conciliatory not only towards Jewish people but also to Catholics who feel the culture of popolatory has gone way too far. <Link to Reuters' report>
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