News Item: : If the principle of ''might makes right'' were to prevail, it would be fatal to any civilised order in the world
(Category: Torch of The Faith News)
Posted by admin
Sunday 20 May 2018 - 13:43:17

3rd September, 1939: King George VI makes his famous ''In this grave hour'' radio speech to the peoples of the British Empire.

The Strange U-Turn on Marriage

We were reflecting in yesterday's article on the mysterious u-turn which had been performed by Fr. James Bradley in an interview with the EWTN-owned Catholic News Agency (CNA). Having first provided a clear articulation of Catholic teaching on the indissolubility of marriage, he basically ended by suggesting that, as we cannot know whether or not Meghan has had her first public marriage declared to have been invalid, then we should simply be happy for her and Prince Harry.

It has to be said that this seems hardly the response of a Catholic priest from the country that gave us St. John Fisher.  

Other Commentary 

This led me last evening to do a little more reading around the subject, in terms of the responses of other Catholic figures here in the UK.

Perhaps I am missing something but, for the most part, Catholic commentary in this country seems to have been, so far, somewhat muted.

There was an article in The Catholic World Report by Joanna Bogle back in April, which asked the question, What are Catholics to make of the Royal Wedding? 

Amongst other issues, Joanna's article did ponder the fact that Meghan Markle was a divorcee. In her final conclusion, she reflected: ''I am not deeply convinced that this royal event will do much to enhance the value or importance of matrimony in modern Britain. But if it gets the topic put on the agenda - replacing the endless promotion of same-sex unions, people being urged to ''self-identify'' as something they are not and can never be, the distribution of contraceptives to schoolchildren, and the use of the classroom for crude videos masquerading as ''sex-education'' - then perhaps it might help to move things in the right direction.''

Well, we would suggest that  yesterday's royal event in itself will not move things in such a direction, but Catholics could certainly raise those issues and thus hopefully move discussions in the right direction in relation to the truths of marriage. 

Vin' Again...

However, as is so often the case in these matters, the Catholic layman trying to spread the Faith in the family, neighbourhood or at the workplace water-cooler, once again finds themselves to be undermined by the words of, none other than, Cardinal Vincent Nichols of Westminster...

Altough I have not been able to find any up to date comments from His Eminence, it is widely known that, when the ''Royal Engagement'' was officially announced to the public, back in November 2017, Cardinal Nichols gleefully tweeted: ''I offer my congratulations to Harry and Meghan on the news of their engagement. We pray for their happiness as they prepare to make their life-long commitment to marriage.''

The less observant ''New Evangelists'' would probably have been meekly thankful that the cardinal's words had made some reference to the life-long commitment of marriage. However, the more astute would have wondered how the cardinal's words could be thought logical in light of the fact that Meghan Markle had already made such a ''life-long'' commitment to Trevor Engelson, as recently as 2011.

The cardinal's words are even more troubling than those of Fr. Bradley mentioned above and yesterday, given both the cardinal's elevated position and the fact that he once published a hagiographical account of the life and witness of St. John Fisher!

The Clerical Apologist...

However, another member of the clergy here in England has gone even further than any of this.

Fr. Alexander Lucie-Smith is a priest and moral theologian who has done a lot of good things here in England. He is also capable of writing some very thought-provoking and spiritual articles for the reputedly ''conservative'' Catholic Herald.

That being said, I did pull him up here in October, 2016 for writing a piece on Francis' new cardinals which spectacularly omitted to mention their radically Modernist track-records; and which went so far as to day-dream improbably about what could have happened if Francis had made the Anglican ''Archbishop'' Justin Welby into a cardinal!!!

Fr. Lucie-Smith was back on to a similarly bemusing streak this week.

He penned an artice for the Catholic Herald which, under the title, This is the man to watch at the Royal Wedding, wondered about the message which would be preached by the US Episcopal leader Michael Curry and recommended readers not to miss the ceremony; whilst even suggesting that it would be worth viewing for the sake of the music, the beauty of the chapel and to see how the Anglicans rise to the challenges and scale of the ceremonial. ''Don't miss it!'' he concluded.

Catholics looking for some solid information about the fact that Meghan Markle was already married to someone else, would have to look elsewhere than Fr. Lucie-Smith's article.

The responses of Cardinal Nichols, Fr. Lucie-Smith, Fr. Bradley and, by extension, the publishers of the Catholic Herald and Catholic News Agency, invite the all-important question: Do any of these people fully, and without dissembling, actually believe and hold that a valid marriage is indissoluble? That this rules out divorce and precludes ''re-marriage''? In short, are they fully and unequivocally Catholics?

The Principle, Stripped of All Disguise

This being a big royal weekend here in England, with plenty of union flags, bunting, street parties and outdoor barbeques, I would like to stick with the regal theme for a moment and reflect on something which King George VI said in his classical speech at the outbreak of the Second World War.

The King's speech raised the important philosophical and theological matter of the nature of truth and reality. For, if the natural and divine law are denied, then we rapidly descend into a situation wherein might makes right, and the rule of law gives way to that of the jungle. It was the recognition and exposure of this which gave such clear moral authority and inspiration to that enormously motivating speech.

King George spoke of ''a principle, which, if it were to prevail, would be fatal to any civilized order in the world. Such a principle, stripped of all disguise, is surely the mere primitive doctrine that might is right.''

In this Grave Hour: Colin Firth and Geoffrey Rush portray King George VI and Lionel Logue in the movie, The King's Speech.

The King's speech reminds us that Christian civilization is not built on that serpentine principle of might makes right, but rather on the fundamental reality of being and existence; which is ultimately rooted in the natural and divine law.

Recent events in relation to the case of Alfie Evans, combined with the scale of abortion and euthanasia in England today, demonstate just how far our society has fallen since that astute speech was made and so well received by the general public within the British Empire.

The Witness of the English Martyrs

In their day, St. John Fisher and St. Thomas More refused to acknowledge the validity of King Henry VIII's faux divorce and ''re-marriage'' and his claims to be the head of the Church in England. For this they were martyred and made an example of by the unruly king. In English Catholicism, they remain the foundational saints to inspire fidelity to the True Church and to the truths of Holy Matrimony.

Let us conclude with a, perhaps, lesser known witness from two Franciscan priests who also refused to acquiesce in Henry's falsehoods about matrimony and ecclesiology. Their final witness has much to teach us; and also our present-day bishops it would seem.

When threatened with drowning in the River Thames unless they recanted, these courageous martyr friars replied with their final words: ''Threaten such things to rich and dainty folk, which are clothed in purple, fare deliciously, and have their chiefest hopes in this world. We esteem them not. We are joyful that for the discharge of our duty we are driven hence. With thanks to God, we know that the way to Heaven is as short by water as by land, and therefore care not which way we go.''

May the English Martyrs pray for all who read this to be faithful to the true teachings of the Catholic Church on Natural Marriage and on the Sacrament of Holy Matrimony.     

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This news item is from Torch of The Faith
( http://www.torchofthefaith.com/news.php?extend.1685 )