When did The Atlantic Catholic go all pagan berserker? I always figured Canadian Catholic peoples on the east coast were of a superior breed, not subject to the winds of Political Correctness. What's going on? The cover and appertaining article therein is a commemoration of the first Indian baptized in Canada (on June 24, 1610): Grand Chief Henri Membertou of the Mikmaq tribe, "prophet, leader and legend". But why this "in your face" paganism? (click link above to enjoy the full, glorifying colouration). Why not a more dignified depiction of someone more Catholicized, so to speak? Here we see the false inducement of guilt, the romantization of the "noble savage" and, of course, a subtle condemnation of colonialism. Erik von Kuehnelt-Leddihn (1909-1999) reminded us: "There is, of course, nothing evil and nothing extraordinary about colonialism. It is the inevitable result of a historical law according to which not only nature, but also political geography, does not tolerate a vacuum. Where no effective resistance can be expected, other powers, other nations, other tribes will occupy, dominate, and administer an area. Our history could not be imagined without the forces of colonialism constantly at work" (Leftism: From de Sade and Marx to Hitler and Marcuse, New Rochelle, NY: Arlington House Publishing, 1974, p. 340). Indigenous peoples in the Dominion of Canada - and for all of the Americas, in fact - did not need the "European invaders" to incite their decline. The archaeological record evidences that they could effect this themselves. Eden did not exist before Cartier and his boys arrived. "I'm rather inclined to believe that this is the land God gave to Cain" (Jacques Cartier, 1534).
Bienvenue. What you observe above is the header for the website at the Diocese of Chicoutimi (Quebec). Is it appropriate for a Catholic diocese? Do not know about you, but it gives me the creeps, in a Tony Robbins/Scientologist sort of way. What's that couple to the left thinking about? Looks like they are experiencing the cool fresh breeze of liberal Christianity or, perhaps, it is constipation. You're guess is as good as mine. And what's going on at the right side? Kind of a Sears catalogue pose happening there. How nice. A perusal of the website shows that, despite a few pictures of Bl. Brother Andre (to be canonized next month), no expressly Catholic graphical imagery is to be found. Sorry Jesus, Mary and Joseph: you are not welcome. The entire website just more so evidences the pathetic state of Catholicism in Quebec. Vive le Québec libre. Plus ça change, plus c'est la même chose.
15 comments:
That cover actually scared me when I first saw it. Had no idea what it was supposed to be...Personally, I think it did a great disservice to the anniversary being celebrated.
Dun: The cover is rather impacting, especially when viewing the PDF. Jumps out at you. Thanks for dropping in.
Ooh, the "Pocahontas" worldview...one of my favorites. That nice, squeaky-clean sanitized version of history that's all comfortable for one side, and self-flagellating for the other. I feel like doing a very long post/rant about it.
Still. When I saw that picture, my gut reaction was to shriek, jump up from my chair and yell at the top of my lungs in true banshee form: "What the National Catholic Reporter--!"
I have a friend in Winnipeg who is very distressed about the state of the Church in Québec.
Celestine: You should do that post, maybe turn it into a movie script, and then send it to Disney Studios. :o
Bob: Your friend is rightly distressed. One of the many problems, for younger people especially, is that are taught by the elites (newspapers, universities), that the Catholic Church in Quebec in times past was akin to a subjugating dictatorship, primitivism, etc.
Initial reaction before even reading the post to the magazine cover: WTF????? Is this a Catholic magazine or a New Age magazine.
Like you said, to some extent this was a bit of PC revisionist history. & I suspect that the reenactment will be more of an apology than a true celebration.
Speaking of New Age, the DBQ Archdiocesan paper, the False Witness, is now accepting advertising from a New Aged group called the Divinicon.
As for the Chicoutimi (Quebec)website header, well, how do I describe the couple on the left? All I can say is that in olden pre-PC days I would be expectting to see them smoking a cigarette if you get my meaning. I do have to wonder how Brother Andre was allowed to appear. Oh wait, good PR more than celebratinga faithful Catholic.
Then there is the stone god picture for Catechetical Sunday. He reminds me a bit of "The Mighty Favog" from the Muppet sketches on SNL back in 75. (http://muppet.wikia.com/wiki/The_Mighty_Favog)
In a way I am glad I don't know French, just seeing what I did raised my BP enough. There are days when I wish the parousia (παρουσία) was yesterday. After seeing this post, this is 1 of them.
You know I'll comment about the Church in Quebec! Sadly this type of campaign is all too familiar! The Diocese of St Jean Longueil is downright frightening with its publicity ads...Montreal is getting better with an albeit 'small' collection of seminarians who 'played the game' well so their superiors would not send them to a psychologist,..The Church is about ten years away from IMHO roaring back!!!
As for the Maritimes, I've been to Mass on Cape Breton Island, and the New Age(iness) doesn't shock me. Again, though Bishop Mancini, I belive is in Halifax, and subsuquently the Companions of the Cross have been invited in! Cape Breton won't be too far behind! Papa Bennedetto is on the job!!! Remember solid Bishops will mean solid publications!!!
TH2, that sounds like a splendid plan. I'll get the script to Disney immediately! I just know that they'll love it!
(and if it doesn't work out with Disney, I'll mail it to James Cameron. From what I hear, he likes that sort of thing...)
Al: Your "WTF" initial reaction to the berserker image was similar to mine.
Marco: The Church is about ten years away from IMHO roaring back. I hope your right.
Celestine: Here is a title suggestion if you do send it to Cameron: "Pocahontas II: Rise of the Machines".
Sounds awesome, TH2. Although he'd have to make it clear that these machines run off of wind. Can't have fuel, because that involves oil. Can't have electricity, because that involves a battery, and--oh, you know.
Celestine - don't have the machines run on wind, but on Hope and Change. After all, it's just a fairy tale, right?
LarryD, I'm not sure the two are mutually exclusive. Wind...Hope and Change...hot air...you know?
You know...that pic from the diocese puts me in mind of the parish "mission statement" that I blogged about a few years ago. The final product contained the word "Catholic" after I registered my complaints to the parish that there was nothing in it that would lead me to believe it had anything to do with Catholicism.
Wow. I thought those images were satire but in fact they are the real thing.
Real, they are. The Atlantic Catholic ceased publication last year.
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