Chateau Lloyd

Almost exactly three years ago, I noted that far from being a source of reconciliation and healing, the Eastern Orthodox churches in Ukraine and Russia were instead adding fuel to the fire.  The entire Eastern Orthodox communion has been riven asunder over the issue, with anathemas for everyone.

I mentioned this in the context of the Lord of Spirits podcast, which was hosted by two Eastern Orthodox priests.  I enjoyed it because Orthodox and Catholic beliefs regarding the spirit world are essentially identical, which is why Eastern Rite Catholics exist.  As it turned, out, the show eventually went full anti-Catholic, which was a shame, but also somewhat inevitable given the mentality of many Eastern Orthodox practitioners. 

It is all well and good to snipe at the Catholic Church and its many failings, but here again we have the classic example of ignoring the log in one's own eye.  The Orthodox Communion is a mess.  First Things has a good overview of where things are today, but it does not do the debacle full justice because it leaves out the reactions of the various other Patriarchies.  The author correctly notes that for various historic reasons, Orthodoxy has divided on national lines, creating a fusion of faith and ethnicity that is a clear obstacle to Christian unity.

Before the conflict, the Ukrainians were part of the Patriarchate of Moscow, which could have been a vehicle for reconciliation.  Instead, there are now two Ukrainian Orthodox Churches, and both have split from Moscow, though the one still insists in being in communion with her Slavic brothers.  One church has become three and the various members freely harass, attack and imprison the clergy of the others.

The other problem Eastern Orthodoxy faces is expanding the faith.  There is no systemic way for the communion as a whole to do this, and so we get grab-bags of ethnic churches competing with one another, setting up parishes, organizing provinces without any sort of plan.  The Patriarchate of Moscow not long announced that it was going to set up missions in Africa, which was a blatant infringement on the Patriarch of Alexandria, which has an ancient claim to the continent.

Who will referee this?  Not Constantinople.  The Ecumenical Patriarch might not survive much longer under an increasingly Islamic-focused Turkish government.  The sultans needed the Patriarch to manage the Christian millet, but there are so few Christians left and this is no longer necessary.

All of which is to say that everyone's got problems.  

The big hope for 2025 is an end to the East-West Schism, which could also heal the fissures in Eastern Orthodoxy.  This is why the pope exists - to be a focal point of unity backed by the Magisterium of the Church.

Francis has been quite the autocrat, especially in the last few years, deposing bishops and attacking the sovereign status of the Knights of Malta, and as a result, the next pope may be more interested in making the limits of papal power clear - particularly if it can heal the Great Schism.

At this point, most of the Episcopal Church seems to be engaged in some sort of virtue-signaling performance art.  God is at best a tertiary concern, something to be invoked for moral authority, but never a primary concern.

How else to explain the bizarre case of an Anglican Priest withholding the Eucharist until his social justice demands are met?

There are lots of ways to look at this nonsense, but the core problem is that the cleric has a very flawed understanding of salvation and the sacraments.  In orthodox Christianity, there is no collective guilt.  One cannot punish Peter for the sins of Paul.  The whole point of Reconciliation is to receive a personal absolution, and the Eucharist is likewise administered on an individual basis.

To pretend otherwise is to eliminate any motivation for personal holiness, and destroy the hope of salvation.  

Yet this is where we are, because the progressive politics exist to condemn rather than convert.

A couple of years ago I wrote about the national forgiveness deficit, and this is a great example of how it has infiltrated Christianity.  The punishment is increasingly more important than the salvation.

Because that is really what faith is supposed to be about.  This deranged cleric probably thinks he's being very saintly in some way, forcing the world to confront evil, but he's just preening about keeping people from God.  Instead of being an intercessor he's become and interceptor, blocking Communion until his personal demands are met.  His flock's salvation is being held for ransom, and it speaks volumes that his pathetic leadership can't managed to come to a decision after almost three years.

This is Dead-End Christianity, a faith that leads to nowhere.  No conversion, no salvation, just preening and appealing to the Spirit of the Age.  It cannot go away fast enough.

The spiritual victory delivered in November continues to produce visible effects in the material world.  The latest example has been an outpouring of Christmas greetings in my area.  Whereas people once chose the safe, vague "Happy Holidays," now those who offer it get a rousing "Merry Christmas," in return, which they enthusiastically repeat.

At every venue, every interaction, this is the norm rather than the exception.  It is almost a code word for defiant, resurgent faith.

Chateau Lloyd remained busy up until Christmas Day, when things calmed down and we spent much of the time eating, napping, and getting ready to eat, and then napping after we were done.  Truly a feast day for the ages.

The Children's Mass on Christmas Eve was packed as usual, and the student choir was excellent.  The mood could only be described as joyous.  

This is as it should be, and the bad memories of 2020 are quickly fading in the face of boisterous children with no memory of it, only the natural energy of youth.

In other news, the tide has turned decisively against my contention that Die Hard is not a Christmas movie.  Oh well.  I will stand my ground.

The restoration of Notre Dame Cathedral is a marvelous thing.  How encouraging to see world leaders visiting a sacred Christian space and treating it with such respect?

This goes beyond political pleasantries or diplomatic protocols - the cathedral is itself beautiful.  I have never seen it, but I recall being moved to tears by the beauty of the Dom in Trier.

When I was younger, I partly bought into the Protestant argument that golden chalices and detailed artwork were a form of idolatry, and that money spent on architecture was better used to feed the poor.  

Then I grew up.  I realized that faith is a not a zero-sum game, and that money spent on religious art actually can increase giving the poor because it touches the heart, and moves people to acts of charity.

These thoughts returned to me some months ago, when I attended a friend's funeral at a rural Baptist church. The building was purely utilitarian, the fit and finish were right in line with any other institution.  Other than the cross on the far wall, the main space could have been confused for a hotel conference room, which even had a projection screen.  The entire laying was sterile, reminiscent of a public school auditorium.  There was nothing to elevate, or inspire.  The service itself was something of a variety show, with the pastor sitting like Johnny Carson off to one side as the acts performed.

Returning to my parish, I gratefully took in the various images and icons, the Stations of the Cross carvings, chapel and various grottos for private devotions.  I should add that as far as Catholic church buildings go, my parish is actually pretty modern, having been built in 1957 in a college town, so it has many mid-century flourishes and the seating forms a semi-circle, rather than the traditional cruciform aisles.

Still, when the there are slow moments, I am comforted by those images, which help keep my mind on task.  I also think of the artisans responsible for the work, and the satisfaction they no doubt derive from glorifying God.

That's the larger point - if we view religious art as decadent and wasteful, we will have only secular art, which is far more vulgar and typically points to sin.  Is it not better to have talented painters evoke salvation history or should they go for the make their money in pornography?

One of the greatest negative outcomes of Vatican II was the destruction of so much religious art.  Our cathedral is currently undertaking a massive restoration project to undo the damage wrought on it by the reformers.  Vivid murals were simply painted over and the building was given a white, sterile appearance.  Nothing to elevate or inspire.  It looked Protestant.  I can understand why people would have left the Church upon seeing that - and I can also see how people might consider conversion when beholding the meticulous devotion and financial investment in sacred beauty.

This power was celebrated by G.K. Chesterton and Evelyn Waugh, who already seeing the destructive hand a modernism calling for new "efficiencies."

I'm sure they would loathe what passes for Protestant religious art, which is either abstract or kitchy and saccharine and self-indulgent.  I'm thinking specifically of soft-focus portraits of Christ, making him look more like a 1970s hippie musician than the Savior.  I suppose it's an outgrowth of the "personal savior" motif and as such He's more of a boyfriend or pal than the Son of Man.

Of course, a recurring Protestant criticism of religious art is that its somehow idolatry, which is patently absurd.  No one is offering sacrifice to the images, or attempting to trap a deity within a sacred statue.  Icons are what they appear to be - images that help center our thought on God.   What better way to contemplate the sacred mysteries than by gazing on an image of Our Lady of Guadalupe?

That's another element - much of the art has historic value, and when we look at it, we see how our forefathers perceived God and salvation history.  This in turn points us to seeking the wisdom of the Church Fathers and the writings and acts of the saints.  Archeology confirms that sacred art has always been used in both Judaism and Christianity.  That modern variants of the two have turned their backs on it only underlines how out of the orthodox traditions they have become.

Yesterday I attempted to finish off the Christmas shopping as well as top off our household supplies.  This is a regular routine, almost always taken at the same time of day at the same places.

Yet the feeling was very different.  People just wanted to talk, strangers waving to strangers, the check-out clerks were cheerful, and I didn't go from store to store so much as from conversation to conversation.  I think it added an hour to my errands, but I didn't notice it.

I mentioned this to my daughter, who said she was observing the same thing while out and about.  She attributed it to the election.  "Normal people have realized that they are actual the majority, and don't have to be afraid anymore.  I haven't had a single person say 'Happy Holidays,' it's all 'Merry Christmas!'"

I think that a spiritual oppression has been lifted, and this is how most people (who still see the world in secular materialist ways) are responding the only way they know how - by being more friendly and outgoing.

Since I first visited Germany, I was struck with how familiar it was.  The food in particular was basically a minor variation on what we think of as traditional American food: frankfurters, hamburgers, pork chops, fried chicken, and countless variations on frying or mashing potatoes.

The beer is outstanding, and served agreeably cold.

In the fifteen years since, this sense of cultural affinity has only grown, and looking at world events, I think German politics and political norms are also closer to the present United States than that of Great Britain.  Put simply, our English heritage has been superseded by the massive waves of German immigrants.

To be sure, Germans arrived long before the Revolution, and it's interesting to note that the drillmaster of the Continental Army was not English, but German.  Friedrich von Steuben was a seasoned Prussian Army officer whose career in Europe had gone into terminal decline.  Upon the outbreak of the American Revolution, he offered his services to help train and discipline the young rebel army.  As a result, the Continental Army became more disciplined, effective and the drill manual he wrote became the foundation of American arms.  

This is why American troops march and salute using a German style rather than stomping with each order and using a palm-outward form of salute as the British Army and its many descendants do.

Another German military innovation was the long rifle, variously attributed to Pennsylvania or Kentucky but developed in the Rhineland.  This hunting weapon proved to be highly effective at targeting British officers, and played a crucial part in their defeat at Saratoga.  The emphasis on precision marksmanship as a foundational principle of American Army doctrine continues to this day.

Much of that tradition of marksmanship is sustained by hunting, and Americans have a very German attitude towards the sport.  In the UK, hunting is only for the elite and their friends.   I've chatted with British gamers for many years online and the notion of a suburbanite buying a rifle and going out on state land to harvest deer is simply inconceivable to them.

In Germany, however, it is considered part of one's basic rights and culture.  Germany has embraced an American concept of game management, which uses hunting as way to keep animal populations in balance.   Just as in the US, Germans are required to take a qualification course in order to obtain a license.  German firearms regulations are of course far more restrictive than the US, but much less stringent than those found in the UK.

According to various international surveys, approximately 20% of Germans own firearms, a rate of ownership four times that of the UK.  It's interesting that Austria, which is of course also German, has a 30% rate of firearms ownership.

What this means is that the "gun culture" of German-speaking countries is much stronger than English-derived ones.  The US is very much an outlier among the Anglosphere.  I will note that German legal protections for self defense are less sweeping than those offered in America, but they are vastly superior to those in England, which are practically non-existent.

Another interesting point of comparison can be found in the weapons industries in the various countries.  Arms manufacturers in the UK are almost non-existent.  Even the ones that are still in operation have outsourced production to Italy.

Germany of course has Walther, SIG-Sauer and Heckler & Koch.  Tiny Austria boasts Glock and Steyr.  

Firearms ownership brings to mind another German-American similarity: a written federal constitution.  The British famously use an unwritten constitution.  While the UK is "the mother of parliaments," the US took a different path, preferring a federal republic to a unitary state.

Like Germany, the US is an aggregate of states, and this similarity was noted in the Federalist Papers, albeit unfavorably because at that time, the Holy Roman Empire was generally fragmented and weak.  The Federalists liked the autonomy of the various baronies, counties and duchies, which could levy their own taxes and even support their own armies, but the weakness of the Emperor invited constant conflict both within and without.  

Intriguingly, the Founding Fathers borrowed a concept from Germany rather that creating a parliamentary system.  The Holy Roman Emperors were not hereditary monarchs in the English sense.  The position was actually an elective one, chosen by seven specially designated "princes" of the Empire.  These were the Imperial Electors (hmmm, familiar term), and while certain families (like the Habsburgs) tended to 'inherit' the honor, it is worth noting that as late as 1748, the succession was disputed by divided Electors.

The US similarly has a special group of people who are outside the normal political sphere - the Electoral College.  Their only duty is to choose the next president.

Heck we even drive on the same side of the road as the Germans.

I could go on, but I think the point has been made - American culture has quietly shifted to be more in alignment with that of Germany over England.  This would be even more apparent if the World Wars hadn't caused Germans to aggressively drop their language and overt displays of ethnic loyalty.  Oktoberfest is about the only explicitly German thing left.  Even the foods have had their names worn down into "hot dogs" and "burgers."  

But if you're paying attention, it's hard to miss.

Overall, this has been a remarkably quiet year, especially c0mpared to the tumultuous ones that preceded it.  A year ago our family noted that the last "good year" was 2019.  Since I wrote that, things have steadily become more orderly, and therefore more calm.

There is no plainer evidence that God desires order and peace and that order helps bring peace than we I have gone through.

The lack of drama today was comforting.  So much so that after an early dinner, the whole household took a nap.

Adding to this calmness is a sense that a lot of the national and international drama is receding.  People are worn out, and I know for a fact that people who do not share my politics are still relieved to have things finally, decisively resolved.

The danger is that we become complacent, neglect the attitude of gratitude and end of finding ourselves in the same place.  I think this Thanksgiving will help check that attitude for a time.  Everyone I meet, even in stores, seems to speak with an unusual sincerity when they speak of Thanksgiving.  The darkness that threatened to engulf us all in strife has dissipated, and we can feel the sunlight on our faces again.

For that, I am deeply thankful.

As part of a wide-ranging discussion of prayer, the other day I saw someone express an opinion that praying over sports, especially its outcomes, was a waste of time.  Sports were not something worth prayers.

My answer at the time was that anything that draws people into prayer is a good thing, because it brings them closer to God.  Maybe the outcome of a sportsball game will open their heart even more, and prayer will become a daily thing.

Upon further contemplation, I feel even more strongly that prayer in sports is a good thing because sports themselves are good, and necessary.

As much as one can condemn the wealth and vulgarity of professional sports, the fact is that lower-tier sports are essential to a functional society.  Indeed, one of the hallmarks of our civilizational decay are declining male participation and men pushing themselves onto women's teams under the guise of being transgender.

Only in a decadent, flabby and (non-coincidentally) secular society can such nonsense be even discussed, let alone put into practice.  Young men in particular need an outlet for their competitive energy, a way to express physical prowess in a controlled and reasonably safe manner.  At all levels sports require rules, a sense of fair play and the acceptance of the outcome.

The comparatively recent advent of school schooters has now escalated to the point where social media sites like Blue Sky are filled with death threats and assassination fantasies from people who have never learned how to take a loss.

Sports bring people together and in general, everyone benefits.  The participants gain the benefit of exercise and development, tenacity and discipline.  They will forge relationships that can last a lifetime.  The spectators also gain more than just mere entertainment.  They become part of a larger community, and of course the venue itself becomes for a time a temporary community.

Until recently, prayers were recited before these events, and unofficially still are.  The Covid lockdown showed how vital these gatherings are to maintaining a healthy mental state.

Many teams still have chaplains, and the are countless athletes who credit their success to God.  Indeed, the knowledge that even the greatest must find comfort and recourse to prayer is humbling.

Team prayers do still exist, and so that also brings people closer to God.  Seeing a team at prayer can also inspire others to embrace it.

Like all human institutions, sports can be turned to evil, but I think it offers great opportunities for spiritual growth.  If praying for victory is what inspires someone to speak to God, who am I to object?

While I don't like to follow politics, there is undeniably a link between government action, policies and the spirit realm.  Government can either side with the angels or work for the devil.  The notion that there is some neutral ground where all are free to operate is at best naive and at worst a damnable lie.

Christians across American breathed a sigh of relief that their faith would not be put to more strenuous tests in the near future.  Catholic hospital administrators went to bed free of worrying when and what form of abortion mandate would be imposed on them, and how they would fight it.

Contrast this with the situation in England, where the British Government demands control over the very souls of its subjects, demanding that silent, otherwise undiscernible prayer be banned in certain places.

This is of course nothing new for the British, who ran a martyrdom factory during the Tudor era.  As a sidebar, the other day I came across a conversation where Protestants observed all the important theological reforms made by the English Reformation, and now necessary they were for the development of Christianity.  I managed to restrain my desire to point out that if they were no necessary, why was torture and death employed to implement them, and how's the old Church of England doing these days?  The ancient cathedrals are being used for dance parties and put-put golf games.  But I digress.

Many people have remarked to me over the last few months of the gloom and dread they felt, and former agnostics returned to the faith as a result.  A better example of God letting us see the folly of our sinful ways in order to repent cannot be imagined.

And now there is an undeniable change.  A weight has been lifted.  Other in the paid performance press, the division has largely vanished.  People can get on with their lives and the faithful have the marvelous feeling of deliverance.

At the same time, we have won a battle but the war goes on.  Now is the time to further devote ourselves to God and lock in these gains.  The only way to avoid a recurrence is to so shape society that it becomes impossible.  That means the hard task of conversion and also pursuing individual holiness.  The two go hand in hand as people who are saintly draw sinner to them.  

By saintly I mean truly saintly - modest and humble, not bragging or self-righteous.  Yet at the same time, we must avoid the trap of "Nice Christianity" and speak with unwavering firmness about the evils in our midst.  A great many people still do not understand the full evil of abortion, how its supporters have twisted statistics and lied about medical necessity to kill viable children on a whim.

There is also the issue of the sudden rise of transgenderism.  It is impossible to find a parallel example of such a wicked, cruel belief system being imposed so quickly and so thoroughly.  The damage to souls and institutions will take years to heal, and a full reckoning must be made for those responsible.

Indeed, I think one of the biggest changes in the spirit world is that the faithful now find themselves confident and reassured and the wicked are suddenly troubled and afraid.  The dark powers that sustained them seemed invincible, powered by the "arc of history," but that arc has collapsed.  The secular future is no longer inevitable and the tide of events has unexpectedly turned.

We must not let this moment simply fade away.

I think back to the old days, and I cannot recall when presidential elections ever included questions as fundamental as what defines male and female.  Those things were given.

The Rocky Horror Picture Show was correctly understood to be fringe entertainment, not a pressing political issue.  When I was in college, the campus newspaper featured occasional stories of men who tried to gain entry in to the women's locker room and were arrested for perversion.

Then one day, not long ago, the women became the problem, for not allowing men to shower with them.

This was not the result of legislative action.  No, the Good and Wise had simply decided that guys who wanted to claim to be girls could shower with naked co-eds.  Anyone who questioned this was destroyed.

There were other issues on the ballot, like questions of taxation or foreign policy, but this was one of those visceral moral issues that cut to the core of western civilization that could not be ignored.

Put simply, evil was pushing too far, asking too much, and people recoiled from it.  The result of the recent election was a defensive victory, much like that before Vienna or Malta.  No ground has been retaken, the result is merely the retention of that what was.

Yet this is enough.  Just to stop the onslaught of the Enemy is to a victory over its onrushing tide.  A lot of people are asking themselves why they were fighting for the cause of castrating confused kids, which is a good thing.

A lot of human behavior can be explained as simply going with the flow, obeying the herd regardless of whether it makes sense.  Over the last few years, this has been manipulated to put this practices at odds with thousands of years of human experience.   The correction is long overdue.