Ship of Fools: How did this get out?

Thread: How did this get out? Board: Oblivion / Ship of Fools.

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Posted by Porridge (# 15405) on :

As a freshman state legislator (and non-Christian), I receive some fairly peculiar mail. What I got today, however, leaves my jaw flapping.

Father Nicholas Gruner, of the Fatima Center, has sent me a petition to sign. The petition is to Pope Francis. Here’s what signees petition Pope Francis to do:

“Mindful of the growing precariousness of the world-situation [sic], and the gravity of my own responsibilities as a representative of citizens of the United States, I urge you to please consecrate Russia to the Immaculate Heart of Mary in union with all the Catholic bishops of the world in the solemn and public manner commanded by Our Lord and Our Lady in the Fatima Message.”

This petition, in 3 colors, is accompanied by an invitation to a conference in Canada to hear Ron Paul speak on world peace. The mailing, with various inserts, appeals for donations, a postage-paid return envelope and a reply card, must have cost a mint.

I’m all for world peace, rather less so for Ron Paul, but will someone please explain how consecrating Russia (Russia??!! Why not North Korea, or Syria, or for that matter, the United States of America?) in a solemn, public manner is supposed to help?

This feels like a blatantly materialistic appeal to the generation which grew up practicing “duck-and-cover” under their primary-school desks to save themselves from the Soviet Union’s atom bombs. Where have these people been for the last 30 years?

Here I thought the RCCs, whatever one may think of their theology, were at least reasonably well-organized and centrally-coordinated with the sense to have layers of authority capable of screening out the froot-loopier elements in their midst (any vast organization has these, after all).

How does something like this get past the internal censor-bots?

Posted by Doc Tor (# 9748) on :

quote:
“Mindful of the growing precariousness of the world-situation [sic], and the gravity of my own responsibilities as a representative of citizens of the United States, I urge you to please consecrate Russia to the Immaculate Heart of Mary in union with all the Catholic bishops of the world in the solemn and public manner commanded by Our Lord and Our Lady in the Fatima Message.”

Apologies, but I'm completely unable to parse this request. Maybe it's late at night, or I'm feeling particularly dense, but I genuinely have no idea what this means. Is it in code?

Posted by Og, King of Bashan (# 9562) on :

Concecration of Russia, per. the all-knowing Wiki.

As to the OP's comment that

quote:
Here I thought the RCCs, whatever one may think of their theology, were at least reasonably well-organized and centrally-coordinated with the sense to have layers of authority capable of screening out the froot-loopier elements in their midst (any vast organization has these, after all),

you would have to be an absolute tinfoil hatter to believe that any organization, much less the Church, is so well organized and centralized as to be able to keep every one of its members in line and on message. But they do their best: the author of the letter, based on his wiki entry, is likely not in good standing with Rome.

Posted by Lyda*Rose (# 4544) on :

Lúcia Santos, Pope Pius XII, and Pope John Paul II said the Consecration of Russia was a done deal. I'd believe them, especially Lúcia Santos, over the egotistical ravings of Father Gruner and the Fatima Crusaders. [Roll Eyes]

Too bad peace isn't a done deal. Must be the pesky requirements that everyone say the Rosary daily and wear the Brown Scapulars and do First Saturday Devotions per Our Lady to Lucia Santos as an adult in her convent:

quote:
Look, my daughter, at my Heart encircled by these thorns with which men pierce it at every moment by their blasphemies and ingratitude. You, at least, strive to console me, and so I announce: I promise to assist at the hour of death with the grace necessary for salvation all those who, with the intention of making reparation to me, will, on the first Saturday of five consecutive months, go to confession, receive Holy Communion, say five decades of the beads, and keep me company for fifteen minutes while meditating on the fifteen mysteries of the Rosary.

Posted by orfeo (# 13878) on :

You know how some atheists hold up Christian beliefs to ridicule and make it all sound profoundly silly by using different language or substituting the flying spaghetti monster into the narrative?

I'm suddenly understanding where they derive their material from.

Posted by que sais-je (# 17185) on :

quote:
Originally posted by orfeo:
You know how some atheists hold up Christian beliefs to ridicule and make it all sound profoundly silly by using different language or substituting the flying spaghetti monster into the narrative?

I'm suddenly understanding where they derive their material from.

At times we're all embarrassed by the company we keep - and they by us.

Posted by Karl: Liberal Backslider (# 76) on :

You do know that over in parts of Ireland they consider Fr Ted to be a documentary rather than a comedy, don't you?

Posted by Porridge (# 15405) on :

quote:
Originally posted by Doc Tor:

quote:
“Mindful of the growing precariousness of the world-situation [sic], and the gravity of my own responsibilities as a representative of citizens of the United States, I urge you to please consecrate Russia to the Immaculate Heart of Mary in union with all the Catholic bishops of the world in the solemn and public manner commanded by Our Lord and Our Lady in the Fatima Message.”
Apologies, but I'm completely unable to parse this request. Maybe it's late at night, or I'm feeling particularly dense, but I genuinely have no idea what this means. Is it in code?

Ya got me. As I have only quoted rather than written it, I'm at least as mystified as you are. I wasn't able to reproduce the somewhat arbitrary font and color changes, along with bolding, which I assure you on personal experience adds no clarity to the puzzle.

OK, so it's likely the Church itself had little to do with this expensive and murky mailing, but don't these Fatima folks have any members with editing skills?

Posted by Doc Tor (# 9748) on :

I think the other shippies have enlightened me sufficiently for me to conclude that, yes, it is in code.

I'm off to invest in tin-foil futures now.

[ 07. May 2013, 16:17: Message edited by: Doc Tor ]

Posted by CL (# 16145) on :

Gruner is a well known nutjob. Just update your spam filter and be thankful you don't get emails from the Dimond brothers.

Posted by Enoch (# 14322) on :

If, as I assume, you're a state legislator in a US state, haven't you got the perfect answer?

"Dear Father Gruner,

Thank you for your letter, which was so interesting that I have discussed it with many friends both here and abroad.

I am sure you are aware of the First Amendment and how deeply embedded in our beloved country is the principle of the rigorous separation of church and state. So, irrespective of my personal feelings, as an elected representative in the State of XXX, it would be both inappropriate and unconstitutional for me to advocate that either the State of XXX or the United States itself take steps to consecrate itself to any religious purpose or to urge another sovereign state to do so.

Yours sincerely
etc"

[Snigger]

[ 07. May 2013, 21:13: Message edited by: Enoch ]

Posted by L'organist (# 17338) on :

quote:
Posted by Karl LB
You do know that over in parts of Ireland they consider Fr Ted to be a documentary rather than a comedy, don't you?

Hadn't heard that - but did have it confirmed (shown a copy of the note) that seminarians at Maynooth were told they would be suspended, possibly even expelled, if they were found watching it. That was some years ago but I haven't heard that line was ever changed. [Killing me]

Posted by Augustine the Aleut (# 1472) on :

Maynooth has changed since then, and the Church of Ireland (teachers) Training College is being incorporated into the National University of Ireland, Maynooth, at the behest of the Anglican hierarchy.

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