Please Get a Hobby (Other Than Me, That Is)
by Thomas A. Droleskey
As I have noted on any number of occasions over the years, my work is fair game for comment and criticism. Criticism of the substance of one's work is not an attack on the character of the person whose work is being critiqued, something that a lot of people fail to understand. I understand it and accept it. Look, I've run for public office, including lieutenant governor of New York and in a primary against an incumbent United States senator, three times. You are going to take your knocks if you are in the public spotlight, no matter how small or insignificant a fish you are. Just give it all to Our Lady's Sorrowful and Immaculate Heart, making sure to ask forgiveness from Our Lord in the Sacrament of Penance if your own words and actions have in any way been immoderate or unjust.
Some people, though, believe that their work is immune from criticism or discussion, striking out venomously when the substance of their printed words is put into question. No one who traffics in the publication of his writing should be surprised that his work is called into question. It's simply part and parcel of the give-and-take of publishing one's works. If you "give," you're going to "get." There are many, especially in the political realm, who take particular glee in trying to "get back" at those who have "dared" to run against them. So much for "freedom," huh? Some vindictive professional politicians in this country have even tried to get their opponents thrown into jail on the bogus charges of circulating false petitions to get on the ballot, something that is worthy of Joseph Stalin himself.
There have been other instances where some hypersensitive, vindictive individuals, including those afore-mentioned politicians, have actually tried to get their critics fired from jobs because they lack the humility to accept criticism of their work with grace and to offer up same to the Blessed Trinity through the Immaculate Heart of Mary, no less to pray fervently for their critics. This really is at the heart of the Central Intelligence Agency "leak" case that has resulted in the indictment of Vice President Richard N. Cheney's former Chief of Staff, I. Lewis "Scooter" Libby, on charges that he leaked the identify of an agent to get back at her husband, who is a critic of the Bush Administration's war in Iraq.
I have had many substantive disagreements with folks over the years, resulting, sadly, in the loss of a lot of friends, both priests and laity, people whose contributions to my life I will always cherish and appreciate until the day I die. I bear not one of them any malice at all, hoping that each of us dies in a state of sanctifying grace and can enjoy the bliss of Paradise together as members of the Church Triumphant. The intentions of all hearts and the circumstances of all lives are revealed at the General Judgment of the Living and the Dead on the Last Day. It should be our hope to reconciled at that time with those from whom we have become estranged, for one reason or another, in this mortal vale of tears.
Sometimes, though, people go a bit beyond throwing hissy-fits about having their work analyzed. It appears that some folks simply cannot disagree with the work of an author without attempting to tear down his credentials, sometimes going so far as to make things up out of whole cloth, committing the sin of calumny against the Eighth Commandment and committing the civil offense of libel in the process
A longtime friend (one of my few remaining longtime friends!) informed me on June 22, 2006, that he had read somewhere--and he did not remember exactly where--that someone had put my credentials as a holder of a Doctor of Philosophy in political science into question, going so far as to say that I did not have such a degree. This is a little different from a criticism of my writing. This is a factually wrong statement. It is a lie. What motivates people to conjure up such things? I mean, how in the world could I have been hired at various colleges and universities, in the days before I became pretty much unemployable as a result of my pro-life political activism in the 1980s and my work at The Wanderer in the 1990s, if I had not provided them with official copies of my doctoral transcript sent directly in sealed envelopes from the then-named Graduate School of Public Affairs of the State University of New York at Albany, indicating that my doctorate in political science, with a specialization in American Political Systems and minor fields in Public Law and International Relations (and a minor cognate field in Political Economy), was awarded on August 5, 1977? How can anyone make an assertion that I have been falsely representing myself as a holder of a doctorate without first contacting me, whereupon I would have referred him to Registrar's office of the now-named (to my shame, obviously) Nelson A. Rockefeller College of Public Affairs and Policy? How can anyone attempt to destroy the good name of a fellow Catholic on something that is so obviously verifiable?
Yes, fallen human nature has many vagaries. I hold no grudges against those who have spread such a calumny, which is even worse than the silly accusation that I am an Opus Dei "plant" in the traditional movement. Those who believe the latter accusation will never be dissuaded of their delusions no matter how much objective evidence to explode their slanderous misconceptions is presented to them. Some of these folks will go to their graves with nothing but bitterness and hatred in their hearts for people they do not know but feel free to castigate because of suspicions engendered by their former positions vis-a-vis Tradition and because they were once associated with other people whom they hate even more. I do indeed forgive those who spread any sort of calumny, making sure to pray for those, both known and unknown to me (as most of those spreading calumnies lurk in the shadows of private chat rooms), who believe that their mission in life is to spread malicious, untrue gossip about others. Those who spread calumny, however, have a positive moral obligation to correct the record once the truth becomes known to them. I forgive very readily. I have been forgiven much in the Confessional over the years. Who am I, a ver terrible sinner, to withhold forgiveness from anyone for any reason? No problem. There is a little thing called justice, however. And those who state a factual lie as a certain truth have a strict obligation in justice to correct the factual record with one and all once their calumny has been refuted.
As I noted a few days ago, the devil wants people to hate rather than to forgive. The lack of charity and unforgiveness in traditional circles these days is nothing new. Indeed, it is quite similar to the way in which "incrementalist" pro-life activists castigated "absolutist, no exceptions" pro-life activists in the 1980s and 1990s (yes, I fall into that latter category, although I am concentrating now on the root causes of decriminalized baby-killing, the overthrow of the Social Reign of Christ the King as a result of the Protestant Revolt and the rise of Freemasonry). It is quite similar to the venom spewed out by Americanist apologists against those of us who have become critics of the American Founding and its harmful influences on Catholics and the common good of the nation itself. It is quite similar to venom that Republican Party apologists spewed out against Patrick Buchanan in 1996 when he was running for that party's presidential nomination against the hapless thirty-third degree Mason named Robert Joseph Dole, Jr., and when he ran on the Reform Party line in 2000 against then Texas Governor George W. Bush and then Vice President Albert Arnold Gore, Jr., and Green Party candidate Ralph Nader. Oh, I know. I was in the midst of the 1996 Buchanan campaign. Thus, I am no stranger to controversy and accusations. We must, though, rise above our disputes with others to will their good and to forgive whatever wrongs, real or imagined, that have been committed against us. What better time to start than during the octave of the Most Sacred Heart of Jesus?
Two articles, Motoring for Christ the King and Tradition and Deny Reality, Live in Anger, both of which were written well-before I began to raise some of the questions that I have been raising recently, discussed the difficulties encountered in my academic career (and the pursuit of a priestly vocation) as a result of simply being a Catholic who sought, despite his many sins, to teach as a Catholic in the college classroom. Although I only started to take the baby-steps that would lead me back to Tradition without compromise in the 1990s, I have always been a Catholic interested in helping my students to see the world clearly through the eyes of the true Faith. This is no way to make friends in the academic world, and it is one of the reasons that my current applications are not being received with a great deal of enthusiasm (despite excellent letters of recommendation from colleagues and chairmen). Thus, I am more than willing to try to pay back the debt I owe for my many sins by embracing the crosses that will be visited upon any one of us who attempts to defend the Faith openly. I am sure that many of you have encountered hostility and rejection even from relatives because you have opposed various moral evils (contraception, abortion, sodomy) above and beyond any discussions concerning Tradition, of all things, right? Ah, this is the royal road to redemption, the Via Crucis, the Way of the Cross.
Disagree with my articles? All well and good. You don't have to agree with them. You don't have to support my work with your financial contributions. Wonderful. A disagreement with my work, however, does not give one the license to lie about my academic credentials and to state this lie as a fact. Would Our Lord, Who is God Incarnate, state a lie as a fact? Then why should any member of his true Church do so?
Reiterating what I stated in Little Charity, Smaller Hearts a few days ago now, let us be charitable as we disagree with each other on substantive matters. Let us pray for each other. Let us forgive each other the wrongs we have committed against each other. Let us entrust the salvation of our souls--and those of our family members--to the Immaculate Heart of Mary so that she will enfold us for all eternity in the Most Sacred Heart of her Divine Son, Our Blessed Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ.
Cor Jesu Sacratissimum, miserere nobis.
Cor Jesu Sacratissimum, miserere nobis.
Cor Jesu Sacratissimum, miserere nobis.
Immaculate Heart of Mary, pray for us.
Saint Joseph, pray for us.
Saints Peter and Paul, pray for us.
Saint John the Baptist, pray for us.
Saint Michael the Archangel, pray for us.
Saint Gabriel the Archangel, pray for us.
Saint Raphael the Archangel, pray for us.
Saint William the Abbot, pray for us.
Saint Aloysius Gonzaga, pray for us.
Saint Augustine, pray for us.
Saint Thomas Aquinas, pray for us.
Saint Vincent Ferrer, pray for us.
Saint Sebastian, pray for us.
Saint Tarcisius, pray for us.
Saint Lucy, pray for us.
Saint Agnes, pray for us.
Saint Agatha, pray for us.
Saint Bridget of Sweden, pray for us.
Saint Catherine of Sweden, pray for us.
Saint Philomena, pray for us.
Saint John of the Cross, pray for us.
Saint John Bosco, pray for us.
Saint John Mary Vianney, pray for us.
Saint Teresa of Avila, pray for us.
Saint Therese Lisieux, pray for us.
Saint Bernadette Soubirous, pray for us.
Blessed Anne Catherine Emmerich, pray for us.
Blessed Pauline Jaricot, pray for us.
Blessed Francisco, pray for us.
Blessed Jacinta, pray for us.
Sister Lucia, pray for us.
The Longer Version of the Saint Michael the Archangel Prayer, composed by Pope Leo XIII, 1888
O glorious Archangel Saint Michael, Prince of the heavenly host, be our defense in the terrible warfare which we carry on against principalities and powers, against the rulers of this world of darkness, spirits of evil. Come to the aid of man, whom God created immortal, made in His own image and likeness, and redeemed at a great price from the tyranny of the devil. Fight this day the battle of our Lord, together with the holy angels, as already thou hast fought the leader of the proud angels, Lucifer, and his apostate host, who were powerless to resist thee, nor was there place for them any longer in heaven. That cruel, that ancient serpent, who is called the devil or Satan who seduces the whole world, was cast into the abyss with his angels. Behold this primeval enemy and slayer of men has taken courage. Transformed into an angel of light, he wanders about with all the multitude of wicked spirits, invading the earth in order to blot out the Name of God and of His Christ, to seize upon, slay, and cast into eternal perdition, souls destined for the crown of eternal glory. That wicked dragon pours out. as a most impure flood, the venom of his malice on men of depraved mind and corrupt heart, the spirit of lying, of impiety, of blasphemy, and the pestilent breath of impurity, and of every vice and iniquity. These most crafty enemies have filled and inebriated with gall and bitterness the Church, the spouse of the Immaculate Lamb, and have laid impious hands on Her most sacred possessions. In the Holy Place itself, where has been set up the See of the most holy Peter and the Chair of Truth for the light of the world, they have raised the throne of their abominable impiety with the iniquitous design that when the Pastor has been struck the sheep may be scattered. Arise then, O invincible Prince, bring help against the attacks of the lost spirits to the people of God, and give them the victory. They venerate thee as their protector and patron; in thee holy Church glories as her defense against the malicious powers of hell; to thee has God entrusted the souls of men to be established in heavenly beatitude. Oh, pray to the God of peace that He may put Satan under our feet, so far conquered that he may no longer be able to hold men in captivity and harm the Church. Offer our prayers in the sight of the Most High, so that they may quickly conciliate the mercies of the Lord; and beating down the dragon, the ancient serpent, who is the devil and Satan, do thou again make him captive in the abyss, that he may no longer seduce the nations. Amen.
Verse: Behold the Cross of the Lord; be scattered ye hostile powers.
Response: The Lion of the Tribe of Juda has conquered the root of David.
Verse: Let Thy mercies be upon us, O Lord.
Response: As we have hoped in Thee.
Verse: O Lord hear my prayer.
Response: And let my cry come unto Thee.
Verse: Let us pray. O God, the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, we call upon Thy holy Name, and as suppliants, we implore Thy clemency, that by the intercession of Mary, ever Virgin, immaculate and our Mother, and of the glorious Archangel Saint Michael, Thou wouldst deign to help us against Satan and all other unclean spirits, who wander about the world for the injury of the human race and the ruin of our souls.
Response: Amen.
A Prayer in Honor of the Sacred Heart of Jesus
O most holy Heart of Jesus, fountain of every blessing, I adore Thee, I love Thee and with a lively sorrow for my sins, I offer Thee this poor heart of mine. Make me humble, patient, pure and wholly obedient to Thy will. Grant, good Jesus, that I may live in Thee and for Thee. Protect me in the midst of danger; comfort me in my afflictions; give me health of body, assistance in my temporal needs, Thy blessing on all that I do, and the grace of a holy death. Within Thy Heart I place my every care. In every need let me come to Thee with humble trust saying, Heart of Jesus help me.
Merciful Jesus, I consecrate myself today and always to Thy Most Sacred Heart.
Most Sacred Heart of Jesus I implore, that I may ever love Thee more and more.
Most Sacred Heart of Jesus, I trust in Thee.
Most Sacred Heart of Jesus, have mercy on us!
Sacred Heart of Jesus, I believe in Thy love for me.
Jesus, meek and humble of heart, make my heart like unto Thine.
Sacred Heart of Jesus, Thy Kingdom Come.
Most Sacred Heart of Jesus, convert sinners, save the dying, deliver the Holy Souls in Purgatory.
