Sunday, July 25, 2010

FLUCTUAT NEC MERGITUR


My 1907 first edition of some French plays by Corneille, with notes in English, published by Henry Holt and Company, has the Paris coat of arms impressed on the front cover with the motto: fluctuat nec mergitur ("It will toss but will not sink").



It is a motto which applies a fortiori to the bark of Peter:

ECCLESIA CHRISTI FLUCTUAT NEC MERGITUR!

Saturday, July 24, 2010

Christian Certainty


An essential characteristic of Catholic belief is the certainty that it is indeed "Catholic," i.e. "universal:" for every man in every place, time and circumstance.


In other words, it is true: the Truth. The Catholic faith alone fully presents Christ to the world: the Way, the Truth and the Life.


If it did not always apply it would not really be true, and therefore, would not be Catholic!



Compare this claim with the claim of Christ Himself: "I am the Way and the Truth and the Life, noone comes to the Father but through me." John 14:6



The Church is simply passing on that same absolute certainty in the Absolute.

Saturday, July 3, 2010

South African World Cup


As we approach the final games of the 2010 World Cup Soccer Championship in which Holland is still an underdog contender (having beaten highly favored Brazil), could we not see this as a victory for the South African European elite which is predominantly of Dutch descent?




A Holland win, in this sense, is a South African win (the triumph of the South African upper class). The landed gentry of South Africa must be very pleased so far and should be quite gratified to win the cup.




So, it is not true that all "African" teams are out! The team of the majority of the European settlers of the republic is indeed Holland!