100! SAY THANK YOU NICELY TO OUR KIND PM

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Oh thank you thank you thank you dear Prime Minister Ardern, for allowing 100 of us to go to Mass on Sunday. We are ever so grateful and will join your fan club forthwith. With your latest hand-out we can even afford the sub.

The question now will be, "Which 100? How can we possibly choose who's to go to Mass, and who has to stay home?"

Can't you just see the bishops dithering? Their dilemma? 

I mean, 'Eleanor', a parishioner of the Palmerston North Parish who was invited to represent her Foxton/Shannon community at a live-streamed Mass in the cathedral for a congregation of ten, declined because "with only a selected few and all the other parishioners excluded, Jacinda would succeed in humiliating us as a worshipping community ... It is not only unpractical but cruel, and now we are presenting this same model to our parishioners."

"Imagine a parish of 200 people," Eleanor goes on, "where only ten can enter the church at a time with restrictions, which means that parishioners must now scramble to get into their own church.

"When the Mass was in the presbytery it was beautiful because it looked like a family saying Mass together but if we are going to have a Mass in the Cathedral or church with only a selected few and all the other parishioners excluded, Jacinda would succeed in humiliating us as a worshipping community.

Thank you for asking me to come ... but I have to decline."

Eleanor's expression of solidarity with her community was featured in the latest CathNews, suggesting to me that her viewpoint was seen as valid, and many would empathise with her - particularly, I suspect, the rest of the Foxton/Shannon crowd. 

Will they now be imagining a parish of 200 people where exactly half may attend Mass and the other half are excluded?

But of course the bishops could not consider adopting that approach. They know that the Mass in the presbytery is not beautiful because it looks like a family saying Mass together; the bishops know the Mass is divinely and superlatively beautiful anywhere, because it is God's own Son sacrificing Himself for mankind on Calvary, no matter how many people attend.

It is the Mass that matters, and its unique and inestimable power of intercession with God the Father Almighty, to stay His avenging Hand. The Mass is for giving God thanks, praise, adoration and petition, not for political point-scoring.

So of course the NZBCB will be adopting the only sensible approach, which is the same as restauranteurs', cinema managers',brothels' and gyms': first come for the Mass, first served with the Divine Food of the Eucharist. 

IT-savvy priests might choose to do that the smart way with an app, but most will simply open the doors early and stand back so they're not knocked over in the rush. If it means the early birds get extra time in the church to prepare for the inestimable privilege of attending the Holy Mass, so much the better.

There was a demo in Dannevirke on Saturday. Four protestors waved signs saying, DOWN! WITH LOCKDOWN. A passing motorist said it was the first ever protest in Dannevirke. We protestors believed her. She said she'd be back next Saturday to join us.

And there was a demo in Whanganui yesterday. At least fifty people waved flags, signs and a megaphone protesting against the abolition of New Zealand's right to free assembly and religious freedom - and The Lockdown.

In both Whanganui and Dannevirke passing cars tooted approval, and in Whanganui slowed to agree - so much so they were almost a traffic hazard. There will be more protests in both places, and all over New Zealand, next weekend.

One billboard in Whanganui showed a cartoon of PM Ardern with a mouthful of tombstone teeth spelling MARXIST. Another protestor vigorously objected to it. "That's not Christian!"

Maybe it wasn't kind in regard to her teeth, but it was the truth in regard to her beliefs. An exaggeration perhaps, but essentially the truth. Communism (Marxism) is socialism grown up and in 2009 Jacinda Ardern entered Parliament in Helen Clark's pocket, freshly elected as President of the International Union of Socialist Youth, a movement whose purpose is to “defend and spread core socialist principles”. 

At a Union world council meeting chaired by Ardern just two months after she entered New Zealand's Parliament, the young 'comrades' (that's how they addressed one another) decided they believed 'in a social democratic system which secures a redistribution of resources'. 

'As IUSY we struggle for redistribution between the poor and the rich'. In other words, let's make everyone equal. 

Dr Steve Elers, a senior lecturer in journalism at Massey University, comments: "It is this redistribution agenda to achieve equality that is likely to underpin the Government’s recovery plan. 

"There is no doubt the mass unemployment and social disruption caused by the Prime Minister’s “go early, go hard” response to COVID-19 has created an environment conducive to radical economic and social reform. It is an opportunity no politician who has sworn an allegiance to a “social democratic system” would ignore. https://thebfd.co.nz/2020/05/23/modern-socialism/?utm_source=dlvr.it&utm_medium=facebook&fbclid=IwAR14ZilKGqtpPIBH0kIAwI_hOnbUWxmEr9glYrHk-W-xT2B-8bs98Eikk_M

Aha. Could there possibly be a connection between Ardern's declared socialism and the undeclared but obvious socialist sympathies of the Catholic Church in New AZealand? Could this possibly explain why the NZ Bishops stayed shtum for so long on Ardern's Government's shut-down of churches, their eager-beaver cooperation in cancelling Mass and the Sacraments?

Meanwhile, back in Parliament Simeon Brown is a Catholic voice worth hearing. In CathNews he writes:

"Under Level 2 (Lockdown) the Prime Minister said congregations of up to 100 people should be allowed to gather for worship provided they follow strict social distancing and hygiene rules.

This was then dramatically changed to 10 providing much uncertainty for faith communities in New Zealand.

I’m concerned for three key reasons:

• the Government’s restrictions are inconsistent,
• the legislation  excluded the recognition of New Zealander’s freedom of religion,
• Police guidance recognised that faith communities should be allowed to meet with up to 100 people, guidance which is inconsistent with what the Prime Minister has said.

The fact that bars and clubs are allowed to operate under current restrictions, in addition to sports events and other activities in which it is arguably impossible to ensure social distancing, but not faith communities, highlights a troubling double standard.

Churches are perhaps uniquely placed to ensure that those that gather together as part of that community abide by necessary health precautions.

I fail to understand in any way why this vital component of many New Zealanders' lives is still being denied under Level 2, when so many other larger gatherings are permitted.

This inconsistency is particularly concerning in light of my second reason.

Advice provided to the Government by Andrew Little, the Acting Attorney-General, listed freedoms found in the New Zealand Bill of Rights but failed to mention the freedom of religion.

Only great incompetence or malevolence would leave out New Zealander’s freedom of religion."

https://cathnews.co.nz/2020/05/21/inconsistent-restrictions-undermine-sacred-freedoms/

Today we celebrate the Feast of Our Lady, Help of Christians (transferred from yesterday). It dates back to the sixteenth century, which was not a peaceful time in Europe. In 1571, Catholics throughout the continent joined in praying the Rosary in hopes of prevailing over military forces that had long sought to expand into Europe. These prayers were answered at the Battle of Lepanto on October 7, 1571, which is now the feast for Our Lady of the Rosary.

Our Lady Help of Christians, pray for New Zealand.