Thursday, October 05, 2006
MONARCHY OR DEMOCRACY ?
At Sacred Heart Church where I attended Mass recently and listened to a lecture by Dr. Thomas Drolesky, he laid out his claim that Catholicism was always intended to be a monarchy, starting historically with the Jews who had kings, and progressing through European monarchy and the confessional church. This hierarchy, he says, is reflected in the hierarchy in the Roman Catholic Church. He claims that the United States also establishes a form of monarchy in the presidency, and cited the Kennedy's as prime examples. Meanwhile Europe continues to fail to acknowledge the roots of Christendom at its foundation. Can civilization as we know it survive in a democracy?
This morning "New Oxford Review" has posted an article from the October issue on its website, titled "Contrasts in Christendom: Red Lights in Amsterdam, Neon In Malta". The article by Thomas Basil contrasts the state of civilization in Malta to that of Amsterdam. In one the Red Light district offers prostitutes hanging out of street windows beckoning trade. In the other the nightlife district features adoration chapels where young men take a break from the fun in order to kneel in prayer.
The author closes the article with a glint of hope for Amsterdam lying in a chapel remnant of Catholicism located on the upper floor of a home in what has become the Red Light district. There a teenager kneels in prayer as well, and the usher who guards the chapel insists that he remove his ball cap.
The contrast is striking, and the unasked question is obvious. Will a civilization survive without Christianity, or will it descend into barbarism? Can anything save Europe once the faith has been completely abandoned? Is Drolesky's claim of "Christ or Chaos" inescapable?
