Tuesday 6 April 2010

Blowing the dynamite and crossing the line

The opening piece of Peter Maurin's Easy essays seems to be appropriate in other ways too these days.

BLOWING THE DYNAMITE

Writing about the Catholic Church,
a radical writer says:
“Rome will have to do more
than to play a waiting game;
she will have to use
some of the dynamite
inherent in her message.”
To blow the dynamite
of a message
is the only way
to make the message dynamic.
If the Catholic Church
is not today
the dominant social dynamic force,
it is because Catholic scholars
have failed to blow the dynamite
of the Church.
Catholic scholars
have taken the dynamite
of the Church,
have wrapped it up
in nice phraseology,
placed it in an hermetic container
and sat on the lid.
It is about time
to blow the lid off
so the Catholic Church
may again become
the dominant social dynamic force.

Then let us spare a thought or prayer for fr. Louis Vitale, serving time in a federal prison in California, because of his being a witness for peace. Being in a prison these days as a Roman Catholic priest means you are considered to be the lowest of the lowest in the pecking order of Prison Nation. You know what I mean.

Please write to:
Louis Vitale #25803-048
FCI LOMPOC
FEDERAL CORRECTIONAL INSTITUTION
3600 GUARD ROAD
LOMPOC, CA 93436
USA

Look here for more on Fr. Vitale and other SOA Watch prisoners.