Death, Life, Demography and Brexit
Today marks the anniversary of the last two executions in Canada. On this cold December day in 1962, Arthur Lucas and Ronald Turpin – the former convicted of killing a police informant, the latter of killing a police officer who pulled him over for a traffic stop – were hanged at the Don Jail. May God rest their souls. Capital punishment was removed from the Criminal Code in 1976, and from the military not that long ago, in 1998. A cold comfort, for those hesitant on the meting out of the noose, or, now, the needle, or on the receiving end of it, for a scant seven years on from when these two unfortunate men met their Maker – hopefully, crying out with the good thief that at least they in some way were getting back and expiating in some way what they had given out – Canada would legalize death sentences for the unborn, for no other ‘crime’ of being in the wrong place at the wrong time, in the womb of a mother who no longer wanted them, or who was coerced into believing so.
Tomorrow is the great and momentous election in Britain, fittingly the feast of Our Lady of Guadalupe, the patroness of life, and of the unborn. More on that later, but, for the present, Johnson or Corbyn, Brexit, or Remain? Of course, there is far more at stake, for the latter is an avowed Marxist, whose policies will spell the death knell for an already dying England. Johnson may delay the decline, and provide some palliative care, but unless the island nation can discover her Christian roots, and her reason for existing and living – the same could be said for Canada, America and all other nation’s based, however loosely, on God’s true revelation – her nadir and dissolution are nigh.
As an aside, on this day in 1688, James II, the last Catholic king of England and the last of the Stuarts – who had been defeated in the ‘Glorious Revolution’ by the Protestant William of Orange and James’ own Protestant daughter Mary – threw the Great Seal into the bottom of the putrid Thames as he fled to France. A fitting symbol.
Ponder: The name ‘Moe’, as in, ‘Mohammed’, is the most popular baby name in England, and across much of Western Europe, and has now crept into the top ten of the United States, of all places. Demography is destiny, after all.
And it seems that Bishop Sheen’s beatification delay is due to some possible, maybe, alleged irregularities in his monitoring priests at the end of his tenure in the diocese of Rochester. It seems the problems actually arose, and were mishandled, in the time of his successor, so we may pray that the road ahead becomes clear, in God’s good will.
We may for now take comfort in the title of the good Bishop’s television program, Life is Worth Living. It always is, and always will be, not least as we await the Christ child, who came to bring us the fullness of life, without end.
Carney’s Amoral Majority
After five defections – euphemistically described as ‘crossing the floor’ – and three by-elections, Mark Carney and his Liberals how have their coveted majority. One wonders what bowls of pottage were offered in back-room deals. In the archaic monarchical system that is the Dominion of Canada, this majority allows the newly-minted Prime Minister to rule[…]Continue reading→
Saint Kateri , Canada’s Protectress
This was the title given to Saint Kateri Tekakwitha, by Pope Benedict XVI, when he canonized her on October 28th, 2012, along with six others, in Saint Peter’ Square (she had been beatified by Pope John Paul II back in 1980). With Saint Joseph as our protector, along with the Canadian martyrs, we seem to[…]Continue reading→
A Closed, Unsustainable, Descending Loop
As a follow-up to my thoughts on Payette’s payout, here be a stark image of where are here in Canada. As the graph shows in, well, graphic terms, since 2025, the public sector has contributed to 95.5% of economic growth. The private sector – which funds the public sector, or is supposed to – has[…]Continue reading→
A Tale of Two Benedicts
A grace-filled Holy Week to all our readers! As we await and prepare for the Resurrection about to dawn upon us, we might keep in mind two Benedicts: Pope Emeritus Benedict XVI, requiescat in pace, elected on this day in 2005; and today’s commemoration of the mystic pilgrim, Benedict Joseph Labre, who died on this[…]Continue reading→
My Name is Bernadette
April 16th is a propitious day, for besides the anniversary of Father de Valk’s death, who founded Catholic Insight in its print form decades ago, and the commemoration of the ‘two Benedicts’, mentioned in accompanying posts, today we also recall Saint Bernadette Soubirous, the young visionary to whom the Virgin Mary appeared numerous times at[…]Continue reading→
Presidential Pardon of Weronika Krawczyk
As a good news, follow-up to our story from Poland, of the persecution of Weronika Krawczyk for her pro-life views, we heard that she has been granted a presidential pardon. One might still wonder why one needs a presidential pardon for simply holding the long-held belief that the child within the womb is a child,[…]Continue reading→
Saint Lydwina of Schiedam and Suffering Joyfully
Saint Lydwina of Schiedam (1380 – 1433) was one of the countless and glorious ‘victim souls’ in the history of the Church, those whose lives are filled with suffering, often of an unimaginable intensity, but who suffer joyfully. She was a fifteen-year old Dutch girl, out skating one day, when she fell and broke one[…]Continue reading→
The Glorious Martyrdoms of Martin and Maximus
As we enter into Eastertide, we recall on this 13th of April Pope Saint Martin I (+655), one of the noblest, if most tragic, of the successors of Saint Peter. Born in Umbria, Italy, he was of noble lineage, with great intelligence combined with charity and love of the poor and the Church. While still[…]Continue reading→
Pope Leo and a Rosary for Peace
Pope Leo XIV has asked Catholics across the world to join him in a Rosary for peace today, at 18:00 Rome time (6 pm), which would be noon from where I write (EST). If you are able, whether at that time or another, and in whatever way you pray, to join in intercession with the[…]Continue reading→
Payette’s Payout
I was glancing through some headlines, and noticed a mention of Julie Payette – engineer and astronaut and sometime the Queen’s representative in Canada – which brought back vague memories. She was appointed Governor-General by Justin Trudeau in 2017. Ms. Payette resigned in 2021, amidst claims that she created a ‘toxic work environment’, with allegations[…]Continue reading→