Cardinal Pell’s Innocence and Collegial Guilt

As justice has it, each of us deserves his day in court, and should be deemed innocent until proven guilty beyond reasonable doubt. But such does not always ensure justice is done. That is why the case against George Cardinal Pell seems so unjust, for there seems to be not only lots of reasonable doubt of his guilt, but even more reasonable assurance of his innocence. Peruse George Weigel’s recent commentary, and his pointed remarks concerning the unhelpful comment of the interim Vatican spokesman, who claimed the Vatican has ‘maximum respect for the Australian judicial system’. Given this outcome, many have lost that respect, if they had it in the first place. People cheered when Pell was given his six-year sentence; the Aussie anti-Catholic, and anti-clerical, bias is growing. Here’s hoping that at least justice is served in the appeal.

I’m not sure what this college scam signifies, but not much that is good about the bloated, busted university system in America (the same in Canada, but in a different way with all its universities publicly funded). Dozens of rich and famous people – really rich – have been caught paying hundreds of thousands if not millions of dollars to have their children’s SAT scores ‘modified’ and resumes doctored, just so they get into the ‘best’ schools. They could be facing some serious jail time, and one wonders, with all that money, why bother?

Well, it’s not really about the education, but rather about the ‘connections’ one makes at the Ivy Leagues. They are a quasi-gnostic sect, but not so much about knowledge, but rather, the credentials that will get you ahead. Who cares what your degree is in, from queer studies to quantum gravity, the important point is that you ‘belong’, part of the new-born aristocracy, which used to mean ‘rule by the virtuous’ but, alas, no more.

While on schools, Ontario will soon announce a legal ban on cell-phones in the classroom as of next year. As the article says, they are not sure how this will be enforced, but as part of public law, teachers can in theory now call the police should a student prove recalcitrant, as many likely will. Hence, the escape clause, that “(e)xceptions would be made for when teachers want to use cellphones as part of their lesson, for medical reasons and students with special needs”. Oh, well. I’m not a fan of governmental and legal overreach, and would rather cell phones be banned – I almost thought damned, there – by a cooperation between the natural authority of the teacher and the virtue of the student, who should truly want to learn, something no ban can enforce.

They – and we all know who ‘they’ are – in this case, a group that goes by the name of ‘Copenhagen Pride’ – have just developed a ‘genderless’ voice, that identifies as neither male nor female, which is ambiguous, as a voice cannot really identify, but one cannot identify it as male or female. They used ‘genderless’ people – at least, those who identify as such – to record a bland, blended version. It’s all very confusing. And, is it just my impression, or are voices becoming more genderless, anyways, outside of technology? Are men’s voices going higher, and women’s, lower? Maybe it’s just me; or perhaps it is indeed the hormones in the water. Regardless, I have my doubts about this catching on, since people generally want female voices, not least when seeking help.

And on a more serious note, we should pray for all those who lost their lives in the airplane crash last Sunday, on its way from Ethiopia to Kenya, with eighteen Canadians on board, and provide comfort to all their families. The plan was a brand-new Boeing 737 Max-8, the second one to crash in a similar manner, minutes after take-off. There are 41 of them in service in Canada, but Marc Garneau, the federal transportation minister, has so far refused to ground them, while many other countries have done so, saying he would be happy to board one. I’m not sure everyone feels the same way, even if air travel is amongst the safest forms of travel, ironic, perhaps, given that we are moving hundreds of thousands of people every day, flying through the air in aluminium tubes at 500 miles per hour at 35,000 feet. I sort of think that air travel is a quasi-miracle, and guardian angels have a lot to do with the fact that there are not more tragedies. For reasons known only to God, the souls of these people were ‘required of them’ at this time, and that time will come for us all.

Lent is a good time to prepare for that inevitable eventuality, so have a grace-filled one.

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→