Communist Vietnam, Benedict & Dorothy Day

Dear Atila,

Your recent post on Benedict XVI's reception of the leader of the Vietnamese Communist Party has a greater significance than most people might realize. This high profile example of misplaced “diplomacy” towards a leader whose regime continues to persecute and oppress Catholics shows that pro-Communist sympathies have made serious inroads amongst the Church's representatives in the Vatican.

As philo-Communism has been the default position among the Church's leaders since Vatican II, how, then, can traditional Catholics gain a hearing for their expressions of revulsion and outrage at such a reversal of justice? (See below the letter to the Pope from Senator Richard Black of Virginia who fought in the anti-Communist Vietnam War)

There are also repercussions for the canonization process of Dorothy Day who had a record of supporting the Vietnamese Communist leader, Ho Chi Minh, in his struggle against her own Church and country. In an obituary she stated that she would have welcomed “the privilege of giving hospitality to a Ho Chi Minh” at the Catholic Worker when he visited New York. (Catholic Worker January 1970)

Given that Pope Benedict received with honor the Vietnamese Prime Minister, Tan Dung, in 2007, it becomes problematic to raise objections to Day's attitude towards the former Communist President of North Vietnam. So what in traditional Catholic terms would have been seen as an impediment to canonization is now considered an acceptable gesture.

We need first to grasp the full, monstrous treachery of honoring Communist leaders for whom the extermination of the Catholic Faith is still an unfinished business. Then it becomes obvious that the current Left-wing orientation of our Catholic Prelates is a symptom of ecclesiastical sickness and shame.

     Best wishes,

     Carol (Dr. Carol Byrne, Great Britain)

Note to the reader:

Below is the photocopy of the letter by Senator Richard Black to Pope Benedict XVI expressing his concern about the beatification process of Dorothy Day. This document was sent to TIA by Dr. Carol Byrne and we publish it with the permission of Senator Black.

A PDF file of the same document is available here.

     TIA correspondence desk

Hello,

I enjoy your website, but I have a big question!

Your feature called “Saint of the Day” does not seem to line up with my traditional Catholic calendar.

Is your calendar based on the Novus Ordo changes to the saints' feastdays?

Please kindly advise.

     In the Holy Family,

     A.A.


TIA responds:

Hello A.A.,

We try to follow the traditional Catholic calendar as much as possible. However, once in a while we get some dates wrong. When our readers find any discrepancy with the traditional calendar, they communicate this information to us and we change the date accordingly.

If you find any incorrectly dated feastdays, please do not hesitate to advise us.

     Cordially,

     TIA correspondence desk

TIA,

I found this article that corresponds with many things you say. You might enjoy it.

B.B.

TIA,

Good afternoon,

Thank you for your good work ! I read your site daily and have learned so much.

I thought you might like to use this little video clip titled 'Nuns Gangnam Style' for your revolution in pictures section. Brides of Christ, indeed !

     Sincerely,

     R.H.

TIA,

The recent article concerning church closings in Vienna, Austria, and Boston, yet closings called by different words, is surely on the way. We usually get in a short period of time what has been patiently well planned for quite a long time.

This restructuring, as some like to call it, seems to be part of a plan to converge, not convert, members of the five major religions of the world. A smaller number of Catholic churches with larger congregations, which just go by the name Catholic, thanks to Vatican ll, will merge much easier than too many churches.

What is left unsaid, by the masters of ambiguity, is that the hallmark of ecumenism will be sprung on the unsuspecting “people of God” with confidence of success, as the waters have long been tested. And how!

Our Lady of Good Success, Pray for Us

Our Lady of LaSalette, Pray for Us

Our Lady of Fatima, Pray for Us

S.M.