What Can Traditional Catholics Learn From The Israeli

What Can Traditional Catholics Learn From The Israeli - Hamas Conflict???

JMJ

The Conflict

From my perspective, the Hamas / Israeli conflict is, at its core, a religious conflict that is buried beneath decades of rights, wrongs, stones, grenades, bullets, missiles, bombs, fighting and death.

Lots of death.

I've read "Son of Hamas" that provided a good perspective of the situation, specifically that there are "good" and "bad" people on both sides of the conflict.

Let's be clear, the "good" people are not the ones who act from a position of cruelty to kidnap, beat, rape, and kill civilians.

The recent events show the Hamas "soldiers" being guilty of these actions. From the "Son of Hamas" and Wikipedia (link) we have older accounts of Israeli soldiers being guilty of the similar actions.

So this is a situation where, from a cultural perspective (Edgar Schein link) deep and enduring assumptions have formed. Anything that contradicts or threatens these assumptions will create a strong emotional response and because of these emotions is at risk of being disregarded.

I recently watched some videos from a couple of months ago where people, Gazans I assumed, were asked if they would accept proof of Israeli civilization from archaeological sources. They denied the existence, said it couldn't exist etc. The denial of reality is a hallmark of Cognitive Dissonance and irrational behaviour of trying to recast reality to our perception instead of accepting it as reality and amending our ideas.

A Perspective from Tom Clancy's Battle Ready

Tom Clancy did some biographical work in partnership with various US Generals. One of these books was written with Gen Tony Zinni (Ret) and while the entire book provides a warriors perspective on various conflicts, in light of the current war between Irsael and Hamas, I thought the following comments by Simon Peres to be insightful.

General Zinni, [Peres said], you're going to find three kinds of people in this business.

At this time Zinni was a special envoy for the United States to Israel and the Palestinian Authority (2001-2003). He was in Israel to make another attempt and resolving the situation between the Palestinians and Israelis.

First, you're going to find the righteous. Don't waste your time with them. You'll find them on both sides, and they're always going to appeal to the righteousness of their cause. You're never going to get anywhere with people like that. There's no negotiating with righteousness. Yes, it's their right to believe what they believe. But you're never going to change them. They interpret facts from their religious angle, and the ignore any facts that don't support that.

I've seen this perspective from a number of Traditional Catholics, especially the 'resistance' types. I think it is tied to the cognitive dissonance they experience if they admit that they are wrong.

The second group you're going to meet .. are the collectors or arguments, the debaters. You see them on TV with all the talking heads. They're going to outdebate the other guy and score points. But where making real progress toward peace is concerned, these people are useless. If you want to get into the debate for academic purposes, that's fine. But it serves no other purpose.

I haven't had the pleasure to meet too many people of this ilk. Those I have encountered don't make progress during the debate, but at least one came to realise the validity of at least some of the arguments on the SSPX... after a few years.

The third group you're going to meet are the ones that count. These are the ones who want to figure out a solution on the ground. These are the ones who ask themselves over and over: "How the hell are we going to make this ghastly situation work and get out of this terrible nightmare? Focus on theme... and focus on what needs to be done and then get it done.

So, I would put forward that the SSPX, as an organization, falls into this last category. They are willing to look for a way to work within the Church provided they didn't have to compromise on things that would be tied to denying the faith. This upset the previous groups (Hardline Trads / Mods and Academics) immensely.

The first, I believe, because it transgressed their assumptions about the nature of the Church and the Crisis in which it finds itself. This applies equally to the Mad Trads as well as the Mad Mods.

The second because it didn't agree with their theories and would upset the academic history of the conflict between Rome and the SSPX.

Suffice to say that none of those groups were happy when it seemed that the SSPX was going to get a no-compromise agreements. Alas and luckily, it didn't happen as Pope Francis would have torn it up anyway and we'd (SSPX Trads et al) would be back where we started or perhaps in a worse place.

Zinni went on to write that it was the best advice he got in Israel.

I think that this last statement resonates for SSPX Trads, it wasn't that the deal was bad, but that the compromose (ie Mantra) was resinstated and the Pope didn't have the strength or will to resist it.

So all we need now is a young Pope who has the desire, strength, will and commitment to find a solution "on the ground".

Time to start praying for Pope Francis I to save his soul and for the election of a Great and Holy Pontiff after the timely death of his predecessor.

For the Palestinians, while I believe an enmasse conversion to Catholicism will aid the situation, the emotions cloud the line between was is dogma, doctrine and opinion, making it a difficult problem to solve.

P^3

Another Perspective

EWTN:Don’t Forget What the Israel-Hamas War Is About

The myth of the Hermeneutic of Continuity - Rorate Caeli

+ JMJ Interestingly the complete acceptance of the Second Vatican Council (without reservations) is required of the SSPX. Just when people are starting to wonder how it came to this! Courtesy of Rorate Caeli P^3

A Look Back: Archbishop Lefebvre’s Prophetic Address to The Remnant, 1976

+ JMJ Looking back is important to understand why we are where we are in this crisis. Courtesy of RemnantNewsPaper P^3 FOR THE FIRST TIME ONLINE: Archbishop Lefebvre’s Prophetic Address to The Remnant, 1976 Written by Archbishop Marcel Lefebvre Introduction by Michael J. Matt More than forty years ago—during the disastrous reign of Pope Paul VI, the latest candidate for a Vatican-issued Halo Award, by the way—my father, Walter L. Matt, organized the first large scale public reception in the U.S. for the late Archbishop Marcel Lefebvre. It was held at the Radisson South Hotel, Minneapolis, on Tuesday, May 12, 1976, and its stated purpose was to assist the Archbishop in gaining a stronger foothold for the Society of St. Pius X in the States during the unprecedented crisis Blessed Pope Paul had helped unleash on the Church. On that occasion Archbishop Lefebvre delivered ...

Of the Church and the Pope - Fr. Calmel O.P.

+ JMJ Once again, looking back to see if the 'Traditional Catholics' in the early days of this crisis of the Church had a sufficient view to realize the roots of the crisis. The root: The Pope Hence when the Pope is 'righted' the Church will be 'righted'. P^3 Courtesy of SSPXasia Fr. Roger Calmel, O.P. This essay by Fr. Roger Calmel, O.P. (1914-75) helps us in these difficult times to preserve our love of the Church. More than 30 years after its first publication, this article retains all its relevance, so much so that it even seems to have been written for our time, in which the crisis in the Church deepens at an unprecedented pace. This essay will help the reader to think clearly, keep the Faith, and maintain serenity in the troubled times we are navigating. “My country has hurt m e,”wrote a young poet in 1944 during the purge 1 when the head of state [Charles De Gaulle] implacably pursued the sinister job that had been in the wo...

Canonical Mission and State of Emergency - A Response to Mr. John Salza - Part B

+ JMJ I was trying to think of a way to map out the time course I discussed in Part A of this article. Early this morning it came to me that this is more about obedience and duty than canon law. As is my wont, I mapped out my thoughts (see image) to draw linkages between the core concepts. My conclusion is that, at least subjectively, Archbishop Lefebvre had sufficient information to make good decisions concerning whether or not he was obliged to obey. I know that the Jesuits, some Sedevacantists and the priests that left over the years will not agree with my thoughts. So be it. The core pieces of information include: Attacks against the SSPX were launched because they kept the Tridentine Mass and the pre-conciliar understanding of the Truths of the Faith. The authorities in the Church were willing to go against the laws of the Church. The same authorities encouraged the various dangers to the Faith embedded in popular interpretations of ambiguo...

Validity of new rite of episcopal consecrations - Courtesy of SSPX.org

+ JMJ In the blogosphere there are number of responses to this crisis in the Catholic Church that lead to conclusions that run counter to Catholic Doctrine and Dogmas - if taken to their logical conclusion. The validity of the New Rite of Episcopal consecrations is one such hotspot within more extreme sections of the 'traditionalist' culture. Validity of new rite of episcopal consecrations Courtesy of SSPX.org Why the new rite of episcopal consecration is valid Introduction This comprehensive study was compiled to settle a debate that has been circulating in traditional Catholic circles. Some writers have examined the new rite of episcopal consecration and concluded that it must be invalid. Since this would cause manifest problems if it were true and due to the heightened awareness of such a theory, we present a study of this question concluding that it is valid. Following the Council, in 1968 a new rite for the ordination of bishops was promulg...

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