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Cardinal Kasper Kind Of, Sort Of, Apologizes (Maybe)…

Cardinal Kasper Kind Of, Sort Of, Apologizes (Maybe)…

Last updated on: January 24, 2017 at 6:50 pm by Frank Weathers

Cardinal Kasper Kind Of, Sort Of, Apologizes (Maybe)… 2017-01-24T18:50:58-05:00 Frank Weathers

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“If one of my remarks about Africans was perceived as demeaning or insulting, then I am honestly sorry.”

Seriously? The European Imperialist “white man’s burden” talk was bad enough. There isn’t a church for Europe, one church for Asia, and others for America and Africa. There is only one Church, one Truth, One Lord. But what about the claiming that he never said anything about Africans in the first place?

“Don’t you know who I am?”

“The fact that Catholic media (and unfortunately a cardinal {ed. Cardinal Burke?} in person) should participate in it, in order to tear down another position morally, is shameful,” Kasper opined. WhenKath.net asked as a follow-up question who that cardinal was, Kasper unfortunately gave no answer. The retired Curial Cardinal announced, however, that “other journalists” are going to take action against such “undignified machinations”.

The Anchoress has the scoop, as well as a few choice thoughts. Kasper Apologizes; Suggests Catholic Media will Avenge Him! Avenge him, eh? Now isn’t that a pretty picture?

This evening, I happened across this little essay on leadership that a fellow Marine shared on his Facebook wall. Cardinal Kasper, and all shepherds, can learn a thing or two from it. It’s a transcript of a speech given at the Naval War College after WWII by Douglas S. Freeman, Pulitzer Prize winning author of the four volume biography, Robert E. Lee. Here’s a pertinent snippet,

Aye. Be a man who is disciplined in spirit. Be a man who is observant. How many fine persons there are who go through this world. Never forget and, as God gives me might, I shall never fail on a lecture to mention Cadmus Marcellus Wilcox—Cadmus Marcellus Wilcox and his observation of a string over the shoulder of the Federals in that same battle of Chancellorsville. Remember Cadmus Marcellus Wilcox? What a name. Cadmus had his orders, “You move when the Federals do. You’ve got one little brigade here; you are holding Banks Ford and when they move, you move.” Cadmus went out the next morning early. (Every good seaman ought to be out early. People talk about what you ought do for the redemption of the American people. American people need nothing in this world more than they need to get up earlier and go to bed earlier.) Cadmus Marcellus got up earlier than most men, and he went out and looked, which a great many people never do, and over Banks Ford he saw that Federal sentinel walking his post, another and another down the line, in plain view. Well there is nothing uncommon about a sentinel walking his post, is there? But Marcellus wasn’t content with that; Marcellus took his glasses and he looked at that sentinel who may have been thinking about anything under the sun other than his military duties; and Marcellus observed that over the sentinel’s shoulder there was a string, and behind that sentinel’s left hip as he looked at the end of the string was his haversack. And Marcellus looked at the next sentinel and he had on his haversack and the next and the next and Marcellus said to himself, “Those birds are getting ready to move because if they were simply in camp they wouldn’t have on their haversacks and their haversacks wouldn’t be full. They have got their rations on them because they are getting ready to move.” He ordered his artillery hitched, got his infantry in position and within 15 minutes after those Federals started their withdrawal, Marcellus was in the road and he hadn’t gone three miles before he had the great opportunity of his career to stop a Federal offensive.

Observation! Be a man, not a blind man. Might as well go down in the engine room and stay there if you are not going to look and see.

Last of all, the third point. Look after your men. Look after your men. What a simple thing you are saying, Rip Van Winkle! Here, you have three-fourths of the brass and nine-tenths of the brains of the American Navy before you and you are saying that leadership is three things and you have listed those things so simply. Know your stuff—-be a man—and look after your men. We came a long way to hear you, Rip Van Winkle, and is that all you have to say? Yes! That is all, because that is the sum observation of my travels. Look after your men.

Read the entire essay.

Looking after a flock takes those three leadership traits, and more. It takes courage, and I dare say it takes faith. It also takes honesty, and the will to bring to bear the gifts of the Holy Spirit on all problems, and in all circumstances, while leading the flock to Jesus (who is all Truth).

I’ll be honest and say that I’m underwhelmed by Cardinal Kasper’s politically motivated apologies and not quite so veiled threats. I may be a sheep up to my neck in the mire, but I’m not interested in watching a drama like this one play out.

zzzZZZzzz

Have you read Pope Francis’s closing remarks for the synod? It clears the palate nicely.

2014 Synod on the Family

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