In what is rapidly becoming “business as usual”…
…a bunch of Muslims detonated a bomb outside of a Catholic cathedral in the Philippines.
This morning in the Filipino town of Cotabato City, a bomb was detonated near the Cathedral of the Immaculate Conception, killing at least five people and wounding some 34 others. After praying the Angelus at the Vatican, Pope Benedict XVI expressed his “deep rejection” of the attack and prayed for the victims.
The Holy Father explained that the attack is being attributed to Muslim extremists by the local police. The Pope told the faithful gathered in St. Peter’s Square, “the explosion of a bomb in front of the cathedral (Cotabato) during the celebration of Sunday Mass, has caused several deaths and numerous injuries, including some women and children.”
“While praying for the victims of this ignoble gesture, I raise my voice once again to condemn the use of violence, which is never a decent way to solve problems,” he added.
The Pope is right to pray for the victims of this latest terrorist atrocity, and the condemnation of violence is also well taken. Still, at times like this, one is tempted to plead the intercession of St. James.
No, not that St. James.
I started blogging back in 2004 -- in May, if the Wayback Machine is to be believed. Not that I remember the exact day. To be honest, I didn't take it that seriously then; it was a fun distraction, but nothing more.
That all changed, I think, once the Danish cartoons were published, and the assault on the right to freedom of expression became very visible. With the recent issues in Canada concerning the "human rights" commissions, the gravity of the matter has only increased, and my interest in blogging has increased right along with it.
I used to blog at a domain called Time Immortal, but it seemed to be the right time for a change -- there's been a lot of that in my life of late. Hence this blog: a fresh start, and proof positive that I won't shut up even if I get shut down once in a while.
July 6th, 2009 at 10:53 pm
“The moor slayer” says it all really. Anything that’s against political correctness is great in my book. So many interesting people throughout history that I’ve never heard of. That’s a bonus for frequenting here.
July 7th, 2009 at 6:26 am
St. James is certainly an interesting historical figure, and then one that doesn’t always come up in “polite” conversation. That’s what you get, I guess, for being principally known for your skill in battle against a certain…er…demographic group.
My personal favourite historical person along the same line has to be Charles Martel, though.
July 7th, 2009 at 2:13 pm
Don Juan of Austria and King Jan Sobieski also come to mind.
July 7th, 2009 at 5:52 pm
Quite!
There’s any number of good saints and historical figures to call to mind here, really. Not that it’s polite to do so…but all the same!