Cusack's Blog

Early Christians couldn't serve in the military because it involved pagan sacrifices, not because of an objection to the military service itself. . . .

The Loyal Daughter & the
Wayward Son

Both running for parliament, Princess Alessandra Borghese fights for values while Prince Emmanuel Filiberto tries to salvage the disgraced House of Savoy

It’s a tale of two houses. Borghese: the ancient Sienese family that came to Rome and augmented its wealth and power, eventually gaining the papacy. Savoy: the disgraced Sardinians who stole the Pope’s kingdom and have lately been better known for criminal connections. But the scions of both dynasties found something in common during the recent Italian parliamentary election: they were both candidates.

Princess Alessandra Borghese, to use the words printed in The Economist, “is no ordinary parliamentary candidate”. She is well-known as a close friend of the Pope, attends the annual Lourdes pilgrimage with the Order of Malta, and is an ardent defender of Christian social values. Speaking on religious instruction in schools, the Princess is adamant: “To know the history of Christianity, to know Jesus Christ does not nullify us, but enriches us. […] What are we to do when confronted with young Muslims and those of other religions if we don’t know our culture, our identity?”

In this recent election, Princess Alessandra headed up the Rome & Lazio list of Senate candidates for Pier Ferdinando Casini’s Union of Christian and Centre Democrats (UDC). “The UDC,” the Princess said, “is the only party the openly calls for the social doctrine of the Church and allows Christians like me not to submit to rejection.” This loyal daughter of the Church supports a party firmly in the Christian-democratic tradition enunciated by Pope Leo XIII and his successors.

But just as there are loyal daughters, there are wayward sons. Prince Emmanuel Filiberto is the grandson of the last King of Italy and son of the disgraced Crown Prince Victor Emmanuel famous for punching his third-cousin the Duke of Aosta in 2004, and arrested in 2006 for corruption and recruitment of prostitutes but never charged. Emmanuel Filiberto enraged Italian monarchists by marrying a French actress an ardent socialist who was already six months’ pregnant with their child on the day of the wedding.

Now, however, the Prince is seeking to turn around the bad reputation of the House of Savoy. Emmanuel Filiberto recently founded a political party named Future e Valori — “Future and Values” and ran for the Italian parliament on his self-made ticket. The prince supported his father’s legal bid seeking $380 million in reparations from the Italian Republic that replaced the Savoy monarchy, but now says he “isn’t asking for a single lira from Italy” but instead seeks to serve his country.

Alas, neither the loyal daughter and the wayward son won enough votes to win a seat in parliament. Alessandra Borghese will no doubt continue her various charitable and cultural efforts, but it is unknown at the moment whether Emmanuel Filiberto will seek to keep his personal political party going.

— Andrew Cusack

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News of the World

AUSTRALIA

Young Catholics yearn for tradition

SYDNEY - As pilgrims from across the world gather for World Youth Day, more and more young people are seeking to return to more traditional Catholic Latin masses. The Juventutem movement has been quietly gathering momentum in Australia and around the world since the Pope last year recommended that all parishes offer a traditional Latin service alongside the English mass.

QUEBEC

Judge overrules father’s discipline of unruly child

GATINEAU - A judge has overruled a father’s refusal to allow his 12-year-old daughter go on a school trip in punishment for her unruly behavior.

ALBERTA

Tribunal orders evangelical pastor to cease preaching

CALGARY - The Alberta Human Rights Tribunal has forbidden evangelical pastor Stephen Boisson from expressing his moral opposition to homosexuality and ordered him to pay $5,000 “damages for pain and suffering” and apologize to the activist who filed the complaint.

CHILE

Constitutional Court outlaws morning-after pill

SANTIAGO - The Constitutional Court of Chile has voted 5-4 to outlaw the distribution of the morning after pill. The final text of the ruling has yet to be released, as the justices are wrapping up their opinions.

SOUTH AMERICA

Newspaper: Virgin Mary Prevented Colombia War

BOGOTÁ - The Colombian daily El Tiempo has reported that the high tensions between Colombia on the one side and Venezuela and Ecuador on the other de-escalated after President Uribe of Colombia had a rosary said in the chapel of the Presidential Palace. The prayer specifically implored the protection of Mary as patroness of Colombia, Venezuela, and Ecuador.

AUSTRIA

Poll: Austrians desire EU treaty referendum

VIENNA - Sixty percent of Austrians want a referendum on the new EU constitutional treaty according to an OGM poll. 85 percent believe they have not been properly informed about the treaty. 47 percent expressed dissatisfaction with the EU, compared to the 44 percent who are happy with the EU.

ARGENTINA

Shrub fires choke Buenos Aires

BUENOS AIRES - The Argentine capital has been smoke-laden for nearly a week due to intentional fires started by farmers to clear shrubland north of the city.

Around the Sphere

‘A Sexual Revolution’

Jennifer Fulwiler writes of her journey from pro-choice atheist to pro-life Catholic in America magazine.

The BNP’s rise and New Labour’s demise are linked

The growing success of the British National Party is not due to disaffected Conservative Party supporters but rather Labourites discontented with their party’s leadership, Gary Younge explains at The Guardian.

Zimbabwe & the U.N. Charter

The Russian ambassador slammed the proposed sanctions against Zimbabwe as “is nothing but the council’s attempt to interfere in the internal affairs of a member state” and, as Daniel Larison points out at Eunomia, he is right.

A History of Political Trials

Not a single head of state who has faced trial for his political actions has ever been acquitted, writes John Laughland introducing his new book, A History of Political Trials from Charles I to Saddam Hussein, over on Brussels Journal.

Was World War II just as pointless as Iraq?

It makes me feel like a traitor to write this. The Second World War was my religion for most of my life. Brave, alone, bombed, defiant, we, the British, had won it on our own against the most evil and powerful enemy imaginable, writes Peter Hitchens at The Mail on Sunday.

Whatever happened to the good old working man?

He got rubbed out of history as being no longer desirable or fashionable to the modern world. And who rubbed him out? His supposed best “comrade”, the Socialist Left - that’s who! So writes Tribunus at Roman Christendom.

Political myths

The Republicans (and the Democrats) have made the great error of believing their own propaganda, as well as relying on stereotype in stead of reality, writes Daniel Larison at Eunomia.
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