Essays in Idleness

Those not in Ireland — quite possibly a majority of my readers — are denied the vote under Irish law, but may nevertheless participate with our prayers. No technology has yet been designed to stop us. The international “social media” companies have done their best to stop the “No” side from advertising, in response to the overwhelming “Yes” campaign by Irish mainstream media. They are outraged because it hasn’t entirely worked, and the vote may still be close. George Soros apparently didn’t get the monopoly on illicit foreign financial contributions.

But of course, it did not occur to the Meeja Masters that some Irish themselves might prefer not to have Irish babies murdered. It is assumed, in the worldview of progressive politicians, that they can only lose through foreign interference. This is even the view in the Natted States, where Trump is held to have won his election with nefarious Russian support — so subtle, that no evidence has emerged after exhaustive and interminable investigations. Likewise, in every European country, the rise in support for non-progressive parties is attributed in each case to some mysterious external force.

Might it be extraterrestrial, I wonder? Perhaps the Holy Spirit?

Who knows what strange and unaccountable Interest seeks to pull us back from collective self-destruction. But whatever it is, it has proved a terrible annoyance to progressives, everywhere.

I need not advise my Irish correspondents to vote “No.” This is because, so far as I can see, every one of them is doing all in his power to fight the baby-killing measure, already. And doing so with very little support from his own Church hierarchs, still licking their self-inflicted wounds from ghastly sex scandals. I pity them, for the accounts they must give of their own actions, to their Maker.

There is no good cause in this world that is not betrayed, however. Our Lord not only preached, but showed, that this must be the case. Notwithstanding, He told us not to give up, so long as the breath remains in us. The battle may be won or lost in any moment of time. But it is part of a “War in Heaven” whose conclusion can be foreseen. That which is good will be retrieved and purified; that which is evil will burn in everlasting hellfire. We’ve been told this plainly, and I for one believe it.

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Eric McLuhan, who died last Friday while on visit to Colombia, was a good friend of long standing. See my piece in Catholic Thing today (here). The Mass for him is in Picton, Ontario this morning. Please subjoin your prayers, wherever you may be.

Tempus fugit. It seems yesterday we, so much younger, were in his living room in Toronto’s Beach district, attending to the launch of The Interim, Canada’s pro-life paper. Suddenly that periodical is thirty-five years old. Sabina McLuhan, the English girl Eric brought home from his travels, was the brains and energy and for some time the editor of The Interim. She retired from it to focus upon raising a magnificent family. My heart goes out to her, and to them, in this poignant moment of leave-taking.