America is Lost!

In the Alan Bennett film adaptation of his play, 'The Madness of George III', these wonderful lines are given to the plotting Prince of Wales:

"If a few ramshackle colonists in America can send him packing, why not me?"

In a letter dating to the 1780s, King George III realized the enormity of the fateful events of the 4th of July, 1776 and comments upon them.

229 years later, those "ramshackle colonists", the "unsettled, discontented, or unfortunate People" who fled to the shores of America looking for "life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness" have become the world's sole superpower - a marvellous achievement and one they are unsurprisingly proud of... To this end, I greet all my readers and fellow bloggers from across the Atlantic, a Happy American Independence Day!

Of course, that renown triumvirate of philosophical ideals which the Declaration of Independence calls "unalienable Rights" given by God have been subject to much interpretation and indeed still require the guidance of Truth. For all too frequently, they can be interpreted in the most unfortunate way - as a clarion call for individualism and relativism. No wonder then, that issues of life, authentic human freedom and true happiness are such lively areas of debate and even battles in the American Church; the 'culture wars' are far more evident across the pond than here in the "Mother Country".

As the then Cardinal Ratzinger put it so vividly and famously on 18 April 2005:
"We are building a dictatorship of relativism that does not recognize anything as definitive and whose ultimate goal consists solely of one's own ego and desires. "

I commend the many Catholic bloggers in America who pursue a life rooted in Christ that precisely countermands the above and who seek true Life, Liberty and Happiness in the Gospel of Jesus Christ, who alone saves, redeems and satisfies. The Independence that Christ gives is freedom from the tyranny of sin and our disordered desires, born from a fundamental Dependence on Him, within our holy Mother Church.

Let the fireworks ring out indeed but let it be in celebration of this Truth and may Our Lady of Guadalupe, Patroness of the Americas, bring all to a realization of this. May St Elizabeth Ann Seton and all the saints of the USA intercede for the American People and Government that they may strive for peace, justice and the welfare of all people, especially the poor and marginalized.