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| Olde Tyme Religion | |
| Martyred For Christ: 800 Victims Of Islamic Violence Who Will Become Saints This Month | |
| 2013-05-05 | |
I wonder how he feels about that. Benedict XVI announced the planned canonisations just minutes before dropping the bombshell of his own resignation. You could view it as a parting gift to his successor. Or a booby trap. The 800 men of Otranto -- whose names are lost, except for that of Antonio Primaldo, an old tailor -- were rounded up and killed because they refused to convert to Islam. In 2007, Pope Benedict recognised them as martyrs "killed out of hatred for the faith". That is no exaggeration. Earlier, the Archbishop of Otranto had been cut to pieces with a scimitar. Some accounts of the martyrdoms will raise a sceptical eyebrow: Primaldo reportedly remained standing after he was decapitated, a Pythonesque miracle that stretches credulity. But the murders really happened, and their significance is immense. The Turks had been sent by Mohammed II, who captured the "second Rome" of Constantinople and planned to do the same to the first. His fleet landed in Otranto, Italia's easternmost city, and laid siege. The citizens held out for two weeks, allowing the King of Naples to muster his forces. Rome did not fall. "All of this took place because of the indifference of the politicians of Europe to the Ottoman menace," wrote the conservative Italian senator Alfredo Mantovano in an article about the martyrdoms in 2007. You can guess where his argument was heading. "In Otranto, no one displayed rainbow pacifist flags, nor invoked international resolutions... Today Europe is under attack, not by an institutionally organised Moslem phalanx but by a patchwork of non-governmental organizations of fundamentalist Moslems." Pope Francis desires warm relations with Islam -- so, as I say, I wonder how pleased he was to discover this event in his diary. Already the interfaith lobby is squirming, always a fun sight. But, equally, the Church can't allow the ceremony to be hijacked by rabble-rousers. There are, however, good secular reasons for welcoming this canonisation. Our history is distorted by a nagging emphasis on Christian atrocities during the Crusades combined with airbrushing of Moslem Andalusia, whose massacre of Jews in 1066 and exodus of Christians in 1126 are rarely mentioned. Otranto reminds us that Islam had its equivalent of crusaders -- mighty forces who nearly captured Rome and Vienna. The Moslem Brüderbund is still committed to a restored Caliphate; this week its supporters prophesied the return of a Moslem paradise to Andalusia. These are pipe dreams, it goes without saying. But they matter because they inspire freelance Islamists whose fascination with southern Europe has nothing to do with welfare payments. They think of it as theirs because they know bits of history that we've forgotten. Our amnesia comes in handy in dialogue with Moslems: we grovel a few apologies for the Crusades, sing the praises of the Alhambra, and that's it. But what does this self-laceration achieve? Arguably it's counterproductive, because it shows Moslems that we're ashamed of our heroes as well as our villains. Which is why the mass canonisation of 800 anonymous men is so welcome: it ensures that, even though the West has forgotten their names, it won't be allowed to forget their deaths. | |
| Posted by:trailing wife |
| #10 I seem to recall those Muslim Invaders having a rude welcoming from Naples forces, Jim. And they were remembered, maybe not by the world, but by the town and the faithful of Italy. Otherwise their skulls wouldn't be there to be blessed. It's never sufficient for those who've stood for what is fundamentally RIGHT to be honored after the fact. But we who know, we who REMEMBER, will always honor them. Might be little passionate, and 300 isn't the best example. But that darn poem in it's various translations stirs something in me. Perhaps the Tomb of the Unknowns in Washington is more in-line. |
| Posted by: Charles 2013-05-05 20:56 |
| #9 Poor, Poor payment. Too Late and insufficient. |
| Posted by: Redneck Jim 2013-05-05 20:18 |
| #8 Well Richard it works like this... [takes deep breath... shuts down all logical thinking... enters liberal thinking mode....] The 800 or so (And their archbishop) had it coming for creating a cathedral and bringing the church to what would eventually be part of the Islamic World. I bet they were worshiping in public, spreading the word, and displaying their crosses and religious symbols too! They pre-provoked the poor misunderstood members of the Religion of Peace! They DESERVED it! Whew! [rubs head.. restores logical thinking...] Ok I have to go lie down now and recover. |
| Posted by: CrazyFool 2013-05-05 12:26 |
| #7 Doubtful, Richard. The only thing that will straighten out most of the Western |
| Posted by: Barbara 2013-05-05 11:49 |
| #6 I suppose I could rationalize it by saying that any Muslim opposition would--possibly--straighten out some western apologists for the Religion of Peace My Sweet Aunt Fanny. |
| Posted by: Richard Aubrey 2013-05-05 11:00 |
| #5 Just to clarify, the "up-yours" part works for me. ;-p |
| Posted by: Barbara 2013-05-05 10:53 |
| #4 resistance to forced conversion to any faith is a right. Can you name any other current religions that are so insecure in their appeal and righteousness that they have to FORCE conversions and kill those who leave? |
| Posted by: Frank G 2013-05-05 10:50 |
| #3 I'm not ashamed. It's a confirmation of faith and renewal that Christianity will not yield like so many politicians. |
| Posted by: Charles 2013-05-05 09:56 |
| #2 Works for me, Richard. |
| Posted by: Barbara 2013-05-05 09:13 |
| #1 Given the occasion, the solemnity, the tragedy, I am ashamed that my first and primary thought is that this act of sacred honor is an up-yours to Muslims and their apologists. |
| Posted by: Richard Aubrey 2013-05-05 07:06 |