New Zealand Conservative

I wonder if this might still hold true. Hilaire Belloc asks, What would have happened if the First Crusade had taken back Syria from the men of the desert? in his book, The Battleground. At the end of Chapter 14, he answers: ...With the French chivalry permanently established in Syria, Islam would have been cut in two . Its eastern half might have survived, its western would have been doomed. The Mediterranean and its islands, which had fallen into the power of Islam, would have been Roman and Christian again; there would have been done in a fruitful Christian time what is now being attempted in our own sterile time of Apostasy. Roman land would have been recovered in its entirety and Christendom would have become Christendom again. For Syria is the keystone. To hold Syria permanently, with sufficient recruitment and armament, is to cut the bridge between Asia, including the men of the desert, and North Africa. Syria strongly held makes the enemy hold over Egypt imp...

Last week, on Monday, my husband attended the funeral of a woman we had both gotten to know from church. She had died the previous Thursday, and we only knew of her death when we saw her listed in the recently deceased section of the weekly bulletin. We'd noticed she hadn't been there for the last month or so, but the finality of her death was still a surprise. I'm going to miss her colourful, cheerful presence. Even though she was suffering from the cancer that she had been fighting, she still was able to uplift the people around her. Rest in Peace, Nomaza. Which had made me think, what a grace it is to be diagnosed with terminal cancer. Sure, it's a death sentence, so to speak. But at least you have time to arrange your affairs, say goodbye and clean your soul. Even offer up your suffering for the good of others. For sudden death, does not allow that. One moment everything is fine, and the next, you're dead. Such as for those in the recent earthquak...

Friday evening is the one period of the week where I can slow down a little, check the blogs and catch up with the news of the week. Except whatever news there is seems trivial in the wake of Christchurch. The quake has certainly devastated the city and surrounds in so many ways, and there are aftershocks being felt all over the country. I'm not specifically talking about the seismic kind here, but I think people will get the drift of my thoughts. It's going to take a long time to recover from this, and things will never quite be the same again, especially for those directly affected. My heart goes out to every-one shaken and stirred and crushed by the quake. It looks bigger and meaner than the Napier/Hastings quake of '31. And I suspect many residents are thinking that these quakes are by no means over. What will that mean for Christchurch as a city? I have no idea at this stage, and even those thoughts need to wait until the rescue efforts are carried out as fa...

Rome, 23 Feb. (AKI) - Pope Benedict XVI on Wednesday offered prayers and condolences to the scores of people who perished in the earthquake in Christchurch, New Zealand. His thoughts were also dedicated to the families of the dead. "At this time my thoughts turn especially to the people there who are being severely tested by this tragedy. Let us ask God to relieve their suffering and to support all who are involved in the rescue operations. " I also ask you to join me in praying for all who have lost their lives ," Benedict said during a general audience at the Vatican. Related links: Vatican: Pope prays for victims of New Zealand quake ~ adnkronos Pope calls for prayers for New Zealand quake victims ~ Montreal Gazette

The Vatican's secretariat of state sent a message to Bishop Jones on behalf of Pope Benedict XVI. "The Holy Father was saddened to learn of the sudden devastation and loss of life in the city of Christchurch due to the recent earthquake. He wishes to express his spiritual closeness to everyone who has been affected, and sends his condolences to the families of all who mourn the loss of loved ones. Commending the deceased to the merciful love of God, his Holiness assures the people of the city and the nation of his prayers for all those who are working urgently to rescue and assist the trapped and the injured, as well as for those labouring to restore essential services. Upon all the people of New Zealand, the Holy Father willingly invokes Almighty God's blessings of courage and strength. " Related link: Christchurch Catholic Cathedral partially destroyed in earthquake ~ NZ Catholic