NEWS FROM THE EAST

http://rt.com/business/news/russia-us-meat-ban-134/

http://rt.com/politics/russia-strike-attack-sovereign-140/

http://rt.com/politics/russian-first-ban-gay-722/

After glancing over these links one cannot help but ask, why is Russia getting smarter and the United States getting dumber?  Russia is at least in some areas acting fearlessly in defense of religion, culture and agricultural common sense.  It is an encouraging sign.

When one reads the writings of brilliant Russian minds like Soloviev, or Dostoevsky, it makes one believe that despite all the errors Russia has made in past epochs there is still much hope for a glorious resurgence of these good people.  This is not wishful thinking though one must admit this renaissance is not going to occur in an instant.  There is the demographic implosion to consider, from which Russia, like all other nations, suffers terribly.  Yet in even in the face of that dire situation Russia is taking a few positive steps to reverse the awful trend.  I continue to watch with great interest events coming from that sad land.

Pope Benedict XIV

Then, too, there is the much hoped for reunion of the East and the West, the Orthodox with Rome. That potential reunion should be based on the words of Pope Benedict XIV (+3 May 1758) who said:

          "Eastern Christians should be Catholics; they have no need to become Latins."

To which the noted author Fr Adrian Fortescue adds, "We have no more right to think less of them than they have to despise us.  This has always been most clearly the attitude of the Holy See, best summed up in the words of Benedict XIV [see above].  For our Lord gave his followers most explicit commands that they should belong to the one Catholic Church he founded;  He never commanded them all to say their prayers in Latin or to use the Roman rite."  (The Uniate Churches by Father Adrian Fortescue, page 44)

It is well known that the Mother of God has an especial love for Russia.  When She speaks of "the conversion of Russia" perhaps it is safe to assume that She means a return to Catholic unity as embodied in Benedict XIV's words quoted above.  It is the schism She wants to see ended once and for all.  Please God that this terrible schism will end soon.  They need us, and we need them.

[Editor's Note: Many thanks to The Holy Unia Blogsite for the quotations.]