The League of Bearded Catholics

God Rest You, Hairy Gentlemen...

Keen observers may have noticed that this page has been strangely silent over the past week. Worry not! In the words of Bob Cratchit, the author has been "making rather merry", as should all good bearded Catholics at this blessed time of year.

Reliable intelligence has it that he has been preparing a subterranean lair, the better to conduct Manly Pursuits. Already he has picked up a number of books that had languished in boxes, and is leisurely and luxuriantly reading and re-reading the Confessions of St. Augustine, C.S. Lewis' The Pilgrim's Regress, and Tolkien's Silmarillion as well as his translation of Sir Gawain and the Green Knight... all while wreathed in a cloud of aromatic pipe smoke. Between these, he is digesting the latest issue of Gilbert magazine.

Is life not astonishingly wonderful?

Regular rabble-rousing will commence after the New Year. Meanwhile, continue having a Merry Christmas!

A Christmas Carol - by G.K.C.

A Christmas Carol

- G.K. Chesterton

The Christ-child lay on Mary's lap,
His hair was like a light.
(O weary, weary were the world,
But here is all aright.)

The Christ-child lay on Mary's breast,
His hair was like a star.
(O stern and cunning are the kings,
But here the true hearts are.)

The Christ-child lay on Mary's heart,
His hair was like a fire.
(O weary, weary is the world,
But here the world's desire.)

The Christ-child stood at Mary's knee,
His hair was like a crown.
And all the flowers looked up at Him,
And all the stars looked down.

Bearded Profile: Orestes Brownson

For your reading pleasure, a Guest Post from Leauger Tobin Rachford;

  

     If you enjoy spending time  inside the mind of a true warrior, then you would almost certainly enjoy making the acquaintance of Orestes Augustus Brownson (1803-76), a bearded eminence of the nineteenth century (which was a century of really great beards) who deserves to be much better known, and a worthy precursor of Catholic controversialists like Chesterton and Belloc.  Unlike the “flagship four” of TLBC (Tolkien, Lewis, Belloc & Chesterton), however, Orestes Brownson is distinctly and proudly American, a defender of the Catholic church in American public life whose final resting place is the crypt church beneath the Basilica of the Sacred Heart on the campus of the University of Notre Dame. 

  

     Brownson was a true spiritual pilgrim who never gave up on the trail of truth until it brought him home happily and inexorably to eternal Rome.  [[Born in Stockbridge, Vermont, his upbringing was Congregationalist, and he joined the Presbyterian church in 1822 with the idea of becoming a missionary.  He soon found the generally dour tone of Calvinism, as well as the doctrines of unconditional election and double predestination, to be objectionable, and by 1824 he was calling himself just a “christian,” or a Universalist.  He was an ordained Universalist minster from 1826 to 1829, but he soon abandoned belief in divine revelation, the divinity of Christ, and the future judgment.  He never abandoned his natural sympathy for the working classes, however, and  he pursued a path of “Free Enquiry” while working on various projects for the betterment of society.  He was ardently anti-slavery.  During this time in his life he followed simply “The Religion of Humanity” and set himself up as an independent minister in 1831.  In 1832 he allied himself with the Unitarians, where he stayed put for about 12 years, serving as a pastor and contributing to various literary Reviews.  A fervent Democrat (pre-Martin van Buren, of course), he enthusiastically embraced the philosophies of Locke and Jefferson, adding in some ideas from the European Socialists and the Saint Simonians as part of a broadside attack on the incipient industrial and wage-labor system.  In 1840 he reached the point of calling for the complete abolition of Christianity, as he then understood it.  His vigorous mind could not be content with any doctrinaire materialism, however, and “The Mediatorial Life of Jesus,” which he wrote in 1842, already marks a step on the road to Catholicism.

  

     In October, 1844, Orestes Brownson came home to the Catholic Church and was received by Bishop Fitzpatrick of Boston.  American Catholicism of the 1840’s was still largely a working man’s religion, peopled by immigrants from the Old Country, honest and generous, but largely uneducated and lacking the intellectual formation to defend their faith in public.   Brownson was immediately at home with his new co-religionists, and, like a true Crusader vowed to defend the weak and the helpless, he plunged into the fray with his facile pen. **

  

     A running argument throughout all of Brownson’s mature years is the idea that nothing is more necessary for the preservation of constitutional democracy and popular government than Catholicity.  Catholicity is wholly averse to the revolutionary mindset, and is disinclined to tear down the existing order of things.   It is unlikely, therefore, to initiate democratic government where it does not already exist.  The Church, however, is able to pursue its task of saving souls under any form of civil society, and Catholicity is without parallel in forming those qualities of intellect and virtue which are necessary to sustain a free citizenry.   A robust, no-holds-barred and no-prisoners-taken presentation of Catholic doctrine and the Church’s social teaching was the missionary labor which Brownson undertook out of love for his fellow countrymen.  He wrote:

 

...the times, if I read them aright, demand Catholicity in its strength, not in its weakness; in its supernatural authority and power, not as reduced to pure rationalism or mere human sentimentality.  What is needed in these times – perhaps in all times – is the truth that condemns, point-blank, the spirit of the age, and gives no quarter to its dominant errors; and nothing can be more fatal than to seek to effect a compromise with them, or to form an alliance with what is called liberalism, – a polite name for sedition, rebellion, and revolutionism.  Let the American people become truly Catholic and submissive children of the Holy Father, and their republic is safe; let them refuse and seek safety for the secular order in sectarianism or secularism, and nothing can save it from destruction.

 

 

     For those interested in learning more about Orestes Brownson (“The Greatest Writer of the 19^th Century”), a good place to start is the website for the  Orestes Brownson Society: 

 

http://www.orestesbrownson.com/

 

The website includes information about Brownson’s biography, an on-line version of his writings, a bookstore, and contact information for the Society.

  

"The world does not ignore the lion who has roared."

 

**  The main venue for Brownson’s literary output was Brownson’s Quarterly Review, first published in 1844, and running (with a gap from 1865 until 1872) until 1875.  There is an accessible edition of Brownson’s collected works, in 20 volumes and totaling nearly 12,000 pages (!), by AMS Press (1966).  A quick summary of those volumes suggests the range and scope of Brownson’s vast oeuvre:  philosophy (3 volumes), some heterodox writings from his pre-Catholic years (1 volume), controversial works (4 volumes), scientific theories (1 volume), civilization (4 volumes), the development of doctrine and Christian morality (1 volume), politics (4 volumes), popular literature (1 volume), and some miscellaneous writings (1 volume). 

The above recommendation was written by Tobin Thomas Rachford, currently of Georgia, a former soldier who enjoys nineteenth-century Catholic authors, Thomistic philosophy, and good pipe tobacco.

Handy Tip (Jar)

Since some members have asked about donating to help cover material costs, etc... a handy Tip Jar button (via PayPal)  has been lovingly and painstakingly installed in the right hand column. >>>>

So, now, if the spirit moves you to feed the kitty, the process will be as quick and painless as a flu shot.

An underground compound deep beneath the Vatican... a private beard-shaped island resort? Who knows what we could accomplish?

Free Chesterton

One of the tremendous benefits of modern life is the ready availability of books. Reading a real book is altogether a different experience than reading on the internet. It is an organic and serene experience, like a cow grazing. One may go over the ground at one's own pace, and go over the same ground again and again, if one likes. One may wander here and there, and return to ground already covered, just to get the tatse again. These things are possible when reading online, as well, but not nearly as much fun. With a book, one can think to oneself, "This passage I'm looking for was about a half-inch from the front cover of the book, on the left hand page near the top" and find it quickly enough, usually. this seems more difficult with online texts, unless you know exact phrasing and have a search feature.

Reading from the screen of a computer or some other device is an experience of a somehwat lower order, BUT... what literature is available immediately and for free on the internet is absolutely astonishing and wonderful.

It turns out that a great deal of G.K. Chesterton's literary output - poems, novels, essays, non-fiction - can be found complete and very handily organized at a website called, simply readbookonline.net.

The site is a profound temptation for readers, though. Pray for strength. We all have business to attend to.

Below is reproduced the introductory paragraph of the first essay of Chesterton's book titled Appreciations and Criticisms of the Works of Charles Dickens. Enjoy...

  

The greatest mystery about almost any great writer is why he was ever allowed to write at all. The first efforts of eminent men are always imitations; and very often they are bad imitations. The only question is whether the publisher had (as his name would seem to imply) some subconscious connection or sympathy with the public, and thus felt instinctively the presence of something that might ultimately tell; or whether the choice was merely a matter of chance and one Dickens was chosen and another Dickens left. The fact is almost unquestionable: most authors made their reputation by bad books and afterwards supported it by good ones. This is in some degree true even in the case of Dickens. The public continued to call him "Boz" long after the public had forgotten the _Sketches by Boz_. Numberless writers of the time speak of "Boz" as having written _Martin Chuzzlewit_ and "Boz" as having written _David Copperfield_. Yet if they had gone back to the original book signed "Boz" they might even have felt that it was vulgar and flippant. This is indeed the chief tragedy of publishers: that they may easily refuse at the same moment the wrong manuscript and the right man. It is easy to see of Dickens now that he was the right man; but a man might have been very well excused if he had not realised that the _Sketches_ was the right book. Dickens, I say, is a case for this primary query: whether there was in the first work any clear sign of his higher creative spirit. But Dickens is much less a case for this query than almost all the other great men of his period. The very earliest works of Thackeray are much more unimpressive than those of Dickens. Nay, they are much more vulgar than those of Dickens. And worst of all, they are much more numerous than those of Dickens. Thackeray came much nearer to being the ordinary literary failure than Dickens ever came. Read some of the earliest criticisms of Mr. Yellowplush or Michael Angelo Titmarsh and you will realise that at the very beginning there was more potential clumsiness and silliness in Thackeray than there ever was in Dickens. Nevertheless there was some potential clumsiness and silliness in Dickens; and what there is of it appears here and there in the admirable _Sketches by Boz_.

Unshaven Facebook

Holy cow! Thanks to member John R.P. Russell (may his beard grow ever longer), The League has an official Facebook page, with members and everything, and your 'umble founder wasn't even aware of it!

No doubt partly due to my adult-onset A-D-D.

So, John has done a splentacular job, but... sadly, shamfully... our group page has no ongoing discussions, no photos, no events posted. (*SOB*)

I'll be getting all over that, but - as John did - feel free to jump in with both feet. Plunge recklessly ahead, and all that. The League (like a terrorist group or a herd of capybara) works according to what they call a very decentralized command structure, so freelance hijinks like this are the order of the day. Do keep us informed, though.

ALSO -

Your member requests continue to pour in from around the Western Spiral Arm of the galaxy. Official Membership Packets will be sent out within a week or two, barring any unforseen bouts of A.D.D. or Severe Procrastination. Keep in mind that none of your contact information will ever be shared with anyone, except at your request (sometimes, when Leaguers live in the same area, you might be asked if you want to share e-mail addresses).

For membership information, click on the How To Join The League link in the right hand column >>>.

As always, if you have news of interest, meeting minutes (which should be at least partly true and accurate) or anything, send it in. Some members are even now working up articles and other items, which are always welcome. Art, poetry, discussion starters, rants... take the ball and run it up the flagpole.

Is "Lord of the Rings" Racist?

Rummaging around the Worldwide Web is often a strange and wonderful experience, and sometimes a strange and awful one. While happily chasing Tolkienesque rabbits here and there on the internet, I came across a thread at a white supremacist forum, wherein the (subconscious) racist message of Lord of the Rings was being admiringly sifted and expounded on.

And then there was the obvious symbolism of the One Ring representing a World Bank conspiracy (those pesky Jews, of course).

On the surface, there might appear to be racism in LOTR, but I hold that only a racist could read it that way. It makes as much sense to say that, because Darth Vader wore black, George Lucas thinks black people are evil.

It also reminds me of something Chesterton said in Orthodoxy;

...though St. John the Evangelist saw many strange monsters in his vision, he saw no creature so wild as one of his own commentators.

This applies to Tolkien, as well... in spades.

Bearded Bard Shares Virile Verse

From the potent pen of *official* TLBC member, Darin D., in Madison Wisconsin;

Poem in Praise of Belloc's Beard

Joseph Hilaire Pierre René,

A bewhiskered league holds a bristled soiree

To toast the most fearsome beard in the West.

Laudanda barba tua est!

  

And speaking of bearded bards, member Del reminds us that Shakespeare was not only bearded, but Joesph Pearce gives good, solid evidence that he was a Catholic, as well.

I had the pleasure of hearing Joseph Pearce make a brief presentation of this evidence at the 2008 Chesterton Conference in St. Paul, Minnesota.

In Del's words;

If any league members have an enthusiasm for the Bard, we (could) solicit a post on the Catholic manliness of Shakespeare.

Well?

But That's Not All...!

We're behind the curve on this, but have a few announcements to make, regarding O-fishul League Bidness and member perks that will stagger the mind. Join The League, and in the words of Pedro Sanchez, "all your wildest dreams will come true".

First, we have a new official contact e-mail and snail mail address posted, which you can access any time by clicking the Contact Information link in the right hand column. >>>>

Next we have a reminder that the whole idea of the League is to get together with other Bearded Catholics (and beardie sympathizers) of like mind. Now, some may look at The League as probably just an excuse to get together and drink beer, and... okay, they would be right, but, the important thing is that between beers and snacks and all that, we try to devote a few minutes to Saving Western Civilization From Itself. In fact, I believe one strikes a blow for sanity and civilization just by the act of getting together (hopefully over adult beverages and some cheesy comestibles).

Everything's digital, now... friendships, correspondence, the family photo album... The internet is a varied and marvelous thing, but can it cook? Can it lend you an umbrella? Can it hold your hair while you throw up? I submit that it can not. Remember, The League of Bearded Catholics is not just a blog... it's an adventure!

Also, keep in mind that the blog belongs to the League, so your submissions of artwork, articles, poetry, photos and whatever, are greatly coveted. Of special interest will be tributes of bearded Catholics past and present, to add to our profiles.

Two important things for those wishing to become official, League members;

First, e-mail your membership request, include your snail mail address and phone #, and you will receive at absolutely no cost to you;

This exclusive and never before minted Membership Certificate, printed on genuine imitation capybara parchment, and accompanied by ten (10) TLBC calling cards with your e-mail and phone number (which can be handed to prospective members, or to complete strangers). Amaze your friends! Confound your enemies!

For those wishing to establish a local TLBC Chapter, you will receive in addition to the above;

... this handsome Chapter Certificate (suitable for framing), an additional 40 calling cards, and a luxurious fake beard, which can be donned by those who (we assume through no fault of their own) have no beard, but who none the less wish to gain admission to your august proceedings. Or your April proceedings. Or any month, really. At any rate, if you want to start a Chapter (as some have already indicated) definitely send for the kit and send notice of your meeting times and whatnot so it can be published here on the blog.

For those in fur'n countries, (or anyone else who asks, actually) we will be happy to e-mail the artwork for the certificates and cards, so that you may print your own (as long as you register as a member). For fake beards, I suppose you will have to rely on the resources of your native land. Good luck!

More fun stuff may be available for purchase at some point, if we can figure out how to do that without having to turn The League into a not-for-profit or something. That may be an ugly necessity at some point.

Right now, the forseeable costs on certificates and beards will be manageable for the Home Office, but if things take off unexpectedly, a small charge may have to be tacked on. I could do this through PayPal with no problem, but don't want to give the impression that The League is, in any way, a money-making thing or that I'm trying to enrich myself thereby.

This post will be added to the permanent links in the right hand column for handy future reference.

A glorious weekend to all! May your beards grow ever longer, etc, etc...

May His Beard Grow Ever Longer!

Way to go, Fadduh!

Fifty years of Father Benedict Groeschel ought to be cause for celebration for any living Catholic, especially those of us who have been blessed to share a continent with him. A hearty congratulations and thanks, Father, from The League of Bearded Catholics!

Father Groeschel was, in fact, one of the original Bearded Catholics who's flickering visage on my television screen first brought to mind the idea that bearded Catholics should have some sort of brotherhood or club (if they didn't already... I liked to imagine them all belonging to some ancient clandestine Catholic society of which the beard was a secret sign, meeting in some kind of high-tech underground complex deep beneath the Roman catacombs, and hatching plans more convoluted and subtle than anything in Dan Brown's most fevered hallucinations).

Surf through the religious cable channels and you will get a palpable sense of Father Groeschel's authenticity, which makes him such a unique treasure among the talking heads. All the pejoratives that might apply to puffed up and preening televangelists, all those marks of scolding condescension and priggishness, or slick ego marketing, simply dissolve, and you know that you are listening to a very godly, unassuming and wise man. He is simply himself, and one gets the feeling that he would be exactly the same wherever and whenever you found him. He has no "stage persona" hanging in his closet.

He also carries a keen insight into modern culture, which he has developed from half a century of inspired observation and prayerful interaction with the world as a priest and as a friar. He and his brothers of the Franciscan Friars of the Renewal have ministered to the poor of the inner city for decades. Below he talks about the isolation of life in the modern West;