INDIETRISMO

 A new one for me. So apropos for the blog as it unfortunately has great negative weight for our world today. It was recently used by Pope Francis when he spoke negatively about the hidebound (my word) rigid conservatives among the hierarchy of the American Catholic Church. he said, ""You have seen that in the United States the situation is not easy: there is a very strong reactionary attitude," 

I would like to remind those people that 'indietrismo' [which means to be backward-looking] is "useless, and we need to understand that there is an appropriate evolution in the understanding of matters of faith and morals," he explained."

Interesting that a nation, the USA, once known as a bastion of popular change, albeit not without opposition, has now become a bastion of backwards thinking. The hierarchy of the American Catholic Church has been more and more out of touch, in definite mis-sync with its flock. There have even been many scholarly articles discussing a possible split in the Catholic Church along with unwanted, dangerous consequences.  

Schism in religions have quite often led to huge changes in society, not the least of which were the results of the last major split in the Church and in fact, has occurred in many religions as well. Today the Shia and the Sunni kill each other and Jews who observe on different levels often are hostile to each other. Other religions do the same. Apparently, none are exempt from societal pressure and change.    

This looking backwards, trying to return to a different time whose precepts and needs were unlike those of today is a great mistake. Yes, the past has much to teach us, lessons, advice, precedents which lean either to observance as such or with changes suitable to a changing world. A   willingness to support reviews, adjustments and change - or not - is a sign of a healthy confident society.

To wit, examine today's world, where every country argues within, even via actual fighting and bloodshed. The USA is not immune to this. Rigid, extreme partisanship, ears deaf to calling and warning voices, and vicious self-defeating partisanship are rampant. Children grow cynical as they are told one thing and see adults doing the exact opposite. To an extreme. A mugshot of a former president seeking to inflict more chaos and insanity upon the nation. Unheard of - yet there it is. 

 A judiciary corrupted and partisan. A legislative body, bodies, equally as corrupt, seeking to build a government rife with fascism and the suppression of any and all opponents, with the additional memes of prejudice and hatred doing quite well. Supposed leaders seeking the glory of office, its perks, even as they neglect its responsibilities. Education corrupted and limited. Tropes of violent hatred, ancient memes of hate revived. Individual rights? Anathema. 

We have become a nation set afloat on an overloaded leaky rowboat, rotting at the seams, and a cracked, single oar, even as the seas grow angry and angrier. As nature reflects, mirrors, that back upon us. As we dive deep into the philosophy of indietrismo, looking back to extract all that is negative, returning it to life and discarding anything of value that we have learned from the past, any progress made as a society towards the good. 

The old uglies return - misanthropy, vicious misogyny, censorship, slavery in various formats. Usage of violence, the permissive use of mobs, and war, selfishness and greed of nations, insane imperialism returning a la Putin and ilk. Indeed, we have incorporated much, way too much, of the Pope's destructive indietrismo. 

Yet from the past, the fifth century, from the same Church, there come three philosophies: ut annis consolidetur, dilatetur tempore, and sublimetur aetate. All having to do with upward movement of society, always upwards, progressing and progressive- always. Ironically, these values were too often honored more in the breach than in the performance and observance within the same Church - of the Inquisition, burning of accused heretics, the encouragement of vicious, bloody antisemitism, and much more.

The point is that mankind is fickle, weak, questioning and questionable, possessed of enormous supply of good and bad, capable and desirous of upwards progress along with those who prefer the negative and the static state. Monday morning quarterbacks contributing nothing to progress and truth. To a reality always in need of good thinking, fresh ideas and knowledge and will of implementation. We need to compromise, to throw out the bad among us, mete out appropriate consequences and rewards. 

We can be better. We have been better. We are better, even today, though not enough.

Being better is not so difficult. Simply try to empathize with others. Not in their place, but in their shoes and walk. Now understand the    capriciousness of life. Feel those shoes. Live that life.  Then check your thoughts. Reevaluate.   

Being better has helped our Yitzy, planning on his second day of school. Greeted with a grin - many grins - and we hope and pray and thank. We hope the progress continues and we hear those final, so longed for words, that complete healing, direct from the One Above, urged on by your prayers and caring. The togetherness.

We did this together and together, we must continue.

In our personal world and the outside world. 

Like it or not, we are all in the same boat- together. What effects one, affects all. That pesky butterfly on the other side of the world, flapping its wings, cares nought, has no thought nor care of resultant consequence way over on his opposite world. However, we are not butterflies and we had better understand the intertwining of humanity. No man is an island, and neither is any nation, no matter how strongly they wish so or act as such. 

Together, always together.

Together, united for good.

Together.

Together.

We can heal the nation.

HEAL THE WORLD.

HEAL YITZY!

Yitzchak Elimelech ben Chana Sarah

May he be granted refuah shelaymah bimheyrah beyameinu. 

 AMEN. AMEN