Hey, that's me!

Oh no wait. I'm stinking poor. Never mind.
cricket | Homepage | 01.31.07 - 4:40 pm | #

Reading McAuliffe's smarmy interview made me feel like screaming, "It's clobbering time!"

Sometimes I thank God I'm not the one interviewing Slimey CINOs, like McAuliffe, et al. The temptation to hurt them would be overwhelming.
Judith M. | 01.31.07 - 6:11 pm | #

I prefer to think of myself and independently poor.
John J. Simmins | Homepage | 01.31.07 - 6:17 pm | #

Nope, for me it's definitely stinking poor--or filthy poor come to think of it.
cricket | Homepage | 01.31.07 - 6:37 pm | #

If it's true that Mr. McAuliffe has been made a Knight of Malta, it's most unfortunate. But it's also largely irrelevant, IMHO.

Our Lord Himself reminded us that it is easier for a camel to pass through the eye of a needle than for a rich man to enter the Kingdom. We should be charitable to them, anyway; some of them don't even deserve their wealth, let alone the false honors the sycophantic world showers on them, and how can one such as I understand the vast temptations that come with wealth and power?

Maybe Mr. McAuliffe has been observed doing something really heroic, like using an inferior brand of mustard, which the Knights in their wisdom wish to seize upon and multiply. It's only a social club, after all, so what difference does it make if they choose to honor rich CINOs with little faith?

After all, it's our burden, that the rich we will always have with us.
Red Cardigan | Homepage | 01.31.07 - 11:09 pm | #

Well, it gives us something to bitch about rather than consider our own lives, so it is absolutely crucial that:

-- this idle boast by McAuliffe be considered an iron clad confirmation that he has been admitted

-- the Knights, a lay organization, be considered "church leadership" so we can have another reason not to dismiss bishops if they tell us something we don't want to hear.
John McG | Homepage | 01.31.07 - 11:25 pm | #

Mark,
Lifesite news is reporting that Terry has only applied to be a Knight. He has not been accepted.
http://www.lifesite.net/ldn/2007...n/ 07013108.html
Excerpt:
"LifeSiteNews called the Knights of Malta office in Washington, where it was confirmed that Terry McAuliffe has indeed submitted an application to the Knights of Malta, which is currently under review. A director told LifeSiteNews that the Knights have no control over whom submits an application, but do make the decision whether a candidate fulfills all the requirements to join their ranks.

According to the Knights own website, McAuliffe fails to be a candidate to their order by their own requirements since an applicant must be "in good standing with the church"; an impossible situation on account of McAuliffe's pro-abortion views. A candidate also must have "a record of service to the Catholic Church and to Catholic-related causes by lending professional expertise or 'hands-on' volunteer service to the poor", a record which is tarnished by McAuliffe lending his expertise to push the anti-life agenda of the Democratic National Committee.

Currently, the fault lies not with the Knights of Malta, but with McAullife's two sponsors and pastor, who "to avoid possible embarrassment" have the responsibility to make sure that the applicant satisfies the criteria for admission."
Joshua | 01.31.07 - 11:52 pm | #

John McG:

Except, of course, that a Cardinal is appointed to supervise the order and the pope picks the prelate. Lay, yes, but accountable to the wider Church:

http://www.smom.org/worldwide- sp...pirituality.php
Dale Price | Homepage | 02.01.07 - 12:21 am | #

This whole business has a fishy smell...I know that when I tried to look up "Knights of Malta" in the past, I discovered that there are several ersatz organizations that call themselves by almost-similar names as that of the real Knights. And that the real Knights, far from worshipping money, are worshippers of Birth instead (there's true conservatism for you...). In other words, you can't be a real Knight unless you have x degrees of nobility in your family tree (v. unlikely in McAuliffe's case). But I can't remember any more and it was all too confusing anyway.
alias clio | 02.01.07 - 1:57 am | #

I know that when I tried to look up "Knights of Malta" in the past, I discovered that there are several ersatz organizations that call themselves by almost-similar names as that of the real Knights.

The nerve of some people.

In other words, you can't be a real Knight unless you have x degrees of nobility in your family tree (v. unlikely in McAuliffe's case).

That's the Teutonic Knights. The Knights of Malta only require them to be over 25, with good works among the poor, a "degree of distinction in his or her professional field," and "good standing" with the Church. (I don't think, by the way, that LifeSite has the authority to determine the "good standing" part.)

As for "stinking rich," it wouldn't hurt, but anyone who met the admissions criteria would likely be able to scrape together the $3,500 initiation fee (unless maybe their professional field was "Catholic school teacher").
Tom | Homepage | 02.01.07 - 6:55 am | #

Maybe it is the Teutonic knights - but when I tried some years ago to "research" the issue, it was the Knights of Malta of whom this was said. That was in the late 1980s, before easy Internet access and long before Google, so I think I only looked them up in an encyclopedia, or something of that kind. And it was there that I read about the existence of ersatz Knights of Malta organizations.
alias clio | 02.01.07 - 9:29 am | #

Off-topic:
Take a look at this blog:
http://iztoks-bibleblog.blogspot.com/
Anon. | 02.01.07 - 11:03 am | #

I read a book on this order some time ago. I think it was called "The Sword and the Cross" or something like that. It was a good read. They still exist as a religious order with the usual vows. In former years you could not be a knight unless you had some noble blood at least, but I can imagine they have gotten rid of the requirement nowadays. The order went through some very rough times, though at their height they helped keep Europe out of the hands of the Turkish Sultans. St. John's Ambulance (if I recall correctly) is a British offshoot of the original foundation, though it is very far removed from the original. It may have been founded as a charity and an exercise in nostalgia. I will have to see if I still have that book around.

Ingvar
Ingvar | 02.01.07 - 11:10 am | #

Yes, there are several phony organizations claiming to be Knights of Malta plus an Anglican branch that goes back to the original Knights. There are several levels of membership and only the Knights who are professed religious had to have "16 quarters" of noble descent.

For the exciting history of the Order, see John Sire's KNIGHTS OF MALTA. Europe owes them a great debt for prevailing over the Turks in the 16th C Seige of Malta.
Sandra Miesel | 02.01.07 - 11:50 am | #

anyone who met the admissions criteria would likely be able to scrape together the $3,500 initiation fee

If you're not so well endowed, a worthwhile alternative would be to join the Knights of Malt, who'll let you in for a case of beer (just bring it to the meeting).
cricket | Homepage | 02.01.07 - 5:10 pm | #