As Pope Benedict XVI was met with a resplendent ceremony on the White House lawn this morning, George W. Bush noted the visit would remind Americans to “distinguish between simple right and wrong.”
“We need your message to reject this dictatorship of relativism,” Bush said.
Is it just us? Or, given the news of late, concerning meetings in the White House to discuss what kind of torture America would officially carry out, isn’t there something perversely discordant in Bush’s remarks?
The Pope, who is celebrating his 81st birthday today, gave a few of his own remarks in turn (to which Bush replied “awesome speech”) before being serenaded with a rousing rendition of “Battle Hymn of the Republic”, as performed by a U.S. military choir.
Is it just us? Or is there something perversely discordant in that, too?
UPDATE: As is to help shore up our point, Rush Limbaugh positively gushed (full transcript here) for most of the first hour of his show today about the performance of “Battle Hymn of the Republic” at the WH ceremony today…
“This is just fabulous. This is exactly what this country needs at this time,” crowed Limbaugh who expounding on being emotionally overcome beyond description at hearing the song.
Limbaugh’s alleged interest in the song — if not necessarily ours — was that he saw it as a “return” of God to the public square. “It stopped me in my tracks of show prep today to watch this. I wanted you to hear the full version of it, God in Washington today,” he said as he played the song (at least) twice on the program. “Not only was God present, but the largest White House welcoming ceremony ever participated in a ceremony thanking God and respecting God and offering up a tribute to God.”
And then moving on to the next logical Ditto-head step, he later noted: “Today American exceptionalism was the focus at the White House, long overdue and punctuated by this dramatic and goose bump-inspiring, chill inspiring rendition of The Battle Hymn of the Republic by the US Army Chorus.”
His entire take on the matter, given who he is and what he does, was not perversely discordant in the least.
LATE UPDATE: But that’s not all! Look at the nice “Welcome to the U.S.” gift the 5 Catholic justices on the Supreme Court gave to his Holiness today!
I wonder, Brad, whether you’re the type of person for whom America can do no right. It’s a shame that “discord” is what you got from that display.
It was discord…of Bush’s hypocracy…
HOMILY OF HIS EMINENCE CARD. JOSEPH RATZINGER
DEAN OF THE COLLEGE OF CARDINALS
Vatican Basilica
Monday 18 April 2005
oops Link
I found the arrangement of The Battle Hymn of the Republic a tad unusual and yes, in part even a little discordant. Not counting the harmonies and integration of the instruments with the chorale, they punched the line, in fact they practically shouted in unison, “we will die to make men free.”
I’ve never heard the Battle Hymn delivered in that way…It is usually a softer and more fluid delivery, phrased as one complete thought: “As he died to make men holy we will die to make men free.”
Was the arrangement revised specifically to give the Pope a little rebuke for his criticism of the war in Iraq, or is it simply a general in-your-face rebuke to anyone who criticizes the war?
Rich (#1)
Funny, but as I read this post I mused out loud “perversely discordant” sounding it out to myself as I scanned the phrase, and it felt really, really good. I even took a moment to bask in it’s double-thesaurian, alluding Orwellian, irony-inducing turn of phrase. No description could be more perfect.
Apt comment–even GRACIOUSLY worded, if you ask me…
(YEEEsss, wasn’t MICHELE OBAMA a WONDER on Colbert last night? Gave ME that much needed, juicy Colbert “bump”, and just in the nick of time, too.
I was getting a bit gloomy. Colbert was right–she DID seem Jackie-O-ish, almost hauntingly so.)
How many wars have been waged under the disguise of religion ? All those two phoneys needed was Pappy there with them so then all the pedofiles would be on display.
They all make me sick and that song was a slap in the face of all humans !
Why is the battle flag of the Confederate States of America, the Stars and Bars, so prominent in the photo? Isn’t this flag considered a symbol of racism? Why is it displayed on the podium?
You have got to be kidding me? When I heard Kathleen Battle sing The Lord’s Prayer and then the US Army Choir sing the Battle Hymn of the Republic, I had such a sense of pride in both renditions. But then you would probably consider me to be a bitter, bible thumping, gun toting, illegal immigrant hating American! Well, I guess you are correct, you got me. But damn, that US Army Choir tore that song up and I wish I could find the video clip on-line. Hopefully someone will post it on YouTube! May we never ever forget the soldiers and veterans who have died to make men free! Happy Birthday Holy Father and as you said so well today at the White House, “God Bless America!”
How very sad that you overlook the first two lines of The Battle Hymn, “Mine eyes have seen the glory of the coming of the Lord! He is trampling out the vineyards where the grapes of wrath are stored!”
Take your trampled grapes, Brad, and drink the bitter wine!
I will continue to Praise the Lord that we live in a country where you are free to publish your opinion (as am I).
And Bless the souls of the brave military men and women who have died to ensure that we have such a privilege, as well as those who continue to serve our wonderful United States of America!
What Hypocrites!!!
The blind type that can’t see past the end of their own noses.
Flatheads
It’s just you on both counts.
Yes, bless the souls of our brave soldiers. And curse the vile, brutal, black-hearted savages who put them in harm’s way to fight a needless war based on greed and lies.
RE: Comment #7
The flag behind the pope’s head that contains the Stars and Bars is probably the flag of Mississippi.
The singing of the Battle Hymn for a papacy that opposed the unprovoked war against the innocent people of Iraq is no accident.
Why is the rebel flag of the civil war flying in the background during the war song?
Why does preznit blush hold hands only with muslims?
American flag waived, Amurkan flag waved.
I can’t believe that they would play that song to this Pope. As a Catholic I was appalled at it.
As for Rush this link says it all
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sCHfrLkGYlM
What I want to know is if Bush lined up any of that young male Page meat…awesome!!!
(Bush) ‘Aw Ratz, I probably shouldnta brought that up’
Rush Limbo swa God in Washinton? No joke, man. The guy takes enough heavy meds to see several gods, all
dreamily floating around his head. As for the P-man Bush, standing before the alabama state flag, hand on heart, soaking up the battle hymn of the repugnant, they look as natural and at home as a dog licking his balls. Why the shock and outrage?
Yeah Floridiot 16, I find it very interesting the gannon/guckart crew is getting together with the man who initially wrote the cover up at all expense to the church’s pediphile problem:
[edit] Response to sex abuse scandal
As Cardinal Ratzinger was Prefect of the Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith (CDF), the sexual abuse of minors by priests was his responsibility to investigate from 2001, when that charge was given to the CDF by Pope John Paul II.[3]
As part of the implementation of the norms enacted and promulgated on April 30, 2001 by Pope John Paul II,[4] on May 18, 2001 Ratzinger sent a letter to every bishop in the Catholic Church.[5] This letter reminded them of the strict penalties facing those who revealed confidential details concerning enquiries into allegations against priests of certain grave ecclesiastical crimes, including sexual abuse, which were reserved to the jurisdiction of the Congregation. The letter extended the prescription or statute of limitations for these crimes to ten years. However, when the crime is sexual abuse of a minor, the “prescription begins to run from the day on that which the minor completes the eighteenth year of age.”[6] Lawyers acting for two alleged victims of abuse in Texas claim that by sending the letter the cardinal conspired to obstruct justice.[7] The letter did not, in fact, discourage victims from reporting the abuse itself to the police; the secrecy related rather to the internal investigation of the alleged crime, forbidding all parties to divulge what took place during the Church trial. The Catholic News Service reported that “the letter said the new norms reflected the CDF’s traditional “exclusive competence” regarding delicta graviora””Latin for “graver offenses”. According to Canon Law experts in Rome, reserving cases of clerical sexual abuse of minors to the CDF is something new. In past eras, some serious crimes by priests against sexual morality, including pedophilia, were handled by that congregation or its predecessor, the Holy Office, but this has not been true in recent years.”[8] The promulgation of the norms by Pope John Paul II and the subsequent letter by the then Prefect of the CDF were published in 2001 in Acta Apostolicae Sedis[9] which is the Holy See’s official journal, in accordance with the Code of Canon Law,[10] and is disseminated monthly to thousands of libraries and offices around the world.[11]
In 2002, Ratzinger told the Catholic News Service that “less than one percent of priests are guilty of acts of this type.”[12] Opponents saw this as ignoring the crimes of those who committed the abuse; others saw it as merely pointing out that this should not taint other priests who live respectable lives.[13][8] Ratzinger’s Good Friday reflections in 2005 were interpreted as strongly condemning and regretting the abuse scandals, which largely put to rest the speculation of indifference. Shortly after his election, he told Francis Cardinal George, the Archbishop of Chicago, that he would attend to the matter.[8]
wikipedia
Maybe they are bumping heads on how to spin their latest problems in keeping the masses ignorant.
Ooops, forgot my 🙂
God is on everyone’s side these days, isn’t he? It’s the “World According to Limbaugh” which isn’t saying much. In every war, God is always “On Our Side”. Religion is so mishandled my the human mind that it’s true meaning is lost and twisted by the likes of Limbaugh and his ilk.
God isn’t a photo op, or a papal visit, or the musings of a conservative radio talk show host who frequently lacks the empathy, love, compassion, truth and sympathy that IS God. If you practiced what you preached, there wouldn’t be so much hate generated by your radio show Rush.
2 jackasses!
Why is Bush’s hand over his heart?
For the Lord’s Prayer? For the Battle Hymn? The hand goes on book or heart or raised or whatever during an oath or pledge… not during any and every song! False patriotism just pours from that drunken fool.
Otherwise, they look like plastic figures on a wedding cake.
Let’s see: a pedophile protector and a drunken, drug-addled war criminal. Good company!
Brad – You need to go live in some other country if you can’t appreciate this one, especially as expressed in the words of this song. Remember the origins of the song – Civil War times – and the theme – to make men free. Remember, too, that this nation was founded in Judeo-Christian values and those values are very evident in this song with MANY references to God. Check out the second verse and the part about reading his righteous word (The BIBLE, Brad) by the firelight. I think the Pope could ENTIRELY appreciate this song and the sentiments in it. Like the song says, Christ died to make men Holy. The best we mortals can do in His honor is die (or strive) to make men free. That part’s in the fifth verse, Brad. Why don’t you get acquainted with the song and the meaning before you assume the Pope would disapprove or find it distasteful?