THE WHIP OPTION
NEWS: COMMENTARY
False pacifism costing Christianity
The gospel tells us that Our Lord, Jesus Christ, entered the Temple courts in Jerusalem and was filled with holy anger as He found men selling cattle, sheep and doves, and money changers seated at their tables. So He made a whip out of cords and drove everyone out of the Temple courts. He poured out the coins of the money changers and overturned their tables, saying, "Get these out of here! It is written, 'My house shall be called the house of prayer, but you have made it a den of thieves'" (Matthew 21:13).
Red paint splashed on the cathedral
(Photo: Graciela Arandia de Hidalgo /
Archdiocese of Santa Cruz de la Sierra)
A similar event took place in late October in the Bolivian city of Santa Cruz de la Sierra, after radical feminists defaced the entrance of the cathedral and sprayed paint on the outside walls — even breaking into the cathedral as Mass was being celebrated.
A group of indigenous women from the Guarayo people, native to the area, pushed back on them using their traditional whips, chicotes.
The radical feminists' outrage stemmed from a recent news story involving an 11-year-old girl who became pregnant as a result of rape. The girl initially considered having an abortion. However, upon being advised by members of the pro-life movement and priests of that archdiocese, she decided to go ahead with the pregnancy. She was then taken to a Catholic Church shelter, where she received full support and help during her pregnancy.
Furious with the intervention of pro-lifers and the Catholic Church to save the girl's baby, a group of local pro-abortion activists invaded the cathedral of Santa Cruz de la Sierra during Mass, fulminating against the Church's teaching on abortion.
During the homily, Abp. Gualberti asked that human life be respected, indicating that it is the image of God and that no one has the right to eliminate human life in the name of solving a problem. This was commendable — and we should expect to hear the same from all members of the Church hierarchy.
Here in the United States, there are some in the hierarchy who believe that abortion is not a top priority for the Church and that illegal immigration and so-called climate change are more important.
Archbishop Gualberti's statement infuriated the pro-abortion activists of the city, who enjoy the support of the socialist government, especially on the issue of abortion.
As soon as he said that "no one, not even the State," has the right to take the life of an unborn baby, the irate pro-abortion protesters burst into the cathedral.
GabTweetIt is interesting to notice that in their eagerness to make socialism triumph, the feminists of Santa Cruz de la Sierra, as well as their counterparts around the world, do not mind destroying the patrimony of the Church. They take no issue with wrecking cultural heritage, historical monuments or public and private property. Here in the United States, BLM and Antifa destroy monuments and vandalize churches.
But in Bolivia, things are a bit different. There are many indigenous peoples, quite distinct from one another. One of these indigenous groups is the Guarayos. According to the missionary Friar José Cors, who wrote at the end of the 19th century, "They were robust, affable, with a great capacity for the arts, especially music, which especially attracts young people." Nowadays, they primarily make a living through agriculture.
The Guarayos were evangelized by Franciscan missionaries in the late 19th and early 20th centuries. They have proudly preserved their Catholic affiliation to this day.
In some parts of the world, it's very common for pro-abortion feminist marches to end up around a city's Catholic cathedral, where they demonstrate and vandalize the building.
Wielding handcrafted whips used in rural Bolivia to threaten rebellious children, the Guarayo women advanced on the abortion activists and used the whips on them, scattering them in the streets and driving them away from the cathedral, following the example of Christ in the Temple.
One of the indigenous women told a reporter, "With [the whip's] help, we will deal the same way with all those who come here to enslave us, want to do evil things and are vandals, since it is our tradition to use this measure."
Police removed the pro-abortion feminists from the vicinity of the cathedral. But there was no criminal action against them, despite their violent break-in and vandalism.
Hispanic-American women are known for strongly defending their children and families. A particularly striking image that comes to mind is that of indigenous women working in the house or in the field with their little ones tied on their backs. The babies are not an impediment for them, but instead are their greatest strength. Conversely, feminists cling to abortion, so that children and motherhood do not "interfere with" their aspirations of straw.
"What would Jesus do?" is an expression often invoked in the face of difficult situations. As the Guarayo women teach us, we must remember that chasing people with a whip, overturning tables and scattering their money is not completely outside the realm of possibilities.
Posts
