The Talkers and the Doers
Rocco at Whispers in the Loggia has some great stuff about the pilgrimage to Rome for Fr. Damien’s canonization tomorrow.
Damien de Veuster was the Belgian priest who gave his life to the people of the leper colony of Molokai in Hawaii, dying of the disease there himself in 1889. Rocco notes the important lesson from his life and that of all other Christian heroes: “The saints aren’t the talkers, but the doers.”
In an ironic counterpoint, another famous Hawaiian, President Barack Obama has just won the Nobel Peace Prize, for talking about peace — while engaging in two foreign wars (which he promised nine months ago to end), maintaining Bush’s torture policies abroad, and oh yes, waging unprecedented war on helpless unborn children (Remember when his fellow Nobel laureate, Blessed Mother Teresa of Calcutta, called abortion “the greatest destroyer of peace today”?)
They dress the wound of my people as if it were nothing: “Peace, peace!” they say, though there is no peace. (Jeremiah 6:13-15)
Yes, talk is cheap, Mr. President, when there are wounds to bind.
Here is something about one of those genuine pro-human rights heroes who should have won the Peace Prize.
Update: Oct 22
I didn’t know this when I wrote the original story. But it is good to know. Thanks to Sheila’s Inforum.
President Obama issued a statement expressing his “deep admiration for the life of Blessed Damien de Veuster…I also want to convey my best wishes to the Kingdom of Belgium and its people, who are proud to count Fr. Damien among their great citizens. Fr. Damien has also earned a special place in the hearts of Hawaiians. I recall many stories from my youth about his tireless work there to care for those suffering from leprosy who had been cast out.”
Continued the president, “Following in the steps of Jesus’ ministry to the lepers, Fr. Damien challenged the stigmatizing effects of disease, giving voice to the voiceless and ultimately sacrificing his own life to bring dignity to so many. In our own time as millions around the world suffer from disease, especially the pandemic of HIV/AIDS, we should draw on the example of Fr. Damien’s resolve in answering the urgent call to heal and care for the sick. I offer my prayers as people of all faiths join the Holy Father and millions of Catholics around the world in celebrating Fr. Damien’s extraordinary life and witness.”
The president still has a long way to go before he can beat Damien as a doer . . .
