{"id":2014,"date":"2008-11-10T14:29:08","date_gmt":"2008-11-10T06:29:08","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.quezon.ph\/?p=2014"},"modified":"2016-02-23T01:10:03","modified_gmt":"2016-02-22T17:10:03","slug":"2014","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.quezon.ph\/2008\/11\/10\/2014\/","title":{"rendered":"God wills it! Dieu le veut!"},"content":{"rendered":"
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With those words, Urban II proclaimed the Crusades. Kings at the time “took up the Cross,” to fight in the Holy Land; and then, as now, kings and presidents, princes and governors, have been eager to wrap themselves in the mantle of the Holy Cross. As Machiavelli advised, the appearance of piety is more important than actually being pious.<\/p>\n

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My column for today is The Black Mass<\/a>. What a “Black Mass” is, is described here<\/a>. As for the various -conflicting- reports concerning the President’s midnight devotions, you can start with Bishop, NGO rally around Arroyo: Cite ‘destabilization plot’<\/a> and go on to the way officials couldn’t get their stories straight: Pre-midnight Mass at Malaca\u00f1ang baffles officials<\/a> (1:06 a.m.); then .Finally, the party line got sorted out, so that reportage in turn, changed: ‘Coup rumor’ sets out Mass for peace at Malaca\u00f1ang<\/a> (7:06 a.m.) and the Philippine News Agency churned out the final, final party line later that afternoon: Lucena bishop says CBCP prexy not calling for people power<\/a> . This could then be amplified later on: Arroyo, supporters, hold Mass vs. ‘destab.’ <\/a><\/p>\n