Rerum Novarum (NP, prehaps)

[Mark Kohut]

I have had thoughts that Pynchon does know Catholic Encyclical teachings and believes them.....




--- On Wed, 11/5/08, Michael Bailey <michael.lee.bailey at gmail.com> wrote:

> From: Michael Bailey <michael.lee.bailey at gmail.com>
> Subject: Rerum Novarum (NP, prehaps)
> To: "P-list" <pynchon-l at waste.org>
> Date: Wednesday, November 5, 2008, 5:41 AM
> apparently this was a big encyclical and still referred to a
> lot
> 
> I finally stumbled on this, though back in 2006 or so, I
> think, Paul
> Mackin set me straight on it. I had made reference to some
> kind of
> social justice bull promulgated by a "Pope Pius
> XXIII" and Paul cited
> the correct Pope and document...
> 
> but I didn't follow up till last night, when I was
> trying to make nice
> with a colleague who'd raked me over the coals for not
> being staunchly
> anti-abortion enough (I said rape incest health of the
> mother, he said
> Nazi KKK eugenicist)  He was saying he'd never smoked
> pot, but he'd
> like to chew coca leaves sometime, he thought that sounded
> like fun.
> 
> I told him about a coca wine that a Pope had awarded a gold
> medal to,
> so of course I had to send him a link, which led me to Pope
> Leo XIII
> and Rerum Novarum.
> 
> Not only was Leo a fairly butt-kickin' Pope in many
> ways (though no
> human, qua human, is perfect, that's stipulated) and a
> drinker of coca
> wine, but he wrote this Rerum Novarum, which was followed
> up by (in
> the words of Wikipedia)
> 
> "...later encyclicals, in particular Pius XI's
> Quadragesimo Anno
> (1931), John XXIII's Mater et Magistra (1961), and John
> Paul II's
> Centesimus Annus (1991)."
> 
> so, like, "40 years on", "Mother and
> Teacher" and "100 years on"...
> Even Benedict the um 16th, hasn't repudiated it.  In
> fact wrote a
> non-ex cathedra book supporting it.
> 
> Interesting stuff.  Pynchon probably very conversant, as he
> was
> brought up Catholic, right?
>  (although, had he chosen to start off the events in AtD in
> 1891 in
> Rome, that would have been more of a sign)
> 
> Although, where did the Catholic branch of the Pynchon
> family begin?
> Old William certainly was no Papist...
> 
> Overtly Catholic references in Pynchon?
> Hmm, "like the ballroom in St Patrick's Cathedral,
> there is none in
> these pants"
> Trying to think of another one.
> 
> Interesting bunch of encyclicals - among other things, the
> idea of
> birth control is referred to as  "not necessary at
> this time" though
> going on to say, in essence, "nowhere and not at all
> necessary at this
> time" but still, "at this time..."
> 
> Some say that um John Paul I was perceived as perhaps about
> to
> reassess the times on that, but his papacy only lasted like
> 23 days or
> something.  Some say that is one of the reasons why he
> didn't live
> long although perhaps other issues like resentment of
> personnel
> changes and investigations of the Vatican Bank entered into
> some
> people's willingness to believe he was poisoned.
> 
> anyway, some good reading.  I also like that priest that
> writes novels.
> 
> changing the subject, just read Stephen King's _Hearts
> in Atlantis_
> and saw the movie.  Rarely has a book been so butchered. 
> Yet, not a
> terrible movie.  But the book was much better. Oh my.  So
> much better!
> 
> Hail to the (new) Chief!
> I still can scarcely believe it.  Diebold must have been
> instructed by
> the Bilderbergers to let this one slide, biding their time.
> (Palin-Gingrich in 2012, anyone?)
> 
> Peace out
> 
> -- 
> "Money ain't the most important thing.  Friendship
> is the most
> important thing." - Mr Rad (in "You Got
> Served")