AWARDS
Lamplighter
Award given to those fostering the light
of truth in a dark world:
To Alice von Hildebrand philosopher and theologian whose writings have done so much to elevate the dignity of women. Her recent article comparing the work of her late husband, Dietrich von Hildebrand and Christopher West on the dignity of human sexuality is an important corrective to what she calls West’s “hyper-sexualized approach” to Pope John Paul II’s Theology of the Body. She calls for what the French call pudeur, a “holy bashfulness” that veils the intimate, respecting its mystery. “The Church, as a loving Mother,” she says, “has the mission of reminding Her children, wounded by Original Sin, that the intimate sphere has to be approached with reverence. Dietrich von Hildebrand’s In Defense of Purity makes the point that God, and not a boundless search for ‘pleasure,’ should always be king of the bedroom. We ask the Blessed Mother to magnify Mrs. von Hildebrand’s powerful witness to true love.
Millstone
Award
given to those who through ignorance or malice scandalize God's
people:
To Bishop Michael Bransfield for publicly honoring pro-abortion politician Robert Byrd and implying his beatification. Those who engage in grievous cooperation with evil desperately need our prayers and sacrifices. They don’t need false promises of cheap grace. Bishop Bransfield committed serious scandal in his words of praise and may mislead others into believing repentance is unnecessary to attain “perfect joy.” May St. Ignatius who was so conscious of the need to repent and atone for sin intercede for Bishop Bransfield.