Though few Americans know much about him other than his name, Otto von Bismarck was perhaps the most brilliant diplomat of the 19th Century, involved in the most cutthroat of realpolitik schemes that amounted to “war by other means”.
He was in his own way, as effective and ruthless as Abraham Lincoln, a contemporary of his. I mention this because one of the very few times Bismarck “came a cropper” was when he decided to overpower the Catholic church.
Obama ain’t no Bismarck.
This effort by his apostate Catholic, Sibelius, will likely be remembered as the worst political gaffe since Jimmy Carter’s “malaise” speech. But its effects to the Democrat party may be far worse, and long term in its consequences.
Otto von Bismarck was a vehement anti-Catholic. He promoted the “May laws” which persecuted the Catholic clergy, especially in the Rheinland. This was in the 1870’s. Eventually they had to repeal these hideous, discriminatory laws. Most people do not have knowledge of this sort of religious intolernace in Germany in the last 19th century. It was a prototype for events to come in the 20th century.
Dictators who want control of their people always begin with the religious leaders of the people and try to undermine the influence of such institutions. They go after the biggesgt fish in the hope that if they can destroy their influence,they will have clear sailing to over run all other oposition.
(Sound familiar?)
One way we're at an even worse disasdantage here: some of our clergy and people are on he other side. Most of our Universities are long gone over to the secular mindset (I mean LONG gone: since the Land 'o' Lakes Conference in 1967) and I have big worries about the Catholic Hospitals. Still, we're at the turning of the times. Our B16-era leaders are finding their backbones. It's a great time to be Catholic.