Meet Mr. Hayek

Friedrich von Hayek, the most famous of the Austrian school of economics, which included not a few Catholics, is the subject of Amity Shlaes latest column for Bloomberg News. It's reprinted in the Cincinnati Enquirer's forum page this morning, which is dominated by reactions to the Democrat party's socialized medicine bill that passed the House last weekend.

World War II was the era of John Maynard Keynes, who taught that a few great minds can improve an economy. The 1990s were the era of Milton Friedman, when markets proved they had the capacity to slip past government and regulatory obstacles.

The next few years? They belong to Hayek, and for that we can thank the effort to pass the health-care bill.

Friedrich von Hayek literally was an Austrian, born in Vienna in 1899. But Hayek also was a member of the Austrian school of economics, that group of scholars who built models that tried to explain the business cycle.

Having served as an artillery officer during World War I, Hayek learned that when the worst could happen, it often did. In the early 1930s he decamped to the U.K., where he taught at the London School of Economics. During the blitz, Hayek was an air warden and walked the rooftops with Keynes, the man who would become his great opponent.

As the war came to end, Hayek penned an apocalyptic tract, “The Road to Serfdom.” His thesis was that war gets people used to national planning. So the planners continue to plan, even in peacetime. These incremental expansions of the social- welfare state aren’t benign. They foster the creation of ever- more-powerful interest groups. The economy becomes less productive. Political corruption in turn gives rise to dictators. Foreign-policy tension or economic crisis accelerates the trend.

“‘Emergencies,’” Hayek wrote, “have always been the pretext on which the safeguards of individual liberty have eroded.” ...

And speaking of expansions of the social-welfare state and ever-more-powerful interest groups, the collection for the Catholic Campaign for Human Development begins this weekend.

Meetless

Note to young or future parents:

You might consider encouraging your children to avoid sports that have "meets."

"Yes, it will probably be dark outside when it's time to go home."

Knowing next to nothing

This past week, I thought much of the outrage by conservatives over some of the press's supposed whitewashing of Ft. Hood murderer Nidal Malik Hason's jihadist motivations was overdone.

Then I read typist Leonard Pitts's latest assortment of words in this morning's Cincinnati Enquirer:

This outburst of vituperation from message boards and bloggers is, of course, traceable to Maj. Nidal Malik Hasan, the Army psychiatrist and American Muslim accused of shooting 13 people dead and wounding 29 others in a rampage last week at Fort Hood, Texas. At this writing, we know next to nothing of why he did it.

Maybe he was a stone cold psychopath like Eric Harris who, with Dylan Klebold, shot up Columbine High in 1999.

Maybe he was deranged and delusional like Seung-Hui Cho, who killed 32 people and himself at Virginia Tech in 2007.

Maybe he was driven by a grudge against the federal government like Timothy McVeigh, who blew up a federal building in 1995.

Maybe he was a terrorist.

Predictably, it is the last possibility that has ignited outrage and condemnation from the usual speak-first, think-later types, employing the usual sweeping half truths and untruths to argue that Muslims are un-American and contribute nothing to this country.

The only way I can explain this is that he's trying to get a show on MSNBC.

Allsides

From a reader:

I follow your blog and so you might be interested that this morning on public radio WOSU at 10:00 in Columbus, they had a show about women priests. The show is called Allsides. I tuned in thinking they were going to have all sides talked about but the only 2 people interviewed were Fr. Bourgeois and Sr. Louise [Akers] from Cincinnati. It was so one-sided! Anyway I thought I'd give you a heads-up.

You can listen to an archived version of the program here.

Your day isn't so bad

Really, it's not.

The entry for "sword" is probably interesting

A St. Xavier High School religion teacher has written a new book on Catholic symbols. You can see sample pages here and previous work here.

Cluniacal focus

At this week's General Audience in Rome, the Holy Father devoted his catechesis to the achievements and contributions of the monks of Cluny in the Middle Ages. Interestingly, he's departed somewhat from form in recent weeks by focusing on trends, or in this case an order, rather than individuals and saints. The paragraph below grabbed my attention. Any genuine effort toward renewal in the Church starts "above all" with authentic worship.

Represented at Cluny was the observance of the Rule of St. Benedict with some adaptations already introduced by other reformers. Above all the intention was to guarantee the central role that the liturgy must have in Christian life. The monks of Cluny dedicated themselves with love and great care to the celebration of the Liturgy of the Hours, the singing of psalms, to processions both devotional and solemn and, above all, to the celebration of Holy Mass. They promoted sacred music; they wanted architecture and art to contribute to the beauty and solemnity of the rites; they enriched the liturgical calendar with special celebrations such as, for example, the commemoration of the faithful deceased at the beginning of November, which we also celebrated a short time ago; the they enhanced devotion to the Virgin Mary.

The reminder and the verdict

In her latest can't miss column for Zenit, Rome-based art and architecture historian Elizabeth Lev reflects on the importance of the cross in Italian culture and the meaning for Europe of the EU's recent cruxophobic decision:

In Italy the crucifix is more than a religious symbol; it is a reminder of what continued to unify the peninsula after the fall of the Roman Empire. Ever since Constantine’s vision of a cross on the eve of the battle of the Milvian bridge the crucifix has been a beacon for Italy’s greatest achievements. The reminder of Christ’s sacrifice, far from being a cause of discrimination (we don’t have fundamentalists here except as regards mozzarella, olive oil and soccer) draws out the best of the Italians.

When Italians spontaneously help a person in need, they often say “quel povero Cristo” calling to mind “that poor Christ” they have seen on the cross all their lives who spurs them to selfless kindness.

One of the first things that made me appreciate Italy enough to dissolve my love affair with France and settle here was the powerful sense of identity and tradition among the Italians. As an art historian, it seemed that I could still glimpse the world of Michelangelo and Giotto in their modern descendants. This ECHR verdict, aimed at eliminating differences among the people of the European Union, indicts Italy for having maintained its link with its Christian identity.

This ruling should serve as an alarm bell to citizens of the European Union, urging them to monitor closely the ideologies that are about to be foisted on its member states. Most of the Europeans see the EU as a gravy train, leading its members into greater prosperity, but nothing comes for free. European citizens need to realize that for a few more designer clothes and fancy cars, they may end up having unwittingly sold their souls.

Billboard blues

The Cincinnati Enquirer reports that two billboards for associates of the culture of death have hit a few snags. First, Planned Parenthood:

DAYTON, Ohio — An Ohio Planned Parenthood chapter complains that a billboard company said it didn't believe in the organization's mission and rejected an ad for the group's annual book fair.

Karen Meade, director of development for Planned Parenthood in Dayton, says the sign would have promoted only this weekend's fundraiser, not sex education or abortion. She says local outdoor advertising company Key-Ads Inc. refused to sell her group space on a digital billboard along U.S. Route 35.

Longtime chapter volunteer Marilyn Bissett says the episode shows that when some people hear "Planned Parenthood," they think only of abortion.

Now, the atheists:

A billboard that reaches out to those who don’t believe in God is being moved after threats to the owner of the land on which the billboard stands, the sponsoring group said Thursday.

The United Coalition of Reason paid $3,875 to place a billboard on 12th Street, one block south of Liberty Street in Over-the-Rhine Tuesday.

The billboard, facing southbound Interstate 71, reads: “Don’t believe in God? You’re not alone.” It lists the Cincinnati chapter’s web site.

The organization said it was informed Wednesday that the unidentified landowner had been threatened over the billboard.

The key to the temple was massive

Fr. Kyle Schnippel, vocations director for the Archdiocese of Cincinnati, pens another superb catechetical essay for the Catholic Telegraph, this time on the subject of Petrine authority. I learned a few new things from his treatment of the keys. Here's a generous excerpt:

For many of our separated brothers and sisters, Peter’s authority died with him. But, as Catholics, we believe that this authority is not connected just with Peter the man, but also with the office that he inaugurated: the papacy.

We seem to take it for granted that Peter is the leader of the 12, but we look back through 2,000 years of history where this principal has long since been established. In examining the Scriptures, we never see his authority challenged; he is always clearly in charge, at least after the resurrection.

Some modern scholars, especially in Protestant circles, argue that this is because those areas where Peter was challenged were whitewashed out of the Scriptures. The argument follows that as the papacy became established, the popes had the Scriptures redacted to remove any objectionable aspects. If so, why did they keep the immediate follow-up to the commissioning of Peter where Jesus calls him Satan? If the popes had the ability to cleanse the Scriptures, certainly they would have gotten rid of Matthew 16:23!

The fruits of modern biblical scholarship do not support this thesis, either. Critical editions of the Scriptures outline all the various versions that have come down to us through the ages. The oldest fragments of writings of the New Testament date from the middle part of the second century, and these ancient sources corroborate very well with the Scriptures as we have received them today. Simply, there is no evidence to support the various claims.

Rather, we can take it on faith that Peter assumed the leadership of the nascent Christian community right from the start. We have no record otherwise. But the interesting question that drove the conversation at the conference was: “How did Peter assume this authority so quickly, and without challenge?”

To find this answer, we return to the passage in Matthew (16:13-20) where Jesus gives Peter the keys to the kingdom of heaven. When we think of keys, it is easy to think just of the small ring of keys that we keep in our pocket, keys to the house, the car and the office. But this was not so in the time of Jesus. The key to the temple was massive, a three-foot long beam with a few prongs on the end to reach through the door of the temple and unlock the gates. It was carried on the shoulder of the one who had possession and he served in the name of the king or high priest, and shared in the authority by virtue of the office he had.

Any given Sunday

Just to get a taste of what a member of the Diocese of Rochester receives by trying to assist at Mass, take a look at the following video from last Sunday posted by Assumption parish in Fairport. At around the ten minute mark the priest leads a bizarre procession through the sanctuary with the lectionary, which the worshipers greet with some equally bizarre gesticulation.* (In fact, they waive their hands and twirl their fingers at various points throughout the Mass.) Then at about 13:00 you can see the priest say a few words after the Gospel reading and yield the bulk of the time reserved for the homily to a laywoman in direct contravention of the Church's liturgical norms.



Tip, RochChaCha at Cleansing Fire.

* A commenter indicates this may be sign language. If that's the case, I certainly meant no offense to the deaf. The jamboree vibe emanating from the celebration may have led me think it was something else. At any rate, the lay preaching is what really prompted the post.

He brought him to Jesus

The latest issue of the Catholic Telegraph of Cincinnati reports on the success of the latest Andrew Dinner at Our Lady of Lourdes parish for young men interested in the priesthood. Thus far over 100 men have attended these three dinners throughout the diocese. It's a very worthwhile endeavor that yielded tremendous results for then-Bishop Schnurr when he was the shepherd for the Diocese of Duluth. Perhaps Fr. Schnippel can alert us to when the next one will be held.

ST. LAWRENCE DEANERY — The young men enjoying dinner at Our Lady of Lourdes Parish Oct. 28 talked of the usual things high school boys discuss: school, grades and the high school football playoffs.

But these young men also spoke of the seminary and their possible call to the priesthood at the third Andrew Dinner held this fall in the Cincinnati archdiocese. The dinners allow men, mostly juniors and seniors in high school, to learn more about the priesthood.

Eighteen students from the west side of Cincinnati attended the dinner. They were joined by several priests and Coadjutor Archbishop Dennis M. Schnurr.

The evening included a social time, dinner, a presentation and questions and answers. It ended with the praying of the Liturgy of the Hours in the church.

“I thought it was good,” said Father Kyle Schnippel, director of the archdiocesan Vocations Office. “The priests that were there were engaged and certainly brought a good group of young men. They seemed to be on track with what a vocation to the priesthood might entail for them.”

A new video played for the young men featured college seminarians from the Archdiocese of Cincinnati discussing their experiences and life in the seminary.

“One of the things that we wanted to do to help make it real for young people is to have our seminarians in the video,” Father Schnippel said. “These are the guys who are walking the walk.”

Father Shawn Landenwitch, who was ordained last May, told the group he felt restless in his life and went to the seminary to discern a call to the priesthood. He said the possibility of a calling is worth investigating.

“This is what the Lord has called me to do,” Father Landenwitch said. “I thank God that He called me.”

Seminarian Matthew Robben shared his vocation story, describing how he was angry at God and stopped going to church after his fiancée was killed. He talked of how he was eventually reintroduced to the sacraments and began to see signs of a calling. He told the men to speak to a priest if they sense a possible call.

“Remain faithful to prayer,” Robben said. “There’s never a time when prayer cannot be introduced into your life.” ...

"We, members of the Social Action Committee ..."

As if you needed more reasons to be skeptical of the priorities of the Social Action office for the Archdiocese of Cincinnati, members of one of its parish-based affiliates are urging Archbishop Pilarczyk to refuse the Holy See's request to fund the study of religious orders:

Regarding “Vatican asks U.S. bishops to help pay for study of religious orders,” (Oct. 2), one must first ask why the Vatican has ordered such a study. Surely the two centuries of good works and services that women religious have provided to uncounted souls since the founding of our country, that they currently provide and will provide in oncoming years, force us to ask the Vatican, “Why them, why now and why are the bishops being asked to fund the cost?”

We, members of the Social Action Committee of Holy Trinity Parish, Dayton, urge Archbishop Pilarczyk to say “no” to the Vatican’s request. We, the faithful laity, are the ones who underwrite the expenses of the archdiocese. As archdiocesan parishioners we feel that in the present economic climate this tax is simply unjust.

While the archdiocese is forced to merge or even close parishes, is forced to campaign for funds for our struggling schools, and cannot adequately meet the increasing needs of our social welfare agencies because we, the people in the pews, are unable to contribute as much as we would like to local needs, our answer to the Vatican’s request must be an unequivocal “No.”

Chalk it up to free speech

A Washington-based group of "nontheists" evidently believes that the residents of Cincinnati's Over the Rhine neighborhood are being "inundated with religious messages at every turn." Accordingly, they've erected a "Godless" billboard to relieve the suffering:

The national group has run 10 prior billboard campaigns across the country. In Chicago and New Jersey billboards asked "Are you good without God? Millions are." Transit buses in Des Moines, Iowa carried the same message as the Cincinnati sign.

"Nontheists sometimes don't realize there's a community out there for them because they're inundated with religious messages at every turn," said Fred Edwords, national director of the organization in the release. "So we hope this will serve as a beacon and let them know they aren't alone."

So what exactly are "nontheists?"

The United Coalition of Reason uses the term to describe the "millions of humanists, atheists and agnostics living in the United States," according to the release. The Cincinnati branch cites a recent poll by the American Religious Identification Study indicating about 15 percent of Americans don't believe in a god and/or identify themselves as non-religious. It does not give statistics specific to Greater Cincinnati and Northern Kentucky.

Edwords told the Enquirer that many nontheists "think they're alone because it's not always prudent to be out," he said.

"People tend to think they're a little isolated. Traditionally religious folk have places to go and go to them, so why not nonreligious people? We just want folks to know we do exist."

And he wants those who do espouse religious beliefs to understand and accept that not everyone shares their views.

So what kind of a "community" do nontheists have? The Cincinnati Atheists Meetup Group holds gatherings for "lively conversation." The Free Inquiry Group of Cincinnati and Northern Kentucky hosts speaker presentations and potlucks. Camp Quest Ohio, hosts a summer camp for children of "Athiests, Freethinkers, Humanists, or whatever other terms might be applied to those who hold to a naturalistic, not supernatural world view," according to the Cincinnati coalition's web site.

Edwords said prior billboard campaigns have been met with only minor criticism. "Generally the response is positive," he said. Either people are glad to see the group reaching out or simply chalk it up to free speech.

The billboards cost $5,000 each, paid for by the national group through private donations. They will be up for 30 days.

"I’m outraged and you should be also."

At least a few members of the pelvic left are "outraged" over the Archdiocese of Cincinnati's support for Maine's Issue 1, a ballot initiative that successfully protected marriage during last week's election.

Here's a hissy-fit from Cincinnati's CityBeat:

Protests were held Sunday in Portland and Bangor, Maine over the involvement of the Catholic Church in the passage of ballot Question 1. Portland residents, for example, took their grievances to the street in front of the Cathedral of the Immaculate Conception. And its high time we all do something.

No matter where we live or whether we are gay, straight or whatever, the church needs to be exposed and held accountable for supporting intolerance and shouldn’t be using parishioners’ offerings to fund them.

Catholic contributions to the anti-gay campaign totaled over HALF A MILLION DOLLARS. Yes, more than $500,000.

If you look at the list closely you’ll see that The Archdiocese of Cleveland, Youngstown and — get ready — the Archdiocese of Cincinnati also donated money to stop equal marriage in Maine that, in turn, was sent to the National Organization for Marriage that used a campaign of fear, lies, and distortions to get gay marriage repealed in Maine.

This was money that we donated to the Catholic Church that could’ve been used to fill food pantries for the hungry, buy blankets for the homeless, and medicine for the poor and sick in this horrible economy we live in. But what did their Archdioceses’ consider a good use of money? To finance hate.

On the Archdiocese of Cincinnati’s Web site, they ask for “donations” like thus:

Every day, thousands of people in our region are in need of miracles, large and small. And thanks to the Catholic ministries of the Archdiocese of Cincinnati — ministries made possible by you — these miracles happen. There are so many reasons to be grateful.

And then the Cincinnati Archdiocese sends money to Maine to promote hate and intolerance and strip away civil rights from gays and lesbians. Is this where you want the money that we give the church to go?

I’m outraged and you should be also.

This has got to stop. You can call the local archdiocese ...

The story was picked up by another site affiliated with such causes.

These folks seem to have confused the Catholic Church with a social welfare agency. Granted, we've given them plenty of reason to think that in the past. But the Holy Father has been crystal clear about our priorities in the public square and, thankfully, a growing number our shepherds has demonstrated a willingness to defend them. Meanwhile, what's left of the local Anglican communion continues to go with the flow.

Also, some students at UC organized an unintentionally funny "flash mob" to protest Issue 1 on Tuesday:

The worldview of younger Catholics

Boston College's Alan Wolfe, channeling the 1978-84 edition of the Church in America, fears the Stupak Amendment will alienate younger Catholics:

The Stupak Amendment will not prohibit all insurance plans from paying for abortions, but will restrict those held by the less well off. In that sense, Stupak’s amendment violates the commitments to social justice and equality that have become so much part of the worldview of younger Catholics such as those I teach at Boston College. Stupak, a Catholic from Michigan, along with his allies among the U. S. Conference of Catholic Bishops, have taken a step likely to be perceived as blatantly unfair by those who constitute the future of their church. If this is Catholicism muscling its political power, it sure is a strange way to do so.

Tip, Ramesh.

It is what it is

The Cincinnati Enquirer runs another letter by a partisan Covington priest (you'll recall his previous entry, an odd rant about Fox News, here):

• VA health benefits came in 1941 under President Roosevelt. Opposers fought against health benefits tooth and nail, calling it socialism.
• Social Security came with legislation also under President Roosevelt. Opposers fought against it tooth and nail, calling it socialism.
• Medicare came in 1965 under President Johnson. Opposers fought against it tooth and nail, calling it socialism.
• Universal health care will likely pass by or soon after 2010. Opposers are fighting against it tooth and nail, calling it socialism.

As Yogi Berra would say: “It’s like deja vu all over again.”

Father Patrick Bascio

Covington

Ideas for a new strategy

A member of the Diocese of Rochester takes note of the recent spate of articles in the Catholic Courier about the diocese's mounting problems and suggests a blueprint for renewal. Although I quibble with some of the details -- Rochester does not need (more) lay "coordinators of ministries" but rather evangelists committed to the apostolate, "communion services" are for emergency situations only -- she offers much food for thought and seems to have many of the priorities straight. What do you think?

The October issue of Catholic Courier has catalogued what has increasingly dismayed many of us in the diocese: the closing or clustering of churches; priests spread thin; dwindling attendance at Masses; Catholic schools folding.

If a secular business saw such a decline in meeting its goals (profitability), it would need to radically alter its strategies. Yet, the church-as-institution seems to continue conducting business as usual. Here are a few ideas for a new strategy:

Priests: Let priests do what only ordained priests can do. Let’s not waste their unique calling by having them tend to the business of running facilities and personnel. Hire competent lay persons to do that. Let our priests be truly pastors and spiritual leaders.

Laity: Engage and encourage the laity to follow our priestly vocation, bestowed as a privilege for all baptized Christians. Let us be partners in Christ with our priests.

Vocations: Let us train our priests and lay leaders how to recognize the seed of vocation in our young people. A practiced eye can spot such youngsters immediately and offer them tactful support and information.

Build Community: Establish coordinators of ministries. The parish coordinator would recruit and organize parishioners to serve in various ministries, publicizing their work so that the community knows "how these Christians love one another."

Pro-Active Support for Life: While the church forbids abortion, let us take steps to assist pregnant mothers in distress.

Liturgy for the Many: Offer weekday Masses or Communion Services at places and times convenient to today’s workers. Noon and/or 5 o’clock Masses downtown; services at the Mall.

Our 12-year-old Savior ambitiously sought to be about his Father’s business. Surely, with two thousand years and the Holy Spirit behind us, we can save our Father’s business from bankruptcy.

A constant and characteristic casualty

During an appearance today at Good Sam's, a Catholic hospital in Cincinnati, Steve Driehaus, a Catholic congressman from the city's West side, explained why he voted for a health care bill that makes a mockery of subsidiarity, a Catholic principle that is "among the most constant and characteristic directives of the Church's social doctrine":

CLIFTON - It didn’t take 48 hours after Steve Driehaus, D-West Price Hill, voted for a health-care reform bill in the House of Representatives on Saturday night for political opponents to use the vote against him in what’s expected to be a tough November 2010 re-election bid.

Driehaus said he stood firm against covering abortions under the plan and that he’ll run on the vote that helped seal a 220-215 victory for the Democratic plan.

“I will certainly be talking about health care on the campaign trail,” he said Monday after supporters praised his vote in an appearance at Good Samaritan Hospital.

Driehaus’ stark political choice was clear throughout the summer, including a raucous town-hall forum in August where he was nearly shouted down by reform opponents.

Republican Steve Chabot, beaten 52 percent to 48 percent by Driehaus a year ago, already has announced his 2010 run. The National Republican Campaign Committee Monday targeted Driehaus and fellow Ohio freshman representatives Mary Jo Kilroy and Zack Space.

"Together they gave (House Speaker Nancy) Pelosi a win, but on election day they will pay a price,” the NRCC said.

Driehaus was the only member of the Greater Cincinnati and Northern Kentucky House delegation to vote for the bill.

“I had drawn a line in the sand early on about not spending federal dollars on abortions,” he added. “Look, this is a competitive district. It will remain a competitive district. I think the voters will face a choice. Do they want to go back to where we were or do they want to move forward?”

The bill would require every American to buy insurance, employers to offer benefits and insurers to accept those who apply. It would offer subsidies to help people afford policies. It could cost nearly $1 trillion dollars over the next decade. ...

Christus Vincit

To mark the twentieth anniversary of the fall of the Berlin Wall, new Catholic convert Newt Gingrich coauthors an essay on the indispensable role played by Pope John Paul II in the victory of freedom. (Can you believe it's been twenty years? I remember being a college senior at the University of Dayton and watching the events of those days on CNN. At one point a friend and I contemplated plunking down $700 for a flight to Berlin. That neither of us had passports was a minor detail.)

While June 1987 would ultimately prove to be the final stage of the Cold War, Reagan and the Pope had been stressing the primacy of the spiritual struggle against Communism since each took office. In his 1981 Notre Dame commencement address, four months into his presidency, Reagan issued this rallying cry: "For the West, for America, the time has come to dare to show to the world that our civilized ideas, our traditions, our values, are not--like the ideology and war machine of totalitarian societies--just a facade of strength. It is time for the world to know our intellectual and spiritual values are rooted in the source of all strength, a belief in a Supreme Being, and a law higher than our own."

In his "Evil Empire" speech in 1983, Reagan said, "I've always maintained that the struggle now going on for the world will never be decided by bombs or rockets, by armies or military might. The real crisis we face today is a spiritual one; at root, it is a test of moral will and faith. . . . I believe we shall rise to the challenge. . . . I believe this because the source of our strength in the quest for human freedom is not material, but spiritual. And because it knows no limitation, it must terrify and ultimately triumph over those who would enslave their fellow man."

From his election in October 1978, Pope John Paul II constantly preached that it was only through Jesus Christ that man could fully understand his great dignity and his future vocation and therefore no country had the right to exclude Christ from its history. When the Pope preached this message in June 1979 in Warsaw's Victory Square, on an altar with the backdrop of a 50-foot cross, one million of his fellow Poles responded in affirmation with 14 minutes of applause, interrupted by singing in one voice: Christus Vincit, Christus Regnat, Christus Imperat (Christ Conquers, Christ Reigns, Christ Governs). In an officially atheistic country, the Polish people dramatically bore witness that God was sovereign, not the state.

At the end of the same homily, Pope John Paul II prayerfully called on God to "send down your Spirit and renew the face of the earth"--adding after a dramatic pause--"and the face of this land."