Bishop R. Daniel Conlon of Steubenville, Ohio, was present at the execution. He had been a spiritual adviser for the criminal, who had been sentenced to death in 1983 for shooting one man to death and wounding two on a hitchhiking robbery spree. Michael Beuke converted to the Faith sometime before execution. There’s a story here that hasn’t been publicized yet. Beuke apologized to the victim’s families who were present for the execution by lethal injection. Then he prayed for the families and for God’s mercy with the Hail Mary on his lips. There was Mercy and Grace in this death chamber on the feast of Our Lady of Fatima. See Catholic Culture news clip here.
Meanwhile, In Germany, on Our Lady of Fatima’s feast day, there was what can only be called a sacrilegious ecumenical ceremony in the Archdiocesan cathedral in Munich. Faux Lutheran “bishop” Margot Käßmann was the guest speaker and she made use of the Catholic pulpit not to expound sola fides heresy (actually, at these inspiring pandenominational affairs one is only supposed to preach about what everyone attending has “in common”) but to sing the praises of the “pill.” Ms Bishop was ecstatic in her enthusiasm for the anti-fertility drug, referring to it as “God’s gift, for it is about the preservation of life, of freedom.” And the attractive pulpiteer had a lot more to say; if you’re interested go here. I was surprised that Käßmann was even on circuit these days after the mother of four was recently arrested for drunk driving. News reports I had read at the time said that she had resigned her high office in Deutschland.
I juxtapose the two events for an obvious reason. In one place, there was an execution, which for the repentant murderer, Michael Beuke, was a passage from death to life. Angels rejoiced and Mary was honored in this most unlikely setting. In her own house, where her glory should dwell, the Cathedral of Our Dear Lady in Munich ( as the church is titled), Mary is snubbed and women who defy her Son’s Church, and close themselves off to life by means of contraception, are lauded as “preservers of life.” How dismal! How pathetic! Well did Isaias prophesy of your wickedness: “Woe to you that call evil good, and good evil: that put darkness for light, and light for darkness: that put bitter for sweet, and sweet for bitter” (5:20). This story is also found on Catholic Culture website here.
