Dulce et Decorum Est

John McCrae's wonderful poem , In Flanders Fields, is generally the poem of choice for Remembrance Day. However, it presents just one side of a valuable coin. "Dulce et Decorum Est" by Wilfrid Owen (1917) who was killed in action at the age of 25 presents the other side of that coin. 

Wilfred Owen, killed in France November 4, 1918.

(Five-Nines refers to 5.9 inch shells from German artillery fire.
"Dulce et decorum est pro patria mori" is Latin for, "Sweet and fitting it is to die for one's fatherland.)

Dulce et Decorum Est

Bent double, like of old beggars under sacks,
Knock-kneed, coughing like hags, we cursed through sludge,
Till on the haunting flares we turned our backs
And towards our distant rest began to trudge.
Men marched asleep. Many had lost their boots
But limped on, blood-shod. All went lame; all blind:
Drunk with fatigue; deaf even to the hoots
Of tired, outstripped Five-Nines that dropped behind.

Gas! Gas! Quick, boys!- An ecstasy of fumbling,
Fitting the clumsy helmets just in time;
But someone still was yelling out and stumbling,
And flound’ring like a man in fire or lime…
Dim, through the misty panes and thick green light,
As under a green sea, I saw him drowning.

In all my dreams, before my helpless sight,
He plunges at me, guttering, choking, drowning.

If in sonic smothering dreams you too could pace
Behind the wagon that we flung him in,
And watch the white eyes writhing in his face,
His hanging face, like a devil’s sick of sin;
If you could hear, at every jolt, the blood
Come gargling from the froth-corrupted lungs,
Obscene as cancer, bitter as the cud
Of vile, incurable sores on innocent tongues,-
My friend, you would not talk with such high zest
To children ardent for some desperate glory,
The old Lie: Dulce et decorum est
Pro patria mori.

Anticipated Papal Apology - Canada 2022

 

Image credit: https://i.cbc.ca

Different people have emphasised different elements and narratives if the coming, long awaited apology from Pope Francis this month of July, 2022, is to have any hope of acceptance from Indigenous Peoples in Canada, and especially from survivors and others impacted by forced residential schooling which the Catholic Church so enthusiastically and vigorously implemented on behalf of the Canadian Government in the nineteenth and twentieth centuries; even before we get to recalling the sexual and other abuses that went on for so long and were covered up by complicit hierarchy for decade after decade.

The 'apology' will surely be comprised of the entire pontifical visit, from landing to takeoff, and not just the 'words of institution', as it were.

I am of the opinion that the Catholic residential schools debacle is just one, albeit a very major one, of many 'sins' for which the Catholic Church needs to publicly repent. Consider all the unjust wars, slavery, persecutions, murders, rapes, pillage, theft and imperialistic colonizing that took place subsequent to, and enabled and condoned by what is now called The Doctrine of Discovery. If you don't know what this is, or to refresh your memory, please see this one or two minute read: https://doctrineofdiscovery.org/dum-diversas/

For those who think that sincere and humble words should be enough, consider the following story from Father Mxolisi Mpambani told by Antjie Krog in Chapter 10 of her book, Country of my Skull, which deals with the South African Truth and Reconciliation Commission post apartheid.

Once there were two boys, Tom and Bernard. Tom lived right opposite Bernard. One day Tom stole Bernard's bicycle and every day Bernard saw Tom cycling to school on it. After a year, Tom went up to Bernard, stretched out his hand and said, "Let us reconcile and put the past behind us."

Bernard looked at Tom's hand. "And what about the bicycle?"

"No," said Tom, "I'm not talking about the bicycle - I'm talking about reconciliation."

True reconciliation requires remorse, repentance, restitution, reparation, reform, unbounded respect, and acceptance of the fact that forgiveness might still not be forthcoming in our lifetime.