Luxembourg just pushed a euthanasia bill over the protestations of their Catholic monarch, who paid the price for his opposition. According to Fox News, the very liberal parliament voted to pass a euthanasia bill.
But the bill couldn’t become a law until one little formality was taken care of. The Monarch had to sign it. Typically, this is a formality. But the euthanasia bill posed a moral problem for the Grand Duke Henri. You see, he’s a Catholic. Not like a Joe Biden one. A real one. So he simply refused to sign the bill even though he knew his refusal would cause a constitutional crisis. His steadfast refusal to sign the bill eventually forced lawmakers to trim his power. They voted 56-0 to take his power away.
It’s interesting and refreshing to hear of anyone standing by their faith in the public sphere – even if they lost. Good for the monarch. Bad for Luxembourg. I wish America had more men and women willing to live their faith publicly.
I think in the state of Western civilization right now, people who attempt to live their faith publicly will be opposed, persecuted, mocked, accused of pretty much any accusation their enemies can dream of. We can call it the Luxembourg plan or the Sarah Palin strategy.
December 13, 2008 at 2:26 pm
Kudos to the King!!!
December 13, 2008 at 3:05 pm
Hail to the King baby!
December 13, 2008 at 3:28 pm
God bless Grand Duke Hank! And shame, shame, shame on the 56 legislators who voted for murder a la The Third Reich — get rid of the “useless feeders.”
A recent blog — perhaps yours — made a point of saying that any government exists to promote objective justice, and not as an end unto itself. Democracy is not a moral absolute; it is but one way of securing justice, and in wholly dependent on a faithful and educated electorate. In LuxemMurder, democracy has failed horribly.
— Mack
December 13, 2008 at 5:17 pm
Way to go Grand Duke, and shame upon those who would remove power simply because they do not agree with him. It should have given them pause, and instead it gave them powelust.
December 13, 2008 at 5:54 pm
Wow, good for him!! Let’s pray for his continued boldness, his safety, and his family.
December 13, 2008 at 5:55 pm
God bless the man.
December 13, 2008 at 6:47 pm
If you feel so inclined you can email Grand Duke Henri here: service.presse@gdl.etat.lu
And you can reach the “Christian” Prime Minister – the one who called for a change in Luxembourg’s Constitution – here:
info@sip.etat.lu
It is clear that downhill is always faster, but it is absolutely frightening how darned fast it goes.
GOD help us all.
Mum26
December 13, 2008 at 7:28 pm
Not only has this man proven himself a truly moral leader (and, may God bless him in his struggle for the good!), but he has proven himself most intelligent.
What could be smarter than to give-up what one cannot keep and what cannot make one happy (earthly power) in exchange an eternity of happiness one cannot lose in Heaven! (Didn’t Jesus say something about this?!)
May we all be so virtuous and intelligent!
December 14, 2008 at 6:10 am
Can’t the duke just veto the latest vote as well? I pray he fights this to the bitter end.
December 14, 2008 at 8:23 am
God bless the Grand Duke! I sent him an e-mail, thanks to whoever posted his e-mail.
I wasn’t quite sure how to address him, but I said “Your Royal Highness Henri, Grand Duke of Luxembourg”
Anyone know the problem style of addressing the Grand Duke?
December 15, 2008 at 4:08 am
Pity he hasn’t got some backing from the bishop(s).
December 15, 2008 at 2:52 pm
Anon – I don’t think that you could go wrong the way you did address him: with the respect appropriate to his position. I plan on addressing him the same way when I write my letter.
In the end, I pray that we all can address him more simply: St. Henri, patron of Luxembourg.
December 15, 2008 at 7:04 pm
I wrote as well, and I simply began it with “Your Majesty.” I also apologised for my lack of knowledge of the etiquette later in the letter.
I found it very appropriate that among the 120+ randomly selected signatures I have for my email, I was able to put a Fuller quote: “Virtue is the only true nobility.”