Apparently, some Argentinian Archbishop is this year's nominee for the Scrooge Award. He denied the existence of Santa Claus. This incensed the excellent writer and broadcaster, Dr. William Oddie and drew a rather more sympathetic response from the equally excellent Fr. Ray Blake. This has led the (IMHO) best Catholic weekly newspaper, the Catholic Herald, to open a debate on whether children should be told that Father Christmas isn't real...
I beg to differ.
First of all, there is the theological argument for the existence of Santa Claus.
And, if that isn't enough for you, there is the scientific analysis of the evidence...
...Santa doesn't exist? Bah, humbug!
5 comments:
Absolutely and totally agree,St Nicholas is the model upon which we base our modern "Santa" image.
The whole concept is intensely Catholic in nature so what's to disagree with?
Don't mess with Santa Claus until you know what will fill in the gap. I heard this week about a YMCA in New York that considering Santa Claus too religious, opted to have a Snowman and penguin distribute presents instead of their usual Santa Claus. Our December "Messenger of the Sacred Heart" had a quote from GK Chesterton.
"On Christmas morning, he remembered, his stockings were filled with things he had not worked for, or made, or 'been good' for. 'We believed that a certain benevolent person did give us those toys for nothing'." And the editor Fr. Power S.J. comments: "It is good for children to have a belief in a 'certain benevolent person.' He really does exist.
People are leaving the Church by the droves due to poor catechesis and the best they can do is argue about Santa? Lord love a chicken!
What about the legal arguments put forth in Miracle on 34th street in which Santa's existence was put on trial. Based on evidence, Santa was determined to exist.
I've got evidence: the two size 8 sooty footprints on newspaper by the chimney in the bedroom. Every year.
However, the main focus was always the crib and the miracle of Christ's birth. We sang carols before it every evening from Christmas Eve until the Feast of Circumcision.
Interestingly, I notice that on other blogs there's a kind of gender difference, with the anti-Fr Christmas faction being mostly among the men. What can it mean?
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