Friday, June 23, 2017

Papal Notes - Shaking a "stick" at the Dutch

"On Thursday Pope Francis met with King Willem-Alexander and Queen Máxima of the Netherlands, as part of the visit returning to them a long-lost royal stick of a 16th century Dutch king.
An important diplomatic portion of the audience June 22, was the Vatican’s return of the stick of William I, Prince of Orange, which until recently had remained lost in the Jesuit Catalan archives.
The stick, which resembles a sort of scepter or baton, and depicts the coat of arms of William of Orange, was given by the 16th century Dutch royal to a Dutch commander in the Battle of Mookerheyde in 1574.
The stick was waved by William’s brother, Luigi of Nassau, during the battle.
After it was lost, it came into the hands of a Spanish general and eventually a Jesuit general, until being returned Thursday, through the Vatican, to Willem-Alexander, current King of the Netherlands
and Prince of Orange.
According to a press release from the National Military Museum of the Netherlands, the delivery of the stick represents “a testimony of reconciliation, and of the current union between the two countries and religions.
“It is also a symbol of the long journey that the Roman Catholic Church, as well as the Kingdom of the Netherlands, have passed
from the past of rivalry, war and repression to a present of mutual respect and promotion of peace and human rights.” CRUX
 ....it is withered, it is become like a stick.
Lamentations 4:8