I think this raises a good point. As an ex soldier, I've seen the Army face a lot of criticism. Many people saw it as an imperialist force of "baby killers." To me, it represented good things like providing health care to those in need, and of defending young girls who were receiving education for the first time in centuries. Subjective thinking is a strong force

I grew up in the South. (I’m also Catholic and a POC, to use the TLA that some people use nowadays.). I’ve never been attached to that flag, but I love the South and the things I experienced in the South and Southern culture - the food, the hospitality, the accent, the sense of humor, etc. I’m aware of the bad history, but I love the good things, and there are many. I’m bothered that non-Southerners often hear the accent and see only the past racism - especially when other regions are objectively as racist today as most parts of the South are today.

I'm a hardcore Catholic. You forgot about Heavy Metal music, I grew up listening to mostly Metal, Punk, Alt, and always got labeled as a heathen or devil worshiper or something. I love God more than anything or anyone. But I still like to rock out at 50. 😜✝️ - Viva Cristo Rey!

Fr Casey is obviously not perfect, as many people on the internet are quick to point out (sometimes rather rudely); however, you cannot deny he is doing his best to follow our Lord and is making a great effort to have people across the political aisle come closer together in love for one another and for Jesus. I would say he’s succeeding on all these fronts.

I'm a Jew. I was born and raised a Jew and I love Judaism. I love Hebrew and Shabbat services and our theology and history. I'm not planning on converting. But finding this channel has made me just a bit more amenable to the Catholic church which I used to think of as an entirely corrupt institution that unfairly persecuted my people. I enjoy watching your videos simply for the educational value and to hear the thoughts of someone who seems to be intelligent, articulate and good-hearted.

I'm not American and this topic is very hard for me, but here in Brazil, we had something similar. (Disclaimer, i am truly sorry by writing mistakes, my english is not that good) **CONTEXT: Short Story:** This country started as a Colony around 1500/1510. The idea of conquering uncharted lands began on January 2th, 1492, right after the Re-Conquering of the Europe by the Asturians and their allies. The Order of Christ (heirs of the Templars) from Portugal followed the Prophecy that the first king of Portugal had during the Battle of Ourique,(25th july, 1139) when Crucified Jesus gave a promise to him that his kingdom will spread the word of God around the world. Back to the colony time. For 3 centuries, Brazil was a colony and had Slavery. But during its time, all of the slaves were allowed to buy their freedom and their own property. The crown tried sometimes to end the Slavery, but all of their attempts where dismissed by the liberals, the oligarchies and the masonry, despite the country being founded as a coalition between the Roman Catholics and the masonry. The First Regin started at 1822, by the king's son, Dom Pedro I. In some instances, the attempt to end the Slavery was frustrated again. Only during the end of the Second Reign, 1888, by Dom Pedro's granddaughter, Princess Isabel, the slavery came to an end with the "Lei Aurea" (Golden Law). Despite being a glorified day and a holiday in our country, it did not end well. One year later, the military alongside the masonry and the oligarchies forced the Royal Family to leave the country, ending the Monarchy by brute force and death threats, proclaiming a republic established by a Coup D'etat. This day is a holiday too in our country, 15th of november, the Proclamation of the Republic. The once respected Monarchy was followed by two dictators, the General once friend of the second king, Deodoro da Fonseca, followed by his second in command, Floriano Peixoto. Since the beggining of the republic, the left took control (actually, they never lost the power since 1889). They forced a narrative that the Crown was in favour of the Slavery and that the republicans saved the country from their horrible hands. As a result, for decades, being a monarchist in Brazil was the same as being racist. Thank God that today this narrative is not so strong anymore, but the left still keep saying that we are trying to bring back slavery. The problem in USA is beyond my capacity right now, i'm in no position of adding or removing what people say. But in some occasions, there are gaps in the story that were filled by the people who owns the power. Just to give an example, Saint Padre Pio was framed by some people as a fascist. If you read everything, i am very grateful to you. Godspeed and Hail Holy Queen.

I'm originally from Pennsylvania and moved to the south when I was 18. I lived there for 30 years. The rebel flag is more of a symbol of the south than one of slavery, as it use to be once upon a time. I think the important part of Fr Casey's story is to not paint people with a large brush. Don't judge by the exterior. You can't judge a book by it's cover. We're all different.

Used to feel that way about the Stars and Bars until I realized that many of my friends saw it as offensive representing the years in the 50s, 60s and 70s when the flag flew as an opposition to the Civil Rights Act of 1965. For them, it is a symbol of oppression. There is s a Mcdonald's in Fort Myers, FL still standing that up until the 70s used to have a window in the back for Blacks only! People I know could not get their burgers and fries and cherry pies as kids because their parents would not go to the back! In deference to their view, I will not fly the flag. Notice that when this topic comes up, Florida and Alabama are very quiet until the storm blows over! Georgia solved the problem by changing their flag to the original Confederate flag, all the joy of being Southern without all the baggage of the racist South of olden times. Solved the problem and Georgia moved on!

This reminds me of this quote in Harry Potter where someone said something along the lines of “There is both light and darkness in us. Who we are is based on what we choose to act on.”

I grew up in Berks County Pennsylvania. I moved to the South for a job, met and married a man whose family have lived in the South for 150+ years. His family gently reminded me that the English established slavery in the colonies to support the plantations that supplied cotton, tobacco, etc. to ALL of the colonies. Northern factories used the raw cotton to produce fabric which was sold here and in Europe. Suddenly the South was the "bad guy" because they weren't willing to dump their economy because the North said so. Soooo, my fellow Northerners, some people on both sides of the Mason-Dixon Line had dirty hands. Most of the military in any war are the people caught in a war not of their choosing. Then after the war is over the "winner" takes advantage of the "loser" who tries to hold on to his pride. No one really won. And, we're still "fighting" that war? 😢

In my neighborhood there was an interracial couple, white guy married to a black woman, and they had a confederate flag in their yard. You couldn't really explain something like that to somebody outside of the south if they don't understand the culture.

Once again, Father Casey! Bringing the light! Thank you for everything you do!!!!

I squirm every time I see that Confederate flag. I grew up in melting-pot sections of Brooklyn and the Bronx. When I was about 6 years old, I was shocked when I arrived at the Washington, D.C., Greyhound bus terminal and saw Confederate flags sold in the gift shop. Since when does a defeated war adversary get to fly its colors in the winning side's territory? Do you see Nazi flags proudly flown in England, France or the USA? To me the Confederate flag stands for the deaths of countless Yankee soldiers who gave their lives to fight racism and slavery. The swastika might revive happy memories of lovely beer gardens and good times in Bavaria, but that is not a legitimate escuse to flaunt it. I led the fight to change New Mexico State Unversity's yearbook title from The Swastika in the 1980s. I am Catholic and I'd prefer to never again view the Confederate or Nazi flags.Nor would I tolerate seeing Satan-bearing flags in Vatican City.

Very wise words. I used to live in NYC. Now I am in Nashville and see this very well when I go back to NYC and have to defend my new neighbors.

When I was a kid (growing up in Southern Indiana), to me, the Confederate Flag symbolized Country Music and The Dukes of Hazzard. It was later on in life that I realized it had meaning beyond that. Like all things in life, there is good and bad in everything. Support the good and try to removed the bad

I understand what you are saying. As a Christian, it is a constant struggle for me to follow the Church when I see the damage it has done (sometimes to close people around me). As much as it pains me to put everyone in the same basket (cause therefore, I’m part of it), I do believe it is part of an organization that is looking for redemption to take responsibility for what has been done and, even though it might be dear to some, to let go of symbols that represent those transgressions. The svastika (yes, I’m going to go there) was a revered symbol and still is in some countries for what it used to mean before WWII. But, unless you’ve been living under a rock in another galaxy, you just can’t use that symbol today without equating it with the Nazis. Though it meant something else once, it does mean hate today. I do not judge Indians or Indonesians for using those symbols still, it’s part of their history and they weren’t the ones to « desecrate » that symbol. The crime here is that it was used to represent something else than what it first did. But I also believe that seeking forgiveness for what has been done requires you to do things you are not comfortable with and that might be very difficult to do. Letting go of those symbols, choosing to not use them and not defending them might just be the path to forgiveness. But everyone is on a journey and seeing and doing what’s right requires time and discussion. Therefore thank you for talking about this topic.

This is one of the most thorough and good hearted analyses of the confederate flag I've ever seen. Thank you

Thank you for your wisdom, Father Casey. I am a candidate for ministry in the Methodist Church, currently undergoing my studies. I am also a white man who grew up in rural Georgia and I was raised with the Confederate flag being a symbol of home and my southern culture. While there was an awareness that others used it to show their hateful views, for me and my family there was no sense of hate about. It was a symbol of cultural and regional pride. Similar to how someone from the Midwest, or a particular City, would have pride for their unique culture. However, I have come to recognize that the Confederate flag is a symbol of hatefulness and divisiveness for so many people. While I personally feel the same now as I did years ago when I see the flag, I no longer display nor wear it as I would have earlier in my life. Because of the different feelings surrounding the flag, doing so manly serves as an obstacle to relationships and reconciliation. Also, as a professing Christian, it will undermine evangelism and tarnish how I represent Jesus Christ and his church to the world. Sacrificing all that for the sake of a superficial display of regional pride is not worth it. The Confederate flag still has a soft spot in my heart because of what it meant for me as I was growing up and for what it means for many other good hearted people I know. However, peace, reconciliation, and evangelism are far more important than that.

never thought I'd see a catholic priest doing relativism.

When I was a junior in high school, I spent that year and the following year in a Catholic high school. My experience was that of an amazing refuge from the near constant bullying I experience for close to a decade. My experience was unique, even though it was a small school, not everyone felt the same.

Thank you for this compassionate and nuanced perspective 🙏🏾

Darn it! He hid a wholesome message of "don't judge people" in a controversial topic!

Ive never commented on any of your videos. Im a "lapsed " catholic, but i think in one 11 min video, this could do a lot of healing. You're last words on this video should be ones that resonate for people to hear and follow. Thank you.

Very good job. Of course there will always be people who don't like a message like this, but you did a great job.

Dear Br Casey, your recent videos have dealt with a number of controversial and complex issues and yet, I think that once again, you’ve negotiated that complexity pretty well. I always look forward to your videos, thank you!

John Green said, "Imagine people complexly." I think he was getting at many of the same ideas you explore in this video. It is extremely easy to imagine others simplistically, even though we know that our own inner worlds are complex.

Shoutout from the Bull City! Welcome to North Carolina. I live in Durham. All Y'all livin' here in NC, where ya at?

I see the swastika as a symbol of good luck, after all that is what it originally meant. Would I use it today for that purpose, absolutely not. Why, because I am an empathetic person who understands what this means to others. So I set aside my desire to use this symbol to wish good luck and use a different symbol. The "I'm going to display this flag and I don't give a f what anyone else thinks" mentality, is enough for me to judge that I have no desire to be associated with such people.

This reminds me of a teacher I had in middle school. There were two boys at my school who HATED each other. Their families had bad history and it permeated all the way down to their kids constantly fighting at school. My teacher knew this and would take every opportunity to put them together in groups and encourage them to work together, see the good in each other. He'd even tell jokes to try and make them both laugh and share a sense of humor. Looking back it was a really brave and inspired thing to try. All the other teachers and the principle just wanted to keep them as far apart as possible, but my teacher figured if he could get these two boys to become friends then maybe it could fix more than one problem. But eventually, they just ended up fighting, and hurt the janitor in the process, and both got expelled. I know, it was the perfect opportunity for a happy ending but life had other plans. I still think what my teacher tried to do was noble though. If it had worked it would have been incredible and he would have been a hero. Don't stop trying father Casey😊

Fantastic Video. Fr. Casey, thanks for your ministry and especially this video.

This is the kind of preaching our generation needs and wants. Nuance, challenging perspectives, at the core a Gospel message, humbling reminder that we have work to do, and a call to remember the Church's real mission. Wow.

When we are filled with hate, we paint everybody the same color - no white, black, nor gray... We generalize people because it is the easiest, I think - that is one of our weaknesses as humans. That is why wars happen...

FYI…there’s a big fat difference between the ancient “ swastika” symbol that some people are bringing up and the Confederate flag. The “ swatiska” symbol has been found in various forms all over the world and it means various things. The Nazis took their Germanic runic version of it and turned it into a symbol of something horrible. It’s why people get triggered seeing it anywhere even in other contexts …but it didn’t start off that way. ( But if I get my hands on another captured Nazi flag from our local white supremacists it will be destroyed as fast as the first one I got was). But the Confederate flag is not ancient. It wasn’t used all over the world for various reasons. It was created for one thing at one particularly nasty time in American history. Therefore, it has no meaning apart from that. When people say they want to associate it only with Aunt Sally in Savannah’s sweet tea…that’s a leap of cognition that really leaves out a trainload of information,imho.

As an Australian Christian, I have been touched the mentally by this channel and all the did have to say about politics, ritual, biblical truths, and faith in Jesus Christ. I have very similar story, having comes from Australia. As many people may know, or may not know, the Australian flag is blue with a British Union Jack on the left-hand side of it, to represent our connections to Britain and the Commonwealth of England, and uses the Southern Cross to adorn the rest of the flag, along with a six-pointed Star to represent all the states in Australia of which there are only 6. I was taught from a very young age dislike meant something important. The Southern Cross was almost like a crucifix dedicating our country to God. God made both stars, after rule, therefore he knew exactly what he was doing when he made them in the shape of a cross. Imagine what it was like for my young mind to see the orange and black Sunrise flag. This is a flag used by the indigenous Australian, to show pride in their native tyres to the country as its original custodians and inhabitants. Australia has a very unusual relationship with our indigenous population, possibly even worse than America has with its own native population. How could they make a flag that openly tells the world that they want nothing to do with the cross or what it represents? It can feel like a betrayal. But as I continue to grow and look at that flag subjectively, I realised that, much like Confederate battle flag that was hung everywhere in the American South Palmer this flag is a part of indigenous history, and deserve to be respected just as much as our own flag.

Dukes of Hazzard happened. It no longer means confederacy. It’s a social and cultural icon now, not a political one.

Thank you. I'm glad I waited to listen the entire video before posting. Your caveat covered my objections. God bless.

I love your videos, Father, but the Stars and Bars themselves were probably not the best metaphor for the Church. While some people may associate that flag with the good times of their childhood, the sad fact is that grandma may have had that flag up just because she was totally opposed to ending segregation and resented the federal government for overstepping what she thinks are “states rights.” You’re right that the flag is inherently a problem. The Church wasn’t founded to defend an evil, unlike the Confederacy.

I’m Catholic and love heavy metal and horror genre my gosh people thought I was demonic etc. some people with that flag see it more as history not racism unfortunately there are those who use it for wrong reasons

I love his analogy. Not with the flag. But with the Catholic Church. Being Catholic, I grew up and grew to understand, that my church is the only church who openly admits that, "Yes, its is not perfect, and it is filled with imperfect people. Just as the same imperfect people that followed the only perfect being, Jesus." It claims nothing about being unblemished far from it. But we strive to do better.

That flag to me as a kid meant one thing, Dukes if Hazard. Even today when I see it I think of it on the General Lee. It wasn’t till I was older till I started understanding the meaning of that flag. Still today I look at it where every I am and think about watching that tv show as a kid and smile. Oh to be young and oblivious.

Difficult subject to negotiate. This is as good an effort as can probably be made with the given assumptions. Kudos for taking it on.

Can we have an African-American friar on giving his opinions on this video?

Forget racism, the Confederacy went far beyond that in the entirely wrong direction: their entire "independence movement" was, at core, rooted in the idiotic idea of reducing some human beings to the *property* of other human beings; so the intrinsic abuse went far beyond mere "racism". While it is undeniable that the Confederacy was *profoundly* racist in its basic nature; and the region's inhabitants have made incredible progress into sanity since then; it, and its symbol, is an intrinsically evil movement... so my claim stands as valid: to rule in Hell still is Hell, and far worse for all involved, bar none. It doesn't matter where you are therein; it is still an unimaginably abusive situation that anyone even *remotely* sane will bolt from at the earliest opportunity and head for the boonies to get as far away from as possible.

This is one of those things where it would be much too easy to turn it off and walk away in disgust. Indeed, I came very close to doing just that. Full disclosure. While I was baptized in the Roman Catholic church as an infant, I was raised as a Protestant, and have never considered myself to be Catholic. Actually, I've never been too much into the whole denominational thing, and find myself drawn to denominations that reach out to others in full communion. I currently attend an Anglican church, but have also attended United Methodist and ELCA Lutheran churches. You make some good points, and perhaps because of the focus of your talk, other important points were left out. Understandable, as you can only say so much in under twelve minutes, but they're still important, and need to be addressed. Most importantly, for a symbol to reduce or eliminate the divisiveness it causes, people who associate with it need to stop causing more harm, and actively seek out ways to bridge the gap. It's nice when those harmed help with that effort, but it isn't their responsibility. I currently live in Italy. The Catholic church is everywhere here, so to attend worship and participate in what I agree are important, even vital functions of being a part of the Christian community, I have to drive over half an hour to worship with a small congregation three towns away. My other option is to lie to the Priest, and that just doesn't seem right. And yet, the disagreements between our denominations (sorry, I know folks get upset about the word "denomination," but I don't have a better one) are over items that could best be described as a minor family squabble compared to the overwhelming grace of God and love of Jesus. Further, my grandmother was Catholic, and as my father, her only child, passed before her, I was the only person who could arrange for a mass to be said for her. I was in the US Navy, and did so through the Catholic chaplain on my ship. But I was not allowed to participate. This practice hurt, and continues to this day. Jesus did not deny anyone coming to his table. He ate with sinners, tax collectors, prostitutes, and even Judas. Being turned away from His table hurts. I understand the point about "what if an unworthy person partakes?" The obvious answer to that is "doesn't that include everyone?" If the Catholic church is serious about wanting to bridge that gap, there are some pretty basic steps it could take. Pope Francis (yeah, a lot of us really like him, even if we don't think he's infallible) seems to want to take some of them. That's good. But perhaps the biggest single thing that could be done is to encourage worshipping together while we work on our family squabbles. Many of us would be happy to do just that.

I grew up in Southern California, and I am a Hebrew Catholic (grew up in a dual faith household), even as a clergy abuse survivor I still have my faith. I spent many times in Atlanta, and in the area of the King Center, a POC neighborhood, and the "confederate flag" decal was common culturally even in that neighborhood on the cars of that particular community in Atlanta. So I found it unusual, and saw it was more a "Southern Pride" identifier than a racism identifier at least in the black community of Atlanta.

I remember reading Scholastic Magazine in grade school back in Boston during the sixties, and there was a comic strip called Rebel along the lines of Archie comics, and he wore a ball cap with Confederate Flag. The term rebel was always a rebellious youth or contrarian, hence the Duke car named General Lee. For the record, I live in Georiga and have been to dozens of flea markets with rebel flags, knives, license places, etc. The table would be set up next to a black vendor selling their products, both the white and black vendors talking about sales, the weather, and the Bulldogs game. The Confederate flag has been weaponized and misused by activists on both sides in the last decade. The hard truth is that anything that can be said about the Confederacy is true of the Union. I point to the flag the US Cavalry rode under in the Indian Wars and the annihilation of a people. Indeed, the Stars and Stripes stand for more than the removal and destruction of native people then; the Confederate flag and monuments also mean more than the belief in slavery and racism.

Thank you Fr Casey I pray each morning for God to maintain and strengthen the unum est necessarium in my life, if we all do this all else shall fall into there proper place. As a future deacon this is the ministerial identity that is and will be in my service. Something only found in the heart, placed there by Christ. God Bless

I'm from New York city, and my father's family has been there for hundreds of years. My mother was from Georgia. I spent many summers; in the south and didn't understand many things there, but I understood the great things about it. As I grew older I was able to put aside the negativity and focus on the good and the family love.

I am Catholic. I also have a job where I regularly encounter, work with, as well as have friends that are LGBTQIA+ and it is so difficult to answer for why the Church believes the things they do. Sometimes I even find myself not able to really defend what the Church believes regarding marriage and why the Church states they can (yes, I could quote some rule from the Catechism, but let's face it, that will fall flat). Some of these individuals even see the Church as outwardly hostile to them.

It's a very profound point. The confederate flag reminds you of your childhood (which you find to be a great thing) but it also reminds black people of their childhood in Jim Crow South (which they find to be very distateful, to put it lightly)

As a POC who grew up in New Orleans, the Confederate flag is honestly meaningless to me. In my eyes it does not represent southern heritage- instead it is something that I personally associate with uneducated rednecks. To me southern heritage is Mardi Gras, crawfish boils, the swamps, oak trees, great music, creole/cajun food. Oh yea and fun fact- New Orleans is home to some of the oldest Catholic institutions in the US: St. Louis Cathedral and Ursuline Academy. In fact, the latter is not only the oldest continuously operating Catholic school, but also the oldest continuously operating girls school.

The kids you grew up with liked the flag because of the lost cause. After the civil war, southerners twisted the reasons for the war to make everyone think they went to war over states rights. In reality, they all left the union after a president they didn't vote for won the elections, and they were scared he was gonna take away their slaves (which he wasn't). It's been 150 years since the war, but the lost cause culture is so deep in some parts of the south that a lot of people don't even know what the flag means. They think they were once a great nation of freedomwhose rights were trampled by the north. They just saw it in their grandparents house, and asked their parents to buy them stuff with that symbol on it because it looks cool. And let's face it, the Confederate flag does look better than the US flag. Also their anthems are bangers, Lincoln himself said so.

Excellent video! The idea of being able to cross religious or political or cultural divides and the need to humanize the other side has been something I struggle to convince my friends and loved ones to do

Thanks Father Casey, I just said a little prayer for you.for the Holy Spirit of God to help you guide you, in this journey, I hope everyone 🙏 for you.

Thank you, Father Casey, for another level-headed appeal to reason and taking a step back to look at the big picture. This is sure a strong topic and you’re brave for taking it on. Your videos encourage discussion and that’s why I keep watching them.

very good video, I fel for it, I was up in arms in the commentsection because I didnt take the time to hear you out. well played. makes me proud to be confirmed soon and join the team.

Dear Father Casey! You are skirting the controversy line pretty well here! Makes me think about certain symbols in my country in India and i am going to make an effort to understand whats behind them. Thank you for giving this food for thought.

One of your better noncatechisic videos. Your points were well made. Reminds me of what I tell Bible thumbers when they are out evangelizing, you dont win people to your cause beating them over the head with the word, you win them over with the Love Christ Jesus has filled you with. After you have Loved them to Christ, then show them where they need to repent, pointing out your failures in those same areas, and your victories in those areas with Gods grace. They may not like your telling the truth, but they at least listened because you showed you care. No one cares what you think, until they know you care.

Growing up an hour outside Pittsburgh, I always associated that flag with rednecks,not necessarily racist. I always thought, why would you support traitors?

You do such amazing work! Thanks for jumping into the deep to help us out!

It’s kind of like the US flag, you could look at it and say ah yes child sacrifice and mutilation. All countries/organizations have done something or people who are in them have

One of the reasons I love being Catholic is because education, knowledge, and understanding are viewed as important (mostly). I think with topics like these, it all boils down to a lack of history education. These aren't dumb or bad people but they've never had the opportunity to really sit down and learn about the American Civil War in a meaningful way, we don't teach much in our public schools, sadly. That's why folks fly the Confederate battle standard while declaring themselves true "patriots", and of course don't consider it a symbol of treason and racism.

There is nobody on a public platform who will not face criticism of some kind. You are genuine and honest, please rise above all of that muck Fr Casey. Please carry on posting your lovely clips. It is much needed therapy for me.

i lived in Virginia as a child. in my public school we had Dixie flags and learned about the Confederacy and Robert E Lee the General was a hero. So I liked the flag. We had little confederate flags and I even liked the Dukes of Hazzard. I was never racist. I'm not even white.

Sorry Father, Black Catholic here from the DEEP SOUTH and I can have no compassion for this flag. We understood what it meant for a white family to fly this flag and no matter how nice they were, it meant they celebrated the Old South that had my people in chains-physical and spiritual. It is an enemy combatants banner and to fly it in the US is a middle finger to the idea of a United States. There are so many things we could use to represent the south and our pride for southern culture-which I have. Grudgingly Mississippi changed its flag and use the magnolia as a symbol. This flower embodies my deep southern pride and it is just one.... I hear what your'e trying to do but please NEVER compare or contrast our Church to the slave holding SOuth.

Very nuanced and thought provoking speech. A solid reminder that people are people, wherever you go. There are flaws and virtues in all populations/factions. Try to imagine the empathy of Jesus as he sought to draw out the best in those society considered irredeemable.

Beautiful. Thank you for posting this.

Great video! Love the way he explains things!

Whooooo, Lancaster Gang!

This kind of reminds of the time some English fans dressed up as crusaders in Qatar to show their patriotism in the World Cup, but it ended up offending the local Muslims.

Good Afternoon from Northern Michigan Fr. Casey... First and foremost.. I absolutely adore you, your channel and your mission. I am one of those Roman Catholics who lost my way for a couple decades , (I will give you a couple demographics for context). I'm a 61 year old momma of 4 and granny to 3. For the last year, I have felt compelled to find my way back. I am quite embarrassed to say this, but until I started watching Cartjolic KZfaq vids, I did not know that the Eucharist was actually the body, blood, soul and divinity of Christ. The ONLY things I knew were that it was unacceptable to get communion without receiving the Sacrament of reconciliation prior to. I was even unaware that the Host was really referenced as the EUCHARIST. I have just called it communion for as far back as my memory allows. Truly Fr. Casey you have been such a light, a joy and an inspiration. I feel in the deepest recesses of my soul that The Holy Spirit is alive and well inside your heart, your entire being and it is ABSOLUTELY working miracles!! WOWSER... I really digressed. My intention was to tell you the about a friend who came up with a mad awesome bumper sticker idea. It actually references an old bumper from the 60's and 70's. Remember those bumper stickers that used for say "Gas, Grass or A*" nobody rides for free?? Okay .now for the updated version. ""GAS, GRASS OR GO TO MASS". I am so sorry that this post turned into a thesis level commentary. Please if you can.. Tell Fr. Patrick that HE ROCKS also. On behalf of the Middleton Fam.. we send all our love and please be assured of our continued prayers for you 🙏🙏🙏🙏🤍🤍💜💜

Wise counsel, thank you Fr Casey🙏🙏🙏

Father Casey I think you missed something in your discussion. The two symbols that you chose are both well known enough that if I display them publicly others will automatically know what I support. I live in Ontario Canada. In a small municipality. A few years ago a person started flying the confederate flag from their truck. Many people were offended by this because we know it is a symbol of racism. We are well removed from the American south. The owner refused to take it down. Regardless of what it meant to her, she was willing to offend the rest of us.

Good video. I would be interested in your opinion on the British flag otherwise known the Union Jack and St George's cross, as they have a similar theme to the Confederate flag.

This is one of your best videos I've seen, as someone who is familiar with Civil war history, and the Lost Cause myth. This has taught me to judge people less

"Condemning people gets us nowhere" is so true. I am grateful of God for helping me to find and join the Catholic Church after being disgusted by Christianity simply because of the judgemental behaviour of evangelical Protestants towards me in the past. They judge people so easily, and it makes some, including me, to go away from them instead of being attracted.

Communication involves three things: a sender, a receiver, and a message. A sender is responsible for their intent in creating the message. Offense is created wholly in the mind of the receiver. It is a reaction. Yes, a sender can intend offense, but it is up to the receiver whether or not the offense registers or is expressed. Notice that none of this is about the message itself. Because the message is not *objectively* offensive or non-offensive. It is merely a message. (Symbols are one form of message, thus the connection.) Now, once one has been informed that a certain person finds offense with a certain thing, then it is my moral duty to consider that information when I attempt to communicate with them. But it's complicated, because that person is not the only person with whom I am communicating. FOR EXAMPLE: Bill loves the song "Oye Como Va" by Carlos Santana. But John's father listened to that song on repeat while he drank, and John's father got violent when drinking. So it reminds John of his drunken father beating him. Bill is not responsible for any offense created in John's mind if John did not communicate this to Bill. However, once John informs Bill of the song's impact, Bill becomes morally responsible for not *intending* to play this song around John. However, this responsibility is limited by reason. Bill can still listen to the song in public, as long as he has a reasonable expectation that John isn't going to be around. Bill doesn't have to hide his love of the song, he just needs to be cognizant of John and treat John with respect. John, on the other hand, bears the *primary* responsibility of avoiding the song, or better yet working through his issues with it, because he can't reasonably expect to never run across it in public.

It is so great that there are still people like you that manage to see things more differentiated. Sadly most of the time people can't do that anymore and it is destroying all of us.

i can totally relate to this video. less than 1/2 hr. ago, i had the "northern" attitude you did. thank you for putting everything in perspective. you have unlimited wisdom at such a young age, fr. casey, because you do the right thing by looking at ALL sides of an issue.

It doesn't change the historical fact is it was a battle flag for those who rebelled and betrayed their country. You cannot claim to be patriotic to the country and fly the flag of its traitors. If I was British I wouldn't fly the American flag either.

This is actually my struggle. I am having a hard time trying to befriend those people who have different opinions and whom I have arguments with in the past.

Good video. Try seeing symbols (or brother yet, identities) from other people's perspectives.

Lol, playing with fire on this analogy. Kudos on how bold of a move that was.

During a party when I was in college, I met a guy who was in the KKK, and he was the coolest, most laid-back person that you can imagine. I asked him why they didn't like Catholics, and his answer was that "we do have our differences," and not much else.

I'm gonna bet a small loan of a million dollars that some people think he is really talking about the Pride Flags 🏳️‍🌈 🏳️‍⚧️.

I'd like to point out a difference between the Confederate flag and the Vatican flag: The Church, while it has done evil, is, at its root, a good thing. The Confederacy wasn't a good thing at all in any way, shape, or form, not even for those who were part of it. Any good that can be associated with its symbol is purely sentimental and not tied to anything concrete or real. It's emotional.

Thank you Father Casey for this lovely message. I learned some very important stuff.

Always good advice…love your homily……God Bless you for your ministry..

The big difference is that the Catholic Church wasn't established on abuse and hatred; the Confederacy was.

This is a very interesting video. The issue is that any symbol can be interpreted differently. The American flag for instance means very different things to a person in Iowa than someone in Afghanistan. The American flag was a symbol of freedom to settlers and soldiers who systemically removed natives from their land. While I agree with how you describe the Confederate flag, the irony is that most of the nations around the world are equally as stained, if not more so, by the sin of slavery.

Very well said and thought out. Spot on.

Wow! You really hit the nail on the head with this one! I am going to save this to pass on to people who need to hear this!

I have 356 Confederate veterans in my family, none of whom owned slaves or fought for its institution. They were poor coal miners who defended their families from a government they felt did not represent them. As a Roman Catholic, I feel the same tension growing for my faith. It’s a way of life, misunderstood by most and mocked by many. Just remember, Christ is here to restore, not to destroy.

Good take. I feel sorry that the South doesn’t really have cultural symbols not tied to its origin as a slaving, racist society. It’s ready to move on, but it’s hard to say how. The South needs our prayers!

I was born and raised in the South (North Carolina as a matter of fact) and in all my years there I never once saw or heard that our flag represents racism (and for the record it never did….during the Civil War a lot of what we now call African Americans…I always referred to them as Blacks since that’s the way I was raised to refer them as and not ‘Colored’ or to use the ‘N’ word, that was to put it mildly inappropriate….volunteered for service for the South and unfortunately history has a way of seeing thing from the victorious sides view which is always distorted). I have been and alway will be proud of my Southern heritage……yes there was a dark (no pun intended) side of our history and that’s all it was… history and many in the South acknowledged that and move one since it is not how the people in the South are today. I would be proud to display the flag anywhere at anytime just as anybody from a different background would do the same!!! LONG LIVE THE SOUTH !!!! LONG LIVE DIXIE !!!!

What matters is that we can have peaceful dialogue and not let our emotions get in the way before we’ve had a chance to understand the individual. Far too many times we see people of another religion, political party, race or creed and immediately assume their bad like we associate the bad ones to be. When we find the individual in each other then we can have love and understanding. Hopefully and God willing, avoiding unnecessary conflict and bloodshed. God Bless you all.

It has no place anywhere in America just like a swastika. It's 2023 and we should all know better.

I really appreciate your videos Father. The Confederate Flag is the flag of slavery and should not be displayed. As a kid I Loved the TV show The Dukes of Hazard and especially the car they drove which was called the General Lee which displayed the Confederate Flag. As I grew up and was informed what the Confederate flag fully represented I would NEVER wear or display that symbol. Thanks again Father for the great subject and speaking the truth.

Unbelievable video and commentary Father Casey. This is a great analysis. Thank you Thank you Thank you. We need to understand each other not automatically hate each other. God Bless what you are doing.

Thanks for the nuanced argument.