St. Nicetius Called Out Public Officials

October 1 is the Feast Day of St. Nicetius (513-566). According to Catholic.org, Nicetius was known for calling out public officials, which is why I’m combining this post with one about the protests happening at CUNY against David Patraeus. This is the kind of thing Nicetius would do:

While journeying to Trier to be consecrated, Nicetius did not hesitate to condemn the royal officials accompanying him when one evening these men released their horses into the wheat fields of the local peasants, ruining their crops. In response to Nicetius’ threat to excommunicate the perpetrators, the officers laughed at him, but he continued: “The king has drawn me, a poor abbot, from my quiet cloister, to set me over this people, and by God’s grace I will do my duty by them and protect them from wrong and robbery.” Nicetius then went after the horses himself to drive them out of the peasants’ fields. As bishop of Trier, Nicetius manifested great apostolic courage…in denouncing from the pulpit public officials guilty of grave evils. For a time he suffered banishment for condemning the crimes of King Clotaire I.

Wow. So I stumbled upon some information today about the protests happening against David Petraeus, who was originally going to be paid $200,000 to teach a three-hour seminar there once a week. Turns out he is not very welcome.

…a great many CUNY students’ families come from countries directly targeted by the death squads, military coups, drones, spying and mass bombing organized by the likes of Petraeus, “his man Steele,” and the U.S. military as a whole, now under the command of Obama who is pushing to open a new war front, this time in Syria.

via Interview: Students, Faculty Protest Presence of David Petraeus at CUNY Honors College | The Dissenter.

Here is a video of Petraeus walking away from CUNY, followed by angry protesters. What would St. Nicetius say?

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