The Father Leonard Feeney Essay Contest is an annual event for IHM high school students. The 1,000 – 1,500 word essay must be creative yet profound, and is submitted anonymously. The 2011 topic was: "If it were illegal to be Catholic, would there be enough evidence to convict you?" Out of the thirty submissions, the winning essay was "Unprecedented". The author, IHM Junior - Emma B. was presented with a trophy at the Award Ceremony on the last day of the school year. The winning essay is found below.
Unprecedented
"How does it feel knowing that the entire country is glad that you're receiving the death penalty?", one journalist shouted.
"Is it true that you hate America?"
In my mind, I responded that the only nation I had ever pledged allegiance to was a nation under God, and that nation no longer existed, but I knew better than to acknowledge them. By now I had grown used to the antagonism of the crowd of reporters that were constantly following me, or rather, my trial. Ever since the Religious Counteraction Decree went into effect in 2025 and any religious involvement was severely punishable by law, the government had been looking for a whipping post and the media had been looking for a victim. Both found what they were looking for in me. The government got their precedent, someone they could point to and say, "See, you'd better stop all this Catholic nonsense or you'll end up like her." And the media got their story, which certainly was a compelling one.
This news story had all the elements of a good movie: suspense, high stakes, plenty of plot twists and all directed by the artful hand of the United States government. The audience took all of it in with a barbaric eagerness and hunger that had not been seen since the days when people went to the Colosseum for their entertainment.
The Supreme Court had issued a statement saying that the Religious Counteraction Decree would be enforced equally for all religions, but everyone knew that it was aimed primarily at Catholics. Either way, this law did not significantly alter the way people behaved towards Catholicism. Religion had become taboo several years prior to the passing of this law, due in most part to the masterful action of the press.
The relationship between the government and the media had grown tighter and tighter until they became like a single symbiotic organism, both feeding off this struggle between the Church and State and pumping out a relentless stream of propaganda. The nation as a whole was responding exactly as they had hoped. Religion was no longer seen as irrational only by the intellectually elite, but that sentiment had trickled down into the school systems and infiltrated the home life. Instead of attending Mass together on Sundays, families went to "Government Sponsored Recreation". Instead of teaching them about God, parents answered their inquisitive children with lectures about Darwin's theories. This all fell perfectly in line with the government's plan. As far as they were concerned, Uncle Sam was their only god now.
~~~
The police officers had to clear a path for me through the crowds to get from the Supreme Court building to the armored vehicle that was now awaiting me. After this afternoon's arraignment and subsequent sentencing, the media had worked itself up into a frenzy like sharks at the first sign of blood. Reporters from around the world had gathered because they knew that the outcome of this trial would set the pace for all future legislation that applied to religion. But it wasn't only journalists that had shown up. Thousands of people had flocked to this nation's capital to attend today's hearing. They had been brainwashed into thinking that adherence to Catholicism was actually toxic to this country and they came to see to it that I received sufficient punishment for my crime.
Even after I had gotten inside the vehicle, I maintained my silence while my court appointed lawyer hurled his profanities at me. Here was my “representative”, albeit a man I had hardly spoken to throughout the duration of this trial, now seething because I had done something that completely dismantled his schemes and hopes of acclaim: I pled guilty.
My lawyer, very impressed with himself, had devised what he believed was an ingenious plan, one that would put him in the history books for sure. Of course, he had not chosen to represent me in this trial because he wanted to bring actual justice to the judicial system. He couldn't care less about justice. He was in this for the notoriety that came with being involved in such a historic trial. He figured that he was sure to be a household name if he could use his legal acumen to get my charges dropped. For this reason, his strategy was as follows: when the judge asked me how I pled to the charges of violation of the Religious Counteraction Decree and the multiple counts of subterfuge and contumacy, I was supposed to use to insanity plea—meaning that I was not responsible for my crimes because I was not of sound mind (because in my lawyer's opinion, no one who still practiced religion, especially Catholicism, could possibly be sane.) But I was not going down that way, and I was not bringing Catholicism down that way. So when I pled guilty to the charges—loud and clear—my lawyer threw a colossal fit.
“Your Honor, this woman is clearly not mentally stable! Her guilty plea should only be further evidence of her insanity, or at least struck from the records! You know the case well, Your Honor. She was found kneeling at the site of a closed down church with a rosary in her hand and a scapular around her neck! A scapular! To think that anyone in their right mind would still hold on to such delirious and antiquated ideals is ludicrous!”
This outburst was followed by a wave of vocal agreement from all those present in the courtroom. The judge responded to this upheaval,
“Order in the court! Now, I know that you are well versed in the letter of this law and its zero tolerance policy. The Religious Counteraction Decree was put in place to purge the United States of those dangerous individuals who still cleave to such nonsense. There are no exceptions. You know as well as I do that Catholicism is an expressly supranational religion—its followers openly professing to hold the Church law ahead of all other legislation and we simply cannot allow such behavior in this country any longer. Citizens of the United States must put their country before anything else especially religion—no exceptions! That’s why capital punishment is only fitting. I find no reason to continue this trial. I accept her guilty plea, and thereby declare that her sentence is effective immediately.”
The sound of his gavel slamming down echoed through the silent courtroom, followed by the press section erupting in applause. This had been exactly what they wanted.
~~~
Now that the final verdict had been given, and there was nothing that my fuming lawyer could do about it, I was left alone with my thoughts while the vehicle and parade of police escorts took me to my final destination.
I thought about the night that had gotten me here in the first place. I had met with a priest in secret in so that he could hear my confession. I had just finished saying my penance when a group of federal agents raided the vacant church and immediately took me into custody. Thanks to Divine Providence, the priest had left before the incursion and was safe to continue his work.
At the time of my arrest, I felt intensely afraid. Now, however, I felt an overwhelming sense gratitude for the sacraments, for the priest, and for the life-sustaining graces I had been given. I also felt vehemently thankful to have the presence of the Holy Ghost so tangible right now, as He inspired such moments of clarity and strength as I had never before experienced, and that were certainly not of my own fruition.
I thought about what this all really meant in the long run. I realized that this trial would set a precedent for other Catholics, but not in the way that the government had been expecting. The same Catholics that they were trying so hard to suffocate with the inescapable coverage of this trial would only have to turn on their TV or pick up a newspaper to see that capitulation is not the only option. They would no doubt see beyond the politicized language and understand that this verdict is not the end of a fight but the declaration of a war. I thought about how the Holy Ghost would inspire them too, to see that a world where God has been banished by a Supreme Court Justice is not one worth compromising to live in.
~~~
The vehicle now slowed to a halt in front of the entryway to the prison. As I stepped out into the glare of the sun and the blinding flash of the cameras, I saw a small crowd of people by the gates, but these were not the hostile figures of the press or the formations of prison guards. This assembly of people was completely at peace therefore looked entirely out of place before the towering walls and barbed wire. They were gathered here in a vigil, praying not only for me but for the entire Church Militant. When I looked at them, I felt the weight of my own cross being lifted from my shoulders as they added it to their own. As the guards steered me closer to the entrance, I recognized the faces of this crowd, some I had not seen in years. There I saw the faces of the Sisters and Brothers, the faces of my family members, and the faces of my old friends and teachers. But I recognized something else in these faces. I recognized radiant hope for the future of the Church, because even though this was my end, this little group of faithful demonstrated that it was not the end, that it was only the beginning.
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