Wikipedia:Reference desk/Archives/Humanities/2020 December 13

= December 13 =

Apostolic Signatura – nomination of judges
Considering the Apostolic Signatura, how exactly are its members nominated? Is there any [English] source to be found, describing the nomination process and/or required qualifications of nominees? (I assume appointments as such are performed by the Pope …)--Hildeoc (talk) 01:20, 13 December 2020 (UTC)


 * CODE OF CANON LAW - BOOK VII. PROCESSES "CHAPTER III. THE TRIBUNALS OF THE APOSTOLIC SEE: Can. 1442. The Roman Pontiff is the supreme judge for the entire Catholic world; he renders judicial decisions personally, through the ordinary tribunals of the Apostolic See, or through judges he has delegated". I suspect that the actual selection rests somewhere within the Vatican bureaucracy rather than being the personal gift of the Pope himself, but that's just a guess. Alansplodge (talk) 13:36, 13 December 2020 (UTC)


 * The Pope does indeed appoint the members. I doubt that there is a formal nomination process – and if there is, I think it is kept a secret, just like the selection of cardinals is – at least, the recent papal announcement naming Wilton Gregory and several others cardinal came as a surprise to Vatican watchers and also many of the newly created cardinals. --Lambiam 14:12, 13 December 2020 (UTC)

The Queen's Gambit
I've been watching The Queen's Gambit and am wondering: is it plausible that an orphanage in 1950s Kentucky would be desegregated? --Mahagaja · talk 10:24, 13 December 2020 (UTC)


 * This 1948 magazine article strongly suggests not: -- AnonMoos (talk) 11:35, 13 December 2020 (UTC)
 * Thanks, that article is interesting and sad. After I was born (in California in the late '60s) my parents considered adopting a brother for me, since my sisters were so much older than me. They were asked if they would be willing to adopt a child from another race, and they answered yes, they would. They were then refused permission to adopt on the grounds that they were "too idealistic". —Mahāgaja · talk 11:48, 13 December 2020 (UTC)
 * This Kentucky children's home originally had a separate facility for black children and was not desegregated until "the early 1960s". Alansplodge (talk) 13:54, 13 December 2020 (UTC)

did John Calvin celebrate Christmas ?
in 1538 John Calvin fled Geneva, and at the invitation of Martin Bucer, moved to Strasbourg. a year later, the first known Christmas tree was set up in the Cathedral of Strasbourg, under Martin Bucers leadership. did John Calvin believe in, and celebrate Christmas ? Gfigs (talk) 15:14, 13 December 2020 (UTC)


 * Protestant Church of the Augsburg Confession of Alsace and Lorraine says that the city government appropriated Strasbourg Cathedral for the Lutheran state church in 1524 and that Strasburg eventually followed a halfway-house between Zwingli and Luther.
 * John Calvin’s Christmas Observance says (based on a January 1551 letter) that Calvin had no problem with the moderate observation of Christmas.
 * However, in a sermon preached on Christmas Day (a few days before he wrote the letter) he says: "For no day is superior to another. It matters not whether we recall our Lord’s nativity on a Wednesday, Thursday, or some other day. But when we insist on establishing a service of worship based on our whim, we blaspheme God, and create an idol, though we have done it all in the name of God. And when you worship God in the idleness of a holiday spirit, that is a heavy sin to bear, and one which attracts others about it, until we reach the height of iniquity"
 * So it seems that Calvin was against banning Christmas, but didn't approve of it much either. See also Luther, Calvin and Zwingli on Christmas. Alansplodge (talk) 18:57, 13 December 2020 (UTC)
 * ok, thank you. Gfigs (talk) 19:31, 13 December 2020 (UTC)
 * He must have been a lot of fun at parties. [NOT!] ←Baseball Bugs What's up, Doc? carrots→ 21:56, 13 December 2020 (UTC)
 * His views that omniscience prevents free will thus God intentionally created some sentient humans to appear to become saved by that fake free will then become unsaved by that same free will then burn forever which means they were never saved in the first place and he planned their burn millennia before their parents were even born while others' fake free will gets them heaven and this is the infinitely good diety are pretty grim. And of course Satan is in this best possible world too, not cause free will is better than enforced goodness but just "mysterious ways". Sagittarian Milky Way (talk) 23:11, 13 December 2020 (UTC)
 * Calvin could have defeated Satan by talking him to death. ←Baseball Bugs What's up, Doc? carrots→ 01:31, 14 December 2020 (UTC)
 * King James VI spoke much about demons in his book Daemonologie (1599). Luther referred to apparitions as the "devil's ghost," and Calvin as "spectres"..not surprising, that Charles Dickens Christmas Carol, would be "a Ghost Story of Christmas"..Gfigs (talk) 05:55, 14 December 2020 (UTC)
 * I believe opposition to Christmas in Scotland might have had more to do with the Scottish monarchy's desire to control the Church of Scotland, than the beliefs of John Calvin..James VI, although baptised Catholic, grew up in the Church of Scotland, and wanted to unite it with the Church of England. in 1618, with his Five Articles of Perth wished to impose Christmas on the Scottish Church...his Catholic son Charles I, desired to do similarly..it incensed many, led to the banning of Christmas in Scotland, in 1640. Gfigs (talk) 06:43, 14 December 2020 (UTC)
 * Yes, see Bishops' Wars; however it must have been reinforcing existing beliefs rather than something plucked out of the air to annoy the king.
 * Our article Christmas controversies notes that Christmas was also banned in England in 1647 and in Boston, Massachusetts in 1659. Alansplodge (talk) 12:56, 14 December 2020 (UTC)
 * my particular interest in Scotland, derives from desire to understand origins of beliefs of Charles Taze Russell, who's parents were Scotch Scots-Irish Presbyterians. Gfigs (talk) 00:43, 15 December 2020 (UTC)
 * Hint: don't ever describe a Scottish person as "Scotch", it REALLY upsets them. Scots or Scottish are acceptable. Alansplodge (talk) 08:47, 15 December 2020 (UTC)
 * Is calling the liquor or the chess opening or the tape brand with the plaid (or tartan?) end tab ever offensive in the UK? I think these are still the most common names for these three things in America? Sagittarian Milky Way (talk) 14:23, 15 December 2020 (UTC)
 * Scotch whisky is fine as is Scotch tape, but that is generically called Sellotape in the UK. Alansplodge (talk) 17:15, 15 December 2020 (UTC)
 * Scotch-Irish ?? Gfigs (talk) 09:04, 15 December 2020 (UTC)
 * The more acceptable modern term is Ulster Scots people. Also be aware that words in different dialects carry different pejorative or offensiveness markers (i.e. fanny), and what is offensive in the UK may be unmarked in the U.S., for example the Scotch-Irish Americans may self-identify with the term "Scotch-Irish" in a non-offensive way; that does NOT mean that the term is non-offensive to other people.  -- Jayron 32 13:19, 15 December 2020 (UTC)
 * At least in my part of the US (North Carolina, if you're interested.), the usual term is "Scots-Irish". --Khajidha (talk) 14:55, 18 December 2020 (UTC)
 * although, on Wikipedia, Charles Taze Russell 's parents are referred to as : Scotch-Irish, that may be offensive to some. the article however, does also mention the (Scots-Irish) alternative, in the redirected page. this rendering does also appear in many other articles. Gfigs (talk) 14:40, 20 December 2020 (UTC)

Scotch, and here Gfigs (talk) 15:10, 20 December 2020 (UTC)
 * as a side note, or for anyone interested. founder of the Bible Student movement, Charles Taze Russell 's followers did celebrate Christmas. however, after his death in 1916, and Joseph Franklin Rutherford 's appointment as president in 1917, there was a leadership crisis, and many left the movement to form other groups. 25 Dec 1926, was the last day the Bible students celebrated Christmas. they became known as Jehovah's Witnesses in 1931. Gfigs (talk) 15:25, 20 December 2020 (UTC)

Jonah Kūhiō Kalanianaʻole in Japan
Many biographies of Jonah Kūhiō Kalanianaʻole including the one from the US House of Representatives claimed he was sent to Japan in 1888 and was a guest of the imperial government for nearly a year. They cite Lori Kamae The Empty Throne: A Biography of Hawaii’s Prince Cupid, but are there any older sources especially contemporary reports of his travel to Japan. KAVEBEAR (talk) 20:35, 13 December 2020 (UTC)
 * don't know really..interesting, that Kalanianaʻole was an early pioneer of surfing in US and UK.. Gfigs (talk) 10:43, 14 December 2020 (UTC)


 * Not contemporary, but Jonah Kuhio Kalanianaole Memorial Addresses Delivered in the House of Representatives of the United States in Memory of Jonah Kuhio Kalanianaole, Late a Delegate from Hawaii. United States Congress House · 1924 (p. 5) says: "At the conclusion of his college days he spent a year as the guest of the Japanese Government, his uncle , King Kalakaua , hoping that he would marry a princess of the royal house of Japan". Alansplodge (talk) 12:33, 14 December 2020 (UTC)
 * Older than 1980. You think this would have been covered a bit in contemporary newspapers. KAVEBEAR (talk) 16:49, 14 December 2020 (UTC)
 * Yes, it's surprising that we're drawing a blank! Also odd that his name is not showing up in Hawaii State Archives Index to Japanese Passenger Manifests, 1843-1900. Can you think of any alternate spellings to try? I even tried "Prince" alone, but no hits. 70.67.193.176 (talk) 17:10, 14 December 2020 (UTC)
 * What did you try? I assume it would been Prince Kalanianaole. Maybe try Piikoi (father’s surname)? KAVEBEAR (talk) 21:35, 14 December 2020 (UTC)
 * Sometimes Prince Jonas in the papers in 1887, but Jonah later. BTW March 28 for dob? fiveby(zero) 21:38, 14 December 2020 (UTC)
 * Have now tried (each in isolation): Prince, Jonah, Jonas, Kuhio, Guhio, Kalaniana'ole, Kalanianaole, Piikoi, Pikoi, Biikoi, Bikoi and even Cupid - no hits. (I know the search engine is working because I tried a common Japanese surname and got results!) 70.67.193.176 (talk) 00:44, 15 December 2020 (UTC)
 * Could this have been an apocryphal story made up by Henry Alexander Baldwin for Kuhio's memorial speech or the product of another false telling in Kuhio's obituaries? KAVEBEAR (talk) 08:06, 18 December 2020 (UTC)
 * We have to wonder, don't we? The newspaper databases I have access to aren't in Hawaii (closest is Los Angeles) so it's still possible that another editor with access to Hawaiian or Japanese archives might still find a newspaper report of his departure or return. The absence of such a primary reference is suspicious indeed, I agree, and sadly it's so hard to prove. Was there any kind of court circular at this period in Hawaii? 70.67.193.176 (talk) 19:51, 18 December 2020 (UTC)