Y'know, Padraig, that's all very well, but these "very holy men" need to start showing they know what the red hat symbolises. They need to start teaching and defending the Deposit of Faith rather than dropping hints. One (so far) German Bishop has invited all Protestants married to Catholics in his Diocese to receive Communion. He doesn't ask that they discern and he doesn't warn them about the consequences of sacrilege Communion and makes no reference to Confession. Therefore, a Catholic in his Diocese who hasn't been to Confession in over a year cannot receive Communion even if he truly believes in transubstantiation but Protestants who have never been to Confession are invited no questions asked other than "are you married to a Catholic?". And the Pope is good with this because he left it up to individual Bishops to do as they please. We have a situation now where being Catholic means being in union with the Bishop but Bishops in different dioceses are displaying contrary beliefs in what it means to "discern the Body and Blood" lest the faithful eat and drink damnation upon themselves. If we Catholics cannot be united about such a core belief, we have no unity and, whatever about holy and apostolic, "one" and "universal" are a sham. Compare what's happening now with what Pope John Paul 11 said here: Church: http://www.vatican.va/holy_father/s...-ii_enc_20030417_ecclesia_eucharistia_en.html "In various parts of the Church abuses have occurred, leading to confusion with regard to sound faith and Catholic doctrine concerning this wonderful sacrament. At times one encounters an extremely reductive understanding of the Eucharistic mystery. Stripped of its sacrificial meaning, it is celebrated as if it were simply a fraternal banquet. Furthermore, the necessity of the ministerial priesthood, grounded in apostolic succession, is at times obscured and the sacramental nature of the Eucharist is reduced to its mere effectiveness as a form of proclamation. This has led here and there to ecumenical initiatives which, albeit well-intentioned, indulge in Eucharistic practices contrary to the discipline by which the Church expresses her faith. How can we not express profound grief at all this? The Eucharist is too great a gift to tolerate ambiguity and depreciation." More than a few Bishops are displaying what St. John Paul described as "an extremely reductive understanding of the Eucharistic mystery". I reckon it would be hard to find a diocese where the Eucharist "stripped of its sacrificial meaning", isn't celebrated in some parishes as if it were simply a fraternal banquet. Many of us are expressing "profound grief" at all this but when we do we are condemned as unmerciful rigorists by the very man charged with defending the blessed Eucharist from sacrilege. In the same encyclical, St. John Paul said: At various times in the two-thousand-year history of the People of the New Covenant, the Church's Magisterium has more precisely defined her teaching on the Eucharist, including its proper terminology, precisely in order to safeguard the apostolic faith with regard to this sublime mystery. This faith remains unchanged and it is essential for the Church that it remain unchanged. How is what's going on under Pope Francis safeguarding the apostolic faith with regard to this sublime mystery? I surely don't know and not a single priest, bishop or cardinal, let alone the Pope himself, has bothered to explain. On the contrary, we're inundated with saccharine language about what Pope John Paul warned against - reducing the Eucharist to merely a fraternal banquet. Is there anyone reading this who hasn't heard a priest describe the Blessed Eucharist in such terms, ignoring its sacrificial aspect? I doubt it. Towards the end of the encyclical, St. John Paul says this: The treasure of the Eucharist, which the Lord places before us, impels us towards the goal of full sharing with all our brothers and sisters to whom we are joined by our common Baptism. But if this treasure is not to be squandered, we need to respect the demands which derive from its being the sacrament of communion in faith and in apostolic succession. By giving the Eucharist the prominence it deserves, and by being careful not to diminish any of its dimensions or demands, we show that we are truly conscious of the greatness of this gift. We are urged to do so by an uninterrupted tradition, which from the first centuries on has found the Christian community ever vigilant in guarding this “treasure”. Inspired by love, the Church is anxious to hand on to future generations of Christians, without loss, her faith and teaching with regard to the mystery of the Eucharist. There can be no danger of excess in our care for this mystery, for “in this sacrament is recapitulated the whole mystery of our salvation”. Looking at recent developments in the Church it's nigh impossible to discount the suspicion that the Eucharistic treasure is, indeed, being squandared and diminished in favour of the German Church Tax. St. John Paul pray for us.
Appears now that others with nothing else much to do are also jumping on this particular cause at the Vatican, ramping up all things environmental. The idea of older vocations, men with some real experience in the world prior to seminary/university experience only, seems to make sense in such cases of prelates getting in to things that are properly over their heads as far as important details go!: Vatican Cardinal Slams Shipping Industry for Climate Change, CO2 Is ‘Pollutant’ Vatican Cardinal Peter Turkson criticized the shipping industry Sunday, claiming that “vessels produce carbon dioxide emissions that significantly contribute to global climate change and acidification.” In his message for the yearly celebration of “Sea Sunday,” Turkson, head of the Vatican’s Department for Integral Human Development, first seemed to praise the work of seafarers before blaming them for their role in aggravating “global warming.” ....... He went on to express his gratitude for all those who make their living on the seas, noting that seafarers “play a significant role in our global economy by transporting from one corner of the world to another 90% of all the goods we use in our daily life.” The Ghanaian cardinal’s tone shifted from praise to reproach, however, when speaking of seafarers’ role in “climate change.” “Like all types of transportation that use fossil fuels, vessels produce carbon dioxide emissions that significantly contribute to global climate change and acidification,” the cardinal declared. “Besides carbon dioxide ships also release a handful of other pollutants that contribute to the problem.” In speaking of “other pollutants” besides carbon dioxide, Turkson fell into the common error of our time of imagining carbon dioxide to be a “pollutant.” Carbon dioxide (CO2) is an odorless, colorless, non-toxic gas essential to the welfare of the earth’s biosphere. By definition, a pollutant is a foreign substance or condition that contaminates air, water, or soil, whereas carbon dioxide is an essential component of the air we breathe, necessary for the health and survival of plant life. Calling CO2 an air pollutant is like calling oxygen a “water pollutant.” MORE: https://www.breitbart.com/national-...industry-for-climate-change-co2-is-pollutant/
The priest at mass today gave a homily on Humane Vitae, the very first on the subject I have ever heard. It was a very good sermon and I told hi it had been worth waiting on. A few hours later I was talking to a Jesuit from the community on our street. He is very cagey with me in expressing his opinion about Pope Francis but is openly curious about mine. He asked if I would be going to Dublin to see him and I told him I would prefer to be on another island when he came. It was strange he made a few guesses as to why I did was not happy with Pope Francis but none of them came close. I decided not to get into a debate. I can be cagey too. I found talking to him a little like trying to hold water in my hands. Curious.
Yes, we're hearing the odd mention of defending the faith in sermons lately. If only they were a bit more sure about what faith they want us to defend. Any Muslim or Hindu will tell you that Jesus was a nice man who liked the poor. Any reformed Jew will tell you that God is merciful and our understanding of the faith needs to be reinterpreted or developed to suit the age we are living in. Any Freemason will tell you that there's good in all faiths. Any atheist will tell you that God can't be God without man except that the atheists will say that men invented God. Any Protestant will say that all Christians should be welcome at the Lord's table. Any population controller will tell you that humans cause climate change. And any humanist will tell you that caring for your neighbour is good for society. They will share their beliefs because they hold them to be true and you can only share what you have. Once upon a time, we Catholics could be sure that what was held to be true in New York was equally true in Nova Scotia, the Netherlands, Berlin or Timbuktu. Can we say that now? Today is the feast of St. Killian. St. Killian was an Irish missionary to what is now Bavaria. He converted the ruler and was doing fine until he told the ruler that being married to his brother's widow was a no-no. She had Killian beheaded. Had he only known that he could have turned a blind eye and offered more merciful accompaniment and discernment rather than being upfront about Church teaching on marriage, he could have lived to a ripe old age, died in his bed and spent forever in heaven with the emperor, his wife and all mankind because we have a reasonable hope that all men are saved no matter what they do and, anyway, sins of the flesh are minor matters. Those martyrs must have been right eejits.
I was listening to a question and answer session by Fr Guner and he suggested that the people get the priests they deserve, in other words we have not been praying enough for our priests. I must pray more for them. Much, much more. I think they, like ourselves have gotten used to a reliable hierarcy, now it is gone they are like lost chickens. Much prayer needed, to be honest things have gotten so bad only God can help and I am sure he will. There are many, many wonderful priests. I see them every Sunday. Also during the weekday mass, but especially at the Latin Mass.
I trust in God and Our Blessed Mother to fix things. I have complete confidence. I thank God I had such a good religious education growing up and have done a huge amount of reading. It is standing by me now. I think what the Cathechism says is true, if we pray we will most certainly be saved , if we do not pray we will most certainly be damned. That will always be true no matter how bad things get. All we have to do is hold God's Hand in prayer.
Yes Yes Yes. Let us take the energy we spend in lamenting "bad" priests and what they are doing to the body of Christ and realize that our loving prayers are very powerful and try and spend that time in prayer for those priests. It doesn't mean we shouldn't point out error or bad behavior from a particular priest, Bishop, Cardinal, or our Pope, but if we were to at least say a Hail Mary before for that priest, Bishop, etc. before we make that criticism then we are participating in grace that God wants to give to that priest, Bishop, etc.. An act of love/prayer (where we desire the good of that priest, Bishop, etc.), will have an a big impact and is very pleasing to God. We may not see the effects of our prayers, but God hears our prayers and will respond with much love and grace and I think He would much rather we spend our time in prayer rather than in lamentation.
I'll be praying, garcia. Remember to offer your humble efforts to love your husband as an expression of your love for Christ. Jesus will treasure them and place these jewels in your everlasting crown. (Hail Mary...) I recall the challenging "does not" quotes of Jesus in Luke 14, remembering always that He loved to use hyperbole to shock our senses and make us listen: Luke 14: 26 "If any one comes to me and does not hate his own father and mother and wife and children and brothers and sisters, yes, and even his own life, he cannot be my disciple. 27 Whoever does not bear his own cross and come after me, cannot be my disciple. 28 For which of you, desiring to build a tower, does not first sit down and count the cost, whether he has enough to complete it? 29 Otherwise, when he has laid a foundation, and is not able to finish, all who see it begin to mock him, 30 saying, `This man began to build, and was not able to finish.' 31 Or what king, going to encounter another king in war, will not sit down first and take counsel whether he is able with ten thousand to meet him who comes against him with twenty thousand? 32 And if not, while the other is yet a great way off, he sends an embassy and asks terms of peace. 33 So therefore, whoever of you does not renounce all that he has cannot be my disciple.
"Are we not crucifying Christ again?"... Fr Santiago Martin comments on the recent developments on the Eucharist for protestants and the growing division in the Church.
I would get angry if it would do any good. But since getting angry will not do any good at all I will not get angry.
Indignant. I don't know. I would be horrified if I had not worn my horror all out. But I really struggle with the fact that good decent Catholics; daily mass goers , people presumably well brought up in the Faith are happy to go along with all this. 1 Corinthians 11:27 So then, whoever eats the bread or drinks the cup of the Lord in an unworthy manner will be guilty of sinning against the body and blood of the Lord. They loose me in this. I try to be charitable with them , but they loose me, they really, really, really do. ...as to Priests, Bishops and Cardinals who are happy to string along...well..
Excellent! What a wonderfully faithful priest! I hope priests remain faithful to the Truth even if their bishop does not. There are so many problems with giving Holy Communion to Protestants I don't even know where to start. They don't believe the same things as us, they don't have confession, etc. It never even occurred to me that even if a bishop says Protestants can receive Holy Communion that the priests may hold to the Truth and not distribute to them. So then what is he going to do, suspend half his priests?
