Thanks to all who have been kind enough to follow my posts and for offering responses and questions which I have attempted to address in one way or another.
I will be away beginning Wednesday of this week and will not return to post articles for the next two weeks.
For some, a blessed relief. For others, withdrawal symptoms?
Please take care and may the Holy Spirit continue to bless all of you. May the Lord watch over and protect the Church. And may peace among nations and within nations reign supreme.
God bless you, each and every one!
Tuesday, August 22, 2017
BEING POPE CAN BE A PAIN IN THE...SCIATICA
In the past, the Vatican would issue a report that the Pope had a small case of the sniffles when , in fact, he had already been dead for three days!
I guess the Holy See believed that somehow the laity needed to believe that holding the Office of Peter meant one was therefore immune from any form of human illness or infirmity. To suggest otherwise would have been considered to be an act of disloyalty, if not heresy.
How times have changed.
Pope Francis is reported to be receiving injections to ease the pain of sciatica. The Holy Father has been very open and forthright in revealing that he suffers from this nerve condition usually resulting from the herniation of a spinal disk. He publicly admitted this in 2013, during an in-flight press conference on his return from Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, following a World Youth Day celebration.
In response to a question about his health, Francis said, “The worst thing that happened - excuse me - was an attack of sciatica - really! - that I had the first month, because I was sitting in an armchair to do interviews and it hurt. Sciatica is very painful, very painful! I don’t wish it on anyone!”
The condition is not life-threatening, and there’s no indication it prevents the Holy Father from carrying out the responsibilities of his office.
There is a fascinating story about the Pope’s malady.
It seems that, in 2007, journalist Massimo Franco reported for the Italian newspaper Corriere della Sera that then-Cardinal Jorge Mario Bergoglio of Buenos Aires had visited a Roman physician named Valter Santilli for treatment of the disorder.
According to Franco’s report, Santilli said he had told the Cardinal that sciatica is a “prophetic disease.”
When Cardinal Bergoglio asked why, Santilli reportedly said: “Because in the Book of Genesis in the Old Testament, in Chapter 23, there’s the episode of Jacob’s struggle with the angel, who touched his sciatic nerve, on the hip joint, and that night, after his sciatic problem, the Lord changed his name to Israel.”
“You see,” Santilli continued, “after your sciatic problem, the Lord will change your name too.”
According to Famiglia Cristiana, Santilli adds now that Pope Francis called him shortly after his election in March 2013, after the two hadn’t seen one another for some time.
“One morning, my cell phone went off and the caller presented him like this: ‘Professor Santilli?’” he said.
“I replied, ‘Yes, who’s this?’”
“The response was the following: ‘I used to be called Jorge Mario Bergoglio, but the Lord has changed my name and now I’m called Pope Francis!’”
We wish the Holy Father swift comfort from his sciatic pain. God bless the Pope each day and always!
I guess the Holy See believed that somehow the laity needed to believe that holding the Office of Peter meant one was therefore immune from any form of human illness or infirmity. To suggest otherwise would have been considered to be an act of disloyalty, if not heresy.
How times have changed.
Pope Francis is reported to be receiving injections to ease the pain of sciatica. The Holy Father has been very open and forthright in revealing that he suffers from this nerve condition usually resulting from the herniation of a spinal disk. He publicly admitted this in 2013, during an in-flight press conference on his return from Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, following a World Youth Day celebration.
In response to a question about his health, Francis said, “The worst thing that happened - excuse me - was an attack of sciatica - really! - that I had the first month, because I was sitting in an armchair to do interviews and it hurt. Sciatica is very painful, very painful! I don’t wish it on anyone!”
The condition is not life-threatening, and there’s no indication it prevents the Holy Father from carrying out the responsibilities of his office.
There is a fascinating story about the Pope’s malady.
It seems that, in 2007, journalist Massimo Franco reported for the Italian newspaper Corriere della Sera that then-Cardinal Jorge Mario Bergoglio of Buenos Aires had visited a Roman physician named Valter Santilli for treatment of the disorder.
According to Franco’s report, Santilli said he had told the Cardinal that sciatica is a “prophetic disease.”
When Cardinal Bergoglio asked why, Santilli reportedly said: “Because in the Book of Genesis in the Old Testament, in Chapter 23, there’s the episode of Jacob’s struggle with the angel, who touched his sciatic nerve, on the hip joint, and that night, after his sciatic problem, the Lord changed his name to Israel.”
“You see,” Santilli continued, “after your sciatic problem, the Lord will change your name too.”
According to Famiglia Cristiana, Santilli adds now that Pope Francis called him shortly after his election in March 2013, after the two hadn’t seen one another for some time.
“One morning, my cell phone went off and the caller presented him like this: ‘Professor Santilli?’” he said.
“I replied, ‘Yes, who’s this?’”
“The response was the following: ‘I used to be called Jorge Mario Bergoglio, but the Lord has changed my name and now I’m called Pope Francis!’”
We wish the Holy Father swift comfort from his sciatic pain. God bless the Pope each day and always!
Monday, August 21, 2017
WHAT THE CHURCH TRULY TEACHES ABOUT HOMOSEXUALITY
The following is an accurate summary of Catholic teaching regarding homosexuality and the moral disorders related to it.
So, for those who want to know what the Church really teaches about homosexuality, here goes.
The Church refuses (yes, refuses) to consider a person to be ‘heterosexual’ or a ‘homosexual’. Every person has a fundamental identity: a creature of God and, by grace, His child and heir to eternal life.”
Each person also has a physical sex determined by his or her reproductive genitalia and organs: either male or female, man or woman.
The Church does not use the term “gender” as some people do, who claim that people have “sexual genders” as homosexuals, heterosexuals, bisexuals, and so forth.
Instead, the Church teaches that each male should accept his sex as a man, and each female her sex as a woman; and that means accepting that one is different from and complementary to, and equal in dignity with, persons of the opposite sex.
In its moral teaching regarding homosexuality, the Church teaches that anyone who has a physical attraction toward sexual activity with a person or persons of the same sex can be so described.
Notwithstanding the lies spoken by the overwhelming majority of those who argue for the moral legitimacy of homosexual behavior, it is well known that most homosexuals are also heterosexual persons. That is to say, most people who engage, or have an inclination to engage, in homosexual activity also engage, or are more or less inclined to engage, in sexual activity with a person or persons of the opposite sex.
Very many homosexual persons marry and have children by their spouses. Not all do, and there are some who have a sexual urge but lack the psycho-physical maturity for marital intercourse.
The Church observes that in some homosexual persons the homosexual attraction comes from a false education, from a lack of normal sexual development, from habit, from bad example, or from other similar causes, and is transitory and curable.
In addition, the Church admits that the number of men and women who have deep-seated homosexual disorders is not negligible, and that some homosexual persons may be definitively such because of some kind of pathological constitution judged to be incurable.
The Church is well aware of people who conclude that their tendency is so natural that it justifies their homosexual relations within a sincere communion of life and love analogous to marriage. But the Church, today as always, rejects that ideology and responds arguing from “the Natural Law”.
Catholic teaching, from the outset, has been that no homosexual acts are ever justified.
The Church’s Catechism reaffirms that every such inclination is an objective disorder, an intrinsically pathological inclination.
The reason why even the most deep-seated homosexual tendency must be called disordered is straightforward. Every such inclination is a tendency ordered toward an intrinsic moral evil.
The Church has been consistent in making a distinction between the disorder and the behavior in which a person freely chooses to engage. The particular disorder in and of itself is not a sin, unless willfully induced – for a sin is committed only as a free choice.
However, the homosexual disorder is precisely an inclination to choose a homosexual act – a sex act with a person of the same sex. And, like every other kind of non-marital sex act, any and every homosexual act is, if freely and deliberately chosen, a serious sin.
The Church’s teaching about homosexuality is proposed with ample awareness of modern psychological and biological research into the origins of these inclinations.
The Church’s teaching about these inclinations rests instead on the Catholic doctrine about the choice to engage in homosexual acts. This is a moral doctrine, a teaching about what is right (or wrong), good (or worthless and harmful), and choiceworthy (or sinful).
From its earliest years, the Church has understood its moral doctrine as not only a matter of Faith but also fully in line with human nature.
St Paul teaches clearly about this in his letter to the Romans (Rom. 2: 14-15). But Jesus had already made the point by his profound teachings on human sex (Matt. 19: 4). Moreover, the marital communion of man and woman which, on the basis of that complementarity of identities, was established “from the beginning” (i.e. in the intentions of God the creator of nature) (Rom. 19: 8).
As Jesus makes clear, this natural communion requires for its integrity not only the sexual intercourse of the spouses (Matt. 19: 5), but also the complete and unwavering mastery and overcoming – by everyone, married or unmarried -- of every desire for sexual contact or enjoyment outside marriage (Matt. 5: 27).
To look on anyone with lust is “adultery”, that is, an offense – even by the unmarried -- against marriage, a relationship both profoundly natural and sustainable only by fidelity to the truth.
Some of the greatest theologians and philosophers have explained the relationship between human nature, the natural world as a whole, and the truths of morality. Everything that should be and is worthy of rightful choice is natural and grounded in the realities of human nature.
Still, not everything we find in our nature is a pointer to what is good, choiceworthy and reasonable.
For example, as St Thomas Aquinas points out, we all have “a natural inclination to follow our bodily feelings and desires even against the good of being reasonable.” This is one of many “natural” – i.e. innate, deep-seated, typical – inclinations which should not simply be followed!
Others are found more in some people’s nature than in others’: some people are more inclined to anger, including immoral anger, than others; some are more inclined to greed, some to crippling fear, and so forth.
Aquinas, following a lead from Aristotle’s research and reflections, reminds his readers that homosexual inclinations – e.g. the desire of some men to have sex with other men – arise in some cases from a desire for self-gratification which has initiated and sustained a corrupt taste for this sort of behavior, a bad habit. Int in other cases, such behavior stems from a defective psycho-physical constitution.
The way these inclinations originate in a particular person does not affect the fact that, insofar as they incline that person towards sex acts with persons of the same sex, they incline not towards but away from the authentic fulfillment of nature itself and the Divinely-revealed Will of the Creator.
Catholic teaching on sex has, from the beginning, done no more, and no less, than point out the ways in which every kind of sex act, other than authentic marital intercourse, is opposed to the good of marriage and the Natural Law.
The more distant a kind of sex act is from the marital kind, the more seriously disordered and, in itself, immoral it is.
Sexual intercourse, when it is truly marital, enables the man and the woman to experience and actualize their mutual commitment and communion at all levels of their being: biological, emotional, rational and volitional. It is only truly marital when it has the characteristics of the two-sided good of marriage itself: friendship and openness to procreation.
And so, the Church clearly teaches that a sexual act is marital only when (1) it is an act of the generative kind, that is, culminates in a union of the generative organs in which the wife accepts into her genital tract her husband’s genital organ and the semen he deposits within her; and (2) it is an act of friendship in which each is seeking to express commitment to and affection for, and the desire to benefit and give marital pleasure to, and share marital pleasure with, the other spouse as the very person to whom he or she is committed in marriage.
No one can judge it reasonable for human beings to seek sexual satisfaction in any other extra-marital way.
Homosexual sex acts, even between people who could never consummate a marriage and who wish, at the time, to be committed to each other in a lifelong friendship, can never be marital acts.
To judge them morally acceptable – to condone them -- is opposed to the very nature of marriage. Thus, they cannot reasonably be judged morally acceptable.
The Church’s teaching is clear and unequivocal: natural intercourse is not only heterosexual. Rather, it is marital.
That is, it is sexually complementary (heterosexual), and in each act of spousal intercourse enables the man and the woman, wife and husband, to experience, express and actualize together – physically, emotionally, and intellectually – both of the two essential marital ends and goods: procreativeness, and a friendship which is exclusive and permanently committed.
The Bishops do great harm and violence to this unequivocal teaching when, in their misguided attempts at being overly cautious not to offend the slightest sensibility, they dilute this clear teaching and sow seeds of confusion in the minds of the Christian faithful.
Homosexual actions are an innate offense against the laws of nature and the Will of the Creator. Those who freely and willfully engage in such are culpable of serious sin. Those who encourage such behavior are equally culpable.
The assault upon the Church by homosexual and gender identity advocates is unprecedented in history. Advocates for such disordered and immoral behavior can be found both within and outside the Church.
In response to that assault, the Church will best serve the needs and the good of those who entrust themselves to her care by simply, clearly and dispassionately reaffirming the Gospel truths about the Natural Law, moral good, moral evil, sex, marriage, and the marital act itself.
To do otherwise, to deflect from this clear teaching, to compromise its implications and consequences is to fail in the Church’s mission to go forth and teach and make disciples of all the nations.
May the Bishops and we be worthy of the task the Lord has placed before us to proclaim the beauty of what marriage and its full expression in the marital act really and truly are.
So, for those who want to know what the Church really teaches about homosexuality, here goes.
The Church refuses (yes, refuses) to consider a person to be ‘heterosexual’ or a ‘homosexual’. Every person has a fundamental identity: a creature of God and, by grace, His child and heir to eternal life.”
Each person also has a physical sex determined by his or her reproductive genitalia and organs: either male or female, man or woman.
The Church does not use the term “gender” as some people do, who claim that people have “sexual genders” as homosexuals, heterosexuals, bisexuals, and so forth.
Instead, the Church teaches that each male should accept his sex as a man, and each female her sex as a woman; and that means accepting that one is different from and complementary to, and equal in dignity with, persons of the opposite sex.
In its moral teaching regarding homosexuality, the Church teaches that anyone who has a physical attraction toward sexual activity with a person or persons of the same sex can be so described.
Notwithstanding the lies spoken by the overwhelming majority of those who argue for the moral legitimacy of homosexual behavior, it is well known that most homosexuals are also heterosexual persons. That is to say, most people who engage, or have an inclination to engage, in homosexual activity also engage, or are more or less inclined to engage, in sexual activity with a person or persons of the opposite sex.
Very many homosexual persons marry and have children by their spouses. Not all do, and there are some who have a sexual urge but lack the psycho-physical maturity for marital intercourse.
The Church observes that in some homosexual persons the homosexual attraction comes from a false education, from a lack of normal sexual development, from habit, from bad example, or from other similar causes, and is transitory and curable.
In addition, the Church admits that the number of men and women who have deep-seated homosexual disorders is not negligible, and that some homosexual persons may be definitively such because of some kind of pathological constitution judged to be incurable.
The Church is well aware of people who conclude that their tendency is so natural that it justifies their homosexual relations within a sincere communion of life and love analogous to marriage. But the Church, today as always, rejects that ideology and responds arguing from “the Natural Law”.
Catholic teaching, from the outset, has been that no homosexual acts are ever justified.
The Church’s Catechism reaffirms that every such inclination is an objective disorder, an intrinsically pathological inclination.
The reason why even the most deep-seated homosexual tendency must be called disordered is straightforward. Every such inclination is a tendency ordered toward an intrinsic moral evil.
The Church has been consistent in making a distinction between the disorder and the behavior in which a person freely chooses to engage. The particular disorder in and of itself is not a sin, unless willfully induced – for a sin is committed only as a free choice.
However, the homosexual disorder is precisely an inclination to choose a homosexual act – a sex act with a person of the same sex. And, like every other kind of non-marital sex act, any and every homosexual act is, if freely and deliberately chosen, a serious sin.
The Church’s teaching about homosexuality is proposed with ample awareness of modern psychological and biological research into the origins of these inclinations.
The Church’s teaching about these inclinations rests instead on the Catholic doctrine about the choice to engage in homosexual acts. This is a moral doctrine, a teaching about what is right (or wrong), good (or worthless and harmful), and choiceworthy (or sinful).
From its earliest years, the Church has understood its moral doctrine as not only a matter of Faith but also fully in line with human nature.
St Paul teaches clearly about this in his letter to the Romans (Rom. 2: 14-15). But Jesus had already made the point by his profound teachings on human sex (Matt. 19: 4). Moreover, the marital communion of man and woman which, on the basis of that complementarity of identities, was established “from the beginning” (i.e. in the intentions of God the creator of nature) (Rom. 19: 8).
As Jesus makes clear, this natural communion requires for its integrity not only the sexual intercourse of the spouses (Matt. 19: 5), but also the complete and unwavering mastery and overcoming – by everyone, married or unmarried -- of every desire for sexual contact or enjoyment outside marriage (Matt. 5: 27).
To look on anyone with lust is “adultery”, that is, an offense – even by the unmarried -- against marriage, a relationship both profoundly natural and sustainable only by fidelity to the truth.
Some of the greatest theologians and philosophers have explained the relationship between human nature, the natural world as a whole, and the truths of morality. Everything that should be and is worthy of rightful choice is natural and grounded in the realities of human nature.
Still, not everything we find in our nature is a pointer to what is good, choiceworthy and reasonable.
For example, as St Thomas Aquinas points out, we all have “a natural inclination to follow our bodily feelings and desires even against the good of being reasonable.” This is one of many “natural” – i.e. innate, deep-seated, typical – inclinations which should not simply be followed!
Others are found more in some people’s nature than in others’: some people are more inclined to anger, including immoral anger, than others; some are more inclined to greed, some to crippling fear, and so forth.
Aquinas, following a lead from Aristotle’s research and reflections, reminds his readers that homosexual inclinations – e.g. the desire of some men to have sex with other men – arise in some cases from a desire for self-gratification which has initiated and sustained a corrupt taste for this sort of behavior, a bad habit. Int in other cases, such behavior stems from a defective psycho-physical constitution.
The way these inclinations originate in a particular person does not affect the fact that, insofar as they incline that person towards sex acts with persons of the same sex, they incline not towards but away from the authentic fulfillment of nature itself and the Divinely-revealed Will of the Creator.
Catholic teaching on sex has, from the beginning, done no more, and no less, than point out the ways in which every kind of sex act, other than authentic marital intercourse, is opposed to the good of marriage and the Natural Law.
The more distant a kind of sex act is from the marital kind, the more seriously disordered and, in itself, immoral it is.
Sexual intercourse, when it is truly marital, enables the man and the woman to experience and actualize their mutual commitment and communion at all levels of their being: biological, emotional, rational and volitional. It is only truly marital when it has the characteristics of the two-sided good of marriage itself: friendship and openness to procreation.
And so, the Church clearly teaches that a sexual act is marital only when (1) it is an act of the generative kind, that is, culminates in a union of the generative organs in which the wife accepts into her genital tract her husband’s genital organ and the semen he deposits within her; and (2) it is an act of friendship in which each is seeking to express commitment to and affection for, and the desire to benefit and give marital pleasure to, and share marital pleasure with, the other spouse as the very person to whom he or she is committed in marriage.
No one can judge it reasonable for human beings to seek sexual satisfaction in any other extra-marital way.
Homosexual sex acts, even between people who could never consummate a marriage and who wish, at the time, to be committed to each other in a lifelong friendship, can never be marital acts.
To judge them morally acceptable – to condone them -- is opposed to the very nature of marriage. Thus, they cannot reasonably be judged morally acceptable.
The Church’s teaching is clear and unequivocal: natural intercourse is not only heterosexual. Rather, it is marital.
That is, it is sexually complementary (heterosexual), and in each act of spousal intercourse enables the man and the woman, wife and husband, to experience, express and actualize together – physically, emotionally, and intellectually – both of the two essential marital ends and goods: procreativeness, and a friendship which is exclusive and permanently committed.
The Bishops do great harm and violence to this unequivocal teaching when, in their misguided attempts at being overly cautious not to offend the slightest sensibility, they dilute this clear teaching and sow seeds of confusion in the minds of the Christian faithful.
Homosexual actions are an innate offense against the laws of nature and the Will of the Creator. Those who freely and willfully engage in such are culpable of serious sin. Those who encourage such behavior are equally culpable.
The assault upon the Church by homosexual and gender identity advocates is unprecedented in history. Advocates for such disordered and immoral behavior can be found both within and outside the Church.
In response to that assault, the Church will best serve the needs and the good of those who entrust themselves to her care by simply, clearly and dispassionately reaffirming the Gospel truths about the Natural Law, moral good, moral evil, sex, marriage, and the marital act itself.
To do otherwise, to deflect from this clear teaching, to compromise its implications and consequences is to fail in the Church’s mission to go forth and teach and make disciples of all the nations.
May the Bishops and we be worthy of the task the Lord has placed before us to proclaim the beauty of what marriage and its full expression in the marital act really and truly are.
Sunday, August 20, 2017
SHAME ON THE NATIONAL CATHOLIC REPORTER AND THOSE WHO SUPPORT IT
The National Catholic Reporter (NCR) recently published an editorial castigating the Church for teaching that procreation is by its very nature linked to the morality of sexual intercourse.
The editorial amounts to a challenge to the Church for a “change in the teaching on sex and sexuality”. The article demands that the Church change its “moral norms” on contraception, sodomy, masturbation, and in vitro fertilization.
“Today, the procreative norm is one of the fundamental reasons the Church remains opposed to same-sex relationships. But, in reality, this doctrine has far-reaching consequences for all Catholics, regardless of sexual orientation or gender identity,” the editorial advises.
“The institutional Church’s vocal objections to same-sex marriage often mask the fact that Church teaching is fundamentally opposed to sexual acts that a majority of human beings participate in. The church condemns any sex acts — including those engaged in by married couples — that do not respect the procreative norm. Therefore, in reality, few Catholics ever live up to the church’s moral norms governing sexual activity,” it adds.
“This work has largely been stalled by the hierarchy’s unwillingness to loosen its rigid interpretation of millennia-old ideas about natural law and the procreation norm,” the editorial states.
Once again, yes once again, the NCR reveals its willful (how often I find myself using this word lately) ignorance of the basis of this and all the doctrinal and moral teachings of the Church, that is, the revealed Word of God.
The fact is the Catholic Church has never wavered in her constant teaching that the sexual act is morally ordered to take place between one man and one woman joined together in marriage. This teaching is rooted in Genesis, reaffirmed by Jesus Christ in the Gospels, and ratified time and again by official Church teaching throughout the ages.
The NCR is willful and accountable in its refusal to accept these simple facts.
Yet, this is only the most recent in a long list of calls from NCR for the Church to change her sexual morality.
The local bishops of this Missouri-based rag of religious yellow journalism have repeatedly condemned the news service, asking it to remove “Catholic” from its name, but to no avail.
And how have the Missouri Bishops been supported in their efforts by their brothers in the Episcopacy?
The NCR has been legitimized by receiving press credentials at the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops and the Vatican, and through frequent interviews with influential Bishops and Cardinals.
While Colorado Bishop Michael Sheridan called the NCR in 2013 “an embarrassment to the Catholic Church,” numerous Bishops continue to give the paper exclusive interviews about Pope Francis’ agenda for the Church.
Such high-ranking Prelates include, but are not limited to, Chicago Cardinal Blase Cupich, Cardinal Joseph Tobin, Cardinal Kevin Farrell, and San Diego Bishop Robert McElroy.
Other influential Clergy connected to the Vatican frequently post NCR content on their social media accounts.
The Catholic laity are not only scandalized by such behavior, but are terribly confused by it as well. I suggest that they cannot be held accountable for their attitudes nor their behavior in matters pertaining to human sexuality because of such confusion.
The Bishops themselves are responsible for not condemning such attacks upon the doctrinal teachings of the Church. They are accountable for supporting those who not only refuse to accept those teachings but encourage others to do so as well.
The NCR needs to be unequivocally and unanimously condemned by the Bishops for this editorial and the historical animosity this poor example of self-proclaimed Catholic media has shown over the years.
Shame on the NCR and shame on those who support it and contribute to its content.
The editorial amounts to a challenge to the Church for a “change in the teaching on sex and sexuality”. The article demands that the Church change its “moral norms” on contraception, sodomy, masturbation, and in vitro fertilization.
“Today, the procreative norm is one of the fundamental reasons the Church remains opposed to same-sex relationships. But, in reality, this doctrine has far-reaching consequences for all Catholics, regardless of sexual orientation or gender identity,” the editorial advises.
“The institutional Church’s vocal objections to same-sex marriage often mask the fact that Church teaching is fundamentally opposed to sexual acts that a majority of human beings participate in. The church condemns any sex acts — including those engaged in by married couples — that do not respect the procreative norm. Therefore, in reality, few Catholics ever live up to the church’s moral norms governing sexual activity,” it adds.
“This work has largely been stalled by the hierarchy’s unwillingness to loosen its rigid interpretation of millennia-old ideas about natural law and the procreation norm,” the editorial states.
Once again, yes once again, the NCR reveals its willful (how often I find myself using this word lately) ignorance of the basis of this and all the doctrinal and moral teachings of the Church, that is, the revealed Word of God.
The fact is the Catholic Church has never wavered in her constant teaching that the sexual act is morally ordered to take place between one man and one woman joined together in marriage. This teaching is rooted in Genesis, reaffirmed by Jesus Christ in the Gospels, and ratified time and again by official Church teaching throughout the ages.
The NCR is willful and accountable in its refusal to accept these simple facts.
Yet, this is only the most recent in a long list of calls from NCR for the Church to change her sexual morality.
The local bishops of this Missouri-based rag of religious yellow journalism have repeatedly condemned the news service, asking it to remove “Catholic” from its name, but to no avail.
And how have the Missouri Bishops been supported in their efforts by their brothers in the Episcopacy?
The NCR has been legitimized by receiving press credentials at the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops and the Vatican, and through frequent interviews with influential Bishops and Cardinals.
While Colorado Bishop Michael Sheridan called the NCR in 2013 “an embarrassment to the Catholic Church,” numerous Bishops continue to give the paper exclusive interviews about Pope Francis’ agenda for the Church.
Such high-ranking Prelates include, but are not limited to, Chicago Cardinal Blase Cupich, Cardinal Joseph Tobin, Cardinal Kevin Farrell, and San Diego Bishop Robert McElroy.
Other influential Clergy connected to the Vatican frequently post NCR content on their social media accounts.
The Catholic laity are not only scandalized by such behavior, but are terribly confused by it as well. I suggest that they cannot be held accountable for their attitudes nor their behavior in matters pertaining to human sexuality because of such confusion.
The Bishops themselves are responsible for not condemning such attacks upon the doctrinal teachings of the Church. They are accountable for supporting those who not only refuse to accept those teachings but encourage others to do so as well.
The NCR needs to be unequivocally and unanimously condemned by the Bishops for this editorial and the historical animosity this poor example of self-proclaimed Catholic media has shown over the years.
Shame on the NCR and shame on those who support it and contribute to its content.
WAR: Why?
I am quickly approaching my 70th year of life.
As I do so, I think I am succumbing to the myth that age brings with it a certain wisdom.
I’m not so sure.
I’ve never seen any intimate link between age and wisdom. As a matter of fact, some of the most clueless individuals I have encountered have been somewhat “long in the tooth” as they say.
What I do know is that age brings with it a certain freedom to express one’s opinion openly and with little fear or concern with anyone else's reaction to it.
And so, after such a preface, I ask this question as I look beyond the narrow confines of my office window on this sunny Arizona morning: why do we human beings ever wage war?
I ask not from a particularly pacifist point of view, but only as an observer of the many wars -- hot and cold -- which I have witnessed in my lifetime.
I am one of the so-called “baby boomers” born in the aftermath of World War II.
From my earliest days, both at home and in school, I was told that Americans engaged in that war to save Europe from the Nazis.
Those goose-stepping barbarians wanted to erect a new world government -- The Third Reich. It was godless. It was ruthless. The Nazis advocated the extermination of the weak and the defenseless. Nazis were racist fascists who supported a totalitarian dictatorship of centralized government over the individual lives of its citizens. Nazis conducted biological experiments on the unsuspecting and the unwilling. Nazis euthanized the mentally ill and psychotic.
And so, hundred of thousands of Americans and Europeans died on the battlefields of Eastern Europe. Germany and its Axis allies, Italy and Japan, suffered horrible destruction and devastation. And the world was introduced to a new age of nuclear weaponry which could level an entire city with just one bomb.
All this to save the world from the barbarism of The Third Reich.
But jump ahead some 75 or so years later, and what do we find?
American and European culture have become utterly godless. Self-gratification in all of its expressions and permutations is the new religion. Abortion, the extermination of the most defenseless -- the unborn, is universally accepted for all reasons or specific cases, but accepted nonetheless.
Centralized government continues to encroach upon the rights of individual States (in Europe, the individual nation states) and their citizens to determine their way of life. Euthanasia is fast making inroads into the mindset of popular culture. And the threat of nuclear weaponry falling into the hands of tyrants and militant radicals is the greatest threat we face.
So, why did we wage a war?
If the Nazis had only waited and not invaded Poland, they would have succeeded in advancing their godless ideology throughout the world. In fact, those ideologies have succeeded the Nazis themselves and are more prevalent in the world then even Hitler, Mussolini and Hirohito could have imagined?
Then there was the Korean War. Need I say more especially these days?
Then Vietnam. Several of my elementary school classmates died in that one. Just the other day, I bought a small plastic flashlight to keep in the glove compartment of my car. Stamped into the plastic were the words: Made in the Republic of Vietnam. We lost that campaign against Communism pretty spectacularly, would you not agree? And now, we do business with them to enrich their Communist coffers!
Of course, let’s not forget the Great Cold War that was supposedly being waged all during my youthful days.
Once again, we built up nuclear arsenals which we were told were powerful enough to destroy all life on earth. For what, to protect our society from “godless Communism”. Look around, who really won the Cold War?
Next, Kuwait. Then, Iraq. Now, we are still fighting in Afghanistan and have adopted a new cold war existence with Iran, at least until we decide it’s time to sacrifice thousands of more lives against Islamic ideology, Sharia Law, and the establishment of a new caliphate across the globe.
But again, look around and tell me that Islam has not already conquered the cultures of the West, not in a religious sense but in a political and cultural sense for sure!
So, the more and more I think about it, wars aren’t fought over ideologies or ideals. They are waged because they are profitable to warmongers in government and industry.
Wars resolve nothing. Perhaps, what they do accomplish is introduce ideologies among nations, ideologies which slowly but inevitably infect the world with the latest horror which a sinful human race can unleash.
Anyway, that’s the opinion of this almost 70 year old who wonders what the future will hold for the children of generations yet to be born. Take it or leave it, it's the truth as I see it.
What do you think?
But be careful, unless you're old and considered useless and ineffectual, you might want to wait to keep your opinion to yourself!
As I do so, I think I am succumbing to the myth that age brings with it a certain wisdom.
I’m not so sure.
I’ve never seen any intimate link between age and wisdom. As a matter of fact, some of the most clueless individuals I have encountered have been somewhat “long in the tooth” as they say.
What I do know is that age brings with it a certain freedom to express one’s opinion openly and with little fear or concern with anyone else's reaction to it.
And so, after such a preface, I ask this question as I look beyond the narrow confines of my office window on this sunny Arizona morning: why do we human beings ever wage war?
I ask not from a particularly pacifist point of view, but only as an observer of the many wars -- hot and cold -- which I have witnessed in my lifetime.
I am one of the so-called “baby boomers” born in the aftermath of World War II.
From my earliest days, both at home and in school, I was told that Americans engaged in that war to save Europe from the Nazis.
Those goose-stepping barbarians wanted to erect a new world government -- The Third Reich. It was godless. It was ruthless. The Nazis advocated the extermination of the weak and the defenseless. Nazis were racist fascists who supported a totalitarian dictatorship of centralized government over the individual lives of its citizens. Nazis conducted biological experiments on the unsuspecting and the unwilling. Nazis euthanized the mentally ill and psychotic.
And so, hundred of thousands of Americans and Europeans died on the battlefields of Eastern Europe. Germany and its Axis allies, Italy and Japan, suffered horrible destruction and devastation. And the world was introduced to a new age of nuclear weaponry which could level an entire city with just one bomb.
All this to save the world from the barbarism of The Third Reich.
But jump ahead some 75 or so years later, and what do we find?
American and European culture have become utterly godless. Self-gratification in all of its expressions and permutations is the new religion. Abortion, the extermination of the most defenseless -- the unborn, is universally accepted for all reasons or specific cases, but accepted nonetheless.
Centralized government continues to encroach upon the rights of individual States (in Europe, the individual nation states) and their citizens to determine their way of life. Euthanasia is fast making inroads into the mindset of popular culture. And the threat of nuclear weaponry falling into the hands of tyrants and militant radicals is the greatest threat we face.
So, why did we wage a war?
If the Nazis had only waited and not invaded Poland, they would have succeeded in advancing their godless ideology throughout the world. In fact, those ideologies have succeeded the Nazis themselves and are more prevalent in the world then even Hitler, Mussolini and Hirohito could have imagined?
Then there was the Korean War. Need I say more especially these days?
Then Vietnam. Several of my elementary school classmates died in that one. Just the other day, I bought a small plastic flashlight to keep in the glove compartment of my car. Stamped into the plastic were the words: Made in the Republic of Vietnam. We lost that campaign against Communism pretty spectacularly, would you not agree? And now, we do business with them to enrich their Communist coffers!
Of course, let’s not forget the Great Cold War that was supposedly being waged all during my youthful days.
Once again, we built up nuclear arsenals which we were told were powerful enough to destroy all life on earth. For what, to protect our society from “godless Communism”. Look around, who really won the Cold War?
Next, Kuwait. Then, Iraq. Now, we are still fighting in Afghanistan and have adopted a new cold war existence with Iran, at least until we decide it’s time to sacrifice thousands of more lives against Islamic ideology, Sharia Law, and the establishment of a new caliphate across the globe.
But again, look around and tell me that Islam has not already conquered the cultures of the West, not in a religious sense but in a political and cultural sense for sure!
So, the more and more I think about it, wars aren’t fought over ideologies or ideals. They are waged because they are profitable to warmongers in government and industry.
Wars resolve nothing. Perhaps, what they do accomplish is introduce ideologies among nations, ideologies which slowly but inevitably infect the world with the latest horror which a sinful human race can unleash.
Anyway, that’s the opinion of this almost 70 year old who wonders what the future will hold for the children of generations yet to be born. Take it or leave it, it's the truth as I see it.
What do you think?
But be careful, unless you're old and considered useless and ineffectual, you might want to wait to keep your opinion to yourself!
Friday, August 18, 2017
WHEN IS A PUBLIC AFFAIR NOT A PUBLIC AFFAIR?
Cardinal Raymond Burke said that Francis’ refusal to answer a formal church inquiry consisting of five questions or “doubts,” known as dubia, about his teachings has made it necessary to declare a correction to Francis’ teachings according to Catholic doctrine.
Burke said the unclear nature of Francis’ teachings on marriage and communion, as espoused in Amoris Laetitia, are causing apostasy in the Church and brought it to the brink of schism. The correction, according to Burke, is necessary to restore unity to the Church.
“Pope Francis has chosen not to respond to the five dubia, so it is now necessary simply to state what the Church teaches about marriage, the family, acts that are intrinsically evil, and so forth. These are the points that are not clear in the current teachings of the Roman Pontiff; therefore, this situation must be corrected,” Burke told The Wanderer.
Burke particularly criticized Francis’ pronouncement that individuals who have remarried after being divorced are allowed to take communion, which reversed traditional Church doctrine that forbade communion for such people.
Confusion over Francis’s new doctrine is causing division within the church, with different bishops making conflicting rulings over what is sin and what is not with regard to marriage and divorce. As for whether or not the confusion is dangerous enough to divide, or create a schism, within the Church, Burke said it may well do so.
“This, in fact, is exactly what is going on. Bishops tell me that when they insist on authentic Church teaching with regard to irregular matrimonial unions, people are simply rejecting their teachings. They say that another bishop teaches differently and they choose to follow him,” Burke told The Wanderer.
“People can, however, be living in a schismatic situation if the teaching of Christ has been abandoned. The more appropriate word would be the one Our Lady used in her Message of Fatima: apostasy. There can be apostasy within the Church and this, in fact, is what is going on. In connection with the apostasy, Our Lady also referred to the failure of pastors to bring the Church to unity,” Burke added.
The process of bringing a formal, doctrinal correction against a Pope is rarely done and has not been invoked now “for several centuries,” according to Burke. Burke said the next step in the correction process, given Francis’ silence, is “simply to state what the Church teaches about marriage, the family, acts that are intrinsically evil, and so forth.”
“These are the points that are not clear in the current teachings of the Roman Pontiff; therefore, this situation must be corrected. The correction would then direct itself principally to those doctrinal points,” Burke added.
Cardinal Walter Brandmüller told the National Catholic Register that the correction will happen behind closed doors and will not be made a public affair.
Have I missed something here? You publicly announce that you are going to formally correct the Holy Father’s apostasy which you allege but it will not “be made a public affair”?
Oh well, I keep forgetting that I am living in an alternate universe where nothing makes any sense anymore.
For the moment, I will let this story suffice.
At a later date, I will be posting my personal reflections regarding Cardinal Burke’s decisions and actions relative to this matter of formally correcting the Vicar of Christ.
Burke said the unclear nature of Francis’ teachings on marriage and communion, as espoused in Amoris Laetitia, are causing apostasy in the Church and brought it to the brink of schism. The correction, according to Burke, is necessary to restore unity to the Church.
“Pope Francis has chosen not to respond to the five dubia, so it is now necessary simply to state what the Church teaches about marriage, the family, acts that are intrinsically evil, and so forth. These are the points that are not clear in the current teachings of the Roman Pontiff; therefore, this situation must be corrected,” Burke told The Wanderer.
Burke particularly criticized Francis’ pronouncement that individuals who have remarried after being divorced are allowed to take communion, which reversed traditional Church doctrine that forbade communion for such people.
Confusion over Francis’s new doctrine is causing division within the church, with different bishops making conflicting rulings over what is sin and what is not with regard to marriage and divorce. As for whether or not the confusion is dangerous enough to divide, or create a schism, within the Church, Burke said it may well do so.
“This, in fact, is exactly what is going on. Bishops tell me that when they insist on authentic Church teaching with regard to irregular matrimonial unions, people are simply rejecting their teachings. They say that another bishop teaches differently and they choose to follow him,” Burke told The Wanderer.
“People can, however, be living in a schismatic situation if the teaching of Christ has been abandoned. The more appropriate word would be the one Our Lady used in her Message of Fatima: apostasy. There can be apostasy within the Church and this, in fact, is what is going on. In connection with the apostasy, Our Lady also referred to the failure of pastors to bring the Church to unity,” Burke added.
The process of bringing a formal, doctrinal correction against a Pope is rarely done and has not been invoked now “for several centuries,” according to Burke. Burke said the next step in the correction process, given Francis’ silence, is “simply to state what the Church teaches about marriage, the family, acts that are intrinsically evil, and so forth.”
“These are the points that are not clear in the current teachings of the Roman Pontiff; therefore, this situation must be corrected. The correction would then direct itself principally to those doctrinal points,” Burke added.
Cardinal Walter Brandmüller told the National Catholic Register that the correction will happen behind closed doors and will not be made a public affair.
Have I missed something here? You publicly announce that you are going to formally correct the Holy Father’s apostasy which you allege but it will not “be made a public affair”?
Oh well, I keep forgetting that I am living in an alternate universe where nothing makes any sense anymore.
For the moment, I will let this story suffice.
At a later date, I will be posting my personal reflections regarding Cardinal Burke’s decisions and actions relative to this matter of formally correcting the Vicar of Christ.
Thursday, August 17, 2017
"SO WHAT DO YOU THINK ABOUT POPE FRANCIS?" --- DON'T ASK THE FOLKS OF CASTEL GANDOLFO
Pope John Paul II and Pope Benedict XVI both liked to relax in the papal villa at Castel Gandolfo during the summer months.
Pope Francis, on the other hand, has not taken a formal holiday since 1975 and perfers to remain in his modest rooms in a Vatican guesthouse as the temperatures in the Eternal City reach into the triple digits.
The Vatican Press Office recently announced that the papal villa will now open to the public as a museum.
Something had to be done with the place.
The halls of this Papal estate which rises on the crest of a volcanic crater which formed Lake Albano have remained empty since Francis assumed the Pontificate.
Little wonder the tourist vendors and business owners in Castel Gandolfo have little good to say about this Pope.
The latest gesture, opening the villa to the public so that tourists can visit the rooms where Popes have vacationed, is little appreciated by the townspeople whose local economy has tanked for lack of visitors.
The fact that Francis has declined to stay there has dealt a devastating blow to the small town’s coffee bars, restaurants, hotels and shops, the impact of which has been felt much more by working families than by the rich and mighty.
Expanding the palace’s function as a museum may draw more tourist traffic, which will be good for local business, but it’s hardly the same thing as having the Pope in town on a regular basis.
So, if you want to know what Catholics think of Pope Francis, don’t ask the citizens of Castel Gandolfo. Their responses are most likely not going to be objective, by a long shot.
Pope Francis, on the other hand, has not taken a formal holiday since 1975 and perfers to remain in his modest rooms in a Vatican guesthouse as the temperatures in the Eternal City reach into the triple digits.
The Vatican Press Office recently announced that the papal villa will now open to the public as a museum.
Something had to be done with the place.
The halls of this Papal estate which rises on the crest of a volcanic crater which formed Lake Albano have remained empty since Francis assumed the Pontificate.
Little wonder the tourist vendors and business owners in Castel Gandolfo have little good to say about this Pope.
The latest gesture, opening the villa to the public so that tourists can visit the rooms where Popes have vacationed, is little appreciated by the townspeople whose local economy has tanked for lack of visitors.
The fact that Francis has declined to stay there has dealt a devastating blow to the small town’s coffee bars, restaurants, hotels and shops, the impact of which has been felt much more by working families than by the rich and mighty.
Expanding the palace’s function as a museum may draw more tourist traffic, which will be good for local business, but it’s hardly the same thing as having the Pope in town on a regular basis.
So, if you want to know what Catholics think of Pope Francis, don’t ask the citizens of Castel Gandolfo. Their responses are most likely not going to be objective, by a long shot.
Wednesday, August 16, 2017
THE PRESIDENT OF STUPID
Herman van Rompuy, a former president of the European Council posted a tweet suggesting that Pope Francis should have no say over whether a Belgian religious order permits euthanasia in their hospitals.
van Rompuy posted on Twitter “The time of ‘Roma locuta causa finita’ is long past”.
van Rompuy is on the board of trustees for the Brothers of Charity Group. The Latin phrase, which translates as “Rome has spoken, the matter is finished”, is a paraphrase of St Augustine and refers to the ultimate authority of the Pope.
The Brothers of Charity Group trustees agreed to allow euthanasia in their 15 psychiatric centers across Belgium, despite the practice being strongly condemned by Catholic teaching.
Brother Rene Stockman, the Order’s Superior General, has criticized the trustees’ decision but has little direct authority over the Board, which primarily composed of lay members.
Why Religious Orders continue to elect lay Boards to administer their affairs is beyond comprehension. If a lay Board is to direct the work of a Religious Order, then the Order should no longer continue to exist. Plain and simple!
Earlier this month, Pope Francis gave his personal approval to a demand for the Brothers of Charity to reverse their decision. Under the order, Brothers who serve on the Board of Trustees must sign a declaration condemning euthanasia or face sanctions under Canon Law.
The Group itself could also face legal action and even expulsion from the Church if it fails to comply.
Brother Stockman refused to comment on Rompuy’s tweet, saying he has “no idea what was his intention in putting that on Twitter”. The very fact that the Superior General of a Religious Order cannot condemn the stupidity of such a tweet and its gross ignorance of the tweeter is indicative of how uttlerly depleted the spirituality and Catholicity of the Brothers of Charity is.
In an earlier post, I questioned why this pseudo-Catholic community has been given until the end of August to end its murderous behavior.
My solution: suppress the Order immediately and begin punitive proceedings against its members, the members of the Board of Directors who hypocritically profess that they are Catholic, and against doctors and staff members who engage in euthanasia and assisted suicide contrary to the dignity of the individual human person, the teachings of the Church and the dominion over life which belongs to God Himself alone.
Mr. van Rompuy may have once been President of the European Union. But, by his latest actions, he has shown himself capable of holding one office only: the President of Stupid. Apparently, he represents his stupid citizens, the Brothers of Charity, very well indeed.
van Rompuy posted on Twitter “The time of ‘Roma locuta causa finita’ is long past”.
van Rompuy is on the board of trustees for the Brothers of Charity Group. The Latin phrase, which translates as “Rome has spoken, the matter is finished”, is a paraphrase of St Augustine and refers to the ultimate authority of the Pope.
The Brothers of Charity Group trustees agreed to allow euthanasia in their 15 psychiatric centers across Belgium, despite the practice being strongly condemned by Catholic teaching.
Brother Rene Stockman, the Order’s Superior General, has criticized the trustees’ decision but has little direct authority over the Board, which primarily composed of lay members.
Why Religious Orders continue to elect lay Boards to administer their affairs is beyond comprehension. If a lay Board is to direct the work of a Religious Order, then the Order should no longer continue to exist. Plain and simple!
Earlier this month, Pope Francis gave his personal approval to a demand for the Brothers of Charity to reverse their decision. Under the order, Brothers who serve on the Board of Trustees must sign a declaration condemning euthanasia or face sanctions under Canon Law.
The Group itself could also face legal action and even expulsion from the Church if it fails to comply.
Brother Stockman refused to comment on Rompuy’s tweet, saying he has “no idea what was his intention in putting that on Twitter”. The very fact that the Superior General of a Religious Order cannot condemn the stupidity of such a tweet and its gross ignorance of the tweeter is indicative of how uttlerly depleted the spirituality and Catholicity of the Brothers of Charity is.
In an earlier post, I questioned why this pseudo-Catholic community has been given until the end of August to end its murderous behavior.
My solution: suppress the Order immediately and begin punitive proceedings against its members, the members of the Board of Directors who hypocritically profess that they are Catholic, and against doctors and staff members who engage in euthanasia and assisted suicide contrary to the dignity of the individual human person, the teachings of the Church and the dominion over life which belongs to God Himself alone.
Mr. van Rompuy may have once been President of the European Union. But, by his latest actions, he has shown himself capable of holding one office only: the President of Stupid. Apparently, he represents his stupid citizens, the Brothers of Charity, very well indeed.
Tuesday, August 15, 2017
THE DOWNWARD SPIRAL OF CATHOLICISM IN ITALY
In this post, I continue to present statistics about the condition of the Church on the European Continent.
Thus far, I provided an overview of the Church in Germany, Austria and France.
Now, let us take a look at the state of the Church in Italy (a subject particularly sensitive to me on account of my Italain heritage and the fact that I had the privilege of completing my seminary education at the Pontifical North American College in Rome).
First, it should be said that Italy was always considered to be not only the “seat of Catholicism” but also the vanguard of Christian morality in all of Europe.
Sadly, that is no longer the case.
The Conference of Italian Bishops adopted the findings undertaken by the Patriarch of Venice in 2004-2005 which showed that only 22.7 % of the Catholic population occasionally attended Mass. Of that number, only 15% attending every Sunday with thosewho attended one to three times a year composing 7.7%.
While even these meager numbers compare favorably to that of other EU countries, they are likely to decrease further in the coming years.
A survey conducted by Professor Paolo Segatti of the University of Milan, published in the magazine “Il Regno,” found that the news is even worse among younger Italians.
Among those born after 1981, Mass attendance, self-identification as Catholic, and adherence to Catholic teaching are “in collapse.”
Segatti predicted a near future in which Catholicism holds only “minority status in Italy”.
“The youngest Italians are the ones to whom religious experience is most foreign. They clearly go to church less, believe in God less, pray less, trust the Church less, identify themselves as Catholic less, and say that being Italian does not mean being Catholic.”
Vatican expert and Italian journalist Sandro Magister noted that the loss of faith among young people has strongly affected women: “The collapse is so clear that it also wipes out the differences in religious practice between men and women – the latter of whom tend much more to be practicing – typical of the previous generations. Among the youngest, however, very few of the women go to church... on a par with the men.”
Currently, Italy’s deep Catholic roots can be credited for its having one of the most restrictive laws on in vitro fertilization and embryo research in the western world, as well as having a relatively low abortion rate as doctors retain and exercise the right to refuse to participate in abortion. At the European Union, Italy has frequently been among the voices defending traditional Christian moral and social values.
But all of this may change in coming decades as the older generation, raised to equate being Italian with Catholicism, die off and younger people more forthrightly reject Catholic teaching along the practice of the Faith.
Clearly, most of the blame for this collapse must be laid on the Bishops and their failure to convey Church doctrine to the next generation, a collapse which has occurred while 94 percent of Italian children continue to be enrolled in Catholic religious instruction in elementary school, and 84 percent of high school students voluntarily take religion classes.
Evidently, in view of the results, both the teaching of religion in the school and catechesis in the dioceses are not up to the challenge.
In 2005, Cardinal Ruini, then President of the Italian Bishops’ Conference admitted that the “great majority” of Italians have only a “generic adhesion to Catholicism,” and “Those who live their faith deeply are a minority.”
And yet Italian Bishops appear to have done little to address the crisis.
Whether the present generation will be the last who consider themselves culturally Catholic may become a moot issue, however.
In 2004, the overall fertility rate in Italy hit its lowest at 1.23 children per woman, the second lowest in Europe, a “death spiral” that will lead to drastic reductions in population.
The future of Catholicism in Italy is bleak, not that the Church will become extinct but its voice will be hushed and ineffectual in enunciating the truths of Scripture and the wisdom and insight of Catholic doctrine.
Europe and the world will be poorer indeed for the loss of what was once a place of great witness to Catholic teaching and devout allegiance to the Church.
Thus far, I provided an overview of the Church in Germany, Austria and France.
Now, let us take a look at the state of the Church in Italy (a subject particularly sensitive to me on account of my Italain heritage and the fact that I had the privilege of completing my seminary education at the Pontifical North American College in Rome).
First, it should be said that Italy was always considered to be not only the “seat of Catholicism” but also the vanguard of Christian morality in all of Europe.
Sadly, that is no longer the case.
The Conference of Italian Bishops adopted the findings undertaken by the Patriarch of Venice in 2004-2005 which showed that only 22.7 % of the Catholic population occasionally attended Mass. Of that number, only 15% attending every Sunday with thosewho attended one to three times a year composing 7.7%.
While even these meager numbers compare favorably to that of other EU countries, they are likely to decrease further in the coming years.
A survey conducted by Professor Paolo Segatti of the University of Milan, published in the magazine “Il Regno,” found that the news is even worse among younger Italians.
Among those born after 1981, Mass attendance, self-identification as Catholic, and adherence to Catholic teaching are “in collapse.”
Segatti predicted a near future in which Catholicism holds only “minority status in Italy”.
“The youngest Italians are the ones to whom religious experience is most foreign. They clearly go to church less, believe in God less, pray less, trust the Church less, identify themselves as Catholic less, and say that being Italian does not mean being Catholic.”
Vatican expert and Italian journalist Sandro Magister noted that the loss of faith among young people has strongly affected women: “The collapse is so clear that it also wipes out the differences in religious practice between men and women – the latter of whom tend much more to be practicing – typical of the previous generations. Among the youngest, however, very few of the women go to church... on a par with the men.”
Currently, Italy’s deep Catholic roots can be credited for its having one of the most restrictive laws on in vitro fertilization and embryo research in the western world, as well as having a relatively low abortion rate as doctors retain and exercise the right to refuse to participate in abortion. At the European Union, Italy has frequently been among the voices defending traditional Christian moral and social values.
But all of this may change in coming decades as the older generation, raised to equate being Italian with Catholicism, die off and younger people more forthrightly reject Catholic teaching along the practice of the Faith.
Clearly, most of the blame for this collapse must be laid on the Bishops and their failure to convey Church doctrine to the next generation, a collapse which has occurred while 94 percent of Italian children continue to be enrolled in Catholic religious instruction in elementary school, and 84 percent of high school students voluntarily take religion classes.
Evidently, in view of the results, both the teaching of religion in the school and catechesis in the dioceses are not up to the challenge.
In 2005, Cardinal Ruini, then President of the Italian Bishops’ Conference admitted that the “great majority” of Italians have only a “generic adhesion to Catholicism,” and “Those who live their faith deeply are a minority.”
And yet Italian Bishops appear to have done little to address the crisis.
Whether the present generation will be the last who consider themselves culturally Catholic may become a moot issue, however.
In 2004, the overall fertility rate in Italy hit its lowest at 1.23 children per woman, the second lowest in Europe, a “death spiral” that will lead to drastic reductions in population.
The future of Catholicism in Italy is bleak, not that the Church will become extinct but its voice will be hushed and ineffectual in enunciating the truths of Scripture and the wisdom and insight of Catholic doctrine.
Europe and the world will be poorer indeed for the loss of what was once a place of great witness to Catholic teaching and devout allegiance to the Church.
Monday, August 14, 2017
WHERE THERE IS NO PRIEST, THERE IS NO CHURCH
I just finished reading another lengthy interview, with yet another Cardinal, by yet another reporter from a yet another Catholic journal. It was yet another heap of gibberish.
Not one of these interviews ever addresses the real crisis within the Church.
It’s not a crisis of dogma or doctrine or discipline as these interviewers and these Prelates would have us all believe. It’s not about the economy or the environment as the Holy Father would have us believe.
Just look at the interviews themselves, whether they be with Pope Francis, members of the College of Cardinals,or Bishops. Just listen to their answers.
Better still, if you take the time to find the written version of the interview, just look at the volume of the answers they give to questions about the culture, social and economic issues, politics, public policy.
Pay attention to their spin on the latest program devised to “reinvigorate” their local churches and you will understand my point: paragraph upon paragraph of answers to questions about mission and message, about dogma and doctrine, about human rights and the economy --- but a few meager sentences about the lack of Priests available to provide the Scriptures and the Sacraments to God’s People.
It’s so clear!
The Bishops really think that Priests are peripheral to the essential mission of the Church: the redemption and sanctification of souls. Their blindness to this reality is both shocking and shameful. Such willful ignorance and timidity in addressing what the crisis within the Priesthood borders on the sinful.
I am sure there are many reasons for this.
One among them I have always suspected is that Bishops simply do not like Priests, especially their own!
Those who are first in the daily scrimmage between the values of the world and the values of the Gospel -- Pastors and parish Priests -- are the last ones consulted about the need of the local church and what practical solutions could be proffered to respond to them.
Rather, Bishops and the bureaucrats ,with whom they surround themselves, devise strategies and programs which lack the insight of any pastoral experience.
Pastors are assembled, told the next totally inane and irrelevant program they must initiate in their parishes or assessed a goal in the Bishop’s latest fund drive for who know’s what. No one is asked to return, perhaps after a reasonable period of reflection, to offer their reactions or suggestions.
No, Pastors are ordered to invest their time and resource.
And in the greatest instance of hubris I have so often witnessed, the Bishop will exit such meetings proclaiming the he has sought the counsel and received the approval of his Priests for his latest hair-brained idea.
Sad, but positively true!
Dear Holy Father, dear Bishops, Priests are more important than petty squabbles about Vatican financial reform or personnel shake ups in Offices of the Roman Curia.
Priests are more important than global warming or the rise or fall of the peso or any other thirld world currency.
Priests are more important than the language or ritual of the Liturgy.
Priests are more important than the cost of maintaining bloated chanceries and administrative agencies.
Priests are more important than the latest trivial and meaningless statement of the Bishops’ Conference.
For where there is no Priest, there is no Church!
Let me repeat that, since many of the Prelates of the Church seem to have forgotten this fundamental truth: where there is no Priest, there is no Church.
And what is the Holy Father and what are the Bishops doing to seriously address the crisis in Priesthood today? Absolutely nothing!
Such has been the course of the Church for decades now and still the Pope and the Bishops look the other way for fear of having to do something constructive to assure that God’s People are provided the nourishment of the Sacraments and the truth of the Gospel that only Priests can deliver.
What have the Pope and the Bishops done to assure aging Priests that they will be assisted in their ministries and cared for as they grow older and more infirm?
What have the Pope and the Bishops done to alleviate the burden of overwork and the placing of more and more demands upon Pastors and Priests?
Again, the answer is absolutely nothing!
I somehow think that the level of self-induced and willful ignorance on the part of so many in leadership positions within the Church is part of the Divine Will for the Church. Nothing else explains the depth of incompetence and ineptitude when it comes to the manner in which Bishops treat their Priests.
In so many ways, it appears that the Holy Spirit is actively breaking down the structures and attitudes which for so long have crippled the Church in the fulfillment of the Divine Mandate to “go forth and make disciples of all nations”.
Whether the Church will finally realize the precious gift and resource it possesses in dedicated and committed Priests will be the determining factor as to whether or not the Church will continue to have an effective presence in the world, in the near and the foreseeable future.
Dear God, bless and protect our Priests. Sustain them in their sacrificial lives of service. Comfort them in their moments of challenge. Encourage them when they become disheartened, when they are unappreciated, when they are ridiculed or ignored. Open the minds and the hearts of the Pope and the Bishops to seek your guidance in providing future Priests to nourish Your People with the Sacraments and the truths of Your Living Word. Bless those who continue to serve as they grow older and more infirm. Bless those Priests still with us and those who have gone before us. Lord, bless Your Church this day and always.
Not one of these interviews ever addresses the real crisis within the Church.
It’s not a crisis of dogma or doctrine or discipline as these interviewers and these Prelates would have us all believe. It’s not about the economy or the environment as the Holy Father would have us believe.
Just look at the interviews themselves, whether they be with Pope Francis, members of the College of Cardinals,or Bishops. Just listen to their answers.
Better still, if you take the time to find the written version of the interview, just look at the volume of the answers they give to questions about the culture, social and economic issues, politics, public policy.
Pay attention to their spin on the latest program devised to “reinvigorate” their local churches and you will understand my point: paragraph upon paragraph of answers to questions about mission and message, about dogma and doctrine, about human rights and the economy --- but a few meager sentences about the lack of Priests available to provide the Scriptures and the Sacraments to God’s People.
It’s so clear!
The Bishops really think that Priests are peripheral to the essential mission of the Church: the redemption and sanctification of souls. Their blindness to this reality is both shocking and shameful. Such willful ignorance and timidity in addressing what the crisis within the Priesthood borders on the sinful.
I am sure there are many reasons for this.
One among them I have always suspected is that Bishops simply do not like Priests, especially their own!
Those who are first in the daily scrimmage between the values of the world and the values of the Gospel -- Pastors and parish Priests -- are the last ones consulted about the need of the local church and what practical solutions could be proffered to respond to them.
Rather, Bishops and the bureaucrats ,with whom they surround themselves, devise strategies and programs which lack the insight of any pastoral experience.
Pastors are assembled, told the next totally inane and irrelevant program they must initiate in their parishes or assessed a goal in the Bishop’s latest fund drive for who know’s what. No one is asked to return, perhaps after a reasonable period of reflection, to offer their reactions or suggestions.
No, Pastors are ordered to invest their time and resource.
And in the greatest instance of hubris I have so often witnessed, the Bishop will exit such meetings proclaiming the he has sought the counsel and received the approval of his Priests for his latest hair-brained idea.
Sad, but positively true!
Dear Holy Father, dear Bishops, Priests are more important than petty squabbles about Vatican financial reform or personnel shake ups in Offices of the Roman Curia.
Priests are more important than global warming or the rise or fall of the peso or any other thirld world currency.
Priests are more important than the language or ritual of the Liturgy.
Priests are more important than the cost of maintaining bloated chanceries and administrative agencies.
Priests are more important than the latest trivial and meaningless statement of the Bishops’ Conference.
For where there is no Priest, there is no Church!
Let me repeat that, since many of the Prelates of the Church seem to have forgotten this fundamental truth: where there is no Priest, there is no Church.
And what is the Holy Father and what are the Bishops doing to seriously address the crisis in Priesthood today? Absolutely nothing!
Such has been the course of the Church for decades now and still the Pope and the Bishops look the other way for fear of having to do something constructive to assure that God’s People are provided the nourishment of the Sacraments and the truth of the Gospel that only Priests can deliver.
What have the Pope and the Bishops done to assure aging Priests that they will be assisted in their ministries and cared for as they grow older and more infirm?
What have the Pope and the Bishops done to alleviate the burden of overwork and the placing of more and more demands upon Pastors and Priests?
Again, the answer is absolutely nothing!
I somehow think that the level of self-induced and willful ignorance on the part of so many in leadership positions within the Church is part of the Divine Will for the Church. Nothing else explains the depth of incompetence and ineptitude when it comes to the manner in which Bishops treat their Priests.
In so many ways, it appears that the Holy Spirit is actively breaking down the structures and attitudes which for so long have crippled the Church in the fulfillment of the Divine Mandate to “go forth and make disciples of all nations”.
Whether the Church will finally realize the precious gift and resource it possesses in dedicated and committed Priests will be the determining factor as to whether or not the Church will continue to have an effective presence in the world, in the near and the foreseeable future.
Dear God, bless and protect our Priests. Sustain them in their sacrificial lives of service. Comfort them in their moments of challenge. Encourage them when they become disheartened, when they are unappreciated, when they are ridiculed or ignored. Open the minds and the hearts of the Pope and the Bishops to seek your guidance in providing future Priests to nourish Your People with the Sacraments and the truths of Your Living Word. Bless those who continue to serve as they grow older and more infirm. Bless those Priests still with us and those who have gone before us. Lord, bless Your Church this day and always.
Saturday, August 12, 2017
THE CHURCH IN FRANCE: CATHOLICISME ZOMBIE
Earlier this month, I published a post (admittedly a depressing one) regarding the present status of the Church in Austria.
All during this month, I will be showcasing statistics about the European Church and the alarm bells that should be sounding in the ears of the hierarchy. It is a story not pretty to share.
In this post, let us examine the present condition of the Church in France.
Here are the facts.
While an estimated 56% of the French population are self-professed Catholics, only 5% regularly practice the Faith and another 15% only do so occasionally. Over 80% of French Catholics are so in name only rarely, if ever, allowing their shadows to cross the entrances of churches which have become deteriorating museums.
The Catholic Church in France is dead.
Parishes are practically devoid of practicing members, a trend that began after World War I.
The few aging Clergy who remain still cling to an accomodationist mindset, aligning themselves to leftist principles of a system of socialism they refuse to admit has failed the Church and the country.
The handful of Catholic theologians who remain active appear anxious to empty the Catholic faith of any moral content beyond non-judgmentalism (except, of course, on environmental and economic issues).
And, like everywhere else in the West, French Religious Orders which opted for social and political activism are on the brink of extinction.
Pop-culture refers to the condition of the Church in France as catholicisme zombie.
What is left of French Catholicism, meagerly witnessed in what French journalists refer to as the néocatholiques, consists of middle-class workers who appear all too eager to engage in a kind of religious/cultural war with the political system. It is a perennial temptation to which French Catholicism has succumbed in the past, and one which has rarely ended well for the Church.
French Catholicism has been serious damaged by the pervasive culture of cynicism and permissiveness in which the French take great solace.
Charles de Gaulle rightfully observed that France a secular republic with a Catholic heart.
That heart is "CODE BLUE "at the present moment.
It needs to be resuscitated by the shock that only the truth of the Scriptures and the care of a ministering Church can provide.
Sadly, the French Bishops appear to be as moribund as those they have been called to guide and serve.
What a sad state the “Church’s eldest daughter” finds herself to be!
All during this month, I will be showcasing statistics about the European Church and the alarm bells that should be sounding in the ears of the hierarchy. It is a story not pretty to share.
In this post, let us examine the present condition of the Church in France.
Here are the facts.
While an estimated 56% of the French population are self-professed Catholics, only 5% regularly practice the Faith and another 15% only do so occasionally. Over 80% of French Catholics are so in name only rarely, if ever, allowing their shadows to cross the entrances of churches which have become deteriorating museums.
The Catholic Church in France is dead.
Parishes are practically devoid of practicing members, a trend that began after World War I.
The few aging Clergy who remain still cling to an accomodationist mindset, aligning themselves to leftist principles of a system of socialism they refuse to admit has failed the Church and the country.
The handful of Catholic theologians who remain active appear anxious to empty the Catholic faith of any moral content beyond non-judgmentalism (except, of course, on environmental and economic issues).
And, like everywhere else in the West, French Religious Orders which opted for social and political activism are on the brink of extinction.
Pop-culture refers to the condition of the Church in France as catholicisme zombie.
What is left of French Catholicism, meagerly witnessed in what French journalists refer to as the néocatholiques, consists of middle-class workers who appear all too eager to engage in a kind of religious/cultural war with the political system. It is a perennial temptation to which French Catholicism has succumbed in the past, and one which has rarely ended well for the Church.
French Catholicism has been serious damaged by the pervasive culture of cynicism and permissiveness in which the French take great solace.
Charles de Gaulle rightfully observed that France a secular republic with a Catholic heart.
That heart is "CODE BLUE "at the present moment.
It needs to be resuscitated by the shock that only the truth of the Scriptures and the care of a ministering Church can provide.
Sadly, the French Bishops appear to be as moribund as those they have been called to guide and serve.
What a sad state the “Church’s eldest daughter” finds herself to be!
Friday, August 11, 2017
TRANSGENDERISM: THE LATEST EFFORT AT IDEOLOGICAL COLONIZATION
Pope Francis spoke to a group of Polish Bishops recently and delivered a stinging condemnation of the manner in which children are being taught that they can choose their gender identity.
The Holy Father repeated his message regarding transgender indoctrination: “Today, children are taught this at school: that everyone can choose their own sex. But, God created man and woman; God created the world like this and we are doing the exact opposite.”
Teaching children that they can pick their gender, Francis said, is “terrible.” He likewise warned that the effort, which Pope Benedict XVI had earlier defined as “ideological colonization” is being promoted and supported by vast sums of money by those with political influence.
Referring to ideological colonization as sinful, Pope Francis said the effort has received financial backing by “very influential countries”. The Pope said that one example – “I’ll say it clearly with its first and last name – is gender.”
Lately, the Church has confronted such ideological colonization efforts in many ways.
In 2014, during the Extraordinary Synod on the Family, African Bishops indicated how often such ideologies are condition for aid from other countries. In order to get access to funds from Western nations, Catholic aid organizations increasingly come under pressure to cooperate with the distribution of contraceptives and the promotion of abortion.
Bishop Ignatius Kaigama of Nigeria demanded an end of such paternalistic conditions on aid, proclaiming to the world that Nigeria and other African nations could make such decisions for themselves. Deriding Western interference as paternalistic and worse, the Bishop declared that African nations such as his had “grown up” long ago and could make their own decisions on issues regarding contraception and Western demands for “reproductive rights” — abortion. Demanding contraceptive and abortion access as a condition of aid puts organizations in the tough position of having to potentially deny life-saving aid to people or putting their own souls at risk.
Transgenderism is but another value being pushed through the same “colonization” process — the use of wealth to force organizations into pushing their own agenda.
Francis certainly has made clear that he opposes the relativism that is at the heart of transgenderism and the gender-identity movement.
Pope Benedict XVI spoke of an “ecology of man”, based on the fact that “man too has a nature that he must respect and that he cannot manipulate at will”. It is enough to recognize that our body itself establishes us in a direct relationship with the environment and with other living beings. The acceptance of our bodies as God’s gift is vital for welcoming and accepting the entire world as a gift from the Father and our common home, whereas thinking that we enjoy absolute power over our own bodies turns, often subtly, into thinking that we enjoy absolute power over creation. Learning to accept our body, to care for it and to respect its fullest meaning, is an essential element of any genuine human ecology.
Pope Francis’ statements to the Polish Bishops clearly emphasizes his continuity with the vision of his predecessor.
It is reassuring to witness the Holy Father’s clear condemnation of transgenderism for evil and deception that it is.
The Holy Father repeated his message regarding transgender indoctrination: “Today, children are taught this at school: that everyone can choose their own sex. But, God created man and woman; God created the world like this and we are doing the exact opposite.”
Teaching children that they can pick their gender, Francis said, is “terrible.” He likewise warned that the effort, which Pope Benedict XVI had earlier defined as “ideological colonization” is being promoted and supported by vast sums of money by those with political influence.
Referring to ideological colonization as sinful, Pope Francis said the effort has received financial backing by “very influential countries”. The Pope said that one example – “I’ll say it clearly with its first and last name – is gender.”
Lately, the Church has confronted such ideological colonization efforts in many ways.
In 2014, during the Extraordinary Synod on the Family, African Bishops indicated how often such ideologies are condition for aid from other countries. In order to get access to funds from Western nations, Catholic aid organizations increasingly come under pressure to cooperate with the distribution of contraceptives and the promotion of abortion.
Bishop Ignatius Kaigama of Nigeria demanded an end of such paternalistic conditions on aid, proclaiming to the world that Nigeria and other African nations could make such decisions for themselves. Deriding Western interference as paternalistic and worse, the Bishop declared that African nations such as his had “grown up” long ago and could make their own decisions on issues regarding contraception and Western demands for “reproductive rights” — abortion. Demanding contraceptive and abortion access as a condition of aid puts organizations in the tough position of having to potentially deny life-saving aid to people or putting their own souls at risk.
Transgenderism is but another value being pushed through the same “colonization” process — the use of wealth to force organizations into pushing their own agenda.
Francis certainly has made clear that he opposes the relativism that is at the heart of transgenderism and the gender-identity movement.
Pope Benedict XVI spoke of an “ecology of man”, based on the fact that “man too has a nature that he must respect and that he cannot manipulate at will”. It is enough to recognize that our body itself establishes us in a direct relationship with the environment and with other living beings. The acceptance of our bodies as God’s gift is vital for welcoming and accepting the entire world as a gift from the Father and our common home, whereas thinking that we enjoy absolute power over our own bodies turns, often subtly, into thinking that we enjoy absolute power over creation. Learning to accept our body, to care for it and to respect its fullest meaning, is an essential element of any genuine human ecology.
Pope Francis’ statements to the Polish Bishops clearly emphasizes his continuity with the vision of his predecessor.
It is reassuring to witness the Holy Father’s clear condemnation of transgenderism for evil and deception that it is.
Thursday, August 10, 2017
BROTHERS OF CHARITY ORDERED TO STOP MURDERING PATIENTS IN THE MENTAL HOSPITALS THEY GOVERN
Here’s a report which is certainly curious and upsetting, to say the least.
Pope Francis has given a Belgian Religious Order until the end of August to stop offering euthanasia to psychiatric patients.
Brother Rene Stockman, Superior General of the Brothers of Charity, which runs 15 centers for psychiatric patients across Belgium, has been ordered to reverse its policy by the end of August. (Why murder should be continued until that deadline is anyone’s guess!)
Brother-members who serve on the Board of Directors of the Brothers of Charity Group, the organization that runs the centers, also must each sign a joint letter to their Superior General declaring that they “fully support the vision of the magisterium of the Catholic Church, which has always confirmed that human life must be respected and protected in absolute terms, from the moment of conception till its natural end.”
Those who refuse to sign will face sanctions under Canon Law, while the group can expect to face legal action and even expulsion from the Church itself, if it fails to change its policy.
The Religious Order must no longer consider euthanasia as a solution to human suffering under any circumstances (a situation impossible to comprehend).
This demand, issued at the beginning of August, follows repeated (?) requests (???) by the Holy See for the Order to drop its new policy of permitting doctors to perform euthanasia on “non-terminal” mentally ill patients on its premises.
It also follows a joint investigation by the Vatican’s congregations for the Doctrine of the Faith and for Institutes of Consecrated Life and Societies of Apostolic Life. The ultimatum was devised by the two congregations and has the support of the pope.
We are not hearing a story about a lay Board of Directors instituting a policy which condones and participates in the murder of patients of institutions they oversee, but rather a Religious Order of Consecrated Men who supposedly give witness to the Catholic Faith while they systematically and intentionally violate one of the most fundamental teachings of the Church regarding the sanctity of the life of every individual.
The Vatican should not engage in any negotiations over such contemptible behavior. Rather, those who have been complicit in these crimes against humanity should be expelled from the Order, the Superior General should be forced to resign, and the Order itself be suppressed for the scandal it has caused.
Anything less and the Church risks giving scandal by appearing to compromise its own teachings and credibility in the minds and hearts of the Christian faithful.
This report truly is shocking, to think that a Religious Order would engage in such murderous pursuits would have been (prior to this moment) unthinkable.
Dearest Lord, please send the Holy Spirit to Your Church and cleanse the Church of Her many sins. Forgive us for all our dalliance with evil. Help us mirror the Light of Your Truth and the power of Your Grace to all those You entrust to our care.
Pope Francis has given a Belgian Religious Order until the end of August to stop offering euthanasia to psychiatric patients.
Brother Rene Stockman, Superior General of the Brothers of Charity, which runs 15 centers for psychiatric patients across Belgium, has been ordered to reverse its policy by the end of August. (Why murder should be continued until that deadline is anyone’s guess!)
Brother-members who serve on the Board of Directors of the Brothers of Charity Group, the organization that runs the centers, also must each sign a joint letter to their Superior General declaring that they “fully support the vision of the magisterium of the Catholic Church, which has always confirmed that human life must be respected and protected in absolute terms, from the moment of conception till its natural end.”
Those who refuse to sign will face sanctions under Canon Law, while the group can expect to face legal action and even expulsion from the Church itself, if it fails to change its policy.
The Religious Order must no longer consider euthanasia as a solution to human suffering under any circumstances (a situation impossible to comprehend).
This demand, issued at the beginning of August, follows repeated (?) requests (???) by the Holy See for the Order to drop its new policy of permitting doctors to perform euthanasia on “non-terminal” mentally ill patients on its premises.
It also follows a joint investigation by the Vatican’s congregations for the Doctrine of the Faith and for Institutes of Consecrated Life and Societies of Apostolic Life. The ultimatum was devised by the two congregations and has the support of the pope.
We are not hearing a story about a lay Board of Directors instituting a policy which condones and participates in the murder of patients of institutions they oversee, but rather a Religious Order of Consecrated Men who supposedly give witness to the Catholic Faith while they systematically and intentionally violate one of the most fundamental teachings of the Church regarding the sanctity of the life of every individual.
The Vatican should not engage in any negotiations over such contemptible behavior. Rather, those who have been complicit in these crimes against humanity should be expelled from the Order, the Superior General should be forced to resign, and the Order itself be suppressed for the scandal it has caused.
Anything less and the Church risks giving scandal by appearing to compromise its own teachings and credibility in the minds and hearts of the Christian faithful.
This report truly is shocking, to think that a Religious Order would engage in such murderous pursuits would have been (prior to this moment) unthinkable.
Dearest Lord, please send the Holy Spirit to Your Church and cleanse the Church of Her many sins. Forgive us for all our dalliance with evil. Help us mirror the Light of Your Truth and the power of Your Grace to all those You entrust to our care.
Tuesday, August 8, 2017
WOMAN RELIGIOUS OFFICIALLY WITNESSES A CATHOLIC MARRIAGE IN QUEBEC DIOCESE
Here’s a story which caught my attention just the other day.
When no Priests were available, the Bishop of the Quebec Diocese of Rouyn-Noranda sought and received Vatican permission for a local Woman Religious to officiate at a wedding.
Bishop Dorylas Moreau said the wedding was carried out according to a long-established provision of Canon Law, which mirrors the Church’s dogmatic teaching that it is the Spouses themselves who are the ministers of the Sacrament of Holy Matrimony, the Priest (or the Woman Religious in this case) merely act as the “official witness" of the exchange of marital consent.
Canon Law provides that an exception which allows a non-ordained person (Lay or Religious) to be permitted to officiate at a wedding when a Bishop, Priest or Deacon is unavailable. That non-ordained official witness to Marriage can be a male or female.
Still, “it is an exceptional situation, not something habitual,” Bishop Moreau said. The Bishop affirmed that there are only 16 priests for 35 parishes in a diocese that covers nearly 9,300 square miles of rugged Canadian landscape. The diocese has more than 75 Women Religious, but no Deacons, although three are currently in formation.
This priest shortage, especially acute in the summer, led the Bishop to make a request through the Vatican’s Congregation for Divine Worship and the Sacraments for permission the Sister officially witness the marital vows. Approval was received in May.
I suspect that, as the shortage of Priests becomes more and more a critical reality for the Church, we shall be reading stories such as this quite often.
Pope Francis and the Bishops need to stop pretending that there is no crisis within the Priesthood and seriously address how the faithful are going to be nourished with the Sacraments if shortage continues.
As I have suggested in previous posts, it is my belief that the upcoming Synod on Youth and Vocations will be the turning point for considering optional celibacy for Priests of the Latin Rite.
We shall see.
When no Priests were available, the Bishop of the Quebec Diocese of Rouyn-Noranda sought and received Vatican permission for a local Woman Religious to officiate at a wedding.
Bishop Dorylas Moreau said the wedding was carried out according to a long-established provision of Canon Law, which mirrors the Church’s dogmatic teaching that it is the Spouses themselves who are the ministers of the Sacrament of Holy Matrimony, the Priest (or the Woman Religious in this case) merely act as the “official witness" of the exchange of marital consent.
Canon Law provides that an exception which allows a non-ordained person (Lay or Religious) to be permitted to officiate at a wedding when a Bishop, Priest or Deacon is unavailable. That non-ordained official witness to Marriage can be a male or female.
Still, “it is an exceptional situation, not something habitual,” Bishop Moreau said. The Bishop affirmed that there are only 16 priests for 35 parishes in a diocese that covers nearly 9,300 square miles of rugged Canadian landscape. The diocese has more than 75 Women Religious, but no Deacons, although three are currently in formation.
This priest shortage, especially acute in the summer, led the Bishop to make a request through the Vatican’s Congregation for Divine Worship and the Sacraments for permission the Sister officially witness the marital vows. Approval was received in May.
I suspect that, as the shortage of Priests becomes more and more a critical reality for the Church, we shall be reading stories such as this quite often.
Pope Francis and the Bishops need to stop pretending that there is no crisis within the Priesthood and seriously address how the faithful are going to be nourished with the Sacraments if shortage continues.
As I have suggested in previous posts, it is my belief that the upcoming Synod on Youth and Vocations will be the turning point for considering optional celibacy for Priests of the Latin Rite.
We shall see.
DEATH OF A THOUSAND CUTS
As we have been observing, the Church in Europe and America is failing. In some places, the condition is critical.
There is a great reluctance on the part of many to even admit there is a problem. Many Bishops and Pastors appear to be eagerly and willfully ignorant of the crisis within their local churches.
To put it bluntly, the Catholic Faith is dying as we once knew and experienced it.
If there is to be a reversal of this negative trend, then Church hierarchy and committed members of the faithful will need to act.
But the first step must be a willingness to confront the reality that Catholicism has become increasingly irrelevant and meaningless in today’s world.
As we will examine this month, the Church in Europe is in critical, if not terminal, condition. The outlook in America is no brighter, and largely because the Bishops and Catholics themselves continue to refuse to recognize and resolve problems before they become irreversible.
Why has the Church suffered such terrible losses?
Perhaps, there are some common indicators which would explain or provide a framework of understanding for this pitiable phenomenon.
The first indicator, to which I have already alluded, appears to be the fact that no one seems to be concerned over the reality that the Church is declining numerically.
Fewer people, especially among younger generations, are exposed to the Scriptures and Church doctrine. Still fewer pay any attention to Church discipline. Liturgical practice and the reception of the Sacraments (especially Reconciliation) is at an all time low. And no alarm bells sound.
When was the last time your local Bishop or Pastor called Catholics within the spheres of their influence to accountability and the need to seek the Sacramental absolution of their sins?
When was the last time you heard your Pastor or parish Priest speak about the fallen state of humanity resulting from Original and personal sin?
When was the last time the Bishop or a Pastor reminded Catholics of their “Easter Duty” to confess the serious sins of which they are aware and to receive Holy Communion within the Season of Easter?
How is it possible that Pastors do not call to accountability the parents of children enrolled in their parochial school for not attending Mass on weekends?
These and so many other areas which impact and define personal sanctity are hardly ever addressed anymore.
The evangelical counsels of the Scriptures have been replaced by a social agenda which falsely promises that human resource and treasure can solve everyone's problems, a promise so often made and broken that no one takes it seriously except the Bishops themselves.
When you listen to Bishops and a goodly number of Pastors speak about life in the Church today. you could only conclude that everything is splendid, even in the face of report after report of increasing parish closures or mergers.
When someone challenges that fantasy, they are labelled as cynics or pessimists.
And so, the downward spiral within the Church continues as though nothing serious is happening.
The state of denial among the Bishops and some Clergy is staggering!
Of course, there are some (a distinct minority) who sense that “something” is wrong in the Church. But, so often, they respond in one of two ways. Do more of what we are doing that has proven ineffective. Or, secondly, seek a “magic bullet” program, emphasis, or even new Pastor. The church does not really need to change; it just needs an adjustment.
Here is where the Bishops collectively (by way of the USCCB) shine. The number of “magic bullets” fired off and funded by the Conference continues to boggle the mind. Not only are these programs ineffective in reversing the negative trends, but they come at a great cost to the financial security of dioceses and parishes.
Someone once said: “Success has many fathers; failure is always an orphan.” This is especially true when it comes to the failure of the “magic bullet” programs and initiatives inspired and encouraged by the Bishops and some Pastors.
No one claims responsibility. When these hair-brained schemes and strategies fail, then the blame game starts. It’s the parishioners’ fault. It’s the pop-culture hostile to Christian values. It’s the folks who have stopped practicing the Faith.
When Bishops and Pastors, who promise that this program or effort will achieve remarkable success, fail to deliver successes, the level of frustration and anger rises giving cause to even greater alienation or abandonment of the Faith by many.
Divisions and factions within the local communities are heightened and the Church becomes demoralized. This gives rise to even greater losses of membership as congregations war within themselves or with neighboring parishes. Young people witness the lack of unity and quarreling and want nothing to do with it. Eventually, weekend worship becomes desolate. More and more pews are empty.
The few who continue to attend Mass desperately seek to save their parish from oblivion. They will try any new idea to “save their parish”. Door to door canvassing of fallen away Catholics, social events, medical screenings, fund raising...anything to ward off the inevitable reality that their parish is beyond any realistic hope of surviving.
Finally, when the closure is announced or the merger with another parish is enacted, many simply and quietly walk away.
How many parishes have been merged or consolidated in recent years! Yet, I have yet to see a single report of the status of the new consolidated parochial community.
How many Catholics attended Mass at each of the parishes before the merger? How many are attending afterward? What was the amount of financial support at each of the parishes before the merger? How much is it afterward?
The Bishops and Pastors will not be honest or transparent about these numbers. I suspect that is because mergers and consolidations are total failures.
The longer the Bishops and Pastors wait to make substantive changes, the more difficult it becomes to reverse the downward spiral.
What is most remarkable is this: nearly nine out of ten (90%) of the parishes that die are in communities that are growing. The problem is not a shortage of people. The problem is a shortage of courage to enunciate the clear teachings of the Word of God and the moral doctrines of the Church.
Until and unless Bishops and Pastors are at least willing to honest admit that these are the facts, until and unless the faithful are told the truth, the Church will continue to die a “death of a thousand cuts”.
It is painful to watch and still more painful to experience.
May the Lord come to our rescue and provide us with honest and bold leadership and with fervent and devout members of the faithful.
God, bless Your Church, today and always, please!
There is a great reluctance on the part of many to even admit there is a problem. Many Bishops and Pastors appear to be eagerly and willfully ignorant of the crisis within their local churches.
To put it bluntly, the Catholic Faith is dying as we once knew and experienced it.
If there is to be a reversal of this negative trend, then Church hierarchy and committed members of the faithful will need to act.
But the first step must be a willingness to confront the reality that Catholicism has become increasingly irrelevant and meaningless in today’s world.
As we will examine this month, the Church in Europe is in critical, if not terminal, condition. The outlook in America is no brighter, and largely because the Bishops and Catholics themselves continue to refuse to recognize and resolve problems before they become irreversible.
Why has the Church suffered such terrible losses?
Perhaps, there are some common indicators which would explain or provide a framework of understanding for this pitiable phenomenon.
The first indicator, to which I have already alluded, appears to be the fact that no one seems to be concerned over the reality that the Church is declining numerically.
Fewer people, especially among younger generations, are exposed to the Scriptures and Church doctrine. Still fewer pay any attention to Church discipline. Liturgical practice and the reception of the Sacraments (especially Reconciliation) is at an all time low. And no alarm bells sound.
When was the last time your local Bishop or Pastor called Catholics within the spheres of their influence to accountability and the need to seek the Sacramental absolution of their sins?
When was the last time you heard your Pastor or parish Priest speak about the fallen state of humanity resulting from Original and personal sin?
When was the last time the Bishop or a Pastor reminded Catholics of their “Easter Duty” to confess the serious sins of which they are aware and to receive Holy Communion within the Season of Easter?
How is it possible that Pastors do not call to accountability the parents of children enrolled in their parochial school for not attending Mass on weekends?
These and so many other areas which impact and define personal sanctity are hardly ever addressed anymore.
The evangelical counsels of the Scriptures have been replaced by a social agenda which falsely promises that human resource and treasure can solve everyone's problems, a promise so often made and broken that no one takes it seriously except the Bishops themselves.
When you listen to Bishops and a goodly number of Pastors speak about life in the Church today. you could only conclude that everything is splendid, even in the face of report after report of increasing parish closures or mergers.
When someone challenges that fantasy, they are labelled as cynics or pessimists.
And so, the downward spiral within the Church continues as though nothing serious is happening.
The state of denial among the Bishops and some Clergy is staggering!
Of course, there are some (a distinct minority) who sense that “something” is wrong in the Church. But, so often, they respond in one of two ways. Do more of what we are doing that has proven ineffective. Or, secondly, seek a “magic bullet” program, emphasis, or even new Pastor. The church does not really need to change; it just needs an adjustment.
Here is where the Bishops collectively (by way of the USCCB) shine. The number of “magic bullets” fired off and funded by the Conference continues to boggle the mind. Not only are these programs ineffective in reversing the negative trends, but they come at a great cost to the financial security of dioceses and parishes.
Someone once said: “Success has many fathers; failure is always an orphan.” This is especially true when it comes to the failure of the “magic bullet” programs and initiatives inspired and encouraged by the Bishops and some Pastors.
No one claims responsibility. When these hair-brained schemes and strategies fail, then the blame game starts. It’s the parishioners’ fault. It’s the pop-culture hostile to Christian values. It’s the folks who have stopped practicing the Faith.
When Bishops and Pastors, who promise that this program or effort will achieve remarkable success, fail to deliver successes, the level of frustration and anger rises giving cause to even greater alienation or abandonment of the Faith by many.
Divisions and factions within the local communities are heightened and the Church becomes demoralized. This gives rise to even greater losses of membership as congregations war within themselves or with neighboring parishes. Young people witness the lack of unity and quarreling and want nothing to do with it. Eventually, weekend worship becomes desolate. More and more pews are empty.
The few who continue to attend Mass desperately seek to save their parish from oblivion. They will try any new idea to “save their parish”. Door to door canvassing of fallen away Catholics, social events, medical screenings, fund raising...anything to ward off the inevitable reality that their parish is beyond any realistic hope of surviving.
Finally, when the closure is announced or the merger with another parish is enacted, many simply and quietly walk away.
How many parishes have been merged or consolidated in recent years! Yet, I have yet to see a single report of the status of the new consolidated parochial community.
How many Catholics attended Mass at each of the parishes before the merger? How many are attending afterward? What was the amount of financial support at each of the parishes before the merger? How much is it afterward?
The Bishops and Pastors will not be honest or transparent about these numbers. I suspect that is because mergers and consolidations are total failures.
The longer the Bishops and Pastors wait to make substantive changes, the more difficult it becomes to reverse the downward spiral.
What is most remarkable is this: nearly nine out of ten (90%) of the parishes that die are in communities that are growing. The problem is not a shortage of people. The problem is a shortage of courage to enunciate the clear teachings of the Word of God and the moral doctrines of the Church.
Until and unless Bishops and Pastors are at least willing to honest admit that these are the facts, until and unless the faithful are told the truth, the Church will continue to die a “death of a thousand cuts”.
It is painful to watch and still more painful to experience.
May the Lord come to our rescue and provide us with honest and bold leadership and with fervent and devout members of the faithful.
God, bless Your Church, today and always, please!
Monday, August 7, 2017
POPE FRANCIS AND "ACCOMPANIMENT": I THINK I'M BEGINNING TO GET IT
Pope Francis continues to call the Church collectively and among individual believers to conversion: that change of attitude toward oneself and toward others which humbles our pride, inspires us to admit our failings, seek forgiveness and be receptive of the loving pardon of Our Heavenly Father.
It is a message which inspires hope, peace and tranquility.
So what is it that impairs or prohibits us from this conversion?
As I meditate upon the experience of my own spiritual life, the answer is very clear. I know this is true for me. See if you agree that the same applies to yourself.
The single and primary reason we do not experience conversion is this: we willfully resist.
I believe this resistance is one of the major aspects of our fallen human nature. It is part of the human condition. Sin disordered us. We were incapable thereafter of acting as Our Creator intended, that is, that we recognize those choices which are good for us and that we exercise our freedom of will and opt for those choices.
My experience actively ministering for many years tells me that people really do want to change, they want to submit themselves to the wisdom and Grace of the Lord, they seek the serenity which results when one walks in the light of the Gospel and in harmony with Almighty God’s Will.
Yet, no matter how sincere I and they are, our errant wills resist that conversion.
And so, it appears that, if change is really going to take place within us, we must deal with this willful resistance.
How?
The Scriptures provide remarkable insight into the process.
First and most necessary, we must admit to ourselves that we are spiritually and morally broken people. We must confess to ourselves and to the Lord that, left to our own designs, our lives would spiral downward in an endless and destructive pattern of self-gratification and isolation from God and others.
This honest assessment of our wounded nature must necessarily take place and precede the next step: repentance. At this stage in the conversion process, we move from insight regarding the present condition of our lives and begin to apply that insight into practical actions which turn us away from self toward the impact which our selfishness has upon all the relationships which are part of our lives: with family members, friends, co-workers, members of the communities of which we are a part, and most importantly, our relationship with God Himself.
Still, our resistance to conversion is strong because, precisely at the most critical stage of repentance, we begin to recognize that the conversion we long for will result in a kind of death.
No one wants to die, not even in relation to various aspects of our lives. Death is terrifying to the human ego which understands that conversion of any kind will infringe upon the rampant willfulness that lives within each of us. The very idea of conversion seems to trigger a self-defensive response within our broken nature.
This is the moment when we begin to convince ourselves, wrongly of course, that we are incapable of the conversion to which the Lord is calling us. We tell ourselves we are not that holy. We are not that strong. We are not capable of the virtuous life of faith. We are not ready. The timing is all wrong. We need to change, but not just yet.
Pope Francis instinctively understands this as he encourages the Church to adopt the most effective approach in meeting with the resistance of sinful humanity. And the approach which the Holy Father urges is one of compassion and charity.
I have thought about this for quite some time as I have questioned Pope Francis’ constant call for the Church to adopt an attitude of “accompaniment" in proclaiming the Gospel.
I have struggled for a long time over what the Pope means. And because I did not (and perhaps still don’t) fully understand his meaning, many of his pastoral initiatives have confused me.
Truly, I have thought and prayed about this often since Pope Francis assumed the Pontifical Office.
Slowly, I have come to believe that, by “accompaniment", the Holy Father means that the Church (Her Pastors and the Christian faithful) need to develop a strong, trusting relationship with suffering and sinful humanity. Perhaps, this will be the first relationship with someone who sees and loves them as they are in their brokenness and sinful selves.
Modeling the Church on the ministry of Christ Himself, Pope Francis understands that people change in a climate of acceptance and love.
This is the paradox of Christianity (the paradox of Pope Francis’ Pontificate): we must accept people exactly as they are before we can assist them in the process of conversion. The Church must embrace sinners while they still sin, in the state of imperfection and alienation.
The Church cannot (never, ever) say: “Repent! Convert! And then come join us!”
Rather, as the Pope frequently reminds us: love heals, and when someone feels loved and accepted by another and seen as the kind, loving person that they are, they can begin to see themselves through the same lens. Then, and only by the mystery Divine Grace and Charity, the block of resistance may recede and lasting conversion may begin to occur.
Perhaps, this is why Pope Francis can accept people in the state of sinful behaviors and lifestyles and welcome them to the Communion Table, to the Liturgy and the Sacramental life of the Church, without fear that somehow the Gospel and the Church Herself will somehow be corrupted in the process.
And so, Pope Francis is calling the Church Herself to conversion by the very same process which the Church pursues in seeking to assist others to convert their lives to Christ.
As individuals are resistant to change, we have seen how the Church Herself is resistant. She will need the very same acceptance and love She seeks to share with others. She will need the same encourage, patience and pardon She seeks to bestow on others.
The Church will need to admit and confess her faults, her sins, her failings. The Church will need to seek the Lord’s pardon and forgiveness. And the Church will need to actively engage Herself in a conversion of spirit and will to humbly and lovingly proclaim God’s Loving Mercy to people weakened by and living in sin.
I will think about this more and more in the days ahead.
It will inspire many prayers on my part, I am sure.
It is a message which inspires hope, peace and tranquility.
So what is it that impairs or prohibits us from this conversion?
As I meditate upon the experience of my own spiritual life, the answer is very clear. I know this is true for me. See if you agree that the same applies to yourself.
The single and primary reason we do not experience conversion is this: we willfully resist.
I believe this resistance is one of the major aspects of our fallen human nature. It is part of the human condition. Sin disordered us. We were incapable thereafter of acting as Our Creator intended, that is, that we recognize those choices which are good for us and that we exercise our freedom of will and opt for those choices.
My experience actively ministering for many years tells me that people really do want to change, they want to submit themselves to the wisdom and Grace of the Lord, they seek the serenity which results when one walks in the light of the Gospel and in harmony with Almighty God’s Will.
Yet, no matter how sincere I and they are, our errant wills resist that conversion.
And so, it appears that, if change is really going to take place within us, we must deal with this willful resistance.
How?
The Scriptures provide remarkable insight into the process.
First and most necessary, we must admit to ourselves that we are spiritually and morally broken people. We must confess to ourselves and to the Lord that, left to our own designs, our lives would spiral downward in an endless and destructive pattern of self-gratification and isolation from God and others.
This honest assessment of our wounded nature must necessarily take place and precede the next step: repentance. At this stage in the conversion process, we move from insight regarding the present condition of our lives and begin to apply that insight into practical actions which turn us away from self toward the impact which our selfishness has upon all the relationships which are part of our lives: with family members, friends, co-workers, members of the communities of which we are a part, and most importantly, our relationship with God Himself.
Still, our resistance to conversion is strong because, precisely at the most critical stage of repentance, we begin to recognize that the conversion we long for will result in a kind of death.
No one wants to die, not even in relation to various aspects of our lives. Death is terrifying to the human ego which understands that conversion of any kind will infringe upon the rampant willfulness that lives within each of us. The very idea of conversion seems to trigger a self-defensive response within our broken nature.
This is the moment when we begin to convince ourselves, wrongly of course, that we are incapable of the conversion to which the Lord is calling us. We tell ourselves we are not that holy. We are not that strong. We are not capable of the virtuous life of faith. We are not ready. The timing is all wrong. We need to change, but not just yet.
Pope Francis instinctively understands this as he encourages the Church to adopt the most effective approach in meeting with the resistance of sinful humanity. And the approach which the Holy Father urges is one of compassion and charity.
I have thought about this for quite some time as I have questioned Pope Francis’ constant call for the Church to adopt an attitude of “accompaniment" in proclaiming the Gospel.
I have struggled for a long time over what the Pope means. And because I did not (and perhaps still don’t) fully understand his meaning, many of his pastoral initiatives have confused me.
Truly, I have thought and prayed about this often since Pope Francis assumed the Pontifical Office.
Slowly, I have come to believe that, by “accompaniment", the Holy Father means that the Church (Her Pastors and the Christian faithful) need to develop a strong, trusting relationship with suffering and sinful humanity. Perhaps, this will be the first relationship with someone who sees and loves them as they are in their brokenness and sinful selves.
Modeling the Church on the ministry of Christ Himself, Pope Francis understands that people change in a climate of acceptance and love.
This is the paradox of Christianity (the paradox of Pope Francis’ Pontificate): we must accept people exactly as they are before we can assist them in the process of conversion. The Church must embrace sinners while they still sin, in the state of imperfection and alienation.
The Church cannot (never, ever) say: “Repent! Convert! And then come join us!”
Rather, as the Pope frequently reminds us: love heals, and when someone feels loved and accepted by another and seen as the kind, loving person that they are, they can begin to see themselves through the same lens. Then, and only by the mystery Divine Grace and Charity, the block of resistance may recede and lasting conversion may begin to occur.
Perhaps, this is why Pope Francis can accept people in the state of sinful behaviors and lifestyles and welcome them to the Communion Table, to the Liturgy and the Sacramental life of the Church, without fear that somehow the Gospel and the Church Herself will somehow be corrupted in the process.
And so, Pope Francis is calling the Church Herself to conversion by the very same process which the Church pursues in seeking to assist others to convert their lives to Christ.
As individuals are resistant to change, we have seen how the Church Herself is resistant. She will need the very same acceptance and love She seeks to share with others. She will need the same encourage, patience and pardon She seeks to bestow on others.
The Church will need to admit and confess her faults, her sins, her failings. The Church will need to seek the Lord’s pardon and forgiveness. And the Church will need to actively engage Herself in a conversion of spirit and will to humbly and lovingly proclaim God’s Loving Mercy to people weakened by and living in sin.
I will think about this more and more in the days ahead.
It will inspire many prayers on my part, I am sure.
Sunday, August 6, 2017
A SLIPPERY SLOPE: EUTHANASIA WITHOUT CONSENT IN THE NETHERLANDS
The Netherlands became the world’s first country to legalize euthanasia and assisted suicide in 2002.
Since that time, the country has since witnessed a rapid increase in related deaths, with 20 now occurring daily, according to a recent report by the Regional Euthanasia Commission.
The report said 6,672 euthanasia deaths had been registered in 2015, compared to just 150 from assisted suicide, while 431 patients had been killed without explicit consent.
Euthanasia had originally been permitted only “at the explicit request of a patient in the terminal stage of an incurable somatic disease,” but had been steadily extended and was now accepted “before the terminal stage of life.”
The Dutch Bishops’ Conference warned from the beginning against violating the intrinsic dignity of human life through euthanasia or assisted suicide, because it is never ever allowable to violate intrinsic values. Doing so puts oneself the slippery slope of devaluing human life itself.
Dutch Bishops have insisted that an acceptance of euthanasia will always be accompanied by a temptation to end life when there are “less serious forms of suffering.”
In a January 2017 petition, 200 other Dutch doctors warned that legal protections were “slowly breaking down,” with many dementia and psychiatric patients being killed “without actual oral consent.” They accused the official Euthanasia Commission of concealing that “incapacitated people were surreptitiously killed,” and said “executions” were now occurring.
Ending life without consent had been made possible by the 2004 Groningen Protocol, which allows handicapped newborns with conditions such as spina bifida to be killed because of “their perceived future suffering, or that of their parents.”
A new assisted suicide bill, introduced in 2016, would allow healthy people suffering nonmedical conditions such as “loneliness, bereavement, limited mobility and decline from old age” to be helped to die by a nonprofessional “assistant-in-suicide.”
The Dutch Bishops have said: “Our answer to suffering should not be to offer euthanasia or assisted suicide, but adequate, professional and loving palliative care - of which, from a Christian perspective, pastoral care is an indispensable part. When people suffer unbearably and without prospect from loneliness, a frequent problem in today’s present hyper-individualist culture, we should try to change that culture instead of offering suicide to healthy people.”
Perhaps, what is even more unsettling about this story is the fact that euthanasia and assisted suicide are also legal in neighboring Belgium and Luxembourg and are deemed “nonpunishable” in Switzerland.
Polls suggest most Europeans favor euthanasia laws with safeguards.
Since that time, the country has since witnessed a rapid increase in related deaths, with 20 now occurring daily, according to a recent report by the Regional Euthanasia Commission.
The report said 6,672 euthanasia deaths had been registered in 2015, compared to just 150 from assisted suicide, while 431 patients had been killed without explicit consent.
Euthanasia had originally been permitted only “at the explicit request of a patient in the terminal stage of an incurable somatic disease,” but had been steadily extended and was now accepted “before the terminal stage of life.”
The Dutch Bishops’ Conference warned from the beginning against violating the intrinsic dignity of human life through euthanasia or assisted suicide, because it is never ever allowable to violate intrinsic values. Doing so puts oneself the slippery slope of devaluing human life itself.
Dutch Bishops have insisted that an acceptance of euthanasia will always be accompanied by a temptation to end life when there are “less serious forms of suffering.”
In a January 2017 petition, 200 other Dutch doctors warned that legal protections were “slowly breaking down,” with many dementia and psychiatric patients being killed “without actual oral consent.” They accused the official Euthanasia Commission of concealing that “incapacitated people were surreptitiously killed,” and said “executions” were now occurring.
Ending life without consent had been made possible by the 2004 Groningen Protocol, which allows handicapped newborns with conditions such as spina bifida to be killed because of “their perceived future suffering, or that of their parents.”
A new assisted suicide bill, introduced in 2016, would allow healthy people suffering nonmedical conditions such as “loneliness, bereavement, limited mobility and decline from old age” to be helped to die by a nonprofessional “assistant-in-suicide.”
The Dutch Bishops have said: “Our answer to suffering should not be to offer euthanasia or assisted suicide, but adequate, professional and loving palliative care - of which, from a Christian perspective, pastoral care is an indispensable part. When people suffer unbearably and without prospect from loneliness, a frequent problem in today’s present hyper-individualist culture, we should try to change that culture instead of offering suicide to healthy people.”
Perhaps, what is even more unsettling about this story is the fact that euthanasia and assisted suicide are also legal in neighboring Belgium and Luxembourg and are deemed “nonpunishable” in Switzerland.
Polls suggest most Europeans favor euthanasia laws with safeguards.
Saturday, August 5, 2017
THE DIRE STATE OF THE CHURCH IN AUSTRIA
Here and there, throughout the month of August, I shall showcase the condition of the Church among the various countries of Europe.
The facts are quite disturbing.
In this post, we shall report on the status of the Church in Austria.
The Archdiocese of Vienna, which is one of the largest in Europe (extending from the Czech border to the southern Alps) will undergo radical parish reforms, reducing its 660 parishes to 150 over the course of the next decade.
Cardinal Christoph Schonborn has stated that the main reasons for these measures were the increasing shortage of priests and the steady decline in the number of Catholics, especially of those who regularly attended Mass and were involved in their local parishes.
“I am fully aware that these reforms denote a far-reaching change of perspective,” the Cardinal said. “We must take leave of the traditional concept that the church is only present where there is a priest. That is a restricted view that has developed over time but which must now be corrected. Church is community, and leading offices in the church should in principle be carried out collaboratively, even if the Pastor has the final responsibility according to canon law.”
The condition of the Church in the rest of the country is even worse. It is estimated that 75% of all Catholic parishes in Austria will close within the next 10 years.
Research undertaken by the Episcopal Conference of Austrian Bishops that in 30 years the proportion of Muslim to Catholic population will almost double to 21 percent.
One reason why the number of Muslims and Orthodox Christians is expected to rise in future is that they are seen as relatively “young” religions - with Muslim youth the most religious of their age group. The population of Orthodox Christians is expected to grow from 9 to 11 percent. The population of Catholics is predicted to sink to 33 percent.
Future birth rates play a role in the expansion of religions which are largely inherited. Muslim and Orthodox Christian women tend on average to have more children.
The Austrian church is in a state of collapse, there is no doubt about this.
And yet, the Austrian Bishops appear to act as though there are no problems.
Truly, as the Living Word of God cautions, “there are none so blind as those who will not see.”
Denying reality is not a strategy. One of two things happens. Either the Church (in the person of the Bishops) continue to do nothing or it engages in vainglorious and failed attempt to move toward an accommodation with prevailing attitudes and sentiments. The latter is the strategy Cardinal Schonborn and his brother-Bishops appear to have adopted.
They have failed and continue to lead the Church in Austria toward an irreversible pathway to ruin.
One would have thought that the Bishops in Austria (the first influential group in Europe to laud the annexation of their country by the Third Reich) would have learned a valuable lesson about the failure of accommodation. Compromising the evangelical counsels and wisdom of the Sacred Scriptures and the moral and doctrinal teachings of the Church is a sure sign of a willful resignation to the forces of darkness and moral corruption.
Rather than inspiring the Catholic faithful of Austria to re-discover the truths of the Faith and the spiritual necessity of the Sacraments, the Austrian Bishops have been eager to resign themselves and their people to a future in which the light of Christ will be dimmer and less revealing of humanity’s wounds and failures.
And so, the lessons of history go unheeded, and the future will be a repetition of the past.
Generations of Catholics hence will look back upon this moment in the life of the Austrian Church and condemn both the Bishops and their flocks for their timid and lukewarm defense of Catholic doctrine.
It’s a story which, as we will see in future posts, is being repeated throughout the Continent and the Americas as well.
The facts are quite disturbing.
In this post, we shall report on the status of the Church in Austria.
The Archdiocese of Vienna, which is one of the largest in Europe (extending from the Czech border to the southern Alps) will undergo radical parish reforms, reducing its 660 parishes to 150 over the course of the next decade.
Cardinal Christoph Schonborn has stated that the main reasons for these measures were the increasing shortage of priests and the steady decline in the number of Catholics, especially of those who regularly attended Mass and were involved in their local parishes.
“I am fully aware that these reforms denote a far-reaching change of perspective,” the Cardinal said. “We must take leave of the traditional concept that the church is only present where there is a priest. That is a restricted view that has developed over time but which must now be corrected. Church is community, and leading offices in the church should in principle be carried out collaboratively, even if the Pastor has the final responsibility according to canon law.”
The condition of the Church in the rest of the country is even worse. It is estimated that 75% of all Catholic parishes in Austria will close within the next 10 years.
Research undertaken by the Episcopal Conference of Austrian Bishops that in 30 years the proportion of Muslim to Catholic population will almost double to 21 percent.
One reason why the number of Muslims and Orthodox Christians is expected to rise in future is that they are seen as relatively “young” religions - with Muslim youth the most religious of their age group. The population of Orthodox Christians is expected to grow from 9 to 11 percent. The population of Catholics is predicted to sink to 33 percent.
Future birth rates play a role in the expansion of religions which are largely inherited. Muslim and Orthodox Christian women tend on average to have more children.
The Austrian church is in a state of collapse, there is no doubt about this.
And yet, the Austrian Bishops appear to act as though there are no problems.
Truly, as the Living Word of God cautions, “there are none so blind as those who will not see.”
Denying reality is not a strategy. One of two things happens. Either the Church (in the person of the Bishops) continue to do nothing or it engages in vainglorious and failed attempt to move toward an accommodation with prevailing attitudes and sentiments. The latter is the strategy Cardinal Schonborn and his brother-Bishops appear to have adopted.
They have failed and continue to lead the Church in Austria toward an irreversible pathway to ruin.
One would have thought that the Bishops in Austria (the first influential group in Europe to laud the annexation of their country by the Third Reich) would have learned a valuable lesson about the failure of accommodation. Compromising the evangelical counsels and wisdom of the Sacred Scriptures and the moral and doctrinal teachings of the Church is a sure sign of a willful resignation to the forces of darkness and moral corruption.
Rather than inspiring the Catholic faithful of Austria to re-discover the truths of the Faith and the spiritual necessity of the Sacraments, the Austrian Bishops have been eager to resign themselves and their people to a future in which the light of Christ will be dimmer and less revealing of humanity’s wounds and failures.
And so, the lessons of history go unheeded, and the future will be a repetition of the past.
Generations of Catholics hence will look back upon this moment in the life of the Austrian Church and condemn both the Bishops and their flocks for their timid and lukewarm defense of Catholic doctrine.
It’s a story which, as we will see in future posts, is being repeated throughout the Continent and the Americas as well.