Because name-calling Apologetics is not the way to do it!
The blog of a group of Filipino Catholics and their frank commentary on anything that affects their lives as a citizen of the Philippines and as a Roman Catholics.
Showing posts with label conversion story. Show all posts
Showing posts with label conversion story. Show all posts
Saturday, August 23, 2014
Monday, June 24, 2013
A woman converts to Catholicism after learning what Catholicism is all about.
From the Catholic Herald
***
Three years ago when I announced to my family that I had followed my Latin American husband’s lead and converted from Protestantism to Catholicism, my intellectual-atheist brother immediately proclaimed that I had joined “the Evil Empire”. [True atheism nowadays is not just about not just about not believing in God, but HATING Catholicism.] The jokes and ridicule have never stopped coming. Just yesterday he sent me the Epicurean paradox and asked how my priest and I intend to explain it. (“When there is evil in the world, how can God be good?” – To put it simply).
My family and friends’ reactions to my conversion have ranged from disgust to pity, to a mysterious type of curiosity: “So, do you hate gay people now?” “Are you going to have lots of children then?” And of course: “Has your priest ever abused anyone?” Really? [Really. And they call themselves, FREE THINKERS.]
As it happened, I didn’t have a big moment where I was “called” to the Church, there was no white dove fluttering down on my shoulders, whispering the word of the Lord in my ear. I was as much a Protestant hater as the next person. And my decision to go into the RCIA course (after which you decide to either walk away or receive Holy Communion and join) was initially a fact-finding mission because I knew that my husband wanted our children to go to a Catholic school.
I expected to find a cliquey, self-absorbed group of elderly nuns and priests handing out rules I was supposed to live by. I expected to be met with blind denial of the child abuse scandal that was raging at the time, and I definitely expected no discussion of the Catholic “absolutes” regarding homosexuality, contraception and celibacy for men in the cloth.
But what I found was humility and an honest willingness to debate how the Church and its doctrines fit into the modern world. At one of the first meetings the priest in session asked: “No contraception? Is it really doable? Do people really live by it?” Rather than preaching blind acceptance, we were invited to examine the historical and philosophical reasoning behind the traditions, and it all made so much more sense.
What struck me most was that nobody purported to hold the truth about anything. Catholics have been accused of a sense of dogmatic holiness that puts everyone who is not in the fold to shame. What I found was a group of people who know that they constantly fail at reaching the high standards they set for themselves, but who try their best.
Yes, this clashes blatantly with recent developments in the Church. The speculations surrounding the Pope’s resignation coupled with Cardinal O’Brien’s admission of sexual misconduct all add to the longstanding indignation against the Church. [And you wouldn't expect to get that kind of treatment against other religions.]
But the Catholic Church is much more than this, and it is in my opinion widely and deliberately misunderstood. We all need an enemy, and the Church lends itself so easily to that role.
But I think it’s a testament to the humility of the Catholic community that it hasn’t mobilised in a violent defence of itself. Instead it has bowed its head in recognition of its sins and is constantly reflecting on how it can do better.
TS Eliot once wrote: “For us, there is only the trying. The rest is not our business.” If any religion can make us do that, I think we are doing OK.
***
This is a brilliant approach to apologists.
Instead of readily using the word "pulpol", try harder using a more charitable and more logical reasoning when debating other people of the Faith.
As my friend once said it "Sometimes, it is our attitudes against people of other religions that drives them farther away from the Truth."
Agreed.
***
Three years ago when I announced to my family that I had followed my Latin American husband’s lead and converted from Protestantism to Catholicism, my intellectual-atheist brother immediately proclaimed that I had joined “the Evil Empire”. [True atheism nowadays is not just about not just about not believing in God, but HATING Catholicism.] The jokes and ridicule have never stopped coming. Just yesterday he sent me the Epicurean paradox and asked how my priest and I intend to explain it. (“When there is evil in the world, how can God be good?” – To put it simply).
My family and friends’ reactions to my conversion have ranged from disgust to pity, to a mysterious type of curiosity: “So, do you hate gay people now?” “Are you going to have lots of children then?” And of course: “Has your priest ever abused anyone?” Really? [Really. And they call themselves, FREE THINKERS.]
As it happened, I didn’t have a big moment where I was “called” to the Church, there was no white dove fluttering down on my shoulders, whispering the word of the Lord in my ear. I was as much a Protestant hater as the next person. And my decision to go into the RCIA course (after which you decide to either walk away or receive Holy Communion and join) was initially a fact-finding mission because I knew that my husband wanted our children to go to a Catholic school.
I expected to find a cliquey, self-absorbed group of elderly nuns and priests handing out rules I was supposed to live by. I expected to be met with blind denial of the child abuse scandal that was raging at the time, and I definitely expected no discussion of the Catholic “absolutes” regarding homosexuality, contraception and celibacy for men in the cloth.
But what I found was humility and an honest willingness to debate how the Church and its doctrines fit into the modern world. At one of the first meetings the priest in session asked: “No contraception? Is it really doable? Do people really live by it?” Rather than preaching blind acceptance, we were invited to examine the historical and philosophical reasoning behind the traditions, and it all made so much more sense.
What struck me most was that nobody purported to hold the truth about anything. Catholics have been accused of a sense of dogmatic holiness that puts everyone who is not in the fold to shame. What I found was a group of people who know that they constantly fail at reaching the high standards they set for themselves, but who try their best.
Yes, this clashes blatantly with recent developments in the Church. The speculations surrounding the Pope’s resignation coupled with Cardinal O’Brien’s admission of sexual misconduct all add to the longstanding indignation against the Church. [And you wouldn't expect to get that kind of treatment against other religions.]
But the Catholic Church is much more than this, and it is in my opinion widely and deliberately misunderstood. We all need an enemy, and the Church lends itself so easily to that role.
But I think it’s a testament to the humility of the Catholic community that it hasn’t mobilised in a violent defence of itself. Instead it has bowed its head in recognition of its sins and is constantly reflecting on how it can do better.
TS Eliot once wrote: “For us, there is only the trying. The rest is not our business.” If any religion can make us do that, I think we are doing OK.
***
This is a brilliant approach to apologists.
Instead of readily using the word "pulpol", try harder using a more charitable and more logical reasoning when debating other people of the Faith.
As my friend once said it "Sometimes, it is our attitudes against people of other religions that drives them farther away from the Truth."
Agreed.
Tuesday, February 26, 2013
Mark Wahlberg: "I am Catholic"
During the last Oscar awards night, (no I did not watch). Mark Wahlberg was a presentor for an award. He came out with Ted the Bear from his latest movie, Ted. In the following exchange, which obviously is scripted, Wahlberg proclaimed who he is in front of the whole world.
Ted: “You’ve got a ‘berg’ on the end of your name. Are you Jewish?”
Mark Wahlberg: “No, I’m Catholic.”
Ted: “Wrong answer. Try again.”
Later on, the bear admitted he is Jewish.
Not sure what was that about.
But shows that being a Hollywood celebrity does not mean you shy away from your religious belief. Be proud of it, whatever state of life you are in right now.
Especially be proud of your Christian heritage if you are in the public eye.
His life story and his journey back home to the Catholic Church is one that would be a Hollywood movie, someday, hopefully.
Tuesday, May 8, 2012
Soccer guys brought to tears...
Not because of scoring a goal, but because of the Sacrament of Reconciliation.
from this link
***
*Names of students have been changed to protect their privacy.
As I was walking up the stairs at Loras College on a bright September day, I saw a young man with a diamond stud in each of his ears, baggy plaid shorts, and a yellow t-shirt doing sweet tricks on his Razor scooter. [kinda common nowadays in malls in Manila.] I had seen Chris before. He is on the soccer team. Little did I know that in March, six months later, on a FOCUS retreat in Middle-of-Nowhere, Iowa, Chris’ actions, as well as the actions of three of his teammates, would bring my wife, Dene’, and me to joyful tears in front of the Blessed Sacrament.
I have to admit that I may have judged the trickster on that late summer’s day. He seemed cool, too cool to want to know anything about Jesus. I still talked to him when I could at practice, but we never got very far. So when I began in late January to invite people on FOCUS’ Spiritual Impact Bootcamp, it did not even register to me that he would be a future participant.
Healing from past emotional or spiritual wounds, personal discernment of the different gifts of the Holy Spirit, and spiritual reawakening in Christ are just three aspects of this powerful retreat. When I was a college student, I remember feeling burdened not only by papers and exams, but also by temptations and peer pressure. Before I had experienced Christ’s love and forgiveness, more often than not I gave into those things. Having spoken with many student-athletes at Loras College, I realize that many of them are going through the same joys and struggles that I experienced. Because of this, I began to pray that the entire men’s soccer team and women’s soccer team would attend the “Bootcamp” so they could experience Christ’s mercy and peace individually and as a community.
Shoot for the moon and land among the stars – God put it on the hearts of three men’s soccer players to give up a precious weekend of rest and relaxation to see what this retreat had to offer. [How many of us do this? Give up something we love to do, for something, even greater, if we even know that what we wanted is something greater.] They, along with most of the attendees, signed up well in advance. I was happily surprised then when, with three days left before the retreat began, Rick, one of the men’s soccer players, asked,
“Hey dude…Did Chris sign up for the retreat?”
“Chris!” I thought excitedly. I responded, “No…did he want to come?”
Evidently Chris had thought he had signed up, but after rummaging through all the retreat registrations, it was apparent he had not. I sent Rick a text asking him to let Chris know that he would be more than welcome to attend. That would make four men’s soccer players on the retreat.
Have you ever been forced to come on a retreat? Have you ever thought to yourself at the beginning of a retreat how much you do not want to be there? This was the attitude I saw on the faces of the four soccer players the second they walked into the door on Friday before Mass. Slowly but surely, however, this façade began to wear away and they began to smile more and socialize with others. Then, on Saturday afternoon, it happened.
When was the last time you experienced the joy of God’s mercy? For those four young men, it was on Saturday. We spent five hours in front of the Blessed Sacrament in adoration on Saturday, and during the first hour, the Sacrament of Confession was offered. One by one, each of the four soccer players lined up, and upon returning from the Sacrament, each of them began to cry. As I remembered my experiences of being set free from those burdens that hold me back from becoming the person I am meant to become, I began to cry with them. Then, I looked over at my wife, and she was crying too.
“What are you crying about?” I asked.
She whispered, “The soccer guys.”
For the rest of the weekend, those four men who, just hours before had seemed too tough and too cool, now looked like little boys who had been held in the gentle and loving arms of their Father for the first time. They were at peace in Christ’s love.
It is a very powerful thing the Sacrament of Confession. A person walks in a sinner and walks out a saint, completely free of sin for the time being. If you haven’t been in a while, may I humbly ask, what is holding you back from experiencing the freedom of Christ? I am so thankful I was able to spend time with Chris, Rick, Ken, and Dave this past weekend. It was a reminder of just how powerful God’s love and mercy is.
Question: When was the last time you experienced God’s love and mercy?
***
When was the last time you went to Confession?
I know a guy who is so proud of himself he says he goes to confession ONLY once a year.
When you go to confession, prepare by making a good examination of your conscience. There are some good guides available online like this one.
Christ is waiting in the confessional box. Get in there.
from this link
***
*Names of students have been changed to protect their privacy.
As I was walking up the stairs at Loras College on a bright September day, I saw a young man with a diamond stud in each of his ears, baggy plaid shorts, and a yellow t-shirt doing sweet tricks on his Razor scooter. [kinda common nowadays in malls in Manila.] I had seen Chris before. He is on the soccer team. Little did I know that in March, six months later, on a FOCUS retreat in Middle-of-Nowhere, Iowa, Chris’ actions, as well as the actions of three of his teammates, would bring my wife, Dene’, and me to joyful tears in front of the Blessed Sacrament.
I have to admit that I may have judged the trickster on that late summer’s day. He seemed cool, too cool to want to know anything about Jesus. I still talked to him when I could at practice, but we never got very far. So when I began in late January to invite people on FOCUS’ Spiritual Impact Bootcamp, it did not even register to me that he would be a future participant.
Healing from past emotional or spiritual wounds, personal discernment of the different gifts of the Holy Spirit, and spiritual reawakening in Christ are just three aspects of this powerful retreat. When I was a college student, I remember feeling burdened not only by papers and exams, but also by temptations and peer pressure. Before I had experienced Christ’s love and forgiveness, more often than not I gave into those things. Having spoken with many student-athletes at Loras College, I realize that many of them are going through the same joys and struggles that I experienced. Because of this, I began to pray that the entire men’s soccer team and women’s soccer team would attend the “Bootcamp” so they could experience Christ’s mercy and peace individually and as a community.
Shoot for the moon and land among the stars – God put it on the hearts of three men’s soccer players to give up a precious weekend of rest and relaxation to see what this retreat had to offer. [How many of us do this? Give up something we love to do, for something, even greater, if we even know that what we wanted is something greater.] They, along with most of the attendees, signed up well in advance. I was happily surprised then when, with three days left before the retreat began, Rick, one of the men’s soccer players, asked,
“Hey dude…Did Chris sign up for the retreat?”
“Chris!” I thought excitedly. I responded, “No…did he want to come?”
Evidently Chris had thought he had signed up, but after rummaging through all the retreat registrations, it was apparent he had not. I sent Rick a text asking him to let Chris know that he would be more than welcome to attend. That would make four men’s soccer players on the retreat.
Have you ever been forced to come on a retreat? Have you ever thought to yourself at the beginning of a retreat how much you do not want to be there? This was the attitude I saw on the faces of the four soccer players the second they walked into the door on Friday before Mass. Slowly but surely, however, this façade began to wear away and they began to smile more and socialize with others. Then, on Saturday afternoon, it happened.
When was the last time you experienced the joy of God’s mercy? For those four young men, it was on Saturday. We spent five hours in front of the Blessed Sacrament in adoration on Saturday, and during the first hour, the Sacrament of Confession was offered. One by one, each of the four soccer players lined up, and upon returning from the Sacrament, each of them began to cry. As I remembered my experiences of being set free from those burdens that hold me back from becoming the person I am meant to become, I began to cry with them. Then, I looked over at my wife, and she was crying too.
“What are you crying about?” I asked.
She whispered, “The soccer guys.”
For the rest of the weekend, those four men who, just hours before had seemed too tough and too cool, now looked like little boys who had been held in the gentle and loving arms of their Father for the first time. They were at peace in Christ’s love.
It is a very powerful thing the Sacrament of Confession. A person walks in a sinner and walks out a saint, completely free of sin for the time being. If you haven’t been in a while, may I humbly ask, what is holding you back from experiencing the freedom of Christ? I am so thankful I was able to spend time with Chris, Rick, Ken, and Dave this past weekend. It was a reminder of just how powerful God’s love and mercy is.
Question: When was the last time you experienced God’s love and mercy?
***
When was the last time you went to Confession?
I know a guy who is so proud of himself he says he goes to confession ONLY once a year.
When you go to confession, prepare by making a good examination of your conscience. There are some good guides available online like this one.
Christ is waiting in the confessional box. Get in there.
Tuesday, February 28, 2012
The most beautiful woman to walk the Oscar's red carpet
Here she is waving to the crowds.
And here she is blowing a whistle for the crowds. She is really having a blast. :)
Photo credits to (according to order) the Telegraph, 2Space, Deacon's Bench and Moviefone.com
You can read about her life story by reading a previous blog post I made about her in September 2010.
You can also read about her in this wonderful post in Deacon's Bench.
I will be watching out for the documentary.
Thursday, November 10, 2011
Baptist woman makes a new Catholic saint!
The tapestry hanging in the facade of St. Peter's shortly after Emperor Charles I of Austria was declared Blessed by Pope John Paul II, himself now a Blessed.
Quotes from Blessed Charles
"I have done my duty, as I came here to do. As crowned King, I not only have a right, I also have a duty. I must uphold the right, the dignity and honor of the Crown.... For me, this is not something light. With the last breath of my life I must take the path of duty. Whatever I regret, Our Lord and Savior has led me."
"Now, we must help each other to get to Heaven." Addressing Empress Zita on 22 October 1911, the day after their wedding.
***
Seriously, a Baptist woman prayed to Blessed Charles of Austria, the last Emperor of the Austro-Hungarian Empire. Not only was the cancer stricken woman, whom her doctors have given up hope, completely healed of her cancer, she shortly converted and went back home to the Catholic Church, according to other reports.
Here is an excerpt of the report:
The seemingly inexplicable healing of a Baptist woman from Florida may provide the miracle necessary for the canonization of Emperor Charles of Austria. The woman, in her mid-50s, suffered from breast cancer and was bedridden after the cancer had spread to her liver and bones. Despite treatment and hospitalization, doctors diagnosed her case as terminal. But after intercessory prayers to the Emperor Charles, the woman (who wishes to maintain her privacy and remain unnamed) was completely healed.
The story begins when Joseph and Paula Melançon, a married couple from Baton Rouge, Louisiana and friends of the healed woman, travelled to Austria, where they met Archduke Karl Peter, son of Archduke Rudolf, and grandson of the holy Emperor Charles. The Archduke invited the couple to his grandfather’s beatification in Rome in 2004. Mrs. Melançon gave the novena to Blessed Charles to her sister-in-law, Vanessa Lynn O’Neill of Atlanta.
“I knew that when I got that novena — I knew that my mother’s best friend was sick — I just knew at that moment that it was something I was going to do,” Mrs. O’Neill told the Florida Catholic in an interview. “And that is how I got started, I just prayed the novena.”
The woman’s recovery was investigated by an official church tribunal consisting of Father Fernando Gil (judicial vicar of the Diocese of Orlando), Father Gregory Parkes (chancellor of canonical affairs of the Diocese), Father Larry Lossing, diocesan notary Delma Santiago, as well as an unnamed medical doctor. The tribunal examined the evidence at hand and invited the participation of medical experts, who could find no earthly explanation for the woman’s recovery.
“Other alleged miracles attributed to the intercession of Blessed Karl I are currently being investigated in different places in the world,” Fr. Gil said.
The sixteen-month investigation has now concluded, and the conclusions have been signed by the participants, sealed, and placed in special boxes which are then themselves tied, sealed with wax, and sent to the Congregation for the Causes of the Saints in Rome via diplomatic pouch. The Congregation will examine the case further and then present its findings to Pope Benedict XVI, who will decided if a miracle has taken place. If the Pope is convinced by the evidence, then the Emperor’s canonization can proceed.
You can read more about the miracle here and here. You can also read about the life of his equally saintly wife, Empress Zita by clicking here. The page includes a photo of the Empress shortly after her death.
Some selected photos...
Blessed Emperor Charles and the Empress Zita, King and Queen of Hungary, bow their heads at an impromptu field Mass offered during the Emperor’s second heroic attempt to regain his throne from the traitorous regent Admiral Horthy in 1921
The Emperor after his death
***
Prayer for the Canonization of Blessed Charles of Austria
God our Father, through the gift of Blessed Emperor Karl You have given us an example to follow. In extremely difficult times he performed his burdensome tasks without ever losing his faith. He always followed Your Son, the true King.
He led a humble life, sincerely loving the poor and giving himself heart and soul to the search for peace. Even when his life was in danger he trusted in You, putting his life in Your hands.
Almighty and Merciful God, by the intercession of Blessed Emperor Karl, we pray that You may give us his unconditional faith to support us in our most difficult situations, and the courage to always follow the example of Your only Son.
Open our hearts to the poor, and strengthen our commitment for peace within our families and among all peoples.
We ask this through Christ our Lord.Imprimatur:
Archdiocese of Vienna
May 18, 2004 Z1. K787/07 or K788/04
Vicar Apostolic Dr. Franz Schuster
***
Know more about the holy emperor by visiting the official site of the Cause for his Canonization. The site is very extensive and includes photos of the Emperor and the Beatification Rites. Reading about his life and how his faith influences how he conducted himself as a monarch, and after he was forced to leave his country and the monarchy is really inspiring. A truly Catholic King!
All Hail Karl!
Friday, August 19, 2011
Muslim Imam becomes a Christian
"Muslim Clerics Convert to Christianity
Muslim clerics in the Middle East and North Africa are leaving Islam for Christianity, according to Father Zakaria Boutros.
Father Zakaria is an Egyptian Coptic priest who was kicked out of his country for converting Muslims to Christ. Today he has a ministry to the Muslim world through his satellite TV broadcast, 'Truth Talk.'
Broadcast daily into the Middle East, the program challenges Muslims to examine their faith and encourages them to discuss issues in an Internet chat room on Pal Talk.
Watch the interview to learn how those broadcasts are leading Muslim clerics to Christ."
Guess what we hear about more people becoming Muslims is not at all true.
Saturday, July 2, 2011
More US Episcopalians moving to the Catholic Church
From Fox News
***
The Rev. Mark Lewis now offers a prayer every Sunday morning that centuries ago would have been considered an homage to the enemy. It's a prayer for the bishop of Rome, the pope and all the Catholic bishops and priests. [Are our dissident theologians even doing this? Can't help myself. Gotta squeeze that in. Ha!]
Lewis chants, "For Benedict our Pope ... Let us prayer to the Lord."
And the congregation sings its answer, "Lord, have mercy."
The distinctly Roman Catholic offering is the outward sign of an inner spiritual journey. St. Luke's Church in Bladensburg, Md., will become later this year the first American Episcopal Parish to convert to Catholicism, Anglicanism's one-time nemesis. [And Bingo was his name-o!]
"What really drew us was the apostolic authority, the oneness of the faith of the people," Lewis said "That's what we really wanted, and I don't think you have that in Anglicanism."
Ironically, what is driving St. Luke's to Roman Catholicism is what split the church in the first place: the issue of authority. [The very same issue that theologians in MST, SVST and Euntes are raising yet the Episcopalians are being drawn to. Ironic, eh, Dr. Jose de Mesa?]
Nearly 500 years ago, Britain’s King Henry VIII broke with Rome in a dispute involving his wish to divorce his wife, Catherine of Aragon, and marry his young mistress, Anne Boleyn. [It was not an issue of authority. It was an issue of Henry wanting to produce an heir. This is not a doctrinal or moral matter. Marriage is the issue. Henry wanted divorce which is against what Christ said.]
A showdown forced England's clergy to choose sides, with the king demanding to know if the British bishops and Cardinals were more loyal to him or to the Pope. [Which is the same issue that the Communist Party in China are using against bishops and priests loyal to Rome.]
Lives and heads were literally lost in the ensuing theological and political clash. [Like Sts Thomas More and John Fisher, which ironically, the Church of England honors.] In its wake, The Church of England was born, with the sitting monarch as its head, a structure still in place today.
The American version, the Episcopal church, was the faith of many of the founding fathers, including President George Washington. [a high ranking Mason.]
Today, the Episcopal Church, with nearly 1.5 million members, is one of thousands of Christian denominations in the U.S. Its recent conflicts over the ordination of gays and women and the blessing of same-sex unions have caused some congregations to seek more conservative branches. [Issues which liberals in Europe, in America and in some quarters here in the Philippines wanted.]
But that was not an option for St. Luke's. Lewis says he felt that the same problem would persist. There was no authority concerning who would have the final interpretation of scripture over the most controversial issues the church is facing. [No final authority. Issues which these dissident theologians in MST, SVST and Euntes raise. They challenge the authority of the Pope so those who listen to them, well, will only follow their teaching. They hate the authority of the Church so they can be the AUTHORITY.]
"Anglicanism is Anglicanism," Lewis said. "So it doesn't matter if you go to a more conservative group like the Anglican Church in North America or any of the others that are around. It's still the faith of this body here. (It) doesn’t necessarily mean it's the same in Nigeria or Sierra Leone or any other outlet."
In 2009, Pope Benedict XVI created a special Ordinariate, a path through which Anglicans could reconcile with Rome and come back to the Roman Catholic flock. In some circles it's been called the religious equivalent of sheep stealing. [Did he grab them? The lost sheep went back to the fold, instead.]
The Rev. Scott Hurd, who's assisting Washington's Cardinal Donald Wuerl to create the new Anglican Ordinariate, disagrees with the implication, saying, "This initiative is a response to repeated and insistent requests from Anglican groups. So it's not a matter of stealing sheep. It's more a matter of opening the door for people who have been seeking to come in for some time." [Like what I stated.]
In the last few years, bitter legal battles over property have erupted in the American Episcopal church when conservative congregations sought to leave and be led by more orthodox Anglicans groups. But St. Luke's transition was essentially given a blessing by the Washington Diocese's Bishop John Bryson Chane.
"Christians move from one church to another with far greater frequency than in the past, sometimes as individuals, sometimes as groups," Chane said in a written statement. "I was glad to be able to meet the spiritual needs of the people and priest of St. Luke's in a way that respects the tradition and polity of both of our churches."
Under the terms of the agreement, St. Luke's congregation will have three years to either buy its current building or move elsewhere.
That especially pleases its 100 members, who are mostly West African immigrants like Gloria Deigh, from Sierra Leone.
Deigh is happy to convert, saying, "I like it. To me, it's like going home. That's where the original church was. We are all one."
Parishioner Randy King says for him the conversion brings needed certainty.
"We have a church that doesn't change. [Oh my. MST, SVST and Euntes would call this "being stuck in the past." "too medieval"...] We don't have to worry one day or the other what is going to be said from the pulpit." [This is happening also in our Masses, right? I think they'll be safe since they will be in the Ordinariate and not in any of the kumbaya parishes we have.]
Over the next few months, members of St. Luke's will attend catechism classes to learn more about the Catholic faith and the its doctrines. [This is such a blessing since we do not have this in our parishes nowadays, right? If you do, please state your name and parish and the schedule of Catechism classes.] Then in October they will be formally confirmed into the Roman Catholic Church -- what Lewis calls the return of the prodigal son. [Beautiful analogy!]
"We drifted away and now we want to come home," he said, "and I am just thankful that we have the opportunity to do so."
***
These people see the need to be with the Catholic Church, the one true fold that Christ Himself founded and left in the care of the apostles under the leadership of Peter.
And yet you hear Modernist nuns and priests telling you that you do not have to be in the Church to be saved.
Just be a good person and your done.
Much like cooking instant noodles, eh?
"Learn from me from I am humble and gentle of heart." says Christ, all for nothing since if you believe the Modernists, you just be good and do not learn from Christ Himself.
Welcome back home brothers and sisters!
Tell the dissidents in our Church about your story, and bring them back home as well.
They been drifters for way too long.
***
The Rev. Mark Lewis now offers a prayer every Sunday morning that centuries ago would have been considered an homage to the enemy. It's a prayer for the bishop of Rome, the pope and all the Catholic bishops and priests. [Are our dissident theologians even doing this? Can't help myself. Gotta squeeze that in. Ha!]
Lewis chants, "For Benedict our Pope ... Let us prayer to the Lord."
And the congregation sings its answer, "Lord, have mercy."
The distinctly Roman Catholic offering is the outward sign of an inner spiritual journey. St. Luke's Church in Bladensburg, Md., will become later this year the first American Episcopal Parish to convert to Catholicism, Anglicanism's one-time nemesis. [And Bingo was his name-o!]
"What really drew us was the apostolic authority, the oneness of the faith of the people," Lewis said "That's what we really wanted, and I don't think you have that in Anglicanism."
Ironically, what is driving St. Luke's to Roman Catholicism is what split the church in the first place: the issue of authority. [The very same issue that theologians in MST, SVST and Euntes are raising yet the Episcopalians are being drawn to. Ironic, eh, Dr. Jose de Mesa?]
Nearly 500 years ago, Britain’s King Henry VIII broke with Rome in a dispute involving his wish to divorce his wife, Catherine of Aragon, and marry his young mistress, Anne Boleyn. [It was not an issue of authority. It was an issue of Henry wanting to produce an heir. This is not a doctrinal or moral matter. Marriage is the issue. Henry wanted divorce which is against what Christ said.]
A showdown forced England's clergy to choose sides, with the king demanding to know if the British bishops and Cardinals were more loyal to him or to the Pope. [Which is the same issue that the Communist Party in China are using against bishops and priests loyal to Rome.]
Lives and heads were literally lost in the ensuing theological and political clash. [Like Sts Thomas More and John Fisher, which ironically, the Church of England honors.] In its wake, The Church of England was born, with the sitting monarch as its head, a structure still in place today.
The American version, the Episcopal church, was the faith of many of the founding fathers, including President George Washington. [a high ranking Mason.]
Today, the Episcopal Church, with nearly 1.5 million members, is one of thousands of Christian denominations in the U.S. Its recent conflicts over the ordination of gays and women and the blessing of same-sex unions have caused some congregations to seek more conservative branches. [Issues which liberals in Europe, in America and in some quarters here in the Philippines wanted.]
But that was not an option for St. Luke's. Lewis says he felt that the same problem would persist. There was no authority concerning who would have the final interpretation of scripture over the most controversial issues the church is facing. [No final authority. Issues which these dissident theologians in MST, SVST and Euntes raise. They challenge the authority of the Pope so those who listen to them, well, will only follow their teaching. They hate the authority of the Church so they can be the AUTHORITY.]
"Anglicanism is Anglicanism," Lewis said. "So it doesn't matter if you go to a more conservative group like the Anglican Church in North America or any of the others that are around. It's still the faith of this body here. (It) doesn’t necessarily mean it's the same in Nigeria or Sierra Leone or any other outlet."
In 2009, Pope Benedict XVI created a special Ordinariate, a path through which Anglicans could reconcile with Rome and come back to the Roman Catholic flock. In some circles it's been called the religious equivalent of sheep stealing. [Did he grab them? The lost sheep went back to the fold, instead.]
The Rev. Scott Hurd, who's assisting Washington's Cardinal Donald Wuerl to create the new Anglican Ordinariate, disagrees with the implication, saying, "This initiative is a response to repeated and insistent requests from Anglican groups. So it's not a matter of stealing sheep. It's more a matter of opening the door for people who have been seeking to come in for some time." [Like what I stated.]
In the last few years, bitter legal battles over property have erupted in the American Episcopal church when conservative congregations sought to leave and be led by more orthodox Anglicans groups. But St. Luke's transition was essentially given a blessing by the Washington Diocese's Bishop John Bryson Chane.
"Christians move from one church to another with far greater frequency than in the past, sometimes as individuals, sometimes as groups," Chane said in a written statement. "I was glad to be able to meet the spiritual needs of the people and priest of St. Luke's in a way that respects the tradition and polity of both of our churches."
Under the terms of the agreement, St. Luke's congregation will have three years to either buy its current building or move elsewhere.
That especially pleases its 100 members, who are mostly West African immigrants like Gloria Deigh, from Sierra Leone.
Deigh is happy to convert, saying, "I like it. To me, it's like going home. That's where the original church was. We are all one."
Parishioner Randy King says for him the conversion brings needed certainty.
"We have a church that doesn't change. [Oh my. MST, SVST and Euntes would call this "being stuck in the past." "too medieval"...] We don't have to worry one day or the other what is going to be said from the pulpit." [This is happening also in our Masses, right? I think they'll be safe since they will be in the Ordinariate and not in any of the kumbaya parishes we have.]
Over the next few months, members of St. Luke's will attend catechism classes to learn more about the Catholic faith and the its doctrines. [This is such a blessing since we do not have this in our parishes nowadays, right? If you do, please state your name and parish and the schedule of Catechism classes.] Then in October they will be formally confirmed into the Roman Catholic Church -- what Lewis calls the return of the prodigal son. [Beautiful analogy!]
"We drifted away and now we want to come home," he said, "and I am just thankful that we have the opportunity to do so."
***
These people see the need to be with the Catholic Church, the one true fold that Christ Himself founded and left in the care of the apostles under the leadership of Peter.
And yet you hear Modernist nuns and priests telling you that you do not have to be in the Church to be saved.
Just be a good person and your done.
Much like cooking instant noodles, eh?
"Learn from me from I am humble and gentle of heart." says Christ, all for nothing since if you believe the Modernists, you just be good and do not learn from Christ Himself.
Welcome back home brothers and sisters!
Tell the dissidents in our Church about your story, and bring them back home as well.
They been drifters for way too long.
Thursday, March 31, 2011
Former womynpriest supporter restored back to the Church
San Diego, Calif., Mar 31, 2011 / 01:55 am (CNA).- A former advocate of women's ordination, who later renounced her attempt to be ordained as a deacon and declared her adherence to Church teaching, announced on March 25 that she has been fully reconciled with the Church following a decree from the Vatican.
“The Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith has lifted any canonical sanctions that I incurred by attempting ordination as a deacon,” wrote Dr. Norma Jean Coon, in an online update to an earlier letter in which she acknowledged that her actions had resulted in excommunication.
Dr. Coon said the bishop of her diocese, Bishop Robert H. Brom of San Diego, had written to inform her of the Vatican congregation's decision that she “may now return to the full practice of our Catholic faith.” Under new rules established in July 2010, attempts to ordain women now fall under the jurisdiction of the doctrinal office, along with other offenses against the priesthood and sacraments. [it is no joke simulating being a priest even if a man "performs" the Mass, it has serious repercussions. Hey Mark Bunag!]
“I have been very touched at the remarkable support of my actions and the prayers offered in my behalf during this trying time,” said Coon. “I wish to thank all those who have prayed for me and for my family.”
On July 22, 2007, Coon participated in an attempted ordination to the diaconate. The event was led by Patricia Fresen, a former Dominican sister from South Africa who claims to have been consecrated as a bishop. [you can dump a truckload of oils on your head and hands and cut the hand of Bishop Duarte Costa, but still you cannot be a deacon, priest or bishop!]
The Catholic Church holds that Fresen – who has been excommunicated – is not a bishop, and that her attempts to ordain other women or men have no sacramental validity.
In her earlier letter renouncing her “alleged ordination” to the diaconate, Coon said she acknowledged “the authority of the Holy Father on these issues of ordination,” including the judgment that Pope John Paul II confirmed in his encyclical “Ordinatio Sacerdotalis.” [Read and learn. This is an ex cathedra encyclical. John Paul II proclaims that the Church did not receive the mandate from her Divine Founder Himself when Christ did not ordain or chose women to be his apostles. And you know what, feminists call Christ "sexist". ugh!]
In that encyclical, the Pope declared that “the Church has no authority whatsoever to confer priestly ordination on women,” and stated that this judgment was to be “definitively held by all the Church’s faithful.” [And you can hear dissident theologians say that this is like Humanae Vitae...it is not binding. And whose is? Theirs? Ugh! And another Ugh!]
Coon had previously sought to become a priest through a program offered by Fresen's group. But she reconsidered soon after participating in one of the organization's liturgies. “I withdrew from the program within two weeks of the ceremony,” she recounted, “because I realized I had made a mistake in studying for the priesthood.”
Although the attempt to ordain women has no sacramental effect, it is a serious offense from the perspective of moral theology and canon law.
The Church regards a simulated ordination, and any subsequent action in which a non-ordained person acts as a member of the clergy, as a form of sacrilege.
***
God bless Dr. Norma Jeen Coon!
And did you know that there are dissident theologians who insist that the Supreme Authority of the Church regarding the issue of women ordination got it all wrong?
Yup. One of them is Agnes Brazal. And she is a member of this group.
Ugh!
I wish I have a dollar every time I squirm in pain.
“The Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith has lifted any canonical sanctions that I incurred by attempting ordination as a deacon,” wrote Dr. Norma Jean Coon, in an online update to an earlier letter in which she acknowledged that her actions had resulted in excommunication.
Dr. Coon said the bishop of her diocese, Bishop Robert H. Brom of San Diego, had written to inform her of the Vatican congregation's decision that she “may now return to the full practice of our Catholic faith.” Under new rules established in July 2010, attempts to ordain women now fall under the jurisdiction of the doctrinal office, along with other offenses against the priesthood and sacraments. [it is no joke simulating being a priest even if a man "performs" the Mass, it has serious repercussions. Hey Mark Bunag!]
“I have been very touched at the remarkable support of my actions and the prayers offered in my behalf during this trying time,” said Coon. “I wish to thank all those who have prayed for me and for my family.”
On July 22, 2007, Coon participated in an attempted ordination to the diaconate. The event was led by Patricia Fresen, a former Dominican sister from South Africa who claims to have been consecrated as a bishop. [you can dump a truckload of oils on your head and hands and cut the hand of Bishop Duarte Costa, but still you cannot be a deacon, priest or bishop!]
The Catholic Church holds that Fresen – who has been excommunicated – is not a bishop, and that her attempts to ordain other women or men have no sacramental validity.
In her earlier letter renouncing her “alleged ordination” to the diaconate, Coon said she acknowledged “the authority of the Holy Father on these issues of ordination,” including the judgment that Pope John Paul II confirmed in his encyclical “Ordinatio Sacerdotalis.” [Read and learn. This is an ex cathedra encyclical. John Paul II proclaims that the Church did not receive the mandate from her Divine Founder Himself when Christ did not ordain or chose women to be his apostles. And you know what, feminists call Christ "sexist". ugh!]
In that encyclical, the Pope declared that “the Church has no authority whatsoever to confer priestly ordination on women,” and stated that this judgment was to be “definitively held by all the Church’s faithful.” [And you can hear dissident theologians say that this is like Humanae Vitae...it is not binding. And whose is? Theirs? Ugh! And another Ugh!]
Coon had previously sought to become a priest through a program offered by Fresen's group. But she reconsidered soon after participating in one of the organization's liturgies. “I withdrew from the program within two weeks of the ceremony,” she recounted, “because I realized I had made a mistake in studying for the priesthood.”
Although the attempt to ordain women has no sacramental effect, it is a serious offense from the perspective of moral theology and canon law.
The Church regards a simulated ordination, and any subsequent action in which a non-ordained person acts as a member of the clergy, as a form of sacrilege.
***
God bless Dr. Norma Jeen Coon!
And did you know that there are dissident theologians who insist that the Supreme Authority of the Church regarding the issue of women ordination got it all wrong?
Yup. One of them is Agnes Brazal. And she is a member of this group.
Ugh!
I wish I have a dollar every time I squirm in pain.
Wednesday, February 23, 2011
Video of a Catholic convert on YouTube
No. Not the usual ones.
The uploader of the video gives her reasons why...
The uploader of the video gives her reasons why...
Wednesday, December 1, 2010
Ordinariate for Australia by Easter!
Zenit has just reported that the Ordinariate for Australian Episcopalians wanting to take advantage of the provision of Anglicanorum coetibus could be created by Easter 2011.
Bishops of England and Wales announced that an ordinariate would be established there as early as January
Read more about this breaking news here.
Welcome home brothers and sisters!
And Mabuhay, Pope Benedict XVI, the Pope of Christian Unity.
***
PS: I am wondering if there are any moves from the Pinoy bishops related to this. Hmmmm...
Bishops of England and Wales announced that an ordinariate would be established there as early as January
Read more about this breaking news here.
Welcome home brothers and sisters!
***
PS: I am wondering if there are any moves from the Pinoy bishops related to this. Hmmmm...
Thursday, August 26, 2010
Obama's government deports an Egyptian convert because he is Catholic?!
From EWTN.com
***
A human rights law group reported on Tuesday that a Muslim convert to Catholicism and his family in the U.S. could face deportation back to Egypt despite documented attacks from the man's family members in his home country as well as death threats. [There goes Obama's rally for equality and tolerance, eh?]
The Beckett Fund for Religious Liberty issued a press release on Aug. 24 announcing their intervention in the federal Fourth Circuit Court of Appeals in Richmond, Virginia after the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) denied asylum to Walid Salama, an Egyptian convert to Catholicism and his wife and child, who are also Christian.
“The Department of Homeland Security says it can't tell the difference between a convert who deserves asylum and just another religious minority,” [Conveniently dumb!] said Becket Fund National Litigation Director Eric Rassbach. “But Mr. Salama's relatives sure can – they repeatedly beat Mr. Salama, tried to kidnap Mr. Salama's wife, vandalized their car, and tried to kill their baby daughter.” [And the government of the "land of the free and the home of the brave" is sending the poor man and his family to a ravening pack of hungry and wild wolves.]
“They consider converts to be traitors to Islam and therefore deserving of death, and the police have been complicit in Mr. Salama's torment. If Mr. Salama is forced to return to Egypt he will not survive,” Rassbach added. [And the US remains silent...]
The Becket Fund argued in their brief that the decision to deny asylum and send Salama and his family back to Egypt disregards evidence detailing the persecution of both Christians and Christian converts from Islam in Egypt. The brief also cites Salama’s testimony of having faced violence and death threats and additionally argues that asylum is required under American law if one is forced to conceal one’s faith. [Politically correct? But not for Catholics! See how Muslims view people of other religion? You can't blame them. They are just following what is taught to them by their holy book!]
“In this country, if the local sheriff sits on his hands while a lynch mob attacks a minority, we'd call it an outrage and a crime,” Rassbach added. “But DHS doesn't seem to care that Mr. Salama, as a convert to Christianity, faces the same fate should he be forced to return to Egypt.”
***
The religion of peace can't wait to make its point clear...
Death to infidels and traitors.
Peaceful, eh?
***
A human rights law group reported on Tuesday that a Muslim convert to Catholicism and his family in the U.S. could face deportation back to Egypt despite documented attacks from the man's family members in his home country as well as death threats. [There goes Obama's rally for equality and tolerance, eh?]
The Beckett Fund for Religious Liberty issued a press release on Aug. 24 announcing their intervention in the federal Fourth Circuit Court of Appeals in Richmond, Virginia after the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) denied asylum to Walid Salama, an Egyptian convert to Catholicism and his wife and child, who are also Christian.
“The Department of Homeland Security says it can't tell the difference between a convert who deserves asylum and just another religious minority,” [Conveniently dumb!] said Becket Fund National Litigation Director Eric Rassbach. “But Mr. Salama's relatives sure can – they repeatedly beat Mr. Salama, tried to kidnap Mr. Salama's wife, vandalized their car, and tried to kill their baby daughter.” [And the government of the "land of the free and the home of the brave" is sending the poor man and his family to a ravening pack of hungry and wild wolves.]
“They consider converts to be traitors to Islam and therefore deserving of death, and the police have been complicit in Mr. Salama's torment. If Mr. Salama is forced to return to Egypt he will not survive,” Rassbach added. [And the US remains silent...]
The Becket Fund argued in their brief that the decision to deny asylum and send Salama and his family back to Egypt disregards evidence detailing the persecution of both Christians and Christian converts from Islam in Egypt. The brief also cites Salama’s testimony of having faced violence and death threats and additionally argues that asylum is required under American law if one is forced to conceal one’s faith. [Politically correct? But not for Catholics! See how Muslims view people of other religion? You can't blame them. They are just following what is taught to them by their holy book!]
“In this country, if the local sheriff sits on his hands while a lynch mob attacks a minority, we'd call it an outrage and a crime,” Rassbach added. “But DHS doesn't seem to care that Mr. Salama, as a convert to Christianity, faces the same fate should he be forced to return to Egypt.”
***
The religion of peace can't wait to make its point clear...
Death to infidels and traitors.
Peaceful, eh?
Tuesday, June 22, 2010
Pro-life champion and former Protestant minister...ordained a priest of the Church!
From Catholic.org written by Deacon Keith Fournier
***
HARRISBURG, PA (Catholic Online) - I had the privilege of being part of Church history on Saturday, June 12, 2010. My friend of many years, former Protestant minister and Pro-Life hero, Paul Schenck, was ordained as a Priest of the Catholic Church. My history with Fr. Paul Schenck goes back decades. I first met his twin brother, Rob, through now deceased Lutheran Pastor and ecumenical giant Harald Bredesen. Always "moving in the Spirit", Harald told me back then he "knew from the Lord" I had to meet the Schenck brothers. He was right.
At the time Rob Schenck was leading a ministry calling attention to the plight of the Poor in Mexico. I joined his Board of Advisors. It was the beginning of a treasured friendship which has spanned decades. He introduced me to his brother Paul. Both of these men shared with me a dedication to bringing an end to the killing of our youngest neighbors in the womb by abortion. They were raised in a Jewish home, came to faith in the Lord Jesus as teenagers and became Protestant Pastors.
The two brothers were already Pro-Life Champions in the Buffalo, New York area. I had gone to Law School to help overturn the infamous decision which opened the door to the Culture of death, Roe v Wade. So, when I was asked by the brothers to come to Buffalo to speak on behalf of Paul who had been wrongfully arrested for peacefully distributing Pro-Life literature, I said "Yes". It was the beginning of an association which has changed my life.
At the time I was a Dean at the Franciscan University of Steubenville which was still in its early stages of spiritual recovery and renewal. I was also practicing law, trying to do what I could to advance the fundamental human rights cause of our age, the Pro-Life movement. I stayed in touch with Paul and Rob throughout those years.
In 1991, I accepted an invitation from Pat Robertson to move to Virginia Beach and build the American Center for Law and Justice. (ACLJ) Pat knew I was a fully committed Catholic Christian. He read my first book "Evangelical Catholics". I moved to Virginia Beach and served as the first Executive Director of the ACLJ. Jay Sekulow, its Chief Counsel, soon joined me in the effort. A gifted Constitutional Advocate, he has led the Public Interest legal group since I left in 1997.
In the subtitle of my first book "Evangelical Catholics" (out of print), I called for "Christian Co-operation to penetrate the Darkness with the Light of the Gospel." Those were days of what I call "trench ecumenism". An example was the Pro-Life movement. We all heard the cry of those whom Mother Teresa called the "poorest of the poor", children in the womb. We worked together on their behalf. In the trenches of that just battle we rediscovered one another as brethren in the One Lord Jesus Christ.
This kind of cooperation in the cultural mission is widely accepted now. Back then, it was highly controversial in both Catholic and Protestant circles. A man I have long admired, Chuck Colson, wrote the forward to "Evangelical Catholics". He was pilloried for doing so in some evangelical circles for years afterward. My relationship with Paul and Rob Schenck grew in those Pro-Life trenches as did their vibrant ministry. We were doing Catholic/Evangelical cooperation long before it was "cool".
The first case I took as the head of the ACLJ came through Rob and Paul Scheck. Paul was wrongfully arrested for distributing Pro-Life literature in front of an abortion facility. [Yup. That is wrong in America.] The early ACLJ was just getting what my deceased father would have called its "sea legs." We represented Paul and turned it into a Constitutional case. We lost at the Federal District Court level.
However, that would not be the end of the case. Years later I had the privilege of serving as a co-counsel when Jay Sekulow successfully argued the same case at the US Supreme Court. It was styled "Schenck v. Pro-Choice Escorts". Paul's courageous efforts for children and Jay's insistence that Pro-Life speech is protected by the First Amendment to the US Constitution, won the day. Paul was completely vindicated.
During those 'ACLJ years' my friendship with Paul and his journey toward the full communion of the Catholic Church passed through a series of events. Appalled that this human rights hero would be adjudged a "criminal" for doing what should have been protected by the First Amendment and praised as heroic - I resolved to do everything I could to support him in his important work.
That included hiring him as the Vice President of the American Center for Law and Justice. At the time, he was under house arrest, wearing an ankle monitor. Paul, his wonderful wife Becky and all of their beautiful children moved to Virginia Beach, Virginia. He became a key leader in the early days of the ACLJ. He did during those years what he has always done in life; give himself without reserve to the Lords work.
Paul and I shared a deep love for the early Fathers of the Church. [Ahh!!! See that?! Love for the Fathers of the Church. Do the libs do this? N.O.P.E.] We had numerous theological discussions. I saw the Holy Spirit drawing him out of a Protestant vision of the Church and into an increasingly Catholic vision. When he became an Episcopal minister, I was there. I knew it would not satisfy his hunger. I believed that Paul was hungering for the fullness of the ancient yet ever new Catholic Christian Faith.
At his ordination in the Episcopal Church, I gave him a copy of the Liturgy of the Hours which I had engraved to "Fr. Paul Chaim Schenck'. I hoped it would be prophetic. He showed it to me this past Weekend with a huge smile on his face. Paul came to my ordination to the Order of Deacon in the Catholic Church in 1996.
The next year, 1997, it became clear that my ordination and my continued role with the ACLJ were not compatible. The somewhat painful details were recently described in David Edwin Harrell Jr.'s excellent biography of Pat Robertson entitled "Pat Robertson: A Life and Legacy." (see, pp.263, 264)
Ironically my last appearance as Executive Director of the ACLJ as co-counsel with Jay Sekulow was in the very first case which I took when I moved to build the ACLJ. This time it was before the US Supreme Court. Paul's courageous work on behalf of children in the womb served as bookends for an entire chapter in my life.
We stayed in touch. I introduced Paul to a dear friend, A Melkite Catholic Bishop, who played a significant role in his journey to the Catholic Church. I was honored to serve as the Deacon at the Mass where Pro-Life Hero Fr. Frank Pavone [Fr. Pavone regularly visits the Philippines!] received Paul into full communion with the Catholic Church in 2004. Paul laid aside his ordained ministry in the Reformed Episcopal Church to become a Catholic. [Welcome home, brother. Welcome home!]
He and I discussed his desire for ordination over the years following on several occasions. I watched him go through what I have watched others go through who have walked the same road. His desire to be Catholic led him to give it all up - and offer to serve in any way that he could in the Church he loves. Over the years the mettle of this man always shone through. He is a man of heroic virtue, courage, and perseverance.
It was against this background that I traveled to Harrisburg, Pennsylvania this past weekend; to rejoice with my long time friend at the goodness of the Lord in calling him. He was ordained a deacon six months ago. With a dispensation from Rome waiving the celibacy requirement, he was ordained to the Holy Priesthood of the Roman Catholic Church on the Feast of the Immaculate Heart of Mary. [In the Year of the Priest! Oh how blessed indeed!]
Father Paul "Chaim" Schenck was ordained by his friend, the humble and holy Bishop Victor Galeone of St. Augustine, Fla. His Diocese is without a Bishop since Bishop Kevin C. Rhoades has been called to the Diocese of Ft. Wayne-South Bend in Indiana. In a rare turn of events, Fr. Paul was allowed to choose a Bishop to ordain him.
I sat next to my brother deacons and behind the numerous priests who were present. I wept through most of the exquisitely beautiful ordination. His dear family was there, along with a Church filled with people whose lives have been touched by his heroic service to the Lord. They came from his days as an Assemblies of God Pastor, an Episcopal minister and now a Catholic Priest. It was an extraordinary event. When the Mass was ended I asked Fr. Paul for his blessing. He placed his hand on my head and gave me a priestly blessing, in Hebrew.
I believe that Fr. Paul Chaim Schenck is a prophetic sign of the coming full communion of the One, Holy, Catholic and Apostolic Church. [This is what true ecumenism is!] I will share more about that in the future. I ask our global readers to pray for Fr. Paul Chaim Schenck, Priest of Jesus Christ. He is a gift for a new missionary age. May there be many more.
***
Pray to the Lord of the harvest...
Pray for more champions of life... Pray for Fr. Paul, Deacon Keith, Fr. Frank...
Pray that Fr. Paul's brother, Robert, and other to go back home to the Catholic Church
***
At the time Rob Schenck was leading a ministry calling attention to the plight of the Poor in Mexico. I joined his Board of Advisors. It was the beginning of a treasured friendship which has spanned decades. He introduced me to his brother Paul. Both of these men shared with me a dedication to bringing an end to the killing of our youngest neighbors in the womb by abortion. They were raised in a Jewish home, came to faith in the Lord Jesus as teenagers and became Protestant Pastors.
The two brothers were already Pro-Life Champions in the Buffalo, New York area. I had gone to Law School to help overturn the infamous decision which opened the door to the Culture of death, Roe v Wade. So, when I was asked by the brothers to come to Buffalo to speak on behalf of Paul who had been wrongfully arrested for peacefully distributing Pro-Life literature, I said "Yes". It was the beginning of an association which has changed my life.
At the time I was a Dean at the Franciscan University of Steubenville which was still in its early stages of spiritual recovery and renewal. I was also practicing law, trying to do what I could to advance the fundamental human rights cause of our age, the Pro-Life movement. I stayed in touch with Paul and Rob throughout those years.
In 1991, I accepted an invitation from Pat Robertson to move to Virginia Beach and build the American Center for Law and Justice. (ACLJ) Pat knew I was a fully committed Catholic Christian. He read my first book "Evangelical Catholics". I moved to Virginia Beach and served as the first Executive Director of the ACLJ. Jay Sekulow, its Chief Counsel, soon joined me in the effort. A gifted Constitutional Advocate, he has led the Public Interest legal group since I left in 1997.
In the subtitle of my first book "Evangelical Catholics" (out of print), I called for "Christian Co-operation to penetrate the Darkness with the Light of the Gospel." Those were days of what I call "trench ecumenism". An example was the Pro-Life movement. We all heard the cry of those whom Mother Teresa called the "poorest of the poor", children in the womb. We worked together on their behalf. In the trenches of that just battle we rediscovered one another as brethren in the One Lord Jesus Christ.
This kind of cooperation in the cultural mission is widely accepted now. Back then, it was highly controversial in both Catholic and Protestant circles. A man I have long admired, Chuck Colson, wrote the forward to "Evangelical Catholics". He was pilloried for doing so in some evangelical circles for years afterward. My relationship with Paul and Rob Schenck grew in those Pro-Life trenches as did their vibrant ministry. We were doing Catholic/Evangelical cooperation long before it was "cool".
The first case I took as the head of the ACLJ came through Rob and Paul Scheck. Paul was wrongfully arrested for distributing Pro-Life literature in front of an abortion facility. [Yup. That is wrong in America.] The early ACLJ was just getting what my deceased father would have called its "sea legs." We represented Paul and turned it into a Constitutional case. We lost at the Federal District Court level.
However, that would not be the end of the case. Years later I had the privilege of serving as a co-counsel when Jay Sekulow successfully argued the same case at the US Supreme Court. It was styled "Schenck v. Pro-Choice Escorts". Paul's courageous efforts for children and Jay's insistence that Pro-Life speech is protected by the First Amendment to the US Constitution, won the day. Paul was completely vindicated.
During those 'ACLJ years' my friendship with Paul and his journey toward the full communion of the Catholic Church passed through a series of events. Appalled that this human rights hero would be adjudged a "criminal" for doing what should have been protected by the First Amendment and praised as heroic - I resolved to do everything I could to support him in his important work.
That included hiring him as the Vice President of the American Center for Law and Justice. At the time, he was under house arrest, wearing an ankle monitor. Paul, his wonderful wife Becky and all of their beautiful children moved to Virginia Beach, Virginia. He became a key leader in the early days of the ACLJ. He did during those years what he has always done in life; give himself without reserve to the Lords work.
Paul and I shared a deep love for the early Fathers of the Church. [Ahh!!! See that?! Love for the Fathers of the Church. Do the libs do this? N.O.P.E.] We had numerous theological discussions. I saw the Holy Spirit drawing him out of a Protestant vision of the Church and into an increasingly Catholic vision. When he became an Episcopal minister, I was there. I knew it would not satisfy his hunger. I believed that Paul was hungering for the fullness of the ancient yet ever new Catholic Christian Faith.
At his ordination in the Episcopal Church, I gave him a copy of the Liturgy of the Hours which I had engraved to "Fr. Paul Chaim Schenck'. I hoped it would be prophetic. He showed it to me this past Weekend with a huge smile on his face. Paul came to my ordination to the Order of Deacon in the Catholic Church in 1996.
The next year, 1997, it became clear that my ordination and my continued role with the ACLJ were not compatible. The somewhat painful details were recently described in David Edwin Harrell Jr.'s excellent biography of Pat Robertson entitled "Pat Robertson: A Life and Legacy." (see, pp.263, 264)
Ironically my last appearance as Executive Director of the ACLJ as co-counsel with Jay Sekulow was in the very first case which I took when I moved to build the ACLJ. This time it was before the US Supreme Court. Paul's courageous work on behalf of children in the womb served as bookends for an entire chapter in my life.
We stayed in touch. I introduced Paul to a dear friend, A Melkite Catholic Bishop, who played a significant role in his journey to the Catholic Church. I was honored to serve as the Deacon at the Mass where Pro-Life Hero Fr. Frank Pavone [Fr. Pavone regularly visits the Philippines!] received Paul into full communion with the Catholic Church in 2004. Paul laid aside his ordained ministry in the Reformed Episcopal Church to become a Catholic. [Welcome home, brother. Welcome home!]
He and I discussed his desire for ordination over the years following on several occasions. I watched him go through what I have watched others go through who have walked the same road. His desire to be Catholic led him to give it all up - and offer to serve in any way that he could in the Church he loves. Over the years the mettle of this man always shone through. He is a man of heroic virtue, courage, and perseverance.
It was against this background that I traveled to Harrisburg, Pennsylvania this past weekend; to rejoice with my long time friend at the goodness of the Lord in calling him. He was ordained a deacon six months ago. With a dispensation from Rome waiving the celibacy requirement, he was ordained to the Holy Priesthood of the Roman Catholic Church on the Feast of the Immaculate Heart of Mary. [In the Year of the Priest! Oh how blessed indeed!]
Father Paul "Chaim" Schenck was ordained by his friend, the humble and holy Bishop Victor Galeone of St. Augustine, Fla. His Diocese is without a Bishop since Bishop Kevin C. Rhoades has been called to the Diocese of Ft. Wayne-South Bend in Indiana. In a rare turn of events, Fr. Paul was allowed to choose a Bishop to ordain him.
I sat next to my brother deacons and behind the numerous priests who were present. I wept through most of the exquisitely beautiful ordination. His dear family was there, along with a Church filled with people whose lives have been touched by his heroic service to the Lord. They came from his days as an Assemblies of God Pastor, an Episcopal minister and now a Catholic Priest. It was an extraordinary event. When the Mass was ended I asked Fr. Paul for his blessing. He placed his hand on my head and gave me a priestly blessing, in Hebrew.
I believe that Fr. Paul Chaim Schenck is a prophetic sign of the coming full communion of the One, Holy, Catholic and Apostolic Church. [This is what true ecumenism is!] I will share more about that in the future. I ask our global readers to pray for Fr. Paul Chaim Schenck, Priest of Jesus Christ. He is a gift for a new missionary age. May there be many more.
***
Pray to the Lord of the harvest...
Pray for more champions of life... Pray for Fr. Paul, Deacon Keith, Fr. Frank...
Pray that Fr. Paul's brother, Robert, and other to go back home to the Catholic Church
Thursday, May 6, 2010
From Jewish to Protestant then all the way back home...
This is the story of Rosalind Moss, born and raised in a Jewish family. In her adulthood, she converted to Evangelical Protestantism, later earning a master's degree in Ministry from Talbot Theological Seminary. She had a successful 15-year business career as an executive with corporations in New York and California. Later she set out to find if the Catholic Church is indeed the only Church Christ founded 2,000 years ago. After 18 years as a Protestant, she went back home to the Catholic Church at Easter 1995.
Now, she founded a religious order of sisters called Daughters of Mary, Mother of Israel’s Hope. Take note of her cross.
And, in case you are interested, she loves attending the Traditional Mass.
She is a regular contributor and apologist of Catholic Answers. Here is her profile in that website. Here is an interview with her at St. Louis Catholic.
AVE MARIA!!!
Tuesday, April 6, 2010
NY Journalist writes: Why I am proud to be a Catholic
This article was written by Carolyn E. Davis, a staff writer at Us Weekly magazine,
***
Being a Catholic in New York City is not always easy.
Sure, it was explained to me when I converted that the gate would be narrow, but I had no idea. Born “nothing,” [probably no religion at all.] I completed my adult catechism and chose to become a Catholic in 2000, [it was her choice.] to the thinly veiled displeasure of people close to me. [which in the US is not surprising. Being Catholic nowadays is like putting a bull's eye right in between your eyes!] Archbishop Fulton Sheen put it right when he said, “There are not over a hundred people in the US that hate the Catholic Church, there are millions, however, who hate what they wrongly believe to be the Catholic Church, which is, of course, quite a different thing.” [Amen to that!]
Now the horrific replay of the 2002 clerical sexual-abuse scandals has again stirred up sadness, anger and the inevitable stream of negative postings on my social-networking feeds.
But there is zero tolerance for pedophiles in the Church today. And the test of moral credibility the Holy See is charged with really applies to the whole church — not just clergy but the whole mystical body of Christ. [This is a challenge for the entire Church Militant, not just the clergy!] In one of the Easter readings, from 1 Corinthians, we are told that “our paschal lamb, Christ, has been sacrificed. Let us, therefore, celebrate the festival, not with the old leaven, the leaven of malice and wickedness, but with the unleavened bread of sincerity and truth.” [This gives us an idea of how seriously she takes her faith! She even remembers the readings.]
If we all made this past Lenten season a truly repentant and earnest one, then we’re surely continuing on the path to clearing out the evil and healing those who still suffer its terrible wounds. The beauty of Easter isn’t just the expiation of our own sins but that Jesus suffered and was put to death in the flesh once for us all (1 Peter 3:18) and that his resurrection holds the great promise of his return (Luke 21:25-28). In Christ, we are given the perfect example of the two most important commandments: To love the Lord with everything we have and to love our neighbors as ourselves (Matt 22: 37-40).
The Catholic Church is more than this scandal. I, for one, want to help serve with a church that has done more to help the sick, poor, hungry, suffering and forgotten than any other group in recorded human history. [Amen to that too!]
Through everything my relationship with Jesus, especially in the Eucharist, is the source and summit of my spiritual strength and the one thing I will never abandon. [The lasting presence of Christ in our midst!] In his traditional Easter address last year, Pope Benedict declared that Christ’s resurrection was a “cry of victory that unites us all.” Resurrectio Domini, spes nostra! The resurrection of Christ is our hope!
***
An institution that has been in existence for almost 2,000 years will definitely have a very colorful history, both shades of black and white, red and blue, etc.
For those attacking the Catholic Church as harboring abusers, rigid dogmas, yet do not see the fact that the world especially the Western world would not have been what it is today if not for the Catholic Church.
Maybe this video will speak for itself.
PS: If you visit the NY post website where this article appeared, you'll notice a link in the middle of the article entitled "Why I left the Catholic Church". Ain't that funny?
***
Being a Catholic in New York City is not always easy.
Sure, it was explained to me when I converted that the gate would be narrow, but I had no idea. Born “nothing,” [probably no religion at all.] I completed my adult catechism and chose to become a Catholic in 2000, [it was her choice.] to the thinly veiled displeasure of people close to me. [which in the US is not surprising. Being Catholic nowadays is like putting a bull's eye right in between your eyes!] Archbishop Fulton Sheen put it right when he said, “There are not over a hundred people in the US that hate the Catholic Church, there are millions, however, who hate what they wrongly believe to be the Catholic Church, which is, of course, quite a different thing.” [Amen to that!]
Now the horrific replay of the 2002 clerical sexual-abuse scandals has again stirred up sadness, anger and the inevitable stream of negative postings on my social-networking feeds.
But there is zero tolerance for pedophiles in the Church today. And the test of moral credibility the Holy See is charged with really applies to the whole church — not just clergy but the whole mystical body of Christ. [This is a challenge for the entire Church Militant, not just the clergy!] In one of the Easter readings, from 1 Corinthians, we are told that “our paschal lamb, Christ, has been sacrificed. Let us, therefore, celebrate the festival, not with the old leaven, the leaven of malice and wickedness, but with the unleavened bread of sincerity and truth.” [This gives us an idea of how seriously she takes her faith! She even remembers the readings.]
If we all made this past Lenten season a truly repentant and earnest one, then we’re surely continuing on the path to clearing out the evil and healing those who still suffer its terrible wounds. The beauty of Easter isn’t just the expiation of our own sins but that Jesus suffered and was put to death in the flesh once for us all (1 Peter 3:18) and that his resurrection holds the great promise of his return (Luke 21:25-28). In Christ, we are given the perfect example of the two most important commandments: To love the Lord with everything we have and to love our neighbors as ourselves (Matt 22: 37-40).
The Catholic Church is more than this scandal. I, for one, want to help serve with a church that has done more to help the sick, poor, hungry, suffering and forgotten than any other group in recorded human history. [Amen to that too!]
Through everything my relationship with Jesus, especially in the Eucharist, is the source and summit of my spiritual strength and the one thing I will never abandon. [The lasting presence of Christ in our midst!] In his traditional Easter address last year, Pope Benedict declared that Christ’s resurrection was a “cry of victory that unites us all.” Resurrectio Domini, spes nostra! The resurrection of Christ is our hope!
***
An institution that has been in existence for almost 2,000 years will definitely have a very colorful history, both shades of black and white, red and blue, etc.
For those attacking the Catholic Church as harboring abusers, rigid dogmas, yet do not see the fact that the world especially the Western world would not have been what it is today if not for the Catholic Church.
Maybe this video will speak for itself.
PS: If you visit the NY post website where this article appeared, you'll notice a link in the middle of the article entitled "Why I left the Catholic Church". Ain't that funny?
Saturday, March 27, 2010
Muslim converts pray for the Pope
ROME (AsiaNews) – For this Lent we are inviting our readers to devote a special prayer for Pope Benedict XVI. The idea came to us from a number of Muslim converts to Christianity who wrote to AsiaNews launching a novena for the Pontiff. [Hope those nut cases at the National Catholic Reporter get some sense into their coconut!]
They see in Benedict XVI as a “defender of the weak” and “a sign of Jesus’ love” in a world that is trying to attack him every which way. ["NOT FOR US" - Hans Kung and friends] As new converts they too are among the weak, forced to hide their conversion even from their family. Moreover, the Pope himself had asked for a special prayer.
On the day the Church celebrated the Chair of Peter (22 February), Benedict XVI spoke to pilgrims in St Peter’s Square during the Angelus, asking them to “accompany me with your prayers so that I may faithfully accomplish the high task Divine Providence has placed upon me as Successor to the Apostle Peter” and bishop of Rome. Indeed, the Church is “called to fulfill a special service for the People of God as a whole.”
We all know how difficult ecumenism, the struggle for Christian unity, can be. Every step the Pope takes is met by coldness, indifference and prevarication from other Churches. [and more often from within!] Here is one example among many. Despite Benedict XVI’s many prayers and attention, the new Orthodox patriarch of Moscow said, a day after his election, that a trip by the Pontiff to Moscow was not possible for the foreseeable future. [I have more choice words for the Russian Orthodox Church and most of it came from someone who came back home to the Catholic Church FROM Moscow. But I think, I'll reserve them.]
The Pope’s search for unity also suffers from trying to hold together various Catholic strands, still too much divided (perhaps confused) between “progressive” and “traditionalists”, “North” and “South”, “rich” and “poor”, each missing the chance of respecting one another other, and acting as one in bearing witness to the faith in a world that is increasingly becoming atheistic.
The lifting of the excommunication on Lefebvrist Bishop Williamson gave many politicians, big and small, an opportunity to accuse the Pope of anti-Semitism, [stupid lot!] without getting their facts straight or realising that Benedict XVI is the one who build a strong relationship with the Jewish world over the years. [true!] It is almost as if everyone got together to cast stones against the scapegoat of the week. [of the millenium! The Catholic Church has been the favorite ever since the Masons spread!] In fact Benedict XVI is one of the few voices saying that humans cannot be bought by politics or that the state must serve the public good. [Hah! The capitalists say otherwise.]
In a continent like Europe where plans are underway to introduce euthanasia and eugenics, the Pope has insisted that “Man will always be greater than all that which makes up his body.” He has slammed the mindset that views life and personal dignity as “based [only] on one's own desire and individual freedom,” giving precedence to the “active faculties, to proficiency, to physical perfection and beauty.” [DIY morality. DIY Church. DIY society!]
In all these “incidents” there may have been some errors or clumsiness by the Roman Curia, but in the “war” against Benedict XVI there is above all an attempt to stifle those who tell everyone that there is an absolute value in human beings.
As crises overtake ideologies and economies, overwhelming the world, this is the latest attempt to get rid of God as if he was a final burden. [In a anthropocentric society, this is it!]
***
Here is the actual news report about the converts praying for the Pope
After a group of Muslims from North Africa and the Middle East, young converts from Kashmir join in the prayers for the pope launched by AsiaNews for this Lent. The three converts are offering their suffering and marginalization, together with the sacrifice of their father Bashir, murdered by Muslim extremists because he had converted to Christianity. There is also participation from Italy, where the humiliations suffered by John Paul II are also being remembered.
Mumbai (AsiaNews) - Some young former Muslims who converted to Catholicism are joining in the prayers for the Pope this Lent. Shabnam (21), Saira (17), and Adil (16), together with their mother Ameena, who still lives in Kashmir, want Benedict XVI to know that they are praying for him and offering their sufferings and humiliations for his mission. "We pray that he may be strong," Shabnam he says, "and may continue to be the beacon of truth and love for the whole world." [I hope the Holy Father gets this message. I better tweet this.]
The three young people and their mother are participating in the proposal made by AsiaNews yesterday, that during Lent Christians should pray for the pontiff, who is at the center of a media "war" against his ministry. The proposal originated from a suggestion sent to AsiaNews by a group of several hundred former Muslims in North Africa and the Middle East, who have launched prayer novenas for the pope, whom they see as a "sign of Jesus' love and a defender of the weak." [The suggestion came from former Muslims who came from the Middle East and Africa! We Catholics at birth should be ashamed!]
Adil, the youngest son, who this year will take his final year school exams, sees a profound unity between the sufferings and humiliations of converts from Islam, and the humiliations suffered by the pope: "I was baptized when I was very young, and it has always been very difficult: criticism, sarcasm, threats, discrimination, and social ostracism have caused us great suffering. But every suffering teaches us something, and our faith is strengthened, we rely on Christ and it is he who guides us in difficult times." [All courtesy of the Religion of Peace!"]
"Holy and beloved Father, never lose sight of your mission, do not forget the reason why God chose you, guide the generations to truth, and may God always be with you."
Bashir Ahmad Tantray, the father of Shabnam, Saira, and Adil, was killed by Islamic militants in November of 2006, in broad daylight. He had converted to Christianity in 1995, and had fled from his village after being threatened by Islamic extremist groups. [We may use all kinds of euphemisms here but that religions REALLY teaches that death must come upon those who converted! They are just following orders from their book!] Years later, he had gone back there to care for his dying father, and was killed. [A Martyr for our Faith! Pray for us and the Holy Father!]
Bashir was an engineer for the J&K Power Development Dept, and regional coordinator of the Global Council of Indian Christians in Kashmir. "Ever since the death of our father," Shabnam recounts, "it has been horrible. Few can understand our suffering and sense of abandonment. We fled to Mumbai, but our mother is still in Kashmir. We see her only during vacations. For her, every day is a constant struggle and a constant suffering."
Among the expressions of support for the proposal to pray for Benedict XVI sent to AsiaNews is one from an Italian woman, Paola.
"I join the initiative without reservation," Paola writes, "I will pray for the pope, as I have always done since 1978."
And she recalls that John Paul II was also frequently attacked (and still is today, even after his death): "In order to proclaim to humanity that it is only in Christ that man rediscovers himself, in order to seek unity among Christians, Pope Wojtyla did not hesitate, even at the last limits of his strength, to confront exhausting journeys, almost impossible encounters, even criticisms on the part of those who were close to him. Did we ever ask ourselves how much pain he felt in the face of the accusations from Küng, or from the Lefebvrists? And what can be said about the radical attacks and his isolation amid his countless appeals against war, against abortion, against the dangers of a humanity without God?"
"Yes," she concludes, "I will pray for Pope Benedict XVI; even more than this, I will entrust him the intercession of his 'little-great predecessor', but I also urge more fervent prayers that the appeal of 'Santo subito' [the immediate canonization of John Paul II] may come to fruition."
***
Even the man who occupies the holiest office on earth still needs our prayers and salvation.
Do it now!
They see in Benedict XVI as a “defender of the weak” and “a sign of Jesus’ love” in a world that is trying to attack him every which way. ["NOT FOR US" - Hans Kung and friends] As new converts they too are among the weak, forced to hide their conversion even from their family. Moreover, the Pope himself had asked for a special prayer.
On the day the Church celebrated the Chair of Peter (22 February), Benedict XVI spoke to pilgrims in St Peter’s Square during the Angelus, asking them to “accompany me with your prayers so that I may faithfully accomplish the high task Divine Providence has placed upon me as Successor to the Apostle Peter” and bishop of Rome. Indeed, the Church is “called to fulfill a special service for the People of God as a whole.”
We all know how difficult ecumenism, the struggle for Christian unity, can be. Every step the Pope takes is met by coldness, indifference and prevarication from other Churches. [and more often from within!] Here is one example among many. Despite Benedict XVI’s many prayers and attention, the new Orthodox patriarch of Moscow said, a day after his election, that a trip by the Pontiff to Moscow was not possible for the foreseeable future. [I have more choice words for the Russian Orthodox Church and most of it came from someone who came back home to the Catholic Church FROM Moscow. But I think, I'll reserve them.]
The Pope’s search for unity also suffers from trying to hold together various Catholic strands, still too much divided (perhaps confused) between “progressive” and “traditionalists”, “North” and “South”, “rich” and “poor”, each missing the chance of respecting one another other, and acting as one in bearing witness to the faith in a world that is increasingly becoming atheistic.
The lifting of the excommunication on Lefebvrist Bishop Williamson gave many politicians, big and small, an opportunity to accuse the Pope of anti-Semitism, [stupid lot!] without getting their facts straight or realising that Benedict XVI is the one who build a strong relationship with the Jewish world over the years. [true!] It is almost as if everyone got together to cast stones against the scapegoat of the week. [of the millenium! The Catholic Church has been the favorite ever since the Masons spread!] In fact Benedict XVI is one of the few voices saying that humans cannot be bought by politics or that the state must serve the public good. [Hah! The capitalists say otherwise.]
In a continent like Europe where plans are underway to introduce euthanasia and eugenics, the Pope has insisted that “Man will always be greater than all that which makes up his body.” He has slammed the mindset that views life and personal dignity as “based [only] on one's own desire and individual freedom,” giving precedence to the “active faculties, to proficiency, to physical perfection and beauty.” [DIY morality. DIY Church. DIY society!]
In all these “incidents” there may have been some errors or clumsiness by the Roman Curia, but in the “war” against Benedict XVI there is above all an attempt to stifle those who tell everyone that there is an absolute value in human beings.
As crises overtake ideologies and economies, overwhelming the world, this is the latest attempt to get rid of God as if he was a final burden. [In a anthropocentric society, this is it!]
***
Here is the actual news report about the converts praying for the Pope
After a group of Muslims from North Africa and the Middle East, young converts from Kashmir join in the prayers for the pope launched by AsiaNews for this Lent. The three converts are offering their suffering and marginalization, together with the sacrifice of their father Bashir, murdered by Muslim extremists because he had converted to Christianity. There is also participation from Italy, where the humiliations suffered by John Paul II are also being remembered.
Mumbai (AsiaNews) - Some young former Muslims who converted to Catholicism are joining in the prayers for the Pope this Lent. Shabnam (21), Saira (17), and Adil (16), together with their mother Ameena, who still lives in Kashmir, want Benedict XVI to know that they are praying for him and offering their sufferings and humiliations for his mission. "We pray that he may be strong," Shabnam he says, "and may continue to be the beacon of truth and love for the whole world." [I hope the Holy Father gets this message. I better tweet this.]
The three young people and their mother are participating in the proposal made by AsiaNews yesterday, that during Lent Christians should pray for the pontiff, who is at the center of a media "war" against his ministry. The proposal originated from a suggestion sent to AsiaNews by a group of several hundred former Muslims in North Africa and the Middle East, who have launched prayer novenas for the pope, whom they see as a "sign of Jesus' love and a defender of the weak." [The suggestion came from former Muslims who came from the Middle East and Africa! We Catholics at birth should be ashamed!]
Adil, the youngest son, who this year will take his final year school exams, sees a profound unity between the sufferings and humiliations of converts from Islam, and the humiliations suffered by the pope: "I was baptized when I was very young, and it has always been very difficult: criticism, sarcasm, threats, discrimination, and social ostracism have caused us great suffering. But every suffering teaches us something, and our faith is strengthened, we rely on Christ and it is he who guides us in difficult times." [All courtesy of the Religion of Peace!"]
"Holy and beloved Father, never lose sight of your mission, do not forget the reason why God chose you, guide the generations to truth, and may God always be with you."
Bashir Ahmad Tantray, the father of Shabnam, Saira, and Adil, was killed by Islamic militants in November of 2006, in broad daylight. He had converted to Christianity in 1995, and had fled from his village after being threatened by Islamic extremist groups. [We may use all kinds of euphemisms here but that religions REALLY teaches that death must come upon those who converted! They are just following orders from their book!] Years later, he had gone back there to care for his dying father, and was killed. [A Martyr for our Faith! Pray for us and the Holy Father!]
Bashir was an engineer for the J&K Power Development Dept, and regional coordinator of the Global Council of Indian Christians in Kashmir. "Ever since the death of our father," Shabnam recounts, "it has been horrible. Few can understand our suffering and sense of abandonment. We fled to Mumbai, but our mother is still in Kashmir. We see her only during vacations. For her, every day is a constant struggle and a constant suffering."
Among the expressions of support for the proposal to pray for Benedict XVI sent to AsiaNews is one from an Italian woman, Paola.
"I join the initiative without reservation," Paola writes, "I will pray for the pope, as I have always done since 1978."
And she recalls that John Paul II was also frequently attacked (and still is today, even after his death): "In order to proclaim to humanity that it is only in Christ that man rediscovers himself, in order to seek unity among Christians, Pope Wojtyla did not hesitate, even at the last limits of his strength, to confront exhausting journeys, almost impossible encounters, even criticisms on the part of those who were close to him. Did we ever ask ourselves how much pain he felt in the face of the accusations from Küng, or from the Lefebvrists? And what can be said about the radical attacks and his isolation amid his countless appeals against war, against abortion, against the dangers of a humanity without God?"
"Yes," she concludes, "I will pray for Pope Benedict XVI; even more than this, I will entrust him the intercession of his 'little-great predecessor', but I also urge more fervent prayers that the appeal of 'Santo subito' [the immediate canonization of John Paul II] may come to fruition."
***
Even the man who occupies the holiest office on earth still needs our prayers and salvation.
Do it now!
Thursday, September 17, 2009
Blair: Conversion journey started with the Mass
Former British Prime Minister Tony Blair has discussed his conversion to Catholicism in an interview with L’Osservatore Romano.“My spiritual journey began when I started to go to Mass with my wife,” he said. " "Then we decided to baptize our children in the Catholic faith. It was a journey that lasted 25 years, or perhaps more. In time, emotionally, intellectually and rationally it seemed to me that the Catholic home was the right one for me. When I left political office, and I no longer had all the context connected with being prime minister, it was something I really wanted to do.”
“One of the things that has most attracted me to the Catholic Church is her universal nature. If you are a Catholic, you can go anywhere in the world and attend Mass. I was at Mass in Kigali, Beijing, Singapore,” [Imagine if the whole Catholic world was still celebrating the EF Mass. Everywhere you go, you have the same Mass, same rubrics, same readings. Nothing to surprise you. Now that is something.] he added. “The fact that wherever you are, you are in communion with others is really formidable.”
***
Let us pray that Mr. Blair remains steadfast in his faith and that he remains faithful to Her teachings. Remember that he once criticized the pope about the Holiness' view on homosexuality.
Sunday, September 6, 2009
Return Home of Anglican Sisters and Priest: Ecumenical Exchange Gift?
Damian Thompson commented on the return of Ten Anglican Sisters and one priest back home to the Catholic Church. This one caught my attention:
Ecumenical exchange gift? Too early for Christmas... but WHAT THE HECK! The Anglicans can have them all!
Perhaps I shouldn’t suggest this, but I wonder… wouldn’t it be a nice ecumenical gesture if, in return, we let the Episcopal Church have the Catholic “radical sisters” who have been pretending to be priests in American Catholic parishes for so long? Once they’re Anglicans, they can be nuns and priests at the same time. Think of the glorious opportunities for bossing people around!***
Ecumenical exchange gift? Too early for Christmas... but WHAT THE HECK! The Anglicans can have them all!
Thursday, August 27, 2009
Mickey Rourke Thanks God and Catholic Faith for "Second Chance"
Rome, Italy, Aug 25, 2009 (CNA).- Famed Hollywood actor Mickey Rourke, who was at the Sarajevo Film Festival last week, told a Bosnian newspaper that he thanks God and his Catholic faith for giving him a “second chance” in life to overcome his addictions, which almost led him to commit suicide.
Speaking to the Bosnian daily “Avaz,” Rourke said, “God gave me a second chance in life and I thank Him.”
Rourke achieved fame in the 80s with action films and erotic thrillers. At the beginning of the 90s he left film for boxing and fell into heavy drug and alcohol addiction.
According to the newspaper, during the most difficult moments of his life, his psychiatrist and his priest were his best friends.
“When you fall people push you down even more. The world is full of materialism and envy. When you are famous and you fall, people don’t want you to come back. It is almost impossible to come back. It’s hard enough the first time, but the second time it’s like you don’t even exist …God gave me a second chance, the guy upstairs helped me out,” he said.
Several years ago Rourke began his return to the big screen and this year he won his first Golden Globe Award for the film “The Wrestler.” Rourke was also an Oscar favorite.
Now, he says, he doesn’t think about Hollywood much. “I don’t care about Hollywood and what the people of Hollywood think. I don’t think about how it works because I simply don’t care. I don’t even dream about it.”
In 2005, when he began to land bigger roles in films, he revealed to a magazine that he was meeting often with his pastor in New York and was on the verge of suicide. “If I weren’t Catholic I would have blown my brains out,” he said.
Speaking to the Bosnian daily “Avaz,” Rourke said, “God gave me a second chance in life and I thank Him.”
Rourke achieved fame in the 80s with action films and erotic thrillers. At the beginning of the 90s he left film for boxing and fell into heavy drug and alcohol addiction.
According to the newspaper, during the most difficult moments of his life, his psychiatrist and his priest were his best friends.
“When you fall people push you down even more. The world is full of materialism and envy. When you are famous and you fall, people don’t want you to come back. It is almost impossible to come back. It’s hard enough the first time, but the second time it’s like you don’t even exist …God gave me a second chance, the guy upstairs helped me out,” he said.
Several years ago Rourke began his return to the big screen and this year he won his first Golden Globe Award for the film “The Wrestler.” Rourke was also an Oscar favorite.
Now, he says, he doesn’t think about Hollywood much. “I don’t care about Hollywood and what the people of Hollywood think. I don’t think about how it works because I simply don’t care. I don’t even dream about it.”
In 2005, when he began to land bigger roles in films, he revealed to a magazine that he was meeting often with his pastor in New York and was on the verge of suicide. “If I weren’t Catholic I would have blown my brains out,” he said.
***
God bless Mickey Rourke! Now I am a Mickey Rourke fan! May he continue to grow in our Faith!
The words of the Lord come to mind, "What does it profit a man if he gains the whole world and loses his soul in return?'
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