Why is it when someone doesn’t agree with the teachings of the Church or the Holy Father in particular, they insult him? Why must they resort to name calling and character assassinations? I find it to be rather juvenile and quite frankly it incenses me. Here is what Kevin Naff, managing editor of the Houston Voice said about Pope John Paul II when he didn’t agree with the pope’s statement on the institution of marriage, “Pope John Paul II, sounding more and more like an out-of-touch curmudgeon clinging to by-gone days of 1950s-style morality, again this week intoned against tampering with the ‘irreplaceable’ institution of marriage.”
1950s-style morality? Is this guy kidding? This statement is from an editorial titled, Gay Catholic and confused, and claims the pope is demonizing gay relationships. It further asserts the Church and the pope are saying that gays are not wanted in the Catholic Church.
Let’s be clear here, it is the act of fornication that the Church frowns upon, and this goes for heterosexual as well as homosexual couples. It’s the sex part that’s the sin, not the person. Moreover, the Church and the Holy Father embraces its gay brothers and sisters with the same love and compassion as any other Catholic.
Don’t give me this 1950s-style morality business, this will never be moral and it wasn’t moral before 1950 either. Sex outside of marriage is a sin, and that’s exactly what gay sex is – sex outside the sanctity of marriage.
I don’t know what Baltimore parish this writer is writing about here, but I can only assume it is a gay-friendly parish in the same manner my parish is. That is to say, it welcomes all into its arms, so long as those who enter are chaste, (if not yet married) regardless of ones attraction.
Same-sex marriage will never be accepted by the Catholic Church and rightly so. Must I remind my gay brothers and sisters that marriage is a sacrament in the Catholic Church? It’s quite clear they do not know why it is a sacrament, or they would never demand it be included in the Catholic Church. For the laity to not know, it is somewhat understandable, but for a parish priest or bishop to promote same-sex marriage is unacceptable.
Knaff further asserts, “THE PROBLEMS OF repression in the church go beyond the failure of church leaders to cope responsibly with the sex abuse scandal. That same culture of fear, silence and denial that enabled pedophile priests to shift around from parish to parish is restricting the ability of local pastors, priests and deacons to deal honestly and fairly with the question of how to welcome gay worshipers.”
Here’s the biggest problem I have with this editorial; the gay community is still calling the sex abuse scandal a pedophile problem, when it’s been largely a homosexual problem all along. No, this liberal notion of embracing the homosexual lifestyle amongst priest and religious and endorsing fornication and worse yet homosexual fornication is the wrong approach to Catholicism and not what Christianity needs now or ever. As a matter of fact, it is precisely 1950s-style morality that the Church needs to embrace right now, for it has a tremendous amount of ground to make up for the last four decades of constant decline. A constant decline not only in our culture but in our Church as well.
It is not the Vatican and the pope that is misguided and narrow-minded, but rather it is Kevin Naff that is misguided. He is misguided because he is not taking the time to understand that the Church is bound to the decision to not embrace same-sex marriage. If the Vatican and the pope wanted to allow same-sex marriage into the fold they couldn’t. The Church was founded by Jesus and ever guided by the Holy Spirit; men do not make Church dogma or doctrine. These are the things that are decided by a higher authority.
That is the splender of the Catholic Church; it’s a divine institution, not a human one. If you want to be a part of a human institution then the Catholic Church is not for you. When will some so-called Catholics learn this?
The Church does not demonize gay and lesbian parishioners, as Naff would have you believe. The Church continues to pray for them and embrace them, just don’t ask it to include same-sex couples in the sacrament of marriage.
Monday, November 29, 2004
Thursday, November 18, 2004
Holy Mary Mother of God
By Nick France
Hail Mary full of Grace,
Each year around Christmas, my mind always seems to wander off, and I begin to think about the Holy family, and the hardships they must have endured. For their story is not the traditional one of a young couple about to give birth to an ordinary child. Theirs is the most unique situation there ever was (to say the least). Joseph, of the house of David, had to come to grips with the fact that his virgin wife was with child, and imagine this, that she was conceived of the Holy Spirit. I would imagine that even for Joseph, and knowing what we know about the Blessed Virgin Mary, this had to be incredibly difficult for him.
The Lord is with thee…
According to the Gospel of Matthew, we come to know that he did not believe at first, and although he was an upright man and unwilling to expose her to the law, he had decided to divorce her quietly. This is what Joseph intended to do, and who would blame him? This was the origin of first century Palestine, and to have a child without a husband was against the law and extremely disgraceful. (Even today this is the benchmark of peoples belief systems, those who believe in the virgin birth, and those who do not). This was not something you wanted to be associated with, unless your wife was carrying a child Divine in nature, and the Savior of mankind. This is what Joseph came to understand as the angel of the Lord appeared in a dream. The angel made clear to him this child was conceived of the Holy Spirit and would come to free the people of sin.
Blessed art thou amongst women,
It is no doubt that Mary dominates my thoughts with all the trials she overcame. The sacrifice she underwent so that she could say yes, yes to God, and be a part of His redemptive plan. For it was the trust and faith she had in God, which was nothing short of amazing. But for her trust and faith, (as we know she had free will to deny God) we would not know Jesus, our Lord and Savior, as we do.
Imagine how alone and confused she must have felt after coming to know from the angel Gabriel that she had been chosen by God to bare the redeemer of the world? Even in today’s day, a pregnant, unwed teen is not looked upon as the most noble of things. Imagine how Mary must have felt in her day? She was taking an incredible leap of faith here.
And blessed is the fruit of thy womb, Jesus.
While many Christians are attracted to Mary, their knowledge of her is not as broad as one would imagine for those so devoted to someone. In other words, why are so many people, especially Catholics, attracted to someone they know very little about? Loving someone without knowledge of them is more like a crush or infatuation. This can turn to true devotion with increased knowledge. To come to know Mary deeper; one need only turn to Church dogma.
Holy Mary, Mother of God…
We all know Mary as the mother of God; her title in the Church is Theotokos or God-bearer. She has a special function in the Church in being the Mother of God, as she is the mother of the head of the Church, Jesus. This makes her our mother as Christians, as we are members of the Church. We base this belief on the passage in John’s Gospel when from the cross Jesus said to John, “Behold your mother,” telling him to care for Mary. To Mary he said, “Woman behold your son” (John 19:26-27). The Church has long interpreted those words to include us as well as John. Also, some point out this passage as an indication of the Perpetual Virginity of Mary, The Perpetual Virginity of Mary is a doctrine of the Church as well. If Mary had other sons and Jesus had other brothers, why would Jesus say from the cross to Mary “Woman behold your son” referring to John if in fact Mary had a biological son?
Some might ask why Mary? Why would God choose Mary for this awesome task? We all know that in our own child rearing and preparation for childbirth, good health plays an important role. Mothers must take extra care of themselves as the vessel of the child in order to ensure good health for the child. She must abstain from harmful chemicals and medications as well as other dangers that would harm the child. These harmful things can affect future generations as well.
God’s plan warranted someone special indeed, someone worthy of bearing the Son of God. So when God chose Mary, he was choosing someone perfect, for He created Mary that way. At the time when Mary was conceived by Joachim and Anne, she was already free of Original Sin. This belief (the sinlessness of Mary) is called the doctrine of the Immaculate Conception. Many confuse the Immaculate Conception with Jesus’ conception, but it is really pertaining to Mary’s.
Again it was her free will to say no to God that makes this all the more amazing. She was not just a passive instrument in God’s will, she chose to take part in His plan against all odds and knowing full well it would likely be a life of heartache and turmoil. I can only suspect she anticipated great joy and love from her choice as well. It had to be somewhat reassuring to be in God’s favor as she was. We learn from Luke’s Gospel that the angel Gabriel said to her, “Rejoice, O highly favored daughter! The Lord is with thee. Blessed art thou amongst women.” (Luke 1:28) Although she was deeply troubled by his words, Mary accepted her fate and said to the angel, “I am the servant of the Lord. Let it be done to me as you say.” (Luke 1:38)
It is from Luke’s Gospel we learn the Magnificat:
My soul magnifies the Lord,
And my spirit rejoices in God my Savior.
For He has regarded the low estate of His handmaiden,
For behold, henceforth all generations shall call me blessed.
For He who is mighty has done great things for me, and holy is His name. And His mercy is on those who fear Him from generation to generation.
He has shown strength with His arm:
He has scattered the proud in the imagination of their hearts.
He has put down the mighty from their thrones,
and exalted those of low degree.
He has filled the hungry with good things;
and the rich He has sent empty away.
He has helped His servant Israel, in remembrance of His mercy;
As He spoke to our fathers, to Abraham and to His posterity forever.
At the end of her earthly life we know that Mary was taken up to heaven – body and soul. We know this as the doctrine of the Assumption. Mary was so pure in spirit that God deemed her body holy enough to bear God and he would see to it that her body would never decay like yours and mine. The Immaculate Conception and the Assumption are related. "The Immaculate Conception [was] the beginning of life, the promise, and the Assumption [was] the end, the realization of that promise."
As we contemplate the life of Mary we try to understand the blessings she had bestowed upon her. Certainly these blessings came with intense worries and strife. To be subject of this much honor was a double-edged sword, to say the least. To be a pregnant, unwed mother as a teenager in Mary’s day meant cause to be thrown out of her town and stoned to death – not exactly the making of a prom queen.
From the birth of Jesus to the flight into Egypt to the cross at Calvary, Mary’s life was not easy, yet her perfection and love for Jesus and Grace from God is something for us all to aspire to become. Like a champion boxer is to the up-and-coming contender, an inspiration of dedication and prowess, so is Mary to all Christians. For Mary exemplifies the very nature of a true Christian and what we all should be, or at least have the opportunity to be, because of her son, Jesus, and the sacrifice He made for us all.
This Christmas, in addition to Jesus, let’s all remember Mary in a special way, after all it is about the birth of Christ, but it’s also about the life of Christ and the way in which Mary shaped it, as only our Mother can. Merry Christmas. †
Pray for us sinners, now and at the hour of our death. Amen
Read more about Mary – Pope John Paul II’s encyclical letter Redemptoris Mater (Mother of the Redeemer).
Hail Mary full of Grace,
Each year around Christmas, my mind always seems to wander off, and I begin to think about the Holy family, and the hardships they must have endured. For their story is not the traditional one of a young couple about to give birth to an ordinary child. Theirs is the most unique situation there ever was (to say the least). Joseph, of the house of David, had to come to grips with the fact that his virgin wife was with child, and imagine this, that she was conceived of the Holy Spirit. I would imagine that even for Joseph, and knowing what we know about the Blessed Virgin Mary, this had to be incredibly difficult for him.
The Lord is with thee…
According to the Gospel of Matthew, we come to know that he did not believe at first, and although he was an upright man and unwilling to expose her to the law, he had decided to divorce her quietly. This is what Joseph intended to do, and who would blame him? This was the origin of first century Palestine, and to have a child without a husband was against the law and extremely disgraceful. (Even today this is the benchmark of peoples belief systems, those who believe in the virgin birth, and those who do not). This was not something you wanted to be associated with, unless your wife was carrying a child Divine in nature, and the Savior of mankind. This is what Joseph came to understand as the angel of the Lord appeared in a dream. The angel made clear to him this child was conceived of the Holy Spirit and would come to free the people of sin.
Blessed art thou amongst women,
It is no doubt that Mary dominates my thoughts with all the trials she overcame. The sacrifice she underwent so that she could say yes, yes to God, and be a part of His redemptive plan. For it was the trust and faith she had in God, which was nothing short of amazing. But for her trust and faith, (as we know she had free will to deny God) we would not know Jesus, our Lord and Savior, as we do.
Imagine how alone and confused she must have felt after coming to know from the angel Gabriel that she had been chosen by God to bare the redeemer of the world? Even in today’s day, a pregnant, unwed teen is not looked upon as the most noble of things. Imagine how Mary must have felt in her day? She was taking an incredible leap of faith here.
And blessed is the fruit of thy womb, Jesus.
While many Christians are attracted to Mary, their knowledge of her is not as broad as one would imagine for those so devoted to someone. In other words, why are so many people, especially Catholics, attracted to someone they know very little about? Loving someone without knowledge of them is more like a crush or infatuation. This can turn to true devotion with increased knowledge. To come to know Mary deeper; one need only turn to Church dogma.
Holy Mary, Mother of God…
We all know Mary as the mother of God; her title in the Church is Theotokos or God-bearer. She has a special function in the Church in being the Mother of God, as she is the mother of the head of the Church, Jesus. This makes her our mother as Christians, as we are members of the Church. We base this belief on the passage in John’s Gospel when from the cross Jesus said to John, “Behold your mother,” telling him to care for Mary. To Mary he said, “Woman behold your son” (John 19:26-27). The Church has long interpreted those words to include us as well as John. Also, some point out this passage as an indication of the Perpetual Virginity of Mary, The Perpetual Virginity of Mary is a doctrine of the Church as well. If Mary had other sons and Jesus had other brothers, why would Jesus say from the cross to Mary “Woman behold your son” referring to John if in fact Mary had a biological son?
Some might ask why Mary? Why would God choose Mary for this awesome task? We all know that in our own child rearing and preparation for childbirth, good health plays an important role. Mothers must take extra care of themselves as the vessel of the child in order to ensure good health for the child. She must abstain from harmful chemicals and medications as well as other dangers that would harm the child. These harmful things can affect future generations as well.
God’s plan warranted someone special indeed, someone worthy of bearing the Son of God. So when God chose Mary, he was choosing someone perfect, for He created Mary that way. At the time when Mary was conceived by Joachim and Anne, she was already free of Original Sin. This belief (the sinlessness of Mary) is called the doctrine of the Immaculate Conception. Many confuse the Immaculate Conception with Jesus’ conception, but it is really pertaining to Mary’s.
Again it was her free will to say no to God that makes this all the more amazing. She was not just a passive instrument in God’s will, she chose to take part in His plan against all odds and knowing full well it would likely be a life of heartache and turmoil. I can only suspect she anticipated great joy and love from her choice as well. It had to be somewhat reassuring to be in God’s favor as she was. We learn from Luke’s Gospel that the angel Gabriel said to her, “Rejoice, O highly favored daughter! The Lord is with thee. Blessed art thou amongst women.” (Luke 1:28) Although she was deeply troubled by his words, Mary accepted her fate and said to the angel, “I am the servant of the Lord. Let it be done to me as you say.” (Luke 1:38)
It is from Luke’s Gospel we learn the Magnificat:
My soul magnifies the Lord,
And my spirit rejoices in God my Savior.
For He has regarded the low estate of His handmaiden,
For behold, henceforth all generations shall call me blessed.
For He who is mighty has done great things for me, and holy is His name. And His mercy is on those who fear Him from generation to generation.
He has shown strength with His arm:
He has scattered the proud in the imagination of their hearts.
He has put down the mighty from their thrones,
and exalted those of low degree.
He has filled the hungry with good things;
and the rich He has sent empty away.
He has helped His servant Israel, in remembrance of His mercy;
As He spoke to our fathers, to Abraham and to His posterity forever.
At the end of her earthly life we know that Mary was taken up to heaven – body and soul. We know this as the doctrine of the Assumption. Mary was so pure in spirit that God deemed her body holy enough to bear God and he would see to it that her body would never decay like yours and mine. The Immaculate Conception and the Assumption are related. "The Immaculate Conception [was] the beginning of life, the promise, and the Assumption [was] the end, the realization of that promise."
As we contemplate the life of Mary we try to understand the blessings she had bestowed upon her. Certainly these blessings came with intense worries and strife. To be subject of this much honor was a double-edged sword, to say the least. To be a pregnant, unwed mother as a teenager in Mary’s day meant cause to be thrown out of her town and stoned to death – not exactly the making of a prom queen.
From the birth of Jesus to the flight into Egypt to the cross at Calvary, Mary’s life was not easy, yet her perfection and love for Jesus and Grace from God is something for us all to aspire to become. Like a champion boxer is to the up-and-coming contender, an inspiration of dedication and prowess, so is Mary to all Christians. For Mary exemplifies the very nature of a true Christian and what we all should be, or at least have the opportunity to be, because of her son, Jesus, and the sacrifice He made for us all.
This Christmas, in addition to Jesus, let’s all remember Mary in a special way, after all it is about the birth of Christ, but it’s also about the life of Christ and the way in which Mary shaped it, as only our Mother can. Merry Christmas. †
Pray for us sinners, now and at the hour of our death. Amen
Read more about Mary – Pope John Paul II’s encyclical letter Redemptoris Mater (Mother of the Redeemer).
Tuesday, November 02, 2004
Pope to meet with Iraqi PM at Vatican
VATICAN CITY, Vatican, November 01 2004 (CNA) - Pope John Paul II is to receive Iraqi Prime Minister Iyad Allawi in a private audience at the Vatican on Thursday November 4.
In last Wednesday’s general audience in St. Peter’s Square, the Pope set aside words of support and consolation for the Iraqi people, whose suffering he shared in and for whom he prayed for everyday.
Follow up
Pope meets Iraqi prime minister, encourages him to pursue democracy
VATICAN CITY (CNS) -- Pope John Paul II encouraged Iraqi Prime Minister Iyad Allawi to pursue democracy and religious freedom in his country and told him he prayed for the victims of terrorism and violence there. The pope met with Allawi, his wife, Thana, and members of the Iraqi interim government in a private audience at the Vatican Nov. 4. It was Allawi's first visit to the Vatican since he took over from the U.S.-led provisional government in June. "I wish to encourage efforts made by the Iraqi people to establish democratic institutions which will be truly representative and committed to defending the rights for all," the pope said in written remarks read by an aide, "in complete respect for the ethnic and religious diversity which has always been a source of enrichment for your country." Allawi and his group also met with the Vatican's secretary of state, Cardinal Angelo Sodano, and other officials from his office.
- - -
In last Wednesday’s general audience in St. Peter’s Square, the Pope set aside words of support and consolation for the Iraqi people, whose suffering he shared in and for whom he prayed for everyday.
Follow up
Pope meets Iraqi prime minister, encourages him to pursue democracy
VATICAN CITY (CNS) -- Pope John Paul II encouraged Iraqi Prime Minister Iyad Allawi to pursue democracy and religious freedom in his country and told him he prayed for the victims of terrorism and violence there. The pope met with Allawi, his wife, Thana, and members of the Iraqi interim government in a private audience at the Vatican Nov. 4. It was Allawi's first visit to the Vatican since he took over from the U.S.-led provisional government in June. "I wish to encourage efforts made by the Iraqi people to establish democratic institutions which will be truly representative and committed to defending the rights for all," the pope said in written remarks read by an aide, "in complete respect for the ethnic and religious diversity which has always been a source of enrichment for your country." Allawi and his group also met with the Vatican's secretary of state, Cardinal Angelo Sodano, and other officials from his office.
- - -
Monday, November 01, 2004
Some attempts to sabotage Catholic voters
The Catholic Church possesses the fullness of truth, the complete moral teachings of our age. We thank God for the Magisterium of the Church, for the solemn teaching office of our Pope John Paul II and the Popes before him, and the 'ordinary magisterium' or the Bishops in communion with him.
Yet, attempts by Church leaders are made every day to sabotage these teachings.
Some attempts to sabotage Catholic voters
Yet, attempts by Church leaders are made every day to sabotage these teachings.
Some attempts to sabotage Catholic voters
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