Brooklyn Diocese Opposes Conversions

“It’s about a learning experience …” This is the primary response from Fr. Guy Massie, our commission’s director, when asked about the essential purpose of ecumenical and interreligious dialogue. His words summarize the truth behind why the ecumenical commission lives, moves, and has its being.

The New York area is a prime environment in which to encourage, enable, and enthusiastically invite people from all walks of life to dialogue concerning faith. Because the population of our city is so diverse, no one group of people or person truly speaks for the majority, especially on matters of faith. Interreligious and ecumenical dialogue for each of us in and around our Diocese is not a luxury, it is more of a responsibility and adventure.

How we understand ourselves and one another in not only religious, but also social, political, and cultural terms plays a large role in how each of our separate communities of faith seeks to preserve its uniqueness.

The commission’s primary mission is to facilitate dialogue and cooperation between people of good will in this Diocese of various religious confessions. Using theological images and ideas as our starting point, we move on to explore how our religious understandings of ourselves, one another, and the world influence our social, political, and cultural interactions.

To embrace and learn from the differences between us, rather than reconcile them, gives each of us a new understanding of conversion. Rather than seeking to change the faith of others, we hope that through dialogue our own hearts and minds can be changed, allowing us to see new images of God, new glimpses of Truth.

....But, but....what ever happened to the "One, Holy, Catholic, and Apostolic Church" ? Fr. Massie have you lost your faith? Saving souls is your only task, it is secondary to your fear of hurting feelings, stepping on toes, and appearing dogmatic and close-minded.

Below are the ecumenical considerations of the Brooklyn diocese .

Catholic-Jewish

Explore the rich intertextual connection between Judaism and Roman Catholicism. Education of the clergy is essential. To sensitize priests, deacons and catechists to Jewish concerns regarding Catholic education, the Ecumenical and Inter-Faith Commission of the Diocese has addressed problematic Christian scripture texts

Catholic-Islam

Both faiths affirm the authority of the Hebrew prophets. One celebrates the uniqueness of Jesus. One centers itself around Muhammad as the 'seal' of the prophets. How do we understand these differences? To help us achieve our goals we seek to be informed of our respective religious test; the Bible and the Quran. While we take comfort in our similarities we also celebrate and learn from our differences.

Jewish-Christian-Islam Trialogue

Three sacred traditions come together to affirm their uniqueness as well as celebrating their common ground. As our global community becomes more integrated, this trilogue helps to heal relationships bruised by hatred, stereotypes, and mistrust. Despite apparent discrepancies concerning the importance of the Hebrew prophets, Jesus, and Mohammed, they share a common heart of faith that unites Jews, Catholics, and Muslims in a sacred humanity that hungers after God.

Catholic-Buddhist

Two charismatic, compassionate figures: Jesus and Buddha. Two redemptive traditions of light and love flowing from their lives and teachings.

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"Jesus is the answer for the world today."

When the words of this hymn were originally penned, the world was a different place. And yet things are in many ways, from a Christian standpoint, still quite the same. In meeting one another in the context of openness and receptivity we can make the fact that we live beside each other become the fact that we share a great gift: community.

Most Novus Ordo Catholics are in communion with their diocesan bishops and with the Holy Father in Rome and are therefore CATHOLIC unlike the schismatic SSPX which was cast out of the Church as schismatic by John Paul II and whose ringleaders such as the dead archmiscreant Marcel were excommunicated by John Paul II together with each and every illicitly consecrating or consecrated bishop adhering to that schism.

Noting that you do not publicly identify you and yours as SSPXers, I use SSPX, of course, only as an example of people who claim Catholicism dishonestly in that their primary characteristic is persistent sulphuric attacks upon the Church, the Vatican, The Popes, the Curia and anything or anyone else who fails to smooch the seating area of wild-eyed fanatical schismatics utterly in passionate love with their own opinions and in total rebellion against legitimate ecclesiastical authority in the manner of certain the German Augustinian revolutionary of Wittenberg of 1517.

Note to those pinged other than "Bulldog Catholic": THEYYYYY"RE BAAAAAACK!!!!!!

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