Posted on 04/12/2012 5:01:17 AM PDT by NYer
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The recently-formed Catholic Voices USA organization is seeking volunteers to defend Church teachings, in response to Pope Benedict XVI's recent call for an effective witness in public life.
At a January 2012 meeting with U.S. bishops in Rome, the Pope said that “articulate and well-formed Catholic laity” were needed to “counter a reductive secularism which would delegitimize the Church's participation in public debate about the issues which are determining the future of American society.”
In order to fulfill this call, Catholic Voices USA is seeking members of the Church in the New York and Washington, D.C. areas, who are less than 45 years old and can commit to a schedule of training sessions as well as public appearances.
Applications for its upcoming training session, which will take place May 19-21, are being accepted until April 20.
Volunteers will take part in what Pope Benedict called “a primary task” of the U.S. Church, as they learn to offer “a convincing articulation of the Christian vision of man and society” in different public forums.
Catholic Voices USA is based on a U.K. program that began in the run-up to Pope Benedict's 2010 visit to England and Scotland.
That initiative's first goal was to ensure that the Church and its beliefs were presented accurately in the British media. But organizers say it has since grown into “a school of a new Christian humanism” and “the laboratory of a new kind of apologetics.”
Founders of the U.K. Catholic Voices initiative are working in collaboration with organizers of the new U.S. program. In Mexico, two Spanish-speaking coordinators of the British program recently trained 20 speakers who made a total of 54 media appearances to discuss the Pope's March 2012 visit.
Do you find yourself at home arguing with TV news anchors, radio hosts and print columnists, wishing someone would defend your Catholic faith?
Are you a practicing Catholic who prays for clear voices on news programs who actually believes what the Church teaches?
Do you feel called to be one of those defenders?
Catholic voices offers training to "ordinary" Catholics who want to publicly make the case for the Church in truth and love. Based on a successful British program, Catholic Voices do not speak officially for the Church but answer the call for laypeople to publicly witness to their faith as an apostolic project of the New Evangelization.
Catholic Voices is sponsoring a training session May 19-21 for Catholics from the New York and Washington, D.C. areas, who want to succinctly, compellingly, and reasonably express what it means to be truly Catholic. Candidates must be baptized Catholics under age 45 willing to make a time commitment to be available for regular briefings, media training, and spiritual development. The application deadline is April 20.
“under age 45”
??????
On the same topic of evangelizing ... particularly in our country, check this out:
If you can’t get catholics (intentional small c) to read the Bible, do you think they will read a book by Chaput? There has to be a way to wake up the sleeping giant.
My initial reaction, as well. Perhaps they want a more youthful face of the Church to serve as witness to the mainstream media.
Prayer and fasting....and the guidance of the Holy Spirit carries a great deal of *waking* power.
;-)
(Unfortunately, the loudest wake-up call often comes via persecution.)
Or even just with prayer, since now that we are in Easter season and no fasting is allowed.
A bit late since Paul told Timothy to preach the word urgently and fully accomplish his ministry.....1900 years ago.
Only under 45? Hm, that leaves me out. Too bad. I’d love to do this, and I’d be good at it.
**“under age 45”**
That disqualifies me. But there are many Catholic FReepers here who fit that age range!
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I contacted them, told them I’d like to help them recruit under-45’s. Posted it to the ETSU Catholic Facebook page (East Tennessee State University)
Thank you! Many of us, however, who are are above the specified age bracket, would also like to help. How can we serve?
Observed that some older and cooler heads might be good to have in this situation.
Please share their response once it arrives. I like your justification .. “older and cooler heads” :-) All graduates of the FR School of Ecumenic Hard Knocks.
Please share their response once it arrives. I like your justification .. “older and cooler heads” :-) All graduates of the FR School of Ecumenic Hard Knocks.
________________________________________
I also hope you share the response. I honestly believe that they are closing out a particularly valuable asset for their mission.
Maybe we'll have to have letters of introduction or something. Our Parochial Vicar and head of the small college associated with our parish could write me one. Every single professor at the college has the Mandatum, and he is about as straight up and orthodox as you can get.
He's on FaceBook preaching to the unwashed (and to the fallen away or the young people who're off to college and being exposed to the usual secular trash). I chime in whenever I see an opportunity, so it's not like I don't talk to young people . . . :-D
Pope Benedict Warns Americans:
Get Active or Lose Your
Freedoms
Dear Friend of Catholic Answers,
We are rapidly approaching a new election, and much hangs in the balance.
The Church is under assault in America, with the government intruding more and more, passing laws and policies that violate the Catholic faith and the basic principles of morality. Whether the issue is abortion, homosexual “marriage,” religious freedom, or a host of other issues, the forces that oppose the Church are on the attack.
Even Pope Benedict Is Alarmed
Word of how bad things are getting in America has even caused the pope himself to become gravely concerned. Recently, Pope Benedict told the U.S. bishops:
It is imperative that the entire Catholic community in the United States come to realize the grave threats to the Church’s public moral witness presented by a radical secularism which finds increasing expression in the political and cultural spheres. The seriousness of these threats needs to be clearly appreciated at every level of ecclesial life.
Pope Benedict noted that one right is being targeted in a new and frightening way:
Of particular concern are certain attempts being made to limit that most cherished of American freedoms; the freedom of religion. Many of you have pointed out that concerted efforts have been made to deny the right of conscientious objection, on the part of Catholic individuals and institutions, with regard to cooperation in intrinsically evil practices. Others have spoken to me of a worrying tendency to reduce religious freedom to mere freedom of worship without guarantees of respect for freedom of conscience.
The situation is alarming, but Pope Benedict pointed out the solution to the bishops.
Yet it isn’t something that the bishops can do by themselves. They can’t even do it with the help of their priests. The task is so great that it must involve Catholics at every level of the Church in America, including ordinary church-going men and women like you and me. Pope Benedict explained:
Here once more we see the need for an engaged, articulate, and well-formed Catholic laity . . . with the courage to counter a reductive secularism which would de-legitimize the Church’s participation in public debate about the issues which are determining the future of American society. The preparation of committed lay leaders and the presentation of a convincing articulation of the Christian vision of man and society remain a primary task of the Church in your country.
Pope Benedict has told us what we need to do, and it isn’t rocket science. We need to mobilize the lay Catholics of America to stand up and fight, to engage the democratic process and to use their voices and their votes in “determining the future of American society.”
But There’s A Big Problem
The problem, of course, is that we simply do not have the “engaged, articulate, and well-informed Catholic laity” that Pope Benedict knows we need. Also, far too few have the courage to counter the radical secularism that is trying to drive the Church out of the public arena.
Too often, all it takes to cow a Catholic into silence is to make the stock accusation, “You’re just trying to impose your religion on others.” Say that, and most Catholics have no idea what to reply.
But America’s future is worth fighting for—and it’s up to you and me to do it. We’ve got to get the laity mobilized. We’ve got to get them educated. We’ve got to help them find the words they need—to be articulate in defending the Church and the basic moral values that America needs so desperately.
That’s why Catholic Answers is rolling out three crucial resources this election year.
Let me tell you about them. .
Under age 45 disqualifies the Pope and most of the Magisterium. Jesus started with a dozen men aged 17 to 60.
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