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6 Ark. nuns excommunicated for heresy
Yahoo News / AP ^ | September 26, 2007 | ANDREW DeMILLO

Posted on 09/26/2007 4:03:14 PM PDT by Stoat

Photo

 

The Rev. J. Gaston Hebert, Little Rock diocese administrator, speaks during a news conference Wednesday, Sept. 26, 2007, in Little Rock, Ark. Hebert announced Wednesday that six Arkansas nuns have been excommunicated from the Catholic Church for heresy. (AP Photo/Mike Wintroath)

6 Ark. nuns excommunicated for heresy

 

By ANDREW DeMILLO, Associated Press Writer 11 minutes ago
 

LITTLE ROCK, Ark. - Six Catholic nuns have been excommunicated for heresy after refusing to give up membership in a Canadian sect whose founder claims to be the reincarnation of the Virgin Mary, the Diocese of Little Rock announced Wednesday.

The Rev. J. Gaston Hebert, the diocese administrator, said he notified the nuns of the decision Tuesday night after they refused to recant the teachings of the Community of the Lady of All Nations, also known as the Army of Mary.

The Vatican has declared all members of the Army of Mary excommunicated. Hebert said the excommunication was the first in the diocese's 165-year history.

"It is a painfully historic moment for this church," Hebert said.

The six nuns are associated with the Good Shepherd Monastery of Our Lady of Charity and Refuge in Hot Springs. Sister Mary Theresa Dionne, one of the nuns excommunicated, said the nuns will still live at the convent property, which they own.

"We are at peace and we know that for us we are doing the right thing," the 82-year-old nun said. "We pray that the church will open their eyes before it is too late. This is God's work through Mary, the blessed mother, and we're doing what we're asked to do."

At a news conference, Hebert said the nuns "became entranced and deluded with a doctrine that is heretical." He said church officials removed the sacraments from the monastery on Tuesday night.

Hebert said the sect's members believe that its founder, Marie Paule Giguere, is the reincarnation of the Virgin Mary and that God speaks directly through her.

Excommunication bars the nuns from participating in the church liturgy and receiving communion or other sacraments.

The diocese said the action was taken after the Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith issued a declaration that the Army of Mary's teachings were heretical and automatically excommunicated any who embraced the doctrine.

Hebert said the diocese had known for years that the nuns were following the sect and said church officials in the past had encouraged them to come back into the fold.

According to the Catholic News Service, the Army of Mary was founded in Quebec in 1971 by Giguere, who said she was receiving visions from God.

Dionne said she does not know if Giguere is the reincarnation of the Virgin Mary, but said she believes God communicates through the sect's founder.

"She is doing only what God and Mary tells her to do," Dionne said.

Calls made to a spokesman for the Army of Mary in Quebec were answered by a fax machine tone.



TOPICS: Culture/Society; News/Current Events; Philosophy; US: Arkansas
KEYWORDS: arkansas; armyofmary; catholic; catholics; excommunication; heresy; heretic; heretics; nuns; religion
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1 posted on 09/26/2007 4:03:17 PM PDT by Stoat
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To: Stoat

damned groupies?


2 posted on 09/26/2007 4:04:41 PM PDT by sure_fine ( • not one to over kill the thought process)
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To: All
Calls made to a spokesman for the Army of Mary in Quebec were answered by a fax machine tone.

Note to the reporter:  This means that you have the incorrect number for a voice communication.  You're welcome to send them a fax at this number, but you need to find a different number if you wish to speak with someone there.

If this reporter doesn't understand this, I have concerns as to what else in the article may be amiss........

3 posted on 09/26/2007 4:06:02 PM PDT by Stoat (Rice / Coulter 2008: Smart Ladies for a Strong America)
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To: Stoat

Why don’t they excommunicate pedophile priests?


4 posted on 09/26/2007 4:12:11 PM PDT by Anti-Bubba182
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To: wideawake

Thought this may interest you.


5 posted on 09/26/2007 4:12:41 PM PDT by Borges
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To: Stoat; Darksheare

I’m certain that Darksheare is involved in this somewhere...


6 posted on 09/26/2007 4:15:27 PM PDT by null and void (<---- Awake and filled with a terrible resolve...)
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To: Stoat

“..refusing to give up membership in a Canadian sect whose founder claims to be the reincarnation of the Virgin Mary”

There are lot more noble things one could be excommunciated for.


7 posted on 09/26/2007 4:16:33 PM PDT by Rennes Templar ("The future ain't what it used to be".........Yogi Berra)
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Comment #8 Removed by Moderator

To: Stoat
Granted, I'm not a Catholic theologian, (was raised Catholic) but I am left wondering exactly what part of these nun's training and study of their faith led them to belive that the Catholic church teaches reincarnation? That doesn't make any sense to me. I don't know of any Christian denomination that teaches reincarnation (there may be some, but they would be considered pseudo-Christian cults by most mainstream denominations).

Very sad, when you think of their whole lives having been devoted to the work of God, then to be led astray.

9 posted on 09/26/2007 4:18:23 PM PDT by Pablo64 (National Alpaca Farm Day is 9-29-07. Visit an alpaca farm near you!)
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To: Stoat

If you’re a lowly nun, you get excommunicated, but
if you’re Speaker of the House...


10 posted on 09/26/2007 4:18:41 PM PDT by Redbob (WWJBD - "What Would Jack Bauer Do?")
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To: afraid

That is quite a slur against many, many very holy men.


11 posted on 09/26/2007 4:20:03 PM PDT by Klondike
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To: Stoat
Only four posts to a reference to GAY priests! GAY, you hear? As in "not that there is anything wrong with that!", hardy,har,har!
12 posted on 09/26/2007 4:20:55 PM PDT by Revolting cat! (We all need someone we can bleed on...)
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To: afraid

I really think the Church should start with the Priests before
they worry about some screwball nuns.


13 posted on 09/26/2007 4:21:02 PM PDT by Anti-Bubba182
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To: afraid

That is insulting and very anti-Catholic. There are many thousands of excellent Catholic Priests you have painted with this brush.


14 posted on 09/26/2007 4:24:19 PM PDT by Ben Mugged (Thanks Mom for not considering me a "choice".)
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To: Stoat
6 Ark. nuns excommunicated for heresy
six Arkansas nuns have been excommunicated from the Catholic Church for heresy
6 Ark. nuns excommunicated for heresy
Six Catholic nuns have been excommunicated for heresy

I think the point is:

Six nuns excommunicated for heresy, correct?

15 posted on 09/26/2007 4:26:45 PM PDT by Rudder
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To: All
The Army of Mary was already excommunicated almost two weeks ago

Army of Mary excommunicated by the Vatican

 

Army of Mary excommunicated by the Vatican
Declaration comes after a six year investigation


 

.- The Vatican has excommunicated members of the controversial Community of the Lady of All Nations, better known as the Army of Mary, based in the Archdiocese of Quebec.
 
The Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith issued the declaration of excommunication on July 11, after extensive consultations with the Canadian bishops and the Vatican’s Congregation for Institutes of Consecrated Life and Societies of Apostolic Life. Pope Benedict XVI approved the declaration, which was only announced by the Canadian Conference of Catholic Bishops on Sept. 12.

Despite repeated warnings by the Canadian bishops, including their local bishop, Cardinal Marc Ouellet, members of the Army of Mary participated in ordinations forbidden by the Catholic Church.

The Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith said it was forced to issue the declaration because of “the very grave situation” and because there was no “hope of another solution.” The investigation into the Army of Mary has been going on for six years.

Those excommunicated include Fr. Jean-Pierre Mastropietro for having attempted to perform ordinations as well as the six “priests” and “deacons” claiming to have been ordained by him.

The declaration noted that other members who participated at the ordinations, despite a warning from the cardinal, and those who continue to associate with the movement have entered into schism with the Church and are also, therefore, excommunicated. The excommunications were incurred automatically.

The declaration concludes by stating: “Whoever knowingly and deliberately embraces this doctrine incurs an excommunication latae sententiae due to heresy.”

"It is our hope that the clarification provided by this present Declaration will assist those whose faith may be harmed by this schismatic group to remain faithful to the Catholic Church,” reads a letter that accompanies the declaration.


The excommunications follow a lengthy process, including appointments by the Holy See of Pontifical Commissioners for the priests associated with the Army of Mary. Bishop Gilles Cazabon, OMI, of Saint-Jérome served in this capacity until 2003. Archbishop Terrence Prendergast, SJ, of Ottawa succeeded him.

The Canadian bishops had issued a doctrinal note in 2001, confirming that the teachings promoted by the Army of Mary were contrary to the doctrines of the Church. The group has contradicted the Catholic faith by claiming that their founder, 86 year-old Marie-Paule Giguere, is the reincarnation of the Blessed Virgin Mary.

In March 2007, Cardinal Ouellet issued a warning that those responsible for the Army of Mary had excluded themselves from the Catholic Church, that its particular teachings were false, and its activities were not to be attended or supported by Catholics.

Click here to read the entire declaration.


16 posted on 09/26/2007 4:30:07 PM PDT by Stoat (Rice / Coulter 2008: Smart Ladies for a Strong America)
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To: Anti-Bubba182
Why don’t they excommunicate pedophile priests?

Religions excommunicate heretics, and not sinners.

There is nothing heretical about murder, incest, pedophilia or thievery etc.

Holding and persisting in views contrary to the teaching of the religion is heresy.

You can be forgiven for your sins, but not for heresy. - tom - Tom

17 posted on 09/26/2007 4:31:52 PM PDT by Capt. Tom (Don't confuse the Bushies with the dumb Republicans - Capt. Tom)
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To: Stoat
A pretty mild fate considering what punishment the religion of peace prescribes for heretics.
18 posted on 09/26/2007 4:36:59 PM PDT by isrul
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To: Capt. Tom

This heresy can be blamed on Rome Herself. Her veneration of Mary is extra biblical and thus heretical in its own right. They started it; it’s their job to correct it.


19 posted on 09/26/2007 4:39:26 PM PDT by CalvaryJohn (What is keeping that damned asteroid?)
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To: Redbob
If you’re a lowly nun, you get excommunicated, but
if you’re Speaker of the House...

I would suggest that Pelosi is in no danger of excommunication because she is rigidly and faithfully abiding by scripture and doctrine as laid down by Marx and Engels and superficially reformatted by MoveOn.org.

20 posted on 09/26/2007 4:39:44 PM PDT by Stoat (Rice / Coulter 2008: Smart Ladies for a Strong America)
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