Posted on 10/04/2008 6:06:57 PM PDT by sinsofsolarempirefan
It was Cardinal Newman's dying wish that he be buried with his closest friend in the grounds of the house they had shared as priests.
But now, nearly 120 years after his death, Britain's most famous convert to Roman Catholicism is to be reinterred in a sarcophagus in preparation for his becoming a saint, leaving the remains of his friend behind.
The decision to separate the remains of John Henry Newman and Ambrose St John has upset figures in the Church and led some to question whether it is embarrassed about their relationship.
They are buried in a grave in a secluded cemetery on the outskirts of Birmingham. But Newman is being moved to the Birmingham Oratory in preparation for his beatification.
Elena Curti, deputy editor of The Tablet a respected Catholic journal expressed regret that the cardinal's final request was not being observed.
"It's clearly documented that he wanted to be buried with his close friend and it's a pity that his dying wish is not being respected," she said.
(Excerpt) Read more at telegraph.co.uk ...
I want straight hair.
You wrote:
“The idea that he wanted to be buried with his “friend” is creepy.”
Not to those who understand Christian friendship. You might want to read Aelred of Rievaulx’s twelfth century classic called Spiritual Friendship (Cistercian Fathers 5, $12.95). I assume I’ll be buried in my family plot, but I wouldn’t fret over being buried with my Christian brothers and sisters who are as dear to me as any family member. I also would not mind if my heart were interred at Altotting (but I’m not a Wittelsbach).
Be sure to ask for it, but be sure you want it . . . my hair's been straight as a board all my life and will not take ANY curl at all, and no clip or barrette will hold it. Makes it hard to have a "hair-do"!
I remember my university teaching days when I worked in a department that taught the Epic of Gilgamesh to almost every student in the university. The latest fad was to talk about the “homoerotic subtext” of the friendship between Gilgamesh and Enkidu. When I questioned this obvious idiocy, one of my colleagues - a flaming liberal - said, “Well, the text says that Gilgamesh loved Enkidu.” To that I responded, “Yes, and it also says Gilgamesh loved his sword. That doesn’t me he had sex with it.”
Not surprisingly the conversation ended on that point. I love it when that happens.
Great observation.
You wrote:
“To Roman Catholics: Am I wrong for thinking that as soon as I pass on what happens to my body after my departure is irrelevant to my soul?”
Anything that happens to your body is irrelevant to your soul after the body dies. To tell you the truth, it’s pretty much that way when you’re body is alive too, isn’t it?
“Do saints’ remains acquire some special magic, maybe sometime after their death?”
No. God doesn’t do magic. He does do miracles, however.
“(I don’t see this in the Bible,...”
See Acts 5:15 where even Peter’s shadow healed people!
I also suggest you read 2 Kings 13:21.
“... though I remain puzzled by the Turin shroud — which among many things tells me indirectly that I do not have all the answers.)”
Freep-mail me to get on or off my pro-life and Catholic List:
Please ping me to note-worthy Pro-Life or Catholic threads, or other threads of interest.
Obama Says A Baby Is A Punishment
Obama: If they make a mistake, I dont want them punished with a baby.
LOL! I’m going to file that comeback away for future reference.
If he wasn’t Catholic, you would think it was creepy too.
LMAO!!!
You wrote:
“If he wasnt Catholic, you would think it was creepy too.”
Who is “he”? If he were Jewish, would that mean I would find it “creepy” he was buried with a lifelong friend who shared his work? No, I don’t think so. Jewish burial societies, Chevra kadisha, used to purchase land so that Jews could bury friends and family members according to Jewish customs - and apparently that included burying friends along with families they were not related to. I do find the Gibraltar Jewish community’s habit of NOT burying husbands and wives together odd, however. I guess since they were never allowed to sit side-by-side in synagogue so in death....
There are three steps to becoming a canonized saint.
This is from Catholicity.com
**In official Church procedures there are three steps to sainthood: one becomes Venerable, Blessed and then a Saint. Venerable is the title given to a deceased person recognized as having lived heroic virtues. To be recognized as a blessed, and therefore beatified, in addition to personal attributes of charity and heroic virtue, one miracle, acquired through the individual’s intercession, is required. Canonization requires two, though a Pope may waive these requirements. Martyrdom does not usually require a miracle. **
I made a mistake there. Found that on Catholicpages.com
George Washington was very fond of the Marquis de Lafayette. Guess old George was gay in your opinion.
Forget I said anything. Washington had a wife and children and never asked to be buried with his friend. George was never a high ranking member of an organization that has historically had a homosexual problem.
False, Washington had an older wife, with lots of land, and stepchildren, no children.
Also false, Washington was in the army, which has such a noticeable homosexual problem that it had to institute rules to prevent it. Rules which did not exist at his time. And Washington was buried with a friend, his 'wife' Martha, who was certainly a good friend.
if washington had asked to be buried with his friend franklin, I would think he was gay too.
I found this article along with many others on the Holy Cross Cardinal Newman Site:
“AIDS has quietly caused the deaths of hundreds of Roman Catholic priests in the United States although other causes may be listed on some of their death certificates, the Kansas City Star reported today. The newspaper said its examination of death certificates and interviews with experts indicates several hundred priests have died of AIDS-related illnesses since the mid-1980s. The death rate of priests from AIDS is at least four times that of the general population, the newspaper said. Kansas City Bishop Raymond Boland says the AIDS deaths show that priests are human.”
First this number is about one tenth of one percent of the priests who have served in the US in the last 50 years. Second. the general population includes women, who are much less likely to get aids then men, priests or not.
Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.