Ping. (As usual, if you would like to be added to or removed from my "conservative Catholics" ping list, please send me a FReepmail. Please note that this is occasionally a high volume ping list and some of my ping posts are long.)"
Thanks for posting this. Some may complain about the source, but facts are facts, and this time, he's got the goods.
I hope the idiot Catholic clerics who permitted this to happen had enough sense to remove the host from the tabernacle.
Later in the day when I have some time I will explain for those reading this thread what Hinduism actually is, and what the basic message of the Bhagavad Gita is (as someone who has studied it for over 3 decades). Whoever wrote the article hasn't read it or if they did, they must have skipped whole chapters.
I find it particularly unfortunate that Hinduism is not seen as the monotheistic religion that it is. Of course, some Hindus don't understand their own traditions. But we see that happening in Christianity as well.
The author mentions that Hindus reject Jesus Christ. Those I know don't reject Him. Only ignorant fanatic ones would. They don't accept him as the only incarnation of God, though. I certainly don't want to upset anyone on this thread and/or try to convince anyone about the real nature of the so-called Hindu religion (the ancient religion of the Vedas) but I feel called to correct a few misrepresenations in the article.
Thanks for the ping.
Amen!
Amen!
I think I'm going to hurl.
Oh man, this is enough to make me cry....
Fr. Guerra doesn't come out looking too good here, given his previous statements on similar matters:
http://www.fatimafamily.org/news/fatimashrine.htmlFatima, Shrine of All Religions?
The Rector of Portugal's Fatima Shrine, Fr. Luciano Guerra, has replied to the false and extreme reports that traveled around the world about Fatima becoming a Shrine of all religions. It is not the first false reports circulated about Fatima. We offer some quotes below from his Communique to the Fatima Family Apostolate.
1. "The news, which provoked strong reactions from the users of the internet claim that, at the inspiration of delegates from the U.N. and from the Vatican and also according to statements from the Rector of the Shrine, Fatima "is to be developed into a center where all the religions of the world will gather to pay homage to their gods." Furthermore: "The future of Fatima, or the adoration of God and His Mother at this holy Shrine, must pass through the creation of a shrine where different religions can mingle." And that's not all, listen: "The Shrine of Fatima is about to undergo a complete reconstruction with a new stadium-like basilica being erected close by the existing one built in 1921."
2. It is our firm conviction that the great majority, perhaps the totality, of the reactions received is the result of a long orchestration, centered in the United States, by people bitterly opposed to Vatican Council II, specifically to what pertains to a wider opening of the Church, with emphasis on the ecumenical and inter-faith dialogue. During the days of the Congress, there were held in Fatima demonstrations by two more protest organizations, headquartered one in Canada, the other in France. The masterminds of these groups barricaded themselves, many years now, behind a thick argumentation, from where they throw accusations to the authorities of the Church, including the Pope himself, as being heretics, apostates and unfaithful to the responsibilities thrust upon them.
3. So that the readers may compare the content of the news published by Portugal News with the oral presentation of the Rector in the final session of the Congress - only time he spoke - whose entire text we are publishing in "Voz da Fatima" (Voice of Fatima), here are verbatim the pertaining references, taken from the recording of that speech: "It is true that (...) we are all very far from journeying towards the only, or through the only, bridge. We cold therefore relax, since, if one's bridge is collapsing, it could happen that the neighbor's bridge is not. But it is also true that a disease of epidemic proportions seems to have threatened the faith of all religions, of all confessions, of all traditions, during the last decades. That's why we rejoice in the brotherly presence of the representatives of the various spiritual schools and we are sure that their presence here opened the way for a greater future openness of this Shrine; Shrine that seems already vacationed, thanks to divine providence, for contacts and for dialogue (...). This calling is almost explicit, in regard to the oriental, Orthodox and Catholic churches, in the message of the Angel of Peace, and, in regard to the Islamic religion, in the name itself that God chose for the town where Mary would one day appear: Fatima."
4. From these words one can conclude that we are truly opened to ideas and values that are universal, therefore open to dialogue with other faiths, following an already ancient practice of the Church. But it is evident that we are not open to share the way we worship, the least in what pertains to the sacraments, specifically the Eucharist, which is the ultimate and most perfect expression of Christian unity and that we can't unfortunately celebrate, not even with our closest brothers of the protestant denominations. Therefore the worship space which, God willing, will soon start to be built - and which the journalist claims that it will be similar to a stadium - in fact will be a church with capacity to seat nine thousand people and will be marked exclusively for Catholic worship. It will be located not next to the present basilica, but between the "Cruz Alta" (High Cross) and the public road. And, when it seems to us to be opportune, after what already is happening in Fatima and in many other sacred places, this new basilica would be able to receive brothers from other faiths who may want, in a brotherly manner, know how we pray.
The claim of Portugal News that the October Congress was held at the inspiration of the UN and the Vatican and that it was sponsored by the World Conference for Religion and Peace and that it would have been its annual meeting is deprived of any basis in reality. The idea of the Congress was born entirely in the Rectory of the Shrine, having its inspiration in the reading of the message of Fatima, as referred to in the last number of this communique, within the spirit of Vatican II. .....
7. Today another extremism - we would say from the opposite side - forces us to come public to denounce categorical statements that also distort the true facts and are very offensive to the dignity of the people working in this Shrine. ...
9. Behold the extremes and the extremisms! Which, in more crucial causes and circumstances, can lead to fundamentalism, fanaticism and terrorism. The ultimate evil doesn't reside in the faith, not even in the ideas alone, but in the factors that mould our psyche, and here we mention four of the most important ones: temperament, character, culture and education. ...."
- The Rector, Fr. Luciano Guerra
God help us!
I noticed kneelers at the Altar Rail (wall), which is nice, but can't see either the Tabernacle in any of these photos nor kneelers at the pews.
What do you call a wreckovation if it's a new building?
from fatima, confirmed by photo evidence and witness to the event.
1) The Hindu group wrote to us beforehand, saying that they would like "to reconstitute the visit made by Mr. Morari Bapur, which had preceded that of His Holiness Pope John Paul II", in May of 1982.
2) The Hindu priest and a translator whom he brought with him, went up to the image of Our Lady, while the remainder of the group stayed down below.
3) The priest sang a prayer which lasted a few minutes. No gesture was made, no rite was performed, on or off the altar. The translator explained that he had asked "the Most Holy Mother that she would give wisdom and discernment to those who govern nations, so that the world could have peace, peace, peace".
4) We note that this intention of peace, being universal, is the same intention that, in our opinion, has brought to the Shrine other personalities who are not Catholic, such as for instance the Dalai Lama, the President of the Republic of India, and also the wives of President Clinton and President Arafat. Groups of non Catholic Christians also come with the intention of asking for Church unity. Although not with great frequency, some high representatives of the Orthodox Churches have been welcomed in the Shrine. Recently some tens Anglican priests, accompanied by their bishop, held a spiritual retreat in one of the houses of the Shrine.
5) After making their prayer in the Capelinha or Little Chapel of the Apparitions, the Hindu pilgrims were received, in a room, by the Bishop of Leiria Fátima and by the Rector of the Shrine, to whom they said they had come out of devotion towards the "Most Holy Mother". They did not speak about a similarity or transference between this name and any entity of their religion. Little credit, therefore, should be given to the comparisons mentioned by the media, whom we were unable to prepare, because it was late when we found out about their presence.
6) As far as the Church of the Most Holy Trinity is concerned, which they persist in calling an "ecumenical temple", we can state that this description, although susceptible of a catholic interpretation, does not originate from the Shrine. We do not intend and we have never intended to hold any celebrations in the church which is being built, that are not in accordance with the directives prescribed by the Catholic Church. The Shrine strives to be faithful to the message which God has entrusted to it and cannot help noticing the distinctly catholic character which the message inculcates, both in the apparitions of the Angel, which inspired us to choose the title for the future church, and in the apparitions of Our Lady, which contain dramatic references to the mediating role of the Pope and the Bishops, regarding the unity of the Church and for the peace of the world.
7) In the hope that all brothers understand that we desire and pray for the union which is possible between all christians, all believers, and all men, we also raise our prayer to Our Lady of Fatima, that she may strengthen our will for unity and deliver us from all spirit of dissension and controversy.
the sickness that some catholics may feel from this is their own hate. a reaching out by hindus to catholics and a prayer of peace desecration shame on you.
Jesus constantly broke boundaries and found faith in unexpected places. In a Roman Centurion, he discovered a faith greater than any among his own people (Luke 7:1-10). In John's Gospel Jesus said, " I have other sheep which are not of this fold…" (John 10:16).
follow jesus's teaching never did he turn away another faith in prayer. he embraced romans and jews alike. he ran off just money lenders at holy sites and today some of america's holiest churches have stores IN SIDE of them.