Posted on 12/10/2004 3:55:29 PM PST by Canticle_of_Deborah
Vatican, Dec. 10 (CWNews.com) - Pope John Paul II (bio - news) praised the American bishops for their efforts to overcome the sex-abuse scandal, as he met with the final group of US bishops completing their ad limina meeting on December 10.
The Pope said that during his meetings with all the members of the American hierarchy, over the course of the last several months, he had "witnessed your determination to deal fairly and forthrightly with the serious pastoral issues which have been raised as a result" of the scandal.
The Holy Father stressed that he "shares the deep pain which you and your people have experience in these last years," and urged the American bishops "to persevere joyfully in the ministry entrusted to you."
The scandal, John Paul II said, had given the Church in America "a providential call to conversion and deeper fidelity." The crisis, he added, gave the American bishops an opportunity for "to begin the new millennium by starting afresh from Christ."
The Pontiff also praised the American hierarchy for its efforts "to ensure… that each of the Church's institutions and apostolates expresses, in every aspect of its life, a clear Catholic identity."
In his concluding remarks, the Pope gave the bishops "two urgent tasks" for the coming years: evangelizing the culture, and "building a culture of respect for life."
The Pope's remarks were made to a group of bishops from the province embracing Minnesota and the Dakotas. This was the final group of American bishops to complete the ad limina visit. Beginning in April, all the active members of the US hierarchy had spent a week in Rome for meetings with the Pontiff and the Roman Curia. The bishops made their visits in 14 separate groups, arranged by geographical region and ecclesiastical province.
I can't think of a single American institution or apostolate that has exemplified itself as making efforts to establish a "....clear Catholic identity."
In their usual manner, Vatican puff pieces do not, because they can not, offer tangible examples that correspond to their 'fairy' tales.
It's business as usual within the very anti-Catholic ecumenical commissions acting around the clock to further eliminate "....Catholic identity...." from our Sacred Sacraments and Catholic services.
The American apostolate is 'Catholic' in name only. The American Conference of Bishops, hears no evil, speaks no evil, and sees no evil, while joining hands with heretic protestant and non-believer Jews in waging war against the Sacred Dogma of the One True Church.
I believe Karol Jozef Wojtyla is very well aware of divisive and destructive forces he has aligned himself with, before, and during his pontificate of darkness.
In his end of days, he busily issues declarations that fly in the face of his demolition of "....Catholic identity...." within the Roman Catholic Church.
This mythical spin of undeserved praise is, for all who know, a blatant lie which can not begin to correct his colossal betrayal of his oath to God, and his oath to God's faithful.
The race to save face by one who would have chosen wisely, haad he remained an actor, is much to little, and much to late.
Amazing
At least I hope so.
Liberals are masters of deception, and I personally believe the ambiguity is intentional.
Since the end of Vatican II, intelligent, qualified Catholic scholars have been at odds with each other regarding the interpretation of many documents this pope and his administration have issued. A great many of these documents can be interpreted broadly for the nominal Catholic to digest with the help of his liberal pastor, while better educated and traditional minded Catholics tend to percieve the gobbledegook. They accomplish this successful attack on sound Catholic instruction and doctrine by cloaking their bogus teachings with just enough classical Catholic jargon and syntax to make it all sound pious and official.
Bottom line is that they intentionally issue these ambiguous proclamations so that their liberal army of destroyers can point to them and say: "Here, look, even the Pope himself says so", while cleverly ommitting the smokikng gun needed for traditional Catholic scholars to claim heresy. Guess it all comes to down to the old axiom: "If you can't dazzle them with brilliance, baffle 'em with bullshit".
Don't we just. Now I need to get to mass to get this drivel out of my mind.
BUILDING UP THE CHURCH IN COMMUNION AND MISSION
VATICAN CITY, DEC 10, 2004 (VIS) - The Holy Father today welcomed bishops from the ecclesiastical provinces of Minnesota, North Dakota and South Dakota, noting that this is his last encounter with U.S. bishops making their "ad limina" visit. He also pointed out that "our meetings have fittingly come to an end during the week in which the Church celebrates the sesquicentenary of the definition of the dogma of the Immaculate Conception of the Blessed Virgin Mary, Patroness of the Church in the United States."
The Pope said that the ad limina visits over the past eight months have been both "a source of consolation" and a time to "share the deep pain which you and your people have experienced in these last years, and I have witnessed your determination to deal fairly and forthrightly with the serious pastoral issues which have been raised as a result." He underscored the bishops' duty of "building up the Church in communion and mission."
"I leave two charges to you and your brother bishops.". The first is a fraternal encouragement to persevere joyfully in the ministry entrusted to you, in obedience to the authentic teaching of the Church, Can we not see in the pain and scandal of recent years both 'a sign of the times' and a providential call to conversion and deeper fidelity to the demands of the Gospel. ... In her own way, the Church in the United States has been called to begin the new millennium by "starting afresh from Christ" and by making the truth of the Gospel clearly the measure of her life and all her activity.
"In this light, I once more praise your efforts to ensure that each individual and group in the Church understands the urgent need for a consistent, honest and faithful witness to the Catholic faith, and that each of the Church's institutions and apostolates expresses in every aspect of its life a clear Catholic identity".
"The second charge is a heartfelt appeal to keep your gaze fixed on the great goal set before the whole Church at the dawn of this third Christian millennium: the proclamation of Jesus Christ as the Redeemer of humanity." Citing "Ecclesia in America," he said: "'The Church in America must speak increasingly of Jesus Christ, the human face of God and the divine face of man', devoting the best of her efforts to a more compelling proclamation of the Gospel, the growth of holiness, and the more effective transmission of the treasure of the faith to the younger generation."
John Paul II closed by noting "two urgent tasks" facing the Church in the U.S.: "the need for an evangelization of culture in general" and "the need for Catholics to cooperate fruitfully with men and women of good will in building a culture of respect for life."
Thank goodness -- what a relief to hear this from the pope. For a while there I was concerned when I heard, for example, that the Supreme Court of California ruled that Catholic Charities could not be considered a "religious organization" since they did not pass such simple tests as propagating religious views or hiring primarily members of their own religion.
If JPII literally said all this, and meant every word, then he is insane. On the other hand - which is more probable - if he has erred on the side of dipomacy, it still does not say much for his judgement, if these indeed are ALL his words, freely spoken without the barest shadow of duress from his "jailers".
In my opinion, there is no call for diplomacy in this situation. By rights, the pope should go on a head hunting rampage. That would be the most charitable way to decribe what is needed!
I know that JPII is very intelligent, nad has all manner of information at his fingertips, or can arraneg to obtain it easily. Actually, he has access to intelligence info equal to or better then the CIA and Interpol. A lot of personal/private correspondance DOES get through.
Bearing this in mind, he does literally know what is going on with each of the dissident US prelates. He knows how bad the situation really is. And he doe know that the Bishops are lying to his fact when they come to give him their glowing "ad limina" reports.
So the most balanced conclusion I can reach is that either he is trying to appease his "jailers", or that he is trying to hold together the church in some semblence of fragile unity for as long as he can.
But assuming these high minded motives, and his knowledge of the truth of what the priests and prelates are really up to her ein the US......this is poor consolation for the victim of abuse....the parent of a victim......the informed and angry laity in the pew.
And all too sadly, it gives impetus to the USCCB to "move on" and forget about it all.....as if it never happened, and go back to the auto-destruction agenda, as if nothing ever happened......and also to pew sitters who think al;l is well now and that they can go back to sleep, and keep supporting the clergy willy nilly with their contributions, heedless of the fact that all is falling apart around them.
Well intentioned, maybe. But it is sending a dangerously wrong signal.
He has God almighty on his side. There is no reason to be a coward or to not have faith in that.
Agreed. And, Thor, you can forget about JP11 going headhunting.
"The Pontiff also praised the American hierarchy for its efforts "to ensure… that each of the Church's institutions and apostolates expresses, in every aspect of its life, a clear Catholic identity.""
Has the pope's parkinsonism given way to dementia?
"It's like catching a serial killer, putting him in jail and then applauding him because he didn't kill anyone on his first day in the slammer."
It's more like identifying a serial-killer, child-rapist, promoting him to the sacred college of cardinals and then applauding him when he only preys on seminarians.
This pope is fast turning the Roman Catholic Church into a farce. Thank God that we can take refuge in traditionalist Catholic enclaves.
A US bishop on his ad limina visit?
http://us.news1.yimg.com/us.yimg.com/p/rids/20041209/i/r1837971454.jpg
It may be the case. We hear constant reassurances the Pope is in perfect mental health, yet in at least half of Parkinson's cases there is a degree of mental impairment. The Vatican may protest too much.
"yet in at least half of Parkinson's cases there is a degree of mental impairment."
And the longer the parkinson's persists, the greater the likelihood of associated dementia.
Here is the very very sad truth - indeed the Parkinson's may lead to some degree of mental impairment.I am not compentant to judge the Pope's mental health as I am not a doctor, nor am I in his presense to see what the reality is.
But I do know this much: what it is like to be kept by one's "Jailer's". After hospitalization for a life-threatening circumstance, I was in a nursing home for a few months.....now I am way too young to be a resident, but it was a valuable lesson. Now I know how he feels. You are totally at your captor's mercy. You have no freedom. Your very health and diet can be altered against you will. You could be "snuffed" without a second thought, should that be desired. It is that ugly - and that simple.
Please realize for a moment that diet has a lot to do with health, metal aclarity, and lucidity. Play with someone's diet enough, and you render them susceptable to suggestion - you can even make them into a puppet if desired. There is also the very real symdrome in such circumstances where one can "identify" with one's captors - establishing seeming freidnliness, as a means to survival.
Dont' believe me? Read up on it - the books are out there. In a nursing home they want the residents dumb, quiet, compliant. Need I say more?
Even so with His Holiness. The Vatican is riddled with moles, apostates, and mental defectives. Modernists who have a vested interest in seeing an agenda advanced.
I realize that there are some who will not believe or acept this. So be it. But JPII has never been in control of the Vatican...never.....not even in 1978 when his reign began. Now in his infirmity and dotage he is very clearly not in control.......and is being controlled.
His enemies know that they cannot do away with him - not just yet, as he is under the special protection of Mary. But they will do all in their power (and have) to thwart any good he might wish to do, and to disobey, twist, and obfuscate his words. Or to put words in his mouth, which are not his own.
"when you are young you will dress yourself and go where you will - bug when you are old you will stretch forth your hands, and another will dress you and lead you where you will not go"......words of Christ to St. Peter.
Remember - the words of Scripture exist both in and out of time......and have meaning both in the time in which they were written, and in a future tense. Think about it....."when you are old" can refer to a man's dotage.....and at the same time can refer to Peter as symbolic of all Popes......and of the end of the line.
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