Posted on 03/18/2009 6:43:37 AM PDT by NYer
.- Citing Voice of the Faithful’s advocacy of church restructuring, the pastor of a Catholic church in Naples, Florida has barred the Southwest Florida VOTF affiliate from celebrating its annual Mass at the parish.
St. John the Evangelist Church pastor Rev. John Ludden told the Naples News that he was concerned about the organization as a whole because “they’re becoming a group within the church that are aligning themselves with other groups that ... don’t trust the hierarchy and want to change our structure.”
Voice of the Faithful (VOTF), a self-described church reform group, advocates a “strategic plan” which would reduce pastoral and episcopal governance of parishes and dioceses. CNA has reported the strategic plan is “remarkably similar” to a recently proposed Connecticut bill that aimed to forcibly reorganize the Church in Connecticut.
The bill was withdrawn after massive Catholic protests and VOTF has denied initiating any specific legislation at the state or federal level to advance their plans.
VOTF of Southwest Florida (VOTF-SWFL) describes its aims on its web site, saying “Our specific area of concentration is the bureaucracy or management of the temporal affairs of our church. The realization of this goal will occur when we, the laity, are given ‘our place at the table’.”
In his reported remarks, Fr. Ludden did not refer to the Connecticut bill, but said he made his decision based on his knowledge of the group. His decision had nothing to do with the individuals involved in the organization, he said.
“I know some of the people who come to Mass every Sunday are part of the group, and by no means does this mean they are not welcome to the church,” he explained. “We are here to foster faith, to nurture it.”
According to the national organization’s web site, VOTF Trustee Board Member John Hushon is a parishioner at St. John the Evangelist in Naples.
“In terms of the Eucharist, the Mass for Catholics is the sacrament of unity,” Fr. Ludden told Naples News, adding that in his view VOTF stands “in stark contrast” to that unity and the group would “stand in contradiction to what the Mass is all about.”
Peg Clark, President of VOTF-SWFL said the priest’s decision was “a total unexpected surprise.”
The group reportedly will celebrate its annual Mass in the sanctuary of a rented Presbyterian Church.
“We will have the Mass in the appropriate venue,” she said. She also voiced her group’s determination to have Mass in a Catholic Church next year.
VOTF-SWFL’s lecture series at St. John the Evangelist was banned in 2008. The Diocese of Venice said the speakers were prohibited from the Catholic venue because they “repeatedly expressed positions which contradict the Church’s teachings and doctrine.”
“We will have the Mass in the appropriate venue,” she said.
And that is where they belong. Why oh why do so many dissenters continue to stay within a church they cannot restructure? There are 40,000+ 'protestant' denominations where they will feel much more at home.
They should probably pickup some rogue ex-priest to celebrate it while they are at it.
Answer: They do not actually want to restructure or reform the Church.
Their goal is to destroy her.
Good point. In the meantime, they continue to wreak havoc, like the CT bill. Odd how some claim to "love their Church" but show it in a destructive manner. In reality, they love themselves and expect the Church to serve them, not vv.
“We will have the Mass in the appropriate venue,” she said.
Indeed, Protestants belong in Protestant venues but regardless of what you think, Peg, you won't be having a Mass.
I can only speak for myself here, but every time another group tries to “reform” “change” or “improve” the Church, it makes me even more resistant to those things.
Our model has served us well for over two thousand years. Have there been bumps in the road? yes. Have there been abuses? yes. Does this mean I want to through the baby out with the bathwater? NO!
These idiots who want to change the church remind me of the libtards with america. They want to change, improve, and reform our republic and constitution to fit their agenda. I get the same gut reaction to them as I do to those attempting to change the church.
IF YOU DON’T LIKE THE CATHOLIC CHURCH, YOU ARE FREE TO GO.
IF YOU DON’T LIKE THE AMERICAN FORM OF GOVERNMENT, DITTO.
The American form of government is, I believe in greater peril than the Catholic Church, as more corruption is found within it than the Church. Fight On Patriots!
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From their mission statement, they are attempting to "3. Shape structural change within Church." This is intended to make a "democratic" Church which clearly violates the hierarchical structure which has always existed and is reemphasized in Vatican II Lumen Gentium. The chairman James Muller states in a National Catholic Reporter article on April 26, 2002, ÏWe have donation without representation, and we have to change that.Ó Also on a CNN interview dated April 29, 2002, the chairman desires cafeteria Catholicism: "... our goal is to provide a democracy for the laity, so that the laity can decide what they want and then counterbalance the absolute power, which we have now of the hierarchy." See more details below. |
Amen to that. IF only reform were there only goal.
BTTT! It's funny how each of these groups claims to have 'THE' changes and reforms the Church needs and how 'THEY' and their methods alone are the surest fixes. They really do love themselves above all and expect the Church to serve them and bend to their will.
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