Posted on 03/23/2002 5:34:00 AM PST by father_elijah
SHALL WE GATHER AT THE RIVER?
We Catholic Americans are at a crossroads. Our Lord Jesus Christ who is the Light of the World is exposing all those who wound his sacred Body by abusing children and youth. Our Lord is also exposing rot and disease within the structures and leadership of the Church from within provinces of religious orders, Catholic universities, and diocesan chanceries.
It is time to clean house. Not only do the pederasts, sex abusers, and homosexuals need to be removed from leadership and the ranks of the ordained, but also the Church needs to excommunicate all Catholic politicians in the United States of America whose votes continue the holocaust of abortion.
PREPARATION
In order to serve Christ and his poor Church in this time of crisis, each of us are called to avail ourselves of the sacraments that we may trample the devil under our feet. Let each of us 1) make a good confession; 2) receive the Eucharist on the Feast of Divine Mercy and receive Christ’s promises to St. Faustina of mercy and pardon; 3) engage in works of mercy; and, 4) encourage others to do the same.
We lead by prayer, and we are made strong by Christ’s self-offering of his Body and Blood, Soul and Divinity in the Holy Sacrifice of the Mass. We have a great weapon for fighting evil in the rosary. We do not turn to prayer as a last resort, but we turn to prayer as the beginning, center, and end of all that we strive to do for Our Lord Jesus Christ. We engage in prayer for the Church knowing that when we pray we are not alone in prayer or in action. Our Lord, Our Lady, St. Joseph, and the whole communion of saints join with us in interceding for the Church.
We who long for the cleansing of the Church from these grave evils have the means of prayer through which we can grow in holiness even as we pray for the Church to be cleansed of evil and made holy as Christ is holy. Let us avail ourseves of these gifts of prayer:
The Daily Mass or a daily Act of Spiritual Communion
Perpetual Eucharistic Adoration
Benediction and Adoration
The Holy Rosary
The Chaplet of Divine Mercy
The Litanies
The Liturgy of the Hours
Other Chaplets and Devotions
Let every action we undertake be covered in prayer and overshadowed by the Holy Spirit so that only God’s will is desired and achieved through our efforts.
ACTION
For love of the Lord Jesus Christ, we are called to action against evil. Let each faithful Catholic offer themselves at Mass or at home to be the beginning point of the Church’s cleansing and renewal. Ask the Lord’s blessing that we may each speak the truth in love and walk in the Holy Spirit.
There are a variety of actions that one can undertake to be part of the solution. The following are suggestions that have been made on various internet discussion lists.
*Show up at your parish and pray at 3pm every day
*Show up at your diocesan Chancery and pray
*Show up at the nearest Chancery on the Monday after Easter
at 12 noon and pray the Rosary for the Cleansing of the Priesthood
*Write, telephone, and e-mail your bishops and priests and express your horror over the sexual scandals and tell them you expect full disclosure and immediate action.
*Write to the Holy Father -- write in Polish if you can -- and beg him to intervene and clean up the Church in the United States. Be sure to copy your bishop and pastor.
The following are some actions you may consider asking of the Holy Father(and recommending to your bishop):
1. Ask the Holy Father to lead the Church in a worldwide Day of Penance for the sexual sins of the Church’s leadership;
2. Ask the Holy Father to declare that homosexuals may not receive Holy Orders;
3. Ask the Holy Father to remove Cardinals, bishops, priests, and deacons who have covered up cases of sexual abuse.
4. Ask the Holy Father to give the Church in the USA new Cardinals especially elevating Archbishop Chaput of Denver
5. Ask the Holy Father to shut down religious orders or provinces of religious orders (like the California province of the Society of Jesus) that are a scandal in themselves.
6. Ask the Holy Father to give Cardinal Law, Cardinal Egan, and Cardinal Mahony new jobs at the Vatican.
7. Ask the Holy Father to suspend the US National Conference of Catholic Bishops and to appoint either a triumvirate to clean house or an Inquisitor General to root out evil and liberate the Church in the USA from error and crime.
8. Ask the Holy Father to restore the prayer “St. Michael the Archangel” to the close of every Mass.
9. Ask the Holy Father to extend the faculty to every priest in the Church to celebrate Mass according to the 1962 Missal.
10. Ask the Holy Father to excommunicate Catholic politicians who support the holocaust of abortion.
11. Ask the Holy Father to give the Cardinal’s red hat to Archbishop Chaput, Bishop Bruskewitz, Fr. Benedict Groeschel, Fr. Joseph Fessio, S.J.
12. Ask the Holy Father to disassociate the Church from those once Catholic universitiies and colleges that no longer affirm the magisterium of the Church or loyalty to the Pope.
13. Ask the Holy Father to make Fr. Benedict Groeschel the next Archbishop of New York.
Some will find these ideas too presumptuous, but it is clear that the Holy Father and the leadership of the Church in the USA need to hear from the rank and file faithful.
Finally, be sure to pray for the Pope, and write to the Holy Father a letter of encouragement. Assure him of your prayers for his intentions and for him personally. Also, write letters of encouragement to any deacon, priest, or bishop whom you know to be defenders of the faith and devoted to Our Lord Jesus Christ. Our good and faithful priests need to know that they are loved and cherished.
Jesus, King of the nations, hear us.
Christ, graciously hear us.
Our Lady of Guadalupe, pray for us.
Good Saint Joseph, pray for us.
St. Elizabeth Ann Seton, pray for us.
I encourage any Catholic to ask your priest and bishop to bring this program to your parish. Your parish council will be very happy with the results!
Salvation
I do think the homosexuality part in the RC church is driven by the church rule on marriage of priests..
There are some gay men that think it is a good hiding place.No one questions a single 40 year old priest
I have shared before on this forum that some years ago I introduced a young man that was fatherless and had an alcoholic mom over to a Catholic priest, I encouraged the relationship. I knew this priest from work..a year or so later the young man (13) attempted to hang himself on Christmas eve
My family had kind of "adopted" him..we could not understand the why of it and the young man never said. A couple years later it came to light that the priest was sexually abusing young men...I had introduced this kid to him..encouraged him to go to spend time with him (The "gifts " from the priest never tipped me off)
That kid could have died and it would have been MY fault..I want this issue solved..I want to be able to believe that priests are safe..that ministers are safe..that is my goal..
BTW My info on marriage in the church at one time is good (given to me by a friend that is a Catholic nun and historian)...The conflict over inheritance in Spain started the policy that we see now
Sar ..some of the holiest men I know are married..God created sex and he said everything he created was "good".
Well, presumtuous is a good word to use. This is not a "flame." I find most of your arguments to be sane and even noteworthy. IMHO you need to withdraw the following "actions" from your final text (my reasons given):
4. Ask the Holy Father to give the Church in the USA new Cardinals especially elevating Archbishop Chaput of Denver
- You should not call upon the Pope to "elevate" those you perceive to be worthy... you should pray for their elevation.
10. Ask the Holy Father to excommunicate Catholic politicians who support the holocaust of abortion.
This is playing "politics." IMHO the Church should develop a "Policy" to withdraw support of any kind from organizations or representatives who support abortion, assisted suicide, homosexuality, etc., etc. Excommunication is too extreme, a public announcement or refusal to extend the sacraments is a far better solution.
11. Ask the Holy Father to give the Cardinal’s red hat to Archbishop Chaput, Bishop Bruskewitz, Fr. Benedict Groeschel, Fr. Joseph Fessio, S.J.
&
13. Ask the Holy Father to make Fr. Benedict Groeschel the next Archbishop of New York.
See #4 Above.
In short, while I applaud your efforts (and will implement some of your suggestions in my own life) I don't feel we as Catholics have the right to place demands upon the Pope. I agree we can (and should) voice our objections to corruption and misuse of the Holy Scriptures we seek to follow.
Thank you for posting your draft-copy.
Training a team of people who can listen to these fallen away Catholics is a must, but such a rewarding adventure.
PS. Forgiveness is asked. (Very powerful)
I wish I knew!
To my eyes, this is one of those verses that we must pray to the Spirit for discernment about. I have, but I confess I don't have any insights.
To my eyes, I believe it means that Jesus is saying and stressing in the most profound and powerful language available to him that we must take His teachings and His example and make it part of ourselves. Just as the food we eat and the wine we drink becomes part of our body, I believe Jesus is saying that we must not just "understand" what He says, but rather we must become what He says...
But it certainly is a tough verse.
Mark W.
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