Posted on 11/24/2017 6:23:49 PM PST by marshmallow
Professor Clara Ferranti now target of the Left
A Catholic professor in Italy is facing strong backlash for doing the unthinkable in modern society: briefly interrupting a lesson to ask her Catholic students to join her in praying a "Hail Mary."
Professor of Linguistics Clara Ferranti at the University of Macerata took the occasion of the national Rosary rally organized by the Italian Marian Association on October 13 (the 100th anniversary of the Miracle of Fatima) to encourage students to pray. The whole deed lasted less than 30 seconds, but the controversy that arose may have consequences for many months to come.
Member of Parliament Giovanni Paglia from the leftist party Sinistra Italiana ("Italian Left") submitted a complaint to the Ministry of Education. "We couldn't believe that in a public institution ... people were forced to pray by the imposition of a professor," the complaint read. "I questioned the government if it isn't the case to bring an action against the professor, as this is an evident assault on state secularism."
But Ferranti told Church Militant she has also received much support in light of the backlash.
"[H]ow the hundreds of messages of solidarity claim a newfound courage to witness the Faith," she commented. "I heard this especially (but not only) from young students, who are usually more afraid to disclose their creed because of the ridicule they suffer. ... Many of my students have thanked me, assuring me they are many."
(Excerpt) Read more at churchmilitant.com ...
I had a very religious biochemistry professor back in college. It was a state school, not a religious school. He would say things like “And then G-d created ATP for intracellular energy transfer.”
No one batted an eye. We just put in our notes that ATP was an energy transfer biochemical. But that was 30 years ago. I guess if a professor talked that way today, antifa would set fire to his car, and then the college would dismiss him.
I am sure if she knelt down on an Islamic prayer rug, and said Allahu Akbar, then blew the place to smithereens, the ass hats would be praising her as a visionary.
“briefly interrupting a lesson to ask her Catholic students to join her in praying a ‘Hail Mary.’”
This can’t be true. I’ve been told repeatedly on this forum that “Hail Marys” are not prayers but requests for intercession like all Christians make to their fellow believers.
But here it is calling these words spoken TO someone assumed to be Mary “praying.”
One of the meanings of ‘to pray’ is ‘to request’, requesting that someone petition God for/with you is quite normative for Christians.
Your statement implies you have perceived some contradiction. I would love to hear your reasoning about how, from this article, you perceive the prayer of the Hail Mary to be praying TO the Mother of God and NOT a request for her intercession.
I guess just expecting her to teach the class is too much to ask. She ought to be fired.
No it isn't...You're being dishonest...
I guess you guys also object to the Pledge of Allegiance in the classroom because it mentions God.
Under god was a later bolt on to the original pledge. Personally I omit “under god” and “indivisible” when reciting.
In what sense is that statement dishonest?
From Dictionary.com: to utter prayers (to God or other object of worship): we prayed to God for the sick child. 2. (when transitive, usually takes a clause as object or an infinitive) to make an earnest entreaty (to or for); beg or implore: she prayed to be allowed to go, leave, I pray you.
In Catholicism, when praying to saints, the word prayer is meant in the sense of an “earnest entreaty”.
According to Catholic teaching, saints are *prayed to*, but not *worshipped*. For example, I pray to Saint Anthony to ask him to pray for me. And I pray to Saint Michael, asking his protection. I do not worship them in prayer as I worship the members of the Trinity.
Perhaps there is confusion about “praying” or “worshipping” in this discussion. But I think characterizing any of the comments made thus far as “dishonest” is, in itself, disingenuous.
“One of the meanings of ‘to pray’ is ‘to request’, requesting that someone petition God for/with you is quite normative for Christians.”
Normative when making our requests TO God.
Philippians 4:6
Be anxious for nothing, but in everything by prayer and supplication, with thanksgiving, let your requests be made known to God.
There is no command or tradition in the Bible of making requests by spirit to anyone other than God Himself. This tradition is nothing more than adopting pagan practices into Christendom.
Catholic Encyclopedia
Merriam Webster - To pray - 1
: entreat, implore —often used as a function word in introducing a question, request, or plea “pray be careful”
I'm not surprised. I suspect you're also s sitter/kneeler during the national anthem.
Do you ask your friends to pray for you? Intercessory prayer is asking your friends known to be in heaven (i.e., saints) to pray for you.
There is a long tradition in the bible of asking others to pray for you.
Roman 15:30 — I beseech you therefore brethren by our Lord Jesus Christ, and by the charity of the holy Ghost, that you help me in your prayers for me to God.
I stand. But there is no reason to believe in mythical characters to be patriotic. Like I said, god is a 50s era add on to the pledge. Nobody saw the need to include a deity in the original version.
So God is a myth to you?
Quite telling of you.
“you perceive the prayer of the Hail Mary to be praying TO the Mother of God and NOT a request for her intercession”
The “Hail Marys” are not addressed to God but to a spiritual entity called “Mary.”
The real Mary of the Bible, along with the apostles, would NEVER accept anyone bowing to any images in their supposed likeness. There are at least 3 cases in the Bible in which a human bowed toward an apostle or an angel. In each case the apostles and angels refused to accept this.
When Catholics bow toward images of Mary and other saints, address prayers toward them, and make offerings such as flowers and incense to them, they are acting in direct contradiction to the commands of God in order to keep a purely man-made tradition.
Acts 10:25-26
As Peter was coming in, Cornelius met him and fell down at his feet and worshiped him. But Peter lifted him up, saying, “Stand up; I myself am also a man.”
Acts 14:11-15
Now when the people saw what Paul had done, they raised their voices, saying in the Lycaonian language, “The gods have come down to us in the likeness of men!” And Barnabas they called Zeus, and Paul, Hermes, because he was the chief speaker. Then the priest of Zeus, whose temple was in front of their city, brought oxen and garlands to the gates, intending to sacrifice with the multitudes. But when the apostles Barnabas and Paul heard this, they tore their clothes and ran in among the multitude, crying out and saying, “Men, why are you doing these things? We also are men with the same nature as you...”
Revelation 22:8-9
Now I, John, saw and heard these things. And when I heard and saw, I fell down to worship before the feet of the angel who showed me these things. Then he said to me, “See that you do not do that. For I am your fellow servant, and of your brethren the prophets, and of those who keep the words of this book. Worship God.”
You guessed wrong.
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