Cardinal Arinze wrote a book entitled Letter to a Young Priest. In his book, he offers his own advice to new priests on how they are to live out their vows of obedience, chastity, and even poverty. Not all priests, by the way, has taken a vow of poverty, but all have taken a vow of obedience and chastity. According to the weblink below: In extracts from the book published by L’Osservatore Romano, Cardinal Arinze says, “The obedience that the priest gives to the Holy Father, the bishop and his representatives is based on faith. Through this obedience, the priest gives God the possibility of making complete use of him in carrying out the mission of the Church. The purpose of obedience is not to diminish the role of the priest, or to treat him as inferior or keep him from adequate personal growth.”
Cardinal Arinze warned that priests “should not try to introduce a sort of secular democracy that is not in accord with the divine nature of the hierarchical institution of the Church. The virtue of humility is one thing, it’s another thing to seek to clericalize the laity or laicize the clergy. The Church has nothing to gain by this, and everything to lose with similar initiatives.”
The cardinal went on to note that priests should always obey their bishops, “even when in the worst of scenarios the bishop assigns a task that surpasses the capacity of the priest or could make him suffer or harm him. God will not cease to protect the priest who is obedient. The judgment of God with regard to the bishop is a different question!”
Even when this obedience implies adversities for the priest, “in the end God protects the priest who respects and obeys the Bishop with firm fidelity and nobility of character. The intervention of God can appear after months or even years, but it does finally come. Some saints were only done justice after death,” he added.
Cardinal Arinze's book
I am certain that those who oppose our Archbishop of Guam is going to disagree and even resist Cardinal Arinze's statements.
ReplyDeleteSo you pick and choose when to listen to the Cardinal?
ReplyDeleteDear Anonymous at 8:16 pm,
DeleteWe do not pick and choose when to listen to the Cardinal. In many of my past comments, I have said that the NCW changed the way we received the Body of Christ to the way the cardinal and the Pope asked us to. It is actually you who pick and choose. You want us to obey what the Cardinal stated in his 2005 letter (which we already did), and you do not agree with what the Cardinal says here about "obedience."
The real problem we have in Guam is that we have some disobedient priests and deacons on this island who do not want to obey the Archbishop despite their vow of obedience to him. This disobedience to the Archbishop is what causes the division because disobedience is a sin.
Isn’t this the same Cardinal Arinze of whom the Archbishop said (transcribed from his January 2006 appearance on KOLG): “My argument, and in front of the Pope and the bishops there, cardinals, in fact Arinze’s there, AND ARINZE, to tell you the truth, IS REALLY NOT FOR THE WAY and I DON”T KNOW WHAT CREDENTIALS HE HAS. I mean, I don’t want to get into an argument in terms of an individual but Cardinal Arinze, with due respect, uh … I, you know uh … I DON’T KNOW WHY HE uh, uh WANTS US TO CONFORM to what … and you know the … I heard the earlier discussions …”?
ReplyDeleteIs it not ironic that you would base your post on the words of Cardinal Arinze, a person whose credentials the Archbishop publicly renounced and further implied that the Cardinal had no right to tell the NCW to “conform”?
Dear Anonymous at 10:56 p.m.,
DeleteThere is a big difference between "disagreement" and "disobedience." It is okay to disagree. It is not okay to disobey. As Bernie pointed out.....do you see anywhere in that transcript of the Archbishop saying that he will disobey or refuse to obey the Cardinal????
Dear Anonymous June 30, 2014 at 10:56 PM, where is any indication Archbishop Apuron disobeyed anything is Cardinal Arinze’s letter? Please, point out as I cannot see anything like that! If you are unable to point out then why don’t you just stop talking nonsense, please? This tape is not a proof of belligerence of the Archbishop, but a proof of belligerence AGAINST the Archbishop!
DeleteThe Archbishop is recalling a testimony he made “in front of the Pope and the bishops there, cardinals, in fact Arinze”. This is true, it happened in Vatican. So Cardinal Arinze was there at the testimony, he could hear and understand our Archbishop’s arguments. Therefore it was possible to compare this with Cardinal Arinze’s argument. That is what the Archbishop is explaining here.
The question was why would Cardinal Arinze write to the Way, when he is not for the Way. If Cardinal Arinze would have been for the Way, he would have joined the Way. But he has not joined yet. So the only logical conclusion is that he was not for the Way. What is wrong with that? Nothing. He is still a well respected Cardinal who teaches us a whole lot of basic things about obedience in the Catholic Church. His letter was obeyed and our Archbishop embraced all the changes that happened in the Way after the two years of transition passed in 2008.
“2 The LORD is my rock, my fortress, and my deliverer,
my God, my rock in whom I take refuge,
my shield, and the horn of my salvation, my stronghold.
3 I call upon the LORD, who is worthy to be praised,
so I shall be saved from my enemies.”
(Psalm 18)
Bernie
So, Diana, you're saying it was within the Archbishop's right to renounce the Cardinal? By saying "I DON'T KNOW WHAT CREDENTIALS HE HAS" and "I DON'T KNOW WHY HE … WANTS US TO CONFORM," the Archbishop was just stating a "disagreement"? When I heard hims say that, it sounded downright disrespectful.
DeleteSomehow I think that if Tim Rohr had used those exact words to refer to the Archbishop in the same tone the Archbishop used, you'd be on Tim Rohr's case.
Dear Anonymous at 5:27 p.m.,
DeleteWhere have you been? Tim Rohr used a lot of words against the Archbishop that were much worse and derogatory than what the Archbishop used in that tape.
Yes you're right Diana, he did not say " disobey", but it is implied and he disobeys with action. Actions speak louder than words.
ReplyDeleteDear Anonymous at 6:30 a.m.,
DeleteWhat were the action you saw that shows disobedience? Could you be specific?
Sitting down to consume communion is not "the normal way in which the entire Church receives Holy Communion"
DeleteDear Anonymous at 10:11 am,
DeleteThat was the instruction we received from the Pope, and we will be obedient to the Pope.
Diana,
ReplyDelete"will be" the tense of this phrase means you are not yet obedient.
There's no cultural reason why NCW needs to receive the Eucharist differently. Even if there was an ingrained cultural reason the CCC explains to eventually to conform to the normative way.
Yes, you're going to explain this is how the early Christians did it but really why do it now?
Apparently it's because the NCW founders REJECT all the works of Popes in the past, the Councils, the Edict, the history and and passages of the Church and return to formative Early Christianity?
Why do this, what is bad about the Modern Church?
I find it CHARITABLE on the parts of the past five Popes to allow this movement, and the Popes only care really because Kiko happened to hitch on to the Catholic band wagon and has swayed so many Catholics.
Had Kiko listened to his heart and just went the Lutheran way we wouldn't be having this conversation.
Of course the goal of any movement's leader is to try to knock off the guy at the top. Or be "another guy" at another top, which he has. Does the Golden Calf ring a bell?
It's Summer! No better a time to slip and slide into protestantism.
p.s. to the fellow who's going to write that i cannot read/understand 20,000 pages of the Catechesis, please don't assume i haven't and i couldn't fathom it. I invite that person to read the Catheshism of the Catholic Church.
Kiko writes his own Catechisis, writes his own Kerygma from his visions? Isn't this what Martin Luther did? And that guy Felix Manalo?
I'll throw out another thing that's not in the Statutes which you folks illicitly do, the 10% tithe for those who have entered 2nd scrutiny. Show me where the Pope has approved that? Show me the Article and the Section. I find it deplorable that Archbishop Apuron himself on the Umatuna suggested tithing to the whole of the Island as if God would demand a fixed dollar amount from us.
Dear Catholics United,
DeleteThat was a grammatical error on my part. The fact that we have made the change in the way we receive the Eucharist in 2008 shows that we were obedient. Thank you for correcting me.
The pope is fully aware of what we are doing . It is not a secret. The NCW is active in Rome, and the only thing Pope Francis did was cease all investigations on the Way. Those so-called liturgical abuses were nothing but unfounded allegations.
Why does the 10 percent tithe bother you? That is in the Holy Bible? It is in the Old Testament.
Christians are obligated to support the Church, however what can be afforded is to cheerfully given. Also in the Holy Bible. 2 COR 9:5-8,
DeleteThe second event is still in the future, and will take place this year, beginning on September 30th: the other Synod of Bishops. We will have about two hundred bishops here from all over the world, nominated by Their Respective Episcopal conferences. What will the theme be? The theme will once again deal with Evangelisation, but from another aspect, That is catechesis: how religion is taught, Especially to children, to boys and girls, to young people and to adults too, at this Stage of our civilization, and how to become teachers. It is the bishops who wanted this theme, and we shall take it up again and develop it. This shows how up-to-date you are catechumens.
DeleteThis shows an awareness That the fundamental mission of the Church is to spread the message of the Gospel, according to Functional The Last Command Given by Jesus at the end of His visible presence on earth - what were His words? Go and preach! Go and make disciples of all nations. This awareness is keenly alive and at work in the Church today. How often it is said, when in looking at past history That Has characterised the different periods of the history of the Church, But what were they doing? Either there was war between Certain states, or there were problems dogmatic and so on, Which were of little interest to the public opinion or pastoral apostolate. The Church Has Been meditating again on her proper function and pastoral duties, and her first pastoral duty is to announce the Gospel and to go out to the world and say, Look, I am Bringing you the message, the message, Which the Angels Brought to the earth, `Glory to God and peace on earth ', and then the message of Christ to announce the Gospel, That is, the good word taught to us by Jesus Christ.
This awareness of the fundamental mission of the Church to spread the gospel message is alive and working in the Church today, and - this is beautiful - it is the task of all Ministers, That is, Bishops, priests, religious men and women, and the faithful! The faithful become the voice Themselves Which must propagate this message; the message of the evangelical announcement Which blackberries today than ever is worth being announced securities for two Reasons Which Seem contradictory. One, we must announce it Because The world is deaf, and so you have to raise your voice, to find a way That I know it can be understood, and so you must insist, all must be called to a new school, etc.. The difficulty Becomes something That provokes us, it Becomes the incentive to become teachers of our catechism, That is to say of the truth of the Gospel to be announced.
United - first of all I taught your coming back with your findings about Kiko Arguello's erroneous schism? But yet your nit picking your unwavering argument. Why do it now? The five Popes endorse it and encourage the church to come back in small community because of fellow Catholic who have left the church and to bring them back to their root
ReplyDeleteErroneous? You think Kiko said the wrong words? Schism doesn't mean schism?
Deletenit picking your unwavering argument?- sorry what?
Pope Benedict himself said once you've returned from the small community. Return to the Main Parish. No? No? The Pope didn't say that?
Dear Catholics United,
DeleteAnd what makes you think that we are not going to the Parish or even helping the parish? Because of the Way, many of us are getting much more involved in the Parish rather than just sitting in the pew every Sunday Mass. The NCW has been building up the parish because the brothers who were once just sitting on the pews are now much more involved in helping the parish.
United - back to your argument about the Popes did I just witness you posting the Popes can be wrong? Really? Are you questioning the authority of the past and present Popes. Now I don't think Francisco Arguello and the initiators who behave like a Lutheran here but is you. The 10% tithe is the commandment of God and the gospel. What Christ said give what's your right hand and not your left knowing. This is in the New Testament. Are you saying God lied? I think not, built your treasure heaven that will not perish.
ReplyDeleteThe Popes are coddling you guys because you happen to have Catholic Souls. That's all. If Kiko did what he truly wanted to do, in his heart, which is to be like Luther. Then we wouldn't be having this conversation. Period. You fashion everything in your image in style.
DeleteThe 10% tithe is the commandment of God and the gospel? Are you sure? Were you awake when tithing was the subject matter?
Pay your 10% tithe to Kiko, i don't care it's up to you if you want your leader to fly around in a limosuine helicopter and have lobster after the convivances. God knows where the money goes.
Numbers 18:26 “Speak to the Levites and say to them: ‘When you receive from the Israelites the tithe I give you as your inheritance, you must present a TENTH of that tithe as the LORD’s offering.
Delete(Capitalization is my emphasis)
United -Tithing, then, is an obedient thing to do. But we should not think of it as heroic and sacrificial and impressive. Tithing is Obedience 101. It is entry-level discipleship. When we tithe, we should be thinking, “Well, this is for starters. And I grow from here.” So let’s tithe. But let’s also press boldly into the demanding questions of justice and mercy and faithfulness, trusting and obeying Jesus no matter what the cost. Is for the Church to be given to the poor and the needy not Kiko. Again this is specilation from Chuck White and Tim Rohr feed off to you.
DeleteUnited - if you don't know Felix Manalo don't even bring him up. He is merely not close Kiko Arguello,Carmen Hernandez and Fr. Mario. The initiator of the way started with the Catholic Church and recognize by Vatican II. No comparison to your claim. Do your research first before you make stupid claim.
ReplyDeleteUnited - Pope Paul VI comment in 1977
ReplyDeleteVatican City (general audience) 12/01/1977
(Paul VI: general audience, 12th January, 1977 - text translated from the original recording by Vatican Radio)
You are all welcome `in nomine Domini'.
Despite the fact that the season, we are in the heart of winter, is not favourable to pilgrimages, excursions, visits and reunions, We are happy to welcome you to our hall which is honoured and filled by the presence of visitors we shall now name.
You know that we greet you all truly with the awareness that you are spokesmen, transmitters of a blessing which transcends us, that is, of being representatives, ministers of a grace of the Lord which we want to communicate to all, and to communicate precisely with a sense of that union, that charity, that fusion of spirit, that unity which distinguishes us for our faith and for the good fortune that we all have of belonging to the mystical Body of Christ. To you all, we give our blessed welcome. We will accompany this with our prayers and spiritual remembrance, this moment when you, by visiting us, procure for us the true happiness of being together and of being with Christ.
Greetings: We have great pleasure and we are very moved to have a special group of Bishops whom we welcome - so as not to prolong this preface too much - to our general audience and then separately in the adjoining room... So that you know where these Bishops come from and the importance of this other group of our brothers in the episcopate, whom we have the honour of having with us today, we shall read, as has been suggested to us, where they come from.
We have two Bishops from Mexico, a Bishop from El Salvador, from Guatemala, Honduras, the Dominican Republic, then two Bishops from Brazil, Ecuador, Peru, Uruguay, the Philippines, we have a Bishop from England, one from Spain and one from Portugal, and some others from Italy - the Archbishop of Rossano, the Bishop of Sarzana and Brugnato, of Macerata and Tolentino, of Fabriano, Rieti, Teramo, Crotone, and finally from Piazza Armerina. It is an audience with a truly catholic, not to speak of ecumenical nature, but catholic means more because it is a perfection which is already complete and already consummate, and so we welcome all these brethren, we try to read into their heart the reason for their coming and to respond to them with all our sympathy, and our encouragement for this very significant action of their ministry.
They Accompany the large group-whom we shall appoint shortly, and for whom-we have reserved the little Speech by Which We usually you hold at general Audiences. That I repeat These Bishops are welcomed by us all and I would say embraced. We are all united by the blackberries Their presence in paying homage to our Holy Church, in honoring Jesus Christ, in being anxious about the apostolate, of Gaining souls in the world today, and in Their common hope Which Continues in time and transcends time, for the final eschatology of the visible and full meeting with Our Lord Jesus Christ. To them our reverent thankfulness For Their participation in this audience, our help and our blessing Which Should reach also, dearest brothers in the Episcopate, to your Respective Dioceses, and you can be assured That our prayer, wishes, and the common hope in Christ Goes with our wishes.
ReplyDeleteSo now we welcome first of all the large group That forms the main part of this audience. Later, we will say something about it. It is made up of the parish priests and lay missionaries of Neocatechumenal communities. They come from different countries and, as you can see, make up a very varied community - priests, religious, lay people, and so on. To all of you, we extend a warm welcome. Later, we shall say a few words for this occasion and for the sake of the goal Which unites them in this meeting and makes them profess Their faith in the Church and, finally, we shall give our special blessing. We repeat, Neocatechumenal communities from various countries.
We welcome them ..., this main group, giving them That small gift, shall we say, Which We usually you give in our general audience, That is, a word, a word upon Which to Reflect and meditate, and Which is, if nothing else, proof of our affection For Those Who are listening to it.
The presence of a group at this audience noticeable Because of Its numbers - most of you here are part of this group - and Because Of The rank of the Participants - your leaders, and above all the group of bishops Brought-whom you have with you - this group of the members of the Neocatechumenal Communities offers us, by your presence, the opportunity to draw two events of the Catholic Church to the attention of our visitors and to Those listening. The first is the Synod of Bishops three years ago, in 1974 on the subject Evangelisation in our times: the way in Which the Gospel is spread today. This was the theme of the 1974 Synod Which provided the subject matter of our Subsequent apostolic exhortation Evangelii Nuntiandi of the 8th December, 1975. If we had the foolish ambition of our advertising documents, We Should almost like to recommend it to you Because It is so full, it is a tribute to all that longer available to the Bishops said in the Synod. I have tried to interpret, to gather together, to Their ideas, to Organise them and to make them accessible in the Simplest possible language, but also, most important, the clearest possible, so making us bold to recommend it to you, Especially to neocatechumens who you want to be, That is, to give instruction and evangelise the great crowds of people succeed in reaching you. I think it would be good for you and for your students, your disciples.
This is copyright infringement! Did the Vactican allow you to post this letter?
ReplyDeleteDear Anonymous at 10:14 p.m.,
DeleteI got the story from the Catholic News Agency. The website was provided on my post. The copyright that was violated was the priest who photocopied the Archbishop's letter to him, so he could rile up the faithful to go against the Archbishop.
Dear Diane,
DeleteRe your statement "the fact that we have made the change in the way we receive the Eucharist in 2008 shows that we were obedient."
It is the misinterpretation of the instructions given by Cardinal Arinze on behalf of the Pope to the NCW regarding reception of the Eucharist that the NCW STILL insists that they are obedient. It is one thing to tell the Pope "Yes, we now receive Jesus standing - giving the Pope AND THE UNSUSPECTING NEO MEMBERS, the impression the NCW are obedient; yet, another if the NCW would have told the Pope, "Yes we now receive Jesus standing up, BUT WE DON'T CONSUME IMMEDIATELY AS PER THE GIRM - WE RATHER CHOOSE TO SIT DOWN WITH JESUS IN OUR HANDS AND WAIT TILL EVERYONE HAS JESUS IN THEIR HANDS, AND THEN TOGETHER WITH THE PRIEST WE ALL CONSUME/RECEIVE JESUS INTO OUR MOUTHS. ONLY THEN DOES THE PRIEST CONSUME THE PRECIOUS BLOOD, AGAIN DIFFERING FROM WHAT IS SET DOWN IN THE GIRM."
May truth prevail.
Dear Anonymous at 7:23 am,
DeleteWe are not hiding anything from the Pope or from anyone. The Pope is fully aware of how we receive the Body of Christ. He knows that we receive the Body of Christ standing up, and that we consume His Body sitting down. It is not a secret. It was the Pope who instructed Kiko to do it that way. Kiko told the bishops and Catechists team what the Pope told him. So, the way the NCW receives the Body of Christ is universally done the same way.