Blog Song

Saturday, August 9, 2014

What PDN Left Out Again

Below is the entire text of Mr. Pablo M. Aglubat, which appeared in the Pacific Daily News dated Friday, August 8, 2014.  The highlighted areas are the parts that were omitted by PDN.  As you noticed the title is not even the same title as it appears here.  In the PDN, the title was "Four popes have praised The Way." 
First of all, it was actually FIVE Popes that have praised the Way going back to Pope John VI.

Now, why did they change the title of Mr. Aglubat's written article to the PDN??  Could it be because it was critical of the Pacific Daily News who publicized the word "sect" when referring to the Way in their previous news report?  Could it also be because it was being critical of Chuck White who referred the Way as a sect and a cult??  Could it be that Tim Rohr and Chuck White has influenced the Pacific Daily News?  They called the Way a "sect", so what does that say about the five Popes who supported and endorsed the Way?  This was the main point of the article. 

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                                                  THE SECT OF THE POPES?
Recently Mr. White wrote a piece enumerating some characteristic according to which hedefined the Neocatechumenal a sect. In reality, one could say that those who attend the traditional Latin Mass in Guam or the Catholic Evidence Guild of Guam to whom Mr. Rohr and Mr. White belong, and from where most of the attacks against the Neocatechumenal Way seem to arise, exhibit “many of the classic signs of a cult or sectHowever, the celebration of the mass in Latin has been approved by the Popes and this is for me as for any Catholic the finalword: they belong to the Church and in the Church there are different ways. The communion with the Holy Father and with the Magisterium of the Church is what unites us, not our personal evaluations or likes or dislikes.
 
The Neocatechumenal Way has been praised by four Popes, its statutes have been approved by Saint John Paul II and Benedict XVI, and the thirteen volumes Catechetical Directory have also been examined page by page by the Congregation for Faith when cardinal Ratzinger was its Prefect and he gave his approval and his praiseThirty cardinals and seventy bishops and archbishops have erected Redemptoris Mater Seminaries and of the almost 2000 priests ordained three quarters serve in the dioceses where they have ordained.
 
The Neocatechumenal Way was born in the shantytown of Madrid in the sixties. In 1977, Pope Paul VI was already saying, “Many people are attracted to these Neocatechumenal Communities, because they see that there is a sincerity, a truth in them, something alive and authentic, Christ living in the world."
 
 In 1990, Saint Pope John Paul II confirmed this. "I, too, as Bishop of Rome, have been able to verify the abundant fruits of personal conversion and fruitful missionary impulse in the many meetings I have had with the Neo-catechumenal Communities and their Pastors. Hence I acknowledge the Neo-catechumenal Way as an itinerary of Catholic formation, valid for our society and for our times. It is therefore my wish that the Brothers in the Episcopate - together with their presbyters - value and help this work for the new evangelization so that it may be implemented according to the lines proposed by its initiators."

 His explicit wish was that Bishops “value and help this work for the new evangelization.” Archbishop Apuron is following the directives of the Popes. Not only he is doing nothing wrong, he is just doing his duty.
 
These quotes are available in a book entitled, “The Neocatechumenal Way According to Paul VI,John Paul II and Benedict XVI” that presents speeches and declarations from three Popes sayingthat the Neocatechumenal Way comes from the Holy Spirit. A whopping 320 pages.
 
Most recently Pope Benedict XVI said:  How can we not bless the Lord for the spiritual fruits which, through the methodology of evangelization that you [Neocatechumenal Way] apply, have been harvested in these years? How many fresh apostolic energies have risen up both among priests and among laypeople! How many men and women and how many families that had grown distant from the ecclesial community or had abandoned the practice of Christian life, through the announcement of the kerygma and the itinerary of rediscovery of baptism, have been helped to find again the joy of the faith and the enthusiasm of the testimony of the Gospel.”
 
And Pope Francis with enthusiasm called the Neo-catechumens “bravi, and in his last meeting explicitly said, “I thank the Lord for the joy of your faith and for the ardor of your Christian witness.
 
Francisco José Fernández de la Cigoña, a Spanish journalist that likes very much the Latin massand Gregorian chant - commenting the meeting of Pope Francesco in February with thousands of families from the Neocatechumenal Way to whom the Pope was giving the missionary cross to go to China, Vietnam, Mongolia and many other places in the world accompanied by priests formed in the Redemptoris Mater seminaries - wrote:
 
The issue of the Neocatechumenal Way has filled the pages of this blog comments. I think, and I'm glad for it, that the thesis that this is not church but something contrary to it has almost disappeared as untenable. Very different is the fact that some may not like the Neocatechumenal Way. Or some aspects of it. I find this legitimate.
 
Many families received the missionary cross of the Church, not of Kiko Argüello, to go toevangelize in remote locations, often openly hostile. And off they went, happily, with a priest and with their children. Leaving everything. Trusting only in God. I find this admirable. I can understand that some do not understand. … it seems unfortunate that some criticize them for their commitment. Seeing these families today, for my part, chapeau. And seeing the priests who will accompany them in their heroic determination to faraway places, may the Redemptoris Mater seminaries be blessed. Each day there are more of these seminaries where there is no hint of ecclesial careerism.
 
We do not need the protestant freedom of opinion so that someone may rise himself above popes, cardinals and bishops as dispensers of passport for Catholicism. For here we are not dealing with the separate opinion of a Pope or one successor to the Apostles but we face a repeated declaration of ecclesiality for many years. A very beautiful act that said without a doubt that this was Church. And, in my opinion, true Church.
 
An ecclesial reality sanctioned and lauded by all the Popes cannot be a sect. Unless… also the last four Popes belonged to a sect. This is as simple as ABC. This goes for the Way as well as for the Guild.
 
The Church exists to help people and any reality which the Holy Father has defined as catholic that can help save a soul is welcome. There are many spiritual issues in the island. Teen pregnancy, suicides, family breakdowns, drugs… Let us focus on this  by announcing them Jesus Christ in all his beauty.
  

16 comments:

  1. So it means the original post was fabricated? I do sense Rohr and White has a say whoever post for the way. Who can we go to is non bias?

    ReplyDelete
  2. Check what PDN's Opinion Policy states:

    "We welcome your comments on editorials, columns and other topics in the Pacific Daily News about subjects important to you."
    AND
    "All submissions may be edited for length, accuracy and clarity, and may be published or distributed in print, electronic or other forms."

    Did you see "ALL SUBMISSIONS may be edited"? It's not only favorable articles about the NCW that "may be edited," but ALL submissions, even those that are unfavorable about the NCW.


    BTW: "Pope John VI" never praised the Way as you claimed.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Dear Anonymous at 9:32 a.m.,

      All submissions may be edited for length, accuracy and clarity? So, why did they made a LONGER title?? "The Sects of the Popes" is only four words. Changing the title distracts from the real point the author is trying to make. The main point that the author made was that if you are going to call the Way a sect, then you also have to call the five Popes (and the Catholic Church) who supported the Way a sect as well.

      In 1977, Pope Paul VI stated, “Many people are attracted to these Neocatechumenal Communities, because they see that there is a sincerity, a truth in them, something alive and authentic, Christ living in the world."

      Delete
    2. You wrote: "First of all, it was actually FIVE Popes that have praised the Way going back to Pope John VI."

      Who is the "Pope John VI" who praised the Way, according to you?

      Delete
    3. Dear Anonymous at 12:35 am.

      Thank you for pointing out my error. It was Pope Paul VI. Pope John Paul I came after him. I got my Pauls and Johns mixed up.

      Delete
  3. Thank you Pablo.
    On today's PDN newspaper there is another beautiful article written by Ric Eusebio. (Opinion)
    I am sure they changed something also in this article, but still very beautiful.
    PDN seems very faithful to White and Rohr, it would be interesting to know why.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Dave Crisostomo at PDN calls the shots. Call him to insist on fair reporting. They need to know that we are demanding equal coverage. It seems all the PDN articles about this particular media circus has been favorable to 'them'.

      Delete
  4. I personally called them about the irresponsibility of calling us a "sect" before and asked them to find a more enlightened word to describe The Way. Crisostomo said he understood our concerns and would work with the newsroom to address the issue. Perhaps renaming the headline was a result of that.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Dear Anonymous at 1:54 p.m.,

      I disagree because in this case the PDN also took out this part from Mr. Aglubat's article:

      " it seems unfortunate that some criticize them for their commitment. Seeing these families today, for my part, chapeau. And seeing the priests who will accompany them in their heroic determination to faraway places, may the Redemptoris Mater seminaries be blessed."

      In that statement, he was referring to Tim Rohr, Chuck White, and their followers. That statement was omitted.

      Delete
  5. Then if it is edited and biased how did Apuron get an "A" as you all claim? sad and desperate are you?

    BTW- Did you see the NEW stories and proof? I love the letter by the finance council DENYING the request for the transfer BUT then what happens- they all get FIRED and then the property is suddenly the RMS's.
    Slick! and I thought GovGuam was corrupted!

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Dear Anonymous at 2:54 pm,

      Those are votes that came in. By the way, did you see the news of the Pope firing his Finance Council???

      Delete
  6. But don't you edit and not publish everything we write? isn't it the SAME thing?

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Dear Anonymous at 3:05 pm,

      No. I can only publish or delete a comment, but not edit it. Every comment published on my blog is everything the commenter wrote including any spelling or grammatical errors. The only post or comment I can edit are my own posts and comments.

      Delete
  7. Ms. Diana,
    How can we publish my father's op-ed piece, "Many misconceptions about The Way" by Dr. R.B. Eusebio on your blog or get in touch with you to e-mail his copy? Thank you for your help.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Dear Ric A. Eusebio,

      If your father have the unedited version and he allows me permission to publish it on my blog, I will have a trusted person contact you or your father.

      Delete