IS ARCHISHOP SUFFERING?
I am not the Archbishop and I will never be. For one thing, I am a woman. And besides I am not so intelligent and holy to warrant such a responsibility. First, I have been accused of being Father Adrian and Jackie Terlaje. I am not Father Adrian or Jackie Terlaji. Then I was accused of being Father Edivaldo and even Holly. I am not Father Edivaldo nor Holly. Now, someone under one of my posts is accusing me of being the Archbishop simply because I posted a studio photo of him. I am not the Archbishop. However I cannot help but wonder what is passing through the Archbishop’s mind these last months…
After all,
these vicious attacks and threats are basically directed towards a human being
of flesh and blood who hurts and agonizes like everyone else.... as one of our fellow Chamorros. This is why this
entire diatribe is so sad.
People who
don't know him (and haven't taken the time to try) have said things about him
that are untrue and cruel, calling into question his character, his leadership,
his theological credibility, and his motivations. Possibly, at times, the
weight of this burden has made him want to give up. After all, he did not
choose to be an Archbishop. The Pope asked him to do this service and for twenty-eight
years he has been doing a very good job at it.
The way I
see it is this. God is clearly up
to something big here on our island. I remember reading what Saint Teresa wrote
- that when persecution came her way, she considered it as a good omen because
it meant that the devil was angry at her undertakings. She was at the time
going through Spain founding cloistered monasteries of Carmelite Sisters (like
the one we have in Tamuning). Many times hell would break loose in the town where
she was trying to start a monastery.
I agree. The
devil is angry at the Archbishop for all the good he has done and keeps doing here
in Guam. (And when I say the "devil", I am NOT referring to Tim Rohr.....but to Satan.) God is moving in a profoundly visible and unexplainable way. He is
doing things. So many suicides avoided through the involvement of these young
adults in small communities in the parish. So many families being rebuilt slowly
through the teaching of the Church. So many children being born who would
otherwise have not been born because parents have been taught to follow Humanae Vitae. So many vocations because youth attract youth
and when our youth saw seminarians here on our island, they wanted to be like them.
So many new priests full of enthusiasm for souls.
So many
people coming back to Church. It was
inspiring to read the experiences of so many people who recently dared to bare
their personal lives in the local papers. All giving glory to God and saying
how eternally grateful they are to Him for using the Archbishop as His instrument because if it weren’t for the
initiatives he took in these years, they would still be living in hell. And all
this gain will spill over to the other islands of the Pacific.
Yes, the
contractions are painful. But each painful contraction carries with it a
promise that new life is on the way. Kneel
through it, dear Archbishop! Suffering brings us closer to Christ.1 Peter 2:20-21 .......... if you suffer for doing good and you endure it, this is commendable before God. To this you were called, because Christ suffered for you, leaving you an example, that you should follow in His steps.
He offered us priests to give up and resign a while ago and the room fell silent. He cried crocodile tears. No one said anything to see if it was a test and we feared for our jobs. How I wish he would pose that question again and see how many say yes. I didn't get ordained here and my loyalty is to God and the truth! Things have changed since I first came here in 1998. Archbishop asked my bishop for help. If I had known what was to become of my assignment and this ordeal I would have asked to leave sooner.
ReplyDeleteDear Father Anonymous at 1:00 p.m.,
DeleteI was at the Liturgical Conference yesterday, and I heard Father Nilo speak. The vow of obedience is one of the hardest to do. He shared with us that his bishop told him to finish his degree in only one year and he would be assigned to the Philippines. He felt that one year was unreasonable, and he complained about it, but he obeyed.
He finished in one year, and this time his bishop told him that instead of the Philippines he will be going to Indonesia. He was shocked and had a whole litany of complaints to his bishop. If this was our Archbishop, he would be called a liar and a lot of bad names. Nevertheless, despite his complaints, Father Nilo obeyed. He went to Indonesia. As a result of his obedience, he went to the Holy Land twice.
God has a plan for all of us, and He often leads us to places we do not want to go. But if we are obedient, God would surprise us. Father Nilo sounded very happy to be in Indonesia despite that he was complaining to his Bishop about going to a place he has never heard of. He does not regret being there.
Thank you, Father Pius for your defense of Archbishop.
DeleteDear Anonymous at 3:54 p.m.,
DeleteI am also NOT Father Pius. I am a woman. A woman cannot be a priest.
anonymous, Pius will pray for the Arch Bishop but doesn't need to defend him. I believe that God stands beside him.
DeleteI don't understand why the Archbishop even asked these priests to give up and resign. But because they were disobedient by not resigning, they were made to suffer painfully and arduously by remaining in the priesthood.. I can't believe a good & loving God would allow this kind of treatment. Do you Diana?
DeleteDear Anonymous at 8:54 p.m.,
DeleteThese priests were never asked to resign. Father Paul and Monsignor James are still priests who can administer the sacraments. What will make them suffer painfully and arduously is their sin of disobedience. All sins make us suffer.
Yes Diana, I do agree with you that Father Paul and Msgr James were not asked to resign, but what this post is about are the priests who were asked to resign and disobeyed to resign. So you see this disobedience as a sin and you agree to them being made to suffer. That is not right.
DeleteDear Anonymous at 6:14 a.m.,
DeleteI do not quite understand what you are saying here. Could you clarify please? As far as I understand, the three Filipino priests were given two choices.....they can either join the NCW or return to their home country after one year.
The Way has lost its way here in the island. When the Way fails to respect the culture of the people and its religion and impose their own, this is what happens. Do you want Diana ( Neo-Cat) catechist, to happen to the Way like in Japan? Think again.
ReplyDeleteDear Isaias Ginson,
DeleteThe Way exists in Japan, and they are obedient to the Bishop. So, when the Bishop of Japan ordered them not to celebrate their Saturday Eucharist, they obeyed to this day. And when the Bishop of Japan tried to expel the NCW from the country, the Pope intervened and stopped the Bishop of Japan. The Bishop of Japan obeyed the Pope and allowed the Way to remain in Japan.
Rather than go against their Bishop, they pray for their Bishop to open his eyes. Perhaps, when the NCW in Japan continues to convert more Japanese pagans into the Catholic faith, then the Bishop of Japan would be able to open his eyes. We are the same way here. We do not go against our Archbishop. The only ones doing that is the jungle.
Diana - The conversion of pagans into the Catholic faith is a good thing and if that is the NCW's mission, of course the Pope is going to see this as a good thing. However, when they came into the Catholic churches (where pagans are not), that is where the problems began. Now do you see what all the ruckus is about? What the NCW is supposed to be is not what's happening. This only leads us to believe that they're in to infiltrate the Catholic Church to destroy her. Can you tell us otherwise?
DeleteDear Anonymous at 6:29 a.m.,
DeleteThe NCW is not only for pagans. It is also for Catholics who want to deepen their faith. I was one of those Catholics sitting in the Church pew when I heard the announcement. I chose to join the NCW, but I did not leave the Catholic Church. I still attend regular Mass. In fact, joining the NCW made me more involved in my Church.
Before, I was only a Catholic coming to Sunday Mass every week sitting in the pew, Today, I am a Catholic who became more involved in my Church through volunteer work. I am now serving at the altar as a Lector.
Before, I was a Catholic who only gave about $2 - $5 every Sunday Mass.....not even enough to pay the electricity bills of the Church. The NCW made me realize how selfish a person I was. Today, I contribute more money to the Church and even give to the poor.
So Archbishop Apuron joined the NCW because he's not a pagan but because he wants to deepen his faith. Hello? Is something wrong with this picture? That's like the Pope going to CCD.
DeleteAnd by the way (pun intended), no need to provide your testimony because there's no way (pun intended again) for you to prove to make us believe it.
Dear Anonymous at 10:02 p.m.,
DeleteThe reason there is CCD is for Catholics (yes Catholics, not pagans) to know their faith more so they can be ready to receive the sacraments. The NCW is very similar to the RCIA where adult Catholics (yes Catholics, not pagans) deepen their faith to also receive the sacraments.
In other words, EVERY Catholic needs to grow in faith. Our faith needs to grow and develop. According to the Catechism of the Catholic Church:
CCC 1253 Baptism is the sacrament of faith. But faith needs the community of believers. It is only within the faith of the Church that each of the faithful can believe. The faith required for Baptism is not a perfect and mature faith, but a beginning that is called to develop. The catechumen or the godparent is asked: "What do you ask of God's Church?" The response is: "Faith!"
Mr Ginson,
ReplyDeleteplease look beyond and see the realities of our island. DOC is overflowing; our courts are packed; DYA is filled with abused children; not enough foster parents for the children in CPS. Where is this respect for our religion that you are talking about. Forgive me, I am not taunting but facing the issues thst is destroying our families. The Neocatechumenal Way has never been for everyone. Who are we to tell people who or what to follow?
Diana, you keep missing the point. It is simply not right to force the clergy to serve the mission of the NeoCat, because the clergy is here equally for everyone (!!), not for a particular group only. You simply cannot own our clergy, because they are ours. Do you understand this? Even the Archbishop should not say to a priest to serve a NeoCat community if he is unwilling to do so. Why? Because being in and serving the NeoCat is a personal choice and cannot be made an obligation. When the Archbishop chose to serve the NeoCat, it was his own personal choice. In the same manner, it should be a personal choice for every single priest if he wants to join or not. Brute force is not the way of God!
ReplyDeleteDoes not the NeoCat have its own seminaries? Why? Why do you people want to have priests educated in a different way from those regular parish priests? What is the reason? Aren't your "presbyters" regular parish priests? How are they different? Are they truly better? In what sense are they better than ours? If they are "better" then how can anyone force a regular parish priest to serve your communities? Your communities need the "better" educated presbyters, not our regular parish priests, right? You see, this is your hypocritical thinking. Do you see how confusing it is toward priests? This causes the split and disunity among the Guam clergy.
So what is the special kind of training RMS students are receiving? They don't even speak English right. Why don't they learn at least the language first, before they come and use up our scarce resources we have here on Guam. Yes, it is a question about the resources! Your communities demand a whole lot of clergy hours, don't they? This is the high price of "small communities" as you guys call them. Because you don't go out to show yourself to the whole parish, you do your stuff only among yourself and for yourself, for a handful people at a time! Is this not a waste of resources? Is this not a waste of parish funds? The parish priest spends a lot of hours with you guys measured in clergy hours. You use him selfishly and without regard to other members of the same parish. Why do you do this? Why do you demand and put pressure on the pastor? Is this not egotism and shamelessly stolen privilege?
Tim Rohr is asking the questions that need to be asked. But you guys never respond honestly. His style is kinda special, sometimes he loses his temper. Okay, but it does not mean his questions can be ignored. The NeoCat is pushing its way on Guam and you guys don't respect the good ole' kind of Catholics who do not see this pushing with amusement. Not at all. We see your pushy ways with scare and intimidation. Because you use powers that you do not have. The Archbishop's power is not the same as the Church's power. The Church will never convert to NeoCat, even if the Archbishop did.
Dear Anonymous at 6:51 a.m.,
DeleteI do not think that the Archbishop would make every priest an RMS priest otherwise he would not establish a second seminary. However, the priest has made an oath to be obedient to the Archbishop. This is not about force. Who knows where God is leading these priesst. Also, you do not own a priest. It was God who called them, not you. There is no such thing as people owning their own priests. It is the lay people who have a choice of joining the NCW or not. A priest, on the other hand, has made an oath of obedience to the Archbishop. If you hold the Archbishop responsible to obey the Pope, you must also hold the priest responsible to obey the Archbishop. God wants to lead his priests, and it is through the hierarchy of the Church that he does this with.
The RMS seminary is affilitated with he Pontifical Laterian University in Rome, so they are receiving the correct formation. You need to get away from the idea that the NCW is not Catholic. Our seminary is affiliated with the Pontifical Laterian University in Rome, which is very much Catholic. Our founder is a member of the Pontifical Council, which is very much Catholic. And the NCW liturgies were approved by the Pope.
You also need to get away from this mentality of "YOU GUYS" and "YOU PEOPLE" because you are only separating us from you, and you are no different nor better than us. We are equally the same.
For Tim Rohr, it does not matter how we respond. To him, anything we say is a lie even if we are telling the truth.
You know very well that without the priest in the parish, the way will not survive. The priest has to walk with the community. You are a catechist. You continue drop the OBEDIENCE card Diana, You have no idea what happens if catechist changed, you are ok here in Guam because Pius has been here, the only catechist (presbyter of the team).
DeleteSo then tell the truth, Diana! Again, you deliberately miss the point. It was not a question of obedience of the priest to the Archbishop. Okay the Archbishop has the power, no question about it. But should he use it that manner? That was the question, dear Diana. Should the Archbishop give order to priests to serve the NeoCat? Why, tell me pray, why?! When a general give order to the soldier, the soldier has to obey. But the general should not abuse his power. Do you understand it, dear Diana? How can you force a priest to serve the NeoCat against his will?
DeleteI did not ask about the affiliation of RMS. I asked why do you guys need these "presbyters" formed in a different manner from our regular parish priests?! What is the point? What is the purpose? Regular education in regular seminaries is not good enough for you? How is their education different from the regular? You have never answered. When you blatantly evade answering simple questions, people think you are hiding something from them. This is the reason of mistrust toward the NeoCat.
The reason we do not trust NeoCat and RMS is completely independent from Tim. You use up the scarce resources of Guam Catholics for your own purposes without any regard to other parish people You strip our parishes from the things that belong to us. You only care for yourselves.This is the reason of mistrust, this is the reason of disunity. Not JungleWatch.
Dear voice of faith.,
DeleteFirst of all, the RMS priests are trained to do regular mass in the parish. Have you ever gone to one of the parishes that has an RMS priest and see how they conduct the Mass in Church? It is no different than any other non-RMS priest.
There are also a couple of questions that I need you to answer in order for me to understand where you are coming from.
Fist of all, you give a good example of a general telling a soldier what to do, and the soldier has to obey. It is the same with the Archbishop and priest. But the question I have to ask is how is asking the priest to join the Way or even to open up his parish to the NCW considered an abuse of power???
Furthermore, you also say that the NCW use up the scarce resources of Guam Catholics. Could you give an example of how they do that??
Dear Isaias Ginson,
DeleteThe Japanese Catholics have survived for many centuries without a priest through the grace of baptism. We are Catholics who are part of the Catholic Church. The Way survives because it is part of the Catholic Church just like the Sisters of Mercy, the Knights of Columbus, etc.
Diana, so simple: it is an abuse of power because the priest has not been trained to serve the NeoCat! Do you see it already?! Even your own Kiko would not want priests over his NeoCat flock celebrating the mass who were not from some of his RMS. He wants "presbyters" who are coming from his school. Is this true or not?
DeleteWhen a general commands a soldier to kill his own brother in a civil war, is this not an abuse of power? Still, the soldier has to obey, you say, even if this will destroy his soul... Please wake up, Diana, you don't want to be a monster, do you?!
Diana, you are still unable to explain why new RMS are needed all around. What is the point of RMS? The way we see it, the only purpose of RMS is to form priests in the Kiko fashion, make them "presbyters" to serve the NeoCat. You see this is apart from forming good parish priests for everyone. Why do you have to give them different education from the rest of priests, Diana? Why? If you cannot answer, please admit without evading the question!
Dear voice of faith,
DeleteA priest can be trained. As for Kiko, I just showed you a photo of Kiko getting along with Capuchin bishops. The RMS priests can even learn to do the Latin Mass once they are trained. In fact, some of the RMS priests have asked to be trained in doing the Latin Mass.
The only time a priest can disobey is when they are told to do something immoral. It is the same with children. When parents tell their children to steal, which is immoral, it would be okay. The point of having an RMS seminary is to train priests to evangelize. Evangeization is the main goal in the NCW. To be effective in evangelization, one also needs to follow in Christ's footsteps. This takes discipline....a discipline that we are undergoing in the NCW with scrutinies, convivences, and other steps in the Way. One cannot convert a Buddhist if the Christian cannot follow the tenets of their own call to holiness.
Dear Diana Sep 8 @ 11:00 AM -- The neos DO use up the resources of Guam Catholics. When they have separate masses for all the different communities on the island, how long do these celebrations last? I would say at least 2 hours, correct? Imagine how much more those add up in the utility bills for all these churches. And at whose expense?
DeleteDear Anonymous at 6:45 pm,
DeleteThat is true that we use the facilities of the parish. And it is also true that the communities in my parish do a serious collection 4 times a year to the parish,
Diana, you effectively claim that RMS priests are better in tending for the need of the parishes than regular priests. It is so not true! I hear stories that RMS priests are reserving parish rooms for the exclusive use of the NeoCat. Is this right in a parish when resources belong to everyone?? I also hear that RMS priests are neglecting requests from parishioners because he is busy with the "communities". Is it true that an RMS priests time schedule includes 2-3 hours a day exclusively maintained for the NeoCat?
DeleteYou see, there is no need for separated education for NeoCat "presbyters" so that they play favoritism at the parishes. Are you claiming they are better in "evangelizing"? Well, I don't think so! They don't even speak English right. Their education in Church history is greatly lacking. They are enjoying their lives in rich parishes, feeding on the resources and never going out to truly evangelize in rough places, where they are not protected by the NeoCat. This is the perception we have about them.
You talk about some scrutinies and convivences... what are those?! Are these the ridiculous seances where people without proper education judge you? I have heard of those. Seance, yes those are seances, this is the right word, very questionable spiritual practices that led many Catholics ashtray already in the 19th century.
Are these seance leaders the same people you call catechists who are completely faceless, unknown parishioners? Are they from other parishes, who make claims on your spiritual lives? Are you kidding, Diana? How these seances, completely alien from the Catholic spirituality and from the teaching of the Church, help RMS priests to conduct themselves better? You are in delusion, Diana. This is another reason we do not trust NeoCat. Our distrust has nothing to do with Tim Rohr or the JungleWatch. Now, do you believe me?
Maybe in your parish, but I've spoken to several in parish financial committees and they say NADA!
DeleteDear Anonymous at 5:53 a.m.,
DeleteAre you sure about that?
Dear voice of faith,
DeleteWhere do you hear me say that the RMS priests are better than any other priests. All I said is that the purpose of the RMS seminary is to train the priests for the new evangelization. This does not mean that the RMS is the best seminary. I am simply stating their purpose or goal. There are many different seminaries in the Catholic Church. As a result, you even have different priests. There are Jesuits, Dominicans, Franciscans, Opus Dei, RMS, and even Diocesan priests.
Voice of faith, this is what you stated:
"You talk about some scrutinies and convivences... what are those?! Are these the ridiculous seances where people without proper education judge you? I have heard of those. Seance, yes those are seances, this is the right word, very questionable spiritual practices that led many Catholics ashtray already in the 19th century."
If you are truly interested in knowing what are scrutinies and convivences, all you had to do was ASK. Unfortunately, you not only ask......you also judged it as "ridiculous séances" before I could even tell you about it. This judgment has only led me to believe that you are really not interested in what we have to say. Below is a weblink from the Catholic Encyclopedia on "Scrutiny." Please educate yourself on what these "Catholic scrutinies" are before you call it "ridiculous séances". Our discussion here is done.
http://www.newadvent.org/cathen/13641a.htm
Seriously, how many times do we have to tell these people that they DO NOT have to join the NCW. It's up to you. Even if there was a Neo-priest in the parish, they still wouldn't have to join. Nobody is being forced to.
ReplyDeleteYes, priests take an oath to OBEY their bishop. Google it.
OBEY! OBEY!
OBEY! OBEY!
OBEY! OBEY!
OBEY! OBEY!
OBEY! OBEY!
OBEY! OBEY! . Understand that word!
I think it's a shame that people have to disrespect any priest, clergy members or the archbishop in any form. We all have our differences but we all have a higher calling, which is to love one another. In Yesterday's Gospel reading, Jesus basically reminds us all, when all else fails to reconcile with your brother, treat them as you would treat a gentile or tax collector. Love your neighbor as you would love yourself, treat them as you would want to be treated. That is the golden rule and we all have to be reminded of this, because we are all imperfect, nobody's perfect.
ReplyDeleteI was able to attend the catechetical conference yesterday and it was a big relieve to see members of the Neoway engage in both, especially to see the recently ordained priest give absolution. It's a relieve for me to witness this having recently read articles and blogs that your foundress does not believe in the sacrament of confession. And no it is not Tim Rohr's blog.
Chuck White recently posted on his blog that your founder diminishes sacrificial element of the mass. What is your take on this?
I will be back for more questions. =) God Bless you.
Dear Vera,
DeleteI was also at thel conference. It was good to see both RMS priests and non-RMS priests doing the Sacrament of confessions. We do not diminish the element of the Mass. We have all the elements of the Mass in our Eucharist.
Yes, we all have a higher calling to love one another and because the Archbishop is held to the highest standard as the leader of the Guam Catholic Church, he will always be looked at to see if he is in line with this calling.
DeleteWhat is wrong by not obeying?
ReplyDeleteDear Isaias Ginson,
DeleteHave your children ever disobeyed you? If my kid disobeyed me, I would not be very happy about it. When I tell my kid to pick up their trash that they put on the floor and they say no simply because they do not want to pick it up, I see that as defiance and disrespectful towards me. And it is a sin, offensive to God.
Did you ask your kid why he disobeyed? Read the history of the Church. Can you tell me the church was never wrong in their condemnation because she was instrumental in the deaths of cultures. people's in the past, torture and execution of people just because they did not obey.
DeleteDear Isaias,
DeleteI already said so in my last comment. He did not feel like picking it up. He was being defiant because he was grounded.. He threw a paper on the floor out of frustration, and I told him to pick it up.
The Church is NEVER wrong. It is the church MEMBERS who were wrong. The Church is one, HOLY, Catholic and Apostolic. All the teachings of the Church are NEVER wrong. They preach the same teachings for over 2000 years and her teachings have never changed. It was the church members who go against the church teachings.
So, during the 16th century, some priests in Germany sold indulgences, which was against Church teaching. So, who is to blame.....the Church or the Catholic priests who went against the Church teaching?? The Church has always taught that torture, murder, and the death penalty is wrong. So, who is at fault......the Church teaching or the church officials who went against Church teaching by turning over people to the government to be tortured and killed?
Church teachings says that priests are to obey their bishops since they took an oath of obedience to him. This has always been Church teaching. So, who is wrong....the Church or the priests who went against both their oath and against Church teaching?
Those who want to malign the archbishop capitalize on the disobedience and disrespect of some members of the clergy in their defiance towards the hierarchy of the church. I use the term hierarchy not only to refer to the archbishop, but for all he represents and the whole mechanism and organization behind him. And I don't mean the chancery BUT the pope and all he represents. The disrespect and disobedience of some priests and deacons who are against the archbishop is a fruit of the work of satan, the 'diabolos', the one who comes to divide. Satan is the one proudly proclaimed before God the famous line: "I will not serve!" Such are the words which constantly ring out from the jungle-watch. Priests and deacons make a vow of respect and obedience to the bishop when they were ordained. It's sad to see how this vow is broken so often and what is even more disoncerting and scandalous is when the jungle proudly boasts and gloats over this sin by declaring that these rebel priests and deacons are justified to break their vows. I just cannot understand how our illustrious apologists Rohr and White defend these acts. Disobedience is what breaks our unity as a church. Sadly, Rohr is the one facilitating this disobedience and hatred of the archbishop.
ReplyDeleteDid you ever stop to think why or how Archbishop Apuron became to be so disliked? Don't you ever wonder?
ReplyDeleteDear Anonymous at 8:33 pm.
DeleteThe cause is usually envy or jealousy. As some of the non-RMS priests pointed out. They felt and perceived that the Archbishop was spending too much time with the NCW & RMS priests. That is jealousy.
Thank you for pointing this out Diana. So it's because of jealousy that Archbishop Apuron is hated. In addition to him spending too much time with the neo priests and seminarians, I suppose people are also jealous because he always flies first class, that he drives an expensive car and he has a mansion, to name a few. Instead of being jealous, they should see these as God's rewards to the Archbishop for all his goodness.
DeleteDear Anonymous at 5:49 a.m.
DeleteActually, the flying first class and the nice car given as a gift is the envious part.
That is what you call scandal.
DeleteDear Isaias,
DeleteI disagree. There is nothing scandalous about flying first class or being given a car for a gift. Some people fly first class, and some parents give their children cars upon their college graduation. An example of a scandal is when a person is caught cheating on their spouse.
Diana - Because of the Archbishop's position, he will always be in the limelight. He is held to a higher standard or for that matter, the highest standard in the Catholic Church on Guam, so he has to be very careful of his actions.
DeleteAnd by the way, a scandal IS the actual cheating against a spouse and not that he or she got caught.
Dear Anonymous at 11:32 p.m.,
DeleteThis is why we always pray for the Pope and the Archbishop, not because they are supposed to be held in the highest standard in the Catholic Church, but because they are always attacked by the devil the most even for the littlest thing. So, what evil has the Archbishop done???
And I agree that a scandal is the cheating against a spouse whether they are caught or not.
Flying Business/First is not what it is cracked up to be anymore; BELIEVE ME. Stop chatting about it. Some people get auto upgrades, some people use miles to upgrade, some people get it for a gift, some people need it for size, illness etc. Stop talking about it my first grade teacher said MYOB. All flying stinks now.
DeletePART 1
ReplyDeletePlease read the article on this link - it wasn't written by a "Neo".
http://www.thecatholicthing.org/columns/2013/on-listening-to-bishops.html
I, myself, had many judgements against the Archbishop before entering the Way. Then I discovered, through the Church teachings while walking in the Way, that he was the Bishop that, through the Holy See, God gave us. I may not agree with how some things may have been handled, but he is the Bishop and I, as a catholic, have to respect the Authority given to him. He is still my Bishop, the one appointed by the Holy Spirit.
DECREE CONCERNING THE PASTORAL OFFICE OF BISHOPS IN THE CHURCH
CHRISTUS DOMINUS PROCLAIMED BY HIS HOLINESS, POPE PAUL VI ON OCTOBER 28, 196
"The bishops themselves, however, having been appointed by the Holy Spirit, are successors of the Apostles as pastors of souls.(3) Together with the supreme pontiff and under his authority they are sent to continue throughout the ages the work of Christ, the eternal pastor.(4) Christ gave the Apostles and their successors the command and the power to teach all nations, to hallow men in the truth, and to feed them. Bishops, therefore, have been made true and authentic teachers of the faith, pontiffs, and pastors through the Holy Spirit, who has been given to them.(5)"
So, If I am Catholic, I must have some faith that God has control over His bishops. As the article mentions, bishops are human and make mistakes. But rather than persecuting him, we must, as Catholic's, pray for him.
PART 2
ReplyDeleteHere is a post by a Father Ryan Erlinbush on the authority of Bishop's from Saint Ignatius of Antioch:
http://newtheologicalmovement.blogspot.com/2011/10/on-authority-of-bishops-from-st.html
If this is not good neigh, then how about this:
" Bishops, as vicars and ambassadors of Christ, govern the particular churches entrusted to them by their counsel, exhortations, example, and even by their authority and sacred power, which indeed they use only for the edification of their flock in truth and holiness, remembering that he who is greater should become as the lesser and he who is the chief become as the servant. This power, which they personally exercise in Christ's name, is proper, ordinary and immediate, although its exercise is ultimately regulated by the supreme authority of the Church, and can be circumscribed by certain limits, for the advantage of the Church or of the faithful. In virtue of this power, bishops have the sacred right and the duty before the Lord to make laws for their subjects, to pass judgment on them and to moderate everything pertaining to the ordering of worship and the apostolate. The pastoral office or the habitual and daily care of their sheep is entrusted to them completely; nor are they to be regarded as vicars of the Roman Pontiffs, for bishops exercise an authority that is proper to them, and are quite correctly called "prelates," heads of the people whom they govern. Their power, therefore, is not destroyed by the supreme and universal power, but on the contrary it is affirmed, strengthened and vindicated by it, since the Holy Spirit unfailingly preserves the form of government established by Christ the Lord in His Church." Vatican Council II, Lumen Gentium § 27.
”Saint Paul commands us to obey all superiors, even those who are bad. Our Blessed Saviour, His Virgin Mother, and Saint Joseph have taught us this kind of obedience in the journey they took from Nazareth to Bethlehem, when Caesar published an edict that his subjects should repair to the place of their nativity to be enrolled. They complied with this order with the most affectionate obedience, though the Emperor was a pagan and an idolator, so desirous was Our Lord of showing us that we should never regard the persons of those who command, provided they be invested with sufficient authority.”--Saint Francis of Sales, Doctor of the Church
Now, is the Archbisop a perfect Bishop, everyone will have their own opinion. But one thing I have discovered is that he is the perfect Bishop sent by God. Did God make a mistake? I leave that for anyone to answer themselves.
Does the Archbishop make mistakes - of course! After all he is human. But, one thing I have learned from the Church and scripture, is that I am not one to judge.
“If you judge people, you have no time to love them.” ― Mother Teresa
Always remember to love your neighbor; always prefer the one who tries your patience, who test your virtue, because with her you can always merit: suffering is Love; the Law is Love. --Bl Mary of Jesus Crucified "The Little Arab"
”Dismiss all anger, and look a little into yourself. Remember that he of whom you are speaking is your brother, and, as he is in the way of salvation, God can make him a Saint, notwithstanding his present weaknesses. You may fall into the same faults or perhaps into a worse fault. But supposing that you remain upright, to whom are you indebted for it, if not to the pure mercy of God?” --Saint Thomas of Villanova
Dear a Catholic in the Way,
DeleteAnd the person who follows this is a true Catholic. The person who goes against the Archbishop is going against the Catholic Church.
Diana,
DeleteSo when people go after an Archbishop, any Archbishop for that matter, they are against the Church? Like against Archbishop Wesolowski, did they go against the Catholic Church?
That kind of "BLANKET" that you're trying to throw over the Archbishop excuses and exonerates all of his actions because for us to point a finger against him we would have to step outside of our Faith?
It is hard for t.rohr, white and their followers to accept one basic truth:we think we know ourselves but in reality we know ourselves the least. John 12:47-48 helped me tonight. Thank you Lord for showing me my reality.
ReplyDeleteAs we can see in Archbishop Apuron, the title and the person holding that title are two different things.
ReplyDeleteThe title of Archbishop will always be respected and not the person who doesn't deserve the respect.
Dear Anonymous at 4:46 a.m.,
DeleteChrist always cared more about the person than the title. This is why He told His Apostles "Do not call man on earth "father" for you only have one Father in Heaven. Do not call anyone "Teacher" for you have a teacher, who is Christ." Those are titles. When God tells us to honor our mother and father, was he speaking about the person or their title as "mother" and "father"??
Christ said the greatest commandment is to love God and to love your neighbor. When He said to love your neighbor, was He speaking about a person??
So based on what you quoted, when Catholics call priests "Father", you say that the Catholics are going against Jesus Christ. So can you tell me why the Catholic Church has such titles as Pope, Cardinal, Archbishop, Monsignor? Oh never mind. I forgot you're not Catholic. It also further explains why Archbishop Apuron is just 'Tony' in the neo community. The picture is now getting clearer.
DeleteDear Anonymous at 7:29 a.m.,
DeleteI was responding to Anonymous 4:4:46 who says that we should respect the title of the Archbishop, and NOT the person Anthony Apuron. God loves people, not titles. That is the point I was making. The Holy Spirit dwells in people because our bodies is the temple of the Holy Spirit. So, one should respect the Archbishop the person because God appointed him (the person) to take the title of Archbishop.
And it will remain a mystery why God appointed Tony Apuron to take the title of Archbishop.
DeleteI guess the people of Guam will just have to tolerate him for seven more years....seven LONG years.
anonymous 7:29 the priest...the Arch Bishop represents the spirit of the church. It is God who calls and the Spirit that sustains. You ask questions but in reality not searching for answers. You are not searching for truth but sady stuck with trying to reason why you are still unfulfilled. if you cannot see or feel the Spirit of our Lord and Christ in our priests and the Arch Bishop, who cares what you call them?
Deleteanonymous 9:41...it is a great mystery why God chose the Arch Bishop to lead the Churc on Guam; it is a greater mystery why he sent his Son to die...to forgive the sins of people that think they are better than others
ReplyDelete