(CNA/EWTN News) During his weekly general audience on Wednesday November 5, Pope Francis said that a Church which does not foster communion with the bishop is unhealthy.
In his remarks to the crowds gathered in Saint Peter’s Square, the Pope called on Christian communities to “nurture a sincere and profound communion” with the bishop, “starting with the priests and deacons.
“There is no healthy Church if the faithful priests, deacons are not united around their bishop,” he said. “This Church not united around their bishop is a sick Church.”
“It is in the Bishop that the relationship of each Church with the Apostles is visible and with all the other communities,” he said, “united with their bishops and the Pope in the One Church of the Lord Jesus, that is our Holy Mother the Hierarchical Church.”
Turning to the reading of Paul to Titus read out during the audience, Pope Francis acknowledged it is “not easy” to practice the “many virtues” which Saint Paul commends to bishops, “because we are sinners.”
He therefore asked for prayers that they “can at least hope to be closer to the things that the Apostle Paul advises for all Bishops.”
Of all the “ordained ministries” to which Christ gives rise “in order to build up the Christian community as His Body,” the Pope said the ministry “of the bishop stands out.”
“Assisted by priests and deacons,” the Holy Father said “it is Christ himself who is present” in the bishop, “and who continues to take care of his Church, ensuring his protection and guidance.” In their “presence and ministry,” he added, “we can recognize the true face of the Church: she is our Holy Mother the Hierarchical Church.”
He explained that “the Church exercises her motherhood” through her bishops, priests, and deacons, sustaining the faithful from Baptism until death.
This motherhood is “expressed in particular in the person of the bishop and in his ministry,” the Pope said.
“As Jesus chose the Apostles and sent them out to preach the Gospel and shepherd his flock,” he said, “so the bishops, their successors, are placed at the head of the Christian community, as guarantor of their faith and as a living sign of the presence of the Lord among them.”
Pope Francis stressed that theirs “is not a position of prestige” or “an honorary role”: rather, it is one of service.
The Holy Father went on to say there is no place in the Church for a “worldly mentality”, in which the title of bishop is understood in the context of an “ecclesiastical career.” Rather, “being Bishop means keeping ever present the example of Jesus, as the Good Shepherd, came not to be served but to serve (cf. Mt 20:28; Mk 10:45), and to give His life for His sheep (cf. Jn 10:11).”
As shown by the many bishops who have been declared saints, the Pope said, “one does not ask for” this ministry, nor can it be bought.” Rather, it is accepted “in obedience, not in an attempt to climb higher but to lower oneself,” just as Jesus ‘humbled himself and became obedient unto to death, even death on a cross’” (Phil 2,8).
“It is sad when we see a man who seeks this office and does all he can to get it and when he gets it does not serve, instead goes around like a peacock and lives only for his vanity,” the Pope said.
Another “precious element” of the bishop’s ministry is their unity, Pope Francis said.
Just as the Apostles were “united as one family” around Jesus, so too the “Bishops too are a single college, gathered around the Pope, who is the guardian and guarantor of this profound communion that was so dear to Jesus and His apostles themselves.”
The Holy Father noted the beauty of such collegiality expressed by the bishops, alongside the Pope, such as was recently witnessed in the Synod of the Family.
“Despite living in places, cultures, sensibilities and traditions that are different and distant from each other,” Pope Francis said, there is nonetheless an “intimate bond” with one another “in Christ, in their communities.”
http://fll.cc/en/inspire/pope-francis-the-ministry-of-the-bishop-is-accepted-in-obedience-en/
In his remarks to the crowds gathered in Saint Peter’s Square, the Pope called on Christian communities to “nurture a sincere and profound communion” with the bishop, “starting with the priests and deacons.
“There is no healthy Church if the faithful priests, deacons are not united around their bishop,” he said. “This Church not united around their bishop is a sick Church.”
“It is in the Bishop that the relationship of each Church with the Apostles is visible and with all the other communities,” he said, “united with their bishops and the Pope in the One Church of the Lord Jesus, that is our Holy Mother the Hierarchical Church.”
Turning to the reading of Paul to Titus read out during the audience, Pope Francis acknowledged it is “not easy” to practice the “many virtues” which Saint Paul commends to bishops, “because we are sinners.”
He therefore asked for prayers that they “can at least hope to be closer to the things that the Apostle Paul advises for all Bishops.”
Of all the “ordained ministries” to which Christ gives rise “in order to build up the Christian community as His Body,” the Pope said the ministry “of the bishop stands out.”
“Assisted by priests and deacons,” the Holy Father said “it is Christ himself who is present” in the bishop, “and who continues to take care of his Church, ensuring his protection and guidance.” In their “presence and ministry,” he added, “we can recognize the true face of the Church: she is our Holy Mother the Hierarchical Church.”
He explained that “the Church exercises her motherhood” through her bishops, priests, and deacons, sustaining the faithful from Baptism until death.
This motherhood is “expressed in particular in the person of the bishop and in his ministry,” the Pope said.
“As Jesus chose the Apostles and sent them out to preach the Gospel and shepherd his flock,” he said, “so the bishops, their successors, are placed at the head of the Christian community, as guarantor of their faith and as a living sign of the presence of the Lord among them.”
Pope Francis stressed that theirs “is not a position of prestige” or “an honorary role”: rather, it is one of service.
The Holy Father went on to say there is no place in the Church for a “worldly mentality”, in which the title of bishop is understood in the context of an “ecclesiastical career.” Rather, “being Bishop means keeping ever present the example of Jesus, as the Good Shepherd, came not to be served but to serve (cf. Mt 20:28; Mk 10:45), and to give His life for His sheep (cf. Jn 10:11).”
As shown by the many bishops who have been declared saints, the Pope said, “one does not ask for” this ministry, nor can it be bought.” Rather, it is accepted “in obedience, not in an attempt to climb higher but to lower oneself,” just as Jesus ‘humbled himself and became obedient unto to death, even death on a cross’” (Phil 2,8).
“It is sad when we see a man who seeks this office and does all he can to get it and when he gets it does not serve, instead goes around like a peacock and lives only for his vanity,” the Pope said.
Another “precious element” of the bishop’s ministry is their unity, Pope Francis said.
Just as the Apostles were “united as one family” around Jesus, so too the “Bishops too are a single college, gathered around the Pope, who is the guardian and guarantor of this profound communion that was so dear to Jesus and His apostles themselves.”
The Holy Father noted the beauty of such collegiality expressed by the bishops, alongside the Pope, such as was recently witnessed in the Synod of the Family.
“Despite living in places, cultures, sensibilities and traditions that are different and distant from each other,” Pope Francis said, there is nonetheless an “intimate bond” with one another “in Christ, in their communities.”
http://fll.cc/en/inspire/pope-francis-the-ministry-of-the-bishop-is-accepted-in-obedience-en/
We definitely have a sick Church here on Guam Diana and we are imploring Rome to help bring us back to being united as one family because Archbishop Apuron is not leading us in that direction.
ReplyDeleteDear Anonymous at 1:17 am,
DeleteIt is actually getting healthy as it is now healing itself. Why? Because Deacon Steve is not with CCOG. He has decided to remain a deacon, and we do not hear from him at all. Father Mike has not been writing in the jungle as he does sometimes. Monsignor Benavente has finally moved on while Father Paul is still waiting for Rome. It seems that the Vatican Delegate that was here on Guam has finally told the priests and deacons to respect and obey the hierarchy of the Catholic Church, which is Archbishop Apuron. Now that the clergy has straightened up their act, in time....the laity will follow suit. The Archbishop has moved on and focused on his duties as a shepherd. The NCW is also moving one and continues to evangelize and invite others as they normally do every year.
where is Deacon Steve? Have not seen him at 9:30 at Agana Cathedral
DeleteDiana! It's not that simple.
DeleteDiana you have no idea what you saying. Archdiocese is very sick at present in need of healing. Our mission is to bring healing to this archdiocese.
Delete
DeleteFather Matthew Blockley wrote in jungle last week. He appears a complete law to himself.
Fr. Matt block Fr. Tim Rohr empty noise.
DeleteWrote to Archbishop Krebs asking Vatican to put Fr. Matthew Blockley in an enclosed monastery in France. He go every year to Trappist monastery outside Paris. Put him inside monastery cell with no wifi computer . Silence him. Archbishop Krebs silence Fr Blockley. Order by pope to enclose him monastery away for good. He trouble .
DeleteFather Blockley is problem not Fr. Mike. Archbishop by power of obedience ordered Fr. Mike to stop blog comments. Archbishop Hon ordered Blockley to stop jungle comments. Lasted two weeks. Now Blockley commenting again. Bishop camacho order your priest stop commenting jungle.
DeleteSometimes a way seems right but the end of it leads to death.
ReplyDeleteProverbs 16:25
Obey your spiritual leaders, and do what they say. Their work is to watch over your souls, and they are accountable to God. Give them reason to do this with joy and not with sorrow. That would certainly not be for your benefit. - Hebrews 13:17
DeleteBut even if we or an angel from heaven should proclaim to you a gospel contrary to what we proclaimed to you, let that one be accursed! Galatians 1:8
DeleteDear Anonymous at 12:10 am,
DeleteAre you saying that the biblical scripture I quoted above is contrary to the Gospel???
Diana, are you sure????? Things may not be as they seem to you.
ReplyDeleteDear Anonymous at 12:07 am,
DeleteIn the first place, Proverbs 16:25 is not referring to disobeying the Bishops. The Bible does not teach contradiction. It will not say to obey your spiritual leader and then in another book or chapter say to disobey your spiritual leader. Even Christ never said to disobey the Pharisees. He taught His disciples to obey the Pharisees because they sit in the chair of Moses.
Matthew 23:2-3 “The teachers of the law and the Pharisees sit in Moses’ seat. So you must be careful to do everything they tell you. But do not do what they do, for they do not practice what they preach.
Our place is to respect and obey them. It is not our place to judge them. God will be the one to judge them.
Dear Diana,
ReplyDeleteCatechism of the Catholic Church says:
883 - "The college or body of bishops has no authority unless united with the Roman Pontiff, Peter's successor, as its head." As such , this college has "supreme and full authority over the universal Church; but this power cannot be exercised without the agreement of the Roman Pontiff."
Many saints has said; "The road to hell is paved with skulls of priests and bishops” (or the equivalent).
Dear Anonymous at 1:52 am,
DeleteThe fact that the Archbishop of Guam is received well by Pope Francis and was even granted an audience with him shows that he is in communion with the Pope. The Archbishop has already said that the Pope supports him. So, they are in agreement with each other.
When the archbishop lowers himself and serves his constituents and does not sit on his throne waiting to be served then we will be obedient.
ReplyDeleteDear Anonymous at 8:32 am,
DeleteTrue Christians do not wait for someone else to be humble first so they can humble themselves. Why should they? The Christian follows Christ who is humble and obedient.
Yes, Serve people, not be served as king of micronesia
DeletePray for humility. It is a gift.
DeleteHumility issue concerning Archbishop.
ReplyDeleteDear Anonymous at 11:38 am,
DeleteThe person with the humility issue is the one expecting others to be humble, not himself.
Just for the record, I had to comment on the latest rant of Junglewatch Guru Tim Rohr in the PDN:
ReplyDeleteTim Rohr, your desperate crusade to politicize the affairs of the Catholic Church on Guam through your biased and overly one sided blog is becoming increasingly sickening. You are not a spokesperson of Guam Catholics in any sense. You are an indecent political campaigner who would not shy away from ugly name calling of our senators in the Guam legislation. You think the same skills would work handy when you target local church affairs and church personalities. But you could not be more misguided by your own hubris and self glorification.
It is well known that you employ an army of anonymous internet trolls who regularly regurgitate your misguided campaign slogans. These people are not even brave enough to call themselves by decent names, still they want to dictate to others. Don't you feel ashamed, Tim Rohr, down to the yellow soil of your immature behaviour? Well, you should. Especially now when you keep overstepping all boundaries of decency at an intimate Lenten Season that is supposed to be an eminent time for Catholic spiritual renewal for individuals and communities alike.
Back off, Tim Rohr, please do not tempt the patience of mature and decent Catholics who want to enjoy a peaceful season of preparation for the mysteries of our Lord. When we are moving deeper in our faith life by prayer, fasting and almsgiving, we do not appreciate your brazen political showmanship of taunting and bragging at our doors. Please, give yourself and those who are close to you, especially to your family, a chance of coming to terms of the suffering of our Savior who did not come to the earth to make political gigs but honestly followed the deepest inclinations God the Father placed in His heart. He could have been a political rebel, as you are. But then we would not know Him today as Jesus Christ, our Lord and Savior.
Dear Zoltan,
DeleteWhy do you even bother to entertain Tim Rohr in his blog??? Let it go. Let them have their prayer vigils and town meetings. We, on the other hand, have much work ahead of us to accomplish. Focus on that instead. Tim Rohr and the jungle is not worth our time. Besides, the jungle have accomplished nothing. They put all their energy into trying to remove the Archbishop, and so far it has gotten them nothing. Why? Because they are fighting against God. The NCW comes from God, and what comes from God cannot be defeated.
Diana, if you actually read what Zoltan wrote, you will see that he did not "entertain Tim Rohr in his blog." The comment was written in the PDN. Zoltan told you "Just for the record, I had to comment on the latest rant of Junglewatch Guru Tim Rohr in the PDN"
DeleteYou scolded Zoltan for nothing, poor man.
BTW: Your claim that "the jungle have accomplished nothing" [sic] is also mistaken. Tim Rohr has opened people's eyes to the TRUTH about the sickness and the reason for the division in our archdiocese. The Archbishop may still be in office but he (and you) know his days are numbered which is why you are so desperate to marginalize Tim Rohr and his success in reaching people and giving them a voice. And they are speaking out.
Dear Mother Margaret Mary,
DeleteYou have it backwards. It is the jungle that is desperate. You do not see me desperately organizing people to come together in prayer groups or desperately trying to establish a non-profit organization to help non-neo churches pay their utility bills.
The jungle has accomplished nothing. Rather, it seeks to take credit for the work of others. It was not the jungle that established the second seminary or even the first one. The goal of the jungle is to remove the Archbishop and reinstate Father Paul and Monsignor James and to further cause division in the Catholic Church. The jungle has no intention of unity or reconciliation.
Yep. Timmy likes to take credit for other people's work. Timmy says:
Delete"First, it was I who made the decision after I met with the apostolic visitors to keep the clergy out of this to protect them."
Yeah right!!! He made the decision??? Who is he to make any decision regarding the clergy? Timmy must think he's the Bishop.
Bishop? he think he's the pope.
DeleteWhile basically everyone, from all the recent Popes to innumerable Cardinals and Bishops, from expert theologians to the simple faithful, all acclaim the new realities of the Church as the springtime of the Church, some neo-conservatives watch with suspect these realities like the Neocatechumenal Way. Here in Guam, instead of acclaiming Archbishop as the ‘hero’ for being so courageous as to promote these realities, they despise him and now they are organizing meetings in various villages to deride him. How blind they are! Ezekiel 12:2 They have eyes to see but do not see and ears to hear but do not hear, for they are a rebellious people.
DeleteI really believe that those who write against the Archbishop do not know him. Many have never spoke to him personally which is sad, because he is always available to anyone who wants to approach him. Believe me, Diana, he is the opposite of this ogre that they portray him to be. He is humble. He is suffering. He is good. He loves his people. He works hard. He hardly ever has time for himself. He is completely dedicated to his flock. Biba Obispo..
DeleteWhat are you talking about? No one writes against any bishop. People are simply asking questions about his ability to manage archdiocese. No one writes against anyone. Please be accurate in comments.
DeleteMan....any man is not our hero anonymous......it will all come to light at our day of judgment. JESUS CHRIST gives man.....all men who are called to serve the grace to serve....priest included.
DeleteThank you ZOLTON. I would have said something similar but t. rohr may be calling my employer to get me fired.
Deletehe himself does not need to worry.....I believe he is a SFC...sargent first class in the army of SATAN...working his way up
DeleteAnonymousMarch 6, 2015 at 10:30 AM
are you for real anonymous mar 6 10:30??????
I believe t. rohr and guam chatholics need to change the ink on their computers.
ReplyDeletewho is sister Beatrice Von H.? What is her order? Who is mother Margaret Mary?
AnonymousMarch 4, 2015 at 6:26 PM
Deletewho is sister Beatrice Von H.? What is her order? Who is mother Margaret Mary?
it may be the same sowers of scandal; hate and discontent who have previously been proven wrong in the past..........writing under a different name.
JSB
I believe the Vatican representatives advised the faithful on Guam to be in communion with the Church.
ReplyDeleteIt didn't take long for rohr to ignore the advise of these three men.....in fact....we can see in the following quote from PDN that he is again stroking the flames of hate and discontent
The Fr. Paul Gofigan firing fiasco blew the lid off the otherwise quiet but simmering war that had been raging for years between local diocesan priests and what can only be described as a strategic neocatechumenal takeover of the whole island, with RMS and its platoons of presbyters-in-waiting, the head of the snake.
It's like a broken record, nothing new, accusations that confuses issues rather than reveal, an effort to draw support and attention to himself.
Pride.....a lot of pride
ReplyDeleteRE:DianaMarch 3, 2015 at 10:04 AM
You say:
"The fact that the Archbishop of Guam is received well by Pope Francis and was even granted an audience with him shows that he is in communion with the Pope. The Archbishop has already said that the Pope supports him. So, they are in agreement with each other."
Just because the Pope grants a person an audience does not mean he agrees with everything that person does. Often, it is a time where the Pope can offer correction or guidance.
Priests/Bishops are called to direct the faithful in the Church's liturgical worship. The faithful have an obligation to obey them insofar as their direction corresponds to Church's mind as expressed in the liturgical books or in the dispositions of legitimate Church authority.
Obedience of the faithful to the priest/bishop is in virtue of communion with the Church and consequently they have no obligation to obey a priest/bishop who directs them to perform or omit acts contrary to Church norms. Doing so, they fail to fulfill their mission of leading in communion.
Redeptionis Sacramentum
"[169] Whenever an abuse is committed in the celebration of the sacred Liturgy, it is to be seen as a real falsification of Catholic Liturgy. St. Thomas wrote, "the vice of falsehood is perpetrated by anyone who offers worship to God on behalf of the Church in a manner contrary to that which is established by the Church with divine authority, and to which the Church is accustomed".
[183] In an altogether particular manner, let everyone do all that is in their power to ensure that the Most Holy Sacrament of the Eucharist will be protected from any and every irreverence or distortion and that all abuses be thoroughly corrected. This is a most serious duty incumbent upon each and every one, and all area bound to carry it out without any favouritism."
The "approved" Statutes of the NCW 2008 does not give recognitio (written permission) for the additions and deletions in the NCW Mass.
Only the repositioning of the Sign of Peace has obtained this permission and is explained in detail.
The NCW is required to abide by the Roman Missal and GIRM.
Not doing so is disobedience.
Dear Anonymous at 10:04 am,
DeleteIt is not only the Roman Missal that we are obedient to, but we also must be obedient to the Pope, who is the Vicar of Christ. We already told you that we have permission from Rome to celebrate the Eucharist the way we do. That is what we have always been saying. Who says that we have to wait until the Pope writes it down??
" Who says that we have to wait until the Pope writes it down?? "
DeleteYour Statutes "says""
13. 3. For the celebration of the Eucharist in the small communities the approved liturgical books of the Roman Rite are followed, with the exception of the explicit concessions from the Holy See. (refer footnote 49 - See Benedict XVI, Speech to the Neocatechumenal Communities on January 12, 2006, in Notitiae 41 (2005), 554–556; CONGREGATION FOR DIVINE WORSHIP Letter of December 1, 2005 in Notitiae 41 (2005), 563–565 ; “Notification of the Congregation for Divine Worship on celebrations in groups of the Neocatechumenal Way,” L’Osservatore Romano, December 24, 1988: “The Congregation consents that among the adaptations foreseen by the Instruction “Actio Pastoralis”, nn. 6-11, the groups of the above-mentioned “Way” may receive communion under two species, always with unleavened bread, and transfer “ad experimentum” the Rite of Peace to after the Prayer of the Faithful.”
" Who says that we have to wait until the Pope writes it down?? "
Pope Francis through the Letter of Archbishop Becciu says:
"as far as it pertains to the celebrations of the Paschal Vigil and the Sunday Eucharist, mentioned by you, articles 12 and 13, read in their entirety, constitute therefore the regulatory charter of reference."
"We already told you that we have permission from Rome to celebrate the Eucharist the way we do."
DeleteNo, you told us you have permission from Pius. The rest is hearsay
" We already told you that we have permission from Rome to celebrate the Eucharist the way we do"
DeleteWhat I find interesting about this statement is that there doesn't seem to be anyone else in the NCW anywhere in the world prepared to state that the particular communion practises of the NCW are justified on the basis of some alleged verbal approval given by the former Pope.
There is no record that Kiko has ever claimed this. Nor do other pro-NCW sites, the NCW wiki page, or the NCW facebook sites. Even the Archbishop is not prepared to say that the approval was verbal and given in private. Why is that I wonder? Could it be because its complete nonsense? Perhaps Diana can point to someone unrelated who also claims what she claims? Doubtful though.
Dear Diana March 5 3:14
DeleteYou say, "it is not only the Roman Missal that we are obedient to.." Sorry, after 40 years or so, after correction from the Pope, the NCW did put back all the prayers (referring to Sacrifice) in their Mass. But, there is a lot more in the Roman MIssal that is not followed by the NCW.
The NCW are obedient to the verbal instructions of their leader; and, they are not from verbal instructions from the Pope.
You say," Who says that we have to wait until the Pope writes it down?" Answer: The Pope (SEE BELOW) Even Kiko knew this, and was anticipating the "written approval" in January 2012 when 7000 of the NCW met with the Pope in Rome. IT WAS DENIED.
Redemptionis Sacramentum:
[28] All liturgical norms that a Conference of Bishops will have established for its territory in accordance with the law are to be SUBMITTED to the Congregation for Divine Worship and the Discipline of the Sacraments for the RECOGNITIO, without which they lack any binding force.
Dear Diana, Recognitio is the written approval NEEDED, and which the NCW does not have.
The Instruction "Redemptionis Sacramentum" was "prepared by the Congregation for Divine Worship and the Discipline of the Sacraments" (Cardinal Arinze) "BY MANDATE OF THE SUPREME PONTIFF JOHN PAUL II in collaboration with the Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith," (Cardinal Ratzinger- the future Pope Benedict XVI) "was APPROVED BY THE SAME PONTIFF on the Solemnity of St. Joseph, 19 March 2004, and HE ORDERED IT TO BE PUBLISHED AND TO BE OBSERVED IMMEDIATELY by all concerned."
Satan is using a good share of smoke and mirrors to hide the illicitness of the NCW Mass to the majority of its members.
The Pope requested Kiko to put in print his statutes and directory BEFORE any approval would be made. This was to safeguard proper catechesis and celebration of the Sacraments. The 2002 unapproved Statutes is what is visible on your official website. The NCW members should be questioning "why?" it's still there. The approved Statutes of 2008 does not have approval for all the deletions and additions to the NCW Mass. All that is approved is the moving of the Sign of Peace.
May we all be ONE.
Dear Anonymous at 9:58 pm and 9:59 pm,
DeleteAs I said before, we follow everything written in our Statutes along with the verbal instruction we received from Rome. Even the Archbishop stated that we have permission from Rome.
I never said that we got permission from Father Pius. I said that I heard Father Pius tell us that these instructions came from Kiko who received the same instructions from the Pope. That was in 2008, when the change was made.
Follow the missal.......what about following JESUS CHRIST.....???
Deleteat the day of judgement........YES LORD.....I followed the missal.....Good luck
AnonymousMarch 6, 2015 at 1:12 AM
Deletewho has corrected you anonymous?.........don't need correction huh
Dear Anonymous at 5:36 pm,
DeleteI find it ironic that those who oppose the Way put us down because they think we do not follow the Missal. And here you are putting us down for following the Missal. It appears that we are damned if we do and damned if we don't.
By the way, it was the Church who established the Missal, and you cannot separate Christ from His Church. They are one.
Hi Diana, is there any chance the Pope never really gave Kiko that permission, whether verbally or by email as you most recently claim may have occurred? I can understand believing all spoken words coming directly from the Pope. I was wondering whether you have the same belief with every spoken word coming directly from Kiko.
ReplyDeleteDear Anonymous at 8:50 am,
DeleteIf it really did not come from the Pope, something should have been done already. An investigation was conducted on the Way when so many reports were coming in to the Vatican. So far, nothing ever came out from those investigations. When Pope Francis took over, he ceased all investigations into the Way. I do not think that Pope Francis would be so negligent in ceasing those investigations without first looking into it. I am sure that he takes his position as Pope seriously and would look into the investigative reports before dismissing them altogether. If there were really something substantial in those investigation, the Pope would not cease the investigation.
Unless of course he felt that the investigation would have been compromised by corruption and politics in the curia. If he believed there was corruption and politicking going on in the curia, perhaps he might try to do something about it......Oh yeah, that's right. He is.
Delete"something should have been done already"
DeleteYou mean like the pope confirming that the only permitted variations in the NCW liturgy of the Eucharist are contained in the Statutes? Yeah, why hasn't he done that? Oh that's right... he has.
Dear Anonymous at 10:27 am,
DeleteWhat makes you think that the NCW has anything to do with the corruption and politics in the curia???
Dear Anonymous at 11:17 am,
DeleteNo, I meant like excommunicating Kiko for disobedience rather than making him the Consultator of the Pontifical Council of the Laity, which is what Pope Francis did. Pope Francis made Kiko the consultator of the Pontifical Council of the Laity.
Excommunicating Kiko for disobedience would serve no purpose. The many members, who are not aware of all this, would not understand. To do so would not be pastoral - Pope Francis is pastoral. The bent reed, he will not break.
ReplyDeleteThis morning I watched Pope Francis at the Vatican bless those of the NCW going on mission with their many children. This is so wonderful - I cannot do this - but I know my missionary field is in my own house, to my family who have fallen away from the Church, to those in my workplace, and even to those in the very Parish I belong to..
I commend the NCW members whose zeal for missionary work takes them out of their comfort zone. We non-Neo's can appreciate all they do and can learn from them in this regard. Even seeing the many many happy children in the crowd - we should learn from this - children are such gifts - but many Catholics think of them as inconveniences and have limited their existence.
But, that being said, (and I don't take that lightly), I'd like to comment on the audience held with Pope Francis.
When the priests who were going on mission were called up, they all went before the Pope and "knelt" awaiting his blessing.
I do not understand how the NCW members can rationalize kneeling before the Pope, yet standing before our Lord Jesus Christ truly present - Body, Blood, Soul, and Divinity - during Mass. In the early days, the innovative removal of the Mass's prayers which denoted Sacrifice, originally was accepted by all the NCW members - the unaware NCW members did not see the gravity of doing so. Were the NCW members given reassurance that the Popes "verbally approved" of the Liturgy this way? Hmmmmm. It was 40 years or so after, when the Pope finally convinced the NCW to put them back in.
However, the remnant of "verbally approved" additions and deletions still remain. Will it take the NCW members another 40 years to realize their error? I hope and pray not.
The NCW members should read Pope Saint John Paul II's Eucharistic Encyclical and his follow-up Instruction for Liturgical Abuses "Redemptionis Sacramentum." These documents are important reading for non-Neos as well - liturgical abuses exist in many of our Parishes, too. Let us, Neos and non-Neos not become complacent in the worship that is owed our Lord at Mass. - Will we show our love for the Lord by correcting liturgical abuses?? This is such an EASY thing to accomplish, if we but humble ourselves. May we be ONE.
Dear Anonymous at 3:07 am,
DeleteWe may not kneel in our Eucharist, but we do kneel before the Blessed Sacrament.
Furthermore, not all Catholics kneel before the Lord. Japanese Catholis do no kneel because in their culture kneeling is the same as "sitting". The Eastern Catholics also do not kneel in their Mass. The Holy Bible shows that there are also some people who "stand" before God in respect and worship rather than kneel. God looks into our hearts to actually see if we worship Him or not.
After all, this is the same kind of error that Protestants Christians make when they accuse us of being idol worshippers. They see us bowing and kneeling before statutes, and then accuse us of worshipping those statues rather than God. "Worship" is found only in the hearts of men.
To become ONE is to be aware and to appreciate the variety of liturgies and the diversity in the Universal (Catholic) Church.
Deuteronomy 18:7 Then he shall minister in the name of the LORD his God, as all his brethren the Levites do, which stand there before the LORD.
Ezekial 44:15 But the priests the Levites, the sons of Zadok, that kept the charge of my sanctuary when the children of Israel went astray from me, they shall come near to me to minister unto me, and they shall stand before me to offer unto me the fat and the blood, saith the Lord GOD:
Dear Diana,
ReplyDeleteExhortation on the Holy Eucharist - March 2007 by Pope Benedict XVI Emeritus (Sacramentum Caritatus) #65 says:
"A convincing indication of the effectiveness of Eucharistic catechesis is surely an increased sense of the mystery of God present among us. This can be expressed in concrete outward signs of reverence for the Eucharist which the process of mystagogy should inculcate in the faithful. I am thinking in general of the importance of gestures and posture, such as kneeling during the central moments of the Eucharistic Prayer."
KNEELING "officially signifies adoration." (Ceremonial of Bishops Nos. 68-72 P. 36-37)
When Pope Benedict XVI Emeritus was Cardinal Ratzinger, he said:
"The act of kneeling during the Liturgy: Here the bodily gesture attains the status of a confession of faith in Christ. Words could not replace such a confession.
From his book "The Spirit of the Liturgy" Cardinal Ratzinger said:
"Kneeling does not come from any culture - it comes from the Bible and its knowledge of God... (to kneel before) alone occurs 59 times in the New Testament, 24 of which are in the Apocalypse, the book of heavenly liturgy which is presented to the Church as the "Standard of her own Liturgy."
From the same book, he says:
"There are groups, of no small influence, who are trying to talk us out of kneeling. "It doesn't suit our culture" they say....it's not appropriate for redeemed man - he has been set free by Christ and doesn't need to kneel any more...St. Augustine said that the humility of Christ and His love, which went as far as the Cross, have freed us and we kneel before that humility. The kneeling of Christians is an expression of Christian culture which transforms the existing culture through a new and keener knowledge and experience of God. (page 184)
Cardinal Ratzinger further said on page 194:
"The man who learns to believe, learns also to kneel; and, a faith or a liturgy no longer familiar with kneeling, would be sick at the core. Where it has been lost, kneeling must be rediscovered, so that, in our prayer, we remain in fellowship with the apostles and martyrs, in fellowship with the whole cosmos, indeed in union with Jesus Christ Himself."
-------------
The Catholics of the NCW profess to be of the Roman Rite. The Roman Missal and the GIRM are to be followed. Any deviation from the instructions are to have recognitio - written permission.