A Christian missionary E. Stanley Jones asked Mahatma Gandhi, "Mr Gandhi, though you quote the words of Christ often, why is it that you appear to so adamantly reject becoming His follower"? Ghandi's reply was clear: "Oh, I don't reject your Christ. I love your Christ. It is just that so many of you Christians are so unlike your Christ".
So many Catholics are "Catholics" in name only. Guam has 85% Catholics, but how many of those Catholics are really "followers of Christ" as Gandhi pointed out? It is so easy to say, "We did not abandon our faith". When you allow your children to live with their boyfriend/girlfriend under your roof, you have abandoned your faith. When you live with your boyfriend/girlfriend outside marriage, you have abandoned your faith. When you are using birth control methods, you have abandoned your faith. When you support same-sex marriage and abortion, you have abandoned your faith. When you leave your spouse for another person, you have abandoned your faith. When you hold grudges against your relatives and family members and do not speak to them for the rest of your life, you have abandoned your faith. When you cannot forgive the person who hurt you and seek some kind of "payback", you have abandoned your faith. When you teach your children and others to hate those who are different, you have abandoned your faith. When you look down on other Catholics because they are in this organization or that organization of the Church, you have abandoned your faith. So, of the 85% of the Catholics on Guam, how many are really living out their faith? How many are truly Catholics?
Ghandi's reply is an eye-opener. It implies that it is not enough to simply say, "I am a Catholic." By our way of life, people should be able to say, "This is a follower of Christ." The Neocatechumenal Way have always placed much emphasis on the Sermon on the Mount because to be a true Christian is to live up to the standards of the Sermon on the Mount.
It is not impossible to live out your faith. A simple example is what Senators Dennis Rodriguez Jr. and Frank Aguon Jr. did when they voted against the same-sex marriage bill. They were the only two among the many Catholics in the Guam Legislature who stood up for their faith rather than follow man's law. That is what it means to not abandon your faith for Christians are not supposed to abandon their faith even in the workplace.
The Neocatechumenal Way is part of the Catholic Church. Pope Paul VI and Pope Francis recognized that the Way was inspired by the Blessed Virgin Mary. According to Pope Francis (the bold is mine):
The NCW received the support and blessings of Pope Francis, the Vicar of Christ. Therefore, regardless of what anyone says, the NCW cannot be thrown out. Some Bishops in Japan tried to expel the Way from their country and failed. It is true that the Way is not for everyone just as it is true that the traditional Latin Mass is also not for everyone. God calls all Christians to be holy and not be a "Christian" in name only. It does not matter whether one becomes holy through the NCW, through the Novus Ordo Mass, through the traditional Latin Mass, through the Legion of Mary, through the Focolare Movement or through whatever organization God has established inside His Church. Christians should not just preach, but put into practice what they preach.....and only then will it be said, "There goes a follower of Christ."
Ghandi's reply is an eye-opener. It implies that it is not enough to simply say, "I am a Catholic." By our way of life, people should be able to say, "This is a follower of Christ." The Neocatechumenal Way have always placed much emphasis on the Sermon on the Mount because to be a true Christian is to live up to the standards of the Sermon on the Mount.
It is not impossible to live out your faith. A simple example is what Senators Dennis Rodriguez Jr. and Frank Aguon Jr. did when they voted against the same-sex marriage bill. They were the only two among the many Catholics in the Guam Legislature who stood up for their faith rather than follow man's law. That is what it means to not abandon your faith for Christians are not supposed to abandon their faith even in the workplace.
The Neocatechumenal Way is part of the Catholic Church. Pope Paul VI and Pope Francis recognized that the Way was inspired by the Blessed Virgin Mary. According to Pope Francis (the bold is mine):
The Pope’s task, the task of Peter, is to confirm his brothers in the faith. Thus, you too wanted by this gesture to ask that the Successor of Peter confirm your call, support your mission, bless your charism. And today I confirm your call, I support your mission and I bless your charism..............
For years now the Way has been undertaking these missio ad gentes among non-Christians, for an implantatio Ecclesiae, a new presence of the Church, where the Church does not exist or is no longer able to reach people. "How much joy you give us with your presence and your activity!" - said Blessed Pope Paul VI during the very first audience with you (May 8, 1974: Teachings of Pope Paul VI, XII [1974], 407). I also make these words my own and encourage you to move forward, entrusting you to the Blessed Virgin Mary who inspired the Neocatechumenal Way. May she intercede for you with her divine Son.Speech of Pope Francis
The NCW received the support and blessings of Pope Francis, the Vicar of Christ. Therefore, regardless of what anyone says, the NCW cannot be thrown out. Some Bishops in Japan tried to expel the Way from their country and failed. It is true that the Way is not for everyone just as it is true that the traditional Latin Mass is also not for everyone. God calls all Christians to be holy and not be a "Christian" in name only. It does not matter whether one becomes holy through the NCW, through the Novus Ordo Mass, through the traditional Latin Mass, through the Legion of Mary, through the Focolare Movement or through whatever organization God has established inside His Church. Christians should not just preach, but put into practice what they preach.....and only then will it be said, "There goes a follower of Christ."
Christian doctrine is not a closed system incapable of generating questions, doubts, interrogatives. But it is alive, knows being unsettled … it does not have a rigid face, it has a body that moves and grows, it has a soft flesh: it is called Jesus Christ.” (Pope Francis)
ReplyDeleteThe Pope see the church as a less rigid and less dogmatic institution, which stands with people who live on the margins of society, there are factions in the church that are vigorously resisting his plea for the church to be more flexible and open.
ReplyDeleteThe jungle gang wants the communities to be expelled from the Catholic Church. They want the Holy Mother Church to discriminate based on affiliation to church groups, in particular, to the Neocatechumenal Way. This will never happen! Nobody can claim the sacred protection of the Holy Mother Church for themselves while using it as a weapon against fellow Catholics.
ReplyDeleteIt is like sibling rivalry. If Tom does not like Johnny for whatever reason, he may go to their parents in silly anger, complain about Johnny and demand that Johnny be expelled from the family. But the parents are loving and wise people and they will never allow Tom's anger to prevail! They will explain to Tom with parental authority that siblings form the same family, therefore they are to tolerate, respect and love love each other.
If Tom insists that Johnny be expelled from the family, then the family has a serious problem. Who allowed Tom to develop a character that allows him to make demands like that? Just because he does not like Johnny for whatever reason, he has no right to throw Johnny out of the family. It is one thing to have disagreement, even rivalry between Tom and Johnny. All these things are happening inside any family. However, if Tom insists that Johnny be thrown out to the streets, then he wants to break the only thing that keeps family members together: the family itself! Then Tom is to be blamed as it is him who has a deformed sense of conscience! He is not just a mischievous kid, he is a destroyer with evil intent. The parent will act accordingly.
The same way, the Holy Mother Church will never show partiality among its children, will love and protect all church groups on her bosom from persecution and will discipline those, who want to destroy the community of believers following their uncontrolled, egotistic anger and silliness.
A couple of points.
ReplyDeleteIt is interesting that at the same time you say that not all Catholics are really Catholics, you assume that all Jewish people are faithful, even though only about a third of Jewish people identify themselves as religious. I think that is a double standard.
Secondly, when you abandon the liturgy of the Catholic Church for something dreamed up by a lay, unauthorised person, and claim some secret "permission", you have "abandoned your faith". When you punish people because they have left you little group, "you have abandoned your faith". When you claim that there is a need for secrecy in the teaching of the group, "you have abandoned your faith". When you teach things that are contrary to the magisterioum "you have abandoned your faith".
Finally, please educate yourself on the intervention of Archbishop Socrates Villegas, a highly credible Bishop, who put a moratorium on new communities and on new members of the NCW; who ordered the reading of the catechism and the praying of the rosary by members/communities, and who banned a catechist from teaching in his Diocese: http://rcald.org/?p=142
Dear Anonymous at 10:45 am,
DeleteAccording to the Catechism of the Catholic Church:
847 This affirmation is not aimed at those who, through no fault of their own, do not know Christ and his Church: Those who, through no fault of their own, do not know the Gospel of Christ or his Church, but who nevertheless seek God with a sincere heart, and, moved by grace, try in their actions to do his will as they know it through the dictates of their conscience - those too may achieve eternal salvation.337
As you can see, that even those who do not know Christ and His Church but nevertheless seek God the Father with a sincere heart can also find salvation in ways that are known only to God.
Secondly, as I stated in the OP....to be a true Christian is to live up to the standards of the Sermon on the Mount. Christ taught on the Sermon on the Mount that if one has a grievance with a brother, he should leave the altar and first settle the grievance with the brother. In other words, Christ considered reconciliation with the brother more important then whatever gifts you present at the altar. If one cannot reconcile with the brother, one cannot reconcile with God at the altar. Furthermore, we do not punish anyone who leaves the Way. Rather, we encourage him to return and he/she is always welcome to return, but the choice is theirs. Also, we do not teach anything contrary to the Magisterium. All the catechesis comes from the Catechetical Directory approved by the Vatican.
Finally, what has Archbishop Socrates Villegas have to do with us??? The NCW in the Philippines is the one who have to follow their Archbishop. The fact that they obeyed him showed that they are in communion with the Catholic Church. The Archbishop of Guam is Anthony Apuron, and he is the one we obey. The fact that we obey him shows that we are in communion with the Catholic Church. Obedience to the Archbishop who was appointed by the Pope is the sure sign that we are one with the Pope and the Magesterium of the Catholic Church.
The Archbishop talks reconciliation but by his inaction he has no interest in reconciliation. He refuses to meet with faithful Catholics who have questions only he can answer. He signs himself "servus tuus" but in reality he is "servientes mihi."
ReplyDeleteEllen B.
Dear Ellen B.,
DeleteThe Archbishop already answered those questions. CCOG wants to know who owns the RM Seminary. That question was already answered and was made public. It is not the Archbishop's problem that they do not believe him. What is the point of entertaining people who do not believe you or anything you say? The Archbishop answered their question because he wanted reconciliation. What more do you want him to do when he has already answered that question?
AT 7:28 AM you need to get yourself a recorder, if you want the answer again play it. Ellen B. or Eilleen Benavente- Bles
DeleteWhat does it matter what name is used? Just following your lead by going by a pseudonym
Deleteas you do.
"Ellen B. or Eilleen Benavente- Bles"
The CCOG are not the only ones who wish to meet with the archbishop. There are other faithful Catholics who are denied a meeting with him. He signs himself "servus tuus" yet he is "servientes mihi."
ReplyDeleteEllen B.
Dear Ellen B,
DeleteThese people who want to meet with him are still asking the SAME questions, which has already been answered. Again, it is not the Archbishop's problem that they do not believe him. Since their question has already been answered, what is the point of their meeting?
So what, meet with them anyhow. Can't hurt.
DeleteDear Anonymous at 3:59 pm,
DeleteIt is a waste of time to answer questions that has already been answered especially when they will not believe him anyway.
How do you know what's on people's minds, Diane-know-it-all?
ReplyDeleteThe archbishop is supposed to serve
all faithful Catholics.
Ellen B.
Dear Ellen B.,
DeleteI do not need to read their minds when I can read the protest signs they hold up. The Laity Forward Movement hold up the same protest signs and ask the same questions as CCOG.
my dear Diana November 13, 2015 at 10:14 AM, your reply to anon 3:59 pm
Delete"It is a waste of time to answer questions that has already been answered"
when did brother tony answer questions, I have been to each parish and when tony is asked to respond, his response have nothing to do with the question, so are you saying since he replied to a question he answered the question, most of the questions only required a "YES" or "NO" answer and brother tony could NOT even do that..........
so again my dear diana when did brother tony answer questions???????/
Dear Anonymous at 10:28 pm,
DeleteThe Archbishop answered those questions when he met with the parishioners of Toto Church. He met with them, and they still did not believe him.
This new group laity forwarded, is this an approved group. Reason is some young students joined it. I was told it is a confirmation service program. By joining this laity forward it counts as service hours for confirmation. Anne Reyes Yona.
DeleteAT 10:08 AM Ellen b ---- you act like a Child
DeleteThank you for the compliment:
Delete"But Jesus said, Suffer little children, and forbid them not, to come unto me: for of such is the kingdom of heaven."
Ellen B.
The archbishop has no supporters that will defend him publicly which is sad. The last two articles in the "mindful musings" column that appears each Wednesday in The Guam Daily Post were critical of the archbishop. No comments were posted defending him. Why? Because in order to post a comment, one must register his/her real name. Comments may be posted by a different name but the registration must be done using the person's real name. Have the courage of your convictions and own up to what you say.
ReplyDelete"Ellen B. or Eilleen Benavente- Bles"
Dear Ellen,
DeleteThe Archbishop has many supporters. There were many people at his birthday gala dinner while your number is very few at the protest.
The archbishop has no supporters who are willing to put their name to comments in the media. Read this Wed's "mindful musings" column in the Guam Daily Post and see how many post comments in support of the archbishop. I predict ZERO comments. You haven't the guts to put your real name on this blog let alone in a newspaper where you give support to your archbishop, ipsum servientes.
ReplyDelete"Ellen B. or Eilleen Benavente- Bles"
Dear Ellen,
DeleteWe have better and more important things to do. We are moving forward.
Oh, I get it. It's not important to defend the archbishop if it means putting your actual name on your opinion. Though I don't agree with Zoltan's opinions I do admire that he is willing to put his name to his convictions. Other neos should follow his lead.
ReplyDeleteYes, you are moving forward to become a parasite in all Guam's parish churches. You haven't the will or determination to build your own churches within the archdiocese of Guam. You take the easy way.
"Ellen B. or Eilleen Benavente- Bles"
Dear Ellen B. or Eilleen Benavente-Bles or whatever your name is.
DeleteUnless I woke up in North Korea, we have a right to remain anonymous. We do not need to build our Church because Christ already built it more than 2000 years ago. We are Catholic.
This eilleen benavente -bles or whatever related to Msgr James benavente ??? she sure does have a lot to say about Nothing.
DeleteYes, you lack the courage of your convictions. I am talking about building a physical church building within the diocese of Agaña. Follow the specifications dictated by Kiko Arguella on how Neo churches should be built.
ReplyDelete"Ellen B. or Eilleen Benavente- Bles"
Dear Ellen,
DeleteThat makes no sense.
What exactly "makes no sense"?
ReplyDelete"Ellen B. or Eilleen Benavente- Bles"