Tim Rohr has never been to any of our Easter Vigils even when Bishop Apuron was Archbishop of Agana. This is why one should never listen to Rohr. According to Rohr:
As noted in my initial post, while the NCW has "been saying all along that we are allowed to celebrate the Easter Vigil in small groups," the fact is that it - the NCW in Guam - doesn't. And it didn't even before Fr. Romy's recent directive. Instead, the NCW in Guam has historically gathered all the communities together for a single "large-group" celebration of the Paschal Vigil, albeit in their own unconsecrated space.
During Apuron’s time, we did celebrate the Easter Vigil in small groups. The Barrigada communities celebrated the Easter Vigil together on their own. Chalan Pago Communities celebrated the Easter Vigil on its own. The Agana communities and Tamuning communities also held their own celebrations. We were not together as one single large group. At that time, there were enough RMS priests to celebrate the Easter Vigil in small groups.
It was during Archbishop Byrnes’ time that the NCW celebrated the Easter Vigil as one single large group. Why? Because at that time, we no longer had enough RMS priests to hold small group celebrations. Why? Because Archbishop Michael claimed that Guam does not need RMS priests, so many of them were rejected, and they found new Bishops who took them in. According to the Pacific Daily News:
"The main reason for closing the seminary is that it is just not a sustainable model for the Archdiocese of Agana," he said, adding that the RMS model envisions a type and formation of priesthood that works in a place like Denver or Miami, for example, where there are millions of Catholics.
The reason this blog is called, “Neocatechumenal Way, Insider’s View” is because this blog belongs to a member of the NCW who has been walking since 2007. I am that member. As a member, I can blog about my own experiences in the Way. Rohr, on the other hand, cannot. Therefore, when Rohr said that the NCW in Guam has historically celebrated the Easter Vigil as one large group with all the communities present, this is false. It is a false and incorrect statement from Rohr. I was walking since 2007. I was there when we celebrated in small groups.
Furthermore, Rohr stated:
So The Diana says that because the Dogma of the Assumption of the Blessed Virgin Mary is not found explicitly in Scripture then neither do the practices of the NCW have to be found explicitly in its Statutes. (Note: See how The Diana equates the NCW Statute with Dogma, the Dogma of the Assumption!)
The Assumption of the Blessed Virgin Mary officially became a dogma in 1950 by Pope Pius XII. Before 1950, the Assumption of our Blessed Mother was a TRADITION…. Yes, that is correct….a TRADITION practiced and passed down by Catholics throughout the generations. The Catholic Church has always followed the Apostolic Traditions (which were practices passed on), Sacred Scripture, and the teaching Magisterium of the Church.
Likewise, the NCW continued to practice its TRADITION before the approval of the Statutes. Pope John Paul II and Pope Benedict XVI were fully aware of these practices because they also participated in those traditional practices. See the story here.
There were only a few minor changes made to the NCW traditional practices AFTER the Statutes were approved. For example, one of those changes made was the way we were to receive Holy Communion. Previously, the members would receive the Body of Christ sitting down. After the approval of the Statutes, we started receiving the Body of Christ standing. Everything else that were NOT mentioned in the Statutes remained the same and continued to be traditionally practiced.
Scott Hahn once said that if you want to find the truth, go straight to the horse’s mouth to find it. Scott Hahn became a Catholic because he found out the truth by going through the written works of the Church Fathers and Early Christians, who were all Catholics. He did not turn to any anti-Catholic website. In the same way, if one wants to learn the truth of the NCW, then speak to the members who are currently walking in the Way. That is plain simple common sense.
Diana, wouldn't Fr. Romy be going against the approved statutes by changing certain things in the Easter Vigil?
ReplyDelete
DeleteDear Anonymous at 5:02 pm,
No. In the first place, I believe the intention of Father Romy was to appease the “pressure group” that went against Bishop Apuron. Because he is the Apostolic Administrator, he has authority over us, and the NCW should be obedient to him, just as Pope Frances commanded us. However Father Romy has no authority over Pope Francis. Even Tim is aware of this. Tim knows that it was the Pope who stopped the Japanese bishops from expelling the NCW from Japan. He knows that the NCW has the blessings of 4 popes including Pope Francis.
As long as the NCW remains humble and obedient to the authority of the Bishop, God will reward us as He has done many times. The purpose of serving the Bishop was basically to remain in union with Pope Frances and to keep unity with the Catholic Church. Remember, that God opened up the pilgrimage to Israel for us last year despite all the travel regulations and restrictions on COVID-19. That was a great opportunity for many of us to see the places where Jesus was and to walk in our Lord’s footsteps. Today, the NCW is working toward sending its youth to the World Youth Day to Portugal.
I can say the same thing too. I walk since 2005 with Fr. Santiago in Chalan Pago. Chalan Pago had its own Easter Vigil in the social hall. We had our own baptismal font and baptised infants who belong only in the Chalan Pago communities. We didn't celebrate the Vigil with the other communities. It was just Chalan Pago.
ReplyDeleteDear Anonymous at 5:45 pm,
DeleteMany in the older communities know that we celebrated the Easter Vigil in small groups. And those who were walking before 2008 can testify that changes were made after the statutes were approved, disputing Rohr’s allegation that the NCW disobeyed the approved statutes.
"In the same way, if one wants to learn the truth of the NCW, then speak to the members who are currently walking in the Way. That is plain simple common sense."
ReplyDeleteVery true. Tim's blog is Anti-Neo. You can't learn the truth about the Way by going to an Anti-Neo blog.