Easter Sunrise Mass

Easter was celebrated in the NCW in Guam differently as in previous years due to the fact that we obeyed Father Romy, the Apostolic Administrator. Father Romy made a few changes in our Easter Vigil so that it became a Sunrise Mass rather than a vigil. Although there were a few minor changes; overall, the Easter Mass was beautiful as always. Hours were spent preparing for the readings, the liturgies, and even the songs.  Of course, it was still six hours long because we go through all nine readings. Nevertheless, I am certain that in time we will celebrate the Easter Vigil again as we did before. Why? Because it is not only us who need to be obedient to the Bishop or Apostolic Administrator (as in this case). All Bishops must also be obedient to the Pope. According to the following article (the bold is mine):

The episcopal council of the Rome diocese, in a document distributed March 1, said the unity of the diocese — seen especially through the unity of the bishop and pastors of parishes in the celebration of the Eucharist — is especially important to emphasize during the triduum: the Holy Thursday Mass of the Lord’s Supper, the Good Friday liturgy of the Lord’s Passion and the Easter vigil Saturday night.

“To express visibly the unity of the holy people of God and express the deepest meaning of belonging to an ecclesial community,” the council said, those who frequent non-parish churches, chapels and oratories or who belong to special groups, associations or new movements “are exhorted to take part in the celebrations of the Easter triduum in parish churches.”

An exception exists for “national churches,” like the U.S. Catholic community at St. Patrick Church in Rome, and for members of the Neocatechumenal Way, whose Vatican-approved statutes allow for small-group celebrations of the Easter vigil, Midili said.

Cardinal Angelo De Donatis, the papal vicar for the Diocese of Rome, published the council’s document with a note saying the joint triduum celebrations would make the parishes “the pulsing heart” of diocesan liturgical life, while the other churches and oratories could “rediscover their proper charism as privileged places for personal prayer and the celebration of reconciliation.”

As anyone can see in that March 1, 2019 letter, the Neocatechumenal Way was given permission by the Vatican to celebrate the Easter Vigil when they approved our statutes. In fact, the Easter Vigil is found in our statutes, which is approved by the Holy See. So, let us pray that all bishops be united and obedient to  the Bishop of Rome, our Pope.

At any rate, we started at around 11:00 pm on Saturday and ended at around 5:00 a.m. on Sunday. 😁 Afterwards, we had agape. It is still the Easter season. We also continue to help our youth fundraise for their pilgrimage to Portugal. Furthermore, many of the brothers are already evangelizing in other Pacific Islands. 

                              

The First Sin

The first sin that was committed was pride.  It is also the worst sin.  The sin of pride was found in Lucifer, who was God's right hand-man (or should I say "angel").  However, Lucifer was not happy being second.  He wanted to be first and sit on God's throne.  As a result of his sin, he was cast out of Heaven.  

Pride was also the first sin committed among man.  Satan tempted Eve to eat the forbidden fruit and in her pride, she wanted to be like God.

"You will not certainly die," the serpent said to the woman.  "For God knows that when you eat from it  your eyes will be opened, and you will be like God, knowing good and evil." - Genesis 3:4-5  

Man was then cast out of the Garden of Eden.  Pride often leads to disobedience.  In the case of man, eating the fruit from the tree of knowledge of good and evil was an act of disobedience against God who prohibited them from touching and eating the fruit in the first place.  

The holy Bible speaks of pride as a sin and screams of obedience.  Children are told to obey their parents (Ephesians 6:1 and Colossians 3:20), and slaves are told to obey their masters (Ephesians 6:5 and Colossians 3:22).  Christians are told to obey their bishops (Hebrews 13:17).  In this way, God prepares us for His kingdom so that our will conforms to His will.  We are to follow and obey God's will.  However, many times, we want God to follow and obey our will.  By the same token, God calls on parents to care for their children and on earthly masters to care for their slaves.  He also calls on bishops to care for the souls of their sheep. 

The only time a child can disobey their parents is when their parents tell them to do something that is immoral such as stealing, killing, etc.  If a master tells a slave to kill another servant, then the slave through his moral conscience can disobey because the killing of another person goes against the commandment of God. If a bishop also tells a lay person to go against any of the Ten Commandments, the lay person can through his moral conscience disobey. Even Christ told His disciples to listen and obey the Pharisees because they sit in the chair of Moses, but he warned them not to imitate their behavior because they were hypocrites.  

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."   

It is clear from the passage that Christ tells us to obey authority and at the same time obey our conscience.  However, our conscience must be formed correctly to know the difference between good and evil, between right and wrong.  

In the U.S. military, obedience is very important because it deals with matters of life and death of the soldier and other fellow soldiers.  In the Church, obedience is also important because it deals with the salvation of souls.  When Archbishop Hon instructs his priests to read his letter to the parishioners and distribute the petitions, there is nothing immoral in that command.  To go against Bill 326 does not mean that we support child abusers.  Those who sexually abused children should be punished.  However, Bill 326 not only punishes the child abusers but also punish innocent people who have nothing to do with the offense.  The Church does not support child abuers, but she also does not support punishing innocent people.  The Church looks to God who does not punish the wicked together with the just (Genesis 18:23-32).  Those who did not follow Archbishop Hon's instruction to read the letter and distribute the petitions were disobedient because they thought they knew better than Archbishop Hon.  This is the sin of pride. 

With that said, it is with great sorrow that the Archdiocesan leader remained silent and did not speak out against Bill 326 during the public hearings.  He spoke out too late.  It is also with great sorrow that some of the priests did not support the Apostolic Administrator, but supported Bill 326.  These disobedient priests need to be reminded that the Church is a living organism, not an institution.  This living organism is divine and holy.  It has no sins.  Only the members of the Church are sinners and should be held accountable for their sins.  

Archbishop Hon Is Representative Of Pope Francis

It was Pope Francis who sent Archbishop Hon in his place to bring unity to the Church in Guam.  Therefore, any defiance against Archbishop Hon is also a defiance against Pope Francis, the Vicar of Christ who sits on the chair of the Apostle Peter.  An anonymous commenter pointed out under the thread of my last post that the jungle is being disobedient to Archbishop Hon.  In his blog, Tim Rohr has called Archbishop Hon "stupid," a "racist supremacist" and a "narcissist bishop."  This also means that he has called Pope Francis "stupid," a "racist supremacist" and a "narcissist bishop."  But it does not stop there.  Jesus Christ spoke these words to His disciples: 

Luke 10:16  Then he said to the disciples, “Anyone who accepts your message is also accepting me. And anyone who rejects you is rejecting me. And anyone who rejects me is rejecting God, who sent me.”

These words from Christ is very important.  It calls for trust and obedience to Pope Francis and his representative whom he sent in his place.  Any defiance against the Pope is also a defiance against Christ and His Church.

The jungle is impatient because they demand Archbishop Hon to do this and to do that.  They have everything they wanted all laid out, and there is no compromise or negotiation.  They demand everything their way, and they want it done according to their terms and in their own timetable.     

What exactly do they want?  They call for the destruction of the Neocatechumenal Way, the shutting down of the RM Seminary, and the removal of all RMS priests from the parishes.  They demand that Archbishop Apuron be defrocked without due process of the law. These are only a few things on their list.  To demand that everything be done their way does not bring peace. The only ones who can rightly demand anything would be Pope Francis and his representatives who stand in his place (in this case Archbishop Hon).  Pope Francis has asked the people of Guam for his trust and prayers when he sent Archbishop Hon to be our Apostolic Administrator to bring unity to the Church in Guam. So, to the junglefolks and members of LFM and CCOG, let us be very clear about this........Rome has spoken!!!  So, we allow Rome to do what they came here to do.  And it will be on Rome's terms! 

Pope Francis To Priests And Religous

Now would be a good time to remind priests of their promise of obedience to the Archbishop.  The Vatican is fully aware of the discord on Guam.  After all, they have sent a Vatican delegation here and Archbishop Krebs visited Guam twice.  Therefore, they are fully aware of the problems here.  However, let me remind all priests that the jungle, CCOG, and LFM are very few in number.  They have unsuccessfully tried to rally the Catholic faithful to their cause.  Only a few show up in the LFM protests and fundraiser. 

Let me also remind the priests that Archbishop Apuron is the local vicar of Christ.  As long as he is not removed by the Pope, he is legally the local vicar of Christ, and I say this in light of the fact that the Vatican is aware of Guam's situation.  Because LFM has been unsuccessful in rallying the majority of Catholics, their next step is to try and rally the priests against the Archbishop.  Therefore, you are being reminded that Archbishop Apuron is the local vicar of Christ and representative of the Pope.

A priest may correct the Archbishop with love or voice his opinions to him, but that is as far as it goes.  Below is an article from CNN in which Pope Francis addressed the religious and clergy.  Bear in mind that this command to be obedient to the Bishop comes from Pope Francis.  According to CNN (the bold is mine): 

(CNN)Pope Francis has warned gossip-loving priests and nuns not to fuel the "terrorism of gossip," encouraging them to resist the temptation to spread voices and tales within their community.

"If you get an urge to say something against a brother or a sister, to drop a gossip bomb, bite your tongue! Hard!" he said on Monday in Vatican City.

 

In an impromptu speech to members of the clergy, which comes at the end of the Year of Consecrated Life, the pontiff compared those spreading gossip to terrorists, since they can send a community into chaos.

 

The Pope urged clergy members breaking their vows of obedience, poverty and chastity to fall into line. The dialogue is welcome, he said, but after the dialogue comes obedience, adding that "anarchy is the daughter of the devil, not of God."  

  

Francis also lamented the decline in the number of vocations and people opting for a religious life.

 

"Why is the womb of consecrated live becoming so sterile?" he asked, cautioning against shortcuts or easy solutions.

 

"Some congregations experiment with 'artificial insemination.' What do they do? They welcome... 'Yes come, come, come'. And then there are problems," he said. "No. We must be serious about who we take. We must clearly distinguish if it is a real vocation, and help it to grow."

 

The Roman Catholic Church is still facing the consequences of sex abuse scandals, which shocked many believers, in particular in Western Europe and North America and among millennials.

 

The Church has 400,000 priests around the world, according to the Vatican. Agence France-Press says there are 693,000 nuns.

 

http://edition.cnn.com/2016/02/02/europe/pope-francis-gossip-bomb/

Kiko Was Obedient To The Vatican

Someone brought up Father Walsh's letter to Tim Rohr dated April 26, 2008.  An anonymous commenter indicated that Kiko and the NCW ignored the instructions of Pope Benedict through the letter of Cardinal Arinze in December, 2005.  His/Her comment can be found here.

 

First of all, nowhere in my previous comment did I even mention Cardinal Arinze.  This is one of the problems with the jungle.  They put words in other people's mouths despite that the person never said it.  My previous comment referred to Father Walsh's letter.  According to his letter (the bold is mine): 

 

4/26/08

Tim:

Kiko spoke to Cardinal Rylko, the head of the Council for the Laity, back in December when the two year transitional period ran out.  Both Kiko and Cardinal Rylko knew that the statues would contain a modification of Cardinal Arinze's instructions.  Rylko gave an oral reply to Kiko to maintain the present practice so that the Holy See would not be put in the awkward position of seeming to change its mind by going from Arinze's letter to the new statues in a very short time.  The pope approved the statues in the beginning of February and they were to be promulgated on February  27th.  But just before the promulgation, the statues were removed from the hands of the Council of the Laity and sent back for further considerations by the other four  dicasteries of the Curia that have to review any changes in the statues.  We were just told to hold tight until you receive further word.  No explanations were given at the time.  There is, however, evidently still some strong resistance to the statues on the part of some in the Curia and they are trying to introduce further changes.  However, there are no documents to show you at this point.  All our instruction have been oral, but we are satisfied with that.  We have no choice.  All we were told is to take no action until the Holy See resolves these matters.  This is what we are doing. However, I hope you understand that this information is not for publication.  I share it with you so that you will understand the delicate position we are in at the moment.  I would caution against reading into these events more what I have said.  I mention them simply to show that we are not disregarding Arinze's letter, but that subsequent events have changed the situation in which we find ourselves.

Father Walsh wrote the above letter to Tim Rohr before the Statues were approved.  At that time, the NCW received and consumed the Body of Christ sitting down. 
 

Cardinal Arinze's letter to Kiko in December, 2005 contained some guidelines from Pope Benedict XVI that the NCW was supposed to follow.  In January, 2006, Kiko then wrote a letter to Pope Benedict XVI, thanking him for granting him two more years to adapt to the changes they made in the celebration of the Eucharist.  According to Kiko Arguello (the bold is mine): 

We also wish to thank you for the benevolence, mercy, and goodness You have shown to those farthest away in allowing the moving of the sign of peace and in granting a period of two years for the adaptation of the manner of distributing the Communion of the Body and the Blood of the Lord: we have always shown to the many brothers who have emerged from hell, full of wounds and of self-loathing, that in the Holy Eucharist the Lord makes present his love, dying and rising for them; and not only that, but prepares a table, an eschatological banquet, which makes Heaven present and where He himself, full of love, has them sit down and comes to serve them: “He will have them recline at the table and will come and wait on them” (Lk 12:37). 

It is very obvious from Kiko's letter that there was a change in the way the Eucharist would be celebrated because of the fact that he mentioned it. His letter actually acknowledged that there was a change in the Eucharistic celebration that the NCW was supposed to adapt in the next two years. However, in the next two years, the NCW made absolutely no change to the way they celebrated the Eucharist.  Why?  The answer is found in Father Walsh's letter to Tim Rohr.  

According to Father Walsh's letter, the approval of the Statutes was supposed to take place in February 27, 2006; but that never happened. Why?  Because it was removed and sent back to four dicasteries of the Curia for further review.  Cardinal Rylko then instructed Kiko to maintain the present practice and take no action until the Holy See resolves the issues.  Thus, for the next two years, the NCW continued to receive and consume the Body of Christ sitting down.  Therefore, how can one fault Kiko Arguello for disobedience when he was instructed by Cardinal Rylko to maintain the present practice and take no action until the Vatican resolves the issue?   

 

It was on May 11, 2008 when the Statutes were finally approved. Whatever the issues were in the Curia, it was finally resolved. The changes that came after that were not the same.  The change that was made was to stand to receive the Body of Christ by hand, then sit down and hold His body close to your heart and contemplate Christ's Body with reverence.  Together with the priest, the assembly consumes the Body of Christ sitting down.  That was the change, and this change came with a written instruction.  I was there at the Beginning of the Year Convivence of 2008 when the entire approved Statutes were read page by page, and instructions were given as to how to celebrate the Eucharist.  Those instructions were given by Father Pius.  Apparently, that was the adaption the NCW was supposed to make in the two years had the Statutes been approved in 2006.

Tim Rohr claimed that I called Father Walsh a liar (See his comment in his blog. ) Actually, it was Tim who called Father Walsh a liar because he doubted every single word he wrote to him (See the weblink below): 

http://www.junglewatch.info/2013/12/and-you-wonder-why-people-are-mad.html

 

  

What Does The Catholic Church Say?

Some people criticize the NCW for following the Archbishop.   What does the Catholic Church say about it?  According to the Catechism of the Catholic Church (the bold is mine):

1269  Having become a member of the Church, the person baptized belongs no longer to himself, but to him who died and rose for us. From now on, he is called to be subject to others, to serve them in the communion of the Church, and to "obey and submit" to the Church's leaders, holding them in respect and affection........

The Catechism is extremely clear on this.  It emphasized that we are to obey and submit to the Church leaders - the Pope and Bishops.  Our Church leader is Archbishop Anthony Apuron. He is the local vicar of Christ. Now, some people will mislead others by saying that the Catechism also says to follow your conscience.  The Catechism does not contradict itself. It is not going to clearly instruct one to '"obey and submit" to the Church leaders and then say something contrary to it.  Nowhere in the Catechism does it ever say to "disobey" the Church leader.  Instead, it instructs the faithful to follow their conscience in not following the directives of civil authorities who make laws that are contrary to the moral order, to the fundamental rights of human beings, and to the teachings of the Gospel (See CCC 2242 and 2256). 

Even the Holy Bible clearly tells us to obey and be submissive to the Church leaders.  According to the Holy Bible:

Hebrews 13:17-18 Obey your leaders and defer to them, for they keep watch over you and will have to give an account, that they may fulfill their task with joy and not with sorrow, for that would be of no advantage to you. Pray for us, for we are confident that we have a clear conscience, wishing to act rightly in every respect.

Others may deceive you by pointing to Acts 5:29 where the Apostles stated, "We must obey God rather than men".  Yet, the Catechism of the Catholic Church interprets this biblical verse as referring to civil authorities (See CCC 2242 and 2256). The Church does not interpret Acts 5:29 to mean the Pope and Bishops.  Again, the Catechism of the Catholic Church does not contradict itself when it clearly says to obey the Church leaders.  

What about Jesus?  What did Jesus say about obedience to the Pharisees who sat in the Chair of Moses? According to the Holy Bible:

Matthew 23:1-3  Then Jesus said to the crowds and to his disciples: “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.

Jesus was fully aware that the Pharisees were hypocrites; nevertheless, He instructed His disciples to obey them.  Obey them, not because they were hypocrites, but because they sat in the chair of Moses.   This must have been very difficult for many of Jesus' disciples to do.  

Even the Catechism of the Catholic Church tells us to obey and submit to the Popes and Bishops.  What if the Pope or Bishop is like the Pharisees, you ask? If Jesus said to listen to the Pharisees, He would also tell you to listen to the Pope and Bishops?  Obey them.....not because they are sinners, but because they sit in the chair of the Apostle Peter. Our history shows that the Church had a few bad Popes in the past who did not deserve to sit in the chair of Peter; nevertheless, it was Christ who still guided the Church regardless of who sits in the chair.  A few bad Popes in our history did not destroy the Catholic Church nor led her astray. Christ led His Church where He wanted her to go despite those few bad popes.  Although Archbishop Apuron is human and can sin like everyone else, he is not destroying the Church by bringing in the NCW.  After all, even the Pope allowed the NCW in Rome to exist.  

 The Holy Bible screams of obedience.  Children are to obey their parents, slaves are to obey their masters, wives are to obey their husbands, and the faithful are to obey their Bishops.  And when Christ came into the world, He also obeyed and submitted to the authority of His mother and step-father Joseph (Luke 2:51).  God puts everyone under the authority of someone so we can learn humility and prepare for God's kingdom. After all, how can one say they follow Christ if they cannot even follow the Archbishop who is the local vicar of Christ?

Have faith in Jesus Christ, our Lord.  The Catholic Church can never be lost because Christ is her Head and Spouse who always guides and protects her just as He promised.  "The gates of Hell will not prevail against her".  For the protesters who say they want their church back.....the church had always been there.  The Church was never lost.  You were the one who was lost.  The Church never left and Christ is waiting for your return. The true teachings of the one holy Catholic and apostolic Church is to obey your church leader.     

Obedience Is The Path To Peace

The Holy Bible speaks of obedience to authority.  Children are told to obey their parents (Exodus 20:12 and Deuteronomy 5:16).  The Holy Bible tells us to submit to the authority of the Church leaders (Hebrews 13:17).  .     

Obedience leads to peace.  If children obey their parents as they are told, there would be harmony in the human family.  So, if harmony and peace can exist in the human family though a child's obedience to his/her parents, how much more in God's family - the Church.  Peace and harmony would also exist in God's family where the laity obey their Church leaders, deacons and priests obey their Bishops and Bishops obey the Pope and the Pope obey God.  When Christ came incarnated as a man, He also submitted Himself to the authority of His Blessed mother Mary, His stepfather Joseph, and to God our Father.  Christ also submitted to the civil authorities by paying taxes (Matthew 17:27).  Christ is the role model and example we are to follow regarding obedience. 

According to Pope Francis, "Obedience, in fact, was the instrument with which to achieve peace".  The Pope said this as he commemorated the 50th anniversary of Pope John XXII on June, 2013.  According to the weblink below:  

Francis stressed that John XXIII’s obedience led him to live “a more profound faithfulness, which could be called, as he would say, abandonment to divine Providence.”

Peace was his most “obvious aspect,” he said, adding that John XXIII was “a man who was able to communicate peace, a natural, serene, friendly peace.”

It was a peace, he noted, that, with his election to the pontificate at the age of 76, was manifested to all the world and came to be called “his goodness.” Such a characteristic was “undoubtedly a hallmark of his personality, which enabled him to build strong friendships everywhere.”

Francis also remembered him as “an effective weaver of relationships and a good promoter of unity, inside and outside the Church community, open to dialogue with Christians of other churches, with members of the Jewish and Muslim traditions.”

Pope Francis also observed how John XXIII’s writings show “a soul taking shape, under the action of the Holy Spirit working in his Church,” that became a “prophetic intuition” when he convoked the Second Vatican Council.
Others also recalled his close relationship with the Holy Spirit and deep prayer life.

Jesuit Father Norman Tanner, professor of Church history at the Pontifical Gregorian University, said he was a “man of prayer,” and his “sensitivity to the movements of the Holy Spirit” led him to call Vatican II.

John XXIII Stressed Obedeince As The Path To Peace

A Video On The Virtue Of Obedience

Matthew 21:28-31 "What do you think?  There was a man who had two sons.  He went to the first and said, 'Son, go and work today in the vineyard.'  "'I will not,' he answered, but later he changed his mind and went.  "Then the father went to the other son and said the same thing.  He answered, 'I will, sir,' but he did not go.  "Which of the two did what the father wanted?" "The first," they answered.  Jesus said to them, "Truly I tell you, the tax collectors and the prostitutes are entering the kingdom of God ahead of you."   

 

 

Church Authority Or Your Own Authority?

God planted the Tree of Life and the Tree of the Knowledge of Good and Evil in the center of the Garden of Eden.  Then He gave man this rule: You shall not touch nor eat of the fruit from the Tree of the Knowledge of Good and Evil for on that day you eat of it, you shall die (Genesis 2:16-17).  God did not plant the Tree of the Knowledge of Good and Evil to tempt man, but to remind him of his place despite that man was made in the image and likeness of God.  Man is a creature who is not above nor equal to God.  It is God who determines what is good and what is evil.  It was God who made the rule "Do not touch nor eat from the Tree of the Knowledge of Good and Evil for on that day, you shall die."  God made this rule, and man disobeyed. 

By eating the forbidden fruit, man now determines for himself what he thinks is good and evil.  And man has not been doing a great job of it.  Abortion, for example, was legalized in Guam and the United States because man decided that it was good.  In some places of the United States, same sex marriage was legalized because in man's eyes, same sex marriage was determined to be good and just.  Those who support abortion rationalize that a woman has a right to make choices in all matters including her own body.  Others rationalize that overpopulation would destroy the resources of the earth.  Some of the reasonable excuses man has come up with are very convincing that it sounds "good and just" despite that it goes against Church teaching. 

Although homosexuality, abortion, same sex marriage, contraception, and pre-marital sex are against Church teaching, our conscience can make an erroneous judgment.  Some will rationalize by saying that the Catholic Church needs to update herself with modern times.  After all, they say....we are no longer living during biblical times and have grown more knowledgeable than people living during biblical times.  So, how can we know for certain especially when our conscience can be in ignorance and even make erroneous judgements (CCC 1801 and 1786)?  If one is unsure, the best thing is to follow the Church's moral teachings because it has not changed in over 2000 years. 

However, in the case of the Neocatechumenal Way, there has been a lot of controversy.  Some probably feel that our Archbishop is not obeying the Pope by joining the Neocatechumenal Way.  In the first place, did the Pope ever say that one should NEVER join the Way?  No.  Did the Pope ever say that the Way is illegitimate.  No.  Did the Pope ever excommunicate Kiko Arguello, the Founder of the Neocatechumenal Way?  No.  Did the Pope ever say that the Way is not Catholic?  No.  Thus, how can one conclude that the Archbishop has disobeyed the Pope when the Pope supports and endorses the Way in the first place? 

As Catholics, we accept all the moral teachings of the Catholic Church because we believe these teachings come from Christ, who is Head of the Church.  In the same way, are we also not supposed to support and endorse all that the Church embraces?  Or do we doubt and think that the Church does not have the right discernment on what is good and evil, on what is right and wrong, on what is just and unjust, and on what is Christian and unchristian? 

CCC 1269   Having become a member of the Church, the person baptized belongs no longer to himself, but to him who died and rose for us. From now on, he is called to be subject to others, to serve them in the communion of the Church, and to "obey and submit" to the Church's leaders, holding them in respect and affection. Just as Baptism is the source of responsibilities and duties, the baptized person also enjoys rights within the Church: to receive the sacraments, to be nourished with the Word of God and to be sustained by the other spiritual helps of the Church.

Do we doubt what is clearly written in this Catechism of the Catholic Church?  Should we question this Catechism?  If so, then who exactly are we supposed to follow if not God's Church?  Do we believe that Christ is the Head of the Church who guides her into all truths or not?  When we want to become our own authority, we then put ourselves as God.   

Disobedience Leads To More Sins

Do you see the damage disobedience can do?  It can lead to more sins.  This whole fiasco surrounding Father John Wadeson started with a disobedient priest who leaked out information from a closed meeting.  This one action led to a chain of events that hurt an innocent priest and many others.  This act of disobedience is an act of betrayal.  By leaking out this information, it has caused distrust among the clergy.  With this inability to trust, it becomes more challenging to come back to the table for more discussions.  There is fear and insecurity.  Priests would be worried as to whether their conversations are being recorded to be published in the jungle. 

One priest (Father John Wadeson) expressed his disappointment in an email to his brothers about the leaked information.  Toward the end of his email, he reminded his brothers that the real enemy is Satan, not each other.  Unfortunately, this email was also leaked to the jungle where it was misconstrued.  The owner of the jungle misconstrued Father John's email by thinking that Father John was calling him (Tim Rohr) "Satan."  How in the world the owner of the jungle managed to think that is beyond me when in the first place, that email was not even addressed to him. 

Thinking that he was called "Satan", brings anger (another sin).  Then comes revenge (another sin).  From there, everything went downhill.  Other sins such as denial and blame start to appear.  So, this whole fiasco started with the disobedience and betrayal of one priest.  Whoever this "Judas Iscariot" is, I hope he repents and change his ways. 

I call him "Judas Iscariot" because Judas Iscariot was the betrayer.  Judas' crime was worse than the Roman soldiers who nailed Christ to the cross.  Why? Because the soldiers who nailed Christ to the cross were only following orders and did not know Him.  Judas Iscariot, on the other hand, knew Christ because as an Apostle he lived and ate with Him.  

Disobedience causes division since the beginning.  It separates angel from God and man from God.  Lucifer was cast out of Heaven, becoming separated from God through his disobedience.  Lucifer (which means "morning star" or "light bringing")  is well known as Satan (a name associated with "plotter") is the enemy of both God and man.  Adam and Eve were cast out of the Garden of Eden becoming separated from God through their sin of disobedience. 

Obedience, on the other hand, brings harmony.  In the human family, when children obey their parents there is harmony.  How much more true this would be in God's family when priests obey their Archbishop.  

Follow What The Vatican Delegate Says

An anonymous poster commented on a thread under one of my "A  Couple Of Solutions" post found here.  According to the anonymous  poster,he stated: 

Pontifical Delegate stated not to pay any attention to Jungle Watch blog ( This is true, it came from the horses mouth) . He said is not Catholic Education info but a hate blog. He also said in Germany is far worst. We are all blessed we are not in El Salvador like what happen to Archbishop Oscar Romero. Thanks be to God.  

This anonymous poster heard it from Archbishop Krebs.  Therefore, brothers, I repeat once again......do not engage with anything that is hostile to our Archbishop and to the Catholic Church.   The Pontifical Delegate has labeled Junglewatch a hate site.  I encourage you not to engage or participate in anything that is strongly opposed to the Catholic Church and to our Archbishop. Encourage and strengthen each other. And most importantly, pray for those who hate us, and trust that God will take care of the rest.   

Whoever leaked out information from a closed meeting is not after unity, but out to destroy or undermine any kind of reconciliation.  What other reason would this person have in leaking out information to a blog owner who obviously opposed the Archbishop?  Yes, the Archbishop ordered that the meeting be closed and nothing should leave the door, and the Pontifical Delegate AGREED with Archbishop Apuron.  By deliberately leaking out information, the person responsible have already made up his mind not to reconcile.  As Catholics, we should follow what the Vatican Delegate says.  He says not to pay attention to the jungle. Therefore, pray for those who hate us.   Only God can convert the hearts of men.    

Disobedience Causes Division

The division in Guam's Catholic Church may be caused by the disobedience of some priests.  According to some of the comments published under my post Virtue of Obedience, it was alleged that a priest here on Guam made photocopies of a letter sent by the Archbishop and distributed to the parishioners. 

In the first place, a priest is supposed to bring his flock to Jesus Christ.  He is NOT supposed to bring the flock to himself so he can gain the affection of the flock.  The priest is also not supposed to be attached to his parish as he may be called to serve another parish or even be called to another country. 

Getting back to photocopying the Archbishop's letter, for what reason would a priest distribute such letter to his parishioners? A priest took a vow of obedience to the Archbishop.  This means that if the Archbishop tells the parish priest to open his parish to the NCW, the priest is supposed to obey the Archbishop.  The only reason I see a priest distributing the Archbishop's letter to his parishioners is to rile up his flock against the Archbishop.  

Because of his vow of obedience, he is to obey the Archbishop.  The priest is not the one to determine whether the NCW is Catholic or not.  Rome has already determined it to be Catholic.  The priest is not the one to determine whether the NCW is approved by the Catholic Church or not.  Rome has already approved of the NCW in that its Statutes and Catechetical Directory has been established.  The priest is supposed to obey the Archbishop with the faith that God is the one taking the lead. 

The Holy Bible shows that disobedience (which is a sin) leads to division.  In the Book of Genesis, Adam and Eve disobeyed God and thus caused a separation between themselves and God.  The harmony between man and woman have also been disrupted as a result of this sin.  

The hierarchy of the Catholic Church is Pope-Bishop-Priest-Deacon.  It is the same in the human family:  Husband-Wife-Children.  The head of the Church is Christ, and the head of the husband is also Christ (1 Corinthians 11:3).  In this hierarchy, the Pope obeys Christ, the Bishops obeys the Pope, the Priests obeys the Bishops, and the Deacons obeys the Priests.  The Catholic faithful obeys their Church leaders.  A priest is not supposed to lead the Catholic faithful into going against the Bishop just because he does not want to obey the Bishop.  If he does not want to obey the Bishop, that is his problem.     

In the human family, it is the same.  The husband is the head of the household, and he obeys Christ.  The wife obeys her husband, and the children obeys their parents.  For those liberal Catholics who believe that the husband and wife are both heads of the same household, I am sorry but that was never Catholic teaching and it also goes against what the Holy Bible says.  

Throughout the Bible, God and His angels have always recognized the head of the house.  God spoke only to Abraham, not to Sarah because Abraham was the head of the house.  God also spoke to Adam even after the Fall before He addresses Eve.  The only time God and the Angels spoke to a woman is when the woman is single or unmarried.  The Angel Gabriel spoke to Mary when she was single.  After she married Joseph, the angel never spoke to her again.  Instead, the angel spoke to Joseph, the head of the house.  Mary, on the other hand, was obedient to her husband Joseph.  The angel also spoke to Zechariah and told him that his wife Elizabeth will bear a son.  The angel did not speak directly to Elizabeth because she was not the head of the house.  

Now, in Genesis who did Satan speak to?  Satan was fully aware that Adam was the head of the house, but he spoke to Eve because his intention was to cause trouble. 

What we learn in the Holy Bible still happens today.  God still speaks to the Pope, the successor of the Apostle Peter.  The Bishops obey the Pope with the faith that God leads the Pope.  The priest also obeys the Bishop with the faith that God is the one who leads.  A priest who disobeys is a priest with no faith. 

Cardinal Arinze On "Obedience"

Cardinal Arinze wrote a book entitled Letter to a Young Priest.  In his book, he offers his own advice to new priests on how they are to live out their vows of obedience, chastity, and even poverty.  Not all priests, by the way, has taken a vow of poverty, but all have taken a vow of obedience and chastity.  According to the weblink below: 

In extracts from the book published by L’Osservatore Romano, Cardinal Arinze says, “The obedience that the priest gives to the Holy Father, the bishop and his representatives is based on faith. Through this obedience, the priest gives God the possibility of making complete use of him in carrying out the mission of the Church.  The purpose of obedience is not to diminish the role of the priest, or to treat him as inferior or keep him from adequate personal growth.”

Cardinal Arinze warned that priests “should not try to introduce a sort of secular democracy that is not in accord with the divine nature of the hierarchical institution of the Church.  The virtue of humility is one thing, it’s another thing to seek to clericalize the laity or laicize the clergy.  The Church has nothing to gain by this, and everything to lose with similar initiatives.”

The cardinal went on to note that priests should always obey their bishops, “even when in the worst of scenarios the bishop assigns a task that surpasses the capacity of the priest or could make him suffer or harm him. God will not cease to protect the priest who is obedient.  The judgment of God with regard to the bishop is a different question!”

Even when this obedience implies adversities for the priest, “in the end God protects the priest who respects and obeys the Bishop with firm fidelity and nobility of character. The intervention of God can appear after months or even years, but it does finally come. Some saints were only done justice after death,” he added. 

Cardinal Arinze's book





 

The Virtue Of Obedience

Anyone who is serious about obtaining eternal life in God's kingdom will do all he/she can to increase in the virtue of obedience.  Without it, one will never please God.  The eminent Jesuit theologian Father John Anthony Hardon, offered the following definition of obedience:  "The moral virtue that inclines the will to comply with the will of another who has the right to command.  According to Father Hardon, obedience is pleasing to God because it means the sacrifice of one's will out of love for God.  

The Holy Bible stressed obedience throughout its pages.  Obedience is extremely pleasing to God.  It is so pleasing and important that the Holy Bible instructed children to obey their parents (Ephesians 6:1 and Colossians 3:20), wives to submit to their husbands (Ephesians 5:22), and slaves to submit to their masters (1 Peter 2:18). When Christ came down incarnated as a man, He also placed Himself under submission to His mother Mary, to His stepfather Joseph, and to God His Father.  Christ was obedient, and He is our role model to follow.

When pride was found in Lucifer's heart and disobeyed God, he was kicked out of Heaven.  When pride was found in Adam and Eve and they disobeyed God, they were kicked out of the Garden of Eden.  Disobedience is the result of pride.  When a priest or a nun takes a vow of obedience, it is to conquer his/her desire to be first or to be at the top.  God puts everyone under authority.  Through obedience, we learn humility and to sacrifice our own will and follow God's will.  Our role as Catholics is also to be obedient.  According to the Catechism of the Catholic Church: 

CCC 1269 Having become a member of the Church, the person baptized belongs no longer to himself, but to him who died and rose for us. From now on, he is called to be subject to others, to serve them in the communion of the Church, and to "obey and submit" to the Church's leaders, holding them in respect and affection. Just as Baptism is the source of responsibilities and duties, the baptized person also enjoys rights within the Church: to receive the sacraments, to be nourished with the Word of God and to be sustained by the other spiritual helps of the Church. 

The office of Bishop is a sanctified office even if the bishop himself is a sinner.  After all, Christ chose sinful men to continue His ministry.  Because the Archbishop sits in a sanctified office, He is not separated nor excommunicated from the Catholic Church. It is only those who oppose the Archbishop who put themselves outside the Catholic Church.  

Obedience is linked to faith.  Abraham obeyed because he had faith that God will provide a way for his son Isaac to live despite that he was told to sacrifice his son.  Abraham obeyed when God told him to leave all the securities behind in the land of Ur even when he did not know where he was going.  He had faith that God will lead him to the right place.  This is why Abraham is called the "Father of faith."  Despite the fact that he did not know where to go, he obeyed nonetheless because he had faith that God will show him the way.  The Blessed Virgin Mary is the Perfection of faith when she answered "Let thy will be done."  

CCC 144  To obey (from the Latin ob-audire, to "hear or listen to") in faith is to submit freely to the word that has been heard, because its truth is guaranteed by God, who is Truth itself. Abraham is the model of such obedience offered us by Sacred Scripture. The Virgin Mary is its most perfect embodiment. 


The Catholic Church is perfectly clear that Church leaders are to be obeyed and respected.  Of course, Protestants usually remind Catholics of the sexual abuse committed by a few priests.  In 2010, Pope Benedict XVI has instructed the faithful to contact the civil authorities when priests try to sexually molest them. And so we follow what our Pope says.    

I said this in my one of my comments under my recent post.  If the Archbishop of Guam tells a priest to open his parish for the Neocatechumenal Way, the priest must comply.  The Neocatechumenal Way has received the blessings and support of five Popes; therefore, the Archbishop of Guam is not going against the Catholic Church or her teaching in commanding a priest to open his parish for the Way.  Why?  Because the Archbishop is telling the Parish priest to open his parish to something that five popes had always accepted.  The NCW was never rejected by the Catholic Church.  Therefore, it is the Parish priest who must comply with the faith that God will give him the grace to see what all five popes see in the Way.   If the parish priest refuses to obey, then it is the parish priest who goes against the Catholic Church.   It is the parish priest who broke his vow of obedience, and it is the Parish priest who disobeyed God.   

Obey And Respect Our Church Leader

 

Archbishop Anthony Apuron was called and appointed by God.  He is God's chosen one because he is the Archbishop of Guam.  The Catholic Church is very clear in her teachings of which I cannot emphasize enough: 
 

CCC 1269  Having become a member of the Church, the person baptized belongs no longer to himself, but to him who died and rose for us. From now on, he is called to be subject to others, to serve them in the communion of the Church, and to "obey and submit" to the Church's leaders, holding them in respect and affection. Just as Baptism is the source of responsibilities and duties, the baptized person also enjoys rights within the Church: to receive the sacraments, to be nourished with the Word of God and to be sustained by the other spiritual helps of the Church.

Canon Law 212 S1  Christ's faithful, conscious of their own responsibility, are bound to show Christian obedience to what the sacred Pastors, who represent Christ, declare as teachers of the faith and prescribe as rulers of the Church.

However, Satan goes against the Catholic Church.  One thing is for certain.... obedience to God, His Church, and those whom God appointed as His representatives has always been the teachings of the Catholic Church.  Anyone who goes against the Pope and everything the Pope endorses goes against the Church.  Anyone who shows disobedience and disrespect to our Archbishop of Guam goes against the Church. 

There is no higher moral good than following Christ who was obedient even unto death.  Obedience and authority appear to be unpopular concepts these days especially in regards to the Church.  In our secular lives, obedience to authority is not taken seriously especially in regards to the Archbishop of Guam. This is probably a bitter pill to swallow for some Catholics who perhaps envision a more democratic Church. 

Interestingly, people who have trouble with obedience to the Archbishop will still obey their boss, the weatherman, or a police officer and not even notice the inconsistency. Yet, following Christ in His Church ranks highest in the hierarchy of goods. 

Obedience should be popular because we grow when something reaches us from outside of ourselves.  It can be as simple as food or as vital as the imperative to love and follow the truth.  We are tied to many larger realities: as children to our parents; as students to universities, as employees to employers, as workers to our factories, as Catholics to the Church, and so on.  The list is endless.  

We cannot do without the myriad of things that reach us each day.  The love, the food, the information, the exercise of our political and economic rights all open life to something larger.  In other words, "None of us lives for oneself, and no one dies for oneself (Romans 14:7).  Although St. Paul wrote about people in the act of faith in that biblical passage, obedience - the handing over of ourselves - is part of the structure of faith.  It is self-abandonment to Christ as He comes to us in the Church through His appointed bishops.   

This lack of understanding of the obedience and respect we owe to our bishops suggests that, while many of us are quick to assert that our faith is important, we do not fully grasp what "faith" means in the context of the Church.  The Catechism pairs the words "faith" and "obedience" repeatedly: 

CCC  143  By faith, man completely submits his intellect and his will to God. With his whole being man gives his assent to God the revealer. Sacred Scripture calls this human response to God, the author of revelation, "the obedience of faith".

Jesus may love all sinners, but there are consequences for not obeying His commandments, including His command to obey and respect those whom He appointed as His representatives on Earth.  The Gospel parable of the narrow gate illustrates this readily (See Matthew 7:13-22 and Luke 13:22-30).  We were warned that the "wide" road leads to destruction, and that few will take, or even find, the narrow gate.  Furthermore, Jesus' comments, "Not everyone who says to me, 'Lord, Lord' will enter the Kingdom of Heaven, but only the one who does the will of my Father in Heaven" (Matthew 7:21).  Although the mercy of Jesus is eternal for repentant sinners, those who do not recognize His authority in their lives will, in turn, not be recognized by Him: "Then I will declare to them solemnly, 'I never knew you..." (Matthew 7:23). 

So, brothers and sisters recognize that Archbishop Anthony Apuron was appointed by God as His chosen one to lead us to Christ.  Obey and respect him whom God has chosen and sent as His representative and shepherd on Earth.   Therefore, I urge my brothers not to engage in anything that is hostile to our Archbishop and contradictory to our Catholic faith.