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Monday, March 5, 2018

More Fruits From The Way

The Guam Daily Post cites that Catholic baptisms, weddings, school enrollments, and Church attendance has decreased while the population continues to increase in Guam.  The Archdiocese of Agana is taking a survey from the folks in the pew to present their thoughts and input in their future as Catholics.  "How would you like to envision the Archdiocese of Agana in the year 2028?  We know where we are now, but, where do we, as a people of faith, want to be going?" the survey asks.  According to the Guam Daily Post: 
In several recent presentations, Archbishop Michael Byrnes has advised that Catholic Baptisms, Weddings, School enrollment and even church attendance is down while Guam’s population has increased. In spite of local belief, we are probably less than 50% Catholic and its time for us, the folks in the pew, to present our thoughts and have some input in our future.   

While Catholicism has declined in Guam, it increased significantly in the continents of Asia and Africa.  Vatican statistics show an increase in Catholic baptism worldwide especially in Asia and Africa.  Priestly vocations also increased in Asia and Africa. According to National Catholic Reporter (the bold is mine):
Although the number of priests has increased globally, the number has decreased slightly in Europe and Oceania, according to the Vatican's Central Office for Church Statistics.
The figures are presented in the "Annuario Pontificio 2016," the Vatican yearbook, and will appear in the Statistical Yearbook of the Church, which gives detailed figures on the church's workforce, sacramental life, dioceses and parishes as of Dec. 31, 2014...............
Despite the increase of Catholics worldwide, the yearbook noted a "less dynamic" growth of only 2 percent in Europe. While the continent is home to almost 40 percent of the Catholic global population, the percent of the world's Catholics living in Europe has slowly decreased over the past nine years, it said. 
However, with the exception of Oceania, the number of baptized Catholics has grown faster than the general population growth on every continent.
"The African continent remains without a doubt the one with the highest growth," the report said; the number of Catholics in Africa increased by 41 percent, while the number of Catholics in Asia grew by 20 percent. 
Christian Europe has declined, and Oceania is following the same trend.  This is one of the reasons why the Neocatechumenal Way was sent to Europe.  Europe needed to be re-evangelized.  The Neocatechumenal Way has met with much success in Northern Europe.  According to an article in Catholic revival:
In Scandinavia, the Neocatechumenal Way - mission-focus community founded by Spanish painter Kiko Arguello - is playing a key role in evangelization.  Denmark, a country with just 40,000 Catholics, has 18 Neocatechumenal seminarians, while Finland, with just 10,500 Catholics, has 15.  Meanwhile a growing number of Scandinavians are becoming nuns; their numbers have inched up to 680.
Also, according to the Catholic World Report:
Finland’s high statistical ratio of seminarians to Catholics is attributable to the controversial presence of a Neocatechumenal Way seminary in the nation’s sole diocese of Helsinki.  
There were some Traditional Latin Mass Catholics who claimed that the NCW is not needed in Guam simply because Guam is 85% Catholic. Well, according to Archbishop Byrnes, that number may be less than 50%; therefore, it seems that like Europe, Guam also needs to be re-evangelized. 

In Guam, the Way started with one community and has grown to more than 20 communities.  There is also a community in the Department of Corrections.  Guam had a Redemptoris Mater Seminary in which 17 priests were ordained for the Archdiocese of Agana.  The RMS in Guam could have provided declining Oceania with more Catholic priests.  Before it was closed down, seminarians from Western and American Samoa were sending their seminarians to Guam rather than to Fiji.  The NCW in Guam had inspired men into the priesthood and women into the religious convent. 

The NCW had also evangelized door to door and brought back some fallen away Catholics and a few Protestant converts.  The NCW has inspired more people to be committed into the parish life through volunteer work.  This is seen not only in Guam, but worldwide. The NCW has stirred some controversy among Catholics who prefer the days of Pre-Vatican II, but it has also inspired commitment to the universal Church, the Catholic Church.  According to a news report in Malaysia:
The Neocatechumenal Way is helping people who have experienced difficult times living as Catholics in the the Malaysian state of Sabah.
“When Islamisation increased during the 1970s, people began to ask ‘What next?’ Many were in difficult financial positions. They were desperate.”
“They once had everything and enjoyed everything and suddenly there was nothing,” said Stephen Chu, a member of the Way
“When the Neocatechumenal Way came here initially no one expected that it would stay but it thrived,” said Chu.
The Way numbers about 1,000 members and it is growing. The Catholic population in Sabah is around 370,000........
The first community in Malaysia was formed from a core group of about 20 or so in Kota Kinabalu, Sabah’s capital city. 
Now there are 30 communities.
The growth took place when the Catholic community in Sabah was in a state of flux when the country’s leaders were prioritising Islam at every level. 
The Archdiocese of Agana wants the opinions of the Catholic priests and people.  Here is one opinion.  Allow the NCW in Guam to do its work here.  After all, someone needs to go out on foot and bring our brothers and sisters back to the Catholic Church.  

28 comments:

  1. Could this be Joanne on the post: Joanne Santos · Dededo
    The future of our parishes on Guam lies in Marian devotion to the Holy Virgin. Our island was offered to our Lady of Camarin who was crowned to be the Queen of Heaven per Revelation. Therefore all the evil forces that want to replace her tender motherly image in our Catholic hearts by that of a great deceiver, who was a liar from the beginning, should be eliminated by the new leadership of the archdiocese. So please, you have 10 years for that to accomplish!

    Joanne trying to be both side of the coin? evidently she leans more on the CCOG crew. Santa Barbara equate to Gofigan supporter who Tim Rohr threw under the bus? Hmmmmmm She's pretty morbid.

    Gino - Sinajana.

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    1. I don't think Joanne Santos the meaning of Catholic word is..... Is not LOCAL Church! If so that is heretical. Here it is Joanne.....
      Origin
      late Middle English: from Old French catholique or late Latin catholicus, from Greek katholikos ‘universal’, from kata ‘in respect of’ + holos ‘whole’

      Luis L. Carino =====> Espana

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    2. Joanne developed a very firm stance and strong opinion here while reading this blog. She sees Marian devotion as downplayed in the NCW and this is a reason she feels discomfortable. She maintains her own blog someplace in the blogo-world. But she has suspended blogging because of Lent.

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    3. Dear Grow up,

      The NCW prays the rosary. The NCW also sings many Mary songs. In fact, we have an icon of Mary carrying baby Jesus always present in our celebration. But we recognize that Mary has no divine powers....that is all. We only ask Mary to pray for us or intercede for us....that is all. We do not worship Mary as God.....that is all.

      It was Joanne who stated: "The future of our parishes on Guam lies in Marian devotion to the Holy Virgin."

      I, on the other hand, would say: "The future of our parishes on Guam lies in Christ, who is Head of our Church."

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    4. Diana, no offense in meant, but your Madonna is not even looking at her baby! Baby Jesus, who looks like a small adult on this icon rather than a baby, also looks someplace else, we don't know where. Baby Jesus has words written over his face. How can you rejoice over an icon like that?

      https://www.ctsbookshop.org/Kiko-Madonna-Icon-Kiko-30cm-x-40cm-Neocatechumenal_MKB300

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    5. Dear Grow up,

      Whether you like the icon or not is not the issue.

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    6. Diana, fyi it is an issue for Joanne. In that part, I agree with her.

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    7. I you look at the icon carefully...its not just looking somewhere....its looking at you and me......


      Leroy Brown

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    8. And Mary is leaning toward her Son, Jesus.

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    9. Dear Grow Up in Faith,
      Russian iconography is not meant to show people as they are but it is an attempt to contemplate eschatology which is why it makes it the highest form of religious art. The renaissance was a degradation of religious art because it attempts to study the human figure as the highest form of beauty. Christ is the highest form of beauty and the love to the enemy. This is why Kiko chose this style as the style to paint in churches. Because it calls man to prayer through much of its symbolism and makes constant reference to the resurrection and eschatology something we all desire as Catholics.
      You might not like it because you've become accustomed to the millions of images that are constantly being thrown at us on tv, in magazines, in News papers.
      However modern art is a degradation of beauty because it attempts to present beauty derived from a world that has been tainted by original sin. Which is why the artist is constantly searching for beauty, because he has not found it. In Russian iconography Christ is the perfect man, the man of the spirit and they attempt to capture this by stylizing the human figure and not making it anatomically correct, or muscular etc. It is inspired and a search for the perfection that is Christ and the resurrection of the body.
      -IntelTheist

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    10. Well, the proof of the pudding is in the eating! I would be glad to see your icon to grow in popularity beyond your circles. Russian or Eastern Orthodox iconography grew out of tradition. This tradition included iconoclasm, a physical destruction of early Christian art works for religious/ doctrinal purposes.

      Saying that religious art degraded during the renaissance is in line with saying that the church became dormant after Trent. But you cannot stop time or suspend its mighty flow toward the present and the future. Beautiful religious art works were made during and after the renaissance. Just like the Holy Spirit continued its blessed work in the Church after Trent. Joanne has an extensive collection of Madonna paintings with the child radiating the immense love of God the Father towards us human beings through Mary.

      You say Christ is the "highest form of beauty". But we don't know the face of Christ, we only know the face of Jesus, a human being who dwelled among us. He is both fully human and divine. His face is radiating tremendous pain and suffering that he bore for us sinners. His beauty is manifest in the nativity scene together with the beauty of his Mother Mary. The beauty of the Virgin Mother is what is the true meaning of holy.

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    11. Dear Grow up, 

      Jesus Christ is the highest form of beauty for he is God. There is nothing higher than God. All creation reflects God's beauty and goodness. 

      You stated: "The beauty of the Virgin Mother is what is the true meaning of holy."

      All beauty and holiness comes only from God. It is God who makes one holy because holiness comes only from him. All creation reflects God's beauty and goodness. Mary was also God's creation. She was holy since her conception because God created her and sanctified her as the new Eve.

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    12. Dear Grow up, 

      Jesus Christ is the highest form of beauty for he is God. There is nothing higher than God. All creation reflects God's beauty and goodness. 

      You stated: "The beauty of the Virgin Mother is what is the true meaning of holy."

      All beauty and holiness comes only from God. It is God who makes one holy because holiness comes only from him. All creation reflects God's beauty and goodness. Mary was also God's creation. She was holy since her conception because God created her and sanctified her as the new Eve.

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    13. Diana, you cannot see anywhere in the Old Testament saying that god is "beautiful". He might be great, powerful, almighty, awesome, all-knowing, merciful, etc. But beautiful?

      Beauty is an aesthetic category. As it is said, "beauty is in the eye of the beholder". There is no such thing as universal beauty. What you think is beautiful, might be seen as ugly at other part of the world. Aesthetic categories do not fit God who is above art, science and aesthetics.

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    14. Dear Grow up,

      The beauty of God is mentioned in the Old Testament:

      Psa 27:4 - One thing have I desired of the LORD, that will I seek after; that I may dwell in the house of the LORD all the days of my life, to behold the beauty of the LORD, and to enquire in his temple.

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    15. This and Ps 90:17 are not too much, Diana. Considering that psalms were like folk songs, spread word-of-mouth, these songs may have been originated at other nations. How about Moses who talked to God at his holy mountain? How about the prophet who visited God at his heavenly chamber? They don't talk about his beauty, but about his magnificence.

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    16. Dear Grow up,

      I gave you the Old Testament verse showing that the beauty of God was mentioned in the Holy Bible. And you still argue? The Book of Psalms is part of the Holy Bible and also the word of God.

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  2. Diana,
    referring to my non-post to your
    "The Archdiocese of Agana wants the opinions of the Catholic priests and people."
    I wasn't being disrespectful, just posting my opinion. But, I guess you don't want any opinion that is not neocatechumenal????

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    1. Dear Anonymous at 12:59 pm, 

      Could you please a username? I am not the one giving out the survey. Again, my blog will not be used to promote the propaganda of those who oppose the Neocatechumenal Way, which is an itinerary of Christian formation approved by the Catholic Church.

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    2. the fruits of the Way.....

      how can you form a opinion if you have not a clue?

      nor the experience?

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  3. Grow up in faithMarch 8, 2018 at 9:52 AM - what give's you the idea the Neocatechumenal Way down play the Rosary? The Way was inspired by Mary in May 08 from Pompei Italy. Get facts not "hearsay".

    Luis L. Carino =======> Espana

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    1. The praying of of the Rosary in the NCW is not strongly encouraged except for the catechist or itinerants. All of them including the seminarians have the rosary tied to their belt like Kiko. Some pray,majority don't. It is because they will be encourage at the Second Initiation of Prayer to start praying but not earlier.
      God is Still Speaking

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    2. Dear God is still speaking,

      You are incorrect. The catechists told EVERYONE in the NCW in Guam to pray the rosary daily for the seminary and Archbishop Apuron.

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  4. They lost their way from the jungle

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  5. For the past couple of days, Ive been thinking of cardinal Tagle. I have a strong feeling that he has something to do with the mess here on Guam.

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    1. What makes you think that Cardinal Tagle is involved “with the mess here on Guam?” He has enough to do. Why would he bother with Guam???
      The “mess” has been brewing for over 50 years and only exploded in the past couple of years. This “mess” can be blamed on Bishop Baumgartner and local Archbishops Flores and Apuron for not taking swift action against Louis Brouillard but you would rather blame an outsider like Cardinal Tagle. How interesting.

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    2. the mess you are thinking of is only what actually makes it to the media, there is so much more that you dont know of. Whats happening on Guam is actually more political than you think and its all over the succession of Apuron, who will be the next Bishop?
      Apuron was setting up the grounds for his favored successor but there was/is opposition to it, someone else wanted it.
      The issues with the NCW, sexual abuse cases, financial mismanagement, seminary property were just unfortunate events caught in the crossfire.

      Wait and see.

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  6. Diana, the way I read that article tells me it’s not the Archdiocese of Agana taking the survey. It’s an anonymous deacon. I think if it was the Archdiocese there would have been a press release to let us know who is in charge of the survey. According to the article Archbishop Byrnes is AWARE of the circulation of the survey and SUPPORTS its cause. Nowhere in the article does it say that the Archdiocese of Agana is conducting the survey.
    So do you think this survey is safe to take? I’m wondering if the deacon is someone working for CCOG.

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