http://www.delmarvanow.com/viewart/20130126/LIFESTYLE/301260034/Pope-social-networking-virtual-real
This very fine article is definitely very interesting. The Holy Father has some very keen and meaningful insights into the positive aspects of the virtual media. As noted in the article, His Holiness, is a twitter superstar with 2.5 millions followers and many who follow his Latin tweets also.
The President’s statement of rejection harkens back to a Supreme Court ruling regarding the Cherokee Indian nation whereby President Andrew Jackson expressly disobeyed the court, displaced the native american indians and sent them to the concentration camps, also know as Indian reservations. This has been a national disgrace and cause for great national mourning until this day. President Obama can simply ignore the Federal Circuit Court and go forward and it would be up to the House of Representatives to introduce a bill of impeachment because of Obama’s actions. This bill of impeachment, which is an indictment or accusation, would be sent to the Senate for the trial of the President for usurpation of power and illegal action by abrogation of power not granted to him by the Constitution.
Amazing to me that this former priest cannot honestly admit that his offense clearly was pointed out to him by his superiors. He says that he is bound by his conscience. Well, he also is bound by his conscience concerning his profession of vocation, his vows of ordination, and his profession of obedience to the Bishops, Archbishops and the Holy Father. Furthermore, his conscience is bound by his priestly position as a teacher of the official position of the Roman Catholic Church. His removal as a priest does not stop him from speaking, teaching or writing. It merely recognizes the fact that he has removed himself from any participation in the magisterium of the Roman Catholic Church. He did this by an action of his own free will and it would indicate his basic honesty to admit the fact and move on.
http://ncronline.org/news/theology/bishops-colleges-find-good-collaboration-ex-corde-review
This writer attended several Christian affiliated colleges. Many times I asked myself if the school I attended was Christian in any sense other than an active Chapel life. It seemed that the philosophy, theology, ethics and morality of Christianity had no interaction with classroom presentations. Once a student left the Chapel, it was exactly like every other secular based school.
During the Pontificate of John Paul II the relationship of Roman Catholic colleges and universities was highlighted by two events. This author is presenting this from memory so minor details may be missing but the gist is the same.
Hans Kung is the name. A Roman Catholic priest, writer, theologian and holder of the official chair of Theology at a German university, Father Kung wrote several items that were called into question by the official teaching authority of the Roman Catholic Church. He was required to clarify his positions and eventually, his explanations of what he taught were not judged adequate by the official Roman Catholic teaching authority. The case was refered to Pope John Paul II, who after review, decided that Father Kung could not accurately and sufficiently represent the official Roman Catholic theology on subjects under his purview. He was required by his bishop to relinquish the official chair of Roman Catholic theology. Father Kung was not forbidden to publish his thoughts. He was not stripped of his priesthood. He was not accused as a heretic. The narrow, and in this writers opinion, correct judgement, was that which was stated above. Father Kung was judged to be not sufficiently committed to official Roman Catholic teaching for him to remain the official teacher of that position at a university.
The second is similar but involves an entire university, namely, Notre Dame, Indiana, USA. The Pope warned Notre Dame and other official Roman Catholic Universities that they could not have it both ways. Namely, the university could not teach, promulgate, or promote distinctly unchristian or antichristian positions and remain an official university of the Church. Please note, that his Holiness John Paul II did not say that presentations of other than Christian philosophies, theologies, ethics, morals or whatever, could not be treated at such a university. What was required was a distinctly Roman Catholic analysis, critique and answer to those presentations which a reasonable Christian would regard as not in keeping with the official teaching of the Roman Catholic Church. Also note, that the Pope did not require the school to stop academic freedom, however, if the school wanted to adopt, teach, promulgate and promote distinctly unchristian or antichristian positions, it should give up its affiliation with the Roman Catholic Church and become just another secular institution.
Considering that so many of our finest American Universities, such as Yale and Harvard and just about all the ivy league schools were founded by Christians and supported throughout their founding years by the Christian Church. And considering that if we were to look at the founding documents and charters of these school, the founders intended for the schools to teach, promulgate, and promote the distinct teachings of the Christian Church. It is a sad commentary on academic fraud that these very schools attack, degrade, and dismiss Christianity and Christian philosophy, world view, ethics, morals and theology and even personal worship as not even to be tolerated.
It would be delightful and I think a meaningful exercise for all Christian denominations to begin dialog with colleges and universities that claim affiliation with the Church. Since, it is my belief that most of these institutions do not subscribe in any meaningful way to the teachings of the denominations to which they claim affiliation, they should voluntarily give up that affiliation and declare themselves purely secular schools. By the way, any specifically Church owned property, endowments, Teaching Chairs, fellowships, etc. should be returned to the founders. If such things as property, and the like cannot practically be returned, a monetary amount should be appraised and the school pay that amount to the Church. Of course, it would be hoped that the schools could reform themselves along the lines by which they were founded. Although, this writer holds out little hope for this.
0users disliked this commentFrederick • 1 day 7 hrs ago
“We are in the midst of historic cultural and demographic changes,” What does that mean? And if it is true, how is President Obama the architect of cultural and demographic change? Surely, he is not the father of all those demographic people and he is not the author of their culture. Is this a reference to President Obama’s race? Isn’t that racist? Is it a reference to the Muslim influences on his life? Isn’t that also stereotyping and could be considered prejudice? Didn’t the father of modern racial attitudes say that we should judge a person by the content of their character and not the color of their skin? I am wondering how many media people see President Obama as a black man? Would MLK have preferred us to see Obama as a man who is is black? What does Obama himself want? Does he think of himself as a black man or a man who is black? Can a white person think of themselves as a white person or a person who is white and what’s the difference?
M • 1 day 6 hrs ago
He is not their father but their representative. He is actually the architect because he is representing all of the different races and idealogies, instead of any other presidents who has only represented white christian bigots. And yes he is happened to be black.–Or is he?
Frederick • a second agoRemove
Sadly, you thing that White Christians are bigots. But that is the problems. White people are taught not to be proud that they are white and that they have a thousand plus years of illustrious history to include Christianity, Monasticism, the Universities, the hospitals, the Renaisance, the Enlightenment,Democracy, Industrial revolution, computer revolution, digital revolution and that white europeans are in the front of the latest innovations in every measurable field of human endeavor. But we are told to hand our heads down, and to stoop our shoulders and to recite the manta of Liberalism, namely, White and Christian is bad and black and Muslim is good.
Once again Christianity helps the poor dpwntrodden and homeless. What about the Moslems? One wonders if they would do the same for us?
http://www.romereports.com/palio/is-that-a-caravaggio-100-unpublished-drawings-could-be-the-work-of-the-late-artist-english-7230.html This one minute video shows some of the art work being expalined. Very Interesting.
s: What’s at stake in Pope Benedict XVI’s visit to Philadelphia
Nearly lost amid ongoing reports about the Vatican leaks scandal, Rome’s battle with American nuns, the American bishops’ battle for religious freedom, and the priest on trial in Philadelphia, was the news that, by the way, Pope Benedict XVI plans to visit Philadelphia.
Benedict made the announcement at the end of his visit to Milan on Sunday for the church’s triennial World Meeting of Families. The next meeting would be in Philadelphia in 2015, he said, and he planned to be there, “God willing.”
True, the trip won’t happen until 2015, and it may well not happen at all — Benedict would be 88 by then. Even if there’s a new pope in 2015, the City of Brotherly Love is still almost assured of getting a papal visit — new popes like to underscore continuity, and respect the plans their predecessors had in place.
In a larger sense, the visit would be about more than promoting family life, and in many ways it’s related to other Catholic issues now dominating the headlines. Here’s why.
It’s practical
Benedict’s only other visit to the United States, in April 2008, was to New York and Washington. One might think that he would want to visit the South or West, where the Catholic flock is actually growing, and to give those folks there a chance to see the Holy Father.
But Philadelphia is on the Eastern seaboard, and about the closest point in the United States to Rome. That’s no small consideration for a pope who has never been terribly vigorous and who now suffers from a painful arthritis-like condition that drains his energy.
The pope likely will face intense lobbying from U.S. bishops who want him to visit their diocese, too. While papal aides will try to resist such entreaties, another logical stop would be Baltimore — the “mother church” of all U.S. dioceses — and now headed by Archbishop William Lori, who has no small amount of influence in the hierarchy these days.
It’s pastoral
Philadelphia’s Catholics have been rocked by years of increasingly horrific revelations about sexual abuse by clergy, and the former head of priest personnel, Monsignor William J. Lynn, is awaiting a jury’s verdict on whether he will be the first church official ever convicted for helping cover up for clergy molesters.
Moreover, the Philadelphia archdiocese — one of the most storied and solidly Catholic in the nation — faces an unprecedented wave of closures and mergers, as well as a sobering $12.3 million operating loss for the last fiscal year. Philadelphia’s new archbishop, Charles J. Chaput, warned that those money troubles would mean a significantly downsized event — a papal rally of just 60,000 to 80,000.
Chaput said Benedict still wanted to go because of what it could mean to the city’s Catholics. “Philadelphia is in the midst of a very difficult time and I hope that (the 2015 meeting) will be a way of celebrating our commitment to be a church of the new evangelization that looks forward to the future with confidence and joy,” Chaput said after he appeared with the pope in Milan.
It’s personal
Chaput has emerged in recent years as a leading champion of the Vatican’s “new evangelization” as he uses his bully pulpit to argue forcefully for a strong Catholic voice in the public square.
Chaput has also undertaken a number of sensitive missions for Rome: leading an investigation of an Australian bishop who was eventually sacked for his liberal views, and helping to clean up the conservative, scandal-plagued Legionaries of Christ order. This visit is a papal pat on the back for Chaput.
Will the visit help Chaput earn a cardinal’s red hat? There are no guarantees, but retired Philadelphia Cardinal Justin Rigali would be 80 in 2015, making Chaput eligible — and appealing.
It’s political
Even if the trip does not come off, the image of Benedict standing next to the Liberty Bell or other icons the city of America’s founding freedoms dovetail perfectly with the bishops’ campaign for religious freedom, which they say is threatened by government policies like the health insurance mandate for birth control coverage.
The bishops’ “Fortnight for Freedom,” which runs June 21 to July 4, consciously tries to link the Catholic faith with the American founding, and the prospect of a papal visit to Philadelphia drives the point home.
“It’s fitting that this gathering, which celebrates the cornerstone of society, will take place in America’s cradle of freedom,” Chaput said.
http://www.gosanangelo.com/news/2012/may/04/tensions-building-between-liberal-nuns-vatican/?partner=yahoo_feeds The article cited here is the most recent indication of a societal opinion that does not make sense. The key paragraphs in the article are the following:
A pivotal moment came in 2007, when Dominican Sister Laurie Brink delivered the keynote address at a national LCWR assembly stating that it was time for some religious orders to enter an era of “sojourning” that would require “moving beyond the church, even beyond Jesus.”
With the emergence of the women’s movement and related forms of spirituality, many sisters would see “the divine within nature” and embrace an “emerging new cosmology” that would feed their souls, said Brink. For these sisters, the “Jesus narrative is not the only or the most important narrative. … Jesus is not the only son of God.”
A year later, the Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith opened its investigation of the Leadership Conference of Women Religious.
My understanding the word “sojourn” is that it means the same as to journey or to travel. So Sister Brink is saying that a person can be a Roman Catholic Nun but without the Roman Catholic Church and she can also be a Christian without believing that Jesus is the Son of God, the second person of the Holy Trinity and the Savior promised to the world by the Holy Bible.
The problem with this position is that it is non sensical. If sister Brink wants to say that an individual can regard themselves to be Christian but without Jesus that’s fine but that is not what she says nor wants. She wants the individual to be able to declare themselves an official Nun of the Roman Catholic Church without the Church or its approval. To cut the argument short, I ask, can someone declare themselves to be my child but without biological birth from my wife and myself? Well, they can declare themselves to be that but just declaring it does not make it true or factual. A person may feel within themselves that are one of my progeny but they cannot therefore move into my house, eat my food, take my money or represent themselves in legal proceedings as being my child.
I seem to remember this type of case happening before in the case of Father Hans Kung of Germany. He held the official chair of Roman Catholic theology at a German university. However, his teaching were not in consonance with the official teaching of that Church. When Pope John Paul removed him from his teaching position there was an outcry. Academics condemned Rome for suppressing freedom of speech. However, the Vatican was very clear. It said that Father Kung remained a priest of the Roman Catholic Church based upon the doctrine of “Character indelible” (A doctrine that declares when a priest is ordained he is ontologically differentiated and that differentiation cannot be undone by human action.) The Holy See also declared that Father Kung was allowed to write, speak and teach whatever he wanted, to whomever would listen and at any time and place. However, he was no longer regarded as a theologian of the Roman Catholic Church and his teaching should not be regarded as representing the official Roman Catholic theological position. Essentially this is analogous to President Obama dismissing his Press Secretary and saying that his views no longer represent the views of the Obama administration.
I will not labor the point of faith versus the Faith, except to declare that personal faith in “the divine within nature” and embracing an “emerging new cosmology” is most likely shared by thousands of Roman Catholic Christians, however such personally individual faith is not the same as the Faith and should not be deemed representative of Roman Catholic theology. Which is to say that persons can embrace such thinking, (whatever it means since it is very vague) but even as a lay catechist they cannot teach such. This is especially true in the light of the final quote in this report, namely, the “Jesus narrative is not the only or the most important narrative. … Jesus is not the only son of God.”
Why, because Christianity is essentially about Jesus. The three great ecumenical creeds clearly affirm Jesus as the “only begotten of the Father” and “In Jesus His (God’s) only Son our Lord. conceived by the Hoy Spirit and born of the Virgin Mary.”
The Vatican is not declaring that the nuns are not people. It is not saying that their dedication to social work and community building is unworthy. It is not declaring that the personal private opinions of these woman is condemned. What the Vatican is saying is that if they want to be considered official representatives of the Roman Catholic Church then they are required to adhere to the teachings structures and procedures of that Church and that if they have issues with such items they can petition for redress of their complaints. However, they cannot unilaterally present their personal opinions, prejudices or stereotypes as being officially Roman Catholic. At least for this writer it is a no brainer.
How do you see the central issue? Are there other societal examples declaring something to be true which is obviously not true? What is the result when we accept that merely declaring something to be true makes it true? Has anyone read Animal Farm by George Orwell? Do the pigs practice “truth by definition?”. What does the horse think of it?
» 03/16/2012 23:50 VATICAN – SYRIA Vatican Nunzio: For the Church in Syria it is time to go on the offensive and not stand and watch by Bernardo Cervellera In an interview with AsiaNews, Mgr. Mario Zenari, for the past three years nunzio in Damascus, described all the elements that make up the tangled skein of Syria. The deep division between Sunnis and Alawites (Shiites) and the growing hatred. The too fearful Christians must commit themselves to building a society where there is respect for man and his rights, equality for women, equality among all citizens, freedom of religion and of conscience. Being in Syria is a mission. At Homs a priest talks with the rebels and with the army to provide aid to the poor, to save the lives of the inhabitants, to bury the dead that nobody wants to touch. In a year of violence at least 800-900 children have been killed. The majority were shot in the streets by unknown snipers. Syria is changing and there’s no turning back.
Damascus (AsiaNews) – “This is the Christians’ hour”; there has begun “a new historical process in Syria” from which it will never turn back and “Christians cannot miss this rendezvous with history”: Msgr. Mario Zenari, for three years now the Vatican nuncio in Damascus, speaks almost excitedly as he recalls the Christians’ missionary efforts of Christians, which is to be “like sheep among wolves”, but with an identity and a task. Precisely because in Syria the gap between the different components of society is widening more and more, he sees an urgent need for Christians to come out into society and build bridges of reconciliation, defending the values typical of the Church’s social doctrine: human dignity, rejection of violence, equality between men and women, fundamental freedoms, freedom of conscience and religion, the separation between religion and state. “It is urgent”, he said, “to go out into the open, on the attack, and not to sit back and watch.” Mgr. Zenari, 66, tells stories of ordinary heroism of some priests who have remained in Homs during this months’ bombing and violence. While sharing in the mourning for the tragedy of the Belgian children killed in a car accident in Switzerland, he reminds us that in Syria 800-900 children have already been killed, mostly shot “in the head and the heart” by strangers: “Their murder is an atrocity” and it is necessary that the international community ensure “justice for these children.” Here is the full interview which Mgr. Zenari gave via telephone to AsiaNews.
Your Excellency, what is it like is to be in Syria at this moment?
My heart is sad. This is the fourth spring that I’ve lived in Damascus and this year I still haven’t seen spring arrive. They’re expecting the fruits of Kofi Annan’s mission, but there are fears that the parties will say “Yes, but …”, where the “but” is more important than the “yes”. Instead it is urgent that both parties make a tremendous effort. The distances between them have become huge and are widening every day. For this reason it’s necessary for both parties to jump through hoops to rebuild the dialogue. A reversal is necessary, a conversion… The climate is so deteriorated that a fair amount of heroism is needed, perhaps a bit more from one particular side. Hopefully the help of the international community will bear fruit, so it will make them make great gestures, but it’s a bit difficult.
Before, the international community accused only the regular army. Now Annan has called for an end to the violence from both sides; Britain hopes for a peaceful solution; France is doubtful about sending weapons to the rebels…
Yes, this is true. The request has to come from 360 degrees, from all sides. Maybe at the beginning the media exaggerated about only one of the sides. But both parties are called upon to make gestures of goodwill and put an end to violence. At first, perhaps driven by enthusiasm for the Arab spring in other regions, the riots were seen in a very idealistic manner; and then going forward, we saw many other aspects come into play. To date, Syria is a tangled skein, and there are many elements to watch.
Could you list these elements?
Initially there were demonstrations for more democracy, more respect for human rights, fundamental freedoms, with peaceful demonstrations that were suppressed. But then so many factors were added: first, the fact that 75% of the society here is composed of Sunnis; then, that it is governed by 12% of the population who are the Alawites. This tension between Sunnis and Alawites today is decisive, without forgetting the other aspects. History will assess how the relationship between Sunnis and Shiites has gone (the Alawites are somehow linked to the Shiite world).
There is also an attempt to internationalize the conflict.
We are neighbors with Iraq, with Israel, with Lebanon; and we’re not far from Iran… and so in Syria ingredients come in from all sides and complicate the mess.
There is a risk that the international community use Syria as a chessboard for its interests: the West, Saudi Arabia and Qatar against Iran; Israel against Hezbollah; Turkey against Syria … But the needs of the Syrian people are forgotten.
There are various readings. There is the simplistic one of the regime which claims that a foreign conspiracy is present. It’s impossible to evaluate fully how much is true and how much is propaganda.
The Syrian Christians, 10% of the population, seem caught in the crossfire.
For me there is a place for Christians and they cannot afford to miss this appointment with this new historical process. There is no doubt that Syria is changing: a new process has begun and there’s no going back. Where should the Christians place themselves? I would answer based on the Psalms, a wisdom that is at least 2500 years old. And one Psalm says: Do not lean on a falling wall [Ps 61 (62), 4]. And neither should a man stand by, gazing out the window. Christians are in society and must roll up their sleeves. In the past there have been faithful who have made a glorious contribution in the field of culture, art, politics: one of the founders of the Baath Party was a Christian. Woe, therefore, if they miss this appointment. What’s more, Christians start off with an advantage. The Pope, a few months ago, at the Syrian ambassador’s presentation of credentials [June 9, 2011], pointed out that there are exemplary relations between Christians and Muslims. The Christians in Syria also have a good elite: cultural figures, academics, lawyers, presidents of hospitals… It’s time to live out our task and make our contribution, reclaiming our dignity and our identity, based on the Gospel and the social doctrine of the Church: human dignity, rejection of violence, equality between men and women, fundamental freedoms, freedom of conscience and religion, the separation between religion and state, etc… It is urgent to go out in the open, on the attack, and not to sit back and watch.
Three years ago I presented my credentials to President Assad. And I was impressed that for following 15 minutes during the personal interview, the president continued to speak of the importance that Christians have for Syrian society. He truly admired the Christian components in the country. In this phase of transformation, one cannot look back and think about some protection from the outside: we must work for a rule of law, in which all citizens are equal, have the same rights and duties.
Another thing I noticed is that at every level Christians serve as a bridge. In many mixed villages, Alawites and Christians live in peace, Sunnis and Christians the same, Druze and Christians live in harmony… In these times, with the conflict, sometimes there has been friction and confrontation, but until now, no church has ever suffered even a scratch. In any case, we Christians can have a function of reconciliation among all the groups living in the country. The idea is going around that the fate of Christians in Syria is likely to be similar to what happened in Iraq. But Syria is not Iraq, and it’s not even Egypt: it has its own characteristics, with a tradition of good tolerance.
The Gospel tells us: I send you out as sheep among wolves. And the wolves are not only in Damascus but also in Frankfurt, New York, London, Paris …. only somewhat more subtle and refined. Being in the midst of wolves is part of our mission and we need not fear. The Gospel also says: “Do not be afraid.”
I have continually before my eyes outstanding examples of this mission. In these days Homs is hell. Everyday I phone three priests who have remained there. As we speak, we hear gunfire because the Christian quarter is between in the crossfire. One of them is remarkable for what he is able to do: he talks to the rebels to halt the violence, asking them permission to let pass the trucks with food aid for the poor. On the other hand, from the other side, he asks the army not to shoot, in order not to hit the neighborhoods where there are still inhabitants, or sacred buildings. And he serves as a bridge, like a sheep among wolves. Several days ago there were the bodies of three soldiers in front of the cathedral. They had been there for 10 days. No one dared to recover them because there was the risk of being killed. So he went to the rebels and asked for clemency for these bodies. The rebels at first were angry, shouting: “What do we care for these pigs?” But he said: “No, after we are dead we are not pigs, we are all equal.” And he managed to get them to listen: they loaded the bodies onto a truck and dumped them onto a piece of road where it was easier for their fellow soldiers to recover them.
The Church can do a lot, on a practical, charitable level, and with our choices, focusing on the defense of the human person, above party lines. We must give attention to the hungry, the wounded, the dead… So many people have been killed and no one knows by whom. We must go out, denounce, give our testimony in favor of the human person.
These days the world has been impressed by the tragedy of that bus that crashed in a tunnel in Switzerland. 22 Belgian children died and the emotion that it aroused is understandable. Here in Syria, until 2 weeks ago, according to the UN there have been 7500 killed, but now we are up to 9500. Of these, at least 500 are children! This means that out of every 15 deaths, one was a child. Some of them died crushed by the rubble caused by bombs, but the majority died in the street and not because they stumbled or fell, no: they were shot in the heart or the head with bullets. I hope that the international community can do something to ensure justice for these children. It is good and fitting to be moved over 22 children, but here there are 800-900 who have died. It is urgent to denounce these crimes. Human life is sacred, that of those who wear the military uniform, like that of the rebels, but even more so that of children. Their murder is an atrocity.
The road Syria is on is long, difficult and painful, like that of a river: it may deviate, go right or left, but it reaches the sea. The Synod for the Middle East prompted the bishops and the faithful to witness to the faith and work together to build the city of man along with the others. The Church must speak its position, meet, comfort, clean up these disfigured faces. Being in this country is a mission.
What can we Catholics do in the rest of the world? The Custody of the Holy Land, for example, has launched a campaign to help the Christians of Syria…
We must begin by thanking you for your generosity and solidarity, which is much needed. I hope that with Caritas and other institutions we can alleviate all the suffering in the country. It is also necessary try to understand the situation of the Christians. It’s one thing is to reason at a table, and another thing to get carried away by sentiment. We must understand even the feelings and listen.
What worries me most is the growing hatred in society. For now it isn’t manifest, but it’s burning. The bullets that the two groups are exchanging are only the tip of the iceberg. We are walking on embers that can ignite at any time. For our part, we Christians witness to charity. It’s the Christians’ moment, we must act and go on the offensive in defense of the human person: it is important not to miss this historic moment.
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