His behavior, from the near canonization of Ted Kennedy to being anointed by a faux priest, is just a total head-shaker. With shepherds like these who needs Church enemies? God help us!
Actually that doesn't logically follow. You can certainly say that it indicates that Cardinal O'Malley doesn't believe what the Church teaches, but it says nothing about the Church herself. Infidelity is older than the chosen people's betrayal of God in the desert. But that didn't make Judaism "rotten." No matter how many wicked churchmen we have, Christ's Church is still holy!
As a United Methodist clergywoman, I pray along with Jesus that the Church may be one. St. Paul stated that "in Christ there is no male or female", and I believe that my branch of Christianity currently has a clearer understanding of this spiritual reality than the Catholic Church does.
It saddens me that you seem to delight in your sense of superiority. The Rev. Anne Robertson and I can BOTH claim apostolic authority through our ordination and our baptism, and I appreciate Cardinal O'Malley's sincere humility in publicly reaffirming his baptism in the ecumenical service held on the Sunday that celebrates the baptism of our Lord. His action gives me hope that one day, the Church may indeed be one.
What I thought I was implying was that the origin of mess (rot) in the church today can be traced directly to the high level clergy (our bishops & archbishops) and not the people in the pews. That's the same theme that Michael Voris harps on in most of his Church Militant sessions. Who caused the rot in Rochester?---Bishop Clark, in Albany?---Bishop Hubbard, in Milwaukee?---Archbishop Weakland, in Chicago?---Cardinal Bernardin, in Seattle?---Archbishop Hunthausen, in Los Angeles?---Cardinal Mahoney and on and on. The same goes for Europe and Latin America. How about Cardinal Martini in Milan?---and he happens to be an idol of Pope Francis, which should be a concern to every committed Catholic. Our leaders, for the most part, have failed us! That's what I call "rotting from the top down".
It is troublesome, though, that he is one of only eight cardinals that Pope Francis chose to be on the council he convened to reorganize the Roman Curia. Mind you, not as troublesome as another cardinal from the Americas who heads up that council, but still troublesome.
Cardinal O'Malley fears the World. It's very sad to think about. After the 1979 papal conclave JPII called out "Be not afraid!" Cardinal "Sean" is the opposite. He attempts to appease the World. He surrounds himself with Democratic party PR flaks and promotes himself under the guise of a "humble friar", the future Pope Francis II. John Henry, owner of the Red Sox and now the Boston Globe,a leftist and secularist Bill Gates wannabe, has hired John Allen to promote the Left's vision of Pope Francis the Good .I believe they will be promoting Cardinal O'Malley just as aggressively.The Globe today reports that the Cardinal is elated over the Archdiocese of Boston's fundraising success. He praises the new acceptance of Catholicism by the elites and popular opinion through the alleged "Francis effect" and he made an idiotic comment about the superiority of a Rolling Stone cover to the recent Time magazine cover. The Cardinal ignored the slander of Benedict and the distortions of Catholic teaching in the article.Meanwhile the Archdiocese is undergoing a massive reorganization which essentially sets the stage for closing many parishes under the guise of "collaboratives". A PR , political and bureaucratic shuffle which covers up the failure of parishes within the Archdiocese by calling this reorganization of parishes (really a first step towards elimination of parishes)essential to the "New Evangelization". Things are not well in Boston but the sophisticated PR machine in place will continue promoting the Cardinal and they have a new powerful ally in the Globe.
Holly, let me clarify. It isn't a "feeling of superiority." It's the belief based on sacred scripture and sacred tradition that Jesus founded the Catholic Church. John Wesley founded the Methodist Church to bring revival to the Church of England which was founded by a serial adulterer who killed a bunch of his wives.
I have no doubt that there are many holy Protestants, but that doesn't make what they believe true. As for your belief that Methodism has a "clearer understanding" of priesthood than the Catholic Church, I can only scratch my head. Any church that permits the murder of God's babies is as false as any pagan religion allowing human sacrifice. Saying you are pro-life and then regretfully accepting child murder is pharisaism. http://www.lifesitenews.com/news/the-united-methodist-church-pro-abortion-ideology-might-have-aborted-jesus
Mary Ann, your reply is insulting. Cardinal O'Malley and Pope Francis have a much better grasp of what it means to be a Christian than anyone who is writing on this blog. Please listen respectfully to your teachers and leaders.
I have no intention to insult you personally, Holly. I presume you act in good faith. The truth can hurt, but what I stated is simply factual. Every Protestant sect broke away from the Catholic Church. Some Protestant founders had legitimate criticisms, but they threw the baby out with the bathwater when they separated from the rock. Pope Francis and Cardinal O'Malley might dislike the way I said what I said, but they could hardly argue with its truth.
Now a question. Do you favor a woman's right to choose an abortion? Do you think abortion is morallt acceptable?
Christ's church is indeed holy, because He established His church at Pentecost and is continuing to build it. His church is not a denomination or religious community but the believers of God in diverse places. My Bible tells me that all who believe in Jesus Christ and commit to Him in repentance and faith are Christians and saved. I believe there are true Christians in both Catholic and Protestant congregations. Its up to individuals to look at the practices and values of the community to which they belong in the light of scripture i.e. the Bible. "sacred tradition" is often merely man-made practices that have been around for a long time but which may not be God-ordained. I am very thankful to have a Bible in English which I can read, thanks to William Tyndale and others whose vision of a Bible in the hands of every person was achieved at the cost of his own life.
When reading these comments, I am reminded of a comment attributed to St. John Eudes.
One of St. John Eudes (1601-1680) writings is also quite prophetic, if not terrifying for our time: "The most evident mark of God's anger, and the most terrible castigation He can inflict upon the world, is manifest when He permits His people to fall into the hands of a clergy who are more in name than in deed, priests who practice the cruelty of ravening wolves rather than the charity and affection of devoted shepherds. They abandon the things of God to devote themselves to the things of the world and, in their saintly calling of holiness, they spend their time in profane and worldly pursuits. When God permits such things, it is a very positive proof that He is thoroughly angry with His people and is visiting His most dreadful wrath upon them."
Just further proof that the Church has rotted from the top down and not the other way around!
ReplyDeleteActually that doesn't logically follow. You can certainly say that it indicates that Cardinal O'Malley doesn't believe what the Church teaches, but it says nothing about the Church herself. Infidelity is older than the chosen people's betrayal of God in the desert. But that didn't make Judaism "rotten." No matter how many wicked churchmen we have, Christ's Church is still holy!
ReplyDeleteAs a United Methodist clergywoman, I pray along with Jesus that the Church may be one. St. Paul stated that "in Christ there is no male or female", and I believe that my branch of Christianity currently has a clearer understanding of this spiritual reality than the Catholic Church does.
ReplyDeleteIt saddens me that you seem to delight in your sense of superiority. The Rev. Anne Robertson and I can BOTH claim apostolic authority through our ordination and our baptism, and I appreciate Cardinal O'Malley's sincere humility in publicly reaffirming his baptism in the ecumenical service held on the Sunday that celebrates the baptism of our Lord. His action gives me hope that one day, the Church may indeed be one.
What I thought I was implying was that the origin of mess (rot) in the church today can be traced directly to the high level clergy (our bishops & archbishops) and not the people in the pews. That's the same theme that Michael Voris harps on in most of his Church Militant sessions. Who caused the rot in Rochester?---Bishop Clark, in Albany?---Bishop Hubbard, in Milwaukee?---Archbishop Weakland, in Chicago?---Cardinal Bernardin, in Seattle?---Archbishop Hunthausen, in Los Angeles?---Cardinal Mahoney and on and on. The same goes for Europe and Latin America. How about Cardinal Martini in Milan?---and he happens to be an idol of Pope Francis, which should be a concern to every committed Catholic. Our leaders, for the most part, have failed us! That's what I call "rotting from the top down".
ReplyDeleteIt is troublesome, though, that he is one of only eight cardinals that Pope Francis chose to be on the council he convened to reorganize the Roman Curia. Mind you, not as troublesome as another cardinal from the Americas who heads up that council, but still troublesome.
ReplyDeleteCardinal O'Malley fears the World. It's very sad to think about. After the 1979 papal conclave JPII called out "Be not afraid!" Cardinal "Sean" is the opposite. He attempts to appease the World. He surrounds himself with Democratic party PR flaks and promotes himself under the guise of a "humble friar", the future Pope Francis II. John Henry, owner of the Red Sox and now the Boston Globe,a leftist and secularist Bill Gates wannabe, has hired John Allen to promote the Left's vision of Pope Francis the Good .I believe they will be promoting Cardinal O'Malley just as aggressively.The Globe today reports that the Cardinal is elated over the Archdiocese of Boston's fundraising success. He praises the new acceptance of Catholicism by the elites and popular opinion through the alleged "Francis effect" and he made an idiotic comment about the superiority of a Rolling Stone cover to the recent Time magazine cover. The Cardinal ignored the slander of Benedict and the distortions of Catholic teaching in the article.Meanwhile the Archdiocese is undergoing a massive reorganization which essentially sets the stage for closing many parishes under the guise of "collaboratives". A PR , political and bureaucratic shuffle which covers up the failure of parishes within the Archdiocese by calling this reorganization of parishes (really a first step towards elimination of parishes)essential to the "New Evangelization".
ReplyDeleteThings are not well in Boston but the sophisticated PR machine in place will continue promoting the Cardinal and they have a new powerful ally in the Globe.
Didn't catch your meaning, Phil. Sorry. I completely agree. "Woe to the false shepherds."
ReplyDeleteHolly, let me clarify. It isn't a "feeling of superiority." It's the belief based on sacred scripture and sacred tradition that Jesus founded the Catholic Church. John Wesley founded the Methodist Church to bring revival to the Church of England which was founded by a serial adulterer who killed a bunch of his wives.
ReplyDeleteI have no doubt that there are many holy Protestants, but that doesn't make what they believe true. As for your belief that Methodism has a "clearer understanding" of priesthood than the Catholic Church, I can only scratch my head. Any church that permits the murder of God's babies is as false as any pagan religion allowing human sacrifice. Saying you are pro-life and then regretfully accepting child murder is pharisaism. http://www.lifesitenews.com/news/the-united-methodist-church-pro-abortion-ideology-might-have-aborted-jesus
Mary Ann, your reply is insulting. Cardinal O'Malley and Pope Francis have a much better grasp of what it means to be a Christian than anyone who is writing on this blog. Please listen respectfully to your teachers and leaders.
ReplyDeleteI have no intention to insult you personally, Holly. I presume you act in good faith. The truth can hurt, but what I stated is simply factual. Every Protestant sect broke away from the Catholic Church. Some Protestant founders had legitimate criticisms, but they threw the baby out with the bathwater when they separated from the rock. Pope Francis and Cardinal O'Malley might dislike the way I said what I said, but they could hardly argue with its truth.
ReplyDeleteNow a question. Do you favor a woman's right to choose an abortion? Do you think abortion is morallt acceptable?
Mary Ann,
ReplyDeleteOne wonders if Holly was visiting Catholic sites during the pontificates of JPII and BVI urging that they listen to their leaders?
Christ's church is indeed holy, because He established His church at Pentecost and is continuing to build it. His church is not a denomination or religious community but the believers of God in diverse places. My Bible tells me that all who believe in Jesus Christ and commit to Him in repentance and faith are Christians and saved. I believe there are true Christians in both Catholic and Protestant congregations. Its up to individuals to look at the practices and values of the community to which they belong in the light of scripture i.e. the Bible. "sacred tradition" is often merely man-made practices that have been around for a long time but which may not be God-ordained. I am very thankful to have a Bible in English which I can read, thanks to William Tyndale and others whose vision of a Bible in the hands of every person was achieved at the cost of his own life.
ReplyDeleteWhen reading these comments, I am reminded of a comment attributed to St. John Eudes.
ReplyDeleteOne of St. John Eudes (1601-1680) writings is also quite prophetic, if not terrifying for our time: "The most evident mark of God's anger, and the most terrible castigation He can inflict upon the world, is manifest when He permits His people to fall into the hands of a clergy who are more in name than in deed, priests who practice the cruelty of ravening wolves rather than the charity and affection of devoted shepherds. They abandon the things of God to devote themselves to the things of the world and, in their saintly calling of holiness, they spend their time in profane and worldly pursuits. When God permits such things, it is a very positive proof that He is thoroughly angry with His people and is visiting His most dreadful wrath upon them."