Nabi Sayeth: Fear is NOT a Gift of the Holy Spirit

Nabi Sayeth: When is the last time you pondered the gifts of the Holy Spirit? Do you remember them? Here’s a refresher for you:

They are: wisdom, understanding, counsel, fortitude (courage), knowledge, piety, and fear (to have profound reverence for or to be in awe) of the Lord.

Please note: Nowhere among the gifts of the Holy Spirit is “fear” of man. Yet, when it comes to dealing with the sexual abuse crisis, “fear”, that is, being afraid, is quite visible among the bishops….

BALTIMORE, Maryland, November 14, 2018 (LifeSiteNews) – Doug Mainwaing

The United States Conference of Catholic Bishops (USCCB) voted today against asking the Vatican to release its records on former-Cardinal Theodore McCarrick. 

In what was eventually an 83 to 137 vote, the USCCB decided against asking the Vatican for its documentation on the disgraced prelate. 

The move was triggered when the Vatican’s Congregation for Bishops at the last minute spiked the U.S. bishops’ plans to pursue acting upon two agenda items intended to deal with the growing crisis precipitated by the cascade of stories of clergy sexual abuse in dioceses across the country. 

While the proposed communication to the Holy See consisted of a simple, single 40-word sentence, the prelates were far from unanimous in support for the move. 

The discussion that ensued revealed equal parts FEAR among the members of the USCCB: FEAR of anger by laity and priests back in their home dioceses; FEAR that if they don’t write something they might appear to be passive and uncaring pastors; and FEAR of offending or being misunderstood by the Holy See. 

As one bishop had noted earlier in the day, there is sometimes a dynamic tension between two important principles in the Catholic Church: subsidiarity and community.

Bishop Boyea of the Diocese of Lansing authored the amendment, which aimed to give concrete wording to the USCCB’s motion on Monday:

Be it resolved that the bishops of the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops encourage the Holy See to release all the documentation that can be released consistent with the canon and civil law regarding the misconduct of Archbishop McCarrick.

There was immediate disagreement among the bishops.
Bishop Christensen of Boise proposed adding the word “soon” to the proposal, in order to convey a greater sense of urgency to the Holy See. A vote was taken and the amendment with “soon” added to it was approved 111 to 106. 

Some bishops seemed to not like the idea of pushing the Vatican at all. (Read more...) 

 ...Support for the proposal appeared to have waned during the lively discussion. In a second vote, the motion failed 83 to 137.

Nabi Sayeth: The bishops as a body behave like a bunch of spineless, feckless, cowardly and fearful politicians! How can such cowards be trusted to defend and protect the Lord’s flock? 

Do you remember what Our Lord had to say about bad shepherds?

John 10:

11 I am the good shepherd. A good shepherd lays down his life for the sheep.

12  A hired man, who is not a shepherd and whose sheep are not his own, sees a wolf coming and leaves the sheep and runs away, and the wolf catches and scatters them.

13  This is because he works for pay and has no concern for the sheep.

Nabi Sayeth: The bishops have FEAR because THEIR PRIMARY GOAL IS NOT THE CARE AND PROTECTION OF THE LORD’S FLOCK! JESUS, THE GOOD SHEPHERD, NEVER SPOKE OR MADE A DECISION BASED ON PUBLIC APPROVAL!

They had better pray to the Holy Spirit for the gift of fortitude (courage) because they will be judged not on how POPULAR they were in the eyes of the Vatican and media, but rather, on how faithful they were to the job of shepherding, caring for the Lord’s flock…...

Editor's note: Two bishops speak about the shame and damage Theodore McCarrick has done: to his victims, to the flock, to the Church, and to the body of bishops themselves. It's a little late to be speaking like this since many of the bishops knew, not only by rumor, but evidence presented by people like Dr. Richard Sipe who publicized a letter detailing McCarrick's predatory behavior with seminarians. Did anyone care? Having said that, testifying to the truth is a moral good even when it comes late. On the other hand, why was Emeritus Cardinal Roger Mahony welcomed at the meeting? He is one more enabler and purveyor of evil?