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Faith Formation: Past Use or Non-Use of the Media

Posted on March 7, 2013 by Father Joe

Sharing a few personal thoughts…

Organizational history may be helpful in this regard. Back in the 1970’s and 80’s we saw the proliferation of video and audio resources, although quality was often dubious and much of it was neither initiated nor trusted by ecclesial authorities. Even now, many lay Catholic evangelists write and produce media for apologetic purposes with little or no official oversight. Cardinal Wuerl was one of the few American churchmen to embrace the media with his Teaching of Christ television program being a staple in certain markets for almost two decades.

The early effort of the bishops to create a satellite channel never really got off the ground and paled by comparison to independent efforts like Mother Angelica’s EWTN and the smaller private or diocesan efforts as in New Orleans and Boston. I recall attending several local meetings where directors bragged about the thousands who could watch (for a hefty fee) the round-table discussions and catechesis. However, large satellite dishes were required and recipients were often reduced to large schools and hospitals. The sad truth that we had to face was that almost no one was really watching. Millions of dollars were wasted.

The Archdiocese of Washington had an opportunity to take possession of a low-power television station back in the late 1980’s but the priest who was our communications and media director turned down the opportunity. I suspect that it entailed more work than he was prepared to render. Here was a case where instead of putting our best people on a project, the Archdiocese assigned a troubled priest who had returned to ministry after an unapproved leave-of-absence. He eventually walked away entirely from his ministry as an archdiocesan priest to pursue teaching musical theater at American University. He is now a renegade “gay” priest who regularly offers Mass at Dignity gatherings.

Filed under: Archdiocese, Faith | Leave a comment »

Faith Formation: We Need Creativity & Initiative

Posted on March 6, 2013 by Father Joe

Sharing a few personal thoughts…

A particular challenge facing us is that a secular culture and its media is no longer either neutral or a partner in the transmission of Christian faith and morals. Our archdiocesan Church administration seeks to remedy this by a modification of a classroom or lecture approach to adult catechesis and continuing faith formation to an online and/or recorded format. This is understandable, because it is the easiest approach, and extends strained resources, but it may not be wholly effective given the widespread competition for the hearts and minds of believers. The basic change that we see in the archdiocesan effort in Washington is the increased reliance upon online resources. This is a good step, but will it be enough? Maybe we can do more than insert “talking heads” into pop-up video frames. For instance, skyping holds great promise in bringing people together in real time. We must also move away from stagnant webpages to dynamic-interactive pages. Many still treat the webpage like a piece of paper. This fails to respect the many applications and potential it holds. We must begin to think outside the proverbial box.

Filed under: Archdiocese, Faith | Leave a comment »

Would a Good God Command the Murder of Children?

Posted on March 5, 2013 by Father Joe

BOYCE: How can God command his followers to kill children (1 Samuel) and still be the moral authority?

FATHER JOE:

“Thus says the LORD of hosts: I will punish what Amalek did to the Israelites when he barred their way as they came up from Egypt. Go, now, attack Amalek, and put under the ban everything he has. Do not spare him; kill men and women, children and infants, oxen and sheep, camels and donkeys.” (1 Samuel 15:2-3).

The Amalekites (descendants of Esau) had long been a dreaded enemy of God’s people. The curse of God against them in Exodus 17:14 was not unlike other biblical condemnations; i.e., the primordial Flood or the curse against the cities of Sodom and Gomorrah. The judgment of God targets not merely individuals, but as with divine favor, the larger community. Catholicism has retained this appreciation in regard to faith; it is both personal and corporate. We are all connected. The Amalekites resented the favor that God had shown Israel.

Some critics make a modified utilitarian argument, arguing that God orders or permits such taking of human life for a greater good. In this case, it would be the survival of his Chosen People. Less convincing but not discounted is the argument that the destruction of a people is for their own good, saving the souls of children by having them die before being corrupted by sin.

What are my thoughts about this? First, all life belongs to God since he is its author. This is the pervading truth that we must understand. It is on this account that God’s taking of our life is not reckoned as evil. Second, God meets us where we are. In other words, God does not reveal himself to us all at once but in a progressive fashion, over time, and culminating in Jesus Christ. The early Jews were little different from their blood-thirsty neighbors, and yet they were the people that God had chosen for himself and from which the Messiah or Christ would emerge.

The Egyptians had employed infanticide against the Jews and Moses was spared. Herod ordered the execution of the first born of Israel, and both Jesus and John the Baptist were spared. Just as in the argument about divorce and remarriage, our Lord tries to correct that which in their “hardness of hearts” they failed to understand. When God intervenes, he does so upon the side of life and justice.

The genuine Christian sensibility, and that of most post-Holocaust Jews, will never be comfortable with certain Old Testament scenes where the Chosen People interpret their own bloodlust as part of the divine will. The psalms used in the breviary and liturgy are edited so that we might not have to bless the one who bashes children to death against the rock (Psalm 137:9). We find this attitude abhorrent, and yet, rationalizations and modern deceits based upon human selfishness and not fidelity to God would tolerate and promote the murder of millions of children annually through abortion. Here is where many of the atheistic critics of religion on this point show their hypocrisy. Catholic teaching has developed over the centuries so as to emphasize that all human life is incommensurate and that innocent life must be protected.

Filed under: Apologetics, Atheism, Bible, Catholic, Commandments, Discipleship, Jesus, Morality, Pro-Life, Religion | 1 Comment »

Another Argument About the Pope

Posted on March 4, 2013 by Father Joe

REBECCA: Catholics claim that the Pope is the visible head of the church and “Holy Father,” “Vicar of Christ,” “Sovereign Pontiff.” All of these are titles that rightly belong only to Jesus and to God.

FATHER JOE:

Your last question was about the institution of the priesthood. Now you switch gears and attack the papacy. Evidently, your questions are not sincere but merely apologetic ploys to attack the Catholic faith.

We speak about God, particularly in the Mass, as our Father most holy. Indeed, he is thrice holy, as expressed in the Sanctus; he is the source of all holiness. The use of “Holy Father” for the Pope is no absolute usurpation of the tile. It is merely that the Church sees herself as a family and her ministers as spiritual fathers. While the Pope, as successor to St. Peter, is the visible head of the Church; the true albeit invisible headship is that of Jesus Christ. The title, “Vicar of Christ,” belongs uniquely to the Pope as it would make no sense to call Jesus his own vicar. At one time in the evolution of the title, the Pope was called the Vicar of Peter. However, in meaning, it amounted pretty much to the same thing. Christ is the Redeemer and the great Pontifex or Bridge between heaven and earth. He gives us access to the Father. The use of the word Pontiff for the Pope is an immediate connection with the “keys of the kingdom” given the chief apostle by Christ. Nothing is taken away from our Lord by the Church; but you would strip her of the leadership commissioned by Christ.

REBECCA: There is not a single instance in the Scriptures where any of the above titles are applied to a man. The term, “Holy Father” is used only once in the entire Bible, and it is used by Jesus in addressing God the Father.

FATHER JOE:

The Church was something new. Stop playing word games and look at the truth. The history of the Church did not end with the Bible; rather it began there. There is ample evidence that unique authority was given St. Peter. Matthew 16:18-19:

“And so I say to you, you are Peter, and upon this rock I will build my church, and the gates of the netherworld shall not prevail against it. I will give you the keys to the kingdom of heaven. Whatever you bind on earth shall be bound in heaven; and whatever you loose on earth shall be loosed in heaven.”

When St. Paul addresses the Corinthians, he applies the title of “father” to himself: “For though you have countless guides in Christ, you do not have many fathers. I became your father in Christ Jesus through the gospel” (1 Corinthians 4:15). The use of the word “holy” signifies the holiness of the papal office. The Pope is called Holy Father precisely because of the divine charge given the Church and the particular protection given the apostle by Christ. The Pope is Holy Father only because God is our Father Most Holy. The early Church called all the members of the Church by the label “saint.” The word for holy and saint is essentially the same. Because of their charge over the Eucharist and to forgive sins, priests are sometimes called, “holy fathers.”

The last bit of your comment is what you intended to say all along. You hate the Catholic Church and associate the Pope with the anti-Christ. But the false teaching is yours. You join your voice to all the worldly opposition to Christ and his Church. The devil must surely laugh that he can have you fight against the Lord to whom you claim to have faith.

REBECCA: When one searches the Bible from cover to cover, he finds only one passage which gives an indication of a vicar of Christ or God. It is 2 Thess. 2:3-4 where it says, “Let no one deceive you in any way, for the day of the Lord will not come unless the apostasy comes first, and the man of sin is revealed, the son of perdition, who opposes and is exalted above all that is called God, or that is worshiped, so that he sits in the temple of God and gives himself out as if he were God.”

FATHER JOE:

The Thessalonians suffered under Dionysian seers or false prophets. What is prophesied here is a certain blasphemy either of the pagan emperor or of an anti-Christ figure. The emperor wrongly claimed godhood. This is not the role of a steward or vicar. We have many shepherds who participate in the authority and service of the Good Shepherd. The Pope does not seek worship toward himself but for the one true God. Christian worship always takes note of the Lord’s Supper and the Cross.

The charge given Peter is definitive; it is reaffirmed after the resurrection when our Lord heals the chief apostle (given his recent denials) and he is again told to lead and feed the flock of Christ. This charge is passed on for as long as the Church continues in existence. Read John 21:15-19:

When they had finished breakfast, Jesus said to Simon Peter, “Simon, son of John, do you love me more than these?” He said to him, “Yes, Lord, you know that I love you.” He said to him, “Feed my lambs.” He then said to him a second time, “Simon, son of John, do you love me?” He said to him, “Yes, Lord, you know that I love you.” He said to him, “Tend my sheep.” He said to him the third time, “Simon, son of John, do you love me?” Peter was distressed that he had said to him a third time, “Do you love me?” and he said to him, “Lord, you know everything; you know that I love you.” [Jesus] said to him, “Feed my sheep. Amen, amen, I say to you, when you were younger, you used to dress yourself and go where you wanted; but when you grow old, you will stretch out your hands, and someone else will dress you and lead you where you do not want to go.” He said this signifying by what kind of death he would glorify God. And when he had said this, he said to him, “Follow me.”

Filed under: Anti-Catholicism, Apologetics, Apostles, Church, Jesus, Pope, Religion | 3 Comments »

Another Attack Against Catholicism

Posted on March 3, 2013 by Father Joe

CHARISSE:

And the third day there was a marriage in Cana of Galilee; and the mother of Jesus was there: And both Jesus was called, and his disciples, to the marriage. And when they wanted wine, the mother of Jesus saith unto him, They have no wine. Jesus saith unto her, Woman, what have I to do with thee? mine hour is not yet come. (John 2:1-4)

Jesus mildly rebuked Mary for trying to command him. It shows that Mary is not perfect and she had no right to interfere in His business. Jesus honored her anyway to fulfill the commandments He gave to Moses.

FATHER JOE:  Mary is “the Woman” and she does not argue with Jesus.  She tells the steward to do as Jesus says; she knows there will be no debate.  Such reminds us of the power of prayer.  Mary asks and she receives.  There is no rebuke of Mary.  You merely fail to appreciate a manner of speech.  Jesus will again call her “Woman” on the hill of Calvary.  She is the Woman, the new Eve, and at the Cross, the Mother of the Redeemer becomes the Mother of all the redeemed.

CHARISSE:

But when ye pray, use not vain repetitions, as the heathen do: for they think that they shall be heard for their much speaking. (Matthew 6:7)

Why do priest advise repetitive prayers, when it says here not to? “Our Father” prayer is a model for praying but should not be prayed like a mantra. Prayer loses its meaning when you do so.

FATHER JOE:  Ridiculous!  Our Lord was criticizing the repetitious nonsense words recited by certain pagans.  They wrongly thought that if they stumbled upon a deity’s secret name they might have some power over him.  Catholic prayers are not gibberish.  Others thought that with accolades they might bargain with God.  This is also foolishness.  God is sovereign and he holds all the cards.  Catholics repeat certain prayers (like the Hail Mary) as elements of meditation.  It also acknowledges that we are creatures who live in time.  Each moment is an opportunity for “becoming” and grace.  The Lord’s Prayer constitutes the very words of Jesus and his word never grows old or forfeits its power.  It also gives us a pattern of prayer.  Repetition in itself is not bad, like breathing and the heart beating; when it stops, we die.  Some repetition is a good thing.

CHARISSE:

He answered and said unto them, Well hath Esaias prophesied of you hypocrites, as it is written, This people honoureth me with their lips, but their heart is far from me. Howbeit in vain do they worship me, teaching for doctrines the commandments of men. For laying aside the commandment of God, ye hold the tradition of men, as the washing of pots and cups: and many other such like things ye do. And he said unto them, Full well ye reject the commandment of God, that ye may keep your own tradition. (Mark 7:6-9)

The Catholic Church (and many other religions) have more tradition and commandments of men than of God.

FATHER JOE:  I cannot speak for other religions, but Catholics have a sound appreciation of the sources of revelation.  The Bible itself emerged from the adoption of the Hebrew Scriptures and an oral and written tradition.  Letters and books were collected.  The Church was preaching and worshipping even before we had a completely compiled and/or authored Bible.  This Sacred Tradition continues to this very day.  The commandments of God are combined with the laws of his Church, providing order and guidance to men.  Christ gave his shepherds the authority to loosen and to bind.

CHARISSE:  As for the rosary and purgatory, it is not in the Bible unless the Bible you have is altered.

FATHER JOE:  The Catholic Church is the Mother of the Bible.  You would have no New Testament without her.  Purgation reflects the mercy of God and reflects the Jewish practice of praying for the dead (see 2nd Maccabees).  But maybe you cannot, because you are the one with an abbreviated or incomplete Bible.  As for the Rosary, it is simply a manner of prayer.  Most of the meditations of the Rosary are mysteries from Scripture.  But I doubt you give much time to pondering such things given that you are more about attacking the faith of others than building up your own.

CHARISSE: Buddhism has prayer beads too and do their prayers as mantra or chants.

FATHER JOE:  And Islam has the Koran.  Critics might compare it to our Bible and argue that both camps are misguided to trust in holy books.  Similarities mean nothing in this context.  The trouble is that you are so closed-minded and such a reductionist that you will grasp at straws to attack the Catholic Church.  It is a terrible sign of your spiritual impoverishment.

CHARISSE: Also once you’re dead, you are dead.  There is no purgatory or second chances.

FATHER JOE:  You do not even understand what you ridicule.  Purgatory is NOT a second chance.  If you have damned yourself then you are destined for hell— the end of the story.  All the souls of Purgatory are going to heaven.  Purgatory is a purging or healing as they approach the throne of God.  They are perfected by the fire of God’s love.  Sinners must be more than forgiven, they must be changed.

CHARISSE:  When you pray for the souls of the dead, it has no effect and you become like the pagans that do the same. You have only one life to live here on earth, and after that it’s either life everlasting in God’s kingdom or eternal death.

FATHER JOE:  We pray for the dead so that we might join our love to that of God for our beloved dead.  Prayers will not rescue the damned.  Once they enter heaven, they have no more need of our prayers.  However, we do ask the heavenly saints to intercede or pray for us.  The reason you fail to appreciate this stems from two things:  (1) a faulty view of justification and (2) a negligible understanding of the Church and the communion of the saints.  We are a community.  We do not come to God alone.  At the final consummation there will be two realities, heaven and hell.  Believers hope to live with God forever in the heavenly Jerusalem.

CHARISSE:

Jesus answered and said unto him, Verily, verily, I say unto thee, Except a man be born again, he cannot see the kingdom of God. (John 3:3)

People are born of sin because of the sin Adam and Eve committed; it is not because of your profession, or ceremonies you do, or privileges of birth, or whether you were raised from a Christian family or not, or how religious you are that you are saved.

FATHER JOE:  We are conceived with original sin.  Through faith and baptism we are regenerated, born again, made into a new creation.  The sacraments of the Church are a way in which we enter into the mystery of salvation.  We encounter our saving Lord through the proclamation of faith and in the body of the Church.  Christ has redeemed us.  As Christians we live in the “real and certain” hope of our salvation.

CHARISSE:  It is by the mercy and grace of God that when you yourself decide to follow Him & accept Him as your ONLY Lord and savior, that he changes your heart and life. That is when you are baptized & given salvation, and not the baptism you were given when you were a baby. The baptism you take in flesh as an adult is a symbol of you being born again, and the actual baptism is when the Holy Spirit changes you inwardly.

FATHER JOE:  Our Lord speaks about a Church and obedience.  Saving faith is not merely a verbal profession or a private activity.  Catholics acknowledge the whole truth that we need both a personal and a corporate relationship with Christ.  You would make baptism optional or even something readily dismissed.  Philip did not think so when he baptized the Ethiopian eunuch.  It amazes me how some can so privatize faith when the Scriptures speak throughout about the Church.  At Pentecost the Spirit of God did not come upon one individual, but upon many.  It is a gift given to the Church.  The Holy Spirit makes conversion and faith possible.  The Holy Spirit inspires the Scriptures, protects the Church’s shepherds in the truth and gives efficacy to the sacraments.  You would deny this work of the Spirit over the living Church where he continues to abide.

CHARISSE:  So unless you are born again as it says in the Scripture, you will not see the kingdom of God, nor if you knowingly and continue to sin after being born again. But Catholics do not even emphasize that in their teaching.

FATHER JOE:  You know nothing about Catholic teaching.  We are cognizant that faith can sour.  We urge fidelity and obedience to God.  We ask for God’s mercy when we sin and we have the wonderful sacrament of Penance where we receive absolution, the mercy of Christ.

CHARISSE:  Now I see on Facebook going around my Catholic relatives to pray to St. Michael, the archangel, to protect the conclave.

FATHER JOE:  The angels are about the business of God.  St. Michael is regarded as one who has been given a measure of power over Satan.  It makes sense that his intercession might be sought in these perilous times.  But, whatever happens, we trust the guiding presence of the Holy Spirit to safeguard the Church.

CHARISSE:  God is a jealous God. No matter how you say that the prayers are directed to God, you are still praying to those who are not God, when there is no mediator but Jesus who is God.

FATHER JOE:  No, you are quite wrong.  All prayer, even intercessory prayer, has as its proper object, almighty God.  We ask the saints to pray for and with us.  Again, this is an expression of our corporate faith and union.  Christ is still the Mediator between heaven and earth.  Christ is still the sin-offering that purchased us at a great price.

CHARISSE:  I hope you are certain about what you preach because those who lead the people will have a great responsibility to God, for they are responsible in leading them to either God’s kingdom or to a great deception that will lead to their eternal death. And their punishment is greater.

FATHER JOE:  I am absolutely certain.  If this were not the case, I would never go through the motions.  I am also certain that you are in the wrong.  The reason I respond is that I hope you might begin to reconsider your posture to Catholics.

CHARISSE:  Many Christians are in hell for not preaching the Truth.

FATHER JOE:  I leave entirely in God’s hands those whom might or might not be in hell.  But I would warn you as I have others to be cautious so as not to blaspheme the Holy Spirit and his work.

CHARISSE:  By God’s leading, thru Jesus, and His Holy Spirit, I know where I stand and His truth has set me free. I have a lot to work in my life and my self, because God said to be holy for He is holy, and be perfect for He is perfect, but by God’s grace and mercy He will help me and I pray that He will do the same for you and many others.

FATHER JOE:  I would not want to attack your faith as you would assault that of Catholics.  I take you for your word that you count yourself a friend of Jesus.  But remember that everything is grace.  You cannot save yourself.  Even your obedience, which God desires, is not that which will save you.  Everything is a gift.  The Spirit of God calls us to repentance and faith.  The Spirit of God moves us to prayer and prays in us.  Apart from Christ our works have no value; and yet the works of Christ, on the Cross and in our lives has immeasurable worth.  We were made in the image of God.  But now through Christ we can be refashioned into his likeness.

CHARISSE:  I cannot change you nor convince you, that is for sure, Only God can. So I hope he reveals the same to you and move in your life. God bless!

FATHER JOE:  Many of our Protestant brothers and sisters love the Lord and there is a measure of truth in their faith.  There are many issues upon which we disagree and some of them may be significant.  God knows the sincerity of our hearts and will not utterly condemn those ignorant of the full truth.   However, some are also infected with a belligerence and blindness that comes from a dark spirit.  He numbs consciences and closes minds to the truth and hearts to compassion.  The devil hates the Catholic Church.  Believers of any sort should be wary of doing the devil’s work.  Amen.

Filed under: Anti-Catholicism, Apologetics, Baptism, Bible, Catholic, Church, Faith, Jesus, Justification, Magisterium, Religion, Saints, Salvation, Sin, Uncategorized | 2 Comments »

Papal Cats & Possible Posers

Posted on February 21, 2013 by Father Joe

Given the upcoming abdication of Pope Benedict XVI, I thought I would repost this blog post from 2005. It is about the papal cats. Banned from the Vatican, I suspect the kitties will have a long awaited reunion.

We have come to learn that two papal pussycats presented here as the beloved felines of Pope Benedict XVI may have been imposters! It just goes to show you how far some cats will go to get attention and acknowledgment. What alerted us to the situation was another news article that offered a short description of his cats. Given that changing a cats color through dyes is illegal in Italy, we think we have been had. However, there is so much misinformation going around, we are not totally sure even now.

Here is the inside dope from MSNBC’s Sandy Robins. Pope Benedict VI is “the proud owner of Chico, a black-and-white domestic short hair that lives at the pope’s home in the Bavarian town of Tübingen, Germany.” Agnes Heindl, housekeeper to the pope’s brother, Father Georg Ratzinger, told MSNBC that Chico is currently being looked after by the caretaker of the pope’s private residence. . . . “There’s also a multi-colored tabby cat that hangs around a lot of the time and keeps Chico company.”

The Russian News Agency reported that Pope Benedict’s cats have been barred from the apostolic palace by the Vatican’s administrative services. We read: “New Pope of Rome Benedict XVI, who moved into the papal quarters last week, faced an unexpected problem – the Vatican administrative services did not allow him taking two cats to his new home. . . . Everyone knows about the Pontiff’s love for cats, a representative of the Rome City Hall said on Tuesday. She said the Pontiff now has to pay frequent visits to his old apartment outside the Vatican and take care of his cats. Everyone hopes that the Vatican will eventually grant the cats an access to the Apostolic Palace, she added. Isn’t he the Pope? Isn’t he sovereign? If he says, “I’m taking the cats,” who will say No?”

MSNBC also reported: “According to local news reports, the pope used to walk the streets of Borgo Pio, his former Roman neighborhood just east of the Vatican, where neighbors likened him to Dr. Dolittle with a Pied Piper charm. Stray cats would run to him when they saw him coming and he used to prepare food for them daily on special plates.”

Ratzinger says that while growing up, the pope and his family always had cats. But now, he says, the only cats in his own home are a “collection of porcelain plates with painted cats on them, mementos from different European vacations with my brother.”

The Knight-Ridder News Agency reported in April 2005 that the theologian Karl Baumgartner had once accompanied the cardinal to a cemetery behind Campasanto Teutonica, a church in Rome. He recalls that “It was full of cats and when he went out, they all ran to him. They knew him and loved him. He stood there, petting some and talking to them, for quite a long time. He visited the cats whenever he visited the church. His love for cats is quite famous.”

The Kansas City Star reported that “[His housekeeper] pointed up a staircase to a wall full of painted plates, each depicting a different cat. The brothers collected the plates together, she said. ‘When we were on vacation, a cat, a little kitten, would come by, and he’d be giddy, almost giggling with joy,’ she said. ‘Cats love him; they always go to him straight away. And he loves them back.'”

Cardinal Tarcisio Bertone said that the Pope talks to cats whenever he sees them, “Every time he met a cat he would talk to it, sometimes for a long time.” Bertone wondered if the Pope used a special language to talk to cats. “I tried to understand the language he used with cats, who were always enchanted when he met them. I thought maybe it was a Bavarian dialect. I don’t know.”

Once 10 cats followed the Pope into the Vatican. Cardinal Bertone remembers that as the Pope walked into the Vatican with his kitty disciples, one of the Swiss Guards had to intervene, saying: “Look, Your Eminence, the cats are invading the Holy See.”

Michael L. Tan for the Inquirer News Service (May 11, 2005) gave the following background to this story: “Cats do make it into Christian folklore and art. One folk tale has the Virgin Mary asking animals in the stable if they could help put the newborn Jesus to sleep. None of the animals could help, but a gray tabby kitten, itself just born, was said to have climbed into the manager and purred Jesus to sleep. The Virgin Mary rewarded the tabby kitten by allowing all tabby kittens, from that day forth, to wear the letter “M” on their foreheads. . . . Apparently there are two patron saints for cats and cat lovers. One is St. Agatha, an early Christian virgin-martyr. Her connection with cats isn’t clear, except that she is said to appear in the form of a cat to punish women who don’t stop working on her feast day. Nope, she doesn’t sound too nice. . . . St. Gertrude of Nivelles comes through as kinder, a noblewoman who refused to marry and ended up as abbess of a convent. Again her life doesn’t seem to have anything to do with cats, but she was invoked during the bubonic plague and she’s sometimes depicted with rats. She’s also the patron saint of gardeners. . . . St. Ives, the patron saint of lawyers, is often depicted with a cat or, strangely, as a cat himself. Now what does that tell us about lawyers? . . . There’s always St. Francis of Assisi, a patron saint of all animal lovers and who once said, “All creatures are created from the same paternal heartbeat.” Gender-correct language wasn’t in place yet then; he was referring to God. Not surprisingly, there’s a cat story for him as well: During the bubonic plague, he was saved by a cat that sprang miraculously out of his sleeve.”

Why is it that some many are excited by the new Pope’s love for cats? It may be because most tyrants and despots in the history hated cats. Cats cannot be controlled. They do what they want and yet can show some semblance of affection. The Church’s teachings also come into play, particularly in a world where animals are abused and many species have been pushed to extinction.

Here is a cat who has apparently learned something of the value that belongs to prayer. We should never underestimate heavenly intercession, no matter whether it be for holiness or extra tuna. It seems that Cardinal Ratzinger has taught this kitty its CATechism quite well.

Cardinal Ratzinger’s Bavarian home has a walled garden where a bronze sculpture of the Virgin Mary gazes over beds of flowers across from a statue of a cat next to a sliding glass door. He would regularly holiday there. Back in 2002, he responded to a question about the care of animals, “That is a very serious question. At any rate, we can see that they are given into our care, that we cannot just do whatever we want with them. Animals, too, are God’s creatures.”

The universal Catholic Catechism states that “Animals are God’s creatures. He surrounds them with His providential care. By their mere existence they bless Him and give Him glory. Thus men owe them kindness. We should recall the gentleness with which saints like St. Francis of Assisi or St. Philip Neri treated animals. . . . It is contrary to human dignity to cause animals to suffer or die needlessly.”

popekitty21b

Where does the body of a PAPAL CAT go when it dies? The answer is easy, to the CATacombs under the Vatican of course!

Picture of cat watching tv courtesy of Friends of Roman Cats.

Picture of Pope Cat from ASHY1384 at AOL.

Filed under: Uncategorized | 2 Comments »

More Arguments with Anti-Catholic Bigots

Posted on February 15, 2013 by Father Joe

I respond to negative comments from Jorge Ulate and Darren J. Cowley.

JORGE:  Where in the Bible does it say that the Catholic Church is the “church” established by Jesus? If I recall correctly Jesus established Jews to run his ministry. All the apostles, excluding one was not a Jew. So, how can this be? I am a Christian, now with all due respect. Can you answer me? So I would not be so confused. Or maybe I should convert to the right path— the Jesus way, not the Catholic.

FATHER JOE:  The Catholic Church has an unbroken apostolic succession going back to the first apostles. If you read Acts and the epistles of Paul it is obvious that the Church was expanding beyond members of the Jewish nation to include the Gentiles. When the Jerusalem faith community was largely destroyed, the gravity would move to the large numbers of Greeks and Romans. Peter and Paul had already gone to Rome and had become martyrs of the true faith. The historical continuity connects the Catholic Church to the Church directly established by Jesus Christ. Simon is renamed Peter or Rock and Christ promises to give him the keys to the kingdom, warning that the gates of hell would never overcome the Church. Only the Catholic Church still claims a leader who is a successor of Peter, the one we call the Pope. The Eastern churches are also connected to us and have all seven sacraments. The juridical break is over the Petrine See, notably the extent of the Pope’s authority. However, they too see their bishops as successors of the apostles. Christ is called the Way and the early Church also termed the Church as such. This makes sense since the Church is the Mystical Body of Christ. The word “catholic” means universal or worldwide. There is one Church instituted by Christ to perpetuate his ministry and to preach his truths.

HONEST DARREN OF AUSTRALIA:  The Catholic Church is well documented by secular authors as having killed 100 million people during the inquisition and dark ages.

FATHER JOE:  Not true, and what are these secular authorities? Anti-Catholic apologists and certain fundamentalists make such bloated claims, but they are hardly secular or unbiased. The inquisitions were largely civil affairs over which the Church had minimal control. Spain was the harshest and there were probably only seven million people in the whole country at the time. Rome censured them for their severity. The entire population of all of Europe might not have been 100 million. Stop telling lies or do some credible research and put an end to your libelous ignorance. A few thousand people may have suffered capital punishment. By comparison, since 1976, the United States has executed 1,321 people. The United States Catholic Conference of Bishops opposes the use of the death penalty.

HONEST DARREN OF AUSTRALIA:  These people are anyone who did not accept their spiritual authority on earth.

FATHER JOE:  No, these were people who were judged dangerous to civil harmony. The secular leaders viewed religion as a glue to hold their societies together. Spain fought hard to remove the Moslems from their nation and their inquisition sometimes targeted Jews. Freemasons were also regarded as a threat since they conspired against both the state and the Church. Eventually Protestant monarchs would repress the freedoms of Catholics just as Catholic leaders had sought to minimize the damage of non-Catholic factions in their nations. The Inquisition in Italy is regarded by all authorities as the most mild. Crimes were not just heresy but infractions for which today’s civil courts would also render punishment. Of 75,000 cases judged, some 1,250 may have received the death sentence.

HONEST DARREN OF AUSTRALIA:  They have never acknowledged this or apologized.

FATHER JOE:  It makes no sense for the Church to acknowledge your deceit. Having said this, the late Pope John Paul II regarded even one life as sacred and having incommensurate value, took the high ground and offered a series of “mea culpas” or apologies in the hope that others would respond in kind. Read his apostolic letter, TERTIO MILLENNIO ADVENIENTE. He writes: “Another painful chapter of history to which the sons and daughters of the Church must return with a spirit of repentance is that of the acquiescence given, especially in certain centuries, to intolerance and even the use of violence in the service of truth.” It was his hope that this new millennium might be less bloody than the last.

HONEST DARREN OF AUSTRALIA:  They are an abomination God. The pope is a sinful and corrupt man, he is not God and does not have any authority.

FATHER JOE:  Actually, your bigotry is the abomination. Your hypocrisy damages the Christian witness we are to offer the world. Calumny is a sin and yours is paraded for all to see. The Pope like all good men recognizes that he is a sinner and he has a Confessor. Like Peter, he is a weak man; but also like Peter, the sacred charge is given to him by Christ, all the same. The Pope does not claim to be God. He is the Vicar of Christ, the Servant of the Servants of God. You are probably the unwitting servant of the father of lies.

HONEST DARREN OF AUSTRALIA:  Spend time on your knees in prayer and read the Bible, and you will be led to the truth and a close relationship to our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ.

FATHER JOE:  I read the Scriptures every day and pray throughout the day. As a Catholic, I have both a personal and a corporate faith in Jesus Christ. As a priest, I am God’s instrument in extending the saving works or ministry among men. Christ feeds his people. Christ forgives his people. Christ heals his people. Christ teaches his people. The Catholic Church is the New People of God!

Filed under: Anti-Catholicism, Apologetics, Catholic, Evangelization, Religion | 13 Comments »

Comments About Demons & Exorcisms

Posted on February 12, 2013 by Father Joe

Msgr. Charles Pope recently blogged about pastoral considerations for people who might be battling demons. Some time back I wrote a post detailing an exorcism that was started here in Washington and concluded in St. Louis back in the 1940’s. Here are some recent comments sent to me about the issue of Exorcism, along with my responses:

Kylie – Father Joe, are there really people now-a-days that come in contact with the devil? Do people still have exorcisms preformed upon them? I am very interested in this kind of stuff and would really like to learn more information about it. Nowhere online does it really help me with my research on this. Is it only in the movies? Please contact me.

FATHER JOE:  Kylie, I would suggest that before studying evil, we should be well-versed in goodness. It is only in first knowing God and having a saving relationship with our Lord that one might research such matters with a degree of safety. It is not a subject for casual interest. Movies are often inaccurate and are geared to exaggerate so as to arouse fear. I would start with the Gospels. There you will find the full gamut of Christ’s ministry: teaching, healing, forgiving, exorcizing the demonic and raising the dead. Pick up the Bible.

Martin – I am 15 and want to be an exorcist because it interests me. I hope you reply. I could use the advice of someone with experience. I am lost in this world. I feel like this can help me find my reason to still live in this world.

FATHER JOE:  Martin, You cannot begin to help others when you cannot help yourself. A person who is lost cannot help a person find his or her way out from the grasp of the demonic. Every exorcist in the Catholic Church is a priest. Priests have the power to forgive sins. Never in the history of the world had God given such power to men. However, you must love God and feel that he has called you to a single-hearted love for him and his people. Our purpose in this world is to know God, to love God and to serve God. We will continue to give glory to God in the world to come. Can you give your life to Christ? Say your prayers, go to Mass and study the faith. If you feel at some point that God has given you a calling, see your local Catholic priest.

Edward – To read of the actual experience brings the educational level of one who watches the movie to a height that far dwarfs the power of fear that would otherwise take one further away from faith in God.

FATHER JOE:  Yes, the power of Christ is truly awesome!

Josh – Hi Father Joe, I would just like to ask what role guardian angels play in assisting the exorcism of the person they are charged with, or the protection of the exorcist to whom they are charged?

FATHER JOE:  Joshua, the guardian angels are always about praying for their charges. Of course, the good angels, like their counterparts the demons, are still only spiritual creatures. Their actions are limited by human freedom and the mysterious providence of God. The good angels are messengers of God’s grace, strength and will. Demons still have certain angelic powers but nothing of supernatural grace. That means that any confrontation is spiritually stacked against them. Not all angels or demons are the same, but the real power is always on the side of Christ.

Christian – Hi Father Joe, I believe that exorcisms should be allowed. What other way can they get help? I have never really seen one but I want to experience it. I want to be a help to these people God. Bless Father.

FATHER JOE:  Christian, while there is a need for exorcism to be practiced, you do NOT want to experience it. Such a desire, in itself, would invalidate you. We want to help people. But, in no way is an exorcism a worthwhile experience. Would you like to change the bedpans of patients in a hospital? Could you, hour upon hour, spend your day exclusively changing diapers for the elderly in a nursing home? Is that an experience you want? Exorcisms are far worse. The demons are spiritual excrement. They are vile and they will seek to contaminate you. You mean well but you really do not know what you are saying.

Colleen – Father, my daughter has been suffering from illusions such as people trying to kill her, etc. I have taken her back and forth to hospitals. She has been taken also to prayer warriors. Last night she argued with her boyfriend. Every time she argues, she gets these attacks. Last night was worse as it was dark and raining. She held a knife and wanted to stab anyone who came near her. She was speaking with sounds that I could not understand. The knife she was holding was shaking and her eyes were so red. I have never seen such during her attacks. Please help.

FATHER JOE:  What was the diagnosis given by the doctors? I am no expert on these matters and there is much in particular about this case I do not know. Has medicine been prescribed? If you feel the problem is a spiritual one then I would suggest going to see your local priest. He can pray over her for healing and spiritual deliverance. If this matter is more serious then he can take it to the appropriate diocesan authorities. I am not sure what you mean by “prayer warriors,” as we are all called to be such intercessors for one another. I would avoid anything that smacks of witchcraft or superstition. Such might seem to bring momentary relief but ultimately makes matters far worse. If she is a danger to herself and others then you must take serious steps and notify the authorities. I will keep you all in my prayers.

Charles – Several posters refer to The Rite and Fr. Gary Thomas. Father Gary is in a nearby parish. I attended a prayer breakfast with him and a Catholic group just after The Rite came out. The book ends with two exorcisms, one recurring and routine of an obsessed software engineer, the other of a Venezuelan girl who lived in the (adjacent) Diocese of Oakland (Alameda). The Bishop of Oakland asked for Fr. Gary’s intervention. The Venezuelan girl was totally possessed, he said. She’d been involved in jungle magic in Venezuela, and continued in black magic in the SF Bay area. When he sprinkled holy water on her in the rectory and began to pray, she “manifested.” Her face immediately changed to that of a monkey, she lunged for his collar, was held down on the carpet by her parents, where she writhed like a snake and screamed. Then she passed out. A few minutes later she woke up and had no memory of it. He called her in the following weeks for a full exorcism and she denied anything was wrong with her. He did not hear from her again.

FATHER JOE:  I have neither read the book nor seen the movie.

Edward M – You’re all a bunch a fakes! / You have no files of documentation! / You have no reports or films on camera! / You have no proof whatsoever! / What a bunch of fakers! / God rocks E.

FATHER JOE:  Some authorities do have documentation. I have shared parts of a journal here. But you are entitled to your opinion, even if it includes rudeness.

Filed under: Catholic, Exorcism, Sin | 15 Comments »

Responding to a Catholic Hater #3

Posted on February 11, 2013 by Father Joe

EVETTE: The ones who are supposed to be so called mediators or intercessors for the people are child molesters. I thank God for the Church of God! I thank God that I can live a life free from sin at 30 years old. Since repenting of my sins 4 years ago, God has given me the grace each day to live sin free in a sin filled world. That’s the God I serve!

FATHER JOE: Hum, well this discussion is going quickly to mud-slinging. Most priests are good and holy men. You do them and the priesthood a great disservice with your slur. It is hardly a Christian attitude, dare I say even sinful? And yet, you still insist upon your own righteousness, despite such an unchristian manner. Christ is the Mediator and men ordained to his ministries participate in his one priesthood. As for intercession, it is true that priests pray for their people, indeed, all Catholics are expected to pray for the welfare and good of others, living and dead. I guess you pray for no one except yourself. The parameters for your private faith allow no room for anyone else to get in. Beware; it may even shut out Jesus. You say thank God for his Church and yet you attack his Church, the Catholic community of faith, the Mystical Body of Christ. You might not believe this, but instead of claiming a share in his “church” by faith and baptism, you want it all for yourself. The Catholic faith would pray for you, even forgive you. Your response to the Catholic Church is condemnation and hatred. That is not from God. I am not sure how you define sin, but despite your protestations to the contrary, I just do not believe you. You might avoid many of the more visible and egregious sins, but you can also commit transgressions in your thoughts and in your heart.

EVETTE: I don’t have to lie anymore, fornicate anymore, cheat and deceive anymore.

FATHER JOE: Are you sure you do not lie “anymore”? If so, then what we are dealing with here is either ignorance or self-deception. You say you do not “fornicate” anymore and that is well and good; but you would condemn me as a priest, even though I still cherish an unbroken virginity that I dedicated to the Lord many years ago. I am a celibate priest, like most priests, who lives out a single-hearted love of God, a love that expresses itself in worship and service. You may have accepted Jesus Christ four years ago as your Lord and Savior. You might have invoked the blood of the Lamb to wash away your sins. But it still matters what you say and do and think. Faith is not a club with which to beat others over the head. Faith is surrendering our lives into the hands of God and divine providence. The difference between sinners in the Church from those outside is that a believer is a sinner forgiven. I hear none of that in your arrogant witness.

EVETTE: 1 John 3:5-10, “and ye know that he was manifested to take away our sins; and in him is no sin. Whosoever abideth in him sinners not: whosoever sinners hath not seen him, neither known him. Little let no man deceive you: he that forth righteousness is righteous, even as he is righteous. He that committeth sin is of the devil; for the devil sinners from the beginning. For this purpose the son of God was manifested, that he might destroy the works of the devil. Whosoever us born of God doth not commit sin; for his seed remaineth in him: and he cannot sin, because he is born of God. In this the children of God are manifest, and the children of the devil: whosoever doeth not righteousness is not of God, neither he that Loveth not his brother.”

FATHER JOE: Okay, I fixed of couple of typos, but I fear that it still is not an entirely accurate rendering of the KJV. Let me offer the New American Catholic translation for clarity sake (the translators were Catholic, Protestant and Jewish):

“Everyone who commits sin commits lawlessness, for sin is lawlessness. You know that he was revealed to take away sins, and in him there is no sin. No one who remains in him sins; no one who sins has seen him or known him. Children, let no one deceive you. The person who acts in righteousness is righteous, just as he is righteous. Whoever sins belongs to the devil, because the devil has sinned from the beginning. Indeed, the Son of God was revealed to destroy the works of the devil. No one who is begotten by God commits sin, because God’s seed remains in him; he cannot sin because he is begotten by God. In this way, the children of God and the children of the devil are made plain; no one who fails to act in righteousness belongs to God, nor anyone who does not love his brother. For this is the message you have heard from the beginning: we should love one another” (1 John 3:4-11).

We belong to Christ and this is distinguished against the “lawlessness” that belongs to any who oppose Christ (antichrist). We are not hostile to Christ but love him. Christians might not escape sin but they are aware that it damages or severs their friendship with God. Catholicism speaks about this as either venial or mortal sin. Those who remain in their sinful manner of life show that they really do not belong to the Lord. That is why we are called to be faithful. Such a state is sustained by faith and the abiding grace of God. The sacramental life and God’s mercy in the Church is a way for believers to maintain the “seed” or life in the Spirit. In other words, Christ is alive in them. It may be you read the wrong message in the Hebraic way of speaking, because such here does not support the notion of “once saved, always saved.” Faith can sour. Such is the terrible truth that has been realized, among the ministers and congregants of all the denominations, ecclesial communities and churches. Of course, as long as there is the breath of life, a repentant sinner can come home again.

Filed under: Anti-Catholicism, Apologetics, Bible, Catholic, Evangelization | Leave a comment »

Responding to a Catholic Hater # 2

Posted on February 10, 2013 by Father Joe

EVETTE: In Acts 20:28, Paul speaks on the role of preachers and ministers to “…feed the church of God….” He didn’t say the Catholic Church; but feed the Church of God.

FATHER JOE: The word “Catholic” means worldwide or universal. St. Ignatius of Antioch used the word “katholikos” in his epistle to the believers of Smyrna written around 107 AD. The context makes it clear that the word was used for the Church as far back as the last quarter of the first century in the Christian era. This is the one-and-the-same Church as established by Christ and led by the Apostles.

EVETTE: Furthermore, there is no place in the bible where we are instructed to pray to Mary or any of the saints of old.

FATHER JOE: Asking saints to pray for us is no different than my praying for you. The saints are alive and they intercede for others; it is very simple and logical. The mystery of the resurrection means that mortal death does not bring an end to our existence and caring for others. Turning to Mary, the fact that many people open their hearts to her in prayer was prophesied at the Presentation in the Temple. “The child’s father and mother were amazed at what was said about him; and Simeon blessed them and said to Mary his mother, ‘Behold, this child is destined for the fall and rise of many in Israel, and to be a sign that will be contradicted (and you yourself a sword will pierce) so that the thoughts of many hearts may be revealed’” (Luke 2:33-35).

EVETTE: Jesus said in Matthew 11:28, “come unto me, all ye that labour and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest.” We are to cry out to our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ; all others are idols. The word admonishes us to “flee from idolatry” (1 Cor. 10:14).

FATHER JOE: Our Lord takes upon his own shoulders the yoke of sin so that we might know healing and forgiveness. Jesus is indeed the Prince of Peace. Catholicism has a central devotion to Christ; however, the Lord does not dismiss the corporate dynamic of faith, either. Jesus, himself, did not do everything alone but called to himself his apostles and disciples. He shared with them the truth and extended to his apostles something of his authority. Jesus teaches us how to pray and gives us the OUR FATHER. He also sends his HOLY SPIRIT upon the Church and we also pray, “Come, Spirit, come!” Would you reduce the other divine persons of the Sacred Trinity to idols? As I have explained many times, all prayer has as its proper object, almighty God. However, we can ask our brothers and sisters, living and dead, to pray for and with us. Just as a person might speak to a deceased spouse or parent while visiting a grave; we call upon the saints as members of our spiritual family. They are not worshipped and they are not false idols. Depictions of the saints are no more idols than a photograph of your child kept in the wallet.

EVETTE: Roman Catholicism is full of poison. In the Church of God, there is NO SIN. Can you say that about the Catholic Church?

FATHER JOE: The offers us the saving sacraments.  The Eucharist is the antidote to all the poisons of hate and selfishness.  The Church gives medicine for the soul, not poison.  The Church is holy because Christ is holy. Church members are sinners who seek the mercy of our Lord. Jesus called sinners not the righteous (Luke 5:32). The Church does the same. Do you regard yourself as perfect and without sin? If so, then I would suggest that you look at yourself closer in the mirror. The self-righteous Pharisee thought he was justified too, but he was wrong. He was also quick to condemn others. We read:

“He then addressed this parable to those who were convinced of their own righteousness and despised everyone else. ‘Two people went up to the temple area to pray; one was a Pharisee and the other was a tax collector. The Pharisee took up his position and spoke this prayer to himself, ‘O God, I thank you that I am not like the rest of humanity—greedy, dishonest, adulterous—or even like this tax collector. I fast twice a week, and I pay tithes on my whole income.’ But the tax collector stood off at a distance and would not even raise his eyes to heaven but beat his breast and prayed, ‘O God, be merciful to me a sinner.’ I tell you, the latter went home justified, not the former; for everyone who exalts himself will be humbled, and the one who humbles himself will be exalted’” (Luke 18:9-14).

To be continued…

Filed under: Anti-Catholicism, Apologetics, Bible, Catholic, Church, Evangelization | Leave a comment »

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