If the Synod on the family showed anything it is that there exists such serious division, between those who tend towards fidelity to the faith of the ages and those who would conform to the spirit of the age, that unity is threatened. By means of political agenda the devil skilfully drives a wedge into the body of Christ pitting brother against sister. The family of the Church needs healing like any other.
And just as blame erupts when families fall into dispute, so blame is erupting in church discourse too. Conventional Catholics want to hang modernists out to dry for perceived infidelity. Whilst modernists want to put perceived “traddies” in the dock for crimes of stuffy rigidness. A refusal to ‘get with the programme’. The pope suggests both might have a point before urging us to get off the battlefield and unite in service of the world. Leading by example not polemic. At least that is how I read the message of evangelii guadium and his speech at the end of the Synod on the family.
A noble attempt to call us all back to the centre but can it work? Speaking as one who came to Rome from Canterbury I doubt it. For that body now lies in tatters due to a self same division. A place where Christians of all hues once flourished in unity before traditionalists were marginalised, then decimated, as the modernist agenda unfolded. I learnt a valuable lesson. There is no peace to be found, no common ground, where heretical ideology emerges.
The heresy we face today is an uncompromising form of theological liberalism adhering to the conclusions of the sexual revolution. It has acted like a cancer in the Anglican church. Killing off orthodox belief bit by bit before replacing it with a watered down version enabled to embrace modernity. The promotors were patient and cunning, dressed in Christian clothing but extolling the new creed in their hearts. They engaged with process faithfully but only as a tool for manipulation. Hence the ‘no votes’ in Synod regarding women priests were ever ignored until the ‘right answer’ arrived at. Then it was proclaimed ‘the voice of the Spirit’ Sign up or be marginalised!
The adherents of this heretical form of faith will do the same in Rome unless dealt with firmly. For this uber liberalism is a parasite that attaches itself to conventional Christianity and attacks it, bit by bit, until the old body is weakened and the new creature can emerge. Thank goodness Rome has a better chance of overthrowing this menace than Canterbury, being neither synodically led nor beholden to the State. But nevertheless the wolf stands at the door. The danger is before us. And we must not confuse this heresy for anything other than what it is. An assault on Catholic faith.
Why so pessimistic? Why doubt the papal vision to be enough- this coming together in the field hospital that we might better deliver the Gospel to the world? The reason is simple. I do not believe we share ‘a Gospel’ any more. The difference between the new liberalism and conventional Catholicism is too grave for that. Its not about style but the very substance of faith. What we have are competing and diametrically opposed understandings of Catholicism itself. Meaning we cannot ‘come together’ until the wound is healed and the enemy dealt with. Until we agree on the Gospel we share.
For when people no longer believe in sin, or hell, or the need for the confessional when in a state of mortal sin or the plain meaning of marital vows spoken at the altar, etc… Well they no longer espouse the Catholic faith. They espouse ‘the new religion’. The relativist creed endorsed by so many today. A nod given to Jesus but the lead taken from the world. Presenting a crisis every bit as serious as the Aryan controversy.
And at the heart of this modern crisis is a disagreement over the very concept of truth itself. The modernist echoes pilate’s words. ‘what is truth?’ Assuming a right to change scripture to fit the modern discourse. For them faith is being revealed in them. It can and must change for ‘my truth is different from yours’. African truth, as Kaspar suggested, disconnected from Westerner truth. The truth of Jesus’ day not the truth of this day. The whole thing is fluid and impossible to pin down. Anything goes… so long as it fits the boundaries and agenda imposed by the modern culture, the new religion masquerading as an authentic expression of our faith.
Whereas conventional Catholicism upholds belief in truth as solid and unchanging. A faith revealed in Jesus Christ. Meaning truth is preserved and protected within the Church. The Christian called to obedience not reform. Allowing only for natural development and never innovation. Mercy never separated from truth for the two things are different sides of the one coin.
Back to Pope Francis and his rallying cry. How does he avoid major schism in our time? How does he defeat the parasite? That is the big question lurking behind smaller debates and analysis today. Historically it would have been straight forward. The church would hold an honest debate. The body of Christ coming together to discern the will of God. It might get bloody, as when St. Nicholas assaulted Arius, but truth was eventually established.
But how could such debate be held with those refuting the very notion of truth? With enemies of the Gospel who only use ecclesial debate as a tool for manipulation that enables them to rewrite it? And wasn’t that the accusation at the Synod on the family? That a breed of reformers, hellbent on delivering modernity, were stacking the deck, manipulating the process? That was no accident or coincidence. That is how the game is ever played.
To my conclusion: I am no rigid old traddie. I am perfectly happy to take Pope Francis’ advice and work alongside Catholics of all styles and shades. Charismatics and biretta loving folk alike. So long as we share the Gospel – these are my brothers and sisters. And I will happily work in the field hospital. Meeting meet people ‘where they are’ and loving them. Mercy is not in question.
But what I cannot do, nor can any Pope, is change the Gospel we go out with..there the line must be drawn. My problem is not with different expressions of Catholicism but with a dangerous heresy. One that presents itself as an authentic expression of faith but is, in truth, something else. A belief system designed to attack and reform the faith to make it anew in the image of the world.
Where this cancerous liberalism is found it must be named and shamed and dealt with firmly. The adherents do not want more mercy- they want a different truth! So let us turn to Pope Benedict XVI, a man Pope Francis admires, who has named the monster before us. The wolf that stands in the clothes of the sheep:
“In a social milieu that encourages the expression of a variety of opinions on every question that arises, it is important to recognize dissent for what it is, and not to mistake it for a mature contribution to a balanced and wide-ranging debate. It is the truth revealed through Scripture and Tradition and articulated by the Church’s Magisterium that sets us free.”
This is a very funny post, Fr Ed. You left the Church of England because of its “assault on Catholic faith” to join a Church which elicits pessimism through its “assault on Catholic faith”. Why not come home and start again?
Fr David, again you post demonstrating a rather shallow and ill informed view.
I joined the Catholic church with eyes wide open. It didn’t (and doesn’t) surprise me at all that it too is being battered by the storms of modernity in the wake of the sexual revolution. It exists in the world how could it not be so? The fight was always going to be raging here too- such is the strong influence of the modern media which endorses modernity and manipulates at every turn, influencing even some Cardinals it seems.
However I also joined a body unchanged by this assault. A body strong enough to stand firm against the storm. A church I fancy, no matter how much damage it takes, will emerge unscathed eventually. Where the liberal protestant bodies will die. For it is the true Church founded on the Apostles. I delight in being here and can assure you the scale of the problem is very, very different to that faced as an Anglican.
A body unchanged by this assault? But the post 1970 church is very different to the pre 1970 one!
Really do tell us which dogmas changed? Or are you just talking style?
Thank you for this post Fr Ed.
The Holy Spirit and Pope Benedict invited you to be here in the Catholic Church for this battle. Thank you for accepting that invitation and for helping us. God bless you.
Ed, we all blow off steam from time to time and express our worries and I think that’s what you’re doing here..at least I hope so.
You are massively overstating the agenda, it’s small and led by a notable few who will be listened to, but ultimately dismissed. But what is wrong with continually listening to how revealed truth addresses modern interpretations of human relationships? Your stressful response to this reveals to me that you are not as convinced that this church you left us for is as much the home you expected it to be.
Also your comparison between St Nicholas’ slapping Arian in the context of current debates is an overstatement. There’s the whole world of difference between denying the divinity of Christ and raising questions about human relationships and women priests. The Catholic creeds make that irrefutably clear.
Finally your analysis of The CofE is similarly overstated. We are not in tatters, far from it. Orthodox people from both ends of the candle are in good heart, growing in number, producing large numbers of ordinands and feared by the powers that be who know they have abandoned our received faith for the sake of their own preferment.
Far from being in rack and ruin we have space to flourish and be a witness to modernisers and we now have far more protection in law than you ever had as an Anglican priest…so we’re safe and in good heart despite key people leaving too early before the battle was over.
Your comment regarding our beholden to Parliament doesn’t hold much water either…despite recent interventions from certain MPs on the women’s issue. The recent moves on gay marriage showed how they bypassed us so not to take us on. They would have lost and they know it.
Also, you probably underestimate the grass roots desire for disestablishment which is inevitably coming. We will be rid of this connection to parliament and also from this godless monarchy who are nothing short of a joke.
I consider your description of Her Majesty to be uncalled for and offensive. She has proclaimed her Christian faith for over 60 years of dedicated service from the time she was anointed.
The government was mistaken in “by-passing” the Church over gay marriage. The majority of Anglicans are in favour of this innovation which will happen in all churches eventually.
Fr. David, if you’re offended at my description of Her Majesty then please continue to be offended. Her so called ‘proclamation’ of her faith is all to do with her self preservation and playing the system. We won’t agree on that and I won’t be driving at speed through Parisian tunnels any day soon. Will you still support the monarchy when Charles is King? Will you support his changing of the title given by The Holy Father from ‘Defender of The Faith’ to ‘Defender of Faiths?”
It is silly to support the Monarchy only if you happen to like its occupant. It’s like saying I support the papacy but only if I like the Pope. You are entitled to be a Republican, but it is unbecoming to insult our much-loved Head of State. Prince Charles will have no legal right to change the Constitution. It is not in his gift to call himself Defender of FaithS.
(Your allusion to Princess Diana’s death in a tunnel is also disgraceful).
Well you’re entitled to your opinions of course but I stand by mine and long for a day when the church is free of this unhealthy relationship with a monarch as head of the church. Complete madness IMHO.
Fr Hamilton has not realized that to be a member of the Church of England it is essential to be a monarchist. Either that, or he is knowingly sailing under false colours.
I am surprised you attribute the decline of the Faith and the rise of secularism simply to sexual matters. The are innumerable reasons for people’s rejection of religious belief apart from the sexual revolution. My understanding is that Pope Francis realises that the teachings of his Church have become totally detached from the reality of lives led by sincere lay folk. Imagine a House of Commons where only celibate men were allowed to be elected as MPs. It would enact lop-sided laws detached from reality. Claiming the Holy Spirit directs the Magisterium simply won’t do. For a group of old celibate men to enact laws about divorce and contraception is bound to be rejected. To expect educated adults to listen to celibates teaching them about their sex lives is widely known to be absurd. And for an episcopate consisting of innumerable (even celibate) gay men to denounce homosexuality is just plain daft and hypocritical.
Quite right, Fr.David. The Catholic hierarchy is out of touch.
For real world sanity just visit here:
http://www.illicitencounters.com/
…….prompted by this article:
http://www.telegraph.co.uk/men/relationships/11210537/Should-marriage-come-with-an-expiry-date.html
We will be rid of this connection to parliament and also from this godless monarchy who are nothing short of a joke.
Well, Fr Paul, as to the first part I am with you all the way. Even in my anglican years I could never see the justification of a few C of E Bishops sitting in parliament as of right, and the spectacle of MPs arm twisting Synod to do as they were told over Women Bishops was not exactly edifying.
As to the second part, I think you do not do Her Majesty justice. She has lived a life as a devout Christian ,and to call ( her, at least) godless would be totally unfair and unjust.
With regard to anglo catholics flourishing in the new era, well, I do sincerely wish you well. I look back to my anglo catholic days with great pleasure and I know and love many who have stayed to fight the fight. I think however that bit by bit anglo catholics will be squeezed out. I don’t expect there will be another Diocesan after Martin, but of course what do I know?
Anyway, keep the faith, and God save the Queen!
Oh by the way Ed. I should have also said in my earlier contribution that there’s also much in your post that I agree with and gives us a good reminder to be wary. I rather reactively just picked on the areas we differ. Sorry old friend!
no need to apologise
Her so called ‘proclamation’ of her faith is all to do with her self preservation and playing the system.
Wow Fr Paul, you’re on fire today.
Perhaps in order to make such a statement you would need a window into her soul.
‘self preservation and playing the system’ – yes – we all remember Princess Margaret’s ‘mindful of the Church’s teaching,’ business, and we know what happened next.
What’s all the fuss about?
As far as I can see, the views and statements of Pope Francis are strictly traditionalist. Most of what he has said was said before by his predecessors. He is right to sate that basic justice demands that those seeking annulment should get a speedy yes or no answer. Note that he has also opined that the process should be charge free.
In my opinion, there may be a certain element of ‘sour grapes’ in the utterances of some clerics and media types. Christ told us to love our neighbour. That neighbour includes those of a different sexual orientation. The shepherd seems to be telling the field workers to get out there and get their hands dirty doing some real grass roots shepherding – nothing that he has not done himself. I also suspect a far more significant long term objective (there seem to be some signs) but my uncertainty is too broad to go public. But, on the other hand, reading between the lines used to be what I was well paid for. Perhaps I am carrying too much baggage from that employment?).
My daughter, the world is offending Me daily, lacking reverence to My Holiness; they misuse the freedom I have given them by destroying themselves; this generation has become an unsightly blot in My Eyes; they repay evil with evil, this is why I shall not spare this generation; no one can say I have not warned them, no one can say I have not been patient;
the earth soon will shake and with a roar the sky will vanish leaving everyone in total darkness and with great violence the elements of the earth, the mountains and islands will catch fire and wear out; every blade of grass will burn and in front of Me you will stand, disarmed, generation; the power is in your mouth to cry out to Me and repent; but you prefer to be homeless and err in sin, you prefer to live in deserts,
Lord, I feel your Sacred Heart so grieved. You will tell me to feel sorry for my brothers and sisters instead. I do but I also feel sorrowful for Your sadness for Your Heart is lacerated. With Your Grace, my Lord, You can turn anyone acceptable in Your Eyes. You can make us ready to do Your Will. I, who am, as You said, the least of least, have been entrusted with this mission with Your Grace, why not others? I have been given a free gift, Your Grace, why can’t others receive it too?
you are bold, Vassula, to inquire My Wisdom; 4
Perhaps I am bold, but it is because I know how Your Heart feels. It does not please You either, to punish us and abase us.
everything that comes from earth returns to earth; 5 the sins of your generation have pierced all Eternity, they have pierced My Heart; pray and intercede, My Vassula, that there will be still time to mark as many as I can with My Seal before My Day; for good and bad will suffer in these days;
4 Majestically Jesus pronounced these words.
5 I understood that we are self-destructing ourselves by our apostasy.
True Life in God Sept 9th 1992
Father Ed, do you mean that fidelity to the faith of the ages requires the divorced and remarried to be refused communion, unless they have a decree of nullity? Ought communion also to be refused to people cohabiting outside marriage, and to practising homosexuals? Presumably you would say, yes. To what other categories of people ought communion to be refused? And, what measures ought to be taken to ensure that priests refuse communion to those who ought not to be admitted to it? (I conjecture that not all priests do so refuse).
John the teaching is very clear. Anyone in a state of mortal sin should not be taking communion until they have made a good confession. There is no pick and choose just one rule for all. The point is not a desire to frown on the remarried but to uphold faith in the indissolubility of marriage. Why say “till death us do part” if that isn’t what is actually meant?
Vassula celebrated the 28th anniversary of the True Life in God messages in Los Angeles where she witnessed before a large gathering in a theatre in Glendale. There is a report, with photos, here: http://www.tlig.org/en/news/2013-11-28/2249/
The report mentions that Fr Petar Ljubicic from Medjugorje was not able to attend but he did send a message which was read out during the meeting. The text of the message is copied below.
Fr Petar is the priest who has been given the responsibility of announcing to the world the secrets of Medjugore a few days before they occur. He gave a filmed testimony about TLIG during the 2011 Rome pilgrimage and this can be seen here: http://www.tligvideo.org/Frpetarfinal.html
Here is Fr Petar’s message for the 28th anniversary:
Dear brothers and sisters,
With great joy and love I greet you all present here to celebrate this great Anniversary of True Life of God. We are living in the time of mercy. The truth is that every time is in some way a merciful time. God is doing everything to be known more and loved more by us, that we will be able to live as His beloved children. He is giving us numerous signs of His Presence through many revelations of Mary, and especially through the TLIG messages given through Vassula. He wishes to save all people, as they all are His children. Some people have recognised the signs of the time and have met Him by trusting Him and letting Him lead them by the power of His Holy Spirit.
We are all craving for the new and better world. But it is impossible without God. A man needs God to become a new man, a better man, more righteous and more blessed. That is exactly what Medjugorje talks about. That is also what Jesus is talking about through Vassula…
All the more, it is obvious that it is not only man who is morally pulled down, but all physical and biological structures are being demolished. With the denying of and withdrawal from God, man is pulling darkness down on himself and he is more and more degraded (Fr. Dr. Ljudevit Rupcic “Medjugorje – the Door of Heaven and the Beginning of the Better World” page eight).
Today we are witnessing a great corruption and degradation of human society. The family is diminished along with the holiness of marriage. It is incomprehensible to see the pleading of many for euthanasia, pornography, prostitution, same sex marriage… With these we are undermining our future and heading to destruction.
The spirit of modernism, secularism and relativism increase all the more. The antichristian vision of the world is more present. What is going on in Europe? All Christian roots are being removed from society. Almost the whole world becomes sick because of the lack of morals. It could be rightly said that the demon of immorality is collecting its tribute. There is an artificially produced “moral panic”. The pornographic industry in Europe is earning 2,500 Euro every second! Every year the pornographic industry earns over 75 billion Euro. Every year 45 million innocent unborn children are killed, 100 every minute! Is it not a crime of modern society? Is not human life sacred? The basic human right, and the divine right, is the right to life. Today the liberals talk widely on liberty, but what is liberty without respecting basic values and human rights? We all agree on this: man was never more insecure, more anxious and worried, unsatisfied, more sinful and sick, never in greater misery and torment than he is today.
Healing of the world and the human heart can happen only through conversion. Reading the messages of True Life in Godmakes clear to us that without conversion there is no true life! Conversion is a merciful awareness that God is here, that He loves me and that He wants me to be happy for all eternity. That is God’s merciful call echoing all the time in us, the call to seek God and always return to Him and live according to His will.
That is God’s gift with which He endows every man. Our response to God’s call is our irrevocable decision to put everything aside and place our total trust in God. Conversion is a mercy that is always preceded by God’s action. Conversion is a strong conviction that God can change us, it doesn’t matter how far we are from Him or how sinful we are. For God, it is always possible to save us. It is true that He doesn’t do it without us.
To convert means to allow to Jesus Christ to have a firm hold of us by the power of His grace. It means to surrender totally to Him, to give Him our whole life, to always rely on Him. It means to choose Jesus as our Teacher and Saviour. To obey Him always and follow Him on our life’s path. To convert means to become aware that God exists, have an experience that He is here and comprehend that He is the closest to us in our life. It means that man’s life has a purpose only when it is in accordance with the plan which God has for him.
God’s plan for a man is to know God, to love God with all his being, to surrender to God totally and serve Him joyfully to be able to become perfect and blessed, holy. Then God fills man’s heart with a perfect joy, with true peace and spiritual contentment. Then a man feels saved. To convert means seeking for God always. Always going back to Him, acknowledging that we were wandering away from Him; also acknowledging all our sins and rejecting the evil one and all our sinful temptations. When we repent sincerely for everything we do, we are receiving the grace to change ourselves, we become better, more equitable, more sincere, more just, holier. Convert yourselves, that is change yourselves, have peace with God, with brothers and sisters, and with your own self. In other words: renounce any sin, stop sinning, give to God first place in your life. That is necessary to do tirelessly every day.
The essence of conversion is to become aware of our sins, to acknowledge them sincerely and repent of them. When we receive absolution we start to live a new life with the power of God’s grace. Conversion is putting away selfishness and any other sin, in acceptance of love, and in giving of oneself. To be able to convert every day, we have to pray with our heart. To pray with the heart means to pray with love, wholeheartedly. It means to pray with all our being: with our body and soul, open, humble and with a clean heart. It means to be totally open to God. To Him, give the first place in our life. Surrender totally to Him and have total trust in Him and from Him, expecting every good from Him. It means to pray wholeheartedly and humbly, devotedly and trustfully, steadily and piously.
According to the instructions of Our Lady of Medjugorje and the messages of True Life in God, to pray with the heart means to live prayer as an encounter with God. It means to unite with Jesus and feel and experience the beauty of prayer and the greatness of the grace which God is giving to us. It also means to receive great graces. To pray with the heart means to allow God to remove all obstacles so that prayer remains in our hearts in every moment.
If we are striving for our conversion daily, and pray with the heart, then the ardent wish of Our Lord –Unity – will be accomplished earlier. “So that they may all be one, as you, Father, are in me and I in you, that they also may be one in us, that the world may believe that you sent me!” (Jn 17, 21) – was the prayer prayed by our Divine Saviour in His High-priestly’ prayer in the eve of His Passion.
It has been 28 years since our Divine Saviour began pleading, crying and calling us through Vassula to understand seriously this time of grace and do our best to achieve the Unity of all Christians, to be one flock with one Shepherd. Let us pray and help our Saviour so that Unity comes as soon as possible.
“Every Christian, everyone who considers himself included by his baptism into the mystery of Jesus Christ and in His Redemption, must have an ecumenical heart. An ecumenical heart is a heart which loves with the Heart of Christ.” Ecumenism produces in the soul a disposition which respects both the person and the community … (Cardinal Franjo Kuharic).
Christians from different beliefs from all around the world are gathering to pray for the re-establishing of full unity. The Cross of Our Lord is calling us to unity. Jesus Christ truly died to bring together, into one body, all the scattered people of God (Jn 11, 52): yesterday, today and always. I ardently call all Catholics that this week they make their prayers stronger, and unite them with the prayers of other baptised, so that our common Lord allows us to celebrate with one voice and one heart!” (John Paul II, January 15th 1984.)
“In spite of the centuries-old distrust, we must work for Christian unity believing that we shall receive this unity as a gift of God at the time when God decides!” (Dr. Frane Franic, Archbishop of Split). Let us ask the Holy Spirit to illuminate us to be able to live in humility and love so that this unity of all Christians can come as soon as possible. Let us do everything possible so that the sin of disunity disappears, as well as incomprehension and disagreement. Our Divine Saviour is expecting it from us. Let us turn every moment of our lives into a moment of salvation for us personally and for our brothers and sisters and in this way prepare the path to Unity.
Thank you for your patience, love and prayers. Maranatha!
God bless you all!
Fr. Petar Ljubicic
To me this is just common sense! Christine
Now it is all so much clearer! Thank you.
I assume this is Vassula Ryden whew claims to hear direct communication from Jesus and t g email angels and whose teachings were denounced as heretical by the CDF in 1995?
Why did they do this? Must be one of 2 reasons: 1) they viewed her as a crank or 2) they saw her as genuine but because she is a woman acceptance would upset their male only power structure.
Which is it Fr Ed?
Should read Jesus and the angels.
I have no idea. Why are you questioning me about something I didn’t post Harvey?
Also of interest is the fact that Mrs Ryden is an remarried divorcee.
Ought you not to have added, “and given up the sin”, so that the remarried should either separate, or abstain from sexual relations until they have obtained a decree of nullity? Or have I misunderstood something?
Also, I am puzzled by the notion of not frowning on people in a state of mortal sin.
Because sometimes despite the best of intentions, things just do not work out as planned. Of course you can and should promote the ideal but by failing to meet people where they are at shows a lack of compassion, it is basically kicking them when they are down and this is the last thing the church should be doing and another reason why I could never be a Catholic – I could never identify with that lack of compassion.
I think Harvey that compassion for our fellow human beings should never override the commitment that we should have to our Lord of obedience. Disobedience to our God is the very reason we are fallen. What the Lord has said, He has said. It is not subject to change.
Because she had a lot of followers that are Catholic and your church has a strong view on her.
Oh. Well I don’t know much about her or have a view one way or another. Sorry.
Have you ever read any of the messages Harvey? If not perhaps you should. You would find great comfort in them
From a Heretic? Why would I?
Harvey: That is easy to understand, since as a heretic you might share many heresies?!
What interests me is that here we have Christine advocating the teachings of the leader of a Catholic fringe cult that has been condemned as heretical by the CDF and Fr Ed says nothing, yet to those of us that are Anglican (a much less heretical position) he has a lot to say.
Is it because the Ordinariate is itself an ultra conservative fringe group?
Actually Harvey, it is simply because of the reason I gave yesterday in plain English to you. I know nothing about this subject nor does it interest me enough to check it out. You clearly know more about it than me.
Secondly the Ordinariate is anything but an ultra-conservative fringe group. In fact it is a fairly mainstream and centrist group operating at the heart of dioceses and parish life.
Oh Harvey open your heart not your mind. Do not condemn what you do not understand.
Prophets?
Anybody remember what Christ said about those who would come along and claim to speak as prophets?