While I was debating how much to say and how far to go, between calling for more catechesis and some therapy for Cardinal Dolan, or wishing for his resignation, Michael Voris said what needed to be said, with an ever-increasing perspective of what is really going on within Catholic hierarchy in America. Well, maybe he didn’t say it “all”, but at least enough for the moment, and saved my writing a new post.
I know some who follow Cleansing Fire do object to his style, or find bones to pick, as he too is a work in process, as we all are. But Christ said we should be hot or cold, and it is clear which Michael is. It is certainly not lukewarm. Please listen: http://www.churchmilitant.tv/daily/?today=2014-09-05
LATE ADDITIONS TO THIS POST:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Be7ImroaKHU&feature=youtu.be
and
http://www.churchmilitant.tv/daily/?today=2014-09-08
“So, because you are lukewarm, neither hot nor cold, I will spit you out of my mouth.” Revelation 3:16 (NAB)
|
How sad it is that what seemed to be such a strong defender of the faith in Bill Donahue has turned so quickly and forcefully. The desire to please a Cardinal must be strong. God bless Mother Angelica – she was a true prophet. Watching the saga of Cardinal Dolan shows that giving lip service to orthodoxy is quite a different thing from actually embracing it and that fake orthodoxy is much more dangerous than outright heterodoxy.
I love Voris’ term “the Church of Nice”
Cardinal Dolan showed his stripes quite rapidly once he entered New York and the MSM national stage; I, too, am saddened about Dr. Donahue; but I reserve my shock for Cardinal Chaput. ??? I don’t even understand that. Perplexed, to say the least.
Every day brings a shock in these very strange times. I keep hearing from friends across the country who tap into various “visionaries”, that after this year the world will be a very different place. I love those friends of mine and I listen without comment because as long as they preach and teach and follow the Catholic Way (and they do), they have a right to listen to and speak of prophesy from wherever they find it.
But I have to say today that with all the “heroes” showing they are only balloons whose air gets out with just the slightest pin prick, I am listening more closely to those friends of mine. And then I tell myself, none of it matters anyway, as long as we embrace the Faith given us from the beginning and try with all our frail, human limited might to live the Two Great Commandments, what does any of it matter. This is our temporary home and God has His Plan.
Pray that we don’t cave under pressure and include our loved ones (all God’s loved ones, i.e., all people!) in that plea to Heaven, because one thing becomes abundantly clear every day… the times are changing very rapidly.
May God be praised and you blessed in all you do.
+JMJ
I probably should have prayed more rightly: May God be praised and we blessed in all we do.
Worth our reflection:
http://blog.adw.org/2014/09/the-call-to-fraternal-correction-a-homily-for-the-23rd-sunday-of-the-year/
Perhaps worth our reflection as well:
http://vaticaninsider.lastampa.it/en/the-vatican/detail/articolo/francesco-francis-francisco-angelus-angelus-angelus-chiacchiere-ucraina-36173/
Cardinal Dolan, and all bishops for that matter, would do very well to meditate on yesterday’s first reading from Ezekiel – “…if you do not speak out to dissuade the wicked from his way, the wicked shall die for his guilt, but I will hold you responsible for his death.”
Your Eminence, you have been entrusted with great responsibility – souls are entrusted to your care – care for them!
To encourage this group to march in the Saint Patrick’s parade, with not a mention of the wickedness of their publicly-proclaimed acts and lifestyle, is to be held responsible for their eternal demise.
Oddly, I’m rather happy this has all happened. The St. Patrick’s Day Parade has been an embarrassment for decades. It’s just political theater that portrays the Irish as caricatures – drunken, fighting, ignorant boors who are nothing more than fun alcoholic bigots. As a debauched frat party, it’s great. Whatever religious significance it had – if ever – is long since gone. This whole flap has simply emphasized that it has no religious significance. Time for the NY Archdiocese – and in Boston, Chicago and others – to disassociate the Church completely and let it roll unencumbered by the pretense of morality.
What’s the old joke? What is 7 miles long, green and has an IQ of 70? ANS: The St. Patrick’s Day Parade.
The following is a link to a Voris video that warrants reflection. Is the speaker a modern prophet like unto Elijah or John the Baptist, courageous in the face of evil? Or is the speaker unjustly insulting the Cardinal disregarding Pope Francis? (See Above) Monsiegner Pope above offers worthwhile considerations for fraternal correction.
Michael Voris? You decide!
http://www.churchmilitant.tv/daily/?today=2014-09-08
I don’t think the question is about “how” Michael Voris goes about his criticism. Would we have criticized a parent of an abused child for speaking out strongly, insistently, even angrily? Rather, we’d have criticized him or her for not protecting their child. The real question is whether or not Cardinal Dolan has done enough publicly to warrant being criticized. Not whether or not the style of Voris’ criticism is “polite.” But does the priority of helping souls avoid the pit worth it?
Christ gave his most critical words for the leaders of the Jewish Faith. He called them “whitened sepulchers full of dead men’s bones” and “serpents, brood of vipers” and “blind guides, hypocrites, full of hypocrisy and iniquity.” That was His “Fraternal Correction.”
Jeremiah wrote: “Woe to the shepherds who destroy and scatter the sheep of my pasture!” says the LORD…..You have scattered my flock, and have driven them away, and you have not attended to them. Behold, I will attend to you for your evil doings, says the LORD.”
Is Michael Voris a prophet? Are we not each called by virtue of our baptism to be “Priest, Prophet and King?” I am anxiously awaiting Cardinal Burke’s book next month which should give us plenty that is quotable. Meanwhile, very few people have the courage of a Michael Voris, in my opinion.
Style? Method?
Those were not the point of the reflection.
Militia does demonstrate that the Voris video reminds us of the courageous prophets of old.
Whether I or anyone else agrees isn’t important. I was asking, militia answered.
Style? Method? They are never as important as content. To be able to hear, to be able to see, are extremely important. What are we hearing; what are we seeing is the point of the reflection.
Prophetic?
Insulting?
Fraternally Correcting?
Militia has given an answer.
Overnight, I have thought of another point for reflection: Why didn’t Christ and the prophets of old sugarcoat their messages? Wouldn’t more people have been amenable to correction if they had? More souls saved? “Dear Pharisee brothers, surely you mean well in dedicating your lives to speaking the word of God, but if I may please say so — sometimes it seems like you make it more difficult for people to follow the holy way. Not that you mean to do so, of course, as surely you too must be striving for righteousness, but consider how some people may take it the wrong way, especially when you offer them seemingly little explanation or help. Please take mercy on those poor sheep, as I hope you are already doing in your hearts. You are indeed fine fellows; please just let more people see your inherent goodness, etc. etc. Okay? Are we still friends?”
And as a follow-up to my criticism of his Eminence, let me add that Mr. Voris would do very well to meditate on Sunday’s second reading from St. Paul’s letter to the Romans:
Owe nothing to anyone, except to love one another;
for the one who loves another has fulfilled the law.
The commandments, “You shall not commit adultery;
you shall not kill; you shall not steal; you shall not covet, ”
and whatever other commandment there may be,
are summed up in this saying, namely,
“You shall love your neighbor as yourself.”
Love does no evil to the neighbor;
hence, love is the fulfillment of the law.
The loving thing is to call sinners to repentence, yes, but I would hazard a guess that few people would watch Voris’s rants and call him loving. Is his message prophetic? Yes, I think it is. In this culture, it is vital that the Church and its shepherds be counter-cultural prophets themselves, calling for repentence and conversion. But it is also vital that the Church and its shepherds be, above all, open and loving and merciful.
As Pope Francis makes clear in Evangelii Gaudium, the Gospel is a word of JOY! Joy in finding the person of Jesus Christ and embracing the salvation He freely gives by amendment of our lives. Mr. Voris would be more effective, it seems to me, if he were to radiate just a little JOY.
I have previously been critical of Vorheis but he has “holy rage”. Similar to when Christ drove the money changers out of the temple. He loves our church. I think we have to put the notion of joy in it’s proper place. In watching the replays of Mother Angelica chastizing the bishops, we again see “holy Rage”. And a love and passion for the Church. No one could ever claim there was any joy in her voice but as stated in the Old Testament: There is a time and place for everything and clearly, when calling out prelates who have done SO much damage to the faith, Holy Rage is proper. Joy in this case would be innapropriate.
When someone like the Cardinal, who has done so much harm to the faithful, continues to repeat his mistakes, then a very strong message needs to be given and what Vorheis is doing is very appropriate.
When FDR made his address to Congress after the Pearl Harbor attack, there was no joy in his voice. And similarily, when someone is calling out a prelate who encourages sodomy, has dinner with O’Bama and won’t disinvite him, who himself is almost joyful and bragging he never has preached on birth control and homosexuality, he needs to convey “holy hell” because that is what the situation calls for.
Loving means telling the truth. Parents sometimes shout at their children, in love. That is the same thing Vorheis is doing.
I really don’t think, any of these heretetical prelates would ever listen to a joyful, loving correction. Do you think that would be the situation with the previous bishop?
http://www.lifesitenews.com/opinion/cardinal-dolan-leaves-catholics-puzzled-and-disheartened?utm_source=LifeSiteNews.com+Daily+Newsletter&utm_campaign=579dc38a0e-LifeSiteNews_com_US_Headlines_06_19_2013&utm_medium=email&utm_term=0_0caba610ac-579dc38a0e-326215702
AND
what do you think Cardinal Dolan’s role really is regarding the dust-up on Archbishop Sheen’s remains? See here: http://www.onepeterfive.com/additional-clarifications-sheen-cause-diocese-peoria/