HOLY DAYS IN THE CATHOLIC CHURCH AND WHY IT IS OBSERVED

HOLY DAYS IN THE CATHOLIC CHURCH AND WHY IT IS OBSERVED

  23:44    Catholic Channels

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HOLY DAYS IN THE CATHOLIC CHURCH AND WHY IT IS OBSERVED
Obligation days are important feast days in the life of the Catholic community on which, in addition to Sundays, Catholics (who are above the age of reason and who are not sick) are obligated to participate in Mass according to the precepts of the Church.  They celebrate an important mystery of the Catholic faith.  The number of these holy days can vary from country to country.  In the United States, there are six holy days of obligation.

January 1 - Solemnity of Mary, Mother of God
This feast, closely connected to the feast of Christmas and celebrated on the octave of Christmas, is the most important and oldest of the major feasts of Mary. Mary's Divine Maternity became a universal feast in 1931. Liturgical reform initiated by Vatican II placed it on January 1 in 1969. Prior to this, the feast celebrated on January 1 was the circumcision of Jesus.  Mary is indeed the mother of God and our mother is well.  As we begin a new year, it is fitting that we honor and venerate Mary as an essential part of the Catholic Church and of our own lives.

The Ascension of Our Lord - Observed on the seventh Sunday of Easter or on the Thursday after the sixth Sunday of Easter
This feast is celebrated on the fortieth day after Easter Sunday and commemorates the elevation of Jesus into heaven by his own power in the presence of his disciples. It is narrated in Mark 16:19, Luke 24:51, and in the first chapter of the Acts of the Apostles.

In March 2000, the Catholic bishops of the Wisconsin province transferred the Feast of the Ascension to the seventh Sunday of Easter, one week before Pentecost Sunday. The Vatican, at the request of the bishops of the United States, granted permission for the date change, giving ecclesiastical provinces in the United States the authority to make the transfer. Observing the Ascension on the seventh Sunday of Easter allows for heightened celebration and an increased opportunity to educate people about the meaning of the feast.  Some dioceses, including the Archdiocese of Boston, continue to celebrate this feast day on the original Thursday.

August 15 - The Assumption of the Blessed Virgin Mary
This is the principal feast of Mary. It has a double purpose: first, the happy departure of Mary from this life and second, the assumption of her body into heaven. Departure from this world and entrance into the next is the same movement in two different expressions. Little is known for certain about the day, year and manner of Mary's death. The dates assigned for it vary between three and fifteen years after Jesus' Ascension.  Since Mary was preserved free from all stain of original sin, she was spared bodily decay and was taken up body and soul into heaven once her earthly life was over.  Thus the Lord has exalted her as Queen over all things.

Mary's Assumption takes nothing away from Christ. On the contrary, it demonstrates the power of his Resurrection. Since Mary was the mother of Christ and the first to believe in him, she was raised by Him to the glorified life of heaven. It is, as the Catechism of the Catholic Church teaches, "a singular participation in her Son's Resurrection" (no. 966).

Mary is not only the first disciple and mother of Jesus; she is also a symbol of the Church and a model for all Christians. By reflecting on the graces God gave the Blessed Virgin, we understand more about his gifts to us. The Assumption of Mary is the realization of the hope that all believers share. Her acceptance into the glory of Heaven is a sign of the promise made by Jesus to all Christians that one day they too will be received into paradise.

November 1 - All Saints' Day
This feast honors all the saints, known and unknown.  This feast was first celebrated on May 13, 610, when Pope Boniface IV proclaimed the day Feast of All Holy Martyrs in Rome. The intent was to honor all martyrs who were not included in local records. In 835, Pope Gregory IV changed the date and name to November 1 and Feast of All Saints.   There are many saints who are not popularly known or who are not celebrated during the course of the liturgical year.  This feast day provides an opportunity to remember and celebrate their lives.

December 8 - The Immaculate Conception of the Blessed Virgin Mary
The Immaculate Conception of Mary, the Mother of Jesus, is the belief that God preserved Mary from any inclination to sin, the inheritance of original sin passed on to all humankind from Adam and Eve.  Even though Mary was conceived in the normal way by her parents, she was preserved from original sin and redeemed by God’s grace from the moment of her conception. Mary is indeed “full of grace.” The official teaching of the Church says: “The most Blessed Virgin Mary was, from the moment of her conception, by a singular grace and privilege of almighty God and by virtue of the merits of Jesus Christ, Savior of the human race, preserved immune from all original sin.”  What Christ does for everyone who calls upon his name and is baptized (Acts 2:38; 4:12; Romans 10:13) he did for his mother when she was conceived. “By the grace of God Mary remained free of every personal sin her whole life long.” [Catechism of the Catholic Church no. 493]

The feast of the Conception of Mary appeared in the Roman calendar in 1476. After the dogmatic definition by Pope Pius IX in 1854, it became the Feast of the Immaculate Conception.

December 25 - Christmas, the Nativity of Our Lord
This feast, one of the two major feasts of the liturgical year, celebrates the birth of Jesus.  We celebrate the Incarnation, when God became flesh and entered the world.  We have a God who loves us and saves us!

Please Note:
When the following holy days fall on a Saturday or Monday, there is no obligation to attend Mass:
January 1
August 15
November 1
Although the obligation to attend Mass when these three holy days fall on a Saturday or Monday is abolished, parishes are to continue to observe these holy days by scheduling one or more Masses at a convenient time so that people who wish to participate are able to do so. This was decided at the November 1991 meeting of the National Conference of Catholic Bishops. The action was confirmed by the Congregation for Bishops on July 4, 1992

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what advent stands for roman catholic and why it is observed

what advent stands for roman catholic and why it is observed

  23:12    Catholic Channels

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What Is the Aim of Advent for Christians?
Advent is a season on the Church's liturgical calendar--specifically, it is as season on the calendar of the Latin Church, which is the largest Church in communion with the pope.
Other Catholic Churches--as well as many non-Catholic churches--have their own celebration of Advent.
According to the General Norms for the Liturgical Year and the Calendar:
Advent has a twofold character:
as a season to prepare for Christmas when Christ's first coming to us is remembered;
as a season when that remembrance directs the mind and heart to await Christ's Second Coming at the end of time.
Advent is thus a period for devout and joyful expectation [Norms 39].
We tend to think of Advent only as the season in which we prepare for Christmas, or the First Coming of Christ, but as the General Norms point out, it is important that we also remember it as a celebration in which we look forward to the Second Coming of Christ.
Properly speaking, Advent is a season that brings to mind the Two Comings of Christ.

2. What Liturgical Colors Are Used in Advent?
Particular days and certain types of celebrations can have their own colors (e.g., red for martyrs, black or white at funerals), but the normal color for Advent is violet. The General Instruction of the Roman Missal provides:
The color violet or purple is used in Advent and Lent. It may also be worn in Offices and Masses for the Dead [346d].
In many places, there is a notable exception for the Third Sunday of Advent, known as Gaudete Sunday:

The color rose may be used, where it is the practice, on Gaudete Sunday (Third Sunday of Advent) and on Laetare Sunday (Fourth Sunday of Lent) [GIRM 346f].

3. Is Advent a Penitential Season?
We often think of Advent as a penitential season because the liturgical color for Advent is violet, like the color of Lent, which is a penitential season.
However, in reality, Advent is not a penitential season. Surprise!
According to the Code of Canon Law:
Can.  1250 The penitential days and times in the universal Church are every Friday of the whole year and the season of Lent.
Although local authorities can establish additional penitential days, this is a complete listing of the penitential days and times of the Latin Church as a whole, and Advent is not one of them.

4. When Does Advent Begin and End?
According to the General Norms:
Advent begins with evening prayer I of the Sunday falling on or closest to 30 November and ends before evening prayer I of Christmas [Norms 40].
The Sunday on or closest to November 30 can range between November 27 and December 3, depending on the year.
In the case of a Sunday, Evening Prayer I is said on the evening of the preceding day (Saturday). According to the General Instruction of the Liturgy of the Hours:
96. Evening prayer, celebrated immediately before Mass, is joined to it in the same way as morning prayer. Evening prayer I of solemnities, Sundays, or feasts of the Lord falling on Sundays may not be celebrated until after Mass of the preceding day or Saturday.
This means that Advent begins on the evening of a Saturday falling between November 26 and December 2 (inclusive), and it ends on the evening of December 24th, which holds Evening Prayer I of Christmas (December 25th).

5. What Is the Role of Sundays in Advent?
There are four Sundays of Advent. The General Norms state:
The Sundays of this season are named the First, Second, Third, and Fourth Sundays of Advent [Norms 41].
We have already mentioned that the Third Sunday of Advent has a special name--Gaudete Sunday. Gaudete is the Latin word for "Rejoice," which is the first word of the introit of the Mass for this day.
The Church ascribes particular importance to these Sundays, and they take precedence over other liturgical celebrations. Thus the General Norms state:
Because of its special importance, the Sunday celebration gives way only to solemnities or feasts of the Lord. The Sundays of the seasons of Advent, Lent, and Easter, however, take precedence over all solemnities and feasts of the Lord. Solemnities occuring on these Sundays are observed on the Saturdays preceding [Norms 5].
You also cannot celebrate Funeral Masses on the Sundays of Advent:
Among the Masses for the Dead, the Funeral Mass holds first place. It may be celebrated on any day except for Solemnities that are Holydays of Obligation, Thursday of Holy Week, the Paschal Triduum, and the Sundays of Advent, Lent, and Easter, with due regard also for all the other requirements of the norm of the law [GIRM 380].
6. What Happens on Weekdays in Advent?
It is especially recommended that homilies be given on the weekdays of Advent. The General Instruction of the Roman Missal (GIRM) states
On Sundays and Holydays of Obligation there is to be a Homily at every Mass that is celebrated with the people attending and it may not be omitted without a grave reason. On other days it is recommended, especially on the weekdays of Advent, Lent and Easter Time, as well as on other festive days and occasions when the people come to church in greater numbers [GIRM 66].
The weekdays from 17 December to 24 December inclusive serve to prepare more directly for the Lord's birth [Norms 41].
This special role is illustrated, for example, by the Scripture readings used in the liturgy on these days.
7. How Are Churches Decorated During Advent?
During Advent the floral decoration of the altar should be marked by a moderation suited to the character of this time of year, without expressing in anticipation the full joy of the Nativity of the Lord. During Lent it is forbidden for the altar to be decorated with flowers. Exceptions, however, are Laetare Sunday (Fourth Sunday of Lent), Solemnities, and Feasts [GIRM 305].
8. How Is Music Performed During Advent?
In Advent the use of the organ and other musical instruments should be marked by a moderation suited to the character of this time of year, without expressing in anticipation the full joy of the Nativity of the Lord. In Lent the playing of the organ and musical instruments is allowed only in order to support the singing. Exceptions, however, are Laetare Sunday (Fourth Sunday of Lent), Solemnities, and Feasts [GIRM 313].
9. Is the Gloria Said or Sung During Advent?
Neither. The General Instruction of the Roman Missal provides:
[The Gloria or "Glory to God in the highest"] is sung or said on Sundays outside Advent and Lent, and also on Solemnities and Feasts, and at particular celebrations of a more solemn character [GIRM 53].
10. What Private Devotions Can We Use to Grow Closer to God During Advent?

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why black crosses mark on the foreheads of many catholics, history of Ash Wednesday and Easter celebration

why black crosses mark on the foreheads of many catholics, history of Ash Wednesday and Easter celebration

  22:48    Catholic Channels

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Black crosses  mark on the foreheads of many Christians, signifying the start of the Lenten season.
It's all part of Ash Wednesday. Learn more about the religious day, from the symbolism behind the black crosses to its history.
Ash Wednesday is inextricably linked to Easter. After all, it marks the beginning of the Lent penance period that ends on that important Christian holiday. But, even though the Easter story takes place in biblical times, the traditions of Ash Wednesday aren't quite that old.
"The practice of Ash Wednesday dates back to the 11th Century," says Lauren F. Winner, a priest and assistant professor at Duke Divinity School. "You see that in the book Daniel in the nine chapter there's a line about associating fasting with ashes, so ashes are associated with penance, which is the dominant theme of Lent."
And the most familiar Ash Wednesday observance—the ash crosses worn on the foreheads of many churchgoers—hasn't always been acknowledged by all branches of Christianity, Winner says. It wasn't until a few decades ago that the tradition became widespread in the United States.
In the 1970s, the practice matched up with a few wider trends in American religion, including the embrace of once-discarded traditions and the search for ways to connect the physical body to spiritual life. Ash Wednesday was an opportunity for a multi-sensory way of connecting faith to the body, so many American Christians at the time decided to begin wearing that outward physical mark of their spiritual lives. Winner says she thinks its popularity has endured as it offers those celebrating an easy way to prompt conversations about faith.

"We've seen the rise of a whole array of bodily practices and this is a very striking one for those who are not necessarily comfortable talking about faith,"she says. "The practice of this once a year is an organic way of drawing their faith into their lives."
Stay on top of the history behind today’s news.
But what is it exactly that's on the foreheads of those observing the holiday? The ash used for Ash Wednesday is made of palm branches used on the previous Palm Sunday, when Christians carry palms in a nod to the Gospels' reference to Jesus' path being covered in palm fronds on the day he entered Jerusalem. Occasionally the ashes are mixed with oil so they stay on congregants' foreheads for longer.
In modern times, especially as cremation has become more popular in the U.S., many people imbue the ashes with a new level of meaning, Winner says. "[They represent] penance and mortality," she says, "but there's also a much stronger and more palpable association if people were just last year scattering ashes of a family member."
With many religious traditions, the meaning can often be lost over time. But Winner says Ash Wednesday, even as observances evolve, is one exception to that rule."It's very powerful to say those words about 'you are dust and to dust you shall return,'" she says. "I keep waiting for it to get overly familiar and lose its power but it doesn't."

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DAILY READING FOR 16TH AUGUST, 2017

DAILY READING FOR 16TH AUGUST, 2017

  22:10    Catholic Channels

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SCRIPTURE READINGS: [ DT 34:1-12; PS 66:1-3,5,16-17; MT 18:15-20 ]
1 Then, leaving the Plains of Moab, Moses went up Mount Nebo, the peak of Pisgah opposite Jericho, and Yahweh showed him the whole country: Gilead as far as Dan,

2 the whole of Naphtali, the country of Ephraim and Manasseh, the whole country of Judah as far as the Western Sea,

3 the Negeb, and the region of the Valley of Jericho, city of palm trees, as far as Zoar.

4 Yahweh said to him, 'This is the country which I promised on oath to give to Abraham, Isaac and Jacob, saying: I shall give it to your descendants. I have allowed you to see it for yourself, but you will not cross into it.'

5 There in the country of Moab, Moses, servant of Yahweh, died as Yahweh decreed;

6 he buried him in the valley, in the country of Moab, opposite Beth-Peor; but to this day no one has ever found his grave.

7 Moses was a hundred and twenty years old when he died, his eye undimmed, his vigour unimpaired.

8 The Israelites wept for Moses on the Plains of Moab for thirty days. The days of weeping for the mourning rites of Moses came to an end.

9 Joshua son of Nun was filled with the spirit of wisdom, for Moses had laid his hands on him, and him the Israelites obeyed, carrying out the order which Yahweh had given to Moses.

10 Since then, there has never been such a prophet in Israel as Moses, the man whom Yahweh knew face to face.

11 What signs and wonders Yahweh caused him to perform in Egypt against Pharaoh, all his servants and his whole country!

12 How mighty the hand and great the fear that Moses wielded in the eyes of all Israel!

Responsorial Psalm, Psalms 66:1-3, 5, 8, 16-17
1 [For the choirmaster Song Psalm] Acclaim God, all the earth,

2 sing psalms to the glory of his name, glorify him with your praises,

3 say to God, 'How awesome you are! 'Your achievements are the measure of your power, your enemies woo your favour,

5 Come and see the marvels of God, his awesome deeds for the children of Adam:

8 Nations, bless our God, let the sound of his praise be heard;

16 Come and listen, all who fear God, while I tell what he has done for me.

17 To him I cried aloud, high praise was on my tongue.


Gospel, Matthew 18:15-20
15 'If your brother does something wrong, go and have it out with him alone, between your two selves. If he listens to you, you have won back your brother.

16 If he does not listen, take one or two others along with you: whatever the misdemeanour, the evidence of two or three witnesses is required to sustain the charge.

17 But if he refuses to listen to these, report it to the community; and if he refuses to listen to the community, treat him like a gentile or a tax collector.

18 'In truth I tell you, whatever you bind on earth will be bound in heaven; whatever you loose on earth will be loosed in heaven.

19 'In truth I tell you once again, if two of you on earth agree to ask anything at all, it will be granted to you by my Father in heaven.

20 For where two or three meet in my name, I am there among them.'

Pride is the cause of our sins.  Most of our problems stem from a low self-esteem and a lack of self-confidence.  This explains why many of us are ambitious, winning laurel after laurel to prove to ourselves and to others that we are good enough, intelligent and capable.  We want to feel good about ourselves.  That is why we compete with others to climb to the top.   But the truth is that we will never be good enough for everyone and we can never be the best as there will always be others who are better than us in other things.

Pride also leads to anger, resentment and grudges.  This is especially so when others have more than us or are better than us and are more popular and loved.  We want to compare and when others are better than us, we fall into the sin of envy.  Pride also insists on justice and the need to secure our rights.  We become reactive and vindictive when our rights are compromised.  We feel the need to defend our rights and take what belongs to us.  We are always worried about how people think of us rather than how we think of ourselves.

But today we are called to see the bigger picture of life.  Whilst ambition and justice are important, they are not everything.  It is right to have an ambition in life so that we can live a purposeful and meaningful life.  It is not wrong to demand for your rights.  Yet, if we spend all our time winning crown after crown, and fighting with our opponents, we will feel drained and so sapped of energy that we have little left to enjoy life with our friends and loved ones.   We will be pursuing goals that can never be realized because there will be always another goal to achieve.

Indeed, the Lord told Moses to let go of his ambition.  Whilst Moses had done much to set His people free from the slavery of the Egyptians, formed a motley crowd of people into a nation and preparing them to enter the Promised Land after 40 years in the desert, He would not be allowed to enter into it.   The Lord said to him, “This is the land I swore to give to Abraham, Isaac and Jacob, saying: I will give it to your descendants.  I have let you see it with your own eyes, but you shall not cross into it.’”

Moses accepted the will of God and His plan for himself and the people.  Moses did not appeal to the Lord to give him the opportunity to see through until the mission was accomplished.   He was ready to surrender everything into the hands of God.   He did not insist that since he rescued the people from Egypt and brought them out and up, he deserved the right to lead them into the Promised Land.  This is so unlike most of us when we bargain with the Lord that we be given the grace to see through what we started.   Parents when sick often pray that they will live till they are able to see their children graduate, get married and have a child.  They feel the need for closure before they leave the world.

But God was saying to Moses to leave everything into His hands.   He knew best and He knew what to do.  God had His plans in place.  God had already prepared his successor in the person of Joshua.   He “was filled with the spirit of wisdom, for Moses had laid his hands on him.  It was he that the sons of Israel obeyed, carrying out the order that the Lord had given to Moses.”   In other words, no one is indispensable.  God will see through His projects and plans.  We need not worry about what will happen when we are no longer around.  Hence, the Lord gave Moses a preview of what He intended to give to the people of Israel.  “Leaving the plains of Moab, Moses went up Mount Nebo and the Lord showed him the whole land.”  With or without Moses, the plan of God would be realized.

We must learn from Moses to graciously let go and let God take over.  It is true that no one could replace Moses for he was an exceptional leader.  “Since then, never has there been such a prophet in Israel as Moses, the man the Lord knew face to face.  What signs and wonders the Lord caused him to perform in the land of Egypt against Pharaoh and all his servants and his whole land! How mighty the hand and great the fear that Moses wielded in the sight of all Israel!”  Yet, we can trust that it is not in our hands or power but in the hands and power of God.   As leaders, we are simply laying the foundation for the next leader to bring the organization to a higher level.  So in truth, we build upon each other’s successes and failures.   But at the end of the day, it is God’s work, not ours.  Like the psalmist, we pray, “Cry out with joy to God all the earth, O sing to the glory of his name.  O render him glorious praise.  Say to God: ‘How tremendous your deeds!’ Come and see the works of God, tremendous his deeds among men.  Come and hear, all who fear God.  I will tell what he did for my soul: to him I cried aloud, with high praise ready on my tongue.”   All glory be to God alone.

Indeed, in life, we must remember that God has a plan for each one of us.  We are not here permanently but are pilgrims along the way.  As William Shakespeare in his play, “As you like it”, said, “All the world’s a stage, and all the men and women merely players: they have their exits and their entrances; and one man in his time plays many parts, his acts being seven ages.”   So let us not cling to our positions, to our offices and roles that we play in this life.  We should simply do our best, play our part and when it is time to exit, exit graciously and not grudgingly.  Life on this earth is temporary, so is everything else – money, health, beauty, accomplishments, power, position and fame.  All these things do not last.  Our real heaven and the true Promised Land is in heaven where we get our final reward.   This was what Moses was to arrive at, not the earthly Promised Land. But he had a foretaste of what the heavenly Promised Land was like – much greater than what he could see.

However, the Kingdom of God is not built in a day.  Already during the time of Matthew’s Christian community, there were quarrels, misunderstandings and scandals.  This was the context of the evangelist in citing the advice of Jesus in handling difficult matters in the community, especially errant members. Whether these are the real words of Christ or the thoughts of Jesus reinterpreted by the early Christian community, the truth remains that there is no perfect community.  If Catholics are scandalized by the sins and weaknesses of fellow Christians and Church leaders, it is because they are not realistic about themselves.  As Jesus said to the adulterous woman, “Has no one condemned you? Neither do I condemn you. Go your way, and from now on do not sin again.” (Jn 8:10f)

But it is important to take note of the process.  Underpinning the whole process of fraternal correction is dialogue in truth and in charity.  It is not about revenge and seeking to destroy the sinner or seeking punishment on someone who has wronged us.  Unfortunately, when we seek justice, we are in truth seeking revenge; not the restoration of the social order.  We just want the person who hurt us to be punished, not so much corrected or to repent.   Hence, the procedures taught by the Lord involves a series of steps.  Firstly, to have it out quietly with the person concerned.  If he refuses to listen, find some others to mediate.  Only when that fails, is it then to be reported to the authorities.  But how many of us observe the instructions of our Lord in dealing with errant Catholics?  We report them immediately to the authorities so that they could be humiliated and be given the punishment that we hope to see.   Underlying such desire is the inability to let go and let God take over.  We cannot let go of our anger and vindictiveness.  But Jesus is asking us, as He asked Moses, to let go of our attachment to our pride.  Jesus said, “But if he refuses to listen to these, report it to the community, treat him like a pagan or a tax collector.”  In other words, let him be and allow the grace of God to bring him back at the proper time.  We cannot force people to be converted.  They need self-awareness and grace is required. We need to wait for God’s time.

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CATHOLIC DAILY READING FOR WEDNESDAY, AUGUST 16TH. 2017

CATHOLIC DAILY READING FOR WEDNESDAY, AUGUST 16TH. 2017

  21:38    Catholic Channels

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             CATHOLIC DAILY READING FOR WEDNESDAY, AUGUST 16TH. 2017

First Reading, Deuteronomy 34:1-12

1 Then, leaving the Plains of Moab, Moses went up Mount Nebo, the peak of Pisgah opposite Jericho, and Yahweh showed him the whole country: Gilead as far as Dan,

2 the whole of Naphtali, the country of Ephraim and Manasseh, the whole country of Judah as far as the Western Sea,

3 the Negeb, and the region of the Valley of Jericho, city of palm trees, as far as Zoar.

4 Yahweh said to him, 'This is the country which I promised on oath to give to Abraham, Isaac and Jacob, saying: I shall give it to your descendants. I have allowed you to see it for yourself, but you will not cross into it.'

5 There in the country of Moab, Moses, servant of Yahweh, died as Yahweh decreed;

6 he buried him in the valley, in the country of Moab, opposite Beth-Peor; but to this day no one has ever found his grave.

7 Moses was a hundred and twenty years old when he died, his eye undimmed, his vigour unimpaired.

8 The Israelites wept for Moses on the Plains of Moab for thirty days. The days of weeping for the mourning rites of Moses came to an end.

9 Joshua son of Nun was filled with the spirit of wisdom, for Moses had laid his hands on him, and him the Israelites obeyed, carrying out the order which Yahweh had given to Moses.

10 Since then, there has never been such a prophet in Israel as Moses, the man whom Yahweh knew face to face.

11 What signs and wonders Yahweh caused him to perform in Egypt against Pharaoh, all his servants and his whole country!

12 How mighty the hand and great the fear that Moses wielded in the eyes of all Israel!

Responsorial Psalm, Psalms 66:1-3, 5, 8, 16-17
1 [For the choirmaster Song Psalm] Acclaim God, all the earth,

2 sing psalms to the glory of his name, glorify him with your praises,

3 say to God, 'How awesome you are! 'Your achievements are the measure of your power, your enemies woo your favour,

5 Come and see the marvels of God, his awesome deeds for the children of Adam:

8 Nations, bless our God, let the sound of his praise be heard;

16 Come and listen, all who fear God, while I tell what he has done for me.

17 To him I cried aloud, high praise was on my tongue.


Gospel, Matthew 18:15-20
15 'If your brother does something wrong, go and have it out with him alone, between your two selves. If he listens to you, you have won back your brother.

16 If he does not listen, take one or two others along with you: whatever the misdemeanour, the evidence of two or three witnesses is required to sustain the charge.

17 But if he refuses to listen to these, report it to the community; and if he refuses to listen to the community, treat him like a gentile or a tax collector.

18 'In truth I tell you, whatever you bind on earth will be bound in heaven; whatever you loose on earth will be loosed in heaven.

19 'In truth I tell you once again, if two of you on earth agree to ask anything at all, it will be granted to you by my Father in heaven.

20 For where two or three meet in my name, I am there among them.'

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Some Fractions Of Ahiara Diocese Rejects Bishop Peter Okpalaeke

Some Fractions Of Ahiara Diocese Rejects Bishop Peter Okpalaeke

  11:20    Catholic Channels

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Ahiara Diocese Rejects Bishop Peter Okpalaeke.
A Catholic priest, Rev. Fr Philip Jamang, has described the rejection of Bishop Peter Okpalaeke by some members of Ahiara Diocese, Mbaise, in Imo, as a “disgrace” to the Catholic Church. Jamang, Parish Priest of Church of Assumption, Chongo Pyel, Jos, told the Newsmen that it was particularly wrong for some priests to support those against a Bishop appointed by the Pope. “Their action is strange; it is an insult never heard of in the Catholic Church,” he said on Monday in Jos. The Ahiara Catholic Diocese has remained without a Bishop, more than four years after the death of its pioneer Bishop, Rt. Rev. Victor Chikwe, after the rejection of Okpalaeke, who was appointed and consecrated in 2012. Sources indicated that a section of Mbaise priests, supported by a segment of the laity, had remained opposed to  Okpalaeke, citing clannish differences. In May 2017, the Pope gave the Diocese a 30-day ultimatum to accept Okpalaeke and apologise over their unruly behaviour to him, or face sanctions. The ultimatum expired last month without compliance. Jamang, while reacting to the lingering disagreement, said that the action of the priests and the laity had demeaned the Catholic Church and the sacred place of the Pontiff. “The Catholic Church is a united entity known for sanity and dignity. If today some sections of the Church, including priests in Ahiara, are rejecting a Bishop on the basis of clan, then something is really wrong. “Most of the Bishops are not natives of Dioceses where they serve. Bishop Ignatius Kaigama of Jos, for instance, is from Jalingo in Taraba. Bishop Mathew Kukah of the Sokoto Diocese is from Kaduna State. “For any Catholic faithful to insist that his or her Bishop must be a native of the area he is posted, is very odd and strange,” he said. Jamang urged Catholics and other Christians to accept and support people ordained by God and sent to work with them as his ministers, and avoid actions that would bring shame to Christianity. He also called on Christians to pray for the unity of the Church and Nigeria in general

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POPE FRANCIS SEND HIS CONDELENCES TO VICTIMS OF ANAMBRA MASSACRE

POPE FRANCIS SEND HIS CONDELENCES TO VICTIMS OF ANAMBRA MASSACRE

  09:44    Catholic Channels

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Pope Francis said he was “deeply saddened to learn of the loss of life and injury following the violent attack in Saint Philip’s Catholic Church, Ozubulu.”
He offered his “heartfelt condolences to all the faithful of the Diocese of Nnewi, in particular, the families of the deceased and all those affected by this tragedy.”
The Pontiff also gave the entire diocese his blessings of “consolation and strength.”
Pope Francis has ordered rebel priests in Nigeria to write to him personally pledging "total obedience" following the spat over the Vatican's choice of local bishopplay
Pope Francis offers prayers and condolences to victims of Anambra church attack (AFP/File)

ALSO READ: What Christian leaders are saying about Ozubulu massacre
The Catholic News Agency reports that the telegram was addressed to Bishop Hilary Paul Odili Okeke of Nnewi.
It was signed by Vatican Secretary of State Cardinal Pietro Parolin.
Pope Francis’ telegram follows the attack on the worshippers of ‎St. Philip’s Catholic Church, Ugwu Oye in Ozubulu, Anambra State on Sunday, July 6, 2017.
St. Philips in Anambra, a place for worship has been violated by a recent attack at least 11 peopleplay
St. Philips in Anambra, a place for worship has been violated by a recent attack at least 11 people (premiumtimesng)

According to the Anambra State Commissioner of Police, Garba Umar, the death toll has risen to 13.
The state police has linked the attack to a feud between members of the community living outside Nigeria.
Meanwhile, Channels TV reports that priests of Nnewi Diocese have held a mass for the victims of the attacks.
Priests hold Mass for victims of the attackplay
Priests hold Mass for victims of the attack (channelstv)

The mass was led by Catholic Bishop, Most Reverend Hilary Okeke, who said it was important for people to still come together in spite of the tragedy.
He said, “We have come here to turn to God in confidence and in trust: for the dead, so that the dead will have eternal rest; for the wounded, so that they will have healing; for the parents and the families, that they may be consoled and helped in every way; for the parish, that the parish will have confidence in God and even though they have gone through this suffering that they will still know that God has not abandoned them.”

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POPE CONDEMNS MASSACRE OF CHRISTIANS IN NIGERIA AND THE CENTRAL AFRICAN REPUBLIC

POPE CONDEMNS MASSACRE OF CHRISTIANS IN NIGERIA AND THE CENTRAL AFRICAN REPUBLIC

  09:17    Catholic Channels

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Pope Francis on Wednesday denounced "shameful" attacks on Christians in Nigeria and the Central African Republic (CAR), calling for an end to "all hate and violence".
"I have been profoundly saddened by the massacre last Sunday in Nigeria, inside a church, where innocent people were killed," the pontiff said at the end of his weekly public audience at the Vatican.
"And sadly this morning we have news of violence in the Central African Republic against Christian communities."
"I hope all forms of hate and violence will cease and such shameful crimes in places of worship, where the faithful are gathered to pray, will not be repeated," he added.
At least 11 worshippers were gunned down at a church in southeast Nigeria on Sunday, with authorities suggesting the bloodshed was due to a local feud.
Attacks on churches are rare in southern Nigeria, where there is a predominantly Christian population.
The country's mainly-Muslim north has been gripped by a violent campaign by Boko Haram jihadists, who specialise in targeting religious centres.
The violent campaign to impose strict Islamic law has killed at least 20,000 people and forced some 2.6 million others to flee their homes, sparking a dire humanitarian crisis in the northeast.
In the Central African Republic, reports of killings, some targeting aid workers have prompted the UN to warn of "early signs of a genocide" in the conflict-wracked nation.
At least 60 people have been killed in recent weeks in fighting between armed groups in Ngaoundaye and Batangafo in the north, Kaga-Bandoro in the centre and Alindao and Gambo to the south, witnesses have told AFP.
The fighting is largely between groups on opposing sides of the brutal conflict between Muslim and Christian militias that broke out in CAR in 2013 after President Francois Bozize was overthrown by a coalition of Muslim-majority rebel groups called the Seleka.

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POPE WARNS BELGIAN CATHOLIC CHARITY TO STOP OFFERING MERCY DEATH

POPE WARNS BELGIAN CATHOLIC CHARITY TO STOP OFFERING MERCY DEATH

  08:52    Catholic Channels

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A Belgian Catholic charity said Thursday it has been warned by Pope Francis to stop offering mercy death in its psychiatric hospitals by the end of the month or face expulsion.
The board of directors of the Brothers of Charity group, which runs 15 hospitals in Belgium, approved the use of euthanasia in the spring, as the board considers assisted death a "medical practice".
The hospitals had previously referred patients who requested mercy killing to other health centres.
"The Brothers of Charity is against euthanasia," said the charity's Rome-based superior general Rene Stockman, who had disagreed with the decision and complained to the Vatican. "We have an absolute respect for life."
Belgium legalised euthanasia in 2002, the second country in the world to do so after The Netherlands, and logged a record 2,021 cases of euthanasia in 2015.
The law was amended in 2014 to allow euthanasia for minors of any age suffering from incurable diseases if they were capable of making a rational decision about their fate.
According to Stockman, three clergymen on the board who approved the euthanasia order will have to sign a joint letter by the end of the month saying they reject the practice.
The other lay members of the board will also have to issue an edict reversing the decision to allow it to take place in the charity's hospitals.
The Brothers of Charity, a Rome-based religious order with missions in more than 20 countries around the world, was founded in Belgium in 1807 to help the poor. It runs schools and centres for the physically disabled in Belgium.
Its hospitals treat 5,000 patients with a staff of 13,000, but the brothers, most of them older and retired, are less and less visible inside the hospitals and their role in their management has waned.

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CATHOLIC CLERGIES MUST ENCOURAGE POLITICS TO BEATER LIFE

CATHOLIC CLERGIES MUST ENCOURAGE POLITICS TO BEATER LIFE

  08:30    Catholic Channels

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                                               why catholic church is not left behind in the game of politics

We speak as bishops, as teachers of the Catholic faith and of the moral law. We have the duty to teach about human life and dignity, marriage and family, war and peace, the needs of the poor and the demands of justice. Today we continue our efforts to teach on a uniquely important matter that has recently been a source of concern for Catholics and others.

It is the teaching of the Catholic Church from the very beginning, founded on her understanding of her Lord’s own witness to the sacredness of human life, that the killing of an unborn child is always intrinsically evil and can never be justified. If those who perform an abortion and those who cooperate willingly in the action are fully aware of the objective evil of what they do, they are guilty of grave sin and thereby separate themselves from God’s grace. This is the constant and received teaching of the Church. It is, as well, the conviction of many other people of good will.

To make such intrinsically evil actions legal is itself wrong. This is the point most recently highlighted in official Catholic teaching. The legal system as such can be said to cooperate in evil when it fails to protect the lives of those who have no protection except the law. In the United States of America, abortion on demand has been made a constitutional right by a decision of the Supreme Court. Failing to protect the lives of innocent and defenseless members of the human race is to sin against justice. Those who formulate law therefore have an obligation in conscience to work toward correcting morally defective laws, lest they be guilty of cooperating in evil and in sinning against the common good.

As our conference has insisted in Faithful Citizenship, Catholics who bring their moral convictions into public life do not threaten democracy or pluralism but enrich them and the nation. The separation of church and state does not require division between belief and public action, between moral principles and political choices, but protects the right of believers and religious groups to practice their faith and act on their values in public life.

Our obligation as bishops at this time is to teach clearly. It is with pastoral solicitude for everyone involved in the political process that we will also counsel Catholic public officials that their acting consistently to support abortion on demand risks making them cooperators in evil in a public manner. We will persist in this duty to counsel, in the hope that the scandal of their cooperating in evil can be resolved by the proper formation of their consciences.

Having received an extensive interim report from the Task Force on Catholic Bishops and Catholic Politicians, and looking forward to the full report, we highlight several points from the interim report that suggest some directions for our efforts:

We need to continue to teach clearly and help other Catholic leaders to teach clearly on our unequivocal commitment to the legal protection of human life from the moment of conception until natural death. Our teaching on human life and dignity should be reflected in our parishes and our educational, health care and human service ministries.

We need to do more to persuade all people that human life is precious and human dignity must be defended. This requires more effective dialogue and engagement with all public officials, especially Catholic public officials. We welcome conversation initiated by political leaders themselves.

Catholics need to act in support of these principles and policies in public life. It is the particular vocation of the laity to transform the world. We have to encourage this vocation and do more to bring all believers to this mission. As bishops, we do not endorse or oppose candidates. Rather, we seek to form the consciences of our people so that they can examine the positions of candidates and make choices based on Catholic moral and social teaching.

The Catholic community and Catholic institutions should not honor those who act in defiance of our fundamental moral principles. They should not be given awards, honors or platforms which would suggest support for their actions.

We commit ourselves to maintain communication with public officials who make decisions every day that touch issues of human life and dignity.
The Eucharist is the source and summit of Catholic life. Therefore, like every Catholic generation before us, we must be guided by the words of St. Paul, “Whoever, therefore, eats the bread or drinks the cup of the Lord in an unworthy manner will be guilty of profaning the Body and Blood of the Lord” (1 Cor 11:27). This means that all must examine their consciences as to their worthiness to receive the Body and Blood of our Lord. This examination includes fidelity to the moral teaching of the Church in personal and public life.

The question has been raised as to whether the denial of Holy Communion to some Catholics in political life is necessary because of their public support for abortion on demand. Given the wide range of circumstances involved in arriving at a prudential judgment on a matter of this seriousness, we recognize that such decisions rest with the individual bishop in accord with the established canonical and pastoral principles. Bishops can legitimately make different judgments on the most prudent course of pastoral action. Nevertheless, we all share an unequivocal commitment to protect human life and dignity and to preach the Gospel in difficult times.

The polarizing tendencies of election-year politics can lead to circumstances in which Catholic teaching and sacramental practice can be misused for political ends. Respect for the Holy Eucharist, in particular, demands that it be received worthily and that it be seen as the source for our common mission in the world.

Catholics in Political Life was developed by the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops (USCCB) Task Force on Catholic Bishops and Catholic Politicians in collaboration with Francis Cardinal George, OMI, Archbishop Charles J. Chaput, OFMCap, and Bishop Donald W. Wuerl. It was approved for publication by the full body of bishops at their June 2004 General Meeting and has been authorized for publication by the undersigned

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Fr. Edet resignation controversy continues as he maintained that he is done with been catholic priests

Fr. Edet resignation controversy continues as he maintained that he is done with been catholic priests

  08:18    Catholic Channels

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Fr. Edet had announced his resignation about two weeks and also went on a private radio station in the state to announce that he was done with the church as well as announce it on some social media platforms.
A few days after that, Fr. Edet also made known his ministry, The Grace Family Global Outreach, giving a final indication that he was done with the Catholic Church.

A catechist of the Church said, all the comments on social media about the matter are misplaced and misleading as they don't know the gravity of the matter. You don't just quit the Priesthood of Catholic church like that.
His words, "Let those who make useless comments on social media continue,the Catholic church is a church guided by discipline and no form of rebellion of any kind shall be entertained. Even when Barr Enoidem resigned his appointment as a commissioner to contest election as legal adviser of PDP, he later returned to the cabinet because of course his resignation letter was rejected by his boss, Governor Udom Emmanuel and he returned to the cabinet until others were dissolved. So until the Pope accepts his resignation letter, he remains Rev. Fr. Patrick Edet. That is the cross he is bound to carry ,after all, he took an oath to serve the church perpetual", the catechist said.

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WHY CATHOLICS MUST PARTICIPATE IN POLITICS TO BEATER HUMANITY

WHY CATHOLICS MUST PARTICIPATE IN POLITICS TO BEATER HUMANITY

  07:06    Catholic Channels

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POPE ENCOURAGE CATHOLICS TO PARTICIPATE IN POLITICS
Catholics must get involved in politics even if it may be "dirty," frustrating and fraught with failure, Pope Francis said.
Given today's "throwaway" culture and so many problems unfolding in the world, "Do I as a Catholic watch from my balcony? No, you can't watch from the balcony. Get right in there!" he said.
The pope made his comments Thursday during an informal question-and-answer session with members of Italy's Christian Life Community and the Student Missionary League -- groups inspired by Ignatian  spirituality. As a Jesuit priest, Pope Francis served as a national assistant to the Christian Life Community in Argentina in the late 1970s.
Pope Francis set aside his prepared text and instead took questions from four people in the audience, warning them at one point that it could be dangerous.
"When you ask me these questions, the danger -- danger for the pope, too, you know -- is believing that I can answer all your questions. The only one who can answer every question is the Lord. My job is simply to listen and say what comes to me from within. But [it is] insufficient and too little," he said.
One man asked how to keep strong the link between faith in Jesus and the responsibility of building a more just and caring world.
Christians have a duty to work for the common good in the world of politics, the pope said, adding that that does not mean forming a Catholic political party.
"That is not the way. The church is the community of Christians who adore the Father, follow the way of the Son and receive the gift of the Holy Spirit. It is not a political party," he said.
However, individual Catholics must get involved and "embroiled" in politics, he said, because it is one of the "highest forms of charity" since it seeks the common good.
Yet, it isn't easy, especially when there is so much corruption, he said. "It's a kind of martyrdom" where one carries the cross of the ideal of the common good every day "without letting yourself be corrupted" or discouraged in the midst of failure.
It is hard to be in the middle of it all "without getting your hands or heart a little dirty," he said. "Ask the Lord to help you not sin, but if you get your hands dirty, ask for forgiveness and keep going;" don't get discouraged.
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A woman told the pope she often loses hope and asked what she and others could do to really understand that God never abandons his people.
The pope said sometimes people think "hope" means having an easy, successful or comfortable life. That is "a controlled hope" that exists only as a concept and has nothing to do with a real life made up of problems, skepticism and failure, he said. "True hope is a gift of God, a present, and one that never lets you down."
God is always walking with his people, even if they may not always realize it, he said. Doubts that he is there come when people try to do good, but fail or witness so much brutality and suffering.
Hope is one of the hardest virtues to have because "you have to lower yourself a lot so the Lord can give it to you," he said. "Humility and service -- these are the two things that hold small hope, the most humble virtue, but the one that gives life."
The pope told a diocesan priest who is involved in formation programs that "the best medicine" to cure the disease of indifference was touching "the wounds of the Lord in the poor of our time."
"You will never know Jesus Christ if you don't touch his wounds, his pains," he said.
The pope told the priest that if he came across someone considering a priestly vocation, but who had never directly experienced touching and loving the wounded Lord, he was to send the candidate away "on a beautiful vacation for one, two years, it will do him good."
Recognizing it is difficult to turn smart candidates away because there are so few priests, the pope said, "please, don't let the illusion of quantity deceive us and make us lose sight of quality! We need priests who pray," who can be strong like Moses in pleading with God to save his people, courageous enough to suffer and bring people lots of love.
At the end of the audience the pope received a camera drone. Students between the ages of 8 and 17 at a Jesuit-run school in Rome built the remote-controlled craft, painting it yellow and white -- the colors of the Holy See -- and decorating it with the pope's coat of arms.
A statement from the school, which is the headquarters of the Student Missionary League, said the drone was meant to symbolize technology at the service of humanity because camera-equipped unmanned aerial vehicles have been used to assess damage and find access routes after natural disasters.

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economic, political and social structure as the holy church biggest challenges

economic, political and social structure as the holy church biggest challenges

  05:47    Catholic Channels

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                        THE HOLY CHURCH BIGGEST CHALLENGES:

In the whole history of the Church, perhaps no age was confronted with the enormous internal and external problems which the 16th century was asked to solve. Never since the days of Arianism in the fourth century had Christendom been threatened with such deep-rooted schism. Never had it been asked to reconcile two so basically different concepts of Christianity. In the second quarter of the 16th century, the old religious unity of Christendom vanished. At the opening of that century, there had been one Church in the Western world. At its close, there were many churches. Large portions of Germany, England and Scandinavia turned from the ancient Church and embraced the new, evangelical faith. Religious division entered every country in Europe. The loss to the Catholic Church was the greatest she had suffered since the collapse of Christian Africa before the Vandals and Saracens. Until the New World embraced the old religion, the loss remained uncompensated. In a sense, the religious history of this period spells a disaster from which Catholicism has never fully recovered.

No Church historian has ever admitted that the explanation of this vast splintering of Christendom is a problem that has an easy solution. Certainly the economic, political and social structure of the late Middle Ages cannot be excluded as a causative factor, for the Church does not develop in a vacuum. In some way, she is influenced by all aspects of space and time. But the undeniable low state of Western Christianity in the 15th century, especially its moral corruption, its decadent theology, its irresponsible administration, were of prime importance in bringing down the House of God. Every indication in the sources of the period points in this direction. The gap between profession of the faith and observance of its precepts on all levels of Christian society was alarming.

Face to face with the new, evangelical Christianity, the Church had to examine and re-examine herself from every viewpoint, human and divine. She had to formulate the doctrines which had been repudiated and correct the abuses with which she had been reproached. She had the enormous task of reforming faith and morals, dogma and discipline. She had to compare what she is with what she should be, what she does with what she believes. This comparison, so painful and humiliating to the most devout churchmen of that day, involved criticism, the faculty of judgment and discernment, the essential of all true reform, the requisite of all true progress.

But, in this respect, the age which saw the Reformation and the Council of Trent (1545-63) is not unique. The pages of Church history give clear testimony to leading figures in all ages who had the courage to speak their convictions to the highest authority in Christendom. The pointed, almost disturbing exchanges between St. Columban (d. 615) and Pope Boniface IV, between St. Bernard (d. 1153) and Pope Innocent II, are well-known episodes in medieval Church history. And from a later period we have the sharp criticism directed against Pope Gregory XI by both St. Bridget of Sweden (d. 1373) and St. Catherine of Siena (d. 1380). These four examples are not isolated. They can be confirmed by other, equally relevant episodes from history. But what is perhaps surprising is that the personalities under consideration here are Catholic saints, devoted servants of the Church, loyal adherents to the Holy See. The mind, common to all of them, despite the candor of their speech, is aptly expressed by the Irish St. Columban: "For we . . . are bound to St. Peter's Chair; for though Rome be great and famous, among us it is only on that Chair that her greatness and fame depend.... Rome is the head of the churches of the world....” The criticism is sincere, responsible, submissive to the authority of the Holy See.

Perhaps the first visible sign that the papacy had really grasped the significance of the new evangelical movement is reflected in the Instructio which the Dutch Pope Hadrian VI (d. 1523) gave to Francesco Chieregati for his use at the Reichstag in Nurnberg in 1522. It is a document which is sharply critical of the Church in both head and members and is keenly aware of the need of self-reform on all levels. The realism of its critical remarks is almost shocking; it can only be understood in view of the fact that Pope Hadrian was close successor to Alexander VI, Leo X and Julius II. He writes:

We know that in this Holy See for some years now there have been many abominations, spiritual excesses-, administrative excesses—in fine, widespread corruption....God has permitted persecution to fall upon His Church because of the sins of men, especially of priests and ecclesiastical prelates....Wherefore, in what concerns us in this matter, we give you our promise that we will use every means that this Curia, whence perhaps all this evil has proceeded, shall be reformed.

The whole tone of this precious document shows clearly that it is the work of a high-minded man, earnest, patient, concerned with finding an honest solution to a vast problem. The character of the universal reform which it demands will set the tone for all the reform activity of the pre-Tridentine period.

Twenty years after Martin Luther had published his famous 95 theses and had firmly taken his stand against Pope and Emperor, against the two pillars of Christendom, the Holy See in the person of Paul III (d. 1549) appointed a special commission of nine prelates, including the great Cardinals Caraffa, Contarini and Pole, to investigate the disastrous situation which had developed in the countries north of the Alps. They were commissioned to examine the Church, diagnose its sickness, prescribe the remedy. Their prescription, the famous Consilium de ecclesia emendanda ("Memorial of the Reform Commission"), dated February, 1537, forms a source of the first order for understanding the mind and the method, the viewpoint and motivation of the most outstanding churchmen of the 16th century as they studied the state of the Church in that distant region.

But the document is also a tribute to the confidence and assurance of the Holy See in this small group of earnest prelates, and it is a monument to the freedom of thought and expression with which they were permitted to carry out their work. If the commission did not succeed in reforming the Church, the cause must be sought elsewhere, in factors beyond its control.

The Memorial, clearly under the influence of Pope Hadrian VI's Instructio, is inspired by the hope of restoration through reform. "For the Spirit of God," it says, "has decreed to restore through you, Paul III, the Church, which is now tottering, almost collapsed . . . to elevate it to its former beauty and revive its former glory." The tone of the whole document is frank, unsparing, without human respect, in listing "the most grave, indeed deadly, abuses under which the Church of God, and especially the Roman Curia, suffer," and in specifying the means to be used in reformation of those areas most in need of reform. Its accusation is universal. No one is spared, neither head nor members. And it sincerely, though perhaps with some exaggeration, grieves that "throughout the whole world almost all the shepherds have deserted their flocks and entrusted them to hirelings." The sharp criticism which it directs against the Holy See is most readily appreciated when we recall the motto which Cardinal Caraffa, the future Pope Paul IV, selected at his election to the papacy: "Judgment must begin in his own house."

In the second session of the Council of Trent, on January 7, 1546, the Fathers were privileged to be addressed by the Papal Legate, Reginald Cardinal Polo (d. 1558). This great English Cardinal was well qualified for the task of delivering what may be characterized as the keynote address of the Council. He was the son of the martyred Countess of Salisbury, kinsman of his persecutor (King Henry VIII), last Catholic Archbishop of Canterbury, man of the Renaissance, a churchman distinguished for piety and learning. Born in 1500, the Cardinal was in the prime of life at the time the Council opened. He was old enough to have well remembered the Catholic Church in England in the days before the sad events which terminated in the cruel martyrdom of Thomas More and John Fisher. He was, therefore, peculiarly suited to address the Council on the state of the Church and the need for reform, for he could speak from the realistic view point of one who had been personally involved in the events which he discussed.

Reading this speech, known as the Eirenikon, four centuries later and, therefore, very much apart from the historical situation in which it was delivered, one is struck by the admirable humility, candor and piety which dominate its spirit. Where there is question of the grave moral abuses in the Church, the Cardinal's remarks are breathtaking. "'No good is served," he remarks, "by a long inquiry as to who are the causes of these evils, seeing that we cannot even name any other causes but ourselves."

In another place, Cardinal Pole writes of the sad state of the pre-Tridentine Church:

Before the tribunal of God's mercy, we, the shepherds, should make ourselves responsible for all the evils now burdening the flock of Christ. The sins of all we should take upon ourselves, not in generosity but in justice, because the truth is that of these evils we are in great part the cause, and therefore we should implore the divine mercy through Jesus Christ.

That this overwhelming deprecation was pronounced before the Catholic episcopacy assembled in an ecumenical council is hard to believe. But it was only possible to speak this way because of the conspicuous humility of both speaker and audience, and because of the deep religious setting in which these words were uttered. "For in everything," he said, "pertaining to the reformation of the Church, for which purpose we have forgathered, we should imitate Him who first made it."

Much more could be written about Cardinal Pole's Eirenikon. But the central point is already clear, that he envisioned reform in the Church as proceeding from objective criticism, Christian humility and utter selflessness. Because he saw the macrocosm of the Church reflected in the microcosm of the churchman, he pleaded for self-criticism, self-evaluation and self-knowledge as the foundation of reform.

It would be far from the truth to imagine that the Church is facing today a moral crisis which requires a reformation of her membership. The current problem is rather her essential relation to the new civilization which is being born. Her task, as always, is not mere survival in the world, but a vital, influential participation in it. She must, if possible, share in the creation of the world in which she lives. This is not a new task. She has done it before in the course of history, and she has within her the vitality to do it again. Her efforts must bend not merely toward conservation of Catholic culture, but toward creation of a new Catholic culture.

The spirit which is the very life of the four documents we have been considering is instructive. Our age has this in common with the age of Trent, that one great phase of history and culture is terminating, another is beginning. The old is passing, the new emerging. It is the realism, objectivity, honesty, humility and concern such as we find in these documents that transformed the disturbed Church of the dying Middle Ages into the energetic Church of the Counter Reformation. The documents are not face-saving devices, instruments of officialdom, legal formalities. Rather, they represent the work of men who thoroughly appreciated the value of self-criticism and self-evaluation as the essential ingredients of true reform. These men feared neither to ask questions nor to hear the answers. What they heard may have saddened them deeply, but it did not frighten them. What they learned did in fact inspire the Catholic reform.

These documents are relevant today, for they offer us both example and encouragement in an analogous crisis. As the Tridentine churchmen assisted the Church in her passage from the Middle Ages to the modern world, so it is our task to assist the same Church in her passage from the modern world to that new age which has not yet been named. We must facilitate the organic development of the Church, put new ways and means at her disposal, bring to her service the fullness of our talents, make her mobile by pruning away nonessential accretions. This delicate work requires the intelligent, selfless criticism that springs from prudence and love. "As a Church of men," writes Hans Küng, "sinful men, the Church, though of divine foundation, needs criticizing; as the Church of God, she is more than any other institution, worth criticizing."

In the Eirenikon of Cardinal Pole, cited above, there are some lines which well situate the problem:

All the more willingly shall we fulfill this duty of exhortation or of warning because when we exhort you to do what befits so great a gathering, or, on the contrary, warn you, we are exhorting or warning ourselves, who are in the same bark with you and are exposed with you to the same dangers and the same storm.

It is a salutary reminder that the commonweal of the whole Church, its prosperity and its adversity, should be the concern of the whole membership. This is part of the harmonious rhythm of the Mystical Body, whose Head is Christ and whose members are His people

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WHAT CATHOLIC CHURCH BELIEVE,OFFICIAL TEACHINGS OF THE CHURCH,CATECHISM AND MISCONCEPTIONS BEHIND CATHOLIC FAITH THAT NON CATHOLICS DO NOT KNOW

WHAT CATHOLIC CHURCH BELIEVE,OFFICIAL TEACHINGS OF THE CHURCH,CATECHISM AND MISCONCEPTIONS BEHIND CATHOLIC FAITH THAT NON CATHOLICS DO NOT KNOW

  05:06    Catholic Channels

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 Official teachings, as set forth by the Catholic Church and the catechism OR introduction to Catholic myths and misconceptions.

Catholics Aren’t Christians

Actually, Catholics consider themselves to be the original Christians, who are doing their best to hold to the same beliefs and traditions that the church held to in the first century.

According to Catholics, Catholics and Protestants are all Christians. The Protestant denominations are simply off-shoots of Catholicism (or of other denominations) that branched off over various disagreements to what the Catholic Church was teaching.

Whether Catholics have held fast to the right teachings throughout the ages or whether they veered off and the Protestant denominations got us back on track–that’s something I’m still trying to discover.

 The Catholic Church Abandoned the Bible for Man-Made Traditions

While the Catholic Church does have many traditions that aren’t explicitly found in the Bible, so does every church (and so do you, in your home). Traditions themselves aren’t bad. It’s only when we prioritize them over God himself or when they take us farther away from God instead of drawing us near.

One reason that the Catholic Church has so many traditions is that the first century apostles didn’t write down absolutely every single thing they taught. In fact, John 21:25 tells us

“Jesus did many other things as well. If every one of them were written down, I suppose that even the whole world would not have room for the books that would be written.”

Catholics do their best to value and uphold both the written and oral teachings that were passed down from the apostles. Protestants look to the written teachings (the Bible) only.

The Catholic Church still highly prioritizes Scripture. It just isn’t their only source of information (and nowhere in the Scriptures does it tell us it should be). 

A Biblical Look at Sola Scriptura. You can also find the explanations for many common Catholic traditions in Why Do Catholics…? Honest Answers to Your Burning Questions.

 Catholics Worship Mary / Saints / Statues

 It’s easy to see how some Catholic myths (like this one) got started, but again, it really is just another of many misconceptions about the Catholic Church.

Catholics do not worship Mary or statues; they worship God alone.

Instead, they “venerate” Mary, which, according to Google, is just a fancy word for “regard with great respect.” Similar to how we would show great honor or respect to a King or Queen, without actually worshiping them. Catholics hold them in high esteem as good examples of how to live a faithful life.

Yes, to Protestants, the practices definitely look like worship, but since worship is an attitude of the heart, I don’t think you can “accidentally” worship someone and not know it. If Catholics’ hearts are in the right place – and they only want to show honor – then it’s not worship.

And it’s the same with statues as well. Catholics don’t worship statues. Instead, they are used as decorations to help Catholics remember people who have gone before, similar to how you might put pictures of your friends and family on your wall or even a baseball card collection you may have had as a kid.

You look at them, you remember them, but you don’t worship them.

 Catholics Believe People are Saved by Works

 The Catholic Church does NOT teach that people are saved by their works. In fact, the catechism of the Catholic Church actually specifically forbids this notion.

Rather, the Catholic Churches basically teaches that “If you call yourself a Christian, but you don’t act like it, maybe you’re not really a Christian after all.” Or “Yes, God saves you through faith, but it’s a living faith that naturally produces good works.”

This Catholic belief is actually 100% Biblical (here are plenty of Bible verses that support it), and is even taught by some highly respected Protestant/non-denominational pastors, including the most Godly man I’ve ever heard speak, Francis Chan.

 The Catholic Church Added Books to the Bible

 The books that are currently in the Catholic Bible are the same books that the church has

recognized as being in the Bible for centuries. It wasn’t until the 16th century that Martin Luther and the Reformers moved them to the appendix, before they were ultimately taken out.

(For the record, Martin Luther wanted to remove James, Hebrew, Jude and Revelations as well, but was unsuccessful.)

Whether or not the additional books should have been left in or taken out – I don’t know. Guess you have to ask yourself if the early church could have been wrong for 1700 years and the Reformers knew better than the earlier Christians did.

Catholic Priests Can’t Be Married

 (Some) Priests are married! Some even have children and grandchildren. (This happens when a man is already married and a priest in a different denomination and then converts to Catholicism later.)

And of those who become priests the usual way and aren’t allowed to get married–not all of them even want to be. Priests know what they’re signing up for. No one is making them be a priest. They have a choice between God and a wife, and it is their choice to make. No one is forcing them to choose one or the other.

Catholics Recrucify Jesus at Mass

I haven’t heard this Catholic myth in real life, but apparently it’s popular. Catholics do not re-crucify Jesus at Mass.

Instead, they believe that Jesus and the crucifixion occur outside the limits of time (because God can do cool stuff like that), and so when they celebrate Mass, they are only making the sacrifice (which has already occurred) “present” on the altar.

*For a very interesting and in-depth look at the Eucharist, be sure to check out my post Is the Eucharist Really Just a Symbol? 5 Convincing Proofs that Say that It’s Not.

 Catholics Believe Only Catholics Can Go to Heaven

 While Catholics do believe their religion is the one true religion and the ordinary (most common) means of bringing people to salvation, they recognize that God can use any means He wants to to bring people to Himself, including those other than the Catholic church, especially if the person has never had the opportunity or knowledge to join the church.

They believe that Protestants who have no reason to suspect their beliefs are incorrect can go to Heaven as well as well as Protestants who were planning to convert but hadn’t done so yet.

Furthermore, Catholics do not believe you can say with 100% certainty (though you can have a good idea) who will go to Heaven simply because God is judge and we are not, and who are we to presume to know His thoughts?

Catholic Priests are Child Molesters

 Yes, the Catholic church had a huge and horrible scandal in which some priests were molesting children. This was absolutely awful and shameful, and they will have to stand before Jesus for what they did. That part is not one of the Catholic myths

But if you look at the statistics, however, only a very small minority of priests were involved, and it isn’t really fair to blame the entire Church or dismiss the Church’s core teachings for what a few did. Scandals like this happen in EVERY church and in every city. That doesn’t make everyone guilty of the crimes of a few, and it does NOT mean that Catholic priests deserve negative treatment today because of it.

 The Catholic Church is Anti-Women

 The church isn’t anti-anyone. They do believe birth control is morally wrong—the same thing every denomination believed until 1930. But when pretty much every other denomination began to change its mind, the Catholic church held its ground, and they continue to do so today.

The Catholic church also doesn’t allow women to be priests, which has upset many. But if you look at their rate of women in non-priest leadership positions, it is WAY higher than average. The Catholic church may not do things the “feminist” way, but they do hold women in very high esteem, even referring to them as the “crown of creation.” That’s pretty special if you ask me 

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WHAT YOU SHOULD KNOW ABOUT POPE FRANCIS

WHAT YOU SHOULD KNOW ABOUT POPE FRANCIS

  03:01    Catholic Channels

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He's the first Jesuit pope.

 He's from Buenos Aires, making him the first pope from Latin America.

 That also makes him the first pope born outside of Europe in more than 1,000 years.

He chose the name Francis in honor of St. Francis of Assisi, a 13th-century monk known for his charity and kindness to animals.

 Before his election, he was the archbishop of Buenos Aires.

 He is known for leading a simple life, eschewing a mansion to live in a Spartan apartment.

He rode mass transit in Argentina, and chose to take a minivan with the other cardinals after he was elected pope rather than ride in a special sedan.

 He can cooks his own meals.

 In his youth, he enjoyed dancing the tango with a girlfriend before discovering a "religious vocation."

 He trained as a chemist.

 He is one of five children and his parents were from Italy.

 He has been criticized for not speaking out against Argentina's military dictatorship in the 1970s and 1980s.

 He slammed other Latin American priests who objected to the baptizing of children born out of wedlock.

. He was critical of Argentina's decision to legalize same-sex marriage, calling it "a destructive attack on God's plan." He also opposes gay people's adopting children.

In 2001, he washed the feet of 12 patients with AIDS at an Argentine hospice.

He speaks three languages: Spanish, Italian and German.

 He had a lung removed as a teenager, after an infection.

He is rumored to have been the runner-up in 2005, losing that papal election to Benedict XVI.

 After being elected pope, he remained standing on the same level as the cardinal-electors rather than sitting in a throne

He is a good listener 

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