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Amen Brother Ed

Much of the world has always disagreed with the Teaching handed down to us by the Apostles and preserved in the Orthodox Church and the Catholic Church. So be it.

On Friday, I needed to go to Confession. I confessed to having terrible, even evil, thoughts about those who orked for the starvation and death of Terri Schiavo, and the same for those who disparaged and insulted the people who worked to save Terri's life.

Father told me to pray for them.

I, too, get angry at the motley crew that always makes it onto the (dying) mainstream media who moan and groan for ordination of women, homosexual marriage, etc, etc and complain of the "conservatism" of the Catholic Church, as if a political term can be accruately applied to the Faith (it cannot).

It's okay to get angry with them, but the thing to do is pray for them and hope that they see the True Light one day.

Dan,

There's no sin in knowing that this bothers you. The problem lies in how we deal with what bothers us.

Fr. Deacon Edward

Dear Brother Ed,

Here is some good news to balance what you reported. On TV this morning (Fox News), they are referring to the pope as "John Paul the Great." Now *that* is something. And, in my opinion, it is true. For his encyclical alone on the Church of the Eucharist ("Ecclesia de Eucharistia"), I would reckon him among the Fathers.

--John

I was watching "Larry King Live" yesterday as he inteviewed a priest, rabbi and scholar from Catholic Univerity. Some interesting questions were answered until Mr. King attempted to put the priest on the spot about the gay sex scandal. It began to deteriorate rapidly until Mr. King asked for the rabbi's opinion. The rabbi immediately told Mr King this was not the time or the place/if he wanted to discuss that issue he should do it on another show/ this was the time to speak of the goodness of JPII.
Amen to him!

Sam

I found one response in particular interesting, mainly because it reflects some thoughts I had this morning at Liturgy.

It was said that we should all strive to be Christ in our lives....which is exactly the thought that came to me this morning regarding myself and this past week.

I have been in a pretty good lather over the issues of both Teri Schiavo and the response to the death of the Holy Father. But my anger, my wishing to see things set right with vengence for all the rebels and malcontents in the Church, represents, I think really represents two things in my life:

1. A lack of confidence in the will of God and that His plan is good and perfect, despite how things might look to me.

2. A lack of focus on my life and what is the important thing I need to be doing -- which is to root out sin and unChristlikeness in my life. More I need to pay attention to this, and less to being angry at things which I can neither change nor have been called (at least at this time in my life -- maybe never -- who knows the mind of God?) to change.

Pray that I regain my focus and become a very small light of Christ to the world around me. That -- by the help of the Holy Spirit -- I can do.

Brother Ed

[QUOTE] 1. A lack of confidence in the will of God and that His plan is good and perfect, despite how things might look to me. [/QUOTE

Ditto Brother Ed. I need to focus on this thought as well. Today after hearing many dignitaries from around the world would be present at the funeral (no surprise) I became very anxious thinking Rome may become a terrorist target.
For now I just can't shake the thought.

I know in my heart God would never allow that !!


Sam

Perhaps we should in time have a discussion on the salvific purpose of excommunication. It really doesn't show a lack of confidence in God providence or in the victory of the Church. Rather it is a function of the salvation of souls and of the purification of the Church.

Some day I'll introduce that topic.

For now I join you in praising God for the blessings God has wrought in the world through Pope John Paul II.

Dan L

Originally posted by harmon3110:
" ... On TV this morning (Fox News), they are referring to the pope as "John Paul the Great." ..."

That's remarkable because, by all accounts, Fox News' positions are, by and large, diametrically opposed to John Paul II's; certainly, their views of social justice, capital punishment, the poor, and the Iraq war, to name a few things, are "as far as the east is from the west".

When the present Iraqi war commenced I was consulting, because of lack of any other work in my field, for a contractor of the U.S. Department of War. My supervisor, an avid Fox News groupie, upon hearing that the pope disapproved of the U.S. invasion of Iraq, said that he was interfering in U.S. Affairs and that the C.I.A. should "off the bastard". I find that the epitome of offensiveness, even though I am in no way a Catholic. Upon speaking with other Fox News watchers, I found that few were offended by the sediment. When I, out of curiosity, questioned several Catholic Fox fans about what they thought of certain quotes about social issues by John Paul II (but I did not reveal that they were quotes from the pope), each of those I asked called the quotes by some pejorative of the sort of "communist" or "anti-American" or "socialist", et cetera.

SO, I can not help to wonder what fiendish ulterior motive the folks at Fox have for their canonizing of the recently departed Pope of Rome.

Photius

The views of "Fox News" are contrary to the Pope?

Try this - the views of all the news organizations are contrary to what the Pope taught.

Yeah, there were some on Fox News who were pro-Iraq war. However, I have never heard anybody there bash the poor.

As for the other networks who have for decades bashed the Catholic Church for not allowing gay marriage, abortion, women's ordiantion, birth control, etc. ....

That's why I ignored all of them and watched EWTN. I don't need to listen to any of the MSM talking heads.

Dear Photius,

I don't think there is an ulterior motive in Fox's coverage of the pope. I think they were genuinely impressed with him. At least, that is my impression from what I have heard them say.

The main praises that I have heard from Fox about the pope have been his role in defeating the Soviet Union, his global evangelization, his consistency and firmness in his moral values, his charismatic personality, and his example of a Christian death.

As for the other topics (his view of the war in Iraq, his view of capitalism and the poor, etc.), it was intersting to hear that Fox noted how his views were different from the views of many American conservatives on those topics. However, after noting that and discussing that, Fox seems to have focussed more on the pope's anti-communist, personal and Christian qualities.

--John

Dear John,
Thanks for the clarification. I don't own a television (and would not watch it during lent anyway) and your explanation allows me to think more charitably about Fox's view.

Photius, Reader

--- commence original message ---

Dear Photius,

I don't think there is an ulterior motive in Fox's coverage of the pope. I think they were genuinely impressed with him. At least, that is my impression from what I have heard them say.

The main praises that I have heard from Fox about the pope have been his role in defeating the Soviet Union, his global evangelization, his consistency and firmness in his moral values, his charismatic personality, and his example of a Christian death.

As for the other topics (his view of the war in Iraq, his view of capitalism and the poor, etc.), it was intersting to hear that Fox noted how his views were different from the views of many American conservatives on those topics. However, after noting that and discussing that, Fox seems to have focussed more on the pope's anti-communist, personal and Christian qualities.

--John

Photius,

Odd that you use an archaic term or are you trying to be facetious? The US Department of War ceased as a cabinent department in 1949, when it was renamed the Department of the Army and incorporated into the Department of Defense.

Dear Photius,

In my opinion, it appears that Fox is merely reporting/echoing what has already been stated by various church and world leaders in regard to �John Paul the Great� (see below).

On (Western) Easter Sunday, FoxNews displayed 15-20 second segments of �He Is Risen � Happy Easter� between news shows. They have done a similar message appropriate for the Christmas season, too. I appreciate that they would do this sort of thing rather than opting for the more politically correct �Happy Holidays�. I also appreciate the respectful coverage given to the life/repose of the Pope.

I�ve observed relatives not typically open to the faith of the Catholic church who have been touched and have become more open to the teaching of the Church in the past few days just by watching the news (not only on Fox,PBS, CNN, CBS, etc) of the Pope�s life in Christ. I must confess to having been touched to tears as his life was chronicled. I still think of the rally where the youth chanted "John Paul II we love you" and his response of love to the youth "John Paul II, he loves you too". People are hearing about the Lord Jesus Christ, the Church (West and East), doctrine, etc. I think the Holy Father must be thankful and rejoicing that many (worldwide!) are hearing the Gospel of Jesus Christ during all of the news coverage.

In Christ�s love,

Woody

- Archbishop Harry Flynn

http://www.startribune.com/stories/614/5325747.html


(excerpt the foreward by Rev. Ronald P. Pytel to book John Paul II: The Great Mercy Pope by Rev. George W. Kosicki, CSB)

http://www.christendom-awake.org/pages/divinemercy/johnpaulII.htm

- Bishop Edward U. Kmiec

http://www.ewtn.com/JohnPaul2/_mourning/rememberances/index2.asp

JPII did disagree with positions of many in this country and at times, even with policies of the U.S. government. Our country has never been "Catholic" in terms of it policies, and some would say, not even Christian. My impression is that JPII thought our country to be a bit immature, at times. Does anyone remember hearing about the heresy, "Americanism?" We do think we are the center of the universe, and behave like it, too. JPII held to Church teaching on morality. The fact that people in America and elsewhere believed otherwise, did not sway him one bit from his adherence to truth. He believed what he taught and he practiced it, in the face of the Nazis, Communists, and everyone else.