Afraid to leave the house for church.
Thank God the Church is not a democracy ...
Yet U.S. Catholics act as if it were. Amazing discussions online - not always by stupid people - but more frequently than ever by people with stupid, crackpot ideas and conspiracy theories.
Promoting my blog. So I posted a response to a Fr. Z-1P5 groupie about 1P5's obsession with the disorientation of the Fatima messages and interpretations of the secrets, heavily influenced by dubious LaSalette secrets, Katherine Emmerich's imagination, and the unapproved OL Good Success of Quito claims for the 20th-21st centuries apostasy. (Don't forget that Akita is only kind of approved and doesn't have the same type of canonical recognition as Fatima, Lourdes, Rue du Bac, or official LaSalette.) Because I mentioned photos on my blog, which I could not post at 1P5, demonstrating a consistent facial recognition in a series of photos showing that Sr. Lucia was not replaced by a double, the lady said I was promoting my blog. LOL! I have never, would never, ever, promote this blog. Which is why I refer to it as a dump. This is a web-log, I document things here, for me - you can read it if you want.
It's my blog.
That's like 7 quick takes right there. But I am not finished.
Fr. Z - bless his heart - and I'm not turning on him here - posted excerpts from a Crux article on some critical things Cardinal Maradiaga said against Cardinal Burke. It should never have been published, except for the fact Catholics for whom Maradiaga speaks, also need to know that someone not only speaks for them, but have confidence the Pope is still the head of the Church.
I may not agree with what Maradiaga says about Burke personally, yet it is definitely my experience that what he says definitely can apply to those who have created a sort of cult following, or political party around Cardinal Burke. Again - I'm not criticizing Burke, but some of his following fit the descriptions Maradiaga attribute to the Cardinal. (Those who insist the Vatican, CDF, and the Popes have been lying about the Secret of Fatima are included in this sect.)
A few quick takes from Maradiagito.
“He’s not the magisterium,” Maradiaga said, referring to the authority to issue official teaching. “The Holy Father is the magisterium, and he’s the one who teaches the whole Church. This other [person] speaks only his own thoughts, which don’t merit further comment.That's true - except Cardinal Burke is not speaking his own thoughts, but rather seeks clarity on Catholic teaching. On the other hand, the criticism easily can be applied for the Burke defense team. Some of his followers, as well as Fatimists and several others 'speak only their own thoughts' or the thoughts generated by private revelation and other unreliable sources - accusing the magisterium of being infiltrated by enemies of the Church, and therefore no longer to be trusted. That's crazy.
Maradiagito says it better than I can.
He also has just as much authority to do so as any other Cardinal...
Maradiaga also criticized conservative schools of thought in Catholicism, of which Burke is often seen as a symbol.
“These currents of the Catholic right are persons who seek power and not the truth, and the truth is one,” he said. “If they claim to find some ‘heresy’ in the words of Francis, they’re making a big mistake, because they’re thinking only like men and not as the Lord wants.
“What sense does it have to publish writings against the pope, which don’t damage him but ordinary people? What does a right-wing closed on certain points accomplish? Nothing!
“Ordinary people are with the pope, this is completely clear,” Maradiaga said. “I see that everywhere.Pewsitters with their big pulpits and huge vocis (you know who you are) might think they are launching the tenth crusade but it is the Church, the Pope and the bishops in communion with him - the Magisterium - which is solely responsible for Catholic teaching, defining doctrine and dogma and Canon Law and Scripture, approving or rejecting private revelation, calling a crusade, approving any para-militant movement, and so on. The Catholic blogosterium has no authority, no matter how many degrees from Steubenville or Catholic U or any other distance degree program you got those authoritative and impressive initials after your name from.
Song for this post here.
Blogosteriously unauthorized.
Catholic blogs credit themselves with a great deal of authority, convinced they have influenced a sort of reform of the reform of the reform. No doubt they have influence, which pretty much contributes to the very disorientation they fearfully warn about in spreading their misinterpretations of private revelations.
Read their com-boxes and see the confusion and hostile culture their conspiracy theories and schism inducing gossip generates among ordinary people. Thanks be to God, only a minority of ordinary, faithful Catholics waste their time on Catholic social media gossiping. 'They' need to be careful when they mock and condemn popes, cardinals, and bishops. Just saying.
“The greatest problem, however, is the disorientation that’s created among people when they read affirmations of bishops and cardinals against the Holy Father.” - Cardinal Maradiaga
Catholic Militants
How many times do I have to tell you to avoid all that stuff. Just go to Mass, say your rosary, and let the Catholics in the blogosphere eat each other. I could make an exception to never stepping foot in MN ever again and fly up there just to smack you up side your head (with love, of course :-)
ReplyDeleteIn other news - I'm loving my Kindle. I've been having trouble reading books in bed (old eyes syndrome) and the Kindle has solved that problem. I can't wait to figure out the rest of the stuff it does.
I take your sage advice and stick to it. ^^ I read that article this morning of which Terry speaks and just put it all away.
DeleteThe Mass, the rosary, the sacraments, trying to forgive and to love, pay the bills, help around the house ... is all I can handle at the moment.
God bless!
I don't know of the article he speaks about and have no plans to pursue it. I just skitter into church and skitter out. It's so much safer that way.
DeleteWhat's all this sudden interest of all these apparitions anyway?
You are right - I let myself get annoyed and I worked it off in the garden. I spent a fortune on mature Plumbago plants for the posts and I'm covering everything for tinight - they can't take cold temps altho the culture info said they can go down to 30. It's in the 40's at night now. I planted too soon. Why do I do that - this is still Minnesota - climate change or not. We go from the tropics to the ice age over night - as you well know.
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ReplyDeleteI am just fed up with controversy. Exhausted really. I have spent my whole life trying to avoid negativity. It lurks outside our door. But quess what? We now invite it in with internet surfing. I am not at all pleased with our national obsession with the low level of interaction with one another. I feel like I am in one big echo chamber. I want to get out but someone locked the doors. Negative thoughts and messages breed negative behavior. My rosary is my only solace right now.
ReplyDeleteI'll try to do better. Pray for me.
DeleteThis was not a criticism of you Terry. It surrounds us. We, myself included, are drawn to it. Like the accident we cannot turn away from. I do not find your writing negative. Merely another window that is a view to a very disturbed world. I apologize if you thought my frustration was directed to you. It certainly was not. I do pray for you and all your thoughtful faithful readers. I am no better and just as much at fault. So please pray for me. Prayer is our duty and our comfort. Peace.
DeleteNo need to apologize - but I do need prayer. Also, I just read the Cardinal Burke is calling for the consecration of Russia according to OL's request at Fatima. Sr. Lucia assured everyone the consecration had been done, it was accepted by Heaven, and so on. Now C. Burke is beginning to sound like Fr. Gruner? I think I need to move on from the topic now.
DeleteI pray for you too - and agree, prayer is our duty and our comfort, our refuge and hope.
I believe the consecration was done and accepted. Why not do again? What harm could it do? The more blessings the better. For some reason I think of my oldest child's baptism. An elderly priest straight out of Going My Way, Fr O'Malley no less, kept missing his forehead when pouring the water. Well this became comical between my sons protests and Father's frustration. I think he was baptized three times. May hold him in good stead when his time comes. Same with Russia the more consecrations the better. I will be silent now.
DeleteI looked more closely at what Burke said and he doesn't deny it wasn't accomplished, simply saying it would good to renew it, more or less. It would be nice to do, perhaps for Oct. 13? Designating Russia. Now since the political situation has changed in Russia and atheism has given way to greater religious freedom, and so on. There are still theological problems with some concerning 'consecration' hence the term 'entrustment'. Likewise the Orthodox do not seem to accept the notion of 'heart' as focus for devotion, and since they are already Catholic, albeit separate from Rome, the notion they will be 'converted' is not well received. These are the real difficulties 'theologians' fear - but I think Our Lady will settle all of that.
DeleteAnyway - if it happens, that could be a great finale to the Fatima Centenary.
If they are looking for a great reversal of all that is wrong with the world, they may be mistaken, since Our Lord told Lucia that the consecration would be made (it was) but it would be late (it was). I'm of the opinion that means the errors were spread, the damage was done, and so on. So we are living through the results. The consecration in France was late and the monarchy lost their heads.
Part of the problems with apparition people is they think if the whole world does this that and the other thing, according to the letter, God will have to do something - on some level that may be true - as they say, 'if enough people' do it. The resolution has been given and made public since the events began in 1917, explicitly promoted by the Popes since Pius XXII. It seems to me we need to accept the consequences of not having followed Our Lady's requests.
To repeat the consecration would be good to do as an act of reparation perhaps, but 'Fatimists' still won't be satisfied, they'll blame the popes and bishops, they will insist it had never been accomplished before - even though Sr. Lucia said it had, and so on. Maybe I'll post this as a blog post.
It all sounds way too complicated to me ... I will just continue to keep Russia and her people in my prayers along with everyone else.
DeleteNow, what has made me so grateful is the fact that our brethren in Aleppo, Syria after six long years of civil war, were finally able to process the streets of the city under the banner of the Crucified Christ along with a beautiful image of our Lady of Fatima. To see the Cross of our Lord raised up high was very emotional and for me an affirmation of the faith of our suffering brothers and sisters in Syria.
At the conclusion of the Procession the city of Aleppo is consecrated to the Immaculate Heart of Mary. The statue was a gift from the Shrine of Fatima.
You can see it here from the YouTube video:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TN8wNBGhaaE
~
I saw that. That's beautiful.
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