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People here is being very excited with the Pope!

Is the third time now today the Pope do not follow the protocol and appears on a window of the Monastery of Saint Benedict, where he is staying, to greet and bless the mass, who don't quit the place!

Thank you!!

I couldn't have put it better.

Brother Ed

Excuse me, I'm Byzantine, a convert from Protestant heresy, and did so by my own choice to be submissive to the Holy Father and the Church!! Does that mean I cannot criticize what I see as a serious problem within the Church? Since when did submission indicate keeping one's mouth shut when you smell smoke? Some of us keep smelling smoke and we don't think it is from the fire of the Holy Ghost!

Why is it that when someone points out the obvious (or what SHOULD be obvious) the imprecations and accusations start flying like cookies hitting a fan? I am not angry. If anything, I am saddened amd disappointed that somehow this great Church, called the Roman Catholic Church, has run off the rails and no one seems to either notice or much care. Then, when I point out that the wheels are not on the track anymore, I'm told I'M the problem!!

Sheeeeeeeesh!!!

Jason, my brother, if it looks, sounds, and has the feel of a nightclub, it's a nightclub. Not a Mass. Someone needs to have the chutzpa to tell the Emperor that he is butt nekkid and needs to get his royal robes back on. I hope that our current Holy Father can do this, or at least can get the process started. But I am a realist and I just don't see a whole lot happening right now.

I apologize for offending you. It was not my intention to do that, but to simply yell "SOMETHING'S DREADFULLY WRONG HERE!"

Brother Ed

Really?



Nobody is telling you to keep your mouth shut. I simply asked you to cool off and not blast the Roman Church. It's not your sentiments that are offensive, it's how you are expressing yourself. Your use of !!! at the end of sentences and "sheesh!!!" and "get me a barf bag" are not exactly indicative of a calm rational disposition.

If you want to continue to express yourself this way I can tell you it's only going to make people not like you.

Jason

Noted.

Jason, do these abuses cause you concern?

Brother Ed

Yes they do. I agree with the assessment that decades of liberation theology have taken their toll on the laity and this has caused much of the hogwash thats taking place now. It has been said that in Latin American when a Catholic needs social services he goes to the priest. But when he wants to hear the Word of God he goes to the Protestants.

On the one hand I can't blame them for switching over to Protestantism (which is the real problem behind the "nightclub" escapade). They've been getting social and theological liberalism out the wazoo for decades. Why should they remain in a Church that gives them garbage? I do not doubt that there are orthodox priests and bishops who strive to work against this but they seem to be in the minority. So this using of Protestant modes of worship, is simply a tactic to draw people (and their pocketbooks) back to the Catholic Church. I cannot blame the laity. I don't think they are at fault in the least. Heck, if my choices were very limited and the church I was presently attending was dead as a doornail and nothing but social drivil from the priest I doubt the *fact* of the Eucharistic Miracle would be enough to keep me there if there were another church down the street where people were happy and the word was preached (albeit imperfectly). If I were a typical uneducated person I would switch in an instant.

What needs to happen in Latin American is a reform of the clergy and a thorough housecleaning. I don't doubt that Pope Benedict is aware of this and knows it needs to be done. I do doubt that he is going to rush in there with an iron rod and cleanse the temple like Jesus did. There is this "thing" about godly Popes...they tend not to rush. When all is said and done Latin America will be won again. But it will take time and much patience.

Jason

On this we are agreed.

Brother Ed

I think you guys have overestimated the Liberation theology movement it was dealt a huge blow by John Paul II it was one of the few things he and then Cardianal Ratzinger were agressive in tackling those active in this movement were replaced by conservatives. The Latin american hierarchs are way more on the conservative side than say Europe and America. The laity once involved this movement actually complain that is hard to find somebody who openly teaches this stuff and they have moved on to government socialist movements to be fed this sort of revolution theology. The biggest problem in Latin America is not Liberation theology which represents a small and now insignficant part of the Latin American Church but largest clergy to laity differential. The priest simply don't have enough time to do cathechism, bible study, confessions when they are the only priest and have to serve a church community of 50,000 and sometimes more. You just don't have this differntial in the pentacostal community where you have more of a one on one councseling and bible study experience.

tobit --

That is a very good point. Someone is going to have to find a way to get more instructors, more priests (married clergy maybe?) etc. to the people.

But....and this just my opinion, which really ain't worth .02 right now.....someone is going to have to start using the "H" word again. If you don't tell people that Protestantism is heresy, and soul-damning heresie possibly, then how are you going to make them come Home? If Protestantism is just another varient of Christianity, if there are just a few little "difference" and we all are worshipping the same Jesus, then what's the difference.

No....I think that a line is going to have to be drawn in the sand by the Holy Father where he finally comes out and calls it heresy and tells people that leaving the Truth can have severe eternal consequences. In other words, stop kissin' up to Protestants and make them defend themselves.

And then take the knife of Truth and kindly cut their theology into little ribbons! Surely we have men who are brilliant enough to do that.

Brother Ed

Lawrence,

Cardinal Jaime de Barros C�mara was a great friend of the oriental catholic churches here in Brazil, supporting their establishment here in Brazil. The first was the our melkite, on 1945.