HOW CATHOLIC IS THE CATHOLIC VOICE?
I LIke to do puzzles. I like those picture puzzles in which you compare one picture to another and try to pick out all the ways in which the picture has been altered. The Oakland Diocese official newspaper, the Catholic Voice is like that picture puzzle. The September 18, 2006, edition provides lots of opportunities to “find” all the changes to the fundamental teachings and doctrines of Catholicism.
UNCHANGING TRADITION.A contributor to the Reader’s Forum asks a very good question, the same one, in fact, that provided our incentive to start this blog. The lady asked “I hope the Catholic Voice will soon include an actual Catholic Voice in the “Reader’s Forum.
Many times writers who are either vincibly or invincibly ignorant of our faith make some startling statements. For instance one letter writer challenges the church’s position on married clergy, making it appear that it is merely a whim of the most recent Pope. In fact, there are approximately nine (9) references in the Bible to celibacy. One such reference is Matthew 19:12 which says in part, “Some men are incapable of sexual activity from birth; some have been deliberately made so and some there are who have freely renounced sex for the sake of God’s reign. Let him accept this teaching who can.”(taken from the New American Bible). I believe the relevant word here is “freely.”
(Note: the person writing this letter favoring a married clergy has a son who is a priest. Perhaps this parent is wishing he could have grandchildren.)
The problem is that so often letters appear that question our faith and our faith practices, but these letters stand alone, unchallenged by any authoritative voice. This could lead one to assume that the writer is correct. It has the potential to create confusion and doubt in the faithful who, not too infrequently, are poorly educated in the faith.
A very good guide to keep by your chair and refer to when reading the Voice is a two page (front and back of one sheet) reference sheet published by
San Juan Catholic Seminars www.catholicapologists.com. For $2.95 it is a great help to staying the course.
SOCIAL JUSTICE AND GLOBAL SOLIDARITY.John 10:16 declares that there shall be one fold and one shepherd, but it doesn’t say that there should be a one world government.
The September 18 Voice published a notice of a “gathering on social justice ministry at Sacred Heart Church in Oakland. The speakers were Gina Hens-Piazza, professor of Biblical Studies at the Jesuit School of Theology in Berkeley, Joe Hastings, of Catholic Relief Services speaking on Integrating Global Solidarity into Parish Life and Carolyn Krantz, pastoral associate of St. Peter Martyr Parish, Pittsburg, providing an “Examination of Community Organizing Principles.” The meeting was sponsored by the Diocesan Social Justice Committee. Aren’t words interesting? Gathering sounds so innocuous and genteel while meeting or seminar as terms sound so official and instructive.
The three speakers all represent a parallel aspect of the UN’s one world vision. This is not Catholic teaching. This is one sided public policy advocacy dressed up as religion.
Ms Hens-Piazza who appears to be well known and respected in religious circles seems to focus on the role of women in the bible, the “second level” of support she called it. In the old testament, according to Hens-Piazza, the elders of the communities were drawn to women who were prophetesses, for guidance. This strongly suggests that Ms Hens-Piazza uses her knowledge and teaching authority to promote feminism ala the DaVinci code.
Carolyn Krantz’s topic of community organizing exposes the direct connection to political activity disguised as parish social justice work. Community organizing is the special bailiwick of the statewide PICO - Pacific Institute for Community Organizing, and it’s Diocesan counterpart - CCISCO - Contra Costa Interfaith Sponsoring Community Organization. These groups have invaded many of the churches disguised as having a religious agenda, but in reality, organizing to promote government programs and train young people to be community activists for very left leaning Progressive politics.
PICO/CCISCO is not an individual membership organization. It’s members only consist of whole churches or organizations receiving some of its funding from the member organizations. Is your parish supporting this subversive group?
It doesn’t matter if you call it Global Solidarity, Social Justice or Liberation Theology the words are merely a distraction while transforming the minds of the faithful into promoters and co-creators of a one world secular government. The United Nations is globalization’s foremost advocate. For globalization to occur it is necessary to create a world in which every government is dissolved, state and national boundaries disappear and everyone submits to one secular authority. Christ is now free to appear in his new role as deliverer of all human services to his “newly transformed” people.
Here it is, stated by a Jesuit Priest.
A Jesuit Priest who had spent many years in El Salvador following the deaths of several Jesuit Priests at the hands of the government militia, described Solidarity in a talk to a meeting at John Carroll University in 1999. Here is one quote from that talk:
“This situation leads me to suggest that we will have to make this new century the Century of International Solidarity. The powerful of the world are extending their power through globalized markets and communications. The response from those who hope to advance the cause of humanity can only be to globalize solidarity, that is, to globalize the practice of love. It is not clear at this point just how to organize more humane societies in this new century or how to get from here to there. But one thing is certain. There will be no new societies unless we have new human beings capable of identifying with the cause of the world’s majorities. In the Ignatian spirit of tantum/quantum rather than the consumer spirit, we will need to take advantage of the new technology--internet, e-mail and discount air fares--and make them channels of love and service instead of their opposites. But above all, we need to concern ourselves with the formation of new human beings.”
In the religious context, at least in the Oakland Diocese, this goal is promoted by the Diocesan Social Justice Committee. I sometimes wonder if the Social Justice types confuse the church doctrine of being one, universal and Catholic with a one world government mentality. At the very least a viewing of the Social Justice web site conveys the message that it is a centralized secular government that Jesus came into the world to create as the source of all providence.
AROUND THE DIOCESE.
To further illustrate how our Diocese is being turned into a very humanized (as opposed to spiritual) community, the paper notes that an Al Gore movie on Global Warming, entitled “An Inconvenient Truth” is scheduled for showing at a number of churches both Catholic and Protestant. It is hosted by a group calling itself California Interfaith Power and Light - CIPL.
In another section of the paper there is a notice about a lecture at a place called the (sic) Sacrada Sacred Arts (actually The web site titles it as Sagrada). The lecture is entitled Learn about Breema. See “A demonstration of Breema Bodywork.”
The use of the words Power and Light in the CIPL name I believe are not just a cute little take off on PG&E. This is an undercutting of the understanding of God as the source of all “Light” and “Power.” And, the Breema therapy is another example of “The Magdalene cult.” This is another very subtle insinuation of the prominence of Mary Magdalene rather than Mary the Mother of God as co-Redeemer. Neither of these events belong in a Catholic newspaper much less in a Catholic Church.
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ACORN
Here is another example of strange bedfellows.
Here is how ACORN, which receives funding from the yearly Catholic Campaign for Human Development and, at one time was a favorite organization of former (soon to be Mayor of Oakland) Senator Ron Dellums, an avowed socialists, sees itself.
“ACORN, the Association of Community Organizations for Reform Now, is the nation's largest community organization of low- and moderate-income families, working together for social justice and stronger communities. Since 1970, ACORN has grown to more than 175,000 member families, organized in 850 neighborhood chapters in 75 cities across the U.S. and in cities in Canada, the Dominican Republic and Peru.” This is also a membership of organizations not individuals, however, they automatically assume, like PICO, that they have the authority to speak for you and me if our church or organization has obtained membership. Do you really want an acknowledged socialist organization representing you in the halls of Congress and the Sacramento Legislature?
This notice about ACORN and its voter registration activities is instructive of how they work.
“ An advocacy group that registered more than a million voters two years
ago is facing new reports of voter fraud and sloppy work just weeks before
crucial midterm elections.
Philadelphia's municipal voter registration office has rejected about
3,000 cards submitted by ACORN -- the Association of Community Organizations
for Reform Now -- since April because of missing information or invalid
addresses, the Associated Press reports.
Denver County election officials forwarded about 200 cards to the
secretary of state's office after finding similar handwriting on signatures.
In Ohio, election officials in three of the state's largest counties
have cited problems with hundreds of voter-registration cards. ACORN is
accused of submitting cards with nonexistent addresses, forged signatures
and, in one case, for someone who died seven years ago.
"In my opinion, there's a lot of words but little action in terms of
fixing the problem," said Matt Damschroder, elections board director in
Franklin County, Ohio.
ACORN, which has about 220,000 members nationally, dispatches workers
and volunteers to impoverished neighborhoods, gas stations, courthouses and
other places to sign up new voters.
ACORN recruits new voters in heavily
Democratic poor and minority neighborhoods. (emphasis added)
We do applaud Bishop Allen Vigneron in his recent attempt to organize a Diocese wide Eucharistic Assembly dedicated to prayer and Good Works. The Bishop understands recognizes that the source of all accomplishments is Our Lord. The world will become a better place person by person as each of us submits our will and our efforts to His leadership. It is a very small beginning and only a handful of participants so far. The Secular humanists who have been allowed to run amok amongst us for so long as well organized and entrenched. Prayer, vigilance and devotion to Mary can resolve all that.
