Francis MacNutt

[Joysong]

Dear Plato and Honoria,

It seems there has been some discussion about my post concerning Reverend McNutt, and a comment by Honoria directed towards me: "We are not here to judge anyone – as Someone once said, “by their ‘Fruits’ ye shall know them”…

Can we return to my first post in the thread, where I said:

I did not see anything in his writings to be alarmed about whatsoever, and they were excellent vehicles of instruction on this subject.

I’m at a loss to help out here, but I can witness to the authenticity of his earlier writings and assure you that your in-law will not suffer harm if the book you referred to is one that I mentioned.

The book referred to is Healing which Plato is presently reading, and I still say it is orthodox and excellent. He had a sequel called Power to Heal, which I also highly recommend.

As for my comment that I would not add other books to my library after he left the priesthood … in no way did that imply a judgment of him personally, and I’m sorry you had that impression. Please refer to my recent post where I defended Fr. McNutt in post #9:
forums.catholic-questions.org/showthread.php?t=82286

With regard to ex-priests and measuring their fruits, I don’t think we can enter into an opinion on this. The person whom I referred to, and whose writings I studied, was Rev. Francis McNutt, who is presently an ex-priest. However, when he was very active in the healing ministry and wrote two books on it, I believe very definitely that God was working through him.

And … still may be, even though he has left the priesthood. Can any of us know how God sees him? I remember the apostles chiding Jesus to do something about those who were casting out devils in His name. He said to leave them alone — those who were not against HIm, were for HIm. Can Reverend McNutt ask for healing in the name of Jesus, even as an ex-priest, yet be thought of as healing through the power of the evil one? :nope:

Kind regards,
Carole

 

[Plato]

Joysong:

Dear Plato and Honoria,

It seems there has been some discussion about my post concerning Reverend McNutt, and a comment by Honoria directed towards me: "We are not here to judge anyone – as Someone once said, “by their ‘Fruits’ ye shall know them”…

Can we return to my first post in the thread, where I said:

The book referred to is Healing which Plato is presently reading, and I still say it is orthodox and excellent. He had a sequel called Power to Heal, which I also highly recommend.

As for my comment that I would not add other books to my library after he left the priesthood … in no way did that imply a judgment of him personally, and I’m sorry you had that impression. Please refer to my recent post where I defended Fr. McNutt in post #9:
forums.catholic-questions.org/showthread.php?t=82286

Kind regards,
Carole

Carole,

I appreciate your post. Maybe I should read most of his books and see for myself whether Mr. MacNutt goes off track? Did you notice the title of his most recent book, The Nearly Perfect Crime: How the Church Killed the Ministry of Healing.

Now, this is an interesting title because it sounds like an indictment. If this is the case, who is Mr. MacNutt indicting? The Catholic Church? I know I maybe stating the obvious, but since I haven’t read the book, I can’t make any statement with certainty. I guess the best thing to do is read all of his books.

Any opinions?

Warm regards,

Plato

 

[Joysong]

Dear Plato,

Yes, it definitely sounds like an indictment, and for that reason, I would probably never read it … not even out of curiosity. I still hold to my original thought that, although I own and loved his first two books, I cannot bring myself to read any others, under the circumstances of his leaving the priesthood. I do not believe the deep teaching charism flowing from Holy Orders would be present in the writings.

Carole

 

[Honoria20]

Joysong:

Dear Plato and Honoria,

It seems there has been some discussion about my post concerning Reverend McNutt, and a comment by Honoria directed towards me: "We are not here to judge anyone – as Someone once said, “by their ‘Fruits’ ye shall know them”…

Uuumm…the above was meant basically to not judge Francis McNutt, and by his fruits we will know him Glad you have brought this to my attention I guess I misread Plato’s comment out of context

… Another poster in this thread - Joysong - wrote that any book Mr. MacNutt wrote after being a priest is not worth reading…

Joan

 

[Plato]

Carole,

Once again, I appreciate your comments.

I think I’ll read his most recent book. I feel Catholics should be abreast of all misconceptions against Holy Mother Church. This is not to say that Mr. MacNutt doesn’t offer anything worthwhile in his post-priest-laicised life, but I think we should accept what’s true and debunk misconceptions by offering clarifications. Afterall, our Church is very human and only Her cornerstone, Jesus Christ, is divine and infallible. Of course, this infallibilty includes our pope and bishops when they pronounce a statement on faith and morals. I guess this is the teacher and apologist in me.

Plato

 

[Joysong]

Thanks for responding, Joan. I appreciate it very much.

Carole

 

[Pani_Rose]

I have four close, very orthodox Catholic friends, one of them a priest, who have attended the McNutts school on healing. Two have completed all three sessions, I have benefited highly from the training they have recieved in McNutts tutalege.

Yes he has been restored to full comunion with the Roman Catholic Church - they both have, and yes the healing minstry reaches out to all walks of the Christian faith.

 

[Joe_Kelley]

Pani Rose:

. . .
Yes he has been restored to full comunion with the Roman Catholic Church - they both have, and yes the healing minstry reaches out to all walks of the Christian faith.

Thank you for posting that. I had lost track of him. His teachings were always very good. I am pleased to hear that he is back.

 

[Plato]

Pani Rose:

I have four close, very orthodox Catholic friends, one of them a priest, who have attended the McNutts school on healing. Two have completed all three sessions, I have benefited highly from the training they have recieved in McNutts tutalege.

Yes he has been restored to full comunion with the Roman Catholic Church - they both have, and yes the healing minstry reaches out to all walks of the Christian faith.

Thank you. What do you mean by “very orthodox Catholic friends”.

Plato

 

[Pani_Rose]

**“very orthodox Catholic friends”?

**Orthodox in the sence that they are true to their faith. I chose that word since there was a question about McNutts involvement with teaching others not of the Catholic Church to pray for healing also.

The four that I spoke of have begun “St Rapheals Prayer Ministry.” The time before hand is spent in prayer before the Eucharist for them. The person being prayed for - the first time they come - has filled out information about themselves and their family history, which is where the prayer begins. Seeking God for healing, wherever it is needed for, but also for the breaking away of generational bondages, with the prayer continuing for about an hour. You are welcome to schedule with them as often as needed. While they are praying with you, one of them is before the Eucharist interceding for those praying and the one being prayed for. Then after the prayer the person being prayed for is invited to recieve the Eucharist.

So it is a very intense personal time of prayer. Though it is a simple formula(and a lot more involved behind the scene), this is what the person being prayed for sees, that is what Francis McNutt is teaching in his school. The training they have received from him is invaluable for healing of the body, mind, spirit, and soul who seek them out for prayer.

That is what I meant by orthodox(small o).

 

[Plato]

**“very orthodox Catholic friends”?

**Orthodox in the sence that they are true to their faith. I chose that word since there was a question about McNutts involvement with teaching others not of the Catholic Church to pray for healing also.

The four that I spoke of have begun “St Rapheals Prayer Ministry.” The time before hand is spent in prayer before the Eucharist for them. The person being prayed for - the first time they come - has filled out information about themselves and their family history, which is where the prayer begins. Seeking God for healing, wherever it is needed for, but also for the breaking away of generational bondages, with the prayer continuing for about an hour. You are welcome to schedule with them as often as needed. While they are praying with you, one of them is before the Eucharist interceding for those praying and the one being prayed for. Then after the prayer the person being prayed for is invited to recieve the Eucharist.

So it is a very intense personal time of prayer. Though it is a simple formula(and a lot more involved behind the scene), this is what the person being prayed for sees, that is what Francis McNutt is teaching in his school. The training they have received from him is invaluable for healing of the body, mind, spirit, and soul who seek them out for prayer.

That is what I meant by orthodox(small o).

What about redemptive suffering? God calls us to offer up our suffering to His Son and pray for others who are sick and destitute. Mr. McNutt emphasizes only half of the doctrine on praying for the sick. It’s God’s will whether we are healed physically or called to suffer in Christ which is a spiritual healing and purification.

 

[oldfogey]

Sorry, I have a problem with a laicized priest who still thinks he has a ministry. You can’t have your cake and eat it too.

 

[Plato]

oldfogey:

Sorry, I have a problem with a laicized priest who still thinks he has a ministry. You can’t have your cake and eat it too.

Sir, every baptized Christain could have a ministry. Mr. McNutt was ordained a priest; man cannot undo what the Holy Spirit has done. Mr. McNutt is *laicised * from his priestly duties in the Catholic Church, but he is still a priest: he is a “a priest forever”. His spritual state hasn’t been lowered back to he lay state because God doesn’t take back His gifts. I understand Mr. McNutt doesn’t perform his ministry as a priest either, but as one of the faithful. God could still bestow grace upon us through Mr. McNutt just as he can do it through you too.

Plato

 

[AES]

Plato:

What about redemptive suffering? God calls us to offer up our suffering to His Son and pray for others who are sick and destitute. Mr. McNutt emphasizes only half of the doctrine on praying for the sick. It’s God’s will whether we are healed physically or called to suffer in Christ which is a spiritual healing and purification.

I beleive from his first few books, Macnutt does talk about certain things that are not to be healed. I forget which book has a Chapter specifically for the reasons and how we can turn it to redemptive suffering. I could be wrong, it has been a couple of years since I read his book.

 

[jpelham]

The fact that nowhere does Mr. MacNutt unequivocally state his obedience to Holy Mother Church, and he insinuates dissent, is sufficient reason to maintain a vigilant theological distance. All of the opinions offered here are legitimate as lay opinions, not impimaturs. No substantive doctrinal issues have been addressed.

 

[mr_bamber]

The fact that nowhere does Mr. MacNutt unequivocally state his obedience to Holy Mother Church, and he insinuates dissent, is sufficient reason to maintain a vigilant theological distance. All of the opinions offered here are legitimate as lay opinions, not impimaturs. No substantive doctrinal issues have been addressed.

I would agree and the fact that most if not all of his speaking arrangements and ministry is now done in Protestant churches, should be enough to set alarm bells ringing.

 

[puzzleannie]

I would agree and the fact that most if not all of his speaking arrangements and ministry is now done in Protestant churches, should be enough to set alarm bells ringing.

one of the conditions when a priest is formally laicized is that he cannot undertake and ministry in the Catholic Church. Yes he has gone through the appropriate canon law process for laicization, and for his marriage, but no he cannot minister in the Catholic Church in any formal capacity, so if he feels called to this it would probably have to be under some other auspices. Whether or not that is “kosher” to be anachronistic, is for the bishop of any diocese in which he does his presentations to decide. If he is appearing somewhere in your diocese my recommendation is as always–call the diocese and find out if that presentation or program has approval from the bishop.

 

[Alan55]

MacNutt’s books on healing, “Healing” and “Power to Heal” and his book on deliverance, “Deliverance from Evil Spirits: A Practical Manual” are the best books on the subject I’ve read. He was a Dominican priest and received a Ph.D. in theology.

I don’t think his Catholic orthodoxy – what he believed and taught – were ever an issue, although his relationship with the Church was affected when he left the priesthood to marry in 1980. In those days, Pope John Paul II was very reluctant to laicize priests, and so it was difficult for many who left the priesthood to continue public ministries under Catholic auspices. His request for laicization was finally granted and his marriage blessed in 1983.

 

[andre]

MacNutt’s books on healing, “Healing” and “Power to Heal” and his book on deliverance, “Deliverance from Evil Spirits: A Practical Manual” are the best books on the subject I’ve read. He was a Dominican priest and received a Ph.D. in theology.

Thanks for all your posts, it was all very helpful for me and clarified many misconceptions about Dr. Francis MacNutt. Even after all those years that this thread started!

I’m glad about the issue of Mr.MacNutt’s Catholicity, he and his wife are in full communion with the Roman Catholic Church. I was relieved to hear that because I myself had doubts because I reffered some good Catholics to Mr. MacNutt’s healing ministry. I myself will go for prayer ministry and training at the Christian Healing ministry some day.

On another note, nowadays lay people are not suppose to have a ‘ministry’ in the RC Church, that’s why you don’t see Mr. MacNutt at seminars or healing services in the Catholic Church, also he is advanced in age and traveling is a difficulty for him and he prefers that people come to him instead. (and what is a couple of honderd dollars compared with years of struggle with afflictions that might not be from God). I know that Mr. MacNutt is working with a team, and each team member has a particular charism, e.g. his wife Judith is a certified Psychologist. (Mr.MacNutt has learned a lot over the years and is very discerning).
His referral in his books about the church is not just about the RC Church but also mainline Protestant churches and other Christian communities.

If anything Mr.MacNutt praises the RC Church for retaining healing prayers and e.g. the Roman Ritual and the Sacraments, while many other churches have done away with them during or after the Protestant Reformation. (remember he speaks to a Protestant audience also). He is partly responsible for the revival of the healing ministry and anointing of the sick in healing services and the deliverance and exorcism ministries. Many practices Catholics use to have from the Early Church onwards and that were lost or diminished are coming back. (e.g. the use of the Roman Ritual, the Vatican appointing more and more exorcists, Dioceses establishing Deliverance and Exorcism ministries and Healing Services; with Vatican approval!)

I’m not familiar with his personal problems that lead him to leave the priesthood, so I can not judge, and certain ministries in the Church you have to be a priest. (e.g. for anointing with any oil you have to be a Priest).
I have no doubt that what he did and is doing is in accord with the RC Church.
But it is not impossible to be a priest and be involved in the healing ministry.
A few examples: Fr. Michael Scanlon, Fr. Michael Sears, Fr. Robert Degrandis.

God Bless you all!

Pray for me as I am discerning to be a priest and want to be involved in healing ministry. For the Lord to open doors for me.

Andre

 

[Alan55]

On another note, nowadays lay people are not suppose to have a ‘ministry’ in the RC Church, that’s why you don’t see Mr. MacNutt at seminars or healing services in the Catholic Church…

I’m not sure where you get the idea that lay people are not supposed to have a “ministry” in the Church. I think that the sensitivity on the part of the Vatican was a sense that lay people were replacing or de-emphasizing the ministry of priests, particularly when lay people doing liturgical ministries that were traditionallly the domain of clergy. However, lay people have continued to serve as volunteers and full-time ministers and, in fact, have assumed greater and greater responsibility for the work of the Church worldwide as the number of priests declines in many areas and the educational level of the laity – including in areas such as theology and pastoral ministry – increases.

I think MacNutt was not doing seminars or services in the Catholic Church because of two factors: (1) he was a former priest who married, and (2) there is less support in the Catholic Church for healing ministry of the sort practiced by MacNutt.