C
CindyGia
Guest
Fast_ed75 said:
- Status
M
MrS
Guest
Perhaps this is an overstatement… but I would agree if you said many are not strong Catholics. New orders are appearing… and they are awesome in their zeal, in their ecumenism, and in their catechetical prowness… yes the Church is going to get much better.
The older, more secular nuns are not recognized for what they should be, because so many are simply not what they should be.
C
ChiRho79
Guest
Well, a few things: First, she is the head of the theological department at my high school. Secondly, it’s not parochial. The two friends that are helping me with the letter do not attend my school (one attends the local “Catholic” university and the other attends a public school down the road from mine). My next reply will be the exact letter. My friends and I will make necessary theological or grammatical corrections and then finalize it. Thank you for your help.
C
ChiRho79
Guest
[Sister’s name],
I find your comments in Monday’s (January 23, 2006) class horribly misplaced and somewhat uncalled for. By no means do I intend to undermine your authority as a teacher, administrator, and member of the clergy, but I do feel the need to write you about a few of your statements.
You said something to the effect of “I personally don’t think that God cares what the Catholic Church says or does here on earth.” How you came to that heretical conclusion is beyond my level of logical comprehension, on both theological and intellectual scales. It was uncalled for, no matter what reasons or explanations you can conjure up about it. To say that God doesn’t care about what the Catholic Church says or does is equal to saying that God doesn’t care about his creation (Christ [second person of the Trinity – God] said, “Upon this rock I shall build my Church.”). It isn’t feasible, by any stretch of our finite minds, to say that God doesn’t care about what the Church says or does on earth.
How can you say such a comment? How can God not care about what the Catholic Church says about matters regarding theology, or what they do about things? That’s completely untrue, and in any form, interpretation, or meaning, nothing but a heretical statement. Say it about any subject (the Saints, how one should conduct themselves, righteousness, etc) and that comment is still wrong.
Regarding the subject we were on (Saints) around the time of your comments, he does care. The Saints are not meant to be the only group of people we look up to, but rather, are meant to be an elite group of hand-picked people that everyone, especially those with little or no positive influences in their lives, can look up to. To say that God doesn’t care about this institution is ridiculous. Not to degrade the Sainthood or be crude about it, but being a Saint is like being Employee of the Month or something to that same effect. While most employees (Christians) are good examples to everyone else, there are a few that the manager (Catholic Church/Pope) wants to recognize for some outstanding achievement. Does this mean that every other employee is less than the headlined ones? Does this mean that the company’s administration (God [not to be taken as a presumptuous statement, but rather as a necessary example to complete the analogy]) will not look at the employee’s resume and see that he/she has been recognized for something? Does this mean that God does not care that the Church anoints extraordinary people as Saints, to be role models for those without them? The answer to all of those questions is “no,” plain and simple.
I would like to familiarize you with this quote from Matthew:
“I will give you the keys to the kingdom of heaven. Whatever you bind on earth shall be bound in heaven; and whatever you loose on earth shall be loosed in heaven.” – Matthew 16:19, NAB
Let’s break the verse down piece by piece, so we get a full understanding for what it means.
A few moments before Jesus uttered these words, he asked Peter who he thought he (Jesus) was, and Peter answered the Messiah, the Son of God. Because Peter said so from his heart, Christ made the promise of founding the Church on Peter, and followed it with this statement of assurance. The word “keys” in this quote refers to the authority of the Apostles (and their successors, i.e., Catholic hierarchy) to act in the name of Jesus here on earth. “Kingdom of heaven” is just that: the kingdom of heaven. The words “bind” and “loose” mean “hold true” and “hold false (or disregard something as untrue)”. The words “earth” and “heaven” clearly refer to the present states of the two. “Earth” means the place where we live right now, and “heaven” refers to where God is living right now. The rest of the quote is rather simple, as it has been interpreted into plain English, which we are all good at. So, one can say that the quote can be read as such:
“I, Jesus Christ, third person of the Trinity, who is God, give you all authority in my name to be used by the Apostles and their successors in regards to the Kingdom of Heaven. Whatever you as a Church hold true to here on earth, I shall hold true to in heaven; whatever you consider to be false on earth, so shall I consider it false in heaven.”
Now, anyone can deduce from this statement that, since God has given so much authority to the Catholic Church, he would, of course, care about what it says or does on earth. How can God not care about what the Church says or does on earth when he specifically said that he will hold true to what the Church holds true to? This verse renders your statement impossible, because it contradicts God himself, and we are all in no place to contradict what God says.
–[next post: the rest of the letter]–
I find your comments in Monday’s (January 23, 2006) class horribly misplaced and somewhat uncalled for. By no means do I intend to undermine your authority as a teacher, administrator, and member of the clergy, but I do feel the need to write you about a few of your statements.
You said something to the effect of “I personally don’t think that God cares what the Catholic Church says or does here on earth.” How you came to that heretical conclusion is beyond my level of logical comprehension, on both theological and intellectual scales. It was uncalled for, no matter what reasons or explanations you can conjure up about it. To say that God doesn’t care about what the Catholic Church says or does is equal to saying that God doesn’t care about his creation (Christ [second person of the Trinity – God] said, “Upon this rock I shall build my Church.”). It isn’t feasible, by any stretch of our finite minds, to say that God doesn’t care about what the Church says or does on earth.
How can you say such a comment? How can God not care about what the Catholic Church says about matters regarding theology, or what they do about things? That’s completely untrue, and in any form, interpretation, or meaning, nothing but a heretical statement. Say it about any subject (the Saints, how one should conduct themselves, righteousness, etc) and that comment is still wrong.
Regarding the subject we were on (Saints) around the time of your comments, he does care. The Saints are not meant to be the only group of people we look up to, but rather, are meant to be an elite group of hand-picked people that everyone, especially those with little or no positive influences in their lives, can look up to. To say that God doesn’t care about this institution is ridiculous. Not to degrade the Sainthood or be crude about it, but being a Saint is like being Employee of the Month or something to that same effect. While most employees (Christians) are good examples to everyone else, there are a few that the manager (Catholic Church/Pope) wants to recognize for some outstanding achievement. Does this mean that every other employee is less than the headlined ones? Does this mean that the company’s administration (God [not to be taken as a presumptuous statement, but rather as a necessary example to complete the analogy]) will not look at the employee’s resume and see that he/she has been recognized for something? Does this mean that God does not care that the Church anoints extraordinary people as Saints, to be role models for those without them? The answer to all of those questions is “no,” plain and simple.
I would like to familiarize you with this quote from Matthew:
“I will give you the keys to the kingdom of heaven. Whatever you bind on earth shall be bound in heaven; and whatever you loose on earth shall be loosed in heaven.” – Matthew 16:19, NAB
Let’s break the verse down piece by piece, so we get a full understanding for what it means.
A few moments before Jesus uttered these words, he asked Peter who he thought he (Jesus) was, and Peter answered the Messiah, the Son of God. Because Peter said so from his heart, Christ made the promise of founding the Church on Peter, and followed it with this statement of assurance. The word “keys” in this quote refers to the authority of the Apostles (and their successors, i.e., Catholic hierarchy) to act in the name of Jesus here on earth. “Kingdom of heaven” is just that: the kingdom of heaven. The words “bind” and “loose” mean “hold true” and “hold false (or disregard something as untrue)”. The words “earth” and “heaven” clearly refer to the present states of the two. “Earth” means the place where we live right now, and “heaven” refers to where God is living right now. The rest of the quote is rather simple, as it has been interpreted into plain English, which we are all good at. So, one can say that the quote can be read as such:
“I, Jesus Christ, third person of the Trinity, who is God, give you all authority in my name to be used by the Apostles and their successors in regards to the Kingdom of Heaven. Whatever you as a Church hold true to here on earth, I shall hold true to in heaven; whatever you consider to be false on earth, so shall I consider it false in heaven.”
Now, anyone can deduce from this statement that, since God has given so much authority to the Catholic Church, he would, of course, care about what it says or does on earth. How can God not care about what the Church says or does on earth when he specifically said that he will hold true to what the Church holds true to? This verse renders your statement impossible, because it contradicts God himself, and we are all in no place to contradict what God says.
–[next post: the rest of the letter]–
C
ChiRho79
Guest
–[rest of letter]–
Also, your statement is rather ironic. You said that people in the Middle Ages who used to beat themselves were somewhat psychopathic/psychotic [for feeling the need to punish themselves corporally]. Then, afterwards, I said that I found it funny that Martin Luther, who used to beat himself, was able to lead thousands, if not millions, of people away from the Church. You responded by laughing and saying, “Yeah, he only led tons of people to the truth.”
Like I said before, what do you consider as the truth? Jesus Christ is the Truth. How do we have Jesus Christ here on earth? The answer is the Eucharist. The Eucharist is Jesus Christ, who is the Truth. So, we can say that the Eucharist is the Truth. But what are you saying? Are you implying that Transubstantiation is not, in fact, Jesus Christ?
Who has the Eucharist? The Catholic Church does. Therefore, since the Catholic Church is based on the fact of Transubstantiation and the Eucharist (which we have already concluded to be the Truth), it is based on the Truth; it is the Truth. So, how then can Martin Luther lead people to the “truth”? The answer is simple: he can’t, all he did was take people away from it.
In conclusion, I would like to further discuss this dire situation at greater length with you, face-to-face, in person. I feel it is important to do this, because comments such as yours are completely unnecessary in a Catholic school. I do hope that this is a big misunderstanding, though. I’m not saying to go along with everything the Church says or does, but rather, to not undermine its obvious God-given authority regarding theological issues here on earth.
Signed,
And yes, don’t worry, I’m going to be completely cool about this. I try not to get hot-headed when talking about religion, because it ruins my testimony. I don’t know when I’m going to send this to her, but it will be sometime before next Monday.
Thanks
Code:
While I initially felt that your words were chosen poorly, you proved otherwise when you gave a high-five to [name of student] after she said, “Yeah, go Sister, high five!” She is known to be anti-Catholic on many things, and to acknowledge her in such a way is to reaffirm your statement.
And, anyway, how can one presume what God does or doesn’t do without actual evidence in support of such heresies? But more importantly, how can one contradict a statement made by Jesus Christ without any evidence? In fact, disregard the need for evidence; Jesus Christ said it. Jesus Christ is God. God is infallible and perfect. What God says goes, that’s obvious. What you said contradicted what God said. In a way, you put words into God’s mouth, which, of course, is also a sin.
But, also, you said that Martin Luther led us all to the “truth.” What, then, is your definition of “truth”? Your “truth” is not the Truth I know; your truth is not the truth, but rather, misplaced trust in a fallible set of man-made beliefs. Is not Jesus Christ the Way, Truth, and the Life? How is leading people away from Christ’s Church leading them to the truth? Somehow, I don’t see how that’s possible.Like I said before, what do you consider as the truth? Jesus Christ is the Truth. How do we have Jesus Christ here on earth? The answer is the Eucharist. The Eucharist is Jesus Christ, who is the Truth. So, we can say that the Eucharist is the Truth. But what are you saying? Are you implying that Transubstantiation is not, in fact, Jesus Christ?
Who has the Eucharist? The Catholic Church does. Therefore, since the Catholic Church is based on the fact of Transubstantiation and the Eucharist (which we have already concluded to be the Truth), it is based on the Truth; it is the Truth. So, how then can Martin Luther lead people to the “truth”? The answer is simple: he can’t, all he did was take people away from it.
In conclusion, I would like to further discuss this dire situation at greater length with you, face-to-face, in person. I feel it is important to do this, because comments such as yours are completely unnecessary in a Catholic school. I do hope that this is a big misunderstanding, though. I’m not saying to go along with everything the Church says or does, but rather, to not undermine its obvious God-given authority regarding theological issues here on earth.
Signed,
[My name]
And yes, don’t worry, I’m going to be completely cool about this. I try not to get hot-headed when talking about religion, because it ruins my testimony. I don’t know when I’m going to send this to her, but it will be sometime before next Monday.Thanks
S
Sir_Knight
Guest
ChiRho79 said:
“I, Jesus Christ, second person of the Trinity, who is God, give you all authority in my name to be used by the Apostles and their successors in regards to the Kingdom of Heaven. Whatever you as a Church hold true to here on earth, I shall hold true to in heaven; whatever you consider to be false on earth, so shall I consider it false in heaven.”
M
mercygate
Guest
Dear ChiRho – your letter makes important points but needs massive editing. It is important that you NOT characterize this Sister in any way as a heretic. While you are entitled to question her on her position, labels like that will just stir up the fire, and make you look like a hothead.
Your recapitulation of doctrine is unnecessary; you might have needed to state the case for your own clarification, but the reiteration only blunts the point for the purposes of this confrontation.
One small point: in formal writing, do not use contractions.
Below is my edited version (with a paragraph inserted about possibly misunderstanding Sister’s view on the canonization of Saints).
Dear Sister __________
In class on Monday, January 23, 2006 you said something to the effect of “I personally don’t think that God cares what the Catholic Church says or does here on earth.”
How can God not care about what the Catholic Church says about matters regarding theology, or of faith and morals? Regarding the subject we were on (Saints) around the time of your comments, I think that he does care. Everyone, especially those with little or no positive influence in their lives, can look up to them as both models and helpers in our journey toward Christ. To say that God does not care what the Catholic Church says or does here on earth, even about a “small” issue like the canonization of saints, indicates a poor view of the Body of Christ and the mission of his Church to draw as many souls to him as she can.
Perhaps you meant only to say that God is calling everyone to sainthood, and that the process of canonization does not create saints but only recognizes them in an official way but that all the saved are saints, even if they are not listed on the Calendar of the Church.
What came across was the idea that God did not care about the authority of the Church at all. We live in times where even Sisters and clergy can sometimes express views that contradict the faith of the Church. Some of your students certainly came away thinking that you are one of them.
While I initially felt that your words were chosen poorly, yourhigh-five to [name of student] after she said, “Yeah, go Sister, high five!” only made things worse. [name] expresses anti-Catholic opinions on many things, and to acknowledge her in such a way was disturbing.
You also said that Martin Luther led us all to the “truth.” This statement baffling.Is not Jesus Christ the Way, Truth, and the Life? How is leading people away from Christ’s Church leading them to the truth? Somehow, I do not see how that is possible. You also said that people in the Middle Ages who used to beat themselves were psychopathic/psychotic [for using corporal penance]. Then, when I said that I found it funny that Martin Luther, who used to beat himself, was able to lead thousands, if not millions, of people away from the Church. You laughed and said, “Yeah, he only led tons of people to the truth.”
Again, as a Catholic, I believe that Jesus Christ is the Truth. How do we have Jesus Christ here on earth? One way is in the Eucharist. The Eucharist is Jesus Christ, who is the Truth. Who has the Eucharist? The Catholic Church does. So, how then can Martin Luther lead people to the “truth”?
I would like to discuss this at greater length with you in person. I do hope that this is a big misunderstanding.
Sincerely,
Your recapitulation of doctrine is unnecessary; you might have needed to state the case for your own clarification, but the reiteration only blunts the point for the purposes of this confrontation.
One small point: in formal writing, do not use contractions.
Below is my edited version (with a paragraph inserted about possibly misunderstanding Sister’s view on the canonization of Saints).
Dear Sister __________
In class on Monday, January 23, 2006 you said something to the effect of “I personally don’t think that God cares what the Catholic Church says or does here on earth.”
How can God not care about what the Catholic Church says about matters regarding theology, or of faith and morals? Regarding the subject we were on (Saints) around the time of your comments, I think that he does care. Everyone, especially those with little or no positive influence in their lives, can look up to them as both models and helpers in our journey toward Christ. To say that God does not care what the Catholic Church says or does here on earth, even about a “small” issue like the canonization of saints, indicates a poor view of the Body of Christ and the mission of his Church to draw as many souls to him as she can.
Perhaps you meant only to say that God is calling everyone to sainthood, and that the process of canonization does not create saints but only recognizes them in an official way but that all the saved are saints, even if they are not listed on the Calendar of the Church.
What came across was the idea that God did not care about the authority of the Church at all. We live in times where even Sisters and clergy can sometimes express views that contradict the faith of the Church. Some of your students certainly came away thinking that you are one of them.
While I initially felt that your words were chosen poorly, yourhigh-five to [name of student] after she said, “Yeah, go Sister, high five!” only made things worse. [name] expresses anti-Catholic opinions on many things, and to acknowledge her in such a way was disturbing.
You also said that Martin Luther led us all to the “truth.” This statement baffling.Is not Jesus Christ the Way, Truth, and the Life? How is leading people away from Christ’s Church leading them to the truth? Somehow, I do not see how that is possible. You also said that people in the Middle Ages who used to beat themselves were psychopathic/psychotic [for using corporal penance]. Then, when I said that I found it funny that Martin Luther, who used to beat himself, was able to lead thousands, if not millions, of people away from the Church. You laughed and said, “Yeah, he only led tons of people to the truth.”
Again, as a Catholic, I believe that Jesus Christ is the Truth. How do we have Jesus Christ here on earth? One way is in the Eucharist. The Eucharist is Jesus Christ, who is the Truth. Who has the Eucharist? The Catholic Church does. So, how then can Martin Luther lead people to the “truth”?
I would like to discuss this at greater length with you in person. I do hope that this is a big misunderstanding.
Sincerely,
B
buffalo
Guest
I would edit the letter to emphasize what the Church teaches with sources on this matter. When you use " I believe" statements it makes it sounds like it is a debatable question.
Use the Catechism to help you.
Done properly she will be confronted with the authority of the church which she has taken a vow to defend.
Use the Catechism to help you.
Done properly she will be confronted with the authority of the church which she has taken a vow to defend.
B
buffalo
Guest
**RTICLE 9
“I BELIEVE IN THE HOLY CATHOLIC CHURCH” **
748 "Christ is the light of humanity; and it is, accordingly, the heart-felt desire of this sacred Council, being gathered together in the Holy Spirit, that, by proclaiming his Gospel to every creature, it may bring to all men that light of Christ which shines out visibly from the Church."135 These words open the Second Vatican Council’s Dogmatic Constitution on the Church. By choosing this starting point, the Council demonstrates that the article of faith about the Church depends entirely on the articles concerning Christ Jesus. The Church has no other light than Christ’s; according to a favorite image of the Church Fathers, the Church is like the moon, all its light reflected from the sun.
749 The article concerning the Church also depends entirely on the article about the Holy Spirit, which immediately precedes it. "Indeed, having shown that the Spirit is the source and giver of all holiness, we now confess that it is he who has endowed the Church with holiness."136 The Church is, in a phrase used by the Fathers, the place "where the Spirit flourishes."137
[750](javascript
penWindow(‘cr/750.htm’)
To believe that the Church is “holy” and “catholic,” and that she is “one” and “apostolic” (as the Nicene Creed adds), is inseparable from belief in God, the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit. In the Apostles’ Creed we profess “one Holy Church” (Credo . . . Ecclesiam), and not to believe *in *the Church, so as not to confuse God with his works and to attribute clearly to God’s goodness *all *the gifts he has bestowed on his Church.138
“I BELIEVE IN THE HOLY CATHOLIC CHURCH” **
748 "Christ is the light of humanity; and it is, accordingly, the heart-felt desire of this sacred Council, being gathered together in the Holy Spirit, that, by proclaiming his Gospel to every creature, it may bring to all men that light of Christ which shines out visibly from the Church."135 These words open the Second Vatican Council’s Dogmatic Constitution on the Church. By choosing this starting point, the Council demonstrates that the article of faith about the Church depends entirely on the articles concerning Christ Jesus. The Church has no other light than Christ’s; according to a favorite image of the Church Fathers, the Church is like the moon, all its light reflected from the sun.
749 The article concerning the Church also depends entirely on the article about the Holy Spirit, which immediately precedes it. "Indeed, having shown that the Spirit is the source and giver of all holiness, we now confess that it is he who has endowed the Church with holiness."136 The Church is, in a phrase used by the Fathers, the place "where the Spirit flourishes."137
[750](javascript
penWindow(‘cr/750.htm’) To believe that the Church is “holy” and “catholic,” and that she is “one” and “apostolic” (as the Nicene Creed adds), is inseparable from belief in God, the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit. In the Apostles’ Creed we profess “one Holy Church” (Credo . . . Ecclesiam), and not to believe *in *the Church, so as not to confuse God with his works and to attribute clearly to God’s goodness *all *the gifts he has bestowed on his Church.138
B
buffalo
Guest
Paragraph 1. The Church in God’s Plan
** I. NAMES AND IMAGES OF THE CHURCH **
751 The word “Church” (Latin ecclesia, from the Greek ek-ka-lein, to “call out of”) means a convocation or an assembly. It designates the assemblies of the people, usually for a religious purpose.139 *Ekklesia *is used frequently in the Greek Old Testament for the assembly of the Chosen People before God, above all for their assembly on Mount Sinai where Israel received the Law and was established by God as his holy people.140 By calling itself “Church,” the first community of Christian believers recognized itself as heir to that assembly. In the Church, God is “calling together” his people from all the ends of the earth. The equivalent Greek term Kyriake, from which the English word *Church *and the German *Kirche *are derived, means “what belongs to the Lord.”
752 In Christian usage, the word “church” designates the liturgical assembly,141 but also the local community142 or the whole universal community of believers.143 These three meanings are inseparable. “The Church” is the People that God gathers in the whole world. She exists in local communities and is made real as a liturgical, above all a Eucharistic, assembly. She draws her life from the word and the Body of Christ and so herself becomes Christ’s Body.
** I. NAMES AND IMAGES OF THE CHURCH **
751 The word “Church” (Latin ecclesia, from the Greek ek-ka-lein, to “call out of”) means a convocation or an assembly. It designates the assemblies of the people, usually for a religious purpose.139 *Ekklesia *is used frequently in the Greek Old Testament for the assembly of the Chosen People before God, above all for their assembly on Mount Sinai where Israel received the Law and was established by God as his holy people.140 By calling itself “Church,” the first community of Christian believers recognized itself as heir to that assembly. In the Church, God is “calling together” his people from all the ends of the earth. The equivalent Greek term Kyriake, from which the English word *Church *and the German *Kirche *are derived, means “what belongs to the Lord.”
752 In Christian usage, the word “church” designates the liturgical assembly,141 but also the local community142 or the whole universal community of believers.143 These three meanings are inseparable. “The Church” is the People that God gathers in the whole world. She exists in local communities and is made real as a liturgical, above all a Eucharistic, assembly. She draws her life from the word and the Body of Christ and so herself becomes Christ’s Body.
B
buffalo
Guest
** IN BRIEF **
777 The word “Church” means “convocation.” It designates the assembly of those whom God’s Word “convokes,” i.e., gathers together to form the People of God, and who themselves, nourished with the Body of Christ, become the Body of Christ.
778 The Church is both the means and the goal of God’s plan: prefigured in creation, prepared for in the Old Covenant, founded by the words and actions of Jesus Christ, fulfilled by his redeeming cross and his Resurrection, the Church has been manifested as the mystery of salvation by the outpouring of the Holy Spirit. She will be perfected in the glory of heaven as the assembly of all the redeemed of the earth (cf. *Rev *14:4).
779 The Church is both visible and spiritual, a hierarchical society and the Mystical Body of Christ. She is one, yet formed of two components, human and divine. That is her mystery, which only faith can accept.
780 The Church in this world is the sacrament of salvation, the sign and the instrument of the communion of God and men.
777 The word “Church” means “convocation.” It designates the assembly of those whom God’s Word “convokes,” i.e., gathers together to form the People of God, and who themselves, nourished with the Body of Christ, become the Body of Christ.
778 The Church is both the means and the goal of God’s plan: prefigured in creation, prepared for in the Old Covenant, founded by the words and actions of Jesus Christ, fulfilled by his redeeming cross and his Resurrection, the Church has been manifested as the mystery of salvation by the outpouring of the Holy Spirit. She will be perfected in the glory of heaven as the assembly of all the redeemed of the earth (cf. *Rev *14:4).
779 The Church is both visible and spiritual, a hierarchical society and the Mystical Body of Christ. She is one, yet formed of two components, human and divine. That is her mystery, which only faith can accept.
780 The Church in this world is the sacrament of salvation, the sign and the instrument of the communion of God and men.
M
mercygate
Guest
ChiRho,
Buffalo’s citations from the Catechism are extremely helpful. Do not include them in the body of the letter because they are accessory material that will make it hard to follow your thinking. Add them as an enclosure or attachment.
If you meet with her, take somebody with you. Preferably another person from your class. You might also run this letter past your pastor. If he is familiar with this teacher, you will get an idea of how much is known about her around the community. His observations could be useful.
Buffalo’s citations from the Catechism are extremely helpful. Do not include them in the body of the letter because they are accessory material that will make it hard to follow your thinking. Add them as an enclosure or attachment.
If you meet with her, take somebody with you. Preferably another person from your class. You might also run this letter past your pastor. If he is familiar with this teacher, you will get an idea of how much is known about her around the community. His observations could be useful.
C
ChiRho79
Guest
Forgot who your name was, but yes, I realized my mistake in saying that Christ was the third, and not second, person of the Trinity. I have edited that, so it is a-okay right now.
C
ChiRho79
Guest
Once again, thank you for all your help.
She’s getting a little too far out of hand. She said that the Pope doesn’t have all the authority in the Church. While she did make a good point about the Church being ruled by Scripture and Tradition, she failed to mention that everything the Pope declares as Ex Cathedra has been decided out of interpretation of the Bible and of Tradition.
I don’t know what to do, it’s an uphill battle. No one will listen, no one will care, and it’s rather pointless: like pruning a dead tree, a waste of time and energy.
She’s getting a little too far out of hand. She said that the Pope doesn’t have all the authority in the Church. While she did make a good point about the Church being ruled by Scripture and Tradition, she failed to mention that everything the Pope declares as Ex Cathedra has been decided out of interpretation of the Bible and of Tradition.
I don’t know what to do, it’s an uphill battle. No one will listen, no one will care, and it’s rather pointless: like pruning a dead tree, a waste of time and energy.
B
buffalo
Guest
Yes it is a hard battle, but one that must be fought. Never give up there is too much at stake. The Truth must be protected and advanced continuously. The devil will try to wear you down as he is a formidable enemy. Pray for strength.
Share the facts of this situation with as many as possible. Educate! Educate!
Go back to the Catechism and the role of the Magisterium.
Always ask for a definitive official Church document that supports their position. Most often they cannot produce one, since they don’t exist.
G
Genesis315
Guest
This nun is not going to care what the Catechism says. Remember, she said God doesn’t care what the Church says, so why would she accept Church documents? Such a mindset would probably not accept Scripture or evidence from Tradition either.Convincing her is not the way to go. The best thing to do is to report her to the principal and if he doesn’t listen, then to whoever is next in line (parochial vicar or bishop?). Pray for all involved.
B
buffalo
Guest
Many times they advance their agenda by discrediting teaching. At the very least you can show her you and others have access and know the truth. She cannot advance her agenda against the informed.
Present the information to your school board.
C
ChiRho79
Guest
The bishop of my Diocese wouldn’t do a thing about the situation. And I don’t even know how far I’m willing to go with this. It seems like every day she says something that contradicts Catholic theology or Doctrine. It’s rather pointless, seeing as it would be Me, a Junior in high school v Her, a nun of the Catholic Church. I need to find out how to counter what she said today (Thursday, Jan 26th).
M
mercygate
Guest
Done carefully, this is NOT a waste of time and energy. Even if nobody listens (and you can always take this all the way up the food chain, one link at a time), you will be establishing a record which could turn some gears in the future . . .
I reiterate:
- Concentrate on developing absolute self-possession and perfect calm. Assume you are mistaken until point blank she says something outrageous (as if she hasn’t already!).
- Go to her in person along with someone else from your class. Express your concerns in 50 words or fewer.
- Hear her out. Give her your letter at that meeting.
- If anything she says at the meeting makes you feel better, send a note acknowledging that. Be sure to write a “this is my understanding of what you said” letter.
- If your meeting does not yield what you want, send copies of your first letter and your follow-up notes to the headmaster with a cover letter. Be sure to cc Sister on that note.
- Write your term paper on the origin and continuity of Apostolic Authority in the Catholic Church.
B
buffalo
Guest
The following concerns the duties regarding Liturgy, but perhaps you can send the information to Rome.
From Redemptionis Sacramentum:
- Complaints Regarding Abuses in Liturgical Matters
[184.] Any Catholic, whether Priest or Deacon or lay member of Christ’s faithful, has the right to lodge a complaint regarding a liturgical abuse to the diocesan Bishop or the competent Ordinary equivalent to him in law, or to the Apostolic See on account of the primacy of the Roman Pontiff.[290] It is fitting, however, insofar as possible, that the report or complaint be submitted first to the diocesan Bishop. This is naturally to be done in truth and charity.
Congregation on Catholic Education
- Status