My personal experience defending Pope Benedict XVI

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MaggieOH:
You did get them to shut up and it might be worth dropping the issue unless it is raised again.
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I am considering to drop it, since nothing has come up again. I think most of the reactions were just in the hear of the moment. Keep in mind most of this stuff took place less that 30 minutes after Ratzinger/Benedict XVI finished his benediction, so I think the teachers were really disappointed/frustrated about the election because the results were so fresh.
 
Yeah, you did a good job. As I like to point out, your statements reflected Justice and Mercy. I know the feeling in ways as when I as in College, I tried to get involved in the Catholic Campus Ministries as it was a public university. The President was a convert from Methodism that kept saying things like “When I die, I fully expect to see Luther in Heaven and Aquinas in Hell.” or the “Church was so messed up before Vatican II”. Arrrgh, and the priest would leave at the begining and was never there to offer any support. (God Bless Fr. J). Keep up the good work as it will never be over until the day we die (and even in Heaven was shall continuing working through prayer 🙂 ),a nd May God grant you the Grace to perservere. Thanks and God Bless.
 
Wow, I really commend you for being so strong about your faith around your classmates and teachers. We need more good teenagers like you in this crazy world! Keep up the good work.

Karen
 
I think you did a fine job and I applaud you.

My sister lives in Seattle and she finds liberalism rappant in her parish and diocese. She is very orthodox and teaches what the Church teaches and she believes it (thank God). We have talked many times about her frustration.

Where I live, Catholics are the minority, but many of my fundamentalist friends have asked me what my thoughts were on our new Pope. I told them I am thankful. He is a good man, a man of God and believes in the Church and her fullness of the Truth. That he is an orthodox. They have agreed with me and have said they are thankful as well.
 
Fidei Defensor,

What you did was a heroic act. Keep up the faith. You have to be the light of San Francisco 🙂
 
That was awesome. As a Catholic high school teacher, I would LOVE to have you as one of my students!!!

(Happily, most of the staff was happy with the elevation of B16, though none quite as happy as me). Your response that you were not talking as a student but as a CATHOLIC was RIGHT ON!!!

Excellent. Keep up the good work!!!👍
 
Well done! A story that gladdens the heart of all those who have experienced the prevailing negativity.

You have heard the call of John Paul the Great “Do not be Afraid!” You have certainly put it into action.

Funny!! I don’t know whether its euphoria or something, or whether others are feeling this way too, but I have felt over the past days a keen sense of inner strength in defending our Holy Father. Letting the world know how delighted I am with the election of Benedict XVI. It is hard to explain. It is almost as if John Paul the Great has given those who were loyal to him during life and prayed for him so much over the 26.5 years a pinch of his own courage.

I am one of the John Paul II generation and I thank God for it everyday.

It is a pity we have to defend , but we must in this day and age.

People need to know where we stand. We must be vocal and defend our Pope and our Church.
 
Funny!! I don’t know whether its euphoria or something, or whether others are feeling this way too, but I have felt over the past days a keen sense of inner strength in defending our Holy Father. Letting the world know how delighted I am with the election of Benedict XVI. It is hard to explain. It is almost as if John Paul the Great has given those who were loyal to him during life and prayed for him so much over the 26.5 years a pinch of his own courage.
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I’ve been feeling the same way lately, and not just in regards to Benedict XVI. There is a palpable joy being experienced by faithful Catholics everywhere, and it’s fascinating to watch. I’m not sure what the reason is, espescially since we’re under such attack again, but it’s definately there.

Congrats and good job, Fidei Densor! I’ve also had to defend our Holy Father recently. You can see my account on the “Our New Pope” forum, under “First Negative Encounter”.
 
Fidei Defensor:
Actually, my school is run by the Christian Brothers of St. John-Baptist De La Salle, so my principal is a Christian Brother. However, the school itself is under the supervision of the diocese of Oakland (California). I’m getting confirmed in a few months so I guess I could talk to my Bishop (the Most Rev. Allen Vigneron).

Like I’ve said, I live in the San Francisco bay area (where liberals and relativists thrive), so many of my peers, though Catholic, disagree with about 80% of what the Church teaches. This one person in my class came in on April 23 (the day after Ratzinger won) and the first thing out of her mouth was “I hate the new pope! He was a Nazi, he’s against feminism, and he looks really creepy!”

Of course, I wasn’t gonna stand there and take it, so I disproved her allegations with clear counter-examples. It turns out she was just making assumptions based on what she heard on the news.
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She was probably making assumptions based on the opinion,s largely uninformed, about Cardinal Ratizinger, which seem to be widepread. My concern is that if Catholic teachers are so informed or so disloyal to Rome, what is the point of a Catholic education? Might as well go to a public schools. At least you don’t expect to be among friends.
 
Fidei Defensor:
I swear that everything here is true. I want to hear people’s reactions, to know if I did the right thing or if I went too far (I tend to be volatile and argumentative).

I too have heard people at my school (a catholic high school, no less) say that the pope was a Nazi the minute they found out that Ratzinger was pope. Many of my classmates said this. I sternly defended the supreme pontiff. I declared that the pope refused to join the Nazi party, was compelled to join the Hitler Youth (against his vocal protests) and that he deserted the German Army (which he was forced to join) in 1944. That takes extreme courage, especially if you knew that you’d be shot if you were found as a deserter. Upon hearing this, my classmates shut up. (Note, I used a loud but clear, authoritative tone).

Even one of the RELIGION TEACHERS jumped on the bandwagon and made jokes about how when Ratzinger waved to the crowd in St. Peter’s square, that it was a Nazi salute. A TEACHER SAID THIS! Another student came to my defense and said, “Well that was a long time ago”. The teacher responded, “Well what if I murdered someone a long time ago, it doesn’t mean I never did it.”

To which I replied, “Are you saying that Ratzinger’s sins shouldn’t be forgiven, assuming he did commit crimes as a German soldier (and it has been proven that he didn’t)? If the world ran on your logic, no sins would be absolved, including yours, and that would most definetly imply that any man’s soul, especially yours, would recieve guaranteed damnation.”

Upon saying that, the teacher shut up. This was during a break between classes, so there were other teachers in the room. Another teacher said “I don’t think you should be talking to a teacher like that, young man”.

I replied, “I’m not saying this as a student to a teacher; this is from Catholic to Catholic. In defending the integrity of the man chosen by God to lead his Church, age does not matter.”

I may be a mere sophomore, but this mere sophomore elicited a sincere apology from these teachers.
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Thank you for your witness and courage. These attacks need to be addressed with the TRUTH and you did a great job.

God Bless…
 
Fidei Defensor:
I replied, “I’m not saying this as a student to a teacher; this is from Catholic to Catholic. In defending the integrity of the man chosen by God to lead his Church, age does not matter.”
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I firmly believe it was not a Catholic talking to a Catholic but it was Holy Spirit talking to a Catholic. Thank You for having the courage to stand up to authority for what you believe.
 
A lot of Catholic schools need a major reformation (small r) to clear out and shape up all the liberals, materialists, spreaders of unbelief and cynicism who nest there, make their living from the Church, yet tear it down (and tear their students’ faith down) at every opportunity.

There is no point in a “catholic” education, if it is being taught by people who despise the Faith.

The Jesuit, Canisius in the 17th century had to go through Europe’s educational institutions and revive the Faith there in order to combat creeping protestantism and secularism. We need another Canisius.
 
I think you made a slam dunk! I am a sophomore too and I live on the east coast, but I have a much more orthodox teachers, thank God.
 
BRAVO, Fidei!! May the Lord raise up many other young people to defend His Church and its Vicar.

I’m know that your school has an excellent football program; it is very sad that the theology expressed there doesn’t share that excellence.

In Christ,
Frances
 
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Maranatha:
I firmly believe it was not a Catholic talking to a Catholic but it was Holy Spirit talking to a Catholic. Thank You for having the courage to stand up to authority for what you believe.
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Yes, I was going to post something similar. The Holy Spirit came to Fidei Defensor’s aid full force and he did not cower. Awesome!
 
I sure hope that CA has a desk ready for this young man…
Awesome…:clapping:I:clapping:
 
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FCEGM:
I’m know that your school has an excellent football program; it is very sad that the theology expressed there doesn’t share that excellence.
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Actually, there are a lot of religion teachers that respect this new pope greatly, even if they disagree with him. The majority of all the teachers at De La Salle aren’t like the one’s I’ve mentioned; I was just shocked to hear that there would be a few who would say things like they did. I can understand if people were dissapointed, but the harsh negativity of that minority of teachers really irked me.

But all in all, De La Salle’s religion department is awesome and we have great qualified teachers who excel in theology (including the head football coach, who has a masters in theology; he teachers freshmen and seniors). Really, I mean it. It’s just sad to see a few of those teachers creating such a bad impression for the rest of the great teachers at De La Salle.
 
Ha! Like vitamins? Knew he’d be good for the health of the Church!:rotfl:

As for the school teachers: Good grief! And people wonder why catholic schools are shut down… it’s because the “catholic” part is being left out all too often! How sad.
 
Rob's Wife:
As for the school teachers: Good grief! And people wonder why catholic schools are shut down… it’s because the “catholic” part is being left out all too often! How sad.
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Seriously. At least those teachers who kept criticizing the pope constituted a minority of teachers.
 
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