Pope Emeritus Benedict

[trickster]

I still don’t think it will ever be explored. Maybe I’m wrong, wouldn’t be the first time, but the whole idea just sounds somewhat pantheistic and New Age to me.

Sorry to say that, because I know you have been backing this idea for a long, long time.

Even though the indigenous population in Argentina is considerably higher in Argentina than in the United States and Canada combined, the Holy Father never made a move in that direction at all at any point during his time there.

I just don’t see it happening..

No worries Mike30…many people’s first reaction is exactly that… pantheistic and new age…in fact most aboriginal medicine people do not like new age cause it is a another case where aboriginal wisdom and spirituality has been taken, used by new age people who believe in relativism…whereas native spirituality is pretty clear on Kitche Manitou (Great Spirit which indicates a notion of one creator, that we are all the created and by virtue of creator DNA we are all interconnected…hence the intense respect for nature - eco-theology if you will…and actually that intense respect has been present in the western experience of the church for the last 2000 years as well…I have to double check my dictionary again, but you are right “pantheistic” is one word and another word similar but probably closer is “panentheistic”…let me double check on that one…don’t quote me…there…I’m just thinking with you and your ideas, opinions and statements are so welcome as they help me to form my ideas…that is why Catholic Answers has been so good…

In terms of the pope in Argentina, I don’t know that… but it seems that his role as bishop in Argentina is different than being pope of the global church so things by nature of the job or ministry call for change in approach…hence his ideas about the marginalized and colonized may play well into aboriginal theology…and it is not necessary to have the pope’s backing as many of the movements in the church are “bottom-up” if you will and subject to the discretion and discernment process of the church as an “aboriginal theology” articulates itself… I am sure there will be a lot of mistakes in the evolution of the theology…

Anyways, back to you mike30

bruce ferguson
Trickster

 

[trickster]

Hi Trickster!

My goodness, are you still pushing for aboriginal Catholicism of some sort or another?

Well TrueLight, its been a couple of years since we posted each other…hope this e-mail finds you in good health holistically and all that stuff…

Yeah still “pushing” for an aboriginal theology to inform and include our people in the life of the church. I am feeling real peace about it and things are coming together…you and other posters on Catholic Answers have been really helpful in “growing” my thinking on this as I can always count on Catholic Answers to supply critical analysis to what I am saying which always forces me to look at my words and expressions, see how people respond and when I understand what they are hearing, then I look for better words; that is a process of clarifying my thoughts and putting them out there in a better way…

I am pleased that the church in Canada is committed to renewing its efforts in working with indigenous communities in response to Francis calling the church to the margins and all I can do is put the message out there if the Holy Spirit want’s this to move forward it will; if he doesn’t it won’t…so I don’t need to stress over all of this … ah peace

I have been accepted into the Dominican University College in Ottawa and am working this year to save my money for living costs and tuition for my B.Th. I have told the priests and brothers there what I want to focus on and they are very supportive, but equally - and I appreciate this - they have said that I need to get grounded in what the church actually teaches, what major branches of theological schools are saying and then build what inspires me and what our people in native communities across canada are saying in order to start writing “theological proposals” which, of course, will be subject to the discernment process of our church.

So, TrueLight…nice to hear from you again on our journey together in life… and hope to hear from you a whole lot more…

Trickster
bruce ferguson