Remembering Kobe Bryant: Formed and saved by his Catholic faith

[Tis_Bearself]

I will add that we should pray for Kobe, not to Kobe

Nobody is praying “to Kobe” except maybe his family. Sometimes I “pray to” my late relatives for them to put in a good word for me. Perhaps his wife and children do the same.
But there is not a big Church movement to pray to Kobe.
If someone individually, perhaps a big Lakers fan who followed Kobe’s whole career, wants to ask Kobe to put in a good word for them if/when he is capable, that’s perfectly okay.

Kobe has not somehow achieved sainthood and no one is saying that he has.
Not sure what your big issue is here.

As do the thousands of souls who died the same day that you will never have heard of because they weren’t rich and couldn’t dunk.

And many of us pray for all of those souls. I believe I even put a prayer for them on one of the Kobe prayer threads.
There are also tons of prayer threads, Purgatorial Societies, and private devotions you can pray for those souls, if you’d like to be part of the solution here.
I don’t post a billboard every time I pray for some forgotten souls.
I don’t think the other people who daily pray for souls in Purgatory do that either, and I shouldn’t have to, it’s between me and God.
I think you’re just lecturing everybody over a “problem” that exists only in your head.

 

[TK421]

That is not how it works. You realize people regularly prayed to lots of canonized saints long before they were ever canonized? Sometimes over the span of several centuries. It’s not as though a person needs a metaphysical knowledge of somebody’s salvation in order to pray to them. Secondly: a person can indeed pray to a person and for a person. It simply requires a thought and an act of the will.

Not that I personally have any reason to want to use Kobe as an intercessor, but you’re creating a self-imposed red line that goes beyond the purview of orthodoxy. If his family want to pray to him they are perfectly able to do so.

 

[Tis_Bearself]

Not that I have personally any reason to want to use Kobe as an intercessor, but you’re creating a self-imposed red line that goes beyond the purview of orthodoxy. If his family want to pray to him they are perfectly able to do so.

The implication I get from Mrchatsworths posts is that he thinks Kobe was a substandard Catholic and is probably not in Heaven so don’t waste the prayers.
Not a very nice implication to make on a thread in memory of a deceased person.

 

[Phatmass1]

It would never ever bother me that Kobe or anyone else was Catholic! It should be the faith of every living person in the world.

People aren’t Catholic because of smug/self righteous people like yourself. Why would anyone want anything to do with Catholicism after reading your posts. You’re miserable. Leave Kobe alone. If you can’t pray for him just shut your mouth. Read the Bible. King David committed murder and adultery and was called a man after God’s own heart. You know nothing. I’m sure you have no secret sins only God knows about.

 

[TK421]

@Mrchatsworth

Also, since this thread is in the news section and meant to be a farewell to somebody’s life, I would prefer that you create a separate thread in the philosophy or spirituality section if you must. You are posting a number of things in this thread that are not theologically sound and not helpful.

 

[Mrchatsworth]

I have no idea the type of Catholic he was. In fact the vast majority of the world didn’t even know he was Catholic until a couple days ago. That’s my issue. Not that I think he was or wasn’t a good Catholic. I hope he was, I hope everyone who died was. I can see that it is emotional to others I will certainly bow out!
I hope he was reconciled and forgiven for any sin on his soul at his time of death. Just like anyone else.

 

[Tis_Bearself]

Great. Then please show the respect of not derailing his memorial thread, especially since as someone already pointed out to you, several things you posted about Church teaching are questionable (the Church hasn’t taken a position on whether people in purgatory can pray for us) or incorrect.

 

[Mrchatsworth]

Have you seen the auto documentary “muse” about Kobe? I watched it before the events of the last week and I enjoyed it. I also was a Kobe fan in the way of being a fan of greatness and drive and competition and in some ways mending a family after a division. I was a fan of his black mamba persona he embraced and learned it was created after 2003 and in compliment of the main character in Tarantino’s kill bill. One of my favorite stories. But the explanation given in his auto documentary is not the explanation given in the GQ interview. And it’s a miss in my opinion that in these self promotional items he was not more open about his faith. That’s all. I think I’ve done a poor job of expressing myself in this thread. I just am saddened that his faith is highlighted now. I do pray that in death, his faith life can be helpful to others!

 

[aroosi]

I just am saddened that his faith is highlighted now. I do pray that in death, his faith life can be helpful to others!

We don’t know anything about his life of Faith and why he decided to keep it low profile. I wouldn’t be surprised if it was in order to be able to worship quietly or not to draw attention to him during Mass. People are crazy, maybe some would have gone to his parish just to see him or rally against him (disrupting the parish life and his family privacy), some anti-Catholic groups could have called him out etc.
What I know is that you are going on and on in this thread that is not about you but about a fellow Catholic that passed away tragically. By the way, he has a mourning family that sooner or later may even end up reading these (not very charitable) things written in a public forum about their loved one.

 

[Mrchatsworth]

Fair enough. Though I don’t think I’m being uncharitable. I hope Kobe is reconciled with Our God. As I would anyone. And I’ve stated that several times. This is a news forum and I’m discussing the topic. But I’ll bow out and let the mourners mourn without any other commentary because that is apparently what this thread is. Perhaps it belongs on in another sub forum of prayers.