Special request from US Bishops!

[R_C]

usccb.org/beliefs-and-teachings/how-we-teach/new-evangelization/year-of-faith/life-marriage-liberty.cfm

On Thursday, Dec. 6, our Bishops asked that all Catholics in our country begin to pray an extra rosary each day and abstain from meat and fast on Fridays throughout the year.

This is for the special intention of preserving religious liberty, the right to life and the institution of marriage. These fundamental rights are under unprecedented attack in our country, and we should beg the God of heaven to protect them.

It is essentially a call to prayer, penance, and sacrifice for the sake of renewing a culture of life, marriage, and religious liberty in our country.

When: In this Year of Faith, starting on the feast of the Holy Family (Dec. 30, 2012) until the feast of Christ the King (Nov. 24, 2013)

Who: All of the Catholic faithful are encouraged to participate

Where: Throughout the entire country; at your local parish, cathedral, school or home

**How **To Participate: 5 Ways

1. Host or attend a Eucharistic Holy Hour on the last Sunday of each month.
2. Pray a daily Rosary.
3. Prayers of the Faithful at daily and Sunday Masses.
4. Abstain from meat on Fridays and fast on Fridays.
   For the intention of the protection of life, marriage and religious liberty
5. Participate in the 2nd Fortnight for Freedom (June/July 2013)

 

[iloveangels]

usccb.org/beliefs-and-teachings/how-we-teach/new-evangelization/year-of-faith/life-marriage-liberty.cfm

On Thursday, Dec. 6, our Bishops asked that all Catholics in our country begin to pray an extra rosary each day and abstain from meat and fast on Fridays throughout the year.

This is for the special intention of preserving religious liberty, the right to life and the institution of marriage. These fundamental rights are under unprecedented attack in our country, and we should beg the God of heaven to protect them.

If they want this to go anywhere, they’d better get it out to parishes.

 

[R_C]

Well, that’s how I learned about it

The issue at hand, here, is that parishes better get it out to the faithful :yup:

 

[Samuel63]

How about asking the priests to deliver homilies on these topics?

 

[Ender]

On Thursday, Dec. 6, our Bishops asked that all Catholics in our country begin to pray an extra rosary each day and abstain from meat and fast on Fridays throughout the year.

This is for the special intention of preserving religious liberty, the right to life and the institution of marriage. These fundamental rights are under unprecedented attack in our country, and we should beg the God of heaven to protect them.

I am dumbfounded by this. If the bishops take these issues so seriously then it is reasonable to ask why they didn’t take steps themselves to protect and advance these causes when the opportunity presented itself. How reasonable is it to ask God to do for us what we were unwilling to do for ourselves?

Roughly half of all Catholics voted to give up those rights and liberties … and I suspect the percentage of bishops who acted similarly was not significantly different - at least they gave us little indication to believe otherwise. It was November 6, not December 6, that was the critical date. Catholics, and especially the bishops, made their choices and are responsible for the consequences.

Ender

 

[YoungTradCath]

If they want this to go anywhere, they’d better get it out to parishes.

This is what I was thinking. I hope they make this into a staple kind of thing, not something that we just do and stop doing.

 

[miguel]

I am dumbfounded by this. If the bishops take these issues so seriously then it is reasonable to ask why they didn’t take steps themselves to protect and advance these causes when the opportunity presented itself. How reasonable is it to ask God to do for us what we were unwilling to do for ourselves?

Roughly half of all Catholics voted to give up those rights and liberties … and I suspect the percentage of bishops who acted similarly was not significantly different - at least they gave us little indication to believe otherwise. It was November 6, not December 6, that was the critical date. Catholics, and especially the bishops, made their choices and are responsible for the consequences.

Ender

The Democrats are committed to keeping abortion going. So there is a problem with half of US Catholics voting for them as you say. But we need to be careful of judging those other Catholics. Was their vote a vote to keep abortion going? If so, then that is a problem. But we don’t really know that half of our fellow Catholics voted to “give up those rights and liberties.” Maybe they voted that way because they don’t like the hostility expressed by so many “conservative” talk radio types against “illegal aliens.” Or maybe they voted that way because they don’t trust the Bush-type foreign policy, but they might have been OK with the Reagan foreign policy of peace through strength. Or maybe they plain don’t believe the GOP anymore when they say they’ll “protect the sanctity of life.” Maybe they want more than lip service.

 

[R_C]

I am dumbfounded by this. If the bishops take these issues so seriously then it is reasonable to ask why they didn’t take steps themselves to protect and advance these causes when the opportunity presented itself. How reasonable is it to ask God to do for us what we were unwilling to do for ourselves?

Ignatius of Antioch has this to say:

Follow your bishop, every one of you, as obediently as Jesus Christ.

 

[iloveangels]

I am dumbfounded by this. If the bishops take these issues so seriously then it is reasonable to ask why they didn’t take steps themselves to protect and advance these causes when the opportunity presented itself. How reasonable is it to ask God to do for us what we were unwilling to do for ourselves?

Roughly half of all Catholics voted to give up those rights and liberties … and I suspect the percentage of bishops who acted similarly was not significantly different - at least they gave us little indication to believe otherwise. It was November 6, not December 6, that was the critical date. Catholics, and especially the bishops, made their choices and are responsible for the consequences.

Ender

I suspect a certain number of people are going to feel this way, Ender. We’re not being given enough concrete information, I think. The USCCB has declared that it will not comply, but what exactly do they mean by that?

 

[iloveangels]

This is what I was thinking. I hope they make this into a staple kind of thing, not something that we just do and stop doing.

Yes, at least it represents something going on in our parishes, doesn’t it?

 

[iloveangels]

The Democrats are committed to keeping abortion going. So there is a problem with half of US Catholics voting for them as you say. But we need to be careful of judging those other Catholics. Was their vote a vote to keep abortion going? If so, then that is a problem. But we don’t really know that half of our fellow Catholics voted to “give up those rights and liberties.” Maybe they voted that way because they don’t like the hostility expressed by so many “conservative” talk radio types against “illegal aliens.” Or maybe they voted that way because they don’t trust the Bush-type foreign policy, but they might have been OK with the Reagan foreign policy of peace through strength. Or maybe they plain don’t believe the GOP anymore when they say they’ll “protect the sanctity of life.” Maybe they want more than lip service.

About 80% of self-described “Catholics” can’t even be bothered to show up at Mass weekly.

 

[Tigg]

As I remember, the bishops called universal healthcare a moral imperative and worked for its passage wholeheartedly. As healthcare = life issues and morality, was no thought given that a secular government would more than likely infringe upon our rights and possibly our very belief? Many Christians were fearful of its passage.

With the exception of #5 above, many of us are already doing what the list requests. Yes, we are praying and sacrificing and spending extra hours in front of the Eucharist to beg God’s mercy for poor judgment and for the protection of life which this administration seems intent on limiting.

 

[iloveangels]

As I remember, the bishops called universal healthcare a moral imperative and worked for its passage wholeheartedly. As healthcare = life issues and morality, was no thought given that a secular government would more than likely infringe upon our rights and possibly our very belief? Many Christians were fearful of its passage.

With the exception of #5 above, many of us are already doing what the list requests. Yes, we are praying and sacrificing and spending extra hours in front of the Eucharist to beg God’s mercy for poor judgment and for the protection of life which this administration seems intent on limiting.

The USCCB was double-crossed, yes, but they all but asked for it. The whole thing was completely tone-deaf. They might as well have been wearing a “kick me” sign.

 

[R_C]

The USCCB was double-crossed, yes, but they all but asked for it. The whole thing was completely tone-deaf. They might as well have been wearing a “kick me” sign.

Maybe we should tell that to the millions who were dying simply because they weren’t rich enough for private hospitals to give them the treatment they needed. I know what I’m talking about…I’m going through it with family member. Universal healthcare is a moral imperative, since this bugged health system keeps innocents dying for no reason at all, and when you look at the way city hospitals keep going despite everything, you must think that each has been entrusted to a saint to keep it running.

Now, was it done correctly? Of course not. But we couldn’t just stand there with our arms crossed only because the only attempt to update our expired healthcare system came from a party that at the same time supports intrinsic evils…if the Republicans had brought forth a reform, then they’d have done it without abortion and contraception (maybe) but then again there’s too much pressure within the “right” party to not do the “right” thing. After all, some still don’t understand that we can either chose Christ or Mammon, but not both.

Anyways I’m going (or, we are going) off-topic. I am glad some are fasting on Fridays already, I thought it was only done during Lent. I’ll sure join in and pray the extra Rosary daily for these specific intentions.

 

[iloveangels]

Anyways I’m going (or, we are going) off-topic. I am glad some are fasting on Fridays already, I thought it was only done during Lent. I’ll sure join in and pray the extra Rosary daily for these specific intentions.

Like I said, we’re not getting enough information about exactly what “will not comply” means.

 

[Scalia]

usccb.org/beliefs-and-teachings/how-we-teach/new-evangelization/year-of-faith/life-marriage-liberty.cfm

On Thursday, Dec. 6, our Bishops asked that all Catholics in our country begin to pray an extra rosary each day and abstain from meat and fast on Fridays throughout the year.

This is for the special intention of preserving religious liberty, the right to life and the institution of marriage. These fundamental rights are under unprecedented attack in our country, and we should beg the God of heaven to protect them.

Someone already posted, on another thread how this is rich with irony. The Bishops are asking the half that voted for Obama, to now pray and fast against their vote.

 

[Ender]

Ignatius of Antioch has this to say:

And Paul’s letter to the Corinthians had this to say: For if the trumpet give an uncertain sound, who shall prepare himself to the battle? If these issues are of such great importance in December should we not assume they were of equal importance in November? Where were the bishops then?

Ender

 

[Ender]

But we don’t really know that half of our fellow Catholics voted to “give up those rights and liberties.”

Of course we do. You cannot seriously suggest that Catholics didn’t understand the positions taken by the two parties. Everyone knows who supports abortion et al and the HHS mandate. Catholic voters weighed those issues in the balance and found them of lesser importance than other issues. This is not all that complicated.

Maybe they want more than lip service.

Are we to believe it is rational to prefer those who uncompromisingly support evil to those who may only be lukewarm in their opposition to it? How does one achieve “more than lip service” opposition to those evils by supporting people who relentlessly advance them?

Let me be clear about my comments: I have no problem with the bishops opposing the things singled out in their appeal. I oppose them all as well. I am simply pointing out that it seems a bit unrealistic to ask God to do for us what we have chosen not to do for ourselves.

Ender

 

[YoungTradCath]

And Paul’s letter to the Corinthians had this to say: For if the trumpet give an uncertain sound, who shall prepare himself to the battle? If these issues are of such great importance in December should we not assume they were of equal importance in November? Where were the bishops then?

Ender

I think they truly thought a Romney win.

 

[iloveangels]

I also have no problem with increasing prayer because of the mess we’re in. On the contrary, prayer is always a good thing.

But it is ironic, yes, that we are being called to do this when I don’t see what needs to be done being done. And I don’t have a lot of confidence it’s going to be done either.

Many things that are supposed to be “Catholic” are already buying regular insurance that covers these things, and that has not changed. Do they think we are not aware of this?

Perhaps it’s time to get more detailed and intelligent about what’s “Catholic” and what’s not, and decide where we are and who actually runs what?