Spiritual Authority

[MariU]

Does anybody know of a good book on spiritual authority? My Protestant friend says that I need help in this area because I wrote a letter to the bishop about the Rainbow Sash movement (gay pride) being allowed to wear their sashes in the Cathedral and receive communion.

She also thinks that the pastor has spiritual authority over you and if they lead you astray they will be judged harshly. Somehow your not responsible for being led astray. I think we also have personal responsibility over ourselves. I know we cannot only rely on our intelligence but God must have given us a brain and expects us to use it. Does anybody know of any good resources? I don’t want to be a dissenter in the church but not all the churches are teaching according to the faith either.

 

[JCPhoenix]

MariU:

Does anybody know of a good book on spiritual authority? My Protestant friend says that I need help in this area because I wrote a letter to the bishop about the Rainbow Sash movement (gay pride) being allowed to wear their sashes in the Cathedral and receive communion.

She also thinks that the pastor has spiritual authority over you and if they lead you astray they will be judged harshly. Somehow your not responsible for being led astray. I think we also have personal responsibility over ourselves. I know we cannot only rely on our intelligence but God must have given us a brain and expects us to use it. Does anybody know of any good resources? I don’t want to be a dissenter in the church but not all the churches are teaching according to the faith either.

Just because we are the sheep of the fold doesn’t mean we should accept all shepherds. As Jesus said, “I know my sheep and my sheep know me.”

This quote alone says volumes. I see a lot here about “free will” but not very much about “intuition”, which was also a gift of God…of the Holy Spirit, specifically.

If you have a problem with a practice or Liturgical abuse, it is your moral duty, and duty as one of the proverbial sheep to work to correct the problem. If you know what to do and yet choose NOT to take action, depending upon the issue, it could be a “sin of omission.” Remember at the beginning of Mass, we recite the Confeitor? (…I have sinned…in what I have done AND IN WHAT I HAVE FAILED TO DO.)

I support your letter to the Bishop. If you would like to read a book on Spiritual Authority, it wouldn’t necessarily be a bad thing…but along with understanding Spiritual Authority one needs Discernment…and I think that your actions have already proven that you understand both the former and the latter.

For the record, I agree that the sashes are inappropriate at Mass. I understand that homosexuals have feelings too and need to be accepted as a part of the community…but they should NOT be making a political stand, of all places, at Mass. Sexual practices should be private and should follow God’s will. I have friends who are gay and while I support them, I do not support their lifestyles. However, I WOULD like to be in communion with them at Mass, at the appropriate time, when we are all united in Grace in order to recieve Jesus Christ. No one should be set apart to make some kind of misplaced political statement.

After all, when we are all judged at our death, it won’t matter if we’re wearing rainbow sashes or sackcloth…and we shouldn’t be approaching the most Holy aspect of our religion with anything on our mind but Jesus’ act of love for us.

Will you post your letter so that I can sign it, too?

I would suggest to your Protestant friend that she/he read a book about complacency.

 

[T.A.Stobie_SFO]

Yes, a good book to start with is the Catechism of the Catholic Church (along with the bible). It is very good describing not only what we as Catholics believe but also how we should live. It includes rights and responsibilities.

 

[mkellogg]

MariU, I also sent a letter on this subject to my bishop, Cardinal Mahony (Los Angeles). After reading this forum thread, I think it’s also inappropriate to wear these sashes to Mass, because by doing so, people are taking attention away from Christ for themselves.

Here is the text of my letter:

*Your Eminence:

I listened in dismay tonight to EWTN’s news report that, while Cardinal Francis George has directed his priests to refrain from distributing Holy Communion to homosexuals who come to Mass wearing “Rainbow Sashes,” you, in contrast, have publicly stated that such people are welcome to come up for Communion in the cathedral.

Wearing a rainbow sash is a public display of these parishioners’ opposition to the Church on “gay” issues such as homosexual relations, “gay marriage,” civil unions, etc. They may as well be wearing a sign that says, “I AM NOT IN COMMUNION WITH THE CHURCH.” Certainly if someone wore such a sign and came up for Communion, you would respectfully refrain from offering Our Lord to this person??

The Church’s teachings on these issues are very clear, and these people are openly defiant, IN CHURCH, no less. That they would come up to receive Communion to begin with is bad enough (though I would NOT advocate refusing them Communion in these “ordinary” circumstances). To do so wearing a rainbow sash (or anything else) that publicly states the person is not in any kind of agreement with the Church on such teachings is offensive to God, his Church, and to the other parishioners who happen to witness this act.

I respectfully urge you and your brother bishops to adopt Cardinal George’s position, teaching as one, and condemn this kind of statement inside the church.

May God bless you and your ministry,
Michael Kellogg
Parishioner, St Denis
Diamond Bar*

 

[MariU]

Great letter. I totally agree.

In fact in St. Paul we asked the pastor to at least ask the group to remove their sashes. But he refused to do so. Our bishop has already openly stated that he will continue to allow this group to wear their sashes each Pentecost. In their letter to him they say they are not against the teaching of the church but if you go to their website it is very clear that is exactly their position (rainbowsashmovement.org). I did a lot of investigating their motives before I wrote to our bishop about this. They even list all the gay/lesbian friendly churches in the U.S. on the website. Their are 5 in our archdiocese alone.

The bishops conference fell short of bringing unity in this area with the bishops, so unfortunately we will continue to be subjected to this open statement of dissent during mass in the future. It makes me so sad.

I left the church for 8 years because I couldn’t handle the hipocrasy that I saw going on. I will not leave again but it really hurts me to witness this. I work with many homosexuals and get along well with them all. I just think that if you are going to a church you need to believe in the teachings or at least be working on yourself to accept the teachings and try to live in accordance with them. When I was not in communion with the church I would not go to holy communion. In fact I did not go to communion until I made the decision to come back with all my heart and made a confession. I guess I just don’t believe in being lukewarm.