Tag Archives: ecumenism

What Would Benedict Say?

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I knew the Benedictines had gone ’round the bend of late, but this is just bizarre.

The [Presbyterian] Rev. Lynne Smith is believed to be the first woman in the United States to join a monastery founded by Roman Catholic sisters without converting from her original religion.

(Thanks, Open Book)

Update: The original news story link no longer works, so here’s another version.

First U.S. ecumenical community for women

Lynne Smith describes herself as a new monastic for the new millennium. Smith is a Presbyterian Benedictine — not just a baptized Presbyterian, but an ordained minister in the Presbyterian church. She is also a novice in the ecumenical community of Benedictine women of Madison.

Catholic Carnival, Where Art Thou?

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Why is there no Catholic carnival? Jollyblogger, a nice guy and a good
blogger, is organizing a Carnival of the Reformation. We need a
Carnival of the Counter-reformation! I don’t mean that in a spiteful
“me too” way. Carnivals are an excellent way to share ideas and promote
blogs.

From what I’ve seen in the blogosphere, the Protestants are beating the
pants off us. We’re fewer in number. We spend more time knocking each
other or the Church than defending the Faith. We are barely computer
literate, and in some cases borderline luddite. Where has “the new
evangelization” JP2 called for gone? Apparently not very far.

Conversations on the Catechism: “I Believe” – “We Believe”

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"There are not over a hundred people in the United States who hate the Catholic Church. There are millions, however, who hate what they wrongly believe to be the Catholic Church, which is, of course, quite a different thing." – Bishop Fulton J. Sheen

A recent post by Jollyblogger got me thinking. He’s trying to start a League of Reformed Bloggers with an eventual Carnival of the Reformed. I’ve seen a few "merely" Christian and Protestant carnivals. I haven’t seen any Catholic carnivals. Does anyone know of one? Maybe someone within St. Blog’s could organize one (I wouldn’t have a clue where to start.).

Anyhow, I’d like get people to discuss the broader issues of Catholicism (as opposed to gluten-free wafers). In particular, I’d like to invite my Protestant readers to read the Catechism of the Catholic Church. To those ends, I’m going to write posts that highlight sections of the Catechism. This will be the first.

I invite all of my Christian readers to read Part One, Section One: "I Believe" – "We Believe" (paragraphs 26 through 184). What statements do you agree with? What parts would you disagree with? Why?

One Foundation

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I found a verse to Samuel Wesley’s “The Church’s One Foundation” that
I’d never heard before. It was in my grandmother’s old Lutheran hymnal (Before the
green book, before the red book, there was the black book.). I like it a lot.

Though, with a scornful wonder,
Men see her sore oppressed
By schisms rent asunder,
By heresies distressed;
Yet saints their watch are keeping,
Their cry goes up, “How long?”
And soon the night of weeping
Shall be the morn of song.

Can Anybody Hear Me?

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I’ve been debating with a Protestant (we’ll call him Joe) on the issue of praying to the Mary and the Saints. He posed an interesting question that I’m not sure how to answer. Here’s the whole exchange.

Me: "…the praying to Mary bit is not worship, so it is not idolatry. It’s like asking a very holy friend to pray for you."

Joe: "I suggest you read 1 Timothy 2:5. (I don’t believe that God wants us praying to anyone besides Him.)

"For there is one God, and there is one mediator between God and men, the man Christ Jesus" – 1 Timothy 2:5

Me: "I suggest you read Romans 15:30, Philemon 1:4, 1 Timothy 2:1-4 and this Catholic Enclopedia article.� I’m not looking to refight the Reformation.� I just want you to know that no true Catholic gives latria (worship) to anyone but God.� Take a look at the Catechism if you won’t take my word for it. :)"

"I appeal to you, brethren, by our Lord Jesus Christ and by the love of the Spirit, to strive together with me in your prayers to God on my behalf" – Romans 15:30

"I thank my God always when I remember you in my prayers" – Philemon 1:4

"First of all, then, I urge that supplications, prayers, intercessions, and thanksgivings be made for all men, for kings and all who are in high positions, that we may lead a quiet and peaceable life, godly and respectful in every way. This is good, and it is acceptable in the sight of God our Savior, who desires all men to be saved and to come to the knowledge of the truth." – 1 Timothy 2:1-4

Me: "The point is that nearly all Christians believe that asking fellow members of the Body to pray for you or others is not only acceptable, but laudable.� Catholics and Orthodox believe that death is not a barrier between the Church Militant and the Church Triumphant. We ask the dead (the saints, small ‘s’) to pray for us as we would the living. We generally limit our prayers (really just requests for prayers on our behalf) to those whose lives were so holy we feel assured they are in Heaven (the Saints, big ‘S’). Among these is Christ’s mother. We see Mary as the perfect example of Christian discipleship. We don’t worship her or the Saints. To do that would be heretical and a very grave sin."

Joe: "Here’s a hypothetical situation: The pope, you, and two hundred Catholics in different cities all around the world pray to Mary at the same time. Who does she hear? If you say everyone, you are saying she is omnipresent. That is essentially saying that she is God. Actually, I don’t believe that she hears anyone on this planet who prays to her."

So I ask my St. Blog’s brethren, what’s wrong with the logic behind this question (aside from the fact he probably meant omniscient, rather than omnipresent)?

I suppose, at the very least, he should read this Catholic Encyclopedia article on the Communion of Saints.