Archbishop Wester: Show God More to Certain People

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The Catholic Sun reports on the installation of new FrancisBishop, John Wester, in Santa Fe.

In his homily for his installation Mass June 4 as the new archbishop of Santa Fe, Archbishop John C. Wester recalled that Christ is represented symbolically as both the Good Shepherd and the Lamb of God.

“You and I are called to resign to ourselves in front of Our Lord Jesus as he did when he became one in us,” the archbishop said in Spanish. “As his disciples, the Lord calls us to give one and another so we can be the body of Christ, the Church.”

New Mexico is not Mexico any more but the new Archbishop and illegal amnesty front-man lovingly opened his homily in Spanish.

Switching to English, the archbishop developed these themes more deeply.

“The image of the lamb in our churches points to the Good Shepherd in today’s Gospel, who cares for the sheep so much that he laid down his life for them, becoming the lamb of sacrifice,” he said. “It is precisely as the Lamb of sacrifice that Jesus fulfills his role of shepherd, leading us through the cross to the Father, at whose right hand he sits.”

Saying he was grateful to God for calling him to New Mexico, he added, “I am eager to listen to you and to learn from you how God has been working in your midst, calling you to new and ever-deepening life.”

Archbishop Wester, 64, had headed the Salt Lake City Diocese, which encompasses the entire state of Utah, since 2007. On April 28, Pope Francis named him to succeed Archbishop Michael J. Sheehan. His installation Mass was celebrated at the Cathedral Basilica of St. Francis of Assisi in Santa Fe.

What drives this impulse for liberal Church leaders to always be ‘listening’ and ‘learning’ about God from ‘the people,’ and what does it have to do with feathered Indian war dances at Mass?  Are we Catholics or are we bird-worshiping Native American animists?

WESTER-INSTALLATION

FrancisMass altar server?

In his role as archbishop, Archbishop Wester also serves as the metropolitan for the Ecclesiastical Province of Santa Fe, which encompasses all of the dioceses in New Mexico and Arizona, including the Diocese of Phoenix.

Is Archbishop Wester now some Southwestern super-bishop?

“Taking my cue from Pope Francis,” he said in his homily, “I realize there will be times when I lead from the front of the flock, or from behind, but always my place is squarely in your midst, giving thanks for your willingness to receive me, and assuring you of my desire to serve you to the best of my ability.

Translation: Just like Pope Francis, whether I’m here or there, I’m in charge and I’m not going anywhere.

These imperious autocratic liberals are the only ones who feel the need to constantly remind us that they are one of us.  It’s their idea of humble.

By pointing out God, who is in everything, to others, especially those who are suffering, he said, “we bring them evangelical hope; that is, we remind them that they are not alone — Christ is there with them, and in the midst of it all, and he will never, ever abandon them.”

Is God in everything?  Is He in a hamburger or a can of paint?

And, why must we point out God ‘especially’ to some people?  Is God prejudiced?  Does He love ‘some’ others more than me.  What if I’m not suffering that much?  Should I hope to get sick so that Christ can love me more?

Maybe I should try and sneak into Canada.

When Catholics encounter strangers, “our first concern is not whether they have the proper documentation; our first concern is to welcome them and show them hospitality, and know that we are one with them in Jesus Christ,” he said.

In summary: God loves illegal aliens more than you so you must serve them and do for them as I say, because now I’m ‘in your midst’ and in charge.

Are you moved to act by this kind of ‘Christian’ preaching?

 

 

Nigerian Caritas: New Muslim Dictator Can Lead Moral Reformation

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FrancisChurch Caritas Getting Political Again

FrancisChurch Caritas Getting Political Again

Boko Haram-plagued Nigeria has a new Muslim President, the ‘reformed dictator,’ Muhammadu Buhari.  It’s somewhat encouraging that the country’s bishops feel he is more qualified to lead a moral reformation than the outgoing Christian President Jonathan.

President Muhammadu Buhari has been called upon to lead a moral revolution that will restore the dignity of the Nigerian nation and ensure the prudent management of the country’s resources for the common good of all Nigerians.

The admonition is contained in a statement issued by Caritas Nigeria and the Justice Development and Peace Commission (JDPC) to congratulate Buhari on his inauguration as the new President of the country.

Why do bishops always equate ‘dignity’ with ‘resources’ and ‘the common good?’  If humans are more important than things, why must they rely upon them to have dignity?  Why are presidents now in charge of distributing resources, and what does it all have to do with a ‘moral revolution?’

And what about Boko Haram?

The statement, signed by Fr. Evaristus Bassey, Executive Secretary of the two bodies noted that, “although infrastructural development is important, what is more important is to rebuild our national psyche and broken trust in government through prudent management, transparency and accountability and thereby restore the confidence of ordinary Nigerians in government,” the statement read.

While appreciating the inaugural speech of the President which promised to address the challenges of the country, Fr. Bassey urged the President to “rescue the ordinary Nigerian from the emperors called Governors, who usually take it as their pride of place to plunder at will the resources meant for the common good of all,” he said.

So the imperious governors during the previous administration plundered all the resources meant for the common good?  I thought Buhari was a ‘reformed’ dictator.  Is he now supposed to tighten his grip over all the Nigerian governors?

The Caritas Nigeria head notes that although the governors of various Nigerian states cannot be prosecuted while in office because of their immunity, they should be constantly investigated by the security services, “and the outcome (of investigations) used as basis for a ‘regular chat’ between the President and the Governors,” Fr. Bassey said. The statement further calls upon the President to act in a proactive manner and to constantly remind the state governors to direct the resources of states to the common good.

So the gentle Catholic Caritas umbrella charity is calling for the newly reformed dictator to constantly investigate Nigerian governors, who are unfortunately immune from prosecution while in office,  until they care much more about the common good.

They sound fairly cozy and onboard with the new Muslim ex-dictator.  I wonder how much Caritas liked the old Christian?

 

 

 

 

 

Francis: Don’t Be One of Those Medjugorje Catholics

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Insipid ethereal gnostics full of prayers and ideas and only seeking God?

Insipid ethereal gnostics, full of prayers and ideas and only seeking God?

Zenit News Reports:

During his daily Mass at Casa Santa Marta this morning, Pope Francis called on Christians to contemplate what exactly is our Christian identity, and warned against ways it can be weakened, reported Vatican Radio.

It is true that we are sinners, Francis acknowledged. Yet, he added, when we fall down, God’s strength enables us to get up again and continue our journey.

While sin is part of our identity, the Holy Father said, we are sinners with faith in God “who has anointed us, put his seal upon us” and given us the Holy Spirit as a pledge in our hearts.

How many times is Pope Francis going to remind us that we are all sinners?  Some may find that encouraging.  I find it de-motivating.

So I’m a sinner but I’m anointed.  I’m a sinner but the Holy Spirit is a pledge in my heart.  It was just yesterday that the Holy Eucharist was also a pledge!  How can God be a pledge?

Christians, the Pope said, are those who remain faithful to this God-given identity as the anointed ones who let the Spirit into their hearts, rather than those who follow a particular philosophy.

So although I’m a sinner, I’m a Christian so long as I remain faithful to my ‘identity’ and let the Spirit into my heart.  Well that’s easy.  Spirit c’mon in!  I don’t have to follow a particular philosophy.  Well that’s good too.  What about a particular theology?  No mention.

The Argentine Pontiff went on to warn of three ways in which this witness can be weakened.

The first applies to those who move for a concrete faith in Christ to “a kind of insipid religion of just prayers and ideas,”  a type which could be compared to the Gnostics in the ancient world.

A Gnostic was a particularly proud sort of heretic.  “Insipid” is an insulting word for people who pray and think, as if prayers and ideas were dull, dead or boring.  This is the Pope’s continual straw man.

Who are these terrible people that only pray but never love, who only have ideas but never act upon them?  Hint: None of them are liberals and none of them are dissenters.

These “modern Gnostics,” Francis said, are tempted to avoid the scandal of the Cross. Through their “rather ethereal Christian spirituality,” they are content to seek God, Francis said.

Second, there are those who always are searching for some “novelty” in their Christian identity since they have forgotten they have been anointed and given the guarantee of the Spirit. Francis joked that they say: “Where are the visionaries who can tell us exactly what message Our Lady will be sending at 4 o’clock this afternoon?”

Why has Medjugorje been allowed to persist?  It has always been what it is.  There must be a great deal of money involved.

The Pope is right to speak against it, but why now?  Might it perhaps have something to do with the fact that most of its followers are faithful Catholics?  Doesn’t it perhaps put devotional Catholics in a bad light, and make those who are attentive to Marian visions look bad?  It certainly does, as it always has, but is the Pope saying that all visionaries have that sort of ‘ethereal spirituality’ that ‘only seeks God?’  I hope not but it sounds like it.

It’s clear that Pope Francis is willing to use Church scandals against faithful Catholics.  Look at Kansas City Bishop Finn, Bishop Livieres in Paraguay, and now Cardinal Pell.  All three of these situations came from overhyped scandals.  Medjugorje is just another opportunity to exploit weaknesses.