Francis the exorcist

And why not? Truly Holy men has the ability to control spiritual forces, and Francis is a truly Holy man. Go get 'em Francis.

The following photo is from the associated Press:

 The question has bubbled up ever since Francis laid his hands on the head of a young man in a wheelchair after celebrating Sunday Mass in St. Peter's Square. The young man heaved deeply a half-dozen times, shook, then slumped in his wheelchair as Francis prayed over him.

In a statement Tuesday, the Vatican said Francis "didn't intend to perform any exorcism. But as he often does for the sick or suffering, he simply intended to pray for someone who was suffering who was presented to him."

In his very first homily as pope on March 14, Francis warned cardinals gathered in the Sistine Chapel the day after he was elected that "he who doesn't pray to the Lord prays to the devil."

He has since mentioned the devil on a handful of occasions, most recently in a May 4 homily when in his morning Mass in the Vatican hotel chapel he spoke of the need for dialogue — except with Satan. "With the prince of this world you can't have dialogue: Let this be clear!" he warned.

Experts said Francis' frequent invocation of the devil is a reflection both of his Jesuit spirituality and his Latin American roots, as well as a reflection of a Catholic Church weakened by secularization.

Italian newspapers noted that the late Pope John Paul II performed an exorcism in 1982 — near the same spot where Francis prayed over the young disabled man Sunday.
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just a mum .... a poem for the hard working women

JUST A MUM? 
A woman, renewing her driver's license at the County Clerk 's office, 
was asked by the woman recorder to state her occupation. 

She hesitated, uncertain how to classify herself.   
"What I mean is, " explained the recorder,   
"do you have a job or are you just a ......?" 

"Of course I have a job," snapped the woman. 

"I'm a Mum." 

"We don't list 'Mum' as an occupation,

'housewife' covers it," 
Said the recorder emphatically. 

I forgot all about her story until one day I found myself

in the same situation, this time at our own Town Hall.   
The Clerk was obviously a career woman, poised, 
efficient, and possessed of a high sounding title like, 
"Official Interrogator" or "Town Registrar." 

"What is your occupation?" she probed. 

What made me say it?  I do not know.   
The words simply popped out.   
"I'm a Research Associate in the field of 
Child Development and Human Relations." 
The clerk paused, ball- point pen frozen in midair and 
looked up as though she had not heard right.   

I repeated the title slowly emphasizing the most significant words. 
Then I stared with wonder as my pronouncement was written, 
in bold, black ink on the official questionnaire. 
"Might I ask," said the clerk with new interest,
"just what you do in your field?" 
Coolly, without any trace of fluster in my voice, 
I heard myself reply, 
"I have a continuing program of research, 
(what mother doesn't) 
In the laboratory and in the field, 
(normally I would have said indoors and out).   
I'm working for my Masters, (first the Lord and then the whole family) 
and already have four credits (all daughters).  
Of course, the job is one of the most demanding in the humanities, 
(any mother care to disagree?) 
and I often work 14 hours a day, (24 is more like it).   
But the job is more challenging than most run-of-the-mill careers

and the rewards are more of a satisfaction rather than just money." 

There was an increasing note of respect in the clerk's voice as she 
completed the form, stood up, and personally ushered me to the door. 

As I drove into our driveway, buoyed up by my glamorous new career, 
I was greeted by my lab assistants -- ages 13, 7, and 3.  
Upstairs I could hear our new experimental model, 
(a 6 month old baby) in the child development program, 
testing out a new vocal pattern.   
I felt I had scored a beat on bureaucracy!  
And I had gone on the official records as someone more

distinguished and indispensable to mankind than "just another Mum." 

   Motherhood!   

What a glorious career!   
Especially when there's a title on the door. 

 

 

Does this make grandmothers 
"Senior Research associates in the field of Child Development and Human Relations" 
And great grandmothers 
"Executive Senior Research Associates?"   
I think so!!!   
I also think it makes Aunts "

Associate Research Assistants." 

A Trinidadian Catholic view from the Pew

Somehow I must have missed this article when it was published in the Catholic News. I can so relate to it. Actually, besides the church I belong to (Cathedral / Sacred Heart) there are three other churches that I attend mass at : Our Lady mother of Mercy (River Estate Diego Martin) Saint Finbar's (West Moorings Diego Martin), St Anthony's  (Petit Valley).

Having said this I wish to challenge the goodly author that she should meet the Altar servers and Choir at the Cathedral. Ours rock too.  It is a great article. Have a read:

Port of Spain Archdiocese weekly newspaper for Saturday, 27 April 2013 - 
View from the Pew Written by Christine Mahon
 

For some time now I have been meaning to have my observations about Church documented somewhere, so here goes.

I would like to confess that since marrying and leaving my family home in St Ann’s, I moved around for many years among all the many Catholic churches searching for a suitable place of worship:

• the coolest building, 
• the shortest homily, 
• the nearest church, 
• the uplifting service, 
• the convenient time, 
• the one with the good preacher 

– or I just basically “shuffled the deck” and picked a “card” so parishioners could not label me “the lady with those three disruptive children” – actually two well-behaved and one juvenile delinquent.

I, however, was somehow always drawn back to St Anthony’s Church, Petit Valley where I felt most at home. Coincidentally, this church actually qualified quite nicely as my parish since I lived just five minutes away. For some years after settling in St Anthony’s, I continued to “shuffle the pack” depending on the priest assigned to a particular Mass. Admit it, we all have our preferences. Until finally, with my children grown up and finding myself most often than not going to Mass alone, with nobody to complain or whine, I stuck primarily with the 9.15 a.m. Sunday service.

While what I share are entirely my feelings on the subject, some things cannot be denied. Firstly, the quality, harmony and commitment of the choir and their wonderful delivery of music and choice of hymns, which I dare challenge anyone to deny, is entirely uplifting. Secondly, the discipline of the altar servers is rare, particularly in this day and age. I have been to Mass over the last 30 years in several countries and churches and watched the somewhat decline in this area of the service. I can safely say that the demeanour, respect and obvious knowledge shown by the altar boys and girls assigned to St Anthony’s are to be admired. I have no idea if training is done parish by parish or by a school for acolytes, whatever the case I feel very proud of our youngsters and believe others would do well to be guided accordingly.

The introduction of the children’s Sunday school at this 9.15 a.m. Mass is also very moving. The kids are led off at the beginning of Mass and return to re-join the congregation at the Presentation of Gifts, displaying with pride and joy their artful depictions of the lesson of the day. The children always look happy and satisfied to have been a part of the proceedings and I extend kudos to the “aunties” who take on this mission every week.

At the risk of sounding like the granny that I am, I recall when I was a child that preparation for attending Mass meant being well-dressed, at least watered if not fed, and bathroom exercises completed. Apart from provisions for a baby, it boggles my mind the amount of snacks, drinks, toys, trips to the washroom, etc that have to take place to pacify children during the Mass. I beg to suggest that this would be a good place to start a lesson in discipline. Words (preferably whispered) like, “You will have to wait”, “Quiet, honey, yes, Mass is nearly over” and my favourite, “No”. Some of us do not relish being face to face with a corn curl smeared little face, never mind how adorable, as we kneel warily forward to pray. Yes, it is sometimes torturous taking children to Mass but they do settle eventually. If you are waiting for the “age of reason”, well….. I am still waiting. How else can children learn an expected behaviour without practice? Tip number one, sit as near to the altar as possible. As scary as this seems, the amount of action from this vantage point will do more to keep young children entertained than the boring backs of adults. If you feel your child’s behaviour is being too disruptive during Mass, feel free to step outside for a few minutes.

As for the adults, I have only one request to those who jabber before or at the most inappropriate times during the Mass with total disregard for the sanctity of the place or moment, especially those who make zero attempts to talk softly.

“PLEASE……Keep it down – people are actually trying to pray.”

I brought my toddler grandson to Mass for the first time some Sundays ago – itself, a semi-torturous affair. I will continue to bring him if necessary and persevere in my part to keep him accustomed to church and the benefits it will bring to his life.

Church needs believers with zeal, not couch-potato Catholics, pope says

So I was reading the news releases from Zenit - the vatican news agency, and I saw that the Pope says that we need Catholics with Zeal. 

The problem is that those with zeal have to find a priest that works with them (note I said work with them - not for them or they work for the priests). That is a huge challenge. The Jesus explosion was critized heavily in it's beginnings. It was even called a church within a church, but the arrogance and stubbornness of the leaders made it a success today.  is it that the church here in Trinidad does not have the mechanism for releasing zealous people on the the nation? 

I am a huge critic of the church because like father Clyde Harvey has said in the past discussion must be both ways. While he was referring to bishops (and the church in that diocese) working with the Vatican and even questioning their decisions, so it must be with the church faithful  being allowed to question the priests. 

Don't get me wrong. I have zeal, but many times I get a burst and then that dies. Still I am Catholic and will always be - Blessed be the Lord


Here is the release: 

VATICAN CITY (CNS) -- The church doesn't need couch-potato Catholics, it needs believers with "apostolic zeal," willing to preach the uncomfortable words of Christ, Pope Francis said. "And if we annoy people" with this zeal for Christ, then "blessed be the Lord," he said in his daily morning Mass homily May 16. The pope celebrated Mass in the chapel of the Domus Sanctae Marthae, where he lives, for employees of Vatican Radio and the Pontifical Council for Justice and Peace. The pope concelebrated the Mass with Cardinal Peter Turkson and Bishop Mario Toso, respectively president and secretary of the justice and peace council. In his homily, the pope talked about the day's reading from the Acts of the Apostles. St Paul caused a near riot during his trial in Jerusalem when he addressed a group of men divided over the belief in the resurrection of the dead. "Paul is a nuisance" in his preaching, his work and his attitude, the pope said, "because he proclaims Jesus Christ."

Catholic church way too serious.

So lets start with a joke:
 
Two Jesuit novices both wanted a cigarette while they prayed. They decided to ask their superior for permission. The first asked but was told no. A little while later the other novice spotted his friend smoking and praying. "Why did the superior allow you to smoke and not me?" he asked. His friend replied, "Because you asked if you could smoke while you prayed, and I asked if I could pray while I smoked!"

So the Pope =says that when church is too serious, it loses its loving, tender side.... 

The Catholic Church needs to revive its loving and tender side, which gets lost when the church becomes too serious, Pope Francis said. The church has ended up with "deviations, sects and heresies when it got too serious, that is, when it took things here too seriously and it forgot about embracing and tenderness," he told representatives of Caritas Internationalis -- the umbrella organization of national Catholic charities around the world. The maternal, tender side of the church is a value "that the mother church cannot lose," he said. 

The pope made his comments during a 45-minute informal meeting with Caritas Internationalis' executive committee, its secretary-general, Michel Roy; and its president, Honduran Cardinal Oscar Rodriguez Maradiaga of Tegucigalpa. Regional presidents of the Vatican-based umbrella group presented summaries of the situation in their regions. Roy also presented the pope with a small basket of bread to symbolize the more than 1 billion people who go hungry in the world and to highlight a new campaign Caritas will launch this year to fight world hunger.

Pope francis says to pray to the holy spirit

"I would like to ask you a question: how many of you pray to the Holy Spirit every day? Probably few, but we must satisfy this desire of Jesus and pray every day to the Holy Spirit, so that he opens our heart towards Jesus."

- Pope Francis, General Audience, May 15, 2013

Moscow defies European Union, says no to gay pride march

 The battle lines were drawn and the fight went on but to date the city of Moscow seems to have won:

• Moscow court upholds ban on ‘gay pride’ marches for next hundred years 
• Despite threat of fine from eurocrats, Moscow government again prohibits ‘gay pride’ parade
• Moscow Mayor Calls “Gay Pride” Parade “Satanic” 
• Russian Jewish Leaders Join Orthodox in Supporting Moscow Mayor’s Ban on Gay Pride 
• Patriarch Alexis II: Homosexuality a “Vicious Deviation From God-Given Human Nature”
•  The European Court of Human Rights ruled that Moscow had violated Article 11 of the European Convention of Human rights, which protects the right of "peaceful assembly," and that its acts were discriminatory.

 Here is an article from Lifesitethat explains it all :

Lifesite - May 17 2013 -  Matthew Cullinan Hoffman

The Moscow city government has rejected an application for a homosexual march permit for the eighth year in a row, citing the need for “respect for morality” and patriotism, according to Russian media sources.

“According to Russian law, we must work clearly and consistently on maintaining morality, directed to the teaching of patriotism to the growing generation, and not toward unclear aspirations, not to mention taking the city’s central squares and streets for this,” said Aleksei Mayorov, head of Regional Security for the city of Moscow, according to Interfax.

If homosexual activists defy the law and attempt to march as they have in previous years, Mayorov warned that “a certain reaction will follow and the action will be thwarted,” according to RIA Novosti. “In our opinion there is no desire for such events in the city.”

Mayorov’s statements are reflective of public sentiment in Russia, where 87 percent say they are opposed to such “gay pride” events, according to a poll recently conducted by the Levada Public Opinion Center, which also found that 85 percent are also opposed to the creation of homosexual “marriage.”

Homosexual “pride” marches are often characterized by open debauchery that includes public nudity, simulated and real acts of sodomy, mockery of Christianity, and public drunkenness.

Moscow’s continuing refusal to capitulate to the international homosexual movement’s demands is in defiance of European Court of Human Rights, which has ordered the city to allow such demonstrations, as well as the chairman of the Council of Europe, who has denounced Moscow’s ban on “gay pride.”
Attempts by homosexuals to hold public demonstrations in Moscow and other cities have provoked outrage by religious leaders and ordinary Russian citizens, who often confront the marchers with force. Police have found it necessary to detain and arrest homosexuals who have defied local “pride” bans in recent years.


The Russian parliament is currently considering a nationwide ban on homosexual propaganda aimed at minors, a measure that has already been passed by a number of Russian cities.

In neighboring Georgia, priests and faithful of the Orthodox Church broke up a “gay pride” event this week.