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Showing posts from December, 2013

Praying for priests

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In a few days we will begin the dawn Masses or simbang gabi; our priests can use more prayers from the faithful during this season when their days become more hectic than usual. Indeed, as we have heard some of our priests lament, between dawn and night Masses, there is hardly any time left for deep reflection in order to prepare edifying homilies to feed the Lord’s sheep.   So, in gratitude to God and in fulfillment of a Christian’s duty we share their burden by praying and offering sacrifices for them. Since the earliest days of Christianity, the people of God have always been praying for priests.   Acts 12:2-5 says, “He put Peter in prison, assigning four squads of four soldiers each to guard him in turn… All the time Peter was under guard the Church of God prayed for him unremittingly.”   In Thessalonians 5:25, Paul concludes his inspired letter thus, “Pray for us, my brothers.”   The first pope (Peter) needed prayers then; the present pope (Francis) needs prayers

Defending Francis

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This is to fulfill a promise made to a friend who emailed me—soliciting my comments—a 12-page document chronicling the liberal pronouncements of Pope Francis that have shocked, stunned, angered, and frightened certain Catholics because they are seen to give enemies and critics of the Church reason to rejoice.   I promised to make those comments and for whatever they’re worth publish them in this column.   I didn’t try to make a coherent, individual article out of it; as requested I merely typed my comments casually as the lengthy email unfolded.   So here goes—for clarity, the quotations from Pope Francis are in bold type, my comments follow in regular font.     “The Church sometimes has locked itself up in small things, little rules.”   So what’s the fuss about?   Note that Francis said SOMETIMES.   He didn’t say ALWAYS.   There could be some truth to that.   Small things and little rules could worm their way into our consciousness until we, the Church, are so bogged d