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Cardinal Law

Discussion in 'Free-For-All Archives' started by Joseph_Botwinick, Apr 9, 2005.

  1. violet

    violet Guest

    That's a horrible thing to insinuate...
     
  2. BeThouMy Vision

    BeThouMy Vision New Member

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    Unfortunately, the Catholic Church in the Boston area has become something of a joke. Law was whisked out of the country and given a job in the Vatican. Many hurt Catholics were left behind here. Absolutely no winners in this situation.
    Now the new archbishop is closing churches all over the area. There has been no real explanation as to why the particular parishes were chosen, but curiously, the ones chosen sit on prime real estate. Now once obedient Catholics are forced to have "sit ins" to keep their faith communities intact.
    One parish in the area has hired a married priest and held masses in a protestant church. These people don't want the building, they just don't want to be told that they aren't a community anymore.
    I cannot fathom someone outside my immediate church being able to dissolve my local church. How do these leaders think these people will react to them?
     
  3. Matt Black

    Matt Black Well-Known Member
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    Joseph, it gets worse: Cardinal Law leads controversial Mass

    I wouldn't want to have anything to do with any service he was leading, never mind presiding at a Eucharist.

    I'd feel physically sick having any contact with anything he'd touched, since he's a man who supported and passed around child abusers.

    I'd be with the people outside the church who were protesting against him.

    OK, that's my rant done! Posting rather more rationally, the question is not whether he should be allowed to lead this mass; it's part of his current job. The real question is whether he should be the archpriest at Santa Maria Maggiore. IMO, the answer is no. Prison ministry maybe, but not a nice job in Rome. He was rightly sacked - far too late - by Wojtyla from the Boston Archiepiscopate; I'm not quite sure why he still pitches up at S Maria Maggiore...

    Yours in Christ

    Matt
     
  4. Bro. James

    Bro. James Well-Known Member
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    "A little leaven leavens the whole lump."

    The system of which we speak is corrupted--from it's birth.

    Corruption+ reformation= reformed corruption.

    The Bride of Christ is undefiled--She is still out there.

    Selah,

    Bro. James
     
  5. Melanie

    Melanie Active Member
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    Unfortunately, the official line in the RCC and other major institutions encouraged covering up sex crimes by their members, whether priests, teachers, doctors or other emminent persons.

    This is no longer acceptable practice, as the victims spoke up after coping with the ugliness of being sacrifices for way too long. Hindsight is very easy to stand on a high moral ground.

    Cardinal Law has not actaully committed a crime (has he?) his actions are possibly reprehensible but there are many ugly folks in the world who get along okay. However, he may vote as he is entitled to and what have you, but he and everyone else must make an account of themselves when before God at Judgement.....

    Having been a sacrifice for the lust of an adult from 5 yrs old I know the pain and the injustice of the world but if I can prevent it from being reoccuring to one more kid, that is good.
     
  6. Bro. James

    Bro. James Well-Known Member
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    When our sins be "uncovered", we find a different "covering". It is kind of like "turning a new leaf".

    The only problem is: the other side is just as rotten. We(all humans) are totally depraved--by nature. We know not how to do anything "good".

    Only Jesus can change this condition.

    There are many people in high places who do not know Jesus.

    Selah,

    Bro. James
     
  7. Joseph_Botwinick

    Joseph_Botwinick <img src=/532.jpg>Banned

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    Let me get this straight: Cover up Child Abuse and Molestation, and you are given a seat of honour in the Vatican during the Pope's funeral and allowed to vote for the next Pope; Break a code of silence and you are excomunicated. Does anyone besides me see a problem with their prioroties?
     
  8. Joseph_Botwinick

    Joseph_Botwinick <img src=/532.jpg>Banned

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  9. mioque

    mioque New Member

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    Once again agreeing with Joseph.
     
  10. Joseph_Botwinick

    Joseph_Botwinick <img src=/532.jpg>Banned

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    Well, so far, none of the Catholics have any problem with a man who covered up child abuse among priests sitting in a place of honor and voting for the next Pope. Tell me, is this indicative of where the Catholic Church is right now? No sin is bad enough to merit excommunication apparently except for breaking a code of silence among the elites. But, then again, isn't this code of silence what got the RCC in trouble in the first place?

    Joseph Botwinick
     
  11. Joseph_Botwinick

    Joseph_Botwinick <img src=/532.jpg>Banned

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  12. Joseph_Botwinick

    Joseph_Botwinick <img src=/532.jpg>Banned

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  13. Kathryn

    Kathryn New Member

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    I never heard of ex-communication for a sin. If he was teaching error or false doctrine or was unrepentant about his sins, I could possibly see it.


    Jesus Christ shows that as Christians we can be forgiven and should forgive others.

    John 8:10-11

    10. Straightening up, Jesus said to her, "Woman, where are they? Did no one condemn you?"
    11. She said, "No one, Lord." And Jesus said, "I do not condemn you, either. Go. From now on sin no more."

    If Cardinal Law is guilty of breaking the law than he can be and should be legally prosecuted.

    [ April 29, 2005, 01:02 PM: Message edited by: Kathryn ]
     
  14. Kathryn

    Kathryn New Member

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    Isn't ex-communication a discipline used when someone refuses to listen to the church, to bring them back to their senses and hopefully back into full communion?
     
  15. Joseph_Botwinick

    Joseph_Botwinick <img src=/532.jpg>Banned

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    Kathryn,

    According to news reports cited earlier in the thread, the Cardinals were threatened with excommunication for breaking the code of silence in their secret conclave to elect the new Pope. To me, that seems a bit backwards in their priorities when they have a Cardinal voting for the new pope who covered up sexual abuse of children, and they don't seem to have a problem with that. What do you think?

    Joseph Botwinick
     
  16. Kathryn

    Kathryn New Member

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    Joseph:
    Ex-communication is a discipline used when someone refuses to listen to the church, to bring them back to their senses and hopefully back into full communion.

    Threatening ex-Communication to keep the Cardinals from talking to the media is in line with church discipline to keep the voting from being influenced by outside pressures and factions, which is very important. If someone deliberately goes to the media, he is not in communion with the church. Even if he was not formally ex-communicated, he would automatically be ex-communicating himself.

    Ex-Communicating someone for having sinned, no matter how seriously, who has publically asked for forgiveness makes no sense to me. The Cardinal has been placed where he has no authority to transfer anyone. If he has done anything illegal he will have to answer to civil authorities. Sins are not treated with ex-communication if a person is repentant and sorrowful. This makes sense to me.
     
  17. Joseph_Botwinick

    Joseph_Botwinick <img src=/532.jpg>Banned

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    So you also have no problem with a man who covered up the crimes of child molestors basically getting a promotion and voting for the new pope, but would excommunicate someone for breaking a vow of silence? You Catholics sure do have goofy priorities. It would seem to me that their code of silence is what got them into trouble in the first place. You guys continue to defend the indefensible instead of correcting it. What a shame and a disgrace. Had this guy been a Church leader in my church, not only would he have been disfellowshiped, but he also would have been reported to the authorities.

    Joseph Botwinick
     
  18. Kathryn

    Kathryn New Member

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    Actually he wasn't promoted and all the Cardinals vote regardless of their personal sins, which in this case Cardinal Law has publically asked forgiveness for. Jesus Christ says that the Church will have wheat and chaff until He comes and He will separate. You don't seem to understand what ex-communicating means. It's not to kick someone out so they never come back. It a break in communion. The goal is restoration to full communion.
     
  19. Joseph_Botwinick

    Joseph_Botwinick <img src=/532.jpg>Banned

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    1. If my memory serves me correct, he never actually apologized for covering it up. As a matter of fact, he defended his actions (as I think the previous pope did rather arrogantly as if Catholics were above the law), and only basically regretted the fact he got caught.

    2. The Bible says something about those who harm the little ones about having a weight tied around their necks and thrown into the sea. I personally, would have preferred that for the good Cardinal.

    3. Your priorities are out of whack when you defend a man who covered up the crimes of child molestors and at the same time, defend the idea of excomunnicating someone for breaking a code of silence. Speaking of which, you seem to love to opine about how excommunication is utilized to bring the errant one back into communion with the "church". If a Cardinal had broken their code of silence and been excommunicated, would that have been permanent, or would they have just had to repent to be restored? "Oops. I'm sorry. Now let me back in". [​IMG]

    The Catholic Church has become a joke and a byword of ridicule, and has no relevance for Christianity today and no moral authority to tell us how we ought to live as Christians.

    Joseph Botwinick
     
  20. Joseph_Botwinick

    Joseph_Botwinick <img src=/532.jpg>Banned

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    There's gotta be a good redneck joke in there somewhere Tam! [​IMG] </font>[/QUOTE]Or a Three Stooges joke perhaps?

    Curley: Hey Moe!

    Moe: See this!

    (Bonk)

    Joseph Botwinick [​IMG]
     
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