http://www.crosswalk.com/blogs/christian-trends/10-signs-of-an-abusive-church.html
- Personality Centric: a pastor whose charming, charismatic, intense, persuasive and intelligent personality holds unquestioned sway over his/her congregation. He/she is treated like a celebrity. Not held accountable. Not held to same standard of morality as the rest of the congregation.”
- Operates Independently: without oversight
- Engulfment: members only
- Busyness: a focus on activities
- Stalking: keeping tabs on members
- Coded Language: members-only jargon
- Unrealistic Promises: unhealthy focus on wealth and blessings
- Courting Rituals: dating by approval only
- Shunning: not accepting those who leave or are outside the church
- “The Ends Justify the Mean”: “purity of doctrine” over love
All groups exercise some amount of "persuasive influence" over their members, but sects and cults exercise this influence in a way that harms individuals, families and communities. Psychologists have come up with a variety of lists of techniques of persuasive influence exercised by these groups, and Tim's list is one good example.
ReplyDeleteAnother such list has been published by ReGain, an organization dedicated to helping individuals who have been harmed by the Legion of Christ and its affiliate, Regnum Christi. Those movements, if you remember were highly favored by Pope St. John Paul II, but were later found to have many destructive practices, all implemented by their corrupt founder, Fr. Marciel Maciel. You can find a discussion of this here.
On our own island, we are struggling with the Neocatechumenal Way, and the heavy-handed tactics of it's lead catechist here, Fr. Edwin "Pius" Sammut O.C.D..
Fr. Pius has practiced a dangerous manipulative unhealthy form of catechesis.
ReplyDeleteClick here to hear Fr. Pius explain the "storm of persecution" that "the Way" has faced here over the last year...
ReplyDeletePersecution, eh?
DeletePersecution by Apuron Pius to priests .
DeleteWhat Pius is really saying is the NCW enjoyed smooth sailing prior to the hurtful events initiated by AAA the past year. The NCW's greedy leadership pressed AAA to become more aggressive against the priests who resist walking in the Way. Push came to shove, and the blowback proved to be a storm for the NCW. Pius and his off-island interlopers underestimated the majority of Catholics here. While they enjoyed some success taking advantage of the weak, lost and vulnerable, they did not take into account the fact that the rest of us will stand up to them and shove back. We are fed up with being put down and lied to. AAA and his NCW manipulators have been exposed. We are fighting back with the TRUTH!! As consequences for his unjust actions, AAA no longer enjoys the respect, trust, and admiration from the vast majority of Guam Catholics. To this day he is not admitting the error of his ways and, in fact, continues his attempts to manipulate matters to his favor. Too bad for him as he has lost ALL credibility.
DeleteAnon10:27AM as of 1/1/15 I have renounced Anthony Apuron Arch layman as the head of the Archdiocese of Guam.
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ReplyDeleteYes, storm is the evil Edwin Pius inflicted on our people.
Anon @4:59 When priest are threatened to join the NCW or find a Bishop who will accept them, or face deportation, When people's reputation are maligned by lies as Mr. Lastimoza and Fr. Paul, or Msgr Benavente being accused if mismanaging funds, when reasons are self serving motives on the part of AAA. I think this should suffice ..
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ReplyDeleteWonder if any Priest on Guam today was abused as a seminarian?
ReplyDeleteArchbishop treated priests unjustly for 30 Years. Evil man.