Saturday, January 10, 2015

A COURSE OF ACTION...YOURS!


I cannot tell you what was discussed at my meeting with the Vatican Visitors without compromising their course of action. But I can tell you that there will be a course of action. Frenchie pretty much outlines it in the following comment:





Dear anon @ 10.17.
This is the likely scenario after the visitators go back to Rome.
They apparently have worked very hard and diligently.
They have not kept to the scenario scripted by Pius and consort.
They talked to the people and priests they wanted to talk to.
They have been very precise and thorough in their questions.
They have been given a lot of pertinent information.
Once in Rome they will file their report to the three congregations involved. The secretary of state will advise the Pope of their findings and analysis.
Time line? Coinciding with the return of the Pope from his trip.
After that depending on the Pope assessment a course will be chosen.
A big stone in the puddle will be the property at Yona. That can be dealt separately or simultaneously.
Overall Tony is in a very hot seat.
He is going to get so much pressure from Genarini and Pius to push their agenda that it could be a few very ugly weeks before lent.
Rome could decide to name a coadjucatur rapidly or remove Tony quite fast and name a temporary administrator like in Tahiti.
Several options.
In the meantime, better batter down the hatches, it's gonna be a stormy crossing.

The bottom line is that the Visitors are only authorized to do an investigation and to propose a course of action to promote reconciliation. As Frenchie says, the final assessment will depend on the Pope. And yes, Gennarini and Pius will launch an all out assault to grab as much as they can. Expect it. Don't worry. I won't be going anywhere, and the CCOG is growing stronger and wiser by the minute. 

Aside from that, here are some of my other thoughts:

Many felt the Visitors were preprogrammed to side with the Neocatechumenal Way. While Kiko may have his allies in Rome, the Neocatechumenal Way in general around the world is in trouble. Guam isn't the only place where its aggressive and abusive leaders have made a mess. The Visitors know this. And most important, the Pope knows this. 

By the way, let's again be careful to separate out the bad guys from the good guys. There are good, well-meaning people who are in the NCW who may have no clue of all the harm their leadership is doing.

And that brings us to the central issue.

The Neocatechumenal Way had an easy entry into Guam not just because of a weak bishop but because of a weak everybody: 
  • weak pastors who failed to catechize well and who had already long permitted the liturgical abuses which the NCW just took to the next level;
  • weak Catholics who couldn't be bothered to take it upon themselves to buy a Catechism of the Catholic Church and study it, or to teach their own children;
  • and essentially a weak faith that had already prompted a mass exodus from the Catholic Faith long before the NCW was ever a problem. 
In my many months and even years of dealing with complaints about the NCW, I have often been both amused and saddened by the belief that somehow if we just got rid of the NCW or the "three on the hill" our problems would go away. 

While both courses of action might help, is getting rid of the NCW or getting a different bishop going to keep your children and grandchildren from leaving the faith? Will it bring back those who have already left, most of whom have left NOT because of the NCW or corrupt church leadership, but because of the general decline of faith and morals in our own homes not to mention the ongoing descacralization or our own liturgies and places of worship?

There are also the practical issues of our general failure to address the private suffering of many. It wasn't just the greedy and those with a lust for power and control who were attracted to the NCW, it was also the "wounded married", the widowed, the divorced, the separated, the lonely, and so on. 

You have heard the testimonies: the NCW saved my marriage, the NCW saved my life, the NCW brought me back to the faith, etc. 

Why is that?

Because while it is true that we have all we need in the Church and the sacraments, we "regular Catholics" seem unable to live out that life of the Church and the sacraments unless "Father" does something first: unless he starts a program for the divorced and widowed, unless he starts a program for struggling marriages, unless he starts a catechesis, etc. 

Well, screw that.
  • If you are divorced, invite other divorced people to join you to pray, share and study.
  • If you are widowed, then invite other widowed to join you to pray, share and study.
  • If you are struggling in marriage then start your own group to help others who are in the same situation. 
  • Get a copy of the Catechism and invite others to a weekly meeting where you can read it through paragraph by paragraph and pray, study, and share.
You don't need a room at the parish to do this. Do it in your homes, in a restaurant, a coffee shop, wherever. You don't need permission. You don't need a credential. If you run into something that you don't know, then go see "Father". But meanwhile, just get started. If you build it they will come. One by one, they will come. 

If we all put as much effort into this kind of thing as we do to planning the next fiesta then maybe, just maybe, things will change, and it won't matter who the bishop is. 

Stop waiting for Rome. Stop waiting for "Father". Stop waiting. Start starting. DO what you can DO and START where you're at. That's all I've ever done. 


56 comments:

  1. Alright! You are spot on, as usual! Start starting! Thank you, Tim!

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  2. John C. "Typhoon Toves"January 10, 2015 at 8:05 AM

    I am speechless.

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    1. You are also a liar ;)

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    2. John, looks like AAA or Adrian was here again.

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  3. Apuron should already start looking for an appropriate date for his "retirement" due to ill health, both mental as well as physical (caused by guilt). The sooner the better!

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  4. Thank you Tim for this post and thank you to frenchie.i understand how it will now be played.

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  5. Tim, nice way to sum things up. This is so true, that we have to look within ourselves to help solve the problem.

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  6. Excellent points Tim! Faith is a gift that needs to be exercised to remain strong and healthy.

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  7. Excellent points, Tim. There certainly is a need for post-baptismal catechesis, catechesis for adults and catechesis that promotes conversion and "metanoia", the ongoing change of heart experienced by a true disciple of Jesus Christ. This was called for by the Fathers of the Second Vatican Council. If you wish to call this catechesis a "post-baptismal catechumenate", fine [CCC 1231]. But nowhere do they suggest that this post-baptismal catechumenate should result in closed, self-absorbed communities that parasitically suck the life out of parishes. Nowhere do the council fathers suggest that this post-baptismal catechumenate should be an end in itself. Nowhere do they suggest that this post-baptismal catechesis center on an unhealthy cult of personality around a founder. And nowhere do the council fathers suggest that this post-baptismal catechumenate should be led by an authoritative hierarchy of catechists that are appointed and act independently of the bishops they are supposed to serve.

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    1. Awesome outline Chuck and well explained. We all need to be in a state of metanoia. I would love to study this out. God bless the work of you, Tim and many others.

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    2. If this episode in our local church history results in us seeking to deepen our faith, learning more about the church, becoming more active in our parishes, etc., then this cloud truly has a silver lining.

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  8. Apuron and Pius must be preparing to fly to Manila . They need a victory photo of Apuron and the Holy Father to publish .

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    1. Apuwrong staying at the Diamond Hotel. A five star hotel that is! Heard it tops the Shangra La Hotel in Makati! Who is he taking with him this time? We wll see won't we once Edivaldo and Harold publish the pictures!

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    2. No such photo will be produced. Sorry.

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    4. Eyes inside diamond.

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    5. I think AAA will spend the majority of his time in his room praying the rosary. He will resist the worldly temptations offered at the hotel, shopping malls, bars. and spectacular nightlife. Call me Tony.

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  9. This is good, true and I honestly found it inspirational:) good 'luck' with the reconciliation of the church in Guam.

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  10. Right on Tim!
    It is correct to say, that even if all plays right from here on.
    That's a big if, but let's dare to be optimistic, then the work just begins.
    We shall all have to look within our respective souls how to be better Catholics on a day to day basis.
    We shall need to build real bridges with the forgotten, the hurt, the lonely.
    This painful episode through the life of our church can and must become an opportunity for us to
    be a better Church with better and more active parishioners and better priests to lead us along that beautiful road that is our One, Holy and Apostolic Way.

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    1. Fr.Matthew Blockley.January 10, 2015 at 1:29 PM


      Yes Frenchie I agree . We need to reach out to the forgotten, the hurt, and the lonely.

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    2. Love your analysis, Frenchie....APURON in the hot seat? I would say yes he is in DEEP KIMCHEE!

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    3. Interviews continue off island

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    4. I appreciated Tim's mentioning the neglect of those with private suffering in the Church. My first years on Guam when I came 20 years ago were nonstop torture. Although I am deeply loved and cherished everywhere I've lived-U.S. mainland, Nepal and India, on Guam everyone especially in Church excluded me from their hearts, lives and social circles. After a couple of years I fell into a suicidal depression and approached nearly a dozen Chamorro and Filipino priests here for compassion and they all turned me away, some quite brutally. I even attended the Lutheran Church of Guam for one year to save my life. They were warm and welcoming and the suicidal thoughts went away but I ached to return to the Catholic Church. Again after a year I tried attending the Catholic Church here with no improvement. So in desperation I wrote a letter-to-the editor of the PDN under a pseudonym describing how the priests on Guam treated me. Our archbishop whom most of you hate managed to track me down and had the greatest compassion for my agony and took me under his wing for many years doing his best to make me feel loved, welcomed and included despite his busy schedule. He was completely selfless, only interested in giving and healing. It took many years for him to heal me emotionally and spiritually because he was the ONLY person who would help me. Back in those days I only gave him boxes of chocolates and when his health didn't permit candy any longer, fruit baskets. I truly was privileged to experience the most beautiful side of his nature. I thought of him as my Chamorro Jesus.

      The archbishop ministered to me for one year before he got involved with the NCW-or at least it was a year later that I noticed his enthusiasm. I thought the group was strange but thought they were harmless like the Catholic Charismatics we had in Spokane, WA. I noticed belonging to the NCW made the archbishop happier and so initially I was grateful to them. I disliked the members cliquishness and aggressively trying to recruit me but still tried to ignore and co-exist with them. Then when Fr. Paul Gofigan was fired I was in a state of shock for months not because the archbishop felt he needed to discipline him but because Fr. Paul was lured to a meeting in the chancery and the locks were changed on his rectory and residence behind his back. I wondered what happened to my Christ-like archbishop.

      As Tim Rohr knows, I am torn apart inside due to my love and gratitude to the one and only person on Guam who healed and saved me and enabled me to remain Catholic and due to the profound distress I feel due to the terrible influence and damage the NCW has caused to the Catholic Church on Guam.

      I really believe that the archbishop initially had the best motivations for allowing the NCW to come to Guam. I well remember that he had the now-adult child of the Medjugorje visions come speak to Guam's Catholics. And he had Stephen Ray come to give motivational talks to Catholics. Clearly the archbishop wanted to excite Catholics to have enthusiasm for their faith. He probably thought the NCW would have this result. I'm sure he had no idea that the leadership intended to manipulate and distort him as they have done.

      I'm sure most of you who write on this blog and read it will jump up and down with joy if the archbishop is demoted or forced into early retirement. I understand your rage and agony because I love the mainstream Catholic Church and its clergy, lay people and parishes, too. But if the archbishop is forced out, I will cry because I will lose my best friend on Guam because most likely he wouldn't want to be on Guam very often. Ultimately I don't blame him for his hurtful actions. I blame the NCW leadership which, slowly over the years, worked to distort his values, ethics and personality. I hope someday he comes to love the mainstream Catholic Church, his first love, again. And that we will see the real, beautiful Anthony Sablan Apuron again.



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    5. Off island inrterviews ?? Was thinking I need a vacation. Where at? I have a lot of those use em or lose em days.

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    6. My heart goes out to Melinda. I also have to believe that someone who took the vows he did, even if he did give up the vow of poverty, originally had good intentions.

      The NCW has been known to pass the trash bag around to raise money for junkets to attract Bishops and higher. A free trip and powerful persuasion from Kiko while there. The NCW hierarchy is very charismatic.

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    7. Melinda, sorry to hear about your experience. I want to address one comment though, This idea of "mainstream catholic church or traditional catholic". There is no such animal. The Roman Catholic Church is One, Holy, Catholic(universal), and Apostolic. You either are a Roman Catholic(RC) or not. To be RC, you must be in communion with Mother church and the Magisterial teachings.While we may disagree on some things, ultimately we are required to profess faith in certain things. There are currently two forms of the mass that are legitimate, the Novus Ordo and the extra-ordinary form of the mass which some refer to as The Traditional Latin Mass(TLM).
      What the ncw celebrate is a distortion of the Novus Ordo. I say distortion because while they were granted indults for the sign of peace and to receive communion while standing in place, they have taken liberties to further change the mass and its functions, some of what Tim has talked about on his blog. Sadly, our shepherd has not done anything to stop these abuses, and in my opinion even promotes these dissensions from the General instruction of the Roman Missal.
      We need to encourage our Priests to Say the Black, and Do the Red!
      In the end, We are either RC or not, we uphold all Her teachings or not.

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    8. Melinda I just read the posted account. Sorry I missed the comment Jan 10th.
      I pray for you and hope these days you recovered from the anxiety.
      Before the arrival of the cult Archbishop faced a number of personal challenges in life. The cult provided a blanket to cover up the challenges. This they did but they came to control him.
      Very happy he helped you but please also remember he destroyed many in this community.

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    9. I care very deeply about the Catholic community on Guam. I feel torn in two, loving the archbishop who went out of his way for years to selflessly help, heal and make me feel welcome and at the same time seeing innocent priests, deacons, lay people and parishes getting profoundly wounded. When I was off-island this summer and heard that Msgr. Benavente was fired from the cathedral I didn't want to return to Guam. On Christmas Day in Goa, India I waited in a long line to kiss the see-through glass coffin that holds the incorrupt body of St. Francis Xavier and as I did so I prayed in great anguish, asking St. Francis Xavier to re-awaken the archbishop's first love, his love for the real Catholic Church and that he again appreciates and respects his clergy.

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  11. WOW!! I finally see some hope for Guam! It's obvious your meeting was fruitful! If AAA and the NCW mess up they will be dealt with by God and the hierarchy! As for the rest we need to get closer to God rather than allow the devil to destroy us! Thank you Tim for loving the church and the people who welcomed you as family in this beautiful Chamorro island!

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  12. The Baltimore Catechism is available as a free download. This blog has inspired me to study it with my son. I agree with what Tim says but also think some practices of the Church need to change. Not scriptural, but just fostering more of a sense of community within the Church. Perhaps not on Guam, but in many places the members of the Church do not know each other. Our society has changed. Many people have joined the NCW for the sense of community it provided. Many in my area have left the Catholic Church because they found more of a sense of community elsewhere. Most are very conservative but really didn't have strong foundation of Catholic education and wanted that sense of community and belonging.

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  13. AMEN! Since all this debacle exploded, it has only strengthened my resolve to learn the ins and outs of our faith. This post of yours hits the nail on the head. The biggest way to defend our faith is to know it. As a music minister I've now taken great care to inform people who ask me to handle their music liturgy of what kind of music is truly liturgically sound for weddings and funerals as this is one area where we've allowed many abuses to occur. I've harnessed technology and have used apps on my phone to do everything from teach me the structure of the rosary, to supply me with a missal to follow the readings at mass or to prepare ahead of mass, and I've even downloaded catholic hymn books which are also available online. Other hard copy Catholic resources are also plentifully available for purchase via Amazon. I use social media like Facebook to keep track of what's being done around the world within other Catholic Dioceses and Catholic religious organizations. There are so many tools available to help us individually fortify our faith that will create an overall positive impact for us collectively. Hope this post inspires my fellow Guam Catholics to do the same. Praying that the fire of the Holy Spirit burns ever strong in our hearts to know and defend our faith.

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    1. Mike, we pray for a new Pentecost in the church of Guam that the Holy Spirit will inspire and empower the laity to be active evangelists .

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  14. I think that everyone should be watching to see how much of the property under the Archdiocese will be assigned to RMS or anyone else. I think that Pius, AAA, Adrian and David are scrambling to give as much property to the Neos before AAA "retires". This is AAA legacy.

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  15. This post brought me to tears!!! You were so ON POINT with all the things WE need to be doing, instead of just waiting for someone else to do them. Yes, growing up as a product of Catholic schooling,CCD, and a very religious family has helped to mold me into the woman I am. Yet something was missing, we weren't taught scripture, and we weren't taught to have a relationship with God. I was searching for a while a even found myself, twice, accepting invitations to the start of new NCW communities. It just wasn't for me (Praise God!). I thank God for opening my eyes and heart to want to know Him more. And I praise Him for showing me that I did not need to join a group and I did not need to convert to another religion but what I needed to do was nurture and cultivate my spirituality with what He has put before me. Although I am no where close to where I feel I need to be in terms of our Catholic Faith, I trust that I am exactly where He wants me to be.
    Thank you for this post Tim and for all that you have helped to accomplish and all that you continue to do! Your passion and spirit is one that can only have been bestowed by the Holy Spirit and I pray and thank God for His blessings on you and your beautiful family!

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  16. Our Catholic Faith is indeed a gift from God through the Church, How and what then we do with this gift of faith? Perhaps the understanding that It is all our individual responsibility to form our conscience in all that is the truth. This conscience is formed by informing it with the truth, all that the Church teaches, Only then can we share this truth with others (We must first have it, before we can give it), but above all to get on our knees, roll up our sleeves and Pray...

    Thisl experience that we have all encountered and perhaps will continue to endure until it is resolved is indeed a painful and ardous experience, however something positive has come out of this situation, for some an awakening of our Catholic faith, a realization that we have not reached the pinnacle of our faith, that it cnnot be stagnant, but ever growing, and the fact that we must continue to search and live the truth and defend it until we are finally called home by our Lord. Jesus after all tells us we must persevere in the truth to the end to be saved (Matthew 24:13).

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    1. Thank you and May God continue to inspire and bless you. Your words are truly a reflection of your solid faith foundation!

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  17. Mary Lou Garcia-PeredaJanuary 10, 2015 at 11:35 AM

    As one who was praying for some kind of declaration by the Visitators to reassure us that they were truly here to investigate the ills in our Archdiocese and were not merely here to validate and rubber stamp AAA's Reign of NCW-Fueled Terror I had mixed feelings as I read this post.

    The positive feelings came from (1) the fact that the delegation requested to meet with Tim, after he was told by the Chancery on 31 December that no slots were available for him; (2) the fact that Tim would have articulately represented in encapsulated form the concerns of thousands who were unable to spend time with the Visitators; and (3) the assurance that there will be a course of action.

    My negative response was from the realization that things are just going to get worse before they get better as AAA and Minions will be in Full Destruction Mode under the direction of Kikobots while they still wield their power. Time is running out for Deacon Steve; once the last two members of the delegation depart, most likely he will be stripped of his faculties. I'm also sure the targets on the backs of Fr. Efren as well as The Five Priests from the Presbyteral Council and the College of Consultors who signed the Letter of Concern regarding the removal of Msgr. James in August 2014 just got larger.

    It sounds to me as though we the laity need to be both more proactive in providing support for our brethren (especially those who feel marginalized) but also more diligent in helping to keep our Non-NCW clergy safe from the destructive forces of AAA and Minions. We must continue to pray, but more importantly back up our prayer with ACTION and use our God-given gifts to help others, even if it means getting out of our comfort zones and opening ourselves to attacks and insults by the Militant NCWs (AKA Kikos/Kikobots). After all we are the CHURCH MILITANT and Tim Rohr has been an excellent model of what we can do without relying on the clergy to hold our hands.

    The priests and religious will have to do their part. Besides supporting us with their prayers they will need to do some serious self-reflecting to determine if they offer each Mass in the manner as exhorted on the sacristy wall of the Convent of the Incarnation in Ávila, Spain: "O Priest of Jesus Christ, celebrate this Holy Mass as if it were your First Mass, your Last Mass and your Only Mass." They need to ask themselves, "Do I say the black and do the red as indicated in the Roman Missal or do I take liberties?" They might also consider ways to promote awareness of and belief in The Real Presence of Our Lord in the Eucharist. One simple way is to restore the use of the bells at the Elevation of the Host and Chalice during the Consecration. I once asked a priest why the bells were no longer used and was told "We don't want people to think one part of the Mass is more important than the other parts." Guess what? That part of the Mass when Jesus become Truly Present on the altar IS more important! Fool that I was, I accepted the word of that priest.

    Tim has provided a blueprint for us in this post and now we must (to paraphrase Tim) DO what we can DO and START where we are at. Pray and let's do it!

    May the Holy Spirit guide us all in our Courses of Action.

    Mary, Queen of the Clergy, pray for and protect our priests — especially our Beleaguered Non-NCW priests.

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  18. Last night I was telling my friends I would retire from the blog. But the reality is this blog is a very important part of life. It provides an avenue for me to connect with others who suffered at the hands of the Archbishop of Guam and his minions. I believe we must follow the apostolic visitors and the ways of Rome. This blog will continue to be a part of my life. Mr . Rohr is a voice of reason, truth, justice and integrity, and like so many around the world, he became our voice. But reflecting on today's post he is once again correct. I cannot do much, but I'm going to adopt a neo member, invite them to the coffee shop, befriend them, and help them to see the cult and how dangerous it is. I have to think how I will meet a neo, since they don't enter into my social circle. But I will ask around to see if I can find one.then I will devote time to talking to see if I can help the cause this way. It will be hard for me to talk to them but I will try. I believe Tim Rohr is correct in his approach.

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    1. Just go to a ncw "Eucharist" you'll find plenty.

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    2. It's okay 3:09PM, i would rather see my children grow up in the regular Catholic Faith. It is bad enough that they witness all that is happening today. After all that is happening I wonder just how many recruits you will get these coming months when you do your testimonies in the churches!

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  19. John C. "Typhoon Toves"January 10, 2015 at 1:37 PM

    I am not done with either of them yet, Tim! I've been trying to get AAA on his cell several times since my first call, but no pick-up??? So, I had to leave messages each time. As for Turtle, still working with colleagues from Google. To Jrm17, I am an idiot! - Hope you feel better.

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    1. Go for it Typhoon John. In many ways we are just beginning.

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    2. Heard snap is forming a new group on Guam with numbers!

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    3. John, are you still following the page. Readers feel better knowing you're around the Jungle.?

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  20. Mary Lou - While in the seminary (1950-1954), I couldn't help but wonder what that sign was that hung over the door of the Stigmatine Fathers quarters. It read (to the best of my recollection): CEAD MILLE FALTE. Later I found out it was Gaelic for "A Hundred Million Welcomes".

    Well, I don't know Gaelic, but let me say it in Chamorro, my language: "Siento Miyon na Si Yuus Maase" para hago yan i pumalo siha na taotaogues ni pareho korasonniha yan hago" ("A Hundred Million "Thanks" to you and to folks of similar hearts like yours" - too many to mention, who are now coming out publicly with real names in these Jungle comments to echo and augment the sentiments of many of us who think like you.

    Please God, let us all START TO START to take our Faith to heart (not take it for granted simply because we were baptized as infants). It is not an easy task being a true Christian, a true Catholic; it never was meant to be easy, recalling the words of the Founder of our Church - Jesus Christ, God, Himself - "If they have persecuted me, they will persecute you too", as perhaps millions of Christians of the first centuries of the Church have borne witness to - beginning with Deacon Stephen, the first martyr of the Church.

    Now that our Vatican Visitators are about to wrap up their mission, go home, study it, make recommendations, we anxiously await Papal resolution. They have done their job; WE have only begun to do ours. For sure, we must stand up and defend our Faith, but in order to very efficaciously defend it, we need to all know WHAT it is we are defending. We need to know our FAITH better - and better! We need to STUDY it more (true catechesis), because the more we study it, the more we know it; and the more we know it, we love it; and the more we love, the stronger our zeal to defend it.

    Thank you for your deep perception. Having gone through a week of anxiety over what is to eventually come out of this whole vicissitude regarding our Catholic Church, I pray we all setle down and do our job - know our Faith and live our Faith, so as to better defend our Faith. Tim and Frenchie, through their blogs and comments, have laid out a veritable map for success.

    God bless you (and so many more like you) Marilou. More than just a motto of FDMS, "fortes in fide" - stay strong in the Faith. - Joe.

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    1. Someone posted to Diana! Check yourself and see if it applies to you! ""Guam is full of dry bones, parishes are dead, non neo priests dead, our role is to bring life to the community." There we have it....examine ourselves, friends.

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  21. Your assessment and exhortation was very empowering. Just to think that the Archbishop had intended to propose a Renew program only to be shot down by his clergy including the Capuchins of the 1980s was the beginning of the NCW. The finger is pointing to all of us to do what we need to do to go out into the world and make a mess as Pope Francis once said. Stop be self-referential everyone. Our Lord is knocking on the door not to get in but to get out.

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    1. People of Guam you are called to make a mess of the archdiocese. This is what pope Francis wants you to do.

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    2. CLARIFICATION ON: "the Archbishop had intended to propose a Renew program only to be shot down by his clergy including the Capuchins of the 1980s was the beginning of the NCW."

      The Archbishop is never at the will of the clergy. He can never be "shot down". Obviously the "will" of the clergy has not mattered in his desire to impose the neocatechumenal way. Neither the clergy or the capuchins have the authority to shoot anything down. That should be apparent in the current crisis. The truth is that if Apuron believed in the RENEW program he would have pursued it. Rather, it appears that the truth is that he did not believe in the program and was seeking approval first.

      But beyond that, we Catholics need to get past having to have a "program". We need a bishop, not a program. We need holy priests who lead by example, not a program. We need priests who reverently and in full compliance with what the church requires to celebrate the Holy Sacrifice of the Mass, not a program. And we need all church leaders to inspire and encourage the laity to do their own program of pastoring their own church of the home.

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    3. Just want to expand a bit on how the clergy must lead by example. I'm now what is called a "senior citizen" and have taken note of the changes in the Church here since my childhood, having been raised in a Catholic family and served our church in many ways throughout the years. I have nothing but praise and admiration for the Capuchin priests during my formative years. Was an altar server for several of the priests and not once did I feel that one of them might molest me. In fact, to this day, I haven't heard anything bad about any of those priests who, by the way, are not local. I started hearing things later on about a certain local priest who has since passed on, and I clearly remember an incident, while witnessing a baptismal ceremony, when he brushed up against me and he reeked of whiskey. Was also told that this priest abused a boy while assigned to a southern parish decades ago.
      Yes, members of the clergy must conduct themselves honorably and according to their vows. I am troubled by reports of "visiting priests" going "undercover" to go out drinking at the local bars, reports of certain priests having homosexual relations or affairs with parishioners. There are other things I'd like to point out but will stop here for now. Bottom line is, as Catholics, we ALL need to clean up our act! Prayers for all.

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    4. Correct Tim 8.44am. We need a Holy Bishop on Guam we need a Bishop rooted in the values of the Gospel. we need a Bishop who reaches out to the island community and not just the cult. Above all we need a Bishop who loves and respects his priests.

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  22. True, Tim. Very similar to advice Fr. Paul gave me when the initial wave of Neo objection arose in 2008 and I was greatly troubled. Basically, he counseled to know the faith, grow my faith.

    Knowledge is power, especially regards our rich Catholic heritage. Nothing else will suffice when you embrace the one, true Holy Catholic Church, as everything else will pale in comparison. And yes, we must know it before we can share it; so let us learn together.

    This includes you, our Holy priests. Please go back and read your liturgical books. If it is not in the GIRM, then you and the congregation should not be doing whatever activity is popular in the next parish or in former practice. Please keep the sacred in our Masses! Imparting the faith to candidates preparing for their sacraments makes it just a tad difficult when they see that Father and the rest of the congregation are plainly doing what we say is liturgically unsound. Which brings us to: yes, it is the parents' responsibility to impart the faith to our children, not catechists', religious' and priests'.

    Thank you, Tim, for reminding us of our baptismal calling. We can truly call ourselves Catholics if we know, love and live as Christ. We must now turn up the heat on ourselves.

    God Bless us as we gird ourselves for what will be an arduous journey. Pray for fortitude and seek help from our Blessed Mother.



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  23. The Two Great Commandments


    Lesson 15 from the Baltimore Cathechism



    188. Besides believing what God has revealed, what else must we do to be saved?

    Besides believing what God has revealed, we must keep His law.

    If you love me, keep my commandments. (John 14:15)

    189. Which are the two great commandments that contain the whole law of God?

    The two great commandments that contain the whole law of God are:
    1.Thou shalt love the Lord thy God with thy whole heart, and with thy whole soul, and with thy whole mind, and with thy whole strength;
    2.Thou shalt love thy neighbor as thyself.

    And one of them, a doctor of the Law, putting him to the test, asked him, "Master, which is the great commandment in the Law?" Jesus said to him, "'Thou shalt love the Lord thy God with thy whole heart, and with thy whole soul, and with thy whole mind.' This is the greatest and the first commandment. And the second is like it, 'Thou shalt love thy neighbor as thyself.' On these two commandments depend the whole Law and the Prophets." (Matthew 22:35-40)

    190. What must we do to love God, our neighbor, and ourselves?

    To love God, our neighbor, and ourselves we must keep the commandments of God and of the Church, and perform the spiritual and corporal works of mercy.

    My dear children, let us not love in word, neither with the tongue, but in deed and in truth. (I John 3:18)

    191. Which are the chief corporal works of mercy?

    The chief corporal works of mercy are seven:
    1.To feed the hungry.
    2.To give drink to the thirsty.
    3.To clothe the naked.
    4.To visit the imprisoned.
    5.To shelter the homeless.
    6.To visit the sick.
    7.To bury the dead.

    192. Which are the chief spiritual works of mercy?

    The chief spiritual works of mercy are seven:
    1.To admonish the sinner.
    2.To instruct the ignorant.
    3.To counsel the doubtful.
    4.To comfort the sorrowful.
    5.To bear wrongs patiently.
    6.To forgive all injuries.
    7.To pray for the living and the dead.

    193. Is everyone obliged to perform the works of mercy?

    Everyone is obliged to perform the works of mercy, according to his own ability and the need of his neighbor.

    For I was hungry, and you gave me to eat; I was thirsty, and you gave me to drink; I was a stranger, and you took me in; naked, and you covered me; sick, and you visited me; I was in prison, and you came to me. (Matthew 25:35-36)

    194. Are all the ordinary deeds done every day to relieve the corporal or spiritual needs of others true works of mercy?

    All the ordinary deeds done every day to relieve the corporal or spiritual needs of others are true works of mercy, if done in the name of Christ.

    For whoever gives you a cup of water to drink in my name, because you are Christ's, amen I say to you, he shall not lose his reward. (Mark 9:40)

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  24. Triple A and his deviate followers. Hey deviates we all have problems. All you have to do is always believe in God. You don't need a community or a responsible. You need a real Priest trained in a real seminary. You are being used by triple A. He can't face us because he k ows he is wrong. What a shame running out the back door. All he wants to do is take our money and run then tell you neos that you are being persecuted. Wake up and smell the coffee, you dreams of a takeover of our church is coming to an end.

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