Wednesday, September 30, 2020
THANK YOU. ARCHBISHOP BYRNES
Guam's Catholic churches will resume celebrating Mass indoors on Oct. 3
Monday, September 28, 2020
TIM PROVIDES A TEMPLATE
How ordinary lay people took on a vast church power structure extending into the deepest recesses of the Vatican - and prevailed - is a template for how Guam's citizens who are fed up with gubernatorial tyranny can do the same.
TALL TALES WITH BOB KLITZKIE, Sep. 15, 2020
LETTERS TO THE GOVERNOR
From Fr. Michael Crisostomo - Sept. 25, 2020
From Dr. Thomas Shieh - Sept. 27, 2020
Sunday, September 27, 2020
IF THIS IS TRUE...5 YEARS LATER?
JW's stats for the last 7 days show a post titled "IF THIS IS TRUE" as the post getting the most attention.
The post turns out to be a post from 2015 posted the day after a certain Fr. Luis Camacho was arrested.
Now why would there be such interest in this issue five years later?
SANDY SAYS...
Well, we haven't had such a full throated defense of the Kiko like this in quite awhile. Thanks, Sandy. We miss people like you here on JungleWatch. Hope to hear from you again soon!
Only a moralistic idiot like Nestor can write such shit like he has.The bible stupid, is a summary of an EXPERIENCE that has to re-discovered in the COMMUNITY - can you spell that word or speak it properly? COMMUNITY!!! People continue to suffer you "blind bat" - where do you hail from - the moon? But God enlightens the sufferring however small and life proceeds and is ressurrected again - Read Pope Benedict's books before you talk shit. Sandy Darwin Australia
NOTE: Sandy is referring to a certain comment made by a certain "Nestor" on this post from 2016.
Thursday, September 24, 2020
THE OTHER PANDEMIC
Today, Guam's governor shut down our island for the 6th week in a row reportedly because the number of Covid infections and Covid-related deaths continue to rise.
Wednesday, September 23, 2020
LETTER FROM A PRIEST IN KENYA TO SEMINARIANS
The original post is here: https://www.facebook.com/groups/frolusifaithdigest/permalink/3514442548601965/
Dear Seminarians,
It is not an easy time right now to be a priest or one studying to be a priest.
Praise God.
The Church is being not only humbled but humiliated by the sins of Her own ministers.
Praise God.
Countless innocent priests are looked at with suspicion if not outright hatred because of the sins of their guilty brothers.
Praise God.
I praise God in this not to downplay the depravity of my brothers’ crimes, scandles or ignore my own weeknesses, frustration, anger, and sadness at every bit of this awful situation.
I praise God because the truth always sets us free and the Cross always conquers.
The fact is, I am a priest of Jesus Christ. The natural habitat of a priest of Jesus Christ is the Cross – condemned for someone else’s sins; cursed reviled, mocked, and scourged – all willingly and for the sins of others.
I may think to myself, “I never hurt a child in my life. I would never dream of sexually abusing anyone. Why am I looked at with suspicion?”
Why? Because I am a priest of Jesus Christ. Because the priesthood into which I was ordained means that the monsters who committed these crimes or covered up for those who did are my brothers. I benefit every day from the love people have for their priests because of truly saintly ones who have gone before me; I must also willingly suffer the distrust, suspicion, and hatred because of the sinful ones who have gone before me as well.
At a deeper level, though, to borrow a point from Fr. Mike Schmitz: I can say, I never did anything to deserve this, but you know what, those kids didn’t do anything to deserve what happened to them either. The victims - those members of the Church hurt in unspeakable ways by those who were ordained to care for them. They didn’t deserve what happened to them, and the burden they carry and pain they experience are incomparably worse than being judged for the sins of another.
Why am I writing this to you? So that, in the midst of present chaos in the Church and the world, you may not lose hope.
There are snakes in the priesthood you hope to enter. But there are also saints. For every Judas, there are eleven other apostles who strive to be faithful.
On the darkest day the world has ever seen, at the very beginning of the priesthood of Jesus Christ, one betrayed, one denied, and nine fled. Only one remained.
It is now, at this moment of crisis in the Church – uncertainty regarding every level of her leadership – that we are all given the opportunity to choose what kind of man and what kind of priest we want to be.
We’ve seen those who have betrayed, and what they’ve done should make us sick to the stomach and furious to the very depths of our souls.
We’ve all at one point or another been those who deny the Lord or run away from our faith when times get hard and we get scared. I thank God that, in His mercy, He accepts us back and replaces our cowardice with courage, just as He did with His original disciples.
At this crucial moment in the life of the Church, though, let’s be the one who remained.
Let’s be the ones who remain.
What does that mean? Just don’t leave the Church? No. So much more.
To remain as the Beloved Disciple remained is to cling to Christ when He doesn’t seem all that powerful, to be associated with Him when He is not all that popular, to suffer alongside Him as His Body hangs, bleeding and battered, on the Cross. To remain with Him means to be close to His mother who weeps for the members of her Son’s Body so deeply wounded by those who were meant to represent Him.
To remain at the Cross with our Crucified Lord and our Sorrowful Mother.
What does that look like?
For one thing, it means being still when the world around you is chaos.
It means spending more time in the chapel than in the blogosphere.
It means being more filled with the ancient wisdom of Scripture than the hot takes and hastily scribbled opinions of this writer or that. (Might I suggest making your way through the books of the prophets during this particularly turbulent time? Doing so has been a great help to me in these weeks).
It means refraining from jumping to conclusions prematurely, rather choosing to reflect long and hard before coming out with confident statements regarding someone’s innocence or guilt, recognizing that almost always, more facts must come to light before a good judgment can be made.
Accusations this public and far-reaching are far too serious matters to decide without a truly thorough investigation. Thankfully, it is neither your job nor mine to conduct the investigation.
So what is our job? Remain at the uniquely uncomfortable place that is the foot of the Cross – a place where we can say both that justice demands a thorough and transparent investigation of everyone implicated in the McCarrick scandal and that charity demands that we withhold condemnation until the full truth comes out.
So, at the foot of the Cross we remain.
And remember, who do we find there? Our bleeding Lord and our weeping Mother. Company infinitely better than either extreme of the Catholic blogosphere; consolers incomparably more effective than the “comfort sins” we may be accustomed to turn to when life gets overwhelming; a King and a Queen we can trust in totally when our faith in our own leaders has been shaken.
While we don’t want to become totally distrustful of those tasked with leading us, we have to be honest about the fact that in this current climate of “his word or mine”, we don’t know who or what to believe anymore.
Believe this: The King has nails in His hands and the Queen a sword in her heart. You can trust them. You can trust them because they are hurting as much as you are. Remain with them. Suffer with them.
The Church Needs You to Remain
You have, I’m sure, been enjoined in these days to “defend the Church”. I ask you to do the same. Defend the Church.
But what does that mean? Defend the institution and its structures? Defend the hierarchy and its failures? Attack the media for its chronic and seemingly willful misreporting on the issue? Point out to the world that this is a sickness that reaches well beyond the confines of the Catholic Church?
No. Those discussions all have their time and place, and it is not here and now.
How do we defend the Church here and now? Defend the victims. Never forget that before the Church is an institution, it is a believer. And thousands of believers have been wounded.
The Church’s reputation has been wounded. So have so many of Her children. Shed your tears for the children rather than the reputation and, by the grace of God, both may be healed.
It is now more than ever that the Church needs you. But it needs you to be the saints God invites you to become. We no longer have time for mediocrity, for settling, for compromise.
We need men who are willing to give over every part of themselves to the work of bringing Jesus into a sick world, working within a Church that caught the world’s worst sickness.
We need men who – imperfect though they be – are willing to remain firmly planted between the Crucified Christ and His Sorrowful Mother and thus become the new generation of priests God raises up to heal the wounded in His Church.
We need a generation of priests who will restore the faith and trust in the people of God that the priesthood is the love of the heart of Jesus.
We need a generation of priests as tender in their love for the Lord and His beloved people as they are uncompromising in their battle against sin – in themselves, their brothers, and the Church at large.
We need a generation of priests to lead us to our only true hope for salvation: Jesus Christ.
And we need you to be that generation.
It’s not by chance but by providence that God has called you into formation at this exact time and not another. Because of this, you can trust that He will give you the grace to do what we need you to do and be who we need you to be.
Rise up to the challenge. Work with the One who is forming you into men capable of being the priest-saints that will bring Christ into countless broken lives desperate for His love. Pray with all you’ve got. Study with all that’s in you. Learn to serve. Learn how to take care of yourself, physically and spiritually. Build friendships that support and strengthen rather than enable and cover up. Let God use the seminary to form you into the saints we need for these troubled times.
And in the midst of it all, know that we love you, that we’re praying for you, and that the God who calls you to a great and noble vocation will carry you every step of the way in living it out, if you let Him.
Monday, September 21, 2020
TODAY'S CATHOLICS - THE NEW RAIDERS OF THE LOST ARK
The basis for one of the theories of how Israel lost the Ark of the Covenant is found in 2 Chronicles 12:9:
So Sesac king of Egypt departed from Jerusalem, taking away the treasures of the house of the Lord, and of the king's house, and he took all with him, and the golden shields that Solomon had made...
Why God permitted the Ark (possibly) to be stolen by Sesac is inferred in two earlier verses:
2 And in the fifth year of the reign of Roboam, Sesac king of Egypt came up against Jerusalem (because they had sinned against the Lord)
5 And Semeias the prophet came to Roboam, and to the princes of Juda, that were gathered together in Jerusalem, fleeing from Sesac, and he said to them: Thus saith the Lord: You have left me, and I have left you in the hand of Sesac.
Throughout the history of Israel, God, while not completely abandoning his chosen people, permits "the world" to correct their course, giving them up to captivity and attack "because they had sinned against the Lord," and because "You have left me...I have left you..."
("I have left you" - a direct inference to the disappearance of the Ark of the Covenant which, for the Israelites, was the direct earthly manifestation of God in their midst.)
It is hard not to see the parallel happening today as the latter day kings and queens of Egypt and Babylon take "away the treasures of the house of the Lord," by forbidding us to enter "the house of the Lord," wherein lives the greatest treasure, the true Ark: the True Body and Blood, Soul and Divinity of Our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ - albeit under cover of a pandemic decree.
But like ancient Israel, which God permitted to be punished for its unfaithfulness, today it appears God is permitting the same.
Today;
- Only 39% of Catholics attend Sunday Mass,
- Only one third of Catholics believe in the real presence, and
- 87% of Catholics either contracept or believe that contraception is not a moral issue.
So what grounds do we have to complain to the Caesars, Nebuchadnezzars, and the baby-killing servants of Moloch, i.e. the new crushing dictators of the secular kingdoms, to give us our churches and sacraments back when we, the MAJORITY of Catholics, have already traded in the Golden Ark of the New Covenant (our Catholic Faith) for an Ark of Tin and Trash of our making?
There is nothing left to do but to prepare for Chastisement. Perhaps a good place to start is to read the rest of 2 Chronicles. Perhaps God will still spare the faithful remnant...as He once did.
P.S. Some faithful Catholics may take offense to this post. However, When God permitted the chastisements of Ancient Israel, God did not separate the weeds from the wheat. The whole nation suffered together - while always preserving that "faithful remnant." Let's make sure we're the remnant and offer the chastisement for the conversion of others.
Sunday, September 20, 2020
Thursday, September 17, 2020
ON AGAIN OFF AGAIN - THE FILTHY MONEY TRAIL
In a recent news item, Apuron is looking to "stay" his case - i.e. NOT go to court.
However, this grossly contrasts with everything Apuron has said before - i.e. that he wants his "day in court."
From our view, Apuron is not in control of anything. The same bad actors i.e. the NCW puppet masters who controlled Apuron before he was run out of town, are the same FILTHY people still pulling the strings from behind their FILTHY curtain.
The FILTHY puppet masters have no interest in saving Apuron. The FILTHY puppet masters only have an interest in saving what they have been all about since the beginning.
Should Apuron be forced to go to Court, their other FILTHY dealings - including "the money trail," is at risk of being exposed.
AND THERE IS A MONEY TRAIL.
Tuesday, September 15, 2020
A TALE OF TWO QUITUGUAS - DAVID THE SMALL V DAVID THE TALL - A REPRISE
With the sad news of the passing of Msgr. David I.A. Quitugua (The Elder), it is a good time to remember how this brave priest stood up to the now discredited Apuron when no one else would.
We can thank him for calling Apuron to account that one fateful day in 2014 in that meeting with then-Apostolic Delegate, Archbishop Martin Krebs. All would unravel thereafter.
Monsignor knew he would be crushed by his haters. But he did what he did and offered himself on the cross of truth.
It would take four more years before the Vatican would finally pay attention and ultimately get rid of Apuron, but it may never have happened if not for this brave priest.
In 2016, JungleWatch Nation contributor, Robert Klitzkie, posted a two-part post entitled A Tale of Two Quitugua's.
The other Quitugua, known as "David the Tall," was on the opposite side of "David the Small" in the Apuron matter.
Let us pray for the repose of the soul of "David the Small." Perhaps, because of his courage that one fateful day in 2014, his path to heaven may now not take long.
Tuesday, September 8, 2020
A SUDDEN INTEREST IN A FIVE YEAR OLD MATTER?
Sometimes our stat counter tells us more about what is going on than the comments or the latest news. This week's top story, in terms of "hits" is a story from 2015.
While I will save more commentary for later, it appears that there is a sudden interest in the Luis Camacho matter.
Now, why would that be?
Monday, September 7, 2020
1789 - 1791 - 2020 WHAT DO THESE DATES MEAN FOR CATHOLICS ON GUAM?? Part I
1789
Having been raised in France as a Catholic 1789 means, the confiscation of all Catholic Church properties, the Civil Constitution of the Clergy, and the abolition of tithes.By these acts the revolution was doing a straight attack on the Church, this was followed by a motion to force the clergy to take an oath to the revolution. Some priests took the oath, but many fled the country in order not to do so.Many remained and faced the terrible retribution of the government. This led to many Catholics becoming very discontent with these moves and starting a movement of resistance.
1791
For French Catholics this is the worsening part of the revolution for them. Commonly called the reign of terror, (it was to last 3 bloody years) . Unfortunately historians, often for very partisan reason, prefer to concentrate on the events that happened in Paris, and almost completely overlook the genocide of Catholics in western France, and the Rhone Valley.Close to one million Catholics were killed by the infernal columns of the revolutionary armies, burning entire Villages, killing women and children, bayoneting elderlies, throwing people in deep wells and rivers, shooting anything that moved. Actions that would have made Hitler's SS squads, or the hoodlums of ISIS blush.
This was the first time in modern history that Catholics came under such savage attacks, not even seen during the so called religious wars of the 17th century, it made the bolshevik revolution look like a bunch of choir boys.
While French Catholics were physically wiped out, on the other side of the Atlantic, the newest country of the World, namely the United States of America, free citizens, were enacting one of the most brilliant legal document ever written: the United States Constitution. (1789-1791)
How did a country like France, which the Church recognized as the oldest daughter of the Roman Catholic Faith, arrived to such a state of decomposition, as to have a revolutionary movement, which would lead to genocide, civil war and a permanent state of War for almost a quarter of a century all throughout Europe, bringing devastation unseen since the 30 years war, and unequaled until the rise of communism?
Historians differ on the immediate causes, but most agree, that this decomposition took effect over half a century period, prior to the immediate causes of said revolution.In many ways it was a perfect storm of events that converged to create the perfect environment for that cataclysm, which many consider like the first communist and anti-religious movement of the next 250 years.
It is hard for Catholics today to reconcile these events with what is happening today, around the world but also here on our island. Frankly it is just not being taught at all. From 1789 to 1791, the world was both a very different place, but also a very similar one. Europe was in full technological and financial transformation, while Asia powers like China and India had started a long decline of their once glorious past. France, Spain and Austria were the most powerful Catholic States,Austria was the largest Empire in Europe, Spain had still the largest empire in the World, and after losing its northern American empire France was looking to expand elsewhere in Africa and Asia. While France had the largest population (25 millions), Great Britain had less than 8 millions and the USA had less than 4 millions in 1790. Guam was still part of the Spanish Empire, and would remain so until 1898.
So, what does all this have to do with Catholicism, you might ask?
Catholicism had been the major Religious denomination in Europe, since the Orthodox Schism of the middle ages, and remained so despite the reformation movement led by Calvin and Luther in the 16th century. As an organization it had brought stability and security to Europe after the fall of the Roman Empire in the 6th century. Most western countries had adopted the three ways (or tripod) social organization, which had stabilized the Medevial world, The Nobility (the lords and Kings) was in charge of safety, security and justice, while the Clergy was in charge of the spiritual and moral side of the society. Finally the People were in charge of the production of goods and products. The Clergy as the moral guarantor was also the Arbiter of conflicts between groups or corporations. Every one's right were codified and guaranteed with the help of charters, and everyone's duties were also determined in advance. The stereotype of Lords and Kings as all powerful tyrants is just that, a stereotype, born mostly in the industrial world of the 19th century. One thing that was at the center of this arrangement was the very Catholic notion of duty and responsibility, towards others.
REPLY TO FR. HEZEL
I don't know if the Post will run my multi-part answer. But I appreciate that the Editor was at least willing to run Part 1. Comments - pro or con - are important. If you have one, please leave a comment on the Guam Post website below my letter.
An answer to the 'empty pews' question
Saturday, September 5, 2020
DON'T FORGET...
Don't forget that this has nothing to do with the Boy Scouts of America and everything to do with the Archbishop of Agana - at the time (it wasn't Apuron yet) - who consented to a certain well-known PERVERSE cleric (now dead) to be the "Boy Scout Master" in Catholic parishes. Apuron was just a prodigy then.
Sex abuse survivors to meet filing deadline in Boy Scouts bankruptcy
"This is a disgraceful attempt by the Boy Scouts to severely limit attorney speech, thereby furthering an unspoken goal of getting as few abuse survivors to file claims against the Boy Scouts as possible," (Attorney Delia) Wolff said.
Full story here.
SandySeptember 25, 2020 at 1:57 PM