Father Bob Bedard,CC
I quite distinctly remember, back in the summer of 1970, spending the month of July in Tucson, Arizona. I covered for pastor of Holy Family parish there. I drove both there and back with other priests, fellow teachers at St. Pius X High School.
I have always enjoyed my sojourns in the United States. There’s something about the American spirit that I admire. It may have something to do with the consistent optimism I pick up in the peoples’ attitudes.
But as we headed back through California, Oregon and Washington, I realized that I missed my own country. The car ferry took us to Vancouver Island and the city of Victoria. As we got closer, although I had never before been there, I began to say to myself: “This is my native land, my Canada.” And I choked up a bit as a few tears trickled down my face. It hit me that I actually had a real love for my country.
Now, almost 30 years later, I have to report, sadly, those patriotic emotions have dried up altogether. I used to be proud of my country. I’m not any more. I once had real hope this nation could become a beacon to the world. My hopes have been dashed.
We have no law at all protecting the unborn. The slaughter continues unabated. Abortion can be carried out at any time with no reason other than the mother’s own decision that she doesn’t want the child.
The contraceptive mentality has taken over at all levels of society. People of faith and no faith together embrace it, Catholics included, who feel justified by the Winnipeg Statement of 1970 which continues to stand today as a clear repudiation of Pope Paul’s Humanae Vitae.
Our courts have handed down progressively bizarre decisions. A couple of year’s ago, a woman, about to give birth, took a gun and shot the emerging child in the head. The court’s decision? No crime. Not even a misdemeanour. Off scot free. All but one of our Supreme Court judges are pro-abortion.
The courts have also attempted to re-define the family. The top court in the land has recently decreed that the concept of family must be broadened to include same-sex couples.
A court in B.C. recently, ruled it is a human right to possess child pornography.
Our politicians have continued to let us down. Former Prime Minister, Paul Martin, came down hard on any member of the ruling party who dissented from government policies on life and family issues. The present premier of Ontario, also a Catholic, is on record with his aggressive pro-abortion and pro-homosexual stand. He will refuse, he says to sign a potential candidate’s papers who is pro-life or pro-family. He even made a special trip to Toronto from his home in Ottawa to walk in the militant and blasphemous so-called “Gay Pride” march. Mayor after mayor in municipalities across the country have been bullied by the anti-God lobbies into doing the same thing.
The media has supported the new ‘movement’ almost 100%. It is so rare to read a newspaper editorial or column that supports God’s order or the Church that we react in joyful amazement.
Our foreign aid record has been mediocre at best. Domestically, the rich still get richer on the backs of the poor. Our immigration policy has improved, thanks be to God, and is no longer based on discriminatory principles of national quotas.
The missionary efforts of the Church have weakened badly. Some communities have made it clear that they don’t go to foreign lands any more to convert people to Christ, but rather to learn from them while helping them in matters of health, development and education.
Sounds pessimistic, doesn’t it? But, oddly enough, I’m not a pessimist. I know a great many Christian people, Catholics included, are lamenting with the Lord over the state of things and are praying hard that he will bring about a big turn-around. I’m with them. Will he do it? He certainly can. He was willing to save Sodom if He could find but a handful who were on his side. He couldn’t find them.
As I sing our national anthem. “Woe, Canada”, I want to shout out to the nation “Whoa, Canada! Slow down! You’re on a slippery slope to destruction. Come back to god. He can save us yet”. If only we would turn to Him….
Wednesday, November 12, 2008
Medjugorje
Father Bob Bedard, CC
The word Medjugorje, means in Croatian, we’re told, between the mountains. The small hamlet is in the relatively new republic of Bosnia-Herzegovina, one of four independent states that broke off, after the collapse of Communism in eastern Europe, from their previous union with Serbia, the union which had been known as Jugoslavia (the country of the south Slavs). The other new nations are Croatia, Slovenia, and Montenegro. Serbia and Macedonia have hung in together and continue to be known as Jugoslavia.
Medjugorje is nestled between the Herzegovinian hills. It is best known in the Catholic world as the site of the reported apparitions that began in Medjugorje June, 1981 and have continued every day for the last 25 years. Millions have visited there during that time. Nothing more than jagged rocks mark the place of the Blessed Mother’s supposed appearances in the beginning. Vigorously denied and opposed by the communist regime, the people involved were harassed brutally. A heavenly personality visiting an atheistic country? How very embarrassing for the government!
Coming to their senses eventually, and realizing the economic bonanza it could become, the territorial officials softened their stand and actually began to co-operate with the visitors and those who organized the crowds coming. Now the place is built up with hotels, stores, and all kinds of conveniences. If a lot of people are going to come into our country, the government reasoned, bringing money with them, we might as well get in on it. My own question is why it took them so long to figure it out. Maybe it meant that the average communist of the time wasn’t too bright.
Medjugorje is in the diocese of Mostar-Duvno and the parish is in the care of the Franciscans.
The local bishop, the Most Rev. Ratko Peric, visited the parish, St. James by name, June 15 , ’06 to preside at the Sacrament of Confirmation. On that occasion, he reminded his listeners that the Church has never affirmed the claims of the visionaries and he urged them to stop making public claims of authenticity. The whole thing is spurious, he said.
He reminded the people of the interim decision rendered by the Conference of Croatian Bishops about ten or twelve years ago which declared that no supernatural intervention could be attached to the alleged apparitions. Furthermore, the body of bishops forbade any official diocesan pilgrimage, as occur regularly at Lourdes and Fatima, from being undertaken. But, it was understood, individuals could visit and such persons should be provided with the appropriate pastoral services.
The Vatican has never ruled on the authenticity, or lack of it, of the phenomena. The simple reason for Rome’s silence is that such decisions are never made until the reported apparitions cease. They’re said to be still going on daily.
Bishop Peric said Pope Benedict expressed the same sentiments when the Croatian bishops met with him at their recent “ad limina” (every 5 years) visit. He made reference as well to several Franciscans, having been suspended, who have continued to administer the Sacraments. This disobedience is a poor example, he said, to the faithful.
The Medjugorje controversy rages on. I have no opinion any more about the genuineness of the visions. What I do know is that large crowds continue to gather and virtually every person I’m aware of who has visited the site has been rather richly blessed. In addition, the fact is that many pilgrims have been converted there. If skeptics are becoming believers, making their first Confession in 30, 40, or 50 years, the grace of the Holy Spirit is obviously at work.
The authenticity of Medjugorje may officially be in doubt, but it seems without dispute that the Lord is working there. Our Lady, too.
The word Medjugorje, means in Croatian, we’re told, between the mountains. The small hamlet is in the relatively new republic of Bosnia-Herzegovina, one of four independent states that broke off, after the collapse of Communism in eastern Europe, from their previous union with Serbia, the union which had been known as Jugoslavia (the country of the south Slavs). The other new nations are Croatia, Slovenia, and Montenegro. Serbia and Macedonia have hung in together and continue to be known as Jugoslavia.
Medjugorje is nestled between the Herzegovinian hills. It is best known in the Catholic world as the site of the reported apparitions that began in Medjugorje June, 1981 and have continued every day for the last 25 years. Millions have visited there during that time. Nothing more than jagged rocks mark the place of the Blessed Mother’s supposed appearances in the beginning. Vigorously denied and opposed by the communist regime, the people involved were harassed brutally. A heavenly personality visiting an atheistic country? How very embarrassing for the government!
Coming to their senses eventually, and realizing the economic bonanza it could become, the territorial officials softened their stand and actually began to co-operate with the visitors and those who organized the crowds coming. Now the place is built up with hotels, stores, and all kinds of conveniences. If a lot of people are going to come into our country, the government reasoned, bringing money with them, we might as well get in on it. My own question is why it took them so long to figure it out. Maybe it meant that the average communist of the time wasn’t too bright.
Medjugorje is in the diocese of Mostar-Duvno and the parish is in the care of the Franciscans.
The local bishop, the Most Rev. Ratko Peric, visited the parish, St. James by name, June 15 , ’06 to preside at the Sacrament of Confirmation. On that occasion, he reminded his listeners that the Church has never affirmed the claims of the visionaries and he urged them to stop making public claims of authenticity. The whole thing is spurious, he said.
He reminded the people of the interim decision rendered by the Conference of Croatian Bishops about ten or twelve years ago which declared that no supernatural intervention could be attached to the alleged apparitions. Furthermore, the body of bishops forbade any official diocesan pilgrimage, as occur regularly at Lourdes and Fatima, from being undertaken. But, it was understood, individuals could visit and such persons should be provided with the appropriate pastoral services.
The Vatican has never ruled on the authenticity, or lack of it, of the phenomena. The simple reason for Rome’s silence is that such decisions are never made until the reported apparitions cease. They’re said to be still going on daily.
Bishop Peric said Pope Benedict expressed the same sentiments when the Croatian bishops met with him at their recent “ad limina” (every 5 years) visit. He made reference as well to several Franciscans, having been suspended, who have continued to administer the Sacraments. This disobedience is a poor example, he said, to the faithful.
The Medjugorje controversy rages on. I have no opinion any more about the genuineness of the visions. What I do know is that large crowds continue to gather and virtually every person I’m aware of who has visited the site has been rather richly blessed. In addition, the fact is that many pilgrims have been converted there. If skeptics are becoming believers, making their first Confession in 30, 40, or 50 years, the grace of the Holy Spirit is obviously at work.
The authenticity of Medjugorje may officially be in doubt, but it seems without dispute that the Lord is working there. Our Lady, too.
da Vinci
Father Bob Bedard, CC
Profanity is the casual and inappropriate use of the Lord’s Holy Name. Blasphemy is contempt for or abuse of God or sacred things.
The “da Vinci Code” is blasphemous. Though the author says it is fiction, he also says in many ways that the facts (which ones?) contained in the ‘novel’ are true.
But, in any case, the story involves Jesus conspiring with a band of followers to fake his death on the Cross and to co-operate with a tissue of lies that traces a story of His subsequent activities. These include a marriage with Mary Magdalen and children from their union. This is obviously blasphemous.
Included in the story is the Catholic Church as a conniving institution, concerned only about its status and influence. If not actually blasphemous, this is at least grossly insulting.
Unfortunately, people love stories and reports that paint the Catholic Church as evil. The Church has taken seriously its mandate from the Lord Himself to proclaim the truth to all nations and generations. And the truth, as we know, hurts. Those who feel hurt fight back. The Church consistently speaks the truth about everything it knows, including life and sexual morality. This puts it in direct mortal combat with powerful world forces and conspiracies.
An important part of the world powers’ strategy is to support anything or anybody who attempts to damage the Church’s reputation. It doesn’t help that we, in our weakness, play into their hands when some of our members succumb to their sinful inclinations.
The da Vinci Code paints the Church in the most unflattering of colours. Only those who already hate it and those who are gullible will accept the book as based on truth. The rest of us see it as it is: libel, plain and simple.
It is a truism by now that the only acceptable prejudice remaining in our society today is being anti-Catholic.
Isn’t it amazing how careful people are to create a distance between themselves and material that is anti-Islam? The recent world-wide furore over some cartoons originally published in Denmark referring to Mohammed, Islam’s founder, in less than positive ways, is a case in point. But if the Catholic Church can be bombed, side-swiped, blind-sided, libelled, or trashed, it is fair game.
Father Lindsay Harrison of St. Patrick’s Basilica in Ottawa has written a sensible and insightful piece on the da Vinci Code for St. Joseph’s Workers for Life and Family. If you were to contact this ministry at 613.742.7012 or info@sjw.ca, I’m sure you could obtain a copy.
Profanity is the casual and inappropriate use of the Lord’s Holy Name. Blasphemy is contempt for or abuse of God or sacred things.
The “da Vinci Code” is blasphemous. Though the author says it is fiction, he also says in many ways that the facts (which ones?) contained in the ‘novel’ are true.
But, in any case, the story involves Jesus conspiring with a band of followers to fake his death on the Cross and to co-operate with a tissue of lies that traces a story of His subsequent activities. These include a marriage with Mary Magdalen and children from their union. This is obviously blasphemous.
Included in the story is the Catholic Church as a conniving institution, concerned only about its status and influence. If not actually blasphemous, this is at least grossly insulting.
Unfortunately, people love stories and reports that paint the Catholic Church as evil. The Church has taken seriously its mandate from the Lord Himself to proclaim the truth to all nations and generations. And the truth, as we know, hurts. Those who feel hurt fight back. The Church consistently speaks the truth about everything it knows, including life and sexual morality. This puts it in direct mortal combat with powerful world forces and conspiracies.
An important part of the world powers’ strategy is to support anything or anybody who attempts to damage the Church’s reputation. It doesn’t help that we, in our weakness, play into their hands when some of our members succumb to their sinful inclinations.
The da Vinci Code paints the Church in the most unflattering of colours. Only those who already hate it and those who are gullible will accept the book as based on truth. The rest of us see it as it is: libel, plain and simple.
It is a truism by now that the only acceptable prejudice remaining in our society today is being anti-Catholic.
Isn’t it amazing how careful people are to create a distance between themselves and material that is anti-Islam? The recent world-wide furore over some cartoons originally published in Denmark referring to Mohammed, Islam’s founder, in less than positive ways, is a case in point. But if the Catholic Church can be bombed, side-swiped, blind-sided, libelled, or trashed, it is fair game.
Father Lindsay Harrison of St. Patrick’s Basilica in Ottawa has written a sensible and insightful piece on the da Vinci Code for St. Joseph’s Workers for Life and Family. If you were to contact this ministry at 613.742.7012 or info@sjw.ca, I’m sure you could obtain a copy.
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