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Episcopal Parish in Bladensburg Converts to Roman Catholic Church
The Washington Post ^ | 10/9/11 | J. Freedom du Lac and Michelle Boorstein

Posted on 10/10/2011 10:01:41 AM PDT by marshmallow

The Rev. Mark Lewis awoke early on the last morning of his life as an Anglican priest and dressed in a suit and tie instead of his usual priestly regalia. That’s different, he thought, for the first of many times on a day when so much was different for St. Luke’s, the small Episcopal church in Maryland where Lewis had been rector since 2006.

On Sunday — with Lewis wearing lay clothing and sitting with St. Luke’s parishioners inside the Crypt Church at Washington’s Basilica of the National Shine of the Immaculate Conception — most of the parish from Bladensburg converted to Catholicism.

In doing so, St. Luke’s became the first Episcopal church in the United States to convert under new Vatican rules meant to attract disaffected Protestants.

“This truly is a historic moment,” said Cardinal Donald W. Wuerl, the archbishop of the Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Washington, who led Sunday’s conversion Mass, which he called “a joyful moment of completion.”

Fifty-eight of St. Luke’s roughly 100 parishioners were confirmed at the applause-filled Mass, during which they were anointed by Wuerl — one by one, old and young, white and black.

Osita Okafor, a 56-year-old Nigerian immigrant, found himself first in line before Wuerl for the rite of reception. His reaction? “Oh, my God, I must be blessed.”

Like many members of St. Luke’s, Okafor is an immigrant from Africa — in his case, Nigeria. Many others are from the Caribbean.

(Excerpt) Read more at washingtonpost.com ...


TOPICS: Catholic; Ecumenism; Mainline Protestant
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To: sr4402
It is not Mary that makes the Lord Jesus Christ Divine but being God himself.

Nobody said otherwise, so you're shooting at strawmen. (Not to mention that the idea of a created being "making" someone "divine" is ridiculous. You can't give what you don't have.)

But if we refuse to call Mary "Mother of God" (the original Greek title was "Theotokos," literally, "God-bearer"), then we are necessarily doing one of three things. Either we are making Jesus less than God, or we are making him something other than one person, or we are making him something other than God incarnate, born of Mary.

Making Jesus less than God is the heresy of Arianism. That's what the Nicene Council shot down in AD 325.

Making Jesus something other than one person is the heresy of Nestorianism, shot down by the Council of Ephesus in AD 431.

Making Jesus something other than God incarnate can be any of a number of heresies, all of which we definitively shot down by the Council of Chalcedon in AD 451.

Making Jesus something other than a person born of Mary is too contrary to Scripture to be bandied about anywhere except by FR anti-Catholics. And yes, there used to be a couple of them on here that agreed that Mary was only Jesus' surrogate rent-a-womb mother, and had no real relationship to him. Seriously.

By the way, all of the Reformers stood with us on this, as will any Protestant minister with an orthodox Christology and a knowledge of Church history.

41 posted on 10/11/2011 5:41:12 AM PDT by Campion ("Fallacies do not cease to be fallacies when they become fashions." -- GKC)
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To: Campion
"Mother of God"

Calling Mary, the Mother of God put her over God. And God bows the knee to no one. Therefore the statement is Blasphemous.

42 posted on 10/11/2011 6:10:12 AM PDT by sr4402
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To: Campion
"Mother of God"

Calling Mary, the Mother of God puts her over God. And God bows the knee to no one. Therefore the statement is Blasphemous.

43 posted on 10/11/2011 6:10:28 AM PDT by sr4402
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To: Tax-chick; Chode

“”Do you speak Spanish? Would you like to join the choir? It’s never too early to volunteer for the Festival Committee!”

Hola! Lamento escuchar que la iglesia fue tomada por la enfermedad de homosexuales montado sucio. Bienvenidos a nuestra iglesia. Es bueno que tiene.

Me sing? Yea a lo so! So lo you can’t here it!!

Would you believe TC and Chode that I was baptized an Episcopal? My real mom and dad attended that church! Sometime after my real mom died my dad left, too many sad (happy but sad) memories. Dad went to the baptist church after that. So for the next how many years till I was 18 I was raised baptist? I was about three or four but I still remember that church. I was told it was going liberal back then but no where nears what it is today. My real mother was very conservative as is my father. I am sure my real mother must be turning over in her grave over this. My real mother loved going to church, and loved God. I am almost sure my mother would be happy with my decision to become Catholic.


44 posted on 10/11/2011 7:16:13 AM PDT by Morgana ("Since using your shampoo my hair has come alive!" ----Medusa)
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To: sr4402
Calling Mary, the Mother of God puts her over God.

It's a statement about that's more about the PERSONHOOD of Jesus Christ than Mary herself, that there are not two persons in Jesus, but only one, with two natures, human and divine.

Also, do you deny that Jesus was subject to Mary and Joseph?

"He went down with them, and came to Nazareth, and was subject to them." -Luke 2: 51

45 posted on 10/11/2011 7:25:53 AM PDT by Pyro7480 ("If you know how not to pray, take Joseph as your master, and you will not go astray." - St. Teresa)
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To: Campion; sr4402
Also, Scripture warns against heresies that make Jesus Christ less than what He is.

By this is the spirit of God known. Every spirit which confesseth that Jesus Christ is come in the flesh, is of God: And every spirit that dissolveth Jesus, is not of God: and this is Antichrist, of whom you have heard that he cometh, and he is now already in the world. -1 John 4: 2-3

46 posted on 10/11/2011 7:29:36 AM PDT by Pyro7480 ("If you know how not to pray, take Joseph as your master, and you will not go astray." - St. Teresa)
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To: Campion; sr4402
And God bows the knee to no one.

Not only does that go against Luke 2: 51, which I cited above, it goes against one of this famous Scripture passage.

For let this mind be in you, which was also in Christ Jesus: Who being in the form of God, thought it not robbery to be equal with God: But emptied himself, taking the form of a servant, being made in the likeness of men, and in habit found as a man. He humbled himself, becoming obedient unto death, even to the death of the cross. Philippians 2: 5-8

47 posted on 10/11/2011 7:32:51 AM PDT by Pyro7480 ("If you know how not to pray, take Joseph as your master, and you will not go astray." - St. Teresa)
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To: Cronos; Tax-chick; Chode

“you believe in this, I say so, now explain to me why.”

Cronos I have been told that since I became a Catholic!! Will someone please tell me why? You said it too! That is the best way it has ever been put. When I attended the Baptist church no one ever said that to me! No one ever attacked me when I was at the Baptist Church. True I was forced to go there by my parents and had no desire to be there, but this is beside the point. If someone asked where I went to church back then no one said “you believe in this, I say so, now explain to me why.” So what changed now?

When I was at the Baptist church they said you would be attacked for your Christian beliefs. They said this almost every Sunday and never knew what they meant until the day I was Baptized and confirmed a Catholic! (actually it began before then but...) The attacks have been non stop and from people I would not have thought. From other Christians!

For the record everyone, I had friends back when who were non Christians. They were a bit alarmed that I wanted to join the Catholic church as well. The only question they asked me however was “are you doing this on your own freewill?” and “is anyone forcing you?” When they realized it was my own decision they were cool with that. I never heard from them “you believe in this, I say so, now explain to me why.” I only hear this from other so called Christians.

Why is this?


48 posted on 10/11/2011 7:35:01 AM PDT by Morgana ("Since using your shampoo my hair has come alive!" ----Medusa)
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To: Campion; sr4402

Also, don’t forget that Our Lord washed the feet of His apostles at the Last Supper! This was God acting as a servant for His creation! What unfathomable humility!


49 posted on 10/11/2011 7:35:01 AM PDT by Pyro7480 ("If you know how not to pray, take Joseph as your master, and you will not go astray." - St. Teresa)
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To: Morgana

Not bad Spanish ;-).

My mother is facing similar difficulties with the Presbyterian Church - USA. 20 years ago, one could pretty much count on an old-fashioned worship service and plenty of community-service opportunities, but now more and more everything seems to be, “We have to make homosexuals happy, no matter what!”


50 posted on 10/11/2011 7:35:47 AM PDT by Tax-chick (A poor excuse for a pirate. Arrrr, you get what you pay for!)
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To: sr4402
Calling Mary, the Mother of God put her over God.

Is Jesus God, or isn't He?

Scripture says (Luke 2:51):

Then He went down with them and came to Nazareth, and was subject to them, but His mother kept all these things in her heart.
Is Scripture blasphemous?
51 posted on 10/11/2011 7:37:39 AM PDT by Campion ("Fallacies do not cease to be fallacies when they become fashions." -- GKC)
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To: Morgana; Cronos; Chode

What I find most tiresome is the assumption that anyone who reads a Bible will agree with all the personal interpretations of Person X. If you don’t, you must never read a Bible. (This in response to posts filled with Scripture quotations, usually, but what are facts when they contradict our self-image?)

What’s really odd is that differences in belief among non-Catholic, non-Orthodox Christians are often very significant, and yet proponents of very different theologies do not assume a priori that the other does not own or read a Bible.

On the positive side, I’ve rarely found people out in the Real World being so rude. They don’t walk into our church or our conferences to make their same old arguments. They only rarely accuse the Knights of Columbus to their faces of being a murderous cult. (This happened to my husband in front of Walmart doing the collection for the mentally handicapped.)

A Church of God pastor in Charlotte once decided that their church shouldn’t participate in the food bank or the homeless mission because some of the other volunteers were from Catholic churches, and his own congregation told him to take his personal problems for a hike - they would support community charities.


52 posted on 10/11/2011 7:48:00 AM PDT by Tax-chick (A poor excuse for a pirate. Arrrr, you get what you pay for!)
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To: Campion
All grace comes through Mary because all grace comes through the Incarnation of Jesus Christ, which came through Mary. Seems rather obvious.

Nope...Jesus didn't pass out a bit of grace while he walked the earth as a boy, or a man...Grace didn't come thru the incarnation...Grace comes thru the Risen Jesus Christ...

Matt 26:53 Jesus says he can call on 12 legions of angels. If he can, so can we. Additionally, he says in Matt 22:30 that the saints in heaven are like angels. Therefore, we can call on them, too.

I hope you don't bet your life on that...

Mat 22:30 For in the resurrection they neither marry, nor are given in marriage, but are as the angels of God in heaven.

And talk about taking things out of context: the reference is to the status of marriage...There ain't none because angels don't get married...Has nothing to do about we becoming angels...

Rev 8:3-4 The prayers of the faithful are presented to God by an angel

Exactly...TO GOD...Prayers are not delivered to Mary or saints...

As for Mary hearing prayers through God's grace and power, not her own, why should Cronos need Scripture to prove that God is in control and everything happens through Him? Don't you believe that as well?

Nice try but no cigar...

53 posted on 10/11/2011 8:07:11 AM PDT by Iscool (You mess with me, you mess with the WHOLE trailerpark...)
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To: Campion
Then He went down with them and came to Nazareth, and was subject to them, but His mother kept all these things in her heart.

Is Scripture blasphemous?

Nope...But apparently your understanding of it is...Obviously you are saying that Jesus is still subject to Mary...Jesus must still be subject to Joseph as well...

54 posted on 10/11/2011 8:20:07 AM PDT by Iscool (You mess with me, you mess with the WHOLE trailerpark...)
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To: Iscool
Was Jesus not God at the point in time described by Luke chapter 2?

Are Mary and Joseph still Jesus' mother and (foster) father, or did those relationships end at some point in time?

55 posted on 10/11/2011 8:49:02 AM PDT by Campion ("Fallacies do not cease to be fallacies when they become fashions." -- GKC)
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To: sr4402

“It is not Mary that makes the Lord Jesus Christ Divine but being God himself. “


Sure. Mary made Jesus man not Divine.


56 posted on 10/11/2011 9:04:46 AM PDT by ex-snook ("above all things, truth beareth away the victory")
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To: Campion
Are Mary and Joseph still Jesus' mother and (foster) father, or did those relationships end at some point in time?

1Co 2:4 And my speech and my preaching was not with enticing words of man's wisdom, but in demonstration of the Spirit and of power:
1Co 2:5 That your faith should not stand in the wisdom of men, but in the power of God.

Co 2:13 Which things also we speak, not in the words which man's wisdom teacheth, but which the Holy Ghost teacheth; comparing spiritual things with spiritual.

Jesus told us we are his mother and brothers and sisters...You guys are still on the wrong side of the Cross...Jesus is no longer crawling around in diapers...

57 posted on 10/11/2011 5:01:16 PM PDT by Iscool (You mess with me, you mess with the WHOLE trailerpark...)
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