Posted on 05/06/2008 6:36:34 PM PDT by Revelation 911
The Catholic Church has ordered dioceses across the globe not to give information in parish registers to members of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. The Vatican Congregation for Clergy issued a letter directing all Catholic bishops to keep LDS members from microfilming and digitizing information in registers, according to the Catholic News Service.
CNS reported the Vatican had "grave reservations" about the LDS Church's practice of posthumous baptisms by proxy, a practice in which the names of the deceased are baptized into the LDS faith so that they may be united in the afterlife with LDS families, if they so choose.
Father James Massa, executive director of the U.S. bishop's Secretariat of Ecumenical and Interreligious Affairs is quoted by CNS as saying the step was taken to prevent LDS members from using the records.
"The congregation requests that the conference notifies each diocesan bishop in order to ensure that such a detrimental practice is not permitted in his territory, due to the confidentiality of the faithful and as not to cooperate with the erroneous practices of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints," CNS reports the Vatican letter stating.
Story continues below The letter was issued April 5, 10 days before Pope Benedict XVI's U.S. visit, which included an ecumenical prayer service attended by two LDS leaders. CNS reports this was the first time Mormons had participated in a papal prayer service. LDS Church spokesman Scott Trotter said the LDS First Presidency hadn't had a chance to review the actual letter. "We haven't seen the letter yet, so it's premature to say anything," Trotter said. Church spokesman Mike Otterson said the church may have more to say on the subject later in the week and that LDS officials had not yet made contact with Vatican representatives about the issue.
Father Massa is quoted as saying he could see how the move could strain relations between the two churches. "It certainly has that potential," CNS quotes Father Massa as saying. "But I would also say that the purpose of interreligious dialogue is not to only identify agreements, but also to understand our differences. As Catholics, we have to make very clear to them their practice of so-called rebaptism is unacceptable from the standpoint of Catholic truth."
CNS quotes Msgr. J. Terrence Fitzgerald, vicar general of the Diocese of Salt Lake City, as saying he didn't understand why the LDS church was singled out by the Vatican letter. "We have a policy not to give out baptismal records to anyone unless they are entitled to have them," Msgr. Fitzgerald told CNS. "That isn't just for the Church of the Latter-day Saints. That is for all groups."
The move by the Vatican could have a profound impact on the ability of genealogy researchers to trace many family histories.
Russell Bangerter has been doing professional genealogy research since 1979 and has a degree in genealogy family history from BYU. Bangerter said his clients, from many faiths, all have an interest in creating a bond with their heritage.
"Some of them are LDS and some of them are not LDS. They simply just want to know their roots," Bangerter said.
He said he has used parish registers in his research before. Bangerter said a typical parish register, Catholic as well as those of other Christian faiths, contain christening and birth data, marriage data as well as deaths and burial information.
Bangerter said much of his research doesn't have anything to do with religious work, and closing those records simply hurts families who want to know their roots.
"There's also the ecumenical side of things," Bangerter said. He points to the LDS Church's own Family History Library, in which people from all walks of life are welcome to access data. "I've seen all kinds of people there. I've seen rabbis, I've seen nuns and I've seen priests there as well."
If I was a coward I never would have responded to your posts in the first place. You made the charge, now back it up. What question, specifically, have you asked that I haven't answered?
When the answer is hot you call for Admins. and when you feel it is better you respond.
That is correct. When you cross the line of decency, I will hit the abuse button. When you coverse politely, I will respond. I am not obligated to respond to rude people.
You have no power over me or my relatives
I never claimed any.
nor any of our posters
Posters?
because God took it away and I will expose you and your friends on the air for the frauds that you are.
Expose away. We're not talking about anything new, here. This has been Mormon doctrine for over 150 years.
Bwahahaah! Oh, yeah...we can’t wait to make Mormons of all those Catholics! You guys are hilarious. You know, if the Catholic church is so worried about our baptisms for the dead, I guess they must believe there is some truth to it, huh?
can you provide a name and address to whom we might voice our objections
fyi - Ive reported this as a personal attack against fatima
I'm guessing it's the underwear.
sweeet!
That could have covered Simon Wiesenthal and Adolf Hitler, but it doesn't cover Anne Frank, all three of these were baptized as were Ghengis Khan, Joan of Arc, Josef Stalin and Buddha, and I assume the Popes.
You can open your phone book and find the address of the local LDS genealogical library. The staff can provide you the necessary information.
I did not get the opportunity to see those posts as they were deleted immediately - really....you probably waited 30-40 seconds before hitting the button
I’d like that info, as well. I wonder if you could send a blanket letter repudiating the baptism and requesting that they keep their morg paws off of your family info.
Well, whatever you posted in the deleted posts:
YOU GO GIRL!
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