Posted on 08/01/2004 6:12:09 AM PDT by thegreatbeast
PORTLAND, Ore. – As a lay liturgical minister and a cantor, Wilma Hens was a leader at for years at her Roman Catholic parish in the central Oregon city of Bend.
But then Bishop Robert F. Vasa issued a two-page "affirmation of faith." It tells lay ministers and cantors that, if they want to continue in their roles on the altar, they must accept the church's teachings opposing abortion, contraception, gay relationships and other issues.
Hens couldn't agree, so she quit, publicly. She stood at a microphone at St. Francis of Assisi Church last month and told the congregation she was stepping down because she could not accept the bishop's requirement.
(Excerpt) Read more at newsmax.com ...
Catholics should never humor themselves that they are the only ones with a grasp of the truth regarding abortion.
Bye!
Amen to that!
This is sort of like an Orthodox Jew having bacon with his eggs, butter toast, milk and kippers on Saturday morning.
Why are you claiming to be Catholic, if you refuse the teachings of the Church. Become a Unitarian or Anglican, but don't demand that the entire Church change because you refuse to follow it.
One wonders why, Wilma. What was the purpose of your leadership for years, when apparently there was no faith to justify your position of leadership, or did you just enjoy cantoring?
Why stand at the microphone? This implies that she is proud of her position. There's no need for an opus nor a faux martyr performance..
Simply go away quietly like the disciples who stopped following Jesus.
I was born and raised a Catholic. I believe in Catholicism. Now lets get down to cases. Abortion is catching a lot of press lately , but lets look at thing catholics are supposed to not do, Catholics are not supposed to practice birth control using contraceptives, But probably 80% of them do, Catholics cannot get divorced, yet the catholic church for the right price will annul a marriage.Aristitle Onassis and Ted Kenedy come to mind. Most Catholics have reservations about where the Churches doctrines go and where their personal doctrines go.
Years ago my wife started using Birth Control pills , we couldnt afford more kids nor did we want more. Practising the so called Rythm method is a joke and I wasnt about to stop having sexwith my wife. I was in direct violation with my religion, I stopped going to Confession and communion as an act of conscience, and I have been out of the church ever since, but I am not a hypocrit who continues to do these things and accept Communion that I do not deserve.
I would make a bet that 5 out of 10 people receiving Communion in church this Sunday are not in what Catholics call a state of Grace, that many are practising contraception and that in spite of this Bishops edict he knows it.
I know many good Catholics who disagree with the Church on the issue of contraception. Married, happy couples who use some sort of birth control like the pill. I know good Catholic couples who have used some sort of aid in getting pregnant. And I am sure there are many good Catholics who masturbate. But all of these are against the official Church teaching.
A person in a leadership position of a church is held to a much higher standard than is a person in the body of the congregation.
No one was ask to leave the church. Only members of the lay ministry were ask to affirm the teachings of the church.
I may be nitpicky here, but I must tell you that Catholics are Christian.
This article is about a letter from a Catholic Bishop so the focus is on a Catholic. She can go to many Protestant churches that go along with her beliefs.
EXACTLY!
ping.
I wanted to cheat on the ol lady so I left also.
I don't think 20% of mass attendees would sign a Catholic statement of faith, unless they were willing to lie.
When I went through RCIA, at the end, I said I couldn't "sign on the dotted line", because I couldn't affirm the Catholic faith.
The leader said, "Just lie-we all do".
Roman Catholicism in the USA has a problem-most of its communicants are protestants/.
"I would make a bet that 5 out of 10 people receiving Communion in church this Sunday are not in what Catholics call a state of Grace, that many are practising contraception and that in spite of this Bishops edict he knows it."
What is your point? That a lot of people are doing it so God is wrong?
The Bishop doesn't "know" anything--YOU believe what YOU belive.
"A state of Grace"? Probably NONE of them are in a state of Grace.
Your tagline says it all, but, if there IS a God and you find yourself before Him a I don't advise using it as a defense.
No, we all don't. Did you report this "leader" to the Bishop?
But the number of nominal Catholics is much greater than the number of the faithful (IMO), and the bishops like having it that way, again, IMO.
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