Posted on 05/01/2005 11:57:54 AM PDT by Antoninus
Of course, you're right, which is a very good start for a first time poster and future Priest.
May God's blessings be great for you. May he give you courage, and a stout heart.
I'm reading a book right now, that I'd like to recommend, if it's not too presumptuous. The book is called Man, The Saint, by Fr. J. Urteaga Loidi, and I have the sense that you would like it, and that it would inspire you.
God bless you in your vocation.
What do you like about Man, The Saint, by Fr. J. Urteaga Loidi?
Thank you for your courage.
Excellent post!! Good find!!
I will continue to monitor what happens at the University of Detroit Mercy. I live on campus and we are looking at different responses to the schools activities. We are working on starting a Cardinal Newman Society on campus first, collecting a strong case and then going to the Church authorities when we have student, faculty, parent, and alumni support.
What do you think?
Orthodox PING!
And a most blessed Pascha to you all as well. Christ is risen!
Did you see that Egan "deCatholized" a college in NY just last week? (CNS email - "Thank you everyone who participated in Cardinal Newman Society's protest against Hillary Clinton's commencement address and honorary degree at Marymount Manhattan College! Your actions have led to a just outcome and will send a strong message to other wayward Catholic colleges")
The bishops don't want bad behavior in their diocese reported to Rome, so he might act on his own, or might desire the backing of Rome.
Yup...
And if thy right hand offend thee, cut it off, and cast it from thee: for it is profitable for thee that one of thy members should perish, and not that thy whole body should be cast into hell. --Matthew 5:30 (KJV)So, WWJD?
For there are some eunuchs, which were so born from their mother's womb: and there are some eunuchs, which were made eunuchs of men: and there be eunuchs, which have made themselves eunuchs for the kingdom of heaven's sake. He that is able to receive it, let him receive it. --Matthew 19:12 (KJV)Why aren't all priests eunuchs?
Andrew,
Your experiences will bear great fruit in your ability to be an authentic witness to the gospel of Jesus Christ. I have a similar hope for myself. May we someday be co-workers in our Father's vineyard.
Fr. J. Urteaga Loidi, a man of wide experience in the direction of souls, was a Doctor of Law of the University of Madrid and a Doctor of Theology of the Lateran Pontifical University of Rome in the mid-20th century.
Man, the Saint was his first book. Mgr. Palazzini, the Secretary to the Sacred Congregation of the Concil, made the following remark in L'Osservatore Romano, the Vatican newspaper:
This invasion of human passion in the apologetic literature of our time is nothing new; we can refer to Peguy, Bloy, Mounier and Papini. But this book by J. Urteaga Loidi is a different phenomenon: theological knowledge without dangerous dilettantism, fury full of hope, a sense of conviction which has no pride in it for it is founded on faithfulness to the See of Peter, a humanity which ins not humanistic, vitality which makes one realize from the beginning that the author is no mere 'litterateur.'One sees the author now as the theologian, now as the man of wide secular culture, now as the man in the street. His book is made to be tasted little by little, like a strong drink...More than a book, it is a 'discorso' about the Christian the Church needs today.
Additionally, the forward, written by Raimondo Spiazzi, O.P., Rector of the Pontifical Pastoral Institute of the Lateran University notes the following: Especially for young people who are generous and pure this book is an appeal to them to give everything for the great cause; assured that to give everything is the only way to gain everything, to conquer themselves and the world.
Perhaps, though I shouldn't have recommended it. I'm in no way capable of offering spiritual advise, so maybe before reading it, you should discuss it with your Priest.
WOW it looks really cool!!! Thank you for telling me about it! I wonder if they have it on Amazon...
Never feel shy about recommending books! You don't have to have a PhD to give good advice. In fact I know a number of Jesuits who have PhD's and give terrible spiritual reading advice. ;)
In general, the Orthodox church has long opposed mutilation and even death as punishments for anything.
This article notwithstanding, I am unaware of any canons, ancient or modern, that would prescribe such a punishment.
Secular law certainly can do what it wills, and rulers of the Christian Roman Empire often felt that they needed sometimes to take very stern measures to keep order in their realms. The relationship between church and state in the Eastern Roman Empire in particularly is often misunderstood. The Christian emperors correctly recognized that Christianity brought health, and paganism brought sickness and disorder. Later Christian emperors recognized that heretical Christianity also brought disorder and sickness, and thus placed a high priority on encouraging the Church to discern true doctrine and to teach it.
They sometimes used stern measures to suppress heretics -- not because the Church canons directed them to do so, but because they viewed it as an application of civil means to achieve civil benefits. The same might have been true from time to time with regard to moral conduct. Obviously a church hierarchy given to homosexuality and pederasty would make for an unhealthy church, and thus an unhealthy populace.
But the rulers would be acting on their own initiative, applying civil punishments at their discretion to punish perversions of the church's moral teachings.
This might seem like a fine distinction, but I think that it is an important one. One of the reasons why we Orthodox Christians pray for our civil rulers numerous times in every cycle of services, no matter how ungodly or pious they are, is that the Church recognizes that by definition, secular rulers have a more difficult path to salvation because they have to do things to keep order in the realms given to them by God that are not conducive to spiritual growth: killing people, depriving people of property, depriving them of liberty... -- even if those people "deserve it," it is still not good for the soul of the one carrying out those punishments.
Why aren't all priests eunuchs?
because they don't need to be...to my knowledge none of the apostles were eunuchs yet they were faithful servants of Christ...
IMHO, the issue of eunuchs is along the same lines as unmarried priests...some can remain unmarried and some cannot yet both are acceptable as there is no doctrine denying a married priest...Being a eunuch is not a sole determinate to being a dedicated servant of Christ but can be good for those who do so for the sake of Heaven as is stated...
The New Testament doesn't authorize the use of violent force to compel obedience to the law of Christ by those who choose not to accept it.
Didn't stop the Church, did it? :-)
You're saying that they are "unable" to become eunuchs? Since if they are not "unable" then how do you reconcile it with Matthew 19:12, which says of castration: "He that is able to receive it, let him receive it."
Augustine contorted himself quite amazingly to try to twist the meaning of this verse. Note that Origen, the church father, did follow the verse and castrate himself... but I think most ignore this Scripture these days.
True -- I saw that when I read the text, but the title implies otherwise.
Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.