Vocational Meeting In Philadelphia

Tomorrow one can watch the vocational meeting with Kiko in Philadelphia at www.ewtn.com/ncw. It will be around 4pm Monday, Eastern Time. 

Pass the word.  :-)

Where Is The Tally?

The following comment came from an anonymous commenter who calls himself Jokers Wild: 

AnonymousSeptember 27, 2015 at 12:12 AM

junglewatch is also accusing the NCW of being AIRPORT CATHOLICS. Do the research, their(Latin Rite Fans) Spiritual Director(Fr. Eric) has been off-island many more times than our archbishop and even Fr. Pius. Birds of a feather flock together. Whats even worse is that this priest has been to manila on numerous occasions this year just to go shopping. Hes now in California just for the end production stage of a DVD. So if they want to criticize the Archbishop, NCW members and RMS Priests for their travel patterns, go right ahead. Then we should take a tally of all travel made by ALL priests of this archdiocese to include their purpose of the trip and their detailed itinerary. Lets find out where they went, where they ate, where they slept at night, where they shopped, where they had their entertainment at, where they played their video games and while we're at it lets just request for who traveled with them and why did they have to go.
Come on people apply the standards to everyone.


-Jokers Wild

 

He brought up an interesting point.  When Tim Rohr accused Archbishop Apuron and the RMS priests of being Airport Catholics, where is the tally?  Did anyone from the jungle camp ever ask Tim Rohr to show them the count compared with the rest of the other non-RMS priests?  Or did they simply just swallow everything the jungle fed them? 

 Tim Rohr focused the junglefolks so much on the trips of the Archbishop that no one even asked or bothered to do any research on the travels of all the priests.  Where is the tally in the jungle?  The junglefolks often dictate to the NCW to question their NCW leaders, but they do not practice what they preach.  Why have they not asked their leader Tim Rohr to show them the tally and research of ALL the priests who have traveled? 

 I agree with Jokers Wild.  BEFORE you criticized the Archbishop of taking too many trips, do a tally and research first on ALL the priests.  After you have done your tally and research, then you can criticize all you want.  

Misinterpretations From The Jungle

During a dialogue with an anonymous commenter, he/she pointed to a weblink in Junglewatch, which can be found here.  Tim Rohr wrote about the NCW and Money.  According to Tim Rohr: 

Art. 1, §3 of the Statute of the Neocatechumenal Way states that the NCW is "endowed with a public juridical personality." What does this mean? According to church law, there are three types of persons: physical, moral, and juridic. The NCW is a juridic person. A juridic person is "like a civil-law corporation", and can "own property, enter into contracts, sue or be sued." (1).

Notice how Tim Rohr used only half a sentence in order to mislead people.  In here, he misleads people into thinking that the NCW is a juridic person and can therefore own property, enter into contracts, sue or be sued.  This is actually what the Statutes state (the bold is mine): 

§ 3. The Neocatechumenal Way, endowed with public juridical personality,2 is composed of an ensemble of spiritual goods:3

What I placed in bold is what Tim Rohr left out.  He only read up to the word "personality" and stopped there.  If had continued to read the whole sentence, it says that the NCW is composed of an ensemble of "SPIRITUAL goods." In other words, the NCW is a juridic person composed of "spiritual goods."  Property is not a "spiritual good." 

In regards to Article 4 Sections 1-3 Tim Rohr interprets it as follows (the bold is mine):

So let's interpret all this. The Church is saying that in regards to funding activities the NCW should erect an autonomous foundation which is recognized by civil authorities. In other words, they are to do what almost every other Catholic organization does: register and regulate itself, and institute a system of financial accountability. (On Guam and in the U.S., this would be a non-profit corporation.) And, as per § 3, even prior to or in the absence of an "autonomous foundation", the money collected at the community level must still "respect the law."  

 

Tim Rohr stated:  ".....the NCW should erect an autonomous foundation which is recognized by civil authorities."  This is actually what the Statutes stated (the bold is mine and underline is mine): 

 

§ 2. When in a diocese it is considered useful to financially support initiatives and activities for the evangelization realized through the Neocatechumenal Way, the diocesan bishop, at the request of the International Responsible Team of the Way, will consider the suitability of erecting an autonomous diocesan foundation, with juridical personality, regulated by its own statutes, which will also be recognized by the civil authorities. This may also be supported by  oblatory donations made by participants in the Neocatechumenal Way, as well as by foundations and other individuals.

Tim Rohr stated that it was the NCW that should erect this autonomous foundation.  The Statutes made it clear that it was the Diocesan Bishop that will erect the autonomous foundation.  Because Tim Rohr misled people into thinking that it was the NCW that erects this foundation and is a juridic person, he thinks that it was the NCW who has to be recognized by the civil authorities and respect the law.  The Statutes made it clear that the foundation established by the Bishop is the one that is a juridic person whose statutes are recognized by the civil authorities. 

Regarding the monies collected in the communities which Tim Rohr cited in Article 4, Section 3 of the Statutes, he explained (the bold is mine): 

And what law would that be? 

 

So long as the NCW operates under the auspices of the parish, it is the parish itself that is covered by the civil law which grants financial autonomy to churches. Thus, every dime and dollar moved within the context of any gathering or activity of the NCW is subject to the same accounting requirements of the parish as is every other dime and dollar. And in this regard, it is the parish pastor who MUST see to it that those funds are accounted for the same as it is his duty to see to the handling of any other monies or collections. 

 

This is what the APPROVED Statutes stated in Article 4 Section 3 (the bold is mine): 

 

§ 3. In the communities, collections are made to answer different needs. It is the task of the responsible team of the community and of the responsible teams of the Way at every level, to ensure that such collections are administered with a great sense of responsibility and respect for the law.

The APPROVED Statutes made it clear that the responsible team of the community and the responsible teams of the Way are authorized to ensure that such collections are administered with responsibility and respect for the law.  The Holy See did not give that authority to the parish pastor.  So, what do you think?  Do you think that Tim Rohr made an honest mistake and did not know how to read the Statues properly?  Or do you think he deliberately lied to mislead people into believing him to serve his agenda?  And most amazing thing of all, all those under the jungle thread did not even bother to correct Tim Rohr.  They simply swallowed up everything he misinterprets.   

To Jaden

An anonymous commenter alerted me to Jaden's message to me in the jungle.  Why he needed to address me in the jungle when I have a blog here is beyond me.  According to his message, which was delivered to my blog by an anonymous commenter: 

AnonymousSeptember 25, 2015 at 9:48 PM

Diana, Jaiden has something to say to you. Tim Rohr put his message on his blog.

"Hi I'm Jaden and I was attacked for my words that I used in my interview. Common sense Mrs Diana it is impossible to build a building with blood and stone. But to build a building with stone and mortar even a 12 year old knows blood can't build a building I meant in my words that through the blood of the martyrs the church was built. I was also speaking about the faithful not the building. As I pointed to the cathedral I was pointing to to Lord our God who offers himself in the sacrifice of the mass present in the structure Mrs Diana ur knowledge is strong but Christ said it is children's faith that can get u into heaven"

http://www.junglewatch.info/

This is my response:

First of all, my words were not an attack on you, but a correction.  Someone had to correct you in your error when you believed that the Church is a stone building rather than allow you to continue to believe in the error. 

Secondly, I saw the video.  You pointed to the Cathedral as you said "THIS Church...."  You specifically stated "THIS Church....." as you pointed to the cathedral. You should have pointed to yourself and the people around you.  That is the Church.   

Now, you stated:  "As I pointed to the cathedral I was pointing to to Lord our God who offers himself in the sacrifice of the mass present in the structure." 


I see......So, Jaden, when you stated in the video "THIS Church was built by the blood of the martyrs"  as you pointed to the Cathedral, you were referring to our Lord God who gave Himself in the sacrifice of the Mass.  Well, dear Jaden, that is STILL incorrect. 

Our Lord God who offers Himself in the sacrifice of the Mass is NOT the Church.  He is the HEAD of the Church.  In fact, Christ was never called the Church or even THIS Church (as you stated in the video pointing to our Lord God in the sacrifice of the Mass), and even my kids who are much younger than you know that.  Christ was the one who built the Church.  

Therefore, to correct your error....... When you stated: THIS Church was built by the blood of the martyrs, you should NOT be pointing to the Cathedral nor to our Lord God who gave Himself in the sacrifice of the Mass.  Why?  Because the Church is not a stone building, and our Lord God is also NOT the Church.  He is the HEAD of the Church.  Thus, your finger should have been pointing to yourself or to the people.   That is the correction.


You stated:  Mrs Diana ur knowledge is strong but Christ said it is children's faith that can get u into heaven"

No Jaden, Christ did not say that.  Christ said, "Truly I tell you, anyone who will not receive the kingdom of God like a little child will never enter it.” (See Luke 18:17 and Mark 10:15)
Jaden, if you wish to grow in faith, read the scriptures and listen to the homilies of the priests.  May peace be with you.   

Money Is Always An Issue

It appears that some people are under the mistaken belief that the money the NCW puts in the trash bag is money that belongs to those not walking in the Way.  According to an anonymous commenter whose comment can be found here.:

AnonymousSeptember 24, 2015 at 1:27 AM

Diana, I'm not ahainst you I'm just trying to show you concerns. For example you have
Eucharist. No problem. Except those who go to Eucharist of NCW place their $10 in
Trash bag. That $10 should be in parish collection. So parish loses $10 but still pays
Diocesan assessment. So parish collections really suffer. I know one priest who is now
Starving because he cannot afford to buy food. Reality is Diana clergy are without food
Basic needs here in Guam. I am having to send food to rectory because priest has no money
To buy food. He already lost about 20k in weight because only eating one meal a day.
This is how bad it is. Yet Archbishop can ear in Roy's three times a day and between
Meals in Shirley's. Makes us cry to see priests with no food to eat.

 

This is my response: 

 

First of all, we do not collect any money during the Eucharist. 

 

Secondly, our APPROVED statutes (which was passed by the Vatican) explain what we are to do with any temporal goods that the communities collect.  Article 4, Section 1 states that the communities are not to have any goods of their own.  This means that whatever monies we collect cannot be kept but used for a purpose.  Article 4 section 2 states: 

 

§ 2. When in a diocese it is considered useful to financially support initiatives and activities for the evangelization realized through the Neocatechumenal Way, the diocesan bishop, at the request of the International Responsible Team of the Way, will consider the suitability of erecting an autonomous diocesan foundation, with juridical personality, regulated by its own statutes, which will also be recognized by the civil authorities. This may also be supported by  oblatory donations made by participants in the Neocatechumenal Way, as well as by foundations and other individuals. 

Thus, the statutes is saying that the Diocesan Bishop (in this case the Archbishop) establishes an autonomous diocesan foundation that will be used to financially support the initiatives and activities for the evangelization of the NCW.  This foundation is supported by donations from members of the Way as well as other foundations and other individuals.  It did NOT say that the foundation would be supported by parishes.  Section 3 of Article 4 then state: 

§ 3. In the communities, collections are made to answer different needs. It is the task of the responsible team of the community and of the responsible teams of the Way at every level, to ensure that such collections are administered with a great sense of responsibility and respect for the law. 

The approved Statutes give the authority to the Responsible team of the community and the responsible teams of the Way to decide how these collections should be used, and they should do it with a great sense of responsibility and respect for the law.  In other words, they are not to pocket the money for themselves, and there are rules to ensure that does not happen in the same way that there are rules in place at the parish to ensure that money is not stolen.  These are the rules set down and approved by the Pope, which should be followed. 

In the third place, the money that the NCW puts in the trash bag is always slated for a specific purpose, and it would be against the law to use the money other than what it was collected for.  This is the same rule that the parish follows by law.  If a parishioner donates money for a specific purpose (such as paying the electricity bill of the church), the parish cannot use that money for any other purpose.  Therefore, what the NCW members collects in the trash bag is not your money.  The itinerants and mission families that were sent to the U.S. to see the Pope came from the pockets of the NCW members and its foundation.  It did not come from the parish.  In other words, all the money you give to your parish every Sunday is not used for sending itinerants or mission families off-island.   It is also not used to pay for the retreats of the NCW, which is usually held in hotels.  The NCW members pay for their retreats. 

Finally, in regards to your starving priest... take him out to dinner.  There is no reason for a priest to be starving.  The parishioners of a parish are supposed to take care of their priest, not just pray for him.  I have seen parishioners invite the priest to their homes for lunch or even to their home fiesta and barbecue.  I have seen parishioners drop food in the parish office. There are also times my community have taken our priest out to dinner after the celebrations.  Each parish is supposed to take care of its priest. 

NCW Helping The Pilgrimage

           In Milford, a rest stop for Francis-focused pilgrims

The pilgrim is familiar in folklore: someone journeying over hill and dale to arrive at a sacred space, a dusty-footed wanderer relying on the kindness of strangers.

A modern-day pilgrimage will look like this: Dozens of Canadian Catholics traveling 2,900 miles and bedding down in a Milford church hall for the night, then taking a bus to Philadelphia to be in the presence of their Holy Father.

Families with children will rest on mats and sleeping bags on the floor. The group will take repeated bus trips to the city and back over several days, braving traffic and crowds on little sleep. One visitor is two years old; another is 82.

At St. John the Apostle Church in Milford, which is hosting most of the visitors for their four-night stay, Michael Darcy understands the pull of seeing the pope in person. In his time with the Catholic Church, he has been to Vatican City more than once, and briefly spoke to Pope John Paul II during an audience with him there in 1989.

“Even if you only see him on a Jumbotron screen, nevertheless, there’s something about being there and being present,” Darcy said. “It is a pilgrimage, and sometimes a pilgrimage involves hardship. It’s not a vacation.”

For many of the pilgrims, this will be the first time they’re visiting the eastern U.S., said Connie Shepherd, a member of Vancouver’s Blessed Sacrament Parish. Shepherd and her husband were tasked by church leaders with organizing the visit.

“We have no experience in organizing pilgrimages,” Shepherd says earnestly. “We’re accountants.” But they have pulled it off nonetheless.

Shepherd and her fellow parishioners are a part of the Neocatechumenal Way, an organization within the Catholic Church dedicated to encouraging Catholic belief among adults. Spread among some 40,000 like-minded parishes around the world, the movement has around 1 million members.

A friend of Darcy’s who also belongs to the Neocatechumenal Way learned of the Canadians’ desire to see Pope Francis in Philadelphia and connected them to the Milford church.

“I’m looking forward to a word from God that will enlighten my life,” Shepherd said of the pilgrimage. “It’s a very moving journey.”

To make the adventure work, Shepherd and her group will arrive on flights landing in Baltimore and Philadelphia late on Friday night and take buses to the Milford church. On Saturday, they’ll leave Milford in the afternoon to attend the World Meeting of Families at the Benjamin Franklin Parkway.

The group won’t get back to Milford until around 1 a.m. Sunday morning. By 11 a.m. Sunday, they’ll head north again, returning to the city to witness Francis’s 4 p.m. mass in downtown Philly.

Francis is departing the city Sunday night, but the Canadians will head back to Philadelphia one more time Monday for a meeting of Neocatechumenal Way adherents led by a founder of the movement, Francisco ‘Kiko’ Argüello, in the Wells Fargo Center.

While most of the pilgrims traveling with children will bunk at the church, some older visitors will stay at a Milford hotel, said Fr. Vittorio Scomparin, the pastor of the Vancouver church.

Scomparin is Italian, and he says he has attended many papal masses in his lifetime. He said he’s been telling parishioners who will be going to their first one this weekend to find strength in what they’ll see: a broad, swelling family of Catholic believers all around them.

“To stretch our horizon,” Scomparin said, is a main purpose of the pilgrimage. “We are not alone. The universality of the church, it is very encouraging.”

The Milford church was not exactly designed for temporary use as a dormitory, so members of St. Jude have offered to bring the pilgrims to and from their houses in and around Milford for showers, Darcy said.

Darcy himself will not be traveling to Philadelphia. Duty calls, and he must hold mass on the weekend as usual.

But he has encouraged his parishioners to make the journey if they want to.

“My desire is probably the same, if I may presume, as the Holy Father’s desire,” Darcy said. “I want my people to get closer to Jesus.”

http://www.delawareonline.com/story/news/local/2015/09/22/milford-rest-stop-francis-focused-pilgrims/72622504/

To The Anonymous Commenter In Dialogue

An anonymous commenter and I were having a dialogue regarding the second scrutiny.  The dialogue went like this: 

AnonymousSeptember 22, 2015 at 5:42 PM

True, but you be left behind ...you will not pass... He has more manuscripts of the scrutinies.. interpretation is already in the the manuscripts. He is just taking it out and making it public.

 

DianaSeptember 22, 2015 at 5:50 PM

Dear Anonymous at 5:42 pm,

No one knows what the other left behind.....not even the catechists. How can anyone know when everything was done anonymously? The only ones who did not pass to the next level were the ones who did not show up. They remain behind until the next scrutiny. When they pass that scrutiny, then they can join their community.

 

AnonymousSeptember 22, 2015 at 9:47 PM

Of course the catechists know what you gave up during the Rite....because they will ask you first during the scrutinies. Common Diana, you sure you have attended the Scrutinies...8 yrs walking not enough.

 

DianaSeptember 22, 2015 at 10:16 PM

Dear Anonymous at 9:47 pm,

They do not ask because the right hand does not know what the left hand does. That is what they teach us in the Way. What we give is between us and God.

 

I did not publish your last comment because you chose to mock what I said about the right hand not knowing what the left hand does.  You should have asked how the NCW interprets that biblical scripture.  According to the Jerusalem Bible: 

 

Be careful not to parade your uprightness in public to attract attention; otherwise you will lose all reward from your Father in Heaven.  So when you give alms, do not have it trumpeted before you; this is what the hypocrites do in the synagogues and in the streets to win human admiration.  In truth I tell you, they have had their reward.  But when you give alms, your left hand must not know what your right is doing; your almsgiving must be secret, and your Father who sees all that is done in secret will reward you. (Matthew 6:1-4)

 

The NCW is an itinerancy of Christian formation.  This means that our priests and catechists are helping us not to judge people and to be humble.  In other words, they are helping us to become better Christians.  You cannot be nonjudgmental and humble if you know what everyone is giving.  This is why the Bible says to make it secret.  It is through secrecy that one learns not to judge and to be humble.  If everyone is allowed to know what everyone gives, the person can give thousands and BRAG about it.  How is that being humble??  If everyone is allowed to know what every one gives, a person can easily judge another for giving ONLY $20. 

 

So, why do you think Christ instructed His disciples to make their almsgiving secret????  It is so they could learn to be humble and not brag like the hypocrites in the synagogues.  It is so they would learn not to judge a person for giving so little because sometimes the one who gave little is the one who gave everything.  How else do you teach a person not to brag or judge another in regards to almsgiving?  Christ gave us the solution.  That means you do not tell how much you give otherwise you will be bragging.  You do not allow everyone to see how much each person give otherwise people will be judging according to the amount they gave.  Only God is the one to judge us because He is the only one who can see a person's heart.  In the Way, no one knows how much each brother donates so that no one can brag or make judgments.   

NCW Is Here To Stay

Some time ago Theudas appeared, claiming to be somebody, and about four hundred men rallied to him. He was killed, all his followers were dispersed, and it all came to nothing. After him, Judas the Galilean appeared in the days of the census and led a band of people in revolt. He too was killed, and all his followers were scattered. Therefore, in the present case I advise you: Leave these men alone! Let them go! For if their purpose or activity is of human origin, it will fail. But if it is from God, you will not be able to stop these men; you will only find yourselves fighting against God.” (Acts 5:36-39).

 

The Neocatechumenal Way was started by Kiko Arguello and Carmen Hernandez  It began in 1964 in the slums of Madrid, Spain. Yes, that is correct....1964.  The Way is 51 years old, and it is here to stay.  There is talk of destroying the Way here in Guam.  When one speaks of destroying the Way, one speaks of destroying people because the Way consist of communities of people.  Even the Bishops of Japan were unable to kick out the Way from the country.  The Way in Japan has been there for about 30 years. In 2011, the Vatican opposed the plan of the Japanese Bishops.  According to AsiaNews: 

 

"The Neocatechumenal Way (the Way) can continue its mission in Japan. A meeting between Benedict XVI, Curia officials and five Japanese bishops has ended in the cancellation of a five-year suspension imposed by the Catholic Bishops’ Conference of Japan (CBCJ) on the Way. Members of the Way and Vatican sources told AsiaNews that the CBCJ had written to the Vatican, calling for the suspension of the Way for at least five years."

 

http://www.asianews.it/news-en/Pope-reverses-five-year-suspension-of-Neocatechumenal-Way-in-Japan-20475.html

The Vatican supported the NCW in Japan.  Why?  Because the NCW is Catholic and part of the Catholic Church.  It was never a separate church but part of the One, Holy, Catholic and Apostolic Church that was founded by Christ through Peter.  We have the legitimate support of the Pope, the Vicar of Christ....which is the most important thing of all.  Why?  Because regardless of what people say, the truth is...the Pope supports us and recognize us as Catholic.  Some of the Bishops in Japan opposed the Way because they felt that it was too European, and they did not take into account the culture of the Japanese people.  According to the National Catholic Reporter: 

In his report, extracts from which were published in the recent book His Holiness: The Secret Papers of Benedict XVI by Italian journalist Gianluigi Nuzzi, Bottari writes that the Neocatechumenate symbolizes a broad failure on the part of the Catholic church to understand Japan’s culture.

“Here, I would say, stands the controversial point and the difficulties posed by the method of the members of the Neocatechumenal Way. From what one sees, they come and apply, to the letter, a method born and prepared in Europe, without caring about adapting to the local world. I’ve found among them here in Japan the same style that I saw in Cameroon, where I was a missionary twenty years ago; the same songs (with the guitar), the same expressions, the same catechesis, all transmitted with a style based more on imposition than proposition. One can thus understand the tensions, disagreements and reactions they generate, which sometimes find them little disposed to dialogue. Their intentions are certainly admirable, their good will, but insertion in the local culture is missing. This, in my modest opinion, is what the local Japanese bishops are asking of them – to take off the European dress in order to present the heart of the message in a purified way close to the people.” 

http://ncronline.org/blogs/ncr-today/leaks-confirm-ambivalence-about-neocatechumenal-way

  

The Neocatehcumenal Way has been in existence for more than 50 years.  If it were to fail, it would have imploded many years ago.  Instead, it has continued to grow.  The two by two mission in the United States, which took place in July brought tremendous fruits, and the Way's participation in Family Day in Rome and in the U.S. will also be fruitful. The Way is present in all continents except Antarctica with more than 1 million members.  In 2014, there are 100 Redemptoris Mater seminaries in total. Regional Statistics of the Way is found in the following weblink: 

 

Regional Statistics 

 

 

Concelebrating Mass At The Border

I found the following article on the Internet, which can be found here.  While Europe face many millions of migrants coming into their country from war-torn Syria, the United States faced the same situation with migrants from Mexico.  Many leaving Mexico have also died crossing the border.  According to the article:  "The Mass ended with the usual blessing and that great song, “Resucito,” by Kiko Arguello."
 

Concelebrating Mass at the border

Published: July 30, 2010

Author: Father Joseph V. Corpora, CSC, ’76, ’83M.Div.

 

During the Feast of All Souls, I had the great privilege of concelebrating Mass at the border between Ciudad Juarez in Mexico and Anapra in New Mexico. Each year Mass is offered for all those who have died trying to cross the border.

The Mass is celebrated with half the altar on the United States side of the border and the other half on the Mexico side. An 18-foot-high fence goes across the border. It runs all across the Rio Grande River. Border Patrol trucks and officers were everywhere.

White crosses with the names of people who have died trying to cross the border were all along the fence.

Hundreds of people lined both sides of the border. Renato Ascensio Leon, the archbishop of Ciudad Juarez, and about 20 priests were on the Mexico side. On the U.S. side were Bishop Ricardo Ramirez, the bishop of Las Cruces, New Mexico, Armando Ochoa, the bishop of El Paso, Texas, and about 15 priests.

I could not stop staring at the fence with the altar on either side. Here we were gathered as one Body of Christ divided into two. While the Eucharist speaks of our oneness in Christ, of the One Bread and the One Cup, of inclusion, the fence speaks of the opposite — division and separation and exclusion.

The entrance procession began with people on both sides of the fence carrying symbols from crossing the border. First the Crucifix, then the image of Our Lady of Guadalupe, the flags of both countries and, finally, items people carry when they try to cross — water, food, shoes and a backpack. I don’t know why, but when I saw the backpack and the shoes I could not stop crying.

The Mass was bilingual with beautiful music. Someone read the first reading in Spanish from the Mexico side of the border. Then someone read in English from the U.S. side. I was continually struck by the absurdity of borders. One Body of Christ divided into two.

At the Kiss of Peace, people on both sides put their fingers through the holes in the fence to touch the fingers of their sisters and brothers on the other side. I did the same, touching the fingers of another man. I cannot describe what I experienced at that moment, perhaps the deepest longing I have ever known for justice, for peace, for unity, for acceptance.

I wanted to offer the Peace of Christ to some of the Border Patrol officers. But I was hesitant, not knowing how it would be received. Now I wish so much that I had done it.

Of course, the communion rite was also so powerful — the One Bread and the One Cup shared by fellow Catholics on both sides of a fence, a division that must break God’s heart.

After communion there was silence to honor and pray for all who have died trying to cross the border, about 5,000 in the past 15 years.

The Mass ended with the usual blessing and that great song, “Resucito,” by Kiko Arguello.

The ceremony was attended by an order of Dominican nuns on both sides of the border, dressed in the same habit. It was a powerful sight to see them talking with one another through the fence after the Mass.

All during the Mass my mind had been flooded with the faces of the undocumented people I have worked with during the 19 years that I served as a pastor — faces from St. John Vianney in Arizona and faces from Holy Redeemer in Oregon. I prayed for these people. I prayed for real and honest immigration reform in our day.

I still cannot put into words all that was in my mind and heart during that Mass, the most moving and powerful Mass I have ever been attended. The picture of one altar divided by a fence with people on both sides of that fence will be forever engraved on my mind and in my heart.

May God enlighten and inspire our elected leaders to work for true and real and honest immigration reform.

---

Father Corpora, CSC, who attended the Mass on Monday, November 2, 2009, is the director of the Catholic School Advantage: The Campaign to Improve Educational Opportunities for Latino Children, headquartered at Notre Dame. He is priest in residence at Dillon Hall.

 

 

 

To Little John the Mosquito

This post is in response to John Toves who made the following comment here.: 

John C. Ada Toves TYPHOONSeptember 15, 2015 at 1:29 PM

I look forward to a swarm descending upon you. What century were you born? It's about the message, an honest message. Of course all need to decide for themselves, duh. But as typical, all your anonymous have no courage, and neither do you as your profile reveals NOTHING. How do you think you could possibly back up all your murmurings with no personality or honesty behind it. Get a life. I know you "J". Back things up with your real profile.

Lil mosquito me

 

This is my response:   

 

I see that you are now signing your name as Little mosquito.  That is the name the jungle has given you. Now, you can leave out the name "Typhoon".  "Little mosquito" is a name given to you by the jungle.  And in the jungle, a mosquito falls prey even to a spider.  This is how the jungle portrays you from the words of Tim Rohr, which can all be found here (the bold and black is mine): 

 

1.  Okay. Sure he came here last December and made a bit of a splash.

 

As anyone can see, here is Tim Rohr saying that John the typhoon came and made a "bit of a splash."  In other words, little mosquito, you are no longer recognize as a "typhoon" in the jungle.  According to Tim Rohr, you only brought a little rain, and it did not even cause a flood.  And this is supposed to be coming from someone whom you consider a friend????

 

2.  Even those who initially supported him had pretty much told him thanks but no thanks. "We appreciate your passion but without substance you're really no help." 

 So, Tim is now saying that those who support you are now saying "no thanks to you, John?  Surely, you are not going to tell me that what Tim is saying here is false, are you John???  Real friends always support one another.  False friends are only there when you can give them something. 

 

3.  Even I had reprimanded him several times and told him not to bother unless he had something. 

 

Really John???  Tim Rohr had to reprimand you???  Really???  He told you not to bother him unless you have something substantial? 

 

4.  John has nothing. Even he admits that all he has is his mouth. All little John wanted was your attention, and VOILA!

 

I find it demeaning that your friend Tim Rohr called you "little John."  And all along, here I am thinking that you were a MAN.  For a man to be called "little" is very demeaning.  Only boys are called "little."  Friends help one another, not patronize or destroy the other.  When Tim Rohr published your defamation on his blog, he was inviting the Archbishop's lawyer to sue you.  Real friends would protect their friend from being sued. 

 

You do not bring any honest message......just entertainment.  If you had any serious honest message to convey, you would leave out the dancing bishop and the three singing reindeers.  Your message lost all credibility when you resort to clowning around.  You surround yourself with false friends.   There will be no swarm descending upon anyone because you are only one little mosquito who only has so-called friends saying "thanks, but no thanks" or "come back when you have substance."     

 

 

At Any Cost

An anonymous commenter asked the following question, which can be found here.  According to the anonymous commenter: 

AnonymousSeptember 11, 2015 at 11:41 AM

What about the allegations of sexual molestation against AAA? John Toves is not the only one making these allegations, Diana.

 

This is my reply: 

 

First of all, we already know about the "typhoon's" fiasco that turned into a little mosquito.  John suddenly appeared out of nowhere after 30 or more years accusing Archbishop Apuron of sexually molesting his cousin.....a cousin he never spoke to even to this day. It was on November 2014 when John Toves made this allegation public while the Archbishop was in Rome. The accusation was first made on Isla63-AM radio when Toves called into the Buzz with Jess Lujan and accused the Archbishop of molesting his relative in the 1980s. 

 

What was John Toves doing BEFORE he made that allegation against the Archbishop?  He was making fun of the Archbishop in a video clip. And the video clip had absolutely NOTHING to do with the sexual molestation charge (See the weblink here. ) That video was made and published on October 23, 2014....a month BEFORE he made the sexual molestation allegation.  And the video had absolutely NOTHING to do with any sexual molestation charge.   

 

After John Toves made the sexual allegation charge against the Archbishop, the junglefolks started to demand the Archbishop to step down.  This reeks of a conspiracy to remove the Archbishop at any cost.

 

Now, fast forward to August 19, 2015......Tim Rohr gets on the radio with Patty Arroyo.  And LO AND BEHOLD....a speaker by the name of "Mae" comes on out of the blue (similar to John Toves) and after 30 or more years suddenly accuses the Archbishop of sexual molestation (See the weblink here. ).  August 19th was the FIRST time we have heard of "MAE."  In the interview, Tim Rohr even admitted that he KNEW Mae's story is "very well known."  It appears that Tim Rohr knew first hand who Mae is and who she was referring to all along.  Did he know that Mae was going to call on the air?  Was it staged that way? Of course, Tim Rohr knew who Mae was because she admitted on the air that she attends the CCOG meetings.  Again, this sounds fishy and reeks of a conspiracy to remove the Archbishop at any cost. 

 

Now fast forward to September 6th, which is eighteen days AFTER Tim's interview with Patty Arroyo on the air.  This is what the jungle and CCOG have published on their websites (the bold is mine): 

 

A silent protest will be held on Sunday, September 6 at 9:30 AM in front of the Cathedral Basilica. For more information, please contact Lou  at  653-6605, Mae at 734-7777, Teri at 727-3577, Juanita at 734-3201, or Priscilla at 969-7842. Si Yu’os…

 

There is a "MAE" affiliated with the jungle and CCOG.....the same "Mae" who staged a call-in on the Patty Arroyo show with Tim Rohr.  Isn't it amazing (and suspicious) that the two people accusing the Archbishop of sexual molestation are both affiliated with the jungle and CCOG......the very same organizations whose goal is to remove the Archbishop at any cost?     

 

 

Pope's Message: The Earth And People Are Interrelated

An anonymous commenter quoted the following from the jungle: 

AnonymousSeptember 7, 2015 at 1:05 PM

Diana, Tim thinks the conference was wrong in emphasizing the environment FIRST.

By the way, when I questioned why there was this "Earth First" bent at the conference which was supposed to address "the dignity of every human person" I was told "no planet no people." It's cute. And I've heard the cliche many times. But in God's view - since the earth was created for man and not the other way around, it should be: "no people, no reason for the planet." But the quip did remind me of something the late senator and pro-life champion Elizabeth Arriola was quoted as saying and I will copy it here:

Let me tell you, at the rate Guam Memorial Hospital is aborting children, between 400-600 a year, and most of them are not even reported. Where are the lives that we are going to protect and preserve? Here we go talking about indigenous rights and self-determination. What good is all that if we don't have our followers to follow and enjoy the fruits of our labor, of this generation's labor, of your labor and my labor to fix this island and have autonomous rights to govern our people?"

- quoted in: Asian/Pacific Islander American Women: A Historical Anthology, pg. 372, edited by Shirley Hume, Gail M. Nomura

Obviously this great woman and island leader knew that there was no sense in saving anything if we were going to permit the wanton killing of unborn children.

http://www.junglewatch.info/2015/09/senator-elizabeth-arriola-let-me-tell.html

 

This is my response: 

 

What is the difference between the unborn child and the child dying in a polluted and unhealthy environment?  What good is Tim's fight for the unborn child if he has no compassion for the child dying in a polluted and poisonous environment?  The dignity of every human person started out in the Book of Genesis in the creation story.  God created the earth for man because He knew that man needed the oxygen and the animals to live on and survive.  In short, the earth and man are interrelated.  God also gave man the duty to be stewards of the earth.     

 

While it is true that human life is much more important than other creatures, this certainly does not mean that we should allow the earth to deteriorate.  God gave us stewardship over the earth, and it is our responsibility to take care of it.  Pope Francis reminds us that the destruction of the environment is a destruction of the people especially the poor who live in the WORST environment.  According to Pope Francis, the earth and the people are interrelated.  According to news report:  

In issuing "Laudato Si," his much-anticipated encyclical on climate change, the pope on Thursday took an extraordinary approach to an environmental issue often framed in the dry language of science. Francis' teaching document is a melodic yet radical indictment, depicting a materialistic and wasteful society that is hurting the planet and its poorest people.

.........The encyclical covers all sorts of environmental issues, including waste, extinctions, genetically modified organisms and the lack of clean water. Addressing "every living person on this planet," Francis calls for a bold cultural revolution to correct what he said was a "structurally perverse" economic system in which the rich exploited the poor.

http://www.nbcnews.com/science/environment/pope-urges-sweeping-change-save-planet-n377556

Tim Rohr stated:  "....was no sense in saving anything if we were going to permit the wanton killing of unborn children."  Has he forgotten that there are starving children living in the poorest environment imaginable?  So, again, what is the difference between the unborn child and the child dying in the poorest environment resulting from pollution, lack of clean water, etc.?  It is hypocritical to have compassion for the unborn child and yet not care a thing about the dying child living in a poor and unhealthy environment.

Tim Rohr stated:  There simply is NO "Safeguarding the Dignity of Every Human Person" if we do not first safeguard life at its most vulnerable.

http://www.junglewatch.info/2015/09/particularly-serious-and-deplorable.html#more

Mr. Rohr, the Catholic Church teaches that ALL human life is sacred.  Who taught you that the life of the unborn child is more sacred than the life of a child that is already born and dying of starvation in an unclean environment or the elderly being put down as a result of euthanasia or the lives of innocent people murdered by ISIS?