Comments for The Persecuted Church: 2012 at http://www.thecatholicthing.org , comment 1 to 9 out of 9 comments http://www.thecatholicthing.org Mon, 20 May 2013 14:52:10 +0100 FeedCreator 1.7.3 http://www.thecatholicthing.org/columns/2013/the-persecuted-church-2012.html#comment-15600 Why not mentioned Vietnam. The Church in Vietnam has been severely persecuted by communists. No sufferings in the world can be compared with those caused by Red devils: communists. Please be well informed. - John VN Sat, 02 Feb 2013 01:53:50 +0100 http://www.thecatholicthing.org/columns/2013/the-persecuted-church-2012.html#comment-15487 DS: Perhaps I'm not making my point as clearly as I could have. Per individual Bishops, I allowed that perhaps some had spoken of the persecution of Christians, knowing there are great Bishops out there, e.g., as you mentioned, among others, Chaput. Sad to say, the quote from the USCCB makes my point: the issue at hand is not about "all persecuted persons." The statement is devoid of meaning because it isn't taking a stand on a real problem...it has no power to stir because it's diluted to an abstraction, like "world peace." I can assure you that nothing in the 2 parishes in my area is going to be said about Christian persecution...because it never has...and USCCB statements like the one you just mentioned are indicative of the problem. Perhaps you may not know, but LCWR has, per their own representatives, "moved beyond Christ," so nothing they do has any standing re: Catholicism. Your quote of Chancellor Merkel, which I am very aware of, makes my point by contrast - here's a politician voicing something publicly, effectively being heard, and that doesn't have the same analog inside The U.S. Church. As to Professor Shah at Georgetown, I commend him. But my point is about the institutional force of U.S. Church institutions...there is no unified voice lifted in force across Catholic colleges or Universities...they are busy with profane, un-Catholic and anti-Catholic things. In closing, my point is that Bishops and institutions can speak effectively with unified force if they choose...they clearly DO NOT DO THIS. Thus the "call to action" at the parish level will indeed produce noise. I take it that, reading your list of "noble voices," that nothing of consquence is going on in this amtter in your Diocese, or your parish, either? - Chris in Maryland Thu, 24 Jan 2013 12:14:21 +0100 http://www.thecatholicthing.org/columns/2013/the-persecuted-church-2012.html#comment-15481 So many martyrs ..... may they be the seeds of renewal of the Church in the West (and our wicked politicians want Turkey in the EU!). Three times in Europe, the Rosary has defeated the Mohammedan menace, most recently in 1683 at the gates of Vienna (which is why they chose 9/11 for their outrageous attack). They are too rich for us to defeat them in battle; that means is the only one we have. - Ann Wed, 23 Jan 2013 16:23:11 +0100 http://www.thecatholicthing.org/columns/2013/the-persecuted-church-2012.html#comment-15478 Chris in MD, you are completely off base. In a few minutes on the web, I found public statements by Cardinals Dolan, Rigali, George, Wuerl, and Archbishops Chaput and Gomez bringing the persecution of Christians (in the US and abroad) to light. And perhaps more surprisingly, people and institutions that regularly get their orthodoxy questioned on this site have also spoken out: - Sr. Pat Farrell - LCWR - Pax Christi - Georgetown University faculty member Timothy Shah speaking at a Notre Dame workshop on church persecution - From the heart of secular Europe, Chancellor Merkel of Germany (just last week): "Christianity is the most persecuted religion in the world." - The USCCB, December 2011: "The U.S. bishops extended their prayerful solidarity “to all persecuted persons throughout the world,” sending letters to the Latin Patriarch of Jerusalem regarding the Church’s plight in the homeland of Jesus and to the Church in Nigeria in the wake of a Christmas attack." If there is not enough going on at your parish, Chris, I suggest you join the noble voices of the right and left highlighted above and make some noise. - DS Wed, 23 Jan 2013 12:22:31 +0100 http://www.thecatholicthing.org/columns/2013/the-persecuted-church-2012.html#comment-15475 Saint Michael the Archangel, defend us in battle. Be our protection against the wickedness and snares of the devil. May God rebuke him, we humbly pray; and do Thou, O Prince of the Heavenly Host - by the Divine Power of God - cast into hell, satan and all the evil spirits, who roam throughout the world seeking the ruin of souls. Amen. - Joe Dirt Wed, 23 Jan 2013 06:01:23 +0100 http://www.thecatholicthing.org/columns/2013/the-persecuted-church-2012.html#comment-15474 I thank Mr. Marlin for speaking about the persecution, and Debby for her reminder about our proper attitude toward our enemies. Mr. Marlin's article is remarkable, in part, because so many Catholics and Catholic insitutions prefer not to even acknowledge the persecution that is going on in the world around them. The preference for silence about persecution of Christians reveals a lot about us as individuals, about those "steering" our parishes, about our Bishops, and their "Conference," and our "Catholic Universities." Per Beatrix Potter - it seems it might "disturb the repose of the tea party." I have experienced repeatedly the individual refusal to even contemplate the suffering of fellow-Christians being persecuted. I have heard adults repsond in words like this: "I don't wnat to think about that, it's too negative." At the parish level, I think I can remember only once in my life (I am 56) hearing a prayer of the faithful for persecuted Christians. But every Sunday, I'm pretty sure that most of us get to hear homogenized mush in the "Prayer of the Faithful, such as "...That world leaders choose peace and renounce war...." Perhaps individual U.S. Bishops have spoken out about the persecution, because there are great Bishops among us...but if they have...I don't know who they are...and I read Catholic wen news daily. And what from the great US Conference of Bishops, and their bureacracy, the USCCB - silence - ho-hum. No instruction to the parishes to awaken the faithful to attend to this urgent need. Too negative - I suppose. And what of our illustrious "Catholic Colleges & Universities," our "Catholic intelligenstia?" Persecution? No room on the crowded agenda I suppose...world peace, social justice, GLBT awareness...there are only so many hours in a day... - Chris in Maryland Wed, 23 Jan 2013 05:11:39 +0100 http://www.thecatholicthing.org/columns/2013/the-persecuted-church-2012.html#comment-15472 Catholics in America, at the least, must BE Catholic. We are not first Americans, Californians, or fans of the Broncos. We are Catholic first and foremost, and our faith must be first every day. Our faith must not be a second thought. - Daniel Wed, 23 Jan 2013 04:27:28 +0100 http://www.thecatholicthing.org/columns/2013/the-persecuted-church-2012.html#comment-15471 You forgot Mali, Nigeria, Kenya, Indonesia, and Vietnam to name a few. - Carl Wed, 23 Jan 2013 03:12:34 +0100 http://www.thecatholicthing.org/columns/2013/the-persecuted-church-2012.html#comment-15470 Thank you, Mr. Marlin, for this rarely reported news. We must pray, fast, pray, trust, love, pray, pray, pray that we do not succumb to an anger that gives birth to hate for these our enemies, and that we do not turn away from these our brothers and sisters lying by the side of the road, beaten and left for dead, as we go our way in our busy lives. I needed this reminder today as I face the everyday annoyances and inconvenient hurdles of life here is what is STILL a Free America- albeit a decaying America. My gratitude to God for all His care must increase and my habit of complaining must decrease. - debby Wed, 23 Jan 2013 03:05:45 +0100