According to Bishop Michael Bransfield of Wheeling-Charleston, that's exactly where the late Senator Robert Byrd is already. Safe in heaven. Nope, no need for prayers here, people, he's already there. Wow.
Is this how low we've come? That even a Catholic bishop declares a non-Catholic to be in heaven? It would appear that "social promotion", that great equalizer of the publik skools, has now worked it's way into the hierarchy of the American Church.
Puts a new, modern twist on "Whatsoever you bind on earth, is bound in Heaven", because if an authority in the Church says you've made it, then I guess they're duty bound upstairs to let you in, right? Right?
Read about it here:
http://www.catholicculture.org/news/headlines/index.cfm?storyid=6787
UPDATED:
Here's a nice piece on purgatory over at Bedlam or Parnassus:
http://bedlamorparnassus.blogspot.com/2010/07/on-nature-of-purgatory.html
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19 comments:
I read about this, and my gorge rose.
I remember a similar enconium in Westimnster Cathedral over 10 years ago. At a millionaire's Requiem Mass, the priest remarked, "Today, as ______ steps through the gate of Heaven, Jesus will shake him by the hand and say, 'Well done, good and faithful servant.'"
Presumably Jesus and the dead man were waiting for the priests "nihil obstat".
They really do a spritual dis-service to people they declare to be in Heaven. I'm sure there are plenty of people lounging in purgatory hoping that SOMEBODY down here is praying for them.
I've told my own kids, that when I kick the bucket, they're to pray for my sorry soul every day. None of this "oh, he's in a better place" happy-clappy stuff for me and mine.
It's very important to pray for the Holy Souls in Purgatory and we have so many wolves in sheep's clothing leading people astray! I pray St. Gertrude's prayer everyday for them.
Every day I pray for the souls in Purgatory, especially those who have no one to pray for them. Very rarely do we here at a Requiem Mass about praying for the dearly departed. Another great prayer for the dead is the Chaplet of Divine Mercy. Our Lord told St. Faustina that souls can be saved if this prayer is said for them at their death! May the Divine Mercy be in our souls!
Deacon John
Maybe there should be a greater emphasis Church-wide on praying for the souls in purgatory.
We often mention those who have died in our general intentions. Our priest also mention how we should pray for all deceased members of the parish, especially the priests. I think that's a good thing to stress.
Paul Nichols is of course right, and he's fortunate in his priest. In my local Catholic Church in south London, the priest's only allusion to praying for the dead was, "Let's remember them in a very special way."
At the same church the Litany of the Saints once ended with: "St Martin Luther King, St Nelson Mandela, St Dalai Lama pray for us." - none of them Catholic, and 2 not even dead.
Wow, that's some awful stuff, Left-footer. Sheesh!
This is for Brigid, who commented about the nature of your blog Paul. I will write this, knowing you will probably take it down, but you need to hear it.
Brigid, let's be honest, Paul is not a follower of the true Roman Catholic Church. He does not follow instructions from Bishops, constantly bashes the USCCB, talks about rules for liturgy that are clearly stated in Liturgical documents and says they are wrong, he feels Vatican II was not even a legitimate Council (wonder what Benedict would say about they), says disparaging things about deceased Popes (successors of Peter), and then will say, "and I'm a REAL Catholic."
Paul is correct, rarely, in pointing out errors in Catholic faith. As he did in his comments on this post. Purgatory is real and we should pray for the souls there.
However, for the most part, Paul is a judgmental, narcissist who feels that his own beliefs (which he would call the TRUE Churches beliefs) do not mesh with the Church we see today. I once had a spiritual guide who told me as soon as everything I believe is the same as what God believes, I'm not looking at God anymore, I have simply shaped him in my image. This is exactly what Paul has done.
There is no recognition that many of the reforms of VII are based on ancient tradition (i.e. the Catechumenate) and that these early traditions are just as valuable as ones formed in the Middle Ages. If Paul would pick up any book on Church history that talks about what it looked like before 312 A.D. he would start to understand many Church practices that he continually bashes.
In closing Brigid, keep coming to this site, as I do, so you can find out exactly what you should not be doing to obey most of today's Church doctrine.
Paul - another great post !
I am going to (borrow) it and place it on my blog - with your named mentioned, of course. It is too good not to share......
God bless !
Wow Anonymous, alot of judgements made in your comment about my judgementalism.
Paul,
In response in my judgmental nature; if you read the post closely there is one judgment made:
"However, for the most part, Paul is a judgmental, narcissist who feels that his own beliefs (which he would call the TRUE Churches beliefs) do not mesh with the Church we see today"
Every other statement I made is objective with regards to the post Vatican II Catholic Church. i.e. we should respect Bishops, not bash deceased Popes, understand the ancient nature of the re-instituted tradition. You may say that me saying you are not a true Roman Catholic is judgment; but again if we are saying the Post VII Church is the True Church, I believe you yourself would say you are not a member of it.
But you are correct, I certainly placed judgment on you in the instance I stated, I apologize and will continue to pray that you receive the grace required to trust in our Bishops, and understand that the work of the Holy Spirit is ongoing in these men and was ongoing while all the Vatican II documents were written.
Again, I apologize and God Bless.
My guess: Anonymous is a baby boomer and/or careerist.
Actually anonymous is only 25 and I am currently teaching in a Catholic school for much less then a public school teacher would make because I feel that teaching young people the faith is so important. I have actually had job offers from the public system and turned them down to remain in the position I am in.
I am also heavily involved in a junior Legion of Mary and a group that organizes a weekly Latin mass. Please do not assume that because I support the Bishops and trust in the decisions of Vatican II that I don't also appreciate the decisions of other councils and of our current Pope. I think that allowing Latin mass to be said again without permission from the Bishop was a beautiful decision and has helped to enrich the faith of those who seek mass in this form. I do also hold that mass in the vernacular was a beautiful decision that has helped to enrich the faith of those who seek mass in this form.
We can be diverse and unified, Church teaching shows us this (as in the example of mass in either form).
Again, Blessings to all.
we should respect Bishops, not bash deceased Popes, understand the ancient nature of the re-instituted tradition. You may say that me saying you are not a true Roman Catholic is judgment; but again if we are saying the Post VII Church is the True Church, I believe you yourself would say you are not a member of it.
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First, let me say that an apology wasn't necessary, but is appreciated. My skin isn't so thin that I can't take someone's opinion.
When the Bishops do things, either as a body or individually that borders on ridiculous, I don't think it's wrong to point that out.
"If" I say the post-Vatican II Church is the true Church? I don't know what you're getting at here. I don't have the luxury of hiking up to Harrisburg to a Latin Mass every week, so I attend mass at my home parish. That home parish, if memory serves is part of the Harrisburg Diocese, which I believe is still part of the Church. So, yes, I'd be a part of that same Church.
Maybe you're referring to something I've said about the "post Vatican II" Church. If so, understand my context - that refers to people, both in the laity and the clergy, who appear to be running away from, and have antipathy toward, the Faith as we knew it before Vatican II.
Thanks for the return comments. If I may to clarify for my own perspective, based on what you are saying in regards to "Post Vatican II" you would be referencing it as a verb and not a noun. Not sure if that makes sense, it does in my mind.
If that is the case then yes I would agree with you that I would not like to be involved with someone who is just a Post VII Catholic, just as I would not want to be involved with some who is a Post Tridentine, or Post VI Catholic.
Excellent cartoons here. You have nothing to apologize for. Keep up the good work.
I wonder how many people when they passed this life and went to Christ's Judgment, when told they were going to Purgatory said to Him "But I thought there wasn't a Purgatory anymore?"
Good point, Orange Blossom - I'm sure they're are plenty of people sitting in the Purgatory waiting room sharing their amazement that the place is still open.
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