"Almighty Father, Forgive these rebelling Rev Fathers of the Syro-Malabar Catholic Church, for they do not know what they are doing..."
A group of Reverend Fathers belonging to the Ernakulam-Angamaly Arch Diocese received wide media coverage these days by holding an act which is first-of-its-kind in the history of the Catholic Church. It is not some spiritual, devotional or social activity. It is something they had learnt recently from their gurus fr vattoly and nuns lucy, anupama and team that the easiest way to get publicity and to become heroes these days, is to revolt against the authorities and the organisation they belong. They think they have succeeded in their effort and won the bargain. But the saddest fact is that such senior priests who have left everything to serve the Lord and had been doing so until recently, do not realise the gravity of the sin they have committed for mere momentary worldly benefits.
These dissident priests to 'show of their strength' lure and threaten many other innocent priests who really do not vouch to these rebellious activities. But fearing isolation they join this group without knowing what to do. By trying to bring division in the Church of Lord Jesus Who laid Its foundation with His Holy and Precious Blood, they are knowingly or unknowingly supporting the enemies of the Church by betraying It. Their selfish acts cause division confusion and doubts in the minds of the faithful community. Through their public criticisms and hunger-strikes against the Church and Its heads appointed by the Lord, they are supplying ammunition for the weapons of the enemies of the Church.
Being priests, if they had true faith in the Lord, they should have observed fasting and knelt in front of the Holy Eucharist to find solution to their concerns instead of holding hunger-strike in the Bishop's House. Are they not aware that by disobeying the Superiors, Cardinal and the order of the Pope in public, they have broken the vow of 'Obedience' which they have promised before their ordination? Is it not a grave sin which is more than sufficient for their dismissal from the Kingdom of God?
Lord Jesus Christ in the Holy Bible seriously warns people who cause Stumble to the little ones. In the Holy Gospel according to St Matthew the Lord declares, "If anyone causes one of these little ones--those who believe in me--to stumble, it would be better for them to have a large millstone hung around their neck and to be drowned in the depths of the sea" (Matt. 18:6). In the Gospel according to St Luke also the Lord's severe warning is mentioned thus, “It is inevitable that stumbling blocks will come, but woe to the one through whom they come! It would be better for them to be thrown into the sea with a millstone tied around their neck than to cause one of these little ones to stumble (Lk. 17:1-2)..
Then through St Peter, the first Pope and His faithful Apostle, the Lord states the severity of the sin of disobedience, "If this is so, then the Lord knows how to rescue the godly from trials and to hold the unrighteous for punishment on the day of judgement. This is especially true of those who follow the corrupt desire of the flesh and despise authority" (2 Pet. 2:9-10).
Obedience or submission to the authority is the core point of Christianity. We are taught and teach others that the angels who refused to obey God have become devils and were thrown in to the hell. Lord Jesus while in human foam fulfilled totally the Wish of the Almighty Father and obeyed Him unto death. Mother Mary obeyed the Divine plan of Salvation by saying Amen. All saints obeyed their superiors without any question even if the orders were sometimes unacceptable and unfair and later proved to be wrong. So if Priests and members of any Religious orders find it difficult to obey their superiors and the by-laws of their congregations, it will be better for them to quit, instead of polluting God's Church and attracting God's greater wrath.
If anyone (priests or nuns or laity) who hurt the Church, feels sorry for their deeds and repents, they can always avail God's unfathomable mercy and pardon by approaching God through the authorities whom they have hurt and making a public apology. Otherwise "It would be better for them if they had not been born..!"
Lord, have Mercy... Christ, have Mercy... Lord, have Mercy...
...and forgive them for they do not know what they are doing!
Here is the Lord's earlier message to the defying priests and nuns:
"Father, Sister, why do you persecute me, your Lord Jesus?"
A group of Reverend Fathers belonging to the Ernakulam-Angamaly Arch Diocese received wide media coverage these days by holding an act which is first-of-its-kind in the history of the Catholic Church. It is not some spiritual, devotional or social activity. It is something they had learnt recently from their gurus fr vattoly and nuns lucy, anupama and team that the easiest way to get publicity and to become heroes these days, is to revolt against the authorities and the organisation they belong. They think they have succeeded in their effort and won the bargain. But the saddest fact is that such senior priests who have left everything to serve the Lord and had been doing so until recently, do not realise the gravity of the sin they have committed for mere momentary worldly benefits.
These dissident priests to 'show of their strength' lure and threaten many other innocent priests who really do not vouch to these rebellious activities. But fearing isolation they join this group without knowing what to do. By trying to bring division in the Church of Lord Jesus Who laid Its foundation with His Holy and Precious Blood, they are knowingly or unknowingly supporting the enemies of the Church by betraying It. Their selfish acts cause division confusion and doubts in the minds of the faithful community. Through their public criticisms and hunger-strikes against the Church and Its heads appointed by the Lord, they are supplying ammunition for the weapons of the enemies of the Church.
Being priests, if they had true faith in the Lord, they should have observed fasting and knelt in front of the Holy Eucharist to find solution to their concerns instead of holding hunger-strike in the Bishop's House. Are they not aware that by disobeying the Superiors, Cardinal and the order of the Pope in public, they have broken the vow of 'Obedience' which they have promised before their ordination? Is it not a grave sin which is more than sufficient for their dismissal from the Kingdom of God?
Lord Jesus Christ in the Holy Bible seriously warns people who cause Stumble to the little ones. In the Holy Gospel according to St Matthew the Lord declares, "If anyone causes one of these little ones--those who believe in me--to stumble, it would be better for them to have a large millstone hung around their neck and to be drowned in the depths of the sea" (Matt. 18:6). In the Gospel according to St Luke also the Lord's severe warning is mentioned thus, “It is inevitable that stumbling blocks will come, but woe to the one through whom they come! It would be better for them to be thrown into the sea with a millstone tied around their neck than to cause one of these little ones to stumble (Lk. 17:1-2)..
Then through St Peter, the first Pope and His faithful Apostle, the Lord states the severity of the sin of disobedience, "If this is so, then the Lord knows how to rescue the godly from trials and to hold the unrighteous for punishment on the day of judgement. This is especially true of those who follow the corrupt desire of the flesh and despise authority" (2 Pet. 2:9-10).
Obedience or submission to the authority is the core point of Christianity. We are taught and teach others that the angels who refused to obey God have become devils and were thrown in to the hell. Lord Jesus while in human foam fulfilled totally the Wish of the Almighty Father and obeyed Him unto death. Mother Mary obeyed the Divine plan of Salvation by saying Amen. All saints obeyed their superiors without any question even if the orders were sometimes unacceptable and unfair and later proved to be wrong. So if Priests and members of any Religious orders find it difficult to obey their superiors and the by-laws of their congregations, it will be better for them to quit, instead of polluting God's Church and attracting God's greater wrath.
If anyone (priests or nuns or laity) who hurt the Church, feels sorry for their deeds and repents, they can always avail God's unfathomable mercy and pardon by approaching God through the authorities whom they have hurt and making a public apology. Otherwise "It would be better for them if they had not been born..!"
Lord, have Mercy... Christ, have Mercy... Lord, have Mercy...
...and forgive them for they do not know what they are doing!
Here is the Lord's earlier message to the defying priests and nuns:
"Father, Sister, why do you persecute me, your Lord Jesus?"
