The May 2010 Euthanasia Prevention Coalition Newsletter can now be found at: http://www.euthanasiaprevention.on.ca/Newsletters/Newsletter108(May2010)(RGB).pdf Bill C-384 was soundly defeated by a vote of 228 to 59. Check how the Members of Parliament voted at: http://www.euthanasiaprevention.on.ca/HowTheyVoted.pdf On June 5, 2010, we are co-hosting the US/Canda Push-Back Seminar at the Radisson Gateway Hotel at the Seattle/Tacoma Airport. The overwhelming defeat of Bill C-384 proved that we can Push-Back the euthanasia lobby in the US and Canada and convince people that euthanasia and assisted suicide are a dangerous public policy. Register for the Seminar at: http://www.euthanasiaprevention.on.ca/2010SeminarFlyer(RGB)(LetterFormat).pdf The Schindler family are being attacked by a Florida television station and Michael Schiavo. The Euthanasia Prevention Coalition is standing in solidarity with the Schindler family. My blog comments: http://alexschadenberg.blogspot.com/2010/05/att...
Reflections from the pastoral ministry of an Evangelical Catholic Priest.
The battle is heating up!
ReplyDeleteCliff
This is sweet.
ReplyDeleteI have this niece who is not married but found herself pregnant. It was not a planned pregnancy of course. Abortion was not an option she did not want to go that route.
I remember her coming up to me in a store where she was working. She ran to me & showed me an ultra sound picture she had in her pocket. She wanted me to look at her baby.
"Isn't my baby beautiful Auntie?"
In all honesty I did not see anything resembling a baby.
Nothing was going to change her mind that was not a baby, it was her baby!
I respond by telling her that it was a beautiful baby & I got this awesome hug. She was radiating this joyful look on her face, I will never forget it. She then went back to work.
She did give birth to a healthy baby boy! I did visit her at the hospital & she told me this:
" The delivery was hard & long & the baby was big but all that pain was worth it, Auntie!"
She was pale looking & so weak but she still had that special glow about her.
"Abortion was not an option she did not want to go that route."
ReplyDeleteThat was her right -- her CHOICE. Every women needs the freedom to make her own choice.
Just About Baptism.
ReplyDeleteI have this sister-in-law who has a niece who was married in a Catholic Church by this priest in Pembroke. (I call him Fr. Wick, not his real name.) This Catholic couple returns to Fr. Wick who married them to have their child baptized. Father Wick refused to baptize the child because the mother answered the priest's questions honestly that her & her husband do go to church but not every Sunday.
I'm a long time Catholic & going to Church on Saturdays or Sundays is self-explanatory.
Sticking to the subject of Baptism only, Fr. Wick is doing a severe injustice to this baby. You do not, I repeat, you do not punish an innocent baby. Fr. Wick needs to use common sense in this area of Baptism.
This priest, Fr. Wick was seen (by many in their cars on Oct.3rd) holding a pro-life sign for the right to life for the unborn. Good for him.
Does this priest see what my sister-in-law & others are saying how hypocritical Fr. Wick comes across? People see this priest's passion for the unborn child & yet when a mother wants her precious little baby baptized he refuses. (Let's not forget about the clergy abuse mess) Remember this baby's has grandparents, aunts, uncles & others are seeing this injustice Fr. Wick is doing.
The unwed mother I spoke about in a previous post (an entirely different situation) this precious little boy was baptized by a different priest in Pembroke area. He knew the mother was not married but still he did not ignore this innocent baby because the mother was not married to the baby's father yet.
(Baby's parents are both Catholics in both cases)
Fr. Wick who refuse to baptize an innocent baby left Lenten booklet copies of,” Sacred Journey” for his parishioners at one time to help them in their daily reflections for Lent.
On page 32 of that Lenten booklet the late Father Lou Costello (who played on the Flying Fathers hockey team) said,
{if parents who weren’t married came to have a child baptized, Fr. Costello would welcome them in. He believed that every child should be given the graces of the Church.}
Now that’s a priest that used common sense!
Fr. Wick told his parishioners he will be going for a sanity break (vacation) in the New Year. I say if he doesn’t wise up about this baptism he may need an extended sanity break if he keeps on hurting little innocent babies from being baptized.
No Catholic priest should refuse to baptize a baby whose parent or parents has asked him & gave him their permission to do so.
Shame on all our Roman Catholic priests who do this!
I am grateful to express my views here on behalf of all who are so frustrate with this priest.
Anonymous: Without knowing all of the details, I can say that short of the parents stating that they would NOT raise the child as a Catholic, I would never refuse the baptism. The Code of Canon Law states that there needs to be a sign that there is hope that the parents will fulfill their obligations as Catholic parents. If they say they will (and why wouldn't they since they are asking for the sacrament), I will always offer the sacrament to the child.
ReplyDeleteAfter all, what does the marital status of the parents have to do with the gift of salvation offered by Christ to the child?
Prior to being ordained I was given a little piece of wisdom that I've always followed. I was told that no matter how hard I try, I will not be a 'perfect' priest. I was going to make mistakes. So my spiritual director said: 'make a decision now and stick with it! Are you going to err on the side of being too generous with God's mercy or too strict with God's law?" I have chosen the former path as I believe (to steal a line from the evangelicals), it is what Jesus would do!
Fr. Tim
It is obvious if you had married this couple & later on they came to you & ask you to baptize their baby & you seen they would do the best to their ability to raise their baby Catholic you would go ahead with the baptism of the child. That's good.
ReplyDeleteA for this other priest I hope he has a good sanity break!
I bet if he reads this he knows who he is!
This discussion brings up a question: how can anyone make a promise on behalf of someone else without their express permission?
ReplyDeleteThe Church requires that parents promise that their children be raised as Catholics. But what if the children object? Can the children be held to a promise they did not make themselves? Does the Church blame the parents if their promise doesn't hold? And why the need for such a promise, anyway? Isn't it tantamount to indentured servitude to bind someone to a thing without their knowledge/permission/agreeing?
I know...that's a lot of questions. But sometimes, I have trouble making sense out of what doesn't make much sense to me, if you get my drift.