To continue on this thread.....

In the past century the Orthodox churches world wide have put a much greater emphasis on the creationg and sustaining of missions outside the "mother countries" I am aware that the Idonesisans, Malagysy (Madagascar) and Japanese & Korean Churches all have missions in those nations with the DL taken in the local vernacular.

Byzantine Catholic communities in the US have enjoyed a general influx of Latin Catholic men interested in servig them as priests - especially bi-ritual priests from orders like Franciscans and Bendictines... but many parishes are mostly maintining their numbers or getting smaller each year...

I for one think that is entirely too sad. In recent years there has been an influx of interest in liturgy and converts coming from Evangelical and Anglican liturgical backgrounds. Many of them, if they gave us half a chance, would find the sp[irituality, litturgy and special focus given to the Fathers in the East to be something they are very much at home with...

Hmmm... not to get into labels or pre-judgements, if you idealize Fr. Robert Drinan, a virulent abortion rights supporter who never missed an opportunity to support total unrestricted unversal access to abortion... (see here.) I am not sure the Eastern Catholics churches would be your most comfortable fit.

I am all for idealizing Jesuits, but St. Ignatious and Russian Catholic priest and former Soviet prisoner Fr. Walter Ciszek spring to mind first.

I know what he stood for. However, I myself disagree with abortion on faith, ethical, and health reasons. I just hold him in high regard as a lawyer and a priest. Thats all. There have been worse Jesuits. At least he was obedient enough to step down from Congress upon papal directive.

What about Jon Sobrino? Is it possible to have a member who calls himself a companion of the Lord deny the divinity of the Lord Himself?

For me, other names spring to mind - former papal candidate Cardinal Mario Bergoglio, sj of Buenos Aires... Humble man who still takes the bus to work, washes the feet of 12 HIV/AIDS patients (children included) at the altar on Holy Thursday. Very revolutionary but very evangelical nonetheless. If he wasn't evangelical and conservative, i doubt he would even be considered a candidate. No liberal would be.

QUESTION: Does the Eastern Catholic Church have a rehab-like ministry for homosexuals? I know what the Church teaches about homosexuals, but just like the RC, they do allow homosexuals in the pews and they do offer a helping hand for homosexuals right?

Thanks for adding this thread. It makes it much easier to read...and Tony can keep his countdown going, too!

On Fr. Jon Sobrino I cannot comment -I don't know much of him or his case.

As to "Is it possible to have a member who calls himself a companion of the Lord deny the divinity of the Lord Himself? " Short answer? Not if you want to call yourself a Catholic.

Eastern Catholics are no different from Latins in regards to sexuality. Without special agenda for or against any one group, the church actually teaches that sex is reserved for married people open to preocreation. No special distinction is made about temptations to anything outside of that standard and ideal - weather gay or straght or swinger or whatever, sex is between a husband and wife.

I am not familiar with any "re-hab" programs, but certainly Eastern Christians are called to have a spiritual father who leads them and guides them on the upright life no matter what the temptaions they face in life are.

Simple

you got it!

Didn't mean to steal T's thunder.... Just ended up sparking something!

Well, Sobrino is the liberation theologian who denied the divinity of Jesus Christ. Ironic for someone from the Society of Jesus? You bet.

The Vatican was supposed to discipline him last week but they pulled back.

Roger Haight is also a Jesuit with very questionable theological leanings. I believe that he has been disciplined by the Vatican.

I would add that Vatican disciplines and sancitonings is one of the benefits of being part of the Catholic Church. There were/are plenty of questionable "theologians" in every church (even in the communion which we no longer discuss :rolleyes: ), they are rarely held to any scrutiny, though. Especially the ones who use Sola Scriptura.

Well, Sola Scriptura is not that bad, if you ask me, because Catholic doctrine can be defended easily using the Sola Scriptura approach. Has been, and will be. ;) Sola Scriptura is flawed only if the writings of the Fathers are neglected. Without the writings of the Fathers, Scripture will remain unclear and thanks to the Fathers, we have a great understanding of Scripture which has led us to remain, or come to the Catholic Church.

For those who are not in communion with Rome, you can choose to do so but recognise what the Fathers say about the Bishop of Rome. When he speaks, listen.

Yes, Collin I have had the same thought. The Fathers could be sola scriptura, but not those of us who come later. ;)

This is a bit of a simplification of the concept of sola scriptura. The driving premise of sola scriptura is that ONLY scripture is needed for a believer to know what is to be done. No sacraments, no priests, no church, etc.

well, to describe what you say, its SOLO SCRIPTURA as per Ken Myer's theory.

You are right. I have been participating in a forum with some SOLO folks lately, and I did not switch out of that mode when reading this.

A nice news post from Patrick C:

I was familiar with this story.

Given how very rife with disunity and competing vision the "continuing Anglican movement" is, I think this is a very stable move for these folks to be making at this time. It gives them a connectedness that other "Western Non-(Roman) Catholic/Non-Orthodox" seem to be much in need of. The Utrecht OCCs, PNCC, Continuing Anglicans and the like have become rather isolated in recent years.

Well the Utrecht group has actually dived head-first into the melee of women's ordination and same-sex unions that the Anglicans have...

I wish them well in their spiritual journey!

Perhaps through their witness and devotion, they can become tools in the Lord's work of healing schism and disunity.

Simple

On another note... Bishop Herzog Papes!

Great thoughts!

Bp. Herzog is a good man. He used to sit on the Nashotah House board of Trustees.