Did anybody see this today?...the Pope's "Vespers in the Crypt" with Bishops at the National Shrine of the Immaculate Conception in Washington, D.C.
Dictionary.com defines "crypt" as:
Quote:crypt = a subterranean chamber or vault, esp. one beneath the main floor of a church, used as a burial place, a location for secret meetings, etc.
Why in the world would these guys choose such a place to gather? The service was really eerie. If You can watch it
here. Be sure to check out the opening - it looks like something right out of the "New World Order." Then once he gets inside, at one point, he actually starts praying to a statue of Mary. The commentator remarked, "
he's kneeling before this image..." I just couldn't believe my eyes!
Also, during the service be sure to look at what's on top of the altar, three evenly spaced candles on either side of a ghoulish black crucifix - it struck me as a kind of counterfeit Menorah. The presiding Bishop began the portion dedicated to Benedict's remarks by saying, "
We welcome you to Mary Immaculate -
this is her house." Wow, and here I was thinking all along that it was God's House. Apparently, I had been living under an illusion.
There were moments of insight, however. At one point, the Pope commenting on our times said, "
Any tenedency to treat religion as a private matter must be resisted." Later, he continued with, "
This emphasis on individualism has even affected the Church (cf. Spe Salvi, 13-15), giving rise to a form of piety which sometimes emphasizes our private relationship with God at the expense of our calling to be members of a redeemed community. Yet from the beginning, God saw that "it is not good for man to be alone" (Gen 2:18)." If I'm not mistaken, at this point God created a partner for him, not a whole "redeemed community" to be a part of.
He also made a strange reference to the "new evangelization." Hmm...what do you think he has in mind?
"Much remains to be done, particularly on the level of preaching and catechesis in parishes and schools, if the new evangelization is to bear fruit for the renewal of ecclesial life in America."You can find the complete address to the Bishops
here.
The session concluded with a standing ovation as the presiding Bishop presented Pope Benedict with a "birthday present|" of $870,000.00.
As I watch this whole trip unfold, I am reminded of what Yada is oft to write - I'm paraphrasing here but: "It all comes down to a simple question, who do you trust - God or man?"
Edited by user Friday, April 18, 2008 2:01:14 AM(UTC)
| Reason: Not specified
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