December 26 2013 - Association Of Catholic Priests

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Home / 2013 / December / 26

26th December. Feast of Saint Stephen, the first martyr.

“Do not charge them with this sin”

Read More 26th December. Feast of Saint Stephen, the first martyr.

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7 comments
Statement from the Association of Catholic Priests
March 19 2025
Paddy Ferry
This might be old news from Occupy Democrats but I think it is worth sharing again. BREAKING: Pope... Francis unleashes a historic attack on the Trump administration over its cruel treatment of migrants — and takes specific aim at remarks made by J.D. Vance, a Catholic convert. So-called Christians in the MAGA movement are melting down over this... The Pope, head of the Catholic Church, issued a rebuke of Donald Trump's mass deportation plan, stating that it removes the migrants of their inherent dignity as people and "will end badly." Usually one to abstain from commenting directly on the internal politics of individual countries, Francis made his new remarks in a letter addressing U.S. bishops. In it, he invoked the Bible's Book of Exodus and said that God is "always close, incarnate, migrant and refugee" and pointed out that Jesus Christ was "expelled from his own land" when his family fled to Egypt and had to "take refuge in a society and a culture foreign to his own." Putting fake Christians to shame, Pope Francis went on to state that Jesus loved "everyone with a universal love" and taught us to see the"dignity of every human being, without exception." "Thus, all the Christian faithful and people of good will are called upon to consider the legitimacy of norms and public policies in the light of the dignity of the person and his or her fundamental rights, not vice versa," the pope wrote. He then turned his pen towards addressing the United States directly. "I have followed closely the major crisis that is taking place in the United States with the initiation of a program of mass deportations," wrote Pope Francis. "The rightly formed conscience cannot fail to make a critical judgment and express its disagreement with any measure that tacitly or explicitly identifies the illegal status of some migrants with criminality," he continued. "At the same time, one must recognize the right of a nation to defend itself and keep communities safe from those who have committed violent or serious crimes while in the country or prior to arrival." "That said, the act of deporting people who in many cases have left their own land for reasons of extreme poverty, insecurity, exploitation, persecution or serious deterioration of the environment, damages the dignity of many men and women, and of entire families, and places them in a state of particular vulnerability and defenselessness," wrote the pope. It was the next part of the letter that has really infuriated MAGA supporters. Recently, Vice President J.D. Vance — who was baptized and confirmed into the Catholic Church in 2019 — attacked the Church's compassionate teachings on immigration. Proving that he either doesn't understand Catholic theology or would prefer to cherrypick what he likes and doesn't, Vance butchered a medieval concept known as "ordo amoris" or the "order of love." "As an American leader, but also just as an American citizen, your compassion belongs first to your fellow citizens," Vance told Fox News. "That doesn’t mean you hate people from outside of your own borders, but there’s this old-school [concept] — and I think it’s a very Christian concept, by the way — that you love your family, and then you love your neighbor, and then you love your community, and then you love your fellow citizens in your own country, and then, after that, you can focus and prioritize the rest of the world." Of course, the idea that one should love those closest to you doesn't mean that you shouldn't love people from other countries. Vance shamelessly twisted the meaning to suit his party's xenophobic views. St. Augustine, who pioneered the concept that Vance was referencing, certainly didn't advocate for an authoritarian mass migration program. In his letter, Pope Francis wrote that "Christian love is not a concentric expansion of interests that little by little extend to other persons and groups," a direct and blunt rebuke of Vance's claims. "In other words: the human person is not a mere individual, relatively expansive, with some philanthropic feelings!" the pope continued. "The human person is a subject with dignity who, through the constitutive relationship with all, especially with the poorest, can gradually mature in his identity and vocation. The true ordo amoris that must be promoted is that which we discover by meditating constantly on the parable of the 'Good Samaritan', that is, by meditating on the love that builds a fraternity open to all, without exception." Francis warned against deploying "an ideological criterion that distorts social life and imposes the will of the strongest as the criterion of truth." He went on to urge the bishops in the United States to continue working "closely with migrants and refugees, proclaiming Jesus Christ" and "promoting fundamental human rights." "God will richly reward all that you do for the protection and defense of those who are considered less valuable, less important or less human!" he added. Pope Francis then turned his attention to the entire Catholic Church, urging its followers "not to give in to narratives that discriminate against and cause unnecessary suffering to our migrant and refugee brothers and sisters." He concluded by calling for all of us to work towards a "a society that is more fraternal, inclusive and respectful of the dignity of all." In other words, we need to build a world where MAGA is not the law of the land. Please like and share!Show more ›
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30 March 2025 – 4th Sunday of Lent, Year C
March 30 2025
Thara Benedicta
Key Message: Praying parents can transform their prodigal kids!! Homily: Testimony: "My daughter wa... s not going in good ways. Initially I was left to tears. Then I got an inspiration to offer one Divine Mercy Chaplet daily for my daughter. At first, I couldn't notice any change in her. But slowly God transformed her. Somehow, she broke all her bad friends. Now she is coming to church regularly and we are sitting as a family and attending our Sunday Mass together. What a joy!! Thanks to my Jesus!! When I talked with my daughter she was not changing. But when Jesus talked with her, she transformed completely." The parable of the Prodigal Son is an exact representation of the current youth. Majority of today's youth are like the character of the prodigal son, living a selfish, undisciplined life, not prioritizing God or parents, just trying to enjoy every pleasure. The turning point comes later in their life when they are searching for a job, or after marriage or when all their friends have forgotten them. Then they turn back to God and come to parents for first aid or urgent care needs of their life. When the second son left his father, the father was longingly praying for the return of his son. The prayer of a parent will always be successful in bringing their children back to them. Parents, if your children are not going in the right direction, do not worry. St. Monica's prayer transformed her 'sinner son' to 'saint son'. Your prayers are sufficient enough to bring them back in the right way. Praying for the child is the first duty of parents towards their kids. Q: What to pray? A: Offer a 'Divine Mercy Chaplet' every day for each of your kids. When reciting, meditate on the sufferings of our Lord Jesus. You are offering the precious Blood of Lord Jesus to God our Almighty Father for the sake of your kid. Never give up on your loved ones. Do not worry about them. God has made beautiful plans for them. He will fulfil them. No one transforms during joyous occasions. But almost everyone transforms in their sufferings. So, when you children suffer, do not take the stress on you. Refiners fire will do what you cannot do. The first son was praying for his brother to repent, but when he saw that his father was celebrating the second son’s return more than the faithfulness of the first son, he felt that it was unfair. Instead of joy, he was filled with jealousy. Are we able to celebrate the success of our own siblings? The more we are happy for our siblings, the better will we be blessed with success. The first reading explains that God anoints us with special blessings during our Wilderness days to sustain us. Its blessing of courage, consolation, guidance and providence. His blessings are new every morning, either blessings of wilderness or promised land!!Show more ›
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Monday in the Fourth Week of Lent
April 4 2011
David Ishaya
Great insights
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Cardinal McElroy responds to his critics on sexual sin, the Eucharist, and LGBT and divorced/remarried Catholics
March 3 2023
Mary
We are on a journey. At a certain point on her journey, Dorothy Day had an abortion. Thomas Merton ... fathered a child and It is likely that these persons will someday be canonized. Don't focus on one moment in time (sin) but let us appreciate and support the spiritual development of each person over a lifetime (Grace).Show more ›
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