Already on the blogosphere there are calls for the canonization of Father Hamel, the French priest murdered by Islamic terrorists while saying Mass in his parish church. Of course I understand that he was murdered by Islamic terrorists because they despise the Faith and that is a factor in the canonization process. I don't believe that's an overriding factor and there may be other facts to consider.
From an account of a prayer service to honor Father Hamel comes the unsettling news that his church contributed land to local Muslims so that they could build a mosque. The local mosque leader is mourning the priest who, in his words, "helped us to pray to allah". Ponder that.
The first of the Ten Commandment is "I am the Lord your God. You shall have no false gods before Me." Yet this parish, quite probably with the connivance of Father Hamel, gave material and formal cooperation to the act of idolatry. What else is "helping to pray to allah" if not formal and material cooperation with that mortal sin?
Some might think I'm judging Father Hamel. However, isn't the rush to canonize him prematurely its own form of rash judgment? I think there are two "takeaways".
First, let us continue to pray for his repose and cease the presumption of instant admittance to heaven. We just don't know. Why deny him the prayers and sacrifices needed to mitigate any possible purgatory?
Second, the western civilization simply must stop coddling these terrorists, as that French church did. Sadly but predictably, we heard bleating from the Pope, who "challenged" Poland to lay aside its well-founded concerns about opening their borders to potential terrorists. Closer to home we heard Bishop Daniel Flores of Brownsville Texas likening deportation of illegal immigrants to abortion. For him to claim that deportation of illegals, which is a moral action, is equivalent to an inherently immoral action shows a complete ignorance of Church moral teaching. The coddling of these terrorists by Church hierarchy is nothing more than someone kissing the hand that stabs them in the back. I regret that Father Hamel learned that the hard way. Must more good people die before we wake up?
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ReplyDeleteThank you for the insight. The Catholic world is indeed pandering to radical murderers, and that's only for starters. Encouragement and even being accessories to idolatry is indeed mortally sinful. Even more outrageous is the statement by Pope Francis to Polish youth that they MUST NOT MAKE THEIR BORDERS BE BARRIERS. And.......that there are EXTREMISTS in EVERY religion that are dangerous, even in our own!! (???) So, let me get this straight: Even Catholic Christians are dangerous because they commit the same kind of violence that these radicals commit. There are some of us that are guilty of slaughtering people if they don't convert to Catholicism, threatening torture and cutting off heads.........RIGHT??!!!! Would SOMEONE please do SOMETHING to cut this guy's microphone???......Please????!!!!! He is spewing very dangerous ideas in the climate we are presently living in!!!!! You cannot emphasize the word DANGEROUS enough!!!!!
ReplyDeleteIf Fr. Hamel was the pastor in charge who donated the land then no, he should not be canonized. If we learn that he was the priest in residence and the then pastor did it over his objections then we could have a cause for canonization. That being said, we know nothing of Father's life. Thorough investigation is required and we really need the office of the Devil's Advocate to be restored. We've had too many quickie canonizations. Being murdered does not make you a martyr nor is it a free ticket to Heaven.
ReplyDeleteAnother reason for no “Santo subito” for Fr. Hamel?
ReplyDeleteFrom: FRANCE-ISLAM: Muslims pray with Catholics. But Islamism is still present and of concern @ http://www.asianews.it/news-en/Muslims-pray-with-Catholics.-But-Islamism-is-still-present-and-of-concern-38196.html
"... Saint Etienne already had a very active inter-faith dialogue group."
See the rest of the article for other interesting stuff especially more Catholic dhimmitude (subservience) not only toward Muslim imams but also in the service of the French secular state.
At St. Mary's Picataway at the Saturday Vigil Mass, one of the Prayers of the Faithful was, "For Father Jaques Hamel, who was martyred for the faith." I cannot believe that this was officially prayed at the altar. It is one thing for someone to say this at home, in their private prayers, but to say it during the Prayers of the Faithful goes too far. The Church has a tradition of never publicly calling someone a martyr until they have been canonized. This is done to avoid presumption on the part of the faithful, but also to respect the fact that only the Church can infallibly declare someone a saint and/or marytr. The Pope opened this can of worms when he stated publicly that a certain group of Christians who were killed by ISIS were marytrs. It may well be true! However, Popes of the past were very careful about what they said when events like that occurred, so as not lead the faithful into confusion, scandal, and presumption--and how right they were back then! Obviously, we go from a casual comment by Pope Francis to Hamel now being called a "marytr" during Mass. How many of the very confused faithful will now take that literally, rather than learning the authentic tradition of the Church on these matters, which is there to nothing more than safeguard us from scandal and error, and uphold the truth. What a shame! Plus, I would be small-minded to think that that parish was the only place where such a thing was heard last week. Fat chance! Did anyone else in the ADW hear this during the Intercessions? I am sure it was said in a lot of places, unfortunately. Truly, we Catholics need to pray for a resurgence of love for what the Church really teaches in our parishes, and a desire to know and spread that beautiful truth, and that we lose any taste we may have for the easy way out, through sappy counterfeits.
ReplyDelete-Dawn