A faction of Occupy Vancouver protesters stopped short of a planned disruption of mass at the Holy Rosary Cathedral in downtown Vancouver on Sunday morning due to a police presence outside of the church.
But the offshoot group of the anti-corporate protest — calling themselves the “Occupy the Vatican” movement — later decided they will march on the cathedral Sunday afternoon.
Protester Bluesky Wolfman, speaking in lieu of march organizer Kevin Annett, said the motion to bring attention to thousands of residential school survivors was postponed due to a “heavy police presence” at the Vancouver Art Gallery and the cathedral.
“We see history one way and everyone sees it another way and we need to come together to talk,” Wolfman said Sunday.
“We need to start discussing the hardest parts of our history together and that way we can move forward as brothers and sisters,” he said, with a group of a few dozen largely First Nations members looking on.
Other Occupy protesters are saying Sunday’s “Occupy the Vatican” movement did not gain consensus at Saturday night’s general assembly and is thus not being supported by the majority.
“Today’s march is not approved by the general assembly,” said Yann Savard. [Source]
How about having the proposed action totally condemned. The “not approved” statement is the cowardly PR statement for a proposed attack on freedom to worship.
As for “Occupy the Vatican”, maybe they need a geography lesson.
They are not the only ones who want to draft an occupy movement such as a writer at America Magazine. The non-ordained as seen as the 99%. He of course does not mention what would be the laundry list of demands, but you can guess the typical – women’s ordination, acceptance of homosexual acts, and something akin to sexual license. It would almost be funny to watch them try to occupy St. Peter’s Square. The Church is not only protected from the gates of hell, but even misguided people with protest signs, hey hey ho ho chants, and tents.
I was also critical of attempts at at Catholic Tea Party movement. The Church is always in need of reform, a reform that starts with ourselves. Pray and fasting are the bedrock tools of true reform not orchestrated movements with signs. Certainly at times protests are prudent, but they have to be grounded in the spiritual life.
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So often I find that we Catholics (I am also a convert) fail to understand our faith enough to articulate it. If we are able to articulate it then we can provide some guidance to countermand people outside the Church who wish us ill will – usually out of a sense of ignorance or misunderstanding of Church teachings, rather than a genuine intent.
I agree with your parting shot that reform begins with prayer.