Green Bay Bishop David Ricken has ordered Catholic parishes in the diocese to cut corporate ties to JOSHUA and other non-Catholic social justice organizations.
Ricken complimented the work being done by the Green Bay-based JOSHUA and the Appleton-based ESTHER, but he expressed concerns that, without Catholic oversight, the groups’ political positions could stray from Catholic teachings.
“An undesirable result of dual affiliations could be that a conflict could place our parishioners in a very difficult position of having to choose between their Catholic Church authority and another parallel organization,” Ricken said in a prepared statement. “Therefore, I am directing our parishes to withdraw their corporate membership in these organizations, effective July 1, 2011.”
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A statement from the diocese cited an episode almost a year ago, in which an announcement from an abortion rights coalition appeared on ESTHER’s website. ESTHER staff removed the announcement shortly after it appeared, but the appearance raised Rickens’ concerns, and he met with ESTHER and JOSHUA leaders to discuss the issue.
ESTHER and JOSHUA are members of WISDOM, a statewide network of congregation-based social justice organizations. [Source]
These types of conflicts are going to continue to happen considering that the majority of these social justice umbrella groups are infected with supporters of abortion, homosexual acts, other aspects of the Culture of Death. Hopefully more bishops will become as proactive as Bishop Ricken to prevent such scandals and promote true Catholic social justice.
Last year the bishop had been working with ESTHER and JOSHUA suggesting that they cut ties with WISDOM, which obviously they were not willing to do.
6 comments
The way I see our Catholic Church is that “IT” was started by Jesus Christ when He said in so many words that “IT” was His Stone that He built and no forces not even hell will ever bring “IT” down and Jesus left Pierre, our first POPE with His Apostles in charge which in French, Pierre can also be understood to mean Stone.
As we Christians have learned that through Time, the church that was started by Jesus and continued by His Apostles has evolved and is now named The Catholic Church but “IT” is still the Church that Jesus originally started and I for one believe that The Holy Spirit has been with Spiritual Saint Peter and Jesus’ Faithful Apostles every step of the way and will be there till the end of “Time” and Beyond.
For what “IT” is worth Jeff, that’s how I see “IT” as of today.
God Bless Peace
I was a member of my local Pax Christi for a while. I realized that their talk of non-violence did not seem to extend to the unborn and many were dissident in other areas of Catholic teaching. After a Mass at one event was provided by a priest who had left the Church to live his own lifestyle, I quit. Not all organizations that seem to do good are legitimately Catholic.
It would be well for the bishops to address non-Catholic teachings and practices in Jesuit and Catholic universities.
“These types of conflicts are going to continue to happen considering that the majority of these social justice umbrella groups are infected with supporters of abortion, homosexual acts, other aspects of the Culture of Death.”
As trying and as troubling as the support for these grave evils is, I need to continually remind myself that sinners, heretics, Communists, etc., are not “The Enemy.” The Enemy (that is, Satan himself and his demons) are the enemy; my fellow human beings who have had the misfortune to fall under Satan’s sway are *victims* of the Enemy’s wiles. I am to pray for them, fast for them, beg God to save them, never give up on them.
When I speak of them, can I do so in a way that reflects the fact that uppemost in my mind is my consciousness that in their fallen humanity, they are nevertheless reflections of the Sacred Humanity of Jesus?
Our Lady Queen of the Most Holy Rosary, Extipatress of sin and vice, pray for us.
Hope you’re not holding your breath on those “other bishops”, Jeff. E.g. the bishops of WI are swallowing the bait hook, line & sinker, it looks like. Boy, talk about a three ring circus…& our family is union!
Lord and Savior Jesus Christ, Pray for U>S.
All God’s Angels who truly worship Our Heavenly Father and have proven “IT” during eternity and still hold The Faith please Pray for U>S (usual sinners).
Marion, what you said kind of reminds me of the game called “Diablo” and what happened to him when he fell to the ground after being defeated. After all the blood that was spilled, he eventually turned into a real man and there appeared a hole where his heart most likely was and a stone was inserted and at that moment a sigh of releaf was heard from this body cell.
I hear ya! I’m sure that you probably think that this stone was the one that Jesus created. Right?
Go Figure! 🙂
God Bless Peace