Reformation Anniversary: Dialogue Paper Between the Vatican and Evangelicals?

(Washington / Rome) According to reports from U.S. media, the Vatican intends to Reformation 2017 with the Evangelicals to publish a common "dialogue paper". The aim of the declaration is  a "shared commitment to mission" as the Boston Globe reported.

In 2017 the Protestant world will celebrate  500 years of "Reformation" with Martin Luther's theses at Wittenberg. In 2017   the Catholic Charismatics will also celebrate 50 years of "Revival" by the "Spirit Baptism".

According to the Pope's biographers and journalist Austen Ivereigh in the Boston Globe,  it is a joint document on the "Reformation" which will include three priorities: "the Nicean-Constantinople Creed, which Catholics and evangelicals share; the core of the Catholic-Lutheran declaration of 1999 making clear there is no disagreement over justification by faith; as well as a final section asserting that Catholics and evangelicals are now “united in mission because we are declaring the same Gospel,”  as the KAP reported.

Tony Palmer Handed Pope Francis Text Draft

According Ivereigh the recently deceased Anglo-Irish Bishop, Tony Palmer, passed away on the 24th of June, had issued  in Rome at a meeting of the Pope with Evangelical representatives to draft a joint statement. The title of the document reads: "Declaration of Faith in Unity for Mission."   2017 would be an appropriate occasion for publicly signing  a joint declaration, said Palmer and other Evangelical televangelists,  because of the Reformation anniversary year (1517) and   in the same year, the 50-year anniversary of the emergence of the Charismatic Renewal in the Catholic Church (1967 ).

Since the beginning of Pope Francis sent out a number of benevolent signals towards Evangelicals and Pentecostals. These include several informal meetings at the Vatican, a video message and on 28 July the "private visit" the Pope at an evangelical denomination in Caserta. Here, the Catholic Church leader sent a request for forgiveness to 300 invited from all over the world evangelical representatives.

 Relations Between Catholic Church and Evangelicals in Latin America

Observers have put the papal efforts  in the context of the strained relationship between the Catholic Church and the Evangelical Free Churches in Latin America. For several decades Evangelical groups have drawn from the Catholic Church's masses of believers. A movement that is being done in the United States and again is  also associated with the political interests of the United States in its "backyard". Sociologists of religion see in the spread of evangelicalism   among a number of attempts, to export the American Way of Life.

Mission or Cessation of Mission?

Critics accuse the Pope of sacrificing the necessity for salvation of the Catholic Church and indiscriminately recognizing  groups that call themselves Christian or nominally appointed to Christ. Pope Francis was several times to understand that it waives a conversion to the Catholic faith. This raises the question of what a joint statement with the Evangelicals might just mean to the issue of Mission. A shared commitment to evangelization of non-Christians or an official recognition of a mutual  cessation of mission? Along with the one-sided embedding of the "Joint Declaration on the Doctrine of Justification" of 1999, the Catholic-evangelical "dialogue paper" it would  pass over in precedence, the more significant for the Catholic Church and especially more binding declaration Dominus Iesus of the year 2000.

Already in 2013 the Pontifical Council for Promoting Christian Unity and the Lutheran World Federation (LWF) have published a dialogue paper for the  "Reformation Jubilee",  whose relevance has remained in an almost imperceptible range. From the Lutheran side there were hesitations for the "Luther Year" in 2017, at a mutual recognition several times of  "Lord's Supper".

500 Reformation, 50 years Charismatic Renewal - And 100 years Fatima?

2017 marks not only the 500th year of the "Reformation" and the 50th anniversary of the emergence of the Charismatic Movement in the Catholic Church, but also for the 100th anniversary of the apparitions of Fatima. It's an anniversary that has so far remained unnoticed in Rome.

Text: Giuseppe Nardi
image: unavox.it

Third Secret of Fatima: Document is "Authentic" -- But is it Compete?

(Rome) In the coming days, the investigation of a handwritten document will be published which is attributed to  Sister Lucia dos Santos. The Third Secret of Fatima, which was was made public as a handwritten document by Pope John Paul II and the then Prefect of the Congregation of the Faith, Cardinal Joseph Ratzinger in the Holy Year 2000 is "authentic" and was written by Lucia dos Santos. She was the oldest of the three shepherd children at Fatima, where the Virgin Mary appeared in 1917. The nun died in 2005. Does the document published in 2,000 treat the full Third Secret? 

The   handwritten document extant in 2000 was investigated by the paleographer Maria José Azevedo Santos of the Faculty of Arts of the University of Coimbra. In the document, the seer described the scene  with the "bishop dressed in white" who suffers martyrdom along with many Christians on the summit of a mountain. A prophecy that John Paul II was referring to as the 13 May 1981 assassination attempt perpetrated on him in St. Peter's Square. The Pope wrote about the happy deliverance as the intercession of Our Lady of Fatima.

Paleographer Confirmed Authenticity of the Handwritten Document

Maria José Azevedo Santos gave an interview to  the official publication of the Portuguese pilgrimage site Voz da Fatima which will be released for the next issue on the 13th of January. The Catholic press agency of Portugal has made a preliminary report.

"The Church has no doubt that it is an original document. This is an authentic document, which was written personally by Sister Lucia," said Maria José Azevedo Santos. The scientist had the opportunity to examine the document last September in the archives of the Congregation. The absence of the signature of Sister Lucia takes away nothing of the authenticity of the document. A comparison of this document with the Third Secret with other handwritten texts of the seer and nun leaves no doubt. The scientific conclusion can therefore only be that this document was actually written by Sister Lucia, says the Paleographer.

Critics Don't Doubt the Authenticity, But Completeness

Around the release of the Third Secret in 2000, there have been numerous polemics. However, most critics do not doubt the authenticity of the document, but are of the opinion that it was not published in full, but only a part.

According to the main strand of criticisms, which, however, was also repeatedly rejected by the Vatican, there still  must an additional paper in addition to the published sheet describing the appearance in the words of the Mother of God, with whom she explained the importance of vision to the shepherd children. This also explains the absence of the signature of Sister Lucia, because it's probably located on another sheet at the end of the transcript.

Cardinal Ratzinger: There is No "Official Interpretation" of the Third Secret

As Cardinal Ratzinger explained the contents of the Third Secret in June 2000 at the request of John Paul II to the press, he put value on the finding that there is no "official interpretation" given by the Church suggesting it was Pope Wojtyla himself  as the "bishop dressed in white" who was killed. John Paul II sent the then Secretary of the Congregation of the Faith, Archbishop Tarcisio Bertone Curia to Sister Lucia. At that time, the  93 year old  nun had confirmed this interpretation of the Pope's.

Pope Benedict XVI:. Third secret is not yet fulfilled?

A little later, Bishop Kurt Krenn of St. Pölten said that Cardinal Ratzinger, did not share the interpretation of John Paul II relating the vision to himself. In fact,  Pope Benedict XVI then expressed himself very cautiously  on his 2010  Portugal trip, and left open the possibility that the prophecy has not been fulfilled, or at least not completely satisfied.

Text: Giuseppe Nardi
image: Voz da Fatima

Trans: Tancred vekron99@hotmail.com

Link to Katholisches...

AMGD

Fatima and the Third Secret -- Why is Pope Francis Having the 97 Year Old Secretary of John XXIII Come to Rome?

(Rome) Is there a Marian reading of recent church events? Antonio Socci focuses on this question in the news daily Libero (April 14). Pope Benedict XVI., who sees his powers dwindling  and does not feel strong enough to face the challenges of the time announced his resignation on the 11th February, taking place on the feast of Our Lady of Lourdes,.

His successor, Francis is elected on March 13 , a date that commemorates the apparitions of Fatima. In the small Portuguese city, the Mother of God appeared between the 13th of May and 13th of October on the 13th of each month before three children. The 13th Day of each month is Fatima Day in  Catholic piety  and thus is a Marian date.

Sister Lucia of the Immaculate Heart,  which was the religious name of one of the children, wrote down the Third Secret of Fatima in 1944 after much reluctance. Only when she was stopped from writing expressly by her bishop, she got the call. The minutes were kept by the Bishop of Leiria, since 1957 and they are located in the archives of the Congregation for Doctrine and the Faith in Rome. Each newly elected Pope is shown the content of the the Third Secret by the time of his inauguration.  Only in 2000, did Pope John Paul II  order the publication of the secret to counteract speculation about a near end of the world or a third world war.

Much has been puzzled about the Third Secret of Fatima, about "a Bishop dressed in White”, which was written of by the Sister Lucia dos Santos, one of the three seers: "We had the idea that it was the Holy Father.” 

Pope John Paul II referred to the prophecy when he and the then Secretary of the Congregation, now the Cardinal Secretary of State, Tarcisio Bertone, made to reveal the third secret in the Holy Year in 2000 by the then Prefect of the Congregation of the Faith, Cardinal Joseph Ratzinger. In the belief, which was granted to the shepherd children by Our Lady, they saw that the white-robed Bishop is killed by soldiers. In 1981, a few months after the assassination attempt on John Paul II by the Soviet hired assassin Ali Agca, Cardinal Ratzinger, the previous Prefect of the CDF, Franjo Cardinal Seper, had made a connection between the vision and  the Pope surviving the severe injuries inflicted by the attack . The attack was on May 13th was committed on the day of Fatima. The Pope ascribed his salvation to the Mother of God.

Early on, however, there were doubts whether the publication was complete. Due to past testimony of several top church officials, several lines seem to have continued to be kept secret. However, doubts were also placed on the interpretation. Among others, it was the Austrian Bishop Kurt Krenn of Sankt Pölten, who publicly reported a little later about such doubts of Joseph Ratzinger. The Prefect of the CDF had therefore been of the opinion that the prophecy was not referring to the assassination, but had a far greater dimension. One dimension that concerns the whole Church, as well as the popular intuition showing in the murder of the other bishops, priests and lay Catholics. So the Third Secret concerns future events that have yet to occur.

Recently, the question is raised whether the words referred to the resigned Pope or to his successor, who likes to call himself "Bishop of Rome".

Francis saw how Pope John Paul II had a special devotion to Mary. The Mother of God is Francis' first "escape" from the Vatican on the day after his election, when he went to venerate the icon in the Papal Basilica of Santa Maria Maggiore, and also prayed at the grave of Pope St. Pius V.  In his first Angelus in St. Peter's Square, he mentioned Fatima.  About two weeks ago  Pope Francis surprisingly called  Archbishop Loris Capovilla.  The now over 97 year old, retired Curial Archbishop was the first secretary of Pope John XXIII from 1958 to 1963.  On Easter Monday, the 1st of April, the phone rang. The Pope was personally at the other end and told Capovilla  he wanted to meet with him. The Monsignor promises soon to come to Rome, where he has not been any more since the beatification of John XXIII on 3 September 2000.

The reason it is said that the old prelate was to be placated, that  the Pope wanted to say thank you for a brochure that Monsignor Capovilla had written for the Year of Faith and Cardinal Comastri had given to the Pope. The Pope’s call merely to say thanks for a brochure was not convincing in the least for a set of Vatikanisten.

Capovilla was the last topic of conversation, because he talked about a memorandum that Benedict XVI. had written for his successor. The Vatican denied the allusion. At the meeting of the two Popes in Castel Gandolfo, in any case, a box full of documents and a large, sealed envelope was seen.

"Why has the Pope contrived to want to see  the former secretary of Pope Roncalli in the first month of his pontificate and at he exclusion of the public? What was so urgent?” asked Antonio Socci.

On the 7th of April the Patriarch of Lisbon, Cardinal Jose Policarpo of the Portuguese Episcopal Conference, of which he is chairman, announced that Pope Francis had asked the patriarch to consecrate his pontificate of Our Lady of Fatima. The consecration will be on 13 May, taking place on the 96th Anniversary of the apparition.

Is Pope Francis talking with Archbishop Capovilla about the Third Secret of Fatima? He, therefore, is making him come to Rome, as the timing of the announcement made shortly after he consecrated  as his pontificate to Our Lady of Fatima suggests? What does the Pope think or know related to the prophecy and the future of the Church? What must we expect?

Text: Martha Weinzl
Picture: Fatima

Translation: Tancred

Link to Katholisches… 

Additional background on Antonio Socci’s work…and Cadinal Capovilla...

Father Nicholas Gruner Addresses European Parliament Concerning Consecration of Russia

Edit: a kind reader just sent us this link.

PRESS RELEASE

FATHER NICHOLAS GRUNER and CHRISTOPHER A. FERRARA INTERVENE AT EUROPEAN UNION PARLIAMENT CONCERNING CONSECRATION OF RUSSIA

October 24, 2012

Strasbourg, October 24, 2012 — On October 23, 2012 Father Nicholas Gruner of the Fatima Center in Canada and Catholic attorney and author Christopher A. Ferrara of the United States appeared at the headquarters of the EU in Strasbourg, France to speak in support of a motion for a declaration by the EU Parliament calling upon Pope Benedict XVI to carry out the Consecration of Russia to the Immaculate Heart of Mary.

The motion is being sponsored by two members of the Parliament of the European Union, the Honorable Mario Borghezio and the Honorable Lorenzo Fontana, who invited Father Gruner and Mr. Ferrara to speak in its support at the time of its official introduction.

The motion refers to the threat of "great danger at the present time to world peace and the serenity of all European peoples" and notes that "the Blessed Virgin Mary has promised a long period of prosperity and peace, if and only if, the Holy Father will consecrate Russia in a solemn and public manner, as precisely specified by Her in the Message of Fatima."

The motion provides for a declaration by the EU Parliament formally requesting that "His Holiness, Pope Benedict XVI... fulfill the will of the Queen of Heaven" by performing the Consecration in order to address European and world problems.

Speaking before the international press corps in the press hall of the EU Parliament headquarters in Strasbourg, Father Gruner and Mr. Ferrara made presentations in support of the measure, including a discussion of the content, undeniable authenticity, and absolute urgency of the Fatima Message for the Church and humanity at large. They were introduced by MPs, Borghezio and Fontana, who appeared with them at the press conference.

"This was a God-given opportunity to advance the cause of Our Lady of Fatima in a forum whose deliberations will have considerable impact at the Vatican. MEPs. Borghezio and Fontana are to be commended for their courageous defense of the Blessed Virgin before a hostile world. I pray the motion passes and the EU Parliament calls upon the Pope to do his duty," said Father Gruner.

"I believe we succeeded in making a case for the Consecration of Russia that would appeal even to rational non-believers, who have nothing to lose by voting in favor this measure," said Mr. Ferrara.

The motion has been lodged with the EU Parliament as an official legislative document and will become part of the public record of EU proceedings. It has already attracted the signatures of a growing number of additional sponsors in the Parliament, including members from Italy, Austria and Ireland.

Press inquiries should be directed to: Europe: Monica Tomassini, The Fatima Center, 011 39 06 39 73 5296, Rome

 North America: Joseph Paonessa, The Fatima Center, 905 871-7607, Canada

Source, fatima.org.

Russians Overwhelmingly Support Forming Religious Militias

Edit: Remember when Militia became a boogeyman in the US media in the early nineties?  Well, this is Russia and everything seems to be wildly different here. In addition to making anarchist riots by prostitutes and blasphemous derelicts increasingly unpopular, Russians are overwhelmingly behind the idea of forming religious Militias to defend holy sites.

So, they're not just naming submarines after Saints and making films celebrating reactionary political figures, the Russians are taking it to the streets as it were.  To be sure there will be much hand-wringing in the West.  Or will there be?

It's really not much of a stretch to go from this to forming military units to provide security, medical and material support for Christians in the Holy Land, is it?

Moscow, October 18, Interfax - The majority of Russians questioned in an opinion poll expressed support for a proposal to organize Orthodox Christian militias for the declared purpose of protecting holy sites.

The idea was backed by 66% of respondents in a survey carried out by the All-Russia Center for Public Opinion Studies (VCIOM) last month.

The initiative to form militias for patrolling city streets, put forward in August by the leader of the Holy Russia organization, had the widest support among respondents who support the ruling Yedinaya Rossia (United Russia) party - 71%, - among those are older than 45 (70%), those who are poorly educated (73%), those living in cities with populations of more than a million and those not using the Internet (72%), VCIOM experts told Interfax.

A "Miracle of the Sun" at Fatima After Beatification of John Paul II

 In Fatima immediately after the Beatification of John Paul II a "solar miracle" was reported -- kathtube-user has witnessed the unusual occurrence also for the 13th of May.

Fatima (kath.net) Was there another "miracle of the sun" after the Beatification of John Paul II?  This is the contention of at least some eyewitnesses, as kath.net has just learned.  This 'wonder' is said to have happened immediately after the celebration of John Paul II's Beatification on the 1st of May.  There was a rainbow cross formed around the sun.  Thousands of pilgrims and residents of Fatima concur that they have seen it who were at the location. Even the Bishop of Fatima, Serafim de Sousa, has acknowledged the event, but an official statement has not been made.

In Portugal and Poland the world media have also reported it.  Previously on the 13th of October 1917, a miracle of the sun was reported.  This was witnessed by at least 30,000 people in Cova da Iria.

An eyewitness of the event of the 13th of May reported on this noteworthy occurrence.  On kathTube some people witnessed unusual things in Fatima.  The User "Radfee" wrote:  We, my sister and I, stood about in the middle of the pilgrim square, near the barrier.  With many pilgrims we had our attention on Holy Mass, which was happening on the altar, which was projected on a big screen.  As from nothing, a murmur arose from the crowd, that suddenly drew our attention above to the sky.  It was an indescribable moment.  It was, as though everyone held their breath;  it was for me, as if for a moment time stood still.  Then a rousing applause broke from the crowd in joy and thanksgiving.  Many wept with joy and astonishment.  And, although the sun was powerfully blinding, it was hard for us to look back to the ground.  We are true Westphalians, therefore are not quick to be taken in, and have always been skeptical of extraordinary occurrences. 


From kath.net...







H/t: John Barry's Blog...

Fatima Vandalized with Islamic Symbols

It is possible that Muslims didn't do this, but if they did, they should be expelled wholesale from Portugal. Pehraps they don't like the ugly architecture which is more reminscent of vandalism than anything that's been done so far, like the pagan Hindu ritual approved by the rector a while back.


Now, THIS is vandalism:




[Portugal] In a press release Monday, officials from the shrine announced that in the early hours of Sunday morning, four statutes on the sides of the church as well as the church itself were painted with graffiti.

In the John Paul II Plaza, statutes of Popes John Paul II and Paul VI were painted. In the Pius XII Plaza, statues of Pope Pius XII and Bishop José Alves Correia da Silva were painted.

The graffiti includes the words “Islam,” “moon,” “sun,” “Muslim” and “mosque.”

According to the statement from shrine officials, “the difficult work of cleaning” is under way.

The communiqué added: “In reporting what has happened and without knowing who has done this, the shrine [officials] confirm [our] sadness and assure that the issue has been reported to the police.”

h/t james mary evans.