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| File Photo from 2011 Confirmation |
After reading what amounted to a propoganda-piece (in particular, the headline; and, for what the body of the article omits, specifically the part about Ananias and Sapphira*) that exploited the 2012 Confirmation homily of Bishop Ratko Perić in Medjugorje, I decided to ask Fr. Philip Pavich, OFM, for a complete translation.
There is much to take into consideration with regards to context. No one can read the mind of the bishop to know for certain what his exact concerns are. These things came to my mind as I read the homily.
- The area surrounding Medjugorje has become commercialized and with that can come greed. Certainly, this can happen anywhere there is competition with commerce. This would also be a concern regardless of the status of Medjugorje and it is true that people can exploit even approved apparitions for their own gain. However, I think there could be much greater problems in the face of any judgment that might include or reinforce a prohibition on the marketing of anything with reference to "Our Lady of Medjugorje." As I discussed in my last post concerning the CDF's recent release of the 1978 Norms for Discernment of Presumed Apparitions and Revelations, it is illicit to make medals and market prayers (even given away free) with the name of a presumed apparition, prior to explicit ecclesial approval.
- Few pilgrims probably know that in this small diocese several parishes were usurped in the 1990's by nine, rogue Franciscans not wanting to comply with a 1975 decree of the Holy See that the bishop was attempting to implement. More than 20 other Franciscans from the Herzegovina Province refused to sign a declaration of obedience to the bishop (and the Franciscan Generalate in Rome was involved). Those Franciscans remain without faculties even today. The usurped parishes continue to operate with men who suffered severe canonical penalties for their deeds and removal from the Franciscan order. They create disunity among Catholics in the region. They even brought in a fake bishop to perform "confirmations" some years ago. There have been requests by at least one of those parishes for the bishop to come and do Confirmations. Since they are not in communion with the Catholic Church, the bishop cannot go there. Those confirmandi, I believe, end up in Medjugorje, which is one reason why there are always hundreds being confirmed. Hence, the local Church has been dealing with a parallel "church" for many years - something of great concern for the Holy See. You can read more on this situation with all the detailed background in a post offering a full translation of the Holy See's decree, Romanis Pontificibus.
- The Holy Father stated through the Apostolic Nuncio, Archbishop Allessandro D'Errico, on March 17, 2010, that he considered Medjugorje, "a question for which he feels responsible as the supreme head of the Church to pronounce a clear message." He acknowledged the, "great good that is being done in this region by the priests, the Franciscan friars, and the laity. And on the other hand he asks himself how come there is information in such opposition to this phenomenon." Many Catholics are anticipating a judgment from the Pope on Medjugorje before the end of 2012 so this was probably the bishop's last Confirmation homily before that takes place. Regardless of the outcome, people need to meditate on this excellent homily about Babylon, Jerusalem, and the story from Acts of the Apostles about Ananias and Sapphira.
Here, for the sake of truth and justice, is the full text of the 2012 Confirmation homily of Bishop Ratko Perić in Medjugorje. There is absolutely nothing to support the claim that he has softened his position in any way. He is a shepherd encouraging his people to avoid sin and live virtuously.
PEOPLE OF MEDJUGORJE: GET RICH IN gOD, NOT IN wealth THAT PASSes AWAY
KIUM,
2012-05-19
The Bishop's sermon
Brothers and sisters,
dear confirmandi!
Babylon.
The Bible in the first
chapters describes for us a strange undertaking of the citizens: "Let us
go build ourselves a city and a tower that reaches to heaven! Let
us make a name for ourselves, lest we be scattered over the earth
"(Genesis 11:4). The people, far
away from God through original sin, intended to build a city with a tower
reaching to heaven. In proud independence from God
they were not able to make a rational decision. They began to build:
the foundation, bricks, walls, enviable progress. But at a certain time the masons are
not understood. They look for bread, and they get a stone instead, a hammer
instead of a trowel. Babel or Babylon means confusion, chaos. God
was not able to tolerate human conceit
and "goes down to see the city and the tower that the sons of men
built" and he jumbled their words "so they could not understand each
other's speech". (Gen 11,5.7).
Sons of the same nation and language, of the same intention and
crafts, as one till yesterday, now can not understand each other's words or
signs. Someone might say that this
is not a historical fact: how can you build a tower up to heaven? The Bible gives far more instruction on
salvation than on historical data. But we do know
that a tower of sin in human hearts can be built to the pit of hell. And the more that people think of living
without God, of throwing his name out of their system and society, of bypassing
God, wanting to create a common union or region, of making a name for
themselves in this world, all the more do economic and political accounts embroil
them.
- The heaviest
blow that strikes the Church is disunity of the faithful, especially fragmenting
of its servants. God expects us to everyone dutifully
performing his task, and be their responsibility. Who is this
elusive and works on his own, by the Church against the Church, this city of
Babylon tower. God expects each of us obediently
to perform his duty and bear his own responsibility. Anyone who dodges that and works on his own,
bypassing the Church, against the Church, is building a Tower of Babel. He can
even speak in various languages, but he is not uniting, he is rather tearing
down and scattering.
JERUSALEM. In the early days of
Christianity the Holy Spirit is revealed not as an invisible power, power from
on high, but as a person. Like us, the Holy Spirit through Mary gave Christ, the
incarnate Son of God, so we are risen and glorified Christ, together with the
Father gave the Holy Spirit through the prayers of Mary, the same apostolic
community in Jerusalem.The Spirit: Comforter, Paraclete, advocate, introducer
into all truth. At
the beginning of Christianity the Holy Spirit is no longer revealed as some
unseen power, as strength from above, but as a Person. He is the Father's and
Son's Gift to the believing world. Just as the Holy Spirit through Mary gave us
Christ, the incarnate Son of God, so the risen and glorified Christ, together
with the Father, gave us the Holy Spirit through the prayers of the same Mary,
in the Jerusalem community of Apostles. He is the Spirit: the Advocate, the
Comforter, the Intercessor, the Leader into all truth.
The
historical "Apparition" of the Spirit was with an audible
"roaring sound" and visible "tongues of fire." And the
consequence of that Apparition was perfect understanding of each other, despite
the diversity of nations and languages (Acts 2:2-6). That's the result of the
wisdom of Pentecost. A consequence of this phenomenon was perfectly understand each
other, despite the diversity of peoples and languages (Acts 2.2 to 6).
That results
Pentecost wisdom.
In Babylon the fruit is from the human spirit: incomprehension
of speech, breaking down of unity, loss of name, ruin of the city, destruction
of the tower. Misunderstanding and
chaos! Misunderstanding and fuss!
In
Jerusalem the fruit is from God's Spirit: unification, diversity of human
gifts, respect of every language, nation and gift. Understanding and harmony.
All the
efforts and services flow into one organism. The Church is put in
order like the visible Mystical Body of Christ. Three thousand people were baptized that
day. So that day
of the Holy Spirit is the supreme sensation of God on earth, the manifestation
of God's power among us humans beings. Only by the power of that Spirit are people able to build
"a tower whose top reaches heaven," that will not be destroyed, and
will "get a name for itself," that will last forever.
- Are we as Christians
building a city of unity according to the plan of Christ at the Last Supper when he admonished his apostles: "Till now
you have not asked anything in my name"? (Jn 16:24). Are we
praying in His name for the gifts of the Third Divine Person, whose primordial
attribute is unification and mutual understanding? The
Second Vatican Council emphasizes the power of the Holy Spirit, the one who
enlightens, sanctifies, vivifies, unites, rejuvenates, teaches and purifies us.
The Holy Spirit gives us his
seven-fold gifts, the seven basic qualities of his Kingdom.
Whoever
says that they renounce the devil, as you, confirmandi, will now say, let them
no longer even mention him, either by way of swearing or of cursing. Whoever has the devil in his mouth and on his tongue, will soon have him in
his heart.
Whoever says that they believe in God, let them
humbly revere him, and not blaspheme!
Whoever respect their body and preserve themselves in chastity
and all those with whom they keep company, will have virtue grow in them and
yield the fruit of life. Do not live in dire want and misery, but be heroic,
chaste and honest, healthy in heart and body, strong in spirit.
Whoever's heart and hands
cleave to earthly things, and forget God, will not go money-grubbing just to
have more of it, but will also utilize frauds and defamations and thefts,
jumping from bad to worse, to achieve his heart's desire. .
GETTING RICH, BUT NOT IN GOD. The Acts of the Apostles tell us (5:1-11) Peter exposed the
hypocrisy of a husband and wife in the first community. The Bible honestly portrays even the most dishonest
actions, wherever they may be.
Ananias, one
of the first Christians in Jerusalem, sold a piece of his property and in
agreement with his wife brought the apostles only a portion of the money from
the sale, the other part he kept for himself, yet he wanted to live from the
community table. Peter
called him for an interview:
- Ananias, where were you this morning? - I sold my property.
- For how much did you sell it? - For so and so much.
- Did you give all the money for the community purse as agreed?
- Yes (but he didn't. He kept part of it for himself). And
Ananias trembled before Peter's tribunal.
- And
how much did you bury in the ground behind the house? Peter looked into the
double-dealing eyes of Ananias. - I buried so and so many shekels, stammered
Ananias, lowering his eyes in shame.
- Look
at me! - Peter looked around him with a sharp voice: "Why has Satan filled
your heart so that you lied to the Holy Spirit and retained part of the price
of the land?" (Acts 5:3), and said that you brought it all?
- I
was afraid of sickness and old age for myself and my wife, said Ananias.
- Does not God care for you in
your old age and in your illness? And for your wife Sapphira? While it remained unsold, did
it not remain yours? Could you have left all the proceeds, since it was yours? - I could have.
- It
means, you not only stole, but you have also lied. A Christian, and he lies.
Not only does he lie, but he steals, he cheats. Do you see that sin always
produces sin. "While it remained unsold, did it not remain yours: And when
it was sold, was it not still under your control? (Acts 5:4). Had you sold it
and kept all the money, it would still all be yours. You could have sometime
even come to the community meal. Had you even sold it and kept a portion for
yourself and said that you had done so, everything would have been in order.
But this way: "Why did you contrive this deed? You have lied not to human
beings but to God" (Acts 5:4). You have not stolen from the community but
from God. At these words, Ananias fell before the Apostle
Peter and died. "And great fear came upon all who heard of it"
(Acts 5:5).
Sapphira.
After about three hours, his
wife Sapphira came in, unaware of what had happened with her husband. Peter was waiting for
her at the entrance.
-
Madam, tell me, did you sell the piece of land for so and so many shekels? - We
did, the woman admits right away.
- How
much did you bring for the community purse? -About half, so it seems to me.
- And
did you say that you brought all the money? - Yes, we did.
- But
where is the other half? - The wife stood trembling, the blood froze in her
veins.
- They
carried out your husband a while ago. As soon as the grave diggers get back,
they will carry you out too. And at once she fell to the ground. And she died.
Brothers
and sisters, what kind of punishments these are! Those who stood around were struck with great
fear. God in the beginning let the people learn a lesson and start on the right
path. "And great fear came upon the whole Church" (Acts 5:11). In a
charismatic way Peter disciplines the whole community. If we will live
according to God's commandments, then the seventh and eighth are of equal
value, and the fifth and the sixth and every commandment of God!
What is actually the most painful thing in this event? Well, it seems to us to be that this couple - Ananias and Sapphira - did not have time either to repent or to seek forgiveness. It is sudden death. "Thus will it be for the one who stores up treasure for himself, but is not rich in what matters to God" (Luke 12:21).
Dear faithful, confirmandi! You have the opportunity to turn this
Medjugorje into Babylon, confusion and chaos; to show a false pride up to the
clouds, to give in to the race for foreigners and their money, to allow tourism
to flood and defeat you with a multitude of languages, to compete over who will
build the most Babylonian floors and villas, over who will open a profitable
business and get richer.
You
have the opportunity to make Jerusalem out of this parish, a place of action of
the Spirit of God, where a multitude blends into unity, where each one
understands everyone in God, and not in false wealth: where Peter's word is
heard: "Repent ... and you will receive the gift of the Holy Spirit
"(Acts 2.39).
You
have the opportunity to live devoutly,
not in pride, but to crush it in wisdom:
not being selfishly avaricious, but advancing in good sense, not losing
yourself in the immorality of your body, but gaining a true knowledge of God's
saving law: not permitting a measure of envy, but rejoicing at true advice; expressing strength of spirit,
all in the fear of God,
and not weakness and a painful end like that of Ananias and Sapphira.
* Post edited to include comment that points to what is missing in what I allege is a propaganda-piece.
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