Interview with Dutch Cardinal Eijk, https://www.slideshare.net/CSR-Religion/interview with Dutch Cardinal-Eijk answering questions on crisis in church, lossof faith
Dutch Cardinal Willem Eijk answers questions on crisis in Church, loss of faith.
Interview taken by Jeanne Smits on Wednesday, May 15, 2019
published on LIFESITE: www.lifesitenews.com.
May 15, 2019 (LifeSiteNews) – Cardinal Willem Eijk, archbishop of Utrecht, is at present one of the most outspoken defenders of perennial Catholic teaching in the Church. He has repeatedly asked for “clarity” from Rome and especially from the Pope, be it regarding the interpretation of Amoris laetitia or other points such as intercommunion in the Catholic Mass for some Protestant faithful.
The Cardinal discusses in a wide-ranging interview with LifeSiteNews what he has done in his diocese to combat the German bishops' push for intercommunion, how the faith is being rediscovered and lived by a new generation in the Netherlands, how he is still seeking clarification from Pope Francis regarding confusion surrounding the Pope's Exhortation Amoris laetitia, how the rosary and Fatima plays an important role in his ministry, why he celebrates Mass ad orientem , and why shepherds have a duty to preach the faith in all its fullness and with clarity, including on topics such as the reality of hell for people who reject God.
His Eminence received this reporter at his episcopal palace in Utrecht, Netherlands, answering LifeSite’s questions freely and from the abundance of his heart. Below is the full text of the interview.
The document discusses the ongoing sexual abuse scandals within the Catholic Church around the world, focusing on Ireland and Australia. It summarizes that the scandals have rocked the Church and quotes victims and church officials. The scandals have deeply damaged trust in the Church's leadership and its ability to reform itself and prevent future abuse.
John Bosco was born in 1815 in Italy. He had a difficult childhood but showed great intelligence. At age 9, he had a dream where the Virgin Mary told him his mission was to help boys. He began gathering boys to teach them and prevent them from living sinful lives. He started the Oratory of St. Francis de Sales to educate youth. He later founded the Salesians, a religious order dedicated to education. He worked tirelessly to establish schools and oratories. He is known as a model educator and helped many youth. He was canonized in 1934 and is the patron saint of editors and publishers.
This document provides biographical details about the life of St. Francis Regis Clet. It describes his childhood in France and vocation to the Congregation of the Mission. He was ordained and first served as a professor of theology before being sent as a missionary to China in 1791. There, he faced many hardships including isolation, poverty, and periods of persecution but continued evangelizing for over 20 years until his martyrdom in 1820. The document outlines the various places he served, difficulties he encountered like the deaths of fellow missionaries, and his dedication to the mission until the end of his life.
1. The document provides an overview of the Christian Church through history, beginning with the Church of the Old Testament. It describes how God's church has existed from Eden to Eden under different names but with the same fundamental beliefs and acceptance of God's law.
2. It then discusses the Church of the New Testament, noting that it received its beliefs from the Old Testament church and also accepted God's law. It briefly outlines the organization and evangelistic efforts of the early apostolic church.
3. Persecution of the church began only a few weeks after Christ's ascension, with disciples being imprisoned and Stephen becoming the first martyr as Christianity spread throughout the Roman Empire.
John Gabriel Perboyre was born in 1802 in France to a devout Catholic family. He felt called to become a priest from a young age and joined the Congregation of the Mission. Perboyre was sent as a missionary to China where he worked diligently despite poor health. When persecution broke out in 1839, he was betrayed, imprisoned and tortured for over a year for his faith but refused to renounce Christianity. On September 11, 1840, Perboyre was executed by strangulation and became the first French saint in China. He was beatified in 1889 and canonized in 1996, with many miracles attributed to his intercession.
Thomas Aquinas was a 13th century Italian Dominican priest and philosopher who is considered one of the most influential thinkers in Western philosophy and Catholic theology. He produced a comprehensive synthesis of Christian theology and Aristotelian philosophy that influenced Roman Catholic doctrine for centuries and was adopted as the official philosophy of the church in 1917. Aquinas was born in Italy in 1225 and joined the Dominican order against his family's wishes. He went on to study and teach at universities in Italy and France, producing works on theology, philosophy and other subjects. Some of his most influential works include the Summa Theologiae and Summa Contra Gentiles. He died in 1274 while teaching at a university in Italy.
The document discusses the ongoing sexual abuse scandals within the Catholic Church around the world, focusing on Ireland and Australia. It summarizes that the scandals have rocked the Church and quotes victims and church officials. The scandals have deeply damaged trust in the Church's leadership and its ability to reform itself and prevent future abuse.
John Bosco was born in 1815 in Italy. He had a difficult childhood but showed great intelligence. At age 9, he had a dream where the Virgin Mary told him his mission was to help boys. He began gathering boys to teach them and prevent them from living sinful lives. He started the Oratory of St. Francis de Sales to educate youth. He later founded the Salesians, a religious order dedicated to education. He worked tirelessly to establish schools and oratories. He is known as a model educator and helped many youth. He was canonized in 1934 and is the patron saint of editors and publishers.
This document provides biographical details about the life of St. Francis Regis Clet. It describes his childhood in France and vocation to the Congregation of the Mission. He was ordained and first served as a professor of theology before being sent as a missionary to China in 1791. There, he faced many hardships including isolation, poverty, and periods of persecution but continued evangelizing for over 20 years until his martyrdom in 1820. The document outlines the various places he served, difficulties he encountered like the deaths of fellow missionaries, and his dedication to the mission until the end of his life.
1. The document provides an overview of the Christian Church through history, beginning with the Church of the Old Testament. It describes how God's church has existed from Eden to Eden under different names but with the same fundamental beliefs and acceptance of God's law.
2. It then discusses the Church of the New Testament, noting that it received its beliefs from the Old Testament church and also accepted God's law. It briefly outlines the organization and evangelistic efforts of the early apostolic church.
3. Persecution of the church began only a few weeks after Christ's ascension, with disciples being imprisoned and Stephen becoming the first martyr as Christianity spread throughout the Roman Empire.
John Gabriel Perboyre was born in 1802 in France to a devout Catholic family. He felt called to become a priest from a young age and joined the Congregation of the Mission. Perboyre was sent as a missionary to China where he worked diligently despite poor health. When persecution broke out in 1839, he was betrayed, imprisoned and tortured for over a year for his faith but refused to renounce Christianity. On September 11, 1840, Perboyre was executed by strangulation and became the first French saint in China. He was beatified in 1889 and canonized in 1996, with many miracles attributed to his intercession.
Thomas Aquinas was a 13th century Italian Dominican priest and philosopher who is considered one of the most influential thinkers in Western philosophy and Catholic theology. He produced a comprehensive synthesis of Christian theology and Aristotelian philosophy that influenced Roman Catholic doctrine for centuries and was adopted as the official philosophy of the church in 1917. Aquinas was born in Italy in 1225 and joined the Dominican order against his family's wishes. He went on to study and teach at universities in Italy and France, producing works on theology, philosophy and other subjects. Some of his most influential works include the Summa Theologiae and Summa Contra Gentiles. He died in 1274 while teaching at a university in Italy.
Fr. Robert P. Maloney, C.M. offers a few reflections on Vincent's capacity to unite action and contemplation. From an article that originally appeared in Vincentiana (https://via.library.depaul.edu/vincentiana/vol44/iss2/13)
This document provides information from the Office of Religious Education in the Archdiocese of Hartford. It announces the commissioning of 26 lay ministers, the celebration of adult confirmation, and upcoming events including the Catholic Biblical School graduation. It also provides updates on Catholic scouting, youth ministry, and adult faith formation opportunities.
Justin de Jacobis, a 19th century Vincentian missionary to Ethiopia with a great gift of understanding, learned by the example of his founder St. Vincent de Paul to follow God's Providence.
This document summarizes media coverage of Pope Francis and Archbishop of Canterbury Justin Welby on issues related to poverty, women, homosexuality, and child abuse. It finds that both religious leaders receive significant press on their focus on poverty, but conservative views on women and homosexuality also receive coverage. Coverage of Welby's changing views on homosexuality over time is also documented. Criticism of both leaders for not going far enough in advancing social issues like women's rights and gay marriage is also presented.
The document proposes the creation of CopticWorld.org, a centralized website that would unite Copts online. It would provide a searchable directory of Coptic churches, organizations, and individuals around the world. This would make it easier for Copts to connect, support one another, and learn about various efforts. Proponents argue it could strengthen the Coptic identity and culture by increasing opportunities, recognition, and pride within and outside the Coptic community.
Militant: Resurrecting Authentic Catholicism - Michael VorisJasterRogueII
This document provides acknowledgments and thanks to the individuals and organizations that have supported the work of Church Militant and St. Michael's Media over the years. It discusses how the organization was initially founded and funded by Michael Voris using his life savings and loans. It acknowledges significant financial donations from other families and individuals that have allowed the organization to expand its operations and facilities. It also thanks the thousands of subscribers and those who support the organization through prayers and encouragement in its mission to advance the Catholic faith.
Militant: Resurrecting Authentic Catholicism - Michael VorisJasterRogueII
This document provides background on the founding of Church Militant and St. Michael's Media. It describes how Michael Voris' mother prayed fervently for her sons to return to the Catholic faith before dying of cancer. Following her death and his brother's sudden death, Voris underwent a conversion process and used his life savings to found St. Michael's Media to promote Catholic teachings through media. The organization has grown through significant financial and prayerful support from donors who believe in its mission.
St. Justin de Jacobis was a 19th century Vincentian missionary to Ethiopia and Eritrea who is considered a model for inculturation. He fully immersed himself in the local culture and customs, dressing as the Ethiopian clergy, adopting the Ethiopian rite, and learning the local languages. He focused on forming native clergy and ordained over 30 Ethiopian and Eritrean priests. St. Justin was devoted to serving the poor and sick and was known for his warmth, humility, and respect towards the people and Orthodox clergy he served.
The Vincentian missionary presence in China began in the late 1600s and grew significantly in the 1800s, establishing missions, schools, and native clergy training. François-Regis Clet and Jean-Gabriel Perboyre were among the early Vincentian missionaries to China in this period, arriving in the late 1700s/early 1800s. Both Clet and Perboyre endured imprisonment, torture, and eventual martyrdom for refusing to renounce their Catholic faith amid anti-Christian persecutions. Their examples inspired continued Vincentian missionary work in China in subsequent decades. By the early 20th century, the Vincentians had a considerable presence across northern China with missions, schools, and over 600 native clergy trained
This document provides a summary of events from 2014 involving the Dominican Friars Central Province. It discusses the 50th anniversary of priesthood for Fr. Chuck Dahm and Fr. John McGreevy. It notes the ordination of multiple new Dominican priests. It also discusses the changing Dominican presence in Albuquerque, New Mexico and the growth of the Dominican Education Initiative there. Finally, it mentions the first profession of vows made by two novices in the Dominican Order. Overall, it reviews a year of growth, change, and renewal for the Dominican Friars Central Province.
The document discusses the history and origins of Martin Luther and the Protestant Reformation. It then discusses projections that the Seventh-day Adventist Church will have nearly 50 million members by 2020, most of whom will have been members for less than 20 years. The rest of the document discusses the increasing diversity within the SDA Church in terms of ethnicity, age, and views on doctrinal issues.
The early history of the Seventh-day Adventist church in Southern Africa began in the 1870s when William Hunt, an American gold prospector, shared SDA beliefs with others in South Africa. In the 1880s, Pieter Wessels and others in Kimberley began observing the Sabbath and contacted the General Conference for assistance. In 1887, the first SDA missionaries arrived from America and established the first SDA church in South Africa in Beaconsfield with 21 members. Wealthy donations from the Wessels family allowed for several SDA institutions like schools and hospitals to be established in the 1890s, enabling growth of the denomination in Southern Africa.
This article discusses the appointment of Father Stephen Howell to the new role of director of ongoing formation for newly ordained priests in the Archdiocese of San Francisco. Archbishop Cordileone created this position to provide additional support to priests in their first five years after ordination, which research shows is a critical time. Father Howell will work part-time in this role, mentoring new priests, while also serving as the new pastor of St. Philip the Apostle Parish in Noe Valley. The archdiocese already provides ongoing formation and each new priest chooses a personal mentor, but this additional role is meant to formally support the archbishop's relationship with and guidance of new priests.
The document summarizes the geographical expansion of the Seventh-day Adventist Church from the 1860s to the 1880s. It discusses how the church expanded westward across America and also began establishing congregations in Europe, Asia, Australia, and the South Pacific. Key figures like Washington Morse, Merritt Kellogg, and J.N. Andrews played important roles in establishing the church in places like Minnesota, California, Switzerland, and England. By the 1880s, Adventist missionaries had begun preaching in many parts of the world.
Early History of Methodism in Stann Creek, Belize Myrtle Palacio
The Methodist Church first started in Stann Cree Town, Belize in Early 1800s. Garifuna leaders played a major role in the development of the Church as teachers and preachers. Several of the ministers in the Methodist Church in the Caribbean and the Americas are form Stann Creek Town now called Dangriga.
History of the baptists By Thomas Armitage (1819-1896)alkitabiah
This document provides a biography of Thomas Armitage, the author of the book "A History of the Baptists". It details his upbringing in Yorkshire, England, his early conversion and preaching as a Methodist, his move to the United States in 1838, and his eventual joining of the Baptist church and ordination in 1848. It also provides context on Armitage's role as the president of the Bible Union and his reputation as one of the greatest preachers in the US. The end includes a short excerpt from Armitage's preface to his book, discussing his approach to writing a Baptist history focused on theological truths rather than ecclesiastical succession.
In the late 1840s, several conferences were held to unite Sabbatarian Adventist believers around shared doctrines including the Sabbath, the sanctuary message, and Ellen White's prophetic ministry. While some opposed any church organization, the need for legal recognition and maintaining orthodoxy led to the formation of the Seventh-day Adventist Church in 1860. Over subsequent decades, the church developed institutions and a hierarchical organizational structure under the General Conference, though some Adventists left over the issue of formal organization.
William Miller was a Baptist preacher who, through intensive study of the Bible, concluded that Jesus Christ would return to earth between 1843 and 1844. He began preaching this and gained many followers known as Millerites. When Christ did not return on the predicted dates, it caused the Great Disappointment and the Millerite movement dissolved. Some Millerites went on to form the Seventh Day Adventist Church, believing in the imminent second coming of Christ and observance of the Sabbath on Saturday. Ellen White emerged as an influential leader through her prophetic visions which helped shape Seventh Day Adventist beliefs and practices around health, education, and missions.
Saint Catherine of Siena was born in 1347 in Siena, Italy to a family of cloth dyers. At a young age she had religious visions that led her to take a vow of virginity at age 7 and join the Dominican order as a nun in her late teens. Catherine practiced extreme asceticism and had mystical visions throughout her life. She became a spiritual advisor and worked to end the Papal schism, influencing the decision to reunite the Catholic church under one head in 1415. Though her extreme religious practices took a toll on her health, Catherine was recognized for her accomplishments and canonized as a saint after her death in 1380.
Who should study the Catholic and Lutheran Catechisms? Everyone! Everyone, even if you are neither Catholic nor Lutheran. Everyone who wants to live a godly life should study the Catechism. Both the Lutheran and Catholic Catechisms have sections for the Ten Commandments, the Sacraments, the Lord’s Prayer, and the Creeds. If you ignore the sections in the Large Catechism where Luther curses the Pope and calls him names, studying both the Catholic and Lutheran Catechisms will improve your soul. Vatican II teaches that Catholics can learn from their separated Protestant brothers, which means that Catholics can read Luther.
The Catholic Catechism was reviewed by thousands of bishops before publication, many thousands of suggestions were pondered, more thought and care was invested in the editing of the Catholic Catechism than probably any modern book in print. You ignore this wisdom at your moral peril. These teachings are not merely preachings, they are annotated by thousands of footnotes to both Scripture verses and the writings of the Church Fathers and the decrees of Vatican II, Trent, and the other councils, so you can go back to the sources yourself. By design, the Catholic Catechism references both the Eastern Church Fathers, so beloved by the Orthodox, and the Western Church Fathers, staring with St Augstine, in roughly equal proportion.
Cardinal Ratzinger, who would later become Pope Benedict, in an in-depth interview in 1985 that the spirit of Vatican II had faded, that it failed to generate a new enthusiasm, but instead Catholicism had become trapped in a spirit of “boredom and discouragement.” What the opponents and supporters of Vatican II shared in common is neither understood nor studied the actual decrees of Vatican II. The solution would be a new Catechism to summarize the teachings of Vatican II.
We are planning a course of study, starting with the Decalogue, or Ten Commandments, and read most of the works quoted in the footnotes of the Catholic Catechism, many of them are church fathers. We will also ponder what the church fathers, the medieval rabbis, Luther in his Large Catechism, and preachers and scholars can teach us about the Decalogue.
The video draws from this blog: http://www.seekingvirtueandwisdom.com/who-should-study-the-catholic-catechism/
Please support our channel when purchasing these books from Amazon:
Catechism of the Catholic Church, UCSSB Bishop's Edition
https://amzn.to/3kca1sT
Concordia: The Lutheran Confessions, Book of Concord
https://amzn.to/3ghTJxK
Introduction to the Catechism of the Catholic Church
https://amzn.to/37UXEMm
A Compendium of Texts Referred to in the Catechism of the Catholic Church
https://amzn.to/2W4cxK2
Gospel, Catechesis, Catechism: Sidelights on the Catechism of the Catholic Church, by Joseph Cardinal Ratzinger
https://amzn.to/3za3RQu
Ratzinger Report: An Exclusive Interview on the State of the Church
https://amzn.to/2W2DNIU
This document discusses church discipline and maintaining spiritual health in the church. It begins by explaining that conversion does not guarantee perfect spiritual health, and churches have neglected church discipline, leading to widespread spiritual unhealthiness. It then outlines the biblical process for church discipline according to Matthew 18:15-20. This involves first privately and humbly confronting a brother or sister about their sin, with the goal of restoration. If they do not listen, additional steps such as involving others may be taken. Historically, churches practiced regular discipline, but it has largely been abandoned in recent decades.
Fr. Robert P. Maloney, C.M. offers a few reflections on Vincent's capacity to unite action and contemplation. From an article that originally appeared in Vincentiana (https://via.library.depaul.edu/vincentiana/vol44/iss2/13)
This document provides information from the Office of Religious Education in the Archdiocese of Hartford. It announces the commissioning of 26 lay ministers, the celebration of adult confirmation, and upcoming events including the Catholic Biblical School graduation. It also provides updates on Catholic scouting, youth ministry, and adult faith formation opportunities.
Justin de Jacobis, a 19th century Vincentian missionary to Ethiopia with a great gift of understanding, learned by the example of his founder St. Vincent de Paul to follow God's Providence.
This document summarizes media coverage of Pope Francis and Archbishop of Canterbury Justin Welby on issues related to poverty, women, homosexuality, and child abuse. It finds that both religious leaders receive significant press on their focus on poverty, but conservative views on women and homosexuality also receive coverage. Coverage of Welby's changing views on homosexuality over time is also documented. Criticism of both leaders for not going far enough in advancing social issues like women's rights and gay marriage is also presented.
The document proposes the creation of CopticWorld.org, a centralized website that would unite Copts online. It would provide a searchable directory of Coptic churches, organizations, and individuals around the world. This would make it easier for Copts to connect, support one another, and learn about various efforts. Proponents argue it could strengthen the Coptic identity and culture by increasing opportunities, recognition, and pride within and outside the Coptic community.
Militant: Resurrecting Authentic Catholicism - Michael VorisJasterRogueII
This document provides acknowledgments and thanks to the individuals and organizations that have supported the work of Church Militant and St. Michael's Media over the years. It discusses how the organization was initially founded and funded by Michael Voris using his life savings and loans. It acknowledges significant financial donations from other families and individuals that have allowed the organization to expand its operations and facilities. It also thanks the thousands of subscribers and those who support the organization through prayers and encouragement in its mission to advance the Catholic faith.
Militant: Resurrecting Authentic Catholicism - Michael VorisJasterRogueII
This document provides background on the founding of Church Militant and St. Michael's Media. It describes how Michael Voris' mother prayed fervently for her sons to return to the Catholic faith before dying of cancer. Following her death and his brother's sudden death, Voris underwent a conversion process and used his life savings to found St. Michael's Media to promote Catholic teachings through media. The organization has grown through significant financial and prayerful support from donors who believe in its mission.
St. Justin de Jacobis was a 19th century Vincentian missionary to Ethiopia and Eritrea who is considered a model for inculturation. He fully immersed himself in the local culture and customs, dressing as the Ethiopian clergy, adopting the Ethiopian rite, and learning the local languages. He focused on forming native clergy and ordained over 30 Ethiopian and Eritrean priests. St. Justin was devoted to serving the poor and sick and was known for his warmth, humility, and respect towards the people and Orthodox clergy he served.
The Vincentian missionary presence in China began in the late 1600s and grew significantly in the 1800s, establishing missions, schools, and native clergy training. François-Regis Clet and Jean-Gabriel Perboyre were among the early Vincentian missionaries to China in this period, arriving in the late 1700s/early 1800s. Both Clet and Perboyre endured imprisonment, torture, and eventual martyrdom for refusing to renounce their Catholic faith amid anti-Christian persecutions. Their examples inspired continued Vincentian missionary work in China in subsequent decades. By the early 20th century, the Vincentians had a considerable presence across northern China with missions, schools, and over 600 native clergy trained
This document provides a summary of events from 2014 involving the Dominican Friars Central Province. It discusses the 50th anniversary of priesthood for Fr. Chuck Dahm and Fr. John McGreevy. It notes the ordination of multiple new Dominican priests. It also discusses the changing Dominican presence in Albuquerque, New Mexico and the growth of the Dominican Education Initiative there. Finally, it mentions the first profession of vows made by two novices in the Dominican Order. Overall, it reviews a year of growth, change, and renewal for the Dominican Friars Central Province.
The document discusses the history and origins of Martin Luther and the Protestant Reformation. It then discusses projections that the Seventh-day Adventist Church will have nearly 50 million members by 2020, most of whom will have been members for less than 20 years. The rest of the document discusses the increasing diversity within the SDA Church in terms of ethnicity, age, and views on doctrinal issues.
The early history of the Seventh-day Adventist church in Southern Africa began in the 1870s when William Hunt, an American gold prospector, shared SDA beliefs with others in South Africa. In the 1880s, Pieter Wessels and others in Kimberley began observing the Sabbath and contacted the General Conference for assistance. In 1887, the first SDA missionaries arrived from America and established the first SDA church in South Africa in Beaconsfield with 21 members. Wealthy donations from the Wessels family allowed for several SDA institutions like schools and hospitals to be established in the 1890s, enabling growth of the denomination in Southern Africa.
This article discusses the appointment of Father Stephen Howell to the new role of director of ongoing formation for newly ordained priests in the Archdiocese of San Francisco. Archbishop Cordileone created this position to provide additional support to priests in their first five years after ordination, which research shows is a critical time. Father Howell will work part-time in this role, mentoring new priests, while also serving as the new pastor of St. Philip the Apostle Parish in Noe Valley. The archdiocese already provides ongoing formation and each new priest chooses a personal mentor, but this additional role is meant to formally support the archbishop's relationship with and guidance of new priests.
The document summarizes the geographical expansion of the Seventh-day Adventist Church from the 1860s to the 1880s. It discusses how the church expanded westward across America and also began establishing congregations in Europe, Asia, Australia, and the South Pacific. Key figures like Washington Morse, Merritt Kellogg, and J.N. Andrews played important roles in establishing the church in places like Minnesota, California, Switzerland, and England. By the 1880s, Adventist missionaries had begun preaching in many parts of the world.
Early History of Methodism in Stann Creek, Belize Myrtle Palacio
The Methodist Church first started in Stann Cree Town, Belize in Early 1800s. Garifuna leaders played a major role in the development of the Church as teachers and preachers. Several of the ministers in the Methodist Church in the Caribbean and the Americas are form Stann Creek Town now called Dangriga.
History of the baptists By Thomas Armitage (1819-1896)alkitabiah
This document provides a biography of Thomas Armitage, the author of the book "A History of the Baptists". It details his upbringing in Yorkshire, England, his early conversion and preaching as a Methodist, his move to the United States in 1838, and his eventual joining of the Baptist church and ordination in 1848. It also provides context on Armitage's role as the president of the Bible Union and his reputation as one of the greatest preachers in the US. The end includes a short excerpt from Armitage's preface to his book, discussing his approach to writing a Baptist history focused on theological truths rather than ecclesiastical succession.
In the late 1840s, several conferences were held to unite Sabbatarian Adventist believers around shared doctrines including the Sabbath, the sanctuary message, and Ellen White's prophetic ministry. While some opposed any church organization, the need for legal recognition and maintaining orthodoxy led to the formation of the Seventh-day Adventist Church in 1860. Over subsequent decades, the church developed institutions and a hierarchical organizational structure under the General Conference, though some Adventists left over the issue of formal organization.
William Miller was a Baptist preacher who, through intensive study of the Bible, concluded that Jesus Christ would return to earth between 1843 and 1844. He began preaching this and gained many followers known as Millerites. When Christ did not return on the predicted dates, it caused the Great Disappointment and the Millerite movement dissolved. Some Millerites went on to form the Seventh Day Adventist Church, believing in the imminent second coming of Christ and observance of the Sabbath on Saturday. Ellen White emerged as an influential leader through her prophetic visions which helped shape Seventh Day Adventist beliefs and practices around health, education, and missions.
Saint Catherine of Siena was born in 1347 in Siena, Italy to a family of cloth dyers. At a young age she had religious visions that led her to take a vow of virginity at age 7 and join the Dominican order as a nun in her late teens. Catherine practiced extreme asceticism and had mystical visions throughout her life. She became a spiritual advisor and worked to end the Papal schism, influencing the decision to reunite the Catholic church under one head in 1415. Though her extreme religious practices took a toll on her health, Catherine was recognized for her accomplishments and canonized as a saint after her death in 1380.
Semelhante a Interview with Dutch Cardinal Eijk, https://www.slideshare.net/CSR-Religion/interview with Dutch Cardinal-Eijk answering questions on crisis in church, lossof faith
Who should study the Catholic and Lutheran Catechisms? Everyone! Everyone, even if you are neither Catholic nor Lutheran. Everyone who wants to live a godly life should study the Catechism. Both the Lutheran and Catholic Catechisms have sections for the Ten Commandments, the Sacraments, the Lord’s Prayer, and the Creeds. If you ignore the sections in the Large Catechism where Luther curses the Pope and calls him names, studying both the Catholic and Lutheran Catechisms will improve your soul. Vatican II teaches that Catholics can learn from their separated Protestant brothers, which means that Catholics can read Luther.
The Catholic Catechism was reviewed by thousands of bishops before publication, many thousands of suggestions were pondered, more thought and care was invested in the editing of the Catholic Catechism than probably any modern book in print. You ignore this wisdom at your moral peril. These teachings are not merely preachings, they are annotated by thousands of footnotes to both Scripture verses and the writings of the Church Fathers and the decrees of Vatican II, Trent, and the other councils, so you can go back to the sources yourself. By design, the Catholic Catechism references both the Eastern Church Fathers, so beloved by the Orthodox, and the Western Church Fathers, staring with St Augstine, in roughly equal proportion.
Cardinal Ratzinger, who would later become Pope Benedict, in an in-depth interview in 1985 that the spirit of Vatican II had faded, that it failed to generate a new enthusiasm, but instead Catholicism had become trapped in a spirit of “boredom and discouragement.” What the opponents and supporters of Vatican II shared in common is neither understood nor studied the actual decrees of Vatican II. The solution would be a new Catechism to summarize the teachings of Vatican II.
We are planning a course of study, starting with the Decalogue, or Ten Commandments, and read most of the works quoted in the footnotes of the Catholic Catechism, many of them are church fathers. We will also ponder what the church fathers, the medieval rabbis, Luther in his Large Catechism, and preachers and scholars can teach us about the Decalogue.
The video draws from this blog: http://www.seekingvirtueandwisdom.com/who-should-study-the-catholic-catechism/
Please support our channel when purchasing these books from Amazon:
Catechism of the Catholic Church, UCSSB Bishop's Edition
https://amzn.to/3kca1sT
Concordia: The Lutheran Confessions, Book of Concord
https://amzn.to/3ghTJxK
Introduction to the Catechism of the Catholic Church
https://amzn.to/37UXEMm
A Compendium of Texts Referred to in the Catechism of the Catholic Church
https://amzn.to/2W4cxK2
Gospel, Catechesis, Catechism: Sidelights on the Catechism of the Catholic Church, by Joseph Cardinal Ratzinger
https://amzn.to/3za3RQu
Ratzinger Report: An Exclusive Interview on the State of the Church
https://amzn.to/2W2DNIU
This document discusses church discipline and maintaining spiritual health in the church. It begins by explaining that conversion does not guarantee perfect spiritual health, and churches have neglected church discipline, leading to widespread spiritual unhealthiness. It then outlines the biblical process for church discipline according to Matthew 18:15-20. This involves first privately and humbly confronting a brother or sister about their sin, with the goal of restoration. If they do not listen, additional steps such as involving others may be taken. Historically, churches practiced regular discipline, but it has largely been abandoned in recent decades.
This document discusses the state of the Catholic Church in the United States following the Second Vatican Council. It notes that while there is great vitality through theological exploration, participation, and ministry, there are also significant challenges. These include a lack of consensus on Catholic identity, institutional crisis from alienation, questions around women's roles, erosion of discipline, and neglect of social justice issues. The document argues that the Church is at a transition point where it must fully implement the reforms of Vatican II. It compares the current situation to a book from the 1940s about France needing evangelization, and suggests parishes must become true communities of faith and mission.
The document summarizes a newsletter from the Biblical Research Institute. It discusses several topics:
1) It clarifies that the Seventh-day Adventist Church is not a member of the World Council of Churches and only has observer status, but is a member of the Conference of Secretaries of Christian World Communions.
2) It provides a summary of a preliminary report on guidelines being developed to address issues of spiritualism in Africa from a biblical perspective.
3) It includes a book review that critiques a new book by Francisco Ayala that argues against intelligent design, pointing out ways the author misrepresents the position and provides inadequate responses to some of the core arguments for intelligent design.
This document provides the contents and introductions to the book "Theology and Sanity" by Frank J. Sheed. The book contains theology aimed at providing readers with the essential minimum information needed to live mentally in the real world. The foreword discusses the author's goal of teaching those who know less theology than himself. The preface to the revised edition, written 33 years later, discusses how the book was shaped by feedback from audiences and discusses important developments in theology and the Church since the original publication.
This document discusses engaging and coaching parents in faith formation. It provides examples of models for partnering with parents, including having parents form their own children using provided materials with coach support, faith-filled parent coaching and formation, and drawing parents into adult faith formation through their children. It also provides examples of topics that can be covered in parent coaching, such as the sacraments, morality, Scripture, and prayer. Sample lesson plans and resources for faith formation are referenced.
This chapter provides an overview of what it means to be Catholic. For some, being Catholic is a way of life that involves traditions like Friday fish fries and rosaries. However, popular media portrayals of Catholicism are often stereotypical and provide an inadequate understanding. This handbook aims to help readers better understand what motivates devoted Catholics and discern authentic Catholic teachings.
This document discusses the history and vision of the cell church model. It begins by describing Pastor David Yongii Cho's experience of burnout in 1964 which led him to rediscover the church model seen in Acts, with an emphasis on small group communities meeting in homes in addition to larger corporate worship. This small group model was implemented in Cho's church in Korea and resulted in explosive growth to over 250,000 members, becoming the largest Protestant church. The cell church vision sees these small groups as integral communities that together form the body of Christ, with Christ's presence among them. While the model achieved great success internationally, it met with challenges when imported to the US due to cultural and structural differences.
Min1979 01 - El calendario profético de Israel.Zafnat Panea
This document summarizes letters responding to articles in the January 1979 issue of Ministry Magazine. The letters discuss topics like the electronic church, Sabbath keeping, ministering to singles, and more. One writer appreciates the magazine's helpful articles but says it represents a fundamentalist approach they have moved beyond. The editors welcome the feedback and hope to provide inspiration to clergy of all faiths.
The document discusses how the attractional model of evangelism used by many churches focuses on bringing people into the church, while the missional model takes the church out into the community to share the gospel. It draws an analogy to the Marine Corps mission of locating and destroying the enemy through fire and maneuver. Ultimately, the mission of the church, whether missional or attractional, should be to fulfill the Great Commission by making disciples of all nations as commanded by Jesus Christ.
This document discusses changes occurring within a congregation and how leadership is guiding the congregation through that change. It outlines five congregational goals adopted by session to aim resources toward healthy ends, including deepening relationships through shared practices, clarifying governance and organizational structures, growing community impact, and improving fiscal health. The pastor expresses encouragement that leadership is navigating change purposefully rather than resisting it, and hopes congregation members will contribute their gifts through ministry and mission.
This document discusses issues around admitting baptized children to Holy Communion before confirmation in the Church of England. It provides a brief history of how current practices developed, outlines steps a parish can take to implement the bishop's guidelines on the issue, and addresses common questions from congregations. The document emphasizes that baptism, not confirmation, is what makes one part of the church body and thus able to participate fully in the Eucharist. It argues that excluding baptized children denies them an important part of community life in the church.
Semelhante a Interview with Dutch Cardinal Eijk, https://www.slideshare.net/CSR-Religion/interview with Dutch Cardinal-Eijk answering questions on crisis in church, lossof faith (13)
Pater Martín Lasarte, een Uruguayaanse Salesiaan, missionaris in Afrika met een licentiaat in de Heilige Schrift, maakt momenteel deel uit van het wereldwijde missiebevorderingsteam van de Salesiaanse Congregatie. Hij is in het bijzonder verantwoordelijk voor de promotie van missies in Afrika en Amerika. In het Amazonegebied begeleidt hij de congregatie die 47 religieuze gemeenschappen telt, met 245 Salesianen in het Amazonegebied en in Mato Grosso (22 gemeenschappen in de grote steden en 25 op het platteland of in de jungle). Op het platteland of in kleine dorpen ontvangen 612.000 mensen uit 62 etnische en niet-inheemse groepen in vijf landen hulp. De dienst wordt verleend via 1.219 katholieke gemeenschappen, onder leiding van 2.123 pastorale werkers. Pater Lasarte is door pauselijke benoeming lid van de Synode die in oktober 2019 wordt gehouden. Dit is zijn toespraak tot een groep journalisten op 23 september in de Pauselijke Universiteit van het Heilig Kruis in Rome.
Benedictus XVI Sacramentum Caritatis, 22-2-2007CSR-Religion
Benedictus XVI
Postsynodale apostolische Exhortatie
Sacramentum caritatis
aan de bisschoppen, aan de priesters en diakens, aan de godgewijde personen en aan alle christengelovigen over de Eucharistie, bron en hoogtepunt van het leven en de zending van de Kerk
Inhoud
-Inleiding
-DEEL I
Eucharistie, een mysterie waarin men gelooft
De heilige Geest en de Eucharistie
Eucharistie en Kerk
Eucharistie en Sacramenten
Eucharistie en eschatologie
De Eucharistie en de Maagd Maria
-DEEL II
Eucharistie, een mysterie dat men viert
De Eucharistieviering, een werk van ‘Christus totus’
De structuur van de Eucharistieviering
Actuosa participatio
De met innerlijke deelname beleefde liturgieviering
Aanbidding en eucharistische vroomheid
-DEEL III
Eucharistie, een mysterie waaruit men leeft
Eucharistie, een mysterie dat aan de wereld aangeboden moet worden
-Slot
Gegeven te Rome, bij Sint Pieter, op 22 februari, het feest van Sint Petrus’ Stoel, in het jaar 2007, het tweede van mijn pontificaat.
Benedictus XVI
1. Sacrament van de liefde: De heilige Eucharistie is het geschenk van de zelfgave van Jezus Christus, waardoor Hij ons Gods oneindige liefde voor iedere mens openbaart. In dit wonderbare sacrament toont zich de “grotere” liefde die ertoe aanzet “het eigen leven te geven voor zijn vrienden” (vgl. Joh 15,13). Ja, Jezus heeft de Zijnen “tot het uiterste toe” liefgehad (Joh 13,1). Deze woorden van de evangelist vormen de inleiding op Jezus’ gebaar van oneindige nederigheid: voordat Hij voor ons aan het kruis stierf, waste Hij, omgord met een linnen doek, de voeten van zijn leerlingen. Op dezelfde wijze blijft Jezus ons in het sacrament van de Eucharistie “tot het uiterste toe” liefhebben, tot aan de gave van zijn Lichaam en zijn Bloed. Wat moeten de gebaren en de woorden van de Heer tijdens dat Avondmaal de apostelen hebben verwonderd! Wat moet het mysterie van de Eucharistie ook een verwondering opwekken in ons hart!
Fragen aus der Liturgie, ausgewählte TexteCSR-Religion
Fragen aus der Liturgie
Ausgewählte Texte
1. Romano Guardini [1918], Vom Geist der Liturgie, 20. Auflage, Mainz-Paderborn 1997, 9-38. Einführung. Kapitel 1: Liturgisches Beten. Kapitel 2: Liturgische Gemeinschaft.
2. Joseph Ratzinger [1985], Von der Liturgie zur Christologie. Romano Guardinis theologischer Grundsatz und seine Aussagekraft, in: JRGS 6/2, Herder, Freiburg im Breisgau-Basel-Wien 2013, 719-741.
3. Helmut Hoping, Die Mysterientheologie Odo Casels und die Liturgiereform, in: Erinnerung an die Zukunft. Das Zweite Vatikanische Konzil, hg. von J.-H. Tück, Herder, Freiburg im Breisgau-Basel-Wien 2013, 163-184.
4. Joseph Ratzinger [1966], Die sakramentale Begründung christlicher Existenz, in: JRGS 11, 2. Auflage, Herder, Freiburg-Basel-Wien 2008, 197-214.
Met de blik op Jezus Christus, teksten ter overwegingCSR-Religion
Met de blik op Jezus Christus
teksten ter overweging
auteurs:
- Paus Franciscus:
Apostolische Exhortatie Evangelii Gaudium van 24-XI-2013
nr. 264-267 en 275-280.
-Heilige Jozefmaria Escrivá:
Homilie: De tegenwoordigheid van Christus in de christenen,
in Christus komt langs, nr. 102-116.
Homilie: In de voetspoor van de Heer
in Vrienden van God, nr. 127-141.
-Mgr. Fernando Ocáriz
Pastorale brief, 14-2-2017, nr. 8-9 en 30
verspreid door: Onze Lieve Vrouwekerk, Keizersgracht 220, 1016 DZ Amsterdam
Astronism, Cosmism and Cosmodeism: the space religions espousing the doctrine...Cometan
This lecture created by Brandon Taylorian (aka Cometan) specially for the CESNUR Conference held Bordeaux in June 2024 provides a brief introduction to the legacy of religious and philosophical thought that Astronism emerges from, namely the discourse on transcension started assuredly by the Cosmists in Russia in the mid-to-late nineteenth century and then carried on and developed by Mordecai Nessyahu in Cosmodeism in the twentieth century. Cometan also then provides some detail on his story in founding Astronism in the early twenty-first century from 2013 along with details on the central Astronist doctrine of transcension. Finally, the lecture concludes with some contributions made by space religions and space philosophy and their influences on various cultural facets in art, literature and film.
The Book of Revelation, filled with symbolic and apocalyptic imagery, presents one of its most striking visions in Revelation 9:3-12—the locust army. Understanding the significance of this locust army provides insight into the broader themes of divine judgment, protection, and the ultimate triumph of God’s will as depicted in Revelation.
Lição 12: João 15 a 17 – O Espírito Santo e a Oração Sacerdotal | 2° Trimestr...OmarBarrezueta1
Esta lição é uma oportunidade para discutirmos um assunto multo mal interpretado no contexto cristão, que é o fato de algumas pessoas pensarem que o conhecer Jesus é ter a nossa vida mudada em todas as áreas, como se Deus tivesse o dever de transportar-nos deste mundo para um outro mundo onde muitas coisas maravilhosas que desejamos seriam reais. No entanto, a nossa fé não nos tira do mundo após nos convertermos; ao invés disso, permanecemos vivendo sob as mesmas circunstâncias. O propósito de Deus não é nos tirar do mundo, mas nos livrar das ações do maligno (Jo 17.15), Sendo assim, a vida eterna não significa estar fora da realidade deste mundo, mas conhecer o único Deus verdadeiro (Jo 17.3).
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PHASE V
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Heartfulness Magazine - June 2024 (Volume 9, Issue 6)heartfulness
Dear readers,
This month we continue with more inspiring talks from the Global Spirituality Mahotsav that was held from March 14 to 17, 2024, at Kanha Shanti Vanam.
We hear from Daaji on lifestyle and yoga in honor of International Day of Yoga, June 21, 2024. We also hear from Professor Bhavani Rao, Dean at Amrita Vishwa Vidyapeetham University, on spirituality in action, the Venerable BhikkuSanghasena on how to be an ambassador for compassion, Dr. Tony Nader on the Maharishi Effect, Swami Mukundananda on the crossroads of modernization, Tejinder Kaur Basra on the purpose of work, the Venerable GesheDorjiDamdul on the psychology of peace, the Rt. Hon. Patricia Scotland, KC, Secretary-General of the Commonwealth, on how we are all related, and world-renowned violinist KumareshRajagopalan on the uplifting mysteries of music.
Dr. Prasad Veluthanar shares an Ayurvedic perspective on treating autism, Dr. IchakAdizes helps us navigate disagreements at work, Sravan Banda celebrates World Environment Day by sharing some tips on land restoration, and Sara Bubber tells our children another inspiring story and challenges them with some fun facts and riddles.
Happy reading,
The editors
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In this video, you'll gain insights on:
How highlighting key verses and themes can enhance memory and retention of Scripture (we see a few key ones, here!)
Studies have shown that highlighting can significantly improve information recall. Highlighting key points visually reinforces them in your mind, leading to better long-term memory.
How to personalize your Bible study through strategic highlighting. Don't just highlight everything!
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"Lift off" by Pastor Mark Behr at North Athens Baptist ChurchJurgenFinch
23 June 2024
Morning Service at North Athens Baptist Church Athens, Michigan
“Lift Off” by Pastor Mark Behr
Scriptures: Luke 24:50-53; Acts 1:6-11.
We are a small country Church in Athens Michigan who loves to reach out to others with the love of God. We worship an Awesome God who loves the whole world and wants everyone to see and understand what He has done for us. (1 Corinthians 15:1-4) We hope you are encouraging by our Sunday Morning sermon videos. If you are ever in the area, please feel free to attend our Sunday Morning Services at North Athens Baptist Church 2020 M Drive South, Athens, Michigan. If you have any question and would like to talk to Pastor Mark, or have prayer request please call the church at (269) 729-553
Sunday School: 9:30 a.m.
Morning Service: 10:45 a.m.
Full Morning Service on Facebook Live at: https://www.facebook.com/groups/nabc2020athensmichigan
Sermon Only Live on YouTube at: https://www.youtube.com/@NABC2020AthensMI
Sermon Only Audio of Morning Sermon at: https://soundcloud.com/user-591083416
Lesson 12 - The Blessed Hope: The Mark of the Christian.pptxCelso Napoleon
Lesson 12 - The Blessed Hope: The Mark of the Christian
SBS – Sunday Bible School
Adult Bible Lessons 2nd quarter 2024 CPAD
MAGAZINE: THE CAREER THAT IS PROPOSED TO US: The Path of Salvation, Holiness and Perseverance to Reach Heaven
Commentator: Pastor Osiel Gomes
Presentation: Missionary Celso Napoleon
Renewed in Grace
Tales of This and Another Life - Chapters.pdfMashaL38
This book is one of the best of the translated ones, for it has a warning character for all those who find themselves in the experience of material life. Irmão X provides a shrewd way of describing the subtleties and weaknesses that can jeopardize our intentions, making us more attentive and vigilant by providing us with his wise pages, reminding us between the lines of the Master's words: "Pray and watch."
Introduction
Mantra Yoga is an exact science. "Mananat trayate iti mantrah- by the Manana (constant thinking or recollection) of which one is protected or is released from the round of births and deaths, is Mantra." That is called Mantra by the meditation (Manana) on which the Jiva or the individual soul attains freedom from sin, enjoyment in heaven and final liberation, and by the aid of which it attains in full the fourfold fruit (Chaturvarga), i.e., Dharma, Artha, Kama and Moksha. A Mantra is so called because it is achieved by the mental process.
Lucid Dreaming: Understanding the Risks and Benefits
The ability to control one's dreams or for the dreamer to be aware that he or she is dreaming. This process, called lucid dreaming, has some potential risks as well as many fascinating benefits. However, many people are hesitant to try it initially for fear of the potential dangers. This article aims to clarify these concerns by exploring both the risks and benefits of lucid dreaming.
The Benefits of Lucid Dreaming
Lucid dreaming allows a person to take control of their dream world, helping them overcome their fears and eliminate nightmares. This technique is particularly useful for mental health. By taking control of their dreams, individuals can face challenging scenarios in a controlled environment, which can help reduce anxiety and increase self-confidence.
Addressing Common Concerns
Physical Harm in Dreams Lucid dreaming is fundamentally safe. In a lucid dream, everything is a creation of your mind. Therefore, nothing in the dream can physically harm you. Despite the vividness and realness of the dream experience, it remains entirely within your mental landscape, posing no physical danger.
Mental Health Risks Concerns about developing PTSD or other mental illnesses from lucid dreaming are unfounded. As soon as you wake up, it's clear that the events experienced in the dream were not real. On the contrary, lucid dreaming is often seen as a therapeutic tool for conditions like PTSD, as it allows individuals to reframe and manage their thoughts.
Potential Risks of Lucid Dreaming
While generally safe, lucid dreaming does come with a few risks as well:
Mixing Dream Memories with Reality Long-term lucid dreamers might occasionally confuse dream memories with real ones, creating false memories. This issue is rare and preventable by maintaining a dream journal and avoiding lucid dreaming about real-life people or places too frequently.
Escapism Using lucid dreaming to escape reality can be problematic if it interferes with your daily life. While it is sometimes beneficial to escape and relieve the stress of reality, relying on lucid dreaming for happiness can hinder personal growth and productivity.
Feeling Tired After Lucid Dreaming Some people report feeling tired after lucid dreaming. This tiredness is not due to the dreams themselves but often results from not getting enough sleep or using techniques that disrupt sleep patterns. Taking breaks and ensuring adequate sleep can prevent this.
Mental Exhaustion Lucid dreaming can be mentally taxing if practiced excessively without breaks. It’s important to balance lucid dreaming with regular sleep to avoid mental fatigue.
Lucid dreaming is safe and beneficial if done with caution. It has many benefits, such as overcoming fear and improving mental health, and minimal risks. There are many resources and tutorials available for those interested in trying it.
Interview with Dutch Cardinal Eijk, https://www.slideshare.net/CSR-Religion/interview with Dutch Cardinal-Eijk answering questions on crisis in church, lossof faith
1. Interview with Cardinal Eijk, published on LIFESITE, 15-5-2019, 1
INTERVIEW, published on LIFESITE: www.lifesitenews.com
Dutch Cardinal Willem Eijk
answers questions
on crisis in Church, loss of faith
Interview taken by Jeanne Smits on Wednesday, May 15, 2019
2. Interview with Cardinal Eijk, published on LIFESITE, 15-5-2019, 2
LifeSite: Your Eminence, I was very struck by the article you
published in the National Catholic Register and La Nuova Bussola
QuotidianaMay 2018. You first mentioned the suggestion that
communion could be given to Protestant spouses of Catholic faithful.
You pointed out the confusion that this would cause. The situation has
evolved since then: have you had any information, for example, about
couples who have asked to benefit from this possibility, or whether the
suggestion is being implemented in some places?
Cardinal Eijk: I reacted to this document from the German Bishops’
Conference for a very specific reason. It so happens that in our diocese
during the larger ceremonies, we have been drawing attention to the fact
that only persons living in full communion with the Catholic Church can
receive communion. The others can come forward, arms crossed on their
breast, to receive a blessing. We further specify: “You can also simply stay
in your place and unite with the Lord through silent prayer.” We have also
included this text in ceremony booklets, for example for priestly
ordinations or confirmations... In many places, we see that people take it
into account. Everywhere we see people coming forward with their hands
crossed on their breast; they are often Protestants married to Catholics.
These people are very happy with this blessing. They appreciate very
much to be able to come forward with others, and to receive something,
too.
When the concept document setting out the proposal of the German
Bishops’ Conference was made public by the media, my auxiliary bishops
and I thought that this idea might well end up reaching our country. That is
why I once again made it very clear what the Church teaches about
intercommunion. That article went around the world: it appeared in
English but also in Italian in La Nuova Bussola Quotidiana Christiana (1).
It has allowed us to reach a large number of people.
In this article, I not only mentioned intercommunion but also the fact that
two cardinals, whose names I did not give, had argued for the blessing of
“so-called same-sex marriages”.
Following this German concept document on intercommunion, and
because of this explicit plea by cardinals in favor of the blessing of
homosexual relationships, I asked the Pope to create clarity, quite simply
by recalling the documents of the Church’s magisterium.
3. Interview with Cardinal Eijk, published on LIFESITE, 15-5-2019, 3
Well, to date, the situation remains unchanged. There was no reaction, at
least not in public. And that means that there is still a lot of confusion
among Catholics about these issues. We can see this in many ways. And I
deeply regret it, because I am in favor of clarity.
LifeSite: You used extraordinarily strong words. You spoke of
“apostasy inside the Church”. Could you explain what you meant by
that?
Eijk: I quoted number 675 of the Catechism of the Catholic Church.
Because there are cardinals who plead for the blessing of homosexual
relationships, I referred to this paragraph of the Catechism as a warning. It
states that shortly before Apocalypse, voices will rise within the Church
itself, and even among the highest authorities of the Church who will
express divergent opinions in relation to Catholic doctrine. I did this as a
warning: let us be careful not to find ourselves in this situation. I must say
that, to my surprise, Cardinal Müller took up this idea: on February 9 of
this year, he published a statement on the fundamental elements of the
Catholic faith, in which he also referred to number 675 (2). It is also
remarkable that my interview and the full quotation were also taken up by
Bishop Gänswein during the presentation of a book by Rod Dreher, The
Benedict Option.
All this has reached many people and many have also started to think
about it. In this way, I hope to get more and more people in the Church to
open their mouths and create clarity, because many Catholics – but you
know this as well as I do – are really confused.
LifeSite: Isn’t the problem today that many people in positions of
authority say nothing? Is this silence not the great trial of our time?
Eijk: Yes, but I would add that, if this is indeed the duty of cardinals and
bishops, priests, deacons, the laity and volunteers who work in parishes are
not exempt from it. As a general rule, Catholics are shy about displaying
their own faith in Christ and in the principles of the Church’s doctrine.
Among Dutch Catholics, this timidity is even very strong. This is certainly
due to the fact that in the centuries following the Reformation we were
forced to remain silent: it was difficult for us to express any point of view
openly. While we could celebrate our liturgy in underground churches,
which allowed us to continue to proclaim our faith, we were obliged to do
4. Interview with Cardinal Eijk, published on LIFESITE, 15-5-2019, 4
so with great caution, and this attitude continues to manifest itself among
Catholics today. But it is a trend that can also be seen in other parts of the
world.
Even among parents... In their lives, children do not first meet a priest, but
their parents. It is important that these parents should speak very explicitly
to their children about Jesus, prayer, and the foundations of the faith.
We have here in Utrecht every Sunday at half-past twelve in the cathedral
a mass in English, attended by a large number of foreigners. We see a
whole swarm of young people who also bring their children – these young
people often have families – so the mass is also very lively, because from
time to time we see a child starting to run, scream, cry or whatever – all
this really doesn’t matter. But these children, even if they do not
understand what is being said, already see something of the respect shown
by their parents, for example during the Eucharistic prayer during the
consecration, when they remain in complete silence. Children see it, and
what you see, what you learn from your parents as a child, you never
forget. What we learn later, we sometimes forget… Hence the very great
importance of this period for learning the faith. So I would like to call on
all parents to truly transmit the faith to their children.
I must, of course, add that one of the causes of the problem is that parents
themselves know little about their faith. I always say – and many priests
strive to do so when offering preparation for baptism – that it is necessary
to catechize the parents themselves when preparing their children for first
communion and confirmation: it is necessary to involve the parents in
some way. There must also be a catechesis program for parents.
I myself attended secondary school in Amsterdam in the second half of the
1960s; I started in 1965. The first two years, I received excellent
catechesis. The problems started in 1967-68. Religious courses were still
taught by priests, but everything was discussed except faith. These were
debate sessions, we were allowed to smoke, we were discussing abortion
and Che Guevara, and I don’t know what else – everything that was in the
news at the time. Faith was no longer on the agenda. And that was fifty
years ago. The generation of those who are now grandparents has already
received relatively little faith-education. And then, what happened in the
years that followed? So we are faced with a huge task.
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LifeSite: You also asked the Pope in January 2018 to put an end to the
confusion around Amoris laetitia and access to communion for
divorced and remarried Catholics. Are you still asking for this
clarification?
Eijk: Yes, most certainly. I wrote an article, shortly before the second
Synod on the Family – I was present at both –, participating in a book
written by eleven cardinals. I testified to the fact that the practice is
extremely old in the Church, and that the doctrine itself has long been
explicit, according to which a divorced person who remarries civilly
cannot – because he or she is not in a proper disposition – receive
communion, any more than he or she can receive absolution in that
situation.
It so happens that Amoris laetitia does not literally say that divorced and
civilly remarried persons whose first marriage has not been declared void
can receive communion. It doesn’t go to that length. But on the basis of a
few elements and a footnote, some people think they can deduce that it is
possible, that it is allowed. And today we see some Bishops’ Conferences
publishing documents to say that, if they have made a journey of
accompaniment with a priest and have sought discernment with him,
divorced and civilly remarried persons can receive communion at some
point. Some Bishops’ Conferences have regulated things in this way, very
many Bishops’ Conferences have not regulated anything at all, and other
Bishops’ Conferences have said exactly the opposite. Well, what’s true in
place A can’t be false in place B. This goes against one of the principles of
philosophy, the principle of non-contradiction – what one learns as a
seminarian at the very beginning of the philosophy course: it is one of the
fundamental principles of logic, of thought. Yes, I think it is important that
we make it clear, that people know where they stand.
LifeSite: But the Pope himself has supported the Bishops’ Conferences
which chose the liberal interpretation.
Eijk: Yes, but he did so in a letter to the Bishops’ Conference in Buenos
Aires. In fact, this Bishops’ Conference declared that following a journey
of accompaniment and discernment with a priest, a possibility exists for a
divorced and civilly remarried person to receive communion. In his letter,
the Pope also says that this is the correct interpretation. However, a letter
from a Pope to an episcopal conference is not part of the magisterium. This
6. Interview with Cardinal Eijk, published on LIFESITE, 15-5-2019, 6
must be very clear. A distinction must therefore be made between, on the
one hand, the opinion that the Pope may express at a given time and, on
the other hand, his magisterium, namely the declarations that truly belong
to his teaching authority, the magisterium as such. That statement is not
one of them.
But all this does not create clarity. I think that the Pope must therefore
create clarity, in terms of doctrine, by means of a declaration that can be
said with certainty to belong to the Magisterium. I would say: to the
ordinary or authentic magisterium. It goes without saying that these are not
extraordinary dogmas or expressions, but simply expressions of the
authentic Magisterium.
LifeSite: I hope it does not shock you when I should say this: as
Catholics, we have a right to the truth from the Church. This is also
what we ask of the Church at the time of our baptism. “What do you
ask of God’s Church? - Faith.” As confused Catholics we often have
the impression that many bishops and cardinals really act as if
everything is fine and that there is no confusion. What is our role in
this situation as lay people?
Eijk: First of all, I would like to point out that it is not only believers who
are entitled to the truth, but all people. Jesus sent us to proclaim the Gospel
in its entirety – including the passage where he affirms that marriage is one
and indissoluble – to all of mankind. So everyone has a right to the
proclamation of the Gospel. People have the right to at least have the
opportunity to meet Christ and to get to know Him. So that means that we
really need to have that concern.
What can you do as ordinary Catholics? Well, a lot, actually. First of all,
there is prayer. Faith in the power of prayer is far too weak. Prayer is
effective. Prayer has an extraordinary strength. It is above all Saint
Alphonsus Liguori who has pointed this out very often in his spiritual
writings, for example by saying that those who pray will never be lost.
There is also the reception of the sacraments. When celebrating the
Eucharist – and even if I celebrate it in my private chapel – then I do so
not only for myself or for the people who are present and who receive
communion. I do this for the Church as a whole, for the dioceses, for the
community of the faithful, and also for those who do not believe. And
7. Interview with Cardinal Eijk, published on LIFESITE, 15-5-2019, 7
even for those who do not participate in the Eucharist and who would not
even dream of doing so: we also pray for them. The sacrifice is offered for
them too, and it has meaning for them. So I would really like to
recommend daily mass to the laity. Also regular confession. And penance
– in Advent and Lent, but also outside of these periods. There are many
ways to do penance and it is really something you can do for others. You
can also offer any sufferings that befall you, placing them, so to speak, on
the paten, so that they may be assumed in the sacrifice of Christ. These
sufferings can also be offered for the benefit of those who have landed in
confusion, and a prayer can be added for these people to find faith.
Beyond that, it is extraordinarily important that we Catholics live our faith
joyfully, with enthusiasm and courage. We must make it clear in public. It
is also important that we should put our faith into practice: that we truly
give our parish a diaconal face. People who know us as practicing
Catholics must see from our behavior what Jesus asks of us, especially in
the Sermon on the Mount, and we must put this into practice. That is what
people expect from us.
Quite often, we hear people say: “I had this experience with Catholics, or
that one, I saw a priest who crossed the line. Well, I don’t need that sort of
faith any more.” That reaction may well be far-fetched, but sometimes
people have been really shocked, and this has caused them to distance
themselves from the faith and from the Church. In all this, we therefore
bear an extraordinarily great responsibility. I cannot stress this enough.
It is also important for Catholics to be very well informed. When we are in
confusion, there are ways: here, for example, we have many Internet sites,
including foreign sites, diocesan publications, diocesan sites and their
communiqués. We publish an electronic newsletter to which people can
subscribe. All this makes it possible to be informed and there are many
elements about the data of faith. And this is important: reading about faith,
learning about faith helps to put an end to your own confusion and also
allows you to help others to overcome their confusion.
LifeSite: You talked a lot about prayer. Do you have a particular
connection with the Rosary and the requests of Our Lady of Fatima?
Eijk: In fact, I originally had a connection mainly with Our Lady of
Lourdes. This has to do with the parish where I grew up, in Duivendrecht –
8. Interview with Cardinal Eijk, published on LIFESITE, 15-5-2019, 8
a small village on the edge of Amsterdam. There was a priest who would
spend about thirty years there and who arrived at the worst time of
polarization within the Church in the Netherlands. He came to us in
August 1969. I participated in his installation mass, and I built a very
strong bond with him. For example, when I was a seminarian, I used to
spend my holidays in the deacons’ rooms at his presbytery house, and I
have fond memories of them. I also celebrated his funeral in 2012. He
lived long enough to learn that I was going to be created cardinal, even if
he did not join the creation ceremony because he died in the meantime.
This priest took me to Lourdes - he was a real Lourdes-goer.
Later, as Bishop of Groningen, I joined several pilgrimages of that diocese,
offering spiritual accompaniment. But it is above all the archdiocese where
I am now that is marked by a very strong Marian spirituality: it is quite
remarkable. Once every three years, we go on a great pilgrimage to
Lourdes. Between 1,300 and 1,500 people participated: for our
archdiocese, it is a significant group. Many seminarians have told me that
they discovered their vocation in Lourdes. So you can see how much we
owe to the Virgin Mary! Her intercession is incredibly fruitful...
I knew the Virgin Mary of Fatima, of course, thanks to my readings,
especially regarding the application of the third secret of Fatima to the
attack on Pope John Paul II in 1981. But my relationship with her became
more intense in 2017: it was the hundredth anniversary of her apparition to
the little shepherds in the vicinity of Fatima.
Also, on May 13, 2017, as bishops of the Netherlands, we consecrated our
dioceses to the Most Holy Heart of Mary: we did so at the Basilica of
Mary Star of the Sea in Maastricht. I was the one who gave the homily.
And it was because of this homily that I had to immerse myself in the
secrets of Fatima. And the first secret, about hell, well, I think it’s really a
secret that remains highly relevant for our time. That’s our duty: to make
sure, because we are in charge of announcing the Catholic faith, that
people don’t end up in hell, and to warn them about it. In this regard, we
can sincerely ask ourselves if we do this often enough. Because when we
talk about hell, that often arouses many emotions. Yet I think we really
have a duty to do so.
The second secret referred to the political situation and concerned above
all the 20th century: the end of the First World War, the Russian
9. Interview with Cardinal Eijk, published on LIFESITE, 15-5-2019, 9
Revolution, and also the announcement, already, of the Second World
War. Mary calls us to pray for peace. This prayer is just as relevant today,
because we live in an extraordinarily insecure world. The arms race, the
nuclear arms race, is threatening to resume. Of course, we have not known
war in Europe since 1945, and we pray and hope that this will continue to
be so, but we must always pray for it, because men are very unpredictable
beings – including ourselves. I must say that during this homily I
elaborated on the history of Our Lady of Fatima, that I also highlighted.
At the time, as Dutch bishops, we wondered if people would show up. But
an hour before the ceremony began, the church was already packed to
capacity. In fact, the reaction to this initiative was extremely positive.
As bishops, last year we took the initiative – now completed – to set up a
Year of the Rosary. During this year all the bishops of the Netherlands,
including my two auxiliary bishops, took part: we went to pray the Rosary
with the faithful in various places in our dioceses, before or after Mass, as
part of adoration or in other ways. I did it, for example, in the Basilica of
the Holy Cross in Raalte: a huge, fantastically beautiful church, it looks
like a cathedral. We were to say the Rosary at 6:30 p.m., followed by Mass
at 7 p.m., on the occasion of All Saints’ Day. I thought to myself: such a
solemn weekday mass in the Netherlands – it is a solemnity that we have
long celebrated on the nearest Sunday and not on weekdays, and which has
now been rescheduled to its exact date – how many faithful will it attract?
Well, it really wasn’t bad at all. And what really surprised me, and even
made me feel good, is that at 6:30 p.m., most of the faithful were already
present, and that they actively said the Rosary. And I thought to myself:
“So you too are used to saying the rosary!” And it was quite a big group.
Therefore, the Rosary prayer is still alive in the Netherlands.
I also devoted an editorial to the Rosary in our diocesan magazine. I wrote:
don’t you know how to pray? Well, just pick up your rosary. It is a very
simple prayer. Everyone can learn it (because, let us be honest, it cannot
even be said that every Dutch Catholic knows the Lord’s Prayer and the
Hail Mary, even if many do still know them). But it is also a profound and
meditative prayer. When we pray the whole Rosary, all the mysteries, we
contemplate the whole life of Jesus Christ and end with the Assumption of
Mary in heaven, body and soul, and her Crowning. In truth, we look at the
life of Jesus, we contemplate it, we consider it with the eyes of Mary,
10. Interview with Cardinal Eijk, published on LIFESITE, 15-5-2019, 10
which gives great added value to this meditation on the life of Jesus – with
her own eyes, with her own help, with her intercession.
No one other than Mary can take us by the hand in prayer. She is the figure
of the Church, says the Second Vatican Council. In fact, we should all be
like her: her “Fiat” – “I am the handmaid of the Lord, may it be done to me
according to your word” – is a “Fiat” that none of us can say simply
because we are not free from original sin as she was. Once again, she is
our most beautiful example, including in prayer, and that is why it is so
good to pray in union with her.
Pope John Paul II said that for him it was the most beautiful prayer there
is. He had many difficult moments in his life: the loss of his brother and
father when he was still young; there was his captivity during the war; he
was a forced laborer in the salt mines. Later, when he was a bishop in
Poland, the KGB, the communists bugged his confessional. He was Pope –
head of the Church for 27 years – during an extremely difficult period.
And he said that throughout this time he prayed to Mary through the
Rosary, and that he received extraordinary help from her. I also mentioned
this in my editorial. I think we have a lot to learn from this Polish Pope on
this subject.
LifeSite: How did the idea of the consecration of the Netherlands to
the Most Holy Heart of Mary come about?
Eijk: It was discussed at the Bishops’ Conference. A number of bishops
were very much in favor. Finally, all the bishops adopted it and also took
part. So, it came about quite simply during the discussions of the Bishops’
Conference. When I travel to Rome as a bishop, people often think when
they see me: “There goes a progressive!” Because we have... we had a
reputation in the 1960s and 1970s for being an exceptionally progressive
Bishops’ Conference. But we are no longer that at all. The proposal was
made at the Bishops’ Conference, incidentally by one of my auxiliary
bishops, and it was taken up by the other bishops.
LifeSite: What is the state of religious practice in the Netherlands, and
of faith itself? This is basically the same question as the one relating to
the Catechism: you said that many people who are now 50 or 60 years
old do not know much about their faith. Has the way Catechism is
taught to children been changed?
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Eijk: Yes, there has been a turning point. As I said, the crisis broke out
during the period when I was a student at a high school in Amsterdam,
between 1965 and 1971. In 1965, all students at my Catholic high school
still went to mass on Sundays with their parents. Moreover, it was
something you didn’t argue about. In 1971, in the final year of high school,
there were only two of us. So you see how quickly all this happened. A
whole generation of young people was then willing to wage war on
Sunday mornings to refuse to go to church. They decided en masse: “We
will no longer go, we will walk out of the Church.” Don’t forget that these
are today’s grandparents. They have not passed on the faith to their
children, let alone their grandchildren. That is the situation we are facing.
This situation is also revealed by the number of Catholics. In the year
2000, there were still more than 5 million Catholics in the Netherlands. By
2015, there were only 3.8 million of us left: you can see the rate at which
the figure is falling. Older Catholics are dying; and now, more than 50
percent of the time, Catholic parents no longer have their children
baptized. It is impossible that the number of faithful will not decrease.
According to statistics, some 17 percent of Catholics attend church from
time to time. It can be, for example, at a funeral, because you know the
person, and of course you go. But if we look at the real participation in
Sunday Mass, it has collapsed: it is currently between 4 and 5 percent.
When I became Bishop of Groningen, I received a visit from the Director
of KASKI – a research institute of the University of Nijmegen which
studies the statistics of Catholic practice: how often do people go to Mass,
the number of baptisms and confirmations, etc... He has also been doing
research for other Christian Churches for several decades. Well, this
director came to meet me – it was at the end of 1999 or the beginning of
2000 – and he said to me: “I have to draw your attention to one thing, and
it is an iron law: every 10 years, religious practice falls by 40 percent.”
And it’s true. If I look, for example, at the number of candidates for
confirmation in my diocese – I arrived here in 2008 and I have been
Archbishop of Utrecht for 11 years – I can assure you that this number has
been halved. And the same is true for first communicants, etc. It is a trend
that can be followed without error.
We are becoming a small Church, but there are also signs of hope. And an
important sign of this hope is this: when we see young Catholics going to
church, they often commit themselves for the full 100 percent. They lead a
12. Interview with Cardinal Eijk, published on LIFESITE, 15-5-2019, 12
life of personal prayer, they have a personal relationship with Christ, and
often accept the totality of the Church’s teaching. Their number is not
large, but perhaps they are the leaven of the future. That’s what I hope.
And I also think it is important that we first restore the situation in the
Church – that is, that the faithful know their faith again. We must ensure
the proper formation of the small minority, the flock that remains: it must
be imbued with faith and really have a personal relationship with Christ,
for it is only when this has become a reality that we can truly devote
ourselves once again to re-evangelization, which is our great mission. The
Gospel, I think, is for everyone – but right now it is about putting our own
house in order first.
LifeSite: Is there a good catechism method for young people in the
Netherlands?
We use Youcat. I am aware of the criticisms surrounding it, particularly
because at one point there was a mistake in translating it into a certain
language – perhaps it was even a deliberate mistake, who knows? Thus,
one of the translations stated that the Church authorized contraception in
certain cases. It also states that all men are saved by Christ: this is the
doctrine of universal salvation. Yes, it is true that Christ wants to save all
men, but you have to open yourself up to it. So there is a condition
attached to it, and salvation is therefore not automatic. You really have to
choose Christ.
As bishops of the Netherlands – it was mostly the diocese of Roermond
but people from our archdiocese also cooperated – we developed a
formation course, Licht op je pad (“Light on your way”): it is a
catechetical formation course that goes from 4 to 18 years old and can be
used both in the parish and in school. Those who complete the whole
journey are fully formed in the Catholic faith, I assure you. However, that
is not so easy because you need to gather the young people.
Most parishes today prefer to provide for preparation for first communion
and confirmation themselves, no longer entrusting this to the schools. To
my great joy I can see, after some twenty years as a bishop, that during
these twenty years the knowledge of the candidates for confirmation
regarding this sacrament and what the Holy Spirit produces in them has
grown deeper. I always meet the candidates, either here at the bishopric
where I show them various elements of episcopal life, or at least before the
13. Interview with Cardinal Eijk, published on LIFESITE, 15-5-2019, 13
celebration in the parish, and I speak with them. These discussions are
always shorter in the parish – most of the time they have to come and tap
me on the shoulder to remind me that I have to put on the vestments for the
ceremony, because when a discussion is engaged we get more and more
enthusiastic, and the children ask questions. These are often very good
meetings. I notice that among the candidates who remain, the knowledge
of faith has increased. We must not resign ourselves, we must simply hold
on.
The priest who helped me on the path of my vocation – and to whom I
therefore owe eternal gratitude – told me: “Wim, you have the duty to hold
on: it is the virtue of perseverance.” He told me that most people can’t do
it: “If you hold on, you’ll see that you’ll win.” He himself had to
overcome, I don’t know how many, obstacles. He refused to take a salary,
he lived in great poverty, together with his housekeeper, and that is how he
was able to restore his church. He is the one who has kept it standing, and
it is still there. It still prides itself in having many churchgoers and it is
surrounded by a vivid community of faith. That is also thanks to the many
immigrants who are much better believers than we Dutch people are.
I will never forget that. Keep going. Continue. Continue to proclaim the
faith.
And you can see that there is not only decline in the Church in the
Netherlands. It is true that the numbers are decreasing, but I sometimes
say: the quantity is constantly decreasing, but the quality is increasing.
When I started as a priest myself in 1985, I was chaplain in Venlo Blerick:
there were still busy churches, especially on Saturday nights at 7pm and
Sunday mornings at 11am, but there were many people in attendance who
did not agree with my sermons. This is no longer the case today. When I
celebrate a parish mass on Sunday morning, the ceremony is often
followed by coffee to meet the parishioners. It has become very rare for
someone to tell me that they do not agree with what I have said. In fact, we
see that there is much more unity. Thus, the community has become small,
but it is also a stronger community. The person facing you is not someone
who has resigned him — or herself — to doing nothing or who thinks,
“What’s the point?” I am still in good spirits, I have an ardent faith, and I
also always believe in the power of the Lord: He triumphs. Christus
vincit. Not we, but He in us.
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LifeSite: On the liturgical level, I have read that you have recently
chosen to say Mass ad orientem in the chapel of the archbishop’s
palace. Why?
Eijk: A journalist who often speaks critically about me has written
derisively that it is not even ad orientem because in this chapel, the altar
faces the northwest. Why were churches built ad orientem in the past? We
turned to pray towards the east, where the Sun of Justice, Christ, arose. But
in the end it doesn’t really make any difference: the church can also have a
different direction. By the words ad orientem, we mean that we are
celebrating Mass turned towards Christ. Someone else wrote critically that
now I celebrate Mass by turning my back on the people. No, I do not
celebrate Mass with my back to the people, I say it by turning my face
towards Christ, towards the tabernacle, so that everyone in the church or
chapel is turned towards Christ.
What triggered it all was actually a very practical reason. The chapel is
neo-Gothic, but the auxiliary altar that was installed in the 1960s was a
Renaissance table – for the art connoisseur, it was obvious that it was not
in its place. I must also say that this altar was quite low, which is not
practical for the celebrant, especially as we get older. I now have bifocal
glasses, and reading has become complicated. It’s awkward.
So there was a reason related to art history, an artistic reason to say that the
auxiliary altar didn’t “fit”; a practical reason: it was too low; and there was
also a third reason. The high altar of the chapel is decorated with a very
beautiful engraved wooden panel representing the holy bishops of Utrecht:
Willibrord and others. It is an altar that existed before this building became
the archbishop’s palace – the chapel was built on that occasion. You know
that in the Netherlands since 1853 it was possible to have an episcopal
hierarchy again, but the Archbishop of Utrecht still had to keep a low
profile, stay a little under the radar because it was a fairly orthodox
Protestant city. He did not have an archbishop’s palace but lived in the
residence of the priest of the cathedral. These days we still find the room
where he lived, including his box bed. There he had a private chapel where
this high altar was located. The auxiliary altar, which does not correspond
to it at all, blocked the view of this high altar, with its beautiful panels, for
the faithful. So these were a series of practical reasons why we would
prefer to celebrate at the main altar.
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I must say that I did it several months before the chapel was put into work
for its restoration, and that it really suited me very well. Together with the
people, we are truly turned towards Christ. I no longer celebrate with my
back turned to Christ but looking at Christ, who is present under the
sacrament of the Eucharist in the tabernacle. For me, this could be done
everywhere, but this is obviously something that cannot be imposed
because the Second Vatican Council authorized the presence of an
auxiliary altar, and there are also practical reasons: in some churches it
would be impossible. But I find it very beautiful to celebrate in this way. I
find it enriching.
LifeSite: Do you think there is a link between the culture of death and
the death of the cultus?
Eijk: Yes, this link certainly exists. Why did the Netherlands secularize so
quickly, to the point of being at the forefront of European countries in this
respect? This is the result of the growth of prosperity – a real comet
trajectory during the 1960s. And what was the result? Successful people
have come to be able to live without depending on others, they can become
individualistic, and that’s what happened. We live in a hyper-
individualistic culture. People do little together, unless it is necessary, for
example in a sports association or when it takes several people to defend a
collective interest. But for the rest, we rely heavily on ourselves; that’s a
very strong trend in our country.
So what happens to the young individualist? He puts himself on a pedestal
and sees others as people around him, nothing more; he must distinguish
himself from others – he not only has the right to do so, but in fact the
duty. And he also does this by choosing his religious convictions, his life
vision, his set of ethical values. In practice, the truth is that most people
simply let themselves be led by public opinion, by what they see in the
media or on social networks or in advertising. But the idea is to feel
autonomous.
Such an autonomous individualist has no need for someone who
transcends him.
He does not need it in society – the State – and that is how some forgo
civil marriage and just live together, justifying it by saying: “It is our
16. Interview with Cardinal Eijk, published on LIFESITE, 15-5-2019, 16
relationship, why would anyone else have anything to do with it?” This is
a consequence of individualism.
Individualism has also led us to push God to the margins, if we have not
become total atheists already. Most Dutch people today no longer believe
in a personal God. And if you do not believe in a personal God who is a
creator, and who is, in fact, Father to us all, neither do you believe that
man was created in the image and likeness of God. Autonomous
individualists believe that they themselves have the right to control their
own lives and deaths – through euthanasia, assisted suicide – because they
no longer need all that, not to mention a God. The rise of individualism,
the disappearance of the Christian faith or at least its weakening, in the
very large numbers of people, are certainly linked to the appearance of the
culture of death. That’s an absolute certainty, there is a direct link.
LifeSite: Some Catholics are tempted to turn to other Christian
churches – the Orthodox Church for example – because of the
situation of confusion in the Catholic Church. This is the case, for
example, with Rod Dreher. How can we fight against this, for
ourselves and for others?
Eijk: This also happened among Dutch Catholics, not in a massive way,
but it happened. In the Netherlands, the Pentecostal movement grew
strongly until about 1995. Many Catholics joined. I once had a visit from a
man who explained to me that he was once a Catholic, before joining the
Liberated Reformed Church. 3 “I’ll also tell you why. In my parish, they
had never talked about Jesus or the meaning of faith for 15 years, and at
one point I realized that they were talking about it in the Liberated
Reformed Church, and that is why I went there,” he told me. It is a Church
that has been in serious crisis for about fifteen years and in my opinion,
this man will certainly have been encountering new difficulties.
The Catholic parish he used to attend was very progressive. In my opinion,
there was talk of doing good to others, the emphasis was on “diaconal
action,” but practically nothing was being said about Jesus. Nor was there
any discussion of the essence of the Catholic faith: it was ignored. This
man was deprived of his faith. It is obviously very sad that a person has
given up his Catholic faith to join an Orthodox Protestant group, because it
speaks of Christ. But to be honest, I understand it to some extent.
Obviously, what he did is forbidden, it’s something that’s not done, and
17. Interview with Cardinal Eijk, published on LIFESITE, 15-5-2019, 17
objectively, leaving the Catholic Church is a sin. But once again, I believe
that the Lord considers this with great mercy because He knows well that
we who must proclaim the faith in Jesus Christ are often not up to the task.
Fortunately, things are better now thanks to the new generation of priests.
But the thought remains very present in our minds: shouldn’t I be even
more explicit? Even clearer? This seems to me to be of singular
importance.
There are also Catholics, often more common people, who have received
visits from Jehovah’s Witnesses. These take the Bible literally: they are
people who go door-to-door and therefore also end up with Catholics who
are in a state of confusion. These Catholics can come to think: “Hey, that’s
the true faith! At last we are hearing again what we were taught at home in
the past!” That there are also differences, either they don’t realize it or they
think: “Well, all this may well be true because it corresponds more to our
faith than what we hear in church.” Yes, there have been cases. I think that
this trend is no longer very strong today, but it was true not so long ago,
from the 1960s to the 1990s.
LifeSite: In response to the current situation of confusion, how do you
think the Church could be reformed today? How can the authority
remedy this?
Eijk: The Pope is the principle of the unity of the whole Church; the
Bishop is the principle of the unity of faith and the way the faith is lived
out in his own diocese. This is where clarity must first be made: through
the Pope and bishops. We bishops lead our priests, we appoint them, we
are responsible for their formation. These are very great responsibilities,
but we must assume them. We must take care of the good formation of
new priests. And even of priests who are already in place! We give them
priestly formation courses. These are all opportunities that we as bishops
must seize to ensure that there are good priests, clear priests, who proclaim
the Gospel in a solid and reliable way.
I must say that the current generation of priests is already doing a lot to
explain faith – as I said, this is something I have seen in current candidates
for confirmation, who are much more aware of what this sacrament means
than twenty years ago. And that is already a very big step forward.
18. Interview with Cardinal Eijk, published on LIFESITE, 15-5-2019, 18
The liturgy is more and more often celebrated according to the altar
missal, even though the Netherlands used to be the epicenter of
experimental liturgy. During the second half of the 1960s, the ultimate
goal was to improvise the whole Mass, and we had even begun to make
changes to the liturgy before the Second Vatican Council started.
It all started with us. Let us hope that the Netherlands can also be a bit of a
starting point for recovery. I think we are on the right path, but we could
do a lot more!