Political Chistians In Pakistan

The Pilot  reported that "70 people accused of blasphemy have been murdered in extrajudicial actions by mobs, said Peter Jacob, executive director of the Center for Social Justice based in Lahore, Pakistan." [1]

These 70 people are likely Christians even though the article did not state it specifically, but did state what Peter Jacob said: "Christians fear both the loss of their livelihood and displacement because the Pakistani law is 'vague' on what constitutes an insult to Islam or Muhammad, its founder." [2]

One has to wonder if they were truly Christians, for if they were true Christians, they would listen to and act in accordance with the words of Christ, quoted without paragraph numbers and footnote [3]:

“You have heard that it was said, ‘Love your neighbor and hate your enemy.’  But I tell you, love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you,  that you may be children of your Father in heaven. He causes his sun to rise on the evil and the good, and sends rain on the righteous and the unrighteous.  If you love those who love you, what reward will you get? Are not even the tax collectors doing that?  And if you greet only your own people, what are you doing more than others? Do not even pagans do that?  Be perfect, therefore, as your heavenly Father is perfect.

If one sincerely loves one's enemies and prays for them, then it does not matter whether a law on blasphemy is vague or not.  How is it possible that sincere love and sincere prayer be blasphemous?



[1] https://www.thebostonpilot.com/article.asp?ID=185508
[2] Ibid.
[3] https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Matthew+5%3A43-48&version=NIV

Extremist Jewish Groups Target Christians

Agenzia Fides  reported as follows (separated here into four paragraphs) [1]:

The Assembly of Catholic Ordinaries of the Holy Land has denounced the recent acts of intimidation perpetrated against local Christian communities by extremist Jewish groups, considered close to the settler movement.

On the morning of Friday, July 19, 2019, in Jish, in Galilee, unknown assailants damaged cars and wrote slogans in offensive Hebrew against Christians.

The previous week, Friday 12 July, participants in a parish party held at the Church of St. James in Beit Hanina, a suburb of East Jerusalem, were hit by the launch of tomatoes and other objects thrown by provocateurs residing at the nearby Jewish settlement of Naveh Yaacov.

At least in the first case, the intimidating act is attributable to the groups that in recent years have hit mosques or Christian places (Tabgha, Beit Jamal, Latrun, the Dormition, etc.) in various ways, signing their own violent acts and their profanations with the "Price Tag" formula (the price to pay).

The Jewish people who have power have turned a blind eye to these reprehensible acts by a certain segment of the Jewish population.  By their silent acquiescence, they are therefore equally guilty of such crimes.

What would the State of Israel do if Jewish settlements are being pelted with tomatoes and other objects?  It is doubtful that it would do and say nothing, and turn the other cheek.


[1] http://www.fides.org/en/news/66394-ASIA_ISRAEL_Catholic_Bishops_denounce_new_acts_of_intimidation_towards_Christian_communities

Philippines Clerics Learned A Valuable Lesson

CBCPNEWS  reported that "[f]our bishops and three priests were accused of cyber libel and sedition, along with several [non-clerical] opposition figures", that "the accused [Catholic Bishops’ Conference of the Philippines] members [were] Archbishop Socrates Villegas, and bishops Pablo Virgilio David, Honesto Ongtioco and Teodoro Bacani", and that "[e]xcept for Ongtioco, [they were] known [to be] outspoken critics of [Philippines' President] Duterte’s controversial war on drugs." [1]

If they are unhappy with their president, they should keep quiet and  pray for a new one and for a Holy Father that is apolitical and truly holy.


[1] http://cbcpnews.net/cbcpnews/cbcp-chief-chides-sedition-charges-against-bishops-priests/

Solitude & Silence

Living in solitude and living in silence are two separate things.  The former is easy, the latter humanly impossible.

One can live a solitary life without social engagements, and on days when one does not need to work, one can be alone without seeing or talking to anyone.

Silence does not come with solitude.

Silence is not merely an absence of audible sounds, it is a continuous (rather than occasional) absence of thoughts, worries and desires.

To have this silence, complete fulfillment is a requirement which can only come from God.

Complete fulfillment is when one no longer desires anything, when the Holy Spirit has filled every void, when the longing to be united with God is satisfied and when the peace of Christ within is eternal. 

A Documentary: Into Great Silence (2005)

The movie, Into Great Silence, can be viewed online at

https://gloria.tv/video/xpZWrjBDm2JQ3pJAcq6RTenPv

It is a movie about contemplative life of Carthusian monks in France at La Grande Chartreuse.

The main language in the movie is a universal one: silence.  The two languages that can be heard are French and Latin.  The few bible verses inserted into the movie are in French and German.

The movie sometimes stops for some reason but it will continue, at times requiring a bit of clicking around.

The following is quoted from gloria.tv [1]:

The idea for the film was proposed to the monks in 1984, but the Carthusians said they wanted time to think about it. They responded to [Philip] Gröning 16 years later to say they were willing to permit him to shoot the movie if he was still interested. Gröning then came alone to live at the monastery, where no visitors were ordinarily allowed, for a total of six months in 2002 and 2003. He filmed and recorded on his own, using no artificial light. Gröning then spent two and a half years editing the film. The final cut contains neither spoken commentary nor added sound effects. It consists of images and sounds that depict the rhythm of monastic life, with occasional subtitles displaying selections from Holy Scripture.

Zeitgeist Films had this to say [2]:

Nestled deep in the postcard-perfect French Alps, the Grande Chartreuse is considered one of the world’s most ascetic monasteries. In 1984, German filmmaker Philip Gröning wrote to the Carthusian order for permission to make a documentary about them. They said they would get back to him. Sixteen years later, they were ready. Gröning, sans crew or artificial lighting, lived in the monks’ quarters for six months—filming their daily prayers, tasks, rituals and rare outdoor excursions. This transcendent, closely observed film seeks to embody a monastery, rather than simply depict one—it has no score, no voiceover and no archival footage. What remains is stunningly elemental: time, space and light. One of the most mesmerizing and poetic chronicles of spirituality ever created, INTO GREAT SILENCE dissolves the border between screen and audience with a total immersion into the hush of monastic life. More meditation than documentary, it’s a rare, transformative theatrical experience for all.

There are other Carthusian monasteries besides La Grande Chartreuse.  Wikipedia  has a list of them [3].

Journeyman Pictures  uploaded to You Tube  a video entitled What's It Like to Become a Monk? [4]  It took place in Évora [5], Portugal, at the "Cartuxa Santa María de Scala Coeli (Escada do Céu)" [6].  The Carthusian monks and those hoping to join them there actually spoke in this video, with subtitles in English.

The seclusion of monastic life can be appealing but it is not for most men.  It requires courage, sacrifices and determination.  Those who are willing to commit themselves must have been called specially by God to live a prayerful and contemplative life mostly in silence and in solitude.

[1] https://gloria.tv/video/xpZWrjBDm2JQ3pJAcq6RTenPv

[2] https://zeitgeistfilms.com/film/intogreatsilence

[3] https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_Carthusian_monasteries

[4] https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=e0HvQ50cnvE

[5] https://youtu.be/e0HvQ50cnvE?list=LLZ-92A_tcDaq6Y4pKbTUo_w&t=478

[6] https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_Carthusian_monasteries

The Holy See On World Hunger

In response to "the latest UN report on the state of food security and nutrition in the world,"  "Msgr. Fernando Chica Arellano, Holy See's Permanent Observer to the UN food and agriculture organizations" remarked that "'Humanity has not done its duty enough for its poorest brothers.'" [1]

Fernando Arellano ought to revise his remark and state that "Bergoglio has not done his duty enough for his poorest brothers."  The Vatican, not just Bergoglio's, is all talk and no action.

"The Vatican diplomat recalled Pope Francis telling FAO conference members during a meeting in the Vatican last month that hunger is a problem that must involve everyone because the suffering of one person is the suffering of all." [3]

Really?  When had Bergoglio and all his obsequious sycophants ever suffered hunger like the millions as reported in the article [4]:

Asia has the highest number of hungry people with 513.9 million, followed by Africa with 256.1 million and Latin American with 42.5 million.

What needed to be done is for Bergoglio to teach by example, not just by words alone.

Bergoglio ought to visit at least 10 places in each of Asia, Africa and Latin America and buy a small farm for the local community on each visit and get down on his knees to fertilize the soil with manure, including bull manure (the literal kind, not figurative kind that comes out of Bergoglio's mouth) and plant non-GMO crops that would thrive based on the region's weather patterns.  Bergoglio will then smell like the real shepherd who serves his sheep rather than one who sits on a throne and have others serve him.

Having set this example, then all the cardinals, including Cardinals Blase Cupich, Donald Wuerl, Timothy Dolan, Reinhard Marx, Walter Kasper, all the archbishops, bishops and the rest of the Catholic clergy, including those who have been defrocked, such as Theordore McCarrick, will have to follow Bergoglio's example and spread across the continents and do the same.

If this were reality and not fantasy, then the Vatican will likely keep its hypocritical mouth shut, and reports such as this will not appear anymore [5]:

The Holy Father also made an appeal for good use of water, food production and its fair distribution, noting that while there are countries where food is surplus, there are entire regions, especially in Africa, where it is lacking.  This inequality is truly cruel, he added.

How can water be fairly distributed, "Holy Father"?  Why not teach the world how that is done?  Perhaps the "Holy Father" ought to go to Antarctica and transport some glaciers over to places that do not have potable water.  This will not damage the environment since the glaciers would melt anyway due to climate change and global warming, topics the Vatican likes to talk about but does nothing about.

This blogger still thinks it is best for the "Holy Father" to work manually with bull manure to fertilize the soil to grow crops for those suffering from hunger than to spew it out orally which does not feed even one hungry person and quench his/her thirst with potable water.


[1] https://www.vaticannews.va/en/vatican-city/news/2019-07/holy-see-un-hunger-report-2019-arellano.html
[2] Ibid.
[3] Ibid.
[4] Ibid.
[5] Ibid.

The Miracle That Could Turn Fulton Sheen Into A Political Saint

Ms. Bonnie Engstrom is the woman who said that she had prayed to Fulton Sheen for his intercession and that as a result of her prayers, her infant son "who was stillborn on September 16, 2010, after a healthy pregnancy" [1] came back to life from having been "dead for 61 minutes." [2]

At approximately 26:23 on World Over – 2019-07-11 – Full Episode with Raymond Arroyo  on You Tube, [3] Raymond Arroyo asked Ms. Engstrom this question: "You say to pray to Fulton Sheen now as much as you ever have.  What do you pray for and what would you encourage others to pray to him for?"

Ms. Engstrom started answering at approximately 26:34 saying that over the years and to this day she had asked Fulton Sheen to help her know the Blessed Mother better, because Fulton Sheen had a strong devotion to Her, and to appreciate the Eucharistic Lord because Fulton Sheen had a daily Eucharistic hour and because of this, Ms. Engstrom said this had increased her faith, her love and appreciation there. [4]

Ms. Engstrom never followed up on whether Fulton Sheen answered her prayer that she prayed over the years till the present and helped her know the Blessed Virgin Mary better.  Instead, she pivoted and changed the subject.  That does not matter greatly because the main reason Ms. Engstrom was being interviewed was that she was the mother of a dead infant who came back to life after praying to a dead televangelist.

Raising someone from the dead is a miracle, one that is not necessarily bigger than another other miracle for every miracle is big from the perspectives of the person(s) benefiting from it.  It is appropriate to note here that not all miracles are or will originate from God. [5]

It is assumed here that the miracle Ms. Engstrom experienced on September 16, 2010, was from God.  Of course Fulton Sheen cannot raise the dead without Christ willing it be done.  At the time, Fulton Sheen was not even canonized a saint.  Therefore, Ms. Engstrom was not praying to a saint but to a dead man who was a televangelist.

Fulton Sheen was not even venerable on September 16, 2010.  It was only "[i]n June 2012, [that] Pope Benedict XVI officially recognized a decree from the Congregation for the Causes of Saints stating that he lived a life of 'heroic virtues' - a major step towards beatification - so he is now referred to as 'Venerable'." [6]

Fulton Sheen could have led a holy life.  Only God knows how holy.  If Fulton Sheen is canonized a saint, he, in this blogger's opinion will be a political saint along with many others, but not God's saint.

Unlike God's saints, Juan Diego and Bernadette Soubirous, Fulton Sheen did not see any apparition of the Blessed Virgin Mary that one knows of, and unlike Francis of Assisi, Christ did not speak to Fulton Sheen and Fulton Sheen did not have the stigmata that one knows of.

Why pray to a dead televangelist who was not immaculately conceived, and why not pray to the Blessed Virgin Mary Who is the Immaculate Conception and to Christ Who is the Son of God?

Why ask a dead televangelist to intercede when the Blessed Virgin Mary is the only one in Heaven that can be said is the closest to Christ Who is Her Son aside from the Father.  Being the Mother of God, the Blessed Mother is the most effective intercessor of all.

What can a dead televangelist who is not yet a saint do to help Ms. Engstrom know the Blessed Virgin Mary better and to appreciate the Eucharistic Lord?  One can believe that Fulton Sheen is close to God since he is dead, but is anyone closer to God than the Blessed Virgin Mary Who is the Mother of God?

In order to know the Blessed Mother and Her Son, one has to cultivate a relationship first, through unwavering faith and prayers, and sincere love for both, not on an as needed basis but consistently throughout one's life.

Alhough a sinner's love for the Blessed Mother and the Lord is necessarily imperfect, the imperfection does not prevent the sinner from having a close relationship with them because it is their love for the sinner that perfects the relationship.  Their love is a gift to the faithful, a gift that is always undeserved.

This blogger's opinion is to skip the saints and pray directly to God and the Mother of God based on an existing relationship, but it could very well have been God's plan to have Ms. Engstrom pray to Fulton Sheen to have her child stillborn raised to life after asking for Fulton Sheen's intercession in order that Fulton Sheen can have a miracle attributed to him for canonization.


[1] https://www.catholicstand.com/the-miracle-of-fulton-sheen-bonnie-engstrom/
[2] Ibid.
[3] https://youtu.be/N-aXDD3pSXA?t=1583
[4] https://youtu.be/N-aXDD3pSXA?t=1593
[5] https://www.allaboutgod.com/can-satan-do-miracles-faq.htm
[6] https://www.catholic.org/saints/saint.php?saint_id=7731