Archbishop Niederauer's inaugural sermon
On Wednesday, February 15, in St. Mary's Cathedral in San Francisco, Archbishop George Niederauer, "lifelong friend of Cardinal Mahony and Archbishop Levada," was installed as the eighth Archbishop of San Francisco.
Click on the title of this post for the text of his inaugural sermon. As you will see, he says many good things about Jesus, love, the Church, the Eucharist, service, caring for others, leadership and the importance of prayer. He follows many points in Pope Benedict XVI's first encyclical, "Deus Caritas Est" ("God Is Love").
On the Church and politics, the Archbishop summarized the Pope's position as being "that [Catholic] social doctrine does not give the [C]hurch power over the state, nor is it meant to impose faith and its practice on non-believers."
The Archbishop called this "most significant." But inasmuch as the filthy rich abortion industry and and its pro-abortion politician sycophants always say the Church wants to "impose its views [sic] on society," let us hope the Archbishop is not implying that the Church should not work to see aborting babies made illegal.
After all, the whole purpose of the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops (the bishops' huge lobby in Washington, D.C.) is to "impose faith and its practice on non-believers" and believers in the areas of social welfare, immigration, etc.
But the Archbishop continued, "It is principally the responsibility of the lay faithful to work for a just ordering of society."
Archbishop Niederauer quoted the Pope about the need for "the concrete practice of love," but he said nothing about San Francisco's courageous pro-life movement.
He also said nothing specific about San Francisco's large homosexual movement and its constant blasphemy, anti-Catholicism and vicious anti-life politics and culture. He did say, "...disagree without being disagreeable. Presume good faith until it is proven otherwise."
He also said, "Please presume that if the Church challenges an action, a policy or a program, it is because she loves the world around her, and wants what is best for it...Always presume that it is love that led to a quarrel, and that love will endure when the quarrel is passed."
The Archbishop also quoted the English poet T. S. Eliot on why the modern world is not "particularly fond of the Church": "She is hard where they would be easy, and easy where they would be hard." The Archbishop then said, "'Hard where they would be easy:' think of abortion and euthanasia. 'Easy where they would be hard:' think of capital punishment and immigration law."
But why is it being "hard" on anyone to say the law should return to protecting preborn babies and their moms from abortion IMPOSED by predatory, domineering men and the pitiless abortion profiteers? And why is it being "hard" to protect elderly, infirm and handicapped people from death IMPOSED by greedy relatives, lawyers, "ethicists," doctors, hospital boards and insurance companies?
"The concrete practice of love" is nowhere better carried out than in the selfless service and heroic sacrifices of the pro-life movement. And while we "presume good faith" and "disagree without being disagreeable," the abortionists' relentless slaughter of 4,000 American babies every day goes right on, unchallenged.
Click on the title of this post for the text of his inaugural sermon. As you will see, he says many good things about Jesus, love, the Church, the Eucharist, service, caring for others, leadership and the importance of prayer. He follows many points in Pope Benedict XVI's first encyclical, "Deus Caritas Est" ("God Is Love").
On the Church and politics, the Archbishop summarized the Pope's position as being "that [Catholic] social doctrine does not give the [C]hurch power over the state, nor is it meant to impose faith and its practice on non-believers."
The Archbishop called this "most significant." But inasmuch as the filthy rich abortion industry and and its pro-abortion politician sycophants always say the Church wants to "impose its views [sic] on society," let us hope the Archbishop is not implying that the Church should not work to see aborting babies made illegal.
After all, the whole purpose of the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops (the bishops' huge lobby in Washington, D.C.) is to "impose faith and its practice on non-believers" and believers in the areas of social welfare, immigration, etc.
But the Archbishop continued, "It is principally the responsibility of the lay faithful to work for a just ordering of society."
Archbishop Niederauer quoted the Pope about the need for "the concrete practice of love," but he said nothing about San Francisco's courageous pro-life movement.
He also said nothing specific about San Francisco's large homosexual movement and its constant blasphemy, anti-Catholicism and vicious anti-life politics and culture. He did say, "...disagree without being disagreeable. Presume good faith until it is proven otherwise."
He also said, "Please presume that if the Church challenges an action, a policy or a program, it is because she loves the world around her, and wants what is best for it...Always presume that it is love that led to a quarrel, and that love will endure when the quarrel is passed."
The Archbishop also quoted the English poet T. S. Eliot on why the modern world is not "particularly fond of the Church": "She is hard where they would be easy, and easy where they would be hard." The Archbishop then said, "'Hard where they would be easy:' think of abortion and euthanasia. 'Easy where they would be hard:' think of capital punishment and immigration law."
But why is it being "hard" on anyone to say the law should return to protecting preborn babies and their moms from abortion IMPOSED by predatory, domineering men and the pitiless abortion profiteers? And why is it being "hard" to protect elderly, infirm and handicapped people from death IMPOSED by greedy relatives, lawyers, "ethicists," doctors, hospital boards and insurance companies?
"The concrete practice of love" is nowhere better carried out than in the selfless service and heroic sacrifices of the pro-life movement. And while we "presume good faith" and "disagree without being disagreeable," the abortionists' relentless slaughter of 4,000 American babies every day goes right on, unchallenged.
posted by Quintero at 11:39 PM
4 Comments:
I'm kinda disappointed with Benedict. Especially with the appointment of Leveda. Of course, I don't mean that I'm against the Papacy, I just think the Church needs to wage war on the modern world, not 'have dialogue'.
when I read this, I heard the voice of FDR in my mind speaking in that almost british accent. Good points made.
What I observed from my frequent visits to Utah during his tenure there was a gradual attrition of orthodoxy in a formerly fairly orthodox diocese. I saw my first liturgical dancers under his leadership and heard my first truly Liberation Theology-based homily. Unless he's changed his methods, or agenda, or both, expect him to march in lock-step with his seminary friend. I'm happy & hopeful for the Utah diocese, but fear for the orthodox in the SF diocese.
It's scandalous that any Catholic would see a gay romance, much less a bishop. It'll only give the impression that it's 'all right' to watch such immoral trash.
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