Archbishop Aquila of Denver issues another strong statement against the German Bishops for embracing heresy.
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Complicated and complex. Too brainy for we ordinary die-hard followers of the “rigid” Deposit of Faith. Am glad that the Bishop of Denver has the “smarts” —the Faith and Love — to clearly see through the machinations of the well-heeled Germany Bishops, while Pastor Martin and Sr. K boldly and smilingly schism their way “forward”.
Re-visiting the life Fr. Pieter John DeSmet, SJ —yes, SJ! —Apostle of the Rockies (1801-1873), is to emulate, far and away, a model MORE WORTHY of emulation than most Churchmen today. Yes, the Maryland Jesuits were slave owners, even paying off an acccumulated Georgetown debt by the sale of over 230 slaves ! . . which has come back to haunt them recently through the very articulate, historically-knowledgeable off-spring of those slaves. Students of Southern universities (U. of St.Louis; Georgetown U. ?).
Yet Missionary DeSmet’s account reads like the script for a block-buster movie. His exceptional physical strength, his “impossible” adventures, instructor of true and complete Catholic Doctrine and prayer to aboriginal tribes, his abiding devotion to Our Lady and her Rosary, above all his saying of “the Great Prayer” (the Mass). Included in Fr. DeSmet’s service to the Salish Nation (the “Flathead” tribe) and to a young America were planting & growing staple crops, and animal husbandry. Through his eight ocean begging trips to Europe we learn of his abiding affection for his large family back in Flanders, especially his many nieces and nephews whom he kept entertained with “real-life” stories, re-enactments, and souvenirs from his vast Missionary domain. Prominent families REMAINED faithful & generous donors supporting the “American Missions” ( . . begging in Flanders, Holland, England, Ireland, and Italy). His reverence and complete trust in (now St.) Rose Philippine Duchèsne —considered spiritual anchor of these early American Missions —her beloved Indians, whole dialects she could never learn, named her “She-who-never-stops-praying”. His consistently kind and approachable character drew the tribes of the Eastern Rockies — foremost being the exceptionally moral tribe of the Flatheads (today the Salish Nation). Eventually even the feared Sioux and Blackfoot and plains tribes readily accepted the benefits of DeSMet’s civilizing balm.
Always effective as a peace-broker between the US Army and these war-prone plains tribes, Fr. DeSmet
drew acclaimed praise from those army Generals who experienced first hand his heartening presence among the
troops, many of whom were Catholics, who were thankful for the opportunity to receive the Sacraments. The Civil War he saw as Divine Justice for institutionalized slavery and on-going abuse of aboriginal tribes whose lands
were stolen and whose reservation boundaries were constantly shrunk.
As mentioned above, Fr. DeSmet’s life deserves a bigger-than-life block-buster movie . . or two, according to one young reader, and my young-at-heart self. The key nagging question in these reader’s minds is: Why has the Cause of Peter John DeSmet, SJ, never been opened? Why has he never been Beatified? The answer seems obvious, at least to this devotee: 1/ the severely morally-tainted society & culture of pre-Civil-War America. 2/ seeing through the current anti-proselytizing Ecclesial eyes —i.e. today’s ecumenical “outreach” OF THE VATICAN —will never countenance “SAVING SOULS FOR CHRIST” as the motive for any Catholic missionary efforts.
But this was the key to Catholic Missionary output of early America of yesteryear.
I don’t think the picture on your YouTube thumbnail is Abp Aquila. I don’t know who it is, but it’s not Aquila. (Abp of Northern Colorado, HQ in Denver)