New Age Catholicism
Mary Ann Collins
(A Former Catholic Nun)
March, 2002
Revised July 2006
Home End
The "New Age" is actually a resurgence of old paganism which has been
"westernized" and dressed up in modern vocabulary. It denies
foundational Christian doctrines and basic Christian morality. But in
spite of this, there are Catholic priests and nuns who are openly
promoting New Age beliefs and practices.
I will give do***ented information about this from Catholic authors.
One of them is a Catholic re****ter who spent over twelve years getting
first-hand, eye witness information.
As we will see, there are priests and nuns who promote pagan rituals,
occult activities, Hindu religious practices, wor****p of "the
goddess," witchcraft, and "channeling" (having "spirits" speak through
you). They deny foundational Christian doctrines, such as the fact
that Jesus Christ died to save us from our sins. And they renounce
traditional Christian morality.
If you have difficulty with the following information, I understand.
So do I. But the facts won't go away just because we don't like them.
Randy England is Catholic. He wrote "The Unicorn in the Sanctuary: The
Impact of the New Age on the Catholic Church". According to England,
New Age concepts are taught at retreats, prayer workshops, and
educational conferences. [Note 1]
The theology of Jesuit priest Teilhard de Chardin opened the door for
New Age concepts to come into the Catholic Church. ("Unicorn," pages
78-95) These led to "creation-centered spirituality" and Catholic
feminism, which will be discussed later. (pages 118-134).
Thomas Merton was a Trappist monk. He taught that every form of
mystical experience is valid, no matter what its source. He praised
Hinduism and Buddhism. Merton wanted to see the religions of the world
become united. ( "Unicorn," pages 75-77)
Priests and nuns are teaching trusting Catholics to do Hindu
meditation, to use visualization techniques, and to cultivate spirit
guides. Randy England says that spirit guides are demons. ("Unicorn,"
pages 3 and 77) Therefore, a person who cultivates spirit guides is
actually invoking demons and inviting them to control his or her life.
A Jesuit priest teaches priests, nuns and lay Catholics to do Eastern
meditation, using spirit guides. Priests and nuns teach prayer
techniques which are not prayer in the Christian sense at all. Rather,
they result in altered states of consciousness, and susceptibility to
demonic influence. A Franciscan priest teaches Catholics to
"manipulate" reality with the assistance of "spirit beings" (i.e.,
demons). He is especially influential with nuns. Catholics are taught
that their "spirituality" will be improved by New Age techniques such
as yoga, practices from Eastern religions, and occult meditation. Some
Catholic schools no longer teach the Ten Commandments and foundational
Christian doctrines like the Resurrection. Instead, they promote a non-
Christian, one-world government. ("Unicorn," pages 6-9 and 135-146)
Mitch Pacwa is a Jesuit priest who became involved in the New Age when
he was in the seminary. He later renounced his New Age practices and
beliefs, and wrote the book "Catholics and the New Age: How Good
People Are Being Drawn into Jungian Psychology, the Enneagram, and the
Age of Aquarius".
According to Pacwa, some Catholic parishes give workshops on
astrology, channeling, and the enneagram (a New Age system of
personality analysis). Pacwa had extensive personal experience with
the enneagram. He became proficient, and taught it to other priests.
[Note 2] As a result, he understands the problems that the enneagram
can cause, and he warns people about it.
During the period between 1970 and 1980 (when I was still a Catholic),
I ran into three New Age things which were promoted by Catholic
priests. First, a Catholic priest recommended self-hypnosis and gave
me cassette tapes for doing it. Fortunately I never listened to the
tapes. I have since learned that any form of hypnosis is spiritually
dangerous.
Second, some Catholic friends enthusiastically recommended that I
attend a Catholic workshop on "Centering Prayer" which was given by a
priest. Fortunately, I was not able to attend the workshop. I bought
the priest's book, but it seemed strange and I didn't read much of it.
I've learned from Randy England's book that "Centering Prayer" is
similar to Silva Meditation (also called Silva Mind Control). It
involves altered states of consciousness and spirit guides.
("Unicorn," pages 143-146)
Third, I went on a Catholic retreat which was run by priests. Much to
my surprise, the psychology of Carl Jung was taught throughout the
retreat. In addition, the bookstore sold books which discussed
spirituality in terms which didn't sound Christian. One of the books
talked about finding "the goddess within". According to Randy England,
Jung was an occultist who had spirit guides.
In each of these situations, I had a genuine desire to become closer
to God. I went to Catholic priests, looking for training in how to
pray, looking for things to strengthen my spiritual life. But instead
of offering me Christian things, those Catholic priests offered me New
Age things, and they presented it as being normal Catholicism.
According to Randy England, Donna Steichen, and Mitch Pacwa, my
experience was not unusual. Similar things have happened to many
Catholics.
RADICAL CATHOLIC FEMINISTS
Donna Steichen (a Catholic journalist) wrote "Ungodly Rage: The Hidden
Face of Catholic Feminism". She spent twelve years getting first-hand
information. Her book is based on things that she personally saw and
heard, plus the writings of Catholic feminists. She is a good
re****ter, giving names, dates, quotations, and lots of nitty gritty
details. The following information comes from her book. [Note 3]
There are some radical Catholic feminist leaders who teach that every
kind of ***ual expression is good. They say that every act of "love"
and pleasure is a ritual that honors the goddess. Their openly stated
goal is to redefine ***uality and morality. Donna Steichen asked some
feminist nuns about these teachings. The nuns enthusiastically agreed
with the teachings and with the morality resulting from them.
("Ungodly Rage," pages 41-45, 150, and 176-177)
In 1985, Mrs. Steichen attended a Conference on Women and
Spirituality. (The following information is from pages 29 to 63 of
"Ungodly Rage".)
A community of teaching nuns was deeply involved. Some of the nuns
gave workshops during the conference. Many of them attended the
conference. They helped with preparations and they allowed attendees
to stay at their educational center. Thus, the conference had a major
impact on an entire community of teaching nuns.
The Catholic priest who is the chaplain of a nearby Catholic school
announced the conference. He also made arrangements for trans****tation
for women who wanted to attend it. Faculty members and students
attended. Donna Steichen interviewed the priest. He had studied the
program and he was aware of its nature. He approved of it.
The conference was an e***enical event. Sixteen of the speakers were
Catholics (nuns, former nuns, and laywomen). The majority of the women
who attended were Catholics. They included nuns, teachers at parochial
schools and Catholic colleges, staff members of Catholic counseling
agencies, parish administrators, and laywomen. In other words, many
attendees were women in positions of authority and influence.
Speakers promoted goddess wor****p, and the exploration of "sacred"
***uality. A sense of victim mentality was fostered. The idea of sin
was mocked. According to the speakers, the only sin is ***ism. Most of
the workshops included pagan rituals.
Most speakers ignored Jesus altogether, but one said that some people
might want to retain Him as a "symbol". She openly stated that the
objective of Catholic feminism is to take over the Catholic church.
And in order to do this, it needs to maintain the appearance of
legitimate Catholicism.
She told women to establish covens or Women-Church groups to celebrate
their own rituals. These groups would either replace traditional
Christian churches, or else be places of refuge where women who retain
church affiliation would be free to share their true feelings. She
said that large groups should be subdivided into groups of 13 members,
because 13 is the number for a coven. (The term "coven" is usually
applied to groups of witches.)
Steichen interviewed many of the attendees. None of the Catholic women
saw any conflict between their Catholicism and their attendance at
this conference. They even defended the wor****p of pagan gods and said
that it does not conflict with Catholicism. Mrs. Steichen asked them
if the early martyrs were wrong to face death because they refused to
wor****p pagan gods. The women didn't get the point. They usually
responded that things are different now.
Mrs. Steichen also interviewed some Protestant women who were
disturbed by the conference. I believe that if the Catholic women had
been well grounded in Scripture, they would have been less susceptible
to deception.
On Sunday morning, three feminist services were available for
conference participants. One of them was a Wiccan ritual, which was
attended by about half of the women (including Donna Steichen). As
part of the ritual, the participants cast a spell. (Wicca is a
religion based on witchcraft. It involves goddess wor****p, rituals and
spells.)
After the ritual was over, Donna Steichen asked one participant if she
was a nun. The woman said that she wasn't, but she always sees a lot
of nuns at these rituals.
The Catholic feminist movement grew in numbers and in influence. The
next year (1986), a Women in the Church Conference was attended by
2,500 women, 85 percent of whom were nuns. (That is over two thousand
nuns.) One speaker told the women to get rid of the "false god" of
Christianity and create a "God-myth" to replace it. She said that
women need to "reclaim their reality" by means of "holistic
***uality". Another speaker said that Scripture should be radically
transformed in order to make it sup****t the feminist agenda. An
example of this is one speaker's interpretation of what happened in
the Garden of Eden. She said that when God banished the s****, it was
patriarchy bani****ng the goddess, and bani****ng Eve's freedom to
express herself ***ually. ("Ungodly Rage," pages 123-124 and 145-153)
About two hundred of the nuns who attended wore habits and veils. At
first Donna Steichen thought they must not have realized the nature of
the conference when they decided to come. However, when she
interviewed them, every single one of them enjoyed the conference and
agreed with it. One of them had been orthodox in her beliefs until she
took a summer class at the University of Notre Dame a few months
before the conference. As a result of that class, she became a radical
feminist. ("Ungodly Rage," page 133)
Some Catholic clergymen sup****t the radical Catholic feminists. This
conference was given under the auspices of Catholic bishops and
priests. Advisors for the conference included nearly 20 bishops and 15
priests. They did not want their names to be known, presumably because
of the controversial nature of the event. ("Ungodly Rage," pages
152-153)
In October 1987, A Women-Church conference was attended by 3,000
women. Most of them were Catholics. Many were nuns and former nuns who
were involved in teaching, social service, or pastoral ministry. In
other words, they were women in trusted positions of leader****p,
influence, and authority. ("Ungodly Rage," page 154)
Speakers identified ***uality with spirituality and with a woman's
identity. They said that "***ual empowerment" is the key to empowering
women. One speaker said that her lesbianism is a form of goddess
religion. Speakers promoted abortion. One speaker openly said that, in
order to promote their feminist religion, they need the institutional
Catholic Church, because it is a global power with far-reaching
influence. Workshops included instruction in animism (wor****p of
nature spirits), and rituals that were a combination of feminism and
Native American practices. ("Ungodly Rage," pages 150-154 and 173-183)
One speaker said that in order for the Catholic feminist movement to
survive, it must influence the next generation. Now this is a
practical problem for a movement which is largely founded on nuns and
lesbian laywomen, because they usually don't have children. Therefore,
they have to influence other people's children. The speaker spoke of
the need to create places to influence children, including schools,
retreat centers, think tanks, and centers for feminist theology.
("Ungodly Rage," pages 185-186)
Much of this was already in place when Donna Steichen wrote "Ungodly
Rage" in 1991. The conference participants were primarily Catholic
teachers, nuns from retreat centers, and women who work with youth. In
other words, they were in positions that enable them to influence
Catholic children and young people. Conference participants also
included women who were administrators in chancery offices and
parishes. This position enables them to influence what kinds of
programs, retreats, and workshops are given in Catholic parishes.
The problem here is misrepresentation. These women call themselves
Catholics, but they are practicing Wicca (or other earth-based
religions) in addition to (or instead of) Catholicism. They hold
trusted positions of authority as Catholic teachers, counselors, or
leaders at retreat centers. To claim to be a Catholic teacher, and
then teach Wiccan beliefs and morals to children in Catholic schools,
is fraud. (It would be equally fraudulent for a Catholic teacher to
pretend to be Wiccan, and teach Catholicism in a Wiccan school.)
One of the speakers was a Carmelite nun who founded the Association of
Contemplative Sisters. She said that although these contemplative nuns
started out being "God oriented," they later changed their focus to
"mysticism and feminism". They incor****ated pagan traditions into
their wor****p and meditation. ("Ungodly Rage," pages 182-183)
You can see a description of a Women-Church Conference on-line,
complete with quotations and a description of the pagan ritual. [Note
4] This conference was held on April 20, 1996, at Emmanuel College (a
Catholic college in Boston). Starhawk (a witch) led a pagan ritual
dedicated to the goddess.
A nun teaches Silva Mind Control, including giving cl***** on astral
projection and "spirit messages". ("Ungodly Rage," page 342)
There is a conference called "Womenspirit Rising" which includes
workshops on reincarnation, "the goddess within," the use of crystals,
and channeling. Womenspirit Rising was given at the provincial
motherhouse of the School Sisters of Notre Dame. ("Ungodly Rage," page
342)
A Catholic college that is run by nuns invited the "Womenspirit
Rising" conference to their college twice in the same year. ("Ungodly
Rage," pages 106-107) Catholic parents who sacrificed to send their
children to this Catholic college probably did not expect to have them
be trained in channeling and goddess wor****p.
Two people who have had a significant influence on the Catholic
feminist movement are Matthew Fox and Rosemary Ruether. Fox will be
discussed later
Ruether is a Catholic feminist theologian who is openly lesbian. She
developed a liturgy for the "covenanting" of lesbian couples.
Ruether's books include "Gaia & God: An Ecofeminist Theology of Earth
Healing" and "Religious Feminism and the Future of the Planet: A
Christian-Buddhist Conversation".
MATTHEW FOX
The following information about Fox comes from chapter 6 of Randy
England's book, "The Unicorn in the Sanctuary". The title of the
chapter is "Woman Church, Witchcraft, and the Goddess". [Note 5]
As a Dominican priest, Matthew Fox promoted Wicca, paganism, and
goddess wor****p in the Catholic Church. For years he told trusting
Catholic priests, nuns, and lay people that the Holy Spirit wants them
to adopt these practices.
The Institute for Culture and Creation Spirituality was founded by
Fox. It is located at Holy Names College (a Catholic college run by
nuns, the Sisters of the Holy Names Jesus and Mary). Staff members of
the Institute included a practicing witch named Starhawk, a voodoo
priestess, a shaman (an animist who wor****ps nature spirits), and a
Jungian psychologist. Starhawk is the high priestess of a witches'
coven.
The Institute has developed a Catholic liturgy which is based on
Wiccan sources.
Matthew Fox denies the existence of sin, except for one thing. He says
that it is sinful to fail to embrace the New Age.
Fox preaches "sensual" spirituality, hedonism, and "ecstasy". He says
that "intelligent use of drugs" is an aid to prayer. He openly and
directly promotes witchcraft.
The following information about Matthew Fox comes from the article
"Catholicism for the New Age: Matthew Fox and Creation-Centered
Spirituality" by Mitchell Pacwa (a Catholic priest). Information about
Fox's organizations comes from web sites and phone conversations.
[Note 6]
Fox is the founder, president, and editor-in-chief of a magazine
called "Creation." You can get some idea of what he believes by the
art work in his magazine. The July/August, 1991 issue of "Creation"
featured a picture of Jesus Christ, ****d, seated in a lotus position,
with antlers on his head. The May/June, 1992 issue featured a picture
entitled "The Qetzalcoatl Christ". It showed the Aztec s**** god with
the face of Jesus Christ.
Matthew Fox is a popular speaker with great influence. He denies
original sin and redemption. He says that, in order to find the
"Cosmic Christ," we need to stop seeking the "historical Jesus."
According to Fox, true spirituality is about Eros. He says that Holy
Communion should be "intimate" and "*****c". He says that spirituality
should be sensual, and he promotes "sensual sacraments and liturgies".
Fox teaches that people of all religions should be united at "a
mystical level". He openly promotes witchcraft, shamanism, astrology,
and pagan religions. He praises the writings of the witch Starhawk,
and her vision of a revival of goddess wor****p.
Fox says that Christianity that focuses on Jesus Christ as personal
Savior is "antimystical" and opposed to a "Cosmic Christ"
Christianity.
In 1991, Fox was ordered to leave his Institute for Culture and
Creation Spirituality (in Oakland, California) and return to Chicago,
or else be dismissed by his religious order. He refused, left the
Catholic Church, and became an Anglican priest. He founded the
University of Creation Spirituality (also located in Oakland) and is
its president. Fox, Starhawk, and the voodoo priestess left the
Institute for Culture and Creation Spirituality (at Holy Names
College) in order to join the University of Creation Spirituality.
Although Fox has left the Institute for Culture and Creation
Spirituality, it is still at Holy Names College. However, its name has
been changed. It is now called the Sophia Center in Culture and
Spirituality. It gives graduate degrees in Creation Spirituality.
Judging by its courses and faculty members, it teaches shamanism,
African religions, and "eco-feminism." Several courses appear to be
Wiccan.
Although he is no longer Catholic, Fox continues to have widespread
influence among Catholics through priests and nuns who have been
influenced by his teachings. His influence also continues through
Catholics who are trained at the Sophia Center in Culture and
Spirituality at Holy Names College.
Fox's books are sold in both Catholic and New Age book stores. His
books are featured at some Catholic retreat houses. They are used by
nuns. This not only influences the nuns, it also influences Catholics
who come under the influence of those nuns. (For example, other nuns,
or students, or Catholics who attend retreats.)
One of Fox's books is entitled, "Whee! We, Wee All the Way Home: A
Guide to a Sensual, Prophetic Spirituality". [Honest. I'm not kidding.
You can check it out for yourself at Amazon.com.] Another is entitled,
"On Becoming a Musical, Mystical Bear: Spirituality American Style".
Other books include "One River Many Walls: Wisdom Springing from
Global Faiths" and "Exploring the Cosmic Christ Archetype".
Because of Fox's teachings, some nuns have incor****ated Wiccan rituals
into their wor****p. Some nuns are teaching Fox's "creation
spirituality" to young children, and neglecting foundational doctrines
such as sin and redemption. (Fox doesn't believe in these doctrines.)
CULTIVATING BITTERNESS
Leaders of the Catholic feminist movement exhort women to cultivate
rage and anger against patriarchy. This is contrary to Scripture,
which warns us to avoid bitterness. The Bible says,
"Follow peace with all men, and holiness, without which no man shall
see the Lord; Looking diligently lest any man fail of the grace of
God; lest any root of bitterness springing up trouble you, and thereby
many be defiled; Lest there be any fornicator, or profane person, as
Esau, who for one morsel of meat sold his birthright." (Hebrews
12:14-16)
"Strong's Concordance" defines the word "profane" as "heathenish."
According to "Webster's Dictionary," "heathen" means "pagan." The
Bible connects bitterness with failure to respond to God's grace,
defiling other people, ***ual immorality, pagan behavior, and
forfeiting one's spiritual inheritance. The Catholic feminist movement
encourages women to become bitter, and remain bitter, and call it a
virtue.
The Catholic feminist movement encourages women to become bitter and
remain bitter and to call it a virtue. And when nuns do things, they
usually do them zealously and thoroughly.
Donna Steichen says that feminist nuns can be "spiteful, irrational,
unscrupulous and destructive". Most of them are committed to their
"careers" and refuse to leave the Catholic Church even when they no
longer believe its teachings. They stay in their positions for the
purpose of destroying the Catholic Church as we know it, and creating
a new feminist religion in its place. ("Ungodly Rage," page 26)
INVOLUNTARY NEW AGE INDOCTRINATION
Catholic educators have been exposed to New Age indoctrination when
they didn't expect it and therefore weren't prepared for it. This is
of strategic im****tance for the Catholic feminist movement. If you
indoctrinate an educator, then you influence all of his or her
students. If one of those students is a nun, then she is likely to
influence other nuns in her convent. In addition, feminist educators
can influence their colleagues, thus spreading the influence of
feminism on the educational system. [Note 7]
Jean Houston was the director of the Foundation for Mind Research and
past president of the Association for Humanistic Psychology, and she
frequently speaks at New Age conferences. In 1982, 1984 and 1989, Jean
Houston addressed Catholic educators at the convention of the National
Catholic Education Association. ("Ungodly Rage," pages 242-245).
Between 1985 and 1988, the National Catholic Education Association had
a "Catholic Education Futures Project". Twenty other Catholic
educational organizations participated in it. This was billed as being
preparation for future needs. However, in actuality it was a New Age
indoctrination of leaders in Catholic education. ("Ungodly Rage,"
pages 244-245)
Some Catholic feminist nuns teach New Age spirituality at parochial
schools and Catholic colleges. This betrays the trust of the Catholic
parents who send their children to these schools.
Mundelein is a Catholic women's college that is run by nuns. It is
affiliated with Loyola University, which is run by Jesuit priests. In
March, 1985, a conference called, "The Goddesses and the Wild Women"
was held at Mundelein. In 1986, the conference was repeated. In
addition, a program called, "Her Holiness: Maiden, Mother, Crone" was
given. The program honored the "triple goddess" of witchcraft. It
included a croning ritual, which is a witchcraft initiation ritual.
("Ungodly Rage," pages 79-91)
When parents send their daughters to a Catholic college that is run by
nuns, they probably think that their daughters will be taught the
Catholic doctrines of "The Catechism of the Catholic Church." Who
would ever think that, in such an environment, their daughters would
be exposed to goddess wor****p and a witchcraft initiation ritual.
In the world of business, this would be called "bait and switch." This
is the practice of attracting customers by offering them what they
want to get, and then switching them to what you want to sell them.
Heythrop College (in London) is run by Jesuit priests. In January
2002, the college hired a professed witch to teach psychology of
religion. This was done with the approval of the Jesuit priest who is
the president of the college. [Note 8]
Catholic parents who sacrifice to send their children to Heythrop
College do not expect to have them come under the influence of a
teacher who is a practicing witch. Even though her subject matter is
not witchcraft, her witchcraft beliefs and values will influence her
view of both psychology and religion, and the way in which she
presents them. In addition, teachers can have a personal influence on
their students.
Again, the problem is false representation. If Catholic parents send
their Catholic children to a Catholic school, expecting them to be
taught Catholicism, then that is what they should be taught--not
something else that the parents didn't expect and don't want. It would
be equally wrong to teach Catholicism in a Hindu school or a Wiccan
school. When people pay money to have their children be trained in the
beliefs of their family's religion, then they should get what they
paid for.
RELATED ISSUES
Matthew Fox is not the only Catholic priest who teaches New Age
spirituality. There are others. One example is Jesuit priest George
Maloney. He wrote "Mysticism and the New Age: Christic Consciousness
in the New Creation". Several Catholic priests teach Fox's creation
spirituality.
There is a Benedictine monastery which calls itself a "Christian
Ashram". You can study mysticism, comparative religion, and Indian
music there. Dom. Bede Griffiths is in charge of it. His books include
"Cosmic Revelation: The Hindu Way to God" and "The Other Half of My
Soul: Bede Griffiths and the Hindu-Christian Dialogue".
Griffiths combines Catholicism with Hinduism. Another priest combines
Catholicism with Buddhism. Dom. Aelred Graham wrote "Zen Catholicism"
and "Conversations: Christian and Buddhist".
Catholic priest Edward Hays is an "expert" on prayer. He runs a
Catholic-Hindu "house of prayer" complete with statues of Hindu gods.
There is also a crucifix. Hays gives Jesus equal billing with the
various Hindu gods. The "house of prayer" is popular, and usually
filled to capacity. ("Unicorn in the Garden," pages 72-74)
Jesuit priest Anthony de Mello gives workshops introducing Catholics
to Eastern prayer and meditation techniques, including visualization
and Transcendental Meditation. He wrote a book entitled, "Sadhana: A
Way to God". The cover shows Jesus on the cross, and a person seated
in the lotus position, meditating at the foot of the cross.
("Unicorn," pages 100-114)
Some Catholic theologians teach that it is "scandalous" to insist that
Jesus Christ has a unique status in salvation. They say that it
creates a stumbling block to unity with people of other religions,
such as Buddhists and Hindus. A Catholic center for spirituality
features readings from the "holy books" of many faiths, celebrates
pagan festivals, and includes statues of Buddha and Vishnu in their
chapel. In 1998, there was a retreat which was attended by both
Catholics and Buddhists. In 1999, a Catholic Advent celebration
included Buddhist monks and nuns. There is a web site which is devoted
to facilitating "dialogue" between Catholics, Buddhists, and Hindus.
[Note 9]
The Ursuline Sophia Center (run by Ursuline nuns) features labyrinth
walks, Reiki, and spiritual programs which are inspired by religions
that are not Christian. (Reiki involves New Age manipulation of
"energy" fields and the transfer of "energy" to other people.) Their
store sells items for doing Reiki, Yoga, and T'ai Chi. They have
cl***** for training people to do Reiki. [Note 10]
I know a man who went to seminary to become a Catholic priest. One of
his seminary professors recommended some books written by Wiccan
authors. He was influenced by those books. One thing led to another
and he wound up becoming a Wiccan priest instead of a Catholic priest.
(Eventually he became a born-again Christian and left Wicca.)
NEW AGE MORALS
Notre Dame is a well known Catholic university. In 2002, some Notre
Dame students and faculty members produced a play called "V-----
Monologues". ["V" is my euphemism for the word for female reproductive
anatomy. This word, and its vulgar, slang counterpart, are prominently
featured in the play.] [Note 11]
My information about the play comes from articles and reviews that I
read on the Internet. (See the endnotes.)
In the play, a 24-year-old woman gets a 13-year-old girl drunk and
seduces her. (This is statutory rape.) There is a "chorus" that chants
"V----" and its slang counterpart like a mantra. The play is obsessed
with female reproductive anatomy. [I apologize. But if it's bad
reading an understated summary of the play, what would it be like to
have your children watch it? Or perform in it? At a Catholic
university run by Catholic priests.]
This play was performed with the blessing of Notre Dame's president, a
Catholic priest named Edward Malloy. President Malloy has said that
the Catholic Church needs to change its stand regarding alternative
forms of ***uality. So this play probably promotes his beliefs.
The play was performed at Saint Mary's, a Catholic women's college
near Notre Dame. Saint Mary's is run by Holy Cross nuns. One of the
actresses was a Holy Cross nun, a faculty member of Saint Mary's. The
nun wore a tee ****rt which said, "Can you say V-----?" And she chanted
along with the "chorus." [Note 12]
I cannot imagine what it would be like to watch a nun do that. A nun
who is on the staff of your college. An authority figure. A nun you
call "Sister". A nun who should be an example of religion and
morality. A nun who is supposed to embody consecrated purity.
Last year this play was performed at Georgetown University, a
prestigious Catholic university which is run by Jesuit priests. The
editor-in-chief of the university's newspaper ("The Hoya") wrote an
article about the play. He described the audience's rowdy enthusiasm
during the raunchiest parts of the play, and he criticized Georgetown
University's administration for allowing the play to be performed. He
was fired and his article was never published. [Note 13]
"V----- Monologues" was also performed at the following six Catholic
universities and colleges: The University of Detroit Mercy [Note 14] ;
Loyola University [Note 15]; Villanova University [Note 16]; Marist
College [Note 17]; Marquette University [Note 18]; and Fordham
University [Note 19].
This play is contrary to traditional Catholic morality. The fact that
it was performed at these Catholic universities and colleges
demonstrates the wide variety of beliefs and practices among
Catholics.
HOW COULD THIS HAPPEN?
How could this happen? How could priests and nuns become so deeply
deceived? And how could Catholic laymen and laywomen so easily accept
New Age teaching from priests and nuns, when that teaching is clearly
contradictory to traditional Catholic practice and doctrine?
It is easy to deceive people who are used to being told what to think.
And, as we will see, the Catholic Church claims that it has the right
to control how Catholics think.
According to Canon Law (the official laws governing the Roman Catholic
Church), Catholics are required to submit their minds and wills to any
declaration concerning faith or morals which is made by the Pope or by
a church council. [Note 20]
The Catholic Church teaches that only the Magisterium of the Church
(the Pope and the bishops in communion with him) has the right to
interpret Scripture. According to Catholic doctrine, people like us
are not allowed to interpret Scripture for ourselves. Rather, we have
to check it out with Church authorities. [Note 21]
In other words, Catholics are required to used authority figures in
order to check out Scripture. This is the opposite of the Bible, which
tells us that we should use Scripture in order to check out the
teachings of authority figures.
The Apostle Paul wrote much of the New Testament. He went to the Third
Heaven and was given revelations of things that he was not allowed to
tell us about. He was given such great revelations that God sent him a
"thorn in the flesh" to keep him humble. (2 Corinthians 12:2-7) Paul
was so highly regarded by the Apostles that he was able to publicly
rebuke Peter. (Galatians 2:11-21)
Paul was a great apostle, a martyr, and a hero of the faith. Much of
our theology is based on his writings. Certainly the Apostle Paul had
more authority than any pope or bishop. But does the Bible rebuke
people who questioned Paul's teachings? Were people expected to submit
their minds and wills to whatever the Apostle Paul taught them about
faith and morals? Not at all.
On the contrary, the Bible commends the people of Berea because, when
the Apostle Paul preached to them, they checked out what he said
against Scripture. They "searched the Scriptures daily" in order to
"see whether these things were so". (Acts 17:10-11
God wants His people to check things out for themselves, using
Scripture as their yardstick.
The Bible says, "Prove all things; hold fast that which is good." (1
Thessalonians 5:21). According to "Strong's Concordance," the word
"prove" means "to test". We are supposed to test things, to check them
out for ourselves, using the Bible for our plumb line. If we are
faithful to do that, then it will help us become mature Christians who
are not deceived by false doctrines. If we fail to do it, then we will
be vulnerable to every "wind of doctrine" that comes along.
"That we henceforth be no more children, tossed to and fro, and
carried about with every wind of doctrine, by the sleight of men, and
cunning craftiness, whereby they lie in wait to deceive" (Ephesians
4:14)
CATHOLICISM AND PAGANISM
Historically, Catholicism has been combined with paganism in various
countries and cultures. This may be one reason why many Catholics
(including priests and nuns) have been vulnerable to New Age beliefs
and practices. Following are some modern examples of paganism being
mixed with Catholicism.
Voodoo is practiced in Africa, South America, and the West Indies. It
is also practiced in some areas of the United States. Haiti and New
Orleans are famous for it. Voodoo is a mixture of Catholicism and West
African religion. Practitioners invite "spirits" (i.e., demons) to
"mount" them (possess them). People who practice Voodoo often practice
regular Catholicism as well. For example, Marie Leveau, the most
famous Voodoo Queen in New Orleans, went to Mass every day. Voodoo
involves black magic, curses, and spells. People in New Orleans were
afraid of Marie Leveau (the Voodoo Queen). But she considered herself
to be a devout Catholic. [Note 22]
In Cuba, there is an annual festival in honor of St. Lazarus which
combines Catholic and Voodoo rituals. According to "Catholic World
News," celebrations include Catholic Mass, offerings of rum and
cigars, and pilgrims who carry crosses or drag heavy weights which are
chained to their bodies. In 1996, Cardinal Jaime Ortega of Havana said
the Mass. [Note 23]
In South Africa, animals are sacrificed during Roman Catholic Mass.
Archbishop Buti Tlhagale of Bloemfontein has actively promoted this
practice. Archbishop George Daniel of Pretoria said that animal
sacrifice is being done in parishes in his diocese. There is a video
showing it. A Catholic priest blessed chickens and goats during Mass.
The animals were slaughtered. Their blood was poured into a hole
outside of the church. [Note 24]
In Guatemala, Mayan rituals are combined with Roman Catholicism. In
Chichicastenango, Guatemala, there is a Mayan-Catholic Mass. Mayan
rituals are conducted inside the Catholic church while the Catholic
priest says Mass. This is so popular that it is featured in Guatemalan
tourist guides. In Mayan-Catholic churches, one half of the church has
pews. The other half has a bare floor. This enables people to put
candles and flowers and other things on the floor as part of their
Mayan rituals. [Note 25]
Mexicans celibrate the Day of the Dead. This is a combination of Aztec
religion and Roman Catholicism. In modern cities, it can be primarily
just a festival. But in rural areas, it is a serious religious ritual.
Some Catholic Mexicans actually wor****p the dead, even though their
Catholic priests tell them not to. [Note 26]
Brazil is the largest Catholic country in the world. It has 115
million Catholics, which is twelve percent of the Roman Catholic
Church. In other words, one out of nine Catholics lives in Brazil.
Ninety-three percent of Brazilians claim to be Catholic. However, at
least sixty percent of Brazilians practice spiritism. In other words,
more than half of Brazil's Catholics practice spiritism in addition to
Catholicism. Brazilian Catholics are known for having "double
affiliations" (being members of two or more different religions at the
same time). Religions which are often practiced by Brazilian Catholics
include Candomble, Umbanda, Ma***ba, and Kardecism. In addition, many
Brazilians practice witchcraft or consult witches. [Note 27]
Candomble, Umbanda, and Ma***ba are all mixtures of Roman Catholicism,
various African religions, and the beliefs of Brazilian Indians.
Religious practices include inviting "spirits" (i.e., demons) to
possess the wor****pers. Many Brazilians practice both traditional
Roman Catholicism and Candomble. Ma***ba practitioners do black magic.
Kardecism is a form of spiritism which includes belief in
reincarnation. [Note 28]
Santeria is a Caribbean religion which combines Roman Catholicism with
African religions. People who practice Santeria often practice regular
Catholicism as well. Cities with large Hispanic populations usually
have Santeria. [Note 29]
In the Philippines, during Holy Week (the week preceding Easter),
there are "folk rituals". These include "penitential processions" with
hundreds of men who whip themselves until their backs are covered with
blood. Some people are literally crucified at the end of a Passion
Play on Good Friday (but they are only left on the cross for a short
time). The crucifixions first began in 1961 with a "healer" who wanted
to be crucified in order to acquire "sacred power" for "esoteric
healing". Following his example, many other "healers" were also
crucified. The practice spread and was no longer limited to "healers".
Some people have come from foreign countries in order to be crucified.
Women have been crucified. [Note 30]
CONCLUSION
When people are used to being told what to believe, then what
protection do they have against false teaching? Especially if it comes
from authority figures like priests and nuns.
It is far more difficult to deceive people who have a real
understanding of the Bible, and who habitually check things out
against Scripture. Especially if they are also in the habit of humbly
asking God to guide them and to correct them if they get off track.
The Bible gives us some beautiful examples of humble prayers for
guidance, instruction, and correction.
"Who can understand his errors? cleanse thou me from secret
faults." (Psalm 19:12)
"With my whole heart have I sought thee: O let me not wander from thy
commandments." (Psalm 119:10)
"Shew me thy ways, O Lord; teach me thy paths. Lead me in thy truth,
and teach me: for thou art the God of my salvation; on thee do I wait
all the day." (Psalm 25:4-5)
"Order my steps in thy word: and let not any iniquity have dominion
over me." (Psalm 119:133)
"Search me, O God, and know my heart: try me, and know my thoughts:
And see if there be any wicked way in me, and lead me in the way
everlasting." (Psalm 139: 23-24)
USE OF THIS ARTICLE
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