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What People Are Commenting
Mother Teresa and the Sultan;
Papal Tiara to the UN?
Mother Teresa: Build a Mosque Not a Church
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Dear Dr. Horvat,
I have read with interest your critique of the orthodoxy of Mother Teresa of Calcutta. I also have had many of the same thoughts as I have read and followed her work over the past few decades. Although, obviously, her courageous and determined work with the poor has been a shining example of Christian love, I have been deeply troubled by her lack of zeal for conversion, and for leading souls to the Sacraments.
I remember reading once, perhaps a couple of decades ago, a biography of Mother Teresa in French. I no longer have access to the book, nor can I recall its title. Yet I distinctly remember that the author lauded the open-mindedness and ecumenical spirit of Mother Teresa. The example used by the author was of an offer made by the then Sultan or head of Yemen to build a Catholic church in that country, in recognition for the wonderful work that Mother Teresa's nuns had done for the leper colonies there. Mother Teresa allegedly refused the offer, insisting, instead, that that the money be used to build a mosque. I wonder if this can be confirmed in some way? It is a very important fact in the consideration of this very gifted woman's canonization. If she is declared a saint, the Church would be, in effect, condoning such an action on her part.
I wonder if you have heard this same story, or if you know anything further about this matter. It should be relatively easy to investigate. Knowledge of this incident has troubled me for years. I hope what I know I read is not true.
Many thanks for your wonderful and difficult work in defense of the Faith.
Yours in Christ, and in His love,
K.M.
Dr. Horvat responds:
Dear Mrs. K.M.,
Thank you for your information. I had not heard about Mother Teresa refusing the donation of a church for Catholics and asking the sultan to build a mosque for Muslims instead.
I will certainly keep this in mind in any future research I do. Unfortunately I don't have the time for it at this moment. My schedule has been and will be quite full for a while.
At any rate, I appreciate your datum and I am passing on your request to our readers, asking them here for information to confirm this fact.
Cordially,
M.T. Horvat
From Ireland, in the Novus Ordo
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Hi TIA,
Just to say that I think this website is fantastic and you should be very proud as it deals with a lot of important stuff, like how important the Rosary is to us practicing Catholics.
I work with the Legion of Mary in my home town of Dublin, and I have to say the Legion has to have a lot of courage in the work they do. Visitation is very hard, speaking as someone who does this. We don't know if a house is a practicing Catholic home or a non practicing one or even has a faith, and then some don't believe or have decided to leave the Church. Most comments are the usual - that the priests are to blame for the abuse [crisis].
My reaction is to ask, how many are bad? My own opinion is it is very few - maybe 2% have hurt the Church. While we have to pray for them more than ever, we should not judge, as we can't be sure we are saying the right thing and encouraging others- it's not right. But only one person cannot be the judge and jury, and at the second coming the decision will be made as to who will be in Heaven, Hell or spend a bit of time - or maybe not - in Purgatory. Maybe we will all be in Heaven. Who knows? Only Our Mother and Our Lord do.
Anyhow my question is: How can one say on these visitations to homes - with actuate information - that not all priests and even sisters are as bad as they are making them out too be? I was an altar boy for 11 great years, and the priests I knew were all great men whom I would call good people and friends. I took the drinking pledge at my confirmation at age 12, not drinking till 18, and now at 29, I still feel no desire to break it. Anyway, soft drinks are much cheaper, and at least I can say when I wake up in the morning I had a good evening and don't regret any of it, thank the Lord God.
So, what can you say that would make our many lapsed Catholics of non-Catholics come back to Church? I get many excuses. Sure, you can pray at home but it isn't the same. And no matter how many times I try to tell them that, they don't listen; I have to say my dog would listen better. Even worse, they can't give me a good excuse. Also, I don't like saying it but most have had marriage relations before marriage and had kids.
So, what can you say when they say this? How do you tell them they can't judge only one, whem many priests even in Ireland are good? How can you tell someone that the Mass is so important that we should go every Sunday. I try everything, but all I can do is pray?
Anyhow, good luck with the website. It's a great read and God bless,
A.P.
TIA responds:
Hello A.P.,
It seems to us that is not only the corruption in the clergy that alienates people from the Church in Ireland and elsewhere. Vatican II and its revolutionary reforms completely distorted the face of the Catholic Church. For more than 40 years we have seen how this new Conciliar Church with its New Mass are not trusted by the people.
If you want to go the root of the problem, you should study the whole picture and join us in the Resistance to Vatican II and whatever has been done and is being done against the immutable Catholic Church.
This is our answer to your questions.
Cordially,
TIA correspondence desk
Prayer to St. Michael
TIA,
Would you please let me know if I can get a copy of the original prayer to St. Michael by Pope Leo XIII. Please advise me.
Thank you.
C.R.
TIA responds:
C.R.,
Yes, certainly you can copy the prayer to St. Michael that is on our website as many times as you like.
Cordially,
TIA correspondence desk
Gramsci
TIA,
Your piece on Gramsci's tactics is special. Alexander the Great and Napoleon both really feared a pen, especially in the hand of a poet, more than a hundred thousand swords.
Political correctness is Marxist tyranny with "manners." And another form of tyranny is to just make sure you take care of the environment, which is often "Enviro-Leninism."
S.M.
Papal Tiara and the UN
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TIA,
Did Paul VI really give away his tiara to the UN?
C.J.
TIA responds:
C.J.,
After the celebration of a Byzantine Mass on November 13, 1964, during the 3rd session of Council Vatican II, Paul VI descended the steps of the papal throne in St. Peter's Basilica and laid the tiara on the altar in a theatrical gesture, symbolically renouncing to the richness of the papal office. Picture at right.
He ordered that the tiara be sold and the money given to the poor. Card. Francis Spellman of New York provided the necessary funds for its acquisition. It remained for some time at St. Patrick's Cathedral in New York, and today it is permanently displayed at the crypt of the National Shrine of the Immaculate Conception in Washington.
So far, we don't have any datum that allows us to affirm without a doubt that after that ceremony in St. Peter's Basilica and before the acquisition by Card. Spellman, the Pope sent it to the UN. The report of Paul VI's gesture in L'Osservatore Romano (November 14, 2008) does not refer to this alleged donation. We would appreciate receiving a serious report certifying that this donation took place.
What we can affirm with certainty is that on October 4, 1965, on his visit to the UN in New York, during the 4th session of Vatican II, Paul VI gave a papal cross and a papal ring to the General Secretary of the United Nations, Mr. U Than, with the same aim: that they be sold and the money given to the poor.
Cordially,
TIA correspondence desk
Posted Octpber 3, 2008
The opinions expressed in this section - What People Are Commenting -
do not necessarily express those of TIA
Related Topics of Interest
Doubts about the Orthodoxy of Mother Teresa
Is Teresa of Calcutta a Saint?
Gramsci's Influence on Today's Academia
Prayer to St. Michael the Archangel
Paul VI Received at the UN
Two Visits of JPII to the UN
When the Pope Becomes the Chaplain of Masonry
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