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| Witchvox Chapter: Wren's Nest News | Chapter Page Views: 56,554,537 |
 Catholic Shrines Draw Hindus, Buddhists, Muslims Author: Tom Heneghan Source: Reuters UK Title: CATHOLIC SHRINES DRAW HINDUS, BUDDHISTS, MUSLIMS In an unexpected twist of globalization, Hindus, Buddhists, Muslims and other pilgrims regularly worship at famous Roman Catholic shrines to the Virgin Mary such as Lourdes in France and Fatima in Portugal. They drink the holy water, light votive candles and pray fervently to the Madonna for help with life's hardships. Many venerate her like one of their own goddesses, a view that would be a heresy if a Catholic theologian tried to defend it. Rather than being turned away, the newcomers are free to join the crowds from Ireland, Italy, Spain and other traditionally Catholic countries who flock to Europe's most popular shrines. In Fatima, the warm welcome they have received has caused an uproar among traditionalist Catholics. | |
| Community Thoughts: There are 9 comments posted | Reverse Sort |
| Catholic Shrines, Etc.... | Aug 24th. at 10:41:42 am EDT |
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by Ameth Jera (Newark, DE) - wc_xemail When good friends went to Lourdes, they brought me a bottle of holy water from the grotto for my altar.When they went to India, they brought a relic of Mother Theresa and a figurine of Ganesh. I have a mala from Tibet, and my grandfather's rosary. Love of the Divine and respect for what these articles represent are what make them sacred for me. As a pagan, I have prayed to St.Jude as I did when I was an Anglo-Catholic. I still love St. Francis for his compasion. I do not believe that Jesus is the only son of God, but I do believe that he was a favored Son, and that he was a great teacher. I celebrate Christmas and Yule and The Festival Of Lights in December in my own way. And I find no contradiction and nothing wrong with my eclectic path of worship because it works for me. |
| Why Not? | Aug 24th. at 10:27:06 am EDT |
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by Adian Odinson (Philadelphia, PA) - wc_xemail By George, they've got it! And more power to them. The Godhead, like a person, has many aspects, as does a diamond. To my employer, I am an employee with a specialty. To my children, I am their father. To my coven, I am their High Priest. To my wife, I am her husband. By the same token, there are two supermarkets close to me. I prefer to buy at one of them, but that does not mean that I will refuse to go there if they have something that I need. Also, while I see the employees of each store saying that they feel that their own store offers a better bargain than the other, you don't see one making claims that the products sold by the other are tained or unfit to eat. An example others could take into other areas, perhaps? I follow a path which is a combination of Norse and Celtic. But recently in a crisis, I asked for and received help from a deity belonging to a much different spiritual path. And I am grateful to him. And yes, I would go to Lourdes if I felt the need. Why not? I have no argument with that pantheon, regardless of the numerous issues I might have with some of those who purport to speak for that pantheon. |
| This Is Just An Example... | Aug 23rd. at 10:34:18 pm EDT |
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by Ruth (Florida) - wc_xemail ... of something that should be encouraged. The "people of all faiths worshipping alongside one another" thing, of course. IMHO, all those who come *with respect* to a holy site that is generally open to visitors should be welcomed. Are they going to start doing deep, probing interviews of all the people who come to Lourdes before they're allowed to visit? Because if not, they may have a hard time picking out some of us non-believers.... especially those of us who come from Western countries and generally blend in with your average Catholic crowd.... like me, for example. "Oh no! Pagan in the shrine! Pagan in the shrine!!" I like the heretical 80 year old. Obviously, he's been using his time wisely and actually trying to learn something, rather than assuming he's got it all straight the moment he took his vows. |
| Mary As A Disr | Aug 23rd. at 8:56:25 pm EDT |
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by Rede Seeker (League City, Texas, USA) - wc_xemail When I sold my house in Cincinnati, I bought a St. Joseph figure to bury in the front yard. (The house sold after three days of showing and to exactly the type of people I asked for.) While at the store a figure called to me. The clerk said she was Rosa Maria, an emination of the Virgin Mary, but didn't have any more information on her. She's portrayed as a young girl holding a rose. To me, she seemed to be a Keeper of Memory and I placed her among the Disr, the female light elves of Asatru, the female ancestors, family protectors and advisors. She just feels right there. How powerful an entity to appeal to so many cultures in so many guises! |
| Please.... | Aug 23rd. at 7:01:16 pm EDT |
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by Akrae (Florida) - wc_xemail Catholics are more Pagan than most Pagans being pagan. |
| Well DUH.... | Aug 23rd. at 5:30:38 pm EDT |
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by Morrighan (USA) - wc_xemail At the last count I have something like 100 Madonnas in my house, rabidly Pagan gal that I am. I collect them, have for years. Why? Because when I was a little girl and saw "my" Goddess in my mind she usually was a dark-haired woman in a blue cloak with stars all round... I can't explain it, but when I see the Lady Mary she just FITS, that image somehow. I don't have the slightest problem with Jesus being a star-child, a messenger of love and peace. I don't buy all that's in the Christian Bible as "his" words though particularly when it comes to later disciples like Paul. There's just too much contradiction there to me between the "Jesus" I know and who has always been a dear friend and big brother to ALL God's children and the "Jesus" Christianity wants us all to believe in. I do consider "Mary" to be a face of the Goddess and I do lovingly offer her roses in my home and often in churches as well. Not as a Deity per se because I don't really do the worship thing, but more as like a parent. It's more like giving me "Mom" flowers on Mom's Day... To me, she's the Univeral Mama of the West and in that sense I see her as being no different than Isis, Kali, or Kwan Yin etc...Personally I don't give a fig for what the RCC thinks about me doing so...Mari has always been a Goddess in one way or another... They want to consider me an apostate because I put a heart or a Miraculous Medal at the end of a rosary instead of a cross and count my blessings with it instead of making supplicating prayers than so be it. I don't answer to them, and I know in my heart that "Lady Mary" and her son are perfectly fine with my relationship to them. The love and respect goes both ways, enough said... Just for the record the apparition that appeared at Lourdes never said she was the Virgin Mary. Bernadette called her "Aquero" which was a local familiar term for a very young woman. She appeared as a teenager NOT as the matronly woman we all know as the Lourdes Madonna, and in a place that was previously sacred to a Roman water-spring Goddess. That spring was already there, just buried over. The "Lady" just gave it back to the people. All that "Immaculate Conception" stuff was likely to impress the bishop in charge and may not have even happened. The concept was getting around even than and my thoughts on that one is that Bernadette knew about it and used that as "proof" to get the bishop to support the "spa" etc. I personally would love to go to Lourdes or Knock to see for myself if the "Lady" is there. I rather believe She is in her own way.... Morrighan |
| Holy Mary Mother Of God | Aug 23rd. at 3:50:16 pm EDT |
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by Bladerunner (Portlandia) - wc_xemail Yup, Mary is the Goddess. The RCC couldn't get rid of her so she became part of the game. Always wondered why Jesus never has any apparations? |
| Devinity? | Aug 23rd. at 11:29:57 am EDT |
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by Ahr-Ohn (Bridgeport, Ct.) - wc_xemail "Catholics revere Mary and believe she can intervene with Jesus to help them, but they do not consider her divine. " All of us are devine; this is in accord with what Jesus was talking about; why should his mommy be any different? When Jesus sees Christians worshipping herself, as a Pagan deity, she'll probably just giggle. "Father Jacques Dupuis, an 80-year-old Belgian Jesuit who spent 20 years in India, has broken new ground in recent years by arguing that God works through many faiths to save all believers. ... Challenging that view earned the respected theologian a secretive three-year investigation by the Vatican's stern doctrinal chief, Cardinal Joseph Ratzinger. " Are we allowed to talk about those rat-parts here? I can certainly understand why the Vatican wasn't boasting of such an investigation; I understand the FBI just busted someone for investigating Pagans on behalf of Law Enforcement. The Shrine of St. Francis [Web LINK] boasts of their saint's popularity amongst the Heretic; I suppose that certain rat-parts have already been told to sit down and shut up. Aaron |
| An Additional Example | Aug 23rd. at 10:55:21 am EDT |
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by Mike Welch (Sarasota, Florida, USA) - wc_xemail ...that Truth has ways of revealing itself through all the "barriers" of time, belief system, exclusivity, ignorance, distance and personal preferences. |
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