The following comes from a Dec. 6 press release issued by the U.S. bishops.
The U.S. Catholic bishops have launched a pastoral strategy addressing critical life, marriage and religious liberty concerns. The five-part strategy or call to prayer was approved by the bishops in November and is set to begin after Christmas. The overall focus is to invite Catholics to pray for rebuilding a culture favorable to life and marriage and for increased protections of religious liberty.
Campaign components include monthly Eucharistic holy hours in cathedrals and parishes, daily family rosary, special Prayers of the Faithful at all Masses, fasting and abstinence on Fridays, and the second observance of a Fortnight for Freedom.
The call to prayer is prompted by the rapid social movements and policy changes currently underway, such as the mandate by the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services that coerces employers, including heads of religious agencies, to pay for sterilizations, abortion-inducing drugs and contraceptives, as well as increased efforts to redefine marriage.
“The pastoral strategy is essentially a call and encouragement to prayer and sacrifice—it’s meant to be simple,” said Archbishop Salvatore Cordileone of San Francisco, chairman of the bishops’ Subcommittee for the Promotion and Defense of Marriage. “It’s not meant to be another program but rather part of a movement for Life, Marriage, and Religious Liberty, which engages the New Evangelization and can be incorporated into the Year of Faith. Life, Marriage, and Religious Liberty are not only foundational to Catholic social teaching but also fundamental to the good of society,” he said.
Details of the strategy follow:
1. Starting with the Sunday after Christmas (Feast of the Holy Family) and continuing on or near the last Sunday of every month through Christ the King Sunday, November 2013, cathedrals and parishes are encouraged to hold a Eucharistic Holy Hour for Life, Marriage, and Religious Liberty.
2. Families and individuals are encouraged to pray a daily Rosary, especially for the preservation of Life, Marriage, and Religious Liberty in the nation.
3. At Sunday and daily Masses, it is encouraged that the Prayers of the Faithful include specific intentions for respect for all human life from conception to natural death, the strengthening of marriage and family life, and the preservation of religious liberty at all levels of government, both at home and abroad.
4. Abstinence from meat and fasting on Fridays are encouraged for the intention of the protection of Life, Marriage, and Religious Liberty, recognizing the importance of spiritual and bodily sacrifice in the life of the Church.
5. The celebration of a second Fortnight for Freedom at the end of June and the beginning of July 2013 is being planned. This Fortnight would emphasize faith and marriage in a particular way in the face of the potential Supreme Court rulings during this time. The Fortnight would also emphasize the need for conscience protection in light of the August 1, 2013 deadline for religious organizations to comply with the HHS mandate, as well as religious freedom concerns in other areas, such as immigration, adoption, and humanitarian services….
To read original release, click here.
Finally. Did I mention this Bishop Cordileone is great? Daily Family Rosary! Yeah
Next please stop moving feasts around. Let the all be and be Obligation days
Amen Western Schneider! Trust us, we can handle a feast day that falls during the week. We aren’t that feeble, yet.
How about ordering the Bishops to stop holding photo ops with pro-abortion, pro-sodomite Demoncrat politicians!
May God have mercy on an amoral Amerika!
Viva Cristo Rey!
God bless, yours in Their Hearts,
Kenneth M. Fisher, Founding Director
Concerned Roman Catholics of America, Inc.
Before the drastic changes that took place after Vatican II, these practices were very common among Catholics. A recent article stated that Catholics have lost their identity, and have abandoned the sub culture which defined them so well. Now, there is hardly any difference between things Catholic and things Protestant. Women wearing hats in church, abstaining from meat on Fridays, prayers before and after meals, holy days of obligation, no work on Sundays, distinctive garb for priests and nuns: all these customs have disappeared. Hopefully by praying more, by fasting and abstaining on Fridays, Catholics in America can once again be spiritually united and be a light to lead others to Christ and His Church. May God reward and bless Archbishop Cordilione for his insight and for his courage to suggest these important Catholic practices.
There are Christian sects that follow the do not work on Sunday…Chick fil A is closed on Sundays and so is Hobby Lobby.
I am grateful that This holy Archbishop is encouraging the lay faithful to follow these practices that have always been character of a true Christian life.
I will do all the prays and fasting but I HATE HATS. NO go Bishops.
Pat, Well … to each her own. My mother wears a hat to mass and so do I. It’s fun! We should all celebrate diversity in our c Church!
Fr. Karl,
Why hats? Why not wear the traditional mantilla or head scarfs?
May God have mercy on an amoral Amerika!
Viva Cristo Rey!
God bless, yours in Their Hearts,
Kenneth M. Fisher, Founding Director
Concerned Roman Catholics of America, Inc.
Kenneth, Again to each her own. The older ladies in our parish wear scarfs, especially those from eastern European backgrounds and the Black ladies sometimes wear big “church hats.” I think most of the women I’ve seen wearing mantillas are Latinas. On women’s head coverings were the catholic, Catholic church, but not the one-size-fits-all church. Viv la difference!
It looks like this information is a year old. Maybe the point is to find out how many folks heard about it in time?
Yes, this article is a year old. but the program was renewed for another year. Each Friday has a specific intention that one abstains for. It is on the USCCB website.
https://www.usccb.org/beliefs-and-teachings/how-we-teach/new-evangelization/year-of-faith/call-to-prayer-friday-fast-intentions-and-reflections.cfm
Thank you Anon…..
Well-done Abp. Cordileone. In fact he is re-affirming what every pope certainly since Leo XIII has said regarding the Rosary as the premiere daily prayer of the Catholic. A small sampling:
Leo XIII; “It is Our desire that in the principal church of each diocese it should be recited every day, and in parish churches on every feast-day.” Encyclical, Fidentum Piumque Animum (1896)
Pius XI: “…We exhort them, citing Our own example, not to let even one day pass without saying the Rosary, no matter how burdened they may be with many cares and labors” Encyclical, Ingravescentibus Malis (1937)
Pius XII: “We do not hesitate to affirm publicly that We put great confidence in the Holy Rosary for the healing of evils of our times.” Encyclical Ingruentium Malorum (1951)
JP2: “The grave challenges confronting the world at the start of this new Millennium lead us to think that only an intervention from on high, capable of guiding the hearts of those living in situations of conflict and those governing the destinies of nations, can give reason to hope for a brighter future. The Rosary is by its nature a prayer for peace.” Ap Letter, Rosarium Virginis Mariae (2002)
BXVI: “Today, together we confirm that the Holy Rosary is not a pious practice banished to the past, like prayers of other times thought of with nostalgia… The Rosary, when it is prayed in an authentic way, not mechanical and superficial but profoundly, it brings, in fact, peace and reconciliation. It contains within itself the healing power of the Most Holy Name of Jesus, invoked with faith and love at the centre of each “Hail Mary”.” Address, May 3 2008
One of the ruptures that occurred at V2 was the break with the past, esp. in the injunction upon every Catholic as much as it were to be possible to daily recite the Rosary. This kind of proposal is moving in the right direction.
Amen….thanks for taking time to recollect these truths to our minds and hearts…..THE ROSARY IS THE WEAPON SATAN HATES! our mother is chaining him and his cohorts. Reducing to naught their onslaught against Her children …enter we must, swiftly undee Her safe mantle of protection
When the bishops want our money, they don’t tell us to simply pray.
When the bishops want action on immigration laws, they don’t tell us to simply pray.
When the bishops want to stop laws allowing more litigation for sexual abuses, they don’t tell us to simply pray.
Only the “social” issues of marriage (and homosex) and the killing of unborn human beings is best handled by prayer.
Prayer is good, but faith without action is empty faith.
The next time your bishop asks for money for the development fund, offer your prayers instead.
Only the “social” issues of
Jack. How about their excommunicating our pro-abort politicians?
Jesus told his Apostles, when they had trouble casting out demons, that some demons can be driven out only by prayer AND fasting.
This is true. Prayer and Fasting are important.
But prayer and fasting and voting for Pro-abortion politicians is insane.
The actions of Catholics and people of good will in the VOTING booth help to determine our fate as a Nation.
ED,
What you have written is soo true. I know a Catholic person, highly educated, who has told me he intends to vote for Hilary. This person even sometimes prays the Rosary at the abortion killing centers!
May God have mercy on an amoral Amerika!
Viva Cristo Rey!
God bless, yours in Their Hearts,
Kenneth M. Fisher, Founding Director
Concerned Roman Catholics of America, Inc.
Praise be to God, the Bishops of US are calling the troops to the real battle.
The only means permitted ie The Holy Rosary, more powerful than an atomic bomb! personal fasting and abstinence, spiritual warrior battle preparation.
What a sad day it is for it to take a threat to the Bishops own POWER of influence before they woke up to reality. Thank God for His miraculous powers, for that is what is required now.
I don’t feel it is ok in Gods’ eyes for anyone to pass judgement on Mr Obama. He is a soul treasured by God too, and he is entitled to the Mercy we all long for so as to be able to be saved by the Redemptive Power of Christ Crucified. As long as he repents in time. Lord, save Mr Obama too.
20. Accordingly, since the spirit of penance primarily suggests that we discipline ourselves in that which we enjoy most, to many in our day abstinence from meat no longer implies penance, while renunciation of other things would be more penitential…
24. Among the works of voluntary self-denial and personal penance which we especially commend to our people for the future observance of Friday, even though we hereby terminate the traditional law of abstinence binding under pain of sin, as the sole prescribed means of observing Friday, we give first place to abstinence from flesh meat.We do so in the hope that the Catholic community will ordinarily continue to abstain from meat by free choice as formerly we did in obedience to Church law. Our expectation is based on the following considerations:
a.We shall thus freely and out of love for Christ Crucified show our solidarity with the generations of believers to whom this practice frequently became,especially in times of persecution and of great poverty,no mean evidence of fidelity to Christ and His Church.
b.We shall thus also remind ourselves that as Christians, although immersed in the world and sharing its life, we must preserve a saving and necessary difference from the spirit of the world. Our deliberate,personal abstinence from meat, more especially because no longer required by law, will be an outward sign of inward spiritual values that we cherish. NCCB 1966
https://www.usccb.org/prayer-and-worship/liturgical-resources/lent/us-bishops-pastoral-statement-on-penance-and-abstinence.cfm
Thanks anonymous for this quote. I was a child when it was promulgated, and so dont think i ever actually read this piece.
Of the traditional practices that we seem to have forgotten post Vatican II are the values of fasting and abstinence. I used to use them quite a lot even into the nineties, but somewhere along the line stopped using them. I appreciate this reminder to start using them again! And this original text reminds us that it was never the intention to do away with the practice, but actually trying to make it MORE relevant and MORE of a sacrifice than it had been.
#1. “What a sad day it is for it to take a threat to the Bishops own POWER of influence before they woke up to reality. Thank God for His miraculous powers, for that is what is required now.” = Woke up? Who are you trying to fool? First of all, the bishops do not have their “OWN” POWER. Our bishops would have zero POWER if they had not been given this POWER from above. Our bishops are still compromising and neglecting this GIFT and POWER. This POWER is NOT a cowardly spirit but when separated from the vine the power becomes it’s “own” weak power. It is even a sadder day when a Pollyanna fails to recognize that DENIAL is not just a river in Egypt. If our bishops were as awakened as you are pretending, then there would not be questions about “surveys”….there would be responsive Catholic actions (such as Canon 915 and others) that remedy and lead to SALVATION! Jesus did not just use words. Our Lord showed His immense love for mankind by an ACTION. He *suffered* and died on a Cross. Apostolic servants are no greater than the Master.
#2. “I don’t feel it is ok in Gods’ eyes for anyone to pass judgement on Mr Obama.”
Once again let us clarify that we will be held accountable if we do not judge behavior and speak up against actions that are evil. David had to make and pass a judgement when he made the decision to fight the evil giant named Goliath. Pollyanism is a wonderful and worthwhile trait while visiting and bobbing for apples at the country fair, however the Pollyanna Principle should never be applied when trying to eradicate evil actions. Jesus asked us to be the “SALT” of the earth, not ostriches named Pollyanna.
Recycled news. Since the second “Fortnight for Freedom” disappointingly garnered much less attention and participation than the first, I’m guessing this is probably the last we hear of this strategy.
It was kind of a turn-off when they added “immigration” as a topic for the second Fortnight. Also when the Fortnight services are bilingual it doesn’t leave you feeling very patriotic…
Why did the hierarchy of Vatican II tell us we didn’t need to abstain from meat on Friday? Have you read what nutritionists say about abstaining from meat? They tell us that less meat is better for our health. Why did they tell us we had to fast only one hour before receiving the Eucharist? Were these requirements too austere for us? Are we that weak? After Vatican II, people left the Church in droves. If we voluntarily abstain from something, even if it’s not required by Church law, it makes us stronger and more able to resist temptations in other areas of our lives.
God bless you bishops but too little too late. We needed you to urge Catholics to fast and pray to keep Obama from being elected, the man directly responsible for attacking the Church on religious freedom and marriage.
It is never too late, God Bless the Bishops. OUr Lady in Medujorje has been asking us to do this since l981. Our Bishops are now beginnign to listen to Her.
The call to prayer is a good sign. Another good sign would be that the Church leaders also pray and reflect on the Church teaching on contraception (which 85% of US Catholics ignore), divorce and remarriage (which has isolated millions of US Catholics from the Church), and child abuse in the Catholic home (which damages these children all their lives). Prayer gets us in touch with God, but knowing what we are praying for sharpens the focus so that even God can reflect on our concerns, needs, and struggles of conscience.
Another knee-slapper from the boys in the “Office of Bishops”: Where to start?
1. Re-introduce a MANDATORY Friday abstinence of “no meat”.
2. The new “sacrifice” is to be in propitiation for SIN, not for the cause-du-jour.
3. Introduce FASTING as part of the MANDATORY abstinence. This is a teaching moment of importance for the Church, but only for the right reasons — it is a sacrifice for our individual sins, and for the sins of our pagan America, nothing else (No, not anti-capitalism, sexism, anti-immigrationism, ageism, environmental crime-ism, not-paying-enough tax-ism, not-liking the N.O. enough-ism, hating the Designated Hitter Rule-ism, all that stuff.) Archbishop Cordileone is OK as an Ordinary, but why is he trying to link sacrifice, and other very wonderful things to political issues, such as “religious liberty.” Now, religious liberty is a critical issue, and everyone can and should pray, and take vigorous action to assure preservation of religious liberty. But people, Cordileone’s people too, are going to go to Hell (and have likely already gone there) due to the truly awful things that they have done. His job, and that of the Big Boys at the “Office of Bishops,” are supposed to fight this: by prayer, by teaching, by public actions (including the refutation of evil, which does not include demanding that McDonald’s or Wal-Mart now pay $15/hour forever, with health care thrown in). Bishop Blaire and his kin would love nothing more than to have specific fasts, and other rituals, to show that the poor are not having the mythical banquets that they think all “White, Rich” families habitually have. Why not go all the way: “Communion to support a living wage”; and, “Confession to support mandatory employment, with retirement (Yes that was preached recently by a priest in the Diocese of Arlington, VA).” Why, “Confirmation” could be used to create “young community organizers for the Guaranteed Class.” These approaches to the use of the Faith are senseless, and dangerous. But then, most clergy no longer much believe in Hell, Purgatory, Sin, all the embarrassing religious stuff. Better to bow the knee to pro-abortion advocates like St. Nelson Mandela. Prayer is supposed to include at least some time for reflective thinking.
Indeed, Bob, The heading on this article said “The following comes from a Dec. 6 press release issued by the U.S. bishops” but it failed to say “2012”
I had not heard of it.
It should be re-released for this year and re-released to focus on this year’s being not the year of the Faith but as it has been called for The Year of consecrated life.
If our bishops are not leading us to holiness, it seems we lay people must help each other and when possible wake up our bishops for the sake of the rest of the diocesan souls who do not know.
Father Karl was so on the button.
In those days we had more self control, more trust in Our Lord, more of a sense of eternity and just WHY we were here on earth, more sense of “it is in God’s hands” not in activism but in falling down on our knees in prayer and penance to the solutions of the evils around us, whether seen or unseen, aware of or unaware of. We placed our trust in God and what we did was for the love of God and not for the love of the world and its social ills but for the love of HIM and His creatures.
I’ve heard these calls being made for years – why not bring the obligation to Friday abstinence through out the year instead of just Lent. It would provoke a lot of discussion on the parish level about penance, mortification, etc.
Nothing much is mandatory anymore in the ‘Church of Nice’.
When the Diocese Bishop and their Priests let Catholic politicians who are in the state of Mortal Sin receive Holy Communion – Sacrilege against the Body and Blood of Our Lord, what else matters to them ?
If your Diocese Bishop and his Priests do not actively and publically promote the reading/study of the “Catechism of the Catholic Church, Second Edition” as encouraged by Pope John Paul II, Pope Benedict, and Pope Francis
they do not care if people accurately know the Faith.
Quotes from Popes about CCC: https://whatcatholicsreallybelieve.com/
Give all those close to you a Catholic Bible and the CCC for gifts. Help save their Souls in spite of many US Bishops who are more concerned with being popular, hob-knobing with Democratic politicians, and getting gorvenment grant funding.
I hope that everyone is listening to the holy words of this holy Archbishop! Don’t forget to pray and fast! TODAY IS THE DAY…now! Don’t wait for tomorrow, for it may never come and don’t dwell on past failures for they will win at stopping you!
During the week, I kept remembering this article and honoring what this good Archbishop is asking of us! I also added prayers for our Bishops…..if only many of them knew that it is they who are part of the problem! I just found out once again that another holy and devout priests was receiving complaints about his holy and devout homilies and once again I heard that he was being pressured by his bishop in ways that make it hard for priests to do what is right! They are being silenced!
So with this call of prayer and fasting, I added prayers for our priests who need our blessings and prayers because more often than not, we do not understand the real spiritual battles they are having to deal with especially when they are doing what Christ has called them to do! Take a look at even in the Bible! Jesus was persecuted from even those of his people at the time! They ordered Him to be crucified! The evil one is a liar and one who confuses, slanders and deceives and don’t you for a moment think that our Bishops don’t fall prey to the evil ones tactics!
The evil one works that way to silence good and holy devout priests! WAKE UP PEOPLE! PRAY and fast, with humility….so the evil one won’t try to deceive you either!
We must move forward…learn from past mistakes but always being eager to please God in all things in the now. What good does it do us to dwell in the past, dwell so much that it makes us people who are not moved, who give up. We must be doers of the word…”But be ye doers of the word, and not hearers only, deceiving your own selves.” James 1:22
IF we are people who do not hold influential positions, then we can move hearts with little ways through PRAYER, Fasting etc…..
Don’t allow yourself to be so easily discouraged but if you do find yourself falling prey to discouragement, then seek others in the faith to help edify you in the Lord. “Therefore encourage one another and build each other up, just as in fact you are doing.” 1 Thessalonians 5:11
Recalling that we are nothing without the Lord, that it is in His mercy and love in whom we seek and desire. Recalling that we shall see division and separation.
“The father shall be divided against the son, and the son against his father, the mother against the daughter, and the daughter against the mother, the mother in law against her daughter in law, and the daughter in law against her mother in law.” Luke 12:53
and because of this, that we must persevere with fortitude because God alone is all with we should seek to please and honor.
If you don’t own a rosary, use your fingers! If you don’t own a bible, you can pull up the scriptures from the internet…but if you really want to grow…buy your self a bible, the CCC and if you ask your local priest, they may have an inexpensive rosary to give you. God bless you!
BUT MOST important before you surrender to these beautiful Christian faith, in its prayer time and fasting….always approach in humility, holiness, and reflection, go to confession, a good contrite hearts is what helps us be open to those graces that we can receive through these offerings. The sacrament of confession will also protect us from our own flaws and from spiritual war…..we may not avoid the spiritual war but we can be protected when we go to confession. Always with humility and openness to being vulnerable and trusting God!
This is excellent advice.
Abeca, There are even “finger rosaries” to help you say a decade while your’e driving. One of my delivery gals uses one when making runs.
Hate to say it, but (Abp. Cordileone certainly excepted) there are a few bishops (maybe more than a few) who would do very well with some fasting…
Soo many good priests have been crucified by BAD bishops, some are now living in Church Limbo. Pray for them that they may persevere in spite of awful bishops!
May God have mercy on an amoral Amerika!
Viva Cristo Rey!
God bless, yours in Their Hearts,
Kenneth M. Fisher, Founding Director
Concerned Roman Catholics of America, Inc.
Yes lets pray for them….Mr. Fisher in the past few years, I have met personally priests who feel the pressure from their Bishops to tone it down or something like, whatever that means. How often are some of our Bishops not realizing who they are hurting. I have to pray more for them. Instead of injuring them with my anger with words and disappointment, I will just have to write letters in Charity to them directly and continue praying for them. That is the route I am being lead to do.
I hope that for Christmas, those who have good devout and holy priests amongst their midst, that they take the time to write a letter to his Bishop, to let their Bishop’s know what a great job they are doing. That will help combat any negative complains that they may have received from dissenters who directly go to the Bishop and try to slander those good priests. Its true our good priests are not able to defend themselves without being judged so harshly. It is troubling, and I feel for them. It is best that if we can sense that there is something not right, that we need to encourage with love our priests as often as we are lead to, because more often they hear the negative and are torn down. They need our love and to defense them, but always pray about it and ask the Holy Ghost to lead you. Don’t let the evil one tempt you into over reacting too. That is why prayer is good, it helps us especially the sacrament of confession, it is best….always seeking to be humble.