Pope Francis will speak to participants at this year’s Los Angeles Religious Education Congress, taking place virtually Feb. 18-21, the Archdiocese of Los Angeles announced Tuesday.
The pope’s video message will be delivered at the event’s opening ceremony on Thursday, Feb. 18.
“It is a great blessing that the Holy Father will address our gathering, especially this year as so many are facing challenging times,” said Sister Rosalia Meza, senior director of the Archdiocese’s Office of Religious Education….
Keynote speakers at this year’s 65th Congress include Auxiliary Bishop Fernand J. Cheri of New Orleans, youth speaker Katie Prejean McGrady, Bishop Robert McElroy of San Diego, and Sister Carol Zinn, executive director of the Leadership Conference of Women Religious.
Sister Norma Pimentel, executive director of Catholic Charities of the Rio Grande Valley, and Fr. Greg Boyle, founder of LA-based Homeboy Industries, are among the names headlining virtual workshops for the event.
Archbishop José Gomez will celebrate the event’s closing liturgy on Sunday, Feb. 21.
The above comes from a Feb. 2 story in the Angelus News.
Anyone know if any previous popes were invited to speak at the LA REC?
Did they invite Archbishop Cordileone, Bishop Strickland, Bishop Olmsted, Ralph Martin, Helen Alvare, Mary Healy, Scott Hahn, Fr. Thomas Weinandy or any Sisters who wear habits?
Or, do they invite only “left of center” speakers?
Looks like a REC on the information superhighway.
I bet $1,000 the “message” lasts less than three minutes and is generic. Pure gimicky tokenism. Oh, but you have to pay $35 to hear the pope’s “important” message. Nope. That’s not going to entice me to register. Sorry, babe.
Um, the woman making the announcement in the video is a nun. I know it’s hard to tell. But still.
Actually she’s no more a “nun” than the “Nuns on the Bus”. She is a religious sister. The difference is that Nuns live in a Convent or Monastery and usually do not go out and do public appearances unless absolutely necessary. Nuns are usually Benedictines or Trappists, many are Carmelites or other Orders who practice stability, that is they stay where they are and live where they work. Religious Sisters can be of different orders, like Dominicans, Franciscans, Sisters of Charity and many others. They teach in schools, run homes for the poor, may teach in universities and so on.
The “Nuns on the Bus” are simply not real “Nuns” at all and I often wonder if they are “Religious Sisters” or just “Female pals”.
It is sad that the clerical habit has been abandoned , in the past their habit was a signal to others that this was a religious,
whatever they think the have gained by not wearing a habit , they have lost so much more.
Isn’t this the first time a Pope will address the REC? Did he invite himself, did Archbishop Gomez invite him, or did the invitation come via pressure from others? Quite strange that the topic(s) the Holy Father will address weren’t mentioned or even hinted at, given the historical nature of his participation. The whole thing smacks of being put together recently, and in a big hurry.
It isn’t paranoid wonder if all this might be an ill-disguised attempt to cut off Archbishop Gomez at the knees in his own Archdiocese, because of his post-Inauguration Day Statement. A come-uppance designed by the devious syncophant Cardinal Cupich, perhaps. Cupich seems increasingly occupied in intermeddling and upsetting the applecart when something doesn’t suit his fancy. It’s getting tiresome—and unedifying—to the faithful. Maybe the bishops should advise our home-grown Machiavelli to stick to his own knitting; his own Archdiocese is far from harmonious and trouble-free. And remind him that his confreres elected Gomez, not Cupich, President of the USCCB.
Qanon has become Catholic, apparently.
Apparent to whom, Anonymous @12:57pmon 4 Feb
Anonymous,
The comments of “WE HAPPY BAND” are unsubstantiated, but they’re plausible and are clearly not of the Antifa/QAnon variety.
Cardinal Mahoney is a well connected Cardinal who has been very reluctant to cede influence in his former Archdiocese. Archbishop Gomez, on the other hand, has just shown substantial courage on the national stage.
Gomez has the power to thwart Mahoney’s influence in the Archdiocese. If he feels that he doesn’t have this skill set, he’ll need to bring in good advisers, possibly a consulting firm, to neutralize Mahoney’s influence.
Mahony and his lack of shame or awareness of the damage he has done and by his presence continues to do, Gomez and his one act, does not excuse his failure to discipline Mahony, he tried once then immediately walked it back . That he has not been censured or punished speaks to the courage of Gomez, the civil suits in the lifting of the statute of limitations are part of his legacy, that we the laity are paying for. Ask yourself Steve , how many Catholics have been lost, and how many enemies has the church made because of the actions of Mahony and the passivity of Gomez ?
Rick,
I don’t think you read my post carefully. I wrote, “Gomez . . . has just shown substantial courage.” I didn’t write that he has always shown courage.
QAnon has become Catholic? I see absolutely NO evidence of that!
So compare this “nun” to the above Carmelites, this is one of many things Vatican II has given us. And yes where are the speakers such as Archbishop Vigano, Cardinal Mueller, Cardinal Burke, Father Z, Dr. Taylor Marshall, well they would not be caught anywhere near this Pagan love fest with giant puppets, lesbian nuns, altar girls, dancing girls in black leotards, effeminate men prancing with incense bowls, drums, guitars, hand clapping, kiss of peace, hand holding, most of which they cannot do this year do to Covid 19 aka the China virus. Cannot believe this garbage still goes on and so many thought Gomez would end it just because he was of Opus Dei, well end this disgusting show he did not.
I live in the archdiocese and have attended numerous RECongressses and have friends in the chancery. Some fact checks for you:
1. no giant puppets
2. yes, lesbian nuns and lesbian gay married lay employees very high up
3. yes altar girls
4. yes, dancing girls and guys, not necessarily in black leotards; sometimes white
5. yes effeminate men as liturgical dancers; ahem, ministers of movement
6. yes drums, guitars, hand clapping
7. yes hand holding
8. yes we were hopeful Gomez would reign it all in, but no he has not even though he knows about the problem employees and their marital status in contravention of Catholic morality
Sadly, Archbishop Gomez has turned out to be a very weak leader of the largest Archdiocese in the US. It would be kind to say that although he seems to be a nice man, he has been a flop.
Nobody can do everything. He has promoted pro-life causes, Marian devotion.
The REC was an albatross that was here when he got here. It would take a very strong person to cancel it. He would do better to, I think, to really focus on what it is supposed to be and spend a day with himself and good solid priests to instruct catechists and answer their questions and concerns.
Catholic lay persons and controversial clergy really don’t need to be speakers there. But it has become a shopping mall and a show.
Keep praying.
A nice man can still lead you to hell and error , we deserve a leader , a shepherd to guide us a man whom we can look to for his piety , moral clarity and example , we don’t have that.
Romulus, you make your list of concerns sound like they are bad things. OK, the puppets maybe!
Yes they are bad because they are UN-CATHOLIC that’s why.
Romulus Augustus, it is blasphemy to call the Sacrifice of Calvary pagan.
The too-often immoral and often-heretical REC is not “Catholic Religious Education” at all!– it ought to be abolished. Praying the Pope decides not to make Cdl. Cupich Prefect of the Congregation for Bishops. Another nightmare.
Without a good, solid, traditional system of Catholic religious education, and formation in Faith and Morals, as taught in our Catechism– the future for our Church is nearly hopeless. Hope the Pope and his bishops will someday come to see the truth, and get busy with their vocations, for Christ!
The L.A. Congress, as it has been known for over a generation, always at this time of year, where teachers, school staff, catechism teachers, relgious ed coordinators, seminarians, and religious often are mandated to go to update their catechetical certification, throughout the western U.S., has been the source of all errors, from standing instead of kneeling to receive Holy Communion, to Communion in the hand, to bowing instead of genuflecting, to Eucharistic Ministers replacing the role of the priest, to updated Hollywood style liturgies, to the eventual replacing of the priesthood with deacons, deaconeeses, priestesses, and parish coordinators, to the personal interpretation of church teaching and finding ways around what the Catechism of the Catholic Church says….all done in hidden, political way to change the Church over the years. From their point of view, this is positive, bringing the Church “into the 21st Century”. In reality, we have confusion, dissension, and the inability to pass the faith down to the next generation. As a result, we now have a culture where truth is relative and subjuective, those who have power, through technology, cancel and displace those who do not,
The way forward for the Church is to teach the Faith handed down to us by the Apostolic Tradition, and stand with those who are displaced and oppressed here and around the world
Communion in the hand, standing for communion and the restoration of the permanent diaconate didn’t come from the LA congress as you imply. They were authorized by the Roman Pontiff, Successor of Peter, Vicar of Christ. Any questions?
Richard, thank you!
Father Greg Boyle is a refreshing voice of what priests and the church could be if it was not burdened by a bunch of Q-anon CINO’s.
Greg Boyle is another Jesuit heretic.
He embraces liberation theology , he looks to karl marx not to the Risen Christ., he needs the free enterprise system to support his ministry,
that his lack of knowledge and understanding of almost ruined it not to many years ago, a jesuit heritic ? yes , the only good jesuit I can think of is Fr. Mitch Pacwa.
I think they got the Pope (for a brief statement, probably) because registration is very low. They have been emailing me every single day for weeks. Heck no. I haven’t been able to attend Mass inside a Church building for almost a year, and have not seen the Archbishop fighting to have me there, when Target, Costco and airplanes are packed with people in close proximity. I don’t think Gomez cares too much about standing up for our faith as so many Saints have, and as people are longing to do now. So I refuse to pay to attend this conference, even though I have enjoyed it greatly in the past. Yes, there are plenty of things to object to, but also many blessings.
Sing it, sister!
Maybe Covid will break the back of RECongress. That would be positive outcome.
Our Parish is open for Mass every weekday at 6:30 am and on Sundays at 7 am for Mass inside the Church. On cold, windy or rainy days we have Mass inside the Church at our other Masses. We practice social distancing both inside the Church and outside the Church, where we have large tents, a real altar and can seat about 180 people with social distancing. Some people choose to bring their own chairs and sit away from the others, which is OK too.
Some people aren’t comfortable coming to Mass yet, so we have drive-through Communion in the parking lot. Security guards can show people where that is.
On Ash Wednesday we will be putting ashes on people’s foreheads mixed with a tiny bit of olive oil and done with a fresh Q-Tip for each person at 5:30 am, 5:00 pm and 6:30 pm (Spanish) in the Church or under the tent. There will also be a drive-through for ashes between 3:00 pm and 6:00 pm in our parking lot.
All are welcome!
St. Raymond Catholic Church
Downey, CA 90242
http://www.saintraymond.org
Romulus, most of the things you list have nothing to do with the Catholic faith. They have to do with tradition (small t) and are simply man-made things. Being a good Catholic is about our relationship with God, it is about how we feed the poor, clothe the naked, etc. God told us to love our neighbor as He has loved us. The Catholic faith is about loving God and loving our neighbor, it is not about who carries the thurible, or what they wear. The Eucharistic worship is the summit of our faith, not the apex of our bowing and lace and smells.
Anonymous at 7:46 pm your reply is very typical of a Novus Ordornarian modernist, the Novus Ordo is man made only 50 years old the Traditional Latin Mass and sacraments is 1,500 years old and by the way it’s called The Holy Sacrifice of The Mass. And I will gladly bow and kneel before God and I prefer lace and bells and smells.
They are both the Roman Rite. They appear different to the senses, but they are not.
You are exactly right!
Romulus Ajgustus… While I love tradition and beauty and art at the Holy Sacrifice of the Mass, as well as the Latin Language and the authentic tradition of the Church I also have studied Church History and taught Church History and know that when one speaks about the “Traditional Mass” one is really speaking about Sacred Tradition, not bells, smells and lace. All of those are nice. I like them all. But they are not essential to the Holy Sacrifice of the Mass. The Mass celebrated when I was a young boy, the one I believe you are describing and is currently called “The Extraordinary Form” is beautiful, rich in symbolism and inspiring. But it only goes back to the Council of Trent and was promulgated in 1563. Before that there were other Rites of Eucharist throughout the world. There still are, including the Rites for the Uniate Catholic Churches which haven’t used Latin for many centuries before Trent. So, let’s not forget the very ancient Tradition of the Sacrifice of the Mass, which was, at first, celebrated in Hebrew by Christ Himself. If we want to draw people to the dignity and beauty of the Mass of Trent we should avoid things that would drive them away in anger.
Jesuits enough said.