Shutdown Drama: Priests Threatened by Federal Gov't With Arrest

[Galadriel]

For the record, I think both Republican politicians and Democratic politicians (and especially the president) are making some idiotic moves and decisions.

With that said, I think the Democrats want to try to make the shutdown to be like a mini-apocalypse, and it's just not happening.

Gasp--the world is still turning, even in the midst of a shutdown. But that's not good enough, the Dems want us to think the sky is falling.

I think the Dems are strategically shutting down certain things just to get people riled up and angry. I mean, did they REALLY have to spend money and effort for cranes and barricades in order to keep out those 80 year-old WWII vets? Seriously?

Now it seems they don't want to have the military chaplains lead worship services. The Archdiocese of Military Services (the priests and at least one bishop who serve as chaplains for our Catholic men and women in the armed forces) have been told that if a chaplain priest or contracted priest celebrates Mass this Sunday for the military, even on a volunteer basis, he risks arrest.

Because, you know, we have a shutdown.

Makes no sense.

Link to the story below:

http://www.milarch.org/site/apps/nlnet/content2.aspx?c=dwJXKgOUJiIaG&b=8486699&ct=13344123

ETA: This may possibly affect Protestant clergy as well, so I'll see if I can find any info on that.

 

[Shimmie]

For the record, I think both Republican politicians and Democratic politicians (and especially the president) are making some idiotic moves and decisions.

With that said, I think the Democrats want to try to make the shutdown to be like a mini-apocalypse, and it's just not happening.

Gasp--the world is still turning, even in the midst of a shutdown. But that's not good enough, the Dems want us to think the sky is falling.

I think the Dems are strategically shutting down certain things just to get people riled up and angry. I mean, did they REALLY have to spend money and effort for cranes and barricades in order to keep out those 80 year-old WWII vets? Seriously?

Now it seems they don't want to have the military chaplains lead worship services. The Archdiocese of Military Services (the priests and at least one bishop who serve as chaplains for our Catholic men and women in the armed forces) have been told that if a chaplain priest or contracted priest celebrates Mass this Sunday for the military, even on a volunteer basis, he risks arrest.

Because, you know, we have a shutdown.

Makes no sense.

Link to the story below:

http://www.milarch.org/site/apps/nlnet/content2.aspx?c=dwJXKgOUJiIaG&b=8486699&ct=13344123

ETA: This may possibly affect Protestant clergy as well, so I'll see if I can find any info on that.

They have got to be out of their stupid minds. Are you kidding me? (not you Galsdriel ). Are 'THEY' kidding me? They are absolute fools.

They better stay outta' the path of lightening... Makes no sense. Gonna stop folks from worship.

 

[Galadriel]

They have got to be out of their stupid minds. Are you kidding me? (not you Galsdriel ). Are 'THEY' kidding me? They are absolute fools.

They better stay outta' the path of lightening... Makes no sense. Gonna stop folks from worship.

Shimmie what makes it worse is even when the clergy volunteered to lead services at their own expense, without incurring cost to the gov't, they're still threatened with arrest.

 

[mensa]

The Design are trying to stop the Chaplains?

 

[Galadriel]

The Design are trying to stop the Chaplains?

Here's the full news release put out by the Archdiocese Military Services:

Shutdown Impacts Chapel Services
By John Schlageter​

If the government shutdown continues through the weekend, there will be no Catholic priest to celebrate Mass this Sunday in the chapels at some U.S. military installations where non-active-duty priests serve as government contractors.

Military personnel enjoy, like all Americans, the First Amendment guarantee of the “Free Exercise” of their particular religious faith. But because military personnel are considered a “captive audience,” the laws of our country require the government to provide access to that faith. This is why we have a military chaplaincy. This all becomes very clear when one thinks of a military family stationed in Bahrain or Japan. They cannot walk down the street to the local synagogue, church, mosque, etc.

There is a chronic shortage of active duty Catholic chaplains. While roughly 25% of the military is Catholic, Catholic priests make up only about 8% of the chaplain corps. That means approximately 275,000 men and women in uniform, and their families, are served by only 234 active-duty priests. The temporary solution to this shortage is to provide GS and contract priests. These men are employed by the government to ensure that a priest is available when an active duty Catholic Chaplain is not present. With the government shutdown, many GS and contract priests who minister to Catholics on military bases worldwide are not permitted to work – not even to volunteer. During the shutdown, it is illegal for them to minister on base and they risk being arrested if they attempt to do so.

As an example, if a Catholic family has a Baptism scheduled this weekend at an Air Force base that is staffed by a GS or contract priest, unless they can locate a priest who is not a GS or contract priest, the Baptism is most likely cancelled. If you are a Catholic stationed in Japan or Korea and are served by a Contract or GS priest, unless you speak Korean or Japanese and can find a church nearby, then you have no choice but to go without Mass this weekend. Until the Federal Government resumes normal operations, or an exemption is granted to contract or GS priests, Catholic services are indefinitely suspended at many of those worldwide installations served by contract and GS priests.

At a time when the military is considering alternative sources of funding for sporting events at the service academies, no one seems to be looking for funding to ensure the Free Exercise rights of Catholics in uniform. Why not?

*John Schlageter is General Counsel for the Archdiocese for the Military Services, USA.
​

------------------------------------​

The AMS was created as an independent archdiocese by Pope John Paul II in 1985 as the only Catholic jurisdiction responsible for endorsing and granting faculties for priests to serve as chaplains in the U.S. military and VA Medical Centers.

AMS-endorsed chaplains serve at more than 220 U.S. military installations in 29 countries, making the AMS the nation's only global archdiocese. AMS-endorsed chaplains also serve at 153 VA Medical Centers throughout the U.S.

The AMS service population also includes American Catholic civilians working for the federal government in 134 countries, but currently, due to limited resources, the AMS cannot adequately serve this population.

Worldwide, an estimated 1.8 million Catholics depend on the AMS to meet their spiritual and sacramental needs.​

 

[Reminiscing]

You'd think the government would want people to turn to prayer rather than rioting at a time like this. Smh!

 

[Shimmie]

Shimmie what makes it worse is even when the clergy volunteered to lead services at their own expense, without incurring cost to the gov't, they're still threatened with arrest.

Galadriel, this makes no sense. Especially with the clergy volunteering to lead the services.

God is not going to allow this to go unpunished. I am so serious. All of these folks responsible for this are not going to get away with it. I'm serious about this.

Who do they think they are? First they take food from the mouths of children, and compromise the homes of multiple thousands of families; schools, day care, etc.

Even the Military based commissaries have closed and think of all of the food that is spoiling which could be feeding hungry families.

This makes no sense at all... None whatsoever. That's okay, all it's doing is making the prayers all the more stronger and I mean it, those responsible are not going to be happy with the consequences of their foolishness. God is not allowing this to go un*vindicated.

 

[Galadriel]

Archbishop Timothy Broglio says some clergy are just going to the nearest local parks (if possible) to say Mass this Sunday.

Not quite sure how this will go for clergy serving as chaplains overseas (and especially in not-so-friendly territory).

Aww, at least they're trying to still minister.


Here's the archbishop:

 

[Shimmie]

Archbishop Timothy Broglio says some clergy are just going to the nearest local parks (if possible) to say Mass this Sunday.

Not quite sure how this will go for clergy serving as chaplains overseas (and especially in not-so-friendly territory).

Aww, at least they're trying to still minister.


Here's the archbishop:

This is good to know.

Church is wherever we are...for Jesus and God's Word lives in our hearts. No one can stop us from worshipping God for He abides in us and we abide in Him. No government can stop that...


The Bishop looks so happy... God bless all of them who are so faithful. They know who their God is and no government in this world who messes with God's children.

 

[JaneBond007]

On base, under the guise of the services...they are obligated to obey orders. Do they have to remain on the base during the shutdown? Solution: off-base mass or co-preside with a local parish off-base.

 

[Galadriel]

On base, under the guise of the services...they are obligated to obey orders. Do they have to remain on the base during the shutdown? Solution: off-base mass or co-preside with a local parish off-base.

That's what some of them are doing.

 

[Laela]

Won't they be using government funds (water, electricity, etc) to hold services during a shutdown on the base? Clearly a shutdown can't keep them from ministering to people in any way they can, and that's most encouraging to read. Sometimes the worse situations can bring out people's best, like that bishop..

 

[Belle Du Jour]

For some reason, I had an image of people having mass underground or in secret, like they did in the catacombs during the early days of persecution in the Church.

 

[momi]

For the record, I think both Republican politicians and Democratic politicians (and especially the president) are making some idiotic moves and decisions.

With that said, I think the Democrats want to try to make the shutdown to be like a mini-apocalypse, and it's just not happening.

Gasp--the world is still turning, even in the midst of a shutdown. But that's not good enough, the Dems want us to think the sky is falling.

I think the Dems are strategically shutting down certain things just to get people riled up and angry. I mean, did they REALLY have to spend money and effort for cranes and barricades in order to keep out those 80 year-old WWII vets? Seriously?

Now it seems they don't want to have the military chaplains lead worship services. The Archdiocese of Military Services (the priests and at least one bishop who serve as chaplains for our Catholic men and women in the armed forces) have been told that if a chaplain priest or contracted priest celebrates Mass this Sunday for the military, even on a volunteer basis, he risks arrest.

Because, you know, we have a shutdown.

Makes no sense.

Link to the story below:

http://www.milarch.org/site/apps/nlnet/content2.aspx?c=dwJXKgOUJiIaG&b=8486699&ct=13344123

ETA: This may possibly affect Protestant clergy as well, so I'll see if I can find any info on that.

I agree - they spent more money trying to keep the Veterans out of the National Park then they would have just letting them enter.


So now clergy cannot lead services? This is just the end of ridiculous. Sigh.

 

[Galadriel]

Won't they be using government funds (water, electricity, etc) to hold services during a shutdown on the base? Clearly a shutdown can't keep them from ministering to people in any way they can, and that's most encouraging to read. Sometimes the worse situations can bring out people's best, like that bishop..

Laela, the gov't refused b/c they didn't want to financially compensate the priests (whether it's the regular chaplains or the ones contracted to come in and minister). The priests said they didn't care and would still minister for free.

 

[Galadriel]

For some reason, I had an image of people having mass underground or in secret, like they did in the catacombs during the early days of persecution in the Church.

Watch how they'll start telling Christians how we're breaking some kind of "law," or maybe they'll use the IRS to bankrupt church communities and seize properties.

 

[Belle Du Jour]

Watch how they'll start telling Christians how we're breaking some kind of "law," or maybe they'll use the IRS to bankrupt church communities and seize properties.

Yes, either via the ACA/Obamacare mandates or via gay "marriage" laws. The gov't would love to get it's hands in the church coffers.