Where in God's name do dreams come from?
Where in God's name do dreams come from?
Last night I had the strangest dream. I saw Mrs Thatcher. She was appearing above a crowd of striking miners. Just like an apparition. She said: "For every one of you it will be dole not coal."
Then the scene switched to the old County Hall in London. Ken Livingstone was standing outside holding a huge placard which read:
ONLY CATHOLICS SHALL EVER ENTER THE KINGDOM OF HEAVEN
GENE
Evidence that Pontius Pilate Converted to Christianity
While Pontius Pilate's wife,
Claudia, has been glorified as a saint, what happened to Pontius Pilate
himself? There are three writers from the Early Church who say he became a
Christian. There is a similar tradition in Ethiopia, and sometimes there one can
find icons of Pontius Pilate, together with his wife Claudia.
The fate of Pontius Pilate
after the death and resurrection of Jesus Christ is disputed among historians.
According to some, Pilate killed himself while in exile to Gallia. Others
suggest that he was executed during the reign of Emperor Nero. According to
legend, the bad omens accompanying the martyrdom of Christ continued to follow
Pilate and his wife Claudia long after the death of the Saviour and caused them
great grief until Pontius finally converted to Christianity under the influence
of his spouse. According to popular apocryphal writings, complicity in the
killing of Christ gave Pontius Pilate a guilty conscience that left him
sleepless for many years and sent him looking for a way to wash away his
iniquity.
The legends of Russian folklore
underline the gravity of Pilate’s crime that nothing in the world could
relieve. Finding no peace in life or death, Pilate remained a lifetime stranger
and vagrant. Мichail Bulgakov integrated these legends into the storyline of
his novel “Master and Margarita”.
Whatever was the case, there is
good reason to believe that Pontius Pilate eventually became a Christian.
Second-century Christian writer Tertullian suggested in one of his writings
that soon after the crucifixion of Christ Pilate converted to Christianity and
even tried to convince Emperor Tiberius to follow suit. Bishop Irenaeus of
Lyons writes about an icon of the Lord painted by Pontius Pilate. Saint
Augustine Aurelius talks of him as a saint in one of his sermons. All three
authors stood at the foundations of the written tradition of the ancient
Christian Church.
As for Pilate’s wife Claudia,
the Orthodox Church has venerated her as a holy martyr since early times. In
different writings, she goes by the name Claudia and Procula, so both are not
used concurrently. We find references to her conversion in the writings
Athanasius the Great, Augustine Aurelius, Johann Malala, and several other
authoritative Christian authors.
The name Claudia is also mentioned
in the second epistle to Timothy (4:21), which some scholars of the bible
attribute to the wife of Pontius Pilate. In ancient Rome, death sentences
handed out to royals were often commuted to banishment. Claudia came from the
Flavius family, related to emperors Vespasian and Dominican. That she could
have her death penalty commuted seems plausible. It is therefore quite possible
that she may have joined the Synaxis of Christ’s apostles and their disciples.
In the middle ages, multiple
legends were in circulation in the vision of Pilate’s wife. Many paintings make
references to it.
According to one legend, while
in Jerusalem, Claudia met the family of the first priest of the synagogue Yair,
and enjoyed the company of his wife Salome and their twelve-year-old daughter
Semida. Hearing about Semida’s death, Claudia came to her funeral. There, she
witnessed the miracle of her resurrection and met Christ for the first time.
The Gospel says nothing about
this incident. It only tells us that Pilate’s wife sent a servant to her
husband to relay to him this message: “Do not have anything to do with that
innocent man, for I have suffered a great deal today in a dream because of
him.” (Matthew 27:19). The bible gives us no details about the dream or the
nature of the suffering. The apocryphal writings describe only the reaction of
the first priests to this message: “See, have not we told you before that He is
a seducer? He plunged your wife into sleep!”
The letter of Claudia Procula
to Fulvia is an example of early Christian apocryphal writings. There is no
proof of authenticity. Nor is there a consensus among historians on its dating.
Some date it to the early years of Emperor Nero.
It presents the following
description of Claudia’s dream:
"The time came to retire;
but when I laid my head on the pillow to find sleep, a mysterious force
suddenly took possession of my mind. I saw Jesus, appearing as she had
described their God. His face shone in majesty like the sun. He flew on cherub
wings and a fiery flame executed His orders, and He stopped on a cloud. It
appeared that He was ready to judge the people assembled before Him. With one
gesture He separated the righteous from the wicked. The first, the righteous,
were raised by Him to the great eternity of divine salvation, but the second
the wicked were thrown in a fiery sea. He showed them His wounds with which His
body was covered, and said with a terrible voice: 'Give me back my blood which
I spilt for you!' Then those unhappy men asked the rocks and the mountains of
the earth to swallow and cover them. In vain had they formerly felt secure from
suffering, and in vain they protected themselves with the eternal and
insurmountable illusion. They perished. What a dream, or better, what a
revelation!"
The full text of Claudia’s
letter can easily be found on the internet. Incidentally, the letter makes
interesting reading, as it refers, if indirectly, to several authentic details
about the events pertaining to the life and death of Jesus.
The surviving Apocrypha give us
no further details about the lives of Pontius Pilate and his wife after
Christ’s resurrection. There is no way for us to confirm the authenticity of
the apocryphal accounts.
Our
inquisitive minds are eager to know about the fates of the biblical characters.
What happened to the wealthy youth who left Christ in sadness, the Canaan woman
and her daughter, the demon-possessed man from the land of Gerasenes? Who were
the saints who resurrected after Christ’s death, and were seen by many? Where
did they go, and what happened to them after? Whether or not we will know these
details any time in future, we should concentrate on the most important message
of the Scripture and the Church Tradition. Together, they emphasise that we
should first seek to know how to find salvation for our souls. The rest can
await its turn.
Pope Francis laments new
euthanasia law in Portugal on feast of Our Lady of Fatima
Vatican City, May 13, 2023 / 07:40 am
Pope Francis on Saturday expressed his sorrow over
the legalization of euthanasia in Portugal.
“Today when we celebrate the memory of the
apparitions of the Virgin Mary to the little shepherds of Fatima, I am very
sad, because in the country where Our Lady appeared, a law to kill has been
enacted,” the pope said May 13 at the Vatican.
“It is one more step in the long list of countries
with euthanasia,” he added.
Portugal’s Parliament voted May 12 to allow
medically-assisted suicide in limited cases. The legislation states that a
person requesting assisted death should be “in a situation of great intensity
of suffering, with definitive injury of extreme gravity or serious and
incurable disease.”
A doctor can also euthanize a patient when
“medically assisted suicide is impossible due to a physical disability of the
patient.” Assisted suicide is the providing of lethal drugs so patients can
take their own lives, while euthanasia is the direct killing of patients by
doctors.
Portugal’s new law, which was passed by a strong
majority on Friday, overturns earlier vetoes from Catholic President Marcelo
Rebelo de Sousa.
Pope Francis made an impromptu comment on
Portuguese legislation during a meeting in the Vatican’s Paul VI Hall with
participants in the general assembly of the World Union of Catholic Women’s
Organizations.
On May 13, the Catholic Church celebrates the feast
of Our Lady of Fatima, who appeared six times to three shepherd children in a
field in Fatima, Portugal, in 1917. She brought with her requests for the
recitation of the rosary, for sacrifices on behalf of sinners, and a secret
regarding the fate of the world.
Pope Francis canonized two of the Fatima
visionaries, Jacinta and Francisco Marto, in 2017. Sister Lucia dos Santos, the
eldest child to witness the Fatima apparitions, is on the path to
beatification. She died in 2005 at the age of 97.
The apparitions of the Virgin Mary at Fatima are
some of the most well-known Marian apparitions in the world.
Pope Francis visited the shrine at the site of the apparitions
in 2017. He is expected to visit again during a trip to Lisbon, Portugal, at
the beginning of August for World Youth Day 2023.
OVERHEARD IN HARRIS & HOOLE...
(An occasional feature)
So let's be clear about this: The Anglican Communion is Protestant. The Church of England is Protestant.
Got that everyone?
At the Coronation we heard Charles affirm that he is Protestant and will uphold the Protestant Faith. Some High Anglicans and other Protestants attest that they are Catholic not Protestant. The Church of England Busybody (R.I.P.) would go into apoplexy if she was called Protestant. (And she was by me! Tee! Hee! Hee!)
The C of E upholds the Thirty Nine Articles and ergo is indisputably Protestant. And by the way what a rum collection the Thirty Nine Articles are. Consider this Article:
Works Before Justification
Works done before receiving the grace of Christ and the inspiration of his Spirit are not pleasing to God. This is because they do not spring out of faith in Jesus Christ. Nor do they make people fit to receive grace or (as the schoolmen say) to deserve grace of congruity. On the contrary, because they are not done as God has willed and commanded that they should be done, it is undoubtedly the case that they have the nature of sin
What are we to make of this in today's world?
GENE
PS
The Thirty Nine Articles discounts the existence of Purgatory. No wonder the Church of England is f**ked.
The Heisenberg Uncertainty Principle and God
I have been giving this a lot of thought recently. Perhaps I have overplayed the usefulness of The Heisenberg Uncertainty Principle in proving the existence of God. I apologise.
The Heisenberg Uncertainty Principle is a fundamental principle in quantum mechanics that states that certain pairs of physical properties, such as the position and momentum of a particle, cannot both be precisely known at the same time. This principle places a fundamental limit on the precision with which certain measurements can be made.
On the other hand, the concept of God typically refers to a higher being or a supreme, transcendent entity that is believed to have created and governs the universe. It is a theological and philosophical concept that varies across different religious and cultural beliefs.
The Heisenberg Uncertainty Principle is a scientific principle that describes the behaviour of particles at the quantum level, while the concept of God pertains to metaphysical and religious beliefs. These two concepts operate in different domains and are not inherently connected. The Heisenberg Uncertainty Principle is a well-established scientific principle that has been tested and verified through numerous experiments, whereas the existence or nature of God is a matter of personal belief, faith, and philosophical inquiry.
While some people may attempt to draw connections or implications between scientific principles like the Heisenberg Uncertainty Principle and theological concepts like the nature of God, it is important to recognize that these are separate domains of knowledge. Science deals with empirical observations, experimentation, and the formulation of natural laws, while theology deals with questions of meaning, purpose, and belief in the divine.
Therefore, the Heisenberg Uncertainty Principle and the
concept of God are not directly related, and any connections or interpretations
between them are subjective and depend on one's personal beliefs and
perspectives.
GENE
‘This is God’s Style’: Pope
Francis’ conversation with Hungarian Jesuits
During
the second day of his apostolic trip to Hungary, on April 29, Pope Francis met
with the country’s Jesuits.
Around
6 p.m. he entered the Nunciature Hall, where 32 Jesuits were gathered,
including the provincial, Fr. Attila András. He then greeted many of them,
one by one. The meeting began with words of welcome from Fr. András,
who presented the situation in the province. Then the pope thanked him and
said, “Now ask the questions you want. Thank you!” The Jesuits would have liked
to give a gift for each answer given – “a game,” said the socius to the provincial, Fr. Koronkai Zoltán. Francis
laughed heartily, but asked them to ask all the questions first, and then at
the end to give the gifts all together, because he feared there would not be
enough time.
The
first question was about youth ministry: how do we best engage with young
people?
For me
the key word is “testimony.” Without testimony, without witnessing, nothing can
be done. You end up like that beautiful song by Mina: “parole,
parole, parole…” (words, words, words). Without testimony
nothing happens. And testimony means consistency of life.
Dear
Pope Francis, it is a joy to have you with us. What prompted you to return to
Hungary after your 2021 trip?
The reason is that the first time I
had to go to Slovakia, but Budapest was having the Eucharistic Congress. So I
came here for a few hours. At the time, I made a promise to come back, and here
I am!
Regarding
young people in formation in the Society of Jesus and young people more
generally, what advice do you have for us?
Speak clearly. It used to be said
that to be a good Jesuit you had to think clearly and speak obscurely. But with
young people that does not work: you have to speak clearly, show them
consistency. Young people have a nose for when there is no consistency. With
young people in formation you have to speak as to adults, as you speak to grown
ups, not children. And introduce them to spiritual experience; prepare them for
the great spiritual experience that is the Exercises. Young people do not
tolerate double-speak, that is clear to me. But being clear does not mean being
aggressive. Clarity must always be combined with amiability, fraternity,
fatherhood.
The key word is “authenticity.” Let
young people say what they feel. For me, dialogue between a young person and an
older person is important: talking, discussing. I expect authenticity, that people
speak of things as they are: difficulties, sins. As a formation facilitator you
have to teach young people consistency. And it is important for the young to
dialogue with the old. The old people cannot be in the infirmary alone; they
have to be in community, so that exchanges between them and young people are
possible. Remember that prophecy of Joel: the old will have dreams and the
young will be prophets. The prophecy of a young person is one that comes from a
tender relationship with the old. “Tenderness” is one of God’s key words:
closeness, compassion and tenderness. On this path we will never go wrong. This
is God’s style.
I
would like to ask a question on the topic of Christian love for those who have
committed sexual abuse. The Gospel asks us to love, but how do we love at the
same time people who have experienced abuse and their abusers? God loves
everyone. He loves them, too. But what about us? Without ever covering anything
up, of course, how do we love abusers? I would like to offer the compassion and
love that the Gospel asks for everyone, even the enemy. But how is this
possible?
It is not easy at all. Today we
understand that the reality of abuse is very broad: there is sexual abuse,
psychological abuse, economic abuse, migrant abuse. You refer to sexual abuse.
How do we approach, how do we talk to the abusers for whom we feel revulsion?
Yes, they too are children of God. But how can you love them? It’s a powerful
question. The abuser is to be condemned, indeed, but as a brother. Condemning
him is to be understood as an act of charity. There is a logic, a form of
loving the enemy that is also expressed in this way. And it is not easy to
understand and to live out. The abuser is an enemy. Each of us feels this
because we empathize with the suffering of the abused. When you hear what abuse
leaves in the hearts of abused people, the impression you get is very powerful.
Even talking to the abuser involves revulsion; it’s not easy. But they are
God’s children too. They deserve punishment, but they also deserve pastoral
care. How do we provide that? No, it is not easy. You are right.
What
was your relationship with Fr. Ferenc Jálics? What happened? How did you as
provincial experience that tragic situation? Serious accusations have been made
against you.
Fathers Ferenc Jálics and Orlando
Yorio ministered in a working-class neighborhood and worked hard. Jálics was my
spiritual father and confessor during my first and second years of theology. In
the neighborhood where he worked there was a guerrilla cell. But the two
Jesuits had nothing to do with them: they were pastors, not politicians. They
were innocent when taken prisoner. The military found nothing to charge them
with, but they had to spend nine months in prison, suffering threats and
torture. Then they were released, but these things leave deep wounds. Jálics
immediately came to me and we talked. I advised him to go to his mother in the
United States. The situation was really too confusing and uncertain. Then the
legend developed that I had handed them over to be imprisoned. You should know
that a month ago the Argentine Bishops’ Conference published two volumes, of
three planned, with all the documents related to what happened between the
Church and the military. You will find everything there.
But back to the events I was
recounting. When the military left, Jálics asked my permission to come to do a
course of Spiritual Exercises in Argentina. I let him come, and we even
celebrated Mass together. Then I saw him again as archbishop and then again
also as pope; he came to Rome to see me. We always maintained this
relationship. But when he came the last time to see me in the Vatican, I could
see that he was suffering because he didn’t know how to talk to me. There was a
distance. The wounds of those past years remained both in me and in him,
because we both experienced that persecution.
Some people in the government wanted
to “cut my head off,” and they brought up not so much this issue of Jálics, but
they questioned my whole way of acting during the dictatorship. So they put me
on trial. I was given the choice of where to hold the hearing. I chose to have
it in the episcopal residence. It lasted four hours and 10 minutes. One of the
judges was very insistent in his questioning about the way I behaved. I always
answered truthfully. But, from my point of view, the only serious question,
with substance and well expressed, came from the lawyer who belonged to the
Communist Party. And thanks to that question, things were clarified. In the
end, my innocence was established. But in that judgment there was almost no
mention of Jàlics, but of other cases of people who had asked for help.
I then saw again here in Rome as pope
two of those judges. One together with a group of Argentineans. I didn’t
recognize him, but I had the impression that I had seen him. I was looking at
him, looking at him. I was saying to myself, “but I know him.” He hugged me and
left. I then saw him again and he introduced himself. I told him, “I deserve a
hundred times punishment, but not for that reason.” I told him to be at peace
with it. Yes, I deserve judgment for my sins, but on this point I want to be
clear. Another one of the three judges also came, and he told me clearly that
they had received instructions from the government to convict me.
But I want to add that when Jálics
and Yorio were taken by the military, the situation in Argentina was
bewildering and it was not at all clear what should be done. I did what I felt
I had to do to defend them. It was a very painful affair.
Jálics
was a good man, a man of God, a man who sought God, but he fell victim to
an entourage to which he did not belong. He himself
understood this. That entourage was
the active resistance in the place where he went to be a chaplain. You will
find the truth about this case in the two volumes of documents that have been
published.
The
Second Vatican Council talks about the relationship between the Church and the
modern world. How can we reconcile the Church and the reality that is already
beyond the modern? How do we find God’s voice while loving our time?
I
wouldn’t know how to answer that theoretically, but I certainly know that the
Council is still being applied. It takes a century for a Council to be
assimilated, they say. And I know the resistance to its decrees is terrible.
There is unbelievable restorationism, what I call “indietrismo” (backwardness), as the Letter to the Hebrews (10:39)
says: “But we do not belong to those who shrink back.” The flow of history and
grace goes from the roots upward like the sap of a tree that bears fruit. But
without this flow you remain a mummy. Going backwards does not preserve life,
ever. You must change, as St. Vincent of Lérins wrote in his Commonitory when he remarked that even the dogma
of the Christian religion progresses, consolidating over the years, developing
with time, deepening with age. But this is a change from the bottom up. The
danger today is indietrismo, the reaction against
the modern. It is a nostalgic disease. This is why I decided that now the
permission to celebrate according to the Roman Missal of 1962 is mandatory for
all newly consecrated priests. After all the necessary consultations, I decided
this because I saw that the good pastoral measures put in place by John Paul II
and Benedict XVI were being used in an ideological way, to go backward. It was
necessary to stop this indietrismo, which
was not in the pastoral vision of my predecessors.
My
priestly ordination is coming up in three weeks. Do you remember what your
priestly ordination was like? Would you like to give advice to a newly ordained
priest?
There were five of us, and two of us
are still living. I have a good memory. And I’m grateful to the superiors who
prepared us well, and made a beautiful, simple celebration without pomp or
ostentation in the Faculty Garden. Beautiful moments. And it was also nice for
me to see that there was a group of my comrades from the chemical laboratory
where I worked, all atheists and communists. They were present! One of them was
seized and then killed by the military. You want some advice: don’t stray from
the old people!
***
At the end, Francis stood up and said, “Thank you so much for this
visit. We can pray to Our Lady and then I will give the blessing.” The pope
received various gifts, which each person presented giving detailed
explanations. Then Francis greeted individually those he had not greeted on
entering and a group photo was taken.
