Tempting Akita’s Fire: AmChurch Wreckovations, Hare Krishnas, and Tokyo St. Ignatius Removes Kneelers
Back in the 90s, I remember seeing images of then Archbishop Rembert Weakland donning a miter that bore an upside down triangle with a rainbow and a rainbow chasuble. During those years, it was common to hear rumors of Churches being “renovated” and the end result being white washed interiors and sanctuaries being leveled and converted to some sort of “in the round” design akin to stonehenge or some sort of druidic or pagan site. In the wake of the nonsense, there almost always seemed to be people with “eastern”-flavored nonsense. I’ve written about Madame Blavatsky and mentioned Theosophy before as the error of Russia masquerading behind communism and others fronts. When I commented on the rainbow symbolism, I mentioned that Blavatsky planned to push eastern mysticism to dilute Christian (i.e. Catholic) practice in the West. I’ve always noted Fr. Hardon’s advice that the devil is so strong today because of the Judases in the Church, among other things.
I made it very clear that AmChurch is not new and gave some history of it. For many Catholics today, especially it seems those active online, they either forgot or weren’t aware of these things back then. You had to either read the Wanderer or be in a parish of hold-outs against the tide of destruction within the Church. I am not engaging in hyperbole. For some reason, we got a respite for a while starting around the late 90s and into 2010 or so. Just long enough, it seems for people to have forgotten just how ferocious the open battles of the 80s and 90s really were. I’m sad to note again that my pronouncement that AmChurch returned wasn’t limited to Church of Our Saviour in New York. I’ve been hearing about things here and there for several years now, but Church of Our Saviour was the most egregious. Its tactics haven’t changed, either.
In Forensics of an AmChurch hit, I mentioned that there is a pattern they follow over and over, a play book born of hell — a “best practices” guide of sorts on how to drive all orthodoxy out of a parish. The vacuum created by these egregious attacks leaves plenty of space to fill the void with hippy garbage (like hare krishna chanting), questionable apparition mania (and attendant pentecostalist mania), and heterodoxy that invites error and dilutes catechism. Sadly, that’s exactly what is happening again today. It’s not new.
Church of Our Saviour Hare Krishnas
I’ve gotten numerous links from friends over the past days, many pointing to a post on WDTPRS, and some pointing me right to the Hare Krishna page.
This video shows what happened for an hour in the Parish, a hare krishna ritual:
Church Kirtan in NYC; Video 2 of 3In late September, a few friends and I were asked to organise and participate in an interfaith prayer session in New York City. Members from The Bhakti Center (Official) led kirtan for an hour. It was a beautiful evening.Please watch in HD.Part 2 of 3. Part 1: https://www.facebook.com/gateen/videos/10204609885561313/Part 3: https://www.facebook.com/gateen/videos/10204609928802394/
Posted by Gopal Patel on Sunday, November 1, 2015
A Krishna kirtan is a mantra repeatedly sung. Wherever else such a thing is done, a consecrated parish in the presence of the Blessed Sacrament is not the correct place, and quite possibly a desecration of the Church. Hare Krishnas do not worship Our Lord, but they chant and sing to worship Krishna, a manifestation or avatar of the Hindu god Vishnu. Thus, the parish was used to worship a god other than God the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. Last time I checked the First Commandment, that’s not what should happen in God’s consecrated house, a parish, and something no Catholic should do at all any place. While it is true that the Hare Krishnas may not yet have come to know Jesus, nobody should have permitted them to worship Vishnu in Jesus’s house.
Only a devil would think this is fine…
Wreckovations in California
Meanwhile, I have gotten some rumors reported of a parish in Los Angeles set for wreckovation, among other things, removal of the altar rail. More details to follow…
It fits the pattern, though. The altar rail separated the physical space of the sanctuary from the physical space for the commoners. It also provided an efficient way to distribute Holy Communion in a manner that afforded the faithful far better moments of reverence for Our Lord, while permitting the priest to rapidly move person to person. AmChurch ideas of “worship space” do not indicate a place set apart from the profane for the supernatural… they don’t teach the supernatural.
The Spirit of Secular Reform Hits Japan Again, too.
Perhaps most sad to me is a report yesterday that one of the largest Catholic Churches in Japan, St. Ignatius, has removed the kneelers. Also, they have written an announcement to the faithful instructing them NOT to kneel when receiving Holy Communion.
I am not fluent in Japanese by any stretch of imagination. I am also not regularly reading it, however, when I looked at the line Takeo translated, I could see it being interpreted this way, too: “Those who still receive communion while kneeling are not welcome.”
Either way, it is not good. Either way, it represents yet another zeitgeist reemerging from the 90s: the attack on the faithful who love Our Lord in the Blessed Sacrament.
If, at the very name of Jesus, every knee shall bend, then what ought we do when in front of His Presence?
Fatima and Akita Give the Remedy
My thoughts immediately turned to Akita when I read that news from Japan. The last time I mentioned Akita here, some seemed to suggest that the silence of the Vatican about Akita somehow nullifies the supernatural origin. That’s not how it works: rather, the Bishop’s declaration of the supernatural origin is sufficient to permit belief until the Vatican says otherwise. (why do the Medjugorje people always proclaim the opposite?… oh well, that would be a long digression). The bottom line is that Bishop Ito approved the events of Akita (the local bishop in Medjugorje has not).
In 1973, in response to Communion in the hand, and other changes, in Japan at that time, as well as Our Lady revealing the third secret of Fatima, and on October 13, Our Lady gave the following message to Sister Sasagawa:
“As I told you, if men do not repent and better themselves, the Father will inflict a terrible punishment on all humanity. It will be a punishment greater than the deluge, such as one will never seen before. Fire will fall from the sky and will wipe out a great part of humanity, the good as well as the bad, sparing neither priests nor faithful. The survivors will find themselves so desolate that they will envy the dead. The only arms which will remain for you will be the Rosary and the Sign left by My Son. Each day recite the prayers of the Rosary. With the Rosary, pray for the Pope, the bishops and priests.
“The work of the devil will infiltrate even into the Church in such a way that one will see cardinals opposing cardinals, bishops against bishops. The priests who venerate me will be scorned and opposed by their confreres…churches and altars sacked; the Church will be full of those who accept compromises and the demon will press many priests and consecrated souls to leave the service of the Lord.
“The demon will be especially implacable against souls consecrated to God. The thought of the loss of so many souls is the cause of my sadness. If sins increase in number and gravity, there will be no longer pardon for them.”
Earlier that year, Sr. Agnes has received a cross-shaped wound appear in her left hand, where she would take Communion in the hand.
I’ve mentioned the Rosary many times, and call it the indispensable prayer. Our Lady at Akita gave it as a direct remedy to the mess we see today. In 1973, wreckovations had not begun in earnest — we see again, such as at Church of Our Saviour, “churches and altars sacked”.
We see, especially in light of the synod, that indeed, “the Church will be full of those who accept compromises”. Consider the discussion about the Synod I posted earlier this week, an attack on grace is what I presented. They want to abrogate purpose of amendment! Is that not a compromise with a devil?
And what do you call the hare krishna stuff above? Is it not a compromise as well?
We don’t want the punishment foretold at Akita. Our Blessed Mother warned us that even if we survive, we would envy the dead. I don’t want that. I also don’t want the wreckovations, ecumania, and I want to worship Our Lord, especially when receiving Holy Communion. But you have to ask yourself, especially when you see what that priest has done to Our Saviors parish: Why? Why would these people continue to push these things unless they do want to force God to act?
They were pretty quiet for about 10 years, but they’ve come back. Are they running out of time?
Lord, have mercy on us. Mary, Queen of the Rosary, pray for us!
This article, Tempting Akita’s Fire: AmChurch Wreckovations, Hare Krishnas, and Tokyo St. Ignatius Removes Kneelers is a post from The Bellarmine Forum.
https://bellarmineforum.org/tempting-akitas-fire-amchurch-wreckovations-hare-krishnas-and-tokyo-st-ignatius-removes-kneelers/
Do not repost the entire article without written permission. Reasonable excerpts may be reposted so long as it is linked to this page.
I pray Jesus comes back soon.
(Hope. One of our local priests is moving Jesus in the tabernacle back to the center of the sanctuary.)
God is known by many names. Krishna is one of the names for God.
Thanks for your opinion. However, God has revealed himself to the world as The one God, three persons, the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit. Krishna is not any of the persons of God. Vishnu is not either. Jesus is not an avatar or manifestation of some “spirit”. While I am sure that you are sincere in seeking God, He has revealed Himself and He is not Krishna.
Where did Krishna originate? Just curious.
That’s a good question because I understand there are several varieties or viewpoints that bring Hare Krishna mantras and seek to become one with the consciousness of Vishna, or, in the sense from which this system of beliefs characterizes the spirit, the source of all avatars. There is a heap of qualities attributed to Krishna, but as I understand the commonalities, there is general agreement among followers that Krishna is the consciousness of God himself. This is where there is room for the earlier comment, because to a Krishna follower, they believe manifestations or avatars appear throughout time to different people and these are emanating from Krishna.
In this system of beliefs, it is possible to see Jesus as a mere avatar. Such a belief is not consistent with the words Our Lord gave of Himself. There is one Jesus, and He is Lord.
Becoming one with God is antithetical to the path of serving God. We do NOT aspire to merge or “become one with the consciousness of Vishna” but rather we aspire to become loving servants of the Lord, God. Vishnu is a name for God which mean ‘He who sustains all’. Krishna is not the consciousness of God. Krishna is God, the Father. Jesus is His son. Paramatma is the Holy Spirit. That is Holy Trinity correct?
Bg 13.15
sarvendriya-guṇābhāsaṁ
sarvendriya-vivarjitam
asaktaṁ sarva-bhṛc caiva
nirguṇaṁ guṇa-bhoktṛ ca
The Supersoul is the original source of all senses, yet He is without senses. He is unattached, although He is the maintainer of all living beings. He transcends the modes of nature, and at the same time He is the master of all the modes of material nature.
Bg 13.16 — The Supreme Truth exists outside and inside of all living beings, the moving and the nonmoving. Because He is subtle, He is beyond the power of the material senses to see or to know. Although far, far away, He is also near to all.
Bg 13.17 — Although the Supersoul appears to be divided among all beings, He is never divided. He is situated as one. Although He is the maintainer of every living entity, it is to be understood that He devours and develops all.
Bg 13.18 — He is the source of light in all luminous objects. He is beyond the darkness of matter and is unmanifested. He is knowledge, He is the object of knowledge, and He is the goal of knowledge. He is situated in everyone’s heart.
Bg 13.23
Yet in this body there is another, a transcendental enjoyer, who is the Lord, the supreme proprietor, who exists as the overseer and permitter, and who is known as the Supersoul. (is this contrary to the understanding of Holy Spirit?)
The purpose of life is to re-establish one’s loving relationship with God. He cannot be approached membership, rituals, austerities, and sacrifices. He can only be approached by loving Him with all your heart, body, and soul.
bhaktyā mām abhijānāti
yāvān yaś cāsmi tattvataḥ
“One can understand Me as I am, only by love.” BG 18.55
Thank you for the clarification. However, am I correct that you teach a modified form of Bhakti yoga? You also teach reincarnation, correct?
Also, each of your temples has its own deities for that temple as well? Or do I misunderstand.
No modification. Bhakti means Love and yoga means union. Meaning that the process of the soul uniting with God is through love and servitude.
Yes reincarnation is found in the Gita. Without it someone could make a very logical case for God being unfair. Not just materially. For example for someone to be born in an atheistic family in communist China, where there is no actual word for God, is certainly a disadvantage. Any honest person must admit that. That we are not born with equal opportunities. However in the concept of reincarnation such a person in born in an atheistic family because they were themselves atheistic in their past life. Also without reincarnation I have not seen an intelligent explanation as to how a child can suffer terribly if an all knowing, caring, and powerful being is behind everything.
If you were to walk into a grocery store only to be jumped and pinned down by the cashier you would feel abused. But if you understood that it was because you shoplifted the day before you would not blame the cashier. The cashier is nature and nature’s boss is God.
Yes also in the Gita it is understood that God is not some formless entity, for man is made in the image of God. Formless means that God would be then Less of something. That is illogical. In the scriptures of the East God has revealed that form in minute detail.
So God is not some old man, rather He is ever youthful.
Indeed. I had misspoke when I gave a more general description of Hindu beliefs. Hare Krishna is a personalization of god not found in general Hinduism.
We have several points of irreconcilable divergence in belief, however. Those who think or reason that reincarnation makes the world fair are ignorant of how suffering came into the world. Moreover, reincarnation implies that you believe that man saves himself. Impossible. Sin broke man irreparably by his own means, but God provides salvific grace through the merits of His incarnate son, Jesus. Man cannot repair himself, but grace supplies the means to man. Grace is a power of God, not man.
Error was introduced by the fallen angels, and by Adam and Even sinning. Prior to that point, which we call original sin, there was no error in the world. Error is not corrected by reincarnation. Death is a result of original sin. Man cannot conquer death. Jesus became incarnate in order to suffer with man, and conquer death. He offers the power to conquer sin (error) and death by the means of grace. This grace is available to anyone who repents, and follows Jesus.
So, God agrees that error made the world unfair. He agrees so much that He came into the world, became incarnate, and suffered the injustice on behalf of man, in order that it may no longer have power over man. Death, having swallowed eternal life, Jesus, was vanquished. That’s where God corrected the error. So God is fair, and more than fair, he loves each of us so much that He died for us. The alleged answer to suffering is not living in suffering again and again and again — that’s hell. Rather, God provided a bridge to eternal life.
Another problem with reincarnation is that you don’t get another crack at life — that would mean that this world is the only world, and it is not. God has revealed a new world, the paradise, eternal life, He prepared for those who repent and follow Him.
You and I would agree on one point — the soul of each man is unique and there is justice for the actions of that soul. Where we diverge is that you think the soul gets a new chance to come back to the world and have a “do over”. I don’t believe that because God revealed that it doesn’t work like that. Rather, you get this life once. Jesus offers the grace (power) to obtain eternal life, and He offers the means through grace to become perfect.
We would agree that each must struggle to perfection. We diverge because you believe man can make himself perfect through successive lives and trying again and again in various reincarnations. This is not correct, however, because we do not have the power to save ourselves, but God’s mercy, through Jesus, gives us the power to become perfect, with His help, and that help is delivered to the world through the Sacraments of the Church. There is no other source. If such grace is found anywhere else in the world, it was taken from the well of the Church, for only the merits of Jesus, who conquered death, can bring this supplemental power to man. On his own, in one live, or in fifty million reincarnated lives, man would never be able to save himself.
So while many concepts sound alike, they are incompatible as I first said — we worship different Gods.
There is no personalization of God, God IS a personal being. God is not just some hippy notion of impersonal pervading energy. For God is the source of everything, including personality. To say otherwise is a claim of superiority over God. Thinking that I have personality but God doesn’t.
Regarding Hinduism. There is no religion called Hinduism. It is more appropriately used as a geographic term. Please see this article by Dr. Howard Resnick http://content.iskcon.org/icj/7_1/71hdg.html
Regarding the idea that reincarnation implys that man saves himself is also due to a poor fund of information. We understand that salvation is only comes from God’s mercy.
The example is the way the cat holds its baby verses the monkey. The baby monkey is held by his own strength and the kitten is held my the mercy (strength of the mother) that is our path.
Everything after that you wrote I liked up until where you said that reincarnation means that this is the only world. & “you believe man can make himself perfect through successive lives and trying again and again in various reincarnations.” That is another misunderstanding due to a poor fund of information. One is only saved by the mercy of God, not man.
An aboriginal man and a child may speak of the Sun and think they they are speaking about different luminaries. Their understanding of the Sun may be different. Even within your faith, even within your denomination, even within your Church people have different understanding of God. But a wise man knows that there is only one Sun and that the child and the aborigine know the Sun by different names. Similarly a wise man knows that there is only one God. There isn’t many gods.
Don’t be fooled: the neo-gnostic, demonic “Spirit of Vatican II” is alive and well. In truth, it dominates the vast majority of the modern Roman Church.
On the Krishna-Kath story in Manhattan, I’m sorry to say that, in my opinion, there are much worse things going on in that parish, even aside from it’s recent aesthetic desecration.
The pastor and the music director allegedly ‘live together’ in the rectory, if you get my drift.
You might suggest notifying the bishop? A group of parishioners (including some quite significant donors) have already taken these concerns to ‘Cardinal Bravo’ to no avail.
Thanks, Joan, for this comment. I’m aware of the suspicions and allegations. I did note the definite fact that the music director followed the pastor from the previous parish, but did not report the allegations you note that many observing the situation report. I am also aware of rumors that circulated early in this course of events that the icons had allegedly been sold to an art collector that describes himself as gay.
Today, the artwork is reportedly located in the basement of the parish. The music director is the same as well. But, I am not aware of definite facts that can be reported apart from the rumors and allegations so I never chose to make them a central part of the reports here, and for good reason. Do we really need such allegations to make our own opinions of what kind of person would rip out the sanctuary lights, pay millions to remove the artwork, and wreckovate this church?
I guess that the definite actions taken on the parish indicate a lot about the person taking those actions. Let me state it this way: would a reasonable devout Catholic authorize the whitewashing of an ornate parish? I think we both agree that the answer is no. So, if not, and yet the pastor is doing this anyway, then we can make our own opinions as to what sort of person would do this? The pictures of before and after, as well as the statements I’ve quoted over the years give a fairly detailed and accurate depiction from which one can make good observations about this pastor, and the Archdiocesan officials that acceded to the requests to allow the wreckovation. The rumors didn’t seem to add detail. The gruesome image of the one that would deliberately desacralize this place for Our Lord the be really present says more.