Evictions & European Monasteries

[VeniteAdoremus]

Maybe I see things differently because I actually live in the middle of it, but I don't see any muslims "taking over" Europe. There are quite a few moderate muslims in my country, although greatly outnumbered by the Christians (even if you only count the practising ones), and the entire culture of Western Europe is based on Christian values in such a great matter that atheists try all kinds of stuff to make people forget it (at which they continuously fail to succeed).

Last time I checked, it wasn1 the early 20th century anymore, there was freedom of religion, and no monasteries will be evicted here. Agnostics, in general, aren't anti-religion.

The Order of St. John came from Europe, just a couple of decades ago. And they're booming. There are active youth groups all over my country. The Catholic Youth Day attracted thousands (which, on a total of 16 million inhabitants, is a lot).

I know a couple of muslims, I went to school with them. The ones I was friends with I liked, the others I didn't, quite the same as other people, really. Some extremists have plans to "take over Europe", but they're not very realistic, believe me. Terrorism doesn't work except to upset us, they don't have organized military power, so that's not an option either, and we outnumber them far too much for democratic takeovers. NOTHING is happening.

We're not dying. No-one is taking us over. No-one is considering persecution. Please stop saying that, it's really terribly offensive. I'm sorry, but I'm also quite serious.

[puellapaschalis]

I'm in agreement with VA here.

Running the risk of being blunt, far too many Americans on Phatmass type before they think when it comes to what happens in Europe. Disappointingly enough, those Americans (and others, I'll be fair) who have actually spent time in Europe - say, for a term or year or so for study - are all too often the ones who shoot their mouths off, and then wave their "I've lived in Europe, I know what it's like" banner, as though that somehow might excuse their ignorance.

We are under no illusions about the threats to Christianity here. However, I for one do not appreciate people painting the picture blacker than it is. Offer up your wanhoop to Christ and let Him take it away; it doesn't belong on the internet.

It's enough to see this kind of attitude on Open Mic. For the love of God and the hope of your own salvation, keep it out of Vocation Station.

Love and prayers,

PP

[Chiquitunga]

Hi! I'm in agreement with you guys too. Please forgive me if I've sad anything offensive. I kept trying to reply to batteddy. Really, I didn't mean to say anything negative about Europe, and have no idea what I'm talking about. It is just something that's often being written about in different conservative Catholic magazines and everything.

I only went to the Srs of Bethlehem retreat in France for 1 month, and it was only in one isolated area, so I have no idea myself from my own extremely limited experience. I lived in Ireland for a year, but I found it very Catholic, and was surrounded by loving devout people. Most of my view about things going wrong in Europe really comes from my mom actually, when I suggest maybe I will join the Srs of Bethlehem or Carthusians in France. She thinks it will be insecure for me there .. But most probably it's a part of her that really doesn't want me to go that far .. I'm really relieved with the 2 recent posts actually. Sincerely, thanks. Please forgive me.

I have a friend that joined the Community of St. John and was living in France for a long time. Now she was just recently sent back to our St. John community here in Princeville, IL. Yeah, this congregation is doing awesome with vocations! So is Bethlehem!

Guys, please forgive me, again. It was my fault for putting a link to this thread in Transmundane Lane & Open Mic too. It's great to have you guys reply about this, from people that actually live there. Thanks again!

Margaret Clare

[EJames]

[quote name='Margaret Clare' post='1180715' date='Jan 30 2007, 04:41 PM']
Hi! I'm in agreement with you guys too. Please forgive me if I've sad anything offensive. I kept trying to reply to batteddy. Really, I didn't mean to say anything negative about Europe, and have no idea what I'm talking about. It is just something that's often being written about in different conservative Catholic magazines and everything.

I only went to the Srs of Bethlehem retreat in France for 1 month, and it was only in one isolated area, so I have no idea myself from my own extremely limited experience. I lived in Ireland for a year, but I found it very Catholic, and was surrounded by loving devout people. Most of my view about things going wrong in Europe really comes from my mom actually, when I suggest maybe I will join the Srs of Bethlehem or Carthusians in France. She thinks it will be insecure for me there .. But most probably it's a part of her that really doesn't want me to go that far .. I'm really relieved with the 2 recent posts actually. Sincerely, thanks. Please forgive me.

I have a friend that joined the Community of St. John and was living in France for a long time. Now she was just recently sent back to our St. John community here in Princeville, IL. Yeah, this congregation is doing awesome with vocations! So is Bethlehem!

Guys, please forgive me, again. It was my fault for putting a link to this thread in Transmundane Lane & Open Mic too. It's great to have you guys reply about this, from people that actually live there. Thanks again!

Margaret Clare
[/quote]
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having travelled as a Canadian, all of east and West Europe, lived in France, Italy, Belgium, for 5 of the last 8 years, and the Usa for 3 years mostly,all within or near Catholic/Orthodox Communities( 3 of them as a Religious)..i will withhold my thoughts on the subject for the moment... . only to say, Parish life suffers greatly(stupidity/galacianism/abuse/heresy,protestantism), but Contemplative and 'new' communities doing quite well..many places the ashes are warm, embers burning, within the long tradition...
...one just need blow and woosh...keep in mind, on a socio-political level, Europes 'right/conservative' is our ( N.American) left/centre'..affecting a ecclesial outlook as well..
The recent Funeral of [url="http://www.lifesite.net/ldn/2007/jan/07012909.html"]Abbe Pierre[/url] and thoughts on, are are GREAT example of this whole subject
...geesh,, that was with holding my thoughts!

BTW The saddest most depressing, scandalous Church/parish, experiences and loss of faith, nationalist Church attitudes etc, i ever experienced , were not in Europe... but in Quebec ,Canada.so....

this article is sorta current/relevant
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PostPosted: Fri May 26, 2006 8:36 pm Post subject: Major Signs of Religious Revival Seen in France and Quebec? Reply with quote
Major Signs of Religious Revival Seen in France and Quebec

By Peter J. Smith

May 26, 2006 (LifeSiteNews.com) - France, once called the Eldest Daughter of the Church, has begun to awaken from her deep secular slumber, and so has her daughter Québec. France and Québec have been the respective leaders in the European and North American continents in the culture of death, but there are definite signs of a promising renewal. Better yet, France may even have found its champion against what Pope Benedict has called "the dictatorship of relativism."

Nicolas Sarkozy, one of the most visible public ministers of France and favorite for the 2007 presidential election, has publicly broken with the most sacred tenet of secularism by calling for the Republic to actively and publicly support religion. In a book entitled La République, les religions, l'espérance [ The Republic, the Religions, and Hope], Sarkozy makes a salient call to critically examine the legacy of secularism in France, and instead calls for an active secular government that funds the work of religion in France from funding church buildings to financial aid for clergy formation to church use of public property. Sarkozy says its time for France to revise the current 1905 law mandating total separation of church and state to renew a youth that he says have no ideals.

France is experiencing a renewal based in a reawakening of Catholic identity in its people that is large part due to the burgeoning number of renewal communities. In France, over 100 charismatic renewal communities have been founded in the last 30 years. This is giving rise to the new résistance against secularism, as the renewal congregations are drawing people to Christ by bringing this Catholic identity in their situation. In an interview with Deal Hudson of the Morely Institute for Church and Culture, Bishop Rey, one of the leaders of the renewal gave this cheerful view: "The Church is not dead; she sleeps, and it is my job to wake her."

The revival and slow turn away from secularism that is starting in France explain what is otherwise unexplainable: France has the 2nd highest birthrate in the European Union. Other Catholic countries, such as Spain and Italy, which have nearly the lowest in the European Union: 16th and 17th respectively, are moving towards more secularism, a road that France is slowly rejecting.

Now that the French are beginning to man the barricades against the "dictatorship of relativism," it may mean that there is renewal for her daughter: Quebec.
etc..

Edited February 6, 2007 by EJames