Pope's Pentecost homily:
Newness, harmony, mission

Best viewed in Internet Explorer because of Microsoft-Google war!   counter for tumblr 
(see: need to cancel "archive" in some search results) V2Catholic - A forum to promote and defend the vision of Vatican II 
Edited by a Hong Kong prison chaplain Fr John Wotherspoon O.M.I. 
胡 頌 恆 神 父   

DV  New articles 7 days a week to encourage people trying to follow the example of Pope Francis 
in implementing the vision of Vatican II by service of the poor, by a simple life style, by simple liturgy,
by concern for Ecumenism, climate change, renewal of the Church, illegal drugs, prisoners,
by support for family life - all underpinned by a rededication to the Bible.
Two particular concerns: 
The New Translation   and  "Reform of the reform" agenda


 
Imitating Pope Francis
 


 

Feast of Saint Bernard of Clairvaux

- not to be confused with 
Saint Bernard of Menthon
as in St Bernard dogs!

Tuesday August 20

             Today's Bible Blog a four-course menu:

 - am I difficult to get along with?
 - Culture of Life vs Culture of Death 
 - Death, where is thy Sting?
 - when someone spat at me (2004 in Australia)

 




Martin Mallon     Tuesday Ireland blogger
The Royal Priesthood

We are "a royal priesthood", we are, as emphasised by the Second Vatican Council, "the People of God". As long as one baptised Christian survives there will be no shortage of royal priests. However, it will take the institutional Church a long time to agree with this argument
turkeys do not vote for Christmas

See this article re lay people leading Eucharist in Brazil ...because no priests


Vatican II & Renewal (1)

16 Documents of Vatican II

A Call to Action
Assn Catholic Priests Ireland

Bp Pat Power
Bp Geoff Robinson
Bruce Duncan
Catalyst for Renewal
Catholica
Catholics for Ministry  
Catholics for Renewal 
STANDUP4VATICAN2
The Swag
VII - Voice of the Church

We Are Church

 


Excellent articles on Mission
 
Hugh McMahon SSC

 

 



Syria refugees swell Christian community in Turkey

tale-of-three-trees.jpg (11706 bytes) Recommended by a reader - thank you!

The tale of  three trees    YouTube animated movie     Book from Amazon



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Seeking a healthy China-Africa future

China’s partnership with Africa draws on the lessons it has learnt from improving the health of its own citizens, and is generating solutions to many health issues, issues which continue to affect millions of Africans

US prisoners hunger strike - supported by California bishops

California grapples with inmate illness as hunger strike drags on
(.... many "let them rot" ghastly comments)


Update: Day 43         Previous articles re the strike  

drugs.jpg (12713 bytes)

Tanzanian inmates in Hong Kong are suggesting that HK should require all visitors from Tanzania to obtain a visa ....because a visa requires time and information ....and this would make it more difficult for drug lords in Tanzania to trick simple village people into becoming drug mules. City people now not so easy to trick ...they know about long prison sentences in HK...but village people not so savvy ....and easier to persuade with lines like "if you get caught, you'll only get 3-4 years" ...so without the need for a visa, village people are persuaded today to do the job and tomorrow they're on a plane to HK....and the following day are in prison for maybe 20 years

Pope Francis

Pope celebrates Mass with hosts made by Argentine prisoner

Australia

Ashes to economy: why Australia may be on the brink of a new collapse

vat2-abbott.jpg (25097 bytes)    2013-01-03jw.jpg (36451 bytes) Vatican II  Reflection 186
Five conditions for a just international economic structure

John W - Blog - August 20  
New arrival from hospital, I mean printer: Baby Urdu

 


On today's menu, 
so many articles about
Africa!

Put "Africa" into Google at top of this page to see many other Africa items!

Monday August 19

             Today's Bible Blog a four-course menu:

 - sodomy in Sodom
 - drums in Church 
 - tickets for Heaven
 - not nice being treated like a criminal

 


Despite bloodshed, many Egyptians support military

The Coptic Church: "With the army, against violent organisations"
Incredibly tough statement from the largest Christian community in Egypt, excluding any possibility of mediation with the Muslim Brotherhood while also accusing the foreign media

 

This website's kind bloggers
(past and present)
with archives of articles:

Bakhita
 
Hazel C
 
Daniel Daring
Inigo Joachim

Brian Lewis
 
Judith Lynch 
 
Martin Mallon
Chris McDonnell  
Bill Mulcahy 
Des O'Donnell
Darlene Starrs
 TASMAD
David Timbs
 
Peter Wilkinson
   Harry Winter  
 John Wotherspoon

More bloggers,  more tank people, wanted from all parts of the world, to take a stand against tanks from left and from right

Please email:
jdwomi@gmail.com
 

  Weekly Archive 
of
main page menus

Previous archives 
2013  2012  2011
2010  2009  2008

 



Africa-China-US



As the US moans, China gets down to work in Africa

drugs.jpg (12713 bytes)

Letter of inmate from South America now in prison in Hong Kong.
Aim of letter: to inform people in South America - don't bring drugs to Hong Kong!

This website's Tanzania File (with letters of Tanzanian inmates in HK). It's still early days, but this website's Tanzania campaign - supported by bloggers and media in Tanzania - seems to having an effect: the number of Tanzanian drug mules coming to Hong Kong has slowed drastically in the past two weeks DG.

Drug trafficking takes tolls on Tanzanians (in HK)
This new article from Tanzania's The Citizen (in its ongoing anti-drug campaign) quotes extensively from v2catholic.com (c.f. menu of Aug 16, below)



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Because I've been in contact with Tanzanian inmates in Hong Kong for many years, I recently bought Lonely Planet's Tanzania to learn more about Tanzania (before passing the book on to some inmates).  Six pieces of history from the book are here.  The items about slavery are conscience-disturbers 

Why do we sleep?   Not an easy video to listen to (..speaker talking too fast..)
but has lots of most important information. Young people increasingly depriving themselves of sleep ...which means more sickness in the future.
(And notice speaker has "bags" under his eyes, from lack of sleep!)


 

Interactive Bible Quiz - 2 Kings
Based on the actual words of the Bible. 
How many times you can get 3/3 ?!


 

US prisoners hunger strike - supported by California bishops

Radio program and interviews

Update: Day 42         Previous articles re the strike  


Vatican


Cardinals' last (ghastly?) meditation before election of Pope Francis.
(Thank Goodness the cardinals did not follow this advice!)

vat2-abbott.jpg (25097 bytes)    2013-01-03jw.jpg (36451 bytes) Vatican II  Reflection 185
May there soon be a Middle East Union made up of Jewish and Arab partners!

John W - Blog - August 19
Helping Africa...from a computer in Hong Kong!

 


Sunday August 18

             Today's Bible Blog 

Jeremiah and Jesus belonged to the 15% of the  population willing to rock the boat
by speaking out about situations which need changing

 

Jesus' words in today's Gospel
 "I have come to cast fire"
 are used in this
 Power Point presentation: 
The Obscene Economic World

 

Pope Francis:
Thank you Holy Spirit

Inspiring photos:

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Engagements of Pope Francis

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Many thanks for checking
 this website each day

 







Darlene Starrs
Sunday blogger (from Canada, now in Ireland)
Bert Thelen is my hero

Bert Thelen's decision is of insurmountable importance because it zeros in on the systemic sin of the Church, clericalism. As long as clericalism is allowed to thrive, the Roman Catholic Universal Church will be as the Pope says, "stale and sick"

 

A Call for Compassion
Pope Francis’ poignant witness and call for compassion and action are especially timely for Americans as the fate of comprehensive immigration reform hangs in the balance in the House of Representatives

 

Australia Election: September 7

In politics, it seems a little bit of God goes a long way

Punishment and Poverty
- private prison companies lobby for stricter laws...to get more "clients"
-  a judge was sentenced to 28 years in prison for taking a $1 million bribe from the builder of a private prison, and then sentencing juveniles appearing before his court to prison time, filling his benefactors’ coffers as he lined his pockets

After Guantánamo, Another Injustice (NY Times)  Shame USA! Shame Obama!

US prisoners hunger strike - supported by California bishops
 
Update: Day 41         Previous articles re the strike  



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Tanzania: How 120kg drugs were sneaked at Dar airport

This website's Tanzania File



This week's smile:   Overheard at the cemetery ....
vat2-abbott.jpg (25097 bytes)    2013-01-03jw.jpg (36451 bytes) Vatican II  Reflection 184
The causes of war and discord

John W - Blog - August 18
Tragedy in the Philippines and Egypt - a call to prayer

 


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Saturday August 17

Independence Day of Indonesia

 
Today's Bible Blog
 has a four-course meal:
- sodomy 
- movie stars, pop stars, sports stars, heavenly stars
- parents sad when children waste talents/opprtunities
- history's No. 1 mental sufferer

 

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John W - Blog - August 17
Each day I grow sadder as I see the two main Australian political parties continuing their competition to see which can adopt the harsher policy towards asylum seekers

Bishop Geoff Robinson
 and Bishop Bill Morris:

Petition
to Pope Francis
to stop sexual abuse 
and to reform Church
- & calling for a new 
Ecumenical Council !
(John W has signed petition)

-----------------------

Please encourage more people to see 1-10
  re Bishop Bill Morris:

1: Judge's conclusions
2: Canon lawyer's report
 
3: Radio interview with judge

4:  "The Age" file of letters

5: Summary re Rome
6: Frank Brennan's update

7: ABC radio Fr Frank Brennan

8. Update from Frank Brennan

9. Vatileaks & Bp Bill Morris

10: Tablet letter - Frank Brennan

After reading 1-10, check the "Pravda" report of CNA

Google "Morris" at top of this page for many articles re Bishop BM, the most recent being talk of March 26, 2013:
  Reclaiming the Spirit of Vatican II

 

 



Scrap nuclear weapons Mr Miliband - we expect more from Labour party

Hong Kong's No. 1 Chinese newspaper
Oriental Daily had a story yesterday
claiming there are 300,000 Africans 
in Guangzhou City. I strongly doubt this figure. I'm sure it's a mistake. Should be 30,000. 
Or am I wrong and out of date?
Can anyone confirm the 300,000?
Story is here
 (... not very flattering to Africans) 


 











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Tanzania minister: 
I’ll name drug lords today

Tanzania File



Australia Election: September 7



Parochial Australia needs to grow up

Hundreds of US prisoners on hunger strike - supported by California bishops

Indefinite solitary confinement violates human rights 
(& see the "let 'em rot" comments)

 
Update: Day 40         Previous articles re the strike   



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Vatican II  Reflection 183

World peace requires national leaders who think internationally

 


 

Friday August 16

 
Today's Bible Blog
 has a four-course meal:

- circumcision 
- no need to wait till we have one foot in the grave to start ...
- Jesus' Resurrection is an anchor for our faith
- What did Jesus mean when he said  "This is my body, this is my blood"?

Two days ago, during Typhoon Signal No. 8, I had lunch at Chung King Mansions (after buying some items for prison inmates). At table next to me where two men from Tanzania...which country is very dear to my heart at the moment...200 Tanzanian inmates in Hong Kong...lots of items on this website and sites in Tanzania re the 200. One of the two men arrived in HK a week ago. I asked him what was it like coming through HK airport with a Tanzanian passport. He said they searched him from top to toe, x-rayed him, then made him take some medicine which caused him to defecate (...many "drug mules" have the drugs in their stomach, in plastic containers ..double condoms..). No drugs were present, so HK customs staff said "sorry about that ...you can go now".  Hope the word goes out to potential drug mules: 
HK will give you the  S _ I  _ S !    Which is sad news for genuine travellers

Liturgy - New Translation

1998 ICEL Sacramentary
Misguided Missal
 
The new translation
Ghastly process/result

Ron Schmit: 
1962 Mass a condemnation of Vatican II

PrayTell

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Spirituality

 Sacred Space 
 Daily prayer online.
Available in 19 languages


Jackie Evancho  - To Believe
to-believe.jpg (305669 bytes)

Pray-as-you-go.org
Daily prayer with 
beautiful music

Whole text of 1966 Jerusalem Bible

drugs.jpg (12713 bytes) Tanzania's The Citizen has an excellent new article:
Drugs: Together we’ll win

v2catholic.com's  Tanzania File - many drug stories...with links to Hong Kong

Hundreds of US prisoners on hunger strike - supported by California bishops

Rights Groups to Government:
Allow U.N. Torture Expert to Examine U.S. Use of Solitary Confinement

 
 
Update: Day 39         Previous articles re the strike     


Southern Land of the Holy Spirit

Where the name "Australia" came from 
vat2-abbott.jpg (25097 bytes)    2013-01-03jw.jpg (36451 bytes) Vatican II  Reflection 182
A time when all war can be completely outlawed by international consent


John W - Blog - August 16
Complicated conversation as Mary enters Heaven!

Thursday August 15

Solemnity of the Assumption
A public holiday in c.20 countries
...and in Heaven!

As women continue their struggle
 for justice and equality with men
 in society and in the Church, 
may Mary's Assumption
give hope, wisdom and courage 
to women and men
 as we try to imitate her example
 in living out the values of her Son

Today's Bible Readings for the Assumption (scroll down..)

The Gospel: The Visitation and Magnificat
: The gospel today reminds us of what we might call "God's spirituality":
 a spirituality which turns the conventional values
 of the world upside-down:

  • Although Mary is pregnant herself, she journeys to be with her cousin in her pregnancy; she looks and acts beyond her own small perspective.
  • She praises a God who is concerned with the poor,
    who raises up the lowly.
  • She proclaims a God who does not have a preference
    for the proud or rich.
  • She rejoices in a God who does not focus on the power
    of the mighty.
  • She centers herself in a God who focuses on mercy and compassion.

    - from John Bucki SJ:
    Education for justice Assumption reflection

Mary of Guadalupe
Many people see in this picture 
the Woman of today's first reading at Mass:
dressed in the sun, standing on the moon, crowned with stars


Daniel Daring:
Assumption: Disobedient Mary!  It seems that the real Hebrew meaning of the name Miriam is "to be rebellious, disobedient".  When we listen attentively to her Magnificat, we can sense how she rebels against the unjust world she lived in

John W August 15 Assumption Reflection: Vatican II encourages a healthy love for the mother of Jesus. In our spiritual DNA, there's something about Mary that moves our hearts on August 15. May this reflection be an encouragement to people who might be influenced to doubt the beautiful importance of Mary in God's plan and in our lives

 

 India01.jpg (58826 bytes) 
Click to enlarge

Today is also India's Independence Day 
 - a good day to remember that India has around 20 million Catholics
(c.f. UK about 4 million, Australia about 5 million)   ...and that
15,000 Indian missionaries serve in countries outside their homeland

 

This site's full statistics
 for July 2013 

 

To publish an article on this site please contact Fr John Wotherspoon omi:   jdwomi@gmail.com  


If you find a broken link in this website,
  please contact: jdwomi@gmail.com



   Taking a stand 

Next pope:  load of rubbish

Navigation Aids      

  Standing up to bullies

Too Western/European 

Abortion - a true story

"Same-sex marriage"  two elephants
 in the men's room
     

     Near Death Experiences

 


John's other sites: 

www.doctorjesus.org

www.riccicenter.com 

www.simplebible.info 

www.china8.org 

  www.jesustower.com 

www.oneminuteenglish.com 

China Library
 - essential reading for anyone interested in China's Christian history

 

 
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Pope Francis the free spirit meets Mario Balotelli the maverick (with video)
Pontiff greets Italy and Argentina football squads on eve of friendly
game at Rome's Stadio Olimpico

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HK's Cardinal Tong: Chinese media report Pope in "Honest, Objective way"
Despite the present stalemate in Sino-Vatican relations, the cardinal is optimistic about the future of this relationship. “I am always optimistic.  Some would say I am naïve, but I am optimistic that with new leadership in the Vatican and Beijing a gradual development can take place in relations between China and the Holy See” 

Daniel Daring 
Thursday blogger

Reflection on August 18
 Sunday readings:
Decision that leads to division

When my uncle was slowly drinking himself to death, I kept quiet; when my brother was drifting away from the faith, I was told to mind my own business; when the scandal of priests was being exposed, I joined those who tried to excuse them by saying that ‘they are not angels’; and when my boss was humiliating people in my presence, I was unable to stand up for their rights. Such an attitude is strongly encouraged by our contemporary culture: do not rock the boat; keep your faith for yourself; and excuse others ‘shortcomings,’ because nobody is perfect

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 Bishops in Manila heed pope's call, offer slum-dwellers moral support
Philippine bishops have heeded Pope Francis' call to spend more time with the poor by visiting slum dwellers in Manila 

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Tanzania file
Tanzania inmates in Hong Kong:  Swahili text has now been added to August 11 letter of a Tanzanian inmate in HK - Anti-narcotic war: Are Politicians Real?

Frank Makange Blog: Jamhuri Newspaper published 255 names of people said to be engaging in drug trafficking. The list is HERE



 Professor Robert Wade
(NZ)


 Only the rich are getting richer
c.f. China: 0.4% of population has 75% of wealth
and c.f. China's poverty gap close to 'red line'

  Hundreds of US prisoners on hunger strike - supported by California bishops

US might slash prison terms  (Guardian) (and see comment from "John Hu")
 
 
Update: Day 37         Previous articles re the strike 



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    2013-01-03jw.jpg (36451 bytes)


Vatican II  Reflection 181

Any act of war aimed indiscriminately
at the destruction of entire cities 
is a crime against God and humanity itself


John W - Blog - August 15
Assumption more important than ....Facebook?

 


Wednesday  
August 14

Pakistan Independence Day

 Today's Bible Blog has three themes:

- Maximilian Kolbe's death looked like a disaster
- Maximilian's death was precious in God's eyes
- Maximilian's love was as great as human love can be

   

Feast of Saint Maximilian Kolbe
who died on this day in 1941
after taking the place of a stranger on death row in Auschwitz Nazi death camp

Kolbe's prison no: #16670

A very simple 5 minute YouTube
of Kolbe's life

He is one of the ten 20th-century martyrs from across the world who are depicted in statues above the Great West Door of Westminster Abbey, London

He gave his life so another might live

 



Chris McDonnell     Wednesday UK blogger  Sorry, no Mass today
Somehow, somewhere there must be a resolution of the crisis in priesthood that we presently face or we will have failed future generations. Let’s be realistic. More of the same is no answer for a pilgrim church      

Chris, according to the video below, "Willful Blindness", 85% of Church leaders don't want to face the problem of "no Mass, because no priest". Would that every bishop, priest, religious, lay leader and concerned Catholic could see this video. It might just reduce the 85% figurejw

Vatican II - Renewal (2)

Hans Küng: 
 
Letter to bishops  

Revolution to stop authoritarianism 

Fr Joseph Ratzinger: 
Writings on Vat II 
(link gone...anyone able to find it?)   

Robert Mickens:  
Vatican Implosion

Nicholas Lash:     Vatican II: 
Of Happy Memory - and Hope?

Robert McNally:  
Crisis & Criticism in the Church 

Priests 9 Masses a day
 - need to ordain married men

The evil of compulsory celibacy

Link between compulsory celibacy and sexual abuse

Why are women not being
 ordained to priesthood?

--------------

Africa:
50 years to give corruption cultural status, another 50 to make it genetic?
White colonialists have been replaced
 by equally ruthless black colonialists


 

 

The former CEO of five businesses explores the all-too-human thought patterns -- like conflict avoidance and selective blindness -- that lead managers and organizations astray


This is a must-see video: Willful Blindness
Gayla Benefield was just doing her job -- until she uncovered an awful secret about her hometown that meant its mortality rate was 80 times higher than anywhere else in the U.S. But when she tried to tell people about it, she learned an even more shocking truth: People didn’t want to know. In a talk that’s part history lesson, part call-to-action, Margaret Heffernan demonstrates the danger of "willful blindness" and praises ordinary people like Benefield who are willing to speak up



drugs.jpg (12713 bytes) (NewLetter from a Tanzanian inmate in a Hong Kong prison: (in Swahili & English)
President Kikwete's anti-narcotic campaign just for appearances

Why doesn't President Kikwete shed light publicly about the allegations
that his own son "Ridhiwani" also is involved in the drug trade?

Drugs: No teamwork, says Tanzania CAA director (The Citizen)

When drug trade and consumption threaten to become national disaster 
(Tanzania IPP Media)
But most critics contend that the big fish behind the trafficking syndicates remain scot free as corrupt law enforcers get compromised by the former.


UK female drug mule suspect 'forced' to take items

"For us this is just another case, the prisons are full of drug mules." 
There are more than 200 foreign inmates, "mules" in the Peru prison  "mules", 
most of them from Spain, followed by Mexico



I'm trying to contact the Catholic Church in Tanzania....a layperson, a priest or religious, a bishop, an organisation ....anyone....but I can't find a contact email address for any of the above. There are several Catholic websites, but as far as I can see, not one "contact us" link.  If you can find such a link, please let me know: jdwomi@gmail.com 


From St. Beuno's Outreach, Wales:
Reflections on the readings of this coming Sunday, August 18:
The Gospel may prompt me to consider my ‘image of God’.
Do I only recognise Jesus as ‘meek and mild’, or am I willing to embrace his Almighty power and strength as he brings ‘fire to the earth,’ perhaps challenging me to make costly decisions  ((like Maximilian Kolbe, like people speaking out about drugs...jw))

Hundreds of US prisoners on hunger strike - supported by California bishops

California Correctional Crisis As an attorney and academic, I have conducted over 60 interviews with people sequestered in SHUs, and have witnessed the physical and psychological effects of isolation.
 
 
Update: Day 36         Previous articles re the strike

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Vatican II  Reflection 1
80
Cardinal Filoni: Invasion of Iraq a big mistake

John W - Blog - Augut 14
St Maximilian Kolbe belonged to the 15% willing to take a stand on issues

                                                                                                               

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This website was launched  in construction mode in Hong Kong on November 20, 2011   - the Feast of Christ the King.
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