Without Incident (With Brief Update)

Last updated on: January 23, 2019 at 6:36 pm by Henry Karlson

Without Incident (With Brief Update) 2019-01-23T18:36:13-05:00 Henry Karlson

LOGO Patheos Explore the world's faith through different perspectives on religion and spirituality! Patheos has the views of the prevalent religions and spiritualities of the world.

Over on the so-called “Catholic News Agency” news page, from an organization consistently fomenting dissent against Pope Francis, they now have a story claiming that Native Americans, with Nathan Phillips, tried to disrupt a liturgical celebration at the Basilica of the Immaculate Conception in Washington, D.C. . The story quotes from someone they claim is a guard who locked the doors during the liturgy to stop the disruption. Anyone who knows the basilica knows this would be an impossible task: one guard could not lock all the doors around the basilica so fast, and so if there were any intention of causing a scene within the shrine, it would not be stopped by one lone guard.

The article also states that the official spokeswoman for the shrine said that the Native Americans were outside and left without incident. That contradicts the claim being promoted by the article itself; combined with the practical impossibility of one guard locking all the doors, the story appears to be entirely contrived and spread to promote more irresponsible controversy and push for an agenda that detracts from the rights and needs of the Native American indigenous peoples. Such a stand goes against the direction and guidance of the church. Pope Saint John Paul II said in his 1987 meeting with Native Americans:

It is time to think of the present and of the future. Today, people are realizing more and more clearly that we all belong to the one human family, and are meant to walk and work together in mutual respect, understanding, trust and love. Within this family each people preserves and expresses its own identity and enriches others with its gifts of culture, tradition, customs, stories, song, dance, art and skills.[1]

This includes recognition of the past harms done to the Native Americans, apologizing to them, and doing what can be done to lift them up and repair the damage which has been done against them. Understanding this, Pope Francis has issued an apology for the grave sins done by colonial powers, even as he has spoken up in favor for their rights when they are being denied to them.

Catholics should not look down and smirk at their Native American brothers and sisters. We are required to work for their betterment, indeed, to back down and listen when they have a grievance. The preferential option for the poor teaches us to give deference to those in need, not to the rich and boastful. If we want to proclaim the dignity of life, we must do it in deed and not just in word. If we want people to believe us when we say we stand for life, we will indeed stand for life, promoting the marginalized when they are being disrespected if not outright mistreated. When they have complaints, we must listen. To mock them is to stand in the way of peace. Christ was beaten like a drum to bring peace to all: let us heed the call for peace, so that we will not have to be beaten again in the form of our neighbor.

Update

CNA has updated their post with more information. What they have given does not justify their headline. They have added several unnamed sources making further claims about what happened. This, of course, can leave people in doubt While there is no dispute that the Native Americans were at the shrine, CNA has yet to give credible evidence to support the claim of their headline. If they wanted to say there were Native Americans doing a protest outside of the shrine, that has been verified and was not in question. Proving that does not verify the rest of their claim. As they wanted to say that the Native Americans “attempted to disrupt” a mass, more has to be shown and demonstrated to make their claim credible. First, they would have to show intent to disrupt a mass. Even if it could be shown a group tried to get into the shrine (which has yet to be proven), that would not prove the intent was to disrupt a mass. Second, even if it could be proved that they arrived at the main doors and knocked on them, making demands at the door, that again, does not verify the main headline. The fact that the shrine itself has said there was no incident remains the key part of the story.

Second Update

CNA claims a statement was made by a spokesperson for the basilica, indicating that a group tried to enter the shrine and were denied entry, without telling us where this official statement can be found. Nonetheless, even if this is true, this does not validate their headline, which indicated an attempt to disrupt a liturgical celebration. That is, they need to prove more than intent to get into the basilica, they need to show it was with express intent to disrupt mass. As the shrine is readily open to large group of visitors, many who are not Catholic, many who go in while some liturgical celebration is going on, indicating some group of people wanted to go inside as proof of intent to disrupt mass would then make most people who go inside equally guilty of that intent.

[1] Pope John Paul II, “Meeting with the Native Peoples of the Americas” (9-14-1987).

Stay in touch! Like A Little Bit of Nothing on Facebook

Previous Post

January 22, 2019

All Things Will Be Well

Next Post

January 28, 2019 Mystical Theology of Dionysius: Transcendental God-Talk. Conclusion. Part Eleven

Browse Our Archives

Select a Category Abortion Abraham abuse Aesthetics AI Aliens Ambrose Ancestors and Everything Andrew Angels Animals Anne Anthony Antisemitism apologetics Apophatic Apostle John Aquinas Artificial Intelligence Asanga Ascension Asceticism Assumption Atheism Attachment Augustine Authority Avarice Balthasar Baptism Beauty Biden birthright citizenship Bishops Black History Books Buddhism Bulgakov Byzantine Calendar C.S. Lewis Calcidius Catholic Catholicism Catholicism Celibacy Charity Chastity children Chrismation Christ Christmas Christology Church Climate Change Common Good Communion Confession Confirmation Conscience Constantine conventions conversion councils Covid Creation Cross Dead Death Death Penalty Debate Deception Demagogues Demons Desert Monks Desert Mothers Desire destruction development Dialogue Dignity Dionsyius Dionysius Discipline Diversity Division Doctor Who doctrine dogma Dormition Dualism Easter Easter Series Ecumenical Councils Ecumenism Education Election Empathy Environment Error Eschatology eschaton Eternity Ethics Eucharist Evangelism Eve Evil evolution Faeries Faith Fear femininity Ficino Florence Florensky Folktale Fools Forgiveness Freedom Future gender Gentile Gentiles Glory Gnostic God gods Good Samaritan Goodness Gospel Government Grace Great Fast Guns Hate healing Health Heaven Hell Hellenism Heresy Hierarchy Hildegard Hinduism History Holiness Holy Spirit Holy Week Hope Horror Human rights humanity Humility hypocrisy ICE icon icons Identification Identity Idol II Nicea Immigration incarnation Individualism Informal Reflections Inklings Intention Inter-Religious Interfaith Internet Interpretation Intrinsic evil Irenaeus Islam Israel Jacob Jerome Jesus Jews John Chrysostom John of Damascus John the Baptist Joseph Judaism justice Justification kenosis Kindnesss Kingdom of God Kingdom of Heaven Law Law of Moses Lazarus Leaf by Niggle Lent Lenten Reflection Liberation Theology Lies Life Listen Literature Liturgy locutions Logic Logos Love Marriage Martyrs Mary Mass Maximos The Confessor Meanness Meditation Mercy Middle Path Migrants Mind Miracles Miriam Morals Moses Movies Music Muslims Myths Names Nationalism Native Americans New Year Nicea Nicholas Nothing Novatian Obedience Occam's Razor Ordination Origen Original Sin Orthodox orthopraxis Pagans Palamas Palm Sunday Paradise Paschaltide Paul Peace Pentecost person Peter piety PKD Plato pluralism Plurality Poem Poetry Poiltics Politics Poor Pope Pope Francis Pope Leo XIV Post Office Prayer Pride Pro-life Prodigal Son propaganda Prophecy Prophets Providence Putin Racism Reading Reason Reflection Refugees Relationships Religion Religion Series Religious Liberty Repent Republicans Rest Resurrection Rich Rites Russia Sacraments Saints Salvation Salvian Santa Science Scripture Self-Giving Sexuality Sibyl Sick Silence Sin Singlehood Social Justice Society Sodom Solovyov Speculations Spiritual Reflection St. Cyril of Alexandria St. Justin Martyr Suffering Sunday of the Paralytic Man Sunday of the Samaritan Woman Superhero Supreme Court Teaching Technology Thanksgiving The Father the Universe Theological Reflection Theology Theosis Theotokos Thomas Timaeus Time Tolerenace Tolkien Tradition Transfiguration Trinity Trump Truth Uncategorized Unity Universities USCCB Value Vatican II Vegetarian Vices Violence Virtue Vocations War Water Welcome Wisdom Womanhood Women Work World View Worship Writing Zacchaeus

Select a Month October 2026 September 2026 August 2026 July 2026 June 2026 May 2026 April 2026 March 2026 February 2026 January 2026 December 2025 November 2025 October 2025 September 2025 August 2025 July 2025 June 2025 May 2025 April 2025 March 2025 February 2025 January 2025 December 2024 November 2024 October 2024 September 2024 August 2024 July 2024 June 2024 May 2024 April 2024 March 2024 February 2024 January 2024 December 2023 November 2023 October 2023 September 2023 August 2023 July 2023 June 2023 May 2023 April 2023 March 2023 February 2023 January 2023 December 2022 November 2022 October 2022 September 2022 August 2022 July 2022 June 2022 May 2022 April 2022 March 2022 February 2022 January 2022 December 2021 November 2021 October 2021 September 2021 August 2021 July 2021 June 2021 May 2021 April 2021 March 2021 February 2021 January 2021 December 2020 November 2020 October 2020 September 2020 August 2020 July 2020 June 2020 May 2020 April 2020 March 2020 February 2020 January 2020 December 2019 November 2019 October 2019 September 2019 August 2019 July 2019 June 2019 May 2019 April 2019 March 2019 February 2019 January 2019 December 2018 November 2018 October 2018 September 2018 August 2018 July 2018 June 2018 May 2018 April 2018 March 2018 February 2018 January 2018 December 2017 November 2017 October 2017 September 2017 August 2017 July 2017 June 2017 May 2017 April 2017 March 2017 February 2017 January 2017 December 2016 November 2016 October 2016 September 2016 August 2016 July 2016 June 2016 May 2016 April 2016 March 2016 February 2016

TAKE THE

Religious Wisdom Quiz