St John Paul II Parish - NB

His Holiness Pope Francis accepted the resignation of the Most Reverend Robert Harris as Bishop of the Diocese of Saint John (New Brunswick), and today appointed his successor, the Most Reverend Christian Riesbeck, C.C. At the time of his appointment, Bishop Riesbeck was Auxiliary Bishop of the Archdiocese of Ottawa. Bishop Harris has been the Bishop of the Diocese of Saint John for the past 12 years. He submitted his resignation to the Holy Father upon reaching the age of 75, as required by the Code of Canon Law.

St. Michael has appeared several times over the centuries. In the 19th century, the Chaplet of St. Michael originated from St. Michael himself when he appeared to a Portuguese Carmelite nun named Antonia d'Astonac. He told her to honor him and also glorify God with these nine salutations to the nine Choirs of Angels.

Mass attendance is down. Financial contributions at the parish and diocesan levels are down. Catholic marriages and infant baptisms have been plummeting for years. Most of these trends did not begin with the abuse crisis, but anecdotal evidence from the last year suggests that the crisis has accelerated these trends. Who will restore the Church? Where will the renewal we all know is needed – and which we all long to see – come from? From the bishops? From Rome? I have said many times: If it is to come at all, authentic reform in the Church will come through and with the bishop of Rome and the bishops in communion with him. For those with faith, this is little less than a tautology. It just doesn’t get us very far.

One thing that saints like Athanasius, Augustine, Anselm, and Aquinas all have in common is that they asserted that creatures can become God. This idea is also reflected in the Catechism of the Catholic Church: “The Son of God became man so that we might become God” (CCC 460). Both Saints Irenaeus in the West and Maximus in the East made similar assertions—in fact, they are who the Catechism cites. How is this teaching not heretical, or completely insane?