Happy Assumption Day to everyone! Here’s a photo of my grandmother’s prayer altar. Let me know what you think, and I’ll give a chocolate bar to anyone who can identify the images (without using google of course haha)
The other day, I was reading my bible (the "Latin American Bible," a translation heavily influenced by liberation theology) and came across this commentary at the end of Leviticus. I’m including a translation of it because it is very interesting:
THE JUBILEE YEAR FOR THE THIRD WORLD
Let us not be so naive as to believe that the Jubilee prescriptions were observed everywhere. One need only read Jeremiah 34 and Nehemiah’s outburst of rage in Nehemiah 5. Yet the book existed then, and it still exists today. The guarantee of an inalienable inheritance granted to the poor and the unfortunate is expressed in Leviticus 25:10 within the framework of a society that was still rural; however, the spirit animating it lies at the heart of the Bible: all property rights have limits before God.
How can one not think of the havoc wreaked by unbridled liberalism—havoc that has steadily grown over the past century? The strongest nations, always a few years ahead of the rest, have preached and imposed the free market upon them. This allowed them to flood every region with their own products while local production collapsed. Aided by corruption, they seized control of a country’s resources—mines, agricultural markets, and, ultimately, actual political power. May the time come when Christians openly proclaim the Bible’s demands. They will recall that every people possesses an inalienable inheritance—and not merely the bare land itself; that no one can force them to lay off their entire workforce or abandon their means of production; and that no one can impose exorbitant buyouts, economic blockades, or disguised invasions when they seek to reclaim assets whose foreign owners have already recouped their value several times over.
It is now clear that the disorders inevitably caused by the unchecked growth of corporations can only be remedied by compelling them to return to poor nations everything that has been taken from them. The fact that 5% of the earth's inhabitants consume 25% of its resources and produce—without remorse—25% of its waste is a harbinger of an impending curse.
Hello, I’m sharing a song by my country’s greatest folk artist, Violeta Parra, which I think might interest this subreddit. The song is titled "¿Qué dirá el Santo Padre?" (What Will the Holy Father Say?) and is dedicated to the execution of the Spanish communist Julián Grimau, who was killed by the Francoist dictatorship in 1963. In it, the artist appeals to the authority of the Pope (John XXIII at the time) as a figure capable of confronting the injustices committed by states and governments that call themselves "catholic" or "christian."
The song isn't Catholic per se, but I find the fact that it invokes religion in a protest song interesting. Please turn on the english subtitles to see the translation.
The artist has a couple more songs like this; if anyone is interested, I can keep sharing them :)
Following the 1973 coup d'état and the subsequent establishment of the Chilean civic-military dictatorship, a long period of human rights violations began in the country. Many people turned to the nation's religious organizations seeking protection and support in the face of the horrific ordeal the country was enduring. Thus, through an ecumenical effort, the "Committee for Cooperation for Peace in Chile" (Comité Por Paz) was founded on October 6, 1973. It was established by the Catholic Church—led by the Archbishop of Santiago, Cardinal Silva—in conjunction with representatives from the Evangelical Lutheran, Methodist, Baptist, Orthodox, and Methodist Pentecostal churches, as well as the chilean Jewish community. Presided over by Monsignor Fernando Ariztía Ruiz, Auxiliary Bishop of Santiago, alongside Lutheran Bishop Helmut Frenz, the organization provided legal, financial, technical, and spiritual assistance to Chileans suffering political persecution, ultimately aiding more than 8,000 people during its two years of existence. The military dictatorship exerted strong pressure to have the Committee dissolved, first by threatening the sponsoring churches with the revocation of their operating permits in Chile, and later through fierce smear campaigns in the press that portrayed the Committee as an instrument of Marxism that had infiltrated the churches. Nevertheless, the Committee continued its work defending the persecuted by filing legal appeals and assisting the families of detainees. On October 3, 1975, the dictatorship ordered the expulsion of Bishop Helmut Frenz, forcing him into exile in Germany; in November of that same year, four Catholic priests were arrested for helping political targets seek asylum in embassies. General Pinochet then requested that Cardinal Silva dissolve the Pro-Peace Committee, a move that took effect on December 31, 1975. However, Cardinal Silva’s steadfast commitment to defending human rights led him to establish the Vicariate of Solidarity on January 1—an official body of the Archdiocese of Santiago that carried on the work of the Pro-Peace Committee until the end of the military dictatorship, helping tens of thousands of people and playing an active role in opposing the oppression of the dictatorship.
"Blessed are the peacemakers, for they will be called children of God. Blessed are they who are persecuted for the sake of righteousness, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven." (Mt 5, 9-10)
[Source: www.memoriachilena.gob.cl ]
(P.S. Please feel free to share your thoughts or ask questions if you would like to know more about the topic.)
José Manuel Parada was a member of the Communist Party of Chile and secretary of the Vicariate of Solidarity, a organization of the chilean Catholic Church dedicated to providing aid to victims of the Pinochet dictatorship. On March 29, 1985, Parada was abducted by police outside the Colegio Latinoamericano, along with two other Communist Party members. The following day, their bodies were found with their throats slit near Pudahuel Airport. This event, known as the "Caso Degollados" (Case of the Slit Throats), caused a massive public outcry. His funeral was held at the Vicariate's headquarters on April 1. Initially, the regime attributed the crime to a "settling of scores among communists"; however, due to the intense national and international shock, the Supreme Court ordered an investigation. This inquiry determined that the murders had been committed by police officers, leading the police chief, General César Mendoza, to resign from his post and from the Government Junta, of which he had been a member since the 1973 coup. The perpetrators were sentenced to prison only after the return of democracy.
(P.S. If you’d like me to share more photos and stories about the church during the Pinochet dictatorship and President Allende’s administration, let me know in the comments.)
Hi, I have an architectural question for you all. I know that many Episcopal churches feature the Gothic architecture typical of Anglican churches, where the altar is located at the far end of the apse, behind the choir stalls. My question is: doesn't that feel very distant for the people in the nave? I’m not criticizing it at all—I actually think it looks lovely—I’m just curious about what the experience is like. My country 🇨🇱 has literally no more than 5 old Anglican churches with those characteristics, and I’ve never had the chance to visit them (plus, they rarely actually celebrate the Eucharist, but that’s a separate issue), so I can’t quite visualize what a service looks like in a church like that. Also, the Roman Catholic liturgical reform of the 1960s was a bit more radical here than in other South American countries, so most altars here are positioned to be as visible as possible; consequently, the idea of an altar being "hidden" behind the choir or a rood screen seems a bit strange to me. I know many Episcopal/Anglican churches now have a second altar between the nave and the choir, but many others still prefer the traditional layout. What do you think? Can you actually see the altar clearly? And when you go to the rail for Communion, don't you feel like you have to walk a long way up—especially considering the elderly?
El otro día estaba viendo weas en ig y quede pa adentro con esa suerte de revisionismo histórico del estallido social, sobretodo de parte del oficialismo. Por supuesto que estamos casi todos de acuerdo en que durante el estallido hubieron actos vandálicos y todo lo que quieran, pero wn, yo recuerdo que en esa época estábamos literal todos de acuerdo con que este país necesitaba profundas reformas sociales, recuerdo que incluso el mismisimo Kast subio una foto de la marcha del 25/10 diciendo eso mismo. Yo recuerdo a un montón de gente conocida que salía a marchar también y estaba de acuerdo con las marchas. A mi personalmente me gustaba el espiritu de unión que se llegaba a sentir en las marchas de ese tiempo, por eso me resulta un poco choqueante ahora ver como Kast y todo su sector pintan el estallido como una especie de armagedon, y que fue la tragedia mas grande que le ha pasado a este país y la wea, como si no hubiera sido una mayoría importante de los chilenos comunes y corrientes los que se movilizaron, y lo peor, es que mucha gente de esa tiene probablemente la misma vision de Kast (considerando el 58% que sacó en las elecciones) ¿Estoy siendo muy alaraco o alguien mas piensa la misma wea?
(Edit: Mención honrosa para la tonta estúpida del Movimiento Gremial de la UC q hace un par de años dijo que el 18 de octubre del 2019 fue más violento que el golpe de estado del 73 XDD)
Hi, I am a Chilean 🇨🇱, officially Roman Catholic, although internally I feel spiritually closer to Episcopalianism because there are many Roman Catholic doctrines and practices that I don't fully accept, such as papal infallibility, which I completely reject. I am in favor of the use of contraceptives, the ordination of women to the priesthood, and abolishing celibacy. I am also in favor of sam3-sex marriage because I myself am gay, and it pains me that catholic church (in which I have actively participated since childhood) forbids me from living my life with the person I love and sees my existence as a problem rather than a gift from God. Probably most Catholics in my country share my opinions on these issues, but theologically I also feel more aligned with Episcopalian theology than with Roman Catholic theology. For example, I don't like the doctrine of transubstantiation, but I do believe in the Real Presence, I uphold Prima Scriptura, I don't believe in purgatory, I'm uncomfortable with the superstitions or extravagances that sometimes arise around the invocation of saints (although I do believe in their intercession), I don't think the Immaculate Conception or the Assumption should be mandatory dogmas, etc. If there were an Episcopal Church in Chile, I'd probably already be a member, but the problem is, there isn't one. The Anglican Church of Chile is incredibly conservative and definitely anti-liturgical (they're basically an evangelical church with English pedigree), so becoming a member of that church isn't an option. The closest thing to the Episcopal Church (excluding the Catholic Church) is the Evangelical Lutheran Church in Chile, although I don't know if my devotional practices are very compatible with theirs. Adding to that, it's a very small church and they don't even have congregations in my home region, so I could only attend when I'm in Santiago (I go to university there). What do you think? Should I remain a member of the Catholic Church or perhaps try the Lutheran Church?
Hello, I've been considering converting to Lutheranism for a while now, but I'm having trouble with the doctrine of invoking saints. I'm Catholic (not that Roman Catholic, actually, haha), but I strongly believe in the doctrine of the communion of saints and that they continue to pray for the Church in heaven. I love the idea that all righteous people continue in communion with those of us who are pilgrims on this earth and that I can find inspiration in their lives. It makes me feel accompanied. I like to talk to the saints with whom I feel a special connection (especially the Virgin Mary) as if I were talking to a close friend, sharing a few things about my life and asking them what they would say or do in my place. I also ask them to pray for me in the same way that when I visit the graves of my deceased relatives, I ask them to pray for me (since they are probably closer to God than I am). Yes, when I pray I address myself directly to the Lord (I also tell Him my problems, but in a much more formal way because He is God after all), and occasionally I ask Him to hear the prayers of the saints for us. My question is, is this compatible with Lutheranism? Yes, I know what Article XXI of the Apology for the Augsburg Confession says and all that, but I've read that Lutherans practice a kind of veneration of the saints in their private devotions. Furthermore, I believe this refers to the practice of invoking saints as if they were pagan gods, with each saint representing a specific aspect of their being. I have personally witnessed such cases and find them ridiculous, just as I am sometimes scandalized by the way some Catholics treat the Virgin Mary as if she were a goddess instead of the Theotokos. I think it would be more beautiful for Mary if we read the Gospel and sing the Magnificat rather than adorning her images with extravagant dresses and gold jewelry and holding processions and festivals (which is culturally beautiful, but I'm not sure how happy it makes her). What do you think? Can I be Lutheran with this way of thinking, or if I converted would I have to leave my meditations next to the images of the saints? I'm reading your comments.
P.S. I've attached a picture of a service in honor of Saint Lawrence the Deacon, whom I love dearly, the patron saint of my region. Yes, it's a Roman Catholic Mass in Chile in the 90s.
🇨🇱 The catholic priest Roberto Guzman and pastor Gloria Rojas of the Evangelical Lutheran Church of Chile (IELCh) leading the entry of neighbors, survivors, and relatives of the disappeared into the former detention and torture center of the Pinochet dictatorship known as Villa Grimaldi on December 10, 1994. Villa Grimaldi was a hacienda located in the mountainous suburbs of the city of Santiago, which from 1973 was used by the military dictatorship as a clandestine detention center where opponents of Pinochet were tortured, interrogated, and murdered. After the end of the dictatorship, the property was sold to a real estate company, but local residents, in collaboration with human rights organizations and churches (such as the Catholic parish and the Good Samaritan Lutheran Church), succeeded in having the government of President Aylwin expropriate the site in 1994. The Villa Grimaldi Peace Park was then built there as a memorial to the victims of the dictatorship. The Lutheran Church, although small in number, played an active role in the defense of human rights during the dark years of the dictatorship in my country. (I cannot fail to mention the great Lutheran bishop Helmut Frenz, who worked tirelessly for peace in the country, which is why the dictatorship expelled him from Chile.)
