Earlier today, I had an opportunity to read the Sudan Tribune Article and Pastoral Letter of Bishop Caeser Mazzolari, the Roman Catholic Bishop of the Diocese of Rumbek, Sudan concerning The Reformed Catholic Church and her missionary outreach to the good people of that country.In reading the bishop’s statements, one would believe that we were living in the 15th Century rather than the post modern era.
How terribly unfortunate and truly disappointing that a respected Roman church leader, installed to shepherd and teach the hurting people of God, would instead seek to denigrate and disparage the good work of another family of faith, simply because the church is not in union with the Roman Catholic Church. Of great concern to people of good will is the Bishop’s dismissal of The Reformed Catholic Church as “The devil roaming around in our day.”
Such language, beyond being dangerously inflammatory, does great harm to the dignity of the episcopacy, further wounds the people of God and clearly negates the ecumenical mission of The Roman Catholic Church. Such harsh and unwarranted criticism, as expressed by Bishop Mazzolari, is simply unkind, unacceptable and, most importantly, unChristlike.
The Reformed Catholic Church, in spite of heated, derogatory rhetoric and attempts to instill a sense of fear in the hearts of the faithful, will continue to honor our pastoral mission, the corporal and spiritual works of mercy, and never engage in hostility towards any church, community or people.
To do otherwise would a terrible affront to the Gospel of Jesus the Christ, who commanded us to love one another.
May I urge my Roman Brothers to prayerfully remember the words of St. Augustine of Hippo: In matter of essentials, Unity; In matters of non-essentials, Liberty; in all matters, Charity.
I sincerely pray that we may embrace these words as ,together, we minister to God’s holy people.
May all we do be for the greater glory of God alone!
++Phillip
The Most Reverend Phillip Zimmerman, ThD RSJ
Metropolitan Archbishop
Presiding Bishop
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