Unbelievable ... Stop it!!!

My an unbeaten stand still is the laity should take their church, even when I am shocked by a reckless and ignorant activities of some laities in some parishes. Today, I read an aching rather trash letter from the parish of Kansas Debre Sahil EOTC. I am not a kind of person who is against freedom of speech or discussion. But I am disappointed by the letter because of the following reasons:

1. Wrong time and place: the season we are in [Nehase 1 - 16] has a special place in the minds and bodies of our laities. It is the time when sons and daughters of the church devoted themselves into the veneration of our Perpetual Lady Virgin Mary, the Mother of God. For them, it is an occasion for spiritual renaissance or renewal. It is the spring of their spiritual life. Through fasting, they are fighting for the mastery of their spirit over their body. They (old and young, men and women) take care for this fast in a manner that exceeds description. All these forceful ascetism is in regard of the great love of people for the Virgin. At this high time of spiritual exercise devoted to the Virgin Mary, the mentioned parish come with a point of argument which can obviously destruct the people from its spiritual meditation. And the place the parish selected to out voice its opposition is a secular internet. The parish even invited the people to attend the Archbishop's (Egyptian) sermon on the topic. What a pity? Now apart from our spiritual devotions, we are crying for god to give her his Devine solution from the complicated problem she is.

2. The Procedure: the issue they raise has been exhaustively discussed, argued, and decided. We know the church has already made her stand clear on the issue. Bunch of publications have been released institutionally and individually which carry the teaching of the ancient and Apostolic EOTC regarding the Immaculate Conception. So why they wanted to raise it now in a very unprocedural way? They are foolish even criminals if they are simply inviting the Copt Archbishop to sow what he want to sow. First, they could invite the Ethiopian Archbishops in North America or plenty of church scholars who can explain the issue and the teaching of the church to the laity. Who is the Copt Archbishop here? Okay, let it be. But is there someone from the church who can defend the much analyzed teaching of the church? Are they sure that they are raising this issue out of an innocent interest to know about the Virgin? Are they still sure that they are not serving as agents of the oppositions of the teachings of the church? Is it the right way to address this kind of issue in an open discussion where innocent parish members are participating?

My call!!!

I strongly believe that discussions are important to clear confusions and misunderstandings. But I equally believe that when the topic to be discussed goes with dogmas and canons of the church, serious care should be in place. First, there is no room for these sorts of arguments to be aired at a parish level. It is something to be rediscussed, revisited and refigured (if it is necessary at all) at the highest level of the Church's spiritual administration - the Holy Synod. As to me, I don't see any fault in the Scholars Council and the Patriarchate whom they accused of ignoring their question. It is already discussed and proclaimed in books. As a parish, they could search for the books and read.

Stop it please!!!!!!!!!!!!

AD21