Monsignor Jean Tailleur.
[Source]
Let's Adore Jesus-Eucharist! | Home >> Directory of sheep and wolves
Monsignor Jean Tailleur.
[Source]
1) S. Jetchick (2016-February-11)
2) J. Tailleur (2016-February-15)
3) S. Jetchick (2016-February-15)
4) D. Mathieu (2016-March-01, received by snail-mail 2016-March-04)
5) S. Jetchick (2016-March-13)
-------- Forwarded Message -------- Subject: Request for an Imprimatur for a flyer to be handed out in churches Date: Thu, 11 Feb 2016 15:14:11 -0500 From: Stefan Jetchick To: jean.tailleur (rajouter l'arobas) ecdq.org, chancellerie (rajouter l'arobas) ecdq.org Quebec City, Thursday February 11, 2016. Monsignor Jean Tailleur, ch. t. Chancellor and Director of Law Services Episcopal Vicar for canonical affairs 1073 René-Lévesque Boulevard West Quebec (Quebec) G1S 4R5 CANADA Tel.: 418-688-1211, extension 216 Hello Sir, Mr. Jasmin Lemieux-Lefebvre redirected me to you. I have a simple question: What procedure should I follow to request the "Imprimatur" of a document I'd like to hand out in Quebec Diocese churches? One can often see leaflets, flyers, booklets, etc., in the back of the churches in the diocese. In the well-run churches, those documents have a notice such as "With permission of the Ordinary" or "Imprimatur" from such a Bishop, at such a date, for such diocese, etc. This is the document (HTML version): "Love Muslims! Hate Islam!" The paper version of the document would be printed using the following MS-Word document: Printable version The only difference between the two are the many hyperlinks in the HTML version. These links point mostly to sources (quotes from the Bible, quotes from the Koran, quotes the Catechism of the Catholic Church, etc.), as well as other documents, like the conversation I had with Mr. Jasmin Lemieux-Lefebvre about the hatred that every Catholic should have to go to Heaven. I am not a canon lawyer, but my understanding of the Imprimatur is that it doesn't mean the Local Ordinary agrees with my flyer, just that it contains no doctrinal or moral error. It would therefore seem appropriate to avoid answering me saying that Cardinal Lacroix does not agree with my flyer! That would be irrelevant. And of course, if there should be doctrinal or moral errors in it, they would need to be pointed out, with supporting evidence. Especially since I'd love to change my flyer to make it free of errors! Personally, I would also recommend reading a book written by a good Catholic priest presenting a less irenic perspective of Islam: Questioning Islam - 1501 questions for Muslims! Yours in Christ, Stefan Jetchick [Usual contact information]
Subject: RE: Request for an Imprimatur for a flyer to be distributed in churches Date: Mon, 15 Feb 2016 2:42:32 p.m. 0000 From: Jean Tailleur To: Stefan Jetchick Hello Mr. Jetchick, I confirm we've received your application for an imprimatur for a document. As we usually do, we will seek confidential advice from a theologian censor which we will then submit to Mr. Cardinal. This could take about four weeks before being able to give you news. With the assurance of my prayers in this time of Lent. Jean Tailleur, chan.t. Chancellor Episcopal Vicar for canonical affairs 418 688-1211 extension 216 Archdiocese of Quebec ecdq.org
Forwarded Message -------- -------- Subject: RE: Request for an Imprimatur for a flyer to be distributed in churches Date: Mon, 15 Feb 2016 11:47:20 -0500 From: Stefan Jetchick To: Jean Tailleur Hello Sir, >> I confirm the receipt of your application A receipt! You are already ahead of the Canadian Army and the Liberal Party of Canada! and the ! Thank you to look good Catholic bureaucracy! (I laugh a little while saying that, but I'm serious also. An acknowledgment of receipt isn't much, but it's something, and you really are ahead of the others!) >> we will >> seek confidential advice from a theologian censor Give him all my sympathies. I do not like to burden even more the few already overloaded workers slaving away backstage. I would have preferred to burden the dead weights of the diocese. Please don't forget to mention to him the two versions of the document, a paper version (which would be the distributed version) and the electronic version (which has the advantage of refering to sources). >> It could take about four weeks OK, thanks a lot. SJJ
First response, by the Vice-Chancellor Denise Mathieu.
[OCR by www.newocr.com] ARCHDIOCESE OF QUEBEC CHANCERY Quebec City, March 1st, 2016 Stefan Jetchick 1450 Ave. des Grands-Pins Quebec QC 416 GlS Subject: Imprimatur request Sir, Following the request to obtain an imprimatur, we are sorry to inform you that, having received the opinion of our censor theologian, we cannot grant your request. Indeed, the imprimatur you request must express not only permission to publish a book, but also confirm that this publication is consistent with the doctrine of the Church and that it doesn't foster controversy. To this end, we refer you to the Declaration to "Ecclesiae habitudine ad religones non-Christianas (Nostra Aetate)" promulgated October 28, 1965 by the Vatican II Council which recognizes, Paragraph 3, the good will of Muslims, followers of Islam, and invites us "to promote together, for all, social justice, moral values, and peace and freedom." Also, and for information, this pamphlet may not be distributed in parish churches and recognized places of worship. Our denial of this imprimatur does not restrict your right to make known your opinion as a citizen and this, in compliance with applicable legislation, such elements not being under our jurisdiction. Please accept, Sir, our distinguished salutations. Denise Mathieu Vice Chancellor
Ms. Denise Mathieu, vice-chancellor of the diocese of Quebec.
[Source]
-------- Forwarded Message -------- Subject: Imprimatur refusal on the part of Cardinal Gérald-Cyprien Lacroix Date: Sun, 13 Mar 2016 09:53:30 -0400 From: Stefan Jetchick To: nuntiatura (add at sign) nuntiatura.ca, chancellerie@, jean.tailleur@ Quebec, March 13, 2016. Good day Ms. Denise Mathieu, >> Following the request to obtain an imprimatur, >> [...] we cannot grant your request. Forgive my slow wits, but I'm not sure I understand your answer. You refuse just like that, wholesale, a refusal without appeal, a "barenaked" refusal. Yet I did clearly say: Especially since I'd love to change my flyer to make it free of errors! [Source] I can't find anywhere in your answer the modifications I should make to my flyer to make it acceptable. Yet my bishop is like a Father to me. The "Local Ordinary", Cardinal Gérald-Cyprien Lacroix, is a successor of the Apostles, and the Shepherd of this portion of the Catholic Church in the Quebec Diocese. If I am a lost sheep, why doesn't he take me on his shoulders to bring me back to the fold? Especially a sheep who has asked his pastor explicitly and in writing to tell him what to do, to be on the right path! Not only does your response not indicate what I have to do to "bring my flyer back into the fold", but your answer never quotes my flyer! No quotes! No excerpts! Forgive my slow wits, but how can you declare that my flyer contains doctrinal and moral errors, without ever mentioning them? My flyer is full of quotes from the Bible and the Magisterium. Are the Bible and the Magisterium now doctrinal and moral errors, in the diocese of Quebec? No? If not, then where are those mistakes? Shouldn't you quote them verbatim, in "quotation marks", word for word? The Section of the Code of Canon Law which talks about the imprimatur (Canons §822 to §832 on the "Instruments of social communication and books in particular"), says (my emphasis): [...] the Ordinary, according to his own prudent judgment, is to grant permission for publication to take place, with his name and the time and place of the permission granted expressed. If he does not grant permission, the ordinary is to communicate the reasons for the denial to the author of the work. [Canon 830, §3] If you scrutinize rulings made by the Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith, you'll see that they don't just say that such or such a book is bad, but they'll abundantly quote this book, and they'll say for each quote what is the doctrinal or moral error, while referring to the Catechism of the Catholic Church, or the Denzinger, or some another official source for the teachings of the Church. Ah well, if you do not quote my flyer, while condemning it lock, stock and barrel, and without appeal, even though my flyer is quantitatively almost purely quotes from the Bible and the Magisterium, there must be a reason! I'll therefore continue to read your answer, as carefully as I can. >> the imprimatur you request must express >> not only permission to publish a book Concedo. >> but also confirm that this publication is consistent >> with the doctrine of the Church Redundant with the above sentence because permission to publish is granted because the book contains neither doctrinal nor moral errors. But Concedo nevertheless, of course! >> and that it doesn't foster controversy Oh yes, really? That's funny, I've never seen the terms "avoid fostering controversy" as one of the criteria for granting the imprimatur. I find everywhere statements like: The nihil obstat and imprimatur are declarations that a book or pamphlet is free of doctrinal or moral error. No implication is contained therein that those who have granted the nihil obstat or imprimatur agree with the contents, opinions or statements expressed. [Source, my emphasis] No matter how hard I try, I do not see anywhere in the Code of Canon Law any reference to "avoid fostering controversy":
Unsuccessful
search
for the word 'controversy' in the French version of the Code of Canon Law.
Especially since my flyer doesn't try to foster controversy, but rather to present clearly and accurately each religious group. I'm under the impression that you're just making up a new criterion for the imprimatur, a new criterion that's very dangerous to evangelization. Forgive my slow wits, but I think evangelization is incompatible with "avoiding controversy". First, Jesus Himself indulges in "fostering controversy" on several occasions: Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! [Mt 23:13] Do not think that I came to bring peace on earth; I came not to bring peace, but a sword. [Mt 10:34] Etc., etc. (Remember that Jesus "fostered controversy" so badly that employees of the Diocesan Services of His day had Him put to death!) Second, the Word of God says explicitly: [...] proclaim the word; be persistent whether it is convenient or inconvenient; convince, reprimand, encourage through all patience and teaching. For the time will come when people will not tolerate sound doctrine but, following their own desires and insatiable curiosity, will accumulate teachers and will stop listening to the truth and will be diverted to myths. [2Tm 4:2-4, my emphasis] Third, the very nature of Islam makes it impossible to "avoid controversy". To "foster controversy" with a Muslim, all you need to do, is to be a Christian! The Koran, which is directly dictated by God according Muslims, says:
[Here, I had copy-pasted Section 2 of the article called The 'Same God' Question (Islam and Christianity)]
Do you understand the situation? As soon as a Christian says,
"Jesus is the Lord!", it "fosters controversy" with Muslims! In
other words, the proclamation of the Kerygma causes
controversy! Evangelization is the Mother of all
Controversies with Muslims!
Since when should a good Catholic stop spreading the
Gospel if it displeases the people who most need to be
evangelized?
Are you saying that we should not evangelize Muslims?
If so, then all of a sudden, your whole answer
makes sense! Indeed, a flyer that had the objective of
converting Muslims to Catholicism would be TOTALLY bad!
Nothing could be salvaged from this flyer, even if it was
overflowing with quotations from the Bible and the
Magisterium!
If Muslims don't need to convert to Catholicism to be
saved, then my "Local Ordinary" can't tell me how to
change my flyer to make it acceptable. He must refuse it
outright, totally, without appeal!
>> Declaration "de Ecclesiae habitudine ad
>> religones non-christianas ('Nostra Aetate')"
"Religiones" not "religones" while we're at it.
>> which recognizes, Paragraph 3, the good will of Muslims
But me too! Have you read my flyer? (The one you
rejected outright, remember?)
I mention one of the typical Leftist objections when
when we try to point out the evil in some teachings of
Islam:
"Many Muslims are kind, polite, non-violent, etc."
Yes, I know that many Muslims have a "good will". I
completely agree. That's why I said:
"First, human nature was created good. Second,
we're talking about Islam, not Muslims. Third, some
"catholics" are pro-abortion, pro-sodomy, pro-Islam, etc.
Why not "muslims" who ignore Islam?"
>> [Nostra Aetate] invites us "to promote together, for
>> all, social justice, moral values, and peace and freedom
>> [My emphasis].
But I entirely agree! Especially freedom! (the
freedom to evangelize, by distributing flyers,
for example!)
>> this pamphlet may not be distributed
>> in parish churches and recognized places of worship.
Note the truculent irony: you oppress freedom
in your diocese, and you justify this oppression of freedom
by quoting a document which tells us "to promote [...]
freedom"!
Hilarious! Your Censor-Theologian should get another
job writing skits for stand-up comics!
By the way, I want to hand out these flyers in churches for
two reasons. First, to encourage what St. Josemaria Escriva
calls "the apostolate of friendship". Who better indeed to
speak kindly and respectfully to Muslims, about the mistakes
of Islam, than friends, neighbors, co-workers, relatives,
etc.! The Catholic faithful, once well-informed, will sooner
or later interact with Muslims friends. They are well placed to
"love Muslims" while helping them get out of the darkness of
Islam.
My second reason to hand out these flyers in churches is to
evangelize the faithful themselves. If the Vice-Chancellor,
acting "in persona antistite" when she speaks for the Local
Ordinary, who himself must guarantee the purity of the
Faith, can be so misinformed about the teachings of her own
religion, imagine the rank-and-file faithful in our
churches!
Let's conclude.
Forgive my slow wits, but if I understand your response, the
diocese of Quebec now has its own Denzinger, the
Denzinger-Quebec:
Denzinger-Quebec §1:
If anyone dares say:
"Woe to me if I do not evangelize"
ANATHEMA SIT!
Denzinger-Quebec §2:
If anyone dares say:
"Jesus is the Lord"
ANATHEMA SIT!
Denzinger-Quebec §3:
If anyone dares say:
"The truth [of Christ] will make you free"
ANATHEMA SIT!
Yours in Christ,
Stefan Jetchick
[Usual contact information]
Let's Adore Jesus-Eucharist! | Home >> Directory of sheep and wolves