Bishop Fisher Clarifies in Pilgrims' Newsletter
SYDNEY, Australia, SEPT. 18, 2007 (Zenit.org ).- Do Catholics believe in one true God or not? That is a question asked by the coordinator of World Youth Day 2008 in the newsletter preparing pilgrims for the event in Australia.
Auxiliary Bishop Anthony Fisher of Sydney raised the question in the September e-Pilgrimage newsletter after he said he "recently saw an article that accused World Youth Day of promoting idolatry!"
"This critic said that the actions of people kneeling or bowing, touching or kissing, praying or weeping before the World Youth Day Cross were contrary to the First Commandment," explained Bishop Fisher.
Venerating icons and the like must seem strange to outsiders, the 47-year-old bishop explained.
So do Catholics only believe in one God? he asked."Absolutely! There is only one God, the Most Holy Trinity. Father, Son and Holy Spirit," Bishop Fisher affirmed.
He added: "No other person, no other idea, no other thing deserves our worship.
"The First Commandment is quite clear: We must put no other gods before the one God.
"No idols, superstitions, magic. Not money or career or self. Not the beautiful body or comfort or addictions. Not even our good relationships and projects.
"God must come first for us. Once we have that right, other things fall into place."
"Jesus Christ," the Australian bishop continued, "reminds us powerfully that since all human beings are made in God's own image, we are oriented to find our fulfillment and final home through him to God."
"This means," he said, "that we will neither be truly happy or truly ourselves unless we heed Jesus' call 'to love the Lord your God with all your heart, with all your soul and with all your mind.'"
ZE07091804 - 2007-09-18