About Bro. Ignatius Mary, OLSM, L.Th. Expertise I am a Catholic apologist, catechist, spiritual director, and spiritual warfare/deliverance counselor holding a degree of Licentiate in Theology. Questions dealing with the Catholic Faith will be answered according to official Church teachings, where such official teachings exist, and according to solid principles taught by the Church and the saints on areas where there is no specific Church teaching. I am a one-hundred-percent loyal and obedient to the Pope and Magisterium of the Church. If you want to know the TRUE SCOOP of Church teaching, here is the place to get it.
2) Apologetics and Catechesis primarily offered through a Catholic Q&A (plus volunteering on expert.com); and
3) Deliverance and Spiritual Warfare: involving many things ranging from investigating "haunted houses," to counseling with demonized people, to dealing with spiritual warfare issues in our society.
Experience I was a Baptist preacher, Bible teacher, and evangelist for 15 years before converting to the Catholic Church in 1992.
As a Catholic I have been teaching Bible, Catechetics, apologetics, and evangelism for 14 years. I also have 24 years of pastoral counseling experience and 14 years experience as a Catholic Spiritual Director.
I have been in deliverance ministry since 1986 as a Baptist. After converting to the Catholic Church I continued the spiritual warfare work including counseling, writing, consulting, and teaching workshops, and training Deliverance Counsellors.
In 2002 we began a new apostolate called the St. Padre Pio Center for Deliverance Counseling. This agency offers counseling to those persons who are demonized, and offers training for people who feel called by God to become Deliverance Counsellors. As director of the St. Padre Pio Center I was featured in a series of interviews on Spirtual Warfare on Ave Maria Radio.
Award: Recipient of the prestigious Kaltenborn Foundation Grant.
Organizations In Religion: Catholic Society of Evangelists, Institute on Religious Life, Adoremus: Society for the Renewal of the Sacred Liturgy, Catholic League for Religious and Civil Rights, Coming Home Network, The Blue Army of our Lady of Fatima, Apostleship of Prayer, Confraternity of Mary, Queen of All Hearts (Montfort Fathers), Confraternity of the Brown Scapular
BR> In Counseling: American Counseling Association, Association for Spiritual, Ethical, and Religious Values in Counseling, the International Society for Mental Health Online, and the former National Psychiatric Association. Brother is also currently working with two other counselors to form a new association called the American Nouthethic Association of Catholic Counselors. This association is not yet operational.
In Website Design: HTML Writers Guild, the International Webmasters Association, and the Good News Web Designers Association.
In Creative Writing: Academy of American Poets, the Association of Authors and Publishers, and is listed as Editor and Publisher of St. Michael House Press and Writers House Press in the International Directory of Small Presses and Little Magazines and the WritersNet Online Directory
Publications Religious Book Publications include: +"Regula Sanctus Michaelis" (The Rule of St. Michael) +"Three Secret Strategies of Satan and Other Essays" +"St. Michael's Spiritual Warfare Prayer Catalog" +"Hope, Help, Victory: A Spiritual Warfare Workshop" +"St. Michael’s Deliverance Counseling Manual" +If God Wants This of Me: The Story of a Baptist Minister Turn Catholic Friar" (forthcoming)
Poetry Publications and Credits: Book: "Only Silence is Shame" Magazines & Readings: published in various magazines and conducted numerous readings
Listed: "Who's Who is U.S. Editors, Writers, and Poets" and the "International Authors and Poets Who's Who" out of London in the 1980s
Other Publications: Book: "The Wilder Letters" (book of essays)
Book: "The Falling Torch: Our Democracy in Crisis"
What exactly is the meaning of the vow of poverty that Priests and Religious take? I find that all priests, nuns, brothers I meet up with have a luxurious life style-They have their own cars/motorbikes,chauffeurs; they can eat any food on earth they want anytime and lovely furnished accomadation and et al.And not to forget Bishops and Cradinals and of course Our Holy Father-they live like Princes with ornaments adorned. Why do these people take the vow of poverty and still remain rich?
Answer Dear Johnny:
CONCERNING DIOCESAN PRIESTS:
Diocesan Priests, also called "Secular Priests", make a "promise of simplicity" not a vow of poverty. It is only Religious (ordained brothers, lay brothers, and sisters) who take a vow of poverty.
I do not know where you are getting your information, but your description has little semblance to the truth. If you have "seen" such behavior, then you are probably jumping to conclusions. This is the sin of rash judgment.
Diocesan Priests receive a salary and allowances (a paycheck) from the Church. This money is their own to spend as they please (within certain canonical restrictions). They do not offer vows, but they do promise to live with simplicity (a spirit of poverty). Thus, Secular Priests can buy their own automobiles, food, and even rent apartments if there is no rectory available. The ordinary Secular Priest drives himself and does not have a chauffeur. Sometimes bishops and cardinals will have a chauffeur since the nature of their tasks is such that they should not have to worry about a place to park for example, or be exposed to the crowds, who may overtake him, by having to walk a distance along the road.
Canon Law 281 ß1 Since clerics dedicate themselves to the ecclesiastical ministry, they deserve the remuneration that befits their condition, taking into account both the nature of their office and the conditions of time and place. It is to be such that it provides for the necessities of their life and for the just remuneration of those whose services they need.
ß2 Suitable provision is likewise to be made for such social welfare as they may need in infirmity, sickness or old age.
Can. 282 ß1 Clerics are to follow a simple way of life and avoid anything which smacks of worldliness.
ß2 Goods which they receive on the occasion of the exercise of an ecclesiastical office, and which are over and above what is necessary for their worthy upkeep and the fulfillment of all the duties of their state, they may well wish to use for the good of the Church and for charitable works.
CONCERNING RELIGIOUS
Religious take a vow of poverty in which they are not allowed to own anything, or are allowed to own only limited goods. If you see a Religious Priest, brother, or sister driving a car, it is not their car but belongs to their Order. Most Religious live a structured life in which they eat what is cooked for them when the monastery sets the time for meals. Their accommodations are modest and sometimes very austere. Again furniture belongs to the Order, not to them personally. Most of the time a monastery will not have anyone to act as a chauffeur, unless necessity requires it (such as the monks not knowing how to drive).
As for the "ornaments" worn by Cardinals and Popes, these garments are in honor of our Lord, not a showy display of ego. If we accept such dress from Kings and his court, ought we to honor the Kings of Kings in such way? These "ornaments", as you call them are not for the benefit of the man, and the man does not own them, they are for the honor of glory of our Lord.
