The Pequeños pepper



The Pequeños pepper

Newsletter of Los Pequeños de Cristo

Volume III, No. 1 January 2001

In this issue...

Pope Teaches Conference

JPII Warns Council

The Enneagram

Prolife News

St. Thomas Aquinas

Pope’s Apology

Pope Teaches Conference

Two outstanding talks were delivered by Archdiocesan priests at the Los Pequeños Pope Teaches Conference on November 10, 2000.

Fr. Lancaster examined the Truth and Meaning of Human Sexuality, guidelines published by the Pontifical Council for the Family that affirm the enormous responsibility parents have to properly teach their children about sexual and moral matters.

Father stressed the great gift of sexuality and the importance of conveying true values to our children in a time when schools and the culture have agendas that may be at odds with Christian values.

Fr. Stephen Schultz next presented “Mulieris Dignitatem – On the Dignity and Vocation of Women,” an apostolic letter of Pope John Paul II.

With the Blessed Virgin Mary as the prime example of the dignity and vocation of women and her role in salvation history as the common thread woven throughout the document, Schultz elucidated the Holy Father’s thought. Principle to this thought is the uniqueness of the human person from the rest of creation, the inherent dignity of both man and woman, created in the image and likeness of God, and the “unity of two” – the potential relationship between a given man and woman that is modeled on the Trinity, “in which the Three Divine persons are bound in a Divine Communion of Love.”

In practical, contemporary terms, this means that to whatever degree these fundamental principles are ignored, a woman’s personal dignity and vocation will be offended and she will become an object of exploitation and domination.

The two exemplar expressions of a woman’s dignity and vocation are to be found in the gift of motherhood – not as merely a biological function but as spiritual self-donation – and the gift of consecrated virginity, of which Mary is the perfect model and which the entire Church, as a Bride of Christ, mystically reflects as well.

Valerie Lubitz, president of Los Pequeños, felt that the talks had been particularly edifying. "We are so grateful to Fr. Schultz and Fr. Lancaster for sharing their insights into these documents with us,” she said. “There is so much wealth in them.” (

JOHN PAUL II WARNS COUNCIL OF EUROPE ABOUT A CONTRADICTION

Says Human Rights Must Extend to the Right to Life

In an address to delegates of the Council of Europe, celebrating the 50th anniversary of the European Convention on the Rights of Man, John Paul II denounced a contradiction of the age: recognition of, and demand for, human rights at a time when the right to life is denied the unborn.

In his address, the Pope observed that “The convention was a truly historic document, and it remains a unique legal instrument, seeking to proclaim and safeguard the fundamental rights of every citizen of the signatory states....At the heart of our common European heritage -- religious, cultural and juridical -- is the notion of the inviolable dignity of the human person, which implies inalienable rights conferred not by governments or institutions but by the Creator alone, in whose image human beings have been made.”

Given the Council of Europe's commitment to the service of human rights, the Pope pointed out the need to address some problems with clarity, among which is, in the first place, “the tendency to separate human rights from their anthropological foundation -- that is, from the vision of the human person that is native to European culture.”

In the second place, the Pontiff denounced “the tendency to interpret rights solely from an individualistic perspective, with little consideration of the role of the family as the fundamental unit of society.”

This leads to a paradox, John Paul II said. On the “one hand,” he noted, “the need to respect human rights is vigorously affirmed while, on the other, the most basic of them all -- the right to life -- is denied.”

“It is my fervent hope,” he said, “that the moment will soon come when it will be equally understood that an enormous injustice is committed when innocent life in the womb of the mother is not safeguarded.”

Italian Foreign Minister Lamberto Dini opened the conference with references to the globalization of economics, the media, and scientific and technological discoveries. “We are moving toward a new order of reality,” he said, but then cautioned his audience that “life is the most precious gift we have.”

(Taken from a ZENIT report, Vatican City, Nov. 3, 2000.)

THE ENNEAGRAM – A Critique

by Bruce Sabalaskey

Introduction

The Enneagram is a popular New Age tool which has found its way into Catholic practices, including parish classes and in retreat programs. This article is a short summarized compilation of four authors who have studied the Enneagram. They are Father Mitch Pacwa, S.J., Msgr. William Smith, Dorothy Ranaghan, and Rick Kephart. [See references at end of article for details.]

What is the Enneagram?

The Enneagram is a circular diagram on which personality types numbered one through nine are symbolically represented at nine equidistant points on the circumference. The numbers are then connected by arrows in significant patterns which point the way to health ("integration") or to neurosis ("disintegration"). Each human personality is said to fall into one of these nine types. This number is said to reveal the hidden motivation for everything a person does. Intelligence is given three centers: thought, emotion, and instinct, which are always imbalanced. The result of this imbalance is that a person's "true self" is always hidden beneath a "false self". The Enneagram is supposed to enable a person to gain knowledge of his true self, exposing the true motivations for actions and illusions developed regarding himself and regarding how to deal with the world. Msgr. Smith says:

"Each of the nine personality types (numbered 1 through 9) is described negatively by some compulsion, fixation, or basic driving force to avoid something unpleasant. This compulsion is seen as one's basic psychological orientation. To discover your number, you have to realize what you seek to avoid, what your compulsion is."

The personality types and the animals symbolizing them are:

|Personality |Personality Type |Related Animal |

|Number | | |

|1. |Perfectionist |terrier |

|2. |Care Giver |cat |

|3. |Achiever |peacock |

|4. |Artist |basset hound |

|5. |Observer |fox |

|6. |Team Player |rabbit |

|7. |Optimist |monkey |

|8. |Competitor |rhinoceros |

|9. |Peacemaker |elephant |

Essentially the Enneagram is an occult and Gnostic pagan self-centered system.

More and more frequently the Enneagram is sold as a " modern psychological method" to make one "more effective in dealing with others." The "spiritual" connection is downplayed and the secular "business value" is emphasized. With modern "scientific" principles espoused, who could argue with wanting "self-improvement?"

Origin of the Enneagram

First, the Enneagram is derived from a groups, called the Sufis, who are a mystical offshoot of Muslims that follow various pagan spiritualities, as will be described. Two non-Catholic men, George Gurdjieff and Oscar Ichazo, were primarily responsible for bringing this system into Western culture in modern times.

Father Mitch Pacwa, S.J. says the following:

"The Enneagram, from the Greek ennea (nine) and gram (line drawing), is a system of classifying personality types based on the figure of a circle with nine points on it, [each] connected by lines. Each point stands for an ego-type that has its own distinctive vice and virtue. Each can get worse by moving against the arrow."

"I was taught the Enneagram in 1972 while a student in the Jesuit theologate. We used it in our spiritual and social life. But we noticed we were typing people incorrectly, and interest faded. "In the '80s, I saw an Enneagram industry develop, but the versions being taught were contradictory. So I did research. The Enneagram is supposed to be ancient Sufi wisdom, thousands of years old. But the Sufis, who are Muslim mystics, aren't that old of a movement. The diagram itself can't be older than the 14th or 15th century. It was discovered in the 1890s in Central Asia by a Greek-Armenian occultist named George Gurdjieff. He got it from a secret brotherhood of Sufis called the Naqshbandi, who were using it for numerological fortune-telling. Gurdjieff, a charlatan and a swindler who was into gnosticism, taught it to his disciples as a symbol of the cosmos. Gurdjieff died in 1949 but left followers. Oscar Ichazo, a Chilean who claimed to have had out-of-body experiences since childhood and studied all sorts of psychic practices, learned the Enneagram from such a group."

"In the 1960s, Ichazo devised a personality system of nine types -- each with its animal totem -- matched to the Enneagram. Esalen Institute psychologist Claudio Naranjo, another admirer of Gurdjieff, collaborated with him. Naranjo spread the Enneagram through Esalen classes."

Dorothy Ranaghan confirms the background. About Sufis she writes:

"There is much in the zeal, devotion and asceticism of Sufis that is admirable. Yet, in contrast to the contemplation and the yearning for holiness of the Muslim mystics of former ages, contemporary Sufism, which claims over 40 million adherents, has become a mix of pantheism, magic and rationalism with a belief in telepathy [ calling it projecting "baraka"], teleportation, foreknowledge, transmigration of souls and a denial of a personal God."

Dorothy Ranaghan further confirms that George Gurdjieff was the man primarily responsible for transmitting the Enneagram into the West. He was also into occult practices in a major way, which influenced the present day New Age movement:

"[Gurdjieff's writings are] filled with descriptions of planetary influences, astral bodies, clairvoyant and telepathic experiments, and with explanations of the true significance of occult interests such as 'kundalini' and the Tarot."

For Gurdjieff, the Enneagram had secret powers not particularly allied to personality typology. "The Enneagram is a universal symbol," Gurdjieff believed. "All knowledge can be included in the Enneagram and with the help of the Enneagram it can be interpreted."

Lastly, Fr. Pacwa writes about Oscar Ichazo:

"The occult also influenced Oscar Ichazo's life and writings. At age six he began having out-of-body experiences, which led to his disillusionment with the Church. He could not accept Catholic teachings on Heaven or hell since he had been there and knew more about it than Christ and the Church. Later he learned that living in one's ego was the real hell. To gain control of his own consciousness, he studied Oriental martial arts, Zen, Andes Indian thought, psychedelic drugs, shamanism, yoga, hypnotism and psychology. He joined esoteric groups in Bolivia and Argentina and traveled to Hong Kong, India and Tibet to study mysticism." [5]

Compatibility with Catholicism

Authentic Catholic study of self is rooted in becoming holy, that is conforming as best as possible to Jesus Christ our Savior. While the Enneagram focuses on "self-improvement" via human understanding, the Catholic focuses on his or her littleness, weakness and total dependence on God's Grace. Catholic "self-improvement" means "intimate union with Christ" - the more in union we are with Him the more holy we are. In other words, dying to self, decreasing so that God may increase within us. The support and action of God via His Grace is totally missing from the Enneagram. Great spiritual works by St. John of the Cross (Ascent of Mt. Carmel and Dark Night of the Soul) emphasize properly the top place that God has in our "self-improvement" towards holiness. The Enneagram is totally self-centered - that is based on pure human ego. As with other dissenter systems, holiness is also completely absent from the Enneagram, which instead focuses on ego and compulsions. Also noticeably absent is the need for the Sacraments of the Church on the path to holiness. The Catechism of the Catholic Church clearly tells us:

CCC #2013 "All Christians in any state or walk of life are called to the fullness of Christian life and to the perfection of charity." [Lumen Gentium 40 § 2] All are called to holiness: "Be perfect, as your heavenly Father is perfect." [Mt 5:48]

In order to reach this perfection the faithful should use the strength dealt out to them by Christ's gift, so that ... doing the will of the Father in everything, they may wholeheartedly devote themselves to the glory of God and to the service of their neighbor. Thus the holiness of the People of God will grow in fruitful abundance, as is clearly shown in the history of the Church through the lives of so many saints. [Lumen Gentium 40 § 2]

CCC #2014 Spiritual progress tends toward ever more intimate union with Christ. This union is called "mystical" because it participates in the mystery of Christ through the sacraments - "the holy mysteries" and, in him, in the mystery of the Holy Trinity. God calls us all to this intimate union with him, even if the special graces or extraordinary signs of this mystical life are granted only to some for the sake of manifesting the gratuitous gift given to all.

The origin of the Enneagram certainly does not come from Catholic sources. Besides its occult roots, the Enneagram is built upon pagan beliefs. Therefore, like horoscopes, the Enneagram is absolutely incompatible with the Catholic Faith.

Father Pacwa says:

"I have two criticisms [of the Enneagram]. First, it's theological nonsense, suffused with Gnostic ideas. For instance, the nine points of the Enneagram are called the "nine faces of God," which become nine demons turned upside down. No one should speak that way. . . . And the way the Enneagram is taught is Pelagian -- self-salvation through a man-made technique, not by God's grace."

"Secondly, this is a psychological system that hasn't been tested by professional psychologists. We have no independent evidence that it's true. As a result, Enneagram experts -- who aren't necessarily aware of the occult aspects -- are making up descriptions as they go along. It's irresponsible to pass this off as true."

Msgr. William Smith in [3] states similarly:

"The basic premise of the Enneagram is that there are nine and only nine personality types; this is simply given as true, it is nowhere demonstrated as proven. To my knowledge, there are no scientific studies to determine whether Enneagram theory can be integrated with other typologies; but that would not really bother some advocates one way or the other... The more you read about it, the more it begins to resemble a college-educated horoscope; and that is not compatible with Catholic doctrine or practice. ...."

"As a tool for spiritual direction, it seems to me most deficient, even dangerous. The Enneagram is really built on a theology (?)-perhaps ideology-of self-renewal and self-regeneration that is a far cry from (perhaps contradiction of) the Gospel teaching: 'Amen, amen, I say to you, unless a grain of wheat falls to the ground and dies, it remains just a grain of wheat; but if it dies, it produces much fruit' (John 12:24)"

Ranaghan also observes that Christian proponents of the Enneagram encourage practitioners to deny their Christian standards to deal with their problems. Promoting sin to obtain so-called "self-improvement" is the exact opposite of Catholic teaching. Holiness, the Catholic "self-improvement," is based on removal of sin from our lives.

Progress in the Enneagram seems to be movement from one sin type to another sin type. Persons who are 2s (the 'nervous breakdowns' in the world) need, according to Sister Mary Helen Kelley, to 'come to conscious selfishness' for redemption. Sister Barbara Metz states that 'to come to wholeness . . . the 6 (the loyalist) needs to walk into the darkness of deviance and disobedience.'"

Deceptive Vocabulary

Enneagram terminology sounds Christian, but really is not. This is the same tactic that dissenters have used today, whereby a word's meaning was twisted to sound proper to deceive the reader. Ranaghan observes:

"Redemption, for example, does not mean, among Sufis, the saving action of God in our lives, but 'return from ignorance.' The very worst thing, according to Sufi doctrine, is 'not sin, but ignorance.' All Gnosticism flows from this premise."

Kephart offers a more detailed analysis exposing the pagan mimicking of the Catholic Faith:

Catholics using the Enneagram talk about things like saints and sin and faith and "fruits of the spirit". Using these words makes it sound legitimate. But they are only adapting these terms to the Enneagram, by giving them different definitions.

The word "saint" is used in the Sufi religion, but can have an entirely different meaning. It has nothing whatever to do with holiness. A Sufi "saint" ("wali") is a person who is illuminated to Reality. This is the word used in the Enneagram (even by Catholics): a "saint" is a person who overcomes his false self and knows and acts according to his true self.

The word "sin" is used a lot, but with a new definition. Sin is not a deliberate transgression of God's law. The word is redefined into personality traits that separate people from God or their real selves. Sin is the sinister motivation everybody has for everything they do, a part of human personality. It must be accepted and brought under control. The number assigned to a person by the Enneagram indicates what their one "root sin" is and will always be. "Sin" is also called "addiction".

"Original Sin" has nothing to do with Adam and Eve. Their "Original Sin" is a psychological condition, meaning that a person is never at any time in his life undamaged or free, but is always exposed to harmful forces. It describes the conditions in the environment which cause the imbalance among the three intelligence centers.

Another term used in the Enneagram is "fruits of the spirit". These have nothing to do with the Holy Spirit. In the Enneagram, the fruits of the spirit are good inclinations a person gets according to his number in the Enneagram. The "Holy Spirit" according to the Enneagram is not a Person at all: He is a synonym for "power" or "energy" in Enneagram spirituality (unlike the Father and Son, who are recognized as real persons).

"Prayer" is talked about as part of the Enneagram, but their definition of prayer has nothing to do with God: prayer is absorbing elements from the environment into oneself, or projecting oneself into the environment, or delving into Nothingness. "Redemption" in the Enneagram has nothing whatever to do with Christ. It is the same as maturity, which is what they call freedom from one's "false self" to one's "true self". This true self is also called the "soul", another redefined word. Even "Heaven" is given a new definition: it is only a symbol for the perfection of freedom from one's false self to one's true self.

Two other terms which are given new definitions according to the Enneagram are "faith" and "obedience". According to their definitions, a person cannot have true faith unless he has doubts. A person cannot be truly obedient unless he refuses if he disagrees; in fact, in the very act of defiance, a person is being truly obedient according to the Enneagram's definition of obedience.

Conclusion

The Enneagram has found a home in many Catholic places, both in parishes and retreat centers. Many religious support and teach the Enneagram. Unfortunately, as we learn from Church history, being religious does not prevent a person from following falling away from the Faith (apostasy) or following error (e.g. heresy) - in fact many Bishops have started heresies in the past.

Best would be to follow the advice of Pope John Paul II who said on Nov. 1st, 1982: "Any method of prayer is valid insofar as it is inspired by Christ and leads to Christ who is the Way, the Truth, and the Life (John 14:6)." The Enneagram, an occult pagan tool, is focused on self and therefore leads us away from the Way, the Truth, and the Life. Have nothing to do with the Enneagram. (

REFERENCES

[1] "Catholics and the New Age," Fr. Mitch Pacwa. See especially chapter 4 "Tell Me Who I Am, O Enneagram!" and Chapter 5 "Occult Roots of the Enneagram."

[2] "A Closer Look at the Enneagram," Dorothy Ranaghan.

[3] "Homiletic & Pastoral Review," March, 1993 issue, Msgr. William Smith.

[4] "The Enneagram versus the Catholic Church," Rick Kephart 1994.

[5] "A Conversation about Ego Destruction with Oscar Ichazo," Sam Keen in Psychology Today, July 1973.

(Reprinted with permission from Bruce Sabalaskey.)

Prolife News

Buffer Zone – National News:

The Massachusetts state law which established buffer zones around abortion clinics ten days ago, thus hampering the activities of pro-life demonstrators and counselors has been declared unconstitutional by a US district court judge. Judge Edward F Harrington decided that the law breached the constitutional right to free speech because pro-life advocates who firmly believe that abortion remains a grave moral evil must be given as equal an opportunity as their opponents to express ... their sincere message of respect for the sanctity of innocent human life. The state's attorney general has not yet decided whether to appeal. [The Boston Globe, 20 November]

Buffer Zone – Local News:

On December 13, 2000, an Albuquerque City Council committee again considered whether to pass a local ordinance that would create a “buffer zone” around Albuquerque’s San Mateo Planned Parenthood abortion clinic. The City Council Committee has voted down, 9 to 0, against the ordinance. The victory belongs to Our Lady of Guadalupe.

January 22 – 28th Anniversary of Roe Vs. Wade

Dutch Parliament Legalizes Euthanasia

The Dutch parliament approved a bill legalizing euthanasia, making the Netherlands the first nation in the world to openly permit such a policy.

The Netherlands has had a long-standing tolerance of euthanasia - thousands of cases are reported there every year. In 1993, legislators passed a set of guidelines that doctors could follow to carry out euthanasia that - it was understood – would not be prosecuted.

Switzerland, Colombia and Belgium also tolerate euthanasia. Australia's Northern Territory approved the practice in 1996, but the federal Parliament revoked the law in 1997. Others, such as Denmark and Singapore, Canada and Australia, give patients the right to refuse life-prolonging treatment.

In Oregon, voters approved assisted suicide for the terminally ill in 1994. Since the law took affect in 1997, 43 people have died in assisted suicides there. The House of Representatives passed a pro-life bill, the Pain Relief Promotion Act, in October that would restrict assisted suicides, but it faces a possible veto.

The Vatican said the law was “a sad record for Holland,” and spokesman Joaquin Navarro-Valls said it “violates human dignity.”

“It's cheaper to kill people than to take care of them,” scoffed Lori Hougens of the Washington-based National Right to Life Committee, adding: “We are very, very saddened” by the law. “It could have a terrible impact around the world. When you tell people it's OK, it can change them,” she said.

(Associated Press, Reuters, BBC; November 28, 2000)

PRAYER TO SAINT THOMAS AQUINAS,

PATRON OF CATHOLIC SCHOOLS

0 SAINT THOMAS, Patron of Catholic schools, we commend our school to thy heavenly protection.

0 ANGELIC DOCTOR, so named because of thine angelic purity and thy brilliant angelic intellect, pray for our young students that they may be pure of heart and studious in learning and thinking, and discerning in judgement.

0 UNIVERSAL DOCTOR, teacher of young minds, and synthesizer of timeless Scholastic Philosophy, teach our students to conform their lives and thoughts to the Divine Order of things.

0 MASTER OF CRYSTAL-CLEAR THOUGHT, teach us all to think clearly and in an orderly manner, and to refute the errors and confusion of modern thought.

0 SAINT THOMAS, solemnly proclaimed heavenly Patron of Catholic Schools by Pope Leo XIII, help and assist and inspire this school and all Catholic schools, their teachers, pupils, parents, and associates and benefactors; that they may form the minds and morals of our children and young people, so as to conform and be at one with the Mind and Heart of Jesus Christ our Lord, the Supreme Teacher of all mankind. Amen.

(March 7, 1997-Feast of Saint Thomas Aquinas)

The Pope's First Apology

“As I bring these considerations to an end, I would like to ask forgiveness — in my name and in the name of all of you, venerable and dear brothers in the episcopate.

“For everything which, for whatever reason, through whatever human weakness, impatience, or negligence, and also through the at times partial, one-sided, and erroneous application of the directives of the Second Vatican Council, may have caused scandal and disturbance concerning the interpretation of the doctrine and the veneration due to this great sacrament [of the Holy Eucharist].

“And I pray the Lord Jesus that in the future we may avoid in our manner of dealing with this sacred mystery anything which could weaken or disorient in any way the sense of reverence and love that exists in our faithful people” — from Pope John Paul 11's encyclical Dominicae Cenae “On the Worship and Mystery of the Eucharist,” 1980.

Published in the May/June 2000 issue of the St. Catherine Review

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