Friday February 9, 2007
Maronite Church Bishop: We're 100% Pro-Life; We Don't Preach the "Comfortable Gospel"
By John-Henry Westen
WASHINGTON, February 9, 2007 (LifeSiteNews.com) - One of the Rites in the Catholic Church other than the Roman rite, is the Maronite Rite. While centered in Lebanon where the Maronite Patriarch resides, it has adherents throughout North America as well. The Maronite rite is unique for its celebration of central part of the Mass in Aramaic - the language Jesus spoke with his apostles.
One of the hundreds of bishops who attended the March for Life Mass in Washington DC last month, was Maronite Bishop Gregory John Mansour who oversees the Maronite rite for all of the Eastern United States.
Bishop Mansour spoke with LifeSiteNews.com about the Maronite rite's involvement in pro-life work. "We are a Church with the all the rights and responsibilities of preaching the Gospel," he said, "the fullness of the gospel - not the comfortable gospel but the whole Gospel of Life." The Bishop added that Maronites are "very much" involved in pro-life activities.
Bishop Mansour also noted the presence of prelates from other rites within the Catholic Church including "Ukrainians and Athenians and Melkites." The bishop expressed joy at the great number of people of diverse backgrounds who packed the Cathedral. "It's a joy for us to come and celebrate the Mass together," he said.
Emeritus Washington Auxiliary Bishop Leonard J. Olivier was also impressed by the huge crowd which packed the Basilica. Bishop Olivier, 83, told LifeSiteNews.com, "Well, I've been here 19 years and it's gotten larger every year and every year more and more young people have come and so it's a very encouraging time. And since they are so active, they will pass on this message and this spirit to others and that will be great."
Latest Headlines
- "Manhattan Declaration" Embodies U.S. Christian Pushback against Abortion, Same-Sex "Marriage"

- Hoffman Loses Final Tally of NY-23 Race; Alleges ACORN Tampering and Fraud

- Abortion Activist Judge Hamilton Confirmed with Help of Ten Republican Senators

- CDC Reverses Gardasil Vaccine Requirement for Immigrants

- Germany Faces Economic Downturn with Plummeting Birth Rate and Aging Population

- CCHD in Archdiocese of Chicago Says it is Working to Fix Problems

- Rejection of Washington DC Marriage Referendum Challenged With Legal Suit

- Obama-Supporting Homosexual Activist to Out Sexually Involved Priests Unless they Support Gay 'Marriage

- Austrian Catholic Bishops Issue Bland Response to Govt's Homosexual Partnership Bill

- Interim Report on Catholic Sex-Abuse Says "Homosexual Identity" Not a Predictor of Sex Abuse

- Commentary on Nov 20 NewsBytes

- LSN NewsBytes - US Health Care Reform

- LSN NewsBytes - Catholic Campaign for Human Development (CCHD)

- LSN NewsBytes - Life Issues, Religion, Swine Flu, US Politics, Sarah Palin, Miscellaneous

- LSN NewsBytes - Climate Change/Global Warming

- 59 Bishops Contributed Financially to Maine Bishop's Effort to Oppose Maine Same-Sex "Marriage" Law

- Pro-Abortion Lawmakers Shower Praise on Senate Bill's Phony Abortion Compromise

Most Read this Week
- Largest U.S. Homosexual Publisher Shuts Down, Closing Major Gay Newspapers
- EWTN's Arroyo Hosts Reform CCHD Reps Who Reveal Shocking Evidence Against USCCB Anti-Poverty Arm
- Italian Mayors Order Crufixes Put in Classrooms in Revolt against European Court Ruling
- Nat'l Organization for Marriage Responds to Miss California "Sex Tape" Scandal
- Obama Evades Questioning on Stupak Amendment in FOX Interview
- French Judge Finds Hospital Guilty of "Unreasonable Obstinacy" in Saving Newborn's Life
- EU Leaders to Choose President today in Secret "Soviet Style" Meetings
- Hoffman "Unconcedes" Battle for NY-23: Recount Provides Hope for "Miracle" Victory
- "Manhattan Declaration" Embodies U.S. Christian Pushback against Abortion, Same-Sex "Marriage"
- CCHD Responds to Reform Movement
MORE NEWS:
LifeSiteNews.com Home Page
Last 10 Days
Archives
Special Reports
Copyright © LifeSiteNews.com. This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-No Derivatives License. You may republish this article or portions of it without request provided the content is not altered and it is clearly attributed to "LifeSiteNews.com". Any website publishing of complete or large portions of original LifeSiteNews articles MUST additionally include a live link to www.LifeSiteNews.com. The link is not required for excerpts. Republishing of articles on LifeSiteNews.com from other sources as noted is subject to the conditions of those sources.








Back to Top