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New Age spirituality is particularly seductive when it apes Christian language or adapts Christian elements for its own uses. The blend of novel and familiar offers a stimulating kick of a 'spiritual experience.'
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| Tuesday, January 23, 2007 |
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Stephanie Block |
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In 2003, the Catholic lay organization Los Pequeños de Cristo presented a dossier to the Archbishop of Santa Fe, Michael Sheehan, concerning Fr. Richard Rohr and the Center for Action and Contemplation (CAC) that he founded in New Mexico. It was concerned, among other things, with the New Age and Call to Action distortions coming from Fr. Rohr and the Center. The dossier may be viewed at Los Pequeños.
Four years later, the situation continues. What follows is an examination of Fr. Rohr and the CAC’s activities since 2003 in promoting New Age spirituality and Call to Action involvement.
New Age Activities
New Age spirituality is particularly seductive when it apes Christian language or adapts Christian elements for its own uses. The blend of novel and familiar offers a stimulating kick of a "spiritual experience."
Fr. Rohr and the CAC provide a number of these experiences.
The Labyrinth: The website for the Center for Action and Contemplation describes a Meditation Garden at the Center that includes a labyrinth. A short photo-essay there shows the labyrinth being built and in 2005, the CAC held a Summer Solstice Celebration that included a labyrinth walk in the CAC garden. A brochure has been prepared by CAC to assist the meditation of its labyrinth walkers. It contains seven "messages," including "There is no one, correct lesson or message [to life]," "Life is change and transformation and repentance," "…life is not about ‘doing’ it right. It’s about ‘doing’ it."
The Enneagram: The Vatican’s recent statement, "Christ the Bearer of the Water of Life," identifies the Enneagram as New Age. Books offered at CAC’s bookstore include Richard Rohr’s Enneagram: A Christian Perspective; audio tapes by Rohr titled Enneagram: The Discernment of Spirits and Enneagram Evening; Enneagram: The Discernment of Spirits is also available on CD or DVD.
Zen Meditation: CAC holds "regularly scheduled times of contemplative prayer and silence in the Center’s Zen-like prayer room." [From a description at The Lay Contemplative website] In "A Brief History of the CAC" at CAC’s website, one reads: "One of the expressions of the radical nature of our work was our extensive inclusivity, bridging gaps within the spiritual and justice communities, building a rhythm of contemplative prayer and Zen meditation into our days, and even more fundamentally, believing that external behavior should be connected to and supported by inner guidance."
Centering Prayer: Materials sold at the CAC bookstore include a book titled Contemplation in Action, among whose contributors are M. Basil Pennington and Abbot Thomas Keating, proponents of "centering prayer" – a syncretistic blend of eastern technique with Christian elements. The CAC website invites guests to its chapel to join its community Centering Prayer: "We sit together twice a day, Monday-Friday, at 7:40 am and 4:30 pm."
New Cosmology: Catholic cosmology teaches that there is one God Who is the Creator and sustainer of the universe. There is a hierarchy of beings within the universe. Those of His creatures graced with intellect and free-will have the joy of knowing, loving, and serving Him.
The so-called "new cosmology" teaches that there is an intelligent, self-organizing, living Universe. There is no hierarchy of beings – everything is sacred. Humanity has come to a critical juncture when it must either recognize its fraternal relationship to the universe or perish.
The Sophia Center at Holy Names Uni
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