Michael Brown has warned of the dangers of Reiki in the past. So have I. In fact, as I mentioned in this post written back in 2005, the La Salette Missionaries have offered Reiki at their Center for Christian Living in Attleboro.
And as this website explains, Patricia Warren, who has been voted "most recognized Reiki Master in Massachusetts," by Spirit of Change Magazine, has developed the "Touch of Compassion" - a "Christian Approach" to Hands on Healing, which she offers at Ruah Spirituality Institute, Adelynrood Conference Center, La Salette Center for Christian Living, and numerous Episcopal and Unitarian churches.
Ms. Warren apprenticed with Guru Sewak Singh Khalsa and practiced reflexology and energy massage while studying kundalini yoga, numerology, meditation and the Sikh religion. She has also studied Transcendental Meditation and hatha yoga.
The Ruah Spirituality Institute is, in reality, a New Age organization which offers Centering Prayer, Reiki, and "Eco-Spirituality." According to the Institute's website (go here), it will be offering An Evening with James Carroll, the former Catholic priest and Boston Globe columnist who has come under fire for his anti-Catholic views and his revisionist history regarding the record of Pope Pius XII. See this Catholic League article for example.
13 comments:
Boy, did this need to be done! Let's hope it does some good. I have been sickened by ads at a retreat center for Reiki, and even at one of the beautiful California missions up the coast.
Sandy, how right you are. What a comforting thought that Our Lady leads us in this battle between Catholic Truth and New Age occultism.
With faithful retreat centers such as the Divine Mercy Shrine, why would anyone visit places like Attleboro where the New Age has practically been enshrined? I'll pass on Attleboro. I don't know about Enfield. But definitely not Attleboro.
I don't understand. Since when did the Catholic Church side with the scientific community. Aren't they still debating evolution?
As for Reiki, and all energy work therapies, there are scientific findings that this energy work is very beneficial to healing, especially with cancer patients.
Saying that Reiki is a "danger of malevolent forces" is like saying that cell phones are of evil as well. And I see priests and nuns using them all the time. This is absurd.
Jesus taught us by example. He taught that the way to the Father is through him. He used healing touch continuously.
The Holy Spirit is an energy that guides us to share God's love with each other.
Eastern Medicine taught us a tool to share healing touch with others. It in no means is a contection with Satan. Though, I am sure that Satan would be happy that the Bishops are against this loving compassionate way of reaching people on a mind, body and spirit connection. My understanding of Reiki and the power of healing touch has brought me closer to God, and I am a devout Catholic.
I think it would be wise for the bishops to go out and have a Reiki treatment for themselves before condemming it. Is it a high spirituality that the bishops are afraid of, or is it another excuse to keep control over the average Catholic in their own spiritual growth.
Reiki is incompatible with Christianity Anika. In a March 25statement, the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops’ Committee on Doctrine says Reiki therapy is based on “superstition,” “not compatible with either Christian teaching or scientific evidence” and “inappropriate” for use in Catholic hospitals and other Catholic institutions such as retreat centers. It also opens one up to the danger of evil forces. End of story.
I am writing because I see that you have used my name in your comment/letter. I have been teaching Reiki for over 20 years, and yes I have studied with many teachers throughout the world. I have an open mind, and open heart....and I am not afraid to "experience" things for myself rather than be told what to believe.
Ironically you leave out the part of my spiritual path that talks about how Reiki brought me back to my Christian roots. Reiki brought me back to the "church". I was so overjoyed that I developed a specific workshop for Christians who wanted to learn more about assisting the process of healing. A Roman Catholic priest sat next to me the first time I taught this workshop and encouraged me to bring it out into the world. There is nothing "occult' about it.
There are many ways to praise Jesus, I saw that first hand when I traveled through the Holy Land gathering more information on healing.
I have taught many, many Roman Catholic priests and nuns as well as Episcopal priests and monks Reiki....it has only helped them not hurt them.
There seems to be more outrage in a simple healing method used mostly by lay women to help people when they are in pain, then during the many years of the Church Sex Abuse Scandal....talk about "dangerous"......
Pat Warren
Ms. Warren, you write, "I have an open mind, and open heart....and, I am not afraid to 'experience' things for myself rather than be told what to believe."
It is good to have an open mind. But as Gilbert Keith Chesterton reminded us, "Merely having an open mind is nothing. The object of opening the mind, as of opening the mouth, is to shut it again on something solid."
You also write, "Reiki brought me back to my Christian roots." Apparently not back enough. Ours is a hierarchical Church Ms. Warren. The Bishops teach in the name of Christ and with His authority. They have been given this mandate. You haven't. And they cite the danger of malevolent forces.
Ms. Warren, you haven't mentioned whether or not you are a Catholic. But it would appear that such is not the case. Those of us who are authentically Catholic (as opposed to being so in name only but really exterior to her communion- read and meditate on Lumen Gentium 14) listen to the Lord Jesus Who said to His Apostles, "He who hears you, hears Me."
You wrote, "Just remember Mr. Melanson.....women gave birth to the men who are making the rules which limit what they can and can not do in the "institution" of the Church."
While you may consider the Magisterium of the Church to be nothing more than a bunch of men "making rules," faithful Catholics understand that the Pope and the Bishops who are in communion with him constitute the Magisterium of the Church and teach in the name of the Lord Jesus and with His authority.
It's not men who decided that women would not be priests Ms. Warren. It is the Lord Jesus Whom you do not respect. As explained in the Catechism of the Catholic Church for example, "The Lord Jesus chose men (viri) to form the college of the twelve apostles, and the apostles did the same when they chose collaborators to succeed them in their ministry. The Church recognizes herself to be bound by this choice made by the Lord himself. For this reason the ordination of women is not possible." (No. 1577).
In Romans 13: 1-2, the Holy Spirit tells us through St. Paul, "Let every person be subject to the governing authorities. For there is no authority except from God, and those that exist have been instituted by God. Therefore he who resists the authorities resists what God has appointed, and those who resist will incur judgment."
You might wish to reflect prayerfully on this Word of God.
Pat writes, "women gave birth to the men who are making the rules which limit what they can and can not do in the "institution" of the Church."
What's her point? The first woman (Eve) introduced sin and disobedience into the world. Pat, like ost feminists, has a distorted view of the priesthood and what constitutes "power." Mary, the Mother of God, far surpasses all priests and saints combined and she wasn't called to the priesthood either.
Pat forgets that no one, not even a man, has a "right" to Holy Orders: "No one has a right to receive the sacrament of Holy Orders. Indeed no one claims this office for himself; he is called to it by God." (CCC, 1578).
The priesthood is not about "power," it's about service. Pat needs to pray for more maturity.
One last time-
Remove my name and bio from your letter...
Had I know I was dealing with fanatics I would of never responded with a dialogue. You are defaming my character by your own judgments. Find someone else to use to prove Reiki is against your beliefs. I'll continue to do God's work in my own way....feeling blessed and thankful that I have found Reiki as an expression of God's love.
Stop judging people....or at least look to your own and clean up that mess first.
One last time.....take my name, my bio off your letter...off the web
"Remove my name and bio from your letter...Had I know I was dealing with fanatics I would of never responded with a dialogue. You are defaming my character by your own judgments. Find someone else to use to prove Reiki is against your beliefs. I'll continue to do God's work in my own way....feeling blessed and thankful that I have found Reiki as an expression of God's love.
Stop judging people....or at least look to your own and clean up that mess first. One last time.....take my name, my bio off your letter...off the web"
Ms. Warren, perhaps this will come as a surprise to you but faithful Catholics also possess freedom of speech rights. I have not included your "bio" at this Blog. Only a few facts gleamed from your website and proper attribution is given. As for citing your name, that is my right.
You say that I am defaming your character. How so? Do you even understand what defamation is? I have merely cited facts. Facts which you obviously do not want others to be aware of. Why is this Ms. Warren? If you really stand by Reiki over and against what the Committee on Doctrine of the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops have clearly taught, what's the problem?
If anyone has engaged in defamation of character Ms. Warren, it is yourself. You have labelled those who frequent this Blog (as well as myself) as "fanatics." You have implied that I am a "zealot" and less than adult because I accept the teaching of the Bishops.
It is you who have been uncharitable.
At her wbsite, this New Age advocate says that she "delivered the homily" at St. Paul's Cathedral in Boston during Holy Week.
Delivered the homily? Only a priest or deacon can "deliver a homily." What sort of nonsense is this woman up to?
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