Commentary by Susan Brinkmann, OCDS
History was made in May 2017 when Women of Grace® founder, Johnnette Benkovic, now Johnnette Williams, delivered a message about the dignity and vocation of women on the world stage at the United Nations – a message delivered while standing in the shadow of the same Pilgrim Virgin Statue that first visited this global entity 65 years ago!
JD asks: “I don’t see any mention in the Catechism about Catholics being forbidden to use alternatives such as homeopathy or acupuncture to treat illnesses like cancer or diabetes. Is this true, and if so, can you tell me what documents contain this teaching?”
MM writes: “Can you please give me some insight on a book titled The Way of the Rose: The Radical Path of the Divine Feminine Hidden in the Rosary by Clark Strand and Perdita Finn. I came across it but after doing some research the authors are not Catholic and I’m unsure to trust. It is being highly promoted. I appreciate your help.”
LR asks: ” How can we bless and cleanse our house of evil spirits.”
AL writes: “A friend of mine watches a tv series on Hallmark channel called “Good Witch,” and she doesn’t understand why I’ve chosen not to watch it. She thinks it’s just because it has the word “witch” in the title, but I’ve tried to explain to her that it’s more than that, that the show seems to have a connection to the New Age cult and that, even if the magic in the show really is harmless, I would rather watch something else just to be safe. I’ve also researched the show a lot and what alarms me is that there a lot of witch blogs where the witches…that they love the show because it portrays witches as good, ordinary people. So, my question for you is, do you believe that we, as Catholics, should not watch ‘Good Witch?’ And if so, what are your reasons for it?”
DW asks: “Are you familiar with Splankna? It would fall under the general category of ‘Energy Psychology’ and uses three protocols: Neuro-Emotional Technique (N.E.T.), Thought Field Therapy (T.F.T.), and E.M.D.R. (Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing). Because the basis of this approach uses the ‘Meridian System of Energy,’ does it possess the same issues as Reiki and other new age healing modalities?”
We have had several questions in the past about Hypnobirthing® and Hypnobabies, which are programs that employ hypnosis during childbirth. Some are good, and some are bad. Here’s what I found out.
Father Richard Rohr, OFM (Wikicommons)
Anonymous asks: “I have a Protestant friend who is very interested in the writings/teachings of Fr. Richard Rohr. I’m afraid my friend may be getting wrong ideas about our Church. I don’t know why I have a strange feeling about this Priest, when I really know next to nothing about what he teaches. Do you know if his writings are orthodox and loyal to the Magesterium? Am I completely off-base, or should my friend be warned about Fr. Rohr?”
The enneagram is enjoying a new popularity these days, mostly driven by a new generation of Catholics who are seeking a connection with the transcendent in ways other than those proposed by mainstream religions. The fact that the Enneagram has occultic roots has kept many people away from the use of this device, but others are bypassing this rather significant roadblock by inventing a whole new Christian history of its roots. But how well does this new history stand up to serious scrutiny?
LL writes: “I have a son, Chris who is a reiki master and is now taking a course called The Artist’s Way by Julia Cameron. I did a bit of research on this and it looks very new age. Is this something you have touched on in your program before?”
