No grace in the Catholic Church? Explain this?

[Maria]

I am playing the Devil's Advocate here:

'Mystery Priest' Vanishes After Anointing Crash Victim | ABC News Blogs - Yahoo!

Here is a close up sketch of the mysterious priest as posted in the ABC New story above:

3. The German priest
Bernhard Lichtenberg

Blessed Bernhard Lichtenberg was a German Catholic priest from Ohlau in Prussian Silesia who had served as a military chaplain in the First World War. He was 62 years old and the provost of the Cathedral of St Hedwig in Berlin when Kristallnacht, the notorious Nazi pogrom, convulsed Germany.

He responded to the atrocity by closing each evening’s Mass with a prayer for “the Jews and the other poor prisoners in the concentration camps”.

On October 23 1942 he also offered a public prayer for Jews who were being deported to the death camps of the East, urging worshippers to observe Christ’s commandment to “love their neighbour” specifically in relation to the Jews.

Blessed Bernhard was denounced to the authorities. He stood trial and was sentenced to two years of hard labour in Dachau concentration camp but died “on the way”. His tomb is in St Hedwig’s cathedral.

The priest was also a courageous critic of the Nazi euthanasia programme, writing in protest to the chief medical officer of the Reich.

He was beatified by Pope John Paul II on June 23 1996.[/QUOTE]

Source for the biography has not been given by Michie who made this post at http://www.christianforums.com/t7765570-2/#post63925924

This looks like the mysterious priest. Notice that the eyes, bushy eyebrows, nose, mouth, lips, ears, and receding hairline all match. With this miracle, Father Bernhard might be declared a saint in the Roman Catholic Church.

[StephenS]

First, the article gives a history of terrible times and a courageous man who rightly went against the mob 'rule' of those terrible events. One Hamburg police inspector also challenged the mob on that appalling night.

Are the RC priest and the mysterious cleric seen at the road crash one and the same, I do no not know.

As to the former only God will judge him, and should He wish be merciful to him. As one man to another I salute his courage in those awful times. The rest is best left to God.

[Maria]

Here is the source for Michie's biography of Father Bernhard

http://www.catholicherald.co.uk/feature ... holocaust/

Scroll down to #3

And then there is this blog with other thoughts about who this mysterious priest could be, possibly Fr. Aloysius Ellacuria, a Basque-born Claritan priest, who served in Los Angeles.

fraloysius1.jpg (14.47 KiB) Viewed 2805 times

http://culbreath.wordpress.com/2013/08/ ... tie-lentz/
http://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=pl ... drxb1plcGY

[Barbara]

I don't see that they look at all the same.

I am quite interested in the story though having visited St Hedwig's, and having a few CD's of sacred music recorded at
the famous Berlin Cathedral.

However : much as I salute bravery, sometimes those who were SAID to have been sent to and died at Dachau were not
actually sent there. It's a sort of catch-all for any who disappeared and perished during those years.

If this was an ABC story the only interest that the US media, controlled as it is, would have is a Catholic supporting
the Jews.
Otherwise he would NEVER NEVER NEVER be mentioned on national coverage !

[Barbara]

A commentator on CatholicOnline said for sure it's Fr Alexius Ekka of St Joseph Church in Palmyra, Missouri.
I don't have any way to know that. But still, he would have had to be bilocating, or something ?
He could not have driven up without being seen.

Interesting that that priest has a very common Orthodox name, but quite rare among Catholics.

My opinion ? The best thing is to pray to Archangel Michael to avoid ANY and ALL accidents, simply, for
ourselves and all True Orthodox.

Miracles of course happen, but why make God intervene to help you when you could have simply avoided an entire
disaster by praying carefully every time you go out of the house ?

[Maria]

UPDATE:

Mystery priest identified as Father Patrick Dowling

• The mystery priest who recently showed up at a crash site, anointed a victim and then vanished has been identified — and he came forward by posting his identity in the comments section of a Catholic news site. The story began on Aug. 4, after Aaron Smith, 26, struck Katie Lentz, 19, in a head-on car crash. In the days that followed, the tale of a faith leader who showed up at the scene, anointed the young woman and then subsequently vanished went viral.

  But now the individual, who brought calm upon the situation and who rescue workers have been hoping to find and thank, has been found. A press release provided to TheBlaze from the Diocese of Jefferson County confirmed that the Rev. Patrick Dowling, one of the priests who works with the diocese, is the individual whom they have been seeking.

http://www.theblaze.com/stories/2013/08 ... re+Buttons

[Barbara]

Thank you, Maria ! Mystery solved.

I KNEW it was NOT that German priest. Just makes a good propaganda story.

If it HAD been a reposed German priest, as one commentator said, Fr F.X. Seelos [German emigre to East Coast
and later Louisiana] would have been likely.
Not the one pushed by the media.

I guess the firefighters say, though, that they heard 'a voice' say that their equipment would start working, and it apparently finally did after
futile efforts previous to that.

So the voice must have been a Guardian Angel - ? Several said they heard the same thing as I recall.

Anyway, I stick with the same idea that miraculous rescue or not, best to never have ANY traffic problems !