HEALING THE FAMILY TREE
”Find out more about this exciting Scripture-based approach to healing that has been recently "rediscovered" to deal with "generational bondage" resulting from "the sins of the parents being visited upon the children to the third and fourth generation."
“To arrange to have a Mass or Masses celebrated for the intention of your personal family tree, or for the healing of any possible bondages afflicting the body, mind or spirit of any family members, living or dead (and also for the prevention of disorders in future family members who do not yet even exist)” the Rev. John H. Hampsch, CMF
The idea that our problems are caused by ancestral sin or some curse is a charismatic novelty. Without foundation in the Catholic faith, Healing the Family Tree is designed to release people from some supposed ancestral bondage or curse. According to its proponents when the family tree is healed present and future generations are freed from ancestral bondage. They base their theories on Exodus 34:6-7;
"The LORD, the LORD, a merciful and gracious God, slow to anger and rich in kindness and fidelity, continuing his kindness for a thousand generations, and forgiving wickedness and crime and sin; yet not declaring the guilty guiltless, but punishing children and grandchildren to the third and fourth generation for their fathers' wickedness!"
First of all, Healing the Family Tree denies free will and holds our ancestors’ sins responsible for our own actions. According to our faith, baptismal grace frees us from Original sin. If we are freed from our first parent’s sin, how is it that recent generation’s sins can hold us in bondage?
Blaming ancestral bondage negates personal responsibility, but what is worse, it turns people into victims of ancestral sin. For sure some human traits are hereditary, but not because of generational bondage but because of inherited GENES. All inherited traits are genetic. Non-genetic "inherited" traits are LEARNED through constant contact with people with those traits. Neither blessings nor curses DO anything; unless acted upon by the recipient. Taking blessings and/or curses to be things with intrinsic power is a sin of idolatry. There are no generational curses, generational bondage or inherited demons. Healing the Family Tree is bad science and very bad religion!
Generational bondage has no Scriptural basis and there is nothing about it in the Father’s writings either. This purely human invention was lapped up by the Charismatic Renewal and its silly priests are now running around, using the sacrifice of the mass to perpetuate this novelty. One of them is the Reverend John H. Hampsch, CMF.
Fr Hampsch is peddling his wares. Charismatism is BIG business!
“You may want to prepare an ancestor chart, descendant chart, pedigree chart, genogram or other listing of names of family tree members.” Rev. Hampsch
Genogram? He had us naming the aborted and the stillborn from past generations. "Write them down on paper and put it in the offertory; there will be great rejoicing among these souls when a mass is finally said for healing your family trees.” Really Fr Hampsch, you have to stop consulting Hollywood Theology! Actually, generational bond was the brainchild of an Anglican physician. But that is another story.
