The Elephant in the Sacristy: homosexuality and the sex abuse scandal

Catholic League: For Religious and Civil Rights

As the priestly sex abuse scandal runs its course, we don't appear yet to have reached the point where the bishops openly and honestly deal with homosexuality as an important factor.

What Catholic Women Want for Valentine's Day

What Catholic Women Want for Valentine's Day -EWTN.com

Good insights on the "genius of woman", love, and the importance of Valentine's Day.

Belgian government denounces archbishop for being Catholic

‘Belgian Ratzinger’ named nation’s primate; government blasts choice -Catholic Culture

Pope Benedict on January 18 named Bishop André-Mutien Léonard of Namur, a member of the International Theological Commission, as Archbishop of Malines-Brussels. Succeeding the influential Cardinal Godfried Danneels, Archbishop Léonard is known for his forthright defense of Catholic moral teaching and his support for Summorum Pontificum, Pope Benedict’s motu proprio on the extraordinary form of the Mass.

Deputy Prime Minister Laurette Onkelinx condemned the choice. "Church and State are separate in Belgium, but when there are problems in our society, all the social partners sit down around a table, including representatives of secularism and of religion,” she said. “Cardinal Danneels was a man of openness, of tolerance and was able to fit in there. Archbishop Léonard has already regularly challenged decisions made by our parliament."

"Concerning AIDS, he’s against the use of condoms even while people are dying from it every day," she continued. "He is against abortion and euthanasia … The Pope’s choice could undermine the compromise that allows us to live together with respect for everyone."

"The Pope’s choice could undermine the compromise that allows us to live together with respect for everyone."

Behold the thinly veiled threat. The dark lords of secularism warn that "respect for everyone" demands a "compromise" in which no one dares to challenge the government or blaspheme the sacraments of the Culture of Death: Holy Contraception, Holy Abortion, and Holy Euthanasia.

Rewriting the truth

Catholic couple clashes with church over gay rights - Pioneer Press

I won't bother critiquing the entire article. However, one example may illustrate how radical homosexualistas will distort the truth to malign anyone who stands in the way of their drive to demand social approval and legal protection for relationships that are inherently sterile and destructive to society. The author of the Pioneer Press article writes,

"Parents of gay children reel at the language in official documents released years ago by the Vatican that labels people in same-sex relationships as 'objectively disordered' and 'instinctively inclined toward evil.'"

To put it bluntly, the author either is misinformed or dishonest. Consider what the Catechism of the Catholic Church actually says:

2358 The number of men and women who have deep-seated homosexual tendencies is not negligible. This inclination, which is objectively disordered, constitutes for most of them a trial. They must be accepted with respect, compassion, and sensitivity. Every sign of unjust discrimination in their regard should be avoided. These persons are called to fulfill God's will in their lives and, if they are Christians, to unite to the sacrifice of the Lord's Cross the difficulties they may encounter from their condition.

Note that the Catechism does not label any person as 'objectively disordered', but instead applies this label to a certain kind of acts. At the same time the Catechism speaks with great sensitivity and compassion of those who struggle with inclinations or tendencies toward such acts.

Unlike the bleak, fatalistic message of many of the radical homosexualists who proclaim that many people are by nature 'gay' and must live according to that orientiation, the Catholic Church asserts the humane and hope-filled message that people are not enslaved by their desires and tendencies, and are capable of transcending even strong and deep-seated inclinations in order to live a life of holiness in keeping with the teachings of Christ.

But some people hate that truth and don't want to hear it. Rather than part company with the Church because they reject its teachings, they try to change the Church so that it no longer teaches what Jesus gave it to teach, and no longer serves as the beacon of truth that it most certainly is.

American Girl funds group advocating contraception for girls?

13 October 2005

To: Ellen Brothers, President, American Girl (ellen.brothers@americangirl.com)

Cc:
Bob Eckert, Chairman, Mattel (Jules.Andres@mattel.com);
Susan Jevens, Public Relations, American Girl (susan.jevens@americangirl.com)


Dear Ms. Brothers,

It has come to our attention that American Girl has associated itself with Girls Inc., providing funding for and promotion of several programs. However positive these particular programs may be, we believe American Girl has made a serious miscalculation in associating itself with this organization, whose philosophy seriously contradicts the traditional values of many who until now have considered themselves loyal customers and supporters of American Girl.

While the Girls Inc website supports some positive values, its message is poisoned by its promotion of contraception, abortion on demand, and a sexual philosophy at odds with Judeo-Christian values.

My family has been loyal customers of American Girl, but we can not continue to support American Girl or purchase its products so long as it continues to promote an organization whose motives and programs include elements so hostile to the authentic well-being of girls and families. Perhaps many of Your loyal customers likewise will feel alienated by AG’s apparent loss of vision, which threatens to damage its previously admirable reputation as a girl- and family-friendly business.

We heartily encourage and ask You to sever all ties between American Girl and Girls Inc.

We sincerely hope that American Girl will again live up to the high standards and worthy vision that we believe it was founded upon.

Best regards,

John and Connie Robin
...

References:

Girls Inc promotion of contraception and elective abortion:
http://www.girlsinc.org/ic/page.php?id=4.3.4

Girls Inc promotion of homosexuality among grade school girls:
http://www.girlsinc.com/ic/content/lesbianbisexualgirls.pdf"

Girls Inc and its targeting of black girls from single-parent, low-income families:
http://www.girlsinc.com/ic/content/GirlsandSexualHealth.pdf (page 6)

More information from American Family Association http://headlines.agapepress.org/archive/10/afa/132005a.asp

Archbishop Flynn says no to exploitation of Eucharist

ARCHBISHOP FLYNN WILL NOT ALLOW COMMUNION TO BECOME ‘BATTLEGROUND’
MINNEAPOLIS, USA, May 9 (CNA) - Minnesota’s Archbishop Harry Flynn has decided to take a stand against what he sees as a protest by a national gay and lesbian organization against Church teaching.
In a letter sent this week to the Rainbow Sash Alliance, the Archbishop said that he would not allow rainbow-sash wearers to receive communion in the Archdiocese of St. Paul-Minneapolis, saying that, "It has become apparent to me that the wearing of the sash is more and more perceived as a protest against church teaching.”
The rainbow-sashers have opted to make this Sunday’s Pentecost celebration the center of a demonstration in a number of dioceses across the country.
Archbishop Flynn said in the letter to Brian McNeill, Minneapolis organizer of the Rainbow Sash Alliance that, "I am asking you to remove your sashes before you receive Holy Communion” and “I ask you to observe this sign of respect for the Eucharist not only in the Cathedral but in all our parishes. No one wearing the sash will be permitted to receive the Blessed Sacrament.''
McNeill said he was disappointed but that the group was determined to go up for communion, sashes and all. The group says that they “are publicly calling the Roman Catholic Church to a conversion of heart around the issues of human sexuality.''
The Church teaches that while the orientation to homosexuality is not itself sinful, acting on that orientation, is.
The Archbishop continued in his letter that: “The Vatican has communicated to me that it does indeed consider the wearing of the Rainbow Sash during reception of Communion to be unacceptable, a directive that I believe all Bishops will adhere to. “
"The criterion for reception of the Eucharist is the same for all — recipients must be in a state of Grace and free from Mortal sin. While the decision for that judgment rests with an individual Catholic's conscience, it has never been nor is it now acceptable for a communicant to use the reception of Communion as an act of protest,'' he said.

http://www.ewtn.com/vnews/getstory.asp?number=56500

...

Some homosexual activists are not content merely to engage in homosexual acts, but also are obsessed with gaining the explicit approval of every segment of society. Therefore to them the Catholic Church, which for twenty centuries has denounced homosexual acts as immoral, must change its teachings. It is inconceivable to them that they themselves might change their behavior and embrace the teachings of Christ, or alternatively reject those teachings and honestly regard themselves non-Christians.

No, they self-centeredly prefer to claim center stage and make a show of their defiant dissent during the celebration of the Holy Eucharist, a most sacred moment in which only Christ should hold center stage. Rather than make of themselves a sincere gift to Christ, submitting themselves to His mild yoke and lifegiving teachings, they would rather take the altar by force -not to receive but to take Communion- while professing their defiance toward Christ and His Church.

The intolerance which they ascribe to the Church in truth is only their own monumental intolerance toward those who believe what Christians have always believed: that sexual relations are beautiful, magnificent, and holy between -and only between- a husband and his beloved wife.

Congratulations and humble thanks to Archbishop Flynn for seeing through this shameful attempt of a few radicals to debase the Eucharist, and for acting with the fatherly and gentle firmness that is so becoming a bishop of the house of God.

(This commentary appeared in the May 20, 2005, issue of Catholic Explorer.)

Things that Pope Benedict XVI will never do

Although Cardinal Ratzinger was elected the Successor of Peter not even two days ago, the media predictably has already begun foaming at the mouth with criticism of our new Holy Father, and with speculation about whether he is or is not too "rigid" to allow certain "reforms".

In response to some of the hot-button issues that are being bandied about in the media, the following is a short list of things that this Pope -nor any future Pope- will ever do. He will never change Church doctrine in order to give acceptance to:

elective abortion or euthanasia (or any other form of murder of the unborn, the elderly, the sick, the unwanted);
artificial birth control;
ordination of women;
human cloning;
fornication, adultery, or masturbation;
homosexual acts or same-sex marriage.

The Pope does not have the authority to declare something acceptable that is in fact intrinsically evil or contrary to the divine constitution of the Church. All of the above items have been clearly condemned infallibly by the Church as intrinsically immoral, except for the ordination of women. However, ordination of women is impossible because, as the Church infallibly teaches, the Church has no authority to ordain women because doing so is irreconcilable with the way Jesus constituted His Church.

One may or may not find persuasive the reasons offered to explain and defend any of these doctrines, but that's not really relevant. The fact remains that the Church holds these postions not as opinions, but as solemn doctrine. True Catholics willingly believe the solemn teachings of the Church.

To reject any of the Church's doctrines is to place oneself above the Pope, to whom Jesus gave final authority to decide doctrinal questions. To do so is to defy Jesus, Who gave final doctrinal authority to the Successor of Peter, and not to You and me. To reject this and still consider oneself "Catholic" is nonsense, and simply betrays a rejection or misunderstanding of the Catholic faith.

Believing something because it is persuasive does not require faith. Faith requires belief in what God has revealed precisely because God, Who is perfect Truth, has revealed it. God deserves our belief, even though His revelation can seem at times hard to understand. Because God is perfect Truth, the smartest, most logical thing in the world is to believe what He has revealed through His own Church.

The Catholic faith is not a buffet, where one can pick and choose the more appealing tidbits and reject those we find inconvenient or difficult to accept. One either accepts it whole and entire, or one does not. In between total acceptance and rejection is a no-man's land where truth can not abide, a land in which one can not offer God the total "yes" of faith which makes possible complete union with God.