Tab Hunter & Roddy McDowall have their cake and sausage, and eat it too.
The Cafeteria is Closed blog has a post which appears to promote the legal recognition of homosexual unions and accept notions about the nature of homosexual activity that have caused some controversy. There are currently over 400 comments on the post.
After the jump, I will respond to what I read in Gerald's post and in some of the comments. Some of what I say, I will have said before, but I went through and edited things, updated links, and made an effort to tighten what is intended to be a fairly thorough response to the thoughts expressed by Gerald and others commenting at The Cafeteria is Closed blog.
Although the response is lengthy, it isn't just an articulation of my unsupported opinions, hence the links and the length.
One of the reasons error is so widespread in society is that it takes effort to come to know the truth, and refuting errors can involve writing a whole book-length response to properly refute errors that can be rattled off in a few sentences. Many people aren't interested in the work entailed in learning the truth or refuting error, and this is especially so when the errors appeal to them because of an attachment to sin.
I'm not suggesting those things of Gerald, but I do contend that Gerald has sort of gone off the deep end on this issue.
My response to Gerald is after the jump. Please add your comments at the end.
In 2003, Father Joe Baca, of the Fresno, Calif., diocese — and who, for a time, was permitted to celebrate the Tridentine Mass at St. Agnes Mission Church in Pinedale, Calif. — was removed from public ministry by Bishop John Steinbock.
Father Lastiri is still in public ministry. In June 2006, he was named Diocesan Director of Liturgy and Worship and Evangelization. On March 5, 2007, he was named administrator of Our Lady of Mt. Carmel Parish in downtown Fresno, and he currently heads the diocese's (newly-renamed) Office of Justice, Liturgy, and Worship.
Meanwhile, Father Baca's situation, like that of Arlington, Va., priest Father James Haley, remains in a sort of limbo.
Readers might recall my coverage of Father Joe Baca, of the Fresno, Calif., Catholic diocese. Father Baca contacted me in recent days and seemed distraught. I was, and still am, concerned for his well-being.
Thankfully, Father Baca is working with Joe Maher, president of Opus Bono Sacerdotii ("Work for the Good of the Priesthood"), who has issued the following update to Father Baca's unsettling situation:
'I just talked to Father Joe Baca at length. He assured me that he was not suicidal; however, he is utterly exhausted and has lost just about all hope. He received a letter from his bishop via e-mail on Monday which I believe threw him into a state of emotional and physical shock. I cannot say more than this due to the confidential nature of canonical cases. I asked Father Joe to send me a copy of the letter and I may talk to his bishop personally to see what can be done to ease his pain and bring some justice to this situation. I don't want to give anyone false hope because bishops often act at their own discretion regardless of canon law. We shall see.
'All that being said, and based on the thousands of priests' cases we deal with, and one new priest a day on average contacting us for help, Father Joe is in a state of crisis. Now more than ever, he needs the kind of love and support you are giving him here. Very few priests have such a network. When I can give a further update, I will.
'May Our Lady of Priests be Father Joe's, and your, health and protection.'
Please pray for all priests, particularly those who are suffering for the cause of the Faith!
San Francisco Archbishop George Niederaurer is scheduled to give an address about pornography and its effect on human dignity and sexuality during the annual Charles E. Miller, C.M. Symposium March 11 at St. John's Seminary, Camarillo. (Here's the article: Archbishop to address 'Assaulting Human Dignity' in seminary talk.)
However, Niederaurer has done nothing substantive to clean up the homosexual pornography that is occurring right in his own archdiocese and even in one of his own parishes, Most Holy Redeemer, where last October he gave our Lord Jesus in Holy Communion to two sodomite drag queens dressed up as "Sisters of Perpetual Indulgence." MHR has a long history of pro-homosexual activism, including having held bingo games where prizes included porn DVDs and sex toys.
During the West Coast Walk for Life in January, president Anthony Gonzales of the St. Joseph's Men Society asked the archbishop if he would excommunicate the twisted Sisters or at least put an interdict on them. Archbishop Niederaurer gave this non-response: "I'm planning on walking for life." (To watch the video, go to St. Joseph's Men's Society and scroll about 1/3 of the way down the page to "The Refusal of Archbishop Niederauer.")
So, it is truly ironic that Archbishop Niederaurer would give a talk to seminarians on pornography, while at the same time he does nothing to address the pornography in his own diocese.
My thoughts:
The Archdiocese has known about the Sisters of Perpetual Indulgence for a long time and knew of their involvement at Most Holy Redeemer Parish prior to Niederauer's decision to give the Blessed Sacraments to drag queens. Most Holy Redeemer Parish is known for its homosexual-friendly atmosphere and involvement in homosexual activism.
I must warn you that parts of this linked YouTube video detailing Most Holy Redeemer Parish involvement in a "pride" parade are obscene. (Note: Gavin Newsom, the mayor of San Francisco, makes an appearance):"Gay Pride" in the Archdiocese of San Francisco
At Saint Peter Chanel in Hawaiian Gardens, CA, USA, there was a older form low Mass for a few months. One day as Mass was ending the pastor announced that the head of his order had told OMV priests to stop saying the older form of Mass because providing the TLM was an "apostolate" that the OMV does not embrace. He also said that the 170 person average Sunday attendance was insufficient to justify the Mass there. Some parishioners expressed their dismay, but the pastor was adamant.
Some parishioners began writing to the superiors of the OMVs.
Here is an example of a response:
Dear Ms. _,
I want to thank you for your email and the concerns you shared regarding the Tridentine Mass at St. Peter Chanel. I can understand how the news you have heard regarding the celebration of the extraordinary form is difficult. I appreciate the opportunity to clarify what has happened and to reaffirm our uncompromised fidelity to the Holy Father and the Magisterium of the Church.
The decision to no longer offer the extraordinary form was made by our Major Superior in Rome in consultation with his Council. He arrived at this decision after careful study of the Motu Proprio in light of our charism and the needs for the people we serve. Each Religious Community and Institute of Consecrated Life, under the direction of its Major Superior has the freedom to determine which apostolic works they wish to undertake according to their charism and spirit. This freedom is described in Article 3 of the "Motu Proprio" and is given to the Major Superior by the Holy Father.
The decision of our Major Superior for our religious community does not mean we not recognize the beauty and the validity of this extraordinary form permitted by our Holy Father, or the real need it provides for some of the Catholic faithful. It means simply this is not an apostolic work that our Major Superior wants us to undertake as a Congregation.
As stated in Article 7, the bishop has the responsibility to provide this form to the Catholic Faithful in his diocese to meet their spiritual needs. We have encouraged those who feel called to worship in the extraordinary form to pursue the options available by the diocese. For example, this extraordinary form continues to be offered in the diocese, and we have encouraged the faithful to attend this Mass if they are feel called to this particular form of worship.
We are grateful to God for the opportunity to offer the beauty of the liturgy to thousands each week. Like the extraordinary form, these liturgies are reverent, prayerful and spiritually nourishing. There have been and continue to be great miracles that take place at St. Peter Chanel parish. Whether it is the approximate 800 people who attend the four daily Masses, the 8,000 people who attend the 12 Sunday Masses or the many hours of confessions on a daily basis, God is working in and through Oblate priests and the parishioners in a powerful way. Our commitment to this spiritual work of mercy, along with the many good works at St. Peter Chanel we pray will only continue.
I thank you again for taking the time to write me. I hope I have helped to clarify your concerns.
With my prayers and warmest regards in Christ,
Fr. Bill Brown, OMV
Provincial
Oblates of the Virgin Mary
Fr. Z correctly concludes:
In a nutshell, must we conclude that the OMV’s have determined that they are somehow separate from the rest of the Church in regard to use of the fullness of the Roman Rite? That’s is what it looks like. They don’t have the "charism", a slippery term, to provide for the spiritual needs of people through the TLM. They have an apostolate that excludes such people.
Okay. That’s their choice. Too bad.
Apparently the parishioners are still writing and working to resolve this situation and the Provincial has been communicating with the Rector Major, Fr Patrice Veraquin, OMV.
I'm at a loss. What could these priests and superiors be thinking? The Extraordinary form of the Roman Rite is not only a treasure of the Church, it is also a right of the faithful. If the Oblates are claiming their charism is not to serve all Catholic parishioners in their parishes, then it would follow that they are essentially claiming that serving in parishes isn't their charism.
False compassion and human respect are, in my opinion, a large part of the reason for much of the corruption in the world and the Church.
Apathy, lukewarm faith, attachment to sin, and obstinacy in sin are not helped in any way by false compassion.
Sin is like a cancer. Imagine an oncologist having a compassionate attitude toward the cancer killing his patients! Although those patients might suffer less in the beginning because they wouldn't be forced to endure chemotherapy, more likely than not, the patients treated by such a physician would die much sooner, whereas if such patients were treated, many would very likely beat their cancer and live.
Sin is like poison. It's not compassionate to sit back and let someone drink poison.
The key is speaking the truth in love. Tone is very important when dealing with creatures as fragile, fickle, and prone to pride as human beings, who due to concupiscence, as a result of Original sin, are inclined to take the path of least resistance and follow their lower passions rather than right reason.
Although it is true that fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom, it's very important to make sure that in sharing the truth, we do not become an obstacle to its acceptance. Who wants to sign up with a group filled with members that appear bitter, angry and unpleasant? Who would join a group that sought to enlist members by insulting and condemning people?
Quoting St. Thomas Aquinas:
Fear is chiefly required as being the foundation, so to speak, of the perfection of the other gifts, for "the fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom" (Psalm 110:10; Sirach 1:16), and not as though it were more excellent than the others. Because, in the order of generation, man departs from evil on account of fear (Proverbs 16:16), before doing good works, and which result from the other gifts.
In order to judge aright, the speculative reason is perfected by "wisdom"; the practical reason by "knowledge." The appetitive power, in matters touching a man's relations to another, is perfected by "piety"; in matters touching himself, it is perfected by "fortitude" against the fear of dangers; and against inordinate lust for pleasures, by "fear," according to Proverbs 15:27: "By the fear of the Lord every one declineth from evil," and Psalm 118:120: "Pierce Thou my flesh with Thy fear: for I am afraid of Thy judgments." Hence it is clear that these gifts extend to all those things to which the virtues, both intellectual and moral, extend.
Catholics must learn their faith so as to be prepared with the questions and challenges to their Faith they will hear from those who do not believe and from those who cling to sinful lifestyles. Catholics must share their faith with others in a way that doesn't compromise the truth in any way, but still invites and attracts.
Christ did not compromise, but He remains attractive to sincere people, whether or not they have come to believe in Him.
Many non-believers will readily admit that Jesus is appealing – they claim that it's His followers that trouble them. This may be true, or it may be a excuse. Our job is to make sure we're part of the solution, and not part of the problem.
Many people will still, sadly, reject the truth, even when it is presented charitably, accurately, and truthfully. People rejected Christ during His public life, and they will reject His followers now, but we can't comfort ourselves with the false security that every rejection of the Christian method is due only to the sinfulness of those with whom we share the Holy Gospel.
Christians must walk a fine line. They must speak the truth, without compromise, but in love, with a desire to lead souls to Christ, and a prudent understanding about what may needlessly drive people away.
Note: To prevent the server from slowing down, the video is now linked instead of imbedded. You have very likely not seen much of this footage, some of which is graphic in nature, before (though it does include some familiar footage).
This video is a documentary sent to Rome giving a full photographic montage of the level of depravity to which the Archdiocese of San Francisco has fallen within the last 30 years and especially during the governance of Archbishop George Niederauer. This video was produced for the Roman Authorities to see with their own eyes what is happening within San Francisco because of the lack of Roman Catholic Leadership.
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