Monday 1 June 2015

Injustice in the Church

I read with dismay of the saga wherein a cleric of this Diocese threatened to sue a blogger for calling him out on at least repeating the idea that the Holy Spirit is feminine.  I have not seen what Father feels were personal insults by the blogger, and indeed I hope they were not insulting (which would lack charity). I have read her posting as it is now and can see nothing insulting in it, and the lady herself says she has removed nothing from the post following Father’s threat of legal action. Amidst today’s’ fixation with ‘loving everyone’ (being ‘nice’ to everyone), knowledge of what true love is (caritas, agape) will be lost if we start suing each other for acts of fraternal correction; acts which foster orthodoxy and holiness in another soul.

The lady blogger is not alone in getting into hot water with the clergy; I myself was described as ‘disruptive’ for questioning two priests who, while instructing a Catechists group, said that mortal sins need not be confessed in kind and number (which runs contrary to CCC #988, and Pope St John Paul II’s Misericordia Dei, #3). I’ve also heard first-hand accounts of laity feeling publicly rebuked by clerics for attempting to receive Holy Communion on the tongue.

While discussing marriage and sexuality at a later meeting of the same group, other instructors and indeed participants, were praising the 2014 Synod on the Family for seeking to change teachings and disciplines on marriage, sexuality and the reception of Holy Communion, accusing the Church of having formerly “used the Eucharist to punish the divorced and remarried”. I was compelled by conscience to ask, “But how does this fit with 1650 in the Catechism (“If the divorced are remarried civilly, they find themselves in a situation that objectively contravenes God's law. Consequently, they cannot receive Eucharistic communion as long as this situation persists. For the same reason, they cannot exercise certain ecclesial responsibilities...”) which repeats the Lord’s words that to divorce and marry another is to commit adultery?” One cleric told me to “consider the fact that our Lord gave Judas the Eucharist at the Last Supper”; I was then asked by a participant, “And what about during the feeding of the five thousand? I wonder how many of those were in second marriages?” I pointed out that this was not the Holy Eucharist since this was not instituted until the Last Supper, which was dismissed as incorrect.

What these examples seem to show is that clergy and educated laity appear to care little for orthodoxy and orthopraxis; they would rather follow the world’s idea of mercy (which is to simply ignore the sin or even call it ‘good’). What is more, it seems that such clergy and educated laity are the ones chosen to undertake teaching roles; those priests and laity loyal to the Faith being ‘passed over’ (it is rare in my experience for orthodox folk to be invited to lead educational sessions). It may well be true that as Father Dickson says, the authorities of today are good-hearted men who believe they are serving the cause of God, and I myself would not doubt that. But good will does not excuse acting contrary to the Faith as taught in the Catechism or ignoring Canon Law. After all, one cannot stand before God claiming degree and doctorate training as the excuse for bad teaching when Holy Mother Church has clearly taught the Truth. Can there be a pleading of invincible ignorance there?

I am growing tired of the oppression faithful Catholics receive from the Church.  I have personally witnessed this numerous times and been on the receiving end more than once myself; even from those who claim to be “open to the gifts of young people” ; urging others to be the same (it seems to me that the gifts they speak of are those of making the liturgy entertaining or of reducing moral teaching to the ignoring of personal sin to tackle social injustice). Sadly, those liberals who cry ‘injustice’ are often unjust and uncharitable to their own (faithful) Catholic brethren.


I cannot help but ask myself why priests and laity who flout liturgical Norms and teach contrary to the Catechism go unchallenged and are -it seems- rewarded by being given teaching positions. I’m not saying that everything they teach is wrong or that there are not other ways of getting doctrine and law across, but it is never acceptable to defy Canon Law or contradict the Catechism when teaching the teachers.

16 comments:

  1. I commend your courage Fr Gary! I know only too well the chaos and chronic dysfunction you describe in the above post. I've been a victim, lost my job first as school teacher and then as a pastoral associate. I have been banned from teaching in educational institutions in the Church in Australia. This chaos and dysfunction is a culture in the Church which is toxic and sterile. Hence, the mess and why the level of holiness is so low in the Church in the West. By the way, we too have Catholics, no doubt bishops and priests who refer to the Holy Spirit as Spirit without the holy and consider Him to be feminine as well operating independently of the other two persons of the Blessed Trinity.

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    1. Thank Greg...I'm happy to say this is one of Andrew's (rare) postings!
      Your experience is not unique I know a guy who was reprimanded a catholic school by an RE inspector for teaching that the sacraments were the primary channels of grace!) , and is a great indictment of the Church today.
      God Bless.

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  2. Well done Andrew or should I say Mr Tie. I commend you on your post and the accurate diagnosis of the current mess in the Church. Keep up the battle.

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    1. Thank you, Gregkanga.
      I just keep on saying what I believe to be true.

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  3. Yes Andrew,

    There is much lack of Charity in the Church these days - particularly amongst the liberal reformer groups.

    I receive on the tongue, after a distinct bow (no altar rails) since my hands are not anointed and I never receive from the un-annointed hands of a lay distributor. If any priest, or lay distributor for that matter, took me to task for that, I would very clearly put them in their place, in no uncertain way - but after Mass, and outside the church of course!

    As for the reception of the Body and Blood of Christ, the Church cannot change its practice, for “pastoral”, whatever that means, or any other reason.

    And lets not kid ourselves, very few adulterers or sodomists, “yearn” to receive Holy Communion, nor I suspect do the majority even understand or believe in the Real Presence. No what they seek and yearn for, is social approval for their sinful ways.

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    1. Thank you, Jacobi.
      I cannot see how we can retain our belief and not live with laws which ensure we live out that belief. Doctrine unrelated to pastoral practice makes no sense to me.

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  4. Its always a choice isnt it for the divorced and re-married person. Do i love God so much that i want to continue receiving him in Holy Communion or do i want to re-marry and fòrego the sacraments.

    I was recently on a course where a priest said he would not refuse anyone who presented themselves for Holy Communion even non-catholics. When i said what about kneeling and receiving on the tongue he shrugged it off and said thats different.

    Your comments are brave Andrew well done

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  5. Dear Andrew,

    Thank you for this articulate and honest appraisal of the situation. Everything you say is so true.

    Several years ago we managed to get in to do a talk on chastity/pro-life to some Catholic students in your diocese. At the end, a lad of about 15 raised his hand and asked: ''If everything you say is true, then why is it that my teachers have told me, since I was 10 years old, (!) that it was OK for me to have sex when I wanted as long as I felt OK about it?''

    It is a situation that prevails in most dioceses and it is indeed rare for orthodox teachers/catechists to get a look in. Of course, there are orthodox educated laity, but in our experience, and that of friends we know, they are generally not welcome.

    So many children and young people are in spiritual and physical danger because of the prevalence of false teachers/false teaching which you describe here.

    It is always good to see how Fr. Dickson and yourself manage to say things with such measure and charity. This is truly caritas.

    In Christ
    Alan and Angeline

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    1. Thank you both.
      The 15 year old replicates what my friend and I had at school -nothing about doctrine but loads on social justice from a worldly standpoint. Yes, the situation is in all Diocese but for the rare exception, and as Fr Dickson says, it is because it is so widespread that it is a case of the hoodwinked leading the hoodwinked, confirming one another in their errors along the way.
      God Bless

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  6. Very good post. These things may be swept under the carpet, but they are known in Heaven. The Blessed Virgin prophesied in Ecuador regarding the travesties that would occur in the latter half of the 20th Century. There is also the revelation to Pope Leo XIII, which prompted him to write the St Michael prayer. Yesterday I stumbled across the following from the Dolorous Passion of our Lord. Anne Emmerich is speaking of Satan being bound: "...he will be unchained for a time fifty or sixty years before the year of Christ 2000."

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    1. Thank you for your comment, Mr Lewis.
      The revelation of Pope Leo XIII is well known. It seems likely that we are living in the times when the devil is unleashed.
      God Bless.

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  7. Hi Andrew
    Doubtless you read my letter in the April issue of Northern Cross which was responded to (I almost said answered) by Joe Hughes the Diocesan Director Oof Education. The May issue includes refutation by yourself & others of his comments.
    Talking to Catholic teachers this week they claim that the teach according to the diocesan syllabus which is based on the E&W Bishops' Conference. If that is the case then (in my opinion) there are some who will be asked some searching questions before the Throne of God for giving children a diluted form of Catholic teaching.
    How are the laity to expected to uphold the Faith in the family when they are undermined in the schools?

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  8. Thank you David.
    My letter to N/C was prompted by those from Mr Hughes and Ms Leece which sought to refute what you were saying, and I wanted to give experiential support to your letter. i do not know what the current syllabus is but I doubt it will be much of an improvement on what I had at school. I have found what is taught in adult catechises to be very disturbing.
    God Bless.

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  9. Utter bilge. People are dying. Orthodoxy no. Mercy yes.

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    1. Thanks Fred, but mercy has to be orthodox to be mercy, since it must follow the Lord’s example of “go and sin no more”. Pretending sin is not sin is like pretending ascites is simply weight-gain: fatal. As a health care student I would be charged with neglect and incompetency should I so pretend to a patient.
      God Bless.

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