Saturday 23 May 2015

The Irish Referendum -updated after the vote

If the Irish people vote “Yes” to same sex ‘marriage’, will anyone be surprised? I don’t think so. Whereas Ireland once prided itself on being a Catholic nation it has, in recent years, shown a tendency to follow the rest of the Western world by turning from the teachings of the Truth (Christ) to the teaching of the liar (Satan). Why have they done this? They have done it for the same reasons every other Western Country has done it: they preferred the teaching of Marx, Freud, Jung and Rogers to the teaching of Christ; it made life easy, and allowed hedonistic pleasure of all kinds. They have done it because -with rare and notable exceptions such as Cardinal Burke, Cardinal Pell, and Bishop Schneider; Archbishop Cordileone, Archbishop Chaput and Bishop Sample in the USA, and Bishop Egan and Bishop Davies in the UK- Catholics have had and continue to have weak, faithless priests in the Presbyteral and Episcopal ranks. They are weak in that they have courted the popularity of the world; they wanted to appear ‘informed’; ‘wise’, ‘compassionate’ in the eyes of the educated faithless. Instead they betrayed Christ and became slaves to teachings that tickle the ears. They are those of whom scripture says “the time will come when they will not endure sound doctrine; but wanting to have their ears tickled, will accumulate for themselves teachers in accordance to their own desires” (2.Tim.4v3); they are faithless in that they have allowed themselves to be seduced (pun intended) by the attractiveness of sin and popularity. Indeed, few priests from Rome down to local parishes seem concerned with holding fast to what we have received: “stand firm and hold fast to the teachings we passed on to you” (2.Thes.2v15), but are eager to abandon it in order to avoid being criticised or attacked or to appear to be the embodiment of Christ’s mercy. Yet they known darn well that nowhere in the Gospels did Christ receive sinners without adding “go and sin no more”, which today’s priests are unwilling to do. They would rather appear to be merciful while all the while allowing souls to continue in ways contrary to the ways of Christ and salvation.  We probably all know priests of this kind, and we must pray for them. By ministering alongside them I know them to be men who mean well; it’s just that their emotional nature will not allow them to cause emotional pain to others.

The sad thing is that in 1985, many of the Bishops saw the doctrinal mess the Church was in following the Second Vatican Council and called, at the 1985 Extraordinary Synod, for a Catechism to be promulgated. A work of the entire episcopate and of theological advisors worldwide, Pope St.John-Paul II promulgated the requested Catechism in 1992 as a sure norm for the teaching of The Faith. Why then, did many of the Bishops of the day and thereafter allow doctrine to continue to deteriorate in the seminaries, schools, parishes and Diocese?  Perhaps because they had already been overcome by the spirit of the world and did not want to be restricted by the Catechism (or by Canon Law). Each Bishop became his own Pope: infallibility belonged to each Bishop they decided, and could determine what was to be taught without reference to the teaching of Scripture, Tradition or Rome. And so it has continued to this day, despite their public avowal of loyalty to Scripture, Tradition and Rome.

A cleric I know said to me recently that those priests who stand up for Truth are called theologically backward and pastorally bad, and often called to give account of themselves to their Bishops. But isn’t that easier than what the Bishops will face? They will have to account to God for the souls they have endangered and the faithful priests they have persecuted. Who would want to be in the shoes of many a bishop today? The Bishops who allow all sorts of nonsense to be taught in their Diocese and all sorts of liturgical irregularities to go uncorrected because they are done by well-liked priests; that is, by priests who are well-liked because they give Holy Communion to all and sundry and never speak about the evils of contraception, remarriage after divorce, homosexual practices, intoxication and the like. How easy it is to be a well-loved priest...

And yet being faithful to teaching and liturgical rubrics is all I personally can offer the Lord, for I am not a man without sin –who is? We are going to have to account for our sins, be they the detracting tongue, short temper, conversational innuendos, laziness etc. Only if we can offer a spotless soul to God as regards personal sin should we dare to add the sins of doctrinal and liturgical disobedience to our list. Doctrinal and liturgical faithfulness may be all we can offer Him with clean hands and heart. And honestly, how hard is it really to say what is true in our pulpits and our pastoral letters? How hard is it to follow a simple rubric such as ‘facing the altar the priest says...turned toward the people the priest says’...? It is only hard if we are focused on pleasing the people; on tickling their ears and eyes, rather than pleasing God. 

I pray the Irish have said ‘No’ today, but I doubt they will. They have had little or no real guidance or example from their clergy. 

POST VOTE:
The Irish voted ‘Yes’, to no one’s surprise. The Bishops and the Pope now have the opportunity to clearly and firmly decry the move towards co-called homosexual ‘marriage’, and an opportunity to restate clearly that while homosexuals persons must never be victims of violence, abuse or oppression, yet the homosexual ACT can in no way be approved of; that it is a turning away from Christ and His Gospel of salvation. The hierarchy have the opportunity to learn from the failure to publicly profess The Faith over the last few decades; an opportunity to call us all back to the Divine law. If they fail to do so we shall know which side of the fence they stand on (either by design or by (culpable?) ignorance. Some have already demonstrated their failure to recognise the lies of Satan by failing to clearly and consistently denounce contraception, abortion, and (now) of same-sex ‘marriage’.

Have no Fear though: society as we know it will fall apart in the next two or three centuries as evidence of the harm today’s secular ‘morality’ causes is acknowledged. There will then be a turning-back to traditional morality. It cannot be otherwise, for Satan’s hundred years as foreseen by Pope Leo XIII are probably coming to an end, and repair work will begin under the inspiration and power of the Holy Ghost. We just need good Popes, Bishops and priests aided by sound and faithful laity who are what Vatican II declared them to be: the leaven in the world a declaration woefully ignored in the last few decades so as to promote lay ecclesial roles (to avoid accusations of clericalism). With good clergy and sound laity the repair work will begin. Those of us who uphold traditional teaching in the face of odd-ball comments from Bishops and laity may well be in the minority, but “Have no fear, little flock, for it has pleased the Father to give you the kingdom”. (Lk.12v32)

27 comments:

  1. It looks as though it will be approved according to the latest news. What a sad day for Ireland where once the Faith was so strong. My husband's acestors would be horrified.

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  2. The Irish vote follows on from your last blog re 'non judgemental society' as one of the 'Yes' camp said that it proved that the Irish nation was prepared to allow all people the same opportunities which is fine so long as you don't change the meanings of words such as 'marriage' to enable same sexes to take up positions which were never intended i.e 2 men as 'husband & wife'.

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  3. Please pray for us as the persecution of the true remnant here in Ireland (rejected God and objective moral truth) becomes more vicious and formalised. No words can express the evil done by many of our bishops and priests, some more explicitly than others - their offence against God and marriage, childhood, morality, truth and their aiding of pushing souls to mortal sin in voting to impose intrinsic grave evil by law is Diabolic. Pray they repent and convert before death, and that the countless souls they've directly endangered are saved. These bishops have encouraged people to commit this terrible mortal sin of voting for an abomination to be imposed on all, and the further sacrilege of receiving Our Lord in the state of mortal sin. All done with knowledge that they are aiding, nay giving people the idea that they can commit mortal sin (the vote) and then commit sacrilege of the Blessed Sacrament, as large numbers of them will be given and receive Our Lord. And there will be no confession, repentance and absolution for the vast majority as the bishops have clearly conveyed that there is no sin (never mind mortal sin) in voting for the creation of an official sodomitical relationship to be treated as marriage. No words . . It was their grave duty to tell the people it was a mortal sin to vote for such egregious intrinsic evil, and that if they did so they could not receive the Blessed Sacrament until true repentance and absolution. I have never witnessed such evil as what some bishops and priests in Ireland have done to the souls that it is their duty to teach, preach to,
    Sanctify in Order to attain salvation for those souls. They are throwing souls to the Devil.

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  4. It's hard not to get depressed about all this, you know they are going to do it, but when they do, do it, you just can't believe they have done it.
    Can somebody stop the music, I'd like to get off.

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  5. What a sad day for Ireland...the land of saints is no more. A sad day for the Church Militant, too.

    We do need more priests, bishops, and laymen to speak up for the Truth. How can Catholics keep the Faith if they don't know it? And, why are they afraid to preach the Truth in our churches?

    I don't know how many true Catholics are left in Ireland. I do pray for the remaining handful of faithful Catholics--my brothers and sisters in the Faith--to stay strong and keep fighting the good fight.

    St Patrick, pray for Ireland!

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  6. Well said father. This has been printed off and I will give to my fellow Catholics.

    This is a sad day for Catholics around the world who have been evangelised and taught the Faith by Irish priests and brothers. A great fortress of the Faith has been destroyed and in double quick time. The blame is to be laid firmly at the feet of the clergy especialy the bishops who just were not up to the job. Pope (who am I to judge) Francis did not help either. I fact the media think he was complicit judging by his recent utterances.
    The situation may not be so bad. The notion of a Catholic Ireland has gone. But now faithful Catholics must start to build up the Church in spite of faithless clergy. Pray, read spiritual classics such as the Imitation of Christ. Pray and act. Have nothing to do with the Godless culture we find ourselves in.

    Evil forces have used the homosexuals to undermine the Church. Come on you bishops start the fight back. Where's your backbone?
    Get stuck in !

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    1. They have been colluding with the evil agenda for years - has it not of late become undeniable?

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  7. Dear Father,

    In light of the heartbreaking news from Ireland, it is refreshing to read another of your truly charitable and prophetic articles over Sunday breakfast!

    Faith and Reason are perishing together - real signs of the diabolic in our age.

    So many have never received catechesis on such basic things as Original Sin, Concupiscence, Sin, Redemption, Grace and Virtue or the Sacraments. Also post-modern education is leaving many without any grasp of the tools of logic and even of the natural order. As such, they are being led by easily manipulated emotions, peer pressure and media 'think'.

    The tickling of the ears is the real 'opium of the masses'.

    The days are difficult - May God have mercy on us all. We keep thinking of Archbishop Fulton J. Sheen's line: Christendom is dead, but Christ lives!

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  8. Well said Fr Gary. For years, two generations one could say, the Church in Europe and in most first world countries have scandalized the faithful by being more interested in politics than in holiness. Throughout this time her leaders, mainly bishops, exalted the sanctity of individual conscience against Church teaching, and imposed and substituted their prudential judgments as moral norms and truths of the faith. They allowed Catholic schools to teach Creedless Christianity and contentless catechesis. Protestant Ireland in which the faith has collapsed is the logical outcome. The teaching and practice of the Catholic faith in season and out of season is the most important contribution the Church can make to the common good of any given contemporary society and the salvation of the world.

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  9. Lynda - God love you, you are a light for Christ's Truth shining there in Ireland.

    We couldn't see anyone else who was highlighting the issue of mortal sin in voting for evil. How this must wound the Sacred Heart of Jesus and the Immaculate Heart of Mary.

    Your comments on various blogs have been a consistent witness to the truth and an encouragement to us during this past year.

    May God strengthen and protect you and yours in these dark times.
    In Christ
    Alan and Angeline

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    1. Thank you, Alan and Angeline for your witness, and your kindness to me in my suffering (all the remnant here in Ireland are suffering terribly, and in the main without the moral and spiritual leadership needed from holy bishops and priests). It breaks my heart that no one I know heard of a priest tell their congregation that it was a mortal sin to vote for institutionalised sodomy, and that same excluded one from receipt of Our Blessed Lord. Can you imagine the scale of the colluded sacrilege in churches in Ireland today?? Lord, have mercy. We must support each other in the persecution.

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  10. The comment has been circulating after Mass today the a pro gay organisation in USA has funded the 'Yes' campaign with over $20 million. Surely their sin is even greater than individuals 'conned' into voting yes

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    1. No one of reason could be conned - intimidated, given an excuse, cover, etc., yes. And led by bishops and priests to it - as they colluded with it, as with prior intrinsic evils imposed by the state. I understand at least hundreds of millions have been pumped into Ireland by eugenicist NWO funds to destroy Faith and morals by inter alia, legalising divorce, abortion, creating the tyrannical legal fiction of "same-sex marriage".

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  11. In a sense the Irish decision is a good thing. It clears the air.

    Ireland in its ignorance or indifference has voted against marriage and for a grievous sin. Implicitly heretical. Ireland is no longer Catholic and so nowhere in Europe is. We know where we are now and we must start again.

    Catholicism is no longer tribal or inherited. It is an individual choice. We can choose to accept the Ten Commandments, the Resurrection, the Tradition and Teaching of Christ's Mystical Body on Earth, the Catholic Church, or we can choose to reject some or all of them, in which case we are no longer Catholics.

    As I said, the Church must start again.

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    1. Jacobi I agree entirely with you. We must start again.
      God bless

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    2. Jacobi, this is what I think Benedict meant by the New Evangelisation, but as they say, his Papacy is history.

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    3. Without the apostate and evil-promoting bishops and priests.

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  12. At some point, Ireland apostatised and God has condemned them. He has given them up to this sin. It is absolutely terrifying. Remember how the Irish priests wrote petitions and complained about the new translation of the Mass c. 2011.

    A French King did not consecrate France to the Sacred Heart as requested by Our Lord and so 100 years later another French King lost his head and France through out her Catholicism and is now be Islamised.

    I never thought I would see God's Wrath played out in my lifetime.

    There is another country. Poland. We will see what will happen there. Thank God for the Lord Jesus Christ appearing to St Faustina as the Divine Mercy there. Remember ANY sin can be forgiven, but one must go through the Tribunal, that is Confession or the soul will face God's justice.

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  13. Excellent commentary. There's not too much any Catholic can do except keep praying for those blinded by the world and to keep publishing the Truth wherever one can, especially from the Bible. It has to come to a head sooner, rather than later...The tears in Heaven must be flowing copiously.

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  14. Thank you, Father, for this Godly work.
    I held no doubts about the outcome of the Irish vote but the reality of it has depressed me much more than I expected. This has been compounded by the wishy-washy words of the Irish hierarchy. Don't they realise that their words have not resulted in any perception of them as being relevant and wise as they probably hoped. Even many of their worst enemies would have quietly admired a strong, principled response. As it is their reward is the deserved fury of the faithful (not to mention that of God) and the contempt or indifference of the world.

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  15. Following on from 'Lynda' I too had heard of this infusion of money from NWO in the USA. But the Irish archbishop claims that the young were responsible for the 'Yes' vote & that the Church must re-engage with them. No doubt Fr you read my letter to Northern Cross decrying the lack of truly Catholic education in our schools & the response from our Diocesan Director of Education claiming that I was incorrect. I think you might see some Catholic teachers responding to Mr Hughes agreeing that religious education in our schools is much less than Catholic. Taking Ireland as a nominally Catholic country where the Church supposedly has responsibility for much of the education where does that leave the Irish clergy?

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    1. Mr ONeill, the majority of the Irish bishops and priests have been opposing the Deposit of Faith and morals for decades. Archbishop Martin no longer even pretends to uphold the tenets of the Faith. They are enemies of the Faith and have used their positions to work against it for decades. Archbishop Martin has collaborated with the anti-God and -morality state and interstate organisations on many intrinsic evils. The true faithful is a tiny remnant outside of the institutional Church for the most part. Archbishop Martin has consistently worked to destroy the moral and faith education of the young. He made clear he supported this abomination of a "law", and that he opposes and detests those who uphold the unchanging Faith whom he publicly derides on a regular basis to his atheist, Church-persecuting friends.

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  16. The next attack on the natural law will be in India. In my view Europe is already lost although one or two interesting things are happening in Greece and Sweden amongst their respective intelligentsias. We need to stop playing games here. The future is the East and the BRICS (excluding Brazil) offer hope in terms of a reinstatement of the natural law. For this to happen, the club med countries would have to break from the Washington proxy which is Brussels. Ideally France and possibly Germany (if it has any sense) would join them.

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  17. As one of Bishop Seamus's priests, you arrogantly suggest your ordinary is faithless. This is a grave error on your part. His spirituality is clear for all to see. Shame on you.

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    1. It is worth recalling that we are, in fact, priests of Jesus Christ, not of our Ordinary (who I have not mentioned in this post). It is also worth reminding ourselves that our first loyalty lies with Christ; to the Deposit of Faith He left us to hand on (traditio) and those aspects of Tradition which have been committed to writing (Scripture). What I say in this post is that the episcopate as a body is failing the Church. The catecheses in schools and general formation of the youth have failed over the last 50 years; despite thousands upon thousands having gone through our schools and youth programmes, they are not coming to Christ in the Eucharist or modelling their lives on His moral teaching. Parish catechesis too is failing the folk; fewer people are marrying, and Mass attendances are plummeting. Our Diocese has just published (in our Forward Together in Hope programme) figures which demonstrate how the Church is decreasing. What we need in the West is a radical re-think of the inadequate catechetical materials and self-celebrating liturgies we have pushed over the last fifty years that have done nothing to stem the tide of loss and in my opinion, encouraged it.

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    2. Arrogant and antagonistic

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    3. Facts are neither arrogant or antagonistic; they are just facts. In this case, that the Bishops are of divided opinion on whether or not to follow traditional moral doctrine, and that work with the youth has failed to keep them in the Faith.
      God Bless.

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