Sunday 27 May 2018

The Irish Vote


Sadly the people of Ireland have voted for the killing of unborn children. I know the ‘hard cases’ always get publicity, but the answer to these hard cases should not be “Kill the children!” but “Help the mothers!” (to overcome their difficulties). Ireland’s maternal death rate being one of the lowest in the world, it had the opportunity to remain a light to the world, but has become yet another country to align itself with the Culture of Death & Darkness purveyed by the Prince of Darkness.

The source of the vote for change was not so much the pro-death politicians or the physicians, or even the people of Ireland: two things lie at the root of the Irish vote to kill: [1] a  kind of person-centred psychology which purveys relativism by saying “do whatever is right for you”; along with a script(!) which says “don’t follow any ‘scripts’ that others write for you; be your own Adult”, and [2], the failure of the Catholic Church to uphold the Gospel.

The window John XXIII opened to let in a bit of fresh air was not the opening of a window but the tearing down of a wall, leaving the Church open to a hurricane. And what a hurricane it was, gaining its foothold at the Second Vatican Council. From the time of the Council it appeared to many that it was a case of “All change” –and who can blame them? Almost everyone knew the saying “It’s the Mass that matters” for the Mass is the very source and summit of our lives being as it is [a] the making-present the Saviour in His Body, Blood, Soul and Divinity; [b] His Saving Sacrifice on Calvary made present to us, and [c] Heaven on earth (for where God is, heaven is). The Mass is the only thing this side of heaven that gives perfect praise and thanksgiving to God while making perfect propitiation for our sins. Its Rites were carefully preserved over 1,500 years to enshrine its supremely sacred realities -so “if we can change the Mass, we can change anything”. And not just anything but everything: the way we worship (liturgy); what we believe (doctrine) and how we behave (disciplines) –creating, in essence, all-but a new faith system.

From the days of the Second Vatican Council we have had voices calling for the sort of things the Church has always shuddered at: contraception; Holy Communion for those in formal adultery and more. The abortion vote in Ireland is a consequence of the Church taking an almost ‘about face’ turn in worship (where it is in fact a literal about face!); and about face in doctrine and an about face in discipline, leaving all things to be seen as open to change (yet not all change is good –some change is malignant). Sadly, then, it is a failure of the Church over the last 60 years that has taken Ireland from an alignment with Christ the Light of the World to an alignment with the Prince of Darkness and his Culture of Death; a culture which seeks to end people rather than problems. It cannot be any one else but Satan who is at the root of this extensive rejection of life and light. How sad that he has had so much help from so many that he has deceived even those who should have known better (those in the upper echelons of the Church) for 50 years plus…


Post-Script:

I do hope that there is no harsh judgement of the women and men who chose to abort their children when they feel faced with overwhelming difficulties and their internal and external resources to cope are virtually nil, for in reality they have been led to think abortion is just another aspect of health care and probably not told about the many post-abortion problems to be faced, of which problems there is growing evidence (cf. deVeber Institute for Bioethics and Social Research), to say nothing of the physical riks to the mother attached to abortion (cf. NHS). It is my hope that these parents find the care they need from services such as Rachel’s Vineyard, which offers post-abortion healing to post-abortive mothers and fathers. Let us not blame the women and men who have been deceived; they need our care and healing touch. Rather, let us blame the one who deceived them –the Prince of Darkness- and his collaborators in the Church. 


Friday 25 May 2018

God made him that way?


Lifesite News carries an article by Doug Mainwaring in which he relates that a homosexual man has reported that in a private conversation with Pope Francis the Pope told him “God made you gay”. CNN adds to the story:

‘Describing his encounter with the Pope to CNN, Cruz said: "You know Juan Carlos, that does not matter. God made you like this. God loves you like this. The Pope loves you like this and you should love yourself and not worry about what people say…” The Pope's words would amount to a significant departure from the teaching of the Roman Catholic Church, which considers homosexuality "objectively disordered" and contrary to God's law.’ Vatican spokesman Greg Burke told CNN on Monday: "We do not normally comment on the Pope's private conversations."

People may take this as an affirmation of the gay lifestyle by the Pope, but it is not -because it cannot be. It is not wrong for Francis to say to a homosexual ‘God loves you’, for God loves everyone He creates, but it must be followed with ‘But He calls you to a life of virtue, just as He does everyone else.’ However, if what Francis said was ‘God made you gay’ he errs in fundamental moral theology, for to say ‘God made you that way’ is to say God positively created someone with what the Church calls an intrinsic disorder. Further, it implies that Mr. Cruz is not called to battle against a disoriented proclivity that arises from original sin, since God deliberately or at least knowingly created that disorientation within him –and is it not Apostolic teaching God temps no one to sin (cf.Jas.1v13)?

It seems to me the Vatican Press Office must either deny the Pope said made this statement to Mr Cruz or clarify the Pope's words. If the Vatican Press Office continues to hold to its line that it 'does not comment on the Pope’s private conversations', then I grinningly await the day a faithful Catholic has a private conversation with Francis and emerges saying “The Pope said the best thing Catholic folk can do in this time of doctrinal and liturgical disorder/crisis is to return to the Catechism of the Council of Trent and the Tridentine Mass”. I wonder how long it would take for the Vatican Press Office to deny that had been said?