Truth is Unchanging, Available, & More Accessible than Ever! God Has NOT Forgotten Us!

Truth is unchanging no matter what people do to undermine it.

Advancement to religious vows and ordination should be barred to those who are afflicted with evil tendencies to homosexuality or pederasty, since for them the common life and the priestly ministry would constitute serious dangers (Congregation for Religious, 2/2/1961).

 the Church…cannot admit to the seminary or to holy orders those who practise homosexuality, present deep-seated homosexual tendencies or support the so-called “gay culture”….It would be gravely dishonest for a candidate to hide his own homosexuality in order to proceed, despite everything, towards ordination….Let Bishops, episcopal conferences and major superiors look to see that the constant norms of this Instruction be faithfully observed for the good of the candidates themselves, and to guarantee that the Church always has suitable priests who are true shepherds according to the Heart of Christ. (Congregation for Catholic Education, 11/4/2005) 

On the Other Hand

Since at least 1970, Catholic clergy have de-emphasized sexual sins. In fact, my 64-year-old ears can recall few homilies addressing the sinfulness of contraception, homosexual acts, masturbation, pornography, or sex outside of marriage. Are any Catholics secretly or silently gladdened by that, or by the dramatic increase in declarations of marital nullity?

Is anyone noticing the vast increases we are simultaneously seeing in abortions, cohabitation, divorce, and STDs?

Since at least the 1980s, media have inundated us with reports of abusive or inappropriate priestly behavior. Overwhelmingly, the abuse/inappropriate behavior has been of a homosexual nature. Yet, we have been effectively dissuaded from questioning homosexuality among Catholic clergy.

Did an unspoken bribe purchase the silence of faithful Catholics on homosexuality in the clergy? How could anyone think that blessing homosexual coupling is a step in the right direction? Fortunately, truth is unchanging, and no one can take it away from us.

The Legend of Big Bad Ted

Many in positions of power laughably intimated that the fault for all abusive or inappropriate clerical behavior could be laid at the feet one very bad dude (i.e., Mr. Ted McCarrick, nee Cardinal McCarrick). Yet, as per Rev Paul Sullins, PhD (2018):

1. Clergy sexual abuse is still a problem. Since peaking 35 years ago, it has declined much less than commonly thought. The decline is consistent with an overall drop in sexual assault in American society.
2. Since 2002 abuse has been rising amid signs of complacency by Church leaders, and today is comparable to the early 1970s.
3. The share of homosexual men in the priesthood rose from twice that of the general population in the 1950s to eight times the general population in the 1980s. This trend was strongly correlated with increasing child sex abuse.
4. A quarter of priests ordained in the late 1960s report the existence of a homosexual subculture in their seminary, rising to over half of priests ordained in the 1980s. This trend was also strongly correlated with increasing child sex abuse.
5. Four out of five victims over age 7 were boys; only one in five were girls. Ease of access to boys relative to girls accounts for about one fifth of this disparity. The number of homosexual priests accounts for the remaining four fifths.
6. Estimates from these findings predict that, had the proportion of homosexual priests remained at the 1950s level, at least 12,000 fewer children, mostly boys, would have suffered abuse.

Efforts to downplay the seriousness of sexual sin again kicked in after McCarrick was driven out of town! I see a need for rigorous housecleaning addressed in the rise of clerics like James Martin, Marko Rupnik, and Cardinal “Tucho” Fernandez.

No One Can Take Away the Truth! God Will NEVER Forget Us!

Truth is unchanging, available, and more accessible than ever!

Recently, my Catholic Stand editor recently shared the “Catholic Questions” website for faithfully addressing people’s concerns (12/14/2023).

Additionally, fresh off the magnificent Bible in a Year podcasts, Ascension Press has dusted off the Catechism of the Catholic Church for a daily podcast.

Also, counteracting lies of the culture obscuring our recognition of the treasures of our bodies, Saint Pope John Paul II left us with his “Theology of the Body.”

Finally, perhaps the late Pope Benedict XVI’s most incredible gift to his beloved Church was a Reader’s Digest version of the Catechism of the Catholic Church – the Compendium of the Catechism. I have assembled some sign language tools (1, 2, 3, 4) for the study of the Compendium.

Conclusion: Be not afraid!

 In times of confusion, we must remind ourselves that we always have the sacraments and the timeless teachings of our Faith.

We should also recall how recent Holy Fathers (i.e., Saint John Paul II and Benedict XVI) left us with magnificent tools for the study of our Faith: the Catechism of the Catholic Church, and the Compendium of the Catechism of the Catholic Church.