Conduct Of Toronto Cardinal Thomas Collins Not "Worthy Of A Christian"

Published today to SignOfContradiction.Blogspot.ca

Within the body of the Church Herself is a “perverse lust for self-destruction” according to retired Vatican Cardinal Walter Brandmueller. The Cardinal recently gave an interview in Germany and spoke candidly about the widespread dissent of Germany's Catholic Bishops. Perhaps one of our intrepid Canadian Catholic media could engage our own Cardinal Collins in a similar conversation about Canada's schismatic Bishops.

The Vatican Cardinal’s remarks zeroed in on the agenda of too many Bishops of "undermining the procreation of life in different ways and in putting into question the natural sexual identity of man and woman." Clearly this is a direct reference to decades old opposition to the Church's teaching on contraception vis a vis Humanae Vitae with its consequent epidemic of abortion, divorce, homosexuality and gender ideology. 

It is well known that the Catholic Bishops of Germany have from the very beginning laid siege to that watershed 1968 papal encyclical. But unfortunately an unofficial schism took place not only in Germany as a result of such rebellion. In Canada it played out likewise in mirror fashion—and in time. The same playbook was used, that of the autonomy of conscience.  

A policy of adherence to "political correctness"—rather than doctrine—by the Catholic Bishops has become predominant in Canada, just exactly as Cardinal Brandmueller describes, because of the risk of "execution by the Media." [Or was it perhaps also due to cowardice in facing the huge numbers of rank and file Catholics practicing the intrinsic evil of contraception?] Our own Cardinal Collins fits well into this PC scheme, although he does fancy—and often likes to portray—himself as an orthodox prelate.

But in fact Cardinal Collins has slipped into that same “dynamic of silence" which characterizes the majority of Bishops referenced by Cardinal Brandmueller, as they "silently watch the execution" taking place. Apparently the Vatican Cardinal holds to the same opinion as do I, that no one can claim “such conduct is worthy of a Christian...especially when dealing with fundamental questions concerning the teaching of Faith and Morals of the Gospel of Christ.”

He explains further by way of questioning: “For what purpose did we [Bishops] receive the Sacrament of Confirmation?” and again, “...did not the Bishops at their consecration promise that they would proclaim faithfully the Gospel of Christ and would preserve, pure and entire, the Deposit of the Faith according to the Tradition as held by the Church, always and everywhere?”

Why then does Cardinal Collins—as well as possibly every other Bishop in Canada—maintain such a silence about Humanae Vitae in his current Toronto Diocese and in his former Diocese of Edmonton? Why, in the midst of such a "self-destructive crisis" as Cardinal Brandmueller describes, would Cardinal Collins hold his peace, never issuing even so much as a pastoral letter to his sheep on this linchpin issue of chastity in similar fashion to other conscientious and truly orthodox Western Bishops who have made efforts to curb the crisis and protect the souls of those under their care? 

If the Cardinal’s courage be lacking, then why would he not simply and very briefly include the clear truth of Catholic teaching regarding the intrinsic evil of this practice on an Examination of Conscience brochure which the Diocese already publishes for his flagship Day of Confessions? Or why, during a recent exercise of lectio divina, on the subject of marriage and children, would he not expound on the Church's position, failing to make even one direct reference to Humanae Vitae and warn of the evils of contraception? Or why would he be seen to be a slacker on protecting Catholic children from "sex-ed," one of the evil fruits of the sexual revolution, even to the extent of stonewalling parents and cooperating with governing sexual perverts in the dissemination of ever-more evil programs to destroy chastity? It appears that Protestants must lead the charge to expose this evil.

It strains the imagination to come to any explanation other than the one proposed by Cardinal Brandmueller who went yet further and called for a “de-secularization” of the Church, demanding a flight from worldly thinking and contrivances to instead “follow the Truth of the Faith.”  Insisting that Bishops be a sign of contradiction to the culture at large rather than “preaching ‘Christianity light’...we should have the courage to demand a program which is in firm contrast to the societal mainstream of today and lives out fully” the commandments.

In a final exhortation, ready-made for Toronto's failing prelate, Cardinal Brandmueller exclaimed, “The Church can and must proclaim the Natural Moral Law which has been perfected by the Gospels and which is understandable for the man of good will...Thereby, the Church should not allow herself to be deflected by the [growing] resistance against her message.”

Cardinal Collins must repent of his failures publicly, make amends and immediately undertake a reformation of his Diocese in order to turn back the effects of this "self-destructive" rebellion of which he continues to be a part. Either that or RESIGN and make way for a worthy prelate who will undertake a reconstruction of an authentic Catholicism in Toronto diocese.

March For Life Gives Cover for Charlatans

Published today to SignOfContradiction.Blogspot.ca

It’s been a signal week watching the intersection of religion and politics taking place. I’m referring specifically to the U.S. Supreme Court ruling on so-called “gay” so-called “marriage” as well as Pope Francis’ encyclical “Laudato Si.” These two landmark events have left many traditional minded Christians feeling hopeless and apprehensive about the future.

Whether we recognize it or not the actions or inactions of the Successors of Christ’s Apostles have a predominant effect on the direction of world affairs and the human attainment of abundant living.

Amen I say to you, whatsoever you shall bind upon earth, shall be bound also in heaven; and whatsoever you shall loose upon earth, shall be loosed also in heaven. Matthew 18:18

In May past I attended the March For Life in Ottawa. For me it bordered on surreal. On the one hand a crowd of 25,000 protestors is immensely impressive. I’m normally used to only one protestor when I go out with my signage, so it was quite overwhelming to be swallowed up by an ocean of like-minded pro-lifers. On the other hand it’s an event which takes place only once a year in a nation comprised of about 35 million souls. About 23 million of these are Christians, comprising about 13 million self-identified Catholics and the remainder Protestants.

Even if we leave the Protestants (as well as an equal number of non-Christians) altogether out of the equation, a shocking picture begins to emerge. Catholic teaching affirms abortion to be nothing less than the premeditated murder of the most vulnerable and innocent members of Canadian society and that makes it to be an altogether heinous crime, all the more inconceivable when we reflect on the scale of its everyday practice in Canada. It seems a very poor annual showing indeed for a group representing 13 million people who are convinced that defenceless human beings are slaughtered daily in cities across Canada with the sanction of government. If you’ve got only one day per year to let your voice be heard by government, this year’s March For Life represents a pitiful yelp rather than a roaring stampede, statistically at least.

What explains this depressing and altogether inadequate display of indifference? What must the little victims of this Canada wide holocaust think of this insufferable national response?

Unquestionably, the answer lies with the moral character of our national leaders and the spiritual formation of their flocks. I focus on the Catholic leadership, specifically the Bishops, because they are ordained the salt (according to Christ Himself) of their society to accomplish the works of God, the prime directive being the salvation of souls and adherence to the laws and commands of Christ.

"You are the salt of the earth; but if the salt has become tasteless, how can it be made salty again? It is no longer good for anything, except to be thrown out and trampled under foot by men. Matthew 5:13

During more than forty years of state sanctioned murder they have utterly failed to salt the consciences of their people with the commands of Christ and the teachings of His Church. They have thereby failed to salt society in righteousness and as a consequence failed also to protect the lives of the least of their brethren.

Then He will answer them, 'Truly I say to you, to the extent that you did not do it to one of the least of these, you did not do it to Me.' Matthew 25:45

And yet, prolife organizers and marchers celebrate the few Bishops who show up at the March each year, showering them with respect and admiration for their bold stand for life. Do they deserve such praise?

I say, emphatically, “No” if they have proved themselves to be charlatans. And charlatans they are, quite possibly down to the last man. These are the men who have overseen the rise of a false religion these last fifty years, replacing the one true Faith with a counterfeit and schismatic version, one based upon their “magical” version of the Eucharist, rather than upon the mystery of the Eucharist as defined by Mother Church.

Thanks to the negligence, or perhaps simply the spiritual darkness, of too many Canadian Bishops, regardless of the moral conduct or spiritual disposition of vast numbers of renegade "Catholics", attendance at Mass and mere reception of Holy Communion is assumed to magically confer absolution for even the gravest sins and satisfy all of God's significant imperatives for the Catholic. [Open Letter to the Catholic Bishops of Canada]

This is a shocking statement indeed, but let me be clear: In saying this I make no attack upon the Eucharist. It is the Bishops whose actions bring not only disgrace but violence as well to the Body and Blood of Jesus Christ. If indeed the Eucharist is the source and summit of the Christian life—which it is—then any perversion or corruption of it constitutes the most egregious and contemptible of offences.

Bishops have failed to warn or teach sinners to be circumspect in regard to their spiritual disposition before reception of Holy Communion. As a natural consequence, or at least simultaneously, the sacrament of Confession has “conveniently” fallen into disuse.

Along these same lines, the Catechism of the Catholic Church rightly stipulates that “anyone conscious of a grave sin must receive the sacrament of Reconciliation before coming to communion”. I therefore desire to reaffirm that in the Church there remains in force, now and in the future, the rule by which the Council of Trent gave concrete expression to the Apostle Paul's stern warning when it affirmed that, in order to receive the Eucharist in a worthy manner, “one must first confess one's sins, when one is aware of mortal sin”. ECCLESIA DE EUCHARISTIA

Yes, in Canada, with few exceptions, any and all may join the Communion line and receive the King of Kings regardless of the objective condition of their souls. No counsel is provided to protect those in grave sin from God’s judgment or our Lord Jesus Christ from sacrilege and profanation. Nor is any effort made by clergy to curb this outrage; no timely mention or definition of grave (mortal) sin is provided at the correct moment during the Mass, either by oral or written word. In too many cases no mention of grave sin occurs in any Church setting whatever. Conveniently, no conscience can be pricked by sin in a vacuum.

It seems an unbelievable failure but simple observation confirms the truth. In practice, being baptized and showing up at Mass appear to be the all-sufficient criteria for reception of the Eucharist. Clearly, the Bishops do not believe in warning the sinner of danger, perhaps because they themselves believe there is no danger. Whatever the reason, this is a dangerous denial of the truth of Sacred Scripture and Tradition. Because the Bishops make no distinction in sin it means no one has to judge what is serious sin and what is not. And since all moral judgments, and especially judgments respecting sin, are suspended, Bishops and Priests are freed entirely from having to deal with the messy subject of personal sins, contraception particularly.

What are some of the consequences for such thinking? If sin is ultimately not an obstacle to Holy Communion wouldn’t everybody get to go to heaven? If the right to Communion ultimately depends on my good intentions or my claim to be Catholic or my "clear" conscience then it does not depend on my obedience to Christ: “If ye love me keep my commandments.” Ultimately then it must not depend on any objective criteria (e.g. the Magisterium) outside of myself. Such dangerous thinking is a heresy and equivalent to the Protestant practice of “private judgment.” Imagine the consequences to a local community when a parish contributes a regular diet of such pseudo-catholic leaven.

On rare occasions when Bishops do highlight and provide guidelines for Confession, only a short form examination of conscience is provided and such guidelines conveniently ignore some of the most profound and pervasive sins of the day, most especially the practice of contraception, but also divorce, cohabitation, premarital sex, masturbation, adultery, sodomy, pornography, etc. Once again, Catholics are left to assume the best about the condition of their souls because their shepherds raise no red flags at all. This is spiritual formation by omission and neglect and it is downright evil.

These charlatans are content to remain silent while they watch Catholics rise from their seats in wave after wave, knowing full well that according to the Catechism of the Catholic Church, a great many of them who are living in an objective state of mortal sin due to regular participation in intrinsically evil behaviour and perversions are about to partake of the Body and Blood of Jesus Christ. It is impossible to consider these men anything but wolves and hirelings. It is impossible to believe that any priest in union with the Holy Trinity and witnessing such an imminent sacrilege could be anything other than horrified and compelled immediately to shout out a warning to all present, even if so doing put his life at risk. Yet Mass after Mass, day after day, year after year, Bishops and their Priests remain silent while “he who eats and drinks, eats and drinks judgment to himself…” A few wise words at the right moment could save the souls of countless Catholics yet traitorous tongues remain silent. The only explanation for such behaviour is that unbelief and the lies of demons have overtaken the hearts of these unworthy leaders.

Certainly Catholic Bishops have no right whatsoever, by design or default, to engineer such repeated abuse and desecration of the Eucharist. But they certainly do have a duty to protect the Eucharist at every opportunity. May we defend their actions with the argument for prudential judgment? Not unless we can also justify contempt for Jesus Christ and hatred towards fellow human beings. Such an argument would be an obfuscation and entirely disingenuous.  Indeed, God calls upon all men to practice prudence particularly in the weightier decisions they are called upon to make. I think most all Catholics are willing to, and in fact do, give their clergy the benefit of the doubt in this regard. However in the name of prudential judgment Bishops simply do not have the freedom to deny or distort Catholic teaching or Canon law.

Shockingly these pseudo-catholic leaders persist in an adversarial relationship with the Catechism of the Catholic Church (and with much of Catholic tradition) and it suits their pick-and-choose fashion to allow the covers of that priceless book to gather as much dust as possible. In the name of “conscience” and “kindness” they prefer to embrace “alternate views” and “more nuanced” teachings on many matters treated by the Catechism. This may explain why you’ve probably never heard the Catechism referenced in a homily by a priest or Bishop or never actually seen a copy of the Catechism lying about your Church building. If, perchance, any of our current hierarchy in Canada are innocent of the charges of heresy they will surely find hell to be only very slightly cooler than their slightly more evil brethren because not one of them to my knowledge has summoned the courage to break ranks and warn sinners accordingly or defend the Eucharist from regular desecration. On the other hand, when an orthodox voice is raised the Bishops act quickly to silence the truth when they have the power to do so.   

Strictly on the basis of such criminal activity as described, the Bishops of Canada are guilty of a gross perversion of the true Catholic faith and have corrupted their heavenly calling as Successors of the Apostles.

This grave misrepresentation of the Catholic faith not only dishonors faithful Catholics but scandalizes the entire Christian community in Canada, many of whom are forced to conclude that Catholicism is but another cultish enemy of the true Christian faith.

Faithful Catholics—and by that term I mean those Catholics whose aim is to live fully in the light of the Magisterium, i.e. the teachings of Christ—may not fully appreciate the scandalous effects that the lifestyles of renegade Catholics have upon other serious minded Christians. When I refer to “serious minded” I mean those that believe in a conversion experience with Christ and who treat sin as the very serious issue their tradition demands. Generally speaking these Christians would self describe as Evangelicals.

Why then would such Christians see the Catholic faith as a cultish enemy? Because they immediately recognize that the pseudo-catholic cult sustained by the Bishops is a misrepresentation of the Christian concepts of sin and grace. Sin has been turned on its head since the nature and consequences of sin are made to be of little significance. God’s judgment for sin was the death of His sinless Son yet Catholics may approach and commune with Christ regardless of sin’s mark upon the soul. Grace is cheapened and personal accountability washes away in this antinomian perversion. Instead of a Christian’s maturing hatred for sin there is an increased tolerance for sin. Ungodly, even devilish behaviour, is rewarded with the blessing of God through affirmation of the Bishops. The Christian’s call to constant conversion and to perfection is short circuited. The line between good and evil, heaven and hell is hopelessly blurred.

In fact, the Bishops have unleashed upon Canada a formidable army of pseudo-catholic renegades, missionaries of a parallel church, sending them into every corner and level of society, leavening Canada with a worldview antithetical to the Gospel and to the common good. Tragically these misguided and confused souls, including politicians, lawyers, professors, educators, etc. do tremendous damage to society while being confirmed in their actions by a lifetime of "faithfully" receiving the Holy Eucharist. In concert with the dissenting, heretical Bishops of our day, these renegade “catholics” have been on the front lines for decades foisting legal recognition of divorce, contraception, abortion, homosexuality and same sex “marriage” upon the rest of society.

Thus have the Bishops shown a callous disregard for the souls under their care and an entire nation has been led astray by the example of renegade Catholics who, though largely ignorant of the Moral Law of God, have advanced to prominent roles and led the charge to secularize Canadian society. The salt has become tasteless. “It is no longer good for anything, except to be thrown out and trampled under foot by men.” Our Bishops have entirely disqualified themselves from ministry and ought to resign immediately.

Granted the Bishops were hard hit by the priestly sex abuse scandals. No doubt many of them feel that they have lost their moral authority. But that is no reason or excuse whatever for abdication or compromising their role and responsibility as Successors of Christ. Leading their flocks to the abyss of hell is a far greater crime than even the sexual abuse of minors. Govern, teach, and sanctify as ordained by God or RESIGN and make way for worthy bishops.

This massive scandal exposes a grave flaw also in the thinking and strategies of the pro-life movement in Canada. The “pro-life” cause is, and always has been, an integral component of a Christian defense of the dignity and rights of all human beings and this movement is centred, not in the laity, but in the calling of the Apostles to teach and preach the whole counsel of God. The laity courageously picked it up when Bishops and their Priests laid it down yet it is a work which cannot be successful in any significant measure under the primary leadership of laity. I believe time has borne out this truth. It is past time for laity to channel their outrage not only at fellow Canadians on Parliament Hill once a year but every day in front of chanceries and cathedrals throughout our nation insisting:

EITHER…

that Bishops confess their sins, adhere in word and practice completely to the Oath of Fidelity, remain open to the judgment of laity in this regard, and undertake a drastic change of program in catechesis aimed at spiritual formation of the faithful in total conformity with the Church's teaching,

OR…

RESIGN.              

Bishops must (re)discover that the laity are qualified to speak in this area and that Bishops will be held responsible for their failures and infidelities (and not only by a blogger here and there on the Internet). Ideally, some body of laity must serve as a watchdog to the Bishops; a group that could muster significant credibility and one that has one or more Bishops on side. This is a crucial strategy for pro-lifers and Catholic laity in general and they must lock arms only with Bishops who prove themselves to be authentic Apostles of Christ. “Nice guy” Bishops who are willing once a year to accept accolades for showing up at a March for Life while constantly failing in their duties throughout the year must not be given a platform.  

_____________________________________________

Some related postings from Contra|Diction blog:

In Darkest Canada And The Way Out

Canada’s Bishops Fiddle While Justin’s Star Rises

More Fallout In Canada From Evils Of Contraception

Is Cardinal Collins Admitting That Humanae Vitae Is Being Ignored In Toronto?

Msgr. Foy To Catholic Bishops: Repudiate Contraception Or Lose Canada

New Uprising Of Faith For Archdiocese Of St. John’s?

What (Unworthy) Catholic Bishops Fear Most

What Catholic Bishop Is Watching Over Justin Trudeau’s Soul?

Ye Shall Judge Angels

Local Women Who Run Baby Killing Centre Received Eucharist At St. Teresa's Parish

Is Cardinal Collins Admitting That Humanae Vitae Is Being Ignored In Toronto?

Published today to SignOfContradiction.Blogspot.ca

In yesterday’s interview with Brandon Vogt of WordOnFire blog on the subject of Marriage, Divorce, and Communion, Cardinal Collins did a very fine job of reiterating and confirming the Church’s teaching on marriage. In expounding and defending the Word of Christ he fulfilled his duty as a Successor of the Apostles and I trust that whatever the consequences of the upcoming Synod His Eminence will continue to be faithful in proclaiming the same truth unwaveringly to his flock in Toronto.

However, very important questions relating to the evils of the contraceptive mentality must be raised as a result of statements arising from this interview. The Cardinal is quoted as saying:

But Christian teaching is based upon the natural law that is written in our very natures by God, and especially upon the revealed word of God. We discover God's will, and the scriptures and the living faith of the Church help us to do so. We do not shape God's will according to what currently seems best to us.

So when Pope Paul did not change what he could not change, but re-affirmed Christian faith, many, many people were upset, and simply decided to ignore the teaching. That is our present situation (my emphasis).  I certainly hope that we do not suffer a repeat of that, as unfounded speculation swirls concerning a change by the Church of the explicit teaching of Jesus on marriage.

When the Cardinal said, “That is our present situation”, was he indicating that in his Archdiocese the teaching of Humanae Vitae was likewise being ignored? Either it is being ignored in Toronto also or it is not. I think we have a right to know the answer to that question.

If it is being ignored in Toronto also then only Cardinal Collins can, and must, answer for that grave denial of the Catholic faith. As the Cardinal himself stated, “Pope Paul did not change what he could not change, but re-affirmed Christian faith.” If Toronto is ignoring Humanae Vitae, it is ignoring a divine truth that even a Pope dared not change, a weighty truth that was intimately connected with the Christian faith, according to Cardinal Collins.

But how would we evaluate whether Toronto was ignoring Humanae Vitae? By definition, to ignore is “to refrain from noticing or recognizing” and to “disregard.” If the Archdiocese functioned as though HV did not exist or as though it didn’t matter, then couldn’t we say that Toronto was ignoring Humanae Vitae?

In his encyclical Humanae Vitae, which Cardinal Collins noted “upset” many people, Pope Paul VI declared contraception to be a grave sin and intrinsically evil. Were the majority of practicing Catholics (those that generally seek to live out their Catholic faith) in Toronto ignoring Humanae Vitae, we should probably find that they, like Catholics from other prominent dioceses in Canada, disregarded the Pope’s characterization of contraception and that they failed to identify the behaviour as gravely sinful. As a result, we should also expect to see high numbers of Catholics engaging in the practice, as do high numbers of the general population.

Again, if Toronto were ignoring Humanae Vitae, we should probably find that it was due largely to a lack of emphasis by the Archdiocese on the subject matter of Humanae Vitae. That is to say, very little effort would be expended in teaching and preaching on the subject of contraception, either in homilies, statements by the Cardinal or in printed matter released by parishes or the Archdiocese. Very few, if any, seminars or workshops dealing specifically with the evils of the contraceptive mentality, as expressed in Humanae Vitae, would be taking place.

On a more basic and practical level, since the teaching of Humanae Vitae is so intimately connected with the marital act, one would expect to see very little emphasis on the “hard teaching” about contraception taking place in marriage preparation classes in the Archdiocese. More to the point, one would expect that the Archdiocese would rarely, if ever, highlight the practice of contraception as a grave (mortal) sin and again would rarely, if ever, characterize it as an evil practice. To further avoid the possibility that Catholics would take seriously the sinfulness of artificial birth control, as identified in Humanae Vitae, the Archdiocese would be very reluctant to insist on its priests requiring Confession of their parishioners who practiced this mortal sin, in contravention of the Vatican’s Vademecum for Confessors (Prop. 2.4).

Furthermore, when discussing abortion and pro-life matters, the Archdiocese would be very reluctant to highlight the incontrovertible connection between the practice of contraception and the resultant outcome of abortion, what some call the “evil twin” link, because contraception, in fact, does more to fuel abortion than any other phenomenon.

In short, the Archdiocese would, largely through silence, ignore that the “knowing choice to reject the definitive teaching of the Magisterium on an important matter of morality [in this case, contraception] is formal heresy.”

So I ask again: Was the Cardinal indicating that in his Archdiocese the teaching of Humanae Vitae was likewise being ignored? Either it is being ignored in Toronto also or it is not. If it is NOT being ignored then we should observe an entirely different dynamic—than the one described above—at work in the Archdiocese of Toronto in regard to the practice of contraception by Catholics. If the teaching of Humanae Vitae is being honoured in Toronto, let us understand what Cardinal Collins is doing there that other Bishops in Canada are not doing so that His Eminence might lead the charge and help to turn back the tide of the culture of death in our great nation.

However, if the teaching of Humanae Vitae IS being ignored in Toronto, then we have a right to ask the Cardinal why he is not, as a worthy Bishop, doing everything possible to teach the divine truth contained in Humanae Vitae and to spare the sheep under his care the temporal and spiritual judgments of a pernicious, evil practice?

Some Catholic leaders claim that, in respect to Humanae Vitae, the current state of affairs in our parishes is just too big a problem to tackle and fix. Presumably, Catholics are doomed to continue in the practice of behaviour which to God is repulsive and repugnant, which also is fatal to one’s faith and which also contributes to the deaths and murders of millions of innocent Canadians? Is it conceivable that the Cardinal also could be resigned to such a horrendous and preposterous notion?

If we examine more of the Cardinal’s statements in his recent interview, we are forced to ask more questions:

In a society in which permanent commitments are not valued - and that applies to the priesthood and religious life as well as to marriage - it can take great spiritual strength, and is certainly counter-cultural, to renew each day a sacred lifelong commitment, trusting in the grace of God. That must be our path as Christians, and anything that tends (even unintentionally) to re-inforce a culture that undermines fidelity to sacred permanent commitments must be resisted, as also any action that suggests that the Church does not take seriously the permanence of such covenants.

Our Lord's teaching on marriage, like his whole teaching on discipleship, can at times be very difficult. Especially in the world in which we live, but really in all periods of history, a certain heroism is required in the Christian life. We are all called to holiness; that is not just the vocation of the few who are canonized, but of all of us.

Could not the same challenges be put forth in regard to adhering to the Church’s teaching on contraception? Is not the grace of God sufficient and effectual for heroic living in terms of the full understanding of chastity, which forbids contraception? “We are all called to holiness; that is not just the vocation of the few who are canonized, but of all of us.”

The Cardinal stated well:

Many people who are divorced, and who are not free to marry, do enter into a second marriage. There are various reasons that can lead to this, and their fellow parishioners should not occupy themselves speculating about them. Catholics in that tragic situation can be involved in many ways in the life of the community, but they may not receive the sacraments, such as Holy Communion, since whatever their personal disposition is or the reasons for their situation, known perhaps only to God, they are continuing in a way of life which is objectively against the clear command of Jesus. That is the point.

Cardinal Collins says that Catholics who continue “in a way of life which is objectively against the clear command of Jesus” may not receive the sacraments. Humanae Vitae reiterates the clear command of Christ as well. Will he likewise forbid the sacraments to Catholics who obstinately persist, after clear instruction, in the grave sin of contraception? If not, then why not? He needs to explain this scandalous contradiction.

Was the Cardinal blinded to an obvious truth when he later said in his interview:

The Synod on the Family will surely deal with the whole range of issues facing the family today, not only this one issue of communion for those who are divorced and remarried. For example, one of the key problems we face now is that couples are more often living together without getting married. And there are many societal trends, especially in the western world, that undermine the family.

Notice that the Cardinal admits that it’s a “key problem” in the entire debate. He says “couples are more often living together without getting married.” Why is that? It would be both pointless and impossible for such a cultural norm described by the Cardinal to occur except for the widespread availability and practice of contraception. Your Eminence, why not attack the problem at its root? Why not re-examine the upcoming Synod in that light? Be bold, Your Eminence, and lead the way to a new future for Canada!

As Monsignor Foy said, “the greatest evil in the Church today is the contraceptive mentality.” It is, in fact, almost single handedly responsible for a host of other evils that we face, not the least of which is the crisis affecting the subject of this interview: Marriage, Divorce, and Communion.

Way Too Controversial Catholic Subjects

"Jesus Christ was controversial.  John the Baptist was controversial.  All the martyrs were controversial. That’s why they were all killed. The real reason the Catholic alternative media is blasted by the establishment is because of what we talk about, namely the failures of the elites within the church to preserve Catholic identity and Catholic doctrine. Bishops who are guilty of this hate hearing it and their lackeys in their establishment media follow their lead and blast away. They never talk about these deadly issues…"

Ottawa Archbishop Prendergast: Why Is Pseudo-Catholicism Flourishing In Your Archdiocese?

St. Basil's Parish, Ottawa, ON

I read a recent posting at SoCon or Bust with a good degree of dismay. Apparently a number of folks representing the heart and soul of St. Basil’s Parish in Ottawa have made available their thoughts and beliefs on the subject of the Catholic family.

Accordingly, this report presents findings from RESPONSES BY MORE THAN 60 PARISHIONERS of St. Basil’s Parish, Ottawa, gathered in three discussions after Masses on December 14-15, 2013, to SELECTED QUESTIONS in the Vatican’s Preparatory Document for the Family Synod. It was sent to the Archdiocese on December 18.

Their report is actually a bold and scathing denunciation of Catholic teaching on the family and other weighty matters of faith. The Church is portrayed as unloving, judgmental, outdated, unscientific, and unapproachable in her ways and teachings and the authors freely admit that

large numbers of the baptized walk away, being clear in their own conscience that they are justified.

The report condemns the Church’s teaching on homosexual disorders and unions claiming that

these matters are up to the individual’s conscience.

It is said

Homosexuality is a naturally occurring phenomenon, not a choice.

Apparently, as concerns this parish,

cohabitation before marriage is almost universal now.

 And, according to the authors, in all matters of “irregular” lifestyles, including “divorced” and “annulled”

the Church must practice acceptance (not just tolerance) and respect.  

Furthermore,

Catholic couples should be able to divorce and remain active members of the Church, including remarriage.

Regarding openness to life,

The magisterium is simply wrong about birth control.

And

The Church’s leaders cannot admit that they are wrong (e.g., their continued affirmation of Humanae Vitae). The consequent damage to the credibility of the magisterium is profound.

The Church is accused of having it backwards:

An” increase in births” is to be discouraged, not promoted.

Although the report does not indicate majority agreement, it nevertheless feels it important to record dissident views on women’s involvement in ministry:

As long as the ordained members of the Church and the magisterium persist in denying women equal status, the teaching on women within the family will be regarded with suspicion.

Other vague, incredible opinions are shared, including

Most of the Church’s problems are the result of man-made rules, coupled with rigidity.

It is difficult for me to imagine that these individuals can be considered in any way genuine Catholics. They have denied the faith in blatant fashion. No doubt they are among those pseudo-catholics who base their Catholic membership

not upon the mystery of the Eucharist but upon the "magic" of the Eucharist. Thanks to the negligence, or perhaps simply the spiritual darkness, of too many Canadian Bishops, regardless of the moral conduct or spiritual disposition of vast numbers of renegade "Catholics", attendance at Mass and mere reception of Holy Communion is assumed to magically confer absolution for even the gravest sins and satisfy all of God's significant imperatives for the Catholic. This grave misrepresentation of the Catholic faith not only dishonors faithful Catholics but scandalizes the entire Christian community in Canada, many of whom are forced to conclude that Catholicism is but another cultish enemy of the true Christian faith.

Blame the Bishop? I say, “But of course!” Who else has the responsibility for the Archdiocese? Who is the Shepherd and Teacher? Is it possible that Archbishop Prendergast doesn’t know about the heresies of this parish and other parishes in his Archdiocese? If he doesn’t then he is shockingly naïve and negligent. If he knows then he has allowed a series of dangerous evils to overtake this parish and his Archdiocese and the result is that many many souls are being lost to Satan. This condition did not happen overnight. It took many years to reach such a ripened, evil, state. Where has the Archbishop been since he took over the job from Archbishop Gervais?

Speaking of Archbishop Gervais, wasn’t he the Archbishop referred to in this letter?

Canada's Bishops failed to deal with the grave scandal caused by Paul Martin, Canada's most recent pro-abortion, pro-sodomy "Catholic" Prime Minister, defeated in the 2006 election, who spearheaded same sex "marriage" in Canada and vehemently proclaimed his government's commitment to "a woman's right to choose" without restrictions. His Bishop, the Bishop of Canada's capital city, Ottawa, dismissed any possibility of discipline for Martin, claiming that the Prime Minister was a "faithful member of my cathedral parish." (This same Bishop attends the Ottawa March for Life and at the 2004 March delivered a homily condemning the killing of human embryos for their stem cells.)

But wasn’t Archbishop Prendergast the subject of widespread controversy in 2008 when he indicated that Pro-Abortion Catholic Politicians Should not “Publicly” Receive Holy Communion? I commented on this big story in my blog entry of March 9, 2008 entitled Archbishop Prendergast Must Go the Whole Nine Yards as well as in a short follow up post.

I give the Archbishop credit for even bringing up the subject, but unfortunately he has only muddied the waters with his confused equivocation.

…

So to summarize, Archbishop Prendergast must take this matter to the next level, i.e. the level of complete adherence to Catholic teaching, in order to win any respect for his recent statements or to accomplish any desperately needed change regarding the scandal of pro-abortion “Catholic” politicians in Canada.

Several days later, the Archbishop sounded off on “scandal,” a term rarely passing the lips of Catholic Bishops in Canada. As I wondered in another blog posting, was Archbishop Prendergast following in the footsteps of then Archbishop Raymond Burke [now Raymond Leo Cardinal Burke of the Apostolic Signatura in Rome]?

The Archbishop was sounding like the Archbishop of St. Louis, the Rgt. Rev. Raymond Burke, whose record I briefly reviewed in this posting. He even emphasized the crucial role that denial of Holy Communion played in the reformation of the sinner’s ways, a key component of A/B Burke’s education strategy in this controversial matter. Archbishop Prendergast described this as the “medicinal measure,” which indeed it is.

He also emphasized the importance of the Church’s role in this matter in coming “to the assistance of those who serve the public good.” And then finally, a truly unusual and distinguished conclusion to the interview: an Archbishop in Canada discussing the concept of scandal:

“ If one were to allow Catholic political (or other public) figures to freely espouse abortion without drawing to their attention that this is a grave evil," explained Archbishop Prendergast, "other believers might be tended to accept this, not knowing any better and be led on the wrong path: that is what 'scandal' is. One must do everything possible to prevent others from falling away from the path of Christ - i.e. from being scandalized.”

Before I closed that posting I made this prediction:

It will soon be time for the Archbishop of Canada’s capital city “to do or to die.” A showdown of sorts is coming. Will the Archbishop act, or will his words soon vanish into fresh Canadian air as he settles into the politically correct chair of his predecessor?

The fallout from the Archbishop’s comments provoked commentary from some of Canada’s Protestant Evangelical circles and was detailed in this posting, where I explained what I thought the Archbishop was up against:

I do think that Archbishop Prendergast has planted some rare and hopeful signs of change in his recent outline of Catholic teaching concerning pro-abortion politicians who call themselves “Catholic” but he will have to quite literally move some of the gates of hell which have been positioned in Canadian society over the last forty or fifty years. 

Is he up to it? I really don’t know but I have complete confidence that if he moves forward step by step, does not waver in his responsibilities as Bishop, and if he holds complete fidelity to the Magisterium of the Church, God Himself will move those gates.

Is this the same Archbishop who gave a speech in 2008 in Barrys Bay, ON that was heard round the world and led some to say No More Marshmellow Teaching. It’s Hard Candy Now ? Truly, some good people’s hopes zoomed skyward. [By the way, did the Archbishop ever release his pastoral document on Humanae Vitae? I can’t say I remember reading it and I don’t see it anywhere on his blog entries.]

It’s very sad indeed that after all the early huff and puff of this episcopate our hearts are now down in our boots. What appeared to be a zealous and courageous Bishop-teacher, even a fearless enforcer of Catholic orthodoxy (God knows how badly we need one), turns out to be powerless to stop the most basic kind of dissent and heresy in his own parishes. Is he so out of contact with his priests and his people? Not only that but clearly the pseudo-catholics in his Archdiocese have little or no fear of their Bishop; witness their boldness to broadcast their outrageous positions via the Internet for the whole world to see.

Is it possible that the Archbishop knows all about the corruption in the hearts of many of the “faithful” in his Archdiocese but that he lacks the courage and faith in God in order to see “the gates of Hell” moved?

Perhaps this also explains why we’ve never heard anything since about politicians being reprimanded or hopefully saved from their sinful ways via Canon 915. Perhaps that’s also why we’ve never heard more about Archbishop Prendergast leading the charge for the Catholic Bishops of Canada to relent on their Winnipeg Statement, which was their disastrous response to the papal encyclical Humanae Vitae. No doubt John Pacheco has seriously revised his expectations of the Archbishop since 2008.

The Archbishop actually mentions the word “contraception” and the term “Humanae Vitae” several times in his blog which comprises about 1500 postings. He always gives the distinct impression that it is incumbent upon all faithful Catholics to adhere to Humanae Vitae and that this is a key to effective marriages and witness for Christ in the culture.  How shocking and humiliating then that an official document from one of his parishes states:

The Church’s leaders cannot admit that they are wrong (e.g., their continued affirmation of Humanae Vitae)

Perhaps then this also explains why there continues to be an insurmountable crisis in the Ottawa District School Board. Apparently last October he lectured the schools in the Archdiocese “to choose teachers, guest speakers, and partners who are models of holiness and who fully embrace the culture of life” and “warning that if the schools are not ‘fully Catholic’ they risk descending into ‘demonic worldliness.’” I’m sure that scared all the bad people away.

Clearly, this Archbishop is all talk and no action, to the detriment of the souls under his charge. When will he rise up with God given courage and set his own house in order? Honestly, I’m heartsick over cowardly (or incompetent) Bishops who, when push comes to shove, fail to exercise their full God-given authority in defense of the Catholic faith. By their actions they show themselves ashamed of the Holy Faith and not worthy of their posts and will face the wrath of God for the loss of souls to Hell under their watch. I hope Archbishop Prendergast does not prove himself to be one of these. Let us pray that he picks up the pieces and recovers his Archdiocese from the clutches of the Devil while he still can.

God help and save him and his flock in Ottawa!

I fear that in our own Archdiocese of St. John’s, NL many of the same kinds of responses as those of St. Basil’s will be crafted and sent off  to Rome for the Extraordinary Synod in October 2014. We’ve already had some very blatant evidence of similar levels of contempt for Church teaching…and that originating from those closest to our Archbishop! Imagine what some of those in the pews must think!

The Salvation Of Souls Today Demands Courageous Preaching In Full Accord With Catholic Doctrine

Much has been said of the style and words of Pope Francis, particularly in regard to some of his comments on today’s weightier moral issues. In this 40 minute homily Fr. Michael Rodriguez shares the mind and heart of the Church in a clear and straightforward manner. His aim is to safeguard the souls of his people through the teaching of sound doctrine and morals. Fr. Rodriguez is a priest of the Diocese of El Paso, Texas and offers only the traditional Latin Mass at his parish. Sadly, this fact may prejudice some individuals against Fr. Rodriguez and his message. However, my opinion is that Fr. Rodriguez is a holy and faithful priest, a great blessing to his people and to our Lord Jesus Christ.