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

UPDATED: Is The Archdiocese of Toronto More Concerned About Saving Paper Than Saving Souls?

UPDATE: March 13, 2018

The Archdiocese is now promoting its Lenten Day of Confessions - March 11-17, 2018.  And once again, the analysis that appears in this posting from 2013 is 100% applicable.

Although concerns have been expressed a number of times to the Archdiocese, no reply has ever been received and no change made to its promotion of the event. The addition of one document, a more robust Exam of Conscience, to the Archdiocesan online presentation on the Sacrament would indicate an appropriate level of concern and responsibility, but remains omitted.  


UPDATE: November 20, 2015

It's that time of year. Although this posting is dated two years ago, the Archdiocese of Toronto is once again promoting its Day of Confessions, set for December 13-19. And once again, the analysis that appears in this posting from 2013 is 100% applicable.

Nowhere on the Archdiocesan site is there any indication whatsoever of the pervasiveness or dangers of contraception, listed as intrinsically evil behaviour (a mortal sin) in the Catechism of the Catholic Church, although the Archdiocese notes in its FAQ #17 the following:

17. If I forget to confess a mortal sin, is my confession still valid and my sins forgiven?  

Yes. If one through bad memory or nervousness forgets to confess a mortal sin, the person’s confession is valid and all his or her sins will be forgiven. The person should, however, mention that forgotten sin in the next confession to receive advice and a proper penance. If this is a routine occurrence, it is probably an indication that one is either confessing too infrequently or not fully aware of the true horror that is a mortal sin, because one should not forget mortal sins easily. If, on the other hand, a penitent deliberately refuses to mention a mortal sin in confession, none of the person’s sins will be forgiven, the person will remain in the dangerous state of mortal sin, and will be guilty of the additional sin of sacrilege. 

Think of it. It is common knowledge that up to 90% of Catholics dissent from the teachings of Jesus Christ and His Church and approve of artificial "birth control." Read the posting below and you tell me if the gymnastics in thought of the Archdiocese are anything short of hypocritical, even schizophrenic. Such is the reality of Canadian Catholicism, as advanced by pseudo-catholic Bishops, who must repent publicly or resign.

------------------------------------

A Day of Confessions

Yesterday, the Archdiocese of Toronto held its Day of Confessions, tweeting out a link to its Facebook page. On the Facebook page I noticed a link to the Archdiocesan website page featuring full details of this very special event.

Day 11: Today is the Day of Confessions. Make time today to go to Confession. #ThisAdvent http://t.co/VWuez2mXx3
— Archdiocese of TO (@archtoronto) December 11, 2013

Reading through the questions on the FAQ page, I found them to be very well prepared and answered. I especially liked FAQ #10 and thought the question of mortal sin was handled exceptionally well:

10. What is a mortal sin?

A mortal sin involves an action whose object is grave matter that is committed with full knowledge and deliberate consent. Grave matter is generally understood to be something that violates the Ten Commandments. Full knowledge means that one is aware that God or the Church he founded considers the act sinful (even if one doesn’t totally understand why it is sinful). Deliberate consent means a consent sufficiently intentional to be a personal choice (CCC 1857-1859).

What I especially like about this answer was the clause in brackets, “even if one doesn’t totally understand why it is sinful”. In fact I tweeted out my enthusiasm:

@archtoronto Best definition of #MortalSin I've seen. http://t.co/IDFjPZ6PFQ "..even if one doesn’t totally understand why it is sinful"
— Contra|Diction (@Contra1diction) December 11, 2013

Enthused about Mortal Sin?

Why would I be enthused about that clause? Because it co-opts the thinking that some Catholics use in order to excuse themselves or others when it comes to commission of mortal sin. How so? Often they will say (or imply) that, since mortal sin has three rather strict requirements, not many Catholics actually commit mortal sin, or, at least, it’s difficult for someone to commit mortal sin.

Consider the following definition of mortal sin and notice the difference. 

    Mortal sin is a sin of grave matter

    Mortal sin is committed with full knowledge of the sinner

    Mortal sin is committed with deliberate consent of the sinner

The stickler is the second clause. For example, in this instruction, we are told that, “The person must know that what they’re doing or planning to do is evil and immoral”. Examples are then given. But the bottom line is that this leaves quite a lot of room for the person evaluating his/her sin to say that they don’t believe (or understand) that what they’re doing is evil or immoral. Therefore that condition is not met and no mortal sin has been committed.

The guidelines provided by the Archdiocese of Toronto, rightly informed by Catholic teaching, have clarified the matter for Catholics. Full knowledge means that one is aware that God or the Church he founded considers the act sinful (even if one doesn’t totally understand why it is sinful). Bingo! So you don’t really have to totally understand why it’s sinful. You just have to know that God or the Church considers the act sinful. This is an awesome explanation, in full accord with the Magisterium of the Catholic Church, but rarely expressed in such simple terms. After all, if you know that the Church considers the action sinful and, instead of bringing yourself up to speed on the nature of said sin and why it’s so awful, you decide to continue on in that sinful action, you have only yourself to blame for your stubbornness.

So where did these guidelines come from?

At the bottom of the webpage listing these guidelines to Confession I noticed the following statement:

"These materials have been adapted from the Diocese of Fall River’s “Be Reconciled to God” Initiative in 2009, with permission of Fr. Roger Landry."

So I went on over to the Diocese of Fall River to take a look. Apparently they hosted a similar day at their Diocese and named it “Reconciliation Weekend”. There I saw the master copy of the FAQ About Confession and, sure enough, the info on the Archdiocese of Toronto site is practically identical. The Diocese of Fall River also offered an Adult Exam of Conscience, which is a two page pamphlet and an excellent survey to prepare oneself for Confession. It references not only a general statement of the meaning of each of the Ten Commandments, but explores specific applications of each Commandment from Church teaching. This little pamphlet is a great expression of the various considerations to be included in a proper Examination of Conscience (subject of which was covered by the Archdiocese of Toronto in its FAQ #5).

Archdiocese of Toronto dilutes Exam of Conscience

Whereas the Diocese of Fall River chose to provide a comprehensive guide to permit the parishioner’s examination of conscience, the Archdiocese of Toronto provided a much reduced version which was centred very briefly on the general meaning of each of the Ten Commandments. Two examples dealing with comparable passages will suffice to demonstrate the huge gap in education between the two:

EXAMPLE 1

Fall River document:

THIRD COMMANDMENT

"Remember to keep holy the Sabbath Day." (Ex 20:8)

Did I miss Mass on Sunday or a Holy Day of Obligation through my own fault?

Have I fully, consciously and actively participated in Holy Mass or just gone through the motions?

Have I given my full attention to the Word of God or have I given in easily to distractions?

Have I arrived at Mass late due to carelessness?

Have I left early without a serious reason?

Have I kept the Eucharistic fast before Holy Mass?

Have I received Holy Communion in a state of mortal sin?

Did I do work on Sunday that was not necessary?

Have I used Sunday just as part of the “weekend” or as a day for acts of love toward God, my family and those in need?

Archdiocese of Toronto document:

Remember to keep holy the Lord’s Day.

Do I go to Mass every Sunday (or Saturday Vigil) and on Holy Days of Obligation (Jan. 1; Dec. 25)? Do I avoid, when possible, work that impedes worship to God, joy for the Lord’s Day, and proper relaxation of mind and body? Do I look for ways to spend time with family or in service on Sunday?

EXAMPLE 2

Fall River document:

SIXTH & NINTH COMMANDMENTS

"You shall not commit adultery." (Ex 20:14)

"You shall not covet your neighbor's wife." (Ex 20:17)

Have I remembered that my body is a temple of the Holy Spirit?

Did I willfully entertain impure thoughts or desires?

Did I deliberately look at impure TV programs, computer sites, videos, pictures, or movies?

Did I commit impure acts with myself (masturbation) or with others through adultery (sex with a married person), fornication (premarital sex) or homosexual activity?

Have I been faithful to my husband or wife in my heart and in my conduct with others?

Have I sinned through the use of contraception, contraceptive sterilization, or in-vitro fertilization?

Have I touched or kissed another person in a lustful way? Have I treated others, in my deeds or thoughts, as objects?

Have I been an occasion of sin for others by acting or dressing immodestly?

Am I married according to the laws of the Church?

Did I advise or encourage anyone to marry outside the Church?

Archdiocese of Toronto document:

You shall not commit adultery.

Have I respected the physical and sexual dignity of others and of myself?

You shall not covet your neighbour’s spouse.

Have I honored my spouse with my full affection and exclusive love?

Why point out these differences?

It is important to ask a few questions after observing the contrast in information provided by these two dioceses.

First, if the Archdiocese of Toronto wants to help souls find forgiveness and reconciliation with God, it is vitally important to provide sufficient information by which to arrive at a conclusion about one’s sin (or lack of). It is commendable that the Archdiocese sponsored such a special event in order to call people back to God through Confession. However, the Examination of Conscience is a decisive factor in determining whether a Catholic leaves the confessional with all sins confessed, and, more importantly, in the case of mortal sin, whether he/she leaves in a spiritually safe and secure condition. If, through laxity, routine, or indifference, a soul fails to account for mortal sin present in their life, repentance is doubtful and the absolution given is not sufficient for forgiveness. See FAQ #17 to evaluate the risks. That penitent remains in very serious danger indeed. To illustrate my point, when I first heard of the Day of Confession on Twitter I immediately had a concern for the 82% of Catholics who take issue with the Church on contraception. Here’s what I tweeted:

@archtoronto Why not help the folks deal with most pervasive #MortalSin of our time #Contraception. Cite it as example of FAQ #10 #Cleansing
— Contra|Diction (@Contra1diction) December 11, 2013

Secondly, there is a crisis today in our society in relation to sexual sin and impurity in general. Catholic leaders are often criticized for their lack of attention to this devastating reality. Why not take a direct approach to helping souls deal with these sins by way of a detailed Examination of Conscience such as the Diocese of Fall River provided? Why dilute the examination to vague generalities which really leave people guessing and still paralyzed by the contamination which invades their thinking from the world, the flesh and the devil? Be direct, be specific, suggest possibilities. In particular, Toronto Catholics were denied consideration of at least two grave and pervasive sins which drag down their souls in today's society: "Have I sinned through use of contraceptives?" and "Have I received Holy Communion in a state of mortal sin?"  I tweeted my concern to the Archdiocese:

@archtoronto You used Fall River FAQ but not the Adult Examination of #Conscience. http://t.co/EKwmFa3not Why? Too specific? #FullDisclosure
— Contra|Diction (@Contra1diction) December 11, 2013

Their response?

@Contra1diction Our confession guide is double-sided 3 x 11 in. For the examination of conscience, we squeezed  in as much as we could fit!
— Archdiocese of TO (@archtoronto) December 11, 2013

This is quite a ridiculous answer in my opinion. Is the Archdiocese trying to conserve paper? Are they trying to keep to a certain small size of brochure that they pass out to parishioners? I thought the goal was to get souls to the confessional and to God and to do it in the most effective, soul cleansing, God glorifying way. Curtailing the examination of conscience is not the way, for reasons cited! The size of a brochure will obviously be a consideration but whether there’s an additional column or two (or three!) is hardly going to make a significant difference. I couldn’t help but tweet back:

@archtoronto but 82% use #Contraception. They need more info; helps them beat #MortalSin see FAQ#5. Not about saving paper but saving souls.
— Contra|Diction (@Contra1diction) December 11, 2013

After all, even if the Archdiocese had a shortage of paper, they could have published the comprehensive format of the Fall River Examination on their website for all to read, couldn’t they? But they didn’t. Also, it’s worth noting that the Fall River Diocese didn’t even offer a diluted version of the Exam. Obviously it didn’t make sense to them to offer a "fast and easy" guide.

I never got a reply back from my last tweet to the Archdiocese.

Why do I bother?

It’s not too difficult to see that my blog focuses on abortion and what I consider to be its root causes. I have pointed out many times that Catholic Bishops, especially, have neglected to properly teach and warn the souls under their charge in regard to keeping themselves pure before the Lord. The sins of contraception and sacrilege are rife among Catholics and contraception is the evil twin of abortion. The failure of Bishops to address this crisis is what fuels the abortion holocaust. If the Bishops wish to move beyond the very serious charges levelled against them they must take clear decisive action. 

In light of the Day of Confessions at the Archdiocese of Toronto, I believe there is serious room for a charge against the Archbishop of failing in his duty to rescue the thousands of Catholics in Toronto who might have availed of the event, attended confession, and walked away with absolution only to resume an objectively evil practice in short order. And of course the risk of sacrilege in partaking of the Eucharist while in that state of mortal sin is very real. Keep in mind that depending on the poll taken, a HUGE proportion of Catholics openly dissent from Church teaching on contraception. (50% or more are in support of some degree of legal permission for abortion!!) Don’t these staggering numbers warrant serious steps be taken to defeat this evil?

I say the Archbishop of Toronto, Defender of the Faith and Guardian of the Moral Law for Toronto, failed to do his complete duty in planning for the Day of Confessions. And, in all likelihood, souls will be lost to Hell because of it. And the killing of precious nascent human life in Canada has not been stemmed.   

P.S. Is the Blog page of the Archdiocese any indication of the emphasis that the Archbishop places on a right Catholic understanding of the grave sin of contraception? Out of over 500 blog postings and 590,000 page views, only one article in 2008 on Humanae Vitae, and that was not an article with a prominent Toronto Catholic’s name attached. It was a reprint from an article in the Irish Independent. What lost opportunities to help cleanse the Catholic soul of an insidious evil.

P.P.S. I blogged previously about some of Archbishop Collins' statements and activities. You might find them somewhat relevant to this post. 

Confession Makes the News in Canada’s National Post

Don’t expect to come away with any sense of understanding the Catholic sacrament of Confession from reading this article in the National Post. Misrepresentation runs from subtle to blatant.

For the sake of balance, try one of the summaries below:

The short (and scriptural) version on why Catholics confess their sins to a priest.

Protestants have a long list of objections to Catholic teaching regarding confession.

Here’s a very brief guide for the Catholic on the practice of confession.

Benedict XVI on the Sacrament of Confession

In a posting I made yesterday, I stated how rare it was to find a mention of the subject of conversion—let alone an elaboration or a homily—from priests or Bishops in the Catholic Church in Canada. It is even rarer, in my experience at least, to find any mention of confession, otherwise officially known as the Sacrament of Reconciliation.

Pope Benedict recently summed up the relationship between the two extremely well in a March 7 address on matters of conscience.

It must be a commitment of pastors and especially of confessors to highlight the close connection that exists between the Sacrament of Reconciliation and a life oriented decisively to conversion.

The entire address, entitled “Benedict XVI on the Sacrament of Confession” was published in the Vatican newspaper L'Osservatore Romano and is found online through Zenit News service. It’s shorter than you expect so why not take a moment to read it through.

Jesus said to the shepherds, “Feed my sheep.” Catholics need to be fed and deserve to be fed by their priests and Bishops.

In Confession We Experience the Joy of God’s Forgiveness

Pastors, and especially confessors, must, said the Holy Father, "emphasize the close link between the Sacrament of Penance and an existence decisively oriented to conversion.”

Wonderfully expressed. Truly Catholic. Benedict XVI is impressive. Because he's a man he's not perfect—but, make no mistake, there's none better.

The Holy Father shared some great wisdom as well today on the historical sciences:
Historical Sciences are of Great Interest for Church Life
This in turn leads to "a society which, heedless of its own past and hence lacking criteria acquired through experience, is no longer capable of harmonious coexistence or joint commitment in realizing future aims. Such a society is particularly vulnerable to ideological manipulation.

Why Confess Sins to Anyone Besides God?

The Pope gave some clues earlier this week as he met with the Bishops of Switzerland who are in the Vatican for their five-yearly visit.

He asked priests “to rigorously observe the Church's norms on the sacrament of penance, in particular, those affecting general absolution.” He spoke of "the crisis the sacrament of reconciliation is going through" and urged the prelates "to relaunch in your dioceses a penitential pastoral program which encourages individual confession."

Benedict XVI said: "Exhort the faithful to frequent the sacrament of penance regularly, which enables one to discover the gift of God's mercy and pushes one to be merciful as he is toward others."

Confession "helps us to form our conscience, to fight against our evil inclinations, to allow ourselves to be healed by Christ, to progress in the life of the Spirit," the Holy Father said quoting the Catechism of the Catholic Church.

Indeed, individual confessions are a rare phenomenon in the lives of many Catholics today. If in fact confession helps in the areas mentioned by Benedict XVI, then no doubt neglect of this sacrament accounts for much of the weak and tragic spirituality of today.

Perhaps what is needed is a fresh look at the practice of “confession.”

Protestants have a long list of objections to Catholic teaching regarding confession.

The short (and scriptural) version on why Catholics confess their sins to a priest.

A very brief guide for the Catholic on the practice of confession is here.

We keep this method that a penitent relates certain sins that bother him the most. Even if thousands and thousands of worlds belonged to me, I would lose everything rather than give up the smallest part of confession in the church. Yes, rather would I accept the Papal tyranny on Fasts, Celebrations, Vestments, Cities, Plates, and Hats and whatever I could bear without destruction of the faith than that confession should be taken from the Christians.

Martin Luther 1533 “Warning to Certain People in Frankfurt am Main”
WA 30III:566, 29-30 and 569, 6-11.

Good Catholics and Bad Catholics: Mortal Sin

According to the Catechism of the Catholic Church, sin is "an utterance, a deed, or a desire contrary to the eternal law." CCC#1849

 

Furthermore, the Church makes a distinction between two types of sins. Venial sins are sins of a less grave nature which do not cut us off from Christ. However, venial sin does weaken grace in the soul and damages our relationship with God. A person who frequently indulges in venial sin is very likely to collapse into mortal sin if they persist in their evil ways.

The most serious and grave sins are referred to as mortal sins. Mortal sins destroy the grace of God in the heart of the sinner. By their very grave nature, a mortal sin cuts off our relationship with God and turns man away from his creator. Mortal sins cannot be done "accidentally." More here and here.

Some thoughts from a former Protestant here.

A person who commits a mortal sin is one who knows that their sin is wrong, but still deliberately commits the sin anyway. This means that mortal sins are "premeditated" by the sinner and thus are truly a rejection of God’s law and love. A person who dies in mortal sin cannot enter the kingdom of heaven and is doomed to eternal suffering in hell. For an extensive listing of mortal sins read this.

It is essential to spiritual health and safety that Catholics confess sins on a regular basis, and without delay in cases of mortal sin. The person who repents of their sin, intends to live a new life of grace, and receives the Sacrament of Reconciliation will be forgiven of all their sins. Because Jesus Christ paid for the price of human sin by dying on the cross for the redemption of humanity, our sins can be forgiven. Jesus Christ, true man and true God, was the perfect sacrifice for human sin and as a result saved those who are baptized, repent and believe in him.

Considering

1. what the Catholic Church teaches about mortal sin, and

2. that the Church’s teaching on faith and morals is infallible,

I believe I am right then to say that Catholics who deny the truth or reality of mortal sin, as taught by the Catholic Church, and who live in mortal sin, will not make it to heaven. Regardless of whether they are deemed to be good Catholics by attendance at Mass on Sundays, or by regular reception of the Eucharist, or by any other standard, they are deceived and lost. 

Sad to say there is a vast multitude of Catholics in Canada and the U.S. who deny and demean Catholic teaching by their criticism and daily lives. These people and the church leaders they emulate have created a counterfeit Catholicism that is worthy of only scorn and disdain by sincere Catholics and by other orthodox Christian believers. 

It should also be obvious that Catholic priests and bishops who would foster or encourage such disobedience and deception will themselves be doubly guilty and likewise be shut out of heaven. I hasten to add of course that God alone is able to make such judgments. I am simply drawing what are obvious conclusions to Catholic teaching.

To illustrate what I am saying, consider the almost universal practice in our society of contraception. Catholic teaching has been constant and extremely clear: contraception is fatal to the faith and to eternal life.

Yet Catholics contracept at probably the same rate as non-Catholic Christians and many priests and bishops are silent (if not outrightly defiant to Church teaching) in speaking on the subject. [The leaders of evangelical Christians have been seriously neglectful as well in teaching their flocks of the history and dangers of the contraceptive mentality. More here.]

If mortal sin cuts one off from God and denies that person entrance to heaven and if contraception is a mortal sin, why aren’t priests and bishops (and even other Christian leaders) warning constantly of the danger to the souls of their people?

How many possible answers can there be? Either for some (unacceptable) reason these leaders deny/disregard the teaching or they are apathetic to the grave danger posed to their flocks. Either way, it may be enough to send them to a Christless eternity.

If I am wrong on any of this I am ready to be corrected.