Contraception Is Ground Zero For The Spiritual Battle of Our Day

If you are a regular visitor to this blog this Michael Voris video will be unsurprising. It appears to be from a talk that Michael gave just this week so it includes some very interesting up to date data and perspective. Behold, this topic explains so much of our current #CatholicChurchCrisis.

In Pre-Vatican II Canada, What Were Catholic Bishops Thinking About Contraception?

Pope Pius XII (left) dies in 1958, succeeded by Pope John XXIII

In this pre-Vatican II document from 1958 produced by the Canadian Catholic Conference of Bishops we see that the Church's teaching concerning contraception was being upheld and unabashedly promoted by the Bishops. It is unclear what prompted the Bishops to issue their pastoral letter entitled "The Family In Canada" but the general sense of the letter is that pressures seemed to be mounting against family and marriage and great concern was felt by the Bishops.

For historical context, it's worth noting that Pope Pius XII had died just a month prior to the release of this letter (although clearly that event was unrelated to the pastoral letter).

Keep in mind this document was compiled less than four years before Vatican II and a full ten years before Pope Paul VI's encyclical entitled "Humanae Vitae." Note that the language used concerning "artificial birth prevention" and divorce is striking and unequivocal in terms of support of official Church teaching, whereas in the aftermath of Vatican II, what was striking was a spirit of change and liberality.

Another remarkable aspect of the pastoral letter "The Family In Canada" is that there is no mention whatever of abortion. Of course abortion was in all respects illegal at that time (1958) but imagine, if you can, a society and social setting where abortion is so uncontroversially evil and criminal that it is rightly consigned to the same status and category as a grievous crime, unworthy of the attention of the faithful, even in an address on the family. Now imagine only seven or eight years hence the same Bishops resigned to a softening of law on the "complex" subject of abortion. Mind boggling. What invasion of thought and spirit so beguiled these shepherds in that short span of years?

This statement by the Bishops deserves to be revisited in 2018 if for no other reason than to support the 50th anniversary of Humanae Vitae. That encyclical remains "ground zero" for the current Catholic Church crisis since it served as a magnet for the heresy and hatred for tradition which was metastasizing in the Church in the wake of modernism. The vast rebellion that followed vented its fury on the person of Christ in the Holy Eucharist, laying waste to altar, liturgy and doctrine in order to beat into the ground all that was holy and true. The results have been catastrophic: a pervasive culture of sacrilege and profanation, measured daily in the multiple millions and never challenged by Canada's Bishops.

[For further overall context, see my posting from 2013 entitled How Catholic Bishops in Canada Privatized Contraception, Divorce and Abortion.]

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The Family In Canada

Author -The Administrative Board, Canadian Catholic Conference, Nov. 13, 1958

At a time when Christian teaching on marriage is being assailed and family life undermined, we re-affirm emphatically the Church’s' constant teaching that marriage was instituted by God. The inclination to marry was implanted in man's nature by his Creator; forthright divine teaching confirmed the inclination of human nature; and Christ not only renewed the original decree of God but raised marriage to the dignity of a sacrament, thereby giving husband and wife the means to attain holiness in the married state. Furthermore, the first man and woman received an explicit divine command that their permanent union should be the natural beginning of the human race. Thus the family has its origin in God, and the begetting of children is both the primary purpose and the first blessing of marriage.

Many consequences flow from this. First, God's plan concerning marriage and the family cannot be changed at the whim or even by the formal decree of individuals or societies. Second, the entire range of human relationships must be ordered to respect the nature of marriage and promote the welfare of the family. The chief reason why the Church is concerned for problems of economic and social life is that disorders in these fields imperil the welfare of the family. To enable the family to attain its destiny, the Church has repeatedly em­phasized the need for a program of social reconstruction. History shows that  no  civilization  has  long  endured without a vigorous family life, and that one of the first symptoms of the decay of a civilization is the disintegration of its family life, marked by a loss of respect for marriage,  an increase in divorce and the refusal of married couples to have children.

I— Flagrant Sins against Nature

This refusal too often leads them to prevent conception by artificial means. Such actions are sinful because they interfere with the functioning of a natural faculty. To frustrate these powers of nature is a serious matter; serious, indeed, because the conception of every human being involves the creation of a spiritual, immortal soul. For this reason the Church reaffirms its teaching, based on the law of God and of nature, that artificial birth prevention is sinful under any circumstances. As for divorce, it harms human welfare, being contrary to human nature, which tends towards a permanent union bringing security to husband and wife, children and society as a whole. Proof of this is that divorce, while seeming to solve a marital problem, almost invariably causes a host of new problems and evils, individual and social. Marriage is by nature indissoluble, in the sense that it cannot be dissolved by any merely human authority. Indissolubility is of the essence of marriage and an integral part of its constitution. Divorce, by weakening its foundation, places the whole structure of family life—and therefore of society—in peril of collapse.

Thus, divorce and artificial birth-prevention are flagrant sins against God’s plan for marriage and the family. They are also sins against human nature. Men and women are more tempted to sin in these ways as the difficulties of marriage and family life become excessively burdensome. Weak, misguided couples turn from the personal sacrifices required for domestic peace and the proper rearing of families; in divorce and birth-prevention they seek false solutions to their difficulties. All this emphasizes the need for promoting legitimate ways of mitigating or eliminating the difficulties which tempt men and women to sin against God’s plan. It makes clear the need for formal programs or pre-marital and marital instruction to teach young couples the true nature of marriage and the family.

II— Housing Shortage

Here in Canada one of the foremost difficulties confronting families is insufficient and inadequate housing. The Federal Minister of Labour has noted that many are living in houses which "no Canadian should be living in".[i] Serious evils follow from this: the family is divided by the fact that many mothers think they are obliged to work outside the home.  Poor housing has been identified as a major cause of delinquency on the part of all members of the family. It causes parents to place unnatural curbs on the growth of families. It takes a heavy toll by robbing the family of opportunities for developing and expressing the talents of its members. The real adequacy even of many new houses is open to question. Planners and builders appear to have been caught unprepared by the development in urban settings of larger families with greater need for more space, both in their houses and outside them.

III— Rights and Duties of Mothers

The regrettable spectacle of the mother working outside her home is a consequence of this housing problem and the economic difficulties of families. A recent survey of working women in Canada showed that one in four spoke of working to help pay for her home.  This was more than twice the number who mentioned all other specific material objectives combined.[ii] of other reasons given, "the great majority of the women interviewed felt that their families' economic position was such that unless they were prepared to forego all but necessities, they were obliged to work for pay.”[iii] 

Mention  of these facts is not intended as indiscriminate criticism of working women because, as Pope Pius XII has noted, it is useless to urge a woman  to return  to the  home "while conditions prevail which  constrain her to remain away from it.”[iv] The attack must be directed against the causes which, by taking mothers out of their homes, notably contribute to a breakdown of family life. The working mother cannot make her full and proper contribution towards satisfying the family's many other needs. She cannot be the leader she should be in the family's physical, spiritual, intellectual and moral education. Not infrequently her own moral integrity is endangered. But even in homes where the mother does not go out to work, the traditional family structure is endangered. Pope Pius XII has observed:

The daughter of the worldly woman, who sees all housekeeping left in  the  hands of  paid  help  and her mother fussing with frivolous occupations and futile amusements, will follow her ex­ ample, will want to be emancipated as soon as possible and in the words of a very tragic phrase 'to live her own life'. How could she conceive a desire to become one day a true lady…the mother of a happy, prosperous, worthy family?[v]

IV— Rights and Duties of Fathers

We have spoken of the abuses which follow from a neglect or distortion of the true role of motherhood. It must not however, be thought that women alone are blameworthy. In many instances, the mother is forced into the circumstances we have deplored. In others, it is the husband who fails to fulfil his family responsibilities. The father, as head of the family, has the right and the duty to provide for his family. Poor wages or unemployment leaves many fathers unable to do this properly.  All the resources of private and public institutions must therefore be directed to the urgent task of guaranteeing fathers a wage sufficient to meet adequately the normal domestic needs of their families as they arise.[vi]Beyond this social aspect of the problem, it is a man's duty to work industriously and to manage his affairs thriftily, so that all possible opportunities can be turned to the advantage of his family. Bad management, extravagant habits and irresponsible behaviour on the part of some men contribute to their families' sufferings.

Another factor undermining the welfare of families is the failure of many fathers to be leaders in their own homes. The shorter working week should provide opportunity for better mutual knowledge and familiarity of parents and children. Unfortunately, the opportunities which the shorter work week should provide are often lost through the second-job practice commonly known as “moonlighting”. Whether adopted out of necessity or in a mistaken appreciation of need, this practice not only affects the family adversely but emphasizes defects in the economic structure, as political, industrial and labour leaders have noted. The father should strive to be an understanding guide and friend, a loved and trusted parent to his children, a model of constancy and virtue especially to his sons, an example to be admired and followed. Thus, in harmonious co­ operation with the mother, the father must provide leadership in home education.

V— Research Needed

There is evidence of a great need for research into all social factors affecting the Canadian family. Many organizations are looking for something to do. One thing they could do is harness the talent in every community and encourages trained leaders in research projects. Again, universities annually require of their students thousands of term papers and theses.  The fact that few students are assigned to study and explore actual social conditions in Canada is reflected in the general lack of research material.

VI— Role of the State

Given the duty of fathers and mothers to improve the way they fulfil their roles, and the need for industry, labour unions, universities and all manner of voluntary and formal associations to do more for families—there remains a great and vital service to be performed by public authority  at every level of government. This, however, must be done in a manner consonant with human dignity. Family allowances in Canada are an example of the state's awareness of its duty to aid families. But families should also be assisted indirectly by efforts aimed at stabilizing the economy so that earnings and savings retain their real worth in goods and services, and by other means, the complexities of which cannot be treated here. Trade, monetary and taxation policies, legislative programs and public projects of all kinds have their effects, sooner or later, on the life of every Canadian family.

Since this is so, we urge government at every level to give high priority to the good of the family, in determining or implementing social policy and to recognize and respect the fact that the family has sacred rights prior and superior to any other institution, including the state itself. Thus aided and protected, families will be better able to model themselves according to the Christian ideal, becoming

…true centres of holiness,  where  the Lord is present with His graces;  where the members pray together, attend Holy Mass together and receive the sacraments together; where God's law is scrupulously obeyed; where every member works earnestly towards perfection, aided by those means which family life itself provides through the fulfilment of its own  duties; where the minds of children  worthy of the Church are formed; where love and affection animate parents and children alike; where the eyes of God rest gently, knowing that His Holy and adorable will is constantly fulfilled.[vii]

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[i] Cf. Toronto Star, Sept. 9, 1958, p. 12.

[ii] Married Women Working for Pay, Dept. of Labour Publication, Ottawa, 1958, p.40.

[iii] Ibid., page 76.

[iv] Pius XII, The Duties of Women in Social and Political Life, Address to Italian Women, Rome, Oct. 21, 1945; English version in Catholic Mind, N.Y., 1945, vol. 43, p. 711.

[v] Ibid., p. 710.

[vi] Pius XII, Encyclical Letter on 150th Anniversary of Hierarchy established in U.S.A., Nov. 1, 1939, in The Papal Encyclicals, edit. Claudia Carlen, IHM (Wilmington, N.C., McGrath Publishing, 1981), IV, n. 6, p. 184.

[vii] Pius XII, Address to Spanish Family Clubs, Aug. 13, 1958, Osservatore Romano, Vatican, Aug. 14, 1958.

   

Is Michael Voris The Most Radical Catholic Thinker Of His Day?

Or is he simply America's greatest prophet?

"The reason for the collapse of Western civilization is contraception."  OMG! Outrageous! Preposterous! Absolute madness! Shut this guy down!

Finally, Holy Family Parish In Whitby, ON Hears Homily On Evil Of Contraception

Yesterday I traveled to Whitby to set up my signs at Holy Family Parish once again. About two months ago I was there to highlight the scandal of a pro-abortion Catholic politician receiving Holy Communion on a regular basis. This time I was there to give a warning to parishioners about official teaching on contraception as contained in the Catechism of the Catholic Church. I have been travelling to parishes throughout Oshawa and Whitby with this same message for the last couple months.

Recently Fr. Shenan Boquet of Human Life International had a very relevant commentary on this subject of contraception and the betrayal by clergy to teach the truth about it. His words are an excellent accompaniment to my protest.

Catholic Resistance Movement Counters PseudoCatholic Lies In Oshawa

Outside St. Gertrude's Catholic Church in Oshawa before the vigil Mass on Sunday past there was a great deal of traffic. Many hundreds of people were impacted by the signs. For more info on this campaign see this posting and this one too.

It seems more and more Catholics are calling for some kind of Catholic resistance movement. God bless them all, it's about time! But if these programs don't get to the heart of the problem on the local level of EVERY parish in a diocese, I suspect they'll amount to all heat and no light. Anyone who wishes to undertake such an ambitious project had better be prepared for huge backlash including personal attacks, character assassination and loss of income stream. Really, at the stage we find ourselves, only those who have worked hard to make their personal situations relatively invulnerable will be in a position to offer effective resistance. Nevertheless, even that person must be prepared for the likelihood of a serious hit.

By the way, I'm looking for someone who might be willing to carry signs (ground level signs can also be used) and conduct other resistance efforts in the diocese of Ottawa. I can provide full details if you'd like to email me or direct message me on Twitter. Email me at the following address:

Winnipeg Statement: Canadian Bishops, September 1968

Here's the text of the infamous "Winnipeg Statement" published two months after the release of Pope Paul VI's encyclical Humanae Vitae. Paragraphs #17, 25, 26 and 34 are considered problematic, with paragraph #26 taking center stage.

26. Counsellors may meet others who, accepting the teaching of the Holy Father, find that because of particular circumstances they are involved in what seems to them a clear conflict of duties, e.g., the reconciling of conjugal love and responsible parenthood with the education of children already born or with the health of the mother. In accord with the accepted principles of moral theology, if these persons have tried sincerely but without success to pursue a line of conduct in keeping with the given directives, they may be safely assure that, whoever honestly chooses that course which seems right to him does so in good conscience.

RELATED POSTING Amoris Laetitia Will Bolster Canadian Bishops’ False And Deadly Appeal To Conscience

Here's a sample of the thinking behind the Winnipeg Statement which was said to be "an honest pastoral attempt" to "maintain unity in the Canadian Church."

Supporters contend that the Canadian Bishops were merely trying to defend those who had not matured sufficiently in their faith, and that they were simply upholding the established doctrine expressed in Dignitatis humanae, the Vatican II Declaration on Religious Freedom. They argue that it was this document which compelled the bishops "to support the need for personal freedom when dealing with the Church's rejection of artificial contraception... [and to insist] that married couples could only form their consciences in an atmosphere free of coercion." [Source]

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CANADIAN BISHOPS' STATEMENT ON THE ENCYCLICAL "HUMANAE VITAE''

Plenary Assembly, St. Boniface-Winnipeg

Roman Catholic Bishops of Canada
September 27, 1968

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1. Pope Paul VI in his recent encyclical "On Human Life" has spoken on a profound human problem as is clearly evidenced by the immediate and universal reaction to his message. It is evident that he has written out of concern and love, and in a spirit of service to all mankind. Conscious of the current controversy and deep differences of opinion as to how to harmonize married love and the responsible transmission of life, we, the Canadian bishops, offer our help to the priests and Catholic people believing it to be their pastoral duty.

I - Solidarity with the Pope

2. We are in accord with the teaching of the Holy Father concerning the dignity of married life, and the necessity of a truly Christian relationship between conjugal love and responsible parenthood. We share the pastoral concern which has led him to offer counsel and direction in an area which, while controverted, could hardly be more important to human happiness.

3. By divine commission clarification of these difficult problems of morality is required from the teaching authority of the Church ⁽¹⁾. The Canadian Bishops will endeavor to discharge their obligation to the best of their ability. In this pursuit we are acting consistently with our recent submissions to the federal government on contraception, divorce and abortion, nor is there anything in those submissions which does not harmonize with the encyclical.

II - Solidarity with the Faithful

4. In the same spirit of solidarity we declare ourselves one with the People of God in the difficulties they experience in understanding, making their own, and living this teaching.

5. In accord with the teaching of the Second Vatican Council, the recent encyclical⁽²⁾ recognizes the nobility of conjugal love which is "uniquely expressed and perfected through the marital act" ⁽³⁾. Many married people experience a truly agonizing difficulty in reconciling the need to express conjugal love with the responsible transmission of human life. ⁽⁴⁾

6. This difficulty is recognized in deep sympathy and is shared by bishops and priests as counselors and confessors in their service of the faithful. We know that we are unable to provide easy answers to this difficult problem made more acute by the great variety of solutions proposed in an open society.

7. A clearer understanding of these problems and progress toward their solution will result from a common effort in dialogue, research and study on the part of all, laity, priests and bishops, guided by faith and sustained by grace. To this undertaking the Canadian bishops pledge themselves.

III - Christian Conscience and Divine Law

8. Of recent years many have entertained doubts about the validity of arguments proposed to forbid any positive intervention which would prevent the transmission of human life. As a result there have arisen opinions and practices contrary to traditional moral theology. Because of this many had been expecting official confirmation of their views. This helps to explain the negative reaction the encyclical received in many quarters. Many Catholics face a grave problem of conscience.

9. Christian theology regarding conscience has its roots in the teaching of St. Paul ⁽⁵⁾. This has been echoed in our day by Vatican II: "Conscience is the most secret core and sanctuary of man. There he is alone with God, whose voice echoes in his depths." ⁽⁶⁾ "On his part man acknowledges the imperatives of the divine law through the mediation of conscience. In all his activity a man is bound to follow his conscience faithfully, in order that he may come to God for whom he was created" ⁽⁷⁾. The dignity of man consists precisely in his ability to achieve his fulfillment in God through the exercise of a knowing and free choice.

10. However this does not exempt a man from the responsibility of forming his conscience according to truly Christian values and principles. This implies a spirit of openness to the teaching of the church which is an essential aspect of the Christian's baptismal vocation. It likewise implies sound personal motivation free from selfishness and undue external pressure which are incompatible with the spirit of Christ. Nor will he succeed in this difficult task without the help of God. Man is prone to sin and evil and unless he humbly asks and gratefully receives the grace of God this basic freedom will inevitably lead to abuse.

IV - Teaching Office of the Church

11. Belief in the Church which is the prolongation of Christ in the world, belief in the Incarnation, demands a cheerful readiness to hear that Church to whose first apostles Christ said: "He who hears you hears me" ⁽⁸⁾. True freedom of conscience does not consist, then, in the freedom to do as one likes, but rather to do as a responsible conscience directs.

12. Vatican Council II applies this concept forcefully. Christians "Therefore must always be governed according to a conscience dutifully conformed to the divine law itself and should be submissive towards the Church's teaching office which authentically interprets that law in the light of the gospel. That divine law reveals and protects the integral meaning of conjugal love and impels it towards truly human fulfillment." ⁽⁹⁾.

13. Today, the Holy Father has spoken on the question of morally acceptable means to harmonize conjugal love and responsible parenthood. Christians must examine in all honesty their reaction to what he has said.

14. The Church is competent to hand on the truth contained in the revealed word of God and to interpret its meaning. But its role is not limited to this function. In his pilgrimage to salvation, man achieves final happiness by all his human conduct and his whole moral life. Since the Church is man's guide in this pilgrimage, she is called upon to exercise her role as teacher, even in those matters which do not demand the absolute assent of faith.

15. Of this sort of teaching Vatican II wrote: "This religious submission of will and of mind must be shown in a special way to the authentic teaching authority of the Roman Pontiff, even when he is not speaking ex cathedra. That is, it must be shown in such a way that his supreme teaching service is acknowledged with reverence, the judgments made by him are sincerely adhered to, according to his manifest mind and will" ⁽¹⁰⁾.

16. It follows that those who have been commissioned by the Church to teach in her name will recognize their responsibility to refrain from public opposition to the encyclical; to do otherwise would compound confusion and be a source of scandal to God's people. However, this must not be interpreted as a restriction on the legitimate and recognized freedom of theologians to pursue loyally and conscientiously their research with a view to greater depth and clarity in the teaching of the Church.

17. It is a fact that a certain number of Catholics, although admittedly subject to the teaching of the encyclical, find it either extremely difficult or even impossible to make their own all elements of this doctrine. In particular, the argumentation and rational foundation of the encyclical, which are only briefly indicated, have failed in some cases to win the assent of men of science, or indeed of some men of culture and education who share in the contemporary empirical and scientific mode of thought. We must appreciate the difficulty experienced by contemporary man in understanding and appropriating some of the points of this encyclical, and we must make every effort to learn from the insights of Catholic scientists and intellectuals, who are of undoubted loyalty to Christian truth, to the Church and to the authority of the Holy See. Since they are not denying any point of divine and Catholic faith nor rejecting the teaching authority of the Church, these Catholics should not be considered or consider themselves, shut off from the body of the faithful. But they should remember that their good faith will be dependent on a sincere self-examination to determine the true motives and grounds for such suspension of assent and on continued effort to understand and deepen their knowledge of the teaching of the Church.

18. The difficulties of this situation have been felt by the priests of the Church, and by many others. We have been requested to provide guidelines to assist them. This we will endeavor to accomplish in a subsequent document. We are conscious that continuing dialogue, study and reflection will be required by all members of the Church in order to meet as best we can the complexities and exigencies of the problem.

19. We point out that the particular norms which we may offer will prove of little value unless they are placed in the context of man's human and Christian vocation and all of the values of Christian marriage. This formation of conscience and this education in true love will be achieved only by a well balanced pastoral insistence upon the primary importance of love which is human, total, faithful and exclusive as well as generously faithful ⁽¹¹⁾.

V - Preliminary Pastoral Guidance

20. For the moment, in conformity with traditional Christian morality, we request priests and all who may be called to guide or counsel the consciences of others to give their attention to the following considerations.

21. The pastoral directives given by Pope Paul VI in the encyclical are inspired by a positive sacramental approach. The Eucharist is always the great expression of Christian love and union. Married couples will always find in this celebration a meeting place with the Lord which will never fail to strengthen their own mutual love. With regard to the sacrament of penance the spirit is one of encouragement both for penitents and confessor and avoids both extremes of laxity and rigorism.

22. The encyclical suggests an attitude towards the sacrament of penance which is at once less juridical, more pastoral and more respectful of persons. There is real concern for their growth, however slow at times, and for the hope of the future.

23. Confession should never be envisaged under the cloud of agonizing fear or severity. It should be an exercise in confidence and respect of consciences. Paul VI invited married couples to "....have recourse with humble perseverance to the mere; of God, which is poured forth in the Sacrament of Penance' ^(12). Confession is a meeting between a sincere conscience and Christ Our Lord who was "indeed intransigent with evil, but merciful towards individuals" ⁽¹³⁾

24. Such is the general atmosphere in which the confessor and counsellor must work. We complete the concept with a few more particular applications.

25. In the situation we described earlier in this statement (par. 17) the confessor or counsellor must show sympathetic understanding and reverence for the sincere good faith of those who fall in their effort to accept some point of the encyclical.

26. Counsellors may meet others who, accepting the teaching of the Holy Father, find that because of particular circumstances they are involved in what seems to them a clear conflict of duties, e.g., the reconciling of conjugal love and responsible parenthood with the education of children already born or with the health of the mother. In accord with the accepted principles of moral theology, if these persons have tried sincerely but without success to pursue a line of conduct in keeping with the given directives, they may be safely assure that, whoever honestly chooses that course which seems right to him does so in good conscience.

27. Good pastoral practice for other and perhaps more difficult cases will be developed in continuing communication among bishops, priests and laity, and in particular in the document we have promised to prepare. In the meantime we earnestly solicit the help of medical scientists and biologists in their research into human fertility. While it would be an illusion to hope for the solution of all human problems through scientific technology, such research can bring effective help to the alleviation and solution of problems of conscience in this area.

VI - Invitation to Social Pastoral Action

28. The whole world is conscious of the growing preoccupation with the social impact of all men's thoughts, words and actions. Sexuality in all its aspects is obviously an area of the greatest human and social impact. The norms and values which govern this so vital human concern merit the attention and cooperation of all. Our world evolves at a frightening rate, creating at once a vivid sense of unity and a set of conflicting forces which could destroy us.

29. This concern will be fruitful only if it leads all of us to recognize our true human worth in the possession of our inner powers by which we are distinctively ourselves with the full recognition of our complementary sexual differences on the physical, the psychological and the spiritual plane. Only in this manner will we achieve marriages that are truly unions of love in the service of life.

30. To this end there must be brought into play all the positive forces of the family, the school, the state, the Church. No one may stand aloof, nor are there really national boundaries in a matter of such universal application. With this in mind we call on all members of the Church to realize on every level from the very youngest to the various possibilities of adult education.

31. Without wishing to specify in detail we single out for special mention a few aspects which may have richer possibilities. We place first the dialogue and cooperation, which have been so encouraging, among all members of the Church and, through the ecumenical movement with other Churches.

32. We note with deep satisfaction the spread and strength of so many activities calculated to prepare for marriage or to deepen the appreciation of married persons of this sublime state. For example, marriage preparation courses, family apostolates, discussion groups, etc.

33. Educators, too, are to be commended for their growing attention to the question. Everywhere the problem of sex education and family life is being studied. And this education is happily being deepened by scientific research and diffused through the creative use of mass media. Nothing less than this mobilization of all human forces will suffice to meet the challenge of divisive and destructive forces which begin deep in the willful selfishness of man and inhibit the true expression of his love. We pledge ourselves to the pastoral priority of encouraging and promoting these programs whenever and wherever possible.

34. We conclude by asking all to pray fervently that the Holy Spirit will continue to guide his Church through all darkness and suffering. We, the People of God, cannot escape this hour of crisis but there is no reason to believe that it will create division and despair. The unity of the Church does not consist in a bland conformity in all ideas, but rather in a union of faith and heart, in submission to God's will and a humble but honest and ongoing search for the truth. That unity of love and faith is founded in Christ and as long as we are true to Him nothing can separate us. We stand in union with the Bishop of Rome the successor of Peter, the sign and contributing cause of our unity with Christ and with one another. But this very union postulates such a love of the Church that we can do no less than to place all of our love and all of our intelligence at its service. If this sometimes means that in our desire to make the Church more intelligible and more beautiful we must, as pilgrims do, falter in the way or differ as to the way, no one should conclude that our common faith is lost or our loving purpose blunted. The great Cardinal Newman once wrote: "Lead kindly light amidst the encircling gloom." We believe that the Kindly Light will lead us to a greater understanding of the ways of God and the love of man.

FOOTNOTES

(1) On Human Life, n. 4 & 18
(2) On Human Life, n. 8
(3) The Church Today, n. 49
(4) The Church Today, n. 51
(5) Rom. 14:23 and I Cor. 10
(6) The Church Today, n. 16
(7) On Religious Freedom, n. 3; the Church Today, nn. 16, 17
(8) Luke 10:16 (9) Const. on the Church, n. 50
(10) Constitution on the Church, n. 25
(11) On Human Life, n. 9
(12) On Human Life, n. 25
(13) On Human Life, n. 29

Lectio Divina: Why Won't You Warn Them Cardinal Collins?

Tonight at St. Joseph the Worker Catholic Church in Oshawa, ON, Cardinal Collins was in attendance for Lectio Divina.

I presented a message to Cardinal Collins and to all Catholics: Why aren't we warning souls of the dangers of mortal sin?

Deadly Landscape Of Abortion & Contraception In The West

Michael Voris is hammering away these days at some incredibly pertinent cultural icons in America. Be sure to check out all his recent videos. 

Contraception has a very dark history that many people are not aware of…during that time period there was a very big push among intellectuals and leaders to legalize contraception: twenties, nineteen thirties and contrary to what feminist would have us believe, that contraception was about freeing women, it had everything to do with population control and eugenics… 

Letters to Bishops: A Scandal of Cataclysmic Proportions

Image source

The following letter was written a few years ago by yet another pained Catholic with a very urgent message for the local Bishop. It is reprinted with permission and with minor changes to protect the identities  of those concerned.
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Your Grace,

Greetings in the name of Christ our Lord!

Perhaps Your Grace will already know that I regularly take part in pro-life protests including some outside our own local parishes. My protests have met with a number of upset parishioners as well as a couple of upset priests due to the graphic nature of some of the signs. On the other hand I have also had a show of support from some parishioners, although support for my protests—or lack thereof—is quite irrelevant.

I wish to let Your Grace know that I intend to continue my protests but would like to provide Your Grace with the necessary background and understanding related to those protests. It is hoped that the enclosed letter will provide that important information related to my heart felt convictions about the “legal” destruction of human life in our province and in our nation. I believe the failure of Catholic Bishops to stop the slaughter of innocent unborn children in Canada is a scandal of cataclysmic proportions, a much more shocking and grievous scandal than any priestly child abuse scandal. It has placed Canada on a trajectory to adversity and collapse.

As my letter will explain, I hold the Catholic Bishops of Canada fully responsible for the status quo on abortion in Canada and maintain that the judgment of God has been pronounced against the Bishops and against our once great nation for the failures and sins of Bishops which originally led to legalized abortion and for the ongoing spiritual paralysis of the Bishops which sustains the continued murder of God’s little children. I believe that the Catholic Bishops could, at will, bind the demon of abortion which they unleashed so many years ago through their disobedience to Magisterial and papal teaching on contraception and through capitulation to worldly powers.

Perhaps Your Grace has seen through God’s eyes your own part in this awful crime and if so I pray that Your Grace has repented for your own share of the blame. If such is the case I beg of Your Grace to make such repentance a public act and undertake a campaign immediately to have your brother Bishops throughout Canada make similar public acts of repentance and the requisite penance in order to completely purge Canada of the demonic powers robbing God of so many of His children and to fully satisfy the anger of God. The Lord your God will then help and guide all humble Bishops to bring about a full cleansing in Canada of this devastating plague and begin to heal and prosper our parishes and our nation.

However, if Your Grace has not already made such an act of contrition and repentance, I pray that God our Father might grant you and your fellow Bishops repentance to the acknowledging of the truth and that as the Successors of the Apostles of Christ you might recover yourselves out of the snare of the devil, to the glory of God the Father and for the sake of the Church of Jesus Christ as well as for every human life divinely granted to mothers in this great nation.

Be assured, Your Grace, that although my words appear bold and brash I speak in the strength of the Lord and speak I must. I can no longer remain silent. St. Thomas Aquinas stated, “If the faith is in imminent peril, prelates ought to be accused by their subjects, even in public.” He also referred to St. Augustine: “On the contrary, Augustine says in his Rule: ‘Show mercy not only to yourselves, but also to him who, being in the higher position among you, is therefore in greater danger.’ But fraternal correction is a work of mercy. Therefore even prelates ought to be corrected.” [Summa Theologica II, II, q. 33, a. 4, Sed Contra].

At this severe and aggravated stage of legalized child killing, any suggestion of a simple dialogue with me could accomplish nothing of substance. There is but one course of action for the Catholic Bishops of Canada and that is the course set forth. Furthermore, no campaign in the name of “social justice” can be counted as credible—let alone effective—nor bear any significant measure of God’s blessing while this atrocious evil continues, in the shadows and silence, to lay waste.

Be advised Your Grace that, although I do associate at times and in different places with other Catholic and pro-life groups, my actions in the formulation of this letter are purely my own, with no connection to any other group or individual, and I take full responsibility for them, God helping me.

Rest assured that I pray daily for the Pope, Catholic Bishops and Priests everywhere and throughout the Church of Christ.

God grant to you the wisdom and help of God that the scourge of legalized abortion in our land might be extinguished.

Faithfully yours
XXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

Paris Attacks Linked To Contraception And Child Murder

Outrageous claim? Not at all. Michael Voris makes the obvious case.

...immigration policies cannot be discounted as a precipitating factor. And the immigration policies were put in place because the Pill had become accepted. In the rush to have no restrictions on sexual license and no consequence for unintended pregnancies, Western societies forgot that there are consequences for unbridled sexual liaisons, particularly on such a huge scale as the cultures accepted and practiced it. A wise old seminary professor once said…"God is forgiving, but nature isn't." 

A Shrinking Church Meets An Ever-Increasing Hostile Culture

" There is a bad combination brewing: a shrinking Church meeting an ever-increasing hostile culture. ...contraception is the cause for every major crisis that modern man faces: same-sex marriage, divorce and remarriage, abortion, single-parent households. And to the extent that Catholic clerics either kept quiet or jumped on the bandwagon, they will be held responsible. There aren't the numbers among the young to replace and sustain, and that means an even more shrinking crowd of Catholics."

Catholics Aren't Really Really Good Americans

Good one from Michael Voris.

The leftists are all atheists and progressives and attack from that position, and the "conservatives" don't want to hear any moralizing that upsets their carefully crafted world-economic view — especially when it comes to contraception. And before we go any further: yes, this is all about contraception and Protestant heretical beliefs about it.

The Litmus Test Of Today's Catholic Bishop?

Recent news stories from Europe and from the Vatican have once and for all exposed the nature of the dissent that oiled the engine of the Sexual Revolution which continues to ravage the West and which now threatens even a schism in the Church. No surprise to readers of this blog, it’s that Trojan Horse called contraception, only now the purveyors of that heresy seem no longer to be afraid of revealing their hand!  

These are some of the headlines to which I refer:

The rigging of a Synod? – the betrayal of our families

Theologians Appeal to Pope: Clarify text on contraception

'Shadow Council' Pushes Acceptance of Contraception ...

Contraception gave women ‘a completely new freedom’: the latest from the German bishops’ website

Pope appoints leading opponents of Catholic doctrine to Ordinary Synod

Swiss bishops say Catholics demand Church change on homosexuality, contraception

This explosion of boldness and shocking disobedience, along with common everyday observation, should leave no doubt in our minds that any Catholic Bishop that does not proclaim the teaching of Humanae Vitae is hamstrung with a full blown crisis of fidelity in his diocese on matters of sexuality. In no way can such a Bishop be considered “pro-Catholic” let alone “pro-life” regardless of fine sounding rhetoric and token gestures. Not only is such a Bishop hamstrung but he is actually facilitating the ongoing destruction to society that the sexual revolution spawns and is also complicit in the mounting insurrection which threatens a schism in the Church. Furthermore, and more importantly, a vast number of individuals in our society are losing their eternal souls due to the sexual chaos and confusion which reigns, due largely to the silence and/or denial of so many Apostles of Christ.

What exactly is involved in a Bishop’s campaign to proclaim the teaching of Humanae Vitae in his diocese? Based on the example of other truly orthodox prelates, I believe at least three outcomes would emerge:

1. At a minimum, that Bishop must give evidence that he believes, heart and soul, in the magisterial teaching on contraception, as expressed in the Catechism of the Catholic Church and as presented in the encyclical Humanae Vitae. Such belief would compel a pastoral letter introducing a broad and high profile program of catechesis designed to educate and save Catholics from the intrinsically evil practice of contraception for the eternal good of their souls.

2. In pastoral practice, the Bishop must require that his priests read and implement the Vademecum for Confessors Concerning Some Aspects of the Morality of Conjugal Life, wherein is emphasized "The Church has always taught the intrinsic evil of contraception, that is, of every marital act intentionally rendered unfruitful. This teaching is to be held as definitive and irreformable." Engagement in such gravely sinful behaviour necessitates the Sacrament of Reconciliation for restoration before God and reception of Holy Communion. Marriage preparation must affirm the absolute incompatibility of contraception with the sacrament of marriage.

3. A strong emphasis on natural family planning (NFP) within the diocese within the context of Pope St. John Paul II’s teachings on the Theology of the Body.

We see in our own backyards in Canada the disgraceful and devastating effects of dissent from Catholic teaching on contraception. Most prominently we see in the Archdiocese of Toronto a hypocritical—perhaps even schizophrenic—approach to the matter, with Cardinal Collins at one moment admitting that Humanae Vitae is being ignored virtually everywhere (including Toronto?), then praising a priest who has been one of the only sane and consistent voices supporting Humanae Vitae, and then on the other hand saying and doing nothing to alert his flock as to the grave dangers of contraceptive use. This calamitous failure of duty by the Cardinal likely explains his “see no evil, hear no evil” policy in regard to the wicked sex-ed program instituted in Ontario schools by Premier Kathleen Wynne. Ignoring evil gets to be habit forming.

Yet the pro-life movement in Canada—especially the largest pro-life media conglomerate—somehow considers Cardinal Collins a “pro-life” Bishop and heaps praise and honour on him when he attends the March for Life. Furthermore they are very careful not to criticize him to any great extent or to implicate him in failure. This must stop. The Cardinal is the de facto leader of Catholics in English Canada and is grossly negligent in the matter of the salvation of souls under his watch. How difficult can it be to face up to this very tragic reality and report accordingly?

Similarly, pro-life leaders across Ontario and Canada cling obstinately to Archbishop Terrence Prendergast as an even stronger example of a “pro-life” Bishop yet this Bishop’s diocese is awash with out of control dissent and heresy, much of it aimed directly at Humanae Vitae. Homosexuality is a flourishing enterprise in Ottawa, even in the priesthood, so much so that one can only wonder if perhaps the Archbishop is a victim of blackmail. To say that the Catholic School Board under his rule flouts Catholic teaching is a great understatement and reveals only a small part of the Archbishop’s timidity in dealing with his “Catholic” educators.  And what of the pro-choice “Catholic” politicians who endlessly haunt and taunt not only the capital city but all of Canada with their blatant and murderous ways? Have any ever been denied Holy Communion? Has the scandal been redressed? Surely the faithful Catholics in Ottawa are justly impatient with their shepherd, having waited so long for him to live up to his promises and finally take control of all the renegades.

Do these Bishops not accomplish some good undertakings in their dioceses? Of course they do; in fact some of their efforts are highly commendable. However, that fact cannot excuse their abject failures and lukewarm attitudes when it comes to the salvation of souls, which is the Supreme Law of the Church.

Again I say, the forces in the Church aligned with evil have boldly shown their hand and the line in the sand is (still) very clearly Humanae Vitae. If a Catholic Bishop wishes to save his flock from the snares of satan and ensure they escape the culture of death, he must enshrine the truth and practice of Humanae Vitae in his diocese. Until he does every faithful Catholic has a duty to treat him not only suspiciously but as an unfaithful steward, perhaps a hireling, or worse still a wolf. To withhold judgment or criticism and especially to hold him up as an example—pro-life or otherwise—is to invite further scandal and to confirm that Bishop in his obstinacy and disobedience.