Lou Iacobelli Ponders The Failure Of Hireling Bishops

I've made the case (in a multitude of posts over time) that possibly ALL of Canada's current crop of Catholic Bishops have disqualified themselves as good shepherds of Christ's flock, and may aptly be described as “hireling” Bishops. I realize this claim will be seen by many respected Catholics as a fantastic one and yet I expect still more disdain to come my way from too many overly sensitive and deluded souls.

Recently I made the following statement in a blog posting pertaining to two of those Bishops who are said to be “the best of us.”

Well let’s just call a spade a spade. The Cardinal—and the Archbishop—simply don’t believe these realities. That is why I call them both hireling Bishops. It’s not that they are in it for the money; it’s just that they are not in it for Christ and His kingdom. They simply do not believe in the kingdom of God and the salvation of souls; at least not in the traditional age old sense held by the Church.  I don't see how any other argument can line up with the abundance of facts facing us.

It appears to me that slowly but surely—and perhaps too late—more Catholics will have to face the exceedingly painful truth about our “shepherds”. Lou Iacobelli notes,

In my parish, these issues are never mentioned and so the passive acceptance of abortion and other mortal sins is becoming the new normal.

Indeed. But this is a decades old phenomenon. Could any Catholic in his wildest imaginations dream that a parish with Christ as the Pastor would allow for such indifference and disintegration, both of which lead souls into Hell? Would not such an outcome be more expected if the Father of Lies were in charge?

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Have the shepherds left the sheep to the wolves?

There's a reflection for this Sunday's Gospel reading about the Good Shepherd from St. John (10:27-30) by Sr. Aemiliana that is worth reading, praying, studying and putting into action. Let's read it first and then make some observations that apply to us today. Here it is:

The notion of shepherd calls forth strong and manly qualities. He must have courage in the pastures of the Orient. Wild beasts often attacked his herds. When Saul doubts his strength, David says to him: 'Thy servant kept his father’s herds at pasture, and often a lion or a bear came and snatched a lamb from the midst of it; and I went out after him and struck him, and took the animal from his mouth.'

This image of the brave young shepherd well suits Christ, the victor of Eastertide who stands amongst us today and says, 'I give my life for my sheep.' In it all the images of the good shepherd from the Old Testament are fulfilled. He tells us that he is the fulfillment of the promise 'I am the good shepherd.' And now it is clear as well why this image of the shepherd belongs above all to Eastertime. It has often shown full of promise on the long road of the Pasch, from the beginning of the fasting season to the great week of suffering. But it was first the Passion which revealed the Lord properly as the good shepherd of his sheep. A hired shepherd whose sheep are not his own has not love’s courage to risk death for them. The Lord says, 'He has no con­cern for the sheep.' When he sees the wolf come he leaves the sheep alone and runs off. His only concern is for his pay, not for the beasts themselves. Evil shep­herds such as these were the leaders of Israel whom the prophet Ezechiel accuses, and whom Christ found in places of authority when he came to visit his flock.

Christ is the good shepherd, the real shepherd. The sheep belong to him; he has created them. He is God’s Logos through whom all things are made. All things are his; they have fallen from him, and yet he loves them. He comes as a shepherd and wounds himself for this miserable flock. He fights with the wild beasts, with hell and sin, and death, to snatch these sheep, led astray, from Satan’s mouth. He does more than any human shepherd does. He throws himself to the attackers, so to speak, in place of the sheep.

(Sister Aemiliana Lohr, O.S. B. († 1972) was a German Benedictine nun who wrote about the liturgy. Magnificat, April 2016, pages 264-265)

Sr. Aemiliana has no romantic notion of shepherds. They were strong, brave and ready to defend the sheep with their lives. Shepherds must lead by example even when there is suffering and death. The Good Shepherd fights with his life. "He fights with the wild beasts, with hell and sin, and death, to snatch these sheep, led astray, from Satan’s mouth. He does more than any human shepherd does. He throws himself to the attackers, so to speak, in place of the sheep."

However, the sad reality in Canada is that we have over the decades pretty much gradually accepted many evils. The wolves have taken over much of the country. We can begin with abortion, "same-sex marriage," a radical sex curriculum for children and now the culture of death is expanding with the legalization of euthanasia. When you can kill an innocent child in the womb, all paid for by the state health care system, does anybody then believe that we can protect the old, the disabled, the depressed and the "unwanted” from being killed? Statements and press releases from our shepherds against killing other Canadians are good, but they are hardly good enough to keep away the wolves.

Statements alone no matter how well intentioned will not stop the daily deaths in our abortuaries. The faith communities, including Catholics, have failed to develop a plan to fight the anti-life evils. We have not put faith into example and action. In my parish, these issues are never mentioned and so the passive acceptance of abortion and other mortal sins is becoming the new normal. When faith no longer protects life, the ultimate gift given to us by God, faith too will soon die with each unborn child killed in the womb and every person euthanasized in the false name of "mercy." When faith is gone, what good will it do us that we kept our charitable status and got the "blessing" from secular governments instead of the Good Shepherd who willingly "throws himself to the attackers, so to speak, in place of the sheep." May God help us!

Croatian Catholics Defeat the Enemies of Natural Marriage

Vice Vincent Batarelo of Croatia

Not yet published on their website, but Steven Mosher of Population Research Institute relates a very powerful account of how Catholic activists in Crotia successfully led a national campaign to defend natural marriage. I'm not so sure that such an approach would work here in Canada but the strategy used should be studied well and any appropriate techniques employed. We need every advantage possible in fighting the culture of death. I hope something in this account will inspire others to successful action.

UPDATE: link now available on PRI's website.
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One of the best talks at our Australia conference was given by Vice Vincent Batarelo (pronounced Vee-che), who led the fight in Croatia to defend natural marriage.

Dr. Batarelo was also a natural to invite to our conference, since he was born in Sydney to Croatian immigrants and grew up Down Under. After he completed a BA and MA at Macquarie University, however, he decided to return to the country of his ancestors, which had just won its freedom from Serbian domination in communist Yugoslavia. He earned a Ph.D. there and went to work as the director of the Family and Life Office of the Archdiocese of Zagreb.

The sexual libertines were on the march, having convinced a sympathetic left-wing government to start moving towards the legalization of homosexual unions. They had the support of the major media, and even many of the larger Croatian businesses.

But Dr. Batarelo decided they would not win. He said, “This is not going to happen in my country, which has a Catholic culture and which throughout history has been the eastern frontier of Christianity.” He could draw upon the fact that 90 percent of Croatia’s population of 4.2 million is Catholic, of whom some 30 percent attend Mass weekly. Indeed, more than half are in Mass at least once a month, one of the highest percentages in any European country.

He knew it would be a David vs. Goliath struggle. After consulting with other pro-life, pro-family leaders in Croatia, such as Marijo Zivkovic, he decided that it would be better to take the fight to the liberal-left opposition in a popular referendum. This had a greater likelihood of succeeding than trying to defeat the homosexual juggernaut in the legislature, where gay activists, supported by the government and the media, could threaten and suborn elected representatives.

When they first announced that they were gathering signatures for a referendum, the reaction of the Left was simply to dismiss the effort to preserve traditional marriage. “You are from the Middle Ages,” they said. “You’re so backward. You will never succeed.”

The law required that the supporters of the marriage referendum gather 145,000 signatures in a mere 15 days. The media kept reporting, falsely, that they were far from their goal. In fact, with the support of 6,000 volunteers they gathered more signatures than were required. A referendum was automatically triggered.

“We knew that, in order to win the referendum, we needed to think strategically and act boldly,” remarked Dr. Batarelo. “We were in a chess match and we needed to think many moves ahead.”
The first thing that Dr. Batarelo and the other organizers did was to meet with the Catholic bishops. They wanted to asked for their support—they did, and they got it—but they also wanted the bishops to stay in the background. They didn’t want to give the opposition the advantage of dismissing their concerns as religious. In religious settings they used arguments based on Catholic doctrine as well as natural law arguments, but in public they relied solely on the latter.

“In the public setting we used only natural law arguments,” Dr. Batarelo recalled. “We reminded people that marriage has been around for 5,000 years, and that it is found in every culture, in every place and in every time.”

They said that the battle over the definition of marriage had nothing to do with homosexuals per se, but had to do with defeating radical leftist ideology. This approach worked very well in Croatia, where people remember the bad old days of Communism. It also reminded people that the liberal-Left government was supporting a redefinition of marriage.

They also were very careful to adopt a positive tone in their public pronouncements, as well as in private conversations with friends and neighbors. “We didn’t want to portray homosexuals as the enemy,” said the good doctor. “We called them our friends on the Left. But we did want to make clear the advantages to society and children of protecting natural marriage.”

They were relentlessly positive, crafting their arguments for natural marriage based on the natural law, arguing the positive benefits of marriage between a man and a woman. They actively avoided talking about the negative consequences for society and children of legally recognizing homosexual liaisons. Natural Marriage = a Woman and a Man, their flyers read. Everything else is something else.

They also were able to reduce the media bias in favor of homosexual unions by carrying out a study of the media broadcasts, which showed that there was a bias against natural marriage. After the study came out, the major media were somewhat fairer in their reporting.

Finally, they were able to neutralize the media bias in another way as well, by turning to the social media. “If you don’t have the mass media on your side,” says Dr. Batarelo, “then use the social media.” By Twittering, Tweeting, Facbooking, and YouTubeing, they were able to create a media presence in the social media that won over large numbers of people to their cause.

At the end of the day, the referendum succeeded. A majority of those who voted—voting is not compulsory in Croatia—voted in favor of natural marriage.

The next big challenge, according to Dr. Batarelo, will come over the Life issue. Abortion is still legal in Croatia, having been introduced in the Communist era. But with the organization they have built in defending natural marriage, says the good doctor, “We will succeed in protecting Life from conception.”

The marriage victory in Croatia is a model for such grassroots movements in other countries. It proves that the homosexual lobby can be defeated by a well-planned, well-organized campaign.

Catholics Have Lost The Zeal For Souls, Even Their Own

I've been a Catholic now for almost 12 years. Michael Voris is right. The vast majority of Catholics I have met in that time have shown no interest, let alone zeal, for souls, even though the Catholic Church offers gold to those of her flock while Protestants make do with peanut butter.

Sterile Sex: Trojan Horse of Modern Christian Societies

"Like my Christian counterparts of old, I maintain that the demonic plan of wreaking havoc on mankind will continue to be greatly aided as long as Christians favour or sympathize with the current contraceptive mentality of our society."

That's a quote from an article I wrote in 2007, the article that appears below. When I wrote the article I was thinking more  along the lines of an apologetic for modern day Christians, both Catholic and Protestant, who accept contraception almost universally. I also hoped to show the connection between contraception and its evil twin abortion.

What I didn't focus on in that article was the connection between the rise of contraceptive practice in society and the rise of homosexual practice. Both are unnatural, sinful practices and have been regarded as so for two millenia by the Christian religion. Since both practices were liberalized (i.e. legalized) in our society in the 1960's they have been at the heart of the culture wars, legal contraception leading quickly to legal abortion and now legalized homosexuality leading eventually to the hijacking of Christian marriage. Both evils may also be considered an evil twin under the umbrella term #SterileSex and have degraded our society immensely in the last 50 years. Taken together they may prove to be the actual undoing of our civilization.

Clearly we can see that God's first command to man is to be taken with deadly seriousness:
"Be fruitful and multiply..." 

Take a couple minutes and read this related summary from the Catechism: ARTICLE 6 

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Contraception: Trojan Horse of Modern Christian Societies

There is a way which seems right to a man, but its end is the way of death. Proverbs 14:12

Very early in my Christian experience I began to learn the significance of these words from Proverbs. Things were simply not as I thought they were!

I had been duped in so many ways by the world and by “the ways of man.” Having converted from atheism to Christ in an evangelical church at twenty eight years of age, I realized I had indeed passed from “death unto life” and purposed from that day forward to be skeptical of the wrong thinking of man. Little did I realize though at that early stage how much transformation and renewal God had in mind!

I propose in this little exposé to make a simple case for how modern day Christians have been thoroughly deceived on the subject of contraception, to the grim detriment of all Christian societies.

The reader may immediately tune out, exclaiming, “Ah, I see where you’re coming from. I noticed in your blogger profile that in 2004 you became a Roman Catholic. That accounts for your views on contraception.”

But I reply, “Not entirely so, and if you give me a few more minutes, I think I can give a convincing argument for the fact that, in the ENTIRE HISTORY of the Christian Church, NOT ONE credible pastor, priest, bishop, theologian, or scholar before roughly 1930-1950 believed contraception to be anything other than a damnable doctrine of the devil.”

Think about it. If you’re wrong on the subject, you’ll face God as a fifty or sixty year old Christian, historically, rather than as a two thousand year old Christian, and won’t it seem very strange why you chose to discount nearly two millennia of Christian thinking and practice? Could you explain to God why you supported a practice regarded universally and historically by Christians as “worse than sodomy, incest and adultery,” “a most unnatural wickedness, and a grievous wrong,” and “hostile to national welfare?”

There is a way which seems right to a man, but its end is the way of death.

Has the reader’s thinking been led in a way which only seems right but which is, in fact, contrary to the ways of God? Is it possible the reader has been deceived?

Like my Christian counterparts of old, I maintain that the demonic plan of wreaking havoc on mankind will continue to be greatly aided as long as Christians favour or sympathize with the current contraceptive mentality of our society.

I will offer ten fairly brief quotes of interest which span the gamut of Christian, specifically Reformation, history and then I will refer the reader to links of reasonably short articles which effectively make my case. [The reader is advised to take note especially of the recurrent connection between contraception and abortion.]

1. Martin Luther, Martin Luther’s Works, Volume Seven 1522

[The] exceedingly foul deed of Onan, the basest of wretches follows [Genesis 38:9, 10]. Onan must have been a malicious and incorrigible scoundrel. This is a most disgraceful sin. It is far more atrocious than incest and adultery. We call it unchastity; yes, a Sodomitic sin. For Onan goes in to her; that is, he lies with her and copulates; and, when it comes to the point of insemination, spills the semen, lest the woman conceive. Surely at such a time the order of nature established by God in procreation should be followed.

2. John Calvin, Commentary on Genesis 1554

Besides [Onan] not only defrauded his brother of the right due him, but also preferred his semen to putrify on the ground, rather than to beget a son in his brother's name.... I will contend myself with briefly mentioning [Onan's act], as far as the sense of shame allows to discuss it. It is a horrible thing to pour out seed besides the intercourse of man and woman. Deliberately avoiding the intercourse, so that the seed drops on the ground, is double horrible. For this means that one quenches the hope of his family, and kills the son, which could be expected, before he is born. This wickedness is now as severely as is possible condemned by the Spirit, through Moses, that Onan, as it were, through a violent and untimely birth, tore away the seed of his brother out the womb, and as cruel as shamefully has thrown on the earth. Moreover he thus has, as much as was in his power, tried to destroy a part of the human race. When a woman in some way drives away the seed out the womb, through aids, then this is rightly seen as an unforgivable crime. Onan was guilty of a similar crime, by defiling the earth with his seed, so that Tamar would not receive a future inheritor.

3. Matthew Poole, 1624-1679, Presbyterian and Puritan Biblical scholar

Onan's "sin itself...is...particularly described by the Holy Ghost, that men might be instructed concerning the nature and the great evil of this sin of self-pollution, which is such that it brought upon the actor of it the extraordinary vengeance of God, and which is condemned not only by Scripture but even by the light of nature and the judgement of heathens who have expressly censured it as a great sin, and as a kind of murder.... Whereby we may sufficiently understand how wicked and abominable a practice this is amongst Christians, and in the light of the gospel which lays greater and stricter obligations upon us to purity and severely forbids all pollution both of flesh and spirit."

4. John Wesley, Commentary on Genesis 1755

Onan, though he consented to marry the widow, yet to the great abuse of his own body, of the wife he had married, and the memory of his brother that was gone, he refused to raise up seed unto his brother. Those sins that dishonour the body are very displeasing to God, and the evidence of vile actions. Observe, the thing which he did displeased the Lord--And it is to be feared, thousands, especially of single persons, by this very thing, still displease the Lord, and destroy their own souls.

5. Johann Peter Lange, Reformed German scholar, author of Lange's Commentary on the Holy Scriptures (24 Volumes) 1850. [A work praised by C.H. Spurgeon: “We have nothing equal to them as a series.”]

Contraception is “a most unnatural wickedness, and a grievous wrong. This sin . . . is [as] destructive as a pestilence that walketh in darkness, destroying directly the body and the soul of the young.”

6. Lutheran Church/Missouri Synod, 1923, in its official magazine “The Witness” accused the Birth Control Federation of America of spattering “this country with slime” and labeled birth-control advocate Margaret Sanger a “she devil.” Pastor Walter Maier, founding preacher of the long-running Lutheran Hour radio program, called contraceptives “the most repugnant of modern aberrations, representing a twentieth-century renewal of pagan bankruptcy.”

7. Oldenburger, Teunis, 1934, Reformed scholar & author, Birth Control for Saints and Sinners

There is no other exegesis of Scripture possible but to place contraception in the same category with prostitution, free love, homosexuality, coitus interruptus...and all other forms of unnatural coition that are indulged in simply for the purpose of play, against which both the laws of the land and those of the Church have with varying severity been enforced, beginning with Onan in Chapter 38 of Genesis and extending to our own day among all civilized countries.

8. Lewis, C. S., The Abolition of Man 1943

As regards contraceptives, there is a paradoxical, negative sense in which all possible future generations are the patients or subjects of a power wielded by those already alive. By contraception simply, they are denied existence; by contraception used as a means of selective breeding, they are, without their concurring voice, made to be what one generation, for its own reasons, may choose to prefer. From this point of view, what we call Man’s power over Nature turns out to be a power exercised by some men over other men with Nature as its instrument.

9. Dr. John R. Rice, Baptist evangelist and one of the key figures in 20th century fundamentalism. The Home; A Bible Manual of 22 Chapters 1946

The use of contraceptive devices to prevent the conception and birth of children is wrong because it goes against the clear tenor of Bible teaching…The Bible teaches that to have large families is a positive good, a blessing from God…If it is a virtue to have large families, then it is a lack of virtue to limit the family to less than what it would be if God had His way and gave the children that He wants to give to a home. Since married couples are commanded to “multiply and replenish the earth” (Gen 1:28, 9:1), then not to multiply is a sin…It seems also that we may properly infer from the general tenor of the Scripture that to want less children than God would give without human rebellion and contraceptive devices is likewise a sin.

10. A.W. Tozer, The Waning Authority of Christ in the Churches 1963

We sing of Him and preach about Him, but He must not interfere; we worship our way, and it must be right because we have always done it that way, as have the other churches in our group....What Christian when faced with a moral problem goes straight to the Sermon on the Mount or other New Testament Scripture for an authoritative answer? Who lets the words of Christ be final on giving, birth control, the bringing up of a family, personal habits, tithing, entertainment, buying, selling and other such important matters?

For further reading and insight, consult these [mostly brief] articles online.

Children of the Reformation

Allan Carlson, a Lutheran historian and author, writes a short & surprising history of Protestantism & contraception

Can Christians Use Birth Control?

Dr. R. Albert Mohler, Jr., president of The Southern Baptist Theological Seminary, makes the case that evangelicals are rethinking the issue of birth control, mostly due to implications arising out of the abortion revolution.

The Protest of a Protestant Minister Against Birth Control

Pastor Matt Trewhella, pastor of Mercy Seat Christian Church in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, explains the radical restructuring of his beliefs which convinced him to get a vasectomy reversal.

A Protestant Analyzes Contraception

When someone told Jill Stanek, Protestant, high profile pro-lifer and blogger, that the Pope had said that contraception is the root cause of abortion, she thought that it was a pretty big statement to make. She began to wonder, does the Bible say anything about contraception?

Birth Control and God's Will For Our Lives

One man’s reflections about God the Father, His infinite goodness and love, and the incredible privilege bestowed on married couples of having a role in the creation of new persons.

The Case Against Birth Control

Nate Wilson, pastor and church planter, says that too many Christian couples hear the arguments in favor of birth control and make their decision without ever having heard that there might be reasons not to practice birth control.

Contra-Contraception

A lengthy article from the New York Times on the anti-contraceptive movement, mostly in the context of the USA, but insightful and well written.

Hating Babies and Hating God

From the June 2003 issues of “Chronicles—A Magazine of American Culture.” A strong appeal to Protestants to return to their former condemnation of contraception which was firmly based on the Scriptures and natural law. [opens a pdf file… scroll to p.19]

Evangelical Group's Motto: Breed to Succeed

A lengthy article on the “Quiverfull” movement of evangelical Christians who refuse any attempt to regulate pregnancy. They argue that God, as the "Great Physician" and sole "Birth Controller," opens and closes the womb on a case-by-case basis. Women's attempts to control their own bodies -- the Lord's temple -- are a seizure of divine power.

Save Marriage? It’s too Late

Rev. Donald Sensing is pastor of the Trinity United Methodist Church in Franklin, Tennessee and in this article he argues that same-sex marriage will not cause the degeneration of the institution of marriage; it is the result of a degeneration, one that started with modern birth control.

Contraception in the Bible

This is an argument against contraception in strictly list format—a long list of Scripture verses and passages from the Early Church Fathers.

Catholic Teaching On Contraception

Dr. Donald DeMarco provides an excellent survey, useful for Catholics as well as Protestants, of the Catholic Church’s consistent and historical teaching on contraception.

Humanae Vitae
Humanae Vitae (Latin "Of Human Life") is an encyclical letter written by Pope Paul VI and published in 1968. Subtitled "On the Regulation of Birth", it re-affirms the traditional teaching of the Roman Catholic Church regarding abortion, contraception, and other issues pertaining to human life.

Canadian Law on Contraception 1892-1969

"Everyone is guilty of an indictable offense and liable to two years' imprisonment who knowingly, without lawful excuse of justification, offers to sell, advertises, publishes an advertisement of or has for sale or disposal of any medicine, drug or article intended or represented as a means of preventing conception or causing an abortion." (Section 179c of the 1892 Canadian Criminal Code)

Birth control was said to be obscene, "tending to corrupt morals." Unless an accused could prove that its advocacy had been "for the public good," he or she was liable to serve a 2-year jail sentence. Contraception was opposed by pro-natalist business, religious, and political interest groups. This law remained in effect until 1969, the same year that Canada legalized abortion.

American Law on Contraception 1873 to 1964

The "Comstock" Law, US Federal Law, passed unanimously in the United States Congress in 1873
"All persons are prohibited from importing into the United States, from any foreign country, any obscene book, pamphlet, paper, writing, advertisement, circular, print, picture, drawing, or other representation, figure, or image on or of paper or other material, or any cast, instrument, or other article of an immoral nature, or any drug or medicine, or any article whatever, for the prevention of conception, or for causing unlawful abortion. No invoice or package whatever, or any part of one, in which any such articles are contained shall be admitted to entry; and all invoices and packages whereof any such articles shall compose a part are liable to be proceeded against, seized, and forfeited by due course of law. All such prohibited articles in the course of importation shall be detained by the officer of customs, and proceedings taken against the same as prescribed in the following section: Provided, That the drugs hereinbefore mentioned, when imported in bulk and not put up for any of the purposes hereinbefore specified, are excepted from the operation of this section."

This was standing law of the United States of America until rejected by the Supreme Court in 1964, just eight years before Roe v. Wade.

FLASHBACK: It’s Not The Homosex, Stupid

Here’s an article I wrote in 2008, as commentary on a disturbing trend. It's still very much relevant, if not more so. You may like the way in which it accounts for the intersections of various crises in today’s culture wars. (Or you may not!)

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It’s Not The Homosex, Stupid

With all due respect to savvy Mark Steyn who quipped “It’s the Demography, Stupid,” I wish Steyn would have pushed back for us the curtain of Western society’s bedroom a little further in order to give us a glimpse of the smirking elephant in the closet. Heaven knows we desperately need a paradigm shift in our thinking about sexual “freedom” in the bedroom.

Is it my imagination or do you notice that a great many “conservative” culture warriors—individuals and organizations, Christians and otherwise—have taken to lobbing grenades at those promoting and engaging in homosex, making that the defining strategy, if not obsession, of their war? According to them, among the top threats to our civilization is the “homosexual” agenda.

So let me ask you. What would you think of drivers who ignored red lights but who regularly demonized speeding drivers as the real enemies on the road? Comical? Yes, but consider this. Heterosexuals who rail against homosex, which indeed is a particularly odious variation of sterile sex, are—with strikingly few exceptions—themselves egregiously addicted to their own pleasurable variety of sterile sex. Equally comical, of course, if you consider sterile sex per se to be in a league with dangerous behaviours such as running red lights.

But please don’t jump ship at this point. Hear me out. I know that our post modern society, parroting the relativism of its enlightened pulpiteers, considers this subject settled and entirely off limits. Any suggestion to re-open it is probably constituted an offense in itself—a possible relapse to a prudish repressive sexual ethic of Victorian times.

“But we believe in real marriage, the traditional kind, one man and one woman for life, and sex only in that context. That’s the correct standard because it’s God’s standard. A married man and woman can make their own decisions in good conscience about the kind of sex they engage in. It’s nobody else’s business.”

Indeed, that’s the claim, but tragically these days it rarely goes beyond a claim. For too many conservatives, yes, and Christians also, who normally relish opportunities to expose politically correct speech, the lack of reasoned debate and evasions of the truth, a remarkable about-turn takes place when the truth concerning sexual disorders gets a little too close to home.

Whoa there! Truth? Disorders? According to who?

Can it be a shock to the reader that throughout two millennia of Western civilization—as well as nearly two millennia of Jewish thought which preceded it—the moral consensus on sterile sex could be summed up like this: All sexual activity, both heterosexual and otherwise, practiced with a view to circumvent procreation constitutes a perversion of God’s order and an abomination.

Here we could take our pick of sources, from the Early Fathers through to Martin Luther, John Calvin, or any other reputable preacher, bible scholar or theologian, right up to the early and mid 1900’s. All—without exception—considered these acts as “a most unnatural wickedness, and a grievous wrong.”

Thus we had the American and Canadian laws which prohibited the sale and distribution of devices that aided in such perversity and which were not rescinded until the 1960’s. Thus we record the witness of some of Western society’s most public figures, such as U.S. President Theodore Roosevelt, who matter-of-factly labeled the practice of birth control as “the capital sin” against civilization.

But are such ideas peculiarly Western, or even Christian? A surprising number of non-Western cultures throughout history fully squared with Christian teaching on this point. Mahatma Ghandi, a world famous reformer and Hindu, condemned sterile heterosex as a corrupter of morals, a destroyer of marriage and a further degradation of women.

But regardless, truth—the old-fashioned objective kind—is no respecter of cultures and the fallout in our society from a denial of this particular truth has been debilitating. Take note of the Anglicans, the first Christian denomination to break rank with the faith of their fathers on this major doctrine. They formalized the opening of a Pandora’s Box in 1930 by allowing certain exceptions for sterile heterosex and are now being rent asunder by the practice of sterile homosex in the bedrooms of their Bishops. Coincidence?

The extreme break with Christian tradition represented by this acculturated disorder raises serious questions about just how much hostility towards God we have harbored this past generation or two. Some say our rejection of God—played out in this sexual arena—has so cursed our Western society as to account for not only our sex-crazed degeneracy but also family and marriage deformities and breakups, the abortion holocaust, dangerously higher quotas of immigration due to falling birthrates, the growing threat of Islam, the secularization phenomenon with its evil twin Christianophobia and a mounting civilizational self-loathing.

This is a hard pill for many to swallow. But can we admit this much at least: Steyn got it perfectly right when he prophesied the death of Western society due to reproductive sterility. Not for a moment did he suggest that even ten thousand new conferences and/or books on Islam, the tyranny of homosex, the battle for marriage and the family, secular humanism or Christophobia would save us. No, very clearly he stated that it was the question of birthrate which we have refused to address. That alone will cause our society to implode. Steyn put his finger on the precise nature of the problem. Likewise the solution, if it was any closer, might jump up and bite us.

The yearning of many contemporary Christians for a cultural fix through revivalist and “biblical” calls to repentance must also take the birthrate—and sterile heterosex—into account. Though some will contest the point, it must be admitted that any conversion wrought through the preaching of a Whitefield, Finney, et al will not only demand our hearts get right with God but will necessarily reinstitute cultural prohibitions and taboos supporting the age old and exegetically superior biblical interpretation of the sin of Onanism.

The very thought makes many shudder and some to say,

Surely, God, we can instead pay women to have babies, still hold on to our hard earned sexual “freedoms” and save our future. Otherwise, God, this is really going to hurt!

The suggestion that our future hinges on the abandonment of sterile heterosex is utterly disconcerting. It’s too much to grasp—let alone admit—that old fashioned traditional Western wisdom on sexuality was spot on.

But no, it was much more than that. It truly was a civilizational bulwark.

Preachers and pundits would do well then to cease from their various crusades against homosex, Islam, etc. in order to refocus their energies and resources to formulate a new strategy which targets the real enemy. By attacking the ideology and behaviour which is directly fuelling our demographic demise, our odds of making gains in this war are markedly improved.

Another point must be raised. The defense of current phony and lethal sexual “liberties” may be worthy of the label progressive but hardly worthy of the label conservative, and certainly unworthy of the name Christian, at least historically. Such perversions of true liberty were legitimized by the victories of yesteryear’s liberals yet they currently enslave us because they are defended by today’s “conservatives.” Conservatives must seriously examine their own complicity in the sterile sex agenda—which has aided in the destruction of society and has rightly identified them as co-conspirators—and be encouraged to instead stand in defense of established Western wisdom.

Conservatives must decide what it is that they are fighting to conserve. Indeed, what else deserves conservation, other than the collective wisdom and institutions central to Western thought and civilization? Isn’t this precisely why conservatives fight unhesitatingly against abortion, attacks on marriage, disintegration of family, pornography, lowering of morals, etc? Yet why have we not been fighting the one mortal enemy which Western wisdom has explicitly warned—in loudest fashion this past 100 years—would spawn precisely such an epidemic of evils? Sterile heterosex is a beguiling demon of tremendous significance and must be opposed with all our energies and by all possible means.

Instead, we have been trying to beef up our society in order to withstand the intense battering spawned by our own endorsement of sexual license: Educate about the radical homosexual agenda. Expose the dangers and tyranny of secular humanism. Equip Canadians to confront the threat of Islam. Bolster the family and marriage and fight those who attack it.

It’s like trying to engineer more impact resistant cars rather than require drivers to stop at red lights. At this stage, it seems we have even forgotten the red light is there, or perhaps by now we have removed it entirely from the intersection. Is it any wonder the “culture war” is being lost?

So yes, it is the behaviour and specifically it’s sterile sex—of all brands. With great courage, it needs to be identified as such, properly condemned and duly proscribed.

Which again brings us back to Steyn’s famous line and his sober closing:

It's the demography, stupid. And, if they can't muster the will to change course, then "What do you leave behind?" is the only question that matters.

Indiana And Gay Wedding Cakes at Muslim Bakeries

Published today to SignOfContradiction.Blogspot.ca

Steven Crowder does a nice job on the gay conniption fit over the recent Indiana and Arkansas bills.



Our own Premier Wynne weighed in on the controversy with a totally predictable response.

I tweeted out my call to Cardinal Collins to intervene (or will he continue his silence?)

#Ontario Premier Wynne advocates suppressing religious freedom. Shouldn't Cardinal Collins speak up? http://t.co/JTsegepsUV #WakeUpBishops
— Contra|Diction (@Contra1diction) April 3, 2015

P.S. Brian Lilley has a great summary of the state of Religious Freedom in the West, right here on this video.

Witness A Revival Of The Complex Confusions Of The 1960s

Published today to SignOfContradiction.Blogspot.ca

According to Father Paul Nicholson, the current Pontificate is fostering "a revival of the complex confusions of the 1960's." This is a remarkable observation; one might even term it prophetic.

America Needs A Genuine Catholic As President

Published today to SignOfContradiction.Blogspot.ca

Catholic Bandita declares that she favours GOP Rick Santorum.

I like the way Rick Santorum comes out strong on fiscal issues – see his new book Blue Collar Conservatives: Recommitting to an America That Works – as his lead argument, but then refuses to back down when asked a question on social issues. He recognizes that the Left is waging a culture war and that we have to fight back to defend the First Amendment and the family as the basic unity of society

I think she makes an important argument about the state of the GOP leadership. She recently covered The Case Against Mitt Romney in 2016 and again made the case for Santorum.

Hopefully Santorum will be better positioned for the Presidential run of 2016. Clearly he is the only Catholic politician in the POTUS contest who reflects, more or less, Catholic social teaching and fidelity to Church doctrine. If I felt the urgent calling to travel to the USA to help any one American presidential candidate get elected in 2016, at this stage it would have to be Santorum.

It really all comes down to the common good.

Be Loud And Clear Concerning Evil

Published today to SignOfContradiction.Blogspot.ca

“Why is so called gay marriage sweeping across America? Because the only force on earth that might have stopped it, the Catholic Church, has not attacked the root evil, has not been clear, has not been loud. The coddling of active homosexuality within the Church has crippled Church leaders’ ability to respond."

What (Unworthy) Catholic Bishops Fear Most

Published today to SignOfContradiction.Blogspot.ca 

Catholicism in Decline

In the agonizing battle for the soul of the Catholic Church taking place daily in our midst—a phenomenon many ardent Catholics characterize as the “culture wars”—we see a steady stream of articles, news reports and commentary on how the Catholic Church is losing its hold on, and influence over, our society and even its own members, to the alarming detriment of Western civilization itself. The numbers and statistics certainly seem to back up such a view.

Yet I have a feeling a good number of high and well placed Catholics, especially media types, academics, and even many clergy, would take issue with the above assessment, claiming there is no real crisis to fuss about, only an ongoing challenge for the Church to remain relevant to our modern age, and a challenge for which we have every hope of overcoming, especially with our new Pope who is winning over interest and hearts in grand fashion.

But if there be no worrying crisis in the Church today methinks I must be struck with madness. One of my busiest blog tags is Catholic Church crisis. 

What then is the precise nature and origin of this waning power or collapse of the Church of Jesus Christ in our society and time? Again, there will be disagreement in answering this question. A quick glance at the news reports however would reveal a preponderance of stories and incidents arising from a failure to teach, implement and enforce Catholic doctrine. In many cases we discover a blatant denial or disrespect of Church teaching. Such failures are always urgent matters demanding address by the local Bishop but, even so, many times we see Bishops ignoring the problems or even contributing to them.

Some traditional minded Catholics point to the dumbing down of the liturgy since the late 1960’s following Vatican II as the fatal flaw precipitating the self-destruction of the Church. They contend that a disrespect and irreverence has crept into the practice of the faith due to a rupture with the sacred liturgy of the ages. Those who argue with such a premise can hardly argue, however, against the indicators of wholesale apostasy of the faith since the Novus Ordo has ruled the Catholic day. 

Knocking On The Bishops’ Door

So it all comes back to the doorstep of the Bishops? Yes, regardless of root causes of our current predicament, too many Catholic Bishops are failing in their duties as shepherds of God’s people. None of the kinds of symptoms outlined above take place in a vacuum but always reflect back to the oversight of the Bishop, a successor of the Apostles. If there’s one tag and theme on my blog postings busier than Catholic Church Crisis, it would be Catholic Bishops. Likewise my Twitterfeed often suffers from indigestion due to the hashtag #WakeUpBishops.

But how do we know they are they failing in their duties? Because, as I’ve pointed out above, practically every troubling indicator originates from or points to a breakdown or neglect of teaching, or its practice or its enforcement. The Bishop is the governor and chief teacher of his diocese, reporting to the Pope every five years but accountable only to Christ as His Successor in his See. Do not imagine that Bishops act in the name of the Pope; rather, they exercise their ministry "personally in the name of Christ." How much less are they required to kowtow to a Bishops’ Conference!

Is the Bishop then responsible for how the souls under his care actually behave as Catholics? In a clear and dramatic fashion, YES. The whole point is that the Bishop guides and helps the faithful understand their Christian faith and how to concretely translate it into action. Clear enough?

Bishops Must Obey God, Not Man

27 When they had brought them, they stood them before the Council. The high priest questioned them, 28 saying, “We gave you strict orders not to continue teaching in this name, and yet, you have filled Jerusalem with your teaching and intend to bring this man’s blood upon us.” 29 But Peter and the apostles answered, “We must obey God rather than men. Acts 5:29

The first Bishop, Peter, along with his fellow Bishops, declared: “We must obey God rather than men.” Can any sane person doubt that for the preaching of Christ and His Gospel to be effective, men must obey God more than they obey man; and more especially so, the hand-picked preachers of Christ?

Surely our Lord Jesus Christ is greatly wounded and offended when His Apostles prove they fear man more than they do God, and as a result His sheep are scattered. But is it correct to say that the Bishops of our day, His Apostles, do not fear God?

Of course they fear God, some of them greatly, but when push comes to shove, too many of them fear man more than God. When a course of action is predicted to upset or anger people, regardless even if it be a matter of Catholic doctrine—which is nothing less than the mind of Christ—too many Bishops fold and take alternate action, to the point of disrespecting or altogether denying Catholic truth. Thus, for too many Bishops, the only teachings “in fashion” are the pleasant and non-controversial ones.

Why would a Bishop betray Christ so? Many factors could be cited but since my focus in this article is not on that particular question, I will suggest a few of the more obvious factors: the discerning of a priestly vocation but with mixed motives; a weak and compromised spiritual formation, especially at the seminary level and weakened further by the laxity of our times; living out a vocation with little or no value placed on asceticism and self-denial; a rebellious and proud spirit; an inordinate number of rebellious clergy feeding on and fueling other rebels; rebels blackmailing one another; a compromised spirituality lacking in both moral courage and also power to confront evil, even when recognized. In short, the leaven of evil has corrupted the loaf and priestly standards have crumbled.

When Bishops Fear Men

It’s not rocket science; Bishops prove they fear men more than God when they fail to properly expound or defend the timeless truth of Catholic doctrine. Again, I repeat: “practically every troubling indicator originates from or points to a breakdown or neglect of teaching, or its practice or its enforcement.”

Accordingly, when Bishops:

• fail to teach and inform the faithful on the most urgent and dangerous evils of the day, including guidance for the faithful on current events which might corrupt morals or otherwise publicly challenge Church teaching, 
• intentionally omit the hard teachings of the Gospel, the very same teachings often criticized and openly attacked by unbelievers and worldly powers,
• face controversy, unpopularity, criticism, alienation and even persecution if they stand with Christ and His Church on a particular subject, yet choose to remain silent or to dilute the message of Christ accordingly to minimize opposition,
•  fail to undertake and safeguard in their See a program of education that will bolster the faithful in the whole counsel of God so they can stand against the errors of the day,
• in the face of known dissent or heresy or public controversy or scandal by an individual or group, fail to make a precise, appropriate and adequate statement of correction based on Catholic doctrine, 
• discipline or chasten their own priests for taking traditional stances on doctrine or practice of the Catholic faith,

 …they fear men more than God.

Shouldn’t Bishops Focus On Love And Compassion?

Some foolish Christians imagine that Church doctrine and laws spoil the “spontaneous” work of the Holy Spirit in our lives and we should instead focus on love and compassion. Unfortunately many Bishops seem to believe the same thing, judging by their day to day actions and disregard for Church law.

Again, this should not be rocket science. Consider what is termed “the supreme law of the Church.” A grade school student could tell you that a “supreme law” sounds like a mighty important law, the one law above every other law, one that you never break. Is it even remotely possible that Bishops don’t know about it or can escape scrutiny when they fail to uphold it?

Historically, canon law is the oldest continuously functioning legal system in the western world. Fortunately, throughout Church history some of the world's finest legal, theological, and pastoral minds have contributed to the formation of canon law, all trying to serve one goal, that expressed in the final norm of the Code, Canon 1752: "...having before one's eyes the salvation of souls, which is always the supreme law of the Church." [Source]

So the supreme law of the Church is the salvation of souls. Holy Moly, that sounds like good old fashioned missionary work! So, guess what the pre-eminent goal of the Bishop is? You got it, it’s saving souls. It’s missionary work. And missionary work is just what our Lord Jesus had in mind for His Apostles, the Bishops, when He pronounced The Great Commission:

18 And Jesus came up and spoke to them, saying, “All authority has been given to Me in heaven and on earth. 19 “Go therefore and make disciples of all the nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit, 20 teaching them to observe all that I commanded you; and lo, I am with you always, even to the end of the age.” Matthew 28:18-20

The Catechism of the Catholic Church makes the necessary connection when it emphasizes that salvation, and the missionary work that precedes it, must be grounded in truth.

851 Missionary motivation. It is from God's love for all men that the Church in every age receives both the obligation and the vigor of her missionary dynamism, "for the love of Christ urges us on."³⁴³ Indeed, God "desires all men to be saved and to come to the knowledge of the truth";³⁴⁴ that is, God wills the salvation of everyone through the knowledge of the truth. Salvation is found in the truth. Those who obey the prompting of the Spirit of truth are already on the way of salvation. But the Church, to whom this truth has been entrusted, must go out to meet their desire, so as to bring them the truth. Because she believes in God's universal plan of salvation, the Church must be missionary.

Viewing the teaching ministry of the Church through the lens of the salvation of souls renders each and every teaching failure as a detrimental event impacting the eternal destiny of possibly every soul under the care of a Bishop, whether Catholic or not.

When you think of your Bishop what image springs immediately to mind? Is it obvious to you and to the whole world that he’s the point man for Jesus Christ and for salvation for EVERY soul in his diocese? Is he seen as the city’s top missionary? Such would be the traditional, perennial view in Church history. Or is he known simply as another social justice preacher in town, a good guy Bishop, an organizer, an administrator, even a top gun administrator?

Jesus Christ proclaimed:

Ye shall know the truth, and the truth shall set you free. John 8:28  

Since love for God and for Jesus Christ necessarily involves obedience to his commands (If ye love me, keep my commandments. John 14:15) we must of necessity know His teaching. His teaching is the doctrine and laws of His Bride, the Church. When the Apostle Paul instructed Timothy on his duties as Bishop take note of what he was also saying to EVERY Bishop to follow:

1 I charge thee, before God and Jesus Christ, who shall judge the living and the dead, by his coming, and his kingdom: 2 Preach the word: be instant in season, out of season: reprove, entreat, rebuke in all patience and doctrine. 3 For there shall be a time, when they will not endure sound doctrine; but, according to their own desires, they will heap to themselves teachers, having itching ears: 4 And will indeed turn away their hearing from the truth, but will be turned unto fables. 5 But be thou vigilant, labour in all things, do the work of an evangelist, fulfil thy ministry. Be sober. 2 Tim 4:1-5

So, to summarize once again: Preaching, teaching, evangelizing with the truth of Christ is the trademark of the Bishop. Is there constant and tireless teaching? reproving (taking to task, criticizing, correcting)? entreating (asking earnestly, beseeching)? and rebuking (sharply criticizing, reprimanding)? The salvation of souls demands all this and more.

The idea that a Bishop could carry out his calling without a constant and sometimes deathly fight against error and evil—everything opposed to the truth—was unheard of, even unimaginable, throughout the history of the Church. In fact, it would run counter to the very Word of God. For example, Jude's sole intention was to caution against depraved teaching and to exhort the faithful to maintain the teaching of the Apostles.

Beloved, while I was making every effort to write you about our common salvation, I felt the necessity to write to you appealing that you contend earnestly for the faith which was once for all handed down to the saints. Jude 1:3

Teach The Faithful Or Watch Them Lose their Souls

We have seen that the salvation of souls demands that a Bishop, an Apostle of Christ, place a very high emphasis indeed on teaching. The clear alternative leaves souls in their ignorance and sin, heading for a Christ-less eternity. Bishops, like true shepherds, must protect their flocks from any and all sin—particularly the grave, mortal kinds—which would shut them out of heaven. The supreme law of the Church now hinges on this all important duty: identifying and warning against sin and teaching/preaching on the remedy for sin, i.e. obedience to Christ and His Gospel.

What now comes into focus is the eternal struggle between good and evil, between heaven and hell, between the devil and God—and souls hang in the balance. And this is precisely where the pressure comes upon Bishops. Those who are faithful to Christ and His Gospel will protect their flocks at all costs, presenting the truth of Christ and His Church in all its fullness, without compromise, regardless of the opposition from the world, the flesh and the devil. And we may be certain as well that such worthy Bishops make it crystal clear to their Priests that they expect of them the very same standard. They understand what is at stake. Because when it comes right down to the personal level, a Bishop who fails in this most primary duty can be quite certain that the Lake of Fire is his portion for eternity.

A worthy Bishop fears for the souls of his flock, watching constantly for “certain persons” who “have crept in unnoticed” and perverted Christ’s teaching. Ungodly persons and influences are constantly seeking to erode the faith of believers and remove them from the friendship of God. Nothing is more fatal to the faith than sins labelled as deathly, i.e. mortal sins. The Bishop is especially alert to warn his people to avoid at all costs any actions or behaviour that might lead to grave or mortal sin, because these cut the believer off in his/her relationship with God. A true Bishop would no more remain silent or restrained while the evil of mortal sin threatened to overtake one of his flock than would a mother look the other way when a stranger was about to snatch her only child.

Still less would a worthy Bishop fail to act should he realize that, because of his silence or restraint, any of his sheep risked the loss of their eternal salvation through confusion, misunderstanding or misrepresentation of the Catholic faith. Immediately every possible precaution would be taken to clarify the truth and preserve that soul from sin, whether by means of a personal conversation or by general communique issued throughout the diocese. If a soul were found to be persisting in actions or behaviour known to be dangerous to his/her spiritual condition, likewise a Bishop—or his Priest—would feel compelled to correct the sinner and instruct in the pathway back to God. Every soul is under the Bishop’s care. To lose one soul to the devil through his negligence, hesitation, timidity or fear would endanger his own eternal destiny. Such is the seriousness of sin and of salvation to a worthy Bishop.

This is no fabricated notion of spiritual oversight. Hardly: this is simply the Catholic faith at work at its highest levels and most basic calling, saving men and making them holy. Holiness and sin are mutually exclusive of one another.

And this is no “severe” standard. Not unless the Catechism asks more than Christ Himself asked. No, salvation in Christ has not changed, nor has salvation from sin.

Recall the promises made at a Bishop’s ordination ceremony:

After the homily, the Bishop-elect is asked to make a number of promises that he will commit his whole life to love and serve the Church. The promises recall the three "tasks" of the bishop:

•  to teach and preach;

•  to be a true shepherd and guide to those in his care; and

•  to help them grow in holiness (through celebration of the sacraments, through prayer and in other ways).

A Fuller Appreciation of Evil Is Urgent

Much of the conversation about the role of Bishops necessarily centres on error, sin and evil because, quite simply,

There is a way which seems right to a man, but its end is the way of death.

Therefore every evil is to be exposed and avoided.

True shepherds will do everything possible, including at times the proper discipline, to prevent the flock going astray. In the real world of nature going astray meant almost certain death for a sheep and thus the need for both rod and staff. It was no accident our Lord used the symbol so often of sheep and shepherd to describe His relationship to us.

All sin is evil but mortal sin is considered especially so since it involves a known choice to commit a grave violation against the Creator. Furthermore, some actions qualify as particularly insidious forms of evil, regardless of the intention of the individual involved, and are termed intrinsic evils. In other words, these actions are so contrary to God’s will in their essence that whether or not the person is aware of the evil of his/her action, God has been gravely offended. A list of such evils would include, among many others and in no particular order, direct willed abortion, euthanasia, same sex marriage, contraception, rape, self-abuse, embryonic stem cell research (ESCR), human cloning, slavery, human trafficking, polygamy, lying, prostitution, homosexual acts, and use of pornography.

Could we imagine a worthy successor of the Apostles as anyone other than a man entirely consumed with keeping his flock free of sin and every kind of evil, more especially the subtle and insidious kind that might gravely offend—possibly without even their knowledge—the God and Saviour whose Blood purchased their salvation? Impossible. After all, the Chief Shepherd whom he loves and serves and after whom he models his ministry longs to accomplish exactly the same for every sheep in his flock.

 Now to him who is able to preserve you without sin, and to present you spotless before the presence of his glory with exceeding joy, in the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ. Jude 1:24

Yet now he hath reconciled in the body of his flesh through death, to present you holy and unspotted, and blameless before him… Colossians 1:22

For I am jealous of you with the jealousy of God. For I have espoused you to one husband that I may present you as a chaste virgin to Christ. 2 Corinthians 11:2

Clearly, the reality of intrinsic evils cannot be avoided in any consideration of practical holiness. A little more should be said about this often subtle defilement and the following street-wise definition makes the point:

Intrinsic evil…an act that is always bad, always sinful, always always always. Never good, never appropriate, never useful, never, never, never. It is an act that is ALWAYS SINFUL in every time, every epoch, every era, every age, every place, every situation, every every every. There is NO GREY AREA! No doubt, no question that these acts (acts that are intrinsically evil) are always and everywhere and for everybody and for every situation, SINFUL and NEVER ACCEPTABLE. [Source]

The Bishop Is Accountable as Chief Help to Holiness

The follower of Christ is taught by the Chief Shepherd (by means of the Holy Spirit) and His Vicar, the Bishop, to shun all sin and evil not only because these offend God our Creator and Redeemer but also because the wounds of Christ our Saviour were a direct consequence of our sinful, evil ways. The lifelong pursuit of holiness, of separation onto the Lord, demands an ever-vigilant and continual spiritual battle by the believer to defeat the power of sin and evil while travelling “this vale of tears”. The Bishop will ultimately answer to God for his role in shepherding and assisting the believer to victory in this task. If he fails to “preach the word: (to) be instant in season, out of season: (to) reprove, entreat, rebuke in all patience and doctrine” the Catholic will likely be overcome by the world, the flesh and the devil and could very well lose his/her soul.

In regard to evils, it must be emphasized again that Catholic doctrine demands a dual approach by the Bishop. He must not only educate and train the believer to always choose the good and reject the sin, but he must also warn and teach of those insidious, intrinsic forms of evil which are so gravely opposed to God yet may be committed irrespective of the intentions of that believer, who is perhaps aided and overcome somewhat by cultural norms. Where success is lacking, God is sorely grieved and offended, the believer encounters a serious obstacle to holiness, worse evils—perhaps even sacrilege and blasphemy—appear on the horizon, and the Holy Name of God, as well as the Christian Church, is exposed to scandal and ridicule.

The solemn—and frightful—responsibilities of the office of Bishop can be glimpsed in a short portion of a conversation between the future Pope Pius X and his mother upon his appointment to this office:

But Don Guiseppe was weighed down by the thought of the heavy responsibilities of a bishop’s office. He tried to tell his mother of his feelings. “Mama,” he said one day, “do you realize what it means to be a Bishop—to have in my care the salvation of so many souls? Think of the responsibility! Pray for me Mama. For if I neglect my duty I shall lose my soul!”

But Evil Is Winning the Day in the Church of Christ

Referring back to my introduction:

What then is the precise nature and origin of this waning power or collapse of the Church of Jesus Christ in our society and time?

…as I’ve pointed out above, practically every troubling indicator originates from or points to a breakdown or neglect of teaching, or its practice or its enforcement.

No such breakdown has been more pervasive and catastrophic to Catholicism in the West than that resulting from a denial of the Catholic teaching on the evil of contraceptive acts. As many as 90% of today’s practicing Catholics at some point in time have “legitimized”, by direct actions or silence, the intrinsically evil and mortally sinful practice of artificial contraception. In short, Catholics live with and accept the practice of contraception in similar fashion to the practice of brushing their teeth. Perhaps no other serious evil has ever been so successfully portrayed as innocuous and normal among Catholics as has this evil.

One can hardly be blamed for thinking there has been, in fact, a concerted effort—nigh unto a conspiracy—to withhold the truth and deceive the people of God on the subject of contraception; that it is grave matter, that it is an intrinsic evil, and furthermore that it is intimately connected to abortion, another grave evil which it fuels.

And wonder we must, whether such a grave evil which has gone viral in a society for more than a generation can persist without a likewise grave consequence to that society? Can a sin be called mortal if it is not truly deadly in its outcome and consequences, regardless of the spurious claim that almost nobody knows that it’s evil nor that they are a part of the evil, nor that their actions comprise and/or feed that evil? Instead, look at the very real consequences: a demographic nightmare faced by our aging society and the emptying of pew and church.

Thus, every hour of every day of every year, evil is having the last word in our parishes; and through various strategies as well as outright silence, Bishops throughout the land—with shockingly few exceptions—are failing to expose this evil. It is being ignored in every practical sense, to the detriment and collapse of our civilization. Accordingly, we witness daily the wholesale commission of objectively evil acts by a vast majority of the baptized on a global scale: a staggering level and intensity of evil activity amongst God’s people that must quite literally provoke outrage in Heaven and offend Almighty God grievously.

The failure of too many of our shepherds in this regard is so profound, so flagrant, so reprehensible as to be monstrous, even diabolical. The shepherds commissioned to watch over our souls have been silent, those called to be accountable as our chief help to holiness have instead risked our very souls and help to sustain countless outrages against the holy Person of God Himself. The supreme law of the Church has been violated and the constant teaching of Holy Mother Church has been treated with utmost contempt.

Apart from contraception, one wonders: To what other secret evils are we succumbing under the leadership of such men?

What Unworthy Bishops Fear Most

What accounts then for such treacherous actions? Can such Bishops be true shepherds? Can they be worthy successors of the Apostles?

How is it possible? They have not continued in the Word of Christ, no longer are they true disciples; they know not the truth and now live as slaves of sin, out of fellowship with God; they do not the deeds of Christ for they are not the children of Christ; if God were their father, they would listen to the words of Christ; they are of their father the devil. No true shepherd of Christ could do anything but loudly and constantly proclaim from the housetops every instance of evil and danger to the souls of Christ’s sheep.

Wherefore by their fruits you shall know them.

The greatest and most secret fear of an unworthy Bishop is that some day, maybe even this day, a light will be shone on his ministry such that he will be exposed as a fraud and a coward, something in his heart of hearts he knows may be true but something he has never been willing to settle with God because the price to pay was too great.

If indeed the unworthy Bishop yet knows the voice of the Holy Spirit, he himself knows there can be no other conclusion.

"When He, the Spirit of Truth is come, He shall guide you into all truth...`