No doubt you’ve already read many reports of the police arrest of a high ranking Vatican monsignor. The police raided a debauchery of cocaine and “lusts among men” occurring in the apartment of Cardinal Coccopalmerio. This Cardinal has publicly stated that the church should emphasize the “positive” aspects of homosexual relationships.
I don’t really need to bring up the quote we all know, “All are welcome” and the now famous “Who am I to judge?” These phrases are the watchwords of Fr. James Martin who is out there building a “bridge” to homosexuality with his latest book.
When you hear these things, you want to shake your head. I don’t blame you if you want to shake the dust from your feet and go live in the hills. Some people are already doing that. The “off the grid” life does have its appeal sometimes. Perhaps being a desert father, or hermit, where one can work out one’s salvation with mortification and the elements, isn’t so bad after all.
That’s not really where God put us, though. He chose to put you and I in the age of communication. We can benefit and we are expected to be His light in this.
Overwhelm: So what is a Catholic to Do in the Face of This?
First, take some solace that there’s nothing new under the sun. That means there has to be an answer for us. I think some of that answer should come from those in the Church who mastered Christian life. Again and again, when I compare today to the 4th century Byzantium, so many things are similar to our society today. One great master of that age was St. John Chrysostom.
On the subject at hand, when considering Fr. Martin, let’s see what Chrysostom said:
All passions are dishonorable, for the soul is even more prejudiced and degraded by sin than is the body by disease;
but the worst of all passions is lust between men….
The sins against nature are more difficult and less rewarding, since true pleasure is only the one according to nature.
But when God abandons a man, everything is turned upside down! Therefore, not only are their passions [the homosexuals] satanic, but their lives are diabolic….
So I say to you that these are even worse than murderers, and that it would be better to die than to live in such dishonor.
A murderer only separates the soul from the body, whereas these destroy the soul inside the body….. There is nothing, absolutely nothing more mad or damaging than this perversity.
Beg God For Mercy
It should be clear now why Our Lady had tears in her apparitions in our age… These people, who God wants to save from death… who God loves… are destroying themselves. As St. John says, they are worse than murderers because of the permanent damage they do.
It’s worse because these people are in the Vatican. And… for all the care and concern someone like Fr. Martin claims to have, there’s no mention of the damage this is doing to the very people he purports to help!
This isn’t to say that everyone is perfect, but it is to say that if we are going to help each other, then we should start by explaining the peril.
I hope to have moved some compassion in your heart to beg mercy for these people.
And how about that “upside down” comment? Doesn’t it seem that everything is upside down? You aren’t crazy for seeing the madness, or even for being overwhelmed by it. We are seeing people totally destroy themselves in ways worse than murder.
Meanwhile, consider the reaction of Ancient Faith Radio to a scandal that arose when a nun condoned that parents ought to encourage their homosexual son to date. They are removing all her podcasts. Quite different than what we see happening in Rome, eh?
This article, All Are Welcome? Gay Orgies at the Vatican? St. John Chrysostom has an answer is a post from The Bellarmine Forum.
https://bellarmineforum.org/welcome-gay-orgies-vatican-st-john-chrysostom-answer/
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