In an interview on CBS This Morning about 9 months ago, Cardinal Timothy Dolan made the astute remark that the Church wasn't the one obsessed on sexuality issues or abortion, but that the press was and that the presses reference point in terms of the Church is an obsession with these issues, whereas the Church isn't.
Rocco Palma of Whispers in the Loggia reports the following similar remarks by Cardinal Sean O'Malley:
As part of a Roe anniversary media push, O'Malley gave an interview for Wednesday's editions of the Boston Herald to highlight both the church's pro-life work and, indeed, how "this Holy Father making such an emphasis on the church’s ministry as a ministry of mercy and of healing."
Asked along the way about Francis' widely-blared statement in the Antonio Spadaro interview that the church "cannot insist only on issues related to abortion, gay marriage and the use of contraceptive methods," Bergoglio's counselor gave the following notable response....
“The normal Catholic in the parish might hear a sermon on abortion once a year. They’ll never hear a sermon on homosexuality or gay marriage. They’ll never hear a sermon about contraception. But if you look at the New York Times, in the course of a week, there will be 20 articles on those topics. So who is obsessed? Now, the Church’s positions are very clear and very consistent. For us, life is at the very center of our social teachings. Life is precious. It is a mystery. It must be nurtured, protected, the transmission of life is sacred. And our defense of human life is a great service to society. When the state begins to decide who is worthy of living and who isn’t, all human rights are put in jeopardy, but the voice of the church is very clear. And we’re not just saying that life is precious in the womb but life is precious when someone has Alzheimer’s when someone has AIDS when someone is poor when someone has mental illness. Their humanity is not diminished – and they have a claim on our love and on our services. So the church’s position is a very consistent one. It is a consistent life ethic. I don’t think that we are obsessed, however, when the New York Times is writing 20 articles a week about these things and make reference to the Church in half of those articles, it gives the impression. But I think in the parishes, these things are talks, in a routine way, in CCD classes, along with the rest of the Catholic doctrine but all of our teachings fit together. They’re part of a whole. There’s a consistency in our life ethic.”Here is Cardinal Sean O'Malley's homily on Tuesday night at the Shrine of the Basilica of the Immaculate Conception in Washington, DC. The first part of Cardinal O'Malley's sermon is quite powerful and indites our judicial, legislative and executive branches of our government and the shrill liberal media that promotes the destruction of innocent human life. Our parish has a contingency of young people and chaperones there too, in weather that is not conducive to southern living!
8 comments:
The Cardinal is correct in saying that in a normal parish contraception and homosexuality are never spoken about and abortion is very rarely mentioned. That is one of the reasons the majority of "Catholics" approve of abortion, contraception and gay "marriage". But that's not my point. So who is Pope Francis talking about in the Church when he made his incredibly imprudent statement about being obsessed with these issues. If he is that out of touch with the reality of how much the Faith has been lost it explains his other incredible statements.
I think most of us were dismayed at Pope Francis words that many of us were taking out of context, but you are right. I would think most parishes hear something about abortion from at least one homily during the year, but no one hears homilies about Humanae Vitae and the Church's teaching on immoral sexual acts either of a homosexual or heterosexual kind. Thus if Catholics are not taught what sin is, in terms of abortion, artificial contraception, and illicit and immoral sexual acts in or outside of marriage and what the sins are against the Sacrament of Marriage, how will they know to repent of their sins and immoral lifestyles?
It gives me hope that one of Pope Francis' closest advisers gets it and I am sure he has shared his concern with the Holy Father about the infrequency in which Catholics hear topical homilies concerning what sin is and the need for repentance, and going to Confession!
It is 2014, that means the reality is the media no longer reports objective news. They report their liberal version of events. No matter how well Cardinal O'Malley preaches or talks about pro life issues the majority of Catholics and public will never hear them. But I guarantee you every Catholic and the majority of citizens remember that Cardinal O'Malley publicly honored a notorious pro abortion politician who always presented himself as a good Catholic, Ted Kennedy. No matter what Cardinal Dolan says about pro life issues people remember him yucking it up with Obama. With Obama, a man who is forcing the Church to provide contraceptives and abortion inducing drugs. The reality is that the hierarchy, from the pope on down cause scandal and dilute the Church's teaching when they do things like crawl on the floor at the feet of Muslims, allow female Protestant ministers to perform rituals over them, and when they have big dinners and honor pro abortion politicians. People remember acts more than words. Christ ate with sinners. Christ never ate with Herod. Christ associated with sinners and non believers but he called them to conversion, He didn't tell them to be a good Muslim or a good atheist. Not only must the Gospel be preached it needs to be shown alive and not by performing cheap, public actions that can cause scandal especially in a Church that is so damaged and the loss of Faith so great and fragile, that actions that these prelates are doing are causing incredible wounds in the Body of Christ. And the constant rationalization of wrong actions just adds to the confusion.
What can I say? Anonymous' post is indisputably correct. Shame on anyone who does not see the truth of what he is saying...
Gene your comment would have been posted if you had simply written Obama and not a horrible stereotypical spelling of it. I am not going to post these kinds of comments that denigrate people and are sophomoric. It is time to do better given your age, knowledge and experience.
Well,Fr, call it a weakness…LOL!
I would suggest that preaching to the choir is easy. I commend Cardinal O'Malley for his words. But he is speaking to a congregation that agrees with what he is saying. Why can't he say these words to pro abortion politicians who identify themselves as good Catholics. I would have had to problem with Cardinal O'Malley assisting at Ted Kennedy's funeral if he had mentioned at that funeral that while we commend his soul to God we also have to pray for his soul because he promoted abortion as something good and moral when in fact it is objectively evil. After all is it not a Spiritual Work of Mercy to instruct the ignorant and admonish the sinner?
From Father Shenan J. Boquet Human Life International
"Despite promises repeatedly made by President Obama that, "If you like your health care plan, you can keep your health care plan," millions of Americans are already losing coverage that they liked and could afford because of regulations contained in the Affordable Care Act (Obamacare). And as Rep. Chris Smith of New Jersey pointed out, "Obamacare's abortion mandate violates federal law and makes taxpayers complicit in the culture of death."
We as patients are worried and wondering what to do, but medical professionals are also worried. In the U.S. and internationally, doctors and nurses are having to choose between violating their consciences and violating laws and regulations. When Catholic doctors refuse to perform or refer for abortions, they come under attack. The USCCB itself is now being sued by the ACLU because a Catholic hospital in Michigan did not perform an abortion on a patient. Where do the rights of conscience of medical professionals end and the so-called "rights" to abortion and contraception begin?"
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