Abbey-Roads2

On homosexuality.

Recently, two Roman Catholic bishops have been in the news for speaking out on Church teaching regarding homosexual activity and same sex unions.  Today there seems to be constant debate on the cause of homosexuality, the sufferings and discrimination endured by homosexuals, as well as propaganda insisting that homosexuality is a gift from God, that many Catholics see Church teaching on the issue as something that can be changed, ignored, or dispensed with for “pastoral” reasons.  The best of Catholics are often confused.  Now at least two bishops have addressed the issue unambiguously.

From Brazil:

In an articulate and courageous September 19 statement, the Catholic archbishop of Paraiba, Brazil reiterated the perennial doctrine of the Church against homosexual practice and same-sex “marriage.” Archbishop Aldo di Cillo Pagotto denounced what he called the “missionaries of the homosexual cause,” who seek to impose ostensible homosexual practice on society by creating a “crime of homophobia that must be penalized as discrimination.”

The Brazilian archbishop also denounced the myth of “homophobia” used by the homosexual movement to label opposition. He explains the psychological reasoning behind this label.

“Missionary indoctrinators of the homosexual cause,” Archbishop Pagotto says, “project their own fears and ambiguities onto the banner of homophobia.” Thus, by using this “habitual phobia mechanism as a homosexual banner, they cast the anguish of their unresolved inner drives upon heterosexuals and society as a whole.” The cause of their anguish is the “inner contradiction” in which these people live which results from the way they deal with the “disappointment or disapproval of the outside world toward homosexual behavior.” - Source

From California.

Bishop Soto, addressing the National Association of Lesbian and Gay Ministries, with great respect for his listeners, affirmed Church teaching that homosexual activity is indeed sinful.

“We are called to live and love in a manner that brings us into respectful, chaste relationships with one another and an intimate relationship with God. We should be an instrument of God’s love for one another. Let me be clear here. Sexual intercourse, outside of the marriage covenant between a man and a woman, can be alluring and intoxicating but it will not lead to that liberating journey of true self-discovery and an authentic discovery of God. For that reason, it is sinful. Sexual relations between people of the same sex can be alluring for homosexuals but it deviates from the true meaning of the act and distracts them from the true nature of love to which God has called us all. For this reason, it is sinful.” - Source 

“We are surrounded by a “contraceptive culture” that has reduced the procreative act to simple recreation absolved of any responsibility.” - Bishop Soto

The Governor says the State may need a $7 billion loan.

Governor Schwarzenegger is saying the State of ‘Caulifornyah’  may need the mammoth loan to cover day to day expenses; because of the effects of the Nation’s financial crisis upon the state with an economy that was once estimated larger than the size of the French economy.

“Absent a clear resolution to this financial crisis,” Schwarzenegger wrote in a letter Thursday evening e-mailed to Paulson, “California and other states may be unable to obtain the necessary level of financing to maintain government operations and may be forced to turn to the federal treasury for short-term financing.” - Los Angeles Times 

So what will happen if states go bust?  Just think about it.  Think of all the services that would stop - the people out of work. 

Who does?

The Church.  Trads celebrate the feast of St. Therese on October 3rd.  Her feast on the ne calendar seems more appropriate for October 1st, since the date is closest to the day of her death, September 30th - which St. Jerome owns.  This happens a lot you know.  The TLM calendar doesn’t match up with the reformed calendar, and therefore the TLM calendar retains the old dates and makes no provision for the newly canonized. 

When is the feast of Christ the King in your church? 

Then there is the other difficulty of mismatched readings - at least the gospel - during the year.  I know the entire lectio is different in the TLM - however, reforming/renewing the calendar - even maintaining a consistency with the epistle and gospel, that shouldn’t be viewed as something detrimental to the integrity of the TLM, should it?  At present, it is like two Churches - not unlike  the Ukrainian rite and the Latin rite - which Latin rite? - the Ordinary or the Extraordinary?  See what I mean. 

I think that whole issue should be addressed.  Let’s have a new Council! 

Art: Council of Trent