How the Hell?

Courageous Priest Because Souls Perish For the Lack of Knowledge!

 

 

 

How the Hell are we Helping If We Do Not Tellthe Truth About Sexuality and Marriage?

Dear Brethren,

I received a number of emails from friends after Respect Life Sunday saying that they heard little, if anything, about life and family from the pulpit. It is as if some pastors are afraid of preaching the Gospel of Life, or have something more important to talk about even when it is chosen as the day to preach on precisely these issues.

The failure to preach the Gospel of Life is not only a U.S. problem. During HLI’s conferences, I hear the same comments from around the world. I bring this up when I speak to seminarians, priests, and bishops – many times the only message the faithful will hear about these incredibly urgent pastoral and moral questions is at Mass.

Generally, Catholics might hear a homily on abortion once a year. They might hear an occasional reference to euthanasia – a subject some deem easier to preach about – but most usually never hear references to contraception, homosexuality, promiscuity, pornography, cohabitation or divorce.
It is also not helpful when Church leaders accept the false caricature that “the Church is always talking about these issues,” so it’s about time we talked about something else. Apparently “the Church” has not sufficiently talked about issues in a way that helps the political party that now treats abortion as a “human right.”

Fr. Shenan J. Boquet’s, Human Life International Open Letter


A Sucker Punch.

When one cardinal said two years ago that those Catholics who were in second civil unions without annulment of their marriages should not be expected to be heroes by being celibate, many couples who had been abstaining from sex felt like they had been punched in the gut. What had they been sacrificing for? Such a position makes it sound like Jesus’ teaching on marriage is just too hard to follow. We know better than Jesus. We are more pastoral. It is even more hurtful when the cardinal’s superior also seems to accept and repeat this characterization of Church teaching as being uncompassionate.

It is true that priests and bishops are people too. When they preach in a way that displeases people not only might they lose parishioners, they may also lose collection revenue and invite nasty e-mails and face-to-face conversations after Mass. Most of us know the risks too well.


How the Hell

But, my brothers, we have given our lives to a Man who submitted to a gruesome and humiliating death! We follow Our Lord, who died on a cross for us! If we love those whom we are given to serve in our parishes – let me choose my words carefully here – how the hell are we helping them if we do not tell them the truth – the Good News – about sexuality and marriage? These are pastoral issues, and cannot be reduced to some obscure teaching that was meant for another time! Pope Saint John Paul II knew this well:

The Gospel of life is at the heart of Jesus’ message. Lovingly received day after day by the Church, it is to be preached with dauntless fidelity as “good news” to the people of every age and culture. (Evangelium vitae 1)

My God, my God, why have we forsaken you? How did we let ourselves come to the belief that you, Our Lord, meant for our lives to be as easy as possible? That Your Law — what You told us is what those who love you will follow — can only be held up when it happens to find agreement with our fallen culture?


The Violence of Contraception

Why are we not protecting married couples from the violence of contraception — the divorce of unitive and procreative aspects of the beautiful gift of sexuality? Why are we afraid of helping our brothers and sisters to live in truth, according to their dignity?

What is our role and duty in Christ – in truth and charity?

No one has said that we must only preach about life and family issues. Anyone who claims differently is ignorant or is trying to manipulate the listener. As priests we must prayerfully discern how to bring the Word of God directly to those we serve in a way that they can hear. We absolutely must remind the faithful of their obligation to serve in solidarity with those in need, to be generous with their material gifts. We owe it to our congregations to remind them of the goodness of Truth and Beauty – the goodness of life, of God’s creation and our responsibility to be stewards of what we’ve been given. We have to remind people that our faith cannot be reduced to rules, but is based on Love.

But we must never accept the false representation of Church teaching on life and marriage as lacking compassion, or pretend it was made for another time. We must not be afraid to tell the truth about life and family, as there are no more immediate or urgent pastoral issues that our families are dealing with at home or in the public square.

Preaching on these issues on Respect Life Sunday is a bare minimum – a starting point. We are forming hearts and minds so that the faithful can in freedom choose wisely and lovingly when the moment of heroism – even everyday heroism for those with great challenges – comes their way. It is not “pastoral” to ignore the loving doctrine we have been given and offer solutions that soothe and confuse. This is not love.

Link to article on www.hli.org.

Sincerely yours in Christ,

Father Shenan J. Boquet
President, Human Life International

Discover More
Hell Exists And We Might Go There!
More Souls Go To Hell Because Of This . . .
I Am Catholic! I Cannot Go To Hell!

Chancery Office Staff & Their Social Media Accounts

Did you know the Diocese of Hamilton has an Office of Justice and Peace? We even have a coordinator for it. I don't know if it's a full time position, part time, or volunteer, but I assume full time. What's the compensation package for a chancery office coordinator? I'd guess somewhere between $40K-$50K salary plus benefits, vacation, travel expenses (to attend social justice conferences, trips to the Vatican, etc) office expenses, etc. So the collection baskets in the diocese fork out around $60,000/yr for this role. Does anyone know what a justice and peace diocesan coordinator does all day?

Sarah Guinta is our Justice and Peace Coordinator. She graduated from the University of Guelph three years ago with a degree in Political Economy and Administrative Change. Previous work experience at Me To We and AIESEC Canada. I'd guess her age in the mid-twenties. I have no idea what the skill set or experience level for a diocesan justice and peace coordinator are but let's assume Sarah's qualified for this position, whatever it's suppose to do for us. 

After some googling and browsing on employment websites, I could not find any advertisements for this position. Were there other candidates? This is all I could find, the announcement of her hiring in September 2015. I'm not sure who does the hiring at the Diocese of Hamilton Chancery Office, but do they check potential new employee's social media accounts?

This is Sarah's Facebook page. It's privacy settings are public so I didn't have to hack into it or anything like that. It's currently available for anyone to see. 

After her current employment status, educational achievement, her attendance at "Sexually Charged: November Edition" is listed. If you don't know what "Sexually Charged" is all about then consider yourself lucky. The event's profile picture of three plush vaginas should be a clue. 

Charged Questions

Not sure how to start a Sexually Charged conversation at your table? We have you covered! On every table you’ll find a bowl of questions to help get your juices flowing. Our list is always growing, thanks to suggestions from attendees. Have a question you’d like to see added? Tweet it to us @SexuallyCharged !

• Talk about any fantasy or experience with S/M sexuality.
• Share a favourite “gasp producing” sexual technique or trick.
• Talk about your taste in sex toys.
• Talk about your first sexual understandings (grade school stuff).
• How do you feel about “dirty” words? What is your visceral reaction? When are they a turn on/off?
• What are the best and worst potentials of group sex?
• What is your favourite compliment to hear?
• Tell us a specific technique you enjoy/want from a lover performing oral sex on you.
• What adolescent fantasies or experiences still hold an erotic charge for you?
• Talk about any fantasies or experiences with food and sex.
• In what ways do you find yourself embodying traditional sexually repressive attitudes?
• What clothes or costumes do you enjoy wearing when you want to feel sexy?
• Describe how you like to kiss.
• Tell us about a situation in which there was a strong sexual tension which was never resolved.
• What goes on in your mind during orgasm?
• How do you define a sexual encounter?
• What is the last specific sexual thing you asked a lover to do?
• Tell us about a favourite technique you use to masturbate a partner.
• How did you discover masturbation? At what age?
• Talk about fantasies or experiences with body art or modifications?
• Talk about a fantasy or experience with the gender/s other than the one/s to which you are usually attracted. Pansexuals, tell us any story you want!
• Talk about any fantasies or experiences with dominance and submission.
• Describe a fantasy or experience involving an animal, vegetable, or mineral.
• Tell us about the evolution of your body image. Where are you now?
• How do you like to flirt?
• How do you like to be flirted with?
• What is your relationship with pornography/erotica?
• Describe a favourite way of masturbating using as much detail as you are comfortable with.
• What were some of your body’s first sexual feelings? (e.g. sweaty palms, getting wet, orgasm in your sleep, etc.) How did you feel about it? What did you think about it?
• Tell us the kinds of things you like a lover to say to you during sex.
• Demonstrate or describe a favourite sexual position.
• Talk about any fantasies or experiences with group sex.
• Is there any response you fear when you think about asking a lover to do something in particular?
• Do you have sexual fantasies or practices that you are uncomfortable with? What is the nature of the conflict?
• Tell us about a particularly dramatic kissing experience you have had.
• Does the idea of sex in a public place turn you on? If so, describe.
• Tell us any fantasies or experiences with sex in cars, planes, trains, or boats.
• Did your early sexual feelings correlate with fairy tales and/or family members? Do they still?
• What kind of sexual play do you like to get you really turned on?
• What are some of the ways you communicate what you want to a partner? (e.g. body language, sounds, verbally, etc.)
• Describe a sexual alter ego of yours (a sexual persona or aspect of yourself which does not find expression in everyday life).
• Demonstrate the sounds you make when you orgasm.
• Tell us about any fantasies, experiences or “almosts” with threesomes.
• Have you ever fantasized or experienced watching a lover with someone else? Describe.
• What sexual activity have you not yet tried but would like to?
• Describe some of the different modes you like to be sexual in. (e.g. soft and tender, quick and dirty, etc.)
• Tell us about a fantasy or experience with a favourite sex toy or sexual object.
• What physical characteristics do you usually find sexy?
• Describe what it is like when you feel very sexually powerful. What can bring that on?
• How does menstruation (yours or a partner’s) affect your sexuality?
• Tell us about a very brief sexual encounter.
• Talk about any fantasies or experiences with role playing.
• Talk about your fantasies and/or experiences with anal sex play.
• Name some favourite places or settings you like to be sexual in.
• How much sex education did you get from your parents or caregivers?
• Are you curious about your friend’s sexual lives? What do you wonder about? How could you bring the topic up?
• In what situation(s) do you feel sexy?
• Talk about your sexual relationship with yourself. (e.g. evolution of masturbation fantasies, orientation, etc.)
• What is a question you would like to be asked?
• Have you ever had a fantasy or experience where the distinction between pain and pleasure became blurred?
• Tell us something you like about your body.
• What characteristics do you find attractive in members of your own gender?
• What characteristics do you find attractive in members of other genders?
• Tell us a favourite fantasy of yours with as much detail as you can stand.
• What does the word “sex” mean to you?
• What does the word “gender” mean to you?
• What is your gender (or are your genders) what does that mean to you?
• What is your sexuality (or are your sexualities) and what does that mean to you?
• How comfortable are you talking about sex?
• How comfortable are you talking about sexuality?
• How comfortable are you talking about gender?
• How did you first learn about your gender/s? How about other genders?
• If your gender were a colour what would it be and why?
• If your sexuality were a colour what would it be and why?
• If you were any undergarment or accessory, what would best match your personality and why?
• If you were any kind of footwear, what would best match your personality and why?
• Going from your own experience, what would have been the best age for you to start exploring sexual behaviour with others and why?
• Are you becoming more or less sexual with time and age?
• What are the pros and cons to monogamy, as you see it?
• What are the pros and cons to non-monogamy, as you see it?
• In what ways might you like to explore trying out another gender, if at all?
• In what ways might you like to explore having different anatomy, if at all?
• If everyone woke up as a different gender or sex for just one week, how would the world change that week? And how the world be different after that week was over?
• If everyone woke up as a different sexuality for just one week, how would the world change that week? And how the world be different after that week was over?
• Have you found that various genders are more alike or more different than you used to think they were?
• Why is talking about sex so taboo?
• Why is talking about genders so taboo?
• Why is talking about sexualities so taboo?
• If you could say one sentence to the world about sex, sexuality, or gender and know that people would really listen, what would it be and why?
• What does active consent mean to you?
• Share a story about a really great conversation or moment you have had around sex, sexuality, or gender.
• If you were going to pick up a new kink that currently holds no appeal to you, what would you like it to be?
• What is the best thing about genitals?
• How good are you at knowing when people are flirting with you? Tell us a story about it!
• Why are you so interested in topics about sex/sexuality/gender?
• If you could have any job in the world related to sex/sexuality/gender what would it be?
• What are you most proud of about your sex/sexuality/gender?
• What do you think your experience of your sexuality and gender will be like when you’re 10, 20, or 30 years older
• How do you think our cultures are changing for the better when it comes to sex?
• How do you think our cultures are changing for the better when it comes to sexuality?
• How do you think our cultures are changing for the better when it comes to gender?
• How do you think you’re changing for the better when it comes to sex?
• How do you think you’re changing for the better when it comes to sexuality?
• How do you think you’re changing for the better when it comes to gender?
• What is something you’ve learned about sex/sexuality/gender that you wish you knew sooner?
• What is something you’ve learned about sex/sexuality/gender that you wish more people knew?
• What is something you wish you understood better about sex/sexuality/gender?

Sarah doesn't list anything in "Relationship Status". I think it's safe to assume she's not married. Maybe she went to the event to proclaim the Gospels, participate in New Evangelization, and explain Church teaching. 

The event is organized by a University of Guelph prof who specializes in kinky sex and gender identity issues. 

"Dr. Ruth Neustifter is an author, university faculty member, and sexuality researcher from snowy Guelph, Ontario, Canada. They are also proud to co-chair the Guelph Sexuality Conference, which is one of the largest and longest running annual professional sexuality conferences in Canada. Ruthie happily identifies as poly, kinky, sex-queer and gender-queer."

Apparently when you identify your gender as 'poly' you use 'they' instead of 'he' or 'she', because it's 2015.

Sarah also gave a Facebook shout-out to all her wonderful same-sex attracted friends this past summer. I have friends and family with same-sex attraction; some of them are wonderful too. However, Pride isn't about loving and caring for people, it's about deviant and harmful sexual behavior. Professional Catholics should not be condoning nor promoting such events. 

Indeed

Maybe working in the chancery office, Sarah will find a catechism:

Chastity and homosexuality

2357 Homosexuality refers to relations between men or between women who experience an exclusive or predominant sexual attraction toward persons of the same sex. It has taken a great variety of forms through the centuries and in different cultures. Its psychological genesis remains largely unexplained. Basing itself on Sacred Scripture, which presents homosexual acts as acts of grave depravity,¹⁴¹ tradition has always declared that "homosexual acts are intrinsically disordered."¹⁴² They are contrary to the natural law. They close the sexual act to the gift of life. They do not proceed from a genuine affective and sexual complementarity. Under no circumstances can they be approved.

2358 The number of men and women who have deep-seated homosexual tendencies is not negligible. This inclination, which is objectively disordered, constitutes for most of them a trial. They must be accepted with respect, compassion, and sensitivity. Every sign of unjust discrimination in their regard should be avoided. These persons are called to fulfill God's will in their lives and, if they are Christians, to unite to the sacrifice of the Lord's Cross the difficulties they may encounter from their condition.

2359 Homosexual persons are called to chastity. By the virtues of self-mastery that teach them inner freedom, at times by the support of disinterested friendship, by prayer and sacramental grace, they can and should gradually and resolutely approach Christian perfection.

Sarah's Twitter account has issues too. Her tweets are highly political (leftwing, of course) and at least one sexual. Here is a re-tweet of an organization that supports abortion: 

She proclaims her love for a series of videos from a website called SlutEver. 

It seems Sarah has some growing up to do, but then again so does our new prime minister. Maybe in her role as a professional Catholic she'll reform her life. Many of us didn't follow Church teaching on matters of sexuality in our twenties, but we weren't employed by our diocese either. 

At this point I'm not even sure if Sarah is a practicing Catholic. There is nothing on her social media accounts to suggest otherwise. You'd think being a practicing Catholic would be a job requirement with the Diocese of Hamilton. 

After some googling I did find a Shari Guinta. She is the National Treasurer of the CWL, a member of the KW Serra club, a director at  the Good Shepherd Centre, and sits on the Diocese of Hamilton's Finance Committee. Maybe that's the connection.

Dear Rev.Rosica, What Does This Word Mean?

Also, for the sake of clarity, can you explain these words of yours to us non-theologians?

"In contrast to the modern-day Pharisees and their followers, true Christians are those who boast in Christ crucified and no other, meaning that they believe that Christ’s work ensured the salvation of all whom He represented and is the only thing that makes the difference between salvation and condemnation. They know that their own efforts form absolutely no part of their acceptance before God. They rest in Christ alone as their only hope, knowing that it is the work of Christ by the grace of God that guarantees salvation."

Because they sound an awful lot like this to me:

"The first and chief article is this: Jesus Christ, our God and Lord, died for our sins and was raised again for our justification. He alone is the Lamb of God who takes away the sins of the world and God has laid on Him the iniquity of us all. All have sinned and are justified freely, without their own works and merits, by His grace, through the redemption that is in Christ Jesus, in His blood. This is necessary to believe. This cannot be otherwise acquired or grasped by any work, law or merit. Therefore, it is clear and certain that this faith alone justifies us."

While you're at it, explain the fascination you have with those who practice the faith, follow the rules, defend doctrine, and work on their salvation with fear and trembling?

"... many of those who are on the front lines - the crusaders - of the orthodoxy today (I would call it a pseudo-orthodoxy) are among the most unhappy and sad and angry ..."

“There’s a certain form of Taliban Catholicism out there right now that would like to dictate everything and, really, it doesn’t speak to the future."

"Those claiming to be...traditional, faithful, orthodox Catholics throw out words and they have no idea what those words mean."

By the way, legend has it one can be jolly and still offer fraternal correction to those in need.

In conclusion, a quote by another saint who stood up to heretics at ecumencial councils (and presumably synods):

"You are the ones who are happy; you who remain within the Church by your faith, who hold firmly to the foundations of the faith which has come down to you fro Apostolic Tradition. And if an execrable jealousy has tried to shake it on a number of occasions, it has not succeeded. They are the ones who have broken away from it in the present crisis. No one ever will prevail against your beloved brothers." St. Athanasius 

Cardinals Warn Pope - Synod Approaching Schism

Crisis for Pope Francis as top-level cardinals tell him: your synod could lead to the collapse of the church

Damian Thompson




Damian Thompson

12 October 2015


A group of cardinals – including some of the most powerful figures in the Catholic Church – have written to Pope Francis telling him that his Synod on the Family, now meeting in Rome, has gone badly off the rails and could cause the church to collapse.

Astonishingly, they include Cardinal Péter Erdö, the ‘general relator’ of the three-week gathering of the world’s bishops, who delivered its opening address a week ago.

Their leaked letter, written as the synod started, presumably explains why a few days ago the Pope suddenly warned against ‘conspiracy‘ and reminded the cardinals that he, and only he, will decide the outcome of the synod.

This is the gravest crisis he has faced, worse than anything that happened to Benedict XVI, and he knows it.

And, talking of the Pope Emeritus, I have no doubt whatsoever that, had he been free to sign the letter, he would have done so.


The cardinals warn the Pope, in diplomatic language, that (a) the synod is being hijacked by liberals obsessed with the narrow issue of giving Communion to divorced and remarried people; (b) going down the route of ‘pastoral flexibility’ could lead to the Catholic Church falling apart in the same way as liberal Protestant denominations; and (c) the synod working papers prepared by the Pope’s allies Cardinal Lorenzo Baldisseri and Archbishop Bruno Forte are a mess and going down badly with the Synod Fathers.

The seniority of the signatories shows how close the church is to civil war. Cardinal Gerhard Müller, Prefect of the Congregation of the Faith – the Church’s doctrinal watchdog – is on the list. So is Cardinal George Pell, head of the Vatican’s finances, and Cardinal Robert Sarah, in charge of the Church’s worship.

Sarah is the most prominent African cardinal in the church, along with Cardinal Wilfred Napier of Durban, who has also signed. Add to that the name of Cardinal Timothy Dolan, archbishop of New York, and it becomes clear that the loss of confidence in Pope Francis extends far beyond the Vatican.

He is, however, passionately supported by liberal cardinals in Europe and Latin America, among them Cardinal Reinhard Marx, head of the German bishops. He can also count of the unquestioning loyalty of Cardinal Vincent Nichols, Archbishop of Westminster.

As the Catholic Herald reports this morning:


Two of the cardinals who signed the letter, published in full by [Vatican commentator] Sandro Magister, have prominent roles in the synod. Cardinal Péter Erdö is its relator general, and Cardinal Wilfrid Napier is a president delegate.

Other signatories included Vatican officials Cardinal Gerhard Müller and Cardinal George Pell.

In the letter, the cardinals expressed concern that ‘a synod designed to address a vital pastoral matter – reinforcing the dignity of marriage and family – may become dominated by the theological/doctrinal issue of Communion for the divorced and civilly remarried’.

The letter continued: ‘The collapse of liberal Protestant churches in the modern era, accelerated by their abandonment of key elements of Christian belief and practice in the name of pastoral adaptation, warrants great caution in our own synodal discussions.’

The cardinals also asked the Pope to ‘consider a number of concerns we have heard from other synod fathers, and which we share’ and criticised the synod’s Instrumentum Laboris, or working document.

‘While the synod’s preparatory document, the Instrumentum Laboris, has admirable elements, it also has sections that would benefit from substantial reflection and reworking,’ the letter said.

‘The new procedures guiding the synod seem to guarantee it excessive influence on the synod’s deliberations and on the final synodal document. As it stands, and given the concerns we have already heard from many of the fathers about its various problematic sections, the Instrumentum cannot adequately serve as a guiding text or the foundation of a final document.’

Here is the list reported by Magister:
• Carlo Caffarra, archbishop of Bologna, Italy, theologian, formerly the first president of the Pontifical John Paul II Institute for Studies on Marriage and Family;
• Thomas C. Collins, archbishop of Toronto, Canada;
• Timothy M. Dolan, archbishop of New York, United States;
• Willem J. Eijk, archbishop of Utrecht, Holland;
• Péter Erdö, archbishop of Esztergom-Budapest, Hungary, president of the Council of the Bishops’ Conferences of Europe and relator general of the synod underway, as also at the previous session of October 2014;
• Gerhard L. Müller, former bishop of Regensburg, Germany, since 2012 prefect of the congregation for the doctrine of the faith;
• Wilfrid Fox Napier, archbishop of Durban, South Africa, president delegate of the synod underway as also at the previous session of the synod of October 2014;
• George Pell, archbishop emeritus of Sydney, Australia, since 2014 prefect in the Vatican of the secretariat for the economy;
• Mauro Piacenza, Genoa, Italy, former prefect of the congregation for the clergy, since 2013 penitentiary major [NB: there are reports that he wants his name taken off the list];
• Robert Sarah, former archbishop of Conakry, Guinea, since 2014 prefect of the congregation for divine worship and the discipline;
• Angelo Scola, archbishop of Milan, Italy [he now denies signing the letter];
• Jorge L. Urosa Savino, archbishop of Caracas, Venezuela;
• André Vingt-Trois, archbishop of Paris, France, president delegate of the synod underway as also at the previous session of the synod of October 2014. [He now denies signing the letter.]

Note that not all these cardinals are regarded as outright conservatives: Cardinal Dolan, for example, is gently orthodox, an amiable figure far removed from the thundering traditionalist Cardinal Raymond Burke, who has been excluded from the synod.

Moreover – and this is very dangerous for Francis – the main point of contention is not the question of whether the church should be give communion to divorce people in second marriages, or whether gay unions should be given some degree of recognition.

This is an argument about the wisdom of calling the synod in the first place, and expresses the suspicion of over 100 Synod Fathers that the organisers are manipulating proceedings by confronting them with working papers and procedures designed to push them in a liberal direction. Others are simply fed up with the amateurish nature of the proceedings and wonder why, after last year’s chaotic preparatory synod, the Pope left the same people in charge. To quotethe Australian Archbishop Mark Coleridge, ‘At times our work has seemed more muddled than methodical’.

I’m one of countless commentators who has warned that holding this synod could split the church. Now it’s happening, much faster than any of us anticipated.