A great organization that is trying to bring Catholics back to church is CatholicsComeHome.com. Using very nice television campaigns, they invite people to re-engage with Catholicism. They are not afraid of the secular media and proudly provide links to recent news and talk shows. However, I must admit to being very disappointed in the interview with Scott Quinn, a prominent radio talk show host, which you can listen to in the link below.
http://catholicscomehome.us1.list-manage2.com/track/click?u=ce226bda50b601c0b3f0ab41d&id=9859162303&e=6404f6a1f0
In it, the representative from CatholicsComeHome.com continually states that all are welcome back to Mass and the Eucharist. Of course, this is true. However, Scott Quinn is incredulous and tries to give examples of groups of people whom he believes are not welcome in Mass. He states that there are “rules of inclusion.  You can’t be gay, you can’t have sex outside of marriage, you can’t use birth control, we’re not going to have women priests, we’re not going to let our priests to marry, you can’t get a divorce.”  Instead of providing a clear explanation of Catholic teaching on these points, the well-meaning representative states that all those people are indeed welcome to come to Communion. No! No! No!

Now, I understand the person from this organization believes that it is important to invite people back SO that it opens doors for dialog.  However, we need to be careful that we don’t put their souls in jeopardy.  This is what I  believe the representative from CatholicsComeHome.com should have said.  “Yes, you can be gay but you cannot be engaging in gay sex.  If you do, however, go for a sincere Confession, and then you will be welcome at the Lord’s table.  If you feel this is discrimatory against gays, the Church has exactly the same requirement for heterosexuals engaging in pornography, masturbation or extra-marital affairs.  As for birth control, the ban on artificial contraception has been a constant teaching of Christianity since the start.  The Church believes that you cannot separate the procreative aspect of sex from the unitive aspect.  Does this mean Catholics just have to become baby-makers?  No, there is natural family planning where a husband and wife TOGETHER, with some short periods of sacrifice and abstinence, are still able to space out their family.  Most artificial contraception has the woman dumping chemicals into her body that have been documented to create health compromises.  As to women priests, priesthood is about being a servant, not about power.  The Pope is called the Servant of the Servants.  What about married priests?  Well, the Eastern Rite Catholics do have married priests.  However, those who are celibate religious (ie priests and nuns) should be envied.  As Christians, we all believe that our final destination is to be joined in Heaven to Christ as His Bride.  Those who are celibate share in this divine destination in an intimate way that the rest of his are not able.  Finally, divorce is not allowed because marriage is a spiritual union that cannot be separated.  Annulment is not a Catholic divorce but recognizes that a true marriage did not exist from the very start.  However, a divorcee is allowed up for Communion.  They are simply not allowed to remarry.  If they stay in a state of grace, they are always welcome to share in the Eucharist.

I hate to criticize such a worthy organization.   However, we need to use every opportunity to invite back strayed Catholics but without increasing the misconceptions that were the cause of their leaving in the first place!

… because it’s been a few months since my last confession. Not totally my fault though. I took the time to research the times for Confession, drove all the way to the church but no one was there! I understand that there always are circumstances beyond your control but it seems to happen all too often. Now, I will try again next week at some other location but what if there were someone who needed reconciliation, found the doors locked and then NEVER came back. So Father, I beg you to please make this a priority.

While I am being a pest, I may as well make another request. Please don’t keep cancelling or shifting around daily Mass. We need a time and place we can depend on. I really believe if you make it a priority to keep things regular, the people will come. Same with Confession!  When we come and half the time it is cancelled or rescheduled, we will be reluctant to return, creating a vicious cycle where you don’t want to show up because of low numbers.

Thanks Father. Hope to see you soon in the confessional!

One of the characteristics that differentiates human beings from animals is the ability to think critically.   In other words, we can reason whereas animals cannot.  Recently, I think we are, as a species, flushing this concept down the toilet.

We all get so upset about cruelty to animals.  Bring up the seal hunt and puppy farms in a conversation and watch everyone elevate themselves onto some high delusional moral plane.   However, most of these enlightened individuals would have no problem with aborting babies, even within a few weeks of being able to survive outside the womb (a length continually being increased through the miracle of modern medicine).   Aborted babies are left out on tables to die and sometimes they are even partially delivered before having their heads crushed by the abortionist.  Somehow, as a society, we find the clubbing of baby seals less horrific than the millions of children being murdered every year.

If you think that I am somehow over-reacting, there are now medical ethicists who feel it is morally justifiable to kill a baby who is outside the womb!  Does it make any sense that we place more value on animal offspring than a human child?!?   We are going downhill on an incredibly fast and slippery slope.

Now, however, society is veering in a totally new ludicrous direction.  A recent article in Reader’s Digest is receiving huge accolades, promoting the concept that society should now consider whales as persons, with all the rights and privileges as humans.  The article proudly proclaims a new world order!

This is happening at a time when, in Canada, the government can’t even get discussion going on the personhood of a baby in the womb, something which is actually even scientifically unquestioned.  At the moment of conception, there is the blueprint of a genetically unique individual!  Moreover, at a time when most abortions take place, the baby is already fully formed in the womb, with a functioning heart and brain.  In Canada, the baby is not considered to be a person until it is fully delivered.  One moment before, and that child has absolutely no rights.

We are now at a point in civilization where we promote whales to personhood and won’t protect the child that is being ripped out of the mother’s womb.   Heck, with the loss of ability to use common sense and to think critically, we may as well just all be demoted all to the level of animals.  Are people really this stupid ?!?!

Two recent news reports are making it really  hard for me to be Catholic towards homosexuals.  We are told to hate the sin but love the sinner.  However, when persecution like this occurs to good people, I can’t help but be really ticked off!

In the first instance, a professor, Dr. Mark Regnerus, is being maligned for his rigorous research showing that gay parenting is not ideal. These criticisms are coming from gay rights activists, who provide no scientific rebuttal but just claims that this professor has an anti-gay bias.  The second instance is a lesbian who was denied communion at her mother’s funeral, after revealing to the presiding priest that she was living with her partner.   Her militant stand that she should get Communion (she also demanded to have two eulogies at the funeral because she claimed the music director said it was okay) betrays the fact that she has no understanding of Catholic theology.  There is evidence that, contrary to the media coverage, it was clear to the priest that the woman was not in a state of grace.  The priest was actually being kind as, according to St. Paul, she could bring condemnation upon herself by not receiving Jesus in a state of grace.   To add insult to injury, the priest’s diocese caved in to the liberal media accusations.

May God give me the grace to continue to treat homosexuals with respect and dignity, despite the bullying tactics of these gay activists, assisted by the biased liberal media!