The following is taken from an October 21 sermon by Father Richard Perozich, pastor of St. Mary Catholic Church in Escondido, 30 miles north of San Diego.
Elections are coming up November 6, 2012. Catholics must engage in the political process to form a nation that reflects the values held by Christ’s followers. Learn who you are, and act like a Christian….
We live in a society where many people with power, possessions, and prestige are promoting ideas that are not founded in Christ.
In order to promote their ideas over ours, they tell us we must stay in our churches, keep our religion to ourselves, and that their idea of separation of the church from the state (which does not exist in our American constitution as they say it does) trumps any ideas we might have, so we have to shut up. And Catholics sheepishly keep quiet and vote for men and women who promote evil.
In chapter 3 of Galatians, St. Paul, frustrated with the Galatians allowing non-believers to silence the truth even to the point of the Galatians returning to pagan or evil ways chastises them saying, “O stupid Galatians. Who has bewitched you?”
It can be said of us in America in the year 2012, “O Stupid Catholics, who has bewitched you?” We easily go over to pagan ideas, putting aside our faith, our truth, in order to accommodate the evil of people who will not accommodate us!
To promote their ideas they attack us personally calling us the far right, ultra conservative, bigoted, homophobic, hate mongers, holy rollers, and other epithets. This silences many Catholics. It only emboldens me, and it should embolden you also to promote your faith….
People are most concerned with their economic power to purchase, to live, to save. Their greatest fear is losing this; evident in how they voted in 2006 and 2008.
For Christians our greatest concern should be with life, and we vote for those who promote it. You have heard the mantra, “I’m a fiscal conservative, but a social liberal.” Nonsense. The societal responsibilities come first, and from a sound society built on biblical principles flow the economic concerns.
In a healthy economy there will be rich people. I who earn $20,000 a year do not envy their wealth, their homes, and their power to shape the economy. The people Americans put into office in 2006 and 2008 DO envy, and are using the economy to tear apart the entire social fabric of society to promote abortion here in our country and abroad; to kill new life in embryos; to kill the elderly and sick; to destroy the nature of gender and marriage; to allow sexually immature people to be predators of others to try to satisfy their lack of psychological development.
For us Catholics the basic issues are: Life from conception to natural death, that is protection of the unborn, those with life, and those who are sick; protection of new life in its most nascent form, the embryo; protection from cloning to farm body parts; protection from sexual deviance in the form of pederasty, homosexuality, adultery, fornication, prostitution.
An elite class has assumed power in the United States, transcending political parties. They claim to know more than the people the elites represent. They do not. Their interest is keeping their positions in which they earn upwards of $200,000 with a health plan that is not part of the new one passed for the rest of us. They plan the destruction of the military, the silence of the churches and free voices, the destruction of children, embryos. They simply cannot stay in power. I have voted for some of them despite their mixed policies.
But enough! I refuse to cast a vote for anyone who supports abortion, sexual confusion to be forced in the military, marriage, school curricula, or any other societal aspect, cloning, embryonic stem cell research, or euthanasia.
I refuse to grant allegiance to any political party whose leadership hates God’s ways, perverts His laws, which does not speak for me, but speaks for Satan in contraception, abortion, homosexuality, killing of embryos and the elderly and infirm.
I reject government interference in my church when government tells me I must support abortion, homosexuality, when it forces my Church to violate God’s law by granting such things, or when it takes away my church’s power to run adoption agencies, services to the poor because it insists on inserting evil into God’s kingdom. No more!
I am a Catholic. I am a citizen of the Kingdom of God and will promote that kingdom in all parts of my life.
To you politicians who promote non Catholic values, I will not vote for you just so your opponent will not get into office.
If you do not represent me, you do not have my vote. I don’t want your government money. I don’t want your adolescent ideas of equality, fairness, justice and rights. I don’t want your health care. I am not a prostitute who sells my vote for temporal benefits.
I am checking your voting records through various organizations which monitor your voting. If you do not promote life from the moment of conception to natural death, chastity and sexual distinctions, traditional marriage, respect for embryos in science, then you will not get my vote. You do not belong in political office. Teachers who sheepishly follow their corrupt unions do not belong in the classrooms. Clergy who follow non-Christian teaching do not belong in the pulpit.
My Hope rests in Jesus Christ and his salvation exactly FROM the very things these politicians are promoting.
Change is repentance from sin, conversion to God, and reparation of the damage by following the commandments without relativizing them.
Hope and Change did not come in 2008. I’m going to do my part to see that they do in 2012.
Jesus Christ, yesterday, today, and forever.
From the Pastor
Father Richard Perozich you are an awesome holy priest! I wish your parish was close to my home because I would love to attend your parish. I will definitely visit! God bless you always!
You really do not know whether he is holy or not. Remember Fr. Corapi (who needs our prayers) and his Harley
Thank you Father for speaking the truth.
Bravo, Father Richard! I commend you for your fine homily. May God reward you, and may Our Lady continue to guide you. Keep up the good work you are doing for Christ and His Church.
The people of St. Mary’s are blessed to have such a good and holy priest–one who is more courageous than the others. He needs our prayers because the forces of evil will attempt yet again to destroy him. Please pray for Fr. Perozich. He reminds us all of the dangers of worshipping false idols who pretend to be politicians.
I fervently hope that this priest is a future bishop, because he has the right ideas and leadership qualities – not to mention courage. He puts most bishops to shame.
Most bishops in this beknighted state would have silenced this intrepid priest. Kudos to Fr. Perozich for his bold witness and his guardian angel for stopping the chancery hammer from striking him dumb.
Now here’s a pastor with a real backbone. We need more like him!
Amen!
Now will this Man of God refuse Holy Communion to those so-called ‘catholic’ politicians that support the evil that he has mentioned? I hope so as he could be another Bishop Sheen, of which ALL priests and bishops should be, except for the Bishop’s belief in the lies of evolution, of which he now knows is from the evil one. Don’t falter Father, as the bishops in Uruguay have done, along with the USCCB. God Bless. +JMJ+
JMJ,
I want to assure you that you need to pray for any idiot anti-catholic “Catholic” politician who dares to try to recieve the Sacred Species from Fr. Perozich. Fr. Perozich would do EXACTLY what Our Lord would have him do!
St. Padre Pio had a word for it: “Basta!”
God bless, yours in Their Hearts,
Kenneth M. Fisher
JMJ, i hate to break it to you, but the roman catholic church does not see evolution as “evil” or “wrong” or “full of lies.”
here’s something from the franciscans on this subject:
How do we today understand the term “laws of nature”? How many persons see the constant miracles in the natural world as awesome signs of divine activity? How many Catholics realize that Pope Pius XII’s 1950 encyclical, Humani generis, indicates that duscussion of biological evolution is compatible with Christian faith (#36)—as long as God’s intervention is recognized as necessary for creating the human soul.
Pope John Paul II stated in 1996: “[N]ew scientific knowledge has led us to realize that the theory of evolution is no longer a mere hypothesis. It is indeed remarkable that this theory has been progressively accepted by researchers, following a series of discoveries in various fields of knowledge. The convergence, neither sought nor fabricated, of the results of work that was conducted independently is in itself a significant argument in favor of this theory” (Message to the Pontifical Academy of Sciences on Evolution, October 23, 1996).
“Oh stupid Catholics who has bewitched you?” So many do seem to be under a spell. From some bishops on down to the average parishioner Catholics have inadvertently or purposely supported candidates who champion abortion over life, out of control government spending, and homosexual marriage equality because of their promise to fix things. The problem with politics is that no matter how “pure” a politician seems the people around him are all from the gutter of the game. Hope in a politician is hope in a fairy tale. There is no magic potion to save us all. We have to do the work ourselves from within and then by reaching out to others.
This priest should be Bishop
Now imagine every bishop saying something similar this Sunday.
Do we dream?
Father Perozich – Unfortunately you are ONE in a million of our church leaders who has the facts straight and profess them. How many Catholic Cardinals, Bishops, and Priests will cast their vote for Mr. Obama when none should.
Amen, I say Amen! How those powerful words should be spoken from pulpits across the USA . Thank you Fr.Perovich for your faithfulness, integrity and love. Only a priest who loves his flock risks condemnation and censure to save them. Only a true Catholic voices such truth and with such honesty. Thank God for such caring priests. I pray his message is read and heard far and wide.
God bless you, Father Richard! Thank you for your frankness and for the love you show your California parishioners. May you continue to speak the truth in love and with bold courage.
It’s very uplifting to see a priest standing up for the faith and it’s values. God bless you Fr Perozich! I must say though, I don’t agree that catholics are sheepishly shutting up and voting for those who are out to distroy life. I believe that too many Catholics have been led astray by there pastors and have lost their faith and therefore left to their
own concience which we know all too well can be very selfish and self serving. This is why so many can see no harm in abortion, homosexuality and putting those poor suffering old people to death. Their lives do not center around God so they don’t let their concience be influenced by him. Not to mention, if you are a Catholic who does not frequent the sacraments how is it that you will have enough grace to fight all that is evil? So many Catholics are living in a constant state of mortal sin that even their guardian angels must distance themselves from them!
JFK,
“So many Catholics are living in a constant state of mortal sin that even their guardian angels must distance themselves from them!” This is certainly true and most of them go to Communion because everyone else is doing it!
God bless, yours in Their Hearts,
Kenneth M. Fisher
Father, with all due respect for your exalted office, I agree with
some of what you have written but I also must take issue with
other ideas you have expressed, and the unwritten
attitudes behind them.
Indeed Catholics and Christians who has bewitched you? Entrapments
and enchantments lie on the right hand side of the path as well
as the left! In your rush to avoid serving Moloch, beware lest you
serve Mammon, an equally potent enemy of the way of Christ.
It is perilously easy for you Father, who most likely live in a provided
rectory, and probably have health care subscribed by the parish as well,
but what of the working people whom you serve? How many of them
face the choice of shelter or food or health care or education for
their children: pick one, two if they are fortunate? We’re not talking
about your modest $20K per year but people who make 1,000 times
as much, or 10,000 times as much, or perhaps more. As an illustration
I like once put it, take 100,000 of the homeless people in LA county
(not hard to find, and there are more than 100,000) and seat them
in the Coliseum with Bill Gates and Warren Buffet (throw in Mitt too
although he is relatively small change) … Address the crowd: “My
fellow millionaires, we in this stadium each have a net worth of millions
of dollars …” See the problem?
The problem IS, at least in part economic! Read your (and my) Old
Testament: How many denunciations are there of those who grind down
the poor and sell a man for a pair of sandals: hint, it’s more than one or
two. The prophets thundered against the rich who oppressed the people!
Again, do not serve Moloch, but avoid Mammon and his servants as well!
The people who stole the elections in 2000 and 2004 would have you
not notice how the average wages and welfare of 90% of the nation
dropped under their care, and then as they left, they set the house on
fire! Christians and Catholics need not of necessity belong to any
political party and perhaps should not. Would anyone care to wager
how long the “opposition” to abortion lasts when Big Pharma discovers
profitable reagents and other products can be distilled from aborted
“waste”? Bain Capital already invests in Stericycle which disposes of
such “waste”: a growth industry!
Finally Father I would ask you not to confuse the Church with a political
party … a trap which even beloved EWTN all too often falls into … each
party endorses positions, whether explicitly or implicitly, which are at
variance with the way of Christ. For myself, I will serve neither Moloch
NOR Mammon!
It is such a rarity for a priest to have such courage. Now let’s pray for every bishop saying something similar this Sunday!
I’m positive you will be voting for Obama……
Jesus is the Good Shepherd! No one comes to the Father(God) except through Him. Jesus said, if you love me you will obey my commandments” You can call yourself a Catholic, but Jesus knows your heart! You may fool your fellow Catholic in the pew. You may vote for evil and think no one knows, but God knows your heart.
You can not vote for those who throw bread at the poor in exchange for their childrens lives (abortion). Vote for the lesser evil and then work to change that political party.
If you refer to “serve neither” to mean you will not vote for Romney, then you just cast a vote for Obama and his evil. My conscience would not allow such an thing, but if yours does I hope not many Catholics (most of whom elected Obama in the first place) don’t think like you this time around.
We need to undo what was done 4 yrs ago. Economic issues pale compared to the abortion of the most innocent, and ordering Catholics to pay for it! what are you thinking?
No, you poor man, you will server yourself! Good luck with that, Ken. Your ‘high-minded’ rhetoric reveals your pride and self=deception. Just the fact that it took so many words to express your many and varied excuses. Actually, Michael Voris expressed much the same thing in his Vortex videos. Now is not the time for such SELF righteousness, for you’re only giving a vote to the little dictator. What if the elections in Germany had defeated hitler for a not-so ideal candidate, but a fairly decent human being none the less. Wouldn’t it have made a difference to history and the world though? We’re talking about the nomination of supreme judges here, the domination by the feds of our public school systems, ad infintum. I frankly find such fanaticism beyond reason. I still admire Michael Voris, but I think he’s totallly wrong on this and I hope people will use common sense when voting.
haha. oops. I meant to say SERVE yourself. Oh, my, the English language is so amusing, as are spelling errors and typos. Also, I didn’t finish my idea about your many and varied excuses. I find when we’re most convoluted in our arguments we are generally defending a weak premise in the first place. Sorry for the strange syntax and lack of finesse. That’s just my style, generally. God bless you and I hope I didn’t sound too critical.
There is nothing in Father’s homily that make a political party out of the Church. You are the one who is trying to tie Catholic civil responsibility to the Democrats (since you make sush a nasty remark about “those who stole the elections in 2000/2004!) What hogwash! what envy!
And to tell Father that he can’t comment properly on the healthcare issues because he only make 20K and gets his insurance thru the diocese! What gall!
Thank God for priests like these who ignore pew sitter such as yourself!
Ken T, compare the Party Platforms. Wake up.
You can find links to comparison charts on the net answer to question #13 on: ‘ What Catholics REALLY Believe SOURCE ‘.
The Democratic Party with input from Pres Obama and of its own choosing – by a vote of their own delegates is the Party of DEATH and homo-sexual marriage.
The murder of approx 1 MILLION innocent unborn babies in the USA each year is genocide.
ABORTION, EUTHANASIA, HOMO-SEXUAL MARRIAGE, and violating FREEDOM of RELIGION are all INTRINSIC EVILS.
Obama and his Democratic Party support and work for the intrinsic evils.
Catholics must vote per the CCC. No Catholic can vote for anyone who supports INTRINSIC EVIL.
If both candidates support intrinsic evil, then we must vote for the person who will do the least harm.
Further Obama and his Democrats in the Senate and House do not know how to create non-government jobs.
He has proven his lack of ability in the last 4 years (2 of which he could do whatever he wanted with his Democratic Party in control of the Senate and the House.)
Obama’s policies have harmed private job creation.
He has grown the National Debt more than any other President.
At the end of August, the latest period reported by the U.S. Treasury, foreign interests held a total of $5,430,000,000,000 in U.S. government debt.
According to the Census Bureau’s latest estimate (which was for June 2012) there were 114,328,000 households in the United States. Therefore, the total U.S. government debt held by foreign interests was about $47,494.93 per household.
This does not include debt not owed to foreign interests.
Quite frankly Obama had no business experience. He was a community organizer with a legal degree.
This is true not only at the National level but at all State and Local elections as well.
Ken Trabold,
You have just pulled open the curtain for everyone to view the unwritten intentions behind your poorly disguised dig at a very faithful priest.
In the midst of another one of those ol’ social justice whitewash spiels you made a politically sly attempt to be clever as a serpent but in reality comrade Ken, you were as soft as mack truck.
“Oh stupid Catholics, who has bewitched you?” Oh Dear St. Paul, there is nothing new under the sun. Today the bewitching is proceeding from those who say stupid things like… “I’d rather be a true progressive than a false conservative.”
Amen Ken. I will say no more because I cannot say it as articulate. However, it boggles my mind when these folks want religion in government, but no government in religion, but they all find it perfectly fine when the republican politicians want a rape victim to then experience a vaginal probe and have to listen to her doctor dictate words that a politician wrote.
They call themselves Constitutional Christians, then attack reasonable free speech if it does not express a radical view.
oh, and most of them have no idea what the Catholic Church teaches in respect to abortion, conception, fertilization, proportionality and ensoulment. Many Popes would be burning in Hell if the rules they implemented were held to account under todays catechism and the viewpoints of these people.
If anyone doubts me just respond and ask me to provide quotes and sources for the Catholic historical edicts on abortion.
We already have the information we need regarding life issues: the CCC, the Pope, and the Magesterium. Ever heard of them?
I do love a good debate, but I prefer to go directly to the source. So I’ll pass on your tempting offer…even though it might be great fun; like pulling a string of yarn just out of reach of a cat.
Good thing the our Church doesn’t think like that, they would have never gotten through the Second Vatican Council, or any of the others. The formation of individual and institutional faith is best served with ongoing dialogue.
You realize in seminary they teach Church History in which they discuss and educate in regards to the things I mentioned. Are you suggesting that the Pope, Bishops and priests around the world were all being “pulled” around like cats?
If it’s good enough to teach the clergy, it should be good enough for us. The Second Vatican Council calls for a more educated and active laity. Be open to learning. Just because someone has a different call to ministry then you, it does not diminish their call from Christ.
Ken Trabold,
For your information, Fr. Perozich never mentioned any particular party, just God given principles! Wake up!
God bless, yours in Their Hearts,
Kenneth M. Fisher
Excellent analysis Ken but we still have to vote.
Voting for the lesser of two evils in this case coupled with prayers will do wonders I firmly believe. Maybe as Catholics if we all pray too in time our prayers will be answered. Let’s try that !
With prayers,
Brother Justin
Our Lady of Kazan Hermitage
Ken stop it!
Only 30 miles north? That seems to be too close for comfort for San Diego.
Father is quite right. I would add, further, that it requires more than electing politicians who will be seduced eventually into voting for abortion funding into the state budget.
Right now, children within the Los Angeles Archdiocese are daily being seduced into being sexually active, contraceptive and abortion supportive by a partnership agreement between the Los Angeles school district and Planned Parenthood who is encamped on the campus of Roosevelt High School in Boyle Heights. What is the church doing to educate its parishioners to the evils of abortion? We grow angry over the deaths of politicians in Benghazi, but are apathetic about the moral deaths of our own youth.
BOLD is the word for Fr. Rich. If priests followed his example the priesthood would be a more clarifying, vibrant, authentic beacon of service in Christ. Lay faithful need his strong leadership, including strong words, more than ever.
Catholics- wake up! Defend the truth, your faith, innocent life and marriage. Distortions of these things bring misery and death. Support with prayer and practical means priests like Fr. Rich, who lead with authentic love and courage.
Father,
You are a ‘breath of fresh’ air that is sorely needed in Our Lord’s
Beautiful Church!
Prayers coming your way!!!
Ken Trebold, you pretend to be concerned about the poor – yet Obama has only made things worse. And made more people dependent on the government.
He even broke the law by telling those on welfare that they don’t need to look for work to improve his unemployment numbers.
Was blessed to have the leadership of Father Rich for 8 years at our parish. We still miss him! His sermons are available in audio on his parish website at St. Mary Church in Escondido, where he continues to lead the people in The Truth, nothing but The Truth!
Fr. Richard Perozich rightly calls Catholics to be mindful of their Catholic faith, conscience and values when voting not only in this election but every election. It is indeed good to hear from him w/such strong direction. However he is not the sole Catholic clergy or even non-Catholic minister who are speaking out at this critical time. Many Catholic Bishops as well as leaders of other faiths, including those of the BLack Churches, and Billy Graham are making their positions know which coincides precisely w/Fr. Richard Perozich. And they would be neglecting their own faithfulness to the Gospel of Jesus Christ, if they failed to do so.
There is no way, as some commentators suggest, that this is a recommendation 4 voting 4those who profess to be believers but fail to live this reality. It seems evident that it is a call to clarity in knowing the platform of the party of the candidate one chooses to support. There is then only one option – The Republican Party whose platform supports pro-life issues, marriage bwtn man&woman issues, etc. in other words, it seems that Fr. P was speaking about those who are seeking government handouts in exchange for Christ. I believe that it what he means w/reference to ‘economic’ security – entitlements.
A good time to meditate on the first commandment. Politics for many on both sides has now become a false god–a god that people rely on to solve the world’s ills, whether they be abortion, lack of health care or unemployment.
Religious faith in the U.S. is slowly but surely being usurped by political faith.
Dave N.
You may be right, and we will know so if the Obamanation is illegaly re-elected!
God bless, yours in Their Hearts,
Kenneth M. Fisher
I disagree, Dave N. The current mess in the USA is the fault of voters. Voters who put immoral people into Office.
Immoral people – – – – who violate God’s Commandments by supporting the murder of innocents through abortion, euthanasia, homo-sexual marriage, and support the suppression of Religous Freedom.
Then these same immoral people appoint immoral Judges, and immoral Administrators who believe as they do.
We must take our required voting responsibility seriously at every level of government – Federal, State and Local.
The USA would not be in this state of sin if we had not voted selfishly, but only in accord with God’s Commandments.
By the way Father,
This is the United States Of America. Not the United States Of Catholicism.
As a Catholic I would not want my Church to run a country. We’ve seen what happens throughout history when the Church had too much control and ideological Popes, priests, bishops got in control. A lot of tortured and dead people.
Jesus did not run for political office. You should teach from the perspective of love, not demonize a Party and hold your republican party up as if it’s Christ-like. Let Jesus do the judging at the end of each persons life.
It is best to ignor some things as just too worthless to cause a response.
But you read it Alice!! Thank you. What are you afraid of in what I wrote? Something at your core is paralyzed with the prospect of free speech and theological discourse.
I would encourage you to find a way do engage in discourse without demonizing. You are so zealous in your belief that you are attacking people who are, for the most part, likely in agreement with you.
I gather, by your response to me, you don’t believe in the teachings of our Church in regards to the bioethics of abortion? I’m in full support.
And why are you offended by my discussion of Jesus?
Father says “To promote their ideas they attack us personally calling us the far right, ultra conservative, bigoted, homophobic, hate mongers, holy rollers, and other epithets”, and many of these comments above I have read in articles published by one particular bishop!
Now if the Bishops will give this message to their priests. Lord hear our prayer.
I totally agree with Perozich that “For us Catholics the basic issues are: Life from conception to natural death, that is protection of the unborn, those with life.” This I hasten to add includes the life of those in prison, just as Popes John Paul and Benedict have called for an end to the death penalty because it is a violation of the human dignity of capital criminals to execute them when there are other means to stop them from harming society. I also add that all of the California bishops are urging Catholics to vote against the death penalty this election year. Very good homily here by Father. Listen to the living Magisterium. Respect life!
I agree with you in that pro-life must include the elimination of the death penalty. The terms pro-life and pro-choice have been hijacked by extremist to the point that they do not accurately reflect the teaching of our Catholic Church in regards to rape, conception, and our Church stance on indirect abortion.
The other aspect of “Pro-Life” that has been hijacked is the ideology(not theology or Christology) that once the child is born Capitalism takes over and that there is no community/governmental responsibility to take care of the poor via social programs. Our Christ and Church speaks emphatically that faith is not individual and contained to the pews, but that Christians must live out care of others throughout all areas of there lives, including publicly appointed positions. ETC.
God Bless this Holy Priest! Thank you Jesus.
AMEN!