Three priests walk into a hip enclave to discuss the sexual revolution … but rather than a punchline, what ensued was a striking reminder that, amid cultural revolutions, orthodoxy just might be the most subversive lifestyle of all.
To set the stage, I didn’t think too much of it when a few priest friends reached out to see if my husband and I were planning to attend The Free Press debate on the sexual revolution in downtown Los Angeles. All three priests are deeply engaged in the intellectual life and invested in the struggles of those in their pastoral care. That they’d be eager to attend this event seemed unsurprising. What I should have anticipated was the degree to which they would quietly steal the show.
From the moment we entered The Ace Theater, they were a bit of a spectacle. Three handsome young men in collars in the heart of a very downtown scene understandably invited attention. Heads and cameras turned toward them, and a steady stream of attendees approached to say hello, greeting them as you might a childhood friend who’d gone off to live an unconventional life in a faraway land. Seeing a Catholic priest is certainly familiar enough to most, but juxtaposed against the theme of sexual revolution, young men faithful to a life of celibacy is entirely foreign.
The anomaly of their presence was given a nod in Vanity Fair’s coverage of the evening, which referenced “a group of extremely handsome priests, or handsome men dressed like priests …” That these men might be impersonating priests seemed to some to be just as likely as being actual priests. But never mind. The spirit of the evening and of The Free Press is one of unsettling the settled grooves of secular dogmas in pursuit of truth. Three young men who have freely given their lives in their entirety for the sake of that mission fit into the evening in a far deeper way.
Most attendees appeared to agree. Father Michael Masteller, who serves St. Helen Catholic Church in South Gate, said, “I sensed a communion not on the level of belief (it was quite a diverse crowd!) but on the level of desire: There was a common desire for truth, for a deeper and more honest conversation, for an intentional path forward. … Our presence as priests did not attract dismissal or disrespect; on the contrary, it seemed to invite surprised and curious conversations with various people.”
Father Brian Humphrey, another Archdiocese of Los Angeles priest, who is currently studying in Rome, said that he mainly went to watch and to listen: “I encountered people hungry for the truth. You could feel it. They seemed tired of the propaganda machines and just wanted to know what really happened and where this all might be going.”
Father Matt Wheeler of the Church of the Visitation in Los Angeles had agreed to attend expecting it to be a staid and small event in some sort of hall somewhere. “I was blown away when we approached a line of hundreds spanning around the corner of a busy downtown L.A. historic theater. For me, it was a big deal to see 1,600 young people, from all walks of life, packed in a huge auditorium ready to engage in real discussions about an elephant-in-the-room kinda issue. It was really refreshing.”
The debate — titled “Has the Sexual Revolution Failed?” — included two women on the affirmative side (author Louise Perry and podcaster Anna Khachiyan) and two dissenting (the formerly Muslim podcaster Sarah Haider and Grimes, a singer and ex of Elon Musk). Ultimately, the actual debate was centered more on whether the revolution had gone too far or not far enough, rather than on the nature of the revolution and the terms of its success or failure. Nevertheless, to propose it might have failed when the tenets of the revolution have been considered axiomatic for decades is itself a beginning of an end.
“To even question the success of the sexual revolution in a secular context reveals that something is not going right,” Father Masteller said. “What are the problems? What are people hoping for? What needs to change or stay the same? I was curious to see in what way the culture today understands and engages this profoundly important topic of human love and sexuality.”
For Father Wheeler, the evening held a practical purpose as well. “I constantly deal with issues surrounding the sexual revolution in my priestly ministry. So I was interested to hear what secular society had to say and hoped to pick up a few ideas for helping young people embrace the Good News of the Church’s beautiful teaching on human sexuality.”
The topics ranged from pornography to motherhood, happiness statistics to abortion. The panelists generally agreed that a return to the 1950s was not what they sought, but, more interestingly, they also agreed that the current chaos is unsustainable and the resultant misery and social pathologies need addressing in one way or another.
“One moment I found interesting was when the panelists all seemed to agree that true freedom doesn’t consist in simply being without any outside rule — it comes when we live in accord with what is best for us. But then when asked how we know what is best for us, nobody could really give an answer,” Father Humphrey said. “I thought Louise Perry was on point when she said some things like, ‘Just be normal,’ and ‘Do what your grandmother would tell you.’ Perhaps that would have been a good moment in the conversation to consider the truths of natural law — not to mention divine law — as guiding lights toward true freedom….”
Father Wheeler: “At the end of the debate, I felt so thankful for my Catholic faith: It’s ordered, purpose-driven and all-encompassing. I say this because although many interesting points and insights were brought up, it was clear that those debating lacked an overall telos [ultimate end] and therefore struggled to articulate a clear way forward.”
Father Masteller added, “I hope that our presence sent a clear message that the Church is still greatly interested and concerned with the culture and wants to listen deeply to the hopes and struggles of this age, so as to offer the light of truth to those who do not want to walk in darkness….”
From the National Catholic Register
“… the Church is still greatly interested and concerned with the culture and wants to listen deeply to the hopes and struggles of this age, so as to offer the light of truth to those who do not want to walk in darkness….” Beautifully said. The Church’s teaching on sexuality is a holy offering to those exhausted by their rejection of the Natural/Moral Law. ” I felt so thankful for my Catholic faith: It’s ordered, purpose-driven and all-encompassing”– what a privilege to be a Catholic!
I am used to understanding that to lead a good life requires maturity, careful thought and action, self-control, and the recognition of good and evil, sin and virtue, as exact– you must know right from wrong, and have a good moral conscience. You must strive, by the help of Christ, to combat sins and vices, and to seek virtue and goodness. And — there is no foolish “personal choice.” None. If you commit sins of the flesh– serious mortal sins– you must imnediately go to Confession. And no Communion until Confession and repentance of sin. Virtue is of God, and is an exact thing. You cannot make up your own, personal, foolish, false version of morality. It is already there, and comes from God. A man or woman of virtue, is Christ-like, God-like. We are made originally, in His Divine image. The Devil is very clever, and knows that mankind is very weak. Mankind can easily be tricked into vices and sins, to the point of a total collapse and destruction of his (or her) life, and collapse and destruction of the lives of others around him (or her). Sins and vices are as old as the hills. They are the same in all ages, and in all cultures. Thousands of years ago, the Bible relates the entire story of mankind’s Fall, and the history of sin, and how God sent His Son, Jesus Christ, to redeem mankind of sin– and open wide the gates of Heaven. It’s all there, in the Holy Bible. What kids need to know, clearly, is how to lead a good life– and clear expectations by parents, clergy, teachers, and others– of leading a good moral life, with a good moral conscience. Sexual sins are serious mortal sins. When temptations of the Devil start to assail one’s human weakness, when one is attracted, even practically “love-addicted” to someone, physically, and emotionally, too– one must tear oneself away, distract oneself, pray to the crucified Jesus for help and grace– Christ overcame sin and death, on the Cross. He can help. Perhaps a boy can take a cold shower or run around the block, or get his mind and body involved in a worthwhile activity. There should be clear rules for dating– do’s and don’ts, and to watch yourself and your date, have maturity, self-control and respect, don’t let things go very far. Respect your date. Always avoid the “occasion of sin,” the possibility of temptation and sin. A boy must bring a girl safely home to her parents and family, at the appointed hour– with no worries, and a clear conscience– and be well-respected by the girl’s family, as a good, mature, and responsible boy. A potential marriage partner must also have those fine qualities– maturity, virtue, goodness, self-control, responsibility. After you marry, you must honor your lifelong Wedding Vows. A husband is now married, forever, and he must behave as a devoted husband, who loves, honors, and cherishes his wife. He must not look at other women, at the office– or anywhere else. And a wife must not look at other men– she must love, cherish and honor her dear, beloved husband. As Ven. Abp. Fulton J. Sheen said, in his famous book– it takes “three to get married”– the husband, wife, and Christ. Catholic Marriage is a holy sacrament. If children grow up as we used to, long before the evil “sexual revolution,” with clear teaching about Christian Morality, respect for God, and regular church attendance (Catholic or Protestant– and synagogues for Jews, etc.) — and good guidance from clergy– then, kids will thrive, be successful and happy, and we will have much better marriages and families, and a much better country.
Now you know why there was a sexual revolution.
A lot of it was by divorced people.
The pill helped a lot, too.
“The pill helped a lot, too.” I would say the pill was the principal instigator of the sexual revolution. It decisively disconnected the unitive and procreative dimensions of the conjugal act, greatly promoting recreational sex– assisted of course by the condom and other methods of artificial birth control– and promoting feminism to a level hitherto unknown.
The sexual revolution succeeded for the most part. The intent was to divorce sex from morality.
It is interesting what things still remain taboo (adultery).and what things are just now shedding their taboo (masterbation).
The norms and mores that have developed is interesting too. (You are single if you are not dating someone.)
Talking to someone is what they call that phase where you are not dating but you are interested.
People think you can cheat on someone you never met. (Online relationships.)
If you are brought up in the Catholic Church, or in any other church, you should have a clear training in Christian Morality, and live by it. You should not not live by your own selfish, ignorant desires and whims, and not live as the sinful, ignorant, unChristian pagan world lives. Christian Marriage is very, very important. Marriage and Family is the very core of a society, and of all civilization. In the Catholic Church, Marriage is a holy Sacrament. The Catholic Church has long needed to implement a good Catechetical program for all, for the post-Conciliar era. Catholics and other Christians should all know the Ten Commandments and the teachings of Jesus Christ very well– and much more! Catholics and other devout tChristians do not believe in sins of the flesh– promiscuity, birth control, abortion, pornography, divorce, gay sex and gay “marriage,” adultery, prostitution, etc. etc. The sexual revolution is simply an ignorant, very stupid, extremely selfish, filthy rebellion against God– ignorant, highly destructive to all in a society. The ignorant sexual revolution succeeded in vast destructions to our society, as predicted. It is a total failure, of course! All sinful, ignorant fads and trends are highly destructive. The problem of dope addiction– with many deaths, also– has likewise been extremely destructive to our society. Filthy, ignorant, widespread, horrific sins, if not crushed by intelligent leaders— will eventually greatly weaken and then totally ruin and destroy a society. After that, a country so weakened and destroyed by ignorance and sin, in which total so-called “individual freedoms” and chaos reigns– will naturally be vulnerable to a foreign invader, to conquer it and restore order and peace, and re-build the utterly broken, destroyed culture. It takes lots of intelligence, maturity, self control, integrity, selfless dedication, hard work, and a strong moral backbone and faith in God, to build and to maintain and keep a good country, and good society.
People who do not receive the Sacraments do not have the grace of the Sacraments.
Stop criticizing and start evangelizing.
You fail to understand the difference between stating the truth and simply being a petty, useless critic. All people in all countries need to live by morality and decency, hard work and self-sacrifice, maturity, integrity and dedication– or their country will not last long– regardless of what religion they follow. Long before Christ was born and established His religion– the great Democracy of ancient Greece lasted only 150 years– three generations. Later, ancient Rome had similar ideals– and later fell to corruption and sin. President Ronald Reagan once said, in his famous Inaugural Address as Governor of California, on Jan. 5, 1967‐- long before he became President– “Freedom is a fragile thing, and it is never more than one generation away from extinction. It is not ours by way of inheritance; it must be fought for and defended constantly by each generation, for it comes only once to a people. And those in world history who have known freedom and then lost it, have never known it again.”
I agree with many of your statements because I am Catholic.
But this is not a statement of truth.
It is your opinion.
There are two statements of fact. the rest are your interpretations and opinions.
I am only telling you this because there are some people who honestly cannot tell their opinions from truth.
In general, anytime you use the word “should” in a sentence, it is an opinion. (There are exceptions.)
Most people aren’t brought up in the Catholic Church.
Many people have never been inside a Church.
As weddings and funerals are held outside of churches now, the numbers of the unchurched who get exposed by attending those has gone down.
I would like to suggest that one of these priests, like Father Humphrey, think about re-writing “A Map of Life” by Frank Sheed. His introduction and first chapter deal with the issue that Father Humphrey speaks of here.
Frank Sheed, an Australian, born in the late 19th century, moved to London, England, and established a famous Catholic publishing house, Sheed and Ward, with his brother-in-law, Leo Ward. When his brother-in-law left to become a priest, Frank’s wife, Maisie, became his publishing house business partner. Sheed was a very famous Catholic publisher, lawyer, speaker, lay theologian and apologist in the pre-Vatican II era. He published works of a great many famous Catholic authors of his day– G.K. Chesterton, Hilaire Belloc, Ronald Knox, etc. — and many traditional Catholic works. He wrote many excellent books, himself. “A Map of Life” was one of his books. I used to have a great many outstanding Catholic books published by Sheed and Ward. Then Vatican II came along– and I don’t have any idea as to what happened to that great Catholic book publisher, after the Council. What a shame.
see the wiki page and this:
https://www.catholic.com/magazine/online-edition/requiem-for-sheed-ward
Oh, this is far too shocking. The great Sheed and Ward Catholic publishing house—- now in a heretical Cafeteria Catholic graveyard. I am so terribly sorry. Well, at least I found out what became of them. Thanks.
In my original comment of Oct. 17 at 2:03pm, I said, “Oh, this is too shocking!” I was genuinely shocked! And then, later, towards the end of my comment, I exclaimed, “I am so terribly sorry!” I really meant it! That calls for proper exclamation points, to properly express your feelings, in both cases! Why did the editors change this? And I correctly placed the term, “Cafeteria Catholic graveyard” in quotes. Why do the Cal Catholic editors change punctuation– for no good reason? And yet, they never correct misspellings! Why do this to the commenters?
Did you look at the wiki page?
Tragic. Glad I had the opportunity to find out what became of that excellent Catholic publishing company, in London– Sheed and Ward. I had always wondered what became of them.
https://nymag.com/intelligencer/2023/09/scenes-from-the-end-of-the-sexual-revolution.html
I am not sure what this sarcastic person is trying to say.
John 12:30-32 Jesus answered and said, “This voice did not come for my sake but for yours.
Now is the time of judgment on this world; now the ruler of this world will be driven out.
And when I am lifted up from the earth, I will draw everyone to myself.
Give people a crucifix and a prayer with a promise.
Teach the Our Father-the prayer taught by Jesus.
Pieta prayer book is good.
Give Divine Mercy image.
Teach the Jesus prayer or
the 5 minute Holy Spirit Prayer.
Give a Rosary and a booklet with good Scriptures for the mysteries.
Give a Bible or a book of the Gospels.
Ask them where they live and look up their parish.
People want to put the cart before the horse. Why should anybody in a secular life give up any enjoyable behavior without knowing why?
Get them praying.
https://www.vanityfair.com/news/2023/10/bari-weiss-free-press-event
The Vanity Fair article
“For Father Wheeler, the evening held a practical purpose as well. “I constantly deal with issues surrounding the sexual revolution in my priestly ministry. So I was interested to hear what secular society had to say and hoped to pick up a few ideas for helping young people embrace the Good News of the Church’s beautiful teaching on human sexuality.” ”
I fear a seismic shift has just occurred in the Church’s stance toward the sexual revolution, though the repercussions may not be felt for a while at least. Hopefully I am wrong about this coming earthquake, which, if it comes, we may thank the Jerome Biblical Commentary, 3rd edition, with a forward by Pope Francis and nihil obstat and imprimatur from Cardinal Blase Cupich’s Archdiocese of Chicago. Therein the consistent teaching of the Church on homosexuality from key scriptural passages is denied as the passages are reinterpreted along the lines that would greatly please Fr. James Martin S.J.. Remove the underpinnings of Church teaching, namely, the Scriptures themselves, thank all earlier Catholic thinkers, and then consign them to the dustbin of history and blaze new paths toward sexual freedom. That’s what might be afoot at the present synod only now a strong intellectual foundation is being laid for going the distance, so to speak, in accepting homosexuality as normal.
Fr. Wheeler, you may have new work to do, I am sorry to say. Or better yet, I am Chicken Little proclaiming unnecessary doom and gloom.
I have felt for decades, now, that there needs to be a requirement, in the post-Conciliar era, for all Catholics– clerics, popes, and laymen– to abide by Church teachings, and by Canon Law– or else face serious penalties– as stated, in Canon Law. The clergy of the post-Conciliar era conveniently picks and chooses which Canon Laws they will obey and abide by, and which ones they will ignore. They must stop doing that. They
(Catholic pope and his bishops) are the ones who control Canon Law, the Catechism, Magisterium, etc.– and who controlled Vatican II, with Pope St. John XXIII and Pope St. Paul VI. They made decisions after the Council, that at a certain point, each one would be allowed to freely make their own decisions on things– and this irresponsible “freedom” is viewed as a treasure, to their way of thinking. They will tell you, at the same time, the true Catholic teachings– which, at the same time, they can no longer actually administer, in the Church, due to this Vatican II “freedom” concept. That’s why such clerics as the Jesuit Fr. Martin– and many others– are allowed the “freedom” to do as they feel best– although gay pervert sex acts and gay “marriage”– as they will plainly tell you– is wrong, in Catholic teaching. Huge mistake! If you ask even a faithful, orthodox Catholic prelate as to why they fail to intervene in a wayward Jesuit university, and set things straight– the prelate will simply say, “because in Vatican II, I cannot tell them what to do, over at their school.” If the prelate did go tell the Jesuit school what they must do– the Jesuits would simply tell the prelate that he is wrong, and that they can freely make their own decisions. Then they can get the Vatican and pope to back-up their “freedoms” to make their own decisions, in Vatican II. That is why the horrific scandal occured in 2009, with the Obama invitation, at Notre Dame Univ. The local bishop of Ft. Wayne-South Bend, Indiana, in Vatican II, had no way to stop the scandal. I have been praying for all of this garbage to end, since the late 1960s, and praying for Church discipline to reign– and honesty, with fidelity to Catholic teaching– or else, for dissenters– if you really do not believe– be honest, and simply leave the Church.
.
You are very confused.
The issue is that you want to control people and you want others to control people.
If you are going to get upset every time someone does something you disapprove of, you will be upset everyday.
This is not the life of peace and joy that Christ gives us.
If God reveals something to you, it is a sign to pray for them. Nothing else.
If you are in a position to do something, then you have the responsibility to do it.
But most of us are just called to pray.
“You are very confused.” I’m sorry you think the poster at October 17, 2023 at 6:51 pm was confused for wanting the Church to abide by its teachings, after which you have the temerity to denigrate him/her as a control freak, missing out on the “life of peace and joy that Christ give us,” and admonishing the poster to pray. Well, the poster very clearly stated:
“I have been praying for all of this garbage to end, since the late 1960s, and praying for Church discipline to reign– and honesty, with fidelity to Catholic teaching– or else, for dissenters– if you really do not believe– be honest, and simply leave the Church.”
So, maybe you’ll cut this person some slack?
I agree that my post was too aggressive. And lacked proper boundaries. It is really none of my business what she thinks. I had stopped reading those posts. I will return to that practice.
I know some of what bothers me is the endless insults for people who she looks down on.
What about the song we sing a lot at my church that says, “Go Make a Difference”? Or the other song, “Go out, go out, to all the world, and spread the good news, spread the good, good news”? There’s another one I like that goes, “I send you out on a mission of love.”
I feel like the church is teaching us through those songs at the end of Mass that we should go out into the world and make a difference. Not just pray. We just prayed for an hour at Mass, so now we leave to put faith into action during the rest of the week. Then we return next Sunday for a spiritual fill-up, like going to the gas station. You don’t just have your car sit in the garage. No, you drive it places. You don’t just gas it up all the time and park it. That’s what prayer seems to be, parking and gassing up so you can be active. It’s an energy boost. There’s a limit to how much gas you can put in your car. There’s also a limit to how much prayer energy you can put into yourself. Then you need to spend that energy doing something in the world.
Yes, energy boost. If you can help with a deed, do the deed. If you can help with a word, say the word. Otherwise prayer always helps.
No. You must act as an adult, state what you truly believe, and stand by it as a full-grown adult. God gave us all Free Will. He wants your honest and true assent to the Catholic Faith. God does not want you to be a baby. If you decide you do not believe in the Catholic Faith, and you decide– freely– to support gay blessings, gay “marriages,” birth control, abortion, women priestesses, or you do not believe in the Real Presence, or you believe that the Baptists, the Episcopalians, the Mormons, the Lutherans (etc.) are correct– have the maturity to say so! Stand by your freely-chosen convictictions– and
leave the Catholic Church, and go join them! Yes, since the late 1960s, I have prayed for honesty, integrity, faithfulness, and good order and discipline, for the Catholic Church! Do you understand how difficult it is, to get married and to raise a family– in a Church that no longer stands by her teachings, and no longer requires priests, prelates and popes to correctly teach and guide your kids, according to the Catholic Faith?? I am also very sorry for people in Protestant churches, who have been forced to leave, or forced to split up into a new denomination– because their church changed their rules and their books, and no longer required the discipline of chastity for unmarried clergy, allowed gay “married” clergy, allowed unmarried clergy to “live together” before marriage, allowed abortion, even of lady ministers– and allowed gay “marriages,” etc. etc. All of the American “mainline” Protestant churches now have split up into different, new denominations, due to such things! Each of them originally had books with heir specific Protestant denominational beliefs, and rules of order, on how their denomination operates, and all the rules, disciplines, etc. expected of clergy, and expected of laymen in church leadership positions, etc.– and who can be ordained to their ministry, all the requirements. Can your Protestant minister, or lay Sunday school teacher, or lay leader in your Protestant church, be gay, and live with a gay partner, or be “married” to one?? What do your books and your rules say? I heard of one group, the “American Catholic Church,” that tried to split up from our Church– along with a “married” gay former Catholic priest, who says Mass, using our Vatican II Missal, Lectionary, vestments, Communion hosts, altar wine, sacred vessels– chalice, ciborium, paten– everything. He is not in communion with our Church, of course. He is actually excommunicated, and started his own church. So, anyway– we do need a good Church, in which responsible clergy are obedient to Catholic teaching. If you do not want to be obedient to the teachings of our Church– then, you should honestly go elsewhere.
Biblical commentaries can be weird. I gave up on them a long time ago.
On the positive side– LiveAction founder, Lila Rose, and her husband recently announced Lila’s third pregnancy. Her two little boys, Peter, age 3.5 years, and Leo, age 22 months, are very excited for a new baby brother or sister to be born, this Spring. Lila and her husband don’t yet know the gender of their baby. This is beautiful news. They are a good, devout, faithful Catholic family.
Pope St. Paul Vi told everyone what would happen if the contraceptive pill (aka birth control pill) was legalized and widely distributed, and he was “right on the money”. Massive divorces, children without fathers or mother, diseases and you name it. There has been a terrible rise in breast cancer from the pill and abortion. Women are now having mastectomies before they get cancer, so they do not get cancer, instead of using their bodies as God intended, nursing babies which protects against such cancers.
Gheesh! Can the human race get any stupider.
Correction: any more stupid.