[Excerpted from] Revised March 2017 Guidelines for Selecting Outside Speakers Diocese of Sacramento Parishes, Movements, Apostolic Groups, Catholic Schools
Host Responsibilities:
As a general rule, the invitation of any speaker or honoree should be an opportunity to evangelize and catechize the faithful. Thus, anything which may cause confusion or scandal or incite to disrespect or dissent is to be avoided.
Remember that when a speaker is assessed, Diocesan Statute #81 must be followed: Any speaker who publicly promotes or advocates views which are contrary to Church teaching, may not give a talk, retreat, workshop, course, etc., at Church related events, or on church, school or diocesan property in the Diocese of Sacramento.
Likewise, anyone who publicly promotes or advocates views which are contrary to Church teaching may not be given awards, honors, or other marks of public recognition.
Full story at dioceseofsacramento.org.
Select only Godly speakers that proclaim Gospel truths that only proclaim the word of Almighty God. Pray America Pray.
Fine, but who decides what Church teaching is?
If a speaker maintained that it is not wrong for governments to execute criminals who deserve to be executed, is that considered contrary to Church teaching? It shouldn’t. The CCC says that Catholic faith does not exclude recourse to the death penalty. Yet some overzealous and confused bishops have sought to abolish capital punishment, overstepping the bounds of their teaching office by presenting their opinion as Catholic teaching.
If someone supports building a border wall, is that considered opposing Church teaching? It’s not, even if some misguided bishops think it is.
So who decides?
Sawyer is wrong AGAIN! The Magisterium is not “overstepping the bounds of their teaching office” concerning the death penalty or on any other social matter. They’re fulfilling it! You quote the Catechism INCOMPLETELY concerning the death penalty. The Catechism says that “when [the death penalty] is the ONLY practicable way to defend the lives of human beings effectively against the aggressor,” recourse to capital punishment is not excluded. NOTA BENE: “when [the death penalty] is the ONLY practicable way.” (2266)
But guess what, in our day and age, there are now other “practicable ways” to defend the lives of others from a capital criminal. St. John Paul II judged it so PRUDENTLY: “Today, in fact, given the means…
at the State’s disposal to effectively repress crime by rendering inoffensive the one who has committed it, without depriving him definitively of the possibility of redeeming himself, cases of absolute necessity for suppression of the offender ‘today … are very rare, if not practically non-existent.’ [John Paul II, Evangelium vitae 56.]
So, to answer your question: the Magisterium is and continues to be the ONLY entity entrusted by Our Lord to decide! Listen to the living Magisterium! Respect life!
The Los Angeles Archdiocese (and Orange Diocese) should have a similar statute and apply it to the presenters at the Los Angeles Religious Education Congress.
Yes! The Los Angeles Religious Education Congress is notorious for many evils! However, the rules stated in the above article, should be for the Church, worldwide!
God bless you bishop Soto. Thank you for your courageous care for the faithful. You are a good shepherd.
Sawyer is right. In these times who will be making the decision? faithful Bishops? Some are not.