The following comes from an Aug. 28 email sent to California Catholic.
At a recent Consecration of Marian Catechists, Raymond Cardinal Burke stated the following;
“In a time of great confusion regarding the moral teaching of the Church, St. Alphonsus Ligouri held steadfastly to the word of Christ. He understood the meaning of every word of Christ in the Sermon on the Mount: ‘Do not think that I have come to abolish the law or the prophets. I have come not to abolish but to fulfill. Amen, I say to you, until heaven and earth pass away, not the smallest letter or the smallest part of a letter will pass from the law, until all things have taken place. Therefore, whoever breaks one of the least of these commandments and teaches others to do so will be called least in the Kingdom of heaven.’ Matt 5:17-19.
“St. Alphonsus understood that Christ had come into the world in order that He might win for us the grace to live according to God’s law written upon every human heart and according the laws which He gives to us in His holy Church for the sake of our growth in faith, hope and love.”
With the above in mind, I invite you, dear friend, to evaluate the attached letter. How do the positions of Fr. Timothy Radcliffe, O. P. sync with above teaching directed toward catechists? If it appear out of sync for catechists, how much more so for the teaching of the primary teachers of the Catholic Church, ordained priests?
If you sense something amiss with this, I invite you to register your comments, complaints by phoning those to whom this letter was directed:
Fr. Michael Murphy: 619 435-3167
Msgr. Steven Callahan: 858 438-3030
Mr. Rodrigo Valdivia: 858 490 8310
Bshp. Cirilio Flores: 858 490 8200
Fr. Michael Murphy
Sacred Heart Catholic Church
655 C Avenue
Coronado, CA 92118
August 18, 2014
Dear Father Murphy,
Peace be with you.
We understand that you have invited Father Timothy Radcliffe to address our San Diego diocesan priests during their annual convocation, and your own parishioners, next month.
We write to you today to register our strong objections to Father Radcliffe’s speaking engagements due to his long history of dissent on human sexuality, as stated by the Roman Catholic Church and Natural Law, and to respectfully ask that you immediately rescind these invitations and replace him with an orthodox Catholic speaker.
Father Radcliffe’s documented history of dissent on perennial Catholic teaching about marriage and sexuality stretches back many years. The many instances of his dissent are too numerous to detail here, but the following summary from the British blog Protect The Pope echoes our objections:
Fr. Radcliffe openly dissents on the Church’s teaching on homosexuality and Holy Communion for the divorced and re-married. Fr. Timothy Radcliffe OP frequently celebrated Mass for the gay dissent group the Soho Masses Pastoral Council. During the reign of Pope Benedict XVI, Fr. Timothy Radcliffe was stopped from speaking at the General Assembly of the Catholic development agencies. Fr. Radcliffe is well known for his liberal positions on morality, including his public opposition to the Church’s teaching on homosexuality.
On his blog, John Smeaton of the Society for the Protection of Unborn Children details many instances of Father Radcliffe’s dissent from 2004 to present.
One of the senders of this letter personally witnessed Father Radcliffe’s dissent during a talk he gave at the 2006 Los Angeles Religious Education Congress. At that time, the homosexual-themed movie Brokeback Mountain, which included a sodomy scene, was popular in United States culture. At that 2006 L.A. Congress, Father Radcliffe advised attendees to let “. . . our imaginations be stretched open to watching Brokeback Mountain, reading gay novels . . .” For the full report, see this link. Father’s Radcliffe’s suggestions were tantamount to encouraging people to participate in an occasion of sin—something Catholics are cautioned to avoid.
Radcliffe’s theology is rife with group think and relativism that even we, the laity, can see. The consequences of sin are ignored in favor of his definition of “unity,” which calls for overcoming differences by decreeing they no longer matter—rather than achieving unity through docile submission to the perennial truths of our Catholic faith. Father Radcliffe shades the truth just enough to tickle ears, but in reality he is poisoning the well.
Former St. Louis University history professor James Hitchcock penned an insightful analysis of how Father Radcliffe shades the truth in an October 2006 Catholic World Report article titled “The False Prophet.”
Though too extensive to quote here, we call your attention to the following sections of Professor Hitchcock’s excellent article, which expose Father Radcliffe’s squishy definition of “unity”:
- The Theology of Self-Congratulation
- Slippery Spirituality
- A Convenient Formula for Unity
Radcliffe appears to operate as a rogue priest under no authority except perhaps the liberal agenda. A prime example of his embrace of the liberal agenda can be seen in his many writings and speeches professing empathy and support for mortally sinful homosexual relationships.
For example, in a March 2012 article for the British Catholic newspaper The Tablet, Radcliffe wrote that the “… committed love of people of the same sex” … “should be cherished and supported, which is why church leaders are slowly coming to support same sex civil unions. The God of love can be present in every true love.”
In a December 2012 article in the British newspaper The Guardian, Radcliffe wrote, “It is heartening to see the wave of support for gay marriages.”
Additional examples of Radcliffe’s theological roguishness can be found here:
- Radcliffe departs from Catholic teaching on homosexual priests
- Radcliffe departs from Catholic teaching and the New Testament on so-called homosexual marriage:
- Radcliffe purports Catholic understanding of human sexuality in Pilling report.
- EWTN Celtic Connections radio show (scroll to item #20 in this list, titled “Catholic teaching and pastoral provision for those with same sex attraction), and listen to host Kathy Sinnott and guest Fr. Dominic Allain discuss how key parts of Fr. Radcliffe’s contribution to the Pilling Report appear to be at variance with Catholic teaching.
Following the Pilling report, published by the Anglican House of Bishops last November, Great Britain legislated “same-sex marriage,” which was approved by the Crown on July 17, 2014. (The Anglican church also approved ordination of women bishops last month.)
In short, Radcliffe not only has a long and increasingly radical history of dissent from the Catholic Magisterium, but more importantly and more recently, he is used by the left to distort Church teaching, or at least to give the appearance of disunity, for the purpose of passing so-called homosexual marriage legislation.
This is not just an issue of really bad theology or poor speaker selection. In the larger agenda of the culture war for America, your decision to host Radcliffe will not be viewed as a nuance of theological debate, but as a deliberate flouting of Church teaching on one of the most serious moral issues of our day, homosexuality—a moral issue and mortal sin that steals our religious liberty and condemns souls to hell if they are not instructed to repent of it.
When so-called same-sex marriage legislation affects our religious liberty, San Diego Catholics will again feel outrage as they remember what Msgr. Callahan told them after the diocese was sued for complicity in sexual abuse: that he personally would screen diocesan priests for immaturity and disordered sexual attractions. How is that going to play when the wolf enters through the front door of the Church?
In light of Radcliffe’s long history of dissent and his sympathy toward homosexual relationships, we seek answers to the following pressing questions:
- Whose idea was it to invite Father Radcliffe to this diocese?
- Was that person already aware of Father Radcliffe’s history of dissent?
- If there was an awareness of Father Radcliffe’s history, why was he invited here?
- Who approved the decision to invite Father Radcliffe?
- Who is standing for the Truth in San Diego with an absent bishop?
A priest like Father Radcliffe, who consistently dissents from fundamental Catholic moral teaching, deserves no opportunity to savage the priests and sheep of our diocese.
The Catholic Church has two approved ministries to those affected by homosexuality, Courage and Encourage. We should promote those ministries instead of inviting a “gay-friendly” dissenter to speak to our priests and laity. Father Paul Check heads these ministries. Why not invite him instead of Father Radcliffe?
Again, we urge you to disinvite Father Radcliffe and instead invite a priest or other speaker, such as Father Paul Check, who is unquestionably faithful to the Church’s Magisterium.
Thank you for your consideration of our concerns.
Sincerely in Christ,
Diane Chapman
Parishioner
Immaculate Heart of Mary
Ramona, California
Larry Greenbank
Parishioner
St. Therese of Carmel
San Diego, California
Therese More
Parishioner
Queen of Angels
Alpine, California
Joan Pernicano
Parishioner
St. Mary
Escondido, California
Allyson Smith
Parishioner
St. Kieran
El Cajon, California
“a deliberate flouting of Church teaching on one of the most serious moral issues of our day, homosexuality—a moral issue and mortal sin that steals our religious liberty and condemns souls to hell if they are not instructed to repent of it.
When so-called same-sex marriage legislation affects our religious liberty, San Diego Catholics will again feel outrage as they remember what Msgr. Callahan told them after the diocese was sued for complicity in sexual abuse: that he personally would screen diocesan priests for immaturity and disordered sexual attractions.
How is that going to play when the wolf enters through the front door of the Church?
Power letter, and powerful preliminary words from Cardinal Burke (who Traditionalists hope is maintained by the Pope in his present position). Fr. Radcliffe should be dismissed as a priest. He has no belief in clear and unequivocal Catholic sexual ethics. Let him join a religious sect — say the Episcopalians — that permit everything. The letter points out Radcliffe’s many “objections” to established Church teachings and beliefs. OK, let him have them, but no longer let him wear the collar. And, the letter asks a most pertinent question: who invited Radcliffe? That person(s) should also be disciplined, if clergy, and, if lay, then spoke to privately about their error and presumption. It is feminized, homosexual-loving men like Radcliffe who help to destroy the priesthood. And, just think, now that the Supreme Court, in Lawrence v. Texas, found a constitutional “liberty interest” insulating homosexual sexualists from State sanctions for practicing their perversion, a recent federal district court Judge Waddoup rejected key elements of the anti-polygamy law in Utah, finding it unconstitutional, as well. (Brown v. Buhman, 947 F. Supp. 2d 1170, D. Utah, 2013), finally affirmed as to certain relief in Brown v. Herbert, 8/27/14. Soon, as Justice Scalia noted in his dissent, there will be a massacre of moral standards and people will be marrying dogs, trees, children and the like. And, then, the Catholic Church has the disgusting voice of people like Fr. Radcliffe to pour oil over the flames. Where the Pope, that is the true question.
I note with interest that none of the authors are from Sacred Heart Parish.
I also copied and pasted the document to Microsoft Word. The word count was over 1,100. Hard to find two or three take-away points in all this verbosity.
You should have noted with interest Fr. Radcliffe’s views on Catholic moral teaching.
Sounds like you’re dismissing this too quickly mike. Are you insinuating that the letter’s claims are baseless? If so, please elaborate. Not “verbose” at all IMO. It would be logically fallacious to deny the un-orthodox approach of Radcliffe. Why indeed is a man like this continuously given such a platform in the Church? All faithful Catholics should ponder this question.
Del,
Alinsky acolytes always try to dismiss truth with red herrings, personal attacks, and other deceptions. It makes their master proud.
EXCELLENT LETTER , – – – – – with EXCELLENT DOCUMENTATION.
This is exactly the way we should report errors and abuses to Pastors, and to the appropriate Diocese Bishop.
Code of Canon Law under “OBLIGATIONS and RIGHTS of all the Christian Faithful”
” 212 §3. According to the knowledge, competence, and prestige which they possess, they have the right and even at times the duty
to manifest to the sacred pastors their opinion on matters which pertain to the good of the Church
and to make their opinion known to the rest of the Christian faithful,
without prejudice to the integrity of faith and morals, with reverence toward their pastors, and attentive to common advantage and the dignity of persons. “
Everyone should save this letter as a “favorite” as an example on the correct way to report error and abuses with documentation to – – – Priests, Bishops, the US Papal Nuncio, and/or the Vatican as necessary.
It is each of our OBLIGATION to do so, not merely complain to each other.
CCC: ” 907 In accord with the knowledge, competence, and preeminence which they possess, [lay people] have the right and even at times a duty to manifest to the sacred pastors their opinion on matters which pertain to the good of the Church,
and they have a right to make their opinion known to the other Christian faithful,
with due regard to the integrity of faith and morals and reverence toward their pastors, and with consideration for the common good and the dignity of persons.”
For documentation quoting the section of the CCC, Code of Canon Law, and/or GIRM being violated is also appropriate in many instances.
As our “duty”, each of us should reread the letter and CONTACT – Father Murphy as well as Bishop Flores.
CCC: ” 2089
INCREDULITY is the neglect of revealed truth or the willful refusal to assent to it;
HERESY is the obstinate post-baptismal denial of some truth which must be believed with divine and catholic faith, or it is likewise an obstinate doubt concerning the same;
APOSTACY is the total repudiation of the Christian faith;
SCHSIM is the refusal of submission to the Roman Pontiff or of communion with the members of the Church subject to him.”
Radcliff is clearly a heretic and schismatic regarding the homosexual lifestyle.
SCANDAL is a Mortal Sin. See CCC # 2284, 2285, 2286, 2287 & 2326.
For any Clergy to teach that sodomy marriage or any homosexual acts, or fornication, or adultery is ‘ok’ – helps to send Souls to Hell.
CCC: ” 2287 Anyone who uses the power at his disposal in such a way that it leads others to do wrong becomes guilty of scandal and responsible for the evil that he has directly or indirectly encouraged.
“Temptations to sin are sure to come; but woe to him by whom they come!”
Father Radcliffe should read “The Top Ten Myths About Homosexuality”, available below:
http://www.tinyurl.com/SodomiteMyths
You beat me to it there, Juerg. From now on, let’s have a race to see who can post this link to every CCD article the fastest, OK?
How bout this list of 10
https://www.vatican.va/archive/ccc_css/archive/catechism/command.htm
This is excellent! But why must poor lay Catholics in the pews, always have to struggle against EVIL– and fight for their Church?? It seems like so many of our priests and bishops simply do not care about Christ! And here we have Fr. Radcliff asked to be a big speaker at the San Diego Diocese’s annual priests’ convocation! Is that going to do all the priests of the San Diego Diocese any good?? Is that what the Bishop had in mind– when he ordained them all?? Is this the best the Diocese can do, to waste the time of its priests? And possibly lead them into scandal, and moral and spiritual danger and corruption?? Post signs on all he parish church doors, of lay people boycotting the Mass and Sacraments– until the Church gives them a truly faithful, “practicing Catholic” Bishop and diocesan priests!! Boycott the church collections! Hire a canon lawyer to start a big Church investigation, in Rome! Demand that the Church follow her own Code of Canon Law, or face horrible penalties! (I WISH!!)
The evil that the poor Catholics in the pews are asked to struggle with is their own judgementalism, their tendency to accept gossip as truth (even when it has been shown to be false witness) and their proclivity to involve themselves in things that are none of their business. Now you suggest committing actual mortal sin to combat a false report of evil!!!!
This situation is very serious! This post of Anonymous, that begins, “The evil that the poor Catholics…” does not show proper respect, for this terrible situation, which needs to be properly handled, by our Church leaders!!
Linda Maria you are correct, it is a very serious situation and one not to take lightly. The facts are there and anyone that knows their faith, understand this. Pray for this anonymous person, he or she must not know their faith or they are deceived or is of bad will and feels the need to cause scandal by going against the loving actions of those who protest dissent.
Lets say 3 Hail Mary’s for this Anonymous person. St. Padre Pio pray for us.
Thank you for your prayers. I’ll pray for you too.
To the Editors:
2284 Scandal is an attitude or behavior which leads another to do evil. the person who gives scandal becomes his neighbor’s tempter. He damages virtue and integrity; he may even draw his brother into spiritual death. Scandal is a grave offense if by deed or omission another is deliberately led into a grave offense.
2285 Scandal takes on a particular gravity by reason of the authority of those who cause it or the weakness of those who are scandalized. It prompted our Lord to utter this curse: “Whoever causes one of these little ones who believe in me to sin, it would be better for him to have a great millstone fastened round his neck and to be drowned in the depth of the sea.” Scandal is grave when given by those who by nature or office are obliged to teach and educate others. Jesus reproaches the scribes and Pharisees on this account: he likens them to wolves in sheep’s clothing.
2286 Scandal can be provoked by laws or institutions, by fashion or opinion.
Google Msgr. Callahan and see his own statements about his shredding of priest personnel files (under the direction of Bishop Brum) during an investigation of priest sex abuse cases.
How sad all our good priests are subjected to listen to such a corrupt priest (Fr.(??) Callahan) in their obedience to attend this convocation.
There was never any housecleaning and this is why Father Radcliffe was invited. WHO did the inviting and there you will find what was often reported to Stephen Brady of Roman Catholic Faithful. San Diego and Orange County were both referred to as a “nest” of homosexuals.
Taken from Roman Catholic Faithful’s Ad Majorem Dei Gloriam – The Bishops Fall from Grace
“When Bishop Fabian Bruskewitz called for a study of how dissent and homosexuality may be con- tributing to the abuse problem, the other bishops shot it down. As Fr. Paul Shaughnessy has written in Catholic World Report: “I define as corrupt … an institution that is unable to uncover and expel its own miscreants. It is in this sense that the principal reason why the action necessary to solve the gay problem won’t be taken is that the episcopacy in the United States is corrupt, and the same is true of the majority of religious orders. … As an agency, the episcopacy has lost the capacity to do its own housecleaning, especially, but not exclusively, in the arena of sexual turpitude.” Fr. Shaughnessy also notes that the U.S. bishops have not acted on credible, overwhelming evidence of homosexual abuse by some priests until the “mainstream” media exposed the facts. Traditional Catholic groups, such as Roman Catholic Faithful and others, have been documenting, writing, fax- ing, publishing, and lobbying the bishops for years. In almost every case RCF was ignored or rebuffed by the episcopacy. Not until the traditional Catholics went public did the bishops act – and then it seems they only did so to save face and spin the story to pro- tect their reputations and the coffers of their dioceses.
continued….
continued from Sept 1, 2014 at 9:15 am
Taken from Roman Catholic Faithful’s Ad Majorem Dei Gloriam The Bishops Fall from Grace
Sodomy Poisons Church and State
“As the major media have spun the scandal away from homosexuality, the bishops seem to have done the same thing. And Chruch “reformers” are reading from the same page as well. When the Pope’s spokesman questioned the ordination of homosexuals, for instance, the head of the gay Catholic group Dig-nity/USA, Mary Louise Cervone, said that Navarro- Valls was trying to shift the blame. “This is about violence against children and abuse of power,” said Cervone. “It has nothing to do with sexual orientation.” A spokesman for the heretical group Call to Action, Linda Pieczynski, said: “I think this is an attack on gays. It satisfies the right wing and does abso- lutely nothing to cure the problem.” Needless to say, if homosexuals had not been ordained, about 90% of the reported abuse cases would not have happened. Tens of thousands of teenage boys would not have been molested. That apparently doesn’t concern the reformers. “
We can hope and pray that Fr. Perozich will overcome his disgust and attend and debate this heretic, who by the way is a frequent, too frequent, speaker at Gomez’s REC!
THEY ARE NOT REFORMERS, THEY ARE DESTROYERS!
God bless, yours in Their Hearts,
May God have mercy on an amoral Amerika and His Church!
Viva Cristo Rey!
Kenneth M. Fisher
Have I…
Lied?
Knowingly and willfully deceived another?
Perjured myself under oath?
Gossiped?
Committed detraction? (Destroying a person’s reputation by telling others about his faults for no good reason.)
Committed slander or calumny? (Telling lies about another person in order to destroy his reputation.)
Committed libel? (Writing lies about another person in order to destroy his reputation.)
Been guilty of rash judgment? (Assuming the worst of another person based on circumstantial evidence.)
Failed to make reparation for a lie I told, or for harm done to a person’s reputation?
Failed to speak out in defense of the Catholic Faith, the Church, or of another person?
Betrayed another’s confidence through speech?
Anonymous,
Your post reads very similar to a letter from one bishop (now deceased) to a mother whose son was groped by another California bishop (who is also deceased) while her son was on a retreat inside the confessional face to face. The mother wrote to the bishop to report the truth only in good faith with hopes to receive help from her local bishop. This family was then sent a very mean letter that reads just like your post. The only difference is this bishop also threatened to sue the family for gossip and calumny. May God have mercy on you for your own inability to stand up for the truth and may God have mercy on the souls of both of these deceased bishops who in different ways failed to protect their own sheep. When it was later publicly revealed that the bishop who harmed the young man had a history of homosexual relationships and payouts, this family never received any communication of an apology or regret for not listening to this faithful family. Anonymous, When you talk about “building UP the Church” please keep in mind that Jesus already DID. It is his own shepherds that do not defend the teachings and who often tear them DOWN. Sweeping dissent under the rug is never a builder. It is only a recipe for a later disaster such as losing one’s immortal soul due to your only wanting to belong to the Church of Nice at too high of a price.
THE PRIESTHOOD
“But how, I ask, does it happen that the saints, who live only for God, resist their ordination through a sense of their unworthiness, and that some run blindly to the priesthood, and rest not until they attain it by lawful or unlawful means? Ah. Unhappy men! Says St. Bernard, to be registered among the priests of God shall be for them the same as to be enrolled on the catalogue of the damned.
Sorry I was remiss in giving my source. It is an examination of conscience on the 8th commandment taken from:
https://www.beginningcatholic.com/catholic-examination-of-conscience.html
Catherine, you obviously are very traumatized by the sexual abuse scandal within the Catholic Church. A lot of very immoral, decadent and hurtful things were done to many people. However, the questions have nothing to do with covering up sexual abuse. There is nothing in there about building up the Church. I belong to the One Holy Catholic and Apostolic Church. I have never encountered a Church of Nice.
In the event that you have knowledge of the sexual abuse of a minor please contact the police. Let the diocese find out about it from them.
Anonymous,
Traumatized? Interesting word choice or clever attempt at deflecting from the real problem of disobedience and dissent. How about FED UP? Was Jesus simply “traumatized” when he saw the moneychangers in the temple? If Jesus got THAT angry with the money changers in the temple then what do you think is in store for you and the “teaching changers” in the temple?” You then write, Let the diocese find out about it?
continued…..
continued from September 3, 2014 at 12:28
Anonymous,
Selective blindness and selective ignorance is not bliss. it is spiritually deadly! Stephen Brady of Roman Catholic Faithful reported the DISSENT and the onslaught of sexual abuse to his then pastor Father Kevin Vann. Guess what anonymous? NOTHING was ever done about the DISSENT reported or the sexual abuse that was legally documented and reported. It was all silently avoided and swept under the rug. Father Vann was then promoted to a Monsignor and then he was all of the sudden made a Bishop in Texas. Coincidence or complicity? If it is not a coincidence then why did then Father Vann NEVER communicate the “traumatic” reality of what Stephen Brady was truthfully reporting to him even back then? When a diocese of Orange employee discovered child pornography on a priest’s computer the EMPLOYEE was asked by Father Michael McKiernan if he (the employee) needed counseling or therapy? Yes, Father Michael McKiernan also made the employee feel as if he (the employee) was the “traumatized problem” for insisting that something should be done. It took months and months of being ignored and asking if this priest was going to still be allowed to be around school children and then Father Michael McKiernan told the employee that the viewing of child pornography was a “sexual immaturity”.
continued….
Catherine, if you have a credible allegation of abuse please contact the local authorities, not the Church.
continued from September 3, 2014 at 12:36pm
Anonymous,
Can you imagine that? Why was perversion simply termed as a “sexual immaturity”? Do you know how “traumatizing” it is to hear an Alter Christus whitewash evil? Then for well over two years it was reported that this same priest who owned the computer was often seen still photographing little school children entering into the church. WHY wasn’t Father Michael McKiernan MORE “traumatized” by that fact instead of asking the messenger to visit a therapist?
Our bishops are the one’s who DO have the authority to stop the dissent and they haven’t.
Speaking at a conference Charles Wilson of the Saint Joseph Foundation said, “Rome knows how bad it is in the U.S. they are waiting for the laity to speak up.” Yes, there is a definite power struggle even within the Vatican and the laity is needed and the laity should speak up! Vati-leaks certainly confirms this ongoing struggle. Meanwhile in Orange County Ca, it took the laity to ask the FBI to become involved and I guess you could say that the FBI was also “traumatized enough to actually investigate” and then all of the sudden the clergy member who had pornographic pictures of toddlers, was removed. Imagine that… perversion simply being called a “sexual immaturity” by our pastors. And you want the sheep to report dissent to the very same people? Anonymous you certainly have a very recognizable knack for using white-washing terms and words in a attempt to deflect the obvious by using phrases that often hide agendas.
continued…..
continued from September 3, 2014 at 1:33 pm
Anonymous,
Once again…you certainly have a very recognizable knack for using white-washing terms and words in a attempt to deflect the obvious by using phrases that often hide agendas.
BTW Father Michael McKiernan was also promoted to a monsignor too! So was Father Arthur Holquin who PUBLICLY and proudly donated money to help Obama get elected. I think that Pope Francis was really on to something when he addressed the modern day insider’s fast track pattern of promoting those to monsignor too soon for a very good reason. Now, you want unsuspecting Catholics to inform the very same people who NEVER addressed the dissent. There is absolutely NO EXCUSE for not immediately CLAMPING down on all dissent. The scandals are the by-product of many different kinds of disobedience. The scandals did not occur in a sterile vacuum. They were and have been fostered right along and ENABLED for years in a side show vineyard of disobedience, compromise and dissent. The gates of hell will not prevail even though those gates are being rattled from many within.
Father Timothy Radcliffe should not be an invited speaker and he is also certainly rattling the gates from within and tragically for your own soul it is happening with your help and your support.
Douay-Rheims Bible
“I am the good shepherd; and I know mine, and mine know me.”
“…A lot of very immoral, decadent and hurtful things were done to many people.”
Anonymous seems to believe that immoral and hurtful things are not still part of the present landscape. Continuing scandal is very much immoral and decadent and hurtful. Learning that our priests are being subject to such treatment is very traumatizing. And it is also potentially deforming. And we do not need deformed priests.
Even so, why one would refer to being traumatized in such a cavalier and condescending manner is curious. I would imagine the death of Christ on the Cross was very traumatizing. Perhaps the plan is to keep doing the shocking until there is no more shock, but rather numbness.
” Perhaps the plan is to keep doing the shocking until there is no more shock, but rather numbness.” = Precisely Ann Malley!
I don’t know, Anonymous. Have you?
Anonymous why are you enabling false prophets?
“Beware of false prophets, who come to you in the clothing of sheep, but inwardly they are ravening wolves.” Matthew 7:15
You are behaving like a false prophets professing to be amongst the lay faithful but you are not. Look up the teachings against sodomy and what is the root of all evil, which is pride.
Your comments are very prideful Anonymous.
Have pride that comes from God not from man. Take Pride in Christ’s church with humility and meek of heart, understanding and leading ones actions towards fear of the Lord.
Abeca, I stand with and by the Church’s teaching on sodomy, on gay marriage, on homosexuality in the priesthood and every other Church teaching. I also stand with and by the Church’s teaching on bearing false witness, on calumny, on detraction, on gossip, and the Church’s teaching that harming someone’s reputation is a sin against the 8th commandment.
We may justly reveal the sins of another when it is necessary. This letter could have been written in a way that did not sin.
God bless all who sent in this letter and also God bless the other letters that are not made known public for their good deeds to fight the good fight.
Take pride in your church lay faithful, this is Christ’s church. And as with anyone taking pride in their home, where our Lord is, it should anger us into action, to take action against any dissent. Anyone who breaks in His church and tries to molest its members with lies. Have faith and hope, we have always had the dissenters, the deceivers, that traitors in our church. Perfect example was Judas. Even take patience for those that are growing in faith, even our First Pope Peter denied our Lord 3 times. Our Lord knows how imperfect we are, yet He still chose us. Even the hypocrisy of the Pharisees, we see in people of today but those who genuinely love Christ and His church and have a personal relationship with our Lord, reflect often on His words, reflect often in His promises. The world was not perfect before the 60’s, nor was the church. We post V2 generation are having to help correct the errors handed down to us. Today the church is dealing with “gay” agenda’s that are affecting everyone, every other religion. Because God gives us free will, not all are liked minded with Christ nor what His church continues to preach. As much as we like to believe that it is the lack of Catechizes, we can’t keep making that excuse, we have many resources available to help form consciences but there are many excellent story tellers out there, even story tellers who do not always tell the whole truth, or they are good at twisting the truth. Other influences that have entered the church and everywhere else but we are not to panic. We must not lose sight of what our Lord said, it will help prepare us against all adversity.
I reflect on the times during Abraham and his nephew, how did they deal with the homosexuals during their time? I reflect on often in our Lord too, our Lord had too many in His own church at that time, which they gossiped and slandered Him because He did things, which they considered unorthodox. Healing people on certain holy days, speaking in parables, which they did not understood, even walking away when they didn’t want to imagine that they had to eat His flesh and drink His blood, imagine that. Sounds familiar folks of what is happening today? They lacked faith and love. What good is it that we fill our minds with much knowledge, wisdom if we didn’t have love enough to have faith either. Everything must be done in love so that our faith, is the only light, even if many do not see it, but its there spiritually feeding the most precious humble souls who welcome it. Have faith and stand strong. Remember our Lord’s promises and His holy Words…..God bless you all.
Great posts, Abeca Christian. God bless you too.
Thank you Anne T. God bless you
Dear Father Michael Murphy,
https://www.rcf.org/pdfs/AMDGSpring2003.pdf
It was the many years of ignoring dissent that allowed Eric Anthony Patterson to be molested. Tragically this young man ended up committing suicide. The invitation of Father Timothy Radcliffe strongly suggests that some of our clergy either does NOT care or that our clergy has selectively forgotten the terrible and evil ramifications of ignoring those who do not consistently uphold “all” Church teaching. We respectfully ask, Which one is it Father Murphy? Did you know? If you did not know Father Radcliffe’s history of dissent then would you please let the laity know.
We are also mothers, fathers and grandparents of many children. Please read Eric Anthony Patterson’s story linked below. Eric’s mother will never forget her son. She painfully watched the deterioration of her son after Eric kept silent about his dark secret for many years. We are taught as faithful Catholics ..”And fear ye not them that kill the body, and are not able to kill the soul: but rather fear him that can destroy both soul and body in hell.” You are a Catholic priest, you must know this. Why then are you risking your own soul Father Murphy? We care about your soul as well as the souls of all those who will be influenced by those who undermine Church teaching by invitation. The faithful laity has also watched many of our bishops and pastors ignore the pleas of the faithful to stop inviting dissenters to influence and confuse unsuspecting Catholics.
continued…..
continued from September 1, 2014 at 1:09
Father Michael Murphy,
There is no excusable reason to have invited Father Timothy Radcliffe to speak given his well known history of dissent from Church teaching. Father Murphy if you were not aware of Father Radcliffe’s history, which is highly unlikely given his vast reputation, then at least now you have been made aware by the laity. St. Teresa of Avila wrote, “With so much evil abounding it is not enough to simply sit with our hands folded.” Father Murphy, we love all of our bishops and priests and we pray for the bishops and priests who have strayed from the faith. We pray for their conversions because this is what faithful Catholics do, but being faithful does not mean keeping quiet when the wolf has already obliterated much of the vineyard and is now being invited back to have another go at it. Father Murphy. will you please be a faithful witness in rejecting Father Radcliffe’s strategic ambiguity that undermines and courageously uphold “all” of the teachings of the Catholic Church or will you also be just another bystander, who just so happened to invite Father Timothy Radcliffe to influence your own flock? We know from Sacred Scripture what Our Lord said about the lukewarm.
“Let us remember: What hurts the victim most is not the cruelty of the oppressor,
but the silence of the bystander.” Concentration camp survivor Elie Wiesel”
Father Murphy please Google Roman Catholic Faithful Ad Majorem Dei Gloriam ‘Our “Catholic” Bishops’ Depraved and Calculated Indifference: One Devastating Result’ Yes. while that title may sound harsh please be advised that this was during the first unveiling of the sex abuse scandals and Bishop Daniel Ryan’s scandal and many others terrible fall from grace. Should the diocese of San Diego continue to be plagued with the same problems?
Catherine excellent letter. It clearly tells the priest that if they gave a blind eye to the molestation issues we have had with some priests against children, then by allowing another dissent like this of Father Radcliff, would definitely make a strong point and if they do not see this, then they are enabling again or are of bad will.
Mail it please to our Pope as well. Please I can’t beg you enough, I beg all to please do it, before the enemy does their own, before the enemy tries to deceive our Pope, and do not get discouraged if you are not answered to, just take delight that Christ is using you for His purpose……..:
His Holiness Pope Francis / Apostolic Palace
00120 Via Del Pelligrino
Citta Del Vaticano (Vatican City)
and a copy to His Holiness Emeritus Pope Benedict
Meter Ecclesiac Monastery
00120 Vatican City
PLEASE AUTHURS OF THIS LETTER ALSO SEND COPIES TO Pope Francis and POPE Benedict.
The devil does not sleep, his minions, his slaves do not either because they gain strength from him but we have Christ, He is almighty and all powerful, we should gain strength, perseverance from Him who saves and we should stay alert and awake! do not be discouraged if things don’t go your way, we are not of this world but we belong to Christ.
Take heart, don’t be discouraged.
His Holiness Pope Francis / Apostolic Palace
00120 Via Del Pelligrino
Citta Del Vaticano (Vatican City)
and a copy to His Holiness Emeritus Pope Benedict
Meter Ecclesiac Monastery
00120 Vatican City
PLEASE AUTHURS OF THIS LETTER ALSO SEND COPIES TO Pope Francis and POPE Benedict.
Thank you Abeca! You are right. Wnen dissenters are invited and allowed to influence the sheep, then It is enabling the same atmosphere that allowed the sex abuse scandals to take place.
Catherine, I am curious about your hypothesis. Could you be more specific about what you mean about “atmosphere that allowed the sex abuse scandals to take place”?
Anonymous asks, “Catherine, I am curious about your hypothesis. Could you be more specific about what you mean about “atmosphere that allowed the sex abuse scandals to take place.”
hypothesis – a supposition or proposed explanation made on the basis of *limited evidence* as a starting point for further investigation.
There is a great deal more than “limited” evidence. Curiosity and sincerity are two very different things. The truth only satisfies the sincere seeker, not the curious bystander. A great number of our shepherds in the U.S. have been thumbing their noses to the Magisterium for many years, giving public lip service when needed while privately undermining Church teaching. A few years before his death the Servant of God Father John Hardon SJ told us that there were three Cardinals who were destroying the Church underground. Due to these betrayals, we now see the *unlimited amount of rotten fruits* that have now been made very public.
“It is better that scandals arise than the truth be suppressed.” — St. Gregory the Great,
This betraying atmosphere was fostered with the rejection of Humanae Vitae which helped to enable the hijacking of VII without clarity. The dismantling of many of the Church’s beautiful teachings and the cruel bullying suppression of the TLM and then years of liturgical abuse.
God bless courageous Bishop Anthanasius Schneider who said in a recent interview. ” Teachings still NEED to be clarified.”
continued….
The Most Reverend Bishop Athanasius Schneider – “Vatican II Must be Clarified” (June 27, 2013)
Amen to that Catherine. I applaud you In Jesus because its all for His glory and nothing more.
Folks I advice you to please support Terry Barber and Jessie Romero! They are such holy and devout, lay faithful fighting the good fight on Catholic Radio, Immaculate heart radio. Send in any donations to help them continue on the air. God bless you all.
Thank you for posting the link to Bishop Schneider’s talk, Catherine. God willing the clarifications will come. But there are so many folks who like muddy water.
God bless!
Thank you, Catherine for the link to Bishop Schneider. He is right that some documents, etc. after Vatican II do need to be clarified. I remember reading in the first edition of the “Catechism of the Catholic Church” what seemed to be a mistake concerning the divinization of the saints. It said something like “we become God” when it should have said something like “we be become godlike”, in other words Christ like. I think it was changed in the second edition, but I really have not been able to find that section in the newer edition.
You are welcome Anne T and Ann Malley.
Anne T. Here is another clarification. I looked to find the one you are talking about but I did not see it either.
Taken from Catholic Answers
There was a change in article 2358, in the section on Chastity and homosexuality. Note the difference.
2nd editiion:
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.
1st edition:
2358 The number of men and women who have deep-seated homosexual tendencies is not negligible. They do not choose their homosexual condition; for most of them it is 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.
Abeca Christian, Father Radcliffe is a highly respected preist. He is the former head of the Dominican Order. Pope Francis called him to the Vatican to consult with him. I know he says things that people take out of context but he is not a dissenting priest.
Deception Anonymous, if it was so….there would no confusion. Anonymous stop wasting our time. We have the facts. Anonymous the fact is, since you are anonymous and we do not know which anonymous you are, its not something we should be dialoguing with you about. My friend warned me to look out because SOME anonymous here actually are homosexual activists and as someone else once said, do not entertain the trolls. I can not discern which Anonymous I am speaking to, but by you saying and twisting what you are posting, says a lot, A LOT…yup it does. I end with this, because its not worth arguing with you, a person who is causing much more confusion. Remember when the saints spoke about sins against the Natural Law, they were loud, clear and direct, there was no confusion.
This priest is now learning that people are protesting his visit, watch him tone down and he will watch his every word because like all who deceive, they try to change or come across harmless.
If nothing more, at least we pray that by our protests, he will know that we mean business and only want real teachers that do not confuse or compromise. We pray for his conversion and hope that it will help him return to God. Especially since it is obviously, that his own words are causing all this habab (commotion, scandal). So nothing has to be proven to you anony or different anony or who ever you are.
Abeca Christian, I’m dumbstruck. I am not a homosexual activist. Have you read the writings that are being complained about? They are against gay marriage and against gay sex. His thoughts are not a spitting out of the Catechism, I grant you that. He does look for deeper reasons of why the Church instructs as it does. You are not condemning a person based on another person’s say so when the things they are charging him with are disproved by the very documentation that they provided, are you? Except for the instance of an old article which questions the Vatican’s document on homosexuality in the priesthood. And even on that he does not defy the Vatican, but questions. I would certainly be supportive of concern over that.
Catherine, I thank you for your answer, although I am at a loss in understanding your thinking on it.
“Abeca Christian, I’m dumbstruck.” AND Catherine, I am at a loss in understanding your thinking on it.
Yes, anonymous hider, you are dumbstruck and at a loss and that is why you are now being invited to go and pray in front of the Tabernacle to ask God to open your eyes in order to heal your blindness. Have you been knocked off of your horse on the road to perdition? You owe God the greatest amount of gratitude for showing you such mercy while you persecute His son’s truths that are *clearly contained* in the Magisterial teachings of his Church. Choose to ignore these clear teachings and you will be traveling at your own risk and peril.
Acts of the Apostles Chapter 22: 6-10 And it came to pass, as I was going, and drawing nigh to Damascus at midday, that suddenly from heaven there shone round about me a great light: And falling on the ground, I heard a voice saying to me: Saul, Saul, why persecutest thou me? And I answered: Who art thou, Lord? And he said to me: I am Jesus of Nazareth, whom thou persecutest. And they that were with me, saw indeed the light, but they heard not the voice of him that spoke with me. And I said: What shall I do, Lord? And the Lord said to me: Arise, and go to Damascus; and there it shall be told thee of all things that thou must do. Douay-Rheims Catholic Bible
Catherine, no, actually, I am doing the opposite of what you accuse me of.
Catherine, I haven’t been to Adoration of the Blesses Sacrament, yet . I have read an article on gays in the Vatican and in Rome. It says that some of them are not celibate. Obviously, it is not OK for gay clerics to engage in sexual encounters. It is a mortal sin. It does say that there are many gay clerics who are celibate. It says that the gays who are not celibate are not powerful; that most of them live in fear of being outed and blackmailed. Rumors abound but until there is a scandal nothing happens except for 30 or so who were retired under Pope Benedict XVI. It also talks about gay priests who are so afraid of being found out that they persecute other gay priests because they see them as a threat.
We all know that there are many gay priests in America. They are there. They are not going away until retirement unless they get caught molesting a minor or cause some other scandal.
So that is maybe the atmosphere you are referring to?
Am you getting close to your issue?
If I am, how does Father Radcliffe fit into this? Are you afraid that he is going to encourage gay priests to act out? What are you afraid that he is going to say to them? Or is his mere presence endorsing of gays in the priesthood?
The second thing: about the letter: the people who wrote it lsaid things about Father Radcliffe and what he wrote that are not true. The documentation that they used proved them wrong. Did they lie or did they just do sloppy work?. Let’s give them the benefit of the doubt. But in general: Do you think it is OK to lie and distort what someone has said as long as the objective (which is disinviting him) is achieved? Or are there boundaries that should not be crossed and sins that should not be committed no matter what? Do you think it is permissible to lie about someone because they are gay, if you feel they are a threat to the Church? Is it OK to assume that someone is sinning, because there is something that reminds you of the sin?
What goes on this website is such a spiritual battle! Anonymous I just did my research, you are way off.
Anonymous,
Today is First Friday. It would be a beautiful day for you to go to Adoration. Anonymous, Are you afraid of being outed? That would explain your CCD history of very ambiguous posts. The fact that we have had to address the topic of homosexuality and pay so much attention to this issue tells you that something important is being neglected and that Someone who is most important is being neglected and that Someone is Almighty God and that something is loyalty to Christ’s teachings first. I will give you some true examples of the atmosphere I am referring to. Take the different orders of priests who are divided in loyalty because some of them may be homosexuals who do not accept Church teaching and then there are those who do accept Church teaching. This creates an atmosphere of tension and suppression of truths because one priest may have the authority to discipline the priest who faithfully follows Church teaching or vice versa. Then take the priest who has the authority to suppress certain teachings because of his own wound, then there is a breakdown of the allowing of intended graces that are meant to be bestowed on the faithful and that initially comes from learning clear truths and then acting out on these truths.
When each priest presents his own different truth then the atmosphere becomes tainted in confusion. Also If truths are presented as ambiguous words of wishy washy fluff because we want to respect the disorders of men first by sounding all lovey dovey then these priests are NOT honoring or serving God first. They are actually honoring their own wound first by their own obsession of it due to their own objective disorder regarding themselves and this wound can play a great role in how they transmit the faith to others.
continued…
continued from September 5, 2014 at 12:02pm
Once again anonymous,
When each priest presents his own ” personal spin” on the truth then the atmosphere becomes tainted with divisiveness, discord and confusion. Also If truths are presented as ambiguous words of wishy washy fluff because we want to respect the disorders of men first by sounding all lovey dovey then these priests are NOT honoring or serving God first. They are actually honoring their own wound first by their own obsession of it due to their own objective disorder regarding themselves and this wound can play a great role in how they transmit the faith to others.
These priests love nursing their own wound more than they love, fear or respect God. God has been placed on the back burner only to be conveniently mentioned when it complimentary to calling their wound a gift from God. They left the clear concise teachings of the Catholic Church behind in atmospheric favor of a faux gospel which should really be labeled *the pastoral ambiguity that divides flocks and suppresses CLEAR truths*. And if gay priests live in fear of being outed by other gay priests then you can be sure that clear truths are being suppressed. So anonymous, it behooves you to beg priests like Father Radcliffe to stop being ambiguous for the sake of both of your immortal souls. The fear that you should live with is the fear of one day being asked by God, “You are a priest, why did you not serve me only? ”
continued…..
Charles A., what did your research turn up?
Catherine, am I afraid of being outed? As gay? I am not gay.
Yes, I agree being faithful to Christ’s teachings is paramount.
I will have to take your word on what ever goes on with homosexual priests.
I am not a priest. I do not know Father Radcliffe.
I await your answers on my questions.
continued from September 5, 2014 at 12:26pm
Anonymous,
One Catholic school in Orange County was and is still to this day the families who left are still very divided over the handling of the issue of a homosexual couple placing their adopted twins in the school and there was division within the order about how things were handled and this is what I mean about an atmosphere. That atmosphere either stifles or prohibits solid pronouncements because someone might get their walking papers if they cross someone in power who has the wound of homosexuality. Who was not fully safeguarding the teachings or the children? Then take the example of Father Joseph Fenton who used to be the spokesperson for our diocese who chuckled when he told a woman who telephoned him that there were so many homosexuals in the priesthood that if they were to remove them that there would hardly be anyone left. Father Fenton was also quoted in the OC Register telling the reporter that he did not care for the movie. ‘The Passion of the Christ’ and that he would never ever take even his own mother to see it.” So you see anonymous there is a pervasive atmosphere of spiritual neglect when it comes to solidly proclaiming the fullness of truth when it comes to defending “all” Church teaching. Yes, it is probably quite difficult to view a movie that depicts the reality of Christ’s suffering and crucifixion to redeem our sins especially if you have for many years omitted the proclaiming of the clear teachings from your heart, mind and then eventually omitted them from your vocabulary.
continued…
continued from September 5, 2014 at 12:58 pm
Anonymous,
The boundaries that you should be MOST concerned with are the boundaries that are being crossed that greatly offend God. Our Lady of Akita, used the word “compromise”. Jesus did not suffer hanging on a cross for three hours for his beloved shepherds to deliver wishy washy ramblings of ambiguity. These crossed boundaries are also an affront to the martyrs and the saints whose courageous lives exemplified serving God first, especially saints like Augustine who left the serving of himself first in order to love and serve only God.
You asked about lies. It is not permissible to lie about anyone period. It is also not permissible to lie and distort Church teaching by presenting it in such an ambiguous way that it leaves the listener with a mixed message. When teaching boundaries are not protected then we cannot be surprised that it was the same lax atmosphere that allowed many to cross the unthinkably evil boundaries of committing sexual abuse. No one was guarding and paying close attention. These clear teaching boundaries are the boundaries that you should be concerned with and if everyone had remained faithful to those beautifully clear teaching boundaries then we would not be having this discussion about atmospheres. Father Radcliffe IS ambiguous and you should love God, and care enough about your own soul as well as the soul of Father Radcliffe and stop denying that he is ambiguous. That is a lie even if you are too blinded to see this. Anonymous, Please ask God in front of the Tabernacle to mercifully give you the courage to begin to serve Him first.
Catherine, thank you for your posts. As to Father Radcliffe’s ambiguity, I don’t know that I would call it that but certainly his style of rhetoric contains soundbites that when taken out of context can be portrayed as being ambiguous or contrary to Church teaching. I do not like this style of rhetoric because someone may stop listening before you get to the point. It can have the consequence to support someone in sin or, as Father Radcliffe is learning, to find one’s thoughts appearing on the internet as the opposite of what one meant.
But I am glad that you agree that lying is not OK. So when one is accusing someone of something, one must be sure.
I hope that Father Radcliffe reads this article and the comments so that he can see the effect that his writing and oratory can have and he will decide to be more careful in the future.
Catherine, can I ask you something else. If a person has told an untruth publicly, whether intentionally or accidentally, and others have believed it, are they under any obligation to try to correct the wrong?
Catherine, now I would like to get back to the atmosphere which you have generously supplied examples of. What corruption! What perversion! What indecency!
Your prescription of a Holy Hour may go a long way to prevent and correct such sinfulness. Also, the prayer of the Rosary.
I hope Father Radcliffe, being a Dominican, will be able to convince the priests of the San Diego diocese to pray it daily.
If it is the hotbed of homosexuality that you believe it may be,I hope that he may share with them his belief (which I believe he holds based on what I have read of his work), to hold fast to their identity as priests, Not priests first, but priests only. We should pray for him, all priests and especially for Bishop Flores who has a widespread and aggressive cancer and is too weak to be given treatment for it. May the Blessed Mother intercede for all of us.
Catherine, I read your link and I do not see what it has to do with Father Radcliffe. I am unaware of any instance of allegation against Father Radcliffe.
My personal opinion is that Father Radcliffe is facing this persecution because of his promotion of Mary and the Rosary.
“My personal opinion is that Father Radcliffe is facing this persecution because of his promotion of Mary and the Rosary.” = Anonymous’s nose truly resembles Pinnochio’s nose.
Anonymous,
I read your response as a clear sign that you are very comfortable when it comes to lying about….well just about everything in order to undermine Church Teaching. All under the banner of pretending “to be in full communion with Rome.”
Bishop Bruskewitz knew there was a definite correlation between dissent and the sex abuse scandals. You have lost all sense of shame so your post helps to define why you are always choosing to cowardly hide in complete shamelessness. Eventually that rock your are hiding under will crush you when you keep running back under it. Each time the rock is lifted to let the light shine in on your darkness you shamelessly crawl out to lie.
Catherine, your post makes no sense. I have lied about nothing. And when someone posted the sins against the 8th Commandment, you thought it was a cover-up for sexual abuse. I suggest that you cannot know if someone is undermining Church teaching unless you actually know the Church’s teaching. You are either extremely ignorant of the Catholic Faith or you gravely dissent from it.
Catherine’s post makes perfect sense. And lying takes many forms, Anonymous. Your attempt to use the precepts of the Faith as a shield for abusing it reminds me of those who tout freedom of speech while denigrating the principles that uphold that freedom. Disingenuous and obvious.
Ann Malley, your post makes no sense either. You may choose to sin. It is your ability as a human with free will. I was going to stay out of this but then they printed this:
https://cal-catholic.com/?p=15402
Most CCd readers seem to feel called to admonish the sinner but they don’t like it when they get admonished.
Disingenuous and obvious yet again, Anonymous.
All this dishonesty, dissent, division and distrust is exactly what the devil wants.
Read St. Catherine of Siena on how to treat a priest.
Read St. Faustina or Mutter Vogel.
If you believe ill of this preist, pray for him and make sacrifices for him.
When you attack him or any other priest, you are doing the work of Satan.
Anonymous writes, “All this dishonesty?” AND “My personal opinion is that Father Radcliffe is facing this persecution because of his promotion of Mary and the Rosary.” = Yes, there is your dishonesty that causes division so stop shaking hands with the father of lies.
Inviting dissenting priests to speak in any aspect of authority to other priests is the work of Satan, Anonymous. Where is your mercy for those priests who will be subject to abuse at the upcoming meeting?
Catherine, do you not know the teaching of St. Louis de Montfort?
Ann Malley, that is so silly. What does he dissent from? Yes, the people who wrote the letter found some quotes that they could take out of context and make him look bad. It seems that you did not really try to verify whether the charges against the priest were true, but just swallowed what you were given, hook, line and sinker. As far as I can tell, he is not in dissent. To call those who have to listen to him being abused is ridiculous. Do you consider yourself a dissenter?
Here is a quote for you: “If the terminally ill have a right to escape their suffering, why shouldn’t teenagers have a right to escape theirs? After all, isn’t this equal protection under the law?”
Tell me what you think of it.
God Bless these parishioners.
It looks like Father Radcliffe would make an excellent Episcopalian.
When you click the links you can see that the charges are not true. What is going on here? Is it a malicious attack? Or do they just not read their own documentation?
I’m not surprised they haven’t got an answer from the diocese.. What are they going to say?
No anonymous you are ill informed. I suggest you leave this website , go to confession and pray. The facts that I pulled up are valid. No one needs to prove anything to you.
We need to pray, we need to be a prayerful people and trust that God will guide and inform His leadership and if they are of good will in Him, then they will take appropriate action. If they do not, then consequences will follow but it would be sinful for anyone to want to see this church fail in any way, whether some hate V2 or not, but for the sake of souls, we must always pray for Christs’ church and all who say they are Catholic. In doing so, It is a path which leads towards humility and meekness.
Abeca Chrsitian, when you click the links you see that most of what is said is not true. Click them. Read them. Follow up on them. I’m not the one who needs to go to confession. I’m not the one bearing false witness. I’m not the one pulling half of a sentence out of an article against gay marriage and claiming it is proof that the priest departs from Catholic teaching and trying to ruin a priest’s reputation.
It was not sinful for the people to write the letter, even though the things that were said were not entirely true. They read something and did what they thought was right. Why it was sent to this website could be sinful and the website printing it was sinful. This website already ran 2 articles in which it was told to them that the charges were disputed..
“The spirit of the world consists essentially in the denial of the supreme dominion of God [who has told us that it is sinful to repeat gossip and to harm another reputation especially by saying things that are not true.] When we renounce Satan, his pomps, and his works we are renouncing sin and all that leads to sin-works which bring error and darkness to the mind and seduction and corruption to the will. Its pomps are the splendor and the charms employed by the devil to render sin alluring in persons, places and things.’ In trying to combat one evil [the agenda to propose that homosexuality is benign or even good) many people here have offended the Lord by committing another evil.
Anonymous– can’t you see, this is not gossip? This immoral man, masquerading as a “Catholic priest,” has publically preached dissent of Church teachings, especially on Christian morality, sexuality, and marriage! He has now done this, for a long time! He is not on good terms with the Vatican, and they should long ago, have expelled him from the Church! Please see for yourself— this is a high-ranking Catholic priest, in full, scandalous public dissent to his Church! This is definitely not a case of an innocent priest falsely accused of scandal and dissent, through gossip, behind his back! See for yourself, like everyone else— worldwide! Scandalous!!
Linda Marie, from the Catechism of the Catholic Church
2496 The means of social communication (especially the mass media) can give rise to a certain passivity among users, making them less than vigilant consumers of what is said or shown.
2476 False witness and perjury. When it is made publicly, a statement contrary to the truth takes on a particular gravity. In court it becomes false witness.276 When it is under oath, it is perjury. Acts such as these contribute to condemnation of the innocent, exoneration of the guilty, or the increased punishment of the accused.277 They gravely compromise the exercise of justice and the fairness of judicial decisions.
2477 Respect for the reputation of persons forbids every attitude and word likely to cause them unjust injury.278 He becomes guilty:
– of rash judgment who, even tacitly, assumes as true, without sufficient foundation, the moral fault of a neighbor;
– of detraction who, without objectively valid reason, discloses another’s faults and failings to persons who did not know them;279
– of calumny who, by remarks contrary to the truth, harms the reputation of others and gives occasion for false judgments concerning them.
2478 To avoid rash judgment, everyone should be careful to interpret insofar as possible his neighbor’s thoughts, words, and deeds in a favorable way:
“Every good Christian ought to be more ready to give a favorable interpretation to another’s statement than to condemn it. But if he cannot do so, let him ask how the other understands it. And if the latter understands it badly, let the former correct him with love. If that does not suffice, let the Christian try all suitable ways to bring the other to a correct interpretation so that he may be saved.” (St. Ignatius of Loyola)
Linda Marie, do you know what a primary source and a secondary source is? A primary source is the actual writing (in this case of Father Radcliffe) and a secondary source is an analysis of the primary source. This letter relies on secondary sources; there are only two links that take you to a primary source. Those two reveal that Father Radcilffe did not say what these authors say he says. I am not sure why they used so may secondary sources when the primary sources are available. Using the secondary sources to find the primary source, I found only one in which the allegation of the letter writers proved true. He did write a piece called “Can priests be gay?” that questioned the Vatican’s document on homosexual men becoming priests. I did not listen to the podcast on the Pillings report because the Pillings report is online and I can read what it says. It is a primary source even though it is not written by Father Radcliffe because a primary source is also a document issued at an historical time. Father Radcliffe explained why gays cannot marry and why gay sex is wrong. I can understand why someone would say that it is not Church teaching because it is quite theological and anthropological and because he does not focus on whether the Church forbids it, but he emphasizes that it is wrong because it is contrary to the unitive and procreative (fertility) purposes of the sexual gift, which is exactly Church teaching. There are statements that when taken out of context can give fodder to the insinuations and allegations that have been made against Father Radcliffe. Giving every benefit of the doubt, perhaps these people who wrote the letter just misunderstood him or perhaps they trusted secondary sources that were not trustworthy. Thanks for your time in reading this explanation.
Anonymous your opinions are just that, opinions. They are not at all in working with what consists of being doer’s of the word.
Today we have to be smarter and one step ahead. Whether you like it or not, but the church lay faithful are up with the times now and are using what resources they have to combat deception. This what you call gossip is irrelevant and dose not apply here, because it is warning others of what is being condoned in the church, lukewarmness, leniency to certain behaviors against Christ and His church, should offend us all and its not gossip, so your view does not apply in this instance entirely. The public notification of this letter is to encourage others to fight the good fight, to correct the view that the whole church has gone bad, that no one cares etc etc. The web can be used often for evil but in this instance it is used to inform and encourage the lay faithful to act! That all is not lost!
Abeca Christian, you see in the letter above::
In a December 2012 article in the British newspaper The Guardian, Radcliffe wrote, “It is heartening to see the wave of support for gay marriages.”
This is true. Why does he say it is heartening? Did you read it?
Did the author of the letter acknowledge that this was the beginning of Father Radcliffe’s opinion piece against gay marriage?
You read in the above letter:
For example, in a March 2012 article for the British Catholic newspaper The Tablet, Radcliffe wrote that the “… committed love of people of the same sex” … “should be cherished and supported, which is why church leaders are slowly coming to support same sex civil unions. The God of love can be present in every true love.”
Yes, he wrote those words. Notice how church leaders is with a small c. These quotes used by the author of the letter are less than 2 sentences out of a 6 paragraph article explaining why the Catholic Church can never support gay marriage.
Did the author of the above letter include this paragraph from the article?:
“Marriage is founded on the glorious fact of sexual difference and its potential fertility. Without this, there would be no life on this planet, no evolution, no human beings, no future. Marriage takes all sorts of forms, from the alliance of clans through bride exchange to modern romantic love. We have come to see that it implies the equal love and dignity of man and woman. But everywhere and always, it remains founded on the union in difference of male and female. Through ceremonies and sacrament this is given a deeper meaning, which for Christians includes the union of God and humanity in Christ.”
BIBLE: Gen 19:1-29; Rom 1:24-27; 1 Cor 6:9-10; 1 Tim 1:10; Jude 1:7.
“Catechism of the Catholic Church, Second Edition”: # 2357, 2358, 2359, and 2396.
“LETTER to the BISHOPS of the CATHOLIC CHURCH
on the PASTORAL CARE of HOMOSEXUAL PERSONS” which includes:
“15 ….No authentic pastoral programme will include organizations in which homosexual persons associate with each other without clearly stating that homosexual activity is immoral.
A truly pastoral approach will appreciate the need for homosexual persons to avoid the near occasions of sin. ”
https://www.vatican.va/roman_curia/congregations/cfaith/documents/rc_con_cfaith_doc_19861001_homosexual-persons_en.html
As more and more Bishops and Priests refuse to teach the Truth of our Faith and/or make certain that heretics are not given a stage at ‘Catholic’ functions or on ‘Catholic’ Church property – it is all the more important that every literate Catholic own and READ the BIBLE, and the “Catechism of the Catholic Church, Second Edition”.
Many Bishops and Priests do not encourage us to read the Bible and CCC, so that they can impart their own version of the Faith.
Aside from the last sentence, I agree with you Mike.
I think the bishops would be grateful if every Catholic read the Bible and the CCC. Most if not all diocese have had many programs to encourage the adults to do both. More can be done.
The author of the letter writes:
Fr. Timothy Radcliffe OP frequently celebrated Mass for the gay dissent group the Soho Masses Pastoral Council.
Not exactly. Father Radcliffe celebrated Masses which were begun in the diocese of Westminster after the bombing of a gay pub in Soho which killed 3 people and wounded 70 others. These masses were an outreach by the Bishop who had the full support of the head of the Vatican’s Congregaton for the Doctrine of the Faith, Cardinal Joseph Ratzinger.
Anonymous, please re-read MIKE’s post of September 4, 2014 at 3:25 am.
If Radcliffe is not adhering and teaching ALL of these –
he is a heretic and a schismatic.
He MUST teach that all homosexual acts are MORTAL Sins.
There are no exceptions.
Father Radcliffe seems to teach the reasons behind the Church’s teaching. I think he adheres to all of them. But his concern is to get at the reason behind the rules. And living love the way it is meant to be by God.
“The previous cardinal of Westminster, Cardinal Cormac Murphy-O’Connor, who retired a couple of years ago, established a Mass for gay people in central London, and he very carefully went through it all with then-Cardinal Ratzinger. There’s a roster of about 15 priests who preside there; I go there a couple of times a year, and the church is full of gay people and their families.
We’re having a lot of conversions to Catholicism in the gay community, believe it or not, because what they see is that we value them and recognize the gifts they bring.”
[I]n the New Testament, in the whole of the Bible, right through Augustine and Aquinas—mainstream Christian tradition—morality is not about what you’re allowed to do, it’s about who you’re called to be. It’s about becoming alive. So you have the seven “deadly” sins, and the virtues are about becoming someone in particular.
But with the birth of the secular culture of control, morality becomes more and more about the regulation of behavior. And if God doesn’t do it, the state will. I think the present economic and banking crisis has a lot to do with the fact that morality has been reduced to rules, with God as the policeman in the sky.
What we need to do is find a recovery of virtue—that’s one form it can take anyway—so that we’re invited to become free, joyful, loving, courageous, temperate, prudent people.
This article is in USCatholic.
It is a different approach. One meant to instruct, explain and encourage others. Many people are totally turned off religion by the approach of “do this, don’t do that and you will avoid punishment and stay out of hell.” (i’m not-I am an old Baltimore Catechism person.) They are more attracted by “this is what you were meant to become.”
Also, you cannot call someone a heretic by what they don’t say. It would have to be something that they said against the faith and refused to change when corrected.