What are you thinking, rebellious Catholics? Do you
imagine you love more than those who follow Church teaching? Enabling
isn’t love. Giving mortal sin a pass isn’t love. Seeking to make everyone
happy rather than holding to truth is not love.
imagine you love more than those who follow Church teaching? Enabling
isn’t love. Giving mortal sin a pass isn’t love. Seeking to make everyone
happy rather than holding to truth is not love.
Love hurts sometimes. It hurts when friends and
family get angry with us because we won’t bend on same-sex marriage. It
hurts when we pray outside abortion clinics for the unborn, refusing to support
killing the babies as birth control. It hurts when fellow Catholics
disregard Humanae
Vitae in which Pope Paul VI predicted great harm to society if
we rejected traditional teaching on married love, parenthood, and
contraception.
family get angry with us because we won’t bend on same-sex marriage. It
hurts when we pray outside abortion clinics for the unborn, refusing to support
killing the babies as birth control. It hurts when fellow Catholics
disregard Humanae
Vitae in which Pope Paul VI predicted great harm to society if
we rejected traditional teaching on married love, parenthood, and
contraception.
Sr. Laurel
Offends Some
Offends Some
Sr. Jane Dominic Laurel O.P. is, no doubt, feeling some
of the pain after her talk on March 21 at Charlotte Catholic High School in
North Carolina. The Dominican nun has a doctorate in Sacred Theology from
the Pontifical University of St. Thomas Aquinas in Rome and is an assistant
professor of theology at Aquinas College in Nashville. She speaks at
schools around the country on theology of the body.
of the pain after her talk on March 21 at Charlotte Catholic High School in
North Carolina. The Dominican nun has a doctorate in Sacred Theology from
the Pontifical University of St. Thomas Aquinas in Rome and is an assistant
professor of theology at Aquinas College in Nashville. She speaks at
schools around the country on theology of the body.
 |
| Sr. Jane Dominic Laurel O.P. |
Her presentation at the school was reportedly based on a
series of instructional
videos she created addressing differences between the two genders, the role
of the family in nurturing children’s unique gifts, and the impacts of
contemporary culture and the media on our concepts of sexuality. It has
been reported that she included the correlation between the decline of
fatherhood and the rise in homosexuality.
series of instructional
videos she created addressing differences between the two genders, the role
of the family in nurturing children’s unique gifts, and the impacts of
contemporary culture and the media on our concepts of sexuality. It has
been reported that she included the correlation between the decline of
fatherhood and the rise in homosexuality.
Some students launched a petition complaining that Sr.
Laurel’s speech was, “offensive and unnecessarily derogatory.” They are
incensed that school officials “knew the content of this speech and allowed
these ideas to be expressed in a school….”
Laurel’s speech was, “offensive and unnecessarily derogatory.” They are
incensed that school officials “knew the content of this speech and allowed
these ideas to be expressed in a school….”
Their petition states, “We resent the fact that a school
wide assembly became a stage to blast the issue of homosexuality after Pope
Francis said in an interview this past fall that ‘we can not insist only on
issues related to abortion, gay marriage and the use of contraceptives
methods.’ We are angry that someone decided they knew better than our
Holy Father and invited a speaker who addressed the issue of homosexuality to
our school to speak twice in the course of one school year. ”
wide assembly became a stage to blast the issue of homosexuality after Pope
Francis said in an interview this past fall that ‘we can not insist only on
issues related to abortion, gay marriage and the use of contraceptives
methods.’ We are angry that someone decided they knew better than our
Holy Father and invited a speaker who addressed the issue of homosexuality to
our school to speak twice in the course of one school year. ”
Sadly, these students do not understand that while Pope
Francis promotes the Gospel teaching of love and doesn’t want us to focus just
on homosexuality and abortion, he also has made it clear that he defends
Catholic teaching. It is likely that if Sr. Laurel had said homosexuality “is
a destructive pretension against the plan of God,” the students would be
protesting that. But it was Pope Francis as Archbishop Bergoglio in 2009, who
said those words while speaking out against Argentina’s gay marriage bill. In a
letter to the monasteries of Buenos Aires, he wrote, “We are not talking about
a mere bill, but rather a machination of the Father of Lies that seeks to
confuse and deceive the children of God.”
Francis promotes the Gospel teaching of love and doesn’t want us to focus just
on homosexuality and abortion, he also has made it clear that he defends
Catholic teaching. It is likely that if Sr. Laurel had said homosexuality “is
a destructive pretension against the plan of God,” the students would be
protesting that. But it was Pope Francis as Archbishop Bergoglio in 2009, who
said those words while speaking out against Argentina’s gay marriage bill. In a
letter to the monasteries of Buenos Aires, he wrote, “We are not talking about
a mere bill, but rather a machination of the Father of Lies that seeks to
confuse and deceive the children of God.”
There is an alternate petition supporting Sr. Laurel which states, “We the
students of Charlotte Catholic High School, acting on our Catholic beliefs, are
declaring a formal objection towards all those who do not accept Sister Jane
Dominic’s lecture … We are outraged that the topics talked about are being
debated within a community where the shared faith teaches us what truly is holy
and that anyone would stand up against a nun, who has given her life for the
Lord, and blatantly deny God’s teachings.”
students of Charlotte Catholic High School, acting on our Catholic beliefs, are
declaring a formal objection towards all those who do not accept Sister Jane
Dominic’s lecture … We are outraged that the topics talked about are being
debated within a community where the shared faith teaches us what truly is holy
and that anyone would stand up against a nun, who has given her life for the
Lord, and blatantly deny God’s teachings.”
There will be a parent’s meeting at Charlotte Catholic
High School this Wednesday, April 2, to air concerns. Bishop Peter Jugis will
attend. I wish I could join them. It should be interesting.
High School this Wednesday, April 2, to air concerns. Bishop Peter Jugis will
attend. I wish I could join them. It should be interesting.
Protesting
Is Not Necessary
Is Not Necessary
It is estimated that there are 41,000 different Christian
denominations. Estimates change because, who can really keep up with all the
protests and new churches? Given the thousands of churches, Catholics do not
need to protest. The options are endless. Catholicism is not mandatory.
denominations. Estimates change because, who can really keep up with all the
protests and new churches? Given the thousands of churches, Catholics do not
need to protest. The options are endless. Catholicism is not mandatory.
Both sides agree that homosexuals deserve respect.
But sex is reserved for marriage between a man and a woman, open to the
possibility of life. Thus, it’s not just same-sex relations but
single-sex that the Catholic Church teaches against. No one said it was
easy to follow Jesus, but he told us,
But sex is reserved for marriage between a man and a woman, open to the
possibility of life. Thus, it’s not just same-sex relations but
single-sex that the Catholic Church teaches against. No one said it was
easy to follow Jesus, but he told us,
Jesus did not poll his apostles. Popular opinion
does not determine Catholic teaching. If there was any question as to the
teachings, Scripture tells us to trust the Church. “If I am delayed, you
will know how people ought to conduct themselves in God’s household, which is
the church of the living God, the pillar and foundation of the truth,” (1Tim
3:15). Christian denominations have changed teachings (contraception
being a big one that was once unanimous but now the Catholic Church stands
alone) but the Catholic Church will not and Pope Francis has not.
does not determine Catholic teaching. If there was any question as to the
teachings, Scripture tells us to trust the Church. “If I am delayed, you
will know how people ought to conduct themselves in God’s household, which is
the church of the living God, the pillar and foundation of the truth,” (1Tim
3:15). Christian denominations have changed teachings (contraception
being a big one that was once unanimous but now the Catholic Church stands
alone) but the Catholic Church will not and Pope Francis has not.
It seems we have lost the right to have a coherent
conversation about morality in the public square but Catholics still claim the
right to present teaching in their schools and churches.
conversation about morality in the public square but Catholics still claim the
right to present teaching in their schools and churches.
Sentiments get in the way, which is why we need the
authority of the Church to provide consistent, clear teaching. Everyone
is free to reject it and go their own way but, ahem, the gates of Hell will not
prevail against it so neither will a petition.
authority of the Church to provide consistent, clear teaching. Everyone
is free to reject it and go their own way but, ahem, the gates of Hell will not
prevail against it so neither will a petition.
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For more inspiration, check out Big Hearted: Inspiring Stories From Everyday Families uplifting stories on love and life. Children’s books, Dear God, I Don’t Get It and Dear God, You Can’t Be Serious are fiction that present faith through fun and adventuresome stories. Follow Patti at Twitter and like her Facebook pages at Dear God Books, Big Hearted Families.
