Sunday we had the Homilies of all Homilies. Our newly ordained Deacon gave a homily on the Social Teaching of the Church in light of the election around the corner and the importance of this election. He mentioned that life was sacred at all levels, not just from conception. I agree with this. But it was obvious that he had an agenda. He went on to talk about the need for the faithful Catholic to vote his conscience when it comes to the election. And that if after much prayer, studying the issue, and discussion , if you as a faithful Catholic disagreed with what the Church teaches (abortion) then you must vote your conscience. Okay, fine, I understand that not all Catholics will be voting for the candidate that is pro-life. They will look to the war as a “life issue”, even though there is a good argument to be made that abortion is the main issue on which to make your decision. But the main thing that troubles me is that I don’t think the pulpit is the place for our deacon to be discussing this. Especially, since I knew where he was heading in the future because of how our priest leans.

Oh my. I had to pray earnestly before receiving Holy Communion to help me forgive the Deacon. I had to fight back tears so as not to make a scene. This Church that I have come to BECAUSE of Authority and Eucharist, to have those that were born into her or who are in the Seminaries dissenting from the Magisterium and not appreciating the Church’s Authority just breaks my heart.

So I prayed for forgiveness “Help me to Love and forgive, Lord.” And then I received the Precious Body and Blood and Soul and Divinity from the Deacon’s hands. Afterwards I kneeled in prayer and thanksgiving and adoration. I even truly had forgiven our Deacon.

But then Father-right before dismissal-added his two cents. He said that he agreed with all that the Deacon said during the homily, but that he would only add one other thing regarding conscience. ANd that would be something that Cardinal Newman had said after the Pope’s infallibility doctrine was declared (I think that’s what he said). Cardinal Newman said (I’m paraphasing my priest), “I drink first to conscience and then to the Pope.” And then Father went on to talk about how we must examine our conscience because the Holy Spirit speaks to our conscience (I agree) and also because the Holy Spirit can impress upon the laity whether a teaching of the Church is true or not. Also, he never talked about how we need to have a PROPERLY FORMED conscience. The part he omitted was how we can use the Catechism, the Teaching of the Church and Scripture to help PROPERLY form our Conscience. Otherwise, our conscience can deceive us, but he never mentioned this. He just repeated that if our Conscience is going against the Church’s teaching, then we must go with our Conscience. And to illustrate this, he used the example of how 90% of Catholics disagree with the Church’s teaching on birth control. And so they practice birth control. And so it is acceptable and not a sin (nevermind the Church calls contraception intrinsically evil) because they are only following their conscience.

He said that during the 70’s he almost lost his position because of his stance on birth control and how he believed the Church was WRONG on this teaching. But praise be to the Blessed Mother, he did not lose his position. He then went on to say that since 90% of Catholics believe that birth control is wrong, that therefore the Church MUST BE WRONG ON THIS TEACHING. Can you believe that?!?!?!?!? A teaching of the Church is wrong, because the laity think it is. Nevermind that perhaps the reason the laity don’t like it is because it’s a hard teaching. Or perhaps the laity aren’t being taught why “no contraception”. Nevermind that the 90% of Catholics he is talking about are American Catholics, not Catholics of the whole world and of all time. But just because it’s unpopular does not make it wrong anyway. I would suggest that the opposite is true. Most likely, the more unpopular the teaching, the more likelihood it’s TRUE. After all, Our Lord didn’t come preaching things that were popular. His teachings were “hard teachings” as well. Turn the other cheek. Pick up your cross. Deny yourself. Even the Eucharist was a hard teaching and many disciples left him at that time. (See John 6)

Besides morality is not something one votes on. A thing is either moral or not! It doesn’t cease being moral. A thing is either True or Not. It doesn’t cease being TRUE just because we human beings change our mind on the thing.

Anyway, our priest thinks that this is a correct understanding of the “Sensus Fidelium”. I asked my spitfire members for help. Here is what one member replied with:

The Latin term you’re looking for is “sensus fidelium” – the “sense of the faithful”, if you will. The classic case is the definition of the dogma of the Immaculate Conception by Pope Pius IX. It is crucial to understand, contra your pastor and deacon, sensus fidelium is meant as a gift given to the faithful as a whole not as individual people. To use an ancient definition, it would be the faith “held always and everywhere, and by everyone”. As such, to attempt to use sensus fidelium as an argument for individual dissent on a topic of faith or morals long held by the Church is at best a mistaken misappropriation of a term and at best an attempt to confuse the people by and intentional mis-statement of a somewhat complex (in action, if not definition) concept.

So I just had to get this off my chest. We ain’t leaving this parish. DH says no way. We are not Protestants anymore, he says. We stay and do our part. He says that if we leave this parish for the orthodox one down the street, what’s to keep that parish from having a liberal priest come in a few years down the road, and then we’re faced with the same problem. So, we will stay and do our part, he says.

Pray for me. I’m not gifted with eloquence of speech. I have to speak in RCIA (as a catechist) and the topic I have been asked to speak on is LIFE of all things, and the Church’s teaching on LIFE. So I know that Fr. will come to sit in on this class, and obviously we will have a disagreement. I’m not so good at disagreements or butting heads. I fear I will not act with as much charity as I should. I fear I will stumble the new catecumen who is in our RCIA class.

Sigh.

Yesterday in the mail I received my monthly newsletter from Focus on the Family. This issue was devoted to the horror of abortion. At the very end, an article was included written by Frank Pastore talking about Pope Benedict’s recent statement defending the decision of Mexican church leaders to deny communion to those politicians who voted to legalize abortion, rather than defending the unborn. I’ve copied it at the end.

When I read the Pope’s statement, it was said with such clarity and graciousness. Very telling to me what kind of a man he is, and what kind of leader he is for Christ’s Church. I am so thankful to have been led to the Catholic church. This is what I’ve been searching for. The House of God, the pillar and bulwark of the truth (2 Timothy 3:15). A solid rock foundation that doesn’t get tossed around with the changing winds of culture. We don’t have to wonder if abortion is right or wrong, the Church has it figured out already. I can now rest in that foundation knowing that 2000 years have been devoted to wrestling it out, as well as many other faith and moral issues, and that this Church and Pope is being guided by the Holy Spirit.

The beauty of this to me is that instead of me always trying to figure out the basics of my faith, and what does this passage of Scripture mean, etc. I can now move on to a deeper faith spent in more prayer and contemplation instead of so much study. I’m thankful for my years of Bible study, and I will continue to read my Bible and meditate on the Word and let Him speak to me through His Word. But I don’t feel burdened to rely on my own intellectual understanding (or lack thereof) of the Scriptures in order to be a Christian. It is like when Peter said in 2 Peter 3:15-16 ,

And consider the patience of our Lord as salvation, as our beloved brother Paul, according to the wisdom given to him, also wrote to you, speaking of these things, as he does in all his letters. In them there are some things hard to understand that the ignorant and unstable distort to their own destruction, just as they do the other scriptures.

I know that I am ignorant in Greek and Hebrew and many other things required to aid me in understanding the Sacred Scriptures, nor did I attend seminary school (and even if I did, it would be important which one because in the Protestant land, they are not in agreement). For that I/we need the Church’s Teaching when it comes to matters of morals and faith. The Church that is the foundation and pillar of Truth. The One Holy Catholic and Apostolic Church.

Is abortion murder or not? The Church is very clear on this. There is no grey area. Praise the Lord.

Here is the article. It is not up on FOF’s website yet so I can’t post a link.

Where Are the Protestant Benedicts?

by Frank Pastore

After hearing so many of our politicians try to deftly finesse and coyly nuance themselves into so many murky, equivocal shades of grey, wasn’t it great to hear a man of principle and conviction speak last week with clarity on a moral issue of great importance to so many people?

While aboard the papal plane in route to Brazil, Pope Benedict was asked about the Mexican bishops who were threatening to excommunicate the Catholic politicians who voted in favor of legalizing abortion in Mexico City.

Benedict said, “Yes, this excommunication was not an arbitrary one but is allowed by Canon Law which says that the killing of an innocent child is incompatible with receiving communion, which is receiving the body of Christ….They (Mexican church leaders) did nothing new, surprising or arbitrary. They simply announced publicly what is contained in the law of the church…Which expresses our appreciation for life and that human individuality, human personality is present from the first moment (of life).”

He said those who vote in favor of abortion have, “doubts about the value of life and the beauty of life and even a doubt about the future….Selfishness and fear are at the roof of (pro-abortion) legislation…We in the church have a great struggle to defend life…Life is a gift, not a threat.

Pope Benedict, God bless him, drew a line in the sand on abortion.

How refreshing to hear a Christian leader do so.

According to the Pope, Catholic politicians who vote in favor of abortion should not receive communion and they risk excommunication from the Church. According to Church law, anyone who knowingly commits or allows a grave sin, such as abortion inflicts “automatic excommunication” upon themselves.

I’d love to hear some Protestant Benedicts speak with such clarity.

But, where are the pulpits of men with conviction and principal eager to take politically incorrect stands?

Where are those men with chests who fear God more than men?

Where are those pastors who care more about their faithfulness to the biblical text than they do about filling their pews and their next building program?

Where are the denominations that still care about such things?

Who are the radio and television ministries who regularly address such things?

They are so rare.

Which is why I am so proud of Pope Benedict and the Catholic church, even though I’m not Catholic.