Friday, July 08, 2011

St. Cecilia's "Rainbow Ministry" is advancing the lie of "homosexual love."

Father Leonard Kennedy, c.s.b., in a review of Dr. Gerard J.M. van den Aardweg's book "The Battle for Normality," writes: "...homosexual 'love' is not love but ego-satisfaction, and acting it out only deepens the void inside.  That is why 'the vast majority of active homosexuals are promiscuous, and much more so than promiscuous heterosexuals.'  The fairy tale faithful homosexual 'union' is a propaganda item, to win privileges from the law and acceptance within Christian churches." 


Dutch psychologist Gerard J.M. van den Aardweg, Ph.D., a specialist on homosexuality, says that the claim that homosexuality is normal is one of those statements that are "so foolish that only intellectuals could believe them." It is like saying that anorexia nervosa is healthy. Dr. Aardweg notes that, "The term neurotic describes such relationships well. It suggests the ego-centeredness of the relationship; the attention-seeking instead of loving...Neurotic, in short, suggests all kinds of dramas and childish conflicts as well as the basic disinterestedness in the partner, notwithstanding the shallow pretensions of 'love.' Nowhere is there more self-deception in the homosexual than in his representation of himself as a lover. One partner is important to the other only insofar as he satisfies that other's needs. Real, unselfish love for a desired partner would, in fact, end up destroying homosexual 'love'!" (Dr. Gerard J.M. van den Aardweg, The Battle for Normality, Ignatius Press, 1997, pp. 62-63).

At its website, St. Cecilia's "rainbow ministry" has a photograph of the late Franciscan Father Mychal Judge and a quote from the priest who was a self-identified homosexual: "Is there so much love in the world that we can afford to discriminate against any kind of love?" Fr. Mychal here assumes that all discrimination is "unjust."  While it is true that we must accept homosexual persons with "respect, compassion and sensitivity," we're also told in 2358 of the Catechism that the homosexual inclination is "objectively disordered." And this paragraph does not say that homosexual persons must be accepted "without discrimination." Rather, it states clearly, "Every sign of unjust discrimination in their regard should be avoided." What's the point I'm trying to make? Not all discrimination is unjust.  "Homosexual love" is not possible because it seeks to transform the love of friendship between two people of the same sex into conjugal love.  But conjugal love requires psychological and physical complementarity which can only exist between opposite sexes:

"There are absolutely no grounds for considering homosexual unions to be in any way similar or even remotely analogous to God's plan for marriage and family.  Marriage is holy, while homosexual acts go against the natural moral law.  Homosexual acts 'close the sexual act to the gift of life.  They do not proceed from a genuine affective and sexual complementarity.  Under no circumstances can they be approved.'" (Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith, Considerations Regarding Proposals to Give Legal Recognition to Unions Between Homosexual Persons, No. 4).

So the answer to Fr. Judge's question is: yes.  Not all discrimination is unjust.  Reflect upon Pope Benedict XVI's teaching in No. 11 of Deus Caritas Est: "The first novelty of biblical faith consists, as we have seen, in its image of God. The second, essentially connected to this, is found in the image of man. The biblical account of creation speaks of the solitude of Adam, the first man, and God's decision to give him a helper. Of all other creatures, not one is capable of being the helper that man needs, even though he has assigned a name to all the wild beasts and birds and thus made them fully a part of his life. So God forms woman from the rib of man. Now Adam finds the helper that he needed: 'This at last is bone of my bones and flesh of my flesh' (Gen 2:23). Here one might detect hints of ideas that are also found, for example, in the myth mentioned by Plato, according to which man was originally spherical, because he was complete in himself and self-sufficient. But as a punishment for pride, he was split in two by Zeus, so that now he longs for his other half, striving with all his being to possess it and thus regain his integrity. While the biblical narrative does not speak of punishment, the idea is certainly present that man is somehow incomplete, driven by nature to seek in another the part that can make him whole, the idea that only in communion with the opposite sex can he become 'complete'. The biblical account thus concludes with a prophecy about Adam: 'Therefore a man leaves his father and his mother and cleaves to his wife and they become one flesh' (Gen 2:24).


Two aspects of this are important. First, eros is somehow rooted in man's very nature; Adam is a seeker, who 'abandons his mother and father' in order to find woman; only together do the two represent complete humanity and become 'one flesh'. The second aspect is equally important. From the standpoint of creation, eros directs man towards marriage, to a bond which is unique and definitive; thus, and only thus, does it fulfil its deepest purpose. Corresponding to the image of a monotheistic God is monogamous marriage. Marriage based on exclusive and definitive love becomes the icon of the relationship between God and his people and vice versa. God's way of loving becomes the measure of human love. This close connection between eros and marriage in the Bible has practically no equivalent in extra-biblical literature."

This is the teaching of the Catholic Church.  The "Rainbow Ministry" of St. Cecilia's Parish in Boston, the "Gay Pride" parish, does not advance this teaching but instead a dissenting view.  Thus far, after weeks of ongoing controversy, Cardinal Sean O'Malley has not addressed the dissent of the "Rainbow Ministry."  It is not enough to simply articulate or re-affirm the teaching of the Church in a Blog post.  A Bishop of the Church of Jesus Christ has a deeper responsibility than that.  See here.

12 comments:

Anonymous said...

This is the "love" preached by an apostolate of the Boston Archdiocese. And Archdiocesan officials have no difficulties with it. If they did, they would shut it down.

Actions speak louder than words!

Ted Loiseau said...

If you go to the "saint mychal judge" blog - the link is right there at the rainbow ministry blog - there is the same quotation from Fr. Judge accompanied by a photograph. The photograph is of Fr. Judge standing between two homosexual "spouses."

Thisis clearly promotion of "gay marriage."

Michael Cole said...

In his description of the unnatural passions that rule over the sodomite, St. Peter Damian reveals an extraordinary degree of perception regarding the narcissistic, promiscuous and compulsive psychosexual aspects of homosexual behavior.

He writes, "Tell us, you unmanly and effeminate man, what do you seek in another male that you do not find in yourself?..What difference in sex, what varied features of the body?.."

Then he explains the law of life: "For it is the function of the natural appetite that each should seek outside himself what he cannot find in his own capacity. Therefore, if the touch of masculine flesh delights you, lay your hands upon yourself and be assured that whatever you do not find in yourself, you seek in vain in the body of another." (Book of Gomorrah, 42).

It's not "love" which the rainbow ministry is promoting. It's perverted lust.

Anonymous said...

Micheal, St. Peter Damian was writing about "clerical" sodomy;ie homosexuality within the church. In the 11th Century. Pope Leo, rather than follow St Peters recommendation to expel the homosexuals, said if they switched to just masturbating , it would be OK, they could stay clerics.
http://www.ourladyswarriors.org/articles/damian2.htm

Sounds like Archbishop Sean is just following precedence.

Michael Cole said...

Anonymous, you are wrong. St. Damian's description of the unnatural passions that rule over the sodomite does not just pertain to clerical sodomites but to sodomites in general. Whether lay or clerical, the psychology is the same.

Your assertion that, "In the 11th Century, Pope Leo, rather than follow St Peters recommendation to expel the homosexuals, said if they switched to just masturbating , it would be OK, they could stay clerics."

Pope Leo did not say that. Read carefully. Pope Leo wrote, "Therefore, lest the wantonness of this foul impurity be allowed to spread unpunished, it must be repelled by proper repressive action of apostolic severity, and yet some moderation must be placed on its harshness.." Then Pope Leo IX gives a detailed explanation of the Holy See's authoritative ruling on the matter.

In light of divine mercy, the Holy Father commands, without contradiction, that those who, of their own free will, have practiced solitary or mutual masturbation or defiled themselves by interfemoral coitus, but who have not done so for any length of time, nor with many others, shall retain their status, after having "curbed their desires" and "atoned for their infamous deeds with proper repentance".

The Holy Father isn't giving his "ok" - as you put it - to clerical masturbation. Read the text provided at your own link very carefully.

The article at Our Ladys Warriors then states, "..the Holy See removes all hope for retaining their clerical status from those who alone or with others for a long time, or even a short period with many, "have defiled themselves by either of the two kinds of filthiness which you have described [sodomite acts], or, which is horrible to hear or speak of, have sunk to the level of anal intercourse."

Anonymous said...

If I ever see you around the Back Bay, I'm going to educate you with a baseball bat! You lousy no-good stinking hater and bigot! Keep your archaic laws out of my backyard.

Anonymous said...

That picture... it's just not right! :/

So sad that folks can be misled into enslavement to sin and despair.

Anyhow, I can heartily recommend that book, The Battle for Normality. It's a tough love approach.

Peter said...

It's funny, but for all their talk of tolerance, equality and diversity, some of the most violent people I know are homosexualists and abortion campaigners.

Anonymous said...

Dear Paul, thanks for your post. I have to say I am completely scandalized by the pictures of kissing homosexual men that are plastered all over Catholic new sources. I think it is helping to make it normal to see these things over and over. Your picture turns up on my blog and for that reason, I'm going to have to delete you from one of my favourites. I just do not want to look at it or expose others to it.

God bless,
Adele

Paul Anthony Melanson said...

Adele, your faith must be weak indeed if that photo shakes it. But to drop me from your favorites because of a photo? No, I suspect there is more involved here. Could it be that you were put off by my post because deep down you have bought into the lie of "homosexual love"?

At any rate, goodbye. I don't know why you had to leave the comment you did. Perhaps you simply have a desire to run this Blog as you run your own. But this is my little corner of cyberspace. You'll just have to get over it.

ACatholicinClinton said...

Paul, you are right. Hold your ground. Adele is playing some sort of game. Father Frank Pavone is always fond of saying that Americans will reject abortion when Americans see abortion. If anything, that photograph is disgusting to normal heterosexual people. Just as abortion photos are disgusting.

I think Adele - if that's really her name - just wants to sabotage your efforts here.

Keep up the good work and God bless! While you're out there fighting the radical abortion and homosexual agendas, what's "Adele" doing with her time? Criticizing other devout orthodox Catholics? Sad.

Wendy said...

I don't think it's insignificant that Adele has never posted a comment here in oppositon to the radical homosexual agenda. The first time she posts a comment at this forum and it is to criticize a staunch devout Catholic who has dedicated his life to defending and promoting the teaching of the Magisterium.

What would this suggest about Adele?

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