Worcester Diocese carries article in its official newspaper accusing U.S. Soldiers who kill in combat of "evil"

The "Catholic" Free Press, official newspaper of the troubled Worcester Diocese, is carrying a CNS article written by Chaz Muth which highlights the thinking of Melkite Father Emmanuel Charles McCarthy of Brockton, a co-founder of the dissident organization Pax Christi.

Father McCarthy believes that no priest should serve in the armed forces to provide religious care to military men and women because, "Being a commissioned officer in the military makes it impossible for that priest to maintain his objectivity when preaching the Gospel, which should include the message that killing any human is an act of evil..." (Catholic peace activists see conflict in priests serving in military, July 15 edition of the CFP).

The Catechism of the Catholic Church explains that, "Those who are sworn to serve their country in the armed forces are servants of the security and freedom of nations. If they carry out their duty honorably, they truly contribute to the common good of the nation and the maintenance of peace." 2310.

The Lord God has commanded us, "You shall not kill." There are nine words in Hebrew for taking a life. The word used in Exodus 20: 13 for "Thou shalt not kill" is ratsach, a strong verb used to indicate an intentional and unjustified act of murder, such as the murder of innocent unborn. It does not refer to killing in war ( unless such killing is directed against civilian non-combatants or prisoners of war).  But it is disgusting for a Catholic priest to suggest that all soldiers who kill in combat are engaged in "evil."

I'm not surprised that such hateful nonsense would be published in the "Catholic" Free Press, a publication with a long history of dissent from Church teaching owned and operated by a broken diocese which ordains homosexual men while excluding masculine men from ministry.

The French preacher Lacordaire once said that the vocation of a soldier is next in dignity to the priesthood, not only because it commissioned him to defend justice on the field of battle and order on the field of peace, but also because it called him to the spirit and intention of sacrifice.

It is the soldier's high calling to the defense of justice and freedom which makes him (or should) so loved.  It was a soldier who first spoke the words recalled by the Church during every Mass at Holy Communion: "Lord, I am not worthy to have Thee come under my roof; but only say the word, and my servant will be healed." (Mt 8:8).

The Breviary, which priests pray daily, praises Judas Machabeus, who refused to surrender to superior enemy forces and died saying: "Far be it from us to do such a thing as to flee from them.  If our time has come, let us die bravely for our brethren, and leave no cause to question our honor." (1 Macc 9: 10).

A soldier who does his or her duty honorably contributes to the common good and to authentic peace.

Leave it to the Worcester Diocese to publish the views of a bigoted priest who sees combat soldiers as engaging in evil.

Pathetic.

The Testosterone-Free Church Does Not Appeal To Men...

How many of you have seen the Gregory Peck/Richard Basehart version of Herman Melville's classic novel Moby Dick?  Remember the fiery sermon delivered by the minister who was portrayed powerfully by Orson Welles?  The priests I grew up with (I was a military "Brat"), were of the same sort.  They were men who knew the Sacred Scriptures.  Men who inspired a sort of military-like zeal with regard to evangelization and the spiritual life.

In a previous post, I wrote that, "A testosterone-free Church is not appealing to men.  Effeminate priests and ministers do not inspire healthy young men to consider a vocation within the Church.."  An article which may be found here, is saying essentially the same thing.  The writer asserts (and I couldn't agree more) that, "All of the outward facing disciplines within Christianity, such as apologetics, theology, ethics, etc. are de-emphasized, censored or resisted in feminized churches. There is no place for rationality, moral judgments and boundaries, debates and disagreement, confrontations and persuasion, or other manly Christian practices."

I've personally encountered such resistance toward apologetics and spiritualities which are decidely masculine (such as the Ignatian model).  I'm convinced that the effeminization which has take place within the Catholic Church in this country is one reason I am not welcome at my own parish and have been (like so many other healthy young men who are not homosexual or crippled by effeminacy - see Michael S. Rose's book Goodbye, Good Men) excluded from consideration when expressing interest in pursuing a priestly vocation.

The Catholic Church is plagued by homosexuality and effeminacy.  These cancers are metastasizing and rotting the Church from within.  It is time to remove these plagues from the House of God.


Related reading here.

"I am not a number, I am a free man.."

"I am not a number, I am a free man."

Purge yourself and call down the fire power of the Holy Spirit

It was Fr. Michael Scanlan (God love him) who said, "I really don't believe we are meant to be limited any longer. We are meant to be FREE; Free in the Spirit of Jesus Christ to do and to be all the Father is calling us to do and be. Only by truly desiring this healing to actually take place in our lives, by expecting it, by being sincerely repentant for allowing ourselves to have been bound by the law of sin in the past, and by being aware of this constant process of healing within us as an ever-deepening union and relationship with Christ will we come to understand the great act of recreation the Lord Jesus has accomplished for us and in us - restoring us even NOW in Him, to the image of the Father! AMEN!! May it be so!" (The Power in Penance, Charismatic Renewal Books, 1972, Page 58).

Do we really and truly desire the healing power of Christ? Do we really and truly want to unleash the fire power of the Holy Spirit into our lives so that we in turn may kindle the earth with that Holy Fire? Then let us remember to purge our hearts of resentment. Let us remember to forgive and love and to confess our own sins. We read in 1 John 3: 22-24: "And we receive from Him whatever we ask because we keep His Commandment that we should love one another and believe in the name of Jesus." And we read in Mark 11: 24-25: "And whenever you stand praying, forgive, if you have anything against anyone, so that your Father also may forgive you." Still again, in John 15: 12-17, we read: "This is My Commandment, that you love one another as I have loved you...so that whatever you ask the Father in My name, He may give it to you." And lastly, in James 5: 16, we read: "Therefore confess your sins to one another, and pray for one another, that you may be healed."

We can be truly free and filled with the Fire of the Holy Spirit if we do these things. We must first purge ourselves though. And so let us pray (without worrying about the lesser faults of others):

Because I am obnoxious, forgive me Lord.
Because I am dishonest, forgive me Lord.
Because I am egotistical, forgive me Lord.
Because I am undisciplined, forgive me Lord.
Because I am weak, forgive me Lord.
Because I am impure, forgive me Lord.
Because I am arrogant, forgive me Lord.
Because I am self-centered, forgive me Lord.
Because I am pompous, forgive me Lord.
Because I am insincere, forgive me Lord.
Because I am unchaste, forgive me Lord.
Because I am grasping, forgive me Lord.
Because I am judgmental, forgive me Lord.
Because I am impatient, forgive me Lord.
Because I am shallow, forgive me Lord.
Because I am inconsistent, forgive me Lord.
Because I am unfaithful, forgive me Lord.
Because I am immoral, forgive me Lord.
Because I am ungrateful, forgive me Lord.
Because I am disobedient, forgive me Lord.
Because I am selfish, forgive me Lord.
Because I am lukewarm, forgive me Lord.
Because I am slothful, forgive me Lord.
Because I am unloving, forgive me Lord.
Because I am uncommitted, forgive me Lord.
Because I am sinful, forgive me Lord.
Because I am loved by You, thank you Lord!

Prayer composed by Father Raymond A. Pavlick
Roman Catholic Diocese of Paterson, N.J.

There are so many people today, even Catholics, who are carrying around tremendous burdens so needlessly. This because they have not embraced the Lord's forgiveness in the Sacrament of Penance. And because they have not forgiven those who have wronged them or sinned against them in some way. This past Sunday, Fr. H. Edward Chalmers of the Diocese of Worcester, Massachusetts told his parishioners that he believes more people will be possessed in the future as our society continues to drift further away from God. I agree. But it doesn't have to be that way! When we hold on to resentments and hurts, we allow Satan and the other evil spirits to work in our lives. But when we truly forgive, when we truly let go of hurts and animosities, we are freed by the Lord Jesus from our own sins and failings and the Holy Spirit is able to breathe His Holy Fire into us!

So what shall it be? Slavery to sin and vice, hurts and animosities? Or healing and freedom which unleashes an irresistible force of love and power into our lives?

I say: Bring down the Fire!