An Ecclesiastical Fiasco in London - Remi Amelunxen, Ph.D.

Homosexuality and the Clergy

An Ecclesiastical Fiasco in London

Prof. Remi Amelunxen

The Catholic Archbishop's Council of the Diocese of Westminster (England) has approved a Mass to be celebrated twice a month at Our Lady of Assumption Parish to “provide pastoral care for homosexuals who are attempting to live up to the moral law of chastity” (“Westminster Diocese Offers Monthly Masses for Homosexual Catholics,” LiveSiteNews.com, February 2, 2007). Previously, Masses were celebrated by Catholic priests in Islington at the Anglican Church of St. Anne’s in Soho without ecclesiastic permission.

On reading the above, “attempting to live up to the moral law of chastity” – which is not the same as actually living up to the moral law of chastity – a first question immediately comes to mind. Will they abandon their partners and the practice of this terrible sin? There seems to be no such stipulation or serious counsel.

Card. Murphy O'Connor closes his eyes to protests

Card. O'Connor Murphy closes his eyes to Catholic protests against his "gay" Masses

One can’t help but wonder why the Catholic Primate of England and Wales, Cardinal Murphy O’Connor, would reward the scandalous and disobedient action of priests who were saying these “special Masses” for homosexuals in a Protestant church by allocating them a Catholic Church for such a Mass. It would seem that the priests should be punished, and the homosexuals counseled to leave their sin and return to a regular flock, where they would be less tempted to pursue their degrading lifestyle.

In an official statement from the Diocese, Card. Murphy O’Connor tried to justify this bi-monthly Mass for homosexuals:

“The Church’s pastoral outreach recognizes that baptized persons with a homosexual inclination continue to look to the Church for a place where they might have authentic human integrity and holiness of life.”

It is the garbled thinking we have come to expect of today’s ecclesiastics who promote false ecumenism and push a progressivist agenda. However, in reality, attendance at the Mass for homosexuals at Our Lady of Assumption Parish is of no avail in achieving “holiness of life” unless there is total abandonment of their grievously sinful lifestyle.

Another question comes to mind: will Holy Communion be given to known unrepentant homosexuals? If so, then blasphemy against the Body, Blood, Soul and Divinity of Jesus Christ will be compounded with a sin that cries to Heaven for Vengeance!

The Cardinal evidently relies on the un-Trent-like Catechism of the Catholic Church (par. 2358) which states that “homosexual persons must be accepted with respect, compassion and sensitivity.” However, it is clear he is applying a false compassion by effectively condoning their lifestyle, providing them a special Mass so they can all feel comfortable together. Does not the Cardinal recollect the chastisement inflicted on Sodom and Gomorrah, when God’s warnings were ignored? He should recall that God’s justice prevailed!

Above, the "Marching Boys" at the Gay Parade in London. The organisers of the gay Masses promote this march for their parishioners

I would suggest that Card. O’Connor first refresh his apparently faulty memory by reading the numerous citations in the Old and New Testaments on homosexuality (The Rite of Sodomy: Homosexuality and the Roman Catholic Church by Randy Engel, pp. 34-39.) Then, he should look at the long discourse by St. Peter Damian on the sin of sodomy. In one quote, the Saint says with severity:

“In fact, this vice is absolutely not comparable to any other because its enormity supersedes them all. Indeed, this vice produces the death of bodies and the destruction of souls. It pollutes the flesh, extinguishes the light of reason, expels the Holy Ghost from His temple in man’s heart and introduces into it the Devil who is the instigator of lust.” (apud Vatican II, Homosexuality and Pedophilia by Atila S. Guimarães).

The Cardinal’s obligation is conversion of homosexuals back to Catholicity. If he wanted to practice true compassion for the homosexuals in his Diocese, he would not encourage them to come together at a special Mass and establish a kind of parish association among themselves. Rather, he might consider taking the following steps:

Initiate conferences and mandate diocesan sermons through England and Wales on the heinous sin of sodomy so that the “gay community” has a full understanding of the gravity of this act. It is the solemn responsibility of the Cardinal to convey the teaching of Sacred Scripture and the perennial teaching of the Church, i.e., the total and complete condemnation of homosexual acts, which will lead souls to eternal damnation. Compassion lies not in patronizing or even giving the appearance of condoning, this demonic lifestyle, but rather converting those practicing homosexuals from mortal sin and to return to the state of sanctifying grace.
Have a Mission for this particular community on the Four Last Things – Death, Judgment, Heaven, and Hell – in order to show the seriousness of sin and its grave consequences. This might cause some to attain sincere repentance, and receive the Sacrament of Penance with the firm resolution to abandon their sinful homosexual lifestyle.
Make it clear that if the Sacrament of Matrimony is not of their choosing, then they must remain single, celibate, and persevere in chastity to attain salvation. Perhaps upright men of proven virtue could befriend those who are trying to live chastely to encourage them to stay on the good path.

I hope the Cardinal considers the above seriously and does not fail to act. This is the kind of compassion the Church wisely showed in days past toward any group of sinners. Today the Shepherds have adopted a false notion of compassion, smiling at the sinner, ignoring the sin, with the hope that “good will” will win the day. The “good will” of allowing a bimonthly Mass for homosexuals in a Catholic Church in his Diocese sends an ominous message to the faithful and the homosexuals: he is implicitly conferring right of citizenship to their despicable vice. Countless souls, including his own, depend on his return to traditional Catholic teaching.

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Posted July 16, 2007

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