The Furrow for October 2006 carries an article by Enda McDonagh entitled "Honorably Catholic and Honorably Gay". A footnote to the title gives the background:
"This reflection was delivered by Fr McDonagh on 10 June 2006 at a liturgy in London to celebrate the registration of the civil partnership of Martin Pendergast and Julian Filochowski."Fr McDonagh states of this occasion that it is
"a prophetic one, at least a partial realization of a dream, leading us further along the road to being honourably Catholic."Speaking particularly of "Martin and Julian", he concludes,
"In their being so honourably gay they have enabled us to be a little more honourably Catholic."SOME BACKGROUND
Fr Enda McDonagh's address is given as "St Patrick's College, Maynooth". The Furrow is published from Maynooth which is a Pontifical University side by side with a seminary for the training of priests: now in fact now the only seminary for Ireland.
The registration last June of the civil partnership of Julian Filochowski and Martin Pendergast took place on the fifth anniversary of a special Mass, celebrated on 10 June 2001 to mark their 25 years of friendship. The Mass was to have been celebrated by Bishop Crowley (who attended) but at the last minute it was arranged that the celebrant of the Mass would be Fr Jim O'Keefe, then president of Ushaw seminary. Bishop Crowley was quoted as saying,
"I want to make it perfectly clear at the outset that what is being celebrated at this Mass is, as the invitation card indicated, '25 years of friendship and commitment to justice.' It is simply that."Julian Filochowski remained as director of CAFOD until 2003. The announcement of his retirement from the post was greeted by Cardinal Murphy O'Connor and Bishop Rawsthorne with warm tributes to his work. ("grateful thanks and appreciation of the Catholic community in England and Wales" ... "deep respect and gratitude not just in the parishes and dioceses of England and Wales but worldwide".)
Last year, "Opening Up", a collection of articles, edited by Julian Filochowski and Peter Stanford was published to mark the 60th birthday of Martin Pendergast. This includes a number of articles dissenting from the teaching of the magisterium, particularly on the question of homosexuality. (I wrote a review for Faith Magazine.)
CAFOD, an agency of the Bishops Conference of England and Wales, has promoted the idea that condoms are a legitimate part of a risk reduction strategy in combating AIDS. In 2004, a paper was presented by Ann Smith entitled An understanding of HIV prevention from the perspective of a faith-based development agency. This gives a comprehensive outline of CAFOD's policy in this area. The paper refers to an article by Enda McDonagh Theology in a time of AIDS. This argues for the acceptance of the use of condoms as a "lesser evil". CAFOD's approach was strongly defended by Cardinal Murphy-O'Connor and Bishop Rawsthorne in a letter sent to all the priests of England and Wales. The first editorial of the 29 April 2006 issue of The Tablet (click on "sample issue") promotes the same approach. (Julian Filochowski is a Director of The Tablet.)
(At my parish website, there is a page of links related to AIDS, Condoms and the Catholic Church, together with a link to an article I have written on this question. The article includes criticism of CAFOD's policy.)
10 comments:
Thank you, Father, for bringing this to the attention of a wider public. Thank you, too, for the objective, measured and factual background information you have provided.
The situation is, I believe, truly scandalous. None of those involved in any of the various events recounted here (some of which have been reported elsewhere) can honestly and truly claim to be supporters of Catholic moral and social teaching.
Unfortunately, moral leadership in this country is sadly lacking from those in the highest positions of authority. Like many other faithful English Catholics, I long ago realised that my hope of eternal salvation does not lie in following the lead of many of our bishops.
I also gave up subscribing to CAFOD some years ago, though I did so with a heavy heart. When people ask me why, I tell them and suggest that they may wish to consider 'Aid to The Church in Need' as a more worthwhile charity for their donations.
Catholicism is slowly dying in this land and we live in sorrowful times.
Thank God for the Holy Father.
Many of our Catholic Primary and Secondary schools support CAFOD as their main if not only charity.
The children work exceptionally hard in so many ways to raise money for what they believe is a genuine Catholic charity spreading many good works to benefit the poor and underprivileged of the world. I am sure that the Heads and Staff of the schools also see it this way. And I would be the first to congratulate CAFOD on much of their work which does much good around the globe.
How exceptionally sad therefore that CAFOD has in effect, been 'knobbled' by homosexual directors having sympathies with and thus promoting possibly its own 'gay' agenda, pushing condoms which we all know is a 'dead in the water' policy, and deciding to pic'n'mix its own brand of Catholicism - patently at odds with the Magisterium in so many ways.
As for Priests and Bishops who openly support all this 'malarky' and promote homosexuality they will ultimately answer to God for happily leading their flocks into a moral vacuum and mortal sin.
Thank you Father for bringing this to the Blogosphere where thousands of Catholics across the world can read your post and make their own further enquiries as to what is going on.
Let's pray that Rome puts a stop to this abuse and stamps out the homomarriage scandal.
Thanks for this post, Fr.
Apart from the scandal, which is bad enough in itself, the deviation of Cafod from its Catholic grounding is also deeply regrettable. For years I considered it the only "reliable option" with regards to charities I could donate to with a clear conscience, certainly in the UK (I have little knowledge or understanding of the situation here). It was a real disappointment to learn that I could no longer do so.
Thanks, Father.
You have brought together in a concise and measured way what many feared was the case regarding these grave scandals.
As well as Aid to the Church in Need, the Little Way is a wonderful Catholic agency for support, spiritual and material, for poor people. How tragic it is totally sidelined in Catholic parishes. Yet with St Therese's help it flourishes.You can also get Masses said by Missionary priests, very useful when it becomes more difficult to get a Mass actually offered for the Holy Souls in November.
Let us pray that all filth that has got into the Church will be extirpated. Given cardinal Ratzinger's meditations on the stations of the Cross, this devotion must be a powerful prayer to this effect.
regards, Ken Simpson
Formal Statement on HIV Prevention by CAFOD
CAFOD is part of a world-wide effort to halt the spread of HIV which has already claimed 22 million lives and brought untold catastrophe to millions more. HIV is one of the biggest threats the world has ever faced to human life, to the livelihood of families and to development in the world’s poorest countries.
CAFOD’s contribution to this effort is significant. CAFOD works with people of many faiths and none, people from many social backgrounds, those shunned by society and, invariably, the poorest and most vulnerable to HIV. Over 20 years of working in this field as a Catholic development agency has shown us very clearly that there is no simple solution.
CAFOD’s particular contribution to this effort is to emphasise the importance of both personal behaviour and social change as key to the long-term fight against HIV. It is important that people understand that abstinence and being faithful to one life-long partner in marriage, when both know they do not have HIV, are the surest ways to avoid infection through sexual activity.
The use of condoms as an immediate and short-term measure for countering the transmission of HIV is part of many agencies’ HIV prevention programmes.
It should be made clear that CAFOD does not fund agencies for whom condoms are central to their programmes. The vast majority of CAFOD’s partners are Church partners. All partners, including secular ones, are made aware of our stance, which is that CAFOD neither funds nor advocates the supply, distribution or promotion of condoms. In this CAFOD seeks to exercise a role consistent with its Catholic character.
CAFOD readily recognises that individuals faced with the threat of HIV face moral dilemmas. CAFOD is committed to providing them with information that is scientifically correct. CAFOD respects a person’s responsibility to make decisions about preventing HIV transmission that are consistent with their religious convictions and based on their knowledge and understanding of the risks of their individual situation.
CAFOD is committed to the eradication of poverty, domestic violence, inequality, the impact of unjust trade rules and the burden of debt as necessary conditions for halting the spread of HIV. CAFOD is also committed to the provision of adequate health care for those with HIV and the eradication of discrimination against them in work, schooling and housing provision.
Paul Whittle
CAFOD Diocesan Manager
Archdiocese of Southwark
southwark@cafod.org.uk
Paul, I have allowed that comment in the interests of your right to reply but I am bound to observe that it is simply the statement issued by CAFOD in January 2005 and posted on its website. It does not address the question of the book "Opening Up" nor the scandal given by the civil partnership.
I realise that it may be beyond your own remit to comment on these questions but on the basis of CAFOD's current public position, many Catholics will feel in conscience that they cannot support it.
There is nothing in this statement which would alter my view of CAFOD - and I say that with genuine regret. CAFOD, its leaders and its episcopal oversight needs to change radically and demonstrably before I would encourage support of the organisation again.
There are other agencies, unequivocally in line with Catholic teaching, that do good work with the poor. Two of them have been mentioned in earlier comments. I feel safer and more responsible in conscience helping them.
Fr. Tim, thank you so much for this. I feel so let down here in Ireland by what I know isn't Catholic teaching. The confusion is fierce. You are fighting the good fight and I will be praying for you. Any chance you'd go on facebook as I find it highly informative and brilliant for sharing the Good News and alerting people to the bad news. If you don't mind I'm putting your post up on my facebook page. thanks again and God bless you. - Rene
Many thanks, Mrs O'Riordan. I am on Facebook but really only use it to pass on links to posts via Twitter.
I look at it from time to time to add friends etc. but not too often.
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