In the combox, Oliver pointed me to a post at Reluctant Sinner about this weekend's Gay Pride Mass. (The author, Dylan Parry, is the one who came up with the idea of the guild of Catholic bloggers which is now online at The Guild of Blessed Titus Brandsma.) Dylan pretty well says what needs to be said, and properly refers to the relevant passages in the Catechism of the Catholic Church (2357 – 2359) in which the moral teaching of the Church is accompanied by genuine pastoral concern.The ministry of the Church should be directed towards helping homosexual people (along with everyone else) to “gradually and resolutely approach Christian perfection.” It should not be involved with tacitly condoning the immoral ethos of “Gay Pride.”
Dylan has posted photos from various Pride events in different countries. I would rather avoid those here. The above graphic was taken from an advert placed in last year's year's Official Guide to Pride London. There are advertisements for fostering and adoption services, and for the Driver and Vehicle Licensing Authority. Here is the one for the Metropolitan Police:
I once gave a Day of Recollection for Encourage but have not really heard much about them in recent years. I wonder if there are some young homosexual Catholics who might have a calling to revive this apostolate, get some events going, re-do the website, and generally encourage others in the following of Christ. It would, I think, help a lot of young people who have a homosexual inclination but do not wish to be associated with Gay Pride Masses and the like.
25 comments:
The problem is that these 'gay Pride' Masses are officially part of Westminster Diocese's pastoral provision for 'LGBT Catholics'. Archbishop Vincent Nichols has been made fully aware of the dissent promoted at and through the Masses, but chooses to turn a blind eye. What signal is that sending out? Fallen human nature being what it is, how can we seriously expect any person in Westminster Diocese with homosexual inclinations - barring a miracle of grace - to follow the teachings of the Church on homosexuality, when the Diocese is effectively encouraging homosexuals to abandon Church teaching and celebrate dissent.
Encourage has been meeting intermittently in London, led by a layman. I heard that it has received very little support from the diocese. I can't understand this. The organisation abides completely by Church teaching and urges same sex attracted Catholics to live lives of chastity and holiness. There is a real need for this kind of apostolate but very few priests who are willing to get involved. The Church rightly tells such people to live chaste lives, but what kind of real support do they receive in order to achieve this?
Thank you for your post, Fr Tim.
I also had reservations about posting the images I did, but in the end chose to put them up just to highlight that these Gay Pride events can be really distasteful.
Hopefully, they weren't too over the top.
God bless,
D
I recently contacted EnCourage and got the impression that they are pretty much moribund these days due to lack of manpower.
I remember years ago I was told that they couldn't operate in the diocese of Westminster because there weren't any priests willing to act as chaplains to them, although some time before that I believe they used to meet at Maiden Lane.
I agree - they have a vital role to play.
I hasten to add that I wrote my previous post without reading that from Little Voice.
I am glad to hear that Encourage has been meeting. That is good news. We need to publicise it more and there are many in the Catholic blogosphere who would be willing to do so.
There is no point waiting for "support" from any official quarter but I think that we could find good priests who would be willing to help.
I'm happy to use the blog to help publicise events and encourage support from orthodox priests. In fact I was rather hoping that my post might be of help to Encourage.
Feel free to contact me by email.
I attended an Encourage meeting quite a few years ago when I was 19. (It wasn't your Day of Recollection, Father!) and, to be honest, doing so was one of the factors that eventually made me realise I needed to leave the Church.
Without wanting to sound unkind, the other attendess (there were only about 8 of us) were on the whole elderly and rather strange individuals and I had the strong impression that they were only there because the gay world had disappointed them.
Whilst they were all very pleasant and welcoming, it was nonetheless a very depressing foretaste of how sad and empty life is for gay Catholics who follow the Church's teachings.
Given my experience, I was very surprised to learn from Little Voice's comment that Encourage is still even in existence.
In other news, the Archdiocese of Westminster has decided to scrap all local church assistance to Alcoholics Anonymous and like-minded groups. A diocesan bureaucrat announced that from the beginning of July they will be making special provision for alcoholic Catholics in the form of a weekly Drinkers' Mass in St Bacchus', Covent Garden. In keeping with pastoral precedent, the bidding prayers will be written by representatives from Heineken and Guinness, and post-Mass beverages and snacks will be available from an open bar in the church hall.
People often talk about Catholic prelates being homophobic, but what could be more genuinely homophobic than those who have heard the moral truth refusing to share it with those in need of it, and sidelining those who attempt to live in conformity with it. It is hard not to feel that confused adolescents and adults are being misled into putting their bodies and souls at risk by prelates who prefer to wink at mortal sin than get a few lines of negative press. The mentality that resulted in the abuse scandal hasn't left us.
I am happy to help out with this particular apostolate, seemingly qualifying as such. I'm also a member of the Juventutem group, if one can be a "member." Anyway yes, if there's any advice on how one might go about assisting :
saundersoncross@gmail.com
Gliead101 - I think that things have changed since the early days of Encourage and that there would be a real benefit in involving younger people in the organisation.
Life does not have to be sad and empty if we follow the teaching of Christ and His Church. Encouragement from others can be a great help.
"Life does not have to be sad and empty if we follow the teaching of Christ and His Church. Encouragement from others can be a great help."
Amen! Our Lady's heart waits for all her children. She is healing mine and it is a joy to allow her to(joy does not mean pain free, but it is a joy that does confirm one's self worth in God's eyes, despite seeming lack of esteem, in man's). This is a much needed area of witness for any souls who feel marginalised and unloved by the church (and therefore God). Jesus loves all people so much.
I have been praying for a respected religious person to speak in the affirmative on this issue. The general feeling amongst the Catholics with SSA and gender issues who I encounter is one of rejection from the church, despite protestations to the contrary.
None of us should have to wait until the next world, to discover that we are fearfully and wonderfully made and God affirms each individual. Knowing this, sets us free, whatever that means to each individual soul.
My relationship with Our Lady is the best gift God has given to me, apart from Himself. It makes all my other relationships real and shows me the eternal importance of all, from the weakest to the strongest, richest, poorest, best, worst etc.
Stand at the foot of the Cross, hear Jesus say the words to you
"Behold you Mother"
Hear Jesus say to Mary "Behold your child"
That will be you, reader, that He is talking about!! The world begins to change, once you know that these two precious hearts love you, individually.
Don't take my word for it though, ask and see....
I will pray for the success of this venture.
Sorry if I've gone off on a sermon Father, I'm still a work in progress.......
Patricia Phillips says that these masses are officially part of Westminster Diocese's pastoral provision for "LGBT Catholics".
Is this really so? As far as I can make out the Soho Masses Pastoral Council claims such at the same time as promoting homosexual acts. The Diocese does not seem to do anything to refute that claim. Or is there something I have missed?
The Diocese, at least the higher echelons of it, do seem to do nothing to discourage the negative or to encourage the positive. In another sphere the Archdiocese took no effective action to prevent referrals for abortion or the provision of the full range of family planning services at the Hospital of St John & St Elizabeth. At the same time when there was a suggestion from within the diocese to provide natural family planning facilities at the Hospital the idea was rejected at the very top.
Confusion and muddle and the loss of the souls of the confused.
Nicolas Bellord
'said', said;
"A diocesan bureaucrat announced that from the beginning of July they will be making special provision for alcoholic Catholics in the form of a weekly Drinkers' Mass in St Bacchus', Covent Garden."
Hahahahahaha! As a one day at a time abstainer, I had to do a double take there!
This is topical and well worth plugging:
New Canadian bishops’ document seeks to rescue youth from ‘gay culture’
Some excellent advice in the document. Those reading who are dealing with this problem, or trying to help a friend/family member who is, should get hold of Fr Benedict Groeschel's The Courage to be Chaste. Gerard Van den Aardweg's The Battle for Normality is also an excellent read, though some may find it a bit tough.
I would be happy to help this apotolate!
Eccleston - many thanks. Have plugged.
Also,on EWTN,the video with Fr.Paul Check, the National Director of "Courage":
COURAGE
In the absence of any denial it does indeed seem that the Soho Masses Pastoral Council has official standing in the Archdiocese of Westminster and promotes homosexual sex.
The comment by His Grace Archbishop Vincent Nichols that people should hold their tongue as to whether communicants are in a state of grace seems irrelevant to me. Of course we cannot know whether a particular communicant is in a state of grace. The problem is that we seem to have an official body advocating homosexual sex. If someone was to accept that advocacy as the teaching of the Church then they might not be committing a mortal sin in "full knowledge" and would therefore be in a state of grace.
I repeat therefore that the scandal is in allowing this body to claim it is part of the Diocesan pastoral care.
Nicolas Bellord
Nicholas said:
"The problem is that we seem to have an official body advocating homosexual sex. If someone was to accept that advocacy as the teaching of the Church then they might not be committing a mortal sin in "full knowledge" and would therefore be in a state of grace.
I repeat therefore that the scandal is in allowing this body to claim it is part of the Diocesan pastoral care."
I wouldn't claim to be in any way authorised to know the rights and wrongs of that statement but I do know that there is a great need for the GOOD NEWS to be given to the suffering souls who believe they are rejected and unloved by many in the church. I have met such souls in the real world and online, including a priest(who is chaste). Unfortunately I have known of one, possibly two suicides, although one of these people was not Catholic but in a very strict religion nontheless. He underlined passages in the bible and then took his own life, God rest him. His friend, many years later asked me if I could arrange some prayers for him with the Catholic Church. I think of this man often, his despair, I pray for his soul too. I didn't manage to get a service of any kind for him though and i worries me at times.
If the message of God's unconditional love is proclaimed, lives will become whole. Personally, the regular praying and meditating on the rosary gave me a peace and an ability to accept the Church's teachings as true.
I still need to kick my own butt into gear, I revert to lazy spiritual behaviour far too readily! I know God loves me, deeply, yet I can still resist His nudges.
Judging souls, who have never been made aware of this available eternal love, who already, in the deepest recesses of their souls feel cursed (because of who they are) by the church and therefore God, is not the right way to go about freeing the oppressed, in my experience anyway.
Mary will give to others the key to release God's power into their lives, if encouraged by spiritual leaders. How do I know this? because she is doing it for me, one day at a time.
Stop condemning.
Start promoting.
The Rosary.
It works! It will do for us, what we cannot do for ourselves.
(Ooops! I've mixed a bit of twelve step logic in with this comment)
Shadowlands: I would hope that the point that I was making is that this is not about condemning or judging people as to whether communicants are in a state of grace. It is not something we can know and ++VN is right in saying that. However the point at issue is that we have the Soho Masses Pastoral Council being seen as part of the Diocesan pastoral care and openly declaring that there is nothing wrong with homosexual sexual activity. Why should that be tolerated anymore than any other agency of the Church which claimed there was no such thing as sexual sin i.e. adultery, fornication etc were all okay? Why does ++VN not clear up that scandal?
Nicolas Bellord
Nicholas said:
'Why does ++VN not clear up that scandal?'
Nicholas, I feel totally unqualified to answer that question and can therefore only offer an opinion, which obviously holds no power to alter or change laws. However, here it is:
Each man and woman has a deeply felt need (albeit unconscious)to know that God planned their creation, that He saw that they were good, very good. It's the truth afterall and it's the truth that sets us free. This moment of clarity is what the church (we) must strive to encourage people to seek first, not judgment. It is what Christ gave to the woman caught in adultery and she responded to that love positively.
It's what Jesus has given to me many times, I'm a seventy times seven sort....
It is missing in the public face/voice of the church for so many. The knowledge of this available joy. Why?
It is the righteousness of God and I believe if we seek this first, we will see life changes in others. The AB talks constantly about getting our own hearts in order.
I am powerless over what goes on at Westminster (Thank God!! I hear you say)but I speak on a regular basis with the God who's arms hold the universe.
So, I would suggest you leave your concerns regarding the Soho Masses with Him and then ask Him to show you what He wants you to do, that is achievable.
However, as I said, it's just an opinion, or at best a suggestion.
I hope truly that you and others find peace of mind in this area.
Dear Shadowlands
You mention the truth. Surely the understanding of the Church is that sex, outside of marriage between a man and a woman is making the wrong choice - it limits our freedom and is not choosing the good. That is what the Church says is the truth and its pastors and agencies should tell people that. How you tell them is another matter - be kind, forgiving, understanding etc etc but do not feed them with untruths.
I wonder if anyone of us could claim not to have infringed the Church's teaching on this by committing some sexual sin. Do we need Pastoral Councils to tell us that our sins were really okay? Is that the way to guide people away from sin?
Yes God created us and he saw that his creation was good but that was before the Fall. We now labour with the blemish of original sin which gives us all urges which we have to master with the grace of God.
Christ told the Woman taken in Adultery that she had sinned and in saying that he judged her. What he did was to show mercy and remit any punishment.
I certainly pray about these things and ask what I should do. I do not get the answer that when one sees scandalous behaviour one should keep quiet. That would seem to be Quietism.
As a start I think Bishops should explain their reasons for acting in the way they do if they want the Church to appear credible to the world at large.
Nicolas Bellord
Dear Nicholas
Thank you for your reply comment, in which you say:
"I wonder if anyone of us could claim not to have infringed the Church's teaching on this by committing some sexual sin. Do we need Pastoral Councils to tell us that our sins were really okay? Is that the way to guide people away from sin?"
Ofcourse we all sin and fall short, except for 'our tainted nature's solitary boast' Mary.
I personally,do not hear pastoral councils telling me sins are OK, not for me or others. I do not hear (at national level) homosexuals in the catholic church at the Soho masses saying they have heard this either.(I'm not saying it doesn't happen, just that it's not what I hear being taught as official church teaching). I did hear one mass attendee say he didn't care what the Pope thought as his faith was what he focused on, thereby publicly acknowledging and seperating himself from the church, not alligning her teachings with his beliefs. So, no misleading for me there.
Certainly the blogs I read have two differring opinions running through their threads. One, that the church is anti actual homosexuals and therefore homophobic and the other, that homosexuals should get on with being good catholics and muck in like the rest, not demanding special concessions, attention or indeed affirmation. Infact, some of the more conservative bloggers are positively angry with SSA persons, to my mind anyway.
I read the catechism and hear the voice of Our Lord speaking about compassion, sensitivity, respect etc but also clearly stating the absolute neccessity to seek chastity or celibacy in order to become fully whole as a human.
Jesus also understands that seeking this wholeness is a struggle, a burden for some and therefore fellow Catholics must be conscious of their fellow brothers and sisters spiritual needs.If one errs on the side of compassion, the Lord won't be too upset, I'm sure.
It is this area, that I find lacking. So you end up offering sentimental syrupy slosh acceptance in order not to be seen to be stirring things up or hate speech, often due in part unacknowledged and unconfessed prejudice, or an unconscious need to control others.
You also say:
'I certainly pray about these things and ask what I should do. I do not get the answer that when one sees scandalous behaviour one should keep quiet. That would seem to be Quietism.'
Whatever the answer one gets, the test of it's authenticity is what matters.
Is it in line with church teaching, for you? I don't mean according to your personal interpretation(that would be protestant), I mean according to your place in the church.
I am a woman, I can't be a priest, yet I hear women(educated and learned ones to boot!) saying that they have prayed and have heard God call them. If they submit to church authority they would dismiss their answer as not of God, despite their education and intellect. If they resist obedience, who knows where self willed geniuses might end up? obedience is a sign of holiness, intellect most certainly is not.
You Nicholas, may well be right in your beliefs and knowledge of right actions needed in this particular situation, but first of all, God may be testing, developing and strengthening your obedience before He commissions you to action, motivated by love. I don't know how obedient you are, to God, you see. I can only go on your actions, which appear to be dissenting with the AB's.
I would ofcourse, have considered putting your name forward for burning a few hundred years ago, as a possible heretic but instead, I think I shall pray to St Thomas More who keeps coming into my thoughts as I am typing. Yes, I will do exactly that. I suggest you do aswell and expect answers. He was always obedient to the church, even in extreme circumstances. He is your best example to follow here, I reckon. Invoke his aid, read about him, today. God bless.
Just spotted a list of homilies given at the soho masses. Interesting line up:
http://www.sohomasses.com/homilies
Dear Shadowlands,
I could write a long essay in answer to your post but I want to keep this short. (Even so it is long!) If you want chapter and verse for any particular point let me know and I will provide it.
Praying for guidance: I find guidance in the Bible and the teachings of the Church.
Heresy: Questioning the administrative actions of an Archbishop was never such.
But let us get to the nub of the matter. I am NOT querying what goes on at these masses or the state of grace or indeed anything about the behaviour of the participants. I have no direct experience of these masses. Others have testified. I am purely concerned with the position of the Soho Masses Pastoral Council (SMPC).
The questions that arise are:
1. Is it a Pastoral Council approved by the Diocese or is it just pretending to be such?
2. If it is merely pretending to be such, why does the Diocese not make it clear that it has no standing with them.
3. Is the SMPC faithful to the teachings of the Church?
My answers would be:
1. Canon 536 requires a Pastoral Council to be chaired by the Parish Priest. It is not clear who is Parish Priest but whether there is one or not he is certainly NOT chairing the SMPC. So this is NOT a Canonically Established Pastoral Council (CEPC).
2. Is it pretending to be such?
a. The SMPC claims to be responsible for the organisation of Masses and to be accountable for these to the Diocese of Westminster.
I would have thought that was the responsibility of the Parish Priest even where there is a CEPC who are merely consultative.
b. It further claims that Cardinal Cormac Murphy O’Connor desired to ensure that pastoral support for these communities is integrated into the overall pastoral provision of the Archdiocese of Westminster.
SMPC is thus suggesting it is part of that pastoral provision.
c. It certainly aspires to be part of the Diocesan pastoral provision.
3. Is the SMPC faithful to the teachings of the Church?
a. The SMPC originally formed part of the LGCM (Lesbian Gay Christian Movement) whose constitution makes clear that they regard homosexual sex as not being sinful. Have the SMPC disassociated themselves?
b. The SMPC have a notice on the LGCM website which does not appear on their own website. It advertises James Alison’s talk to the LGCM annual conference and describes him as a founding inspiration for what it calls the Soho Masses’ LGBT Catholic community which is a direct link to the SMPC’s website. It further announces that James Allison will lead a reflection session of this community’s experience, 12 years after the first Masses began in 1999. This will follow the Pride London weekend Mass at the Church of Our Lady of the Assumption … ALL ARE WELCOME.
c. Their current newsletter further advertises the Quest Conference at London Colney.
d. Their website provides numerous other links to websites which as far I can see are without exception dissenting from the teaching of the Church.
At the end of the day I can only see the SMPC as being an organisation that is attempting an entry into the Church to promote homosexual sex and to pretend to be something they are not. The Archdiocese does not seem to be doing anything to counter this pretence and that is a source of scandal in allowing a body which clearly dissents from the teachings of the Church to pretend it is part of the Church.
Nicolas Bellord
Post a Comment