The Lumen Fidei Institute started off the new year with a conference on The Catholic Family focusing on the duties and responsibilities of Catholic parents. The conference washeld in The Glenroyal Hotel, Maynooth on the feast of St Brigid, 1st February 2020.
Defensive Strategy:
For far too long Catholics in Ireland and elsewhere have been operating a defensive strategy where we spend more time defending ourselves against the slurs of those who oppose our Catholic faith and lifestyle and less time promoting the authentic teachings of the Catholic Church. We have allowed our enemies to set the agenda for public discourse. We have seen the disastrous results of such a strategy in the so called “same-sex marriage” referendum where most of the Catholics who publicly campaigned against same sex marriage sought desperately to display their “pro-gay people” credentials and refused to proclaim Catholic Church teaching on the inherently disordered nature of the same-sex sexual lifestyle. This lifestyle destroys lives and presents a danger to society because it undermines the very bedrock of civilised society which is the family founded on the indissoluble marriage of one man and one woman.
The French author Edmond Lafond relates a conversation between St Bernadette of Lourdes and a visitor to her convent. This conversation took place at the time of the Franco-Prussian war which lasted from July 1870 to January of 1871.
Visitor: “Did you receive, in the grotto of Lourdes, or after then, any revelations related to the future and fate of France? Did not the Blessed Virgin deliver any warning for France, any threats?”
St Bernadette: “No”
Visitor: “The Prussians are at our gates; does that not cause you any fear?”
St Bernadette: “No.”
Visitor: “There is thus nothing to fear?”
St Bernadette: “I only fear bad Catholics.”
Visitor: “You do not fear anything else?”
St Bernadette: “No, nothing else.”
(from Edmond Lafond, La Salette, Lourdes, Pontmain: voyage d’un croyant, Paris, 1872, p. 238)
We Cannot Fail to Proclaim Catholic Church Teaching:
Catholics who fail to proclaim Catholic Church teaching on the disordered nature of homosexual relationships in public debates on same-sex marriage, are bad Catholics. The best advice and the best help that you can give to someone living the same-sex lifestyle is to encourage them to discover the beauty of Catholic Church teaching on human sexuality. Nothing else will bring true peace to their lives. Nothing else will free them from the bondage of sexual slavery to which they have succumbed.
The failure of the Irish bishops to oppose Fr James Martin and the promotion of the LGBT agenda at The World Meeting of Families and the failure of those Catholics who publicly participated in the media debates at the time of Ireland’s marriage referendum, to clearly proclaim Church teaching on this matter, has encouraged the purveyors of sexual immorality to step up their game and to increase their efforts to take the citadel that once was Catholic Ireland.
The reason for this is simple. If Catholics will not defend the teachings of the Catholic Church in the public square, then clearly, they either do not believe in those teachings or they are uncomfortable and embarrassed about them and wish to keep them quiet. It becomes a matter of private belief which not everyone is called to profess. This is contrary to what the Catholic Church teaches when she declares; ‘extra Ecclesiam nulla salus’ – “outside the Church there is no salvation.” All are called to profess Jesus Christ and all are called into the Catholic Church.
The Enemy’s Furious Assault:
David Carlin writing about this defensiveness in ‘The Catholic Thing’ puts it this way.
“In the 1960s, the enemy began a furious assault against one of our “walls.” Which one? Has he been attacking our belief in the Trinity? Or the Incarnation? Or the Virgin Birth? Or the Resurrection? Or the Atonement? Or Transubstantiation? Or life after death?
No, his assault has especially been directed at our sexual ethic; our ethic of chastity; our belief (a very strange belief in the eyes of our enemies) that the sexual act should be reserved for a man and woman who are married to one another.
How have we American Catholics, under the leadership of our bishops, whom we believe (or pretend to believe) are the heirs of the apostles, reacted to this great assault? Have we defended our ancient sexual ethic? Have we insisted that sex outside of marriage is wrong? Have we denounced abortion? Have we deplored homosexuality? Have we expressed our bewilderment and horror that such a weird thing as same-sex marriage should be generally accepted?
… We let the enemy climb over our wall. We let them enter the castle – where, once they destroy our sexual beliefs, they will have an easy time destroying all the others. And the enemy has been helped by having a Catholic fifth column within the walls.” (David Carlin – The Catholic Thing – Friday 13th December)
All Out Assault on Catholic Schools:
Although David is writing about the American situation, the Irish situation is no different, or perhaps it is even worse. Emboldened by the lack of a true and courageous proclamation of Catholic teaching on sexual matters by the Irish hierarchy and other Catholics in the public sphere, and particularly the lack of a proclamation of Catholic teaching on the intrinsic disorder of the homosexual lifestyle, the LGBT movement has launched what could be termed an all-out assault on our Catholic schools.
Our bishops seem to stand idly by whilst the Catholic schools under their patronage are assaulted with false sexual ideologies. In the Archdiocese of Tuam, a young man called Bradley Brock, who likes to dress up as a woman and perform erotic dances at adult night clubs and performs these dances with a group which calls itself ‘The Dirty Circus’, was recently invited to give a presentation to transition year students from both a Catholic boys’ secondary school and a Catholic girls’ secondary. Most of these boys and girls being in transition year are under eighteen years of age which means that they are legally children.
In the diocese of Waterford, a Catholic Christian Brothers’ secondary school posted a picture of the staff holding aloft the ‘gay’ rainbow flag and their newsletter congratulated those “who wore the pride and trans colours.”
‘Pride’ celebrates the homosexual lifestyle, so why is a Catholic school promoting this lifestyle to the children in their care? Where are the bishops when this is going on? Are the children in these schools not entitled to protection under the diocesan ‘safeguarding children policy and procedures’?
My ongoing research into this matter shows a very disturbing picture. For example, it is clear that the LGBT organisation ‘Belong-To’, which we featured in one of our recent newsletters, is clearly targeting and boasting about their infiltration of Catholic schools. This group campaigned for ‘same-sex marriage’ and for the repeal of the eight amendment of the Irish constitution. On their website they proclaimed.
“BeLonG To Youth Services is proud to campaign for a repeal of the 8th Amendment in the upcoming referendum on May 25th. Alongside fellow youth organisations, the Union of Students in Ireland (USI) and Spunout.ie, over the coming weeks we will be campaigning to remove this restrictive law from the Irish Constitution. By campaigning for a ‘yes’ vote in the upcoming referendum we are saying yes to an Ireland where the health and well-being of every pregnant person is treated with compassion and dignity.
Lack of access to safe and legal abortion is an issue for the young people we work with, and we will be campaigning for a more compassionate Ireland that provides abortion care to those who need it. LGBTI+ young people are effected by unplanned pregnancies. According to international research, unplanned pregnancy among younger same-sex attracted women is much higher than among their heterosexual peers.
BeLonG To Executive Director Moninne Griffith said: “We saw the significant impact the youth vote had on the Marriage Equality referendum in 2015, and we hope to see a similar turnout in the upcoming referendum on the removal of the 8th Amendment to the Constitution. It is vital all young people are registered to vote so they can have their say on one of the most important human rights issues of a generation.” ”
Belong-to run a week-long LGBT initiative called ‘stand-up’. It was officially launched a few years back at a Catholic school in the archdiocese of Dublin. Many Catholic schools actively take part in this initiative which undermines Catholic Church teaching and seeks to normalise the homosexual and other aberrant sexual lifestyles under the guise of preventing bullying.
Why Single Out a Particular Group for Special Ptrotection?
Shouldn’t all children be protected from bullying and not just those who claim to be LGBT? What is so special about those who claim to be LGBT that they deserve to be singled out for special protection and get a whole week devoted to their cause? Are other children who experience bullying not that important? What about the Catholic schoolchildren who experience bullying and intimidation because they refuse to go along with the LGBT agenda? Are they not deserving of protection or will they be excluded in the name of inclusion because they refuse to harm their peers by going along with a false sexual ideology?
Why do our Irish bishops permit an organisation that promotes the same-sex lifestyle which is particularly harmful to children, an organisation which promotes the killing of other unborn children, to have access to children in Catholic schools? This is a most serious failure of the Irish bishops who have a duty to protect children from these harmful ideologues in the Catholic schools. This duty is owed first and foremost to Almighty God, and then it is owed to Catholic parents who have entrusted their children to these Catholic schools.
Catholic Parents Need to Become Aware of What is Happening in Catholic Schools:
Catholic parents in Ireland with children of school going age need to become aware of just how deplorable the situation is in Ireland. When an erotic drag queen strip club dancer is given access to children in a Catholic school which is under the authority of a Catholic bishop, it is long past time for parents to act. If the bishops will not protect your children, then you must act and act fast, otherwise you are leaving your children in danger.
My purpose in writing about these things is to warn Catholic parents and others and to show you just what is proposed for children worldwide in this decadent culture in which we now live. My presentations on these matters are not suitable for children.
Parents Have a Duty to Protect Children:
We must get this important message out to as many concerned Catholic parents as possible and we must now go on the offensive to protect our children from these harmful ideologies. As parents, Christ calls us to this task and He will give us the necessary means to protect and guide our children if we but trust in Him and follow His wise counsel which is to be found in the traditional teachings of the Catholic Church. Sadly, at present we cannot rely on our bishops to fight this battle with us, but please God, when they see that we are serious in promoting traditional Catholic marriage and family life, which is the safest environment in which to rear children for Heaven, we can pray that at the very least they will not oppose our efforts.
But come what may, Irish bishops or no Irish bishops on our side, we must defend God’s children or die trying. Too many children have already been left in harm’s way by inaction or by a failure to directly tackle and oppose the LGBT protagonists. Catholic parents have been betrayed by too many men of the cloth who daily contradict Catholic Church teachings and campaign for changes in the church which will directly harm our children. Let us rise to the challenge that lies before us and follow the example of St Paul.
“Finally, brethren, be strengthened in the Lord, and in the might of his power. Put you on the armour of God, that you may be able to stand against the deceits of the devil. For our wrestling is not against flesh and blood; but against principalities and power, against the rulers of the world of this darkness, against the spirits of wickedness in the high places.
Therefore take unto you the armour of God, that you may be able to resist in the evil day, and to stand in all things perfect. Stand therefore, having your loins girt about with truth, and having on the breastplate of justice, And your feet shod with the preparation of the gospel of peace: In all things taking the shield of faith, wherewith you may be able to extinguish all the fiery darts of the most wicked one.
And take unto you the helmet of salvation, and the sword of the Spirit (which is the word of God). By all prayer and supplication praying at all times in the spirit; and in the same watching with all instance and supplication for all the saints: And for me, that speech may be given me, that I may open my mouth with confidence, to make known the mystery of the gospel. For which I am an ambassador in a chain, so that therein I may be bold to speak according as I ought.” (Ephesians 6:10-20)
Let us also take comfort in the words of Psalm 5:
“Give ear, O Lord, to my words, understand
my cry.
Hearken to the voice of my prayer, O my King and my God.
For to thee will I pray: O Lord, in the morning thou shalt hear my voice.
In the morning I will stand before thee, and will see: because thou art not a
God that willest iniquity.
Neither shall the wicked dwell near thee: nor shall the unjust abide before thy
eyes.
Thou hatest all the workers of iniquity: Thou wilt destroy all that speak a
lie. The bloody and the deceitful man the Lord will abhor.
But as for me in the multitude of thy mercy, I will come into thy house; I will
worship towards thy holy temple, in thy fear.
Conduct me, O Lord, in thy justice: because of my enemies, direct my way in thy
sight.
For there is no truth in their mouth; their heart is vain.
Their throat is an open sepulchre: they dealt deceitfully with their tongues:
judge them, O God. Let them fall from their devices: according to the multitude
of their wickedness cast them out: for they have provoked thee, O Lord.
But let all them be glad that hope in thee: they shall rejoice for ever, and
thou shalt dwell in them. And all they that love thy name shall glory in thee:
For thou wilt bless the just. O Lord, thou hast crowned us, as with a shield of
thy good will.” (Psalm 5)
Looking forward to seeing you at one of our Roadshow Workshops.
May God bless you
