The scandal which has occupied the news almost daily, since early in the year 2002, is not restricted to Catholics or clergy. It is widespread in every occupation and religion. The darkness of the evil fruits of the sex revolution is only now coming into full bloom in all its evil and ugliness. We see that it has touched even some of the clergy, their victims and families. It is painful but it will bring purification.
The media which was a large factor in propagating the sex revolution, advocating license in the name of “freedom,” is now acting horrified at the leniency of some Catholic leaders toward sex abuses by some priests. The unbalanced media keeps speaking about pedophilia, which means only children. The problem is rather active homosexuality.
The secular media has long fostered homosexuality, along with its gay unions, abortion, artificial birth control etc. All this and pornography too in the name of “freedom.” If the media called it “homosexual activity” - they would have struck against their own agenda. Yes, corruption has sunk deeply into some priests. There is “no place in the priesthood or religious life for those who would harm the young” said Pope John Paul. Many seminaries have long needed a reform. Our people have a right and a duty to demand reform where it is needed. Yes, perhaps less than 2% of the total priests have been guilty. Yet how many youth have they harmed? And what an unjust image they’ve given to the holy priesthood of Jesus Christ and the thousands of innocent priests. Yes, the abuse problem is among Protestant clergy and civic circles too and hardly mentioned by the media. Yes, the media. which in general is against Catholic moral teachings on human sexuality, feels the need to do the Catholic Church in. But delay in cleaning our own house gave the media this opportunity.
Dissenters among Catholics, especially beginning with the dissent against Humanae Vitae, which reaffirmed the 2000 year doctrine that artificial birth control is seriously sinful, set off the watering down of morals among millions of Catholics and some clergy. Young men coming from a sex revolution society, entering some of our seminaries where true Catholic sexual morality was not taught, then as priests sometimes did not teach true faith and morals. If they had homosexual tendencies, it seems, they justified themselves while corrupting young people and committing sacrilege.
Some of our seminaries did not teach sound theology or give strong spiritual formation? Fr. Benedict Groeschel says he was excused from teaching in three different seminaries because he taught true Catholic morality on these subjects. The saintly, scholarly, late Fr. John A. Hardon, S.J., theological advisor for the Fatima Family Apostolate and for this magazine, once told me. “I have a doctorate, yet I am not permitted to teach Moral Theology.” I used to be a columnist for the National Catholic Register and regular writer for Our Sunday Visitor. At times I wrote on the need for reform in teaching sound theology and giving proper spiritual formation to our seminarians. A priest on the national committee for seminaries in those years commented, “Fr. Fox criticizes the seminaries every chance he gets.” He was right. But he never answered my criticisms. The lack of reform that was needed then, is what has contributed to the crisis the Catholic Church faces now in the USA.
Our bishops did not stand up sufficiently and effectively to the sexual revolution that began decades ago. They still must stand up to politicians who are not pro-life or the culture of death will increase. The revolution held that pleasure was the most important thing as regards sex. This became widespread in society. With some priests and bishops, not fully committed to the true teachings of the Catholic Church on sexual morality, we have come to where we are now. Our Popes have spoken out strongly and repeatedly against sexual immorality and artificial birth control. Reportedly millions of married “Catholics” reject this teaching. Their position then is joined to the sexual revolution. The artificial birth controllers, who even receive Communion with this mortal sin on their souls, are joined with the abusing priests in leading the Church to the crisis it now faces. They live in sacrilege. All these are part of the problem. It took 20 years for Fr. Charles Curran, who led the dissent against Humanae Vitae, to be stripped of his title as a Catholic theologian at the Catholic University. Why? Some priests who were active homosexuals, and a few pedophiles, were transferred. Their bishops thought a new assignment, after some psychological counseling, would cure them. This only perpetuated the problem and harmed more young souls.
God writes straight with crooked lines. The media out to crush the Church, perhaps unwittingly, is now compelling the Church to be true to itself. Our bishops know they can no longer sweep problems under the rug. They must act decisively according to true faith and morals. Then the Church will be purified.
RJF
