Pray for the Church in the modern world.
Dear Brothers and Sisters in Christ,
Over the past week, several people have asked me questions about the Pope’s recent pronouncement regarding Civil Unions for people who have same-sex attraction and live together as a couple. The Holy Father opined that, “What we have to create is a Civil Union law. That way they are legally covered.” The basic question that arose was: “Why is this such a controversial statement? Isn’t the Pope simply trying to be fair and compassionate in a legal (not doctrinal) sense?” I cannot impute motive to what the Holy Father utters when he is expressing a personal opinion; he could very well be making a somewhat misguided attempt to show compassion and fairness. That being said, the reason this opinion is so controversial is because it goes against everything that the Church has ever written on the topic of homosexuality and morality in general. As a society, we have become the proverbial frog that has been slowly boiled. We are so accustomed to looking at things through a secular/Free masonic lens, that we don’t recognize or even know the Catholic lens anymore! We are living in direct defiance of the teachings regarding the Social Kingship of Christ, the Solemnity of which was celebrated last Sunday in the Old Rite and will be celebrated on November 22 in the New Rite. By this, I mean, that when we proclaim that Jesus Christ is the King of the World (Universe), we mean that we believe that His precepts should imbue every aspect of life, both societal and religious; so, things such as Civil Unions, so-called Gay Marriage, abortion, etc. would have no part in secular society. In our country, we have separated the secular from the spiritual, but if we believe as we say we do, the two should not be separated, for the Church is the soul that animates the body of the state. This is what Pope Pius XI was teaching us in his encyclical, “Quas Primas,” proclaimed on December 11, 1925.
In a 2003 document, written by Cardinal Ratzinger and ordered published by Pope John Paul II, we read, “The Church teaches that respect for homosexual persons cannot lead in any way to approval of homosexual behavior or to legal recognition of homosexual unions.” (Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith, Considerations regarding proposals to give legal recognition to unions between homosexual persons, n. 11.) This document issued specific guidance on the need to reject homosexual civil unions proposals!
Establishing civil unions in the framework of the law means that we are seeking to make legally right what is morally wrong. Few people who are living in a “partnered relationship” are living chaste and celibate lives. The vast majority are living lives of sin and are seeking, ultimately, full societal approval of this lifestyle. By codifying into law such things as civil unions, what one is really doing, is seeking to find a “back door” to “marriage” and full approval of a sinful lifestyle. We can see how this has worked both in our country and in Western Europe. First came the plea for equality and tolerance; then, once that was given, came the demand for civil unions and acceptance. Once that was given, the new demand was for civil marriage and not only acceptance, but affirmation. The question becomes, what will the next demand be for?
—Fr. Epperson
Announcements
REMINDER: Next Sunday, November 1, at 2:00 a.m., we revert to Standard Time by moving our clocks back 1 hour. That means that those of you who attend the 5:30 pm Sunday Mass should be prepared to worship in the dark!
FAREWELL DEAR FRIENDS: Longtime parishioners, Patrick and Trisha Welter, ask for your prayers as they embark on a move to an assisted living situation in Brentwood, CA. We wish them well in getting the help and the care they need and thank them for their many years of service to our parish.
ROSARY NOVENA: We began our Novena for our Church and Country yesterday, meeting at the Fatima Grotto at 6:00 pm. Please join us as we continue to meet and pray the Rosary at 6:00 p.m. each day, through Election Day, November 3rd.
ADORATION ON ELECTION DAY: We ask everyone to find some time on November 3rd to spend time in prayer for our country in front of the Blessed Sacrament. The Blessed Sacrament is housed in the East end of the Parish Life Center and is exposed through the window facing the parking lot. This is the most important election of our lifetime. Pray for the future of our Republic!
Parish Finances in the Age of Covid
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