Regarding Fuller's Suicide, The Clergy Knew Beforehand

Father Dupont knew of Fuller's diabolical plans at that Mass.  Dupont is not the pastor of St Therese in Seattle; rather, he is a priest who regularly assists with Masses and who frequently said Masses at which Fuller attended.  He gave Fuller a "blessing" and even embroiled First Communicant children in his stunt, giving scandal to them.  Now what was it that Jesus said about those giving scandal to little ones?  Oh, yes!

Regarding Fuller's funeral, Seattle Archbishop Sartain gave approval for a Church funeral, in direct contradiction to Canon law.  In recent years, funerals have been granted to suicides, assuming that they were not in their right minds when they committed the act.  However, Fuller's suicide was methodically planned.  He had a party to celebrate his planned sin and even compounded that sin with the celebration of his sodomite relationship by "marrying" his accomplice in sodomy just before his suicide.  I link now to a Church Militant article where two bishops are cited as stating that unrepentant homosexuals cannot be given Church funeral rites.

So here we have two clerics, one a bishop, cooperating with several mortal sins committed by Fuller this past May.  They have cheapened God's laws and the value of human life.  We pray for their own repentance.

Doctrine Is To Be Obeyed, Not Debated

In Mark 8, we read that Jesus elevated Peter to the role of His first vicar on earth.  However, we also read that after Jesus told them of His impending crucifixion. Peter objected.  Immediately Jesus rebuked him, saying "get behind me, Satan.  You do not have in mind the things of God, but the things of men".  Notice that Jesus did not "discuss" and "dialogue" with Peter.  He taught Peter the truth in no uncertain terms, and that truth simply was not a topic of legitimate debate.  Objective truth never is subject to debate for truth stands on its own merits, regardless of the opinions of mere humans.  That same principle holds for the truths that are solemnly declared by the Church for they are the very teachings of Jesus.

Sadly our current pontiff shows signs of falling into Peter's error.  We know that those Catholics who are validly married in the Church and then divorce and take up with other people are living in the sin of adultery.  They cannot be admitted to Holy Communion, lest they burden their souls with additional mortal sins of sacrilege.  These are immutable truths, not subject to debate.  Yet as we read the interim report of last month's extraordinary synod, we see that these topics were indeed debated by prelates who should know better than that.  Pay attention to paragraphs 47-48, and 50-52.  Those who wrote these paragraphs undoubtedly toy with the heinous notion that these truths, taught by Jesus Christ Himself through the Magisterium, are subject to debate and even doubt and disobedience.  Towards the end of the synod, these paragraphs were voted out of the report by the synod fathers.  Incredibly and yes, inexcusably, the Holy Father ordered that these paragraphs remain in the final report, thus opening the topics once again to debate at next year's ordinary synod.  We also note with dismay that the Holy Father has retained Archbishop Bruno Forte as special secretary of the synod.  It was he who wrote paragraphs 50-52.

Already one can see the scandal wrought by this de facto wavering on the truths that have always been taught by the Church.  Many good priests and religious are now finding themselves in constant "damage control" mode, trying to repair the damage done by signals from the synod that are conflicted at best.  Read this account by Father Jerry Pokorski in the Catholic Thing.

In a valiant effort to prevent much damage at next year's synod, Cardinal Burke is urging all the faithful to write to the Pope to ask him to remove these topics from the agenda for the next synod.  Here is contact information.

Statement Of Father Thomas Euteneuer

There have been many questions surrounding the departure of Father Thomas Euteneuer from his postion as Director of Human Life International.  Yesterday he issued a statement that can be read here.

Until now, I've declined to post on the matter, simply because I didn't know much.  There was way too much secrecy surrounding this departure.  However, that very secrecy, coupled with the deplorable history of the Church hierarchy in dealing with the homosexual sex scandals of the past decade caused me to conclude that there was no reason to assume a passive stance.  Many bloggers did ask questions, for which I commend them.  Still, others repeated allegations of wrongdoings from alleged victims who undermine their own credibility by choosing to skulk in the shadows of anonymity; that is unacceptable.

I also had believed the possibility that Father might have been railroaded for his unambiguous defense of the Church's teachings on life, and his fearless calling out of those public figures who promulgate the murder of babies and promotion of perversion.  Had that been the case, Father Euteneuer would by no means be the first such victim.  Several years ago, near my home, a priest had the audacity to teach a class on Humanae Vitae and he did so clearly.  Because he apparently offended some wealthy and contracepting parishioners, he was prevented at preaching at Masses and shipped off to "diocesan siberia".  And from the Diocese of Arlington (wherein HLI is located, by the way), there is the situation with Father James Haley.  A blogging colleague has devoted an entire blog to his plight.  Read it here.  Also causing me to fear harm to Father was the all-too-sudden suppression of his two latest books on the demonic influences on abortion.  That is a question that remains unanswered.  Why were those books recalled?  Was there error in the books?  Father's personal situation notwithstanding, would not the facts in the books stand or fall on their own merits?  Until that question is answered, it will be asked repeatedly.

We all appreciate Father's candid statements.  Father alludes to "malicious falsehoods that were published this past week on various internet sites".  While I don't necessarily doubt the existence of malicious posts, I did not see any malice in any of the sites that I read; the ones citing the anonymous allegations I believe were grossly imprudent, but not malicious.  Questions were raised not so much by the bloggers but by the abysmal culture of secrecy that has for far too long, been the modus operandi of the hierarchy. We've seen the damage done during the gay clergy abuse debacle. Silence and obfuscation has led to bankrupt dioceses, lost faith and even suicides.

I've no bones saying now that both the Florida bishop and HLI (or its local bishop, if direction came from him) badly bungled the handling of this matter.  Had Father been allowed to make this statement early on, much useless speculation and angst would have been avoided.
 
I thank Father for coming forth as he did.  Let us pray for Father, for Human Life International and all the other pro-life efforts.  Let us also pray for our own selves, for each and every one of us is prone to sin and weakness.  Prayer, Confession, Sacraments, Rosary, etc are needed by all.

The Scandal Of The Oblivious Catholic

So often we who make known the ills of the Church are villified as scandalmongers - or at best, eccentric alarmists focusing "only on the negative".  These attitudes quite often come from good people who do go to Mass and are faithful to marriage vows, who do try to raise their children properly, etc.  However, they either fail to, or perhaps refuse to, acknowledge the severity of the corruption inside the Church.  They play the role of the "three monkeys" very well.  I daresay the folks who produce the Catholic Standard, for the most part, are of that ilk.  Of course their priorities are dictated by the chancery, but there still remains that concept of journalistic integrity for which they should aim - for whatever reason, they don't.  I cannot excuse that; the omissions of key facts from their accounts are too glaring not to be noticed by those of us who do have our eyes open.

So why do we bloggers, etc continue to sound the alarm, at the expense of making other good Catholics uncomfortable?  Well, as Our Lord said, "ye shall know the truth, and the truth will set you free."  Notice He did not say "ye shall think happy, positive thoughts, and they'll make you feel warm and fuzzy".  The truth sometimes is unpleasant, but it must be accepted by us all.  Without the light being shown on the ills of the Church, there will be no motivation to rectify those ills.  Let us realize that the scandal lies not in the exposition of evil, but in the evil itself.  Should we turn blind eyes and deaf ears to that evil and say nothing (the three monkeys!) , it is then that we'll truly be culpable of spreading scandal - for we'll be letting evil continue unhindered.

Click here if you can't see embedded video.