Numerous media outlets, both religious and secular, are publishing excerpts taken from a soon to be released book-length interview of Francis the Loquacious entitled, The Strength of the Vocation.
The headlines and most of the commentaries – even from some of his most vocal critics – are focused on how Francis is holding the Catholic line on homosexuality. The fact of the matter is, however, he is doing no such thing.
Remember who we are dealing with here. (HINT: It’s not the Vicar of Jesus Christ, but rather the Archservant of the Adversary.) As such, whenever and wherever he utters a truth, one can rest assured that poison for the soul is being administered in the process.
With this in mind, let’s take a closer look at some of the excerpts.
According to reports, Bergoglio twice reiterated the idea that “homosexuality is a very serious issue that must be adequately discerned from the beginning with the candidates” to a religious or priestly vocation.
At first blush, this sounds rather good. When he goes about describing what he means by discernment, however, it is clear that he’s not exactly the “son of the Church” that he claims to be. He explains:
We have to take great care during formation in the human and affective maturity. We have to seriously discern, and listen to the voice of experience that the Church also has.
Yes, let us listen to the voice of the Church! How very Catholic!
Hold your applause, folks. It is clear that Bergoglio isn’t really interested in what the Church has to say about homosexuality. If he was, he wouldn’t be discussing the formation of homo-deviant candidates for the priesthood and religious life in terms of assessing their affective maturity – that is, their emotional state – rather, he would be framing the discussion in terms of theirmoral maturity.
Elsewhere in the interview, he repeats this idea:
Let us always bear in mind that they are persons [so-called “homosexuals”] who are going to live in the service of the Church, of the Christian community, of the people of God. Let’s not forget that perspective. We have to care for them so they are psychologically and affectively healthy.
And what about the health of their immortal souls? As he continues to speak on the topic, it becomes entirely obvious that Jorge Bergoglio isn’t concerned with such things because he does not see homosexual activity as a moral issue at all; much less does he recognize it as an intrinsic evil. He says of homosexual activity among those in a vocation:
It’s not just an expression of an affection. In consecrated and priestly life, there’s no room for that kind of affection. Therefore, the Church recommends that people with that kind of ingrained tendency should not be accepted into the ministry or consecrated life. The ministry or the consecrated life is not his place.”
NB: Francis believes that vocation candidates that are discerned as being unlikely to suppress their desire to act out on homosexual urges are no different than those men and women who are likely to find celibacy unbearable vis-à-vis their natural sexual urges.
Pay close attention to what is being said: In consecrated and priestly life, there’s no room for that kind of affection … The ministry or the consecrated life is not his place.
In other words, Francis believes that there is room for homosexual activity; just not in the ministry or the consecrated life. This he confirms as he goes on:
We have to urge homosexual priests, and men and women religious to live celibacy with integrity, and above all, that they be impeccably responsible, trying to never scandalize either their communities or the faithful holy people of God by living a double life. It’s better for them to leave the ministry or the consecrated life rather than to live a double life.
IMPORTANT: This is very subtle, but make no mistake that the homo-clerical network didn’t miss it: Above all, be impeccably responsible, trying to never scandalize…
In other words, the most important thing of all: Don’t get caught!
You see, in Jorge’s mind, the problem isn’t sin; it’s the scandal that is caused when a homo-deviant cleric or religious acts on his or her urges in violation of the vow of celibacy. And why is this a problem? Not because God is offended, but because the people of God are disturbed. [Side note: And when that happens, the process of moving humanity toward a one-world-religion is unnecessarily retarded. Another topic for another day.]
This being so, it should come as no surprise that, according to Bergoglio, the solution lies not in the priest or religious availing himself of the grace of the sacraments in the pursuit of holiness, but rather in renouncing his vows!
And this is what passes for a defense of Catholic teaching on the strength of the vocation?
If I may say… In my reading, not one Catholic outlet – “traditional” or otherwise – has offered the kind of analysis provided in this post. If you found it of value, please consider helping me continue our efforts by clicking below.
