Catholic World Report has published an interview with Bp. Thomas Paprocki of Springfield in Illinois. This is a followup to the vicious and undeserved criticism that the homosexualists have rained down on the bishop since he promulgated particular law for the diocese in his care. Bp. Paprocki holds that anyone who has sexual relations outside of a valid marriage (heterosexual or homosexual), should not receive Holy Communion unless they repent, go to confession and amend their lives. This is, of course, can. 916. Included in this are the divorced and civilly remarried without an “annulment”.
As you can imagine, the fury of those who are devilishly working to detach sexual activity from marriage are outraged, and they are using their usual tactics.
Ed Peters handled one hapless critic HERE. Jesuit homosexualist activist James Martin has reacted across social media with bad arguments. Over at the National Sodomitic Reporter (aka Fishwrap) the usual suspect, the Wile E. Coyote of the catholic Left, Michael Sean Winters, is crying from his fainting couch for Paprocki’s removal. Watch for the Fishwrap to “Finn” Paprocki… if you will permit the neologism in the style of “Bork”.
Let’s see some bits from the interview:
On June 12, Bishop Thomas Paprocki of Springfield, Illinois issued a decree regarding same-sex “marriage” (SSM) and “related pastoral issues”. In it, he reaffirmed traditional Catholic teaching that marriage can only be “a covenant between one man and one woman …” and promulgated diocesan norms relating to SSM. Norms included that no member of the diocesan clergy or staff is allowed to participate in a SSM service in any way, nor is church property to be used for SSM services or receptions. Persons in SSM relationships may not receive Holy Communion, and when in danger of death, persons in SSM relationships may not receive Holy Communion in the form of Viaticum unless they express repentance for their lifestyle. [This is nothing different than what the Church has always taught. The Sacrament of Anointing is a sacrament of the living, to be received in the state of grace. The modern vandals are working to convince us that sinners are sinners.]
Additionally, persons in SSM relationships may not receive a Catholic funeral unless they offered some signs of repentance before their death, nor may they serve as lectors or extraordinary ministers of Holy Communion at Mass. Children of parents in SSM relationships may receive the sacraments and attend Catholic schools; however, such parents should be aware that their children will be instructed in the fullness of Catholic teaching.
In a follow-up statement released June 23rd, Bishop Paprocki added that “the Church has not only the authority, but the serious obligation to affirm its authentic teaching on marriage and to preserve and foster the sacred value of the married state.”
[…]
CWR: Fr. James Martin, SJ, has complained (on his Facebook page) that this decree is “discrimination” against people with same-sex attraction because it does not include heterosexuals who commit sin or non-sexual sins. Additionally, relating to people in same-sex “marriages” receiving Holy Communion, he recently told The New York Times, “Pretty much everyone’s lifestyle is immoral.” How do you respond?
Bishop Paprocki: Father Martin gets a lot wrong in those remarks. Everyone is a sinner, but not everyone is living an immoral lifestyle. [To what low point have we arrived if that has to be explained to a priest. No. Wait. He’s a Jesuit. I take it back.] Since we are all sinners, we are all called to conversion and repentance. He misses the key phrase in the decree that ecclesiastical funeral rites are to be denied to persons in same-sex “marriages” “unless they have given some signs of repentance before their death.” This is a direct quote from canon 1184 of the Code of Canon Law, which is intended as a call to repentance. [Because such behavior is sinful and scandalous.] Jesus began his public ministry proclaiming the Gospel of God with these words: “This is the time of fulfillment. The kingdom of God is at hand. Repent, and believe in the gospel” (Mark 1:15). Applying this biblical teaching to the specific issue of funeral rites, people who had lived openly in same-sex “marriage,” like other manifest sinners that give public scandal, can receive ecclesiastical funeral rites if they have given some signs of repentance before their death.
Father Martin’s comments do raise an important point with regard to other situations of grave sin and the reception of Holy Communion. [NB] He is right that the Church’s teaching does not apply only to people in same-sex “marriages.” According to canon 916, all those who are “conscious of grave sin” are not to receive Holy Communion without previous sacramental confession. This is normally not a question of denying Holy Communion, but of people themselves refraining from Holy Communion if they are “conscious of grave sin.” While no one can know one’s subjective sinfulness before God, the Church can and must teach about the objective realities of grave sin. Speaking objectively, one can say, for example, that all those who have sexual relations outside of valid marriage, whether they are heterosexual or homosexual, should not receive Holy Communion unless they repent, go to confession and amend their lives. This includes the divorced and remarried without an annulment, as is well known from all the recent media attention on that issue.
CWR: Francis DeBernardo, Executive Director of New Ways Ministry, said that the decree will drive people with same-sex attraction away from the Church. How do you respond?
[…]
[NB] Bishop Paprocki: Gay activists have harassed my staff and me with obscene telephone calls, e-mail messages and letters using foul language and profanity, supposedly in the name of love and tolerance. I am sorry that people around me have been subjected to such hateful and malicious language. [I’ll wager that there have been threats, too.]
CWR: Is there anything you’d like to see Catholics who support the decision do to help?
Bishop Paprocki: Please pray for the conversion of sinners.
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Oh, but that “objective reality” stuff is so pre-Francis. 2+2 equals what?
Bp. Paprocki holds that anyone who has sexual relations outside of a valid marriage (heterosexual or homosexual), should not receive Holy Communion unless they repent, go to confession and amend their lives.
Fair enough, but there’s still a big difference between having heterosexual relations outside of marriage (natural, but morally wrong) and having homosexual relations (unnatural and morally reprehensible).
Fr. James Martin, SJ, has complained … that this decree is “discrimination” against people with same-sex attraction because it does not include heterosexuals who commit sin or non-sexual sins.
Yes, so it is. So what? Remember when “discrimination” was a good thing?
Thanks be to God for Bp. Paprocki. He speaks
clearly and truthfully in adhering to the teachings
of the Church. He recognizes his job is to keep souls
out of hell and lead them to Heaven. He will be hated
by the world even more, but we must serve God and not man. I will keep
His Excellency in my prayers. The fight against the
devil and his fallen angels rages on. St. Michael,
pray for us. +JMJ+
It was conspicuous to me that Fr. Martin acted as if he were completely unaware of the controversy about Communion for the divorced and civilly remarried.
This interview is excellent clarification and explanation of what was already known to the well-catechized, but unfortunately, it will be ignored by those who most need to hear it.
Ignored, that is, except for certain personalities who will selectively quote it 140 characters or less at a time to deliberately misportray the bishop’s message. The audience for such excerpts will not have sufficient attention span to actually read the full message.
Thank God for this man. How can we defend the Churches teachings if our leaders won’t even defend them? And worse, when we try to defend them our own shepherds accuse us of being Pharisees who are closed off to the Holy Spirit and a God of surprises. I truly weep for my children. May God raise up more men like this to defend and lead our Church.
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“Please pray for the conversion of sinners.” How delightfully old-fashioned and clear.
Truth in charity! This is the work bishops are supposed to be about! My God continually strengthen this good bishop and may the saints pray for the conversion of “Fr.” James Martin S.J. (Social Justice). I cannot condemn Martin for concupiscence, but only for defending sins to which he has an apparent inclination.
May God bless His good and faithful shepherd. Those living in Bp. Paprocki’s diocese are fortunate indeed.
I posted the link of Ed Peters blog post to Fr. Martin’s page on Facebook and asked him to reply. I did it in a charitable way. I was blocked. And they say people on the right do not want to respond to criticism……
When Bp. Thomas Paprocki meets Our Lord at the end of his life I think he will hear -Well done good and faithful servant. Praying for ALL of our seminarians, deacons, priests, bishops, cardinals and of course our Pope to speak this same truth .
Bishop Paptocki did a good thing recently by gathering a group of men who had been sexually abused by a priest in their high school seminary and celebrating a Mass of reparation/healing with them, after meeting with them individually to hear their stories. The abuse happened around 50 years ago. The priest is dead. He had a Catholic funeral, despite his “unnatural, reprehensible” acts that caused deep wounds in these men and many more who were not present.
But a pedophile isn’t the same thing as a homosexual. Most homosexuals are not predators. They are not necessarily abusive or violent.
I’m grateful this bishop reached out to his former classmates. I continue to pray for them and all Catholics who suffered abuse at the hands of a priest, brother, or sister–and whose lives were changed, harmed, or ruined as a result.
Well done faithful servant indeed.
Bishop Paprocki is very courageous to do what he did given the situation of the Church as it is.
When will there be a similar decree from the Extraordinary Ordinary, the most Excellent Excellency of See of the IV lacus, Bishop Morlino of the People’s Republic of Madison ?
I would believe his sentiments don’t differ too much from Bishop Paprocki in this regard…
“He had a Catholic funeral, despite his “unnatural, reprehensible” acts that caused deep wounds in these men and many more who were not present.”
What exactly is your point here? How do you know he hadn’t repented? Was he actually, before he died, campaigning for unnatural or criminal sex or living in a sinful lifestyle? Bp. Paprocki, and the Church, are making a point about those who persist in manifest sin and are obviously not repenting – even glorying in disobedience.
Oscar Wilde was conditionally baptized on his deathbed. He was intelligent enough to know that he needed to be reconciled to God. Possibly Fr. Martin could meditate on this fact to good effect. He may also wish to consider professional intervention to treat his obvious internal conflicts.