In Atlanta protests about @JamesMartinSJ upcoming talk – #sodoclericalism

There is a piece at LifeSite that you should see, if you want to understand something about how The Present Crisis grew, over the years, to the existential threat that it is in these USA.

Remember: The Lord gave us an indefectible Church and promised that Hell would not prevail.  He didn’t promise that the Church would survive in these USA.

James Martin, LGBTSJ, infamous homosexualist and #sodoclericalism activist was inexplicably invited by the Archbishop of Atlanta to speak.  The talk will take place at – where else? – the Jesuit parish.

Concerned people are angry and they are protesting.   Martin finds this puzzling because, after all, he is “approved” and “in good standing”.   Why oh why would anyone protest?

The answer is fairly straightforward.  As LifeSite says:

Atlanta’s CBS 46 reported about Catholics who gathered outside the Cathedral of Christ the King on Sunday protesting Archbishop Gregory’s invitation:

“We’re simply protesting two things,” said Dr. Kelly Bowring. “One, that Archbishop Gregory directly invited Father James Martin to speak. It wasn’t that it just happened. He invited him. And secondly that Father James Martin himself is coming to the diocese to speak with a pro-gay agenda.”

Demonstrators told reporter Ashley Thompson that Father Martin is known to celebrate the gay community, which they say is against church doctrine.

“He is promoting active homosexuality,” said Diane Duquette. “He says there is nothing wrong with that.”

[…]

“We’re concerned that Father James Martin is being invited because we understand and agree to reach out to homosexuals and to love the sinner but the problem that Father James Martin does not address is the sin of homosexuality,” said Bowring.

I don’t think anyone on this planet believes, really, that Martin is promoting just compassion for homosexual people and, in some instances, more charitable treatment.   Everyone knows that what he is doing is trying to make homosexual acts acceptable, on par with normal, heterosexual sex, as if there is no moral difference.   When queried, he simply won’t clarify that homosexual acts are always gravely sinful.   He does not accept the teaching of the Church that a homosexual orientation is disordered (cf CCC 2357-2358).

If Martin would be clear about what the Church teaches and also talk, for the good of souls, the intrinsic evil of homosexual acts, then the rest of his message about charity toward homosexual people would be alright.  I think we could all back that.

But that’s not what he does.

Why would Catholic parents be at all concerned that the LGBTSJ message – which effectively undergrids and defends the problem of #sodoclericalism that we are struggling with now?

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6 Comments

  1. rdowhower says:

    I don’t think it’s inexplicable that Gregory would invite him. It’s quite obvious. Perhaps Fr. Z was winking when he wrote that line.

  2. Sawyer says:

    Yeah, I’ve heard about Gregory. Lots of people have. No secret there.

  3. scottygal says:

    My husband recently found out that the pastor of the most LGBT-friendly parish in Atlanta is the priest that married us many years ago in Athens, GA. My heart almost broke when I learned this information. However, it clarified why he told us during our pre-marriage formation that premarital sex was OK since we were getting married, and that contraception should be a matter of our personal consciences. Sadly, we believed him. This same priest has been designated by Archbishop Gregory as a spiritual adviser to those who have been sexually abused by priests.

  4. RKR says:

    “Remember: The Lord gave us an indefectible Church and promised that Hell would not prevail. He didn’t promise that the Church would survive in these USA.”

    Wow. I never thought about it quite like that before. This is really sobering.

  5. LarryW2LJ says:

    A question that someone posed on Twitter: “Why does Fr. James Martin always have to remind us that he’s “a priest in good standing.”?

    My answer was a question my Mom would ask from time to time – “Who are you trying to convince? Me …. or yourself?”

  6. hwriggles4 says:

    Two things:

    One way to handle an invite like this is “don’t show up “. Years ago, a protest was scheduled outside of the diocesan chancery office. Since only 18 people showed up, television news crews left. This dissenter is seeking attention, and if his forum is empty, the point is made, and the host should get the message.

    Second point: Back in the 70s and 80s (and sometimes now if marriage prep is done by senior citizens and Fr. Yeah Whatever who was ordained in 1975) I heard it was normal (just about anywhere in the United States and Canada) for couples to be told that artificial contraception was okay, since 90% of those who attend Sunday Mass are doing it, and most priests didn’t care. Quite a few priests during that time told women “follow your conscience ” and some priests even told men “oh, you have had 3, 4, or more kids – it’s okay for you to have a vasectomy. ” I am glad many priests who have seen the fallout from contraception (one good priest years ago told me he was inundated with annulment paperwork), living together without a marriage license, and no fault divorce are more in tune with Church teaching.

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