In Defense of The Family - Part Six

On October 9, 2010 "The World Congress For Life" was held. His Eminence, Raymond Cardinal Burke, the Prefect of the Apostolic Signatura gave the main address. It was titled, "Catholic Orthodoxy; antidote against the culture of death."

In the introduction he made this statement, "Now more than ever, the world needs the consistent witness to the truth, expressed in the Sacred Scriptures and in Tradition, which is the condition of the possibility of a culture which respects fully the gift of human life and its origin in procreation, that is, in the cooperation of man and woman with God through the conjugal union and through education in the home which they have formed by marriage."

In Defense of the Family - Part Five : The Theology of the Body & Humanae Vitae

Pope John Paul II began to teach on the theology of the body at his general audiences which were held each Wednesday at St. Peters. They were held each Wednesday from 1979 to 1984. The Holy Father began with the second creation story in Genesis. "God created man from the dust of the ground.. He blew into his nostrils the breath of life and he became a living being" Man, however was alone. God said "It is not good for the man to be alone". When the animals were created God brought them to the man and he named them but none were suitable for the man. This period is called the solitude of man. God put the first man whom he had named Adam into a sleep and took from his side a rib which became a woman.. This account is theological in nature and is not political or feminist. It is that woman was made for man and man was made complete by woman. The woman was named Eve. Scripture refers to them as husband and wife. God who created them for each other commanded them to "go forth and multiply and fill the earth" This relationship is nuptial. Marriage is their vocation. At this point we will skip forward to Jesus crucifixion on the cross, Scripture says that the centurion opened Jesus side with a lance after he died, ( when He was in the sleep of death ). The wound in Jesus side produced blood and water. The water symbolizing Baptism  and  The  blood the Holy Eucharist, both meaning life. Christ is the bridegroom and the Church which is born from His side is the bride. Christ and his Church is nuptial from which the Sacrament of Matrimony comes.  "For this reason a man leaves his father and mother and cleaves to his wife". Adam said on seeing Eve, "this is flesh of my flesh and bone of my bone". "What God has joined let no man put asunder" "The two shall become one flesh" The secular humanist, rationalistic mindset of human beings has fractured the original plan of God. It is the Cross of Christ that has restored the possibility of our recovering our original wholeness. We are enjoined to follow Christ and to observe the teachings of His Church to recover holiness.

In Defense of the Family - Part Four : Homosexual Unions

We quote from a proclamation from the Vatican Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith on, "Considerations regarding proposals to give legal recognition to unions between homosexual persons". This document was signed by Cardinal Joseph Ratzinger, prefect with the approval of Pope John Paul II. It is dated June 3rd 2003.

                                                         INTRODUCTION

1." In recent years, various questions relating to homosexuality have been addressed with  some frequency by Pope John Paul II and by relevant Dicasteries of the Holy See. (1) Homosexuality is a troubling moral and social phenomenon, even in those countries where it does not present significant legal issues. It gives rise to greater concern in those countries that have granted or intend to grant - legal recognition to homosexual unions, which may include the possibility of adopting children. The present Considerations do not contain new doctrinal elements; they seek rather to reiterate the essential points on this question and provide arguments drawn from reason which could be used by Bishops in preparing more specific interventions, appropriate to the different situations throughout the world, aimed at protecting and promoting the dignity of marriage, the foundation of the family, and the stability of society, of which this institution is a constitutive element. The present considerations are also intended to give direction to Catholic politicians by indicating the approaches to proposed legislation in this area which would be consistent with Christian conscience. (2) Since this question relates to the natural moral law, the arguments that follow are addressed not only to those who believe in Christ, but to all persons committed to promoting and defending the common good of society".

In Defense of the Family - Part Three : Marriage preparation and annulments

MARRIAGE PREPARATION:

Many will say that in this day of social revolution that it is not being realistic to point to the pre-marital preparation class with a priest to be that important. But it is probably the most important thing a couple can go through to prepare themselves to enter into a lifelong commitment with each other. It does not just involve them but the children that will come into the world as a result of their union. There is one thing that is more important and that is the quality of the union of their parents and the stability of the home in which they were raised. These two elements together; the family and the home they each come from and the preparation for marriage given them by the Catholic Church.

ANNULMENTS:

In Defense of the Family - Part Two

We said in part one that the six points would be reverted to later. They are listed below.

The first paragraph dealt with the Holy Father and the Bishops that were in union with him who form the Magisterium of the Church. However Paragraph twenty five of Lumen Gentium states clearly and emphatically that when the Holy Father proclaims on faith and morals he is teaching infallibly.

The second paragraph dealt with the effort of those, who in dissent, have attempted over the last forty five years to make the Encyclical Humanae Vitae, (on human life ), illegitimate

In Defense of the Family - Part One

The Catholic faith has been, and is being redefined. We are witness to a breakdown in authority and obedience. "Whoever hears my words, says the Lord, and believes in him who sent me, has eternal life". Jn 5:24. The One, Holy, Catholic and Apostolic Church is the person of Christ. Those baptized into Him by means of water and the Holy Spirit are members of His mystical body of which He is the head. The Kingdom of Heaven, the beatific vision, eternal life are names for that supernatural condition that the immortal soul of man will partake of as a reward for his cooperation with divine grace in this life on earth. He is body and soul. At the last judgment our body will be reunited with our soul forever either in heaven or in hell. Prov.24:12, Mt. 25:12,41. St. Paul says, "Eye has not seen, ear has not heard nor has it entered the mind of man the things that God has prepared for those who love him" 1 Cor 2:9

Catholic Marriage is a Sacrament and is the Rock of our culture

When a couple comes to the Church to speak to a priest or to a deacon they are taking the first step toward their wedding day in the Church. The preparation for marriage is a crucial first step. In it they will begin to examine their true feelings and motives. Do I want to make a lifetime commitment to this person sitting next to me? Am I basing my hopes and dreams on reality. Love is not a feeling or an emotion but rather it is a donation of myself to the marriage vows that I will repeat before the congregation and the priest or deacon who will represent Christ and His Church.

The priest will say:John and Mary,have you come here freely and without reservation to give yourselves to each other in marriage? Will you love and honor each other as man and wife for the rest of your lives?

Will you accept children lovingly from God, and bring them up according to the law of Christ and his Church?

In Defense of Life - Part one : Abortion, Contraception and Contraceptive Sterilization

What follows is a dictionary definition of "abortion" and "contraception". The dictionary, The Modern Catholic Dictionary authored by Rev. John A. Hardon, S.J. Among his collaborators were seven priests and three nuns. It carries the Imprimi Potest, Nihil Obstat and Imprimatur. Father Hardon has among other degrees a doctorate in theology from the Gregorian University in Rome. He was a professor in the Institute for Advanced Studies in Catholic Doctrine at St. John's University, New York.

ABORTION

Hundreds of ecclesiastical documents from the first century through the present testify to the same moral doctrine, with such nuances as time, place, and circumstances indicated. The Second Vatican Council declared: "Life must be protected with the utmost care from the moment of conception," so that "abortion" and infanticide are abominable crimes" (Constitution on the Church in the modern world, IV, 51). Pope Paul VI confirmed this teaching in 1974, "Respect for human life," he wrote, "is called for from the time that the process of generation begins. From the time that the ovum is fertilized, a life is begun which is neither that of the father nor of the mother, it is rather the life of a new human being with its own growth. It would never be made human if it were not human already." Consequently, "divine law and natural reason excludes all right to the direct killing of an innocent human being" (Declaration on procured abortion, III, 12) ( Etym. Latin abortivus, born prematurely, abortive; from aboriri, to miscarry.)

Humanae Vitae reference the clergy sexual scandals

     If we want to address the problem  of sexual abuse by clergy, we need to go back to the teachings of  "Humanae Vitae", says a Dutch Catholic psychotherapist. This is the opening sentence of the interview of Genevieve Pollock with Gerard van den Aardweg in Haarlem, Netherlands on April 28, 2010.  Mr. Gerard van den Aardweg has worked as a therapist for fifty years specializing in cases of homosexuality and marital problems. He has taught worldwide and written extensively on homosexuality and pedophilia, as well as the relation of these issues to other topics: same sex attraction in the priesthood, "Humanae Vitae", and the effects of gay parenting. The interview continues as follows.

Success in this life only - The neglect of Eternal Life

On this blog so far the moral evils of abortion, contraception, divorce and the decline of Mass attendance on Sundays and holy days of obligation have been highlighted. The question of why this is has been implied if not asked directly. I believe the answer is in the absorbing into our life styles and our thinking secularism; the atheism of the age.

The Reasons for Low Sunday Mass Attendance - ( 29% )

1.- The effect that the clergy sex abuse scandals have had on the faith of our people. The lack of justice in adjudicating the cases. The protection of offending clergy and the lack of concern for the victims as well as the innocent priests and laity who were in the parishes where these crimes took place. Justice has still not been achieved because those who covered up the offences have not been dealt with.

Low Mass Attendace on Sundays and Holy Days of Obligation. Why?

In the diocese that I belong to and many others in our country the Mass attendance on Sunday is twenty nine percent. Seventy one percent of registered catholics do not go to Church on Sunday. On holy days the figure is seven and a half percent. In 1995 the late John Cardinal O'Connor Archbishop of New York wrote a book titled, "A moment of grace", based on the Catechism of the Catholis Church. On pages 242 -243 he says, "We are bound under pain of mortal sin when it is humanly possible for us to get to Mass on Sunday". Cardinal O'Connor states the following,"The Catechism tells us about the precepts of the Church. As with so many things other things, many people seem to believe that what we call the precepts of the Church went out the window with the Second Vatican Council. Not at all. The Catechism spells them out for us."