Editor MNH: 9/25/02
Christianity has a dual face. One face looks to eternity and the world beyond. The other face is fixed on the here and now. The first face is the “rock of ages”, the second face acts like a sponge absorbing the trends of every epoch. During the Renaissance the Popes were high living Renaissance princes. During the Enlightenment, many priests and ministers subscribed to “rationality.” We live in a period marked by “toleration.” We are expected to be tolerant to the point of abrogating our own moral code and sensibilities. (Most people fear nothing more than being branded “intolerant.”) A case in point is homosexuality. In order to be considered tolerant we have to accept homosexuality as an equal valued lifestyle to heterosexuality. To expect the Catholic church to escape that trend is like putting a sponge in the water hoping it would remain dry. Therefore it does not surprise me that screening process in the seminaries failed which would have weeded out potentially pedophilic priests. I condemn pedophilia.. At the same time I condemn the dual standard of the news media. Why come down on pedophilic priests like a ton of bricks, but ignore the ACLU which defends the right of the North American Man-Boy Love Association to publish manuals on how to pick up kids and evade the cops.
I have found the answer to my question in the article by Michael Powell (Washington Post, August 2002) “Catholic Clout Is Eroded by Scandal.” The Catholic church dared to buck the trend of liberalism which is nothing more than the Communistic agenda (destruction of Christianity, internationalism/globalism, sexuality disconnected from its purpose). The Vatican even dared to empathize with the Palestinians. One way to destroy an organization is to attack “ad hominem” to use the failings of its members. But clergy and lay people have always failed. At the same time there were always, and will always be men and women who for the love of Christ do to the least of his brethren what they no longer can do to him. To the Catholics say: “pactum serva” keep the faith, baby!