The Moral and Heretical Crises in the Catholic Church
Essay 1—The sexual abuse crisis and the collapse of sexual morality
Catholics who follow Church news or Catholic posts on social media may be confused or even disheartened with the things that they are reading and hearing. I will present a series of short essays concerning current moral and heretical crises currently plaguing The Church. These essays are written with the intent to inform the Catholic faithful of current problems and their potential solutions without providing excessive detail that is available elsewhere. In this first essay we shall examine the clergy sexual abuse crisis and provide an answer to the question of what is really at the core of this evil.
Background and the McCarrick abuses
The sexual abuse crisis in the Church has received mass media coverage for the past couple of decades. While the Catholic Church instituted well needed reforms for the protection of minors, it has failed to identify and pluck out the root cause of the issue. The crisis started to come to a head over the last couple of years and exploded with the courageous statements made by Archbishop Vigano, former Apostolic Nuncio to the United States under Popes Benedict XVI and Francis. In coming forward with serious accusations of sexual abuse by former Cardinal Theodore McCarrick, the Archbishop destroyed the veil of protection sewn by Pope Francis and worn by the former Cardinal and others complicit in the coverup of his abuses and the abuses of so many prelates. McCarrick was accused and found guilty of multiple counts of sexual assault on young men including seminarians. In one particularly evil incident, McCarrick used the Sacrament of Reconciliation to groom and attack his prey. These acts are nothing short of Satanic. Vigano has credible evidence that Pope Benedict XVI knew about McCarrick’s abuses and privately sanctioned him, removing him from public ministry only to have Pope Francis to rescind those sanctions. Pope Francis claims that he had no knowledge of the McCarrick accusations, nor the sanctions imposed by Benedict. The evidence, however, does not support the Holy Father’s denial. Immediately following Vigano’s bombshell letters, the Archbishop went into hiding where he still remains. He continues to speak in his seclusion, occasionally granting interviews and releasing letters.
Increasing calls of investigation from the Bishops, priests, and laity prompted the Vatican to hold the sexual abuse summit of 2019. The summit was an opportunity for a serious dialogue around the root cause of this evil and to impose concrete procedures for dealing with future issues of abuse by clerics and with those that help cover up these evils. Instead, this opportunity was squandered in favor of a convenient, clean, and politically correct talking point. The result of the summit was an indictment of clericalism as the root cause of the crisis. In reality, nothing could be further from the truth. Furthermore, United States bishops were determined to undertake strict reform following the Pennsylvania grand jury report but were sidelined by Francis because of the Vatican’s proposed summit. The USCCB has still not had the opportunity to deal directly with the issue which is plaguing the Church worldwide but especially here in the United States.
The Root of the Evil
In 1972 Pope Paul VI wrote that “The smoke of Satan has entered the Church of God.” This was shortly after the Second Vatican Council, which can be said to have been hijacked by progressive, liberal, and dangerously secular members of the Church hierarchy. We will discuss more about the Second Vatican Council in subsequent essays. This enigmatic statement by Pope Paul VI has been postulated to refer the secularization and moral laxity that has consumed the post-conciliar period of the Church. One of the unintended but serious consequences of the Council was tacit acceptance of widespread homosexual activity among all strata of the Church hierarchy. This acceptance resulted from efforts of so many bishops and cardinals to protect themselves from those that would root out active homosexual clergy from the Church. It is a fact that the widespread practice of homosexuality by clerics who have not been faithful to their vows of celibacy have directly caused the abuse crisis that the Church is suffering from this very day. The Church would have the faithful erroneously believe that the abuses are from pedophiliac priests and that the abuse crisis is a child abuse crisis. There have certainly been child victims and I am in no way dismissing that. However, despite the attempts by the Church hierarchy to hide facts from the faithful, it is now widely known that the preponderance of the abuse victims were not children but post-pubescent adolescent males. The conclusion is that the sexual abuse crisis is not a result of pedophilic clergy but instead widespread actively homosexual priests and bishops along with their sympathizers.
Sister Lucia dos Santos, a Fatima visionary, predicted that the final battle between good and evil will be fought over marriage and the family. We are seeing this battle raging in our midst today. In just ten short years we have seen the desecration of marriage and family life. Issues of sexual morality and gender identity are now played out in the light of day and accepted by so many in our culture. One cannot turn on the TV or view social media without being attacked by ideas and images that are contrary to natural and moral law. Previously such abominations to God’s creation lurked in the shadows, but our enemy the Devil, has been granted weak minds and weak souls on which to prey. This weakness, I believe, is a direct result of the lack of courage on part of our Bishops to uphold the teachings of the Church. I believe this is also a direct result of the Second Vatical Council or at least the implementation of the ideas of the Council. We have been weakened by sin and by the heresy of moral relativism. We are taught that if we don’t accept disordered morality then we are bigoted, non-compassionate, and even non-Christian.
Where do we go from here?
As Catholic Christians we must not be led into the darkness of confusion. We cannot lose our compass. Society teaches us that there are multiple truths; what is true for me may not be what is true for you. This is a modern heresy called relativism! There is only one truth and that is the Gospel of Jesus Christ as taught by the Magisterium of the Catholic Church. Unfortunately, we are living in a time where our shepherds don’t faithfully teach this truth. They fall into Satan’s trap and sacrifice truth for convenience and even popularity. Many, such as James Martin who is a Jesuit priest and vocal advocate of the homosexual agenda, are preaching heresy with no consequences from his Order, his Ordinary, or the Vatican. We must remember that to be merciful means to admonish sinners!
If there is one positive idea that came from the Second Vatican Council it is that the laity have a voice and a place in the Church. When our priests and Bishops fail to preach the truth of the Gospel it is our duty to call them to task. You see, this is our Church and we have the responsibility to safeguard Her. Christ promised that the gates of the netherworld would not prevail against Her. The final battle is raging on, but our victory is assured. The Blessed Mother of God has already crushed the serpent under her foot.
How then do we fight the battle? Arm yourselves with humility, for pride is the tool of the devil. Pray for humility, but most importantly go frequently to Confession. Receive the Eucharist at least weekly but daily if possible. Safeguard the belief in the Real Presence. The Eucharist is the body, blood, soul, and divinity of Jesus Christ. Without the Blessed Sacrament we cannot defeat the enemy. Turn to the Most Holy and Blessed Mother of God. She is our most powerful intercessor. Say the Rosary frequently; it is a powerful weapon against evil. Finally, pick up your cross daily. Offer your suffering for the Church and for the consolation of the Immaculate Heart of Mary and the Sacred Heart of Jesus.
Scott Francis Davis, O.P.
