Episode Transcript
Speaker 0 00:00 There's a number of different things to cover today. First a says to do it with an instruction for Rome, but uh, occasionally people email the parish expecting that all the respond and sometimes they have what I considered a frightening amount of personal information. Even stuff that I would say borders, non confessional type material contained within the emails. I don't respond to those kinds of emails. That's why there's no email address published at which I can be reached. I don't do email. I'll read you a opening line from a circle, a letter from the app store it penitentiary that will help you understand what is from Rome. October 23rd, 2002 protocol 500 slash two quote, the use of technological means fax, Internet, email, et Cetera, which the communication and exchange of news provide maximum speed of a great distances has expanded to the area of the secret of conscience, which must not give access to them close quote.
Speaker 0 01:00 So now you know why since we last talked, there've been a number of important statements concerning marriage and the contraceptive mandate from our Catholic leaders. So we'll start with some highlights from our holy fathers. Recent statement regarding marriage. Pope Benedict the 16th address, two bishops of the United States. He spoke to the bishops in Midwestern states. March 9th, 2012 quote. It is in fact increasingly evident that a weakened appreciation of indissolubility of the marriage covenant and the widespread rejection of a response, mature sexual ethic grounded in the practice of chastity have led to grave societal problems bearing an immense human and economic cost. It is blessed at John Paul to observe the future of humanity passes by way of the family, indeed marriage and a family or institutions that must be promoted and defended from every possible misrepresentation of their true nature. Since whatever is injurious to them is injurious to society itself, marriage and the family or institutions that must be promoted and defended from every possible in this representation of their true nature, since whatever's injurious to them is injurious to society itself.
Speaker 0 02:27 That's important. There is a lot of misrepresentation these days. So let's pause for a minute review to make sure we have a clear understanding of the true nature of marriage. Remember that marriage is a contract that results in a relationship in the marriage contract, a man and a woman give an except a perpetual and exclusive right for acts which are of themselves suitable for the generation of children. If a man and a woman validly make this contract, then God attaches the consequence. The two become related to each other closer than a brother is two sister closer than a father is to his son. That relationship is made directly by God. That relationship is perpetual, which means that lasts until death. It's exclusive, which means that only that man and only that woman are involved and no one else, and it's limited, which means that the couple only has the right for acts which are of themselves suitable for the generation of children. The primary purpose of marriage is the procreation and the education of children. The secondary purpose of marriage is the mutual help and comfort of the spouses and the remedy for concupiscence back to our holy father.
Speaker 0 03:54 Marriage in the family are institutions that must be promoted and defended from every possible risk. Representation of their true nature, since whatever is injurious to them is injurious to society itself. In this regard, particular mention must be made of the powerful political and cultural currents seeking to alter the legal definition of marriage. The churches conscientious effort to resist pressure calls for reason to defense of marriage as a natural institution consisting of a specific communion of persons essentially rooted in the complimentarity of the sexes and oriented who procreation. Marriage is a natural institution consisting for specific communion of persons as essentially rooted in a complimentary of the sexist and oriented to procreation. We have to have a reason defense to that here our holy fathers pointing out these attempts to legally redefine marriage. We have to be able to make a reasoned defense of the true meaning of marriage.
Speaker 0 05:02 We've already mentioned that cyclical casty Kenobi on Christian marriage by Popeyes. 11th please take the time to read that in sick full on Christian marriage by Pope Pius the 11th it will give you a very solid grounding regarding the church's teaching on marriage. Let's also note that our holy father's done as a favor here by repeating the perennial teaching the church when he states it, marriage is ordered to procreation. Now this shouldn't be that amazing, but there has been some confusion regarding this point. So much so that in 1944 the holy office actually had to explicitly reaffirm that the primary end of marriage is a procreation and education of children. But although Rome spoke clearly, still that didn't end the confusion because of some phrases. One of the documents of the second Vatican council, the documents a guardian at space. In a turn of phrase in the 1983 code of Canon law, we now hear the claim that the church teaching has changed, which is actually impossible, is a question.
Speaker 0 06:09 The natural law and that now and I quote, the Church today, identifies a principle ends of marriage bull as a principal entered marriage, both the procreation and education of children and what she calls the good of the spouses. And in fact the church today names this end, the good of the spouses first close quote. Now from a certain point of view, it can be said that the good of the sip house is the primary end of marriage. This is part of our tradition after all the catechism, the concept of Trent explicitly, explicitly speaks of this and it is in cyclical on Christian marriage. Pius the 11th deals with this very point when after explaining how the married couple should help each other grow and interior life and become holy, he states quote this mutual molding of husband and wife, this determined effort to perfect each other can in a very real sense be said to be the chief reason and purpose of matrimony.
Speaker 0 07:09 Okay, now that's clear enough, but now here's an important distinction made by the Holy Father that seems to escaped the folks who claim that the teaching the church has changed. Return to the Holy Father. This determined effort to perfect each other can in a very real sense, be said to be the chief purpose and reason of matrimony provided matrimony be looked at, not in the restricted sense as instituted for the proper conception and education of the child, but more widely as the blending of life as a whole and the mutual interchange and sharing thereof. Close quote, Pope Pie. So 11 okay, so here's the point. There are two possible points of view here. You have this broad sense, we're considering marriage as a vocation and in that that that's in, and then we have the more strict sense when we're considering marriage as marriage or in the words benedict the 16th marriage as a natural institution.
Speaker 0 08:06 So you have the broad sense, marriage is a vocation, the narrow sense marriage as it is in itself, marriage is a natural instant institution. Okay? So until today, what have we been talking about? We've been talking about marriage is marriage. We've been talking about marriage as a natural institution, as a contract. The results in a relationship and in that contract, a man and a woman give and accept a perpetual and exclusive right for acts to try themselves suitable for the generation of children. And the primary end of marriage as marriage is the procreation and the education of children as the pope is once more made clear, we can't even have an intelligent discussion about marriage until we get this right. How can we possibly understand marriage as a vocation if we don't have a clear understanding of what marriage is in and of itself as a natural institution?
Speaker 0 09:05 And it isn't just the San Francisco lobby that has this wrong read the defense of Marriage Act. It's not actually defending marriage. It is accidentally, but not directly read it. There's massive confusion here that makes it easy to see why pope benedict called for quote, a reason defense of marriage as a natural institution. So we've been talking about marriage as a natural institution. Although today we've briefly touched on marriage as a vocation and the end considered from that point of view over time, we will go into more depth there because we want you to be holy, but even that is nothing new. The fact that every vocation is a call to holiness and that marriage is a vocation, which means that it's a call to holiness in a part of the couple. All that's part of the tradition. It wasn't suddenly discovered at Vatican too. That's just pure mythology.
Speaker 0 10:03 When you hear that absolute mythology, the fact that the primary end of marriages of vocation is the whole use of spouses that fat hasn't somehow erased or eclipsed another fact, which is the fact that the primary end of marriage as marriage, the primary end of marriage as a natural institution, it's a procreation and the education of children that can never change. But nowadays, all too often this send is somehow demeaned or even dismissed and not just by the people using contraceptives and sterilizations and not just by those who are practicing NFP without sufficient reasons, but also by those who are not making the correct distinction between marriage is a vocation and marriage is a natural institution or have been so confused by terminology and God even space or the 1983 code. So we need to be thankful for our Holy Father Benedict the 16th for reminding us of all these truths.
Speaker 0 11:08 Okay, so how would we answer people ask, well what about the phrase and got him in space and the new code that seemed to show that the church is teaching has changed. You can point them to an article. It's available online called reason and purpose of matrimony. It's written by Matthew Buckley from which we'll crow very briefly with some editing as usual quote, the claim that Guardian spays represents a retreat by the church on this teaching because the section on matrimony does not contain the traditional terminology regarding the primary and secondary ends of marriage. That claim is one that has already been responded to by the magisterium apparent thetical remark, the magisterium. This is a $3 word, which just means the teaching of the church. So that claim, I'll go back to this. The claim is one that has already been responded to by the magisterium by the teaching authority.
Speaker 0 12:00 A church which rejected this weekly found interpretation of the considered text close quote. Okay, so the claim that got him in space has changed or modified the teaching regarding the primary and secondary ends of marriage. That claim has already been rejected by the magisterium. It's already been rejected by the teaching authority of the church. Matthew Buckley explains quote in a doc trial note on the book human sexuality, New Directions in American Catholic thought the sacred congregation for the doctrine of faith stated the following. I'm now quoting from the sacred congregation quote. Furthermore, in regard to the teaching of Vatican too, we note here another mistaken notion. This book repeatedly states that the council deliberately refused to retain the traditional hierarchy of primary and secondary ends of marriage, opening the church to a new and deeper understanding of the meaning and value of conjugal love. On the contrary, replying to a proposal brought forth by many counts of fathers to put this traditional hierarchical distinction into the text of God space, the Commission of the Modi.
Speaker 0 13:17 Now this was the theological omission at the concert itself that was responsible for dre. You know, in the drafting stages, the commission declared explicitly in a pastoral text, which intends to institute a dialogue with the world to reticle elements are not required. In any case, the primordial importance of procreation education is shown at least 10 times in the text. Close quote, the sacred congregation of the doctrine of the faith, 13th of July, 1979 in other words, the counsel keeps this teaching intact while refraining from using the traditional terminology, not because it is rejecting it as wrong, but because of the pastoral nature of a document issued to the whole world. This general approach has been retained by the magisterium since that time. For the code of Canon Law in turn makes no mention of this hierarchical language, the rather states nothing with respect to priorities. It does however, list to go to this post.
Speaker 0 14:17 His first close quotes, Matthew Buckley. Okay. Long and short of it, nothing has changed here and it can, the primary end of marriage is a natural institution is a procreation and education of children and the documents the second Vatican council didn't teach otherwise. And in fact that claim was rejected by the teaching authority of the church by the magisterium 33 years ago. You know when someone starts saying something like this, no matter and matter regards to a matter of faith or morals that the teach you, the church has changed. Don't get all worked up. God gave the church everything she needs right out the gate. God isn't gonna have any new ideas. He didn't forget anything. He certainly isn't about to remember anything. He already knows it all. He's God. Since God isn't going to suddenly remember to give the church some new teaching when something like this comes up, if we just stay calm and read it all in the light of tradition, we'll keep out of these troubles. And so when we hear something like the teaching the church, is it on a matter of faith or morals has suddenly changed, the best thing to do is just say a little prayer, relax, don't call worry and go have a cold one.
Speaker 1 15:38 Okay?
Speaker 0 15:42 And when these claims concerning the day when they make these claims concerning the teaching of Vatican too, it might help to keep this little truth in mind. And I quote, the truth is, is that this particular council, Vatican too defined no dogma at all, and deliberately chose to remain on a modest level as a merely pastoral council. And yet many treat it as though it had made itself into a sort of super dogma, which takes away the importance of all the rest close. Cool. That's worth repeating. The truth is at Vatican too defined, no dogma at all and deliberately chose to remain on a modest level as a merely pastoral council and yet many treated as though it had made itself into sort of super dogma which takes away the importance of all the rest. Might help to know who said that. It's cardinal Ratzinger to the bishops of Chile.
Speaker 0 16:35 1988 returned to him as pope benedict, quote particularly mentioned, must be made of the powerful political and cultural current seeking to alter the legal definition of marriage. The church is conscientious effort to resist this pressure costs for reason. Defense of marriage as a natural institution consisting of a specific communion of persons essentially rooted in the complimentarity of the sexist and oriented to procreation. Sexual differences cannot be dismissed as irrelevant to the definition of marriage. Defending the institution of marriage as a social reality is ultimately a question of justice since it entails safeguarding the good of the entire human community and the rights of parents and children alike. In our conversations. Some of you have pointed with concern to the growing difficulties encountered in communicating the church's teaching on marriage and the family in its integrity and to a decrease the number of young people who approached the Sacrament of matrimony.
Speaker 0 17:44 Certainly we must acknowledge deficiencies in the of recent decades which failed at times to communicate the rich heritage of Catholic teaching on marriage as a natural institution elevated by Christ to dignity via sacrament, the vocation of Christian spouses in society and in the church and the practice of marital chastity. This teaching needs to be restored to its proper place in preaching and catechetical instruction and that's what we're trying to do in this series of sermons. We've been talking about marriage as a natural institution. We haven't said much about the sacramental aspects yet that we'll get to later. We have been taught, talked about the practice of marital chastity when we covered the sinfulness of direct contraception and sterilization and the parameters of periodic continents also sometimes known as FP back to the pole. In this context, we cannot overlook the serious pastoral problem presented by the widespread practice of cohabitation.
Speaker 0 18:54 Often by couples who seem unaware that is gravely sinful, not to mention damaging to the stability of society and there's great pastoral effort. There's an urgent need for the entire Christian community to recover an appreciation of the virtue of chastity, the integrating and liberating functions for you should be emphasized. Young people need to encounter the churches teaching its integrity, challenging and countercultures that teach you may be. More importantly, they need to see it embodied by faithful married couples who bear convincing witness to its truth. They also need to be supported as they struggle to make wise choices at a difficult and confusing time in their lives. In a society which increasingly tends to misunderstand and even ridicule this essential dimension of Christian teaching, young people need to be reassured that if we let Christ into our lives, we lose nothing, absolutely nothing of what makes life free. Beautiful and great.
Speaker 0 19:55 Let me conclude by recalling that all our efforts in this area all ultimately concerned with the good of children who have a fundamental right to grow up with a healthy understanding of sexuality and its proper place in human relationships. Children are the greatest treasure and the future of every society. Truly caring for them means recognizing our responsibility, teach, defend, and live the moral virtues which are the key to human fulfillment. It's my hope that the church in the United States, however, chastened by the events of the past decade will persevere and its historic mission of educating the young and thus contribute to the consolidation of that sound family life, which is the surest guarantee of the health of society as a whole. Close quote, Pope Benedict the 16th need to thank for such a clear and timely statement on this topic from our Holy Father.
Speaker 0 20:53 I want to turn to the Bishop statement of Wednesday and hit some highlights. It's a very important statement for the bishops. So today I'm reading a lot of quotes because these important statements. All right, United for religious freedom, a statement of the administrative committee of the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops. March 14th, 2012 the administrative committee of the United States Conference of Catholic bishops gathered for its March, 2012 meeting as strongly unified and intensely focused its opposition to the various threats. To religious freedom in our day. In our role as bishops, we approached this question prayerfully and as pastors concerned not only with the protection of the church's own institutions but with the care of the souls of the individual faithful and with the common good one particular religious freedom issue demands our immediate attention. The now finalized rule of the u s department of Health and human services that would fall virtually force virtually all private health plans nationwide to provide coverage of sterilization and contraception including abortifacient drugs, subject to exemption for religious employers arbitrarily narrow and to an unspecified and dubious future accommodation for other religious organizations that are denied the exemption.
Speaker 0 22:16 We begin first with thanks to all who have stood firmly with us and our vigorous opposition to this unjust and illegal mandate. With your continued help, we will not be divided and will continue forward as one second. We wish to clarify what this debate is and is not about. This is not about access to contraception, which is ubiquitous. That means it's everywhere and inexpensive even when it is not provided by the churches hand where the churches funds. This is not about the religious freedom of Catholics only, but also those who recognize that their chaired cherished beliefs maybe next on a block. This is not about the bishop somehow banning contraception when the US Supreme Court took that issue off the table two generations ago. Indeed, this is not about the church wanting to force anybody to do anything is instead about the federal government forced in the church consisting of it's faithful in all but a few of its institutions to act against church teachings.
Speaker 0 23:15 This is not a matter of opposition to universal health care, which has been a concern of the bishop's conference since 1919 virtually at its founding, this is not a fight we wanted or asked for one forced upon us by government on its own timing. Finally, this is not a republican or democratic, a conservative or liberal issue. It is an American issue. So what is it about and unwanted government definition of religion? The mandate includes an extremely narrow definition of what HHS does. James are religious employer deserving exemption. Employers who among other things must hire and serve primarily those of their own faith. We are deeply concerned about this new definition of who we are as people of faith in what constitutes our ministry. The introduction of this unprecedented find a faith communities and their ministries has precipitated this struggle for religious freedom. Government has no place defining religion and religious ministry.
Speaker 0 24:18 HHS thus creates, enforces a new distinction alien both to our Catholic tradition and to federal law between our houses of worship and our great ministries of service to our neighbors, namely the poor, the homeless, the sick, the students in our schools and universities and others in need of any faith, community or none. We are commanded both to love and to serve the Lord. Laws that protect our freedom to comply with one of these commands but not the other or nothing to celebrate. Indeed they must be rejected for they create a second class of citizenship within our religious community, and if this definition is allowed to stand, it will spread throughout federal law working its healthy tradition of generous respect for religious freedom and diversity, all not just some of our religious institutions share equally and the very same God given legally recognized, right not to be forced to act in a manner contrary to their own beliefs, a mandate tacked against our own teachings.
Speaker 0 25:22 This exemption is not merely a government foray in internal church governments where government has no legal competence or authority. Disturbing, though that may be this area in Aaron theory has grave consequences in principle and practice. Those dean by HHS, not to be religious employers will be forced by government to violate their own teachings within their very own institutions. This is not only an injustice in itself, but it also undermines the effect of proclamation, those teachings to the faithful and to the world. For decades, the bishops have led the fight against such govern encourages unconscience, particularly in the area of healthcare, far from making us waiver in this longstanding commitment. The unprecedented magnitude of this latest threat has only strengthened our resolve to maintain that consistent view of violation of personal civil rights. The HHS mandate creates still a third class, those with no conscience protection at all.
Speaker 0 26:20 Individuals who in their daily lives strive constantly to act in accordance with their faith moral values. They to face a government mandate to aid and providing services contrary to those values within their sponsoring of and payment for insurance as employers, their payment of insurance premiums as employees or as insurers themselves without even the semblance of an exception. This too is unprecedented in federal law, which has long been generous and protecting the rights of individuals not to act against their religious beliefs or moral convictions. We have consistently supported these rights, particularly in the area of protecting the dignity of all human life and we continue to do so.
Speaker 0 27:02 Third, we want to indicate our next steps. We will continue our vigorous f efforts at education and public advocacy. On the principles of religious liberty and their application. This case and others will continue to accept any invitation to dialogue with executive branch to protect the religious freedom that is rightly ours. We'll continue to pursue legislation to restore the same level of religious freedom we have insure until just recently and we continue to explore options for relief from the courts under the US Constitution and other federal laws that protect religious freedom. All these efforts will proceed concurrently and in a manner that is mutually reinforcing. Most importantly of all, we call upon the Catholic faithful and all people of faith throughout our country to join us in prayer and pennants for our leaders and for the complete protection of our first freedom religious liberty, which is not only protected in the laws and customs of our great nation, but rooted in the teachings of our great tradition, prayers, the ultimate source of our strength. Without God, we can do nothing but with God. All things are possible. We call upon the Catholic faith Lovejoy hands in prayer and parents, prayers, ultimate sources, train. Without God, we can do nothing but with God,
Speaker 2 28:20 all things are possible.
Speaker 0 28:22 So those are our marching orders from the bishop's per in pence. So in response to this statement, which the bishop's made on Wednesday, which we just heard, they expressed their willingness to accept any invitation to dialogue with the executive branch. Late Friday afternoon, the Obama Administration showed their infant regard, uh, by upping the ante. They vomited up yet another proposal regarding their favorite recreational drug, Washington d c Marc suits teeth 2012 light site life site news.com and a move is likely to reignite the ire of religious leaders. Late Friday afternoon, the Obama Administration announced a proposal that would require universities including religious universities to provide contraception, sterilization and abortion inducing drugs to their students as well as their employees without a copay disappears to be significantly widened. Originally announced HHS mandate, which had only applied to employees. The proposal, particularly the widening of the mandate to cover students was <inaudible> simultaneous statements of support from members of the abortion lobby.
Speaker 2 29:38 Close quote, right. So the gloves are coming off.
Speaker 0 29:45 You bet better. We really serious about prayer. And pennants.
