Los Angeles Times writer spews hate toward the Church, says Catholic League president

Catholic News Agency ^ | May 25, 2005

[NYer]

New York, May. 25, 2005 (CNA) - Los Angeles Times op-ed writer Robert Scheer has distorted the truth about the Catholic Church and homosexuals, says Catholic League president William Donohue.

In his recent column, Scheer says the Catholic Church is “one of the most sexually repressed institutions in human history” that is responsible for a “horrific drumbeat of child molestation revelations” led by a new Pope who is “a longtime leader of vicious church attacks on ‘evil’ gays.” Scheer also accuses Pope Benedict XVI of scapegoating the media.

“Scheer is wrong on all counts,” says Donohue.

“It is not the Catholic Church’s emphasis on sexual reticence that gave us the scandal, it was morally delinquent priests who jettisoned the Church’s teachings on sexuality,” he says.

Regarding child molestation, Donohue points out that 81 percent of the victims were male, and the majority was postpubescent. He also said 100 percent of the abusers were male, “thus making this a homosexual scandal, not a pedophilia scandal.”

Donohue also corrects Scheer’s statement that the Pope had said that homosexuals are evil. “What the Pope said when he was a cardinal is that homosexual behavior is ‘intrinsically evil,’ thus reiterating Church teaching,” states Donohue.

Donohue adds that the Church’s position on homosexuality is shared by the world’s major religions, such as Judaism and Islam.

“Not only has the Pope not scapegoated the media, but as recently as Good Friday he drew attention to the ‘filth there is in the Church, and even among those who, in the priesthood, ought to belong entirely’ to God,” Donohue says.

[SusaninOhio]

Pope Benedict likes cats. That's enough for me - he must be OK.

[Stentor]

William Donohue.

Not a punch puller.

[NRA1995]

IIRC, the Church caved to pressure to admit homosexuals to the priesthood on the promise that they would remain celibate. Its biggest mistake was caving in to these butt rangers, its next biggest mistake was not flushing them out of the priesthood immediately when they were discovered molesting boys.

[NYer]

“Not only has the Pope not scapegoated the media, but as recently as Good Friday he drew attention to the ‘filth there is in the Church, and even among those who, in the priesthood, ought to belong entirely’ to God,” Donohue says.

Donohue is referring to the Good Friday Meditations led this year by Joseph Cardinal Ratzinger at the Coliseum. These are meditations on the Stations of the Cross. The one in particular that he is referring to is the 9th Station.

* * * * *

NINTH STATION
Jesus falls for the third time

V/. Adoramus te, Christe, et benedicimus tibi.
R/. Quia per sanctam crucem tuam redemisti mundum.

From the Book of Lamentations 3:27-32

It is good for a man that he bear the yoke in his youth. Let him sit alone in silence when he has laid it on him; let him put his mouth in the dust -- there may yet be hope; let him give his cheek to the smiter, and be filled with insults. For the Lord will not cast off for ever, but, though he cause grief, he will have compassion, according to the abundance of his steadfast love.

MEDITATION

What can the third fall of Jesus under the Cross say to us? We have considered the fall of man in general, and the falling of many Christians away from Christ and into a godless secularism. Should we not also think of how much Christ suffers in his own Church? How often is the holy sacrament of his Presence abused, how often must he enter empty and evil hearts! How often do we celebrate only ourselves, without even realizing that he is there! How often is his Word twisted and misused! What little faith is present behind so many theories, so many empty words! How much filth there is in the Church, and even among those who, in the priesthood, ought to belong entirely to him! How much pride, how much self-complacency! What little respect we pay to the Sacrament of Reconciliation, where he waits for us, ready to raise us up whenever we fall! All this is present in his Passion. His betrayal by his disciples, their unworthy reception of his Body and Blood, is certainly the greatest suffering endured by the Redeemer; it pierces his heart. We can only call to him from the depths of our hearts: Kyrie eleison -- Lord, save us (cf. Matthew 8: 25).

PRAYER

Lord, your Church often seems like a boat about to sink, a boat taking in water on every side. In your field we see more weeds than wheat. The soiled garments and face of your Church throw us into confusion. Yet it is we ourselves who have soiled them! It is we who betray you time and time again, after all our lofty words and grand gestures. Have mercy on your Church; within her too, Adam continues to fall. When we fall, we drag you down to earth, and Satan laughs, for he hopes that you will not be able to rise from that fall; he hopes that being dragged down in the fall of your Church, you will remain prostrate and overpowered. But you will rise again. You stood up, you arose and you can also raise us up. Save and sanctify your Church. Save and sanctify us all.

All: Pater noster …

Eia mater, fons amoris,
me sentire vim doloris
fac, ut tecum lugeam.

***

Catholic Ping - Please freepmail me if you want on/off this list

[NRA1995]

In addition, Robert Scheer seldom displays any intelligence beyond that of a braying jackass.

[proxy_user]

Doesn't sound like the other guy is, either.

[righttackle44]

This Southern Baptist boy agrees with Mr. Donohue.

[Rosemont]

If Robert Scheer is against something, than that means it must be good for America.

[Numbers Guy]

Robert Scheer seldom displays any intelligence beyond that of a braying jackass.

Scheer is a 60's Marxist leftover. Think of an animal carcass rotting in the summer sun. That's the state of Scheer's brain.

[LibFreeOrDie]

I'm awaiting Scheer's explanation for the epidemic of teacher-student molestations occurring in public schools, especially the female perps. Last time I looked, schools and teachers weren't particularly sexually repressed.

[MEGoody]

“It is not the Catholic Church’s emphasis on sexual reticence that gave us the scandal, it was morally delinquent priests who jettisoned the Church’s teachings on sexuality,” he says.

Exactly. And the Catholic Church isn't the only Christian religious organization that has experienced this kind of thing.

[RobbyS]

The press admantly refuses to chracterize these priests as homosexuals. This despite the fact that they haunt gay hangouts.

[Paisan]

Amen

[Alia]

Ping! :> Kudos to Mr. Donohue! He's laying the truth right there for all to see.

[RobbyS]

Thois has been going on forever, but the schools have never addressed the problem. The offenders simply move on and are picked up by other school systems because thy so badly need teachers that they hire anyone.

[kellynla]

Irish Catholic Bump for Donohue!

[cvq3842]

I remember reading that "pedophiles" molest prepubescent children, but that the priest scandal generally involved pubescent (but minor) children, almost all (or just ALL) boys.

I don't know for sure. In fact I'd rather not think about the subject.

But I have no doubt that the MSM has put the most damning (excuse the pun) spin possible on this.

The Catholic Church's stance on same sex marriage and abortion on demand has made it the sworn enemy of the left. Don't take my word - read their words!

[TenthAmendmentChampion]

This Southern Baptist boy agrees with Mr. Donohue.

So does this Southern Baptist woman!

[siunevada]

Los Angeles Times op-ed writer Robert Scheer has distorted the truth

Reference his opinion on virtually any subject under the sun.

[nickcarraway]

Oh yes, he is: He is now in support of civil unions for homosexuals.

[TheSpottedOwl]

Robert Scheer is the jackass who caused me to hate the Los Angeles Times, many moons ago.

[Aquinasfan]

The press admantly refuses to chracterize these priests as homosexuals.

They do. It's too bad that most people don't seem to fact-check on line. Most people at work think the abuse problem had to do with pedophilia, the solution being married priests.

[CatQuilt]

Oh yes, he is: He is now in support of civil unions for homosexuals.

What's your source for that?

[nickcarraway]

He said so himself in an article in the San Francisco Chronicle. I have called the Catholic League myself many times to give him the opportunity to deny that he supported civil unions, but they never did. Here is the excerpt from the article and a link:

Conservative activist William Donohue, the president of the Catholic League for Religious and Civil Rights, says he believes Bush's proposal for a constitutional amendment is a "cultural tipping point" that will restore a "culture of restraint and decency."

The ban will not prevent the acceptance of gay culture, he acknowledges, nor will it prevent same-sex civil unions, which he now supports. What it will do, he says, is prevent those couples from actually saying they are married, even if they enjoy virtually the same rights.

"I don't like all-or-nothing approaches anymore," Donohue said.

[nickcarraway]

#25

[kellynla]

yep, that's pretty much the same response I received from an email I received from Donohue when I wrote and asked him his position.

[CatQuilt]

I understand that you believe that's what he said but note...that particular statement is NOT in quotes. Given the liberty that the press takes with quotes now-a-days, I would be at all surprised if he didn't say that.

I hope he didn't, it's a waste of time because gays on other boards have said that while they welcome civil unions, they won't stop till they get marriage. That's their end-game.

[CatQuilt]

Ahhhh, ick!

Idiot (him, not you)...

[saradippity]

Pope Benedict XVI is so profound and so precise. What a great gift from God. He presents the Word of God with such Truth and Love;totally compelling. Thanks for posting so mnay of his reflections and homilies as well as so many beautiful pictures.

You and Salvation do a great job of bringing so many of us what we need to know!!!!

[steve8714]

Their original enablers were by then bishops.

[RobbyS]

civil unions are tantamount to marrtiage in an age where cohabitation without marriage is rife. SO he is kidding himself.

[nickcarraway]

It says, "same-sex civil unions, which he now supports." That seems pretty clear to me. It was in a least one other publication.

I would be at all surprised if he didn't say that.

I gave him the benefit of the doubt and have called him on it, as both a supporter and in a professional capacity. If the press misquoted him, he would have said so.

You should read Stanley Kurtz' article about civil unions in Scandanavia. Civil unions cause the same damage that homosexual marriages do. It's an illusion to think you are protecting marriage when allowing civil unions.

The fact is Donohue should step down from his position, because he no longer represents the religion he claims to. Even lefties like Cardinal Martino and Cardinal Lehman are strongly agasinst civil unions and say Catholic teaching is against them. How can Donohue chide politicians who say they are allowed to pick and choose Catholic doctrines when he is doing it himself?

[kellynla]

Donohue and I agree on everything but his position on "same sex unions"
I understand where he is coming from but I don't know if that is the solution...

[nickcarraway]

He is kidding himself, plus he is undercutting all his arguments against other public figures who he criticizes for not following Catholic teaching.

[Iris7]

These a dark times.

O Lord have mercy on us all and guide us in your ways. Thy will be done on Earth as it is in Heaven. Amen.

[Unam Sanctam]

Donohue also corrects Scheer’s statement that the Pope had said that homosexuals are evil. “What the Pope said when he was a cardinal is that homosexual behavior is ‘intrinsically evil,’ thus reiterating Church teaching,” states Donohue.

Thank you, Mr. Donahue, for correcting this oft-heard slander by the gay activists.

[topher]

Ping -- don't know if you were pinged on this one...

[NYer]

Thanks for posting so many of his reflections and homilies as well as so many beautiful pictures.

This is the complete set of reflections written by then Joseph Cardinal Ratzinger for the 2005 Stations of the Cross. I have bookmarked them and refer back to them on a regular basis. In fact, they have been most useful in developing the Intercessions of the Faithful on those weeks when it is my turn to write them.

WAY OF THE CROSS AT THE COLOSSEUM

[Grampa Dave]

Thanks. I wasn't pinged. Scheer is very interesting here. He spends a lot of his time and writes a lot of articles pushing the Gay Agenda and loving the Gay activists.

http://search.yahoo.com/search?p=Robert+Scheer+Gay&ei=UTF-8&pstart=1&b=11

[clarissaexplainsitall]

Nobody is perfect. I appreciate anyone who puts himself out there for the rest of the world (including us) to beat the hell out of. At least he tries!!!! He has a sense of humor too, which I like in someone who puts out press releases.

[A CA Guy]

Yep the writer is quite the ass, isn't he.

They can't get past the priest not marrying.

A large part of it is that Priest take a vow of poverty, and though they may serve in some large buildings, they don't own them and often live in quaint poor surroundings which would not work for a family guy.

Plus the Catholic Church can not support families, be bothered in divorce courts or be wanting to go through trials where ex-wives attempt to attach Church property for support.

It's all a dumb idea.

Also, the church never wanted homosexual predators in the church taking vows they never intended to keep.

[MaryInSacto]

Scheer's stock in trade is the most irresponsible sort of bombthrowing. He the perfect example of a bedwetting Marxist scribe who thinks solely in terms of rights, not responsibilities. IMO he's one of the top 5 poster children for licensing "journalists" and "commentators."

[Fruit of the Spirit]

""It is not the Catholic Church’s emphasis on sexual reticence that gave us the scandal, it was morally delinquent priests who jettisoned the Church’s teachings on sexuality,” he says. "

That's not true! Priest attend orgies (in Italy) quite frequently. They aren't eunuchs yet the church asks them to forego their natural instincts.

[RobbyS]

The CHURCH also expects men to confine sex to one woman. I guess you find this against "natural instincts,"too, Ditto, swearing, murder, theft,adultery, rape.

[dsc]

WRT your #5:

The Meditation on Station 9 is incredible. I don't even know how to compare it to the pablum I heard the last time I attended the Stations.

If the Holy Father's actions measure up to his writing, I can only think that our Heavenly Father heard us when we prayed, "Kyrie eleison."

[dsc]

“This Southern Baptist boy agrees with Mr. Donohue.
So does this Southern Baptist woman!”

Well, this ex-Southern Baptist (now Catholic) boy agrees with both of y’all.

[Fruit of the Spirit]

"The CHURCH also expects men to confine sex to one woman..."

I was referring to the priest. Who are you referring to?