[Catholic Caucus] Cardinals endorse campaign to stop homosexual networks in Church

February 5, 2019 (LifeSiteNews) – Cardinal Gerhard Müller – the former Prefect of the Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith – commented on a recently launched campaign to Stop homosexual networks in the Catholic Church as organized by the Swiss organization Pro Ecclesia and LifeSiteNews, calling it “legitimate.”

“One cannot escape this reality” of the fact that “the vast majority of abuses committed by priests are homosexual acts,” he said in a recent interview.

Cardinal Walter Brandmüller, one of the dubia Cardinals, writing to LifeSiteNews, also lent his support to the campaign. “Of course, I support your initiative!” he said, adding: “Jesus Himself says: 'The truth will make you free!'”

The campaign, launched Jan. 16, asks the heads of the bishops' conferences worldwide — who will be meeting in Rome next month with Pope Francis — to take the necessary steps to stop homosexual networks in the Catholic Church, especially the networks that are connected with the clerical abuse crisis and that have recently come to light. The petition has of this writing been signed by 7,500 people.

Riccardo Cascioli, editor-in-chief of the Italian newspaper La Nuova Bussola Quotidiana, explicitly asked Cardinal Müller in his February 3 interview (here a shortened English version of it) with him about the Stop Homosexual Networks campaign, especially its call to stop such networks and to reintroduce into canon law a canon that would punish clergy who commit homosexual acts. The German prelate further responded: "I believe that this petition is legitimate; there are those who want to deny the statistical truth that the vast majority of abuses committed by priests are homosexual acts. One cannot escape this reality.” “He who denies it [this sad fact],” Müller added, “does not want to solve the problem.”

The German prelate also discussed another aspect of the petition, namely the punishment of those clergymen who abuse young and vulnerable adults such as seminarians or novices. Müller pointed to the “abuse committed against seminarians” that “should not be underestimated: it is an enormous sin, a crime against the dignity of these men, but also against the parents who entrust their children to the priesthood, the bishop, the seminary.” A bishop who fails on this level “is an enormous scandal,” he added. “Can we imagine what Jesus would have done if one of the Apostles had done this with some other disciples? It is absurd alone to think about it,” the German prelate stated.

Cardinal Walter Brandmüller told LifeSiteNews in a recent e-mail that he, too, supports the campaign. He wrote: “Of course do I support your initiative! Jesus Himself says: 'The truth will make you free!'”

Other prominent lay Catholics from Europe and the U.S. also expressed their public support for the campaign that aims at removing any practicing homosexual priest from the priesthood, and at dissolving – and, if needs be, punishing – any network within the Catholic Church that is aimed at spreading the LGBT agenda and the practice of homosexuality. To this purpose, the petition proposes a clear set of changes in canon law.

Gabriele Kuby – a German Catholic sociologist and book author who just wrote a book on the abuse crisis – commented that the “abuse crisis is the ugly face of the global sexual revolution that managed to infiltrate the Catholic Church.” For her, there is only one way out of this crisis: “Acknowledging the truth, cleaning the Church of homosexual networks and returning into the arms of the merciful Father.”

Dr. Taylor Marshall, a renowned U.S. theologian and scholar in St. Thomas' writings who has been active in the current discussion on the abuse crisis, said that he studied Canon Law with regard to this topic. “I was sorely disappointed by the vague definitions therein with their vague [punitive] consequences for clergy. After purchasing a Latin edition of the 1917 Code of Canon Law and comparing it with the 1983 version, I was horrified to see how watered down the new Code had become on this topic,” he explained.

Marshall said that the Church needs to return to a more strict Canon Law in this regard so that it includes a clear punishment for bishops who cover up for abuser priests. Dr. Marshall said he signed the petition which asks the Holy See to "return to the prior law of the Catholic Church regarding clerical delicts against the Sixth Commandment.”

Italian journalist Dr. Riccardo Cascioli – one of the co-sponsors of the petition – said he supported the petition "because we are clearly facing an attempt to instrumentalize the abuse scandal to promote a pro-gay agenda.”

“Since the start of La Nuova Bussola Quotidiana in 2012,” he said, “we have been denouncing the gay lobby in the Church that tries to change the Catholic doctrine. So, of course we support this petition.”

George Neumayr – a investigative journalists who helped reveal the developments in the Archdiocese of Washington, D.C. under Cardinal Donald Wuerl – stated that the recommendations contained in the campaign "represent the only real solution to the abuse crisis, which is defined overwhelmingly by cases involving male teen victims.”

Full statements in support of campaign to Stop homosexual networks in Catholic Church:

Gabriele Kuby

The homosexual abuse crisis is the ugly face of the global sexual revolution that managed to infiltrate the Catholic Church – the only global institution that could and should have been a bulwark against it. During the last fifty years the Church failed more and more to inspire people with the beauty of its teaching on man and woman, sex and love, marriage and family and to protect her flock and her priests from caving into the seductive pressures of an aggressive deconstruction of sexual morality. There is only one way out of the crisis: Acknowledging the truth, cleaning the Church of homosexual networks and returning into the arms of the merciful Father.

When we Catholics in the United States first learned of Ex-Cardinal McCarrick’s sexual crimes against youth and seminarians, I immediately began reading the 1983 Code of Canon Law for the next canonical step. I was sorely disappointed by the vague definitions therein with their vague consequences for clergy. After purchasing a Latin edition of the 1917 Code of Canon Law and comparing it with the 1983 version, I was horrified to see how watered down the new Code had become on this topic. As Catholics who reverence the chastity of our Lord Jesus and Blessed Mother, we must return to the law of Canon 2359 § 2 as found in the older 1917 Code, which states: "any cleric is found to have committed any delict against the Sixth Commandment with a minor below the age of sixteen, or engaged in adultery, debauchery, bestiality, sodomy, pandering, or incest, they are suspended, publicly declared as having committed sexual misconduct, and deprived of any office, pension, dignity, and function if he have any, and in graver cases, dismissed from the clerical state.” At this juncture in ecclesial history, we have only two options. We either commission millstones en masse or we return to the clear and strict Canon 2359 § 2 of the 1917 CIC. Furthermore, we Catholics must uphold the Pope’s statement that any bishop who has covered up for abuser priests will be removed from his office. For this reason I attach my name to the petition of Pro Ecclesia asking for the Holy See to return to the prior law of the Catholic Church regarding clerical delicts against the Sixth Commandment. Godspeed, Dr Taylor Marshall.

I support the petition because we are clearly facing an attempt to instrumentalize the abuse scandal to promote a pro-gay agenda. So, the homosexuality as a cause of the sex abuses is strictly censored. Therefore it is very important that at least the lay people fights for the truth. Moreover denying the "H factor" is an insult to the victims, as Cardinal Müller said. Since the start of La Nuova Bussola Quotidiana in 2012, we have been denouncing the gay lobby in the Church that tries to change the Catholic doctrine. So, of course we support this petition.

The recommendations contained in this petition represent the only real solution to the abuse crisis, which is defined overwhelmingly by cases involving male teen victims. No doctor can cure a disease unless he diagnoses it precisely. The same holds true for doctors of souls. Unless they apply the cure prescribed by this petition, the disease of homosexual predation will continue to ravage the body of Christ.

Please share this with as many as possible.

Print copies to give to those you can't readily e-mail.

Quit wasting time pretending that God can't fix this with our prayers and repentance.

How many times in the OT did God chastise his people with bad leaders, to get their attention, encourage their repentance, and return to God's commands?

I’m confused about the oft-repeated “fact” that most victims were teen boys? Wasn’t the j.j. study done in 2002? 17 years ago! 17 years of new policies and procedures that have altered the abuse landscape.

Also the research was only in USA. Europe, South America or Africa may have big differences or other causes. Why is Conference even relying on it?à

Also the j.j. study studied only “what” not “how.” The research cannot conclude causation unless by using a different methodology. That approach was proposed by one bishop (to see how homosexuality played out in abuse and church function) but virtually all of USCCB voted against.

If old and outmoded research is the basis of far-reaching conclusions about abuse, homosexuality, celibacy, women priests, discipline, even doctrine, they need to get some better research that measures actual realities today. Does anyone know about this?

Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.