Vatican II Documents on Fr. James Martin and the LGBTQ Movement

In light of Pope Leo XIV’s recent audience with Fr. James Martin, who was in Rome for the LGBTQ Jubilee pilgrimage, many serious Catholics have understandably expressed concerns with the new pope. To better understand how this could possibly happen just twelve years after Benedict XVI announced (in his farewell address) that the true Second Vatican Council, “with all its spiritual force,” was finally emerging, we sat down with the documents of the Council for an interview. It is evident that those who take issue with Leo XIV may not be paying much attention to what these documents have been saying for the past sixty years!

Pope Leo XIV recently met with Fr. James Martin, who was in Rome as part of a LGBTQ pilgrimage which was listed on the Vatican’s official calendar. As you may know, Fr. Martin and his fellow LGTBQ advocates sometimes point to the documents of Vatican II as support for their insistence that the Catholic Church should accept them as they are. Is Fr. James Martin correct in thinking that Vatican II accepts LGBTQ Catholics who refuse to abandon their sinful lifestyles?

“It is in accordance with their dignity as persons — that is, beings endowed with reason and free will and therefore privileged to bear personal responsibility — that all men should be at once impelled by nature and also bound by a moral obligation to seek the truth, especially religious truth. They are also bound to adhere to the truth, once it is known, and to order their whole lives in accord with the demands of truth. However, men cannot discharge these obligations in a manner in keeping with their own nature unless they enjoy immunity from external coercion as well as psychological freedom. Therefore the right to religious freedom has its foundation not in the subjective disposition of the person, but in his very nature. In consequence, the right to this immunity continues to exist even in those who do not live up to their obligation of seeking the truth and adhering to it and the exercise of this right is not to be impeded, provided that just public order be observed.” (Dignitatis Humanae, 2)

While that may be true for non-Catholics, don’t Catholics have a duty to follow what the Church has always taught?

“On his part, man perceives and acknowledges the imperatives of the divine law through the mediation of conscience. In all his activity a man is bound to follow his conscience in order that he may come to God, the end and purpose of life. It follows that he is not to be forced to act in a manner contrary to his conscience. Nor, on the other hand, is he to be restrained from acting in accordance with his conscience, especially in matters religious.” (Dignitatis Humanae, 3)

How do you explain this to those who believe that this differs from what the Church has always taught?

“. . . There is a growth in the understanding of the realities and the words which have been handed down. This happens through the contemplation and study made by believers, who treasure these things in their hearts (see Luke, 2:19, 51) through a penetrating understanding of the spiritual realities which they experience, and through the preaching of those who have received through Episcopal succession the sure gift of truth. For as the centuries succeed one another, the Church constantly moves forward toward the fullness of divine truth until the words of God reach their complete fulfillment in her. The words of the holy fathers witness to the presence of this living tradition, whose wealth is poured into the practice and life of the believing and praying Church.” (Dei Verbum, 8)

So you are saying that the truth can evolve over time through “living tradition”? Given that St. Paul condemned homosexual relations in his letter to the Romans, how can we imagine that the Church should endorse them today?

“Every social group must take account of the needs and legitimate aspirations of other groups, and even of the general welfare of the entire human family. At the same time, however, there is a growing awareness of the exalted dignity proper to the human person, since he stands above all things, and his rights and duties are universal and inviolable.” (Gaudium et Spes, 26)

“According to the almost unanimous opinion of believers and unbelievers alike, all things on earth should be related to man as their center and crown.” (Gaudium et Spes, 12)

Some will say this does not sound Catholic at all. How do you respond to those who say that if the Church cannot speak clearly on these matters we might as well become Protestant?

“. . . Some and even very many of the significant elements and endowments which together go to build up and give life to the Church itself, can exist outside the visible boundaries of the Catholic Church: the written word of God; the life of grace; faith, hope and charity, with the other interior gifts of the Holy Spirit, and visible elements too. All of these, which come from Christ and lead back to Christ, belong by right to the one Church of Christ. The brethren divided from us also use many liturgical actions of the Christian religion. These most certainly can truly engender a life of grace in ways that vary according to the condition of each Church or Community. These liturgical actions must be regarded as capable of giving access to the community of salvation. It follows that the separated Churches and Communities as such, though we believe them to be deficient in some respects, have been by no means deprived of significance and importance in the mystery of salvation. For the Spirit of Christ has not refrained from using them as means of salvation which derive their efficacy from the very fullness of grace and truth entrusted to the Church.” (Unitatis Redintegratio, 3)

If God uses non-Catholic religions as means of salvation, and Protestant religions “engender a life of grace,” it sounds like there is no real reason for anyone to be Catholic. How does that fit with the idea that the Catholic Church is essential?

“Since the Church is in Christ like a sacrament or as a sign and instrument both of a very closely knit union with God and of the unity of the whole human race, it desires now to unfold more fully to the faithful of the Church and to the whole world its own inner nature and universal mission.” (Lumen Gentium, 1)

That does not make much sense, can you say more about this idea of the Church as sacrament?

“Israel according to the flesh, which wandered as an exile in the desert, was already called the Church of God. So likewise the new Israel which while living in this present age goes in search of a future and abiding city is called the Church of Christ. For He has bought it for Himself with His blood, has filled it with His Spirit and provided it with those means which befit it as a visible and social union. God gathered together as one all those who in faith look upon Jesus as the author of salvation and the source of unity and peace, and established them as the Church that for each and all it may be the visible sacrament of this saving unity. While it transcends all limits of time and confines of race, the Church is destined to extend to all regions of the earth and so enters into the history of mankind.” (Lumen Gentium, 9)

Still not sure that this makes sense. Do you believe that the Catholic Church possesses the truth that God wants all men to follow, or are we searching along with everyone else?

“In fidelity to conscience, Christians are joined with the rest of men in the search for truth, and for the genuine solution to the numerous problems which arise in the life of individuals from social relationships.” (Gaudium et Spes, 16)

If all men are together searching for truth, are all men saved even if they refuse to follow Christian morality?

“ . . . By His incarnation the Son of God has united Himself in some fashion with every man. . . . Pressing upon the Christian to be sure, are the need and the duty to battle against evil through manifold tribulations and even to suffer death. But, linked with the paschal mystery and patterned on the dying Christ, he will hasten forward to resurrection in the strength which comes from hope. All this holds true not only for Christians, but for all men of good will in whose hearts grace works in an unseen way. For, since Christ died for all men, and since the ultimate vocation of man is in fact one, and divine, we ought to believe that the Holy Spirit in a manner known only to God offers to every man the possibility of being associated with this paschal mystery.” (Gaudium et Spes, 22)

Thank you for your time, Documents of Vatican II, this has been very enlightening. It is evident that those who take issue with Leo XIV may not be paying much attention to what you have been saying for the past sixty years! Every new scandal from Rome makes it more clear why Archbishop Marcel Lefebvre and others were critical of you. Immaculate Heart of Mary, pray for us!

Has the Pope chimed in on Charlie Kirk deserving to be murdered?

Not yet (to my knowledge); it was Cardinal Parolin who spoke and there was no sympathy expressed by him as reported by Catholic News Agency.:

“The Vatican stand is that we are against all types of violence. 
And we think that we have to be very, very tolerant, very respectful of everybody, even though we don’t share the same view,” 
Cardinal Pietro Parolin told journalists at the sidelines of a conference at the Vatican on Sept. 11.

“If we are not tolerant and respectful, and we are violent,
 this will produce a really big problem inside the international community and the national community,” he added.

“If we are not tolerant and respectful, and we are violent”. Well, Padre, I would write the perp wasn’t very tolerant or respectful, but he certainly was violent.

Parolin doesn’t seem too affected by what God would think, but more what the international community would think.

Parolin doesn’t seem too affected by what God would think, but more what the international community would think.

I did not hear the Holy Spirit in his response.

TOLERANCE. This has been bashing us over the head for decades now. The spirit of the world wants us to tolerate evil. Unfortunately the continuous toxic indoctrination has transformed our society for the worse. The true church needs to take a stand against evil based on the Rock of Jesus Christ. This is a spiritual battle.

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