According to the family the priest had basically consigned their son to Hell. The truth is nothing like that. In fact the priests sermon was all about how we should trust in God's mercy in cases of suicide. I've put the full sermon below so you can see for yourselves.
But the real question is why was this a national news story? When was the last time you read a national news story bashing the non-political content of a sermon by a Jew, a Protestant, or a Muslim? I suspect you've read stories defending horrendous things said by Muslims like Louis Farrakhan or by left wing radical Protestants and Catholics who defend Democrats but I don't think you've seen attacks on any of those groups for their purely theological comments.
On the other hand Catholics are constantly attacked. Take the child molestation crisis.
Did you know that Protestant ministers molest kids at the same, very low, rate the Catholic priests did?
Did you know that public school teachers are much more likely to molest kids than Catholic priests and that while the Church has stopped shuffling around priests accused of molestation the public schools are still doing that?
Did you know that only 4% of priests have been accused of molestation and that the crisis peaked in the 1980s and dropped dramatically in the 1990s and has stayed very low since?
Did you know that in the infamous Pennsylvania Grand Jury report only 2 of the 300 accusations were about events that occurred in the last 33 years; the rest dated back as far as the 1930s?
If you want the truth about the Catholic Church and child molestation you should read this. The Church was far from perfect but it is far better than the rest of society.
None of this means that the Church shouldn't have reacted more quickly to the homosexual problem of child molestation--bet you didn't know that 81% of the priests who were accused were gay--or that even one case of a priest molesting a child is not horrible. But the question is why are the attacks only against priests who molest kids not ministers, rabbi's, imans, or public school teachers?
The answer is that the Catholic Church is the only institution that stands against the hedonistic agenda of the left. While there are Protestants who stand against abortion and casual sex only the Church stands against birth control--the use of which always leads to abortion since using even the best contraceptive means that women will get pregnant unexpectedly-- and divorce.
The truth is that the left hates the Church because the Church professes what Jesus Christ taught and that is anathema to modern leftists.
The media should report on the failures of the Catholic Church, people like McCarrick for example, but they should not only report on Catholic failures or try and convince people that the Church is the only source of child molesters in America.
The Sermon:
My heart goes out to you, Mr . & Mrs. [REDACTED], and to you [REDACTED]'s siblings: [REDACTED], to Grandma [REDACTED], to [REDCATED]'s many aunts & uncles & cousins. It is with great difficulty that I stand before you knowing the pain and anguish you are going through. But I am aware, as well, that I am only a humble, unworthy mouthpiece. I ask God to use my words to bring the light, comfort and healing you need.
Is there any hope to offer in this moment? Must we only speak of our profound grief, our indescribable sorrow, even our anger and confusion at how such a thing could have happened? Is there any word from God that might break into our darkness like a ray of light?
Yes, yes, a thousand times. If we Christians are right in believing that salvation belongs to Jesus Christ, that it does not come from us--and that our hand cannot stop what God allows for us, then yes, there is hope in eternity even for those who take their own lives.
Having said that, I think that we must not call what is bad good, what is wrong right. Because we are Christians, we must say what we know is the truth – that taking your own life is against God who made us and against everyone who loves us. Our lives are not our own. They are not ours to do with as we please. God gave us life, and we are to be good stewards of that gift for as long as God permits.
The finality of suicide makes this all the worse. You cannot make things right again. Neither can [REDACTED]. And this is much of the pain of it all. Things are left unresolved, even if it felt to [REDACTED] like this was the only way to resolve things. You want to turn the clock back and say, "Please don't give up. We can work
Is there any hope to offer in this moment? Must we only speak of our profound grief, our indescribable sorrow, even our anger and confusion at how such a thing could have happened? Is there any word from God that might break into our darkness like a ray of light?
Yes, yes, a thousand times. If we Christians are right in believing that salvation belongs to Jesus Christ, that it does not come from us--and that our hand cannot stop what God allows for us, then yes, there is hope in eternity even for those who take their own lives.
Having said that, I think that we must not call what is bad good, what is wrong right. Because we are Christians, we must say what we know is the truth – that taking your own life is against God who made us and against everyone who loves us. Our lives are not our own. They are not ours to do with as we please. God gave us life, and we are to be good stewards of that gift for as long as God permits.
The finality of suicide makes this all the worse. You cannot make things right again. Neither can [REDACTED]. And this is much of the pain of it all. Things are left unresolved, even if it felt to [REDACTED] like this was the only way to resolve things. You want to turn the clock back and say, "Please don't give up. We can work
through this pain together. " But now you will have to work through this pain byyourselves, or with those close to you now who will need to lean on you even as you lean on them.
On most people's mind, however, especially of us who call ourselves Christians, on our minds as we sit in this place is: Can God forgive and heal this?Yes, God CAN forgive even the taking of one's own life. In fact, God awaits us withhis mercy, with ever open arms. Sacred Scripture says clearly: God proves his lovefor us in that while we still were sinners Christ died for us (Romans 5:8). God's abiding mercy is what sets us to ask for it. Although God doesn't dangle his mercy like a carrot, waiting for us to ask for it in order to receive it, we do have to believe in our hearts, express with our words, and show in our actions – that it is alwaysthere. God wants nothing but our salvation but he will never force himself on us, hewill not save us without us. That's how much he loves us. Because ofthe all- embracing sacrifice of Christ on the cross God can have mercy on any sin. Yes,because of his mercy, God can forgive suicide and heal what has been broken.
Because God is merciful he makes allowance for the spiritual, mental, and emotional despair that leads to suicide. God is able to read the heart, to know thewhole truth of a person's life, and thereby to pass sentence with mercy. God knows something we must discipline ourselves to do in these moments – he knows not to judge a person's entire life on the basis of the worst and last choice the person made. God can look at the totality of a human being's life and celebrate all the good that came from it, even while taking seriously the tragic choice that ended everything. And then he shows his mercy and love in ways beyond our limited understanding.
Nothing can separate us from the love of God, the great St. Paul assures us (in that Reading we just listened to). Nothing – including suicide.
On most people's mind, however, especially of us who call ourselves Christians, on our minds as we sit in this place is: Can God forgive and heal this?Yes, God CAN forgive even the taking of one's own life. In fact, God awaits us withhis mercy, with ever open arms. Sacred Scripture says clearly: God proves his lovefor us in that while we still were sinners Christ died for us (Romans 5:8). God's abiding mercy is what sets us to ask for it. Although God doesn't dangle his mercy like a carrot, waiting for us to ask for it in order to receive it, we do have to believe in our hearts, express with our words, and show in our actions – that it is alwaysthere. God wants nothing but our salvation but he will never force himself on us, hewill not save us without us. That's how much he loves us. Because ofthe all- embracing sacrifice of Christ on the cross God can have mercy on any sin. Yes,because of his mercy, God can forgive suicide and heal what has been broken.
Because God is merciful he makes allowance for the spiritual, mental, and emotional despair that leads to suicide. God is able to read the heart, to know thewhole truth of a person's life, and thereby to pass sentence with mercy. God knows something we must discipline ourselves to do in these moments – he knows not to judge a person's entire life on the basis of the worst and last choice the person made. God can look at the totality of a human being's life and celebrate all the good that came from it, even while taking seriously the tragic choice that ended everything. And then he shows his mercy and love in ways beyond our limited understanding.
Nothing can separate us from the love of God, the great St. Paul assures us (in that Reading we just listened to). Nothing – including suicide.
Who will bring any charge against God's chosen ones? St. Paul asks. It is God who acquits us. Who will condemn? Christ Jesus sits at the right hand of God even now, interceding for this one who could not stand before God on his/her own. Truly, none of us can stand before God on our own. We all need Christ to intercede for us, to plead our case. And here's the good news: Christ has never lost a case!
What will separate us from the love of Christ? St. Paul answers that question with a display of words that cover everything he can think of in so little space. Not death or life, not angels or principalities, not present things or future things, not powers or height or depth or any other creature will be able to separate us from the love of God in Christ Jesus our Lord.
What did St. Paul leave out of that list? Nothing. He did not list suicide, but he did not list murder or gossip or greed either. He covered all of those things in the final flurry of words that includes anything else in all creation. No deed is too evil to be beyond the forgiveness of Christ. No tragedy is too great to separate us from the love of God.
If that is so, if the Scriptures can be believed, if God can be trusted even in this, then it gives us hope and guidance for how to manage our sorrow and angerand loss. We give it all to God. We hope...we can only hope. We do not carry it
ourselves. We try to give thanks for the blessings of life we knew and shared with [REDACTED], with this child of God. And we remind ourselves that he is not lost to God who seeks to save all of his children.
And so, we take great comfort and consolation in all this. Nothing-not even suicide-can separate us from the unconditional love of God. It is to this all- merciful love that we, through our prayers, entrust and continue to entrust the soul of [REDACTED]. Let us not deny him now of the help he needs
most-our love expressed through our trusting prayers.
What will separate us from the love of Christ? St. Paul answers that question with a display of words that cover everything he can think of in so little space. Not death or life, not angels or principalities, not present things or future things, not powers or height or depth or any other creature will be able to separate us from the love of God in Christ Jesus our Lord.
What did St. Paul leave out of that list? Nothing. He did not list suicide, but he did not list murder or gossip or greed either. He covered all of those things in the final flurry of words that includes anything else in all creation. No deed is too evil to be beyond the forgiveness of Christ. No tragedy is too great to separate us from the love of God.
If that is so, if the Scriptures can be believed, if God can be trusted even in this, then it gives us hope and guidance for how to manage our sorrow and angerand loss. We give it all to God. We hope...we can only hope. We do not carry it
ourselves. We try to give thanks for the blessings of life we knew and shared with [REDACTED], with this child of God. And we remind ourselves that he is not lost to God who seeks to save all of his children.
And so, we take great comfort and consolation in all this. Nothing-not even suicide-can separate us from the unconditional love of God. It is to this all- merciful love that we, through our prayers, entrust and continue to entrust the soul of [REDACTED]. Let us not deny him now of the help he needs
most-our love expressed through our trusting prayers.
My dear friends, today, and in the difficult days to come, when darkness threatens to envelop and darken our hearts, let us raise high the bright light of our Redeemer and proclaim his saving mercy: Praised be Jesus Christ, now and for ever!
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