Letters

Last straw (letter)

Justin Kearney

Contents - Mar 2002 - Buy a copy now Editorial: Selecting and forming future priests - Michael Gilchrist St Thérèse's relics make Australian pilgrimage - Mother Teresa OCDM News: The Church Around the World 'Conservation Plan' recommends changes to Toowoomba's Cathedral - Michael Gilchrist North American vocations summit overlooks orthodox success stories - Zenit News Service Former Anglican Bishop of London explains why he became a Catholic - Monsignor Graham Leonard Perpetual Eucharistic Adoration spreads throughout the world - Fr Douglas Harris 'Liturgiam Authenticam', ICEL and the need for improved Mass translations - Anna Silvas The Benedictine medal: a long history of devotion - Fr Fabian Duggan OSB Thoughts of a recent convert to Catholicism - Rett Peaden Letters: Watered-down faith - Teresa Martin Letters: Testimonies - Raymond de Souza Letters: Apology - Fr M. Shadbolt PP Letters: Last straw (letter) - Justin Kearney Letters: Human Rights (letter) - Sr M.B. Eanswythe OSB Letters: Courage Needed (letter) - Frank Bellet Letters: Sunday obligation - Leo Willems Letters: Forgotten teachings - Mrs Hiske Deschepper Letters: Nicene Creed - Ken Bayliss Letters: Parish libraries? - Bob Cotterall Letters: Indian appeal - Kevin L. Fernandes Letters: Teaching position - Robert Anderson Books: Freedom and Virtue: The Conservative-Libertarian Debate, George W. Carey (ed) - Alex Sidhu (reviewer) Books: Faith of the Fatherless: The Psychology of Atheism, by Paul Vitz - Bill Muehlenberg (reviewer) Books: Living The Catholic Faith, by Archbishop Charles Chaput - Anthony Cappello (reviewer) Books: Fatima Handbook, by Leo Madigan - Catherine Sheehan (reviewer) Books: Fr Werenfried - A Life, by Joanna Bogle - Michael Daniel (reviewer) Books: New Titles from AD Books Reflection: John Paul II: St Joseph's renewed significance for the Church - Br Christian Moe FSC

One might expect the pulpit to provide the faithful with respite from the lies and distortions of our modern world.

Not always.

We changed parishes after our local priest delivered a sermon where he compared the Transfiguration of our Saviour to a woman giving birth, and went on to state that it made him think of two lesbians having a baby.

This was in fact the last straw. Continuing and carping criticism of Rome, public humouring of an anonymous elderly lady who insisted on the first rite of reconciliation and several other sermons attacking the Church in its attitudes to "gays and lesbians" were just too much.

Needless to say the Blessed Virgin was never mentioned.

As parents of a young family we expected faith affirmation and challenge but not secular nonsense like this.

A family member who still attends the parish advises me that the Feast of the Holy Family warranted a favourable mention of the homosexual advocate Rodney Croome, a fierce critic of the Catholic Church.

Mr Croome intends to "have" a baby soon and was featured in the Hobart Mercury cuddling a teddy bear in eager anticipation.

Thank you for your wonderful magazine and for propagating eternal truth.

JUSTIN KEARNEY
Hobart, Tas

Reprinted from AD2000 Vol 15 No 2 (March 2002), p. 14