Brave Catholic bishops and the cultural crisis

By Judie Brown

It's the environment, stupid! At least that's what the headlines are screaming. They argue that, if you aren't concerned with clean air, global warming, population, and all the things that threaten being "green," you are not a responsible citizen of this world.

But wait a minute. What about the toxicity of hate-messaging that denies the relevance of the natural law? The movement to rid our culture of respect for human sexuality and the gifts of marital love and procreation makes environmental concerns pale by comparison.

A perfect example of this – though not the only one – is the ugliness that followed on the heels of Rhode Island bishop Thomas Tobin's recent tweet that said:

A reminder that Catholics should not support or attend LGBTQ "Pride Month" events held in June. They promote a culture and encourage activities that are contrary to Catholic faith and morals. They are especially harmful for children.

The media responses to Tobin send a signal that the bishop should be ashamed for teaching truth to his flock as Christ has called every bishop to do.

In response to this twisted verbal onslaught, another heroic bishop, Joseph Strickland of Tyler, Texas, tweeted:

Please stop labeling bishops who speak the truth of the Gospel as homophobic. God gave us sexual intimacy for the procreation of children and the deeper union of a man & woman in marriage. Stating this truth is not homophobia, it is simply reality.

Again, we see a bishop who uses his wisdom to teach truth, expressing exactly what everyone should at least be given the chance to hear.

Leave it to Professor Anthony Esolen to hit the proverbial nail on the head when it comes to the fake controversy Bishop Tobin allegedly created with his tweet. He writes:

"Bishop Tobin is preaching to moral cripples who cannot see that the innocence of children must be guarded, and that the natural family must be protected, affirmed, honored, and empowered."

Like Esolen, we realize that it is challenging to teach truth to a world that is in a stone-cold stupor when it comes to moral clarity. All the more reason for us to persist!

But where did this current crisis originate? My personal opinion is that it started with the rejection of what Pope Paul VI taught in Humanae Vitae. At least one commentator agrees, observing:

The problem is not that the Church has not promulgated the truth of our sexuality; the problem is that the Church has failed to do it with the energy and conviction required to meet the resistance those teachings have engendered. This is particularly true of Humanae Vitae, where opposition emerged immediately and included many members of the clergy. To this day, Humanae Vitae is largely ignored by an overwhelming majority of Catholics, whether cleric or layman.

Until the Church fully embraces Humanae Vitae nothing can be gained by addressing any of the symptomatic conditions of a corrupted sexuality.

And that, my friends, is what heroes like Bishop Tobin and Bishop Strickland teach! It is also why those who detest the truth about God's design for male and female – unique yet complementary – drive them to words of anger, hatred, and worse. Their embrace of corrupted sexuality has made it impossible for them to see the happiness and joy of being faithful to the natural law.

Our job, as it always has been, is not to be tolerant of the perversions of our day, but rather to be clear in our message and stay on point. Respect for human beings begins and ends in truth. Nothing less will suffice.

We salute and thank Bishops Tobin and Strickland for serving the antidote to the culture crisis. Our prayers are with you.

© Judie Brown