Father James Martin, S.J., sent me an e-mail in response to my May 20 column.
"I read your comments ... and thought I'd send along my response, particularly since I was called 'revolting,' 'dishonest' and, worst of all, seeking to embarrass Pope Benedict," Father Martin said (slightly edited).
"In any event, it's my response to Carl Olson at the Ignatius Press blog, who raised some of the same objections that you did. In short, my reaction to what the pope said had more do with the linking of two things — same-sex marriage and abortion — which, I believe, are simply not equivalent in terms of any detriment to the common good. One is clearly about the taking of life, the other is not. In any event, here is my response, which I would appreciate your posting in some way so as to clarify things and help people understand what I was saying. Please accept my prayers for all the good work you do for the church."
I replied: "Thank you for the response, Father. I guess my only question for you, if I may be blunt, is: Do you assent to the Church's teaching on the intrinsic immorality of homosexual activity?"
No answer as of yet.
Also, Father Tom Euteneuer, whom I quoted in my previous column, has provided me with the following additional response to Father Martin (slightly edited):
"Father Martin writes for the Catholic-challenged Jesuit magazine America, and therefore the double-speak and 'nuance' about strategy that he employs is understandable and predictable. He wants to de-link same sex-marriage and abortion, claiming they are two different issues and our 'credibility' in the public forum is at stake if we talk about them in the same speech, or even the same sentence, as Pope Benedict did. Credibility with whom? — is the real question.
"Pandering to audiences of academics and liberal Catholics (about the only ones who read America any more) is a formula for nullifying the Gospel of Jesus Christ, which the Jesuits have done for decades now. Pope Benedict doesn't do that. Nor do serious, orthodox Catholics. Our credibility is based on our conformity with the truth of Christ, including its expression by the Holy Father, not worldly esteem.
"To say that same sex marriage may be a moral issue but not a life issue is to overlook an obvious fact: Homosexual men have a life expectancy that is on the average 20 years shorter than heterosexual men. Why? Death-dealing, sterile sex. What is the connection to abortion in this? Simply: death-dealing, contraceptive sex that becomes fertile 'by accident' and drives millions into abortion clinics because they have idolized sterile sex and sold procreation down the road. Father Martin may want to do a little research in order to become more 'credible' in his opinions about the optimum culture war strategy."
Link to Renew America...
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