BISHOP FIORENZA HOSTS CONFERENCES FEATURING KNOWN SODOMITE SYMPATHIZER ERIC LAW

 

 

Thomas A. Droleskey

REMNANT COLUMNIST, New York

 

            The late Father John A. Hardon, S.J., said repeatedly that nothing is ever a coincidence. Everything happens within the Providence of God. Everything happens for a reason, although we may not understand the reasons for the events of our lives and the world fully until the Last Day. Sometimes, however, Our Lord provides us with information on some things that are unexpectedly related to other matters. Such is the case of Eric Law, a “priest” of the Episcopal Diocese of Los Angeles.

          Eric Law, who is referred to as “Eric” and/or “Father Law” in various places, has spoken in the Diocese of Houston-Galveston last year and is scheduled to speak there again in September. The September appearance, which is being promoted by the Diocese of Galveston-Houston’s Office of Family Life Ministry, will take place at the National Association of Catholic Family Life Ministers (NACFLM)’s annual meeting, to be held at the Adam’s Mark Hotel in Houston, Texas, from September 24-27, 2003. The announcement of Mr. Law’s appearance at this event was contained in a bulletin, Family Life Ministry Update (Volume 4, Number 1), issued by the Office of Family Life Ministry of the Diocese of Galveston-Houston on April 15, 2003. The description of the “mission” of the Family Ministry office provided on the update is as follows: “Committed to Strengthening the Family as the basic unit of Church and society.”

          “Many Threads, Many Weavers” is the title of the twenty-third annual conference of the National Association of Catholic Family Life Ministers. The meeting is described this way in the Family Life Ministry Update of the Diocese of Galveston-Houston: “The conference, focusing on multiculturalism and inclusivity, will feature a two day process lead by the Rev. Eric Law, an internationally renowned leader in the field.” The conference will also feature speakers from the Marxist-leaning Mexican American Cultural Center of San Antonio, Texas. It will be preceded on September 21-23 by an optional two day retreat at the Holy Name Retreat Center in west Houston. Nowhere is it mentioned in the Family Life Ministry Update that “Rev. Law” is not a Catholic priest but a man who is a “priest” of the Episcopal Diocese of Los Angeles, an interesting omission, to be sure.

          Mrs. Heidi Kalian of Spring, Texas, provided this writer with several links that led to other information about Eric Law, which revealed that he had spoken in the Diocese of Galveston-Houston in October of 2002 at the annual National Conference on Environment and Art in Catholic Worship. That meeting, which took place from October 5-8, 2002, at the Adam’s Mark Hotel in Houston, was held to discuss, “The Heart of the Matter: Reformed Churches, Transformed Lives.” Among other things on the agenda of the professional wreckovators whose work was critiqued so well by Michael Rose in The Renovation Manipulation and Ugly as Sin , was a conference “The ‘Fun Way’ of Art and Environment (playing on the popular Feng Shui) A Theological and Practical consideration of art and environment. . . .  During this session we will explore both the theological and practical consideration necessary to both develop and execute your parish Art and Environment ministry. By placing in dialogue the theological and practical elements of this ministry we hope to, together, explore the ‘Fun Way’ of Art and Environment.” Aren’t you sorry you missed that one?

          That 2002 conference of church wreckovators was sponsored by the Georgetown Center for Liturgy and, quoting from their own website, “hosted by the Diocese of Galveston-Houston.” Eric Law led the following panel and “in depth” discussion: “Rev. Eric Law: Making Room for Grace: How to create a gracious time and space in which people from different cultural backgrounds will be welcomed and invited to participate fully in the ministry of the community through the use of liturgy and inclusive group processes.” Mr. Law was listed, it should be noted, as “Rev. Eric Law, Episcopal Diocese of Los Angeles, Palm Desert, California.”

          Eric Law’s popularity in establishment Catholic circles extends far beyond the scope of the Diocese of Galveston-Houston, however. He has spoken at the infamous Religious Education Congress, sponsored by the Archdiocese of Los Angeles, in Anaheim, California, on Sunday, April 9, 2000. He was a featured speaker at a Catholic evangelization conference that took place in Spokane, Washington, from July 9-13, 2003. Among his fellow panelists and conference speakers was  Theodore Cardinal McCarrick, the Archbishop of Washington, D.C. The conference was sponsored by the North American Institute for Catholic Evangelization and promoted by the Secretariat for Evangelization of the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops (USCCB).

           [ USCCB President, the Most Reverend Wilton D. Gregory, the Bishop of Belleville, Illinois, was listed on a USCCB website as a participant in that Spokane meeting. According to Eric Law, however, he has never met or spoken with  Bishop Gregory, which leads one to believe that the latter did not show up at the Spokane meeting. As president of the bishops’ conference, however, he is not blameless as the USCCB and its affiliates feature speakers at odds with the content of the Deposit of Faith.]

          Mr. Law gave the conference’s second presentation (the first had been given by Cardinal  McCarrick on July 9), doing so on Thursday, July 10, 2003. “Evangelization and North American Culture: Rev. Eric H.F. Law” is how the program lists Mr. Law’s presentation. He also “guided” a “table discussion” and panel response following his presentation. It is thus clear that Eric H.F. Law travels in pretty rarified circles for one who is not a Catholic. He must have established quite a reputation to be considered qualified to speak at a conference on Catholic evangelization.

          Mr. Law, though, hardly limits his extensive speaking schedule to Catholic organizations and groups. He is scheduled to give a presentation at the “Witness our Welcome 2003: God’s Deliverance for All” conference, which is sponsored by a variety of mainline Protestant denominations and groups, in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, from August 15-16, 2003. “Witness our Welcome 2003" is a conference to reaffirm practicing “gays, lesbians, bisexuals, transsexuals, queers” in their objectively  perverse, sinful “lifestyles.” It is a who’s who of the rabid pro-sodomite world. Among the official sponsors of the conference are Affirm United, Affirmation: United Methods for LGBT Concerns, Association of Welcoming and Affirming Baptists, Brethren Mennonite Council for LGBT Interests Canada, Open and Affirming Ministries (Disciples of Christ), and Open and Affirming Program (United Church of Christ). It is probably not necessary to point out to Remnant readers, although it may be necessary to spell this out for some bishops and curial officials in Rome, that it is affirmation in a life of sin that is the aim of these various Protestant groups. One of the “partners” of “WOW 2003" is the notorious Human Rights Campaign. Among the “allies” listed for the conference are the Episcopal Divinity School and Dignity USA.

          Mr. Law will be speaking at “Witness our Welcome 2003" on August 16, 2003. His conference is described as follows: “Interracial/Intercultural Issues in the GLBTQ Community As members of the GLBTQ community, we often find ourselves struggling with interracial and intercultural issues among ourselves. In the workshop, we will explore the complexity of addressing racial and cultural sensitivity within an ‘oppressed’ community. We will reflect on these issues theological and acquire practical skills and tools to deal with these concerns constructively. Rev. Eric H. F. Law has been a consultant/trainer for Building Inclusive Community for over 15 years. He is the author of 4 books, The Wolf Shall Dwell With the Lamb, The Bush Was Blazing But Not Consumed, Inclusion and Sacred Acts/Holy Change. He has worked with Episcopal, Roman Catholic, United Methodist, Presbyterian, and Lutheran churches both locally and nationally. He is a composer of church music, a photographer and playwright.”

          In other words, Mr. Law will be discussing the issue of racial and ethnic bigotry that divides the sodomite community. His conference takes place on the same day as a special colloquium, as it is billed, at “WOW 2003,” a Queer Colloquium: “The Queer Theory and Theology Colloquium is an ecumenical forum for sexually and gender inclusive Christians from Canada and the U.S. to present academic papers reflecting current scholarly work in the areas of queer theory and theology. Papers will be presented consecutively with time for discussion afterward. Participants include students, professors and pastors who support the full inclusion of lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender (LGBT) persons. Papers were chosen through a blind reading of proposals.” Also highlighted on August 16 is a film, In the Name of Allah: Hidden Voices: The Lives of LGBTQ Muslims. Some of the other presentations are just too salacious to put into print. However, it should be noted that in the “worship” category on the “WOW 2003" website is a statement that a Catholic Mass would be offered, although it does not say by whom. One can conclude reasonably that it will be a priest who is associated with Dignity USA, probably a member of some religious community.

          This writer attempted to reach the President of the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops, the Most Reverend Wilton D. Gregory, at his offices in Belleville, Illinois, on Wednesday, July 16, 2003. A man named David told me that the bishop was on vacation, and that any and all media requests to interview him had to be routed through the Office of Communications of the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops in Washington, D.C. I left a message with that office immediately afterward, reaching Mr. Bill Ryan, who works under Monsignor Francis Maniscalco, the director of the Office of Communications. I asked Mr. Ryan if Bishop Gregory was aware of Mr. Law’s presentation at the “Witness our Welcome” conference in Philadelphia and what the bishop’s reaction was to it. Mr. Ryan said that he did not know how to direct me in the matter, stating quite candidly that he had no way of knowing whether Bishop Gregory knows of Mr. Law’s activities or what the bishop’s reaction might be.

          In light of the fact that a secret meeting took place recently among many of the nation’s bishops, including Bishop Gregory, and leading liberal Catholics, including some that support the destruction of innocent human beings in their mothers’ wombs under cover of law, it is not unreasonable to conclude that Bishop Gregory would not find Mr. Law’s participation in the “WOW 2003" conference as problematic. After all, if one can endorse abortion, one of the four sins that cry out to Heaven for vengeance, and be considered an “expert” lay person to advise bishops, what’s the big deal about including non-Catholics who endorse one of the other sins that cry out to Heaven for vengeance, sodomy?

          In order to find out Reverend Eric H. F. Law’s views on matters of Catholic doctrine, I e-mailed him the following set of questions on Saturday, July 12, 2003. As I had not received a response by Wednesday, July 16, 2003, I telephoned his executive assistant at the Episcopal Diocese of Los Angeles, who informed me that Mr. Law was on vacation. She graciously gave me his personal e-mail address, to which the questions were re-sent later that evening, with the proviso that answers had to be forthcoming by July 18, 2003 (Debbie, the executive assistant, told me that Mr. Law “picks up” his e-mail from his personal account regularly):

 

          As you are not a Roman Catholic--and as you are scheduled to speak at a conference, Witness our Welcome, that reaffirms individuals who are perversely violating the binding precepts of the Sixth and Ninth Commandments, I have the following questions for you:

1) Do you believe that each homosexual or lesbian act is a mortal sin that requires absolution by a Roman Catholic priest in an individual auricular confession? Do you believe that each homosexual or lesbian act is any sort of a sin?

2) Do you believe Jesus Christ is the Second Person of the Blessed Trinity made Man and that He wills that each person show forth His fidelity to Him through His true Church by how they cooperate with the graces He won for all human beings on the wood of the Holy Cross to root out sin, both mortal and venial, from their lives?

3) Do you accept the authority of the teaching magisterium of the Roman Catholic Church, headed visibly on earth by the Successor of Saint Peter, as the solely divinely instituted guide to proclaim and explicate all that is contained in the Deposit of Faith, including the binding precepts of the Divine positive law and the natural law?

4) Do you consider those who adhere to the teaching entrusted by Christ to the Catholic Church concerning the perversely immoral nature of each homosexual act as "homophobes" who do not "love" the sinner, even though they may be praying fervently for the conversion of those steeped in unrepentant mortal sin?

5) If being "gay or lesbian or bisexual or transsexual," to use the language of the Witness our Welcome program, is a basis for human identity, why would it not be appropriate for people who feel prone to adultery or fornication or other sins against the flesh to form groups and to demand rights by identifying themselves with their behavior?

6) What is your expertise in Catholic doctrine and the history of the organic development of Catholic liturgy over the centuries that qualifies you to speak before a Catholic group?

7) Do you believe in "marriage" or "civil unions" for "gay" and "lesbian" people?

8) Do you believe that the civil law should recognize a self-identification as a "gay" or "lesbian" person as a category that mandates the same rights and/or privileges accorded racial or ethnic minority groups?

9) Do you believe that "gays and lesbians" should have the right to adopt children?

10) Do you believe that sexual relations between consenting "partners" is licit at any age, whether in or out of the context of heterosexual marriage?

11) Do you believe that homosexual or lesbian "couples" constitute families that should be recognized by both denominational religions and the civil law?

12) Do you believe that the Gospel of Jesus Christ permits married couples to frustrate the natural end of human conjugal relations during a woman's fertile years, the conception of a child, by the use of any and all methods of contraception?

13) Do you believe that a woman has the right to choose to "terminate her pregnancy" by "choosing" to have an abortion?

14) Do you believe that the Roman Catholic Church should ordain women to the priesthood? Do you agree with the ordination of women to the Episcopalian priesthood?

15) Should the Roman Catholic Church knowingly ordain "gay" men to the priesthood? Should "gay" men be ordained to the Episcopalian priesthood knowingly by bishops of the Episcopal Church?

16) Do you endorse the program of Witness our Welcome, which seeks to reaffirm "gays, lesbians, transsexuals, bisexuals, queers" in their identity and behavior? Have you participated in any events of "Gay Pride Week" (parades, conferences, seminars, celebrations) in any venue in the United States of America or abroad?

17) Have you spoken or written on any of these topics?

 

          Mr. Law responded to these questions without answering them. In an e-mail dated Monday, July 21, 2003, Mr. Law wrote me as follows:

 

            “I have been a writer and speaker in the field of multicultural ministry for over 12 years and had worked with groups and organizations from many different Christian denominations both locally and nationally including the Roman Catholic Church. First, I do not impose my view on particular issues to the group that I work with and has always respected the boundaries of each group and organization. I believe this is one of the reasons why I am invited to speak in so many different contexts. Second, I believe organizations invited me to speak at their events, not because of my stand of various issues but because what I have written that has helped them address their concerns for improving their ministry as part of the Body of Christ. I have written 4 books in the last 10 years and the first one titled The Wolf Shall Dwell With The Lamb, in particular, is the one that people found most helpful. Often, organizers of conferences decided to invite me to speak after reading that text. Therefore, if you were to make a judgment on whether I am qualified to speak at the events that you named, I suggest that you read my writings first and find out who I am as a person who commits myself to a life serving Christ in what I write and in what I do. My writings perhaps will answer some of the questions that you had listed.”

            “Thank you for giving me the opportunity to respond to your concerns. Sincerely yours in Christ, Eric Law.”  [My response to Mr. Law is included at the end of this article.]

          Mr. Law’s answers to the questions listed above are not in doubt. The aforementioned Mrs. Heidi Kalian e-mailed me on July 20 to inform me that a Mrs. LaDawn Wilson, a pro-life activist who lives in Houston, Texas, was the source of the original links that led me to the information about Eric Law and his support of sodomy. It turns out that Mrs. Wilson had additional information that linked Law to a Roman Catholic nun, a Sister Mary E. Hunt, who is a self-identified lesbian who had spoken at the “Witness our Welcome 2000" program in Chicago, Illinois, and who has been added to a “Breakfast Bible Studies & Dialogues” event for “Witness our Welcome 2003" in Philadelphia. One of the other speakers at the breakfast colloquium is none other than Eric Law. Indeed, the photo gallery on the website for “WOW 2000" shows Eric Law sitting behind Mary E. Hunt on a stage while the latter was addressing the assembled sodomites and lesbians.

          Apart from being a lesbian, Mary E. Hunt support’s women’s ordination to the Catholic priesthood. She is described as follows in the “WOW 2003" recent changes web page:

         

“Dr. Mary E. Hunt, is a feminist theologian who is co-founder and co-director of the Women's Alliance for Theology, Ethics and Ritual (WATER) in Silver Spring, MD. A Roman Catholic active in the women-church movement, she lectures and writes on theology and ethics with particular attention to liberation issues. Mary’s group will bring a range of feminist resources to bear on critical topics: how LGBTQ Christians live in an increasingly pluralistic context; what it means to affirm LGBTQ sex as healthy, good, natural and holy despite some Christian teachings to the contrary; how the call to be one global people echoes in our perspectives on war and economics as well as sexuality. ‘We will use many scriptures-- biblical, literary, musical, poetic and more-- to guide our discussion and sustain our spirits.’”

 

          A search entered for Mary E. Hunt on the Internet revealed the fact that she had taught a continuing education course at the Graduate Theological Union in Berkeley, California, from June 23-27, 2003. The name of the course: “Same-Sex Love and American Religion (HSSS0317).”  Among the literature that was used in the course were the following: Mary E. Hunt, ‘Queering Old Time Religion,’ Literature and Theology (Vol. 15, No. 3, Sept. 2001), pp. 209-223 (Handout). Gary D. Comstock, Unrepentant, Self-Affirming, Practicing Lesbian/Bisexual/Gay People within Organized Religion (New York: Continuum, 1996), Chapters 1-3. Gary D. Comstock, A Whosoever Church: Welcoming Lesbian and Gay Men Into African American Congregations (Louisville, KY: Westminster John Knox Press, 2001), pick 5 chapters; they are short and powerful.” Among the participating schools in the Graduate Theological Union are: Dominican School of Philosophy and  Theology, Franciscan School of Theology, and The Jesuit School of Theology at Berkeley.

No doubt should be had as to Eric Law’s knowledge of Hunt’s views. The following is from a news report, written by Mark Tooley, that appeared in a journal called Good News Magazine after  “Witness our Welcome 2000:”

 

            “ ‘Inclusivity is the heart of our faith,’ agreed Roman Catholic feminist author Mary Hunt. She called the principle that everyone is welcome a ‘simple, straight-forward Christian teaching’ that is as ‘biblical as you can get’ or as ‘fundamental as a feminist theologian can imagine."’

            “ ‘The Gospels include no ‘‘ifs,’’ ‘‘ands’’ or ‘‘buts’’ but just a simple heartfelt welcome because you are part of creation,’ Hunt continued. "The time has come to say that Christianity cannot have it both ways anymore. Either all are welcome or none are welcome.’

            “Hunt, who is lesbian, said there are reasons to believe she is not welcome in her own Roman Catholic Church. ‘But until and unless I affirm my own goodness, my own value, and my own sense of belonging, [then] all of the social change in the world will not be enough.’ ‘The Divine is welcome,’ Hunt concluded. ‘The Divine, the holy, God, Goddess, whatever term you use to describe this reality is welcome. Though our movement is religious in name, the demands of justice-making can quickly become just one more political struggle.’”

 

          Eric Law was sitting directly behind Mary E. Hunt as she made those remarks. He had spoken before her. The Mark Tooley report contained the following information about Law’s address:

 

            “Episcopal priest and author Eric Law listed the religions that were present for ‘WOW 2000.’ Besides United Methodists, Presbyterians, Lutherans and Episcopalians, he cited ‘radical fairies,’ ‘goddess and Wiccan friends,’ ‘women church,’ Mormons and Southern Baptists.

            “ ‘Our image of God is the number one way we exclude people,’ Law said. ‘To be inclusive means that different images/experiences of God are held up and affirmed, [although] they may be different, but it is the same God. That’s what makes the flame bright.’”

 

          The evidence is crystal clear about Eric Law and what he believes. And it is highly unlikely, although not entirely out of the realm of possibility, to be sure, that his beliefs are unknown to Bishop Wilton D. Gregory or to the officials of the National Association of Catholic Family Life Ministers.  Given Law’s high profile, it is likely that some very astute and courageous Catholics have brought this to the attention of the appropriate authorities in the United States Catholic Conference of Catholic Bishops and its various affiliate organizations. Nevertheless, an effort was made to present information about Mr. Law to the Diocese of Galveston-Houston’s Mrs. Annette Gonzales Taylor.

          In light of the fact that Mr. Law has been welcomed into the Diocese of Galveston-Houston in the past–and will be again in September, I asked the following question of Mrs. Taylor via e-mail on Saturday, July 12, 2003:

 

“In light of Bishop Fiorenza's stated concern for the unity of the Church, Mrs. Taylor , there is a related matter that I need you to answer in addition to the questions sent on July 3, 2003. This related matter concerns an Eric Law, who is evidently a ‘priest’ (Episcopalians do not have valid orders, as per Pope Leo XIII's encyclical letter on the matter) of the Episcopalian Church in California. Mr. Law is scheduled to speak at the National Association of Catholic Family Life Ministers conference, which is being promoted by your Office of Family Life Ministry, in September.

            “Mr. Law is speaking next month at a conference, Witness Our Welcome, to be held in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, that celebrates the ‘splendor’ of the perverse ‘lifestyles’ of  ‘gays, lesbians, bisexuals, transsexuals, queers.’ Mr. Law, as per the paste below, is scheduled to be one of the speakers. As he is obviously endorsing a ‘lifestyle’ that is objectively and perversely sinful, is Mr. Law going to be permitted to speak as an ‘expert’ at a Family Life Ministry Conference, of all things, sponsored by your diocese? If Bishop Fiorenza is concerned about the actions of a priest devoted to the traditions and the authentic teaching of the Church, Father Zigrang, why would he look the other way as an Episcopalian ‘priest’ who supports sodomy as a legitimate ‘lifestyle’ is invited to speak in his diocese? Included in the full program, which can be viewed by going to the link herein provided and clicking on the ‘workshops’ listing on the left side of your computer screen, is Created For This Hour: Advocacy On Behalf of Civil Marriage Equality. Is this something the Diocese of Galveston-Houston approves of? We will be treating this matter in a follow-up story on Father Zigrang. Thus, your comment on the matter is much appreciated.”

 

          As I noted in my follow-up story on Father Zigrang, Mrs. Taylor refuses to answer any of my questions because of “offense” taken by Diocese of Galveston-Houston Chancellor, Monsignor Frank Rossi to my questioning of him about Father Zigrang on July 4, 2003. It will be interesting, however, to see if Bishop Fiorenza, who has expressed his concern about the unity of the Church, welcomes Reverend Eric F.H. Law into his diocese once more while he holds in abeyance a threat of suspension against Father Stephen P. Zigrang for his public celebration of the Mass that has never been suppressed and is incapable of being suppressed, the Mass that Mr. Law’s ecclesiastical ancestors in England sought to stamp out with a violent fury and revolutionary zeal.

          Of equal interest, though, is the culpability of His Eminence, Theodore Cardinal McCarrick, the Archbishop of Washington, D.C. Cardinal McCarrick, who rejected a total ban on the ordination of homosexuals to the priesthood when he was asked about the subject last year after one of the bishops’ conferences, spoke at the aforementioned Catholic evangelization conference in Spokane, Washington, that featured Eric Law. This is the same Cardinal McCarrick who put a last-minute stop recently to the celebration of a Solemn High Mass by a priest of the Priestly Fraternity of Saint Peter at the Basilica of the National Shrine of the Immaculate Conception. The Mass of our fathers must be banished from public view in the basilica dedicated to this country’s patroness while an advocate of sodomy in the name of “inclusivity” is welcomed as an “expert” on matters pertaining to the Catholic Faith.

          Ultimately, however, it is Bishop Wilton D. Gregory who is also culpable here. He is the President of the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops. He has refused repeatedly to address the concerns in open plenary meetings of the body of bishops of those bishops who want to address the problem of active homosexual behavior among priests–and the recruitment of sodomites into the priesthood–as the ultimate cause for the explosion of scandals involving such perverts into full public view (although they had been reported for two decades in a number of places). Bishop Gregory’s willingness to embrace dissident Catholics and non-Catholics such as Eric Law, a known supporter of sodomite and lesbian behavior (and  a man who is obviously at odds with almost everything taught by the Catholic Church), is most significant therefore. Rome must investigate this matter forthwith. How can good priests like Father Zigrang be castigated while a Protestant non-priest who rejects Catholic teaching is hailed as an expert who has “good standing” to speak before Catholic groups?

          Letters may be addressed to Bishop Wilton D. Gregory, President, United States Conference of Catholic Bishops, Belleville, Illinois; Bishop Joseph Fiorenza, Diocese of Galveston-Houston; Theodore Cardinal McCarrick, Archbishop of Washington, D.C.; Joseph Cardinal Ratzinger, Prefect, Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith. Such letters may not accomplish anything, humanly speaking. However, these ecclesiastical officials will not be able to claim ignorance about how they have helped to enable paganism and perversity within the Church at the moment of their Particular Judgments if we do our “due diligence” and make them realize that their complicity and/or not-so-benign neglect is a matter of the public record from which it will be impossible to hide when they breathe their last.

         The following is the text of my response to the e-mail, quoted verbatim above, that had been sent to me by Eric Law on Monday, July 21, 2003:

 

Dear Reverend Law,

I thank you for getting back to me. A bit of research has uncovered the answers to most of my questions. Your printed comments reveal quite a lot. My article, which will incorporate the comments you sent to me today, will reflect what the printed record shows.

While you are no doubt sincere, Father Law, you are disqualified from speaking before Catholic groups as you do not accept the totality of the Revelation that Our Lord has entrusted to His one true Church founded upon the Rock of Peter, the Pope. Each of us is a sinner. However, it is one thing to be sorry and to seek out the mercy of Our Lord administered by an alter Christus in the Sacrament of Penance. It is quite another to persist in sin unrepentantly, worse yet to reaffirm others in their sins. Sin is what caused the God-Man to suffer on the wood of the Holy Cross. It is what wounds His Mystical Body, the Catholic Church (there is no Body of Christ apart from the Catholic Church, which is the Mystical Body of Christ; see Pope Pius XII, Mystici Corporis). A Catholic is supposed to try to root out his mortal and venial sins from his life by cooperating with sanctifying and actual grace and then to try to scale the heights of sanctity. Our souls must be as pleasing as possible before the Blessed Trinity so that we can not only die in a state of sanctifying grace but have the highest place in Heaven next to that of our Most Blessed Mother, who was conceived without stain of Original Sin.

Thus, the only speakers who are qualified to speak before Catholic groups are those who understand the horror of personal sins and how God's ineffable mercy and love make it possible for weak vessels of clay to live lives of profound sanctity. It is sadly the case that many Catholic bishops and priests and nuns and lay teachers do not understand this fact. It is also sadly the case, as the late Archbishop Fulton J. Sheen noted so frequently, that those who are steeped in sin seek to reaffirm themselves and others in their behavior, trying to find some other areas (serving the poor, showing compassion to those in need) that somehow mitigate if not entirely obliterate the objectively sinful nature of certain acts. The very ethos of Protestantism, which has resulted in the triumph of secularism and the very pagan superstitions that you praised at the "Witness our Welcome 2000" conference, has infected the Catholic Church, which is the reason you are so welcome in so many places. The people who are welcoming you are actually doing you a disservice. They should be encouraging to convert to the Catholic Church

If you want an example of holy, simple obedience to the will of God, may I suggest that you read Saint Therese Lisieux's A Story of a Soul. It is Saint Therese, Father Law, not Mary E. Hunt, who shows us the simple way to love God through His true Church. The Little Way of the Little Flower leads to peace of soul, not prideful self-assertion.

Mind you, God alone judges the intentions of all hearts. It is, though, a fundamental act against charity (which is meant to will the good of others, the ultimate expression of which is the salvation of their immortal souls) not to point out how one's work of reaffirming people in behavior and attitudes that are objective and perversely sinful is itself not in the service of the Gospel of Jesus Christ. Our Lord did not condemn the woman caught in adultery. However, He did not reaffirm her in it, either. He told her to "Go, and sin no more." My prayer for you, Father Law, is that Saint Therese will lead you to the truth of the Catholic Faith by loving God and His revelation so much that even the thought of sin is repulsive.

May Our Lady, who made possible our salvation by her perfect fiat to the will of God at the Annunciation, help you to see that we can only follow her Divine Son authentically in this life through His true Church in order to gaze for all eternity upon the glory of the Beatific Vision of Father, Son, and Holy Ghost.

Sincerely yours in Christ the King and Mary our Queen,

Thomas A. Droleskey, Ph.D.,

Columnist, The Remnant

Publisher-Editor Christ or Chaos