More Evidence of the Growing Persecution OF Catholics Who Are Faithful

With so much going on, I don't always get to everything that I would like to. Over the last few days Papa Benedetto has given several importanat addresses. In those talks he has raised 2 issues, abortion & homosexuality. In those talks he uphold Church reaching on the subjects & called for us to live those teachings out.

Not surprizingly, he has come under fire. But it has now gone beyond that. In the Netherlands, the government is now investigating the Pope for what he said. According to LifeSiteNews: "The Vatican envoy to the Netherlands has been called to a meeting to defend the Catholic teaching on sexuality and marriage by the Dutch Foreign Affairs Minister." What is the problem? Simple in saying what the Church teaches homosexual activists are claiming that the Church opposes “gay rights”. & in particular the fact that that the Church continues to resist the movement to legitimise homosexual partnerships.

Responding to requests by homosexual activist groups, Dutch Foreign Affairs Minister, Maxime Verhagen, a Christian Democrat, has demanded that the Papal Nuncio to the Netherlands, Monsignor François Bacqué, respond to their accusations. "Verhagen said, 'The Netherlands is unpleasantly surprised by the opposition of Pope Benedict XVI to a UN declaration on human rights and homosexuality.'” Apparently Verhagen doesn't know what the Church has consistantly taught.

Verhagen went on to sat that the “judgments of the Pope on homosexuality” are cause for concern. (Note to Verhagen: they aren't the Pope's judgements, they are God's.) Why the concern? He says it is “because they are unnecessarily offensive, as can be seen, and do not contribute” to a worthy debate. Gee, isn't that the same problem the Jewish leaders had with Jesus' teachings?, Herod with John the Baptist's?, The Sanhedren with the Apostles' teachings? & the Roman Government with what the Church taught? They saw what was being taught as offensive & tried to stop it. Verhagan is just following in a long & infamous line of persecutors.

This is just another sign of the growing persecution facing the Church & those who stand up for the truth. I have posted about the attacks by the media, I have posted about people in jail for defending the unborn, the attempts to gut conscience laws forcing pharmicists to dispense birth control against their beliefs, etc. Another prime example of this persecution is the fact that the upcoming Obama administration is the most anti-Catholic administration since the start of the USA. While a large number of those in the administration claim to be Catholic they are opposed to so much authentic Catholic teaching. In fact they are more like the Arians & other heretical groups than authentic Catholics. The fact that Obama has chosen them shows what he really thinks of the Catholic Church.

While I am not thrilled with the prospect, this isn't the 1st time the Church has been under attack, from without & within. I've already made reference to the Roman persecution. There have been many other periods of persecution & martyrdom over the last 2000 years. & at times it seemed like the heretical movements (Arianism, gnosticism, Nestorianism & many others) were in control. But in the end the Holy Spirit protected the Church & the truth won out.

This persecution, if it grows into a fullblown attack with arrests, etc, does have a positive aspect. It will serve as a means used by God to help purify His Church. It will help to strengthen & clarify what is the truth as well, just like when the Church battled heresy.

In fact, I see this potential fullblown persecution as a sign of Pope John Paul's Springtime of Hope. Think about it, in early Spring there is a need to clean things up so that the grass can grow, the seeds can be planted & crops raised. It takes sweat & effort for that to occur. The true Church will be smaller, as Papa Benedetto has said. But with the seed from the blood of red martyrs & the suffering of the white martyrs, the Church will be poised to bear much fruit. Just like the early Church grew in the face of persecution, we can expect the same. Those martyrs will serve as a beacon to draw men & women to Jesus & to the truths He teaches through the Catholic Church.

& in the end, the enemies of today will be defeated, just as they were in the time of the early Church.

Like I said, I am not thrilled with this prospect. Nor am I looking for martyrdom. I honestly admit it, I don't carry my cross well. But if it is what God is calling us to, then we need to expect that God will provide us with the grace we need, when we need it. Remember the story Corrie ten Boom told about the train ticket. Her father reminded her that he didn't give it to her until she needed it to get on the train. & that God would give us the grace we need when we need it, not before.

What forms the persecution will take I can't say for sure. But they will come. Those attacking the Catholic Church may even seem to be winnig. But like the prophetic dream of St. John Bosco (The Dream of the 2 Pillars) promises, in the end God will use the Pope to guide His Church to safety & victory.

In the meantime, we are to keep proclaiming the truth, calling sin sin, defending the unborn & living out the Gospel by the power of the Holy Spirit. This is not a time for silence. It is a time to speak out. & it will cost us. Many of us are already paying that price to some extent. It won't be easy. I know. It never has been. Just like those who went before us, we will have doubts, fears, dark nights of the soul, etc. I wish we didn't have to face these trials. But they will come & we will under go them. May God grant us the grace to endure & run the good race. May He provide for all our need, physical as well as spiritual to enable us to do so. & in all these things may the name of Jesus be glorified.

Source: Vatican Nuncio to the Netherlands Called to Defend Church Teaching on Sexuality by Dutch Foreign Minister