How to be merciful without compromising the Truth
We live in a time of many flaunted and shamelessly displayed sins—from alcohol and drug abuse to promiscuity and homosexuality. And we, as sound-minded Catholics, when we see these sins proudly practiced by our priests and fellow lay faithful, are oftentimes tempted to be enraged at their unorthodox and immoral lifestyles—lifestyles they oftentimes do not repent of but instead desperately try to justify. They, however, differ from those who commit these sins and yet, deep in their hearts, desire to overcome them. Now, how should we respond to either of them?
For starters, we must turn to Sacred Scripture, the Catechism, the Traditions, and the Magisterium of our Catholic Faith to reform not just others, but ourselves as well. These determine how we must reform our lives to conform to God's will. If we then know all about these—or at least have some knowledge of them from reading, studying, and attending Holy Mass—then we can separate the wheat from the chaff, which, in the Catholic sense, are essentially what is right and what is wrong. This is the beginning of mercy: informing our brothers and sisters, and reflecting for our own conversion on the teachings of Our Lord Jesus Christ and the Holy Mother Church. Knowing and abiding by them means that we love God and His Kingdom, which is found in the Catholic Church. When we remind others of what they may be ignoring, or teach them what they may not yet know, we are leaving no room for them to make excuses of ignorance. Bishops and priests, however, already know these in full, so they have more culpability and less believability when they claim they forget or do not know right from wrong. This may be the reason why the "Angel of the Apocalypse," Saint Vincent Ferrer, a Spanish Dominican priest tasked with warning the people of his time that, if they did not repent of their sins, they would face Armageddon, said, "Many religious go straight to hell because they do not keep their vows." It is appalling that many of them today are leading people to be materialistic, pleasure-seeking, narcissistic, and egocentric. When it comes to them, we must exclude any notion that they are misinformed or deprived of knowledge about morality and virtue; thus, the reprimand to them must be more severe than to their lay counterparts. The mercy that must be given them shall be for the sacred office they desecrate, first of all, and for their hardened hearts that resist the call of the Holy Spirit to conversion. We must not be afraid to tell them when they are wrong—even if they hold positions of ecclesiastical and moral authority—because, as the Venerable Archbishop Fulton John Sheen encouraged us, we, the laity, are responsible for ensuring that our bishops and priests act as they are supposed to. And to think that those words were passed down to us by no less than an archbishop!
Regarding the laity—especially those brought up in a family and community of liberal-minded people who delight in noontime shows where gay men and lesbians "flex" their homosexual relationships as hosts, or who applaud beauty pageants where male, female, and now even transgender models wear only their underwear, indulging in secular music riddled with sexual innuendos, atheistic and agnostic suggestions, and many more toxic influences of popular culture—it is a challenge to make them understand the Truth that has withstood the test of time, which they deem outdated and too rigid. Do you know the root cause of these accusations? The Catholic Church conforming and agreeing to the nonsense of liberal ideals. The height of this occurred during the pontificate of the late Pope Francis. The Church became too afraid to offend Protestants, so the hierarchy allowed Charismatic groups to hold Protestant-styled worship-esque gatherings, complete with clapping, jumping, and profane musical instruments like drums and cymbals. The Church then became too afraid to oppose the proponents of Communion by hand, so they allowed it as an option. But the liberals couldn't be satisfied, so they made it mandatory during the COVID-19 pandemic scare. If not for traditionalists who resisted this sacrilegious order, Communion on the tongue would never have been restored. The Church also became too afraid of heretics and infidels, leading to ecumenical and interfaith dialogues that became more syncretic after every pontificate that supported them since Pope Paul VI. These are just a few examples of why the Church is not truly being merciful—not in these moments—because true mercy is bringing others to the Light of Truth! Sure, works of charity and preaching the Gospel to all corners of the Earth are works of mercy, but the best form of mercy is to tell every human being we can reach, as baptized Catholics, that there is no other Way to Eternal Salvation than to be faithful to the One, Holy, Roman, Catholic, and Apostolic Church—and that there is no salvation outside of it! It is also the best work of mercy to proclaim that all the truths contained in Sacred Scripture, the Catechism, Tradition, and Magisterium are to be lived by—not refined or reinterpreted just to validate sensitive liberals who want to make their immoral lifestyles compatible with the Catholic Church.
Now, I admire and pray for more strength for those who struggle with their sins, admit to themselves and to God that they're wrong, and never try to justify their wrongdoing. There are LGBT members in the Church who deeply desire to be rid of their homosexuality. They don’t even want to show a tendency toward their hidden sins. They want to be true sons or daughters of the Church by struggling to reform their lives through repentance and conversion. Isn't that the true "Imitation of Christ"? Our Lord Jesus Christ endured pain, walked toward His sentence, and completed His Passion. Why can't we do the same? Why can't we walk our own Calvary and carry the Cross—which is the full weight of our clandestine inclinations that we know are evil and unnatural? Why can't we carry them, bring them to the feet of Christ Crucified, and let Him wash them away with His Most Precious Blood? I am truly proud of potential thieves, murderers, adulterers, and even those who struggle with pedophilia, who sincerely desire to be converted in their hearts. But I detest those who bring worldliness and even lust into the Church—by dancing to songs with sexual lyrics, singing music that denies the existence of heaven and hell, desecrating the Tabernacle containing the Blessed Sacrament by holding concerts, raffle draws, bingo games, dance, and theater performances inside churches. I loathe men who dress like women and women who dress like men inside the Church, mocking God with their audacious display of rebellion. I am telling you, they are worse than people who inwardly fight themselves and the demons that try to tempt them. And even if some act upon their concupiscence or bestiality, they show more mercy to their neighbors than those who present their Catholicism with clownery, lasciviousness, and exaggerated joviality.
Someone who secretly struggles with sin and wants to get rid of it while maintaining the utmost respect to God, the Church and everything sacred is more open to the Mercy of God.
What mercy, then, shall we give to the liberals who continue to insult our Catholic Faith? We must never tire of reminding them of the pains of Gehenna—the part of Hell where hardheaded, unrepentant sinners go—where cowards who yield to evil are thrown down. We must incessantly rebuke them, even berate them, that this will be their final destination should they continue destroying their souls and the souls of others through their incorrigibility. We must pray for them every day, that they may realize the folly of their ways, struggle to be rid of the evils that have defined their lives and identities. And let us embrace them like the Merciful Father. When they come back to us, let us not be like the angry sibling who could not accept his repentant brother. Many popes have defended even those who previously apostatized yet returned to the Church, so we must do the same for all who truly repent. As for those who continue to plague the Church with their wrongdoing, let us patiently and consistently hold up the Lamp to their feet. And even with harsh words, may the burning light pierce their hearts and cause their souls to long for repatriation to the Kingdom of God.
Satan hates humanity; he wants us to destroy each other and ourselves. Do not let him win in your lives. Many souls have perished into Hell because they submitted to his tricks and deceptions—but we must know better! We have thousands of writings and traditions from thousands of years of mankind’s relationship with God, so we do not lack any resource to fight evil and improve our relationship with our Triune God. We must not destroy each other; we must build one another up to save as many souls as possible—for God’s glory. Joy and happiness can only be found in God, not in His opposition, and you cannot mix them both. As Saint Paul said in 2 Corinthians 6:15, Christ and Belial (the devil) have no friendship. Homosexuality is Belial. Protestantism and every heresy are Belial. Buddhism, Hinduism, and other pagan religions are Belial. The overly sexual and violent pop culture is Belial. So, dear brothers and sisters in Christ, we shall not be friends of these, but their enemies! Do not be afraid to be in enmity with the world, because a true Christian is an enemy of the world (James 4:4), and Our Lord Jesus Christ has already conquered it (John 16:33). Do you want to be part of the conquerors or the conquered? I hope you want to be conquerors, as I do—because the conquered receive the greatest suffering in the end. The conquerors of the world and the flesh may suffer in this Vale of Tears, but our victory is in Everlasting Life. If you choose the easy path now, you will be the conquered, enjoying all pleasures in this mortal life—but suffering in Eternal Torment. Take heart, my brothers and sisters, and conform only to Christ, Our Lord. Becoming more like Him is becoming less of sin.
Becoming more like Christ is becoming more holy, like the Saints.
