English Catholic School MUST Cancel Scandalous LGBTQ+ History Month Book Signing Event…
Update(s) – Tuesday, 16 March 2022
There has been additional reporting across the internet on this, with both Catholic Truth and, incredibly, the archbishop, painted as the demons.
I’ve written letters to various culprits, including the Catholic Education Service (CES) and Elliot Colburn MP who is also intent on making waves. I’ve posted these letters in the comments here
Update – Saturday, 12 March 2022
Fr James Clark has resigned from his position as Chaplain to The John Fisher School. A source close to him has informed me that Fr. Clark decided he simply couldn’t work in a school that was promoting and selling unsuitable, pornographic, material to children.
Update – Thursday, 10 March 2022
The Mail Online has reported the cancellation… Click here to read
And this Lifesitenews report, dated 9 March, has just arrived in my inbox
Update – Wednesday, 9 March 2022…
There is an online report about the cancellation of the book-signing event which you can read here
Note two things: firstly, since the above article has featured quotations from parents speaking against the diocese and the teachings of the Church, I invite the many parents (and teachers) who support the diocese’s actions to write to me; I promise to put their comments on this blog, anonymously if they wish.
Secondly, I continue to receive vile messages from people who need to get out there with a huge search party to help them find their moral compass. They may not have noticed that it’s missing yet, but believe me, there are a lot of missing moral compasses out there, just waiting to be found.
And just as I was about to publish this update, more news arrives – this story, which should be totally UN-remarkable for anyone who knows anything about the Catholic Church’s teaching and its guardianship of the natural moral law, seems to be spreading like wildfire. To read more click here and here
This one, though, seems to be the star of the show – I’ve not read it myself but my source tells me it contains information hitherto not made public. To read, click here
A little later… I’ve now skimmed this report and find it dredges up the tired old claim that I “outed” priests – wrong; I reported priests who had outed themselves (everyone of whom has now abandoned the active priestly ministry) and I lodged complaints with the Press Complaints Commission against various newspapers which had essentially defamed me, everyone of which complaints were resolved to my satisfaction. So, don’t let’s get into all of that again. What I didn’t report, because I didn’t want to give them the satisfaction, was that, as a result of those reports, I became the target of a hate campaign. I received such a volume of horrendous mail that the postman asked me if there was something wrong. Not half. The fact that this reporter has had to dig to find that nonsense to support the LGBTQ+ campaign against the Archdiocese of Southwark, and thus the Catholic Church, shows just how hard they’re having to work to justify their unjustifiable position. Their plan to groom the boys at The John Fisher School has been thwarted. Thanks be to God, but watch out those of us who dared to question their right to do so.
And further… the journalist who contacted me for The Times report (linked in above report) was a devious so & so. I spoke with him for ages on the phone (as he pretended to agree with me) and then he rang me out of the blue one morning, prior to publication, asking if he could come with a photographer to take my photo. Well, I had arrangements already made, so I had to decline. Then, in his report, he begins with the “she doesn’t like to be photographed” and ended with “she never married”, the implication being crystal clear. Anyone reading The Times that day, who thought there were only three Ugly Sisters had to think again – the implication, as I say, was clear. As crystal. I was sorry I hadn’t thought of sending him the one and only photo of myself which makes me look passably human, taken when I was of marriageable age – I can be very slow, at times…
What certainly stands out here, though, is that the Archbishop of Southwark is an outstanding defender of the Faith and true Morals. I know from my inbox how vicious the enemies of the Faith and true Morals are – and I suspect the Archbishop will suffer far worse. We must all pray for him.
Update – Monday, 7 March 2022…
Following letters of complaint from parents and other concerned Catholics, the event scheduled to take place at The John Fisher School in Purley today, Monday, 7 March, was cancelled. Deo gratias. Much gratitude to all bloggers who have contributed to this thread, and who have written to the School and Archbishop, thus showing true Christian charity and compassion. Sincere thanks, too, to those on the frontline who stood their ground and worked hard to effect this cancellation: “Not everyone who says ‘Lord, Lord’, shall enter into the kingdom of Heaven; but he who does the will of my Father who is in Heaven, he shall enter into the kingdom of Heaven.” (Matt 7:21)
St John Fisher, pray for us!
The original post follows…
Editor writes…
Firstly, note that in Scotland, Years 8 & 9, means 2nd and 3rd Year. The text of the letter opposite, shamefully sent to parents/carers of pupils in Years 8 and 9, in The John Fisher School in Surrey, reads as follows… 
Dear Parents/Carers,
Re: Author Visit for Years 8 & 9 – Monday 7th March 2022
On Monday 7th March, as part of our World Book Day and LGBTQ+ History Month celebrations, we will be hosting a visit from the award winning and Carnegie nominated author Simon James Green for Year 8 & 9 students. Simon will be speaking to students about ‘Owning the Awkward’ (or how to navigate the teenage years!), his books, writing for young adults and getting published. As part of his visit, Simon is happy to sign copies of his books for students who have them. His books are available on Amazon as well as high street bookstores, please see a list of titles below. If your son would like a book signed, please purchase one before the event and make sure the book is brought into school on Monday 7th March, although there is absolutely no pressure to do so. If you would like to know more about Simon, his website is: www.simonjamesgreen.com
Simon James Green – Book List
For young adult readers (Years 8-11): For middle grade readers (Years 5-8):
Noah Can’t Even Life of Riley
Noah Could Never Sleepover Takeover
Noah Goes Nuclear
Heartbreak Boys
Alex in Wonderland
You’re The One That I Want
For primary aged children: With other authors:
Llama Glamarama Proud
Fabulous Frankie
Yours sincerely,
A Leggatt
Mrs Leggatt
School Librarian
Editor adds…
As a retired Head of Religious Education in a number of Catholic schools in England, I feel obliged to apologise to parents everywhere who are sending their offspring to Catholic schools in the expectation that they will be taught the authentic Catholic Faith and true Morals. Just check out the following extract from the school website, detailing it’s “mission and ethos”:
Founded in 1929, The John Fisher School currently caters for close to 1200 students. The John Fisher School is a Catholic secondary school for boys of all abilities and all backgrounds. It exists to serve the educational needs of the Catholic community of Sutton, Croydon and neighbouring areas. As such, it will at all times seek, via opportunities for worship and prayer, and via the teaching of its religious studies programme, to deepen and enrich the Catholic faith of all its students…
Now those words which I’ve italicised for emphasis, represent a falsehood. The Head and staff at The John Fisher School must know that they are not “deepening and enriching the Catholic Faith of students” when they are so unconscionably exposing them to material designed to lead them away from the Catholic Faith. However, The John Fisher School is really not much different from any other alleged Catholic school anywhere in the UK today, where, masquerading as “Christian values” we find the Head at The John Fisher School listing human ideals: Acceptance, Service, Perseverance, Integrity, Respect, Enjoyment, Selflessness – none of which would pose a problem for any self-respecting humanist. In fact, just to focus on the first “Christian value” – “Acceptance” is clearly not about accepting the divinely bestowed teaching authority of the Church or there wouldn’t have been any letter sent out to parents/carers enthusing about a gay book promotion and signing. In fact, “acceptance” today has come to mean not just tolerating, i.e. suffering something of which we disapprove, but, on the contrary, approving all sorts of immorality.
Hosting such an event where young people – in this case young boys – are being misled into accepting, as normal and good, sexual behaviour which is condemned by Christ’s Church is a major problem today. The case of The John Fisher School in Surrey is not unique in that there are other instances where Catholic schools are failing in their mission, which is not to put the world to rights, but to pass on the Catholic Faith as it has been handed down to us from the Apostles. The John Fisher School is not remotely achieving this key task – as even a passing glance at its scandalous “Transgender Policy” (would you believe it) reveals. Click here to read that “policy” but take a deep breath first…
Head Teachers like Mr Phillip McCullagh apparently think nothing of encouraging the young to read material which, by its very nature, does not accept, but, on the contrary, challenges God’s natural moral law, which the Church hierarchy – and their agents – must uphold and promote. Catholic schools cannot, under any circumstance, endanger the Faith of pupils in their charge by presenting as a good, something which is condemned by the divinely bequeathed teaching authority of Christ’s Church. To quote the relevant extract from paragraph 2357 of the Catechism of the Catholic Church – emphases added:
| 2357 …Basing itself on Sacred Scripture, which presents homosexual acts as acts of grave depravity, tradition has always declared that “homosexual acts are intrinsically disordered.” They are contrary to the natural law. They close the sexual act to the gift of life. They do not proceed from a genuine affective and sexual complementarity. Under no circumstances can they be approved. |
Finally…
This scandalous event is scheduled to take place next Monday, 7th March, so there is not much time – enough, however, to get it cancelled. Cancel culture is all the rage now, so let’s not waste time in following this “fashion”; this is a very serious matter and I’ve already heard the opinion expressed by one parent that for any Catholic school to organise such a blatant promotion of the LGBTQ+ “lifestyle” is tantamount to child abuse. That’s what they’re saying on the street. Whatever, it’s certainly an unsuitable event for youngsters in Years 8 and 9 – and entirely anti-Catholic. Share your thoughts in the comments, but keep it polite, folks, not least since we’re entering Lent tomorrow.
Pray for the boys at The John Fisher School and pray, too, for the Head and other staff responsible for this event to recognise that this is a scandal too far. Instead of organising an event which may potentially lead pupils into grave sin, the school could have marked World Book Day and LGBTQ+ History Month by making available some of the wonderful Lives of the Saints written precisely for youngsters – first class – and by praying for all those who are struggling with serious sin, that they, too may grow to desire to be saints. Nothing more, nothing less.
It is very important to reflect on the fact that these boys – some, at least – will look back on this event with horror at having been exposed to something which Christ, through His Church, reveals is behaviour which “under no circumstances can be approved.” (Catechism of the Catholic Church #2357).
In summary, this outrageous event must be cancelled. I will be forwarding the link to this blog to Archbishop John Wilson, Fr Clark, the School Chaplain, Mr Phillip McCullagh the Head Teacher and Mrs A. Leggatt the School Librarian. If you wish to register your concerns, and ask for this dreadful event to be cancelled, you can email the school at johnfisherschool@johnfisherschool.org and simply list the people to whom you wish to address your message. To contact Archbishop John Wilson, you might email his private secretary, Father Philip Andrews on aps@rcaos.org.uk or click here to find a number of other ways to contact the Archbishop – but, be warned, there is anything and everything except an email address to reach him directly.
Mother Most Chaste, pray for us! Mother Most Pure, pray for us! St John Fisher, pray for us!
Comments (119)
I live near Sutton. This school was one of the schools I was considering for my son when he grows up – I am appalled, I will be writing them and ask for explanations.
Emanuele Ciriachi,
I think the explanation you will receive will be nothing more than their skewed justification for arranging such a diabolical event. It will be dressed up as teaching pupils to be accepting of others, as if encouraging them to read books filled with LGBTQ+ propaganda will do that better than teaching them Christian charity towards others.
Emanuele Ciriachi,
I hope you will write a strong letter or email to that Head and make it clear that you won’t consider sending your son there unless this evil event is cancelled. Sorry, don’t mean to dictate what you say, that’s just my tuppence-worth. I was just appalled, like you, when I read about this, in a supposedly Catholic school – and for boys, too! It beggars belief. These boys, some or even many, who are maybe at a confused stage in their life, could be swung over to thinking they are gay and get into a very sordid lifestyle.
I think questions must be asked about those staff who organised this. Is the School Librarian, who signed the letter, behind it, although the buck always stops with the Head. This even raises lots of questions about that school.
Sorry for typo at the end, last sentence should be “This event raises lots of questions about that school”
Perhaps the parents should consider withdrawing their children from this den of iniquity (aka “Catholic school”). Some Christian groups over here in the USA are recommending that private school parents do just that, in response to the gender ideology curricula that is washing over early education like a tidal wave:
https://www.christianpost.com/news/private-school-curriculum-teaching-lgbt-gender-ideology-to-kids.html
I doubt whether the event will be cancelled, unless the parents act in large numbers (as they are doing with CRT in the US – but not, interestingly enough, with this equally dangerous poison).
RCA Victor,
I read your link – horrified. The drive to teach even the youngest kids about the whole LGBT+ side of life with a huge emphasis on transgenderism, is nothing short of straight from Hell, truly diabolical.
The young have been leaving school struggling with literacy and numeracy for years, and now we know why, because they’re spending far too much time on this sort of immoral learning.
I hope you’re wrong about cancellation – I like to think the pressure, even just from this blog, will make that Head Teacher think again. If parents like Emanuele Ciriachi warn that they won’t be sending their sons to the school and if others threaten to withdraw, it just might be cancelled.
If they sent the letter home via the boys, though, believe it or not, some parents may not even know about it. How often have parents found letters or notes from the school (or been told about them) months after they were sent. Kids are not always the most reliable people on the planet!
Josephine,
Even if some parents never received the letter, and even if the Head is pressured into cancelling this event, the truth is that this is not a school any Catholic parent should use for their sons. Nobody with a true love for the faith and a sound understanding of the Church and her teaching, should ever consider that school to be a worthy Catholic school. It’s not. It’s more dangerous that the Covid virus ever was, IMHO.
RCA Victor,
It puzzles me that parents in the USA are so up in arms about the awful Critical Race theory (they are right to be angry about it) but yet they don’t seem to up in arms at all, about what is being taught to their kids about sex, even that the homosexual and transgender ideologies have been normalised and their children taught that this is normal life. I don’t get that, at all. I get it that CRT is a dreadful ideology but why would you take your child out of school over CRT but say nothing about the teaching of LGBTQ+ ideology?
Laura,
The answer to you question is exactly because it’s been normalised, and made to be out of bounds as far as any kind of objective criticism is concerned. You can’t have a view about homosexuality any longer, because so many well known people have come “out and proud” and now it’s like a heresy to question whether homosexual activity is a good or bad thing. If you do question, you’re obvious full of hate for gays, it’s that simple. There is no logical discussion or conversation any more and now that the Scottish Government has made it illegal to express any views that run counter to its own, even in the privacy of your own home, then we can’t even teach our children there, that this kind of behaviour goes against what God wants us to do with our sexuality. It’s been on the cards for years, as Marinaio points out above. Now it’s taken root in schools, including Catholic schools. God help us all.
The Catholic bishops here in America seemed to me to have been in the vanguard of drastically changing the face of religious education as early as the 70s — maybe even before. In 1975, I volunteered to teach CCD to young teens at a parish in Austin, Texas. It was a painful year. Two of my colleagues were Methodist (teaching Catholic youngsters, if you can imagine), and the Paulist priest in charge of the program was a complete Modernist. My hope of imbuing the children in my care with the same Catholic Truths and values as those taught to me by my Franciscan nuns in the early to mid-60s was completely frustrated. Many years later, after retiring from the military, I went back to school to earn Bachelor’s degrees in Elementary and Secondary Education. This was in the mid-90s and by then the entire teacher education program was corrupted by secular values. I won’t bore you all with the details, but suffice it to say that the flavor of change that I received as a religious education teacher in the 70s was just that — only a glimpse. The secular college where I studied constantly indoctrinated my classmates with the belief that teachers must be “change agents” in society and in the world. All of these despicable programs, from DARE (ostensibly anti-drug) to the LGBT+ agenda being foisted upon our school children have their genesis in cultural Marxism, and we are now clearly seeing the fruits of this Trojan Horse that entered into our secular and religious education systems decades ago.
Marinaio,
I agree with you about the timescale – this sort of infiltration of the LGBT+ material into sex education didn’t just happen recently, it’s taken root after years of careful preparation and now it’s taken for granted in school programmes. The LGBT+ lobby have undue influence in every national institution these days, including schools.
The fact is that the homosexual lobby aim to normalise what they do, has succeeded. What would have shocked everyone a few years ago, doesn’t cause even the bat of an eyelid now. The fact that a gay person can be (often is) a very nice person, who is rightly deserving of our respect and even affection, dulls the conscience. People forget that even the nicest people can do wrong and we can’t condone the wrong just because we like them! That’s not true charity.
Your final sentence sums up the reality of what is happening today: “we are now clearly seeing the fruits of this Trojan Horse that entered into our secular and religious education systems decades ago.
I nearly had a fit when I saw this – not just because of the obvious scandal, but I thought it was the school my godson attends. I emailed his mother and it’s not that one – his is nearby (but is also not brilliant, according to her). Look, Catholic schools are over. The only really safe options are to home school or send children to SSPX schools. I remember one UK bishop saying years ago that children who went to state schools and were taught the Faith at home, were more likely to practise than those who went to Catholic schools. Unfortunately for him, Daphne McLeod RIP of Pro Ecclesia et Pontifice got hold of that quote and spread it far and wide. I also wouldn’t recommend Opus Dei connected schools. A friend’s relatives sent most of their children through those schools and although they have excelled academically – a couple of the older ones getting very good jobs – I don’t see a lot of evidence of the Faith. Far from it.
Westminster Fly,
That was Archbishop Ward – a Welsh bishop who said that about pupils who are home-schooling or going to state non-denominational schools are more likely to keep practising the faith that pupils from Catholic schools. I remember it well, and how shocked I was at the time. I’m not shocked any more.
Nicky,
Yes you’re right. Archbishop Ward, I remember now. I bet he got it in the neck from his brother bishops for saying that. I am also aware that Daphne went to visit another bishop who agreed with her on Catholic education, but would only speak with her on the understanding that nothing he said was reported, and that he wasn’t identified. This was years ago – he’s possibly dead now. But it shows you how cowardly they were /are – even back then, they couldn’t speak the truth in their own dioceses, without being bullied by the ‘Bishops’ Conference’.
It’s my experience that a child would be better off going to a state school rather than a Catholic school. It reduces the odds of being abused. By sending a child to Catholic boarding school as it increases the chances of being abused for any child than in a state school. I found that some kids have kept their faith in state schools as opposed to being confused re faith in a Catholic boarding school. Catholic run schools are only there in name masquerading as such. its more of a money spinning exercise for religious orders. News re abuses coming from Catholic boarding schools in Ireland where religious order based schools are cropping up more and more as we see it.
Its almost everywhere LGBTQ are promoted in secondary schools with the approval of govt even in Catholic schools. Homeschooling or state run schools best option for any child. One or two of my friends are LGBTQ as I don’t criticise them. They are just human beings with feelings just like ourselves . Looking back, I realised they were gay since age 5 and 7 re their behaviour as they confirmed it for me. I treat them as human beings rather than bashing them up to a hilt re Catholic teaching.
Opus dei schools are bit dangerous from my point of view. I found them to be more cultish, money et al as I would steer it away from them firmly. Friends said the same thing when they visited opus dei connected schools cos of our experience re abuses in institutional boarding schools. State run schools or homeschooling is the preferred choice in my opinion if you want to protect your child or kid.
Francis de sales,
Home-schooling is really the only option for parents who want to safeguard their children from the dangers now out in the open in the Catholic school sector.
I visited the Simon James Green website and watched his video – you can easily see the strategy. He makes the book sound so innocent, just a good old mystery story. It’s terribly dangerous to send youngsters to school these days. I copied the video to post here.
Margaret Mary,
Not just a “good old mystery story” but lots of fun, too. I watched that video totally appalled at the clever way this man and his ilk have thought through the best way to get at the youngsters in second and third year of secondary school, for heaven’s sake! What’s that, just 12 or 13 years old? It’s incredibly disrespectful of the Church’s moral teaching, and yet those staff, that Head and his staff, are taking their salaries from the Church while undermining it at the same time. It’s outrageous.
Margaret Mary,
It’s easy to see how kids of that age would be attracted by that sell. It’s so sinister.
BTW, I’m not (and I know nobody else here is) bigoted against gay people. I think they should be able to be employed in jobs and professions same as anyone else, etc. It’s not about them as people but about their view of human sexuality which is in direct opposition to what the Church teaches.
I have a gay person in my extended family and I love her to bits. But she knows I disapprove of the way she is living. Some people can’t seem to make the distinction between the person/people and the action.
I have just received the following message from Archbishop Wilson’s private secretary…
Dear Ms McKeever,
Thank you for your kind email, raising this issue for the Archbishop’s attention. This office was unaware of the situation at John Fisher School until a couple of parents expressed their concerns via email yesterday.
I confirm that the Archdiocese of Southwark does not endorse nor promote LGBTQ+ month and that this matter will be investigated as a matter of urgency.
With sentiments of gratitude, and with prayers,
Yours sincerely in Christ,
Fr Phil Andrews
I replied as follows…
Thank you, Father – this is a very heartening message, which I will post on our blog.
Sincere gratitude.
Patricia
Deo gratias!
Editor,
That’s great news. I think that with enough pushback, the school will have to cancel and that will send the message to all concerned that the Catholic faith is not quite dead and buried in the UK, at least in England. Frankly, I’m not so sure about Scotland.
Editor,
I hope the diocese will let you know when their “investigation” is done. Since the letter is hard evidence that an event has been planned for pupils that is patently contradictory to Catholic moral teaching, this should be the shortest ever investigation. I, for one, would like to know the outcome.
Those bairns are hardly out of nappies before they’re being brainwashed with this LGBTQ+ ideology. It’s disgraceful that it is happening at all but when it’s happening in a so-called Catholic school it is beyond disgraceful.
Calling for the event to be cancelled doesn’t go far enough, IMHO. That Head Teacher has to go. If he doesn’t have the decency to resign, then he should be fired, on the spot.
Laura,
Reading that letter to parents/carers, I found myself saying the same thing – it’s the Head should be cancelled, not just the book signing/brainwashing event.
Whether it makes any difference writing to the school or even the diocese, remains to be seen. My gut feeling is, waste of time. I’ve been fobbed off more times that I care to count.
Laura,
I agree that the Head should either resign or be sacked. He is taking his salary on the pretence of ensuring a Catholic education for the boys at The John Fisher School but he is doing no such thing. By encouraging this book signing, and advertising books for them to buy about the gay lifestyle, he is risking setting the boys in those year groups on the entirely wrong road – away from their Catholic Faith. It’s truly disgraceful.
If bloggers could post messages on Twitter, or get friends to do so, here’s the school Twitter link, feed, or whatever it’s called! @Thejfschool
PS The link is https://twitter.com/thejfschool
I found a couple of tweets but nothing about the controversy. This is what I found (I hope it copies, not sure about it)
https://twitter.com/JohnFisherLRC/status/1496171098395889671?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw%7Ctwcamp%5Etweetembed%7Ctwterm%5E1496171098395889671%7Ctwgr%5E%7Ctwcon%5Es1_&ref_url=https%3A%2F%2Fpublish.twitter.com%2F%3Fquery%3Dhttps3A2F2Ftwitter.com2FJohnFisherLRC2Fstatus2F1496171098395889671widget%3DTweet
This and the whole sex education agenda makes me sick to the stomach. I once went to a talk about it by David Kurten, and saw some of the sickening material presented to children. Particularly sickening that the Church is not condemning it totally. I shudder to think about what kind of adults will be produced for the future. TPTB are insulting, humiliating us all and deliberately destroying our civilisation.
Mary,
TPTB?
Having thought deeply about this for about 5 minutes, the only thing that comes to mind is “the pope, the bishops” – is that it?
After having read that Awful Letter over again I ask You ED as you were a Teacher is their anytime left for a Good Teacher to Teach anything other than the Homosexual. Transgender. Queer Lifestyle. I mean if little Johnny say in a Class of 20 decides to become Little Joan then there to me is only time for Homosexuality. Gender Bender Classes. Of course am sure the Good Headmaster knew that when He was discussing the above Letter with His Queer Friends.
And make no mistake ANY Head School Teacher who implemented that Queer Letter has certainly discussed it with Like Minded [People].
FOOF,
I’m just glad I’m no longer in the classroom – being faced with a command to call “little Johnny” by his chosen new name of “Little Joan” would have resulted in me indulging in plenty of name-calling for sure, but “Joan” would have been notable by its absence. 😀
In fact, I considered including an offer in my email to the Head but I decided against:
The Offer…
I would be willing to conduct a lesson for pupils in ANY year group at The John Fisher School, with the Head joining the class, and I would teach on just about any religious or moral topic of his choosing without remotely infringing upon, let alone contradicting, Catholic teaching.
So, Why Not?
I decided against because I thought, what the heck, do I really want to go to Surrey only to find a cop car and a couple of handcuffs waiting for me? This is a clever Head, I thought; if he could justify setting up this book signing, what’s to stop him setting ME up for a spell in the clink? Charge(s)? You name it. There’s a whole library of possibilities out there – pun fully intended. 😀
To be Honest we’re fed up with this Filth being pushed onto us never mind our Children. The Homo [lobby] were bad enough but [the transgender lobby] have just upped the Evil. It is pure Evil personified.
FOOF,
We need to remember that the Devil is working extra hard in our times, or so it seems, and people have been misled, in various ways, into believing that homosexual activity is just one more “option”, so to speak.
As we have tried to do on this thread, we must, as Catholics, keep noting that anything outside of traditional marriage and the natural use of sexual intercourse for the purpose of pro-creation (which is how God has chosen to bring new life into the world) is displeasing to God.
What we must not do, is speak or act in any way that is uncharitable. It is, of course, not charitable to pretend that evil-doing is good, but maybe for one of our Lenten penances, we could all make an effort to use language carefully, so that we don’t throw the baby out with the bath water, if you get my drift. If we name-call or refer insensitively to others, then we may risk alienating them from the truth.
Our aim is to have this dreadful event cancelled but, in the process, we do not want to give the impression that we are “cancelling” every homosexual or transgender ideologue on the planet. They’re all human, just humans who need help to reach the truth about God and human sexuality.
Let’s avoid calling them a “mob” or a “tranny” … You know it makes sense 😀
Editor,
I do agree. It’s very important to engage with temperate language when discussing this subject. Otherwise, we get written off as bigots. God loves everyone and we need to do the same, it’s about thinking of souls, not writing anyone off because of their sins, no matter how serious. God wants every soul to be saved and we should be the same.
I do hope we will find out if the shocking event at The John Fisher School is to be cancelled. I’m assuming you will find out and let us know.
This book is a classic for anyone with same-sex attraction problems and also for relatives of such people: ‘The Battle for Normality’ by Dr Gerard van den Aardweg. https://ignatius.com/the-battle-for-normality-bnstp Amazon and just about everywhere else have ‘cancelled’ it, and if therapy is going to be against the law in future for people with unwanted same-sex attraction, then self-help books like this will be the only option. Perhaps a copy should be sent to that school.
Westminster Fly,
If the Librarian at TJF School is reading this blog (as I have absolutely NO doubt she will be doing), perhaps she’ll order a copy of that book for the school library – or maybe not, because I have to say that…
Although, obviously, the buck stops with the Head for this and any other events hosted in his school’s name, my gut reaction when I read that letter, signed by the School Librarian, was (and remains) that SHE is the person most likely to be behind this scandal.
Maybe, I thought to myself, just maybe she is the L in LGBTQ+ …
Just sayin’…
This is so shocking, although I am not surprised how fast this LGBT+ teaching is moving. I have tried to warn family, friends and others of this coming into place. I left my carear in early years education as this us coming into place as young as 4 years old.
I also witnessed the distress of a young 3 year old child who had 2 parents, a mum and dad then all of a sudden the mother had a female partner.
This child after a month or two went into meltdowns often, she refused to take part in activities, became disruptive and cried often.
I expressed my views that she was completely confused to other colleagues, then in a short time social sevices were called and that little child was considered for ADHD tablets. I don’t know the outcome afterwards as she soon left. However I saw the damage done, emotionally to her.
To alert parents I posted several LGBTQ+ books for toddlers to prove they exist.
Those who are most alarmed are those with no children.
I no that public child protection wales are heavily involved in going against their goverment on this teaching.
St Bernadette,
That is so shocking, that you had to end your career in early years education because this evil sex-education was coming in for 4 year olds – it’s incredible. Here in Scotland the SNP government want to make it possible for 4 year olds to change their gender, name and pronoun, without even informing parents. It’s utterly evil, the whole drive towards making everyone conform to the LGBTQ+ philosophy, is from the devil. Of that there is no doubt.
That is good news about the child protection people in Wales going against their government on this – that’ll never happen in Scotland where the bowing and scraping in the direction of Sturgeon continues. It’s terrible to see how the media treat her like a god.
Thankyou lily.
In Scotland we have expose Scotland who are fighting this education, unfortunately they are somewhat anti christian and from what I have seen of them seem to have a goal of fighting this by themselves. I have tried to let them see their are many people who are very concerned about this and would help.
I believe we can’t do this battle without our lords help,.
The Welsh gtoup on the other hand have called out to people with a faith to come forward and make their voices heard about how this would impact their childs faith.
St Bernadette,
I searched for Expose Scotland and found them on Facebook
https://www.facebook.com/groups/427042281908960
As you say, they want to go it alone, and their membership is private.
However, I’m not sure they would be opposed – as we are – to the sex-education and transgender ideology being imposed; they speak of “child exploitation”, “abuse”, and “trafficking” but that can mean forced marriages and “abuse” would, generally speaking, refer to physical or sexual abuse as in personal contact, not teaching programmes, so I’m not sure they would want to fight this battle. I could be wrong. Bound to happen some day 😀
Editor,
Is there no word back from the school yet, is the event cancelled? Since it’s advertised to take place on Monday, this being the last school day before that, you’d think there would need to be an announcement. Maybe the Librarian/Head will send out another letter of cancellation, rather than the humiliation of a public cancellation. Not that it would be a real humiliation – it would show some integrity, in fact, but that’s not how they’re likely to see it. I hope we can find out whether or not it’s going ahead.
MM,
No word back from the school, so I have now emailed the Archbishop’s office again, as follows…
Dear Father Andrews,
Since I have received no reply from the Head Teacher at The John Fisher School, I am concerned that this dreadful event is set to go ahead.
I appreciate your courtesy in replying promptly to my message which was addressed for the attention of the archbishop, and I seek now to enquire from you if the archbishop has dutifully insisted that this book signing be cancelled.
Perhaps Archbishop Wilson would find it helpful to remind the Head that it is incumbent on bishops to remove the title “Catholic” from those institutions which do not deserve it, due to the kind of infidelity in teaching which we are witnessing under his headship. Quoting from Pope John Paul II, Veritatis Splendor: “ A particular responsibility is incumbent upon Bishops with regard to Catholic institutions. Whether these are agencies for the pastoral care of the family or for social work, or institutions dedicated to teaching or health care, Bishops can canonically erect and recognize these structures and delegate certain responsibilities to them. Nevertheless, Bishops are never relieved of their own personal obligations. It falls to them, in communion with the Holy See, both to grant the title “Catholic” to Church-related schools,179 universities,180 health-care facilities and counselling services, and, in cases of a serious failure to live up to that title, to take it away.” (# 116)
https://www.vatican.va/content/john-paul-ii/en/motu_proprio/documents/hf_jp-ii_motu-proprio_30061998_ad-tuendam-fidem.html
To remind you, Father, we have been discussing this scandal on our blog [link included].
Thank you again for your [previous] message, which encourages me to think well of the archbishop, that he will not allow the young boys in the John Fisher School to be led astray into challenging Christ’s Church in the proclamation and defence of God’s natural moral law. Ends.
Well, guess what? The archbishop has “recommended” that the school cancel the event. Can you imagine St John Fisher merely recommending that the Catholics in his care just go along to get along with the new arrangement whereby the King will take on the role of Vicar of Christ? Anyway, I’d written to ask the archbishop via his Private Secretary whether or not the event was set to go ahead, or what. Now we know it’s not “or what”… Set to go ahead. Here’s this latest and final exchange between Father Andrews and my unworthy (and exceedingly angry) self…
REPLY FROM FATHER ANDREWS TO MY EMAIL (posted above at 11.46am)
From: Private Secretary to the Archbishop of Southwark
Subject: Re: FOR THE ATTENTION OF ARCHBISHOP JOHN WILSON
Dear Patricia,
Thank you for your email.
Please see the following statement issued yesterday by the Education Commission of the Archdiocese of Southwark: https://www.rcaoseducation.org.uk/wp-content/uploads/2022/03/220303_TJFS_position-statement.pdf
Please be assured that the Archbishop believes fervently that students should be equipped to respond to the challenges modern culture poses to the Christian faith; thus, he is unequivocally committed to the fundamental purpose of Catholic education, which is the formation of disciples of the Lord Jesus in a safe environment: a place where students are enabled to build and deepen their relationship with God; foster an academic culture aimed at the pursuit of truth; and, actively promote growth in virtue. Through sound formation, they should have instilled in them the need to value the precious gift of all human life and the dignity that God gives to each and every person, without distinction; thus, citizenship, and indeed, the very mystery of personal salvation, is understood not in selfish terms, but is found in the disciple who asks first, what he or she can do in order that others might be saved.
With renewed thanks, and with an assurance of my own prayers,
Yours sincerely in Christ,
[signed.]
MY REPLY TO FR ANDREWS
Thank you, Father. It is something, certainly, that the archbishop has “recommended” cancelling the event, but it falls very far short of his duty as the shepherd of the souls of those boys at JFS – I’m sorry, but compelled, in conscience to say. There is no question but that the archbishop should have expressed his righteous anger in the strongest terms. The “bullying” mantra is wheeled out to justify acceptance of the evil of the LGBTQ+ agenda.
One day, hopefully soon, all of this will be turned around. In time, we will have shepherds who do not rely on or comply with the State on such moral matters. To deal with “bullying”, any Catholic with nothing more than the most basic understanding of the Faith, should know that it is prohibited by Christian charity which dictates that we not only must love our neighbours, but we must show a special love for our enemies which includes those with whom we disagree on important issues. Once the Faith is fully restored and properly taught in both pulpits and schools, we won’t see bishops turning to the State for advice and instructions on morality. This is hugely disappointing.
Thank you again for your prompt and courteous replies to my emails.
Patricia
So, folks, we continue to pray. The war within the Church, like the war in Ukraine, is going to be with us for a while yet.
Let’s ask St John Fisher to pray for the boys in JFS, whose spiritual life and salvation is put at risk by the recklessness, if not faithlessness, of the so-called Catholic educational establishment.
There’s really nothing more – except pray – that those of us who live in Scotland can do, but I would hope that those nearer to the school might organise a protest to take place during the event, outside the school, given that the archbishop’s own statement is acknowledging that this event goes against the Faith which, he also notes, is a protected characteristic under UK law. Not that he should feel the need to cite secular law. God help us all. When will we have priests and bishops with sufficient faith and the courage to speak up for God’s law? Don’t answer that – the answer is all too depressing.
Our Lady of Fatima, pray for us!
I decided to write one more time to the school, copied to the Archbishop’s Secretaries…
Addressed to the Head Teacher, Chaplain and School Librarian…
As you will know, the archbishop has issued a formal statement, acknowledging that the book signing event which you plan to host on Monday, is contradictory to Catholic teaching/moral law; the archbishop recommends that it be cancelled. I copy it here for your ease of reference.
https://www.rcaoseducation.org.uk/wp-content/uploads/2022/03/220303_TJFS_position-statement.pdf
Will you obey?
If this event goes ahead, against the wishes of the archdiocese, then all of those involved must resign.
[Signed]
So, if this event does go ahead, and there are no resignations, we know that the Head and Chaplain are about as Catholic as Sadiq Khan. The School Librarian? I have no [printable] words for her. She should go, whatever her religion, just for signing that letter.
Editor,
Those priests and bishops and that Head Teacher are going to be held accountable for any boys who are seduced into the LGBTQ+ lifestyle. Rather than do their duty and insist that this evil event be cancelled, they are risking the salvation of young souls – and their own souls – so I hope they enjoy the popularity while it lasts.
I am lost for words that this evil event is not cancelled. I hope the publicity has reached a majority of parents and they stay away and keep their sons away, from this disgraceful signing.
I am so glad I decided to home-school. I took about a year to get up my courage, but I’m so glad I did. I gave up a very good job, with great promotion prospects, but when I discovered what was being taught in the schools about sex (and this was about eleven years ago) I felt conscience-bound to take my children out of their Catholic school.
If you think you couldn’t do home-schooling, give it a try. You can always go back if you change your mind, but you won’t. One of my daughters obtained her degree at a national university but didn’t keep the faith, while one of my sons is now at a Catholic university in America and loving every minute of it. His faith has been strengthened considerably.
Anyone thinking of using The John Fisher School should think again. In fact, would it not be a sin to send an innocent young boy to that school, given its commitment to promoting the gay lifestyle? I think it would be.
Well, excuse me if I’m not remotely impressed by Archbishop John Wilson’s “outrage” at what is happening in Ukraine while his outrage has gone AWOL in the matter of the danger in which one (at least) of his schools is placing the souls of its pupils.
The world will think well of him, of course; as GK Chesterton once said, they recognise one of their own (words to that effect). But these worldlings risk hearing those terrible words at their judgement: you have had your reward… ”
https://catholicherald.co.uk/ukraine-this-is-outrageous-it-is-outrageous-before-almighty-god-it-is-outrageous-before-the-world/
Absolutely appalled as a former [gay] student of JFS… I’ve since accepted the Holy word of Christ…
Editor I think you’re totally correct. There is a spectre haunting purley — the spectre of homosexuality.
A homosexual author of teenage fiction visiting a Catholic school is 100% as much of an issue as the ongoing war in Ukraine. My revulsion at the Archbishop decrying Putin is insurmountable but perhaps it makes sense? Putin, as I’m sure you are aware, would not stand for what this school has done. I’d like to suggest that John Wilson’s outrage at Russia is also a subtle hint [at] his support for the ever-threatening spectre of the gays!
As a former pupil of this once divine institution I would like to express my outrage!
My son attends this school. It’s a wonderful school offering a sound education in line with the national curriculum. It is not a ‘den of iniquity’ as someone suggests and our boys are certainly not brainwashed by reading books of any nature.
Might I suggest you read the book before commenting, find out what the author plans to say and educate yourselves before wading in beating your chests?!
This school raises, along with their church going parents, strong young men of whom we can be proud. Of whom I am proud. Even if he were gay!
LWard,
“…even if [my son] were gay … ”
By that phrase you reveal yourself as someone who is NOT supportive of Catholic teaching and the natural moral law.
Don’t misunderstand. Nobody should be badly treated or discriminated against for any reason but we cannot pretend that those, male or female, who are engaged in homosexual activity should be encouraged in this behaviour, pretending that, somehow, it’s not really an issue. Just because sinful society is accepting of this behaviour, doesn’t make it right. We must think as God thinks, not as Boris Johnson or Nicola
StalinSturgeon thinks. If “think” is the word…A friend of mine whose son took part in a serious crime some years ago, loved him and visited him throughout his prison term but she was certainly not “proud” of him. She was ashamed of that behaviour and went to all sorts of lengths to make sure he had all the help and encouragement he needed not to fall into that temptation again. She had priests visiting him to try to wean him back to the Faith, you name it. She did everything within her power to change his lifestyle choice. Unfortunately, he did fall into that temptation again, and although his mother continues to love him, she will never approve the way he is living his life, or so she says to me and to moi. To encourage someone to live in a way that is in direct contradiction to God’s law (thou shalt not steal, in this case) is NOT to show love – it’s never the loving thing to do, to encourage someone to sin.
As for reading the books before commenting. Gimme a break. If you think any “gay” author of note is going to set about writing the next best thing to a Life of the Saints, you might be interested in buying the Forth Road Bridge – I can get it for you at a massive discount. Just say the word…
Comment deleted.
L Ward,
Might I suggest that you take your own advice and have a detailed look around this homosexual author’s website? That should give you a very clear idea of what he is going to say, and I can assure you, having taken that detailed look myself, that it will have no favorable or recognizable connection with Catholic teaching about homosexuality. In fact, it will directly oppose Catholic teaching. Is that the kind of education you really want for your son?
In case you haven’t noticed, the link to the author’s website is posted in the lead to this discussion.
L Ward- I wrote to complain, I have relatives at the school and many family have been there for 3 generations. There is NO defending this this. Look at the man’s website, you can read the blurbs and the book extracts. I did this before I wrote to complain, I presumed it was all fuss over nothing, that it was some teen author that just happens to be gay. That is NOT the case. The books are romantic gay and trans fiction aimed at teens, their main characters are teens who have chosen to identify themselves according to their orientation and who are pursuing same sex romantic relationships. The books ALL, look at them, ALL glamorise a lifestyle that as Catholics we view as sinful. This is all false, I am a social worker and also work in counselling, and, my goodness, these books present lies! Even from a purely secular pov, because the inter-personal and psychological fall-out from these lifestyles is not happy.
Mrs Da Costa,
Well said – many thanks for your knowledgeable input. Much appreciated.
And thank you for complaining (presumably to the school or archdiocese) – I hope many others did, as well.
Everyone knew me as a straight man [before I read a book about homosexuality].
Everyone knows that books are the capital influence on one’s sexuality. Before I was able to read I was only interested in women. And that is the way God intended.
TR,
Why would you describe yourself as a “straight” man? I’ve just completed the pesky census form for the Scottish Government online, and I left blank the question asking if I’m “straight or heterosexual”, Instead I completed the “other” box by typing, gleefully: “I am a normal woman.”
Well, they’ll never know that that’s stretching it a bit, but you’ll get my point, as the pencil said to the biro…
One seriously questions how a “Catholic” school is able to “vote” to OPPOSE the Archbishop of the Diocese. Catholic schools are supposed to have protected status that protects the integrity of the faith, the teachings of the Church and the souls of the pupils who attend Catholic schools. It is absolutely outrageous to think that a school can override this and promote something so contrary to the faith, and then try to silence those who questioned what they were doing.
Check out this Twitter feed currently happening on the subject: https://twitter.com/AncillaDomini8/with_replies – user AncillaDomini8 is writing asking for support to help the students in the school to protect their faith. Please join in the conversation and help support the cause.
Angel,
Many thanks for posting that link to the Twitter feed, featuring this blog and thus adding to the publicity, exposing what is going to happen, (presuming the book signing goes ahead) on Monday. Young people are being steeped in LGBTQ+ propaganda the minute they step outside of the school gates, and now INSIDE as well – in a supposed Catholic school.
God help those poor boys – but God help, more, those adults who are responsible for this scandal when they face their Maker on Judgement Day. I hope I’m within earshot OR they have a good sound system.
Editor,
God help those poor boys is right, including L Ward’s son. I have to wonder how L. Ward expects his son to grow up to be a good Catholic (if that is indeed his expectation), when his son’s father refuses to defend the Faith. Worse than that, really: the father doesn’t even recognize when the Faith needs to be defended….much more important, of course, that this “Catholic” school offer a curriculum that is “in line with the national curriculum.”
(Correction: I was assuming “L Ward” was a man. I hope the preferred personal pronoun (PPP) crowd will forgive me…)
Angel,
I visited the Twitter feed you gave, but there is only a few links to this blog, and no comments that I can find. Also, it’s obvious that the person whose Twitter feed this is, Ancilla Domini, had been blocked from the School Twitter feed.
They’re obviously not allowing any dissenting voices through – isn’t that ironic! They’re the dissenters from Catholic teaching but they won’t allow anyone who isn’t, to comment on their site.
Anyone surprised by this is living in a fantasy world.
While I admit I have limited experience with this school having never heard of it. As a Catholic who, despite the ungodly oppression of an ever more tolerant state, has made the choice of raising my child to follow Christ, I am appalled by this secular drivel.
Appalled yes, surprised? No. My son Enoch came home one afternoon and no sooner had he put down his bag he started criticising and second guessing his parents. I can’t remember specifically what I’d said (too angry) but it had something to do with the death penalty. I make no apologies for abandoning the now ubiquitous humanist approach to capital punishment and probably mentioned what I would like to do with a murderer or drug addict on the news. And little Enoch, my own son remember, told me I was wrong!
I asked him if he had covered respecting his father in school yet or if they’d at least breezed their way to an eye for an eye.
You can all probably guess where this is going but he insisted that they HAD talked about the death penalty at school and his “teacher” told him it was wrong. Like the author of this article I googled until I found the relevant paragraph in the Catechism of the Catholic Church (in this case 2267) and sent his school an email demanding that if they choose to corrupt my sons still forming mind they must in future stick to the actual teachings of the church.
For reference this was in 2015 years before the church updated the Catechism to fit current moral standards
This is a direct message to the Editor, you my friend are an absolute fool. It is not a life style choice but how you were made. In my opinion MEN who have an issue with someone being gay is because you are confused about sexuality yourself. You have given me a good laugh this morning knowing that people like you on your high moral horse think you are doing good. I can not write the word I want to call you on here, but let me tell you it not pray for the boys, you need to pray for yourself as you are a small pathetic little person with nothing going for your life.
First of all, Keeley, Sugar Plum, Hegedus, I, me and moi, – you’ve got it all wrong. I identify as three separate people, and none of us are male. You got a problem with that? I’m female; slim, glamorous, witty, highly intelligent, fashion genius, you name it. I’m the gal who was cheated out of the Miss Scotland (if not Miss World) trophy. Don’t write me off just yet. Us small pathetic little people can turn up again and again, often identifying as bad pennies, would you believe.
As for the tired old “born that way” argument. Sure – just like smokers and drinkers are “born that way”. But don’t take my word for it…
https://www.independentsentinel.com/john-hopkins-refutes-myth-that-homosexuals-are-born-this-way/
And if that doesn’t cut it, try this one http://narth.us/
But, listen, I don’t see why you can’t write the word you want to call me on here – others have written utter filth so I just deleted it. I’m not easily offended. Still, they really ARE silly sausages. As if that sort of impure talk is going to get through here – try the Pink News.
I’m reflecting – as part of my Lenten penance – on your piercing description of me as “…a small pathetic little person with nothing going for your life.”
I’ll have you know, though, that I have already accepted an invitation to Easter Sunday Lunch and I am considering the possibility of buying a new outfit for the occasion (I do this when invitations come in, usually around 5 years apart) so it’s really not fair to say that I have nothing going for my life, just because I’m a small pathetic little person. Not fair at all. Us small pathetic little people get by. Shucks, you should know that…
😀 😀 😀 😀 😀 😀 😀 😀 😀 😀 😀 😀
Keeley H,
Has it occurred to you that you have presented no rational argument, instead offering nothing but ad hominem remarks? Good thing Editor has a sense of humor – at least, once she’s had her daily ration of chocolate….
Let’s see: homosexuals were made that way. In other words, they emerge from the womb and are immediately attracted to the same sex. Never mind that they have no use of reason yet, that their passions and hormones are dormant and will be for years, that they are adapting to the shock of being ejected from their mother’s (oh, I mean “birthing person’s”) womb, and have no idea where they are.
Not to mention the fact that the only comfort they have is their mother’s (oops, there I go with gender confusion again) breast. So I suppose a male homosexual, having been made that way, would immediately reject his mother’s breast….and….I could go on, but hopefully you get the idea.
RCA Victor,
Has it occurred to you that Keeley H is none too bright, and her ‘magnum opus’ needs some unpacking – my observations in brackets.
“This is a direct message to the Editor, you my friend are an absolute fool. (As you state RCA, ad hominem attack). It is not a life style choice but how you were made (absolutely no evidence for this assertion supplied). In my opinion MEN who have an issue with someone being gay is because you are confused about sexuality yourself (oh that old chestnut. I have issues with men who rape women, it doesn’t mean I am a closet woman raper). You have given me a good laugh this morning knowing that people like you on your high moral horse think you are doing good (what ‘good’ did you do this morning, Keeley?). I can not write the word I want to call you on here, but let me tell you it (sic) not pray for the boys, you need to pray for yourself as you are a small pathetic little person with nothing going for your life” (in other words, Keeley almost certainly has a child or maybe a relative who identifies as ‘gay/trans’ and that’s what the real problem is for her).
Keeley H doesn’t identify herself as Catholic – in fact, holding the views she does it’s hard to see how she could, but the chances are she’s just another post-conciliar basket case who functions purely on the level of emotion as opposed to studying faith and morals, and their consequences.
Keeley, do you realise this is a Catholic website which presents Catholic teaching? “It is how you were made”, that is so fallacious it is unbelievable, even if homosexual orientation is purely genetic or “how you were made” (which is a at best moot, but more likely false, given the statistical correlation with homosexuality and factors such as lacking a father, childhood sexual abuse, early exposure to sexual content etc.) but even if we grant you that presupposition, there are many, many aspects of fallen human nature that we inherit, the possession of which does not mean the thing is either good or something that shouldn’t be changed- from congenital heart conditions, to cleft pallet, to pre-disposition to substance abuse, to pre-disposition to obesity, there are plenty plenty of things we are born with that we try to overcome or accept as a cross. From a Catholic perspective the homosexual orientation is one of them. This is a well grounded theological position that stems both from revelation and from truths of the natural law. You are the one who needs to get with the program because you are spreading lies and calumniating others.
Ignatius,
You make brilliant points there – you make the best challenge to the “born that way” argument that I’ve every read. As you say, even if there was some truth in the claim, that doesn’t mean people “born that way” get the green light to go ahead and break the moral law – just look at the examples you give to compare.
Oh the ‘born that way’ argument. Thanks for your Lady Gaga theology, but no thanks. I’m not sure if it would make any difference anyway, if a disorder is congenital or acquired. It doesn’t make it any less of a disorder – and the Catechism of the Catholic Church condemns it as disordered.
I thought this comment on another blog was spot on and we should be using these terms:-
No one is “born” with aberrosexualism, i.e., anatomically and biologically aberrant sexual behavioural choices. Nature does not condemn anyone to behave aberrosexually, any more than it forces anyone to be an adulterer, a shoplifter, or a rapist. The opposite of Aberrosexualism is Orthosexuality, or anatomically and biologically correct sexual behaviour.
Anyone can be mentally attracted to anything, be it adultery, gambling, drinking, shoplifting, etc. However, people freely choose “how” they will respond to and proceed with that attraction.
Keeley, by the way, you’re not a librarian are you?
WF,
Keeley, by the way, you’re not a librarian, are you?”
Priceless!
“Aberrosexualism” in a just world this wouldn’t autocorrect to Alberta Canada but that is sadly not the world we live in. I must remember that term for the next discussion on Catholic Schools. People like the one you’re replying to are lost. They believe they are moral people when the only way to live morally is through the guidance of the Church.
I don’t know or care to know if being gay is natural, I don’t know or care to know if it’s in line with society’s standards. I don’t know or care to know if I am a bigot. The only thing I care about is whether the Church is currently condemning it. That’s my true north so to speak. I couldn’t be any simpler.
If/when the Catechism changes so will my views but for now I’d suggest people like the poster you’re trying in good faith to enlighten return to their secular echo chambers and steer clear of ours.
Editor: I meant to respond to your previous comment about the death penalty change in the New Catechism – more on that in a sec, but now you refer to the Church’s “current” condemnation of homosexual activity. There is nothing “current” about it; the Church – in condemning homosexual activity, as she has always done – is merely proclaiming and defending the natural moral law. The very first Christians counted sodomy among the four sins which “cry to Heaven for vengeance”. That will never change.
As for the death penalty change in the New Catechism – like the New Mass, the New Rosary, the New Canonisations, the New Catechism itself, and the New everything else, this is not as it seems. There are varying “theologies” about it, but since it’s not a teaching which is binding on the faithful, and widely believed to be a prudential not a doctrinal change, I suggest we wait for the restoration of the Traditional Faith, when all the “new” nonsense will be seen off by a truly reforming pope and possibly Council. Something tells me that Our Lord would have made a mention of God’s disapproval of the death penalty when nailed to the cross by the Roman authorities, but He didn’t and, instead, we witnessed the conversion of the Good Thief, evidence that arguments favouring a chance for “redemption” ignore the fact that the soul faced with imminent death for his crimes/sins, is much more likely to repent and seek spiritual safety/salvation, than those who are given an effective slap on the wrist and released back into society to (sometimes/perhaps/often) murder again.
Never mind “aberrosexualism” – just be aware of the aberrotheology currently afflicting the top churchmen – not “the Church”, which cannot fail because Christ is “the Church”; it’s the faithless priests, bishops and popes who are causing the crisis in the Church with no sign of it going away yet. But it will. “Be of good heart. Fear not. It is I” (Matthew 14:27)
Agreed Editor CT, in your additional comment to Gordon’s comment, which worried me somewhat. The Catechism says that homosexuality is ‘intrinsically disordered’ so therefore if something is ‘intrinsically disordered’ it can’t just become ‘intrinsically ordered’ because someone, somewhere wills it to be so. Plus there is the small matter of Sacred Scripture’s condemnation of homosexuality – and as we know Scripture is inspired by the Holy Spirit – to overcome. I think Gordon Bookend would greatly benefit in reading ‘The Battle for Normality’ by Dr Gerard van den Aardweg. Link to buy it is here:- https://ignatius.com/the-battle-for-normality-bnstp I think a pdf version is available online
Some great news, if true, folks. I paid a visit to the Twitter page given by Angel here yesterday, and it looks like, according to rumour, anyway, the event has been cancelled.
The Tweet reads…
It’s people like this with no respect for the protected status of Catholic schools who think they know what’s happening and pick things out of context. Nothing new. Just so glad they cancelled the event and the lot of them in support of the event should now be sacked.
Watch this space, because as soon as I receive confirmation of this fantastic news, I WILL be back!
That is fantastic news! How wonderful!
I agree with the person tweeting that all those who supported this event should be sacked, that’s for sure.
I am a traditional catholic and have a son at the John Fisher School – which is not a den of iniquity or a haven of child abuse as is asserted in posts on this thread. Instead, it is a very good school that provides an excellent education and pastoral care environment. The focus on sport motivates many boys who would otherwise struggle to engage with school.
The author’s books would not be on my own or my son’s reading lists but I can see that they might be of interest and helpful to boys whose sexuality is non heterosexual and who are trying to normalise their feelings, sexuality, and position in the world.
Our current Pope has spoken often about the need for the Catholic Church to welcome and love all people regardless of sexual orientation. I am struggling to see the same compassion in the remarks on here that I have seen our Pope and Jesus express (in the Bible).
Some on this thread have called for the Head Teacher and Senior Management Team to be ‘sacked’ for organising a book signing which is voluntary to attend (in LGQBT week). If a handful of boys attend that would be a success for the author as a boys secondary school can be an unforgiving place if you are ‘different’. However, I can see the value in recognising LGQBT week for pupils and organising something that recognises sexual difference. I cannot see what can be served by suspending or sacking the Head Teacher or other senior management team staff. The school does promote the faith every week and as a result I regularly attend mass at the school with my son (after many years of semi observance). As someone who attended a Franciscan School I can assure you that the faith is taught well and faithfully.
I note that many posting on this thread are from Scotland and some from the United States. I note also that many seem to home school or advocate that or other forms of Catholic education for your children. Please can I ask you politely to focus on your own worlds where you live and not seek to impose your views on us in Surrey.
Damian – parent of a John Fisher Pupil
Damian Brady,
Firstly, you describe yourself as a “traditional Catholic” but later indicate that you attend the school Mass which, I think we can take as read, will be the novus ordo, the new Mass. The two are incompatible. It’s not possible to be a “traditional” Catholic while attending the novus ordo – I attended the novus ordo myself for (shamefully) quite a number of years at which time I would describe myself as an orthodox Catholic because I knew I would have to make the leap to return to the traditional Latin Mass before I could consider myself “traditional”. Not that attending the TLM is, per se, the definition of a Catholic but – as one old English priest said to me years ago – the prayers of the old Mass are like hedges protecting the doctrine. There are no hedges in the new Mass and so, as evidenced by yourself and other parents from TJF School on this thread, the Faith is largely lost in those who are going along with the novelties of the past 60 or so years. And when the Faith goes, the Morals surely follow. Hence you not only have no problem with this book-signing, you think it’s a good thing. I rest my case.
And it will only be when you do that, Damian, make the leap to embrace the Traditional Latin Mass, the Mass that the saints and martyrs attended, that you will be able to see clearly on this (and other) moral matters.
You quote Pope Francis’s exhortation to “welcome and love all people regardless of sexual orientation.” Well, that depends on what he means by “welcome” and “love”. I can tell you that his words on this subject have been interpreted by (other) liberals (he is one himself, of course) as meaning we should welcome them to Holy Communion, unrepentant of their objectively mortal sin, and love them by ignoring their objective mortal sin; thus we allow them to believe that this LGBTQ+ behaviour is pleasing to God. That is the opposite of love – that is not true charity; it is merely human respect dressed up as Christian love. And I am nothing short of astounded that you think it is a good thing to “recognise LGQBT week for pupils and organise something that recognises sexual difference.” What?!** This just demonstrates the success of the drip drip effect of “normalising” homosexual behaviour – the “gay lifestyle” as it’s euphemistically called – to the point where even Catholic parents of young boys fail to see the dangerous LGBTQ+ agenda at work. Christian charity suffices to teach pupils to always be kind to anyone who is “different” and – in Catholic schools of all places – the staff should be mindful in their teaching of St Paul’s warning to avoid impure talk (eg Ephesians 4:29). The standards have fallen – big time. Catholic education has to be restored to being much more than humanism with hymns.
With respect, your failure to see compassion in the comments here is due to the fact that you have a skewed understanding of “compassion”. You will see Our Lord’s kindness towards the woman about to be stoned for her adultery when he chased away her accusers, while ignoring his final rebuke to her to “go and sin no more”. By those words, Jesus demonstrated true compassion because adultery is against the Ten Commandments and if she persisted in this sin, she would end up in Hell. Only someone lacking compassion would fail to exhort those in serious sin, to repent.
I wonder if you would think the person in the following story to be lacking in compassion. Mother and child enjoying a picnic and some hill walking out in the countryside. Mother gets into conversation with another parent, and the children play together getting closer and closer to the edge of the hill – quite a drop if they fall off, which is what almost happens until a third party screams to the children to “Watch out! Stop! Don’t move… You’re going to fall and hurt yourself, badly, you’re much too close to the edge. Come away from there!”
Now the children might be irritated at being shouted at, but it would be a highly unintelligent parent who would take offence, who would not, in fact, be overcome with gratitude towards the stranger who had just saved their offspring from almost certain death.
That’s the situation in The John Fisher (and any other school) planning to “help” boys whose sexuality is non heterosexual and who are trying to normalise their feelings, sexuality, and position in the world. Whatever happened to concentrating on learning The Three R’s?!
You appear to consider it quite acceptable to encourage boys to learn about homosexuality in order to cater for their possible “needs”. Wrong! They need to be protected from the onslaught of sexual messages coming at them from TV and (now) school lessons, day in and day out. At one time, the only thing pupils in Catholic schools were taught on the subject of sex, was that it is only permissible within traditional, natural marriage between one man and one woman, vowed to live together until parted by the death of one spouse. What else is there to know? The idea that because this grave sin – one that cries to Heaven for vengeance to quote the early Christians, quoted in the Catechism of the Catholic Church, by the way – because this sin is now accepted as normal in society, suddenly we can ditch God’s law and “normalise” it, even for pupils as young as Yr 8 and Yr 9 in Catholic secondary schools, is shocking beyond words.
As for the sacking of the Head and Senior Management – none of them should ever have been appointed in the first place. That is one thing that comes out loud and clear from this scandal. Those on the interview panels were not asking the right questions, obviously.
Teachers, like popes, bishops and priests have the duty ONLY to pass on the authentic teaching of Christ’s Church, not their own preferred version of it. The fact that the Head and other staff in The John Fisher School decided to dispense with the natural moral law, of which the Church is the Guardian, and instead impose on pupils an event designed to encourage them to challenge God’s natural law means that they should go. Pronto. If they don’t have the integrity to resign, they should be sacked. This is not for reasons of vengeance, but for the safeguarding of the pupils in their care. There is more than one kind of child abuse, remember, and exposing pupils to events likely to morally corrupt them, is certainly, sadly, a type of child abuse.
As for your concluding paragraph; as far as I know, only one parent here home-schools. Catherine did come on to recommend it because she was faced with the problem of exposing her children to explicit sex education and thus moral corruption, and decided to sacrifice her then very successful career to try home-schooling. She has never regretted it. The others are either parents of pupils in schools or single people without children – but you know what they say, that’s not necessarily a disadvantage because the onlooker sees the best of the game.
I’m very surprised, though, at your “polite” admonition to us all to mind our own business because we live in either Scotland or America. A tad racist, there, but who’s taking offence. More important than our race, Damian, is our religion and since we are all Catholics, we are entitled to express our concerns about the danger to Faith wherever we find it. I am Scots, of course, but I have a great love for England and I’m hugely interested in the Catholic schools there, having taught in several over the years. So, I’m a little sad that you are basically telling us – albeit politely – to push off. We, on the other hand, would be only too pleased to treat you to a lovely plate of haggis and neeps if you ever visit us, north of the border. 😀
I have now received confirmation that the book-signing has been cancelled. My lack of technical skills means I’m not able to publish the original photo of the email here, but I’ve copied the text, which reads as follows:
noreply@johnfisherschool.org
Message for the parents/carers of Yr 8 and Yr 9 students.
Dear Parents/Carers,
The planned visit of an author to our school tomorrow (Monday) and to another Catholic school in the Archdiocese on Wednesday will now not be taking place.
It will be normal lessons for students.
Kind regards.
The John Fisher School
Ends.
Note, unlike the original letter, signed by the school librarian, this cancellation message is not signed. Perhaps we will hear more tomorrow, but, in the meantime, we should thank God for this outcome which is, effectively, to safeguard, the students, hitherto at risk of moral corruption.
Our Lady, Mother Most Pure, we thank you!
Editor,
That is totally wonderful news. This is where CTS comes into its own – excellent work, congratulations to the team and bloggers who wrote in about this scandal. I’m sorry, I’m just catching up now but I’m thrilled at this outcome. Thanks be to God!
Shame on most of you lot here, especially the editor. My son goes to this school. Well done to the SLT for trying to support some kids who don’t conform to your wishes. You refer to his work as propaganda as if it is aimed at changing a young persons sexuality, rather than giving a few young people some scripture to reaffirm their thoughts, just like the you’ve got the bible. What have they got? Should we leave sexual enlightenment of young people to the clergy? I think they’ve already proved they are not fit for that task.
Editor: the clergy have proven no such thing – the majority of priests are not child abusers, whereas, judging by the disgracefully neglectful attitude of most of the parents of boys at TJF School who have posted here, the same can’t be said of the majority of parents in your neck of the woods. The very fact that you think nothing of speaking about the beliefs of young people “about their sexuality” shows just how far some – if not all – modern Catholics have fallen. About as Catholic as Justin Welby. As for your naivete about the LGBTQ+ agenda, say no more.
Oh nice! So we are the child abusers now are we
Crude comment deleted.
Hi. Thank you for your detailed reply. Perhaps I am just a mainstream Catholic then but I think that getting into a debate with someone who seems not to even accept that Vatican II moved the Church forward is not a good move for either of us so I will end my contribution to this debate on this site here. I am sorry that your world view is not rooted in the openness and forgiveness that Christ displayed to others who were different or considered other in his time. Damian
Damian Brady,
Far be it from me to answer for Editor but I can’t imagine that “her world view is not rooted in the openness and forgiveness that Christ displayed to others etc”
The thing that “mainstream Catholics” whatever that means (it seems to mean “liberals”) tend to forget is that Christ’s forgiveness was restricted to those who repented. There’s no place in scripture where we find him saying it’s fine to sin, and it is very clear that the first Christians condemned the sin of sodomy. It’s about loving the sinner but condemning the sin.
I pray for any people who identify with the LGBTQ+ community both within the John fisher school and within the world. I pray that anyone who reads this understands the importance of choice and the evils of censorship on anyone, especially children.
Editor: So, children don’t need to be protected from dangerous literature? Really? Why the call from the LGBTQ+ lobby, then, for “safe spaces” in schools and universities so that those under the age of 80 don’t get “hurt” by reading or hearing something that might just make them a tad upset? Such as the Ten Commandments?
Damian,
I didn’t mean to dismiss you as “a mainstream Catholic” in any pejorative sense. The fact is, we are living through the worst ever crisis to afflict the Church. As Our Lady forewarned at Fatima, there would be a “diabolical disorientation” in the Church and the world, that is, everything would be turned upside down, which is what we are witnessing right now. I mean, tell me honestly, did you ever think you would live to see the day when people – with absolutely straight faces – would talk about same-sex “marriage” or “transgenderism” as if men and women can swap gender, no problem, say nothing? Of course not. The world is crazy right now. And senior churchmen aren’t helping.
However, God always provides – Christ promised to be with His Church always, to the end of time and that, although (as we can see) the gates of Hell may come very close, they will never prevail against the Church. Thus, through the great saint Vincent of Lerins, we find the answer to the problem of where the truth lies – a question which vexes us in times of crisis and confusion, such as we are living through today. Here’s that great Father of the Church on the subject: he is giving us the standard attitude and response of Catholics when heresies and schism loom large…
In the 5th century, St. Vincent of Lerins saw that the people were faced with various errors and heresies of Donatus, Arius, Photinus, Pelagius and others, and gave them this good advice on how they could know with security the true Catholic Faith. Even if it is taught by distinguished men or Prelates, the bad doctrine should not be accepted by Catholics, who should cling to Tradition and what has been believed everywhere, always, and by all. Actually, he stated: “I have continually given the greatest pains and diligence to inquiring, from the greatest possible number of men outstanding in holiness and in doctrine, how I can secure a type of fixed and, as it were, general, guiding principle for distinguishing the true Catholic Faith from the degraded falsehoods of heresy.
“And the answer that I receive is always to this effect: That if I wish, or indeed if anyone wishes, to detect the deceits of heretics that arise and to avoid their snares and to keep healthy and sound in a robust faith, we ought, with the Lord’s help, to fortify our faith in a twofold manner, first, that is, by the authority of God’s Law, then, by the tradition of the Catholic Church.
https://www.traditioninaction.org/religious/n026rp_Lerins_PreserveFaith.htm
So, in the current situation, we need only check out what Catholics – the Christian faithful – have always believed about homosexual activity, what they believed always, everywhere, at all times. That, then, is the answer to where the truth lies. From the very beginning, homosexual activity has been condemned by Christians all of them, always, and everywhere.
That, Damian, is why we cannot “move forward” in the sense of changing the Church’s teaching and/or the natural moral law to suit the (ever changing) spirit of the age. God is the same today, yesterday and forever. God cannot change. If He’d wanted to give us a flexible moral law, adaptable to the whims and waywardness of each generation He could have given us the Ten Suggestions but He chose to command us to keep His Law, for no other reason than He made us and He knows what we need to be truly happy, physically, mentally, spiritually, you name it. The world is different, the opposite. To keep up with the latest technology, we need to keep an eye on the markets, upgrade our computers, buy the latest mobile phone. The Church, on the other hand, remains the same, simply because God Himself is unchanging and it’s His Church.
By the grace of God, I am always ready to forgive anyone who asks for my forgiveness – in fact, I offend (as you can see here) more than I am offended, but accepting apologies and forgiving offences in the personal sense is quite different from condoning sinful behaviour, which offends God. I am not authorised to do that. Nobody is authorised to do that, not even the priest in the confessional. He sits as a Judge as well as a merciful pastor; if someone is determined to offend God by their behaviour, then pretending that God doesn’t mind, won’t help them, one bit.
In summary, my “world view” as you put it, is rooted in the Tradition of the Catholic Church which, as evidenced above, the great Doctors and Fathers of the Church teach is the only way to Christ.
I’m sorry you feel unable to contribute further here, but thank you for stopping by, and know that you are welcome to return any time.
Darren, the diocese is not opposing the event because it is “propaganda” or an effort to win more people to the gay cause or changing them to be Gay.
The issue is, the school is a Catholic School, and Catholic (and all that the religion entails) is a protected legal category as much as sexual orientation.
This event is not merely about awareness of other sexual orientations and how a catholic young man should understand different sexual orientations and respect other people and not discriminate against them. This event goes way beyond that, it is about seeing the the practice of the orientations as an objective good for the individual and society, this is something the catholic faith rejects.
If you aren’t on board with this you should remove your son from the school, send him to Carshalton boys or something… or, at the very least you should keep quiet because you are not on board with the rationale of catholic education and that is what you bought into when you sent your son to the school.
If you sent your son to a Muslim school, sure you would expect he would learn about other religions and the different aspects of modern Britain, including respect of people of sexual orientations. But you would not expect, and you would complain, if a catholic priest came in to do a book signing with his book on the lives of the saints, telling all boys to buy it.
Faith schools have rights and prerogatives and I am shocked that essentially you are saying “why can’t my son go to a school which is just as secular as Carshalton boys or riddlesdown”, the answer, Darren, is yes, he can do, and moreover, I think it would be more honest of you to remove him from this Catholic School and to send him to the secular school, because you patently reject the mission of Catholic education.
point 2) you say “…. What have they got? Should we leave sexual enlightenment of young people to the clergy? I think they’ve already proved they are not fit for that task.”
In fact, that’s the very problem, the clergy and the church has been removed from teaching about these subjects by the schools, and this has been made manifest in this very instance.
There are Catholic authors that write very eloquently on these subjects, Christopher West, Jason Evert, then you have catholic teen fiction writers like Corinna Turner that feature a fictionalised account of a healthy catholic response to homosexual orientation. These materials exist, I doubt you have even considered this. The catholic church’s response to homosexuality is not some kind of bible bashing proof text…
here comes some more philosophical language but I think I will include it…
Catholics accept that some people have deep seated homosexual tendencies, and moreover, in a boy’s psychosexual development he may even have periods of inclination towards other teenage boys as he undergoes maturity, for the vast majority of boys their sexuality will settle at the biological norm by the end of puberty. All of this makes the teenage years potentially very confusing for boys, they are occasionally drawn in ways that nature and their faith says are disordered and they need a convincing a well grounded theology and moral anthropology to navigate this without either being drawn into depression or into an unhealthy self-identification with this tendency, which quite possibility is transitory in their development. And, as I said, there are many catholic books which do that.
This author’s books offer a counter-narrative, it is a rival philosophy, a rival worldview that says morality is cut off from nature, that autonomy is the ultimate ethical principal, that will is more important that reason… even if it is not propaganda in the sense of trying to win people to homosexuality, it is propaganda of an alternative and false worldview, a worldview that leads to despair and confusion in this world, and ultimately, eternal damnation in the next.
As a long-standing member of the Catholic Church, I am disgusted by this spewing of hatred from a person devoted to spreading love. You are doing nothing but the Devil’s work as you steal a helpful experiences for young Catholic boys. I’m appalled. Bigots go straight to Hell. Do with that what you wish. Jesus said “love thy neighbour”, and it is shocking that Catholic priests find this hard when their neighbour is an LGBTQ member, yet they found it disgustingly easy to love their neighbour when they happen to be young little boys.
if you’re going to advocate against something, at least save the hypocrisy. by catholic logic, God makes no mistakes. he makes us all the way he intends us to be, and therefore, why would he make people gay if it’s such a sin? a factual sim from your testament, is to judge. and there’s nothing a catholic does more than judge other people, despite God being the only being who should ever cast a finger upon another. being gay is not a conscious choice someone makes, it’s just the way some people are, and so, you should nurture this individuality that is encouraged nowadays instead of attempting to indoctrinate another generation into this so called “loving” religion, when realistically, catholicism is built on judgement and the agenda of few. if being gay is a sin, let God handle it on judgement day instead of sticking your nose into everyone else’s business but your own (implying you have much more to focus on than who other people love)
Filthy comment deleted
Katie, maybe you are not aware but as Catholics we believe that as a result of Original Sin, disorder is VERY MUCH present in creation—- congenital heart defects, miscarriages, profound mental illness. Moreover, some negative things very much come out, in part, a result of human free will and negative human structures- depression, suicidal inclination, addictions.
So, to say, according to your logic “God made it that way, so it is good and it should be celebrated”, well, from a Catholic point of view, that simply isn’t true, homosexuality is a weakness that arises as a result of the fall, that is the Catholic view- just like the inclination to steal or the inclination to eat too many donuts, or the inclination to lie to cover yourself. Just because we are inclined to something does not automatically make it a holy and good inclination.
We are rational animals, not just animals, so we learn if an inclination is good and to be followed by considering whether the inclination corresponds to a right use of the parts of the human body involved, and secondly whether such an act accords with the good of the entirety of the human person, as body as soul.
The Catholic Church, guided by Christ, and repeating Christ, has discerned, in a way that is open to all people of good will, that homosexual acts violate the nature of the parts of the body involved, (inasmuch as the sexual organs are ordered towards procreation within marriage as their primary end) and that they violate the good of the entire human person, body and soul, with a vocation to follow Christ.
We actually do have a responsibility for each other’s well being, and if we love someone we try and help them to do what is good for them, indeed, sending your child to school was motivated from love. The Catholic teaching on homosexuality is about upholding authentic human love, and understanding that not all loves should have a genital component/ expression. The genital expression/ component of love belongs to marriage, because the full rational meaning of the sexual act is about procreation within a stable loving relationship (marriage).
I hope that you use this opportunity to grow more in understanding the basis of Catholic teaching, rather than simply saying “this isn’t loving” or “God made them that way” The Catholic faith is not an imbecile creed and has a very coherent response to these objections. I hope you will listen to Our Lord and follow His teachings on this.
not reading all that + ratio
Editor: Thus you prove the point made in my earlier comment that lefties cannot debate. You just cannot bear to be confronted with a different point of view, let alone the truth, the whole truth and nothing but the truth…
Athena, please don’t simply choose one line of Our Lord, I encourage you to actually get to know Him. I am not sure you do know Him, because the Jesus that we know and worship in the Catholic Church teaches that first of all we love God above all things, and that “If you love me, keep my commandments” one of which is “Do not commit adultery” and another “do not covet your neighbour’s wife or manservant or maidservant”. To actually love Christ means living a certain way, His way. Love is not a feeling but flows from intellect and will.
I suggest you try reading the Gospel of St. Matthew and then St. Paul’s Letter to the Corinthians. It would be a good lenten practice for you.
You are faulty in your definition of love, you have simply soaked up the word’s irrational perspective. Love is not some kind of feeling that justifies any action. Read Shakespeare if you want to see where that leads to, nearly all of his tragedies are as a result of people just following ‘love/feeling’ cut off from reason. Love has rules and certain types of love are expressed in one way and other types in another. The love between two people of the same sex finds its high point in friendship.
Ignatius why did you skip the part of Athena’s comment where she said priests nonce on little kiddies?
Editor: Possibly because only a tiny minority of priests have been convicted of child abuse, and it’s seldom “little kiddies” – almost always boys, the guilty clergy being (drum roll) homosexuals, and thus should never have been ordained in the first place. Those who even support “the gay lifestyle” (let alone actively participate in homosexual acts) are prohibited from entering Catholic seminaries.
https://www.vatican.va/roman_curia/congregations/ccatheduc/documents/rc_con_ccatheduc_doc_20051104_istruzione_en.html
Ignatius, how dare you imply I follow the Lord’s teaching any less than you. I follow them so closely, that I’m aware that the concept of “homosexuality” did not appear in the teachings until 1940s. It was originally taught as “man shall not lay with boy”, to condemn paedophilia. It was villainously changed to “man shall not lay with man”, allowing paedophilia and condemning millions of gay Catholics. This is a historical fact proven by many. Search it yourself on Google.com. How do you react to this? Cold hard proof that your hatred for the community is not sustained by your beliefs, but your horrible bigotry.
Athena,
I’m not sure where you get this 1940’s thing from. The Douai Rheims Catholic Bible (published in the year 1582) states in Romans 1:27 “And, in like manner, the men also, leaving the natural use of the women, have burned in their lusts one towards another, men with men working that which is filthy, and receiving in themselves the recompense which was due to their error.” Now if you think that is some kind of 1940’s ‘villainy’ please check out an ancient copy of the Douai Rheims Bible, page 383, Romans 1:27: https://archive.org/details/nevvtestamentofi00mart/page/382/mode/2up It is, of course, in Olde English, but even so, the meaning of the text can be clearly discerned. It clearly states “have burned in their desires one toward another, men upon men working turpitude” The Oxford dictionary defines turpitude as “depraved or wicked behaviour”.
Athena, your ignorance of the catholic faith is embarrassing. As westminsterfly mentioned homosexuality is condemned in scripture itself, in verses that certainly existed before 1940!
Moreover, you may not realise that, but the teachings of the Catholic Church are expressed in a convenient fashion for laity in catechisms, the current catechism’s condemnation of homosexual acts has already been cited earlier on this post.
For your further interest, The Catechism of the Council of Trent (1566), section “On the Sixth Commandment” mentions the sin of sodomy as condemned and indeed, more generally all use of the reproductive organs for pleasure, outside of the marital act.
Please make an effort to understand your faith, start with http://www.catholic.com
Athena,
You amaze me. The teaching on homosexuality is thousands of years old. Saint Paul, wrote about it in his letters to the first Christians. I found a good article on it for you, extract and link follow:
“In Romans 1:21-27, speaking of the men and women of his time “who by their wickedness suppress the truth,” Paul wrote:
“… for although they knew God they did not honour him as God or give thanks to him, but they became futile in their thinking and their senseless minds were darkened. Claiming to be wise, they became fools….
“Therefore God gave them up in the lusts of their hearts to impurity, to the dishonouring of their bodies among themselves, because they exchanged the truth about God for a lie and worshiped and served the creature rather than the Creator, who is blessed forever! Amen.
“For this reason God gave them up to dishonourable passions. Their women exchanged natural relations for unnatural, and the men likewise gave up natural relations with women and were consumed with passion for one another, men committing shameless acts with men and receiving in their own persons the due penalty for their error.”
If reading that passage makes us uneasy, it should. Many of Paul’s Roman listeners had the same response. Jesus didn’t come to affirm us in our sins and destructive behaviors — whatever they might be — but to redeem us. Paul’s message was as resented in some quarters then as it is now. In an age of sexual confusion and disorder, calls to chastity are not just unwelcome. They’re despised. But that doesn’t diminish the truth of the words Paul wrote, or their urgency for our own time.”
https://www.catholiceducation.org/en/controversy/homosexuality/st-paul-and-the-normalizing-of-homosexuality.html
Hi folks,
Before I answer my most recent critics here, I can’t resist posting this link to a Twitter feed which begins with the following comment: one, Daniel Bundred writes…
“Catholic school in Croydon decides to invite gay author to event LGBT History Month. Gets attacked by random woman in Scotland and things go south very rapidly. ”
https://twitter.com/DanielBundred/status/1500565321022951433
Goodness, and to think one of the deleted comments which didn’t make it out of the moderation queue, told me I’d NEVER be famous! How wrong can you be xX_lilmissKM_Xx 😀
But, note as you read the tweets on the above link, that they do have a point. It’s really next door to impossible to be a Catholic today without breaking the law of the land. Almost any land. Everything, remember, is turned upside down these days, and what God has ordained in the natural moral order is out of tune with the way Boris Johnson and Nicola
StalinSturgeon thinks, so new laws have had to be passed to ensure that certain sins are no longer classed as crimes, even it it remains a sin, if you get my drift.And note one of the classic gaffes made by one
Twitcommentator who points out that Catholic priests have abused young boys… Er… Yes… the fact that that makes them homosexuals hasn’t occurred to dopey Steve Waters FCCT (whatever that means, don’t ask…) – He goes from the general to the particular to the ridiculous in one fell swoop, as follows:The same Catholic Church calling this ‘evil’ has presided over decades of paedophilia practised by male priests on young boys and covered up countless attacks of abuse, with the knowledge of the Vatican. This is the real evil. The utter hypocrisy of the Church is staggering.
What a nonsensical comment. By that (lack of) logic, the Government and entire law enforcement agencies should close down since they continually talk about the need to reduce violent crime while the crime rate rises day in and day out. None of us could ever express an aspiration to improve in any way (in my case, less chocolate, even after Lent) for fear of failing at which point Steve Waters FCCT (whatever that means, don’t ask) would call me a hypocrite. Me? Moi? You gotta be kidding me. I just don’t want the confectionary industry to close down, loss of jobs etc. Call me a saint if you must… 😀
I really shouldn’t joke because if I’ve learned anything in my humble life, I’ve learned the following two things:
(1) lefties cannot and will not debate. They refuse to enter into any objective discussion
(2) lefties do not have a sense of humour
Perhaps there are exceptions to (1) and (2) above, but I’ve never met one.
One final thing, for now – if nothing else, this whole incident should have alerted the school chaplain (who is wonderful – see his input to the above Twitter feed, and note I do not know him, have not had any interaction with him at all, beyond copying him into my emails to the school.) As I was saying, this entire incident should have alerted Father Clark and the Archbishop, to the fact that the majority of those identifying (cough) as Catholics in the Archdiocese of Southwark, and certainly at the TJF School are about as Catholic as the Moderator of the Church of Scotland.
The original tweet has 28 likes…. You are not and will NEVER be famous!
Editor: What makes you think that I want to be famous?
Filthy comment deleted
Filthy comment deleted.
Editor: I suggest that the parents who have come on here to express themselves happy to have their sons subjected to the whole LGBTQ+ ethos and lifestyle should email me and I will send them a list of the filthy comments which have come my way since this event was cancelled. Seeing is believing, or so the atheists tell us, so go on, test yourself. Only don’t reply – I don’t DO email correspondence.
How will I email? What’s the address?
Email editor@catholictruthscotland.com
Ready when you are!
Filthy comment deleted.
Editor
Those parents you address in your comment of 5:18pm above would do well also to read what St. Paul has to say in the matter:
“…Wherefore, God gave them up to the desires of their heart, unto uncleanness: to dishonour their own bodies among themselves. Who changed the truth of God into a lie and worshipped and served the creature rather than the Creator, who is blessed for ever. Amen.
For this cause, God delivered them up to shameful affections. For their women have changed the natural use into that use which is against nature. And, in like manner, the men also, leaving the natural use of the women, have burned in their lusts, one towards another: men with men, working that which is filthy and receiving in themselves the recompense which was due to their error…” (Romans 1:27).
I have to add personally that I will never get my head around how any right thinking parent, religious or not, could accept the indoctrination of the innocent minds of their young boys with this kind of stuff. The blindness beggars belief, as does the degardation in parental standards in our time.
Athanasius,
Me, neither – how any parent can countenance their children being influenced by the LGBTQ+ lobby beggars belief, especially in a Catholic school. I can remember meeting Protestant and Muslim parents keen to have their children enrolled in a Catholic school precisely for the purpose of protecting them from this sort of immorality. Sister Lucia wasn’t kidding when she forewarned of a “diabolical disorientation” to come.
One last point; the LGBTQ+ supporters were mad enough when we first launched this thread but now that the event has been cancelled, “Hell hath no fury” doesn’t begin to cut it…
The first person to email for the filthy comments replied within seconds, more or less, asking what is inappropriate about these comments. If you have to ask, you’re in need of some serious spiritual guidance.
Then the second person replied with a very crude message. Now a third nasty message has arrived. A friend once explained the correlation between the “gay” lifestyle and filthy talk and imagery, saying that somewhere, deep in their souls, these people know that they are doing something that goes against nature, it IS disordered but they either don’t realise it, or don’t know what to do about it. Anyway, folks, don’t sin your souls any further by writing such filth. Remember, Our Lady of Fatima told little Jacinta that “More souls go to Hell through sins of impurity than any other sin.”
Finally, as I have already explained, I am unable to enter into private correspondence, so be aware that I am keeping all crude messages just in case. No, not Justin Trudeau. Just in case…
And finally, finally, I am trying to work on the forthcoming (April) edition of our newsletter and so I won’t be able to keep up with the blog quite as promptly as heretofore. Otherwise, our bi-monthly newsletter will turn into a bi-annual newsletter and our wonderful readers won’t stand for that!
Not very “catholic” of all of you to go and attack everyone who shares a different view to you in your comment section…
Harry
It’s perfectly Catholic to challenge immorality. The real poor Catholics are those who go along with the trend. As GK Chesterton once observed in relation to such nominal Catholics “only dead fish flow with the current.
By the way, I think you must know that opposing a cultural Marxist LGBTQ+ agenda which has innocent children’s minds and souls for its target is a little more than attacking people with “different views”. There are some views that don’t deserve to be heard and indeed were once suppressed by all of society all over the world when the world was a saner, dare I say, Godlier place to live.
Idiotic comment deleted.
Listen, pal – leave the comedy to me, OK?
its good that this article is labelled as ‘communism & Marxism’ because what the church wants ,and have gotten, is blatant censorship.
censorship gets rid of free thought and free speech and it is censorship that destroys nations. by promoting censorship you guys (people who agree with what the outcome of all of this) are only a couple of steps away from being a member of the Nazi party, the Taliban or the aforementioned communists.
Editor: So you don’t think we live in a country where censorship is the norm? Did you hear any journalists asking if lockdown were necessary, this past two years? Did any of them ask anything that was not on the Government script? Are we going to see the Covid enquiry report uncensored if it is ever published? Of course not. We’re not even likely to see an unredacted copy of the Partygate investigation report. I wouldn’t mind if I’d been invited but, really… Gerragrip! Name any parent who does not censor, at some level, what their offspring read, watch on TV or with whom they make friends. I need to know the name (and address if possible) to report them to Social Services. Gerranothergrip.
PS we were once called the Catholic Taliban by a Westminster Member of Parliament, (MP to you) – it didn’t bother us then, coming from him, and it definitely doesn’t bother us now coming from (with all due respect) YOU! How can I put it… GerranotherOTHERgrip!
Now I’m just sitting back to wait for Luke and John.
Signed: Sister Fiona of the Ever-Tartan Lamp…
I’m now going to close this thread to comments, with thanks to all who made a serious contribution to this important discussion.
A special word of praise to the School for, in the end, taking the right course of action by cancelling the event; sincere gratitude, too, to Father Clark, the School Chaplain and to the Archbishop for standing firm in the face of what I feel certain must have been a huge backlash from the LGBTQ+ promoters of this event. I am certain of that, because I, too, have been targeted in (unpublished) blog comments and by email. It’s unpleasant but not surprising, given St Paul’s warning that “our battle is not against flesh and blood: but against principalities and powers, against the rulers of the world of this darkness, against the spirits of wickedness in the high places…” (Ephesians 6: 12)
Let’s all remember to keep The John Fisher School, staff and students, in our prayers. And let us pray very especially for Father James Clark, the School Chaplain who was at the frontline throughout this situation. He was entirely faithful to his priestly duty which is why he is likely, more than anyone else, perhaps, to suffer the wrath of the LGBTQ+ supporters of this event. St John Vianney, patron saint of priests, pray for him!
Thank you all – God bless.
I have reopened this thread only for the purpose of alerting everyone to the update which I have posted at the introduction to this thread, copied here for ease of reference. However, the thread will remain closed to comments, given the prevalence of trolls and the absence of constructive discussion. With thanks to those of you have have contributed thoughtful and respectful comments.
Update – 9 March 2022
Update – Wednesday 9 March 2022…
There is an online report about the cancellation of the book-signing event which you can read here
https://inews.co.uk/news/catholic-state-school-john-fisher-southwark-diocese-governors-cancel-visit-gay-author-simon-james-green-1505735
Note two things: firstly, since the above article has featured quotations from parents speaking against the diocese and the teachings of the Church, I invite the many parents (and teachers) who support the diocese’s actions to write to me; I promise to put their comments on this blog, anonymously if they wish.
Secondly, I continue to receive vile messages from people who need to get out there with a huge search party to help them find their moral compass. They may not have noticed that it’s missing yet, but believe me, there are a lot of missing moral compasses out there, just waiting to be found.
And just as I was about to publish this update, more news arrives – this story, which should be totally UN-remarkable for anyone who knows anything about the Catholic Church’s teaching and its guardianship of the natural moral law, seems to be spreading like wildfire. To read more click here
https://www.pinknews.co.uk/2022/03/09/gay-catholic-school-southwark-diocese-simon-james-green-john-fisher/
and here https://www.standard.co.uk/news/uk/simon-hughes-primary-school-government-neu-writing-b986989.html
This one, though, seems to be the star of the show – I’ve not read it myself but my source tells me it contains information hitherto not made public. To read, click here
https://inews.co.uk/news/archbishop-southwark-cancelled-visit-gay-author-simon-james-green-catholic-church-1507503
A little later… I’ve now skimmed this report and find it dredges up the tired old claim that I “outed” priests – wrong; I reported priests who had outed themselves (everyone of whom has now abandoned the active priestly ministry) and I lodged complaints with the Press Complaints Commission against various newspapers which had essentially defamed me, everyone of which complaints were resolved to my satisfaction. So, don’t let’s get into all of that again. What I didn’t report, because I didn’t want to give them the satisfaction, was that, as a result of those reports, I became the target of a hate campaign. I received such a volume of horrendous mail that the postman asked me if there was something wrong. Not half. The fact that this reporter has had to dig to find that nonsense to support the LGBTQ+ campaign against the Archdiocese of Southwark, and thus the Catholic Church, shows just how hard they’re having to work to justify their unjustifiable position. Their plan to groom the boys at The John Fisher School has been thwarted. Thanks be to God, but watch out those of us who dared to question their right to do so.
What certainly stands out here is that the Archbishop of Southwark is an outstanding defender of the Faith and true Morals. I know from my inbox how vicious the enemies of the Faith and true Morals are – and I suspect the Archbishop will suffer far worse. We must all pray for him.
Note: updates are added to this thread as they appear – there are fresh updates – one added to the above, dated 9th March, and another one dated today, 10th, linking to a report in the Mail Online.
Also, thanks to those of you who have emailed me, in support of the LGBTQ+ lobby. I hope you understand that I am unable to enter into correspondence, now that the thread has closed. All of you, so far, have suggested that because there have been (shocking) cases of (homosexual) priests abusing young boys, we had no right to petition for the cancelling of the book-signing event at TJF boys’ school. This issue keeps arising (clergy abuse) so we will be covering that at the first opportunity, since you all appear to be of the opinion that it is “the Church” to blame and that every priest in Christendom is an abuser. Not so, but we’ll answer these allegations in due course. Right now, I need to work on our bi-monthly newsletter, due out in April, before it becomes a bi-annual newsletter!
Thanks for your messages – at least, the reasonably polite ones. The nasties don’t matter. They really should sue their English teacher(s) for not teaching them properly how to express themselves without insulting their pen-pal 😀 God help them. The nasties, I mean, not the English teachers. Well, the English teachers as well but… you’ll get my drift, one hopes! One has to remember that one is addressing a largely English audience, which one has tended to forget. One begs forgiveness for one’s carelessness!
Finally, this article may help to clarify the agenda behind the normalisation of homosexual behaviours.
https://www.lifesitenews.com/news/world-renowned-expert-homo-tyranny-is-upon-us-in-the-catholic-church/
I’ve just received the following Lifesitenews report in my inbox, which I’ve added to the updates, top of this page.
https://www.lifesitenews.com/news/uk-archbishop-stands-firm-cancels-pro-lgbt-author-from-speaking-at-catholic-school/
Note that the author Simon Green is encouraging people to attack the archdiocese – well, now. I just might put a spoke in that wheel, having just received a copy of some of the contents of one of his books which merely “features a gay character” – yeah right.
Stand by!
Some time later…
If you’ve been standing by, here is the latest on the Simon James Green Saga…
https://catholictruthscotland.com/2022/03/10/simon-james-green-children-teens-gay-author-on-the-warpath-not-a-pretty-sight-folks/
News just in…
Fr James Clark has resigned from his position as Chaplain to The John Fisher School. A source close to him has informed me that Fr. Clark decided he simply couldn’t work in a school that was promoting and selling unsuitable, pornographic, material to children.
This is sad – and very disturbing news. In fact, that any Catholic school should be so far gone, so lacking in a sense of morality, so unable to distinguish right from wrong, so imbued with the spirit of the age that a priest has to acknowledge that he cannot work effectively in that environment, is beyond “disturbing”.
I have been arguing for years now that Catholic schools are finished. I, too, was forced to resign from a Catholic institution because the so-called liberals and modernists, very much opposed to Catholic morality on sexual matters, and just about everything else, didn’t want the Faith taught to students.
It’s long-overdue time for the Bishops to obey the instruction of Pope John Paul II to remove the title “Catholic” from those institutions which do not deserve it, due to the kind of infidelity in teaching which we are witnessing at the JFS, and indeed in our own so-called Catholic schools in Scotland.
Quoting from Pope John Paul II in Veritatis Splendor: “ A particular responsibility is incumbent upon Bishops with regard to Catholic institutions. Whether these are agencies for the pastoral care of the family or for social work, or institutions dedicated to teaching or health care, Bishops can canonically erect and recognize these structures and delegate certain responsibilities to them. Nevertheless, Bishops are never relieved of their own personal obligations. It falls to them, in communion with the Holy See, both to grant the title “Catholic” to Church-related schools,179 universities,180 health-care facilities and counselling services, and, in cases of a serious failure to live up to that title, to take it away.” (# 116)
https://www.vatican.va/content/john-paul-ii/en/encyclicals/documents/hf_jp-ii_enc_06081993_veritatis-splendor.html
Let’s remember Fr Clark in our prayers – I don’t know him personally, and have had no contact with him throughout this entire situation, but my guess is that he was right to resign, to obey Our Lord’s injunction to “shake the dust”. Once it becomes clear that we can do nothing to improve such a situation, that’s all we can do. Leave them to their spiritual blindness, and move on to more promising pastures. Let’s pray to Our Lady of Fatima, who forewarned us of precisely this sort of diabolical disorientation, where a “gay author” is more welcome in a Catholic school than a conscientious priest, that Father now enjoys peace of soul and a fruitful apostolate in his parish.
Immaculate Heart of Mary, pray for him!”
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