Pope Benedict XVI on life, faith, family and freedom

Pope Benedict XVI on life, faith, family and freedom...

"Many clergy have given themselves over to pleasures of the flesh. Many have fallen into sin and heresy, and have cast aside the truth of their vocations. Many now rebel against their leader, their God-given leader, your Vicar. In matters of faith and morals, man must not change the God-given laws, coming from the Seat of Peter, and established through tradition upon earth through My Son's Church." - Our Lady of the Roses, October 6, 1979

LifeSiteNews.com reported on April 19, 2005

The newly elected Pope Benedict XVI, unlike his predecessor John Paul II prior to his election, comes to lead the Catholic Church after spending the last 24 years in the public eye as the head of the most important office in the Church - the Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith (CDF). As such, his teachings on the most pressing issues facing the Church today have been readily available. In his writings he has touched on the so-called controversial issues, noting pro-abortion Catholic politicians should be denied Holy Communion, and that Catholic legislators may never vote in favour of laws allowing homosexual civil unions - let alone same-sex 'marriage'.
In a 2003 CDF Doctrinal Note, then Cardinal Ratzinger spelled out formally that Catholic politicians have a "grave and clear obligation to oppose any law that attacks human life," and that "For (Catholic politicians), as for every Catholic, it is impossible to promote such laws or to vote for them." (see that full document here http://www.lifesite.net/ldn/2003/jan/030116a.html ) The current pope also entered into the debate among US bishops regarding pro-abortion Catholic politicians receiving communion.

While Washington Cardinal Theodore McCarrick, the head of the US Bishops' task force looking into the question, was personally opposed to denying communion to unrepentant pro-abortion Catholic politicians, Cardinal Ratzinger's suggested otherwise. Ratzinger intervention titled "Worthiness to Receive Communion" was intended as a private message to the US bishops but after being leaked to the media, Cardinal Ratzinger confirmed the document was his.

In the letter, Cardinal Ratzinger cited established church teaching leading to the inevitable conclusion that pro-abortion politicians, who will not alter their stand or abstain from communion after being instructed by church leaders, "must" be refused communion. (see the document here:
http://www.lifesite.net/ldn/2005/apr/050419a.html )

The current controversy over same-sex marriage was also addressed recently by the newly elected Pontiff, not only in formal CDF documents but also in personal interviews. Formally, the 2003 CDF document on "Considerations Regarding Proposals To Give Legal Recognition To Unions Between Homosexual Persons" states: "When legislation in favour of the recognition of homosexual unions is proposed for the first time in a legislative assembly, the Catholic law-maker has a moral duty to express his opposition clearly and publicly and to vote against it. To vote in favour of a law so harmful to the common good is gravely immoral." (see that document here: http://www.lifesite.net/ldn/2003/jul/030731a.html )

In an interview in an Italian newspaper last year, the then-Cardinal explained why the Catholic Church opposes not only homosexual 'marriage' but any kind of legal recognition of homosexual spouses. Speaking of recognition of spousal agreements between homosexuals, the Cardinal said, "But to institutionalize an agreement of this type - whether the lawmaker wants it or not - would necessarily appear in public opinion like another type of marriage that would inevitably assume a relative value." Concluding the point, Cardinal Ratzinger said, "Let us not forget that with these choices, to which Europe tends today - shall we say - in decline, we make a break from all the great cultures of humanity that have always recognized the very meaning of sexuality: that is, that men and the women were created to be jointly the guarantee of the future of the humanity. Not only a physical guarantee but also a moral one." (see LifeSiteNews.com coverage: http://www.lifesite.net/ldn/2004/nov/04111902.html )

As the head of the doctrinal arm of the Church, the current Pope was also called on to comment on human cloning and experimentation with human embryos and unborn children. Unapologetically and emphatically, Cardinal Ratzinger accepted the challenge putting the Church's teaching in terms readily understood by the common man. During an address in 2001 at the Cathedral of Notre Dame in Paris, he noted that the burgeoning industry of experimentation with the human fetus leads to hell. "When, as today, there is a market in human organs, when fetuses are produced to make spare organs available, or to make progress in research and preventive medicine, many regard the human content of these practices as implicit. But the contempt for man that underlies it, when man is used and abused, leads -- like it or not -- to a descent into hell," he said.

Specifying the Church's teaching on the myriad of issues around such experimentation, the CDF published, already in 1987, the "Instruction On Respect For Human Life In Its Origin And On The Dignity Of Procreation Replies To Certain Questions Of The Day." (available here: http://www.vatican.va/roman_curia/congregations/cf... )

The new Pope is also not afraid to take on the aggressive worldview that seeks to relegate Christianity to the back of the bus in public discourse. In an interview published last year in the Italian newspaper "La Reppublica" and re-distributed world-wide via the Vatican Information Service, Ratzinger, issued a serious warning to Christians to defend against, "an aggressive secular ideology."

He recalled, "In Sweden, a Protestant pastor who had preached about homosexuality, based on a line from Scriptures, went to jail for one month." He noted that the state should "not impose religion," but "allows these religions to be factors in building up society". However some states are now giving way to "an ideology which is imposed through politics and which does not give public space to the Catholic or Christian vision."

Urging Christians to fight the dangerous trend, he said: "In this sense, a struggle exists and we must defend religious freedom against the imposition of an ideology which is presented as if it were the only voice of rationality, when it is only the expression of a 'certain' rationalism."

Ratzinger did not shy away from fighting such trends even when they were promoted by great powers such as the United Nations. Writing in the Italian newspaper Avvenire in 2000, he denounced the UN vision of a "new world order." Ratzinger noted that "at the base of this New World Order" is the ideology of "women's empowerment," which erroneously sees "the principal obstacles to [a woman's] fulfillment [as] the family and maternity." The cardinal advised that "at this stage of the development of the new image of the new world, Christians - and not just them, but in any case they even more than others - have the duty to protest." (see the LifeSiteNews.com coverage: http://www.lifesite.net/ldn/2000/sep/00091801.html )

"When a man has stepped over the threshold and allowed himself to fall into mortal sin, he must be purified by trial, but he must also, My children, be purified by the rule of penance and confession.
"What manner of evil is being set now upon mankind that compels him to lose his soul by rejecting the Sacraments, by no longer confessing to his confessor, but coming to receive My Son in sacrifice, while his soul is degraded by sin of mortal nature!" - Our Lady of the Roses, September 7, 1976

The awesome Bayside Prophecies... https://www.tldm.org/Bayside/default.htm
These prophecies came from Jesus, Mary, and the saints to Veronica Lueken at Bayside, NY, from 1968 to 1995:

SIN OF OMISSION
"The sin of omission shall condemn many to hell, be they layman or Hierarchy. I repeat: not the sin of commission, but the sin of omission will commit many to hell. Among them there will be also mitres." - Our Lady, October 6, 1980

THE UNITED STATES SHALL BE FIRST STRUCK
"One of the reasons the Eternal Father chose your city and your state for My appearance was because of abortion, the murder of the holy innocents. Your nation, without repentance, shall be the first struck." - Our Lady, March 15, 1978

THE UNITED STATES SHALL FALL
"How can a great country like the United States fall, you say, My child? You ask Me in your heart. I read your heart. I will tell you why. Because they have given themselves over to satan. When a country has lost its morality and seeks the pleasures of the flesh, giving over, themselves over, to all manner of abominations, like homosexuality, and condoning this up the highest courts of the land, then that country shall fall." - Our Lady of the Roses, November 1, 1985

DOCTORS
"Doctors now are profaning their profession, those who have given themselves over to destroying human life in abortions." - Jesus, June 6, 1987

FOULEST OF DEEDS
"Our hearts are torn because of the wanton murder of the young by evil man. Abortion, My children, is murder, the most foulest of deeds, that is punishable by death! And what is worse than death of the soul?
"I say unto you, as your Mother, that any man or woman who performs or takes part of this abomination of the murder of the unborn shall be given a heavy penance upon earth, or if this penance is not given upon earth, that person found guilty in the eyes of his God shall suffer eternal damnation in the fires of hell." - Our Lady, December 28, 1976

DESTROYED
"All who become part of or condone abortion, the murder of the young, shall be destroyed!" - Jesus, June 2, 1979

HUMAN LIFE IS SACRED
"The Eternal Father command that you stop these murders at once! You will not destroy the lives of the unborn. Human life is sacred in the eyes of your God. No man has the right to destroy a life. The Father, He sends this life to you, and only He will decide when it will return back to the Kingdom.
"Do not, My children, be deceived by the words of the evil ones about you who cry to you of no space left for man. There is space, for My Father has a plan for every life He sends." - Our Lady, August 5, 1971

WILL NEVER BE CONDONED
"You will remember, My children and My child, to guard the young. Your clergy have fallen into darkness. Abortion will never be condoned. But We must have others who fervently will go forward and bring out to the minds of those who have actually seduced the country and the children--bring them the knowledge of Heaven, hell and purgatory. Then they will not have free license to sin." - Our Lady, May 28, 1983

GOVERNMENT
"For that one reason among many, the United States will suffer unless there is placed into your government a group that fears the Lord if they cannot love the Lord. They will fear Him and find measures to stop the slaughter of the unborn." - Our Lady, April 14, 1984

NUNS
"That is what makes My heart ache, My child. That is one of the reasons Theresa is crying constantly when she looks into the convents and sees what is going on. Many now believe in abortion, the murders of the children; and many have committed this act upon themselves." - Jesus, October 1, 1988

SIXTY MILLION
"I say this for this reason: the Eternal Father is much disturbed at the numbers of abortions being committed throughout your country and the world. These numbers go upwards to fifty to sixty million in one year throughout the world." - Our Lady, June 18, 1986

TREATED AS GARBAGE
"O My child, My tears fall upon you all when I see all of the innocent little babies being slaughtered . . . cast into garbage pails like nothing but dirt and scum. They are living human beings! And all murderers shall get their just recompense." - Our Lady, March 18, 1983

BOMBS IN THE UNITED STATES
"These interlopers upon the serenity of the United States have dark skins.... With their plans there will be bombs placed in strategic places and many shall die at the hands of these ruffians....
"One big reason for permitting this disaster in New York would be the abortion mills throughout the city and the country." - Jesus, October 1, 1988

HOLY SPIRIT
"At the time of conception, the Holy Spirit makes the child, and the breath of the Almighty gives it life." - Our Lady, June 18, 1991

LIMBO
"And what, My children, are We going to do with all the aborted babies? O My child, I know you feel as I do, for I can see the great distress on your face. What are We going to do, My child? Do you understand when they come to Us, they must go to Limbo? They are in Heaven, a happy place, but they cannot see God." - Our Lady, October 2, 1987

SORROWFULLY
"Sorrowfully, the penance that is to come upon the world for the murders of the unborn shall be a chastisement far greater in severity than man has ever witnessed in the past nor ever shall pass through again. Your world is plunging into a deep chasm of suffering and destruction." - Our Lady, May 20, 1978

OATH
"Your once loyal to the oath of a doctor, your once loyal doctors are now butchers! For money they kill the young!" - Our Lady, February 10, 1978

WOE TO THE WOMAN
"Know, My child, this simple lesson, that in these days of the latter times, women will seek to cast off their role as mother and a woman. Women will cast it off under the direction of satan, and murder her children. Woe to the woman who does not repent of this vile abomination! She has walked the road to eternal damnation and hell. Repent, O woman, or forever be lost!" - Our Lady, March 18, 1975

Directives from Heaven... https://www.tldm.org/directives/directives.htm

D23 - Abortion PDF
D123 - Catholic Church, Part 1 PDF
D124 - Catholic Church, Part 2 PDF
D142 - Sin of Omission PDF
D146 - Honor the Eucharist, Part 1 PDF
D147 - Honor the Eucharist, Part 2 PDF
D186 - Excommunication PDF

Articles...

Full text of Cardinal Ratzinger's letter to U.S. bishops, that they must refuse Communion to pro-abort politicians
https://www.tldm.org/News7/Ratzinger.htm

Archbishop Chaput sees pro-abortion Communion scandal as needed "moment of truth"
https://www.tldm.org/News6/Chaput2.htm

Cardinal George says no Communion for gay protesters
https://www.tldm.org/news6/CardinalGeorge.htm

Vatican warns Catholic pro-abortion politicians not to receive Holy Communion
https://www.tldm.org/news6/vaticanwarnsjohnkerrynocommunion.htm

Congressman Hyde is on the U.S. bishops' case
https://www.tldm.org/news6/Hyde.htm

Cardinal Ratzinger says public figures who dissent from Church teachings should not receive Holy Communion
https://www.tldm.org/news6/Ratzinger.htm

Archbishop Burke: more profoundly sorrowful would be a bishop who failed "to safeguard the worthy reception of Communion"
https://www.tldm.org/news6/Burke2.htm

Archbishop Pell: people who reject Church teaching not entitled to Holy Communion
https://www.tldm.org/News4/Pell.htm

U.S. bishops non-decision in Denver on pro-abortion politicians and Communion widens Catholic divide
https://www.tldm.org/News7/schism.htm

Vatican warns pro-abortion politicians not to receive Holy Communion
https://www.tldm.org/news6/vaticanwarnsjohnkerrynocommunion.htm

Bishop Sheridan will deny Communion to Catholics who vote pro-abortion
https://www.tldm.org/news6/Sheridan.htm

Bishop Wenski calls pro-abortion Catholics who demand to receive Communion "boorish and sacrilegious"
https://www.tldm.org/News6/Wenski.htm

Vatican document repeats Church teaching: Catholics must be free of grave sin to receive Holy Communion
https://www.tldm.org/news6/receptionofcommunion.htm

Sacrilegious Communion and the U.S. bishops
https://www.tldm.org/News6/sacrilege.htm

Our Lady says Senator Ted Kennedy must defend his Catholic Faith or be condemned
https://www.tldm.org/News6/Kennedy.htm

Separation of Church and State: "a fatal theory"
https://www.tldm.org/News6/separation.htm

Catholics who vote pro-abortion commit a mortal sin
https://www.tldm.org/News6/VotingPro-ChoiceJohnKerry.htm

Links...

Archbishop Raymond L. Burke, the new 'John Fisher': Archbishop Burke is disappointed that Cardinal McCarrick and Bishop Gregory withheld Cardinal Ratzinger's Memo at the Denver meeting, Barbara Kralis, August 5, 2004
http://www.renewamerica.us/columns/kralis/040805

Cardinal Ratzinger said, "The minister of Holy Communion must refuse to distribute it." He did not say 'could,' or 'may,' but that he "must," Barbara Kralis, July 6, 2004
http://www.renewamerica.us/columns/kralis/040706

Prohibition is worthless without enforcement Barbara Kralis, June 8, 2004
http://www.renewamerica.us/columns/kralis/040624

Is not murder just as evil as lust in the eyes of God? Barbara Kralis, June 8, 2004
http://www.renewamerica.us/columns/kralis/040607

Ten questions regarding the denial of the Eucharist, Barbara Kralis, May 24, 2004
http://www.renewamerica.us/columns/kralis/040524

183 Catholic bishops lost in the Rockies, American Life League
http://www.all.org/crusade/rockies.pdf

Your Eminence, what is there is study? WorldNetDaily, July 7, 2004
http://www.worldnetdaily.com/news/article.asp?ARTICLE_ID=39314

McCarrick to Kerry: Carry on, American Spectator, April 16, 2004
http://www.spectator.org/dsp_article.asp?art_id=6441

Deadly dozen Senators, Newsmax, January 22, 2003
http://www.newsmax.com/showinsidecover.shtml?a=2003/1/22/112244

Kerry takes Communion amid controversy, New York Post, April 12, 2004
http://nypost.com/news/nationalnews/22584.htm

John Kerry's abortion position causes Easter Church conflict, Lifenews.com, April 5, 2004
http://www.lifenews.com/nat424.html

What matters most for Senator Kerry: receiving Communion or collecting cash? Newsmax, April 6, 2004
http://www.newsmax.com/archives/articles/2004/4/6/94845.shtml

Moral duties concerning voting, Fr. Steven F. Turraco
http://www.ewtn.com/vote/brief_catechism.htm

Sin to vote for pro-abortion politicians? Fr. Matthew Habiger, HLI
http://www.ewtn.com/library/ISSUES/SINTOVOT.HTM

Fr. Pavone thanks Bishops for election guidance
http://www.priestsforlife.org/pressreleases/00-10-25bpsstmts.htm

Bulletin inserts on political responsibility (Priests for Life website)
http://www.priestsforlife.org/government/polresinserts.htm

Bishops of Massachusetts on the "Absolute Centrality" of the Defense of Life as an Election Issue
http://www.priestsforlife.org/magisterium/bishops/masscitizens.htm

"The ballot and the right to life," Bishop James C. Timlin
http://www.priestsforlife.org/magisterium/bishops/timlin2000.htm
Kerry scolds Vatican on gay marriage, AP, August 1, 2003
http://www.mercurynews.com/mld/mercurynews/news/politics/6438435.htm
No puppet of Pope, Kerry says, New York Daily News, March 29, 2004
http://www.nydailynews.com/news/story/178336p-155087c.html

Silence won't work any longer, WorldNetDaily, March 31, 2004
http://www.worldnetdaily.com/news/article.asp?ARTICLE_ID=37829

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