August 26, 2018

For the good of the Order:  Homosexual Scandal

Dear AOH Brothers,

Beware of the dogs!  Beware of the evil-workers!  (Philippians 3:1) The Vatican established back in 2005 that seminary applicants who "practice homosexuality, present deep-seated homosexual tendencies or support the so-called ‘gay culture,'" cannot be accepted into our seminaries.  As we continue to read and watch the reaction among Catholics on the recent homosexual scandal in our church -- many of whom disagree on what should happen next – more and more Bishops are starting to step forward, some courageously so, pointing to the true source of the crisis.  Some, not all, are speaking boldly in confidence in Christ that constitutes our faith.

We are also hearing from Catholics around the country who are reporting on the courage of faithful and holy priests in parishes everywhere, preaching on this homosexual abuse scandal, and why the Church must now act.  "Now it seems clear in light of these recent terrible scandals that indeed there is a homosexual culture, not only among the clergy but even within the hierarchy, which needs to be purified at the root", said Cardinal Raymond Burke, one of the leading outspoken Bishops on the homosexual scandal in the U.S. Catholic leadership (source the AP).

The issues that have come to light in the past few weeks concerning homosexual abuse by Archbishop Theodore McCarrick and in the Pennsylvania Grand Jury Report are cause for grave concern among Catholics and for you my fellow AOH brothers.  Many of us feel deeply betrayed by those Bishops, Cardinals and dare I say Pope Francis (see attached letter dated 8/24/18) whom we all hold in high regard.  Such concerns are shared not just by our AOH Brotherhood but in the United States, in Ireland and elsewhere.  These sins of commission and omission have sent the Church we love, the Church we serve and the Church that Jesus Christ established into convulsions.  Sadly, the disgrace not only is borne by the perpetrators, it hurts us all, as does the silence of our churches shepherds who have ignored the cries of their flocks.  Too often the needs of victims have been subordinated to a distorted sense of mercy toward the perpetrators or an instinct for clerical self-preservation.  The sexual acts — both criminal and non-criminal — highlight the need to recover a respect for and a renewed commitment to the priestly promises of celibacy and Catholic morality.

We are all called to pray for our mother Church at this time.  We are called to action through our conscience.  We are called through our AOH charter to defend the Catholic church and her holy priests from those that intend to overtly or covertly harm our morally righteous priests.  If not now, when?  If not us, who?  The enemy has changed tactics in this war against our Catholic church and we must learn to adapt and confront both externally and internally those who wish to shake our Christian moral resolve.  Brothers, we need to demand via our AOH voice the resignation and removal of all of those who are involved in this homosexual abuse scandal and homosexual practice within our clergy and hierarchy from our Holy Catholic church. 

In unity and humility AOH degreed brother,

Vince Walsh

Doylestown Division 3

Cardinal Daniel DiNardo

President of the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops

and

Archbishop Christophe Pierre

Apostolic Nuncio to the United States of America

3339 Massachusetts Avenue, NW

Washington, DC  20008-3610August 26, 2018