Sexual Judases: Exposing the Homosexual Predation among U.S Catholic clerics.

            “These men are abusing their sacred office like Judas did, and they are doing it for their own advantage. Judas did it for money; these guys are doing it for sex.” Those words, spoken with disappointment and anger, were said by prominent Catholic journalist, Michael Voris, during an interview with conservative talk radio host, Pat Campbell, about the latest, and one of the biggest scandals that has shook the Church to its core: the homosexual abuses in the Catholic Church in America.

            This was considered a “faith-shaker” by many Catholics that were duty bound to be obedient to their shepherds, knowing that their shepherds are the ones who act like wolves. In talking about this issue, the disgraced former Cardinal Theodore McCarrick comes to mind primarily. One former seminarian from the Archdiocese of Newark, New Jersey testified, just last July, that after entering the seminary in September 1993, he “quickly began to learn the ugly truth going on behind the scenes in the Archdiocese, Archbishop McCarrick really did have a shore house. He really did invite seminarians to go down on weekends. And he always invited just enough seminarians so that one of them would be forced to sleep with him in his bed.” And that “even the key positions of the archdiocesan chancery were filled by homosexual clergy who were part of the Church so-called ‘gay mafia’”.

            Upon learning of that disastrous blow-up of sexual immortality among American priests and bishops, many groups, catholic and non- catholic alike are calling for necessary actions and investigations to be done by the bishops and even the Pope himself. Catherin Pepinster, former editor of a liberal Catholic publication in the U.K., the tablet, says, “If Francis is to get the grips with his scandal then he must act fast. A tribunal needs to be set up in Rome to deal only with abuse cases, run be expert investigators, and testimony needs to be heard.”

            Now enters the testimony of the former Apostolic Nuncio to the United States, Archbishop Carlo Maria Vigano, about the said issue. The former nuncio wrote an 11-page testimony that the Holy Father himself, Pope Francis, knew about the McCarrick scandal since 2013, but in spite of his knowledge, the Holy Father nonetheless lifted the sanctions of McCarrick that were imposed on the former cardinal by Pope Emeritus Benedict XVI. Archbishop Vigano also claimed that Pope Francis “continued to cover” for McCarrick and even made the said gay predator “his trusted counselor”.  This, if true, would affect Pope Francis’ credibility and would be a proof that the Holy Father has violated his own “zero tolerance policy” in dealing with clerical abusers.

            Many are now calling for the resignation of the Holy Father, and that includes many Catholic groups, like churchmilitant.com and a radical traditional Catholic newspaper in the U.S. The Remnant. Michael Voris of Church Militant, in a video addressed personally to Pope Francis, said. “You [Pope Francis] have treated too many of the faithful with coldness and callousness, abusing the power of your office in regard to their suffering over this horrendoud unconscionable evil which you have facilitated.” Catholic Philosopher Edward Feser even argued in an article that Archbishop Vigano is “Almost Certainly telling the truth”. Even many high-ranking prelates in the Church, including Cardinal Raymond Burke and Bishop Morlino, are in full support of Vigano.

            No matter what the opinions of many people are regarding the issue, Catholic apologist Matt Fradd tells us that despite all the scandals, we should “focus our eyes on Jesus”. The Church is like a boat travelling through a stormy sea, but Jesus is there, walking above the waters, telling us not to be afraid. Trust in the Lord is what’s most needed in times like this. Besides holding the guilty clerics accountable for the abuses and cover-ups they have done, remaining steadfast in the faith is what’s necessary. Leaving the Church isn’t a good alternative, for “you don’t leave Peter for Judas”.

            Catholics have to pray and ask for the intercession of all the sainted Popes, bishops, and priests so that the Almighty God may spare us in this chastisement. Catholics have to hope and pray, and trust always in the words of Christ, “the gates of Hades shalt not prevail against it.” (Mt 16:18)

St. Thomas Aquinas, pray for us!

- Matthew Luis D. Antero