By Thaddeus M. Baklinski
EL PASO, Texas, August 3, 2010 (LifeSiteNews.com) - A Texas priest, writing as a guest columnist in the El Paso Times, has unequivocally come down on the side of the "precious and infallible teachings of Holy Mother Church" that affirms the dignity of human life at all stages and upholds the true meaning of marriage.
Fr. Michael Rodríguez, parish priest at San Juan Bautista Catholic Church, told readers that "a Catholic would be guilty of a most grievous sin of omission if he/she neglected to actively oppose the homosexual agenda."
"I sincerely hope and pray," Fr. Rodríguez wrote, "that all El Paso Catholics will take to heart the precious and infallible teachings of Holy Mother Church in the moral sphere, particularly those most relevant to our city at this critical juncture."
Fr. Rodríguez pointed out that "Every single Catholic, out of fidelity to charity and truth, has the absolute duty to oppose (1) the murder of unborn babies, and (2) any and all government attempts to legalize homosexual unions."
He also reminded readers that the homosexual agenda "thrives on deception and conceals its wicked horns under the guises of ‘equal rights,’ ‘tolerance,’ ‘who am I to judge?,’ etc."
Fr. Rodriguez quoted the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops’ November 2009 pastoral letter on marriage, noting it was endorsed by the Bishop of El Paso, Most Rev. Armando X. Ochoa.
The pastoral letter explains: "It is not unjust to oppose legal recognition of same-sex unions, because marriage and same-sex unions are essentially different realities. The denial of the social and legal status of marriage to forms of cohabitation that are not and cannot be marital is not opposed to justice; on the contrary, justice requires it."
Addressing the intrinsic moral value of actions, Fr. Rodríguez noted that the objective moral order established by God is the essence of what makes something right or wrong, and this objective truth, known in philosophy as natural law, does not depend on the opinion of the majority.
"While it's true that a majority of the citizens in a democracy has the political power to impose its ‘morality’ on society, this juridical reality has no bearing whatsoever on the intrinsic moral value of actions."
"Abortion and homosexual acts are unequivocally intrinsic moral evils," Fr. Rodríguez concluded. "And friends, this objective truth doesn't depend on the opinion of the majority. Frighteningly, if the majority chooses to deny the objective moral order, then we will all suffer the pestiferous consequences."
"I urge all of the Catholic faithful to treat homosexuals with love, understanding, and respect," Fr. Rodríguez wrote.
"At the same time, never forget that genuine love demands that we seek, above all, the salvation of souls. Homosexual acts lead to the damnation of souls."
