Intrinsic moral evils: we can't say we weren't warned

It has been some time since we looked at issues of moral rights and wrongs. It seems that in today's world, nothing is abnormal, nothing is immoral, nothing is "wrong". Now it's "different strokes for different folks" and "whatever floats your boat is OK with me".

But there are objective standards of right and wrong, according to the teachings of Holy Mother Church. True, the Church doesn't talk about these things as much as She used to. You don't hear many priests of the mainstream (i.e. post-Vatican II) church preaching homilies on hellfire and damnation. Perhaps that's because too many of them have sins of their own to answer for, not just in the next world but this.

But there's one diocesan priest in Texas who is still talking about the laws of the Church and the Laws of God. And not just from the pulpit. Yesterday Father Michael Rodriguez published a column in the El Paso Times in which he strongly denounces homosexual activity and abortion. Here are some excerpts.

"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 union.

“Any Catholic who supports homosexual acts is, by definition, committing a mortal sin, and placing himself/herself outside of communion with the Roman Catholic Church." In other words, a person who, for example, supports gay marriage, excommunicates himself or herself.

Father Rodriguez continues, "Furthermore, a Catholic would be guilty of a most grievous sin of omission if he/she neglected to actively oppose the homosexual agenda, which thrives on deception and conceals its wicked horns under the guises of ‘equal rights,’ ‘tolerance,’ ‘who am I to judge?,’ etc."

"I urge all of the Catholic faithful to treat homosexuals with love, understanding, and respect. 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."

"Abortion and homosexual acts are unequivocally intrinsic moral evils. 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 have emphasized the last sentence, thinking of how surprised we all seemed to be when the AIDS pandemic swept the world. We can't say we weren't warned.