18 Jun 24 – Women’s Ordination Is Impossible

[0] Welcome to the Bishop Strickland Hour.

[1] My name is Terry Barber, and yes, I'm wearing a t -shirt that says, Hail Mary, full of grace, punch the devil in the face.

[2] And I know that's kind of aggressive, but we got a men's conference coming up Saturday, Bishop, and I got a hundred of these shirts.

[3] And these guys are real.

[4] They realize their Hail Mary's, their prayers, it's like punching the devil in the face, their prayer life, their actions of standing up for Christ.

[5] So we thought this t -shirt was appropriate.

[6] We've had it on a mug for years, but I finally put it on a t -shirt.

[7] Oh, Anthony, I can't hear the bishop right now.

[8] Go ahead, Bishop.

[9] I said Mary's standing on his head.

[10] Yeah, that's right.

[11] 315 Genesis.

[12] Yep.

[13] I'm with you.

[14] So I had some comments today when I went to church.

[15] They said, where did you get that shirt?

[16] I said, oh, you have to get it from, you know, Virgin Most Powerful Radio.

[17] I suspect that we'll sell out over the weekend, but we'll get more.

[18] I just think it's this point of life right now where lay people, I'm not talking about bishops, I'm talking about lay people, where are their faith and say, you know what?

[19] Yeah, I take it serious.

[20] All right.

[21] Bishop Strickland, we've got a lot to talk about, but the best thing we get to talk about is the gospel for June 18th, Tuesday, Matthew Chapter 4th.

[22] verse 43 to 48.

[23] Could you read the gospel and give us a explanation, please?

[24] Sure.

[25] A reading from the Holy Gospel according to Matthew.

[26] Glory to you, Lord.

[27] Jesus said to his disciples, You have heard that it was said, you shall love your neighbor and hate your enemy.

[28] But I say to you, love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you.

[29] that you may be children of your heavenly father.

[30] For me, he makes his son rise on the bad of the good, and causes rain to fall on the just and the unjust.

[31] For if you love those who love you, what recompense will you have?

[32] Do not the tax collectors do the same.

[33] And if you greet your brothers only, what is unusual about that?

[34] Do not the pagans do the same.

[35] So be perfect, just as your Heavenly Father is perfect.

[36] The Gospel of the Lord.

[37] Praise to you, Lord Jesus Christ.

[38] Well, this gospel from the fifth chapter of Matthew really gets to one of the heart issues of what it means to be a follower of Jesus Christ.

[39] Love your enemies that had to ring as an impossible.

[40] naive statement for the people that Jesus was speaking to, his own brothers and sisters, because it really wasn't the way the Jewish community operated, an eye for an eye and a tooth for a tooth.

[41] As he said, you have heard it said, you shall love your neighbor and hate your enemy.

[42] Really, that is, we're, we've heard it all our lives.

[43] So I think it becomes something that, of course, we know Jesus said that.

[44] If you know anything Jesus said, you know that he said, love your enemies.

[45] But I think it's, we need to really recognize what a drastic kind of call that is and how important it is to being a real disciple of Jesus Christ.

[46] It, it runs.

[47] It, it so contrary to what's natural.

[48] I mean, even little kids, if somebody hurts them, they're ready to punch back.

[49] They're ready to say they hate you.

[50] I mean, all kinds of things little kids will say.

[51] And adults carry it right into their world.

[52] The natural human thing is to go after anyone we consider an enemy, to be fearful, of them, to attack them.

[53] And we see nations do it.

[54] It's one of the most revolutionary ideas that the good news of Jesus Christ introduces to humanity.

[55] Love your enemies.

[56] And he goes on to remind us of God's love.

[57] We know he tells us that God is love.

[58] God is love itself, the very essence of God, is love.

[59] Jesus Christ is love incarnate.

[60] So he goes on to explain what real love means.

[61] And loving your enemies is of God.

[62] I mean, that's what God does.

[63] Sadly, they're through history.

[64] And even at times, the people of Israel, if you read the Old Testament, they may not have called God an enemy, but they acted like enemies of God, worshiping false gods and totally going over to ball and golden calves, and over and over and over again, the people of Israel treat God like an enemy.

[65] But what Jesus really unlocks here is who God really is.

[66] And beautifully, even the Old Testament story echoes what Jesus says.

[67] The father makes the sun rise on the bad and the good, causes rain to fall on the just and the unjust.

[68] God, known in the Old Testament, demonstrates that over and over again.

[69] He's faithful to his chosen people.

[70] He's always loving toward them, even when they turn their back, even when they worship false God.

[71] So God has given us, even before his son, even before Jesus, God's son became incarnate, God was already demonstrating this call to love your enemies.

[72] And I think we need to really pay attention to it because we both know that, and thankfully, by the grace of God, God has helped me to.

[73] embrace this.

[74] And it takes God's grace.

[75] It takes the strength that comes from Christ.

[76] We can intellectually say, I want to love my enemies, but that's hard to pull off.

[77] But by the grace of God, and I would imagine both of us can describe situations where we may have been very much mistreated and maligned by another person.

[78] But I can honestly say, I don't call anyone enemy.

[79] in my life.

[80] I don't feel that.

[81] I mean, there may, it seems like there are people that call me their enemy, but I don't call anyone enemy.

[82] And that, I think that's what Christ is getting at.

[83] It's not just a matter of loving our enemies, but letting go of that anger and that bitterness that wells up when you forget.

[84] And I've said it before, Terry, but this gospel reminds me, what I try to remind my of and remind others of that if we do, if there are people listening that say, well, I've got some enemies.

[85] Let's remember if we do find people.

[86] And so in the moment, certainly all of us can be angry, can be hurt and feel like what's been done to us is been done by an enemy.

[87] And we can feel, we can react to that.

[88] But what we need to remind our whether it's someone very close to us, someone in our family or in our neighborhood that has done something that is devastating.

[89] But to remember what this passage reminds us of is that God is loving, even those that we may for a moment, hopefully just a moment, but whoever we're calling enemy, God is loving.

[90] And I think that's what Jesus gets to ultimately.

[91] He says, if you love those who love you, what recompense will you have?

[92] That he's reminding us that it is our, it's in our best interest, interestingly, to love our enemies.

[93] Amen.

[94] To not let that hatred and that evil that can, I mean, we've all known of or read of or seen stories of people who have been destroyed by hatred of their enemies.

[95] And sometimes even nations are destroyed.

[96] by hatred of their enemies.

[97] So we do need to pay attention to this.

[98] And I would just conclude my thoughts on this with what Jesus says at the very end, the last words of this passage from the fifth chapter of Matthew.

[99] So be perfect just as your Heavenly Father is perfect.

[100] Really, Terry, I think we could do a whole hour.

[101] Oh, yeah.

[102] Oh, yeah.

[103] Because what we're being told now in the church, by the highest authorities, by many voices, is, oh, don't try to be perfect.

[104] Don't be, don't be too rigorous about this.

[105] Don't be too committed.

[106] Don't expect more of yourself than is reasonable.

[107] That's not what God causes.

[108] What does he say?

[109] He says, be perfect.

[110] Exactly.

[111] My father is perfect.

[112] Yes, it's beyond us.

[113] But to be truly a decisive.

[114] of Jesus Christ and in our faith to be deeply committed Catholics, we need to listen to this and say the bar isn't set too high.

[115] It's not high enough for any of us.

[116] And yes, it's exhausting and it seems impossible.

[117] And by ourselves, it is impossible.

[118] But the Word of God also says, all things are possible with God.

[119] So, and I think it's marvelous the way this scripture passage is it follows on love your enemies.

[120] That seems impossible, but it reminds us, as Jesus concludes, so be perfect, just as your Heavenly Father is perfect.

[121] part of that perfecting us is helping us to love our enemies, to do something that seems totally unnatural and would even be called by many illogical, but it's seeking that perfection that is what we're called to by Trump.

[122] Stay with us, family.

[123] We'll be back after a quick break.

[124] And now back to the Bishop Stricklandauer.

[125] Welcome back indeed.

[126] We have something in common with the largest Protestant.

[127] denomination, which is your Southern Baptist group.

[128] They had their convention.

[129] And I was just really happy to see that they voted to oppose in vitro fertilization.

[130] Their comments were if abortion is murder, then you can't do in vitro fertilization because of how you destroy all these babies in the process.

[131] And Bishop Strickland, I was surprised to read that, but very happy to see that our Protestant brothers are coming to the rescue of the pro -life movement with a great strong statement from the second, I should say, the largest Protestant denomination in America.

[132] Your thoughts?

[133] Yeah, that's great.

[134] It's the truth, and it's great that they're embracing that truth.

[135] And it is, as we've talked about before, it's part of the sanctity of life issue.

[136] Yeah.

[137] because the manipulation of, you know, unborn children ultimately is what we're talking about.

[138] Right.

[139] And to destroy them just like they're some byproduct of a process is just as bad as abortion.

[140] I mean, it's taking innocent life, and we've got to wake up to that evil.

[141] I'm with you.

[142] It just amazes me because these two stories are not from, not from the Catholic Church speaking clearly on moral issues, which, you know, you'd want to hear more of, but here's another one.

[143] The American College of Pediatricians leads a coalition demanding immediate in to child gender transitions.

[144] These are doctors protecting children, and they're saying this is bad.

[145] Just because people can pay for this service doesn't mean we should be doing it.

[146] And again, Bishop Strickland, coming from my perspective, I mean, many of these doctors, they're not Catholic.

[147] Many are, but not all of them, and they've come to this conclusion that this is wrong.

[148] And it just, for me, I want to get your take on it, but it's refreshing to see other people from other walks of life, not from the Catholic Church, but outside the church, these organizations coming up with answers that we as Catholics have all been opposed to.

[149] Yeah, it's great because, you know, we rejoice.

[150] in the truth.

[151] We try to share the truth.

[152] Oh, yeah.

[153] But it's not our truth.

[154] It's not just some sort of Catholic idea.

[155] It's the truth that God is revealed to us.

[156] And even the creation reveals to us.

[157] And both of those topics that you mentioned are the Baptist not embracing in vitro fertilization.

[158] And the doctors saying these gender transition, gender transition, or children are wrong, that is common sense.

[159] It's natural law involved, and it's, you know, it's certainly what God has revealed to us.

[160] That's right.

[161] Or for us, for all of us who believe that God has revealed the truth of our faith.

[162] So it's, one is built on another, and it is great.

[163] It's wonderful.

[164] We pray that many more will come to the realization of, Whatever the issue, the truth of the church has an obligation to proclaim is a truth for humanity that needs to guide all of us.

[165] And the more that the human family is together in truth, that's where peace will ultimately come from.

[166] Yeah.

[167] I agree.

[168] And I got one more bit of good news.

[169] I'm a bearer of good news.

[170] Arkansas reports zero abortions in 2003.

[171] Now, what were they down from in the previous year?

[172] They had 3 ,000 abortions three years ago.

[173] Now, here's the point.

[174] I don't think Arkansas is a highly populated Catholic area.

[175] It's more a Protestant, I think, from what I can tell.

[176] And they're standing up for life.

[177] But here's the kicker on this.

[178] Before Roe v. Wade was taken down, Arkansas couldn't do what they're doing.

[179] because now it goes to the states, and we have 50 states, 25 states are putting pro -life legislation in to limit abortion.

[180] And 25 states are doing just the opposite.

[181] So we're really a divided nation when it comes to the abortion issue.

[182] And I would just say as a Catholic layman, we need to step up our game and continue to put the heat on the legislation of your state to encourage them to do the right thing and stop the killing of innocent life.

[183] Your thoughts, Bishop Stricken, coming from the state of Texas, which is one of those states that has really limited the amount of abortions, what's your take on this?

[184] Well, definitely it's the way things need to go.

[185] And thankfully, I mean, 50 % of the states is not enough, but it's better than it was.

[186] I mean, like I said, the whole country had the burden of Roby Wade, but since it's been stricken, it leaves the states the freedom to make those choices, and hopefully more and more states will awaken to the reality, again, to the truth, the truth of the sanctity of the life of the unborn child and to all the life issues.

[187] But it I'm honestly pleasantly surprised that there are that many states that are, I know they're not all perfectly closed to abortion, but at least they're leaning in the right direction.

[188] That's right.

[189] We need to get more states to join them.

[190] Amen to that.

[191] Talk about standing up for your faith.

[192] This is a Catholic man who is very devout.

[193] He wears a emblem for Eucharistic adoration.

[194] A little monstrance medal.

[195] You see these on people.

[196] He happens to be the head coach for the Boston Celtics.

[197] His name is Joe Mazzela.

[198] And he's only 35 years old.

[199] Now there's an NBA playoff game.

[200] I wasn't even aware of that because I don't really follow the NBA.

[201] But they are already up at a game of seven games, best of seven.

[202] They're already two wins, no losses.

[203] So it looks like they could win an NBA championship.

[204] So he's in a, he's being interviewed by the press conference.

[205] And I mean, this is a guy who's just like, he's not afraid to say who he is.

[206] They come up and he says this.

[207] They go, he's 35 years ago he took question from the media in terms of compelling against the Dallas Mavericks to bring home an NBA championship.

[208] The guy goes, given the plight, sometimes a black head coaches, he's trying to get the black versus white coaches in the NBA.

[209] Do you think this is significant moment moment, do you take pride in this?

[210] How do you view this, or do you not see it at all?

[211] The Goodwill was the gentleman Goodwill asked.

[212] Wait to hear his response.

[213] He says, well, well, you know what?

[214] Let me play it for you, folks.

[215] I think I have a clip.

[216] Let's play that clip.

[217] Go ahead, Mr. Engineer.

[218] Vince in the back left.

[219] Hey, Joe, Vince Goodwill, Yahoo Sports.

[220] For the first time since 1975, this is the NBA finals where you have two black hair coaches.

[221] Given the plight, sometimes, of blackhead coaches in the NBA, do you think this is a significant moment?

[222] Do you take pride in this?

[223] How do you view this, or do you not see it at all?

[224] I wonder how many of those are Ben Christian coaches.

[225] Silence.

[226] David Aldridge?

[227] I love it.

[228] Did you hear that?

[229] Not a peep.

[230] Took their breath away.

[231] I know.

[232] He's just like, what?

[233] Who is this guy?

[234] I love that.

[235] Because, you know, this, who knows who this reporter was, but trying to push clearly an agenda.

[236] Yeah.

[237] I love the way he just deflated that and asked a much more important question.

[238] Yeah.

[239] Are these believers?

[240] And, you know, so, and I think the general idea of being, rejoicing in our faith.

[241] Yeah.

[242] And rejoicing to know Jesus Christ.

[243] the son of God.

[244] Is this coach Catholic?

[245] He's a Catholic?

[246] Absolutely.

[247] Where's the monstrance on his lapel?

[248] This guy's Eucharistic, man. He's, he's, he's, yeah, he, I've read a lot about him.

[249] He's, he's, he's a guy that's not afraid to tell somebody he's a Catholic, Christian, a follower of Jesus Christ.

[250] He's getting, he's, he's already wooed the media before talking about his, the holy family.

[251] Jesus, Mary, and St. Joseph, they're my king and queen.

[252] he says that on the media.

[253] I mean, this guy is the real deal.

[254] Yeah, that's very good because I'm not familiar with him, but to be that clear, it reminds me of Harrison Butker.

[255] There you go.

[256] You know, we've got to speak up.

[257] And the greatest love is to speak the truth.

[258] I've said that many times.

[259] And that's what this man is doing.

[260] He has this great platform.

[261] He's a successful coach.

[262] And I think the thing I like about it, too, is it cuts against the narrative that obviously this reporter was pushing.

[263] Oh, we want to be racism everywhere.

[264] And race, race, race, race.

[265] We're all children of God.

[266] Exactly.

[267] If we remember that, then all the racial tensions, which can be devastating, it all fades away if we remember that we're all children of God.

[268] So I think that this coach is wonderful.

[269] And it's great to see because, you know, this culture idolizes sports figures.

[270] Oh, yeah.

[271] Players and coaches.

[272] And to have players and coaches that are speaking up and proudly proclaiming their faith, their Catholic faith, their Christian faith, their belief in Jesus Christ as Lord and Savior, that's very important to them.

[273] culture because they expect people like us and somebody runs a Christian radio station or me as a bishop.

[274] Oh, yeah, we're going to say that kind of stuff.

[275] But it really shakes up the culture when the idols are saying, we don't idolize ourselves.

[276] We don't idolize sports.

[277] We know God is the one true gods.

[278] And the culture needs to hear that.

[279] So I applaud this coach.

[280] I applaud him too.

[281] And there was a Protestant wrestler, what do he call, kickboxer, who was winning.

[282] I can't think of his name, but it just reminded me when they would interview him, he has a headbound band around his neck, around his head, and it said, it's John 316 on it.

[283] And whenever they interview him, he says, do you know Jesus Christ?

[284] That's more important than my boxing career.

[285] And I think, God bless him.

[286] He doesn't have the fullness of the faith as a Catholic, but I'll tell you what, I respect a man who's willing to say that and you know he's this big dude he's a boxer and he's coming out talking about Jesus and they want to find out what do you think of your victory and he's saying you know what's even more important person of Jesus Christ do you know him have you been baptized so it makes to me that that's becoming more prevalent in our culture as we even go further away now when we come back from our break Bishop Strickland oh before we do that I want to get people a plug for two things.

[287] One, your YouTube channel, which is Joseph Strickland .com, is that how you get to the, just type in Joseph Strickland?

[288] Yes.

[289] Okay.

[290] Yeah, just, and that way you can watch all of the videos that he's done on YouTube.

[291] Six or seven minutes, he covers different topics, and we encourage people.

[292] I've reported several today.

[293] Oh, good.

[294] Coming out in the next few weeks.

[295] Awesome.

[296] That's great.

[297] Well, go to get the YouTube channel.

[298] And when we come back, I want to talk about Cardinal Mueller and some of the comments he's made.

[299] You tweeted about this.

[300] Stay with us.

[301] We'll be back with more on the Bishop Strickland Hour.

[302] And now back to the Bishop Strickland Hour.

[303] Welcome back, indeed, to the Bishop Strickland Hour.

[304] Bishop Strickland, you tweeted you supported Cardinal Mueller.

[305] He came out.

[306] He was doing an interview.

[307] With, you know, the question came up about the women's ordination in this new interview.

[308] He's stating it, it is the nature of the sacrament that only a man can represent Christ in relationship to the church.

[309] Now, he said this is based on the Catholic Church teachings, and basically he's saying that even if they tried to ordain women, which I don't know if you're aware of this, my friend Mont Senior told me in Mexico.

[310] they tried 10, 15 years ago, a very progressive bishop ordained to the deacconate women, and the Vatican took years for it to great process to say, no, you can't, that's not legit, and they got reprimanded for it, but it took time.

[311] And so the point in this Gardner interview is saying that, reassuring people that even if they tried, some bishop tried, like if you were to ordain, a woman, it's not valid.

[312] And is that why you are supporting the Cardinal on this issue?

[313] Absolutely.

[314] He makes it very clear what the church teaches.

[315] And Pope St. John Paul II made it very clear that the priesthood is male.

[316] And I was impressed with Cardinal Mueller, as I always am.

[317] Me too.

[318] He's a strong believer and he's doing the job of a cardinal.

[319] He's guarding the deposit of faith and clarifying where there's so much confusion.

[320] But I was impressed with this because if you read the whole article, which I did, this reporter, and it basically there's a disclaimer, at least in the edition that I read, that this reporter is clearly very progressive, very anti -Catholic, very much wanting to push these buttons.

[321] And so I was impressed that Cardinal Mueller was willing to talk to this reporter.

[322] And very clearly, but very respectfully, just with each of the questions that were thrown at him by this reporter, he responded with what the church teaches.

[323] And the church teaches, and, you know, the reporter tried to push back on it and say, we thought women were equal and all this and what, you know, what are you saying?

[324] And he makes it clear that, yes, before God, men and women are beloved children.

[325] Amen.

[326] God doesn't love men more than women or women more than men.

[327] He loves us.

[328] We're his children.

[329] But he's created us with different roles, with different realities.

[330] We're supposed to be complementary toward each other.

[331] And that's true in the life of the church.

[332] So there are many layers of why ordaining men will never, I mean, ordaining women will never happen.

[333] Yeah, you can do anything.

[334] You can, you know, pretend that you're.

[335] operating in a way that you can, I mean, like you said, Mexico, and there have been other efforts to ordain.

[336] And I think, frankly, you see pictures of women, I think sort of self -ordained, you know, operating.

[337] I've met those people.

[338] Really.

[339] I haven't, thankfully, they don't want to meet me. I don't especially want to meet them.

[340] I'll pray for them, but they're just delusional.

[341] They're and that i mean the cardinal uses much more formal and respectful language yeah but what this reporter's asking about is delusional it it is not reality it's not going to happen yeah even you know everyone in the church besides me and you said it's going to happen yeah you're wrong And it won't really, it won't change things.

[342] Yeah, you can let things masquerade as the truth for a while.

[343] But the truth is what will prevail.

[344] That's right.

[345] And that's what we need to speak so that it can, so that people aren't confused.

[346] And this reporter, like I said, she pushed pretty hard on it.

[347] Yeah.

[348] But a young, I mean, a Cardinal made it very clear.

[349] That, you know, I mean, with all the confusion in the world, they're probably young girls out there thinking, oh, I'm not like to be a priest.

[350] Yeah.

[351] We need to take clearly and lovingly if their parents won't.

[352] If their teachers won't.

[353] Somebody needs to tell them, you're not going to be a priest.

[354] Yes, God loves you.

[355] And you look at all the wonderful women saints.

[356] Yes.

[357] Look at the Blessed Virgin Mary.

[358] Exactly.

[359] No human being more exalted than her.

[360] She's not a priest.

[361] Because priesthood, for one thing, it's meant to be service.

[362] And really, Terry, I was in the seminary with men who it was like, they were determined to be priest, even if God didn't want it.

[363] They wanted to be priest.

[364] And that's not the way to approach priesthood.

[365] It needs to be, I mean, Christ makes it very clear that his priest.

[366] are to be servants of God's people and to be humble.

[367] So that is woven into it as well.

[368] It's not like every man can be a priest.

[369] I mean, it's a discernment and a call from God.

[370] But I think the cardinal does a wonderful job of clearly without getting, you know, dramatic about it, without hyperbole.

[371] He just makes it very clear that this is impossible.

[372] We're not going to ordain women to any level of holy orders.

[373] If there are attempts to try to waffle on that, even by the highest authorities in the church, we know that they're wrong.

[374] And, you know, it could last for a while these efforts, but it's not going to ultimately transform the church.

[375] because it can't.

[376] Yeah.

[377] This reminds me of Cardinal Gagnon's comment that Father Murr on his show reminded me where they were talking about crazy ideas that are going on in the church like the Women's Ordnation.

[378] And the Cardinal Gagnon told the person asking the question, well, what can we do?

[379] And he did something that was really politically incorrect, but he stood by it and upset a lot of people.

[380] The Cardinal said this, stop giving money to those institutions, those churches, the parishes that are not giving you the Catholic faith.

[381] And I thought, whoa, the Cardinal saying that?

[382] And what's important to highlight, Terry, I'm glad you brought up Cardinal Gagnon.

[383] He's been dead for years.

[384] That's right.

[385] His experiences go back to when we were kids.

[386] That's right.

[387] Some of the controversies in the church shortly after Vatican 2.

[388] And it, you know, it's like these, I mean, I remember even as a kid, I mean, I was a Catholic kid, and you hear these things, I remember I'm talking about, oh, a priest you're going to be able to get married, women's coordination, all of these topics 50 years ago were the buzz and people were talking about it.

[389] So, Cardinal Gagnon and Father Murr, both are aware that these aren't new questions.

[390] And I think that that's important to emphasize.

[391] Yeah.

[392] And that's what, I mean, when we talk about the Senate on Synodality, and it's, you know, the calendar's ticking away again.

[393] I mean, we're going to go, we're going into summertime and ramping up for October, the next.

[394] synod on synodality, and we're already hearing things like from Cardinal Hollerick, basically contradicting what Pope Francis has said, and what Cardinal Mueller is saying, and say, oh, we need to have dialogues and discussion about all these topics.

[395] What I would say to Cardinal Hollerick, if I had the chance, is your eminence, we dealt with this 50 years ago.

[396] it was clearly addressed quit bringing up old dead horses just because you want something doesn't mean it's going to happen and people it's a it really is a disservice to young women or to any women in the church today and there's they're out there that are given being given the impression that they have a right to priesthood and that if we work hard enough, one day we will be granted that right.

[397] Hoursh.

[398] It's not going to happen.

[399] And it's a real disservice.

[400] It's a lack of charity toward those individuals, men or women, that are being taken down a primrose path that doesn't lead them more deeply into the truth of Christ.

[401] There's so many issues where we need the truth that God has revealed to us and to mislead people like we talked about.

[402] I mean, with so many issues.

[403] But the gospel says if you mislead one of the innocents, you should have a millstone around your name.

[404] And thankfully, Cardinal Mueller is doing a good job avoiding the millstone.

[405] Well, we sure appreciate him.

[406] I met him at Munderline Seminary one time.

[407] And, you know, I'm only five foot four and a half, I think.

[408] He's about, I don't know, he's well over six, six.

[409] He's a big man. And I don't know.

[410] I met him Rome.

[411] Did he make you look small father, bishop?

[412] He makes me feel short.

[413] I mean, he's several inches above six feet.

[414] I don't know how tall he is.

[415] But he's a big, and he's not just tall.

[416] But he's, I mean, it could be a lot.

[417] Yeah, that's exactly right.

[418] When we come back, we're going to talk about another little scandal that we need to pray, make reparation for that took place in Rome.

[419] And these are things that, like you just said, you quoted the Bible about a millstone around your neck and thrown into the sea when you scandalized these little ones.

[420] So we'll talk about that.

[421] But I also want to give something free away.

[422] And that's Jesse Romero's talk at the men's conference back in 2021.

[423] Title was Soul as a Horse Drawn.

[424] carriage.

[425] It's on our YouTube channel.

[426] It's free.

[427] You just go to full sheen ahead, a YouTube channel and type in Soul as a horse -drawn carriage for Jesse Romero's talk.

[428] And remember the men's conference is coming up Saturday.

[429] And you can also get copies of that by going to vmpr .org.

[430] And don't forget that t -shirt.

[431] Hail Mary full of grace.

[432] Punch the devil in the face.

[433] That's a kind of a manly thing, but I get it.

[434] I'm wearing my shirt.

[435] You can pick yours up.

[436] I go into vmpr .org or call us at 877526215.

[437] We'll come back with more on a Bishop Strickland Hour on Virgin Most Powerful Radio.

[438] Stay with us.

[439] And now back to the Bishop Strickland Hour.

[440] Welcome back, indeed.

[441] Bishop Strickland, I don't like to talk about these bad things that are going on in the church.

[442] But it seems to me that as a layman, for me, I want to call our church to fidelity to Christ's teachings.

[443] And when I hear someone preaching a gospel that's false, you know, like telling people there's no heaven or there's no hell or any of these things that are so essential, I've got to ask myself, make reparation for it, but also call them out and say, knock it off.

[444] This is horrible.

[445] What this happened in Vatican City of all places, the famous Italian comedian Roberto Benelli told young children gathered in Rome last month for the Vatican's World Children's Day that there is no hell or purgatory.

[446] And obviously that's contrary to divine revelation and explicit Catholic teaching.

[447] And I'm going to quote him and then tell me, I mean, who's responsible for this?

[448] Because again, you made the analogy about the millstone around your neck and throw them into the sea for scandalizing these little ones.

[449] This is just scandalizing them to give them false teaching.

[450] Here's what he said, that he hopes that St. Peter will give him a kind of a path, as it were, into heaven.

[451] He then went on to tell the Catholic children gathered there, before the Pope, right?

[452] This is before the Pope being there present, that they had nothing to fear because there's no such thing as hell, purgatory, but there is only heaven.

[453] And it's in contradiction to the abundant testimony of the scripture.

[454] he further asserted that heaven consisted in childhood and that children were already there in an apparent denial of the supernatural glory of the beatific vision which scripture, tradition, and the magistrate of Melville he's taught.

[455] He says this, this is a guy right in front of the Holy Father.

[456] I can't tell a lie in front of the Holy Father.

[457] Well, you are telling a lie.

[458] Okay, I'm sorry, the article didn't say that, but that's what got me fired up a little.

[459] he said that but when I said when I die I'll stand in front of the gates of heaven with St. Peter waiting for me to judge me I always hope he will give me a scrap and let me go into he said it don't make me do that he says but you don't be afraid because there's no such thing as hell or purgatory there is only heaven the only one the one you are in now the realm of childhood of youth Bishop Strickland I heard this when I was teaching 40 years ago at my local parish and they said you can't talk to the kids about hell you're going to scare them this is the next level where hell doesn't exist or purgatory doesn't exist your thoughts well lots of thoughts I'm sorry I'm sorry I'm upset one thing that you're as you were sharing that I'm going to stick with the Blessed Virgin Mary who talked to the children of Fatima all about, showed them hell, showed them purgatory.

[460] If that's good enough for Mary, I'm going to follow her model rather than this ridiculous comedian.

[461] Yeah.

[462] And I mean, ridiculous in so many different levels.

[463] he's feeding this drivel to a bunch of children there in the Vatican right in front of the Holy Father, he should have been dragged out with a millstone around us now.

[464] That would have been a great lesson for those children.

[465] And it's just, it's evil and it's harmful because those children, and it's not even logical.

[466] He talks then, from what you said, he's saying, oh, there's no heaven or there's no hell.

[467] There's no purgatory.

[468] But he's going to be judged.

[469] So if he's judged not fit for heaven, he's just going to go to Never Neverland?

[470] Yeah.

[471] It's not even logical.

[472] Yeah.

[473] It shows a lack of faith and not rooted in reality.

[474] The man shouldn't be allowed to say.

[475] speak to children, much less in the Vatican in the presence of the Holy Father.

[476] It's just, it boggles the mind.

[477] Why is that allowed?

[478] Who allowed it?

[479] Those kind of things need to be asked.

[480] And those children need to be recatechized in what the truth is, because children, as you know, we were once children a long, long ago.

[481] Of course.

[482] Children are very impressionable.

[483] You can you can learn life's lessons as a child that helps you through all of your life.

[484] But these children being led into darkness and told there's no purgatory, there's no hell, what that is saying, there is no judgment after death.

[485] And so, you know, I don't know what he's worried about it.

[486] He needs to decide just logically, which is it?

[487] If he's going to judge, you know, it just doesn't make any sense.

[488] But it's just such a week, like we were talking about, I'm reminded of that gospel we read at the beginning of this hour.

[489] Be perfect as your heavenly father is perfect.

[490] That's what those children are called to.

[491] What Christ said, not what this meaningless comedian is talking about.

[492] I mean, he's not even being funny.

[493] No. He has business talking to children.

[494] I agree.

[495] Bishop Strickland, there's a paragraph in the catechism.

[496] Paragraph 545.

[497] When I see these kinds of things happen and I keep saying, what are we going to do at Virgin Most Powerful?

[498] Keep teaching the fundamentals of the faith.

[499] Here's what paragraph 545 says.

[500] Jesus invites sinners to the table of the kingdom.

[501] I came not to call the righteous, but sinners.

[502] He invites them to that.

[503] conversion without which one cannot enter the kingdom, but shows them in word and deed his father's boundless mercy for them and vast joy in heaven over one sinner who repents.

[504] The supreme proof of his love will be the sacrifice of his own life for the forgiveness of sins.

[505] Now, Bishop Strickland, that's what you've been preaching ever since I met you the first day.

[506] I met you years ago that you're talking about repent and believe in the gospel.

[507] I just make one point.

[508] He says there's joy in heaven over one sinner, right?

[509] Who repents?

[510] A sinner that doesn't repent doesn't get in.

[511] And I'm thinking that's not, that message is not getting out even among this Italian guy who's a comedian, but it seems to me that repentance is kind of like forgotten in the culture today and even inside the church, whatever happened to saying, I'm a sinner, I need to stop living this lifestyle or doing this sin, I want to get to heaven and I'm going to repent.

[512] Because it seems to me that we have too many people in the church that are just saying, oh, it's okay.

[513] Just, you know, do the best you can.

[514] Well, that's not good enough.

[515] What I'm reminded of, Terry, in Italy in Rome July 1 this year Carlo Acutus is going to be Canada's That's right Saints don't come I mean he was a teenager Saints don't come from children who hear there's no purgatory or hell Cargo Acutus is a beautiful story of deep faith in this young man, hardly more than a boy, but he had a faith that inspired.

[516] I've seen some comments by his own mother and what a wonderful son he was and how inspired she was by her own son to that perfection that the gospel calls us to.

[517] That's the message that these children need to be hearing.

[518] And maybe some of them will have a chance to return and see a young man not that much older than them being canonized because he knew the truth of the church and he embraced it lovingly and deeply and called people to a deeper faith and called people to serve those in need.

[519] That's what those children at Vatican's the Children's Day of the Vatican they need to be hearing about Carlo Acutus, the other great saints, and learning the truth of our Catholic faith.

[520] Well, said Bishop Strickland, and again, I'm convinced that we need to make reparation for this lack of catechesis that Holy Mother the church is not doing.

[521] I mean, I'm just being objective.

[522] I'm saying, I see this not just at the Vatican.

[523] I grew up with it.

[524] After the council, there was a lack of catechesis, and people did.

[525] didn't know the faith.

[526] And they were willing to go anywhere.

[527] They were hungry.

[528] So many people left the church because we didn't give them the gospel.

[529] We didn't feed them the teachings of Christ and his church.

[530] And so I'm not going to get mad.

[531] I'm just going to pray that our leadership will take heed and say, wait, we got to change.

[532] As a matter of fact, Bishop Strickland, in the last minute, I met two of our newly ordained priests went to their masses this week.

[533] They were here at the chapel.

[534] I knew them from seminarians, and they're just like hardcore, on -fire Catholic priests who wear the cassock, who love the, they love the church, they love the teachings of the church, and it's so inspirational because I feel like I'm an old guy now, getting ready to retire, and I see these young priests coming in, and I think this is going on all over the world.

[535] I see a turnaround to say, look, we've hit bottom, we've got to go up now.

[536] And I really am optimistic that the church will do that.

[537] Would you agree with that or do you think my observation is just too optimistic?

[538] No, there's there really are signs of hope.

[539] We talked about recently the German study that said the young priests are conservative.

[540] They believe the faith.

[541] They know there's sin.

[542] They know there's hell.

[543] There's no that it's purgatory.

[544] They know the basic core message of the gospel is to repent and believe the good news.

[545] And thankfully the younger ones coming up are knowing the truth and that's what will prevail ultimately all of these silly ideas of watering down the faith and making it meaningless are will be meaningless yeah we're once we're dead and gone what will prevail yeah is the truth that these young priests, thankfully, are already embracing.

[546] Well, said, I hope and pray that, because it is inspirational when you meet a newly ordained priest who has so much joy in his heart to preach Christ in him crucified.

[547] Bishop Strickland, I hear the music, so I'd like to ask if you could give us your blessing, please.

[548] Almighty God, we ask your blessing for all of us participating in Virgin Most Powerful Radio, sharing the truth with charity and clarity and rejoicing and the opportunity to seek that perfection that yes seems impossible but reminded that all things are possible with God.

[549] We ask God your blessing, Lord, in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, amen.

[550] Thank you so much, Bishop Strickland.

[551] You can go to our website, folks, vmpr .org, to check out all the other shows that we have on Virgin Most Powerful Radio and I thank you for your support spiritually, number one, and financially helping us spread the gospel of Jesus Christ.

[552] Thank God, richly bless you and your families.

[553] We'll see you again tomorrow, same time, same station.