14 Aug 24 – Stories of Standing Up for the Truth of the Gospel

[0] Welcome to the Bishop Strickland Hour on Virgin Most Powerful Radio.

[1] I want to say hello to everyone and say this is going to be a great show because we're going to be talking about a lot of men and women who are standing up to the culture of death with the culture of life message.

[2] And I'm very inspired by all the, even just not just lay people, but Cardinals speaking up.

[3] It seems that people are really turning a corner.

[4] So Bishop Strickland, you're one of those people.

[5] And I want to thank you for taking the time to share the gospel with our radio list.

[6] Thank you, Terry.

[7] Thank you.

[8] And talking about sharing the gospel, today's gospel, this is one of my favorite feast days because I was at the canonization of St. Maximine Colby, and this was 1982, October 10th, is to be exact, and his feast is today, August 14th, and there's special readings here that we got from readings from the gospel, Matthew, Chapter 18, 15 to 20.

[9] Bishop Strickland, could you read the gospel and give us some commentary, please?

[10] Sure.

[11] Thank you.

[12] Reading from the Holy Gospel, according to Matthew.

[13] Jesus said to his disciples, If your brother sins against you, go and tell him his fault between you and him alone.

[14] If he listens to you, you have won over your brother.

[15] If he does not listen, take one or two.

[16] others along with you, so that every fact may be established on the testimony of two or three witnesses.

[17] If he refuses to listen to them, tell the church.

[18] If he refuses to listen even to the church, then treat him as you would a Gentile or a tax collector.

[19] Amen, I say to you, whatever you bind on earth shall be bound in heaven.

[20] And whatever you live, loose on earth, shall be loosed in heaven.

[21] Again, amen, I say to you.

[22] If two of you agree on earth about anything for which they are to pray, it shall be granted to them by my Heavenly Father.

[23] For where two or three are gathered together in my name, there am I in the midst of them.

[24] Well, really, Terry, I think this is a beautiful gospel passage.

[25] for the St. Maximilian Colby, who lived in the 20th century, and really was a man of the 20th century, involved in the technology of radio, using that tool, like we're using the Internet now, to proclaim the gospel.

[26] St. Maximilian Colby had a radio station and was doing his best to proclaim the gospel in his time.

[27] Right.

[28] And started something called the, militia immaculata.

[29] We really need to live that now.

[30] We need to be a militia and inspired by the Immaculate Virgin Mary, as his was, to be very clear and to be very strong in proclaiming the truth of the gospel.

[31] Encountering, I mean, saying Maximine Colby was living in a very difficult time.

[32] He probably would talk to us and say, yeah, your time is difficult, but he was in the time of Nazi Germany.

[33] Certainly that was fought by a good portion of the world, but it was also embraced by a frighteningly significant portion of the world.

[34] It wasn't just Germany, but others were complicit with that.

[35] So I think St. Maximia Colby is a great saint for our time.

[36] because he he reminds us how to respond to this he responded by evangelizing as effectively as he could yep not just with radio but with all kinds of efforts to evangelize and he's a saint because he knew the greatest evangelist is the Blessed Virgin Mary she is the first to proclaim her son yep And the plan of God, our father, to save humanity through his son.

[37] So Mary, I think the genius of St. Maximilian Colby is to embrace Mary that militia immaculata.

[38] And you might say, well, the bishop's not talking about the gospel.

[39] It's all about this gospel passage as well.

[40] I focus especially on the very last sentence.

[41] for where two or three are gathered together in my name, there am I in the midst of them.

[42] Terry, what we need to underscore there and what St. Maximilian Colby underscored with his militia immaculata, he was saying, in the name of Jesus Christ, we have to oppose this evil.

[43] We have to proclaim the truth.

[44] We have to say no to Hitler and to all the blasphemous messages that were being cranked out by the Nazis saying that they had decided they were God and only the one Aryan race was worth living and saving.

[45] And that, I mean, their whole aim, I mean, they certainly went after the Jews, but they also went after Catholics because they knew Catholics.

[46] were living in the name of Jesus Christ.

[47] That's why St. Maximilian Colby ultimately died.

[48] I mean, it was a beautiful specific circumstance, as we know, because he substituted himself for this father who actually was able to ultimately live and escape the concentration camp.

[49] I believe since you were there, wasn't he there Yes, not only was he there.

[50] He came to our city in the 1990s before he passed.

[51] And I got to meet him personally.

[52] He held my daughter, Monica, and we went to mass together.

[53] And he told us, as eyewitness story of St. Maximine Colby, gave us a lot of personal stories about the saint.

[54] And again, everybody knows he, this is the man, Guy O 'Neichek, who yelled when they said, you're going to be one of the ten guys to die, and he says, oh, I'm a wife and family, not me. What does Father Colby do?

[55] I'll take his place.

[56] I mean, he, the ultimate, you know, and here's the thing I want to add, Bishop Strickland, because I know a lot about St. Maximilian Colby because I'm a knight, and yeah, I know a lot about him because I read a lot about his life.

[57] When he was asked, what was his main work where there were 800 brothers and priests at this largest Franciscan monastery of the world?

[58] He had over a a million subscribers to the Immaculata magazine, like you said, the radio.

[59] But you know what his answer was?

[60] His biggest work was?

[61] Eucharistic adoration, prayer for the world.

[62] See, in that, tomorrow night I'm with Father Don Calloway talking about a Eucharistic Revival.

[63] I'm using that story to elicit to our people that that's the greatest work we can do, prayer before the blessed sacrament.

[64] Well, it's the two pillars, Mary and the Eucharist.

[65] He had the two pillars, just like St. John Bosco.

[66] And we need to hang on to those two pillars as well.

[67] And really, Terry, I have to say, I believe we're going to talk some more about this, but I think it's highlighted by this gospel, where two or three are gathered in my name, in the name of Jesus Christ.

[68] There am I in the midst of them.

[69] I think we're going to talk about a gathering with Father James Martin.

[70] and Cardinal Wilton Gregory.

[71] That's right.

[72] They're not gathering in the name of Jesus.

[73] They are contradicting the message of Jesus Christ, which is a message of love.

[74] Yeah.

[75] But a message to repent of sin and recognize that sinful behavior cannot be condoned.

[76] So I think we have to be very clear, not condemning anyone, but condemning anything, any gathering.

[77] that is not in the name of Jesus Christ, to call it out.

[78] Amen.

[79] And really call those who are embracing these false messages that are doing such tremendous harm.

[80] Because I just was with a community up in the Cincinnati area, a pro -life center.

[81] Good.

[82] Pregnancy Center West, it's called, of the West.

[83] It's a beautiful work of, like so many around the country, around the world, helping women that are facing the question that we always deal with, the sanctity of the life of the unborn.

[84] Awesome.

[85] But talking to people there that said, you know, they're struggling in their own families with people that are hearing the false.

[86] message that Father James Martin is putting out there.

[87] And they're saying, mom, dad, see, this priest is saying what we're doing is okay.

[88] And then they get the seal of approval even from the Vatican.

[89] We have to speak against it because what really strikes me with this gospel, they're not doing it in the name of Jesus.

[90] I'm sure they're claiming to, but you can't contradict what Christ body, the church, teaches, and say you're doing it in the name of Jesus Christ.

[91] That's a false message.

[92] And we've been warned over and over again not to accept false messages and to speak up against false messages.

[93] I know that if many will disagree with what I'm saying, but we have to speak up with what we know the truth to be.

[94] And I think what I'm reminded of is, as Jesus says this, he's certainly speaking the gospel passage from Matthew began, Jesus said to his disciples, aren't we his disciples?

[95] Certainly, the apostles are there and they take the leadership position.

[96] But when the leadership of the church is not speaking in the name of Jesus, we've got to call it out, not with hatred, but with love.

[97] The greatest love is to say no. Amen.

[98] That is in the name of Jesus.

[99] And to just be silent isn't love at all.

[100] Amen.

[101] You're listening to the Bishop Strickland Hour.

[102] Stay with us.

[103] We'll be back after a quick moment.

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

[105] Welcome back indeed.

[106] Bishop Strickland, I don't know if it's my iced tea, but I'm fired up.

[107] I know I say.

[108] sent you a lot of articles to comment on.

[109] But, you know, we have one purpose.

[110] We want to introduce people to Jesus Christ and his gospel, not anybody else's, you know, an idea of a different gospel.

[111] And I got to say that when I heard that Cardinal Gregory praises and celebrated mass for Father James Martin's, you know, heterodox LGBT event, and I read, you know, these guys really do believe that the church's, you know, teaching on homosexuality is antiquated or used the word out of dated and that we need to move over and just accept us.

[112] And I'm saying as a layman, no, I want to love you with the truth.

[113] And so I don't, you know, I know he's a cardinal and I, my one of my priest's friends was in the diplomatic corps with him in the 1980s.

[114] And can I tell you, this is not talking out of school.

[115] he was for women's ordination even back then, okay?

[116] So he's had progressive ideas, and he just kept going up the ladder.

[117] Now, I'm going to make a suggestion that there's a reason why you're not the Bishop of Tyler, Texas, because you spoke up too much about the deposit of faith.

[118] That's my take on it.

[119] And the guys that have been preaching what I call heterodox and liberal teachings that are not according to the church, they seem to be elevated.

[120] And even in this circumstance, the Holy See was glad that he was celebrating the mass for this group.

[121] So I just don't get it.

[122] Your thoughts?

[123] Well, absolutely, Terry.

[124] And I think we have to, you know, we should get angry.

[125] Yeah.

[126] But not act in anger, not attack anyone.

[127] No. Not be disrespectful.

[128] Right.

[129] But we've got to use the strength.

[130] that anger can create in us to oppose these false messages.

[131] I go back to the gospel we're reflecting on today.

[132] Let me read a line there that I think applies exactly to all of this.

[133] If he refuses to listen to them after you've gone to a group and said, listen, brother, if he refuses to listen to them, tell the church.

[134] if he refuses to listen even to the church, then treat him as you would a Gentile or a tax collector.

[135] For those who heard Jesus say this, we know that Gentiles and tax collectors were denigrated significantly in his time.

[136] I mean, Christ is kind to those Gentiles and tax collectors, but he calls them away from their sinful behavior.

[137] When he meets with sinners, he calls them away from sin.

[138] But I think this passage applies directly to what we're talking about.

[139] Because instead of Father James Martin and Cardinal Gregory submitting to the church, they're saying, oh, no, the church needs to change.

[140] The church needs to get updated.

[141] I mean, you use the word progressive, and I know that's the word they use.

[142] It's not progressive at all.

[143] It truly is backward and ignoring the truth that sets us free.

[144] But it just struck me how this gospel applies exactly to that situation because they're refusing to listen to the church.

[145] And they're saying, oh, the church needs to change.

[146] That's no what Christ says in this passage.

[147] If you're on the wrong track, then listen to the church.

[148] But they're saying, oh, I'm better than the church.

[149] I know more than the church.

[150] Christ's message doesn't indicate.

[151] I mean, he shows the church is the ultimate authority to bring us back to the truth.

[152] And this is even as he, I mean, in the gospel, even as he's gathering those first apostles and beginning the church, he's saying, go to the church.

[153] I think we have to take that very seriously.

[154] And, you know, if the church herself, is not calling them back to truth, then we're the church.

[155] I mean, I think that's one thing that all of us need to be very aware of in this time.

[156] Yes, I'm a bishop, and I've taken that responsibility very heavy on my shoulder.

[157] I think it should be.

[158] But none of us as baptized disciples in the church today, I don't believe.

[159] Many of us can get away with being complacent and say, oh, well, you know, I'm not in charge, so I don't, I don't make these decisions.

[160] We don't make the decisions, but we need to speak up clearly, again, respectfully, there's no greater respect than sharing the truth of Jesus Christ, but to say nothing becomes complicit.

[161] And I believe all of us, and this time, when we're judged by our Lord and the scriptures tell us we will be, they may want to change that too.

[162] But Christ says we will be judged.

[163] The sheep, the goats will be separated.

[164] The wheat and the chaff will be separated.

[165] And when that separation comes, we will all be tested.

[166] I mean, in that final evaluation of our.

[167] lives, that final personal judgment.

[168] The question will be for Terry Barber and for Joe Strickland.

[169] Forget the titles, not Terry Barber, the head of or one of the heads of Virgin Most Powerful Radio, not Bishop Strickland, but just Sons of God.

[170] Did you live as Sons of God?

[171] Were you faithful to this?

[172] That's what we have to answer to.

[173] And it just struggled.

[174] me as I reflect on all this, that we can't get away with saying, well, it's not my responsibility.

[175] It is.

[176] It's our responsibility.

[177] And if more of the faithful speak up and more of the, thankfully, we have many faithful priests and deacons and bishops.

[178] But we need to speak up.

[179] We need to say no to these false messages.

[180] Whoever is speaking of false messages.

[181] Whoever is speaking of false messages.

[182] the greatest charity we can have is to tell them no. That isn't the truth.

[183] It isn't what the church teaches.

[184] And we've got to be very clear about what the church teaches.

[185] Really, Terry, I think part of the crisis, and it is a crisis.

[186] Oh, yeah.

[187] You have to acknowledge that.

[188] It's not, again, I mean, I just tweet it again today.

[189] Never, never, never leave the church.

[190] but not leaving doesn't mean we ignore the crisis.

[191] We stay with the body of Christ.

[192] We stay with the truth and the church.

[193] But we need to acknowledge the crisis.

[194] And I think part of the crisis is people not knowing their faith well enough.

[195] And saying, well, this is a bishop.

[196] How can I question what a bishop says?

[197] Know your faith.

[198] And if the bishop isn't teaching the truth of the gospel, then respectfully but clearly say, Your Excellency, no. And I mean, that's what the people in Washington, D .C. And thankfully, I think from what you have shared, I didn't see it, but I believe part of what you shared was that there are protests.

[199] That's right.

[200] There need to be.

[201] Yeah, there are.

[202] Those people are souls that are doing their responsibility.

[203] Yeah.

[204] Not to attack anyone, not to do anything that is disrespectful and certainly not violent.

[205] Right.

[206] But to protest.

[207] That's right.

[208] Prayer and clarity in the public square.

[209] Call the prelates of the church that are wandering off the path of the truth.

[210] Call them back.

[211] And just like gospel, if they refuse, I mean, Christ says very clearly there's a point where you say anathema.

[212] I mean, that's not the language you use this, but that's basically what he's saying.

[213] Treat him like tax collectors and Gentiles.

[214] And that audience that is listening to Jesus, those are strong words.

[215] And we need to hear the strength of those words to treat someone for those disciples listening.

[216] To treat someone in their world as a Gentile or a tax collector, that's, is to treat them as anathema, as a cursed.

[217] That is very strong, and we need to hear that strength, and we need to hear it for the church today.

[218] If they're not going to believe what the church says, the church needs to say very clearly, and we're part of that church.

[219] Even if the leadership voices are compromised and confused, we can't be, we can't allow ourselves to just go along with the compromises and confusions.

[220] And, I mean, I think, I'm sure people are contacting you, Terry, but people are contacting me pretty much on a daily basis saying, Bishop, what do we do?

[221] Things are getting worse and worse.

[222] People are fearful.

[223] And Jesus says, be not afraid.

[224] But he doesn't say, ignore the truth.

[225] He says the opposite.

[226] Live the truth.

[227] will be your strength in moments of fear.

[228] Wonderful.

[229] I will just say, Bishop, amen to that.

[230] And, you know, there's two Cardinals in Valenzuela, two Cardinals urging to doing, they're standing up for Jesus.

[231] They're urging civil resistance to the socialist government, the fraud, and in a contested election.

[232] This doesn't happen too often where the church speaks up what they did in Mexico and other, you know, regimes, like Naziism.

[233] And I just want to say, I thank you.

[234] the two cardinals, Diego Patron and the Cardinal Paras, these two cardinals just stood up and said, we need to protest what's going on because of the injustice that's gone on.

[235] Now, those are cardinals.

[236] I expect that.

[237] But, you know, Bishop Strickland, we have the faithful that are protesting what you just mentioned, Father James Martin's LGBT conference, putting signs up, reparation, reparation.

[238] We support Catholic teachings and reject Father Martin's attempt to normalize homosexual acts.

[239] I mean, they make it real clear.

[240] And I commend those people for making that protest.

[241] And it seems like more and more people are doing that.

[242] When we come back from the break, I want to ask you about another couple things that are what I call good news stories.

[243] A Florida woman sues Google for deplatforming her shortly after she sent a pro -life email.

[244] I mean, really?

[245] She's being persecuted.

[246] She's 76 years old.

[247] She could be retired kicking back, and this woman is standing up for life.

[248] She gets persecuted for doing that.

[249] And the Thomas Moore Society is now defending her, and guess what?

[250] She's winning this.

[251] And, you know, the Supreme Court just hit Google because of their fraud that they're doing where they're not giving us our pro -life organizations.

[252] they're due justice, and they're manipulating these things.

[253] And so the Supreme Court is saying, no, you can't do that.

[254] So I think we're making progress.

[255] And then one more good story that I think is great.

[256] I just was at Costco over the weekend.

[257] Their Costco is going to not provide the abortion drug through their pharmacy.

[258] I think that's magnanimous, because everyone else makes money on this.

[259] And so I'm going to encourage people, just like, Home Depot, decided to pull their dollars from the Olympics.

[260] I support those companies who support morality that we Christians value, especially pro -life values.

[261] And then when we come back, we got an 89 -year -old death camp survivor facing a 10 -year prison his ear for, what did he do?

[262] Pro -life rescue.

[263] Are you kidding me?

[264] Stay with us.

[265] I'm going to miss that.

[266] We'll be right back.

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

[268] Welcome back.

[269] Indeed, I am fired up because so many people are standing up for Jesus.

[270] I call it a stand up for Jesus moment.

[271] Can you believe a woman, she's 89 years old, Bishop Strickland, and she's a death camp survivor from World War II.

[272] Now she's facing a 10 -year prison sentence.

[273] What did she do?

[274] She did a peaceful pro -life rescue.

[275] Bishop Strickland, when you read things like this, I got to say, it makes me feel like, am I doing enough?

[276] Am I really standing up for life?

[277] When a woman is willing to do that at her age, when I bet you she, at age 89, Bishop, if we live that long, we're going to have difficulty even walking probably, okay?

[278] Let alone go to an abortion clinic and pray.

[279] Did that inspire you as much as it inspires me?

[280] Yeah, it's, thankfully it reminds us.

[281] We have living saintly people that are imitating the saints in beautiful ways.

[282] And we do need to highlight that.

[283] We talk about the saints a lot.

[284] And that's one of the blessings in my life since last November when I am no longer Bishop of Tyler.

[285] I've traveled a lot.

[286] And I've seen a lot of faithful people living truth with resistance and making sacrifice.

[287] sacrifices, sometimes losing their job or risking their job because the culture keeps pushing back.

[288] And I'm glad to hear stories like Costco and Home Depot, you know, some of these companies are recognized.

[289] And I'm sure it's calculated as well.

[290] They're figuring, well, you know, they're looking at the dollars.

[291] But we as Christians, we know Jesus Christ is our Lord and Savior, Catholics and every Christian, Christian.

[292] We are still the majority religion in the nation by far.

[293] And we need to speak up.

[294] And we need to make it clear that these companies are going to suffer their bottom line.

[295] And that will speak to them.

[296] I mean, certainly, we want them, the leaders of companies are just people, just like you and I. And they're going to face a judgment as well.

[297] They need to use their wealth and their power and responsibility to uphold the truth and to guide people in the truth.

[298] And so it's very important.

[299] And this woman needs to be supported.

[300] We pray for her.

[301] And we need to challenge our broken culture that instead of applauding these efforts, they're trying to throw in jail.

[302] And thankfully, the Thomas More Group is supporting her and working.

[303] to see that justice is done.

[304] She speaking for, really, and I'm sure she's inspired by her own experience of being in a concentration camp where her life was threatened by people who said, oh, these people are disposable.

[305] Yep.

[306] And that's what abortion is, is saying the unborn are disposable.

[307] If we choose to dispose of them, we need to have the right to do that.

[308] And that is simply wrong.

[309] and I applaud her for putting her life on the line.

[310] A man, another good story, how to California.

[311] A very conservative professor wins $2 .4 million from the college that fired him for challenging the woke policies.

[312] He didn't keep his mouth shut.

[313] He spoke up.

[314] They let him go.

[315] So what does he do?

[316] He sues the school and wins the lawsuit.

[317] See, this is what I call proportionate measures.

[318] In other words, you get treated, you don't just sit back and say, oh, I guess I lost my job.

[319] No, if it's justice, I think it's reasonable to go after your employer and say, you know, what I did was not immoral, was not wrong, and I'm going to hold you accountable, and that's exactly what happened.

[320] Now, one of the biggest companies that I always say is public enemy number one is Planned Parenthood.

[321] Now, Planned Parenthood, they just had another undercover video exposing how Planned Parenthood harvest baby organs.

[322] They're still doing this.

[323] That's bad.

[324] But another thing they're doing that was just, they're proud of this.

[325] What bothers me is that they come out and say, we're the number one company in America, and people don't know this, helping young people transition to the opposite sex that they are.

[326] And we're proud that we can do that.

[327] And here's the thing that upsets me. And Thomas Aquinas tells us we should be upset when we see injustice.

[328] Charity, but I'm still mad about it.

[329] And this is what I'm saying.

[330] We as taxpayers are paying money out of our tax dollars to fund Planned Parenthood.

[331] Now, I'm not going to get too political, but I'm just going to say one administration four years ago stopped that funding.

[332] I'm going to vote because I vote for my pro -life position that and I'll use his name Donald Trump he put three Supreme Court justices to help turn Roe versus Weight over he's not perfect no none of these guys are perfect but when I have to vote and I have a choice of an organization that supports Planned Parenthood and wants to fund as many abortions as possible and then you have the other side that well Well, I'm not perfect, yeah, because they promote the RU486 that they'll give the abortion pill.

[333] But on the other issues, I'll hold the line.

[334] It's like a football game, Bishop Strickland.

[335] Who's going to move the football closer to my Catholic morality on the life issues and it's hands down?

[336] So my question to you is, Planned Parenthood is exposed in two areas.

[337] They're selling baby organ parts, and they're proud to announce that they're the largest provider for transitional sex so that kids can become the opposite sex and they are just so proud but they make a ton of money on that so i always say follow the money your thoughts about planned parenthood's actions well um i start with just the name is a lie yep there's nothing parenthood about what they're after they're trying to eliminate parenthood in many ways and they they see it as not something to be valued.

[338] So their name is a lot.

[339] Yeah.

[340] And I think it's important to remember also that, I mean, in my opinion, Planned Parenthood should just be shut down.

[341] Amen.

[342] If they're doing anything good, and I'm not sure they are.

[343] I mean, they claim all we're doing all this services for women.

[344] But like you said, transitioning children from one.

[345] to another is is not healthcare and it's not service to humanity.

[346] It's destructive.

[347] So Planned Parenthood needs to be shut down.

[348] I mean, these other companies they're main and I guess the point that I wanted to make Yeah.

[349] Planned Parenthood's whole reason for existing is evil.

[350] It's wrong.

[351] It's destructive to life.

[352] It carries an agenda that everything they're doing, we would call sinful.

[353] If there's something good they're doing, then others can do it.

[354] If they're providing other services that are helpful to women.

[355] But the main objective of Planned Parenthood, and frankly, again, you know, we get in trouble for being political, but people need to wake up to the reality.

[356] Why did Donald Trump get defeated from being in 20?

[357] when he ran again for the second term as president.

[358] A big part of it was because he shut down things like funding to Planned Parenthood.

[359] Planned Parenthood was just appalled at that loss of funding.

[360] And so they worked and campaigned to make sure that they got someone in.

[361] And that's what Joe Biden has done.

[362] I mean, he's proud of it.

[363] He's proud of his platform.

[364] that is destructive to the life of an unborn child.

[365] He better wake up to that kind of pride before he meets his maker.

[366] But we just have to be very clear that the agenda of Planned Parenthood is an evil agenda.

[367] In a better America, it wouldn't exist.

[368] Right now, they, and it calls to mind for me something I saw that, Archbishop Cordlione spoke up and said, people need to realize this.

[369] There are people pushing a communist agenda.

[370] That's right.

[371] And I think we have to be awake to that.

[372] I mean, people have said, if we're not careful, we're going to become another Venezuela.

[373] Yeah.

[374] And that's the case.

[375] I mean, I think that's why you mentioned these cardinals that are speaking up.

[376] That's right.

[377] We who know the truth, who know Jesus Christ, truth incarnate, we can't be complacent and we can't be silent and we can't pretend that, oh, everything's not that bad, and we're not going to become communist.

[378] People are pushing that.

[379] That's right.

[380] Socialism and communism are on the rise.

[381] Many of our candidates proudly embrace socialism.

[382] and even some more and more are embracing communism.

[383] We've got to say no, that isn't what the United States is about.

[384] We've fought wars, many different wars, to fight against communism and to allow it to come in through the back door is something that we need to wake up to.

[385] In Planned Parenthood, I think it's much more aligned.

[386] with a communist regime than it is with what our nation is about.

[387] Amen.

[388] I want to give you another good news story.

[389] Bulgarian parliament passes a law banning LGBT propaganda in the schools.

[390] I think we need to imitate Bulgaria in our schools, especially in California.

[391] But, you know, Bishop Strickland, what I'm hearing is a pushback.

[392] I just see it all over the world.

[393] and when we come back from the break we want to open up our catechism we're just finishing up a section on holy matrimony and we I want to just answer the question why the church says that homosexual acts are morally wrong because we have people as you said earlier on the show that say that hey you know what this needs to be legitimized and you know the Bible is wrong and the catechism needs to change and we're going who the heck are you You know, what authority do you make that decision?

[394] You're not in management.

[395] Get out.

[396] You know, if you can't live according to these teachings, I'm out of charity.

[397] I call you to fidelity.

[398] But if you can't, step aside.

[399] That's my position as a layman.

[400] I don't have any authority.

[401] But we'll get into the beautiful teachings on marriage, the end of the chapter 14, 17, from the catechism.

[402] And we'll do much more when we come back on the Bishop Strickland Hour, on Virgin Most Power Radio.

[403] Stay with us, family.

[404] I can tell you that Bishop Strickland is too blessed to be stressed.

[405] He's too anointed to be disappointed, and I'm with him, because we have our hope in Jesus Christ.

[406] Stay with him.

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

[408] Welcome back, indeed.

[409] Bishop Strickland, I give all these good news of bishops and cardinals and lay people standing up to the culture of death.

[410] And it appears to me that, you know, we talked about the pressure from within the church wanting to change moral teachings, whether it's contraception they've been working on for 60, 50 years, or the immorality of so -called same -sex marriage.

[411] I think that the church is very clear on what it teaches, and I think that sometimes many people don't even know what the church teaches because they're confused by, people that are wearing collars like you who are saying things because I get this a lot I say Terry my priest said he had rainbow colors and he's promoting the homosexual marriage and did we change something?

[412] Did something go different now?

[413] Did I miss something?

[414] I get that a lot so I think clarity with charity is where we're at and we're answering question 14 of the catechism why are homosexual acts morally wrong.

[415] And number one, he says, homosexual acts remove both a spousal union and the procreative purpose for sexual relations.

[416] Although it is wrong for a person experiencing same -sex attraction to act on that desire, simply having same -sex attraction is not morally wrong.

[417] Those are great distinctions to be made.

[418] Persons with the same -sex attraction are called to live out the virtue of chastity.

[419] And that's exactly what Father Harvey did with his organization, which he started, I think, back in the 1970s.

[420] And Bishop Strickland, as a bishop, it seems like it's a no -brainer to answer that question.

[421] But would you agree that we've had too much ambiguity on that topic?

[422] Absolutely.

[423] And there's an agenda from some that want to change it.

[424] but one thing that we're struggling with in our time, Terry, is people don't know natural law.

[425] They don't know how God constructed the world.

[426] And as you're saying, we need to as clearly as we can teach what marriage is because marriage was defined by God.

[427] Yes, the Catholic Church has explained.

[428] that definition in her teaching.

[429] And, you know, it's only a recent history that the world didn't accept God's model for where is sexual morality, where is sexual activity moral and where is it immoral?

[430] The world, a hundred years ago, accepted what the Catholic church teaches as the standard for everyone.

[431] But gradually, people have, that's deteriorated because people haven't learned the truth.

[432] People don't study natural law.

[433] And they don't understand that it's a universe that God created.

[434] We have come to understand it through revelation.

[435] But we didn't make these laws.

[436] The reality is the human race will not continue if the understanding of procreation isn't restored as the standard for how does the human race continue.

[437] If, you know, and certainly by manipulating things to men, I mean, and society argues, Oh, two men can have a child.

[438] No, they can't.

[439] That's just simply part of natural law.

[440] There are limitations in what we can do and what we can't do.

[441] Two men cannot conceive a child.

[442] Two women cannot conceive a child.

[443] They can say, oh, we love each other.

[444] So this child that we adopted or had a surrogate mother, that's the fruit of our love.

[445] That's hogwash, frankly.

[446] Amen.

[447] That isn't the fruit of their love.

[448] They may adopt a child, but that isn't coming as a result of their relationship.

[449] And they can pretend it is, but that's just pretending.

[450] It's not the reality.

[451] And again, it's not about condemning anyone, but it's about not allowing them to condemn themselves to a life that ultimately will unravel.

[452] I mean, people will argue, oh, well, this couple has been together for 40 years, but it's still not according to the natural law that God has laid down for us in how he has created the universe, how he's created us male and female, and to keep pretending that we can do whatever we want and we can manipulate all that.

[453] through science we can do a lot of manipulating but it ultimately doesn't change the reality and when we pretend that reality is changed it's harmful to those individuals and it's definitely harmful to human society because we're living in a make -up made -up world that isn't doesn't have a future i agree thank you for clarity.

[454] Next question.

[455] Why does the church not support homosexual marriage?

[456] The church says the church does not support homosexual marriage for two reasons.

[457] First, marriage only exists between a man and a woman.

[458] Second, the church cannot advocate individuals to join into any union that would lead to immoral sexual acts.

[459] I mean, that's as simple as you.

[460] As simple as it gets.

[461] I mean, and here's the question, Bishop Strickland, and I pray for Father Martin.

[462] I actually had an opportunity to meet him, and I just couldn't do it because my faculties weren't prepared to talk in charity, so I just didn't do it, because I was so upset with what he was doing and misleading people.

[463] But these individuals who do not support the magisterial teachings of the catechism on marriage is between a man and a woman, it seems to me, and this is just me again, I wish these guys would be honest, be honest, and say, you know what, don't beat around the bush.

[464] I don't agree with the Catholic Church, and I think they should have as much sex as they want as men and men and women and women, and I just think the church needs to change.

[465] Just say that.

[466] And then I can actually have more respect than beating around the bush?

[467] Is that just me or does that, is that your opinion that they need, we just need to have clarity so that we can say, okay, well then, why don't you leave your position as a priest and authority because you don't agree with this teaching and do us all a favor?

[468] Is that too, am I asking too much, Bishop Strickland?

[469] No, I think that that would be much more authentic.

[470] And it's like they're playing at this, you know, wanting the church to change the teaching, which the church can't change the teaching.

[471] As previous popes have said, we can't change the reality of the way that God has created us and created the universe.

[472] We can't change natural law.

[473] But so absolutely.

[474] the more authentic thing would be to say, I don't believe in what the Catholic Church teaches and then make their decisions.

[475] Do you remain part of the church or not?

[476] But to say, well, I'm going to fight to change the teaching of the church, I have to tell them it's not going to work.

[477] Even if documents come out saying that the church has changed the teaching, which I pray never happens.

[478] But if that happened, it's still not changing the truth.

[479] That's right.

[480] It's still not changing the natural law that God has given us.

[481] It's, again, a pretend game.

[482] And we don't need to pretend.

[483] Pretending is not healthy.

[484] Ultimately, it leads us, I mean, when we're pretending that sin isn't sin, that's a really dangerous place to be.

[485] And that, you know, that's where we are.

[486] Well, you've quoted this scripture many times.

[487] It's the truth that sets us free.

[488] And it seems to me that out of charity, again, all this has done out of charity, we have no animosity for anyone in the church.

[489] I don't.

[490] I love everybody, okay?

[491] But I want to love them with the truth of the gospel of Jesus Christ.

[492] and even clerics as high as you are even higher.

[493] I love them enough to tell them, please, just teach the perennial teachings of the church.

[494] You guys all made promises, you priests, you bishops, you cardinals.

[495] Even the pope made promises to pass on the deposit of faith.

[496] Take that seriously because from my perspective, I'm 45 years of being in the apostolate.

[497] I'm just tired of seeing people dressed like.

[498] you and saying things like well you know this is what the church needs to do we need to change this and that and you know get with the world and i'm saying hey father we we tried that it didn't work and i see that what i call the spirit of vatican two these guys explain this by saying well this is what vatican two says there's no purgatory i've had that many times from priests and i'm thinking who formed them and the last thing i'm going to say bishop stricken my what doesn't embarrass you.

[499] No, I don't have time to embarrass you on this.

[500] I just talked to priests who told me how scandalized they were in the seminary by bad teachings, and they kept their mouth quiet just to get ordained.

[501] Now, thankfully, I didn't experience that.

[502] I didn't.

[503] I mean, I didn't get the as deep formation, but what I learned was what marriage is, the truth of the Eucharist, the truth of the sacraments, the truth, what scripture is.

[504] So we just need to hang on to the truth.

[505] Amen.

[506] Bishop Strickland, the music's coming up on in a second here.

[507] I want to just give a plug again to your YouTube channel.

[508] Basically, you do six or seven minutes.

[509] I've heard you say it many times on a particular topic.

[510] We've got the assumption that just took place.

[511] You've got other videos that people should go.

[512] Just go to YouTube and type in Bishop Strickland and you'll find all the videos is that a fair statement yep absolutely just bishop strickland on youtube you got it well let's if you could please could we receive a blessing for our radio audience and our youtube audience almighty god we ask your blessing for all of us participating in virgin most powerful radio may that name remind us of the wonderful witness that the blessed virgin Mary offers us and strengthen us to live all the truth that we celebrate in her assumption tomorrow.

[513] And we ask this, in the name of the Father, the Son, of the Holy Spirit.

[514] Amen.

[515] Thanks again, Bishop Strickland.

[516] I like to always bring up our Lady of Fatima.

[517] As Pope Paul VI said, it's a reaffirmation of the gospel.

[518] He said souls are going to hell because no one's there to pray and make sacrifices.

[519] Offer all these sacrifices for the salvation of sorrows.

[520] And then you can participate in the salvific work of Jesus Christ.

[521] I want to thank you for this.

[522] and listen to any other shows by going to vmpr .org.

[523] May God richly bless you and your family.