Condemnation of Homosexual Marriages
Editors Note:
This section on Pope Pius XIII's condemnation of Homosexual Marriages is of such importance, and so timely in today's society (due to the horrific proliferation of such evil), that it was placed as a separate document. You can read this section in its entirety on the Condemnations page of this website. When you have finished reading there, hit BACK on your browser.
Celibacy & Marriage
While We defend and honor marriage We bring to your attention the evangelical counsel of perfect, chastity. In this brief treatment We shall quote from MORAL PHILOSOPYY, by Charles Coppens, S.J. (1924) published by Schwartz, Kirin & Fauss, New York. We quote pages 165 to 167. In honoring the religious state he writes:
“We claim in this thesis that the celibate or single life is more perfect than married life (No. 314) In the “Pastoral Letter” of the Archbishops and Bishops of the United States (1920) the dignity of the religious life or vocation to the religious life is clearly set forth in these words.
“God, assuredly, in His unfailing providence, has marked for the grace of vocation those who are to serve Him as His chosen instruments. It lies with us to recognize these vessels of election and to set them apart, that they may be duly fashioned and tempered for the uses of their calling. To this end, we charge all those who have the care of souls to note the signs of vocation, to encourage young men and women who manifest the requisite dispositions, and to guide them with prudent advice. Let parents esteem it a privilege surpassing all worldly advantage, that God should call their sons or daughters to his service. Let teachers also remember that, after the home, the school is the garden in which vocations are fostered. To discern them in time, to hedge them about with careful direction, to strengthen and protect them against worldly allurement, should be our constant aim.
“In our concern and desire for the increase of vocations, we are greatly encouraged as we reflect upon the blessings which the Church has enjoyed in this respect. The generosity of so many parents, the sacrifices which they willing make that their children may follow the calling of God, and the support so freely given to institutions for the training of priests and religious, are edifying and consoling. For such proofs and zeal, we return most hearty thanks to Him who is pleased to accept from His faithful servants the offering of the gifts which he bestows.” (End Bishops’ quote)
We continue to quote from Moral Philosophy by Charles Coppens:
“Even in pagan times the vestal virgin was held in high repute. Christianity from the very beginning set its seal of approbation upon the lives of those who sought the higher ideals of celibacy. ‘Some heretics have held that continence was not only lawful but also necessary to morals and consequently condemned marriage as unlawful. Others have said, on the contrary, that it was unlawful to observe continence, by abstinence from marriage, and that the religious state hindered observance of the precepts of the Church of Christ. Other again, although they did not condemn continence, have denied that it is of greater merit or dignity than matrimony, and therefore denied that it is of evangelical counsel to preserve or vow virginity, since the contract matrimony is no less good. There is no precept that obliges a man at any time of his life to contract matrimony; and therefore it cannot of itself be evil to preserve perpetual chastity, for that is not evil, which is not contrary to some precept. It is not only lawful and good, but it is also better and more perfect to observe virginity. It is not only good to observe chastity, but that which is best of all is to consecrate virginity or perpetual chastity to God by vow, and this by reason both of excellence of the matter of the vow, and the further excellence of whatever is done under the vow.’”(Suarez, “The Religious State,” Vol. 1, p. 364).
In regard the added blessings that follow from living with vows We deem it necessary to explain a salvation truth, which is not shared by the general run of those who call themselves Christians. Protestants claim that they are saved by “accepting Christ as their personal savior.” Once that is done, according to their erroneous theology, the full effect of salvation is effected. Hence, no matter what works or sacrifices one performs those acts do not increase the bliss of those who go to heaven. On the contrary Catholic theology teaches that we are rewarded according to our works. A person who is in the state of sanctifying grace and who does good works with the assistance of actual grace gets a higher degree of reward in heaven forever for each and every deed thus performed.
The question arises, what has this to do with a person living in the religious vows of poverty, chastity and obedience? Good works done by one consecrated to God are acts of religion, and they merit a special reward. Take the example of pay for work. Say, the general pay for an ordinary worker is ten dollars an hour. If a person in vows does the same work the pay is twenty dollars an hour. Workers like a high paying job, for their take-home pay makes it possible to live a higher standard of life. Once again, coming back to religious in vows. They get a higher place in heaven just because they live their life in total dedication to God.
Today faith is cold. We have new converts who want to become priests and religious, but our Catholic youth are delaying in giving themselves to God in the religious state. They do not aspire to nobility in God’s Church. When We entered the Capuchin Order at the age of twenty about twenty-three young men made that dedication. Eight years after that fourteen of us were ordained priests. Of those fourteen priests, three became missionaries in Nicaragua. Two became missionaries in Guam, and We became a missionary in Japan.
The reality of God’s judgment with His punishments and rewards never changes. We shall be either punished in hell in all justice or rewarded in heaven in all justice.
Once again We revert to the topic of this article. The sixth Commandment of God is violated by all acts of impurity. The pleasures of sex are permitted in mind and body only to those in a valid marriage, and in marriage only according to God’s rules for them, that is, no illicit means to accomplish birth control.
Today there is a new horror surfacing. The multinational corporations are profiting from the misuse of sex. For example, nearly daily We get unwanted and hated “free” ads for the product called VIAGRA. Clerical decorum forbids Us to go in detail in this matter. However, it is observed that viagra and like substances are heating up the sex urge, even in senior citizen, making it that they share sexual play and thus share their sexually transmissible diseases. While it is a concern that people have a pure mind and a pure body We are primarily concerned for the eternal salvation of all men. Frequently money buys sin, and sin buys the punishments of hell.
We have before Us more literature that should gain the attention of one and all. We quote from Doctor James F. Balch, M.D., from his special report entitled Prescriptions for Natural Healing, P.O. Box 467939, Atlanta, GA 31146-7939. It is February 2004 publication. He makes a valuable observation in regard the universally advertised drug called Viagra. On page ten he writes: “Hundreds of deaths by Viagra have already been reported. But experts estimate these confirmed death are just the tip of the iceberg. Embarrassment and shame cause countless others to go unreported!” There are also less terrible effects than death. They are terrible pain and permanent impotence.
Put it this way, those who violate God’s laws suffer terribly in this life, and they suffer the pains of hell in the next life. Those who observe God’s laws have a peaceful conscience with a foretaste of the joys that will come with the beatific vision of God forever in heaven.
What conclusion can you draw from this treatise of the right and wrong use of sex? The first thing to do is to pray that those in authority may receive from God the light and strength to make just laws and enforce them.
Do not let yourself be suckered into the foolishness where man makes himself God. Man is not to make laws on what he likes, but he is to make laws according to God’s laws. When two persons argue this nonsense it sounds something like this:
I am for life!
I am for choice!
Do you know what We are for? We are for God’s law as it is proposed to the world by God’s one, holy, catholic and apostolic Church. By stating it this way We tell you that We do not make the moral order, but We follow the moral order that is given to us by God Himself.
Putting God’s moral order into practice requires the supernatural virtue of prudence. Even that virtue has uncertainty, so it must be developed and bolstered by the gift of the Holy Ghost of counsel. That gift in turn must be sustained by the gift of wisdom.
As a final though on homosexuality and same sex marriages We warn the world with God’s punishment like the one that He sent down upon Sodom and Gomorrah. Fire from heaven burned those cities. We fear that a like punishment may come to the world again, if homosexuality and same sex marriages are not terminated by civil law, and then right living practices are lived by God fearing citizens.
Pius, pp. XIII
March 6, 2004
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