Fr. Tom's Spirit & Life: Humanae Vitae priests

I don't want to detract from the importance of HLI's work in the least, but this message could also be applied to today's rampant no fault forced unilateral divorce and 'easy' Nullity judgments from US Tribunals just as much as to abortion.

1. Both were made 'law of the land in 1973--one by Roe v Wade in January, and the other by passage of the Uniform Marriage and Divorce Act in August, 1973.
2. Both are destructive.
3. Both are topics that are avoided in the pulpits.

From Fr Tom Euteneuer's column:

There are two complaints that I have heard in literally every one of the 50+ countries I have visited. Complaint one is that priests don't preach enough about abortion. That is painfully apparent to all of us. Complaint two is that they are almost totally silent about the issue of birth control as well. Some have described this as a "conspiracy of silence" in the face of one of the most important issues of our day.

Rome, thankfully, has not been silent on either one of these issues. Popes Paul VI, John Paul II and Benedict XVI have been brilliant examples of preaching and teaching on the life issues. The problem comes down to the delivery of these teachings at the grass-roots level! It benefits the "average Catholic" very little if the pope writes a document on an issue of faith or morals only to have priests ignore it in their pastoral care of souls. This has been the de facto situation of our clergy for forty years on the issue of birth control, and it is not too strong to say that the teaching of Christ has been neutered by clerics who contracept its life-giving force!

Don't get me wrong. I am not judging this clerical contraception—I am condemning it!

Priests who deprive their people of moral guidance on birth control dig their own graves. "My people perish for lack of knowledge," says the prophet Amos. Yes, and they also perish for the sins of contraception, which has apparently been adopted by the vast majority of Catholics—men, women and physicians—who see no contradiction whatsoever in contraception and the reception of Holy Communion.

Please follow the link below to read the rest of his column, including what his plans are, and how YOU can help!

God bless!

---------- Forwarded message ----------

From: John Mallon
Date: Mon, Feb 25, 2008 at 10:45 PM

Dear Friends,

Here is Fr. Tom's column on a new project we will be undertaking:

http://www.hli.org/sl_2008-02-25.html

Please spread the word!

God bless you,
John
For Human Life International

http://johnmallon.net