Sick of Shootings? Promote Authentic Catholicism for a Change USCCB

***UPDATE*** I posted this last night before today’s tragic shooting. Same thing applies. I hope our bishops will actually try to fix the real problem instead of making politically correct platitudes.

I am sooooo sick and tired of the American bishops (not all but a good lot) squandering their moral capital on ridiculous moves such as this.

https://catholic-sf.org/news/us-bishops-call-for-new-gun-legislation-after-garlic-festival-shooting

US bishops call for new gun legislation after garlic festival shooting

 July 31, 2019

Catholic News Agency

SAN JOSE – After a shooting at a food festival in California on Sunday in which the gunman killed three people and injured 15, the US bishops’ representative for domestic justice called for legislation to prevent such losses.

Just what legislation do you think would have prevented this, my dear “US bishops’ representative for domestic justice?” He already broke many laws.  What makes you think that any legislation would have stopped him when he was filled with so much hate?  Let me help you: none.  Even a total ban on guns wouldn’t have stopped him.  He would have just simply moved onto another weapon of choice, and since it was clear he wasn’t very proficient with the one he had, a knife might have even been more effective for him. 

You lame people at the USCCB don’t get it. Instead of seeing the real problem, which is the rejection of the principle that all life is sacred, you want to throw spitballs at some other issue. Give me a break. You want to make great strides for once?  How about you act like Humanae Vitae is important???

At this point, why would anyone think life is sacred or that hell is real or that the Church teachings matter when you dole out Communion to public obstinate sinners.  Of course, they probably don’t buy it either, since you rarely bother to mention sin or the sanctity of life from your pulpits.

Santino William Legan, 19, opened fire at a garlic festival in Gilroy, Calif., 30 miles southeast of San Jose, the evening of July 28. He was shot dead by police shortly after beginning to fire a rifle. Police have been investigating reports of a second suspect.

Bishop Oscar Cantú of San Jose said July 29 that “our hearts are heavy with sadness in the wake of the horrific shooting … I am grateful for the first responders and individual citizens whose quick thinking and professional actions saved countless lives.

“My thoughts and prayers are with the victims, survivors and their families in this time of sorrow. May God, the source of our faith and strength, grant comfort and hope to all those affected by acts of violence. May grief give way to healing and grace, as we work together to protect the innocent and prevent future massacres, so that peace may prevail in our hearts and communities.”

The Diocese of San Jose held a bilingual prayer vigil July 29 at St. Mary’s parish in Gilroy.

I really don’t know much about Bishop Cantu yet, but this was a good response. I might just have added “May all people come to realize the sanctity of life so that this horrible violence may end.”

Contrast that with this awful statement:

Bishop Frank Dewane of Venice in Florida, chair of the US bishops’ committee on domestic justice and human development, said July 30 that “our legislators must make changes to our gun policy to prevent the loss of life.”

“As Americans, we must be honest with ourselves that we have a sickness, almost a plague, with the problem of gun violence. As Christians, we must look to the cross, repentant of the ways that have led us to this point and, with God’s grace, abandon such senseless, inhuman acts. Let us resolve to make the sacrifices necessary to end the violent killing that saturates our nation.”

He added that “the Lord calls us to comfort those who mourn and to be peacemakers in a violent world. We pray, and we must, for the victims and their families. The Church should act in ways that heal and support all those affected by gun violence.”

I would just like to clarify that Bishop Dewane seems like a bishop I would like which kind of makes this naive statement a bit annoying. It would have been so easy to get it right and consult people who understand the “gun issue” instead of weighing in on an idea already shown to have failed time and again because it doesn’t get to the real problem.

As one of my Twitter followers pointed out, the only statement the USCCB should make these days is “I’m sorry.”

Might not have been so pathetic if he would just admit that the USCCB and the bishops who don’t regularly preach Humanae Vitae have failed us all. Calling out “gun violence” is ridiculous when people in “gun free” countries are killed and maimed with a myriad of other weapons.  It’s violence period, Bishop Dewane. Stop using “gun” as if it somehow makes you look in touch. You are not.

Again, if Catholics don’t even value life, why would we expect the rest of the world to follow? People are disposable and even preventable if they don’t bring us anything short of pleasure. If children aren’t a blessing, then why would we consider anyone else to be such?  Seriously, USCCB, get your pompous, politically correct heads out of the sand and realize that this is YOUR fault. You have failed to hold Catholics to the truth. You never seem to think this is a big deal, but we do because it results in lives being lost every single day. Blood is being shed in the streets now, yet you still can’t admit that you have failed.  It’s just the mean ol’ guns.  Please.

So here’s my plan for stemming violence, and I say stem because murder has existed since the days of Cain and Abel, be it by gun, rock, rope, knife, poison, etc. And, sadly, it will exist until the end of time because of satan:

1) Tell the people in the pews that all life is sacred and that birth control, abortion, euthanasia, pornography, suicide,  IVF, and the like are EVIL.  The lack of resolve in this area is literally killing your flock.

2) Ask parents what kind of example they are giving to their children.  Do they make them feel that they are sacred and worth it, or do they want to limit the number of their siblings because they’d rather have a more luxurious lifestyle? Have they put off having them until they “felt fulfilled?” Have their parents created them outside the marital act and denied them the right to their biological parents for THEIR pleasure? Humane Vitae was downright prophetic in this area. When we start treating children as if they exist to please us, what do you think is going to happen?

Let’s just pause and look at the news this week. Andrew Klavan nails it here: . https://www.dailywire.com/news/50149/klavan-sex-city-author-regrets-not-having-children-daily-wire  Bushnell represents the mindset of a good chunk of society. Why does she regret not having kids? It’s not because they are a gift from God and life is sacred, it’s because of what they could have done for her in her old age. She’s not objectifying children at all. (Insert disgusted look.) Pathetic, but sadly, this is the view to many pew sitters.  Kids are possessions.  It’s sick. And we wonder why youth nowadays have so little self-worth that they are killing themselves or others, literally or through their immoral lifestyles.

3) Act like supporting all of the bad things listed in #1 are actually serious sins. NOBODY should be able to receive Communion while advocating or participating in these activities. If someone is publicly, obstinately sinning, stop handing them Our Lord’s Body and Blood like it’s a right until they publicly repent. This should include everyone who is publicly championing the use of birth control or publicly supporting abortion in some way, from your everyday flock to the politician who does the same.  I don’t care if they are the poorest of the poor the richest of the rich.  It’s scandalous and it devalues life. For the private sinner, like most of us, urge confession, confession, confession every homily.

4) Teach about heaven and hell.  Seriously!  Most of the people in the pews probably think little of either. Most youth, like the one involved in the shooting in Gilroy, don’t believe there are any everlasting consequences for their actions. They are in pain due to absent teachings from many in our church and those substituted by society. When the Church is silent, society is more than willing to fill that void. Nobody is telling them there’s something greater to come and most don’t understand this world is temporary and that the results of their actions in it are not. Some days I have to wonder if most of you believe in the lessons taught at Fatima.  What did God show the children?  Oh, yeah, hell.  Most of you seem to want to protect the “feelings” of your flock over their immortal souls. Honestly, if one more of you uses the term “Building Bridges”, I might be sick. What good is it to build a bridge if people are using it to jump to their deaths???

5) Tell people to pick up their crosses! Personally, I’d for my family and I to have more company in this area. I’d also like to help others who struggle.  How about just encouraging people to go a day without their favorite treat for starters? Challenge people, for heaven’s sake. Empower them to overcome sin and temptation. Don’t tell them they are slaves to their whims, fantasies, challenges, proclivities, etc.  These do not make up who they are. They are children of God, for goodness sake.

6) Encourage the use of sacramentals and devotions, because satan and demons do exist. They are not fantasy. Imagine what the world might be like if we all took the time to sprinkle holy water wherever we went.  The Rosary?  Remember that? Remember what the countless saints have said about just these two and the spiritual world?  Act like you believe it. Act like it’s not superstition. I’m going to challenge each one of you to give your parishioners a rosary and a bottle of holy water and encourage them not to leave home without them. I’m going to give you a tip.  It’s holy water even if there’s no gold cross on the bottle.  The TSA has made nice little plastic bottles very accessible and cheap, and I’m sure you can find some rosary-making group to give you the rosaries. No excuses. In fact, clergy, I bet if you posted in the comments that you wanted these, readers would ask you where you want them sent. These are the top two weapons around here, and everyone is given them. So simple and yet so ignored. Parents! Take all the stinking help you can get! I doubt my kids even realize how often I’ve been in their rooms sprinkling them as well as everywhere else in our house. I take St. Teresa very seriously.

From long experience I have learned that there is nothing like holy water to put devils to flight and prevent them from coming back again.  The also flee from the cross, but return; so holy water must have great value.  For my own part, whenever I take it, my soul feels a particular and most notable consolation.  In fact it is quite usual for me to be conscious of a refreshment which I cannot possibly describe, resembling an inward joy which comforts my whole soul.  This is not fancy, or something which has happened to me only once, it has happened again and again and I have observed it attentively.  It is let us say, as if someone very hot and thirsty were to drink from a jug of cold water: he would feel the refreshment throughout his body.

I often reflect on the great importance of everything ordained by the Church and it makes me very happy to find that those words of the Church are so powerful that they impart their power to the water and make it so different from water which has not been blessed.

One night, too, about this time, I thought the devils were stifling me; and when the nuns had sprinkled a great deal of holy water about, I saw a hug crowd of them running away as quickly as though they were about to fling themselves down a steep place.

I will only describe something that happened to me one night of All Sous Day.  I was in an oratory: I had said one nocturne and was repeating some very devotional prayers which follow it – they are extremely devotional: we have them in our office book – when actually the devil himself alighted on the book, to prevent me from finishing the prayer.  I made a sign of the cross and he went away.  I then began again and he came back.  I think I began the prayer three times and not until I had sprinkled some holy water on him could I finish it.” – St. Teresa of Avila

I could go on for days with more practical solutions than saying “guns bad!” and I’m sure my readers will, but I think I’ve given you all enough to start cleaning up the daily violence which is not longer plaguing far away lands but has now reached our neighborhoods.. Unfortunately, most of you will probably just point to the gun like you point to McCarrick. It’s all somebody else’s fault. In your minds, it has zero to do with the lack of authentic Catholicism taught in your churches. So, as usual, thanks for nothing USCCB.

Please remember Stephen Romero,  Keyla Salazar and Trevor Irby and their families in your prayers.  May Perpetual Light shine upon them. Please also pray for Santino Legan and other broken, damaged youth like him.