Thank you to all who sent me texts or emails or spoke to me about the front page of The Southern Cross in the last issue. I appreciate your candor and I am glad you feel comfortable in sharing your thoughts with me.
I share your anger and frustration. Publishing that picture and article was not a prudent decision by the Editor. I am working with the Bishop and the Director of Communications for the diocese on how to best respond to the justifiable outcry which resulted.
On many levels – civically and ecclesially – things were wrong in the picture, headline, and article on the front page of our Diocesan newspaper. I will not address them all here. One issue I will address. Our brother, Mr. Biden, is a Catholic. He is a Catholic who presently and throughout his public political life has promoted and fostered positions that are not only contrary to the Catholic faith, but anti-Catholic. He is our brother in faith, but he is persistent in grave sin by celebrating, promoting, and facilitating the intrinsic evil of abortion. His platform and policy, in my opinion, place his soul in eternal peril. Out of charity and zeal for his soul, the church leader to whom his soul is entrusted has a duty to publicly call him to repentance and holiness. Why publicly? Because Mr. Biden is a public figure and has publicly promoted and facilitated the killing of innocent human life in abortion. Whatever has happened behind closed doors hasn’t worked. Perhaps the public declaration will have an impact on his conscience.
My brothers and sisters, pray for his conversion. He is our brother who has gone astray, pray that the somehow the Lord will bring him back around. There is much more to say about the whole matter, but I want just to highlight the need for his conversion. Let us pray for our brother who is persisting in manifest grave sin.
Christ the King
On this Solemnity of Jesus Christ, Lord and King of the Universe, it is good to be reminded of that. We pray that His will be done and that he give us the grace and strength that we need to accept and thrive in the midst of all that He has for us. Place your hope in Him, not in any power of this world. He is our hope. He is our joy. He is our life. He is the Truth. My brothers and sisters, let this bring us peace and comfort.
Thanksgiving
Can you believe that Thanksgiving is here already? My goodness what a year it has been. I wish all of you a very blessed Thanksgiving. May you and your family enjoy your time together! Be safe!
May the Lord bless you and your families abundantly this week!
~ Fr. Daniel F. Firmin