I hope commentators in the English speaking world make it clear that the main problem here is the homosexuality (on top of several others, all of which lead to the homosexuality - but I digress); Hildegard of Bingen wrote fairly explicitly as well (I'm by no means equating her work to his but am saying this because I'm afraid this will devolve into those objecting looking like they're clutching pearls in a puritanical way - like "how dare he write explicitly about human sexuality" without specifying how wrong his expressed telos of sexuality is).
It is obvious that this man has had way too much unhealthy interest in eros and erotic love. And to publicly air his views in book form tells us his thinking process and the theology that underlines his understanding of the faith and doctrine. Like a typical modernist little reference to church teaching with regard to marriage and the 'marriage act'. It is not sexual intercourse or the sex act - tradition has always referred to it as the marriage act. A private, intimate act within marriage, a beautiful expression of love within the sacramental union. And yet, he writes in a public, crude and secular manner with no reference to the sacrament of marriage. I suspect anyone (like myself) who has objections to his two books will be labelled 'Jansenist' or 'rigid' or 'prude'. The real problem I see is that the sexual revolution has polluted people's brains through so much indoctrination and propaganda that people cannot recognise impurity even when it belts them on the face. This is the reality - brainwashing - through all forms of corrupt media from a young age. Would you read that filth to the all pure Mother of God if she was in your presence? Why do most Catholics have no problems with homosexual behaviour? Most likely because the majority contracept and lack the gift of purity in their own marriage. Why do so many prelates have no difficulty with the sin of sodomy? Join the dots. We are not judging the man but judging the fruits of his work. We have a right to do so and yet people attack the messengers and not the message! I really feel for anyone who thinks that material is fine and I will pray for you. I think I need to take a break from this forum to focus on praying the Rosary and take refuge in the Immaculate Heart of Mary, Mother of Purity. Ave Maria.
I was trying to link a Gisella Cardia message from Countdown but failed. It helps me to see what is occurring here. Jesus tells her he has not interviened because masks must fall from the wolves for everyone to see what's going on. I think it's very important that church leaders must be of impeccable reputation. This standard is applied to secular politicians. They argue its their private lives and sometimes it gets them off the hook. In the case of a church leader it's beyond belief that this should be ignored and he remain in office. This is a scandal for ordinary people. He should resign or be removed. Yes he might not write this book now because it would damage him but the evidence is that he has a warped view of homosexuality which is a grave sin. If he gets away with this then Catholic moral teaching is irrelevant to many people.
Sigh, I am afraid they will just ignore this, once again as though nothing happened. But so be it. None of this surprises me anymore. I have become battle hardened. Back to my prayers!
Thank you. I’ve been doing so already, taking a break, to a greater or lesser degree for some time now. But I knew this current debate would confuse some, and felt an obligation to defend some of the parties responsible for this story breaking. I’ve been to their homes or shared meals and conversation with them. The assertions about them in this thread are frankly revolting to me, and display diabolical disorientation in my opinion.
I take leave from the forum for a while but I want to share an insight about the gift of purity from my wee book on the Rosary: Gift of purity Mary is the perfect disciple. Her humility and purity are the virtues that allow her to see the full glory of God. Likewise, we must imitate these virtues in order to grow in holiness for ‘Blessed are the pure in heart, for they shall see God’ (Matthew 5v8). Purity of heart is connected to purity of the senses, therefore, we must guard what we allow into our hearts by properly guarding our senses, and this is where the rosary is key. Contemplating the mysteries of the most Holy Rosary imputes into our minds and souls, noble thoughts and virtues, and is a sure way leading us to purity of heart. The repetitive practice of mental prayer, through praying the mysteries, is impactful as we grow in grace of the virtues imitating the lives of Jesus and Mary. It is a process of conversion. None of us are perfect for we have many defects of character. The rosary exposes and shines a light on our imperfections in light of the perfect actions of Jesus and Mary. We learn to replace bad habits with good virtues and in that way we grow in holiness, in imitation of Jesus and Mary. The Rosary is, therefore, a fortress against temptation, ‘training us to renounce ungodliness and worldly passions and to live self-controlled, upright and Godly lives in this present age’ (Titus 2v12). Nothing blinds the soul more than impurity, as it invades the imagination, weakens the will and clouds the intellect. It destroys marriages; destroys trust and reeks tremendous damage on civil society. The rosary is the greatest weapon against impurity if we pray the mysteries faithfully, since we allow our imagination to be subordinated to the will of God. We learn to imitate our Lady who is all purity. One who prays the rosary regularly and perseveres will overcome all vice – the rosary ‘will cause virtue and good works to flourish; it will obtain for souls the abundant mercy of God; it will withdraw the hearts of men from the love of the world and its vanities, and will lift them to the desire of eternal things’ (one of the fifteen promises of the Rosary). Ave Maria
I hope you won't. But I surely understand why you would want to. I won't read those chapters. I will take others' words for it. But I remember how in The Way of Divine Love Jesus spoke with grief and outrage of the priests of those times. ( the 1920's) and asked Sister Josepha to take on sufferings as a victim soul to atone for those souls lest they be lost. Little Francesco of Fatima spoke of how sad Our Lord was and so he sat for hours in church with "the little hidden Jesus." All I want to do right now is go and sit with the little hidden Jesus.
Well thats me too I am afraid. Battle hardened. Not surprised. Just knowing there must be more Rosaries.
https://www.catholicnewsagency.com/news/256470/cardinal-victor-fernandez-book-sexual-themes-vatican-doctrine Rediscovered book by Cardinal Fernández features graphic erotic passages on ‘spirituality and sensuality’ CNA Rome Newsroom, Jan 8, 2024 / 11:30 am A 1998 book by Cardinal Victor Manuel Fernández featuring provocative, sexually-charged themes has resurfaced, likely adding further scrutiny to the already embattled prefect of the Vatican’s doctrine office. Titled “Mystical Passion: Spirituality and Sensuality,” the 26-year-old work includes graphic descriptions of human sexual relations and discussion of what the Argentinian theologian describes as “mystical orgasm.” The nearly 100-page-long book also depicts in detail an imaginary erotic encounter with Jesus Christ on the shores of Galilee, which Fernández said was based on a spiritual experience disclosed to him by a 16-year-old girl. The book, originally published in Mexico, was brought to renewed attention on Jan. 8 by Caminante Wanderer, a traditionalist Catholic blog based in Argentina, which described “Mystical Passion” as “imprudent” and “an occasion of sin” for potential readers. Read the rest at the link. Or don’t….
https://www.lepantoin.org/wp/vaticans-chief-guardian-of-doctrine-wrote-pornographic-blasphemous-book/ Vatican’s Chief Guardian of Doctrine Wrote Pornographic, Blasphemous Book Michael Hichborn2024-01-08 By Vatican’s Chief Guardian of Doctrine Wrote Pornographic, Blasphemous Book Last night, the Lepanto Institute obtained a photocopied version of a book published in 1998, written by Cardinal Victor Manuel Fernandez, the prefect for the Dicastery of the Doctrine of the Faith. Cdl. Fernandez is currently at the center of a major controversy regarding the permission to “bless” same-sex couples, and his book, “La Pasion Mistica,” describes in graphic detail the events of male and female orgasms and compares those experiences with intimacy with God. He also suggests that “God’s grace can coexist” with homosexual acts under certain circumstances, blurs the line between males and females, and even provides transsexual and pederast imagery in relation to Divine Intimacy. Online references to “La Pasion Mistica” are nearly impossible to find, and the Vatican’s list of published works by Cdl. Fernandez has conspicuously omitted this book. However, there are a few online resources which make reference to the book as far back as 2006. For instance, an article appearing in the July 2006 issue of Revista Neustra America titled [in English] “Symbolic Images of Evil in the Mystical Discourse of New Spain,” cites Fr. Victor Manuel Fernandez’s book in relation to its explicit imagery regarding human orgasm. On Feb. 6, 2012, a blog titled, “Books by Victor Manuel Fernandez” supplied a complete list of books written by him, including “La Pasion Mistica.” A search for the book’s ISBN yielded shockingly few results, and while there is some acknowledgement of the book’s existence by book sellers, the book could not be found for sale ANYWHERE. And given the content of the book, it wouldn’t be a stretch for one to believe that Fernandez had hoped to make it disappear as he was on his way to higher prominence. “La Pasion Mistica” is broken into nine chapters, each one making gradual, perverse steps toward sexualizing Divine intimacy with God. The chapters are: Presentation………………………………………… ……………………….. 3 The fire of divine love ………………………………… ……7 A well of sublime passion …………………………………………… 17 A crazy love story…………………………………………… .25 The mystical passion ……………………………………. ……………….35 Until the end ……………………………………. ……………………… 45 My beautiful one, come …………………………………………… …………….59 Male and female orgasm……………………………..65 The path to the orgasm………………………………………… 75 God in the couple’s orgasm…………………………..85 While there are deeply concerning statements contained throughout the book, the real problems begin in Chapter 5 where Fernandez begins to sexualize the mystical experiences of saints. The chapter, titled, “Until the End,” presents the story of Blessed Angela Foligno, a 13th century nun who enjoyed mystical conversations and ecstasies with Our Blessed Lord. Cherry-picking various lines from Bl. Angela’s writings, Fernandez reduces the sublime mystical experience to human orgasm. On page 48, for instance, Fernandez wrote: “But let’s see how Angela continues saying that her experience is not only spiritual, but also physical, corporeal. Her mystical joy had all the characteristics of an orgasm: There is nothing that penetrates the soul so much with burning fire, as when Christ is in the soul with delight of love… Then all the members feel a detachment, and I want it to be so. And all the members feel a sublime intoxication, in which I would like to always remain. And the members also shout when they disengage.” Fernandez also sexualized an experience of St. Clare, suggesting that a vision that illustrates St. Francis of Assisi’s role the one to nourish her soul was somehow akin to a sexual engagement. On page 53, he wrote: We also find something of this in the curious “vision” of Saint Clare, where she describes an encounter of hers with Saint Francis, after his death, with erotic characteristics: Clara told that once, in her vision, it had seemed to her that she was carrying a pot of hot water to Saint Francis. And when she arrived next to Saint Francis, the saint took a nipple from his breast and said to the virgin Clare: “Come, take and suck.” And after she sucked, the saint encouraged her to suck again; and as she sipped, what she took from there was so sweet and so pleasant that she could not express it in any way. And when he was satisfied, the roundness or mouth of the breast from which the milk came out remained between Clare’s lips (Acts of the canonization process of Clare, 3, 29). While this passage taken from the Acts of the Canonization Process of Clare may seem odd, the mystical symbolism is clear – St. Francis of Assisi would nourish Clare as a mother nourishes a child. But Fernandez refers to this encounter as “erotic.” In Chapter 6, “My Beautiful One, Come,” Fernandez extends the bridge of sexualizing the mystical language of the saints to something he claims a 16-year-old girl told him about an erotic encounter she had with Christ. Writing in his own words, he quotes the girl as sensually caressing the skin of Christ, leading to an intimate moment in which Our Blessed Mother “leaves her alone” with Christ. Beginning on page 60, Fernandez wrote…. Read the rest at the link. Or…don’t.
Blasphemy is insulting the One who is the only one who can save us through his sacrifice on the cross. If he repents of his errors, then let him repudiate the insolence he wrote about our Savior.
To all those beloved forum members who have said they are taking some form of break from the forum - BrianK, PurpleFlower, Garabandal, etc.: I totally understand where you are coming from. Perhaps it is good to take a step back for a while - I have done this myself. But please do come back at some point! Will miss you... God bless
I met a holy old nun one time years and told her I had stopped talking to a sister of mine who had gone off the rails. She said to me, 'You don't change people by not talking to them'.
True, that. But I’m having a hard time being civil right now considering the diabolical enormity of this situation and the silly protestations against getting this evil man removed from such a high position of power.
Yes, good point Padraig. Because I love to read what the forum members have to say, I keep coming here. I find it difficult to imagine to see this forum without BrianK, PurpleFlower, Garabandal, and many others.
Thank you, garabandal, for the above thoughtful reflection. I notice when I write here, there are times when my mind is thinking more of Catholics in the pews. Most of them are oblivious to the world of the Catholic internet, such as MOG. Most of the horrors like the latest news concerning Cardinal Fernandez are unknown to them. And I don't usually bring such news up with them. Now, pornography I have, because that is a reality impacting families directly. To bring up wayward clergy and the horror of what has been published by Fernandez would be improper with young persons in the pew. In an adult Bible study, perhaps; in a homily, no. So, it is proper here to keep abreast of all that is revealed by the "Lepanto Institutes" of the world, in order to know where to focus prayers of spiritual warfare. But to engage in the online spiritual battles themselves, no. For me it resembles keeping a score card in the latest contest, which then threatens discouragement on my part. Instead, pray and fast! Pray and fast. O Mary conceived without sin, pray for us who have recourse to thee!
