Is the pope using language that is easily exploited by the aggressive Sin Movement that calls itself “gay”? Read his full interview HERE.

Dear AFTAH Readers,

Americans For Truth About Homosexuality works closely with conservative Catholics from across the nation, indeed the world, in opposition to the homosexual activist movement. It is my experience that wherever the Catholic Church still has influence, if the Church or its leaders takes a strong stand against pro-“gay” legislation, the bills usually fail — but if Church leaders compromise on doctrine or go AWOL (public policy-speaking), homosexual activists triumph.

Having said that, I acutely recognize — from my perspective as an evangelical (who was raised Catholic) — that there has always been a “friendly distrust” or competition between ministry and the defense of morality. Between Christians who believe that the primary role of believers is compassionate Gospel outreach to lost homosexuals — and “culture war” Christians who (although also loving the Gospel) see religious traditionalists as a crucial force resisting the Sin Movement of homosexuality that so profoundly threatens our culture.

In this context we ponder the meaning and ramifications of Pope Francis’ new rhetoric on homosexuality. Below we reprint portions of an article from our good friends at LifeSiteNews — a Catholic pro-life, pro-family news site and one of the top social conservative websites in the world — on Pope Francis’ much-discussed interview released yesterday [available HERE or as a PDF document HERE]. We note LifeSite’s apprehensive take that:

“Most major media are reporting the statements [by Pope Francis] as a direct challenge to the Church’s way of operating on the moral issues. The comments are very different from those of his two predecessors.”

Yesterday, I sent out the following cautionary tweet in response to the pope’s comments — both in the new interview and a previous one — about the Church being more “welcoming” and less judgmental toward homosexuals:

The tragic reality is that a lack of proper moral “judgments” toward and vigilance regarding homosexually-inclined priest candidates contributed greatly to the horrifying homosexual-predator crisis that has so devastated the Catholic Church. This was exacerbated by liberals such as Milwaukee’s notorious homosexual Archbishop Rembert Weakland (see my report for America’s Survival on Fox News’ pro-“gay” bias).

I dare say that a more sinister plot to undermine the Catholic Church and its reputation could not have been carried out had Satan’s earthly minions spent $100 million devising one:

1. Homosexual men take advantage of more lax standards to enter priesthood.
2. Homosexual priests and male Catholic school officials use their authoritative role to seduce and molest mostly male teenagers and boys.
3. Homosexuals like then-Archbishop Weakland and their sympathizers in the Church cover up priest abuses and transfer predators to new, unsuspecting parishes, where they molest more boys.
4. The homosexual-predator scandal blows up in the media — alienating millions of Catholics from the Church and doing untold damage to its reputation and moral, spiritual and political influence.
5. Homosexuals and liberal allies who advocate for acceptance of homosexuality turn around and say Church is now discredited because it harbored “pedophiles.” Meanwhile, Church officials resist full disclosure of the scandal, thus perpetuating it.
6. Lastly, “gay” activists and their liberal allies continue to insist that the male-on-boy priest abuse scandal has little or nothing to do with homosexuals — but rather was a “pedophile” or “ephebophile” (adult who is sexual attracted to adolescents) problem.

My hunch is that each and every one of those complicit Church apologists for homosexuality, like Weakland, would consider himself “more compassionate” and “more Christ-like” than “anti-gay Catholics” who have been scandalized by the homosexualist advances in their Church. Such is the arrogance of liberals. This despite the untold suffering of boys victimized by sexual deviants masquerading as pastoral guardians of others’ souls. (See Catholic writer Randy Engel’s Rite of Sodomy: Homosexuality and the Catholic Church — one of the best books ever written on homosexuality — and Leon Podles‘ Sacrilege: Sexual Abuse in the Catholic Church [available through AFTAH; see below to order].)