When things get toxic in Tradland.

 15th September 2021

Feast of the Seven Sorrows of Our Blessed Lady

In some quarters of the Church Traditionalist Catholics have a bad reputation of being somewhat toxic. Toxic Trads they call us.

But is there any truth in this?

A recent discussion with someone I respect made me give this whole subject some thought. The discussion centred over an article written on a blog.

The article was titled "The myth of the chaste Homosexual".

As I read the article I could understand the anger, especially among American Traditional Catholics, at what has happened and continues to happen in the Church.

They are, as we all are, very angry at the whole McCarrick scandal. The disgusting behaviour of perverted clerics has destroyed the lives of the little ones so loved by Our Blessed Lord.

Then there are the likes of the wayward priest James Martin S.J who go unreproached, who are praised and lauded, spreading falsehoods whilst good priests teaching the Catholic faith are censored, bullied, ousted and cancelled. Trads are understandably and rightfully angry. I am very angry at this grave evil.

But we also have to be careful that our anger does not blind us. 

This is where the article comes in. Basically the author of the article argues that those, especially in the priesthood, who self identify as "Gay" or "Homosexual" may be sexually abstinent but they can never be truly chaste. This in itself is not false. Obviously if a person identifies with an ideology that is completely at odds with Catholic doctrine then that person cannot live out Catholic teaching in a full and flourishing manner.

However, that is not the issue with the article. The problem is that it lacks what I would call Catholic nuance. It doesn't stem from a pastoral heart and I had this confirmed by a Traditional priest with whom I shared the article's contents.

The author does not address those Catholics who suffer from Same Sex attraction, acknowledge it to be a disorder and live fully Catholic lives through prayer, penance and the Sacraments.

These people exist. People afflicted with Same Sex attraction yet striving for real holiness. I was blessed to make friends with such a person.

In 2013 I moved London. 

London is wonderful, crazy, weird and fascinating place. You find all sorts of people there. The good, the bad, the ugly and everything else. Honestly, it sometimes reminded me of scenes from the Men in Black films.

London is also a place where the Catholic Faith flourishes beautifully. There is the Tyburn Convent and many wonderful Churches. Think of the amazing Brompton Oratory.

Whilst at Church I met and made friends with an Irish Catholic gentleman who was in his 70s. I shall call him Patrick to protect and respect his privacy.

Over time I got to know this quiet, gentle and unassuming man. One day we were speaking about our lives and families when the conversation turned to why he never married and had children.

"Well, I'm Homosexual" he told me. He must have seen my eyes widen because he continued

"I knew that I was since I was young. I was always surrounded my women as a child. My mother and my aunts. There was no real father figure, no real male role model so I guess I was soaked in the feminine."

I asked him how the whole LGBTQ ideology had affected him.

"Oh I have never been a part of that. I have never even watched Pornography. I honestly could never offend Our Lord like that! My strength comes from Our Lord. I am blessed to spend three hours a day in Adoration."

Wow. THAT is holiness, dear friends. This one man (there are others) puts to flight the utter nonsense that those afflicted with same sex attraction cannot be chaste.

How many of us can say that we have been that pure, that devout and that dedicated to prayer?

Patrick is a witness to both the James Martins and those Trads who say that chastity for those attracted to their own sex is a myth. 

Both the writer of that article and James Martin are angry. Their anger comes from different sources but it has blinded them. For James Martin it has blinded him into thinking that chastity is impossible because "gays should be able to love" and for the Trad writer it has blinded him because of the likes of McCarrick.

God's Grace, however, does do wonders.

If a "Satanist priest" like Blessed Bartolo Longo can end up repenting and getting into Heaven then those who look most lost can be saved too.

Let us look at these people and not be blinded by our anger. Yes, be angry at the horrific scandals in the Church. But be not blind.

Right now, when the LGBTQ crowd seem to have the upper hand and their screams are deafening there are wonderful stories of men and women who have encountered Christ, thrown aside a false identity and have put on the Lord Jesus.

There are the likes of Joseph Sciambra, for example. Look him up on YouTube or here Sons of St. Joseph (josephsciambra.com)

Our Lady in Fatima asked for prayer and penance for sinners. She did not say "except this group or that group of sinners".

Now, if you are a person (especially a teenager) reading this blog post and you are same sex attracted please do not listen to people who leave you feeling hopeless or try to give you false hope. Here is my advice

1) Lady Gaga is wrong. You were not born that way. 

2) You are not disordered but your sexual attractions are. God made male and female. There is no third option.

3) There are people who have been healed of their unwanted SSA. It is not guaranteed to happen but there is help out there. Here is a good place to start National Association for Research and Therapy of Homosexuality (narth.us)

4) God loves you and has always loved you from all eternity.

5) You can be chaste. Go to Confession and Holy Communion (Better to go to the Traditional Latin Mass).

6) Pray the Rosary everyday. Read and reflect on the 15 Promises of the Rosary. Get close to Our Lady.

7) Get officially enrolled in the Brown Scapular by a priest.

8) If you fall into any serious sin, pick yourself up, get to Confession and don't listen to the lies of the devil.

9) Do some sort of penance. A little bit of fasting (no seconds for example). A cold shower (if you can take it)

10) Don't isolate yourself. Make good, Catholic friends. Mix with people who don't have SSA and are living good Catholic lives. Sin, SSA and dirty, dark secrets thrive in isolation.

11) Find a good, Traditional priest to be your Spiritual Director and Confessor. 

12) Never let the devil or toxic people steal your hope. God wants your salvation more than you do and it is God who has the final word.

As for Traditional Catholics please examine your conscience. Have you become too embittered to the point of making sweeping, negative statements?

Are you praying for the conversion and salvation of people have been mislead by the evil LGBTQ ideology?

Do you try to spread hope even whilst you fight corruption?

Do you encourage those who struggle with this disorder to repent, convert and grow in grace?

Finally, what would you do if it was your own kid?

People, being a Traditional Catholic means both firm orthodoxy and charity. We are all sinners. Let's encourage each other to become Saints.

Whilst we must fight the evil that has slithered into the Church we must also practise charity. Let us not tear people down.

Be truthful. Do not water down the truth but do not present it as an ideal beyond reach either.

Encourage people to set aside sin. Encourage people to embrace the Catholic Faith in its fullness. Encourage people to abandon Modernism and false ideologies.

Encourage people to become truly, really and deeply Holy and in love with God.

God bless

* Some details have been altered to protect the privacy of others