Fr. Rodriguez Speaks at El Paso City Council Meeting

Here’s another email from the El Paso group supporting Fr. Rodriguez:

This morning the City Council of El Paso had its regular Tuesday meeting. Any person is allowed to sign up ahead of time and speak in the open forum. Fr. Michael Rodríguez spoke briefly to City Council (~ 3 min). Attached is the text of his words, available as a press release.

The City of El Paso also streams its meetings live and then has video available at their website, it is normally located at:

http://www.elpasotexas.gov/realplayer.asp

The date for this event would be Tuesday, Jan 31, 2012. So the City should have video footage of this event as well for those interested.

PRESS RELEASE

Address to El Paso City Council

by Fr. Michael Rodríguez

JANUARY 31, 2012

In the middle of our dark, secular, godless society, there is a light. This light is the Holy Roman Catholic Church. Jesus Christ and His Church teach the truth about homosexuality, and we can summarize this truth in three points:

(1) Homosexual acts are acts of grave depravity; they are mortal sins which cry to heaven for vengeance. Under no circumstances can they be approved.

(2) Homosexuality is an objective disorder.

(3) Homosexual persons are to be treated with respect, compassion, and sensitivity.

In the debate over homosexuality, the dark side seeks to frame the issue as one of discrimination and civil rights. This makes no logical sense. No one has a civil right to do something morally wrong. I don’t have a right to steal. I don’t have a right to lie. I don’t have a right to commit adultery, and I don’t have a right to engage in homosexual acts. As for discrimination, discrimination exists when one is against a person not when one is against actions on the part of a person. The Roman Catholic Church condemns actions of a homosexual nature. She does not discriminate against homosexual persons.

Thus, before anyone speaks about discrimination and/or civil rights, the following questions must be answered:

(1) Do you believe in right and wrong?

(2) How do you determine what is right and what is wrong?

(3) Does society have an obligation to establish law and order in accordance with its best effort to determine right and wrong?

Thus, before anyone speaks about discrimination and/or civil rights, the following question must be answered:

(1) Are homosexual acts right or wrong?

If a Catholic does not believe and hold fast to the truth that homosexual acts are wrong, one is no longer Catholic. Such a “Catholic” must refrain from receiving our Blessed Lord in Holy Communion, because one is no longer in communion with the moral truths taught by Jesus Christ and His Church.

In conclusion, no one on the face of this earth has a greater love for homosexuals that the glorious Roman Catholic Church. But it is never loving to lie. If you lie to homosexuals and tell them that “homosexual acts are o.k,” then you are the one who is showing disdain for homosexuals, because you don’t care about their true good, happiness, and salvation.

Sancta Dei Genetrix, ora pro nobis.

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I’ve also written about Fr. Rodriguez on this blog here and here.

See also "Religious Freedom and the Ochoa Lawsuit"


And "Effects of the Lawsuit Against Fr. Rodriguez"

And "Lay Faithful Sue Bishop Ochoa"


And "El Paso: Curiouser and Curiouser"