Celibacy is always, shall we say, an affront to what man normally thinks. It is something that can be done, and is only credible, if there is a God and if celibacy is my doorway into the kingdom of God.
A civilization inspired by a consumerist, anti-birth mentality is not and cannot ever be a civilization of love.
No one is forced to be a Christian. But no one should be forced to live according to the "new religion" as though it alone were definitive and obligatory for all mankind.
Assuredly, the word of truth can be painful and uncomfortable. But it is the way to holiness, to peace, and to inner freedom. A pastoral approach which truly wants to help the people concerned must always be grounded in the truth. In the end, only the truth can be pastoral.
It is sad that there are what you might call professional Catholics who make a living on their Catholicism, but in whom the spring of faith flows only faintly, in a few scattered drops. We must really make an effort to change this.
With knights like these, no wonder the Church is losing. The Order of Malta was created to fight for the Church, and now they fold like little girls interrupted by rain on their picnic.
Distinctions Matter
Distinctions Matter Forward
Missale Romanum
Pre-1951 Calendar