Diocesan "spokesman" publicly rebukes Toronto priest

Reading anything from the Toronto Star is not something that this blogger does, nor any MSM print source for that matter. Therefore, I depend on friends and readers to bring the devil's work to my attention as with this sad matter.

The Director of Communications for the Archdiocese of Toronto, Neil MacCarthy in an interview with the Toronto press is quoted as saying "There was a more pastoral way to welcome people back to the church, ... You have to find the most caring way.”

It seems that a Catholic pastor, Father Charles Forget of St. Leo's Parish in Brooklin, east of the City of Toronto sent a letter to the parents of school children in a sealed envelope. He preached against sin and asked people to come to the Sacrament of Penance/Reconciliation. According to the obviously biased media the letter included: "Have I committed adultery or fornication? Have I become intoxicated? Have I been disobedient or disrespectful to my husband? “Have I done unnecessary servile work (physical labour) or shopping on Sunday?” and “Have I denied my spouse his or her marriage rights?” There were a few for children as well such as: “Have I talked back to parents, teachers or other adults? “Have I pouted and been moody?” The letter concluded with, “Pray about it. Do not be afraid. Come, be reconciled!”

As typical of a spoilt and puerile paganised Catholic generation, some were "shocked" that a priest would do his job and they filed complaints with the school board and of course, called the ever eager Toronto Star to take another shot at the Church.

“Made for an interesting conversation, where my kids were asking what abortion and masturbation were — since it came in an unsealed envelope addressed to no one, and they read it,” the parent said in an email (to the Star). “Hardly appropriate material for a kindergarten to grade 8 school.”

Well I've got news for these parents. Your kid is probably masturbating and someone in his or her catholic school has shown them some porn! Nah, they probably found your stash! Your little angel uses the "F" word too. So, get your head out of the sand and a few other places where the sun doesn't shine and parent-up!

Father says the letters were in sealed envelopes. The parents who contacted the press, said they were not. I'll choose to believe Father Forget rather than the paganised Catholic parents who contracept, abort, watch porn, don't go to Mass on Sunday, don't support the Church with time or money or both and don't raise their children to be Catholic. One opines that she is going to put her children in the public school. Well, don't let the door hit'cha on the way out; I'm sure your kid will find all about masturbating over there but don't expect a Christmas pageant for your little snowflake.

The real problem in this story though is not the priest, the parents the Durham Catholic District School Board or the Toronto Star, the problem is the Director of Communications at the Archdiocese of Toronto. The arrogance of the chancery bureaucracy in Toronto and its chastisement of a priest in public, its lack of support for a priest doing his job and for church teaching, that is the problem here. 

It is not the job of the Director of Communications of this or any Archdiocese to publicly rebuke a priest, to undermine his reputation and authority in his parish. To do this for a half dozen people who probably were in the greatest need of that letter is interfering in the "pastoral" duty and care for souls of that priest. I would think that Mr. MacCarthy should have been applauding the priest to the press and the parents in the administration of the Sacrament of Reconciliation not to condemn him for trying to wake the people up as to the reality of sin.

The "sin of the century is the loss of the sense of sin" said Blessed Pius XII. That is clear in this little parish in Brooklin and it is simply unacceptable that he be rebuked by a bureaucrat.