The grandeur of human sexuality and the evil of its abuse.

[SwordofTruth33]

Yes the act of sexuality is indeed a gift from God and to be enjoyed within the sanctity of marriage between man and woman.

Eroticism has poisioned this generation to the point where many see it as normal and good,but Jesus loved us with `agape` love NOT `eros` love.

Good Priests find your spines and preach the truth like this good priest and forget about pleasing the people.

[mpa05]

ahh i remember falling asleep to many droning homilies. god those sucked. fuck church, god is fake, and LOL! catholic proosts

[Catholicdadof4]

The birth control pill has caused the downfall of so many families today. It has made wives subjects of their husbands disordered desires, selfish parents who refuse God's will, reduced the gift of sex as a simple act pleasure and killed babies in the womb by preventing the helpless embryos from implanting in the lining of her mother's uterus. The divorce rate of couples who practice NFP and open to life is less than 1%.

[verse1923]

@Catholicdadof4 The pill doesn't prevent embryos from implanting. It prevents the egg from even being released. So nothing is dying. And the divorce rate for EVERYONE is around 2/3.

[Catholicdadof4]

@verse1923 There is absolutley no scientific evidence what you stated is true. I suggest you do a little more research to see what the birth control pill does as its second line of defense to prevent implantation of the embryo. You and I were once embryos. The birth contol pill is not always effective preventing fertilization, which is why it thins the lining of the mother's uterus below the necessary lenght for the embryo to survive.

[AndreasDK1982]

Encouraging message :-)

[history101guy]

William, Why is it that the Catholic Church is the only one with pedophiles in it. The truth is that every single denomination and religion has pedophiles in them. Including fundamentalist and evangelical churches. I always wonder why people will post comments that have little or nothing to do with the content of the video that is posted. They reveal their own hang ups and concerns but add little to the discussion at hand.

[Gethsemaneful]

@history101guy False. There were only 11 000 cases over the course of 50 years. (0.7%) A Conservative Protestant seminary polled it's members and found that 10% of member had committed molestation. And then there's the US public system with 300 000 cases in the 1990's. In the public system 1 in every 7 girls is molested by a teacher or administrator so no, the Catholic Church is not the only one with pedophiles, it's the only one the media gains something by reporting on.

[burningsolarEX]

william don't generalize don't bring one person in the horrific things another person takes part in religion is a belief humans are the ones who twist it who contradict listen to what this guy is saying is he evil you don't even know him personally

[irishcatholicgirlie]

excellent

[mjmr89]

The Church has always talked about the evils of war... ESPECIALLY during the Crusades! Oh, wait...

[AJ78910]

lol @ christianity.

[williamholsey]

The crusades wasn't a christian war. it was a catholic war. The evil christian empire. the false Christians. the ones who'll bring forth the false christ.

[neothomist1275]

Like its Founder, the Catholic Church has an unending power to inspire hatred in those who reject it. The world's hate is one of the proofs of its divine origin and authority. After 2,000 years, it is still persecuted, still treated as a threat.

[williamholsey]

That would be because you're not really christians. Look at your order. why is it that only the Catholic church has pedophiles in it. Why is it that your leaders are the only ones who create "holy" wars. Look at the dark ages. That wasn't christian, that was all catholic. Why do your popes carry so many satan worshipping items. Try googling the following. Bent cross, acorn , headpiece of dagon, or you can use priest of dagon. Your pope carries all these things. He hangs out with evil leaders.

[neothomist1275]

"Why is it that your leaders are the only ones who create "holy" wars"

You mean like when President McKinley justified to Henry Adams the killing of 30,000 Fillipinos in a single day on account of them being Catholic and in need of being "Christianized"?

"Bent cross, acorn , headpiece of dagon"

Since the Mysteries were being incorporated into Christian worship before the first century was out, where is this "primitive Christianity" we are to emulate?

[williamholsey]

actually in christian practices there weren't any symbols cause we actually followed Christ and his command to have no idols worship no symbols and not to draw any figures from heaven. People in government aren't Christians, they're false followers of Christ. Christ kept chruch and state seperate so that we could see the difference between the liars and the false prophets.

[williamholsey]

President McKinley was apparently a simple racist first since this was right after the civil war, but He didn't kill 30,000 filipinos cause they were Catholic. The american soldiers loss 4,400 of their own while fighting filipino rebels who were against anyone foreign and their numbers were 16,000. Oh and BTW he claimed he was Methodist but he was really a freemason. A high level one at that. Get your facts straight. Things that are evil still kill evil things. freemason vs. Catholic for example

[neothomist1275]

I said McKinley JUSTIFIED the slaughter in the Phillipines on account of their Catholicism, clearly not the real reason.

[boganlewis]

i have seen some retarded statements by protestants before but yours take the cake boy! I used to be a protestant until a year ago when i joined the one true church, the one founded by jesus christ! I will pray that you see the light boy!

[williamholsey]

If you think what I said is retarded then you must be the winner of the special olympics. What I said is true, yet you're too stupid to actually do any research on your own to know why I said it. Let me guess. You're either Catholic, Jehovah Witness, Mormon, or baptist. And you think you've discovered the light. You haven't discovered anything untli you know where and why the bible reads like it does.

[secularscholar]

As an amateur historian I can say that members of the Church wrote the New Testament and the Church as a whole accepted, copied and declared the works inspired. The warnings against violence in the Sermon on The Mount and loving your enemies are as official as any Church statement can be. Of course, the Church has not lived up to the Sermon but who has?

[havock89]

Secular Scholar - Of course it was written down by 1st century christians. The whole chruch has not failed, there are many who live holy and fulfilling lives, but fail on occasion. This is why we have and need reconcilliation, so we can with good conscience pick ourselves up and try again.

[JohnPMallon]

i cant speak for you but religion is my life, whatever wrongs done in the past are guidees for the future. at the end of time christs judgement will come upon the earth and every wrong will be righted.

[iamidris]

I have no quarrel with religion as such - i have my own deeply held beliefs - my argument was with the claims made in this video that the church has always spoken against war and for justice. The mea culpa mass is in itself an admission that this is not the case. The statement of "father" Jeffrey is, therefore, a plain, unvarnished, lie. (BTW, how can a celibate be a father without doing grave violence to language and biology?)

[havock89]

iamidris, you have a very strange view of unmitigated disasters. Christianity has been a greater success than secular society wants to admit. It teaches others to be positive and go beyond themselves in terms of the respect and help they give others. The people fail (as do we all) but the teachings do not.

[iamidris]

In what ways has christianity been a success? Was christianity a good thing for the native peoples of the Americas, for example? Was it a good thing for the Cathars - or others deemed to be heretics? Was christianity a good thing for jews in europe? Has it been a good thing for women? Church history - of most brands - is full of pure unadulterated misogyny and anti-semitism propagated by those revered as "fathers" of the church.

[havock89]

Iamidris - Well you have a very biased set of historical facts. The church performs acts of healing and charity on a daily basis, but they go unnoticed because they are done without publicising themselves.

[havock89]

Iamidris - In India for example, the hindu's were angry at the arrival of mother Teresa, because they thought she was there to "sheep steal". She invited them to come and see their work, and they saw it was sincere. Indoa has only 2% of its population being Christian, but they are responsible for 10% of all child education, 20% of all hospitals, and 30% of all hospices for widows and orphans. That is just india.

[iamidris]

You accuse me of bias - i would never deny it - we are all biased - it is part of our nature. The set of facts you present is just as biased. I suppose i feel that it takes one hell of a lot of hospices and schools to balance the genocides in the americas and europe and the human sacrifices offered in at least their hundreds of thousands by the inquisition - not to mention the protestant mass murders such as Drogheda - as your religion of peace had its fratricidal slaughter

[BroncoLion]

This is completely pathetic.

Catholics are so fucked up.

[JohnPMallon]

I'm afraid the whole idea that the church was quiet about nazism is untrue. the allegations of these kind arised when the red army saught to surpress and ridicule catholicism.

the Pope was actually one of hitlers sworn enemys, sp please back up your sweeping statements with fact.

[iamidris]

OK - here goes. According to the 1933 concordat between the Reich and the Vatican, signed by the future pius XII, all bishops were enjoined to swear an oath of allegiance- ""In the performance of my spiritual office and in my solicitude for the welfare and the interests of the German Reich, I will endeavor to avoid all detrimental acts which might endanger it."

[iamidris]

the Concordat was signed after the decree on compulsory sterilisation- which is surely against catholic teaching, is it not? Also, Hitler had made no secret of his intentions in Mein Kampf - had no-one in the Vatican read it before committing their bishops to blind obedience. Hitler's power in 1933 was shaky - the concordat, however, went a long way to securing it.

[JohnPMallon]

Anyway, i dont believe for one minute the church supported nazism as i have explained above. if it had done so it would be descited and forced from existance. it did try to do the common good. which you are failing to realise. And because of germany's economic situation hitler would have assumed power anyway. you must not forget the bravery of many preists and sadly their role and the churches have been fogetton as they saved lifes.

[iamidris]

Birthday greetings through Cardinal Bertram "Warmest congratulations to the Fuhrer in the name of the bishops and the dioceses in Germany with fervent prayers which the Catholics of Germany are sending to heaven on their altars." Cardinal Stepinak:"God... has ..moved the leader of a friendly and allied people, Adolf Hitler, to use his victorious troops to disperse our oppressors... Glory be to God, our gratitude to Adolf Hitler and loyalty to our Poglavnik" Do you need more?

[JohnPMallon]

once again and uve ignored the point of the soviet union who have infact changed many of the stories surrounding eugenio pacelli (pius xii). these allegations are simply unfounded and you are simply using soviet propaganda from the 40's and 50's to silence the church

[iamidris]

As for attempting to silence the church - i am one voice against a huge multi-national corporation. Come on - get a sense of proportion. My original comment, and later clarifications, are in direct response to the absurd claim int the sermon that the Church has "always" spoken against war and for justice. Read some history - starting with the call for the first crusade and then through the Cathar campaign to the present day.

[JohnPMallon]

yes indeed they church has always spoken against war. but the crusades a thing ppl always attack the church for was actually very different. It was a direct response to attacks on the holy land and the destructions of churches. Im not saying the church hasnt made mistakes and it has. But the church is jesus body on earth. Like jesus body it bears wounds of corruption and suffering. In the end hwever its jesus church and its place is in heaven so like jesus it will rise gloriously.

[iamidris]

A mea culpa mass and the beating of chests in Rome in 2001? Is this supposed to earn forgiveness from the millions who have been slain and enslaved with the Church's blessing? By the way, I am not just talking about Rome here- all official christendom is irredeemably tainted by the deeds of the past. Christianity, in general, has been an unmitigated disaster for the world. Which does not mean, by the way, that individual christians have not done amazing work.

[JohnPMallon]

look i do realise you have an issue with cristainity and that you are looking at some of the churches errors. in effect the errors take nothing away from the truth that it holds, that Christ has saved us all by his resurrection.

[JohnPMallon]

now we have digressed slightly, this doesnt even have anything to do with the sermon, nor does it make catholism wrong. Our faith in Jesus christ "destroys all kingdoms" hwever as a catholic i am certainly not a fascist and i think that the activitys in nazi germany were atrocious. its actually in such a brutality that Pope Benedicts spirtual voaction was born.

[iamidris]

correction to previous comment( the perils of word processing and inadequate prooff reading!!):

For "done very little to bring these about" read "done very little to prevent them" -

[iamidris]

The church may indeed "always" have spoken about war and injustic, but as an institution has in fact done very little to bring these about. Could the Nazis have committed the horrors of the holocaust if the Vatican had been as vocal against that as it has been against , for example, homosexuality - or even "recreational" heterosex?

[JohnPMallon]

Before you indulge into the history of the holocaust and come out with such a generalixed statement as the one you just made,

[JohnPMallon]

i ask you to get all the facts right. The Churches role is to go for the common good, an all out attack on the nazis would have stopped no holocaust rather as this was proved in holland have a severe backlash for many, losing more lives. The vatican had no power over events in germany. But Pope Pius in wisdom responded to save who who he could and its well documented he sheltered jews in Roman Churches.

[iamidris]

Pius XII, 1939: -! Here at the beginning of Our Pontificate We wish to assure you that We remain devoted to the spiritual welfare of the German people entrusted to your leadership. During the many years we spent in Germany, We did all in our Our power to establish harmonious relations between Church and State. Now that the responsibilities of Our pastoral function have increased Our opportunities, how much more ardently do We pray to reach that goal"

[JohnPMallon]

also you are not actually displaying any kind of fair balanced argument. please see past the bigoted and bias.

[iamidris]

The Concordat is not soviet propaganda - neither is the support of the generality of German Bishops for the Furher- to whom they had, after all, according to the terms of the concordat, pledged allegiance. I am not denying the courage of many individual christians - and others - in the period in question. I am, however, maintaining that they displayed such courage despite, not because of, the lead set by the Vatican.

[JohnPMallon]

anyway church doctrine doesnt accept war for power or land. I believe but im not sure that it only allows war in the attempt to help aid peace ie WW1 WW2 were just wars. but as the church makes mistakes i believe in 2001 PJohnPaul held the Mea Culpa mass for forgivenes for suffering caused by the church. and there are just the facts

[iamidris]

Facts? OK. Whatever the causes of the Crusades in those bloodsoaked lands you of the Abrahamic faiths call the "Holy Land", the Cathars were not destroying churches - they were simply in deviation with the teachings emanating from Rome. But Rome has never accepted deviation. Also look at the division of the wealth and slave labour of South America between Portugal and Spain. Power and land, i believe.

[JohnPMallon]

certainly wasnt nothing to do with the heirachy of the church in latin america it was of course by people who called themselves cristians. I believe their violence was wrong

[iamidris]

I am sorry, John, it was. The division was sanctioned and sanctified at the very highest level in the Vatican

[JohnPMallon]

and if so, refer to my other comments and those ppls suffering wont be in vane. I see u dont like religion but u still fail to see the wonderful things it does. it makes us human a sense of religion and the afterlife

[JohnPMallon]

Well u must remember rome cant accept deviation not for power but practically if there was deviation the church would fall and the fatih diluted. Rome acts as an anchor in securing the faith and it has done so for 2000 years "the gates of the underwolrd will never prevail against it". But can i ask you on a personal level what do you think of the Mea Culpa mass??

[JohnPMallon]

I believe in the chrurch of which in its very core is Christ. I believe that you are failing to realise the amount of love and hope this message brings. whatever problem you have with cristianity is your business. u just have to visit lourdes to see its wonderful effect. the church has natured this message and without the church the message that changed the world wouldnt not have reached us

[iamidris]

I think i should expand my last remark a little. rather than just xtianity being an unmitigated disaster, i would extend that to all three abrahamic faiths - with, however, Judaism being generally far less culpable due to its reluctance to proselytise.

[maxamilious]

sex is not a sin. rape is a sin, molest is a sin. Having sex is natural, plus god gave us the parts to do this stuff, so if its a sin, why would he tempt us if he is our friend. God does not tempt us, God gifts us. it is our choice not his.

[vinylman4533]

The sexual revolution was a needed antidote to the evil of repression of the natural desires which had been labeled as evil and unnatural. It is now widely accepted that the sexual urge is one of the primary motive forces within the human psyche. Repress it and some people become fanatical, ugly, twisted and may even commit violent acts and become terrorists.

[methodistmaniac]

Faather Jeffrey is a great priest who always has a great message. i hope i become as good a priest as him when i'm ordained.

[benchwarmerbenji]

And I hope you do as well. May God bless you in your Journey to the sacred life of the Priesthood!

[foltor]

Excellent discourse, deliviered with sensitivity, balance, insight and truth. Thank you, Father.

[james3d]

The problem stems from a sexually repressed individual teaching human sexuality, its ludicrous. Thankfully the numerous sexual abuses by Catholic priests of innocent and trusting children is out in the open; as more people speak out they give courage for others to come forward. The recent historic sums of money paid out by the Catholic church in California cannot cover the guilt.

[redcav04]

james3d...how much "qualification" to you need to preach on the subject of human sexuality...AT LEAST 5 times in the new testament, and more in the old testament state that sexuality is a gift from God to you, and from you to your spouse...your body belongs NOT to you but to your spouse, and vice versa...human sexuality was designed by God to be used in a completely UNSELFISH manner...There, I summed it up. All by reading the Good Book, my man.

[james3d]

Sexual repression begats sexual oppression. Sexual abuse by priests to children is endemic in the Catholic religion. Ratzinger is guilty of aiding and abetting pedophiliacs when he was cardinal by moving them from positons of discovery in the USA to positons of privilage and protection in the Vatican.

[tjboudreaux]

James,

Sexual misconduct occurs in less than 1 percent of Catholic priests. I don't believe that qualifies as being something endemic specifically to Catholic Priests. Though it is a horrific act, to try and stretch less than 1% into a larger number to try and discredit the goodness of many priests, and the message of the church is scandalous.

[james3d]

What hypocrisy! The systematic sexual abuse of children by Catholic priests is not just epidemic but endemic. Time to recognize it is ridiculous to accept sexual teaching from someone who has no qualifications.

[Ferringa]

james3d your words are just the product of your ignorance or someone else's prejudice. Your statements are void, and one of the meanings of void is "containing no matter; empty." Your ignorance is endemic to your words and you're part of an epidemic, that is something you substantiate through your own words.

[Templae123]

Father Jeffrey is wise beyond his years. How old id he anyway? He looks like about 55.

[dilexitprior]

Thank-you for preaching on the BEAUTY of human sexuality when rightly understood. We need to hear more homilies like this, that the faithful would understand that the Church's teaching on human sexuality is not rigorist but rather protects the true beauty of human sexuality. Deo gratias for Pope John Paul II's emphasis of this in developing the Theology of the Body.