Mexican/American Priest in El Paso Defends Faith and Morals in City Paper

I just read a well written column from the El Paso Times concerning Catholic teaching on abortion and homosexual acts. Papers hear in New England don’t have Guest Columns by Catholic priests, unless they are laicized priests like Boston Globe’s James Carroll who contributes his anti-Catholic screeds regularly to the paper. Things are different in El Paso where the spirit of healthy controversy appears to be much more animated and open. God bless the good Mexican Catholics, lay and clergy, who are proud of their Faith and defend it in the public forum. Knowing nothing about the El Paso Times, other than what I’ve just read in its pages, it looks like the paper gives the Church a fair shake, or at least a voice.

The column that I am going to link you to was written by a loyal Catholic priest, Rev. Michael Rodriguez, in response to a milquetoast column written by a liberal priest, Rev. Ed Roden-Lucero, who thinks the Church ought to be “inclusive.” Father Lucero writes in an April 18 piece:

“For the benefit of all people of good will regardless of faith, race or orientation, I write to offer a broader pastoral, scriptural and ecclesial perspective compared to that offered by Rev. Michael Rodriguez, (Church Opposes Redefinition of Morality, March 21).

“An appropriate starting point is a question proposed to Jesus in the gospel and his response to it. When asked which commandment is the most important, Jesus replies first with the well-known commandment to love God “…

I could not access the whole article but according to a commenter, the accommodating Father Roden Lucero also claimed that Rev. Rodríguez “states many absolutes that are not, in reality, dogmatic absolutes.”

Putting it mildly (ahem!), Father Rodriguez’ orderly, theological, and magisterially complementary rebuttal exposed the utterly gelatinous dribble of Rev. Roden-Lucero for what it was — sentimental hogwash. He beings his column “Catholics must show true faith” thusly:

“My purpose in writing is to present the unadulterated teachings of the Holy Catholic Church. Why? Because only fidelity to Jesus Christ and His beloved Church will bring happiness and salvation to our poor souls.

“Everything I wrote in the first part of my March 21 column is Catholic Church teaching, pure and simple. On the other hand, Rev. Roden-Lucero’s criticisms are neither valid nor accurate. Let’s begin.”  Then, like a good pastor teaching his flock, he goes on with points 1,2,3, and 4. The column is a must read and can be found here.