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Article 70 – Marriage – Take Heed that No One Leads You Astray

First Published in ‘The Catholic Voice’, Ireland, September 2016

Christ’s Warnings!

And Jesus answered them, “Take heed that no one leads you astray. For many will come in my name, saying, ‘I am the Christ,’ and they will lead many astray.” (Matthew 24:4-5)

Then they will deliver you up to tribulation, and put you to death; and you will be hated by all nations for my name’s sake. And then many will fall away, and betray one another, and hate one another. And many false prophets will arise and lead many astray. And because wickedness is multiplied, most men’s love will grow cold. But he who endures to the end will be saved. And this gospel of the kingdom will be preached throughout the whole world, as a testimony to all nations; and then the end will come.” (Matthew 24:9-14)

Beware of false prophets, who come to you in sheep’s clothing but inwardly are ravenous wolves. You will know them by their fruits. Are grapes gathered from thorns, or figs from thistles? So, every sound tree bears good fruit, but the bad tree bears evil fruit. A sound tree cannot bear evil fruit, nor can a bad tree bear good fruit. Every tree that does not bear good fruit is cut down and thrown into the fire. Thus you will know them by their fruits.” (Matthew 7:15-20)

Classroom Sex Education is a False Prophet

The message to us from these quotations is very clear. False prophets will come and many will fall away. Most men’s love will grow cold. I liken ‘sex-education’ programmes to the false prophets. These programmes are dressed up as sheep, claiming to be good for our children, but they actually ravage our children and our young people destroying their innocence and purity.

The Church Condemns Classroom Sex Education

In almost every decade since 1929 the Church has condemned classroom sex education. This is why it is so appalling that the Pontifical Council for the Family now sees fit to promote such a condemned ‘sex-education’ programme which amounts to promoting child abuse. Once again I make no apologies for speaking frankly on this matter. I am fed up with political correctness, and emotional niceness, and I refuse to bow to the whims of those who claim to be offended while the agendas they seek to promote corrupt our children.

Pope Pius XI issued his encyclical on the Christian education of youth, Divini Illius Magistri, on the 31st of December 1929. In paragraph 65 he condemns sex education as follows.

Divini Illius Magistri

Another very grave danger is that naturalism which nowadays invades the field of education in that most delicate matter of purity of morals. Far too common is the error of those who with dangerous assurance and under an ugly term propagate a so-called sex-education, falsely imagining they can forearm youths against the dangers of sensuality by means purely natural, such as a foolhardy initiation and precautionary instruction for all indiscriminately, even in public; and, worse still, by exposing them at an early age to the occasions, in order to accustom them, so it is argued, and as it were to harden them against such dangers. Such persons grievously err in refusing to recognize the inborn weakness of human nature, and the law of which the Apostle speaks, fighting against the law of the mind; and also in ignoring the experience of facts, from which it is clear that, particularly in young people, evil practices are the effect not so much of ignorance of intellect as of weakness of a will exposed to dangerous occasions, and unsupported by the means of grace.” ( Divini Illius Magistri 65-66)

The Response of the holy Office

Less than two years later, on March 21st 1931, the Holy Office issued a decree, in question and answer format, which clarified the Church’s position.

Question: May the method called “sex-education” or even “sex initiation” be approved?

Answer: No. In the education of youth the method to be followed is that hitherto observed by the Church and the Saints as recommended by His Holiness the Pope in the encyclical dealing with the Christian education of youth, promulgated on December 31, 1929. The first place is to be given to the full, sound and continuous instruction in religion of both sexes. Esteem, desire and love of the angelic virtue must be instilled into their minds and hearts. They must be made fully alive to the necessity of constant prayer, and assiduous frequenting of the Sacraments of Penance and the Holy Eucharist; they must be directed to foster a filial devotion to the Blessed Virgin as Mother of holy purity, to whose protection they must entirely commit themselves. Precautions must be taken to see that they avoid dangerous reading, indecent shows, conversations of the wicked, and all other occasions of sin. Hence no approbation whatever can be given to the advocacy of the new method even as taken up recently by some Catholic authors and set before the public in printed publications.”

Public Sex Education is Immoral

It is quite clear from the above two statements that the Catholic Church considers public ‘sex-education’ to be an immoral practice. Pope Pius XI, in Divini Illius Magistri, further states “In this extremely delicate matter, if, all things considered, some private instruction is found necessary and opportune, from those who hold from God the commission to teach and who have the grace of state, every precaution must be taken.” ( Divini Illius Magistri 67)

Yet in 1985 the Irish bishops issued a pastoral letter called ‘Love is for Life’ in which they called for an expansion of ‘sex-education’ in Irish schools.

The Irish Bishops support sex-education even though it is Immoral

Some aspects of this modern “sexual revolution” are good and are to be welcomed. There is a new openness in discussion about sexuality, and an absence of unhealthy feelings of guilt or shame about our sexual nature. There is a more general acceptance of the need for education of the young in an understanding of their sexuality, even though the call for “sex education” does not always sufficiently stress the human and the spiritual dimensions of sexuality. It would be better to speak of “education for love”, since the whole aim of a Christian and healthy sexuality is to put love, in its full and genuine meaning, into sexual relationships. Properly imparted, this knowledge can greatly help young people towards a mature and balanced and Christian understanding of sex.” (Love is for Life 1985 para 53)

The Loss of Catholic Language

What one notes about this statement when compared to those of Pope Pius XI and of the Holy Office, is the fact that the language used is no longer ‘Catholic’. The Church has never promoted or praised ‘openness in discussion about sexuality’. On the contrary, the Church has consistently warned of the dangers of public discussion of what is, after all, a very private matter.

Why? Pope Pius XI quotes Cardinal Silvio Antoniano in Divinis Illius Magistri.

Divini Illius Magistri again

Such is our misery and inclination to sin, that often in the very things considered to be remedies against sin, we find occasions for and inducements to sin itself. Hence it is of the highest importance that a good father, while discussing with his son a matter so delicate, should be well on his guard and not descend to details, nor refer to the various ways in which this infernal hydra destroys with its poison so large a portion of the world; otherwise it may happen that instead of extinguishing this fire, he unwittingly stirs or kindles it in the simple and tender heart of the child. Speaking generally, during the period of childhood it suffices to employ those remedies which produce the double effect of opening the door to the virtue of purity and closing the door upon vice.”

© John Lacken 2016

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Author: John Lacken

Founder: Legio Sanctae Familiae – The Legion of the Holy Family

E-Mail: john@truedevotions.ie

Website: www.truedevotions.ie

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