The Homily that Caused an Outcry and the Priest to be Dismissed

[gam197]

lifesite.net/ldn/2008/jan/08010703.html

The change may be innocent of any wrong doing.

“The reasons for these moves are between the individual priest and his bishop and is considered a personnel issue that our diocese does not discuss in the press out of respect for both the individual priest and his bishop.”

“New births, anniversaries and funerals, separations of any kind, a photograph from the past - give us pause and remind us whom we are bound to,” he said in his homily, a copy of which he provided for LifeSiteNews. “Our human sexuality - father, mother, brother, sister - reveals our deepest relationships. We call God our father, and his Son our brother.”

“Contraception, contra-conception, trivializes the sacred value of human sexuality - a danger humanity did not have to face a century ago before the advent of modern chemistry and technology, the pill (before or after) and a host of plastic devices.”

“Contracept, take God’s plan off the table, and you have mayhem,” he said. “The most important thing in your lives, bearing children, is no longer discussed. It has been permanently removed from the conversation. Done deal. The pill, the IUD, the diaphragm, the sponge, the condom - who is making money here? - have shut down not only the body but the brain. And wives and husbands wonder why they grow apart? When a man and woman, a husband and wife, share daily this most wonderful mystery of their human sexuality they are bonding as nature and God intended.”

 

[whatevergirl]

An uncomfortable Truth. I was once one who might squirm in my seat hearing this…now, I would embrace it! Sad, he was dismissed over it. I have to wonder why Catholics don’t want to be taught the teachings of the Church, right? Most likely, because people do not want to be told to change. When you hear messages that make you squirm, you feel that you need to change–and change is hard…even if God requests it…we are human, and it is hard.

This priest should not have been dismissed!

 

[MSParrott]

Wow, the poor priest was just doing his job. I read his homily, and it didn’t seem offensive to me at all. But I guess sometimes the truth hurts.

 

[nobeerinheaven]

From Lifesitenews.com:

The Homily that Caused an Outcry and the Priest to be Dismissed
Homily on NFP provokes congregation member to stand up and shout at priest “When are you going to stop?”

By John Jalsevac

ROCKFORD, Illinois, January 4, 2008 (LifeSiteNews.com) - This past December 9, at St. James’ parish in Rockford Illinois, a very normal Mass suddenly became a very unusual Mass when a parishioner stood up in the middle of the homily, interrupted the priest, shouting at him “When are you going to stop?”, and then left, with her homosexual partner in tow. A few other parishioners also stood up and left the church. A few days later, the priest was dismissed from his duties at the parish by his bishop.

Father Tom Bartolomeo Catholics know that there are some things that you just don’t hear preached from the pulpit any more. The most conspicuous of these unpreachables is sexual ethics, especially the idea that using contraception might be immoral, and contrary to a Culture of Life. Most priests know that these are unpopular subjects, and emphatically avoid them. But Fr. Tom Bartolomeo, who until several weeks ago was the associate pastor at St. James parish, is not your typical priest.

To begin with, Fr. Bartolomeo was ordained only just over a year ago. This, of course, is not exactly extraordinary in itself, except for the fact that he is now seventy years old. At an age when many other priests are retiring, therefore, he is only getting his feet wet.

…

About a month ago, however, Fr. Bartolomeo’s enthusiasm for the Gospel message brought an unexpected turn into his life, when he gave what he thought was a normal Advent homily. The homily was the second of a projected series of four homilies dealing with life and family issues, designed to coincide with the four Sundays of Advent - the season leading up to the birth of Jesus. This particular homily had to do with contraception and natural family planning.

The Catholic Church teaches that the use of contraception is intrinsically and gravely immoral. Church teaching does, however, allow married couples to use the natural rhythms of the female body to knowingly space children, if there is a sufficiently grave reason to do so. These fundamental moral teachings formed the basis of Fr. Bartolomeo’s homily.

“New births, anniversaries and funerals, separations of any kind, a photograph from the past - give us pause and remind us whom we are bound to,” he said in his homily, a copy of which he provided for LifeSiteNews. “Our human sexuality - father, mother, brother, sister - reveals our deepest relationships. We call God our father, and his Son our brother.”

“Contraception, contra-conception, trivializes the sacred value of human sexuality - a danger humanity did not have to face a century ago before the advent of modern chemistry and technology, the pill (before or after) and a host of plastic devices.”

“Contracept, take God’s plan off the table, and you have mayhem,” he said. “The most important thing in your lives, bearing children, is no longer discussed. It has been permanently removed from the conversation. Done deal. The pill, the IUD, the diaphragm, the sponge, the condom - who is making money here? - have shut down not only the body but the brain. And wives and husbands wonder why they grow apart? When a man and woman, a husband and wife, share daily this most wonderful mystery of their human sexuality they are bonding as nature and God intended.”

In the middle of this homily however, say witnesses, one congregation member stood up and began to argue with the priest, yelling “When are you going to stop?” Gerald Weber, who has been a parishioner at St. James for 47 years, was at that Mass. “It was embarrassing, the noticeable argumentative tone with which she stopped him in his homily,” he told LifeSiteNews. “Father treated her nicely for the way she was acting, but she continued yelling. She finally sat down, but then stood up again, and took her friend with her and made a show of leaving the church. With that there were some other people who objected to the subject matter.”

Bishop Doran oversees the Rockford, Illinois diocese where this occurred. I do not see an email address to contact the diocese itself, but the offices of communications and publications can be reached by email at observer@rockforddiocese.org and by phone at (815) 399-4300. We wonder why NFP is barely ever mentioned by the pulpit, I am sure it is due in no small part to the fear every parish priest has of this nightmare happening to them. Father Tom Bartolomeo needs support.

 

[childofmary1143]

From Lifesitenews.com:



Bishop Doran oversees the Rockford, Illinois diocese where this occurred. I do not see an email address to contact the diocese itself, but the offices of communications and publications can be reached by email at observer@rockforddiocese.org and by phone at (815) 399-4300. We wonder why NFP is barely ever mentioned by the pulpit, I am sure it is due in no small part to the fear every parish priest has of this nightmare happening to them. Father Tom Bartolomeo needs support.

It’s being discussed here:

forums.catholic-questions.org/showthread.php?t=210227

 

[nobeerinheaven]

Ah, thanks. Believe it or not, I looked to see if this had already been posted.

 

[nobeerinheaven]

Bishop Doran oversees the Rockford, Illinois diocese where this occurred. I do not see an email address to contact the diocese itself, but the offices of communications and publications can be reached by email at observer@rockforddiocese.org and by phone at (815) 399-4300.

We wonder why NFP is barely ever mentioned by the pulpit, I am sure it is due in no small part to the fear every parish priest has of this nightmare happening to them. Father Tom Bartolomeo needs support.

 

[Tietjen]

What a way to start the day! I woke up feeling good and happy and now I am rather irate. I have felt that by enlarge MOST parish Priests shy away from many controversial teachings of the Church. It is simply easier to preach homilies that society already agrees with rather than say something that may cause some to feel uncomfortable. If you are fortunate to have a Priest and Bishop that are NOT afraid of the TRUTH then let them know how grateful you are for them! I wish that Fr. Bartolomeo were allowed to be transferred here to Nashville. This Priest should be commended NOT punished! Especially from WITHIN the Church! Okay, time to calm down again… God bless all.

 

[OriginalJS]

1. There has to be more to this dismissal than I see here or in the publications. I hesitate to speculate.
2. According to St Paul Minneapolis Archdiocese publication, The Catholic Spirit, the NFP program is being extensively revamped because too many have been “crossing their arms and closing their minds.” As I read the article, the revamping has been considered necessary to appeal to the listeners’ reasoning rather than be strictly authoritarian.

 

[Teelynn]

An uncomfortable Truth. I was once one who might squirm in my seat hearing this…now, I would embrace it! Sad, he was dismissed over it. I have to wonder why Catholics don’t want to be taught the teachings of the Church, right? Most likely, because people do not want to be told to change. When you hear messages that make you squirm, you feel that you need to change–and change is hard…even if God requests it…we are human, and it is hard.

This priest should not have been dismissed!

Uh Huh, yep, because there is a pretty large segment of Catholics (or so called) that want to do what THEY want to do, and have managed to deceive themselves into believing that everything is just peachy with The Lord that way. Really sad. I see pride as the root of this kind of “I can do what is comfortable, and pick and choose my own right and wrongs” attitude. As the experts tell us, most sins are rooted in pride.

 

[Teakafrog]

This priest is a hero, God bless his soul! It takes a lot of guts to stand up and preach the truth to the masses. I wish he was MY priest!

 

[Tim_Kirchoff]

What a way to start the day! I woke up feeling good and happy and now I am rather irate. I have felt that by enlarge MOST parish Priests shy away from many controversial teachings of the Church. It is simply easier to preach homilies that society already agrees with rather than say something that may cause some to feel uncomfortable. If you are fortunate to have a Priest and Bishop that are NOT afraid of the TRUTH then let them know how grateful you are for them! I wish that Fr. Bartolomeo were allowed to be transferred here to Nashville. This Priest should be commended NOT punished! Especially from WITHIN the Church! Okay, time to calm down again… God bless all.

 

[lizaanne]

Let Father come HERE!!! We would LOVE to have him in the Detroit Archdiocese! (Though the AoD might not agree with that…tough cookies!)

~Liza

 

[Genesis315]

If this story is true, then this priest should definitely be commended–he is walking a path that has been walked before by saintly men. St. Basil the Great and others were banished from their churches for speaking the truth as well.

 

[Santi2]

Let Father come HERE!!! We would LOVE to have him in the Detroit Archdiocese! (Though the AoD might not agree with that…tough cookies!)

~Liza

Father can come to ours as well.

"…when a parishioner stood up in the middle of the homily, interrupted the priest, shouting at him “When are you going to stop?”,

If this conduct took place in my Church, people would most certainly be aghast but, not for long. Someone in the congregation would definitely have said “carry on, Father” and many more would have asked Father to do just that.

God bless Father Bartolomeo and I pray for more like him.

 

[CatholicAviator]

Everyone should send an encouraging word and thank you card to Fr. Bartolomeo at:

Fr. Tom Bartolomeo
Diocese of Rockford
P.O. Box 7044
Rockford, IL 61125

You can also send a card to Bishop Doran at this address and thank him for such a wonderful priest as Fr. Bartolomeo who is not mute like so many priests who contracept the truth from the pulpit. Praise the Lord for Fr. Bartolomeo!!!

Fight the good combat of faith,
Catholic Aviator

 

[mdgspencer]

A priest was dismissed from his parish in New England a few years ago for speaking so from the pulpit. Luckily, another bishop, knowing the story of what happened, quietly took him into his own discese.
Hopefully, this will occur now if his present bishop does not relent. Many dioceses can use more priests, to say the least, let alone good ones.

 

[Riley259]

More priests need to speak from the pulpit about this stuff…if it means purging those who can’t accept it and are obstinate in their sin, then so be it.

 

[aaronlgates]

From Lifesitenews.com:



Bishop Doran oversees the Rockford, Illinois diocese where this occurred. I do not see an email address to contact the diocese itself, but the offices of communications and publications can be reached by email at observer@rockforddiocese.org and by phone at (815) 399-4300. We wonder why NFP is barely ever mentioned by the pulpit, I am sure it is due in no small part to the fear every parish priest has of this nightmare happening to them. Father Tom Bartolomeo needs support.

Thanks for the e-mail address… I was on their site and didn’t find contact info… but didn’t look too hard… so I wrote this to them… do you think it too harsh?

---

Dear Brother/Sister,

I am a father of 5 young children and a pharmacist in the US Army looking to join through the RCIA class on this coming Easter Vigil. I am writing to say that I support Father Tom Bartolomeo and his homily that ‘got him fired’.

I am likewise ashamed that Bishop Doran who oversees the Rockford, Illinois diocese did what he did.

As a Doctor of Pharmacy acutely aware of the abortifacient mechanism of birth control, I am ashamed of Catholic leaders who become participants in the wholesale murder of millions through chemical killing by REFUSING to address this issue in the Church. Regardless of whether Father Bartolomeo was not tactful, he is one of the FEW who ever address this in the homily. Name one time you’ve heard it spoken of in Mass. There is no hiding the fact that this was the reason for his dismissal, and attempting to hide this fact is further proof of the spiritual state of those who do so.

It is of these people that Jesus spoke when he said:

et ad discipulos suos ait (name removed by moderator)ossibile est ut non veniant scandala vae autem illi per quem veniunt utilius est illi si lapis molaris (name removed by moderator)onatur circa collum eius et proiciatur in mare quam ut scandalizet unum de pusillis istis

And he said to his disciples: It is impossible that scandals should not come. But woe to him through whom they come! It were better for him that a millstone were hanged about his neck and he cast into the sea, than that he should scandalize one of these little ones.

V/R,

Dr. Aaron Gates, Pharm.D.

CPT, USA

 

[jimmy2010]

Dear Dr. Gate,

Congratulation and welcome! I pray that you and your family will have a wonderful journey into the faith. I agree with everything you wrote. It is not harsh at all, as it is the truth.

Funny that people who comes into the church have more knowledge about the church than those who are born into it. It is because we don’t have a lot of priests like Fr. Bartolomeo, who are being silenced left and write.

God bless you,
JL