This April 5, the beautiful cathedral of Cordoba in Argentina was taken over by reporters, photographers and cameramen from the national and international media.
Baptism as a Propaganda Weapon
What was that mobilization all about? Was it the wedding or baptism of a princess? In a certain sense, yes. It was a gathering involving the “new nobility,” or rather, the new privileged class: homosexual activists.
An innocent child, artificially conceived by a lesbian activist living with another in a mock marriage was going to be baptized, and thus officially become a member of the Catholic Church.
The poor child could not be blamed for being used in yet another great maneuver of the homosexual movement in its quest to “normalize” this act against nature.
The said movement is well aware that countries with a Catholic majority pose a major obstacle that must be removed: the clear and immutable opposition of Catholic doctrine and Church practice.
For this reason, the movement wastes no opportunity to create in the faithful the impression that, if not abolished, this doctrinal stumbling block ─ founded on the natural Law and on the Commandments ─ is at least being cast aside.
Thus, the movement seeks to manipulate to its advantage what some have called the “naiveté” of certain Church authorities.
A Naiveté That Favors Evil
Naiveté and simplicity are typical of children. The latter have still not sufficiently developed the virtue of prudence to acquire a component of that virtue which is key to human actions and governance: cleverness.1
However, naiveté is unbecoming an adult, let alone an ecclesiastical authority, which must abide by the Savior’s recommendation: “Be ye therefore wise as serpents and simple as doves” (Mt. 10:16).
Back to the facts.
A few days ago, contradicting his earlier stance, Most Rev. Carlos Ñáñez, Archbishop of Cordoba (Argentina), took a naive attitude. In 2010, leading a parade promoted by laity, the prelate had stood out in the fight against approval of so-called “same-sex marriage” in his country. Paradoxically, the archbishop has now caved in on a point which is nothing but a step forward in the campaign promoted by the homosexual movement: he authorized the said baptism to be celebrated in his cathedral.
True, the archbishop used as a shield a consultation he made with Antonio Cardinal Cañizares, prefect of the Congregation for Divine Worship and Discipline of the Sacraments by stating, “So the Holy See is aware of this.”
No matter what instruction he received from the Holy See, the prelate is not exempt from responsibility. He did not have to go to that length in order to find out what to do in such circumstances: it suffices to open a treatise on morals or the Code of Canon Law (canon 868 §1, 2º), both of which say one must not baptize a child in the absence of a well-founded hope that he or she will be raised in the Catholic Religion. For one must not disdain holy things (cf. Mt 7:6).
Paving the Way for Religious Homosexual “Marriage”
The archbishop could excuse himself by saying that he advised the women to be careful in choosing the innocent child’s godparents so they would give her a Catholic formation. But what could a godparent do in the face of the fact that the mother and her partner publicly live in a state of conflict with Catholic morals? At any rate, not even this hypothetical guarantee was assured: they chose as godparent none other than the president of Argentina, Cristina Kirchner, as a “tribute” for having sanctioned the law which introduced homosexual “marriage.”
Anyone who harbors any doubt about the women’s ideological motives can simply read the statements one of them made to the media. They make it clear that the women were not seeking the child’s spiritual welfare, as they are non-practicing: “We came from Catholic families but are non-practicing. We do not go to church on Sunday. We want to baptize her but later the baby can do whatever she feels like and go her own way,” Carina Villaroel said.
The girls’ baptism was aimed at advancing the homosexual agenda: “This has set a precedent; after so much struggle and discrimination the Church has opened up a very large door,” Carina told AFP. “This is the message: we are all equal, everyone in the world is equal, heterosexuals and gays, all of us have the same right.”2
According to her, managing to obtain the baptism was only a first step. Now they will seek religious marriage for same-sex persons: “We are now asking the bishop to allow us to have our wedding celebrated by the Church, that [the Church] say yes to the marriage of homo-parental families and gays so as to take a step forward,” Carina stated.
Lesbian Kiss on Hallowed Grounds
As could be expected, the media emphasized the fact that the baptism took place in Argentina, land of the Pope, and that he has recommended that any child be baptized. Obviously, however, the sacraments can be administered only when there are appropriate conditions. Above all, they must never lend themselves to be used as propaganda tools for movements or ideologies opposed to Catholic doctrine.
A picture or video are worth more than a thousand arguments: the two women were filmed and photographed kissing each other inside the cathedral as if they were husband and wife. And the media have been spreading this scene around the world.
The Church Has Overcome Other Crises
Holy Mother Church has overcome other crises and weathered other storms. Upon leaving the catacombs, she was shaken by Trinitarian heresies and particularly Arianism. Later, schisms and heresies wrestled whole nations from her.
Today, the spirit of the world, the “smoke of Satan,” as Paul VI put it, appears to have entered the Sacred Temple. But from the depths of the Gospels arise the consoling words of Our Lord Jesus Christ:
“Why are you fearful, O ye of little faith?” “Heaven and earth shall pass, but my words shall not pass.” “I say unto you, till heaven and earth pass, one jot, or one tittle shall not pass of the law, till all be fulfilled.”
“[B]ehold I am with you all days, even to the consummation of the world.”
“That thou art Peter; and upon this rock I will build my church, and the gates of hell shall not prevail against it” (Matthew 8:26; 24:35; 5:18. 28:20; 16:18).