U.S. Church Official: 'The Day May Come When We Have to Resist'

From Zenit:

The day may come when U.S. citizens actually have to resist the nation’s radically-changing forces, set to limit religious freedom - just one of the views shared with ZENIT by an ambassador of the World Congress of Families, Fr. Marcel Guarnizio.

An expert on the region and Russia having ministered there extensively, Fr. Guarnizio warns that hope disappears when populations don’t see a need to have families. He believes Russia now has a new vitality, needed to help Western Europe resist its “death culture”, and considers a free market economy to be the best way to bring people out of poverty.

Fr. Guarnizio, a native of Northern Virginia, was attending a Rome conference June 26-29 on the theme: “Poverty and Common Good: Putting the ‘Preferential Option for the Poor’ at the Service of the Poor.” The event was organized by the international think tank Dignitatis Humanae Institute (DHI) which aims to uphold human dignity based on the anthropological truth that man is created in the image and likeness of God. Conference speakers included senior Vatican officials, politicians, media and business leaders, in the Casina Pio IV of the Vatican gardens.

Glad to see people speaking up like this. IMHO, we need to hear this more.

I think Fr. Guarnizio is absolutely right.

We last heard from Fr. Guarnizio in the Archdiocese of Washington, DC when he denied Holy Communion to a person who obstinately persisted in manifest grave sin. Fr. Guarnizio’s faculties were revoked and he was sent packing.

Having lived the gay lifestyle for many years, I have found myself resisting and being thought a pig for not agreeing with my friends, or strangers’ views. For me the days of resistance have been here for a long time. May God, through Our Lord Jesus Christ and the prayers of our Blessed Mother Mary, send the Holy Spirit upon us all so we may never back down. One can be kind and still stand his ground.


I agree, but they got to ditch this male alcoholism nonsense and get those birth rates back up.

Thanks. God bless.

The time for Americans to resist has already come.

Yes, I recognized the name. The reason he was removed is unclear, although the timing did raise concerns that was related to his denial of communion to a lesbian (and the ensuing public controversy.)

I haven’t heard about what happened after the dust settled, and I am still not sure how Fr. Guarnizio has been occupied. Other than being a priest, I don’t understand how the title of the article can describe him as a “US Church Official.” The text of the news article mentions he is “an ambassador of the World Congress of Families.” However, the WCF is not affiliated with the Catholic Church. It is an endeavor of the Howard Center, a non-profit think tank created by a couple conservative activists.

The Dignitatis Humanae Institute is not affiliated with the Catholic Church, either. Although Church officials did speak at its conference, not everyone who attends a conference organized by DHI is a Church official, or (for that matter) even necessarily Catholic. The organization describes itself as “Catholic-insprired” think tank which is ecumenical.

I mention all of this since the news article presents the views of Fr. Guarnizio as deserving special attention. This raises the question as how he is employed in the Church and what his duties are.

World Congress of Families is designated as a hate group by the Southern Poverty Law Center. I know many on this site dismiss their findings but having clergy be involved with these groups sends a very bad message in my opinion. WCF actually advocate criminalization of homosexuality overseas, that’s something only an extremist group would do. They are clearly more anti-gay then they are pro-marriage.

This isn’t nearly as bad as Archbishop Cordileone getting involved with the National Organization for Marriage since he is a leader in the Church but it still makes us look bad when he is presented as a “U.S. Church Official” (where did that title come from anyway?).

Do you mean that Western Europe needs more Caucasians to battle nefarious forces?

This is truly scary! What exactly do you think he means by “have to resist?”

Sadly many people think of this as a literal Call to Arms, and to resist with Violence, revolt and guns.

This is NEVER the answer.

Gay Marriage will not ruin the country, and the irony is that most of the country is obviously starting to resist the constant judgement of the religious right and most importantly, their wanting to force their religious beliefs onto those who may not agree with them, which is wrong for any religion to do.

Constant judgment? Please, tell us what form that takes?

And, think about your statement, “religious right.” Should their be a left or right to religious people? I think you mean to say, “religious people,” which are a rare breed nowadays. Sadly. :frowning:

We may be headed for times similar to the Catholic Church persecution in 1920’s Mexico. It’s not a given it will happen, we’re not close to it now, but given the actions of the Administration and of the viewpoints of those in power, I can see the possibility from here. What sort of resistance is up to each man to decide for himself and his family. Remember Jesus chased the money changers from the temple; that was certainly not doormat behavior.

So the USA was an evil country until sodomy was decriminalized? Let’s be clear about what we’re talking about here. I’m unaware of ANY effort anywhere to make it a crime to BE homosexual. I’ll agree that I’m aware of places where there are laws against sodomy. I find such things no more alarming that laws against polygamy. In case you haven’t noticed, there are no mobs converging on Utah and beating fundamentalist Mormons to death for defying laws against polygamy, so I’m unclear why it is that it is a given that where there are laws against sodomy, violent homophobia will inevitably result.

SPLC and their ilk deliberately and consistently attempt to lump together opposition to homosexual conduct to hate crimes against homosexual persons. This is either ignorant or dishonest and obliterates their credibility in my book.

Same goes for anybody who objects to Bishop Cordileone speaking at a defense of marriage rally. It’s a dishonest smear attempt.

No, it won’t take that shape. They’ve gotten much more clever. They won’t be arresting and murdering priests and nuns for “being catholic.”

They will use the courts, fines and jails over time to create the appearance that they are punishing evildoers by revoking tax exemptions, prosecuting ‘hate speech’, and forcing believers out of desirable professions.

Think I’m exaggerating? Take these examples in recent years:

  1. Obama Administration tried to force a religious school to rehire a teacher who was obstinately undercutting the religious teachings of her employer. Thankfully, the SC overturned it for now, but the attempt was seriously made.

  2. The IL governor signed an executive order that pharmacists may not refuse to fill prescriptions for abortifacient drugs. Also overturned for now by courts, but not for a couple years in which hundreds of christians faced a crisis of faith vs livelihood.

  3. The IL Catholic Charities was widely recognized as one of the best adoption agencies in the state, but was denied a license to operate AT ALL if they operated according to catholic teaching that children should not be adopted by gay couples. Note that the state has plenty of OTHER adoption agencies that gay people are free to use. Not good enough. Note that CC now can no longer even facilitate adoptions by faithful catholics. They are de-licensed.

  4. If you own a medium or larger business, Obama attempted to force you to provide all your employees with insurance that pays 100% of the cost of contraception, morning after pills, IUDs and in some cases elective sterilization. Morally object to that? Too bad, you’re paying for it. Refuse and we’ll run you out of business with fines. (Apparently overturned for now, but not until thousands of business owners were forced to choose between faith and business. Admittedly, most chose business).

  5. Photographers and bakers have attempted to respectfully decline to participate in gay weddings, but been sued for ‘unjust discrimination.’ It remains to be seen if courts will find any distinction between refusing to serve a PERSON and refusing to participate in an EVENT that is morally objectionable. (Personally, a reasonable compromise would be to say that a photographer may not decline to photograph two men because of who they are, but may object to photograph events he objects to. Thus, he may not refuse to photograph two men who want a ordinary portrait together, but he may refuse to photograph their wedding, just as he may refuse to take porno pictures for them. It’s the actions he may object to, not the people.)

  6. Catholic Relief Services has historically been recognized as among the very best NGOs involved in providing care for refugees from war and political violence. Nevertheless, the Obama administration shut down their contract simply because they refused to be complicit in providing abortions to pregnant refugees.

  7. Attempts have been made in the past (so far defeated, but for how long?) to REQUIRE doctors going into OB or family practice to participate in abortions as part of residency training. No conscience exemptions allowed. So far, pro-lifers have successfully fought back, but the NARAL types keep pushing for it because very few doctors really WANT to participate in abortions. Go figure.

  8. The Mozilla CEO. The gay community got the guy fired because of his PRIVATE contributions to a political group seeking to block approval of gay marriage in CA. The message: Anybody not OK with gay sex is not welcome leading a big company. If you think that way, you better stay in the closet. Ironic…

See the pattern? They’re not going to shoot us, they are going to marginalize us and starve us out one small step at a time. All in the name of “progress,” of course.

So what? So are Traditionalist Catholics! For me, a “hate group” designation from the SPLC is an important “stamp of approval” that a group is doing something right.

So I take it you believe that the Nation of Islam or the KKK are doing something right since both are designated as hate groups by the SPLC?

They are talking about Radical Traditionalist Catholics. They are not simply folks that are in communion with Rome and prefer the Latin mass. The SPLC makes this distinction very clear.


Not an evil country, just wrong at that time. We lived and learned and moved on.

OK, so that is one big thing in their favor.:thumbsup:

of course this time will come, probably fairly soon too!

Jesus told us there would be a time when even the elect will be fooled by a great deception, churches will be shut down, Christianity may become illegal, I know how I will react when this happens, but I fear many current parishioners at my church will follow anything they are told by police or govt, they would drop their faith in a heartbeat if it meant any kind of trouble or interference with their lives…I call them ‘fair weather christians’.

Plus, this will only be the beginning, will people be able to endure torture and jail SOLELY because of what they believe in? I highly doubt it.

I fear , FAR too many people today are more concerned with mans laws, versus Gods laws, they will obey literally ANYTHING a cop tells them to do, no matter if it goes against their constitutional rights, most people dont even know they have the right to completely ignore a cop, or dont have to give them their name, people teach their kids to obey a cop 100% at all times…GEEZ, Im glad I taught my ex-Gfs 6yr old daughter her actual rights and not to obey law enforcement 100% of the time…( I hope she retains this knowledge and learns more), but what are these people thinking teaching their kids that? LOL
