Friday 16 March 2018

To those whom I have mocked, ridiculed, and gossiped about: I apologize and ask forgiveness



Over the past two years I have slowly, but surely, endangered my soul by writing on this blog in a manner that was not always Christian. Mockery, ridicule, gossip can never be a part of the Christian life. 

There were times when I mocked, ridiculed, gossiped about people. This was wrong, this was sinful. There is a way to challenge erroneous ideas without mocking, ridiculing or gossiping about those who may propose them. To Fr. Edward Beck, C.P., Fr. James Martin, S.J., and any others, I apologize and ask forgiveness for mocking, ridiculing or gossiping about them. 

As such, I am reviewing, and already in the process of removing posts that  had strayed into sin. Simply put, I do not want not to commit sin in the process of writing about issues I care deeply about. 

I have no intention of setting myself up as a theologian or philosopher, However, there were times when I did so by implication. I do not have the authority to make theological decisions or to instruct the faithful as an official of the Church. I only have the right to question (always respecting the person) via an informed conscience. In this way, I can, as a layman, do my duty to spread the Gospel. St. Francis told his followers to preach through example first, and then if necessary, with words. 

As I discern on my role in service to the Church, it is clear that I have work to do beyond this blog. There are other ways I can serve the Church, especially in my field of health sciences and music. The elderly need to be cared for, loved and served. 

You will see a change in this blog. My example is now Monsignor Vincent Foy. He never engaged in uncharitable words in his efforts to promote and defend the truth. Truth must always be presented in charity. 

Our Lord showed us how to act with and towards others. To the woman caught in adultery He told her, go and sin no more. He did not mock, ridicule or gossip about her. He challenged her to repent. I have failed to imitate Christ. He never mocked anyone.  Nor should I. Even more so, as I am a sinner! I must learn to have compassion and mercy. 

Please pray for me. 

23 comments:

Anonymous said...

I have heard of your blog, but never read it. Now I will not.

Thank you for making that clear. I do appreciate clarity.

This is from someone whose life was destroyed by the Catholic Church. Yes, we must forgive, but we are not obliged to encourage and arm our destroyers.

You seem deluded. I am sorry for you.


Karl

Anonymous said...

You must have been given a cease and desist and told not to divulge this fact.

I understand the need for charity, but when someone is a public figure in the Church and leading the Faithful astray, they must be called out. You were doing a service. I hope that you continue to tell the Truth as it is and to uncover the darkness while doing so in your new way.

Anonymous said...

You are very brave soul to ask publicly for forgiveness. This is not easy, quite a contrary! Thank you for your post; it means a lot for me, too. In my eagerness to defend faith, I am guilty of the same sin. My emotions run high and I can not avoid speaking about the person instead about the sin or problem. This is not easy. I think this is a skill of discussion we all have to learn. Thank you again for your courage to express publicly your guilt about the sin WE ALL SHARE...

Dorota Mosiewicz-Patalas said...

May God keep you strong and effective in your noble endeavors.
The fact that I commit the same sins you listed doesn't in any way lessen your responsibility nor mine.

I hope however that your decision doesn't affect the sharpness of your righteous rebuke, especially of homosexualist priests such as J. Martin.

Anonymous said...

I’m so sorry to hear this. You were good.

Anonymous said...

There is no bravery in asking public forgiveness for clear wrongdoing.

That is HOG WASH.

But, if this means acquiescing to the scandalous, self-idolotry and pandering to sexual perversions and excessiveness of sexual indulgence demonstrated by the Begoglians and before them the Ratzingerians and the Wojtylans, and not calling a spade, a spade, then this apology is nothing of the sort.

It will mean it is, rather, a joining with men who are destroying lives, left and right while knowing they are destroying lives, left and right, as they ignore the very victims they should be advocating for and intervening for.

Which will mean that the name TORONTO CATHOLIC WITNESS, is as much of a lie, as is the Papacy, now for many decades.

Your call, Barona.

Bye,

Karl



Kathleen1031 said...

This is utterly depressing.
You have every right to make that call.
We need champions. There are times that try men's souls. These are those times. Sometimes conflict is messy, yet without conflict evil will always win. We have need of saints and we have need of warriors. It takes a rare person to be both. Each person has to decide what his job is. Your voice has been an important one.
Now perhaps there is one less voice.
God bless you and all of us as we face this world. I do not have a blog and I'm sure it can feel like an overwhelming responsibility. But who will call out these men?

nazareusrex said...

St Francis de Sales: The declared enemies of God and His Church, heretics and schismatics, must be criticized as much as possible, as long as truth is not denied. Is a work of charity to shout Here is the wolf when it enters the flock or anywhere else

nazareusrex said...

Please listen this video of Fulton Sheen on False Compassion

https://gloria.tv/video/wfYbs9HNPoeS16hhi8Rj2fVo9
“The refusal to take sides on great moral issues is itself a decision. It is a silent acquiescence to evil. The Tragedy of our time is that those who still believe in honesty lack fire and conviction, while those who believe in dishonesty are full of passionate conviction.”

Anonymous said...

I have always admired Randy Engel ,while it is true some say she should not be slandering Prelates.
However, I have never found her statements to be false. Our Lord Jesus Christ called a hypocrit a hypocrit and a liar a liar and He also lost his temper several times and got violent with the money changers in the Temple.
What is better ? To warn people about the vipers or to just let them get bit by their poisonous venom?
There is also such a thing as false charity and I believe we have had enough of that to coverup and explain away too many vile sins so as to make them appear normal.

Anonymous said...

Please do not confuse TRUTH with slander, especially
during the times we are living in.

Christoph Rebner said...

I do not think so, in fact no, you did not mock!

Anonymous said...

I honestly thought this headline was something Pope Francis recently said! (and rightfully so)
Anyone critical of Barona needs to reread John 8:7

Anonymous said...

Sir , How can you believe you have done something wrong? This is the same argument the Vatican has given for NOT acting on the rabid clerical pederasts like Maciel and literally thousands of others. I come from a Diocese where our pastor raped boys ,little boys , and at least five committed suicide.One was only ten years old and is buried in NJ. Our donations paid for that pervert priest's HIV infection and he died of AIDS never spending a day in jail. We had several other sexually perverted pastors and victims were paid off with secrecy clauses so the perps went onto attack other youth.
The Church, as we foolishly call them, have never learned the error of their ways because they are too damned old to realize we are communicating with each other in masse. They knew and have known but left these monsters to sodomize over and over again. do you know what that has done to the victims and their families? most especially the mothers of these children have suffered for the rest of their lives.
You apologize? Could this come from a false sense of over scrupulosity ? I know it is Lent ,but ask yourself if Our Lord was overly scrupulous when he warned what should have happened with these men who destroy the Faith ? Think "millstone".
Then KNOW that these Prelates have destroyed the Faith in more people than you could have ever done by exposing and publishing the Truth.

Anonymous said...

You need to individually reach out to the people you have abused and bullied through this blog. The hate that came from this was disturbing for someone who claims to be Catholic.

Anonymous said...

Just remember this. They were allowed to get away with so much abuse because victims and or their parents, reported it to the Bishops first.
Read Engels report on Fr Anthony Cipolla .I know first hand what the mother went through and is still going through with her grown children.
Just wait till the Pittsburgh Diocesan Grand Jury gets finished and releases their findings.

nazareusrex said...

The Prophecies and Revelations of Saint Bridget of Sweden: They grieve over everything but me. They grieve for their own and their friends’ losses. They grieve for an injurious word. They grieve over offending or hurting people more highly placed and powerful than they, but they do not grieve about offending or hurting me, who am the Creator of all things. What man is so despicable that he is not listened to if he begs about something and is not given a gift in return if he has given something? But I am utterly vile and despicable in their eyes, for they do not consider me worthy of any good, even though I have given them all good things.

Anonymous said...

Dear N , do you think these clerics are grieving how they have offended Our Lord by sodomizing his little ones?
Is the Pope? How many months and years of Masses of Reparition are being said?
Unrighteous scrupulosity is also sinful.

Anonymous said...

Hypocrite! Barons has nothing to apologize for, but you’re a pathetic troll and I will not apologize for that!

Anonymous said...

I disagree with this but You have your reasons.

Martin, Seno, Horan, Beck. These malefactors deserve no sympathy nor respect. You had every right to call them out and I applaud you.

But I don’t agree with your self accusations.

Anonymous said...

Jesus whipped the money changers and overturned their tables. He also told His Apostles to leave and shake the dust off their feet if they entered a home and the occupants did not accept His Truth.
Are we to leave and shake the dust of our feet when we are in a Diocese with priests and a Bishop who coverup for sexual perverts in their midst?
Or should we subject our children and our own Faith to perversions of the Faith?
Should we speak out even if offense is taken ? Of course!

john haggerty said...

My Dear Toronto Catholic Witness:

I hope to visit your city for the first time this year, and I should hate to hear that your blog has lost its power to mock and lacerate the Church's internal enemies.
The Lord Jesus Christ did indeed use contemptuous language (i.e. mockery) in his harsh criticism of the Pharisees, scribes and money-changers.
What kind of language would Jesus have used to those priests who sexually abused children, and to the cardinals and bishops who covered up their evil?

You posted a blog on Saint Hyacinth (17 August 2017) in which you quote Father John O'Connor, who said that 'the Dominican Order I joined no longer exists, it has been destroyed by these homosexuals.'

See the blog 'That These Bones You Have Crushed May Thrill'.
There is a recent post, 'Who is controlling the Gay Agenda in the Church?'

Mocking the shallow posturings of James Martin, or the hidden agendas of the Modernists, is exactly what blogs like yours should be doing.
It is what Hilaire Belloc would be doing if he had lived to witness the sleazy soap opera into which the Vatican has fallen.
The homosexual lobby in the Church is powerful, and has the backing of the liberal media, big business, Georges Soros, the entertainments industry and all government agencies in the West.
Someone needs to challenge it.
Yes, we must provide pastoral support for men and women trapped in the homosexual lifestyle, but we must also lead them away from their sin.
Jesus Christ takes people AS they are, but he does not leave them WHERE they are.
If members of the hierarchy are in apostasy then they must be condemned in the strongest of terms, and that includes Pope Francis.
Only those on fire with the power of the Holy Spirit (and faithful to the Gospel) are in a position to see the through false teaching that is so widespread today.
The rot started with Vatican 11 and the flawed ecumenical movement.
The Mass and liturgy were hijacked by the Modernists, and we are now seeing the rotten fruit of their work everywhere in the Church.

The blogger faithful to Church teaching is entitled to mock the kingdom of this world and all its pretensions.
Indeed we must mock Satan and his counterfeit gospel.
All of us will have to stand before the judgment seat of Christ and give an account off ourselves.
We won't get any credit for just being nice.

Athanasius (Contra Mundum) was not nice when he mocked and attacked the heresy of Arianism. Nor should we.
Remember what our Lord said about the salt losing its flavour?


Anonymous said...

I agree with Mr. Haggerty.