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Cardinal Juan Sandoval Iniguez, archbishop emeritus of Guadalajara

January 9, 2018 (LifeSiteNews.com) – Cardinal Juan Sandoval Íñiguez, Archbishop Emeritus of Guadalajara, Mexico, rejected the possibility of giving Holy Communion to people who commit the sins of homosexuality, contraception, and adultery, in an exclusive interview with LifeSiteNews. 

He also called homosexuality a “psychological illness” that leads to the self-destruction of its practitioners. He accused the elite financial class of the Anglo-Saxon countries of seeking to impose gender ideology on developing countries. 

Asked about proposals to give practicing homosexuals Holy Communion if they are in “good conscience” about their behavior, Sandoval responded, “They can't be in good conscience. Chastity is a universal precept. All of us must maintain chastity.”

The cardinal added that chastity is not something required exclusively of those who suffer from homosexual impulses, but of everyone according to his particular situation. 

“So just as those who have normal tendencies, and aren't married, have to abstain, so those who have abnormal tendencies must also abstain,” said Sandoval, adding, “Even more so, knowing that homosexuality is a psychological illness which can be cured. Let them seek a cure, because homosexuality is never permitted.”

“That's what Genesis is about. Gomorrah . . . what happened with Sodom and Gomorrah? What happened? They gave vent to their desires and were destroyed in that way,” said the Cardinal.

“There are many people who have the misfortune of being homosexual but who live chastely,” said Sandoval. “Those, yes, are going to enter into the kingdom of God. But those who practice it will not enter the kingdom of God. St. Paul says that. And homosexuality is condemned, totally condemned, in the Old Testament, in Genesis, and by St. Paul in the New Testament.”

Sandoval also rejected proposals to give Holy Communion to Catholics who use artificial birth control, noting that “contraception is decisively condemned, totally condemned, in Blessed Paul VI's Humanae vitae. It's totally condemned because it runs counter to human nature and against the plan of God. All forms of contraception.”

The Cardinal said that Pope Francis had been misunderstood regarding giving Holy Communion to those who are divorced and remarried, and pointed to Pope John Paul II’s apostolic exhortation Familiaris consortio, which gave “a series of very wise and very concrete conditions that were established by the Holy Father, John Paul II.”

“It's necessary to return to them,” he said. “They give a response to the confusion over chapter eight of Amoris Laetitia.” He observed that Familiaris consortio requires that those who have divorced and invalidly remarried cannot receive Holy Communion unless they abstain from the sexual act. 

Sandoval made his remarks in an interview with LifeSiteNews in late August of last year. 

Many bishops lacking in courage

Cardinal Sandoval told LifeSiteNews (LSN) that the progress of the culture of death in Mexico is continuing, despite a “great exorcism” that was performed on the country in 2015. He put part of the blame on bishops whom he said often don’t have the courage to speak the truth.

Asked LifeSiteNews: “In 2015 you did a rite of ‘great exorcism’ . . . for all of Mexico in response to attacks against the value of human life in the country. How has the situation changed in the country since then? Is it better, worse, or the same in your opinion?”

Responded the Cardinal: “Yes, I did that exorcism in the cathedral of San Luis Potosi with the doors closed and with few people at the request of the archbishop of San Luis Potosí, who asked me to do the exorcism, fundamentally because he was having many problems with the local government with his priests, and with those of his priests who were out of control were being pursued by the authorities.”

“And I added also the supplication of our Lord for family and life. I added that it would be for all of Mexico so that God would aid us to enable us to fight against that current that seeks to destroy life and family. An exorcism is an act of supplication. It's a supplication made to God to repulse evil, to repulse the devil who is working underneath all of these nefarious initiatives.”

“Your question is, ‘What is the state of things in Mexico now?’ It's worse. I say that it's worse. Well, why is it worse? Because God permits it to be so. Or because of our sins, because we haven't known how to pray and act as we should.” 

Asked LifeSiteNews: “So you also see this problem in part as a symptom of a lack of action on the part of some Catholic prelates?”

Responded the Cardinal: “Yes. I think that the need is, above all, for systematic and solid catechesis for the people, that is, to preach the Gospel, as St. Paul said, in season and out of season, to instruct the people regarding the importance of the family and the value of the family, regarding the nature of Christian morality that Our Lord Jesus Christ left to us and really, to form their consciences from childhood.” 

“Yes, we have been lacking in that. And furthermore, when the government undertakes initiatives, in one state or another here in Mexico, well, it's necessary to protest and it's necessary to ask the people to oppose them. . . . And I think that there is a lack, in many bishops, of that ‘parrhesia,’ as St. Paul says, that courage to announce and to denounce.”

Anglo-Saxon elite seeking to establish 'new order' of anti-family, global government

Cardinal Sandoval said that the impetus for initiatives to create homosexual “marriage” and impose gender ideology in Latin America were coming from foreign powers, principally from wealthy and powerful interests in the Anglo-Saxon countries, who are seeking to impose a “new order” and a global government on the world.

“They are forcing this on countries here in Latin America, most of all, by means of the economy,” said Sandoval. “Our countries are underdeveloped, they need help, they're in debt, they need loans, and they can be denied to them if they don't implement these policies. They can raise the interest rates on the debts they have, things like that.”

“So, that policy comes — so say many —  from an Anglo-Saxon elite that is very dominant over international organizations, like the UN and others, and they have this plan to arrive at the ‘new order.’ And the ‘new order’ is one global government, one economy, one culture, one religion by which they can eliminate the Christian faith, or confuse it with the others.”

“[They claim that] it's necessary to eliminate the family in which men are formed with conscience and character, who defend themselves. And it's necessary to eliminate national independence, so that everyone is subject to an international authority. So you see it as a plan carried out by rich and powerful countries to impose themselves,” said Sandoval.

Cardinal Sandoval is one of the strongest pro-life voices in Latin America and emeritus archbishop of Guadalajara, Mexico, where he took on anti-Catholic government officials and repeatedly defied attempts by politicians to attack the right to life and family values. Repeated attempts have been made by public officials and political pressure groups in Mexico to prosecute Sandoval in response to his pro-life activities, but to no avail.  

The cardinal expressed similar sentiments in a recent public act of reparation for the sins of Mexicans against life and family, in which he said, “We have sinned by committing the worst, most grave, and most cruel crime of all, that of abortion, practiced throughout our country, sometimes with the consent of iniquitous laws and sometimes in secret, in hiding, but always with cruelty, with malice that takes advantage of the innocent and defenseless.”

“We have sinned, O Lord, accepting and promoting gender ideology, which with its package of perversions aggresses against family and life, with the unconfessed purpose of ruining societies, subjugating and plundering them,” he said.

***

Interview excerpts:

About the 2015 exorcism:

Cardinal Sandoval: Yes, I did that exorcism in the cathedral of San Luis Potosi with the doors closed and with few people at the request of the archbishop of San Luis Potosí, who asked me to do the exorcism fundamentally because he was having many problems with the local government regarding his priests, and with those of his priests who were out of control and who were being pursued by the authorities. And I added also the supplication of our Lord for family and life. I added that it would be for all of Mexico so that God would aid us to enable us to fight against that current that seeks to destroy life and family.

An exorcism is an act of supplication. It's a supplication made to God to repulse evil, to repulse the devil who is working underneath all of these nefarious initiatives. So God knows if he hears us or does not hear us. Your question is, “What is the state of things in Mexico now?” It's worse. I say that it's worse. Well, why is it worse? Because God permits it to be so. Or because of our sins, because we haven't known how to pray and act as we should. So you also see this problem in part as a symptom of a lack of action on the part of some Catholic prelates? They can do their own exorcisms or, additionally, preach the Gospel more forcefully, or how do you see it? Yes. I think that the need is, above all, for systematic and solid catechesis for the people.

That is, to preach the Gospel, as St. Paul said, in season and out of season, to instruct the people regarding the importance of the family and the value of the family, regarding the nature of Christian morality that Our Lord Jesus Christ left to us and really, to form their consciences from childhood.

Yes, we have been lacking in that.

And furthermore, when the government undertakes initiatives, in one state or another here in Mexico, well, it's necessary to protest and it's necessary to ask the people to oppose them. Because supposedly — supposedly —  this is a democratic country. I think that democracy exists in very few countries. For the rest, they give them a false democracy. But we're assuming the existence of a democracy, so there is the right here to protest the laws if one is not in agreement with the opinion of the majority of the citizens. And I think that there is a lack, in many bishops, of that “parresía,” as St. Paul says that courage to announce and to denounce.

About confusion over giving Holy Communion to adulterers:

Cardinal Sandoval: The confusion has come, above all,  with the very understanding and kindly attitude of Pope Francis, which has been misinterpreted, and with chapter seven — no, chapter eight — of Amoris Laetitia, which speaks of having much understanding and mercy regarding particular situations, etc., in which those who have gotten married and divorced could or can receive Holy Communion — married and divorced who unite with someone else.

The thing that is very clear, the point that is very clear, in Familiaris Consortio, which is by the Holy Father who is now a saint, John Paul II, in Familiaris Consortio [paragraph] number 84 he speaks of three or four situations in which those who are divorced and remarried could be accepted in the sacraments of penance and communion (confession and communion).

I remember it, more or less, in this way: The Holy Father says that if one of them is gravely ill and doesn't have anyone to care for them except the person with whom they are living they may stay by their side, living like siblings, — that is, without the use of the sexual act. Living like siblings. If they have children, various children, who would be neglected they could, perhaps, continue to live together, but always agreeing to live like brother and sister.

And furthermore, if it is known that they are divorced and have gotten remarried they would have to receive the sacraments somewhere else, where there wouldn't be any scandal. So it was a series of very wise and very concrete conditions that were established by the Holy Father, John Paul II. It's necessary to return to them. They give a response to the confusion over chapter eight of Amoris Laetitia

LifeSiteNews: Have we forgotten today, in the Church, this issue of scandal regarding the sacraments? How do you view this?

Cardinal Sandoval: I think so. I think that sometimes people are more lax, that there are lower standards. They're going to lose the notion of “sin.” If they don't know the commandments, if they don't know them any more, how are they going to keep them? So they are guilty of sin, but because they aren't aware that they're living a bad life although the natural law is written on the heart, they say, “Well, I'm not guilty of a grave sin, I can receive communion,” and they go up to receive communion. They're in sin. Because of a lack of instruction, because they lack an enlightened conscience.

On contraception being acceptable or not:

Cardinal Sandoval: Contraception is decisively condemned, totally condemned, in Blessed Paul VI's Humanae Vitae. It's totally condemned because it runs counter to human nature and against the plan of God. All forms of contraception.

But, there is an option, there is an option for those who are married, and who are unable to have children or cannot do so without inconvenience. Because they're very poor and they are no longer able to bring them up, because they might have transmissible diseases, as in this case, and other similar cases. So the Holy Father speaks of the natural method. He recommends the natural method [Natural Family Planning (NFP)], which is based on the providence of God, who made it that the woman is not always fertile. Within her cycle of 28 days, she has some days of infertility.

And now, with modern research, it can be known very well when the woman is fertile and when she's not. So that the natural method may be used to avoid having children.

It's not contraception. It's simply using the reality that the woman is not fertile all the time.

So it's not contraception. It's the natural method.

I think that the best [form of it] that has been proposed is that of Billings, from Australia. So the Holy Father prohibited contraception, but indicated a way by which those who in their consciences, before God, can't have children, have sexual relations but avoid having children. But it is always necessary to be submissive to the providence of God. A Christian is always submissive to the providence of God. 

I was present for the funeral of Cardinal Prionio who was from Argentina, and was working in the Holy See. Cardinal Pironio was a great man. And John Paul II, who celebrated the mass in St. Peter's Basilica, said that the mother of Cardinal Pironio, when she had her first child she appeared to be in very bad health, on the brink of death.

And the doctor told her, “You can't have a family, because you're going to die.”

And so the mother was very anguished because she wanted to have more children.

She went to the bishop in [the town of] La Plata, And she told him what the doctor had told her.

And he told her, “Daughter, that's what the doctor says, but he who is in heaven is the one who decides.”

And after that, she had 21 children! 

And the twenty-first was Cardinal Pironio. So it's necessary to have faith — that's what the pope said in the funeral mass of Cardinal Eduardo Pironio. It's always necessary to have faith in the providence of God 

LifeSiteNews: And also, today we are hearing that even those who are living in homosexual relationships can receive Holy Communion if they are [doing so] “in good conscience.”

Cardinal Sandoval: No. That's an abuse also. They can't be in good conscience. Chastity is a universal precept. All of us must maintain chastity.

For those who are married, there is conjugal chastity. Which is their fidelity to one another, between the husband and the wife, conjugal fidelity, conjugal chastity. In the case of singles, it is that they abstain, and those who are homosexuals, those who have attractions to the same sex, also abstaining. So just as those who have normal tendencies, and aren't married, have to abstain, so those who have abnormal tendencies must also abstain.

Even more so, knowing that homosexuality is a psychological illness which can be cured. Let them seek a cure, because homosexuality is never permitted. That's what Genesis is about. Gomorrah . . . what happened with  Sodom and Gomorrah? What happened?

He destroyed them . . .

They gave vent to their desires and were destroyed in that way. And St. Paul says clearly, in one of his letters — where he gives a list of those who will not possess the kingdom of God —, he says that homosexuals will not enter into the kingdom of God.

This means those homosexuals who practice it, not those who control themselves and maintain a correct life, and there are many people who have the misfortune of being homosexual but who live chastely. Those, yes, are going to enter into the kingdom of God. But those who practice it will not enter the kingdom of God. St. Paul says that. And homosexuality is condemned, totally condemned, in the Old Testament, in Genesis, and by St. Paul in the New Testament.

On resisting temptation:

Cardinal Sandoval: All of us can resist temptations, all of us, no matter how great they are, by the grace of God. Alone, no, alone no. And the Council of Trent, when it spoke of the grace of God and of justification said that man cannot, by his efforts alone, keep the law of God. He needs the grace of God to keep [the law of God].