LISTOWEL, Ireland (LifeSiteNews) – An Irish Catholic priest who outlined the Catholic prohibition of abortion and homosexuality in a recent homily has stated his bishop has temporarily restricted him from saying Mass in light of his comments.
Father Sean Sheehy made media waves over the last weekend in October, when he delivered a forthright sermon presenting the Catholic condemnation of abortion, transgenderism, contraception, and homosexual acts. The retired priest was covering for the parish priest of St. Mary’s Church in the Diocese of Kerry.
Sheehy decried the “lunatic approach of transgenderism” and said that sin was “rampant” as seen “in the promotion of sex between two men and two women. That is sinful. That is mortal sin, and people don’t seem to realize it, but it’s a fact.”
READ: Irish bishop condemns priest for calling abortion, homosexuality sinful
Following his homily – during which up to 30 parishioners reportedly walked out – Kerry’s Bishop Ray Browne condemned the priest, saying that his comments “do not represent the Christian position.”
TO WATCH JOHN-HENRY WESTEN’S INTERVIEW WITH THIS HEROIC PRIEST, CLICK BELOW:
‘The will of the people is not the criterion for truth’
Undeterred, speaking to Radio Kerry on Tuesday, Sheehy affirmed his statements, saying that the attacks on the family he outlined in his homily are “really sinful … totally contrary to the Scriptures and to the teaching of the Church.”
When questioned about Ireland’s vote to approve same-sex “marriage,” Sheehy responded that “the democratic will of the people is not the criterion for truth. It comes to us from God, and the Scriptures, and through the teaching of the Church, not through the people.”
Sheehy was also challenged to be “more compassionate” in the style of Pope Francis. However, he noted such phraseology has been twisted in modern parlance.
Instead “compassion” means to assist someone, he said, adding that “the greatest help I can be to people is to provide them with an opportunity to repent of their sin and seek forgiveness which God makes available through His Church.”
He also did not shy away from stating that openly homosexual politicians, such as the incoming Taoiseach Leo Varadkar, were rejecting the laws of morality through their actions. “What they’re doing is contrary to the law of nature and secondly, and more importantly, it’s contrary to the law of God. When you go against God, who is the author of life, you actually go against life itself.”
READ: No room for ‘inclusion’: Homosexuality and transgenderism are sins against nature itself
“Compassion must never be at the expense of the truth as revealed by God, Jesus Christ and the teachings of His Church,” added the priest.
He also reiterated his condemnation of the promotion of contraception, saying that it directly leads to abortions. “The sexual health message is basically, ‘go ahead have sex so long as there’s not going to be a pregnancy and if there is a pregnancy go have an abortion’,” stated Sheehy. “That’s the sexual health message. That’s a very unhealthy and inhuman message to send to people.”
Bishop attacking priest while congregation shows support
Despite the fact that between 20 and 30 people walked out of his homily during the weekend, Sheehy revealed Tuesday that he enjoyed strong support from the parishioners. He stated that after Mass Tuesday he received a “standing ovation” and that people came into the sacristy thanking him for his words, saying “it’s high time we heard the truth.”
Sheehy also stated that Browne had privately informed him he would be removed from saying public Masses until the priest he is covering for returns.
However, Sheehy added he was not concerned by the bishop’s words, as “I know myself what I said cannot be disproven by any honest-to-God Catholic, Christian, or [by] Catholic teaching.”
“I think what’s he is doing basically is, he’s actually sacrificing the truth or he’s muzzling the truth in order to appease people because they don’t want to face reality that they need to face before they die, and that’s a given.”
UPDATE (3/30/23): Fr. Fidelis is jailed along with another pro-life hero
Father Fidelis has been sentenced to 270 days in jail by a Michigan court, while fellow Red Rose rescuer Matthew Connolly was sentenced to 90 days in jail and told to pay fines.
The CFR priest will serve his sentence (90 days per 3 charges) concurrently, so he will be behind bars for 3 months.
Like their companions Elizabeth Wagi and Jacob Gregor, who received lighter penalties, Moscinski and Connolly were pronounced guilty of “trespassing, resisting arrest, and disturbing the peace/interfering with a business” on February 24, 2023 at the 46th District Courthouse in Southfield, Michigan.
Wagi received 18 months’ probation with fines and was ordered not to go anywhere near an abortion facility or her co-defendants. Gregor got 12 months’ probation with fines and 10 days community service. He was told not to speak to convicted church members.
LifeSiteNews is still awaiting news of Dr. Monica Miller and Laura Gies, who were found guilty of trespassing and resisting arrest.
The Southfield trial stemmed from a Red Rose Rescue at the Northland Family Planning abortion center, one of three abortion centers owned and operated by Renee Chelian, on April 23, 2021.
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UPDATE (1/24/23):
Pro-life priest and Red Rose Rescuer Fr. Fidelis Moscinski has been found guilty of violating the Freedom to Access Clinic Entrances (FACE) Act.
Yesterday Fr. Fidelis was convicted of the federal crime for a July 2022 “lock and block” rescue he conducted at a Planned Parenthood in Hempstead, New York. The priest is scheduled to be sentenced on April 24 and faces up to six months in federal prison.
Sign the petition to let Fr. Fidelis know you support him and are praying for him.
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UPDATE (10/26/22):
A Pennsylvania court issued a split ruling against a pro-life Franciscan priest and activist arrested after he entered an abortion clinic to help women choose life.
Father Christopher “Fidelis” Moscinski was found guilty of two misdemeanor charges and not guilty of a felony trespass and a misdemeanor resist, for participating in a Red Rose Rescue at a Planned Parenthood.
Fr. Moscinski entered the clinic on August 27, 2021 with red roses and pro-life literature ready to hand out to women and persuading them to choose life for their children.
Fr. Fidelis has participated in many Red Rose Rescues at abortion centers, and for this has been imprisoned multiple times.
He was also previously arrested for trying to save babies in Ohio in June 2021 and in New Jersey in January 2020.
After the court decision, Fr. Fidelis urged people to “continue keeping all pro-lifers anywhere who are facing charges, especially federal charges, in your prayers, and that God can bring some good out of this unjust persecution.”
Sign this petition today to let Fr. Fidelis know you stand with him and his heroic fight to save unborn lives from abortion.
Fellow pro-life activist and Red Rose Rescuer Will Goodman told LifeSite’s Jim Hale that the court’s ruling to drop one felony and reject another was a “big victory.”But the crackdown on pro-lifers continues!
Just recently the Biden administration targeted Fr. Fidelis and other pro-life activists for Freedom of Access to Clinic Entrances Act (FACE) violation charges.
This same law was also used by the FBI to raid the home of pro-life Catholic dad Mark Houck last month.
It’s really a disgrace that in America pro-lifers are increasingly being attacked and persecuted simply because they stand for life.
Fr. Fidelis Moscinski needs your prayers and support now more than ever as he continues to fearlessly battle for the unborn.
SIGN THIS PETITION TODAY to tell Fr. Fidelis you stand with him and his courageous fight!
MORE INFORMATION:
‘Big victory’: Felonies tossed in split verdict for priest attempting rescue of unborn
BREAKING NEWS: Father Fidelis Legal Verdict reaction LIVE by Legal team
FBI charges pro-life priest with violating abortion access law one week after Mark Houck raid
Bishop’s response shows he ‘doesn’t know the Scriptures’
Browne’s November 1 statement roundly condemned Sheehy’s homily, as the bishop “apologized to all who were offended” for what he described as “deep upset and hurt caused.”
However, during his radio interview, Sheehy said the bishop “was totally wrong” and that “the poor man mustn’t even know the Catechism. He certainly doesn’t know the Scriptures, to make a statement like that.”
Sheehy said that, instead, Browne was arguing from “his emotional side,” and that the bishop is “sacrificing the truth for the sake of appeasing people who do not want to come face to face with their sinfulness.”