TORONTO, September 23, 2003 (LifeSiteNews.com) – Recent actions by both provincial and federal governments supporting dramatic legislative changes favouring homosexuality and same-sex ‘marriage’ are causing strong reaction in increasing numbers of churches. For example, this past Sunday, at Precious Blood Catholic Church in Scarborough, Ontario, associate pastor Fr. Marshall Beriault made explicit the dangers and evil of pornography and sexual immorality, and indirectly referred to the recent passage of two measures in Parliament which threaten Canada’s moral culture.
The 77-year-old retired pastor is widely respected for steadfast faithfulness, having brought the Cursillo movement to Canada in 1963 and for also re-introducing to Canadian parishes in the 1970s the Catholic practice of perpetual adoration of the Eucharist. He has facilitated dramatic changes for the better in the lives of thousands of Canadians. In the homily, Fr. Beriault stated “we (Christians) are not forcing our beliefs on others, for God condemned it (pornography and immorality). Nor can we say it is ok for others who are so inclined. The Church does not impose her will and teachings on others. She is teaching what Christ taught.” He continued that “as a learned historian, Dr. J.D. Unwill, tells us that the destruction of morals led to the death of many societies, over 80 of them. Unwill stated: ‘every civilization is established and consolidated by observing a strict moral code and is maintained while this strict code is kept and decays when sexual licence is allowed.’” Pornography is therefore “not only the Church’s business but it is also government’s business to legislate against it”, followed Fr. Beriault. Beriault emphasized that “Christ was put to death because he taught the truth. He was persecuted because He spoke up against the evils of His day – religious and secular.”
At this point the faithful priest, in reference to the recent legislative changes, loudly proclaimed that, “Fr. Jim (the pastor) and I were talking about this and we are prepared to go to jail to tell the truth and the teachings of Christ.” At this point he received strong applause from many in the congregation. Fr. Beriault concluded, “If we are not fighting now we are submitting to the evil that will destroy us and our children. We cannot serve two masters. Either we serve Jesus and His teachings or we follow the devil.”
Contact Fr. Marshall Beriault at [email protected]