By REY FLORES
It saddens me to tell you this story of a 23-year-old man who has been invited by President Obama to presumably help represent American Catholics at the White House during Pope Francis’ upcoming visit.
Aaron Ledesma is a Marquette graduate and a young man with his whole life in front of him, or so it would seem. You see, young Mr. Ledesma has already made some serious decisions that not only affect the rest of his life here on Earth, but they will also affect his eternal life.
Ledesma is an “openly gay” man. He lapsed from religious practice for a time while attending Marquette, which itself goes to show just how ineffective and watered-down Catholic universities are, but now he is back in the Church. He credits his mother for bringing him back to the Church, but it appears that mom also has a limited grasp of what it means to be an obedient Catholic.
Deacon Greg Kandra, who writes an Internet blog titled The Deacon’s Bench where I first read about this, included some of Ledesma’s own writing from his own The Gay Catholic blog. This is some of what Ledesma believes:
“Some Catholics believe that there are only two choices when being gay: Live a life of celibacy OR Live in sin & go to hell. I realize that some Catholics urging the LGBTQ community to be celibate are doing it out of love and concern, and then there are others who hide behind their religion as a justification for their bigotry.”
He then goes on to try and point out other’s sins, apparently to justify his own:
“There are heterosexual, married, Catholic couples who use contraception. There are heterosexual Catholics who have gotten a divorce and remarried legally without getting an annulment from the Church. They still receive communion. There are heterosexual couples, even married ones, who have sex for pleasure only. Some watch porn and give little thought to the gift of intimacy. How do they reconcile those choices with God and their faith?”
Now if that doesn’t sound like a typical well-indoctrinated child of secular academia, I don’t know what does. I don’t want to blame it on his being young because I know kids younger than he is who are devout, well-formed, and knowledgeable in Scripture and the Church, but most important they are humble and obedient to the unchanging truths and teachings of the Church.
Ledesma’s mother was quoted in the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel as saying; “If you look at church, the pews are filled with people who have sinned in the realm of sexual morality…my hope is that he would be accepted,” she said. “That he and his family could walk into a Catholic church, sit in the front pew, and not be stared at and not be the focus of a homily about why he should not be there.”
The same article describes mom as a devout Catholic, and said that she accepts the Church’s teachings on marriage as exclusive to a man and woman.
If mom really believes this, then why is she saying that she hopes that “his family could walk into a Catholic church, sit in the front pew, and not be stared at and not be the focus of a homily about why he should not be there”? Why would he have that problem if he were married to a woman?
It sounds like mom is already laying the groundwork in her own mind that there’s a “big fat gay wedding” in her son’s future. Why else would she express any concern for her son and his future “family” being stared at simply by sitting in the front pew at a Catholic church?
According to a CNS News article, Ledesma said that he does not get into the question of whether “gay Catholics” should be allowed to marry. He told a reporter that he doesn’t see any contradiction between his homosexuality and his religion, and also said: “I would tell the Holy Father how much it means to someone to hear you are loved, you are supported.”
I visited this young man’s blog and posted the following comment with the utmost of charity:
“You do know that despite what you said about heterosexual Catholics either using birth control, watching porno or divorced Catholics having sex and whatnot, that doesn’t justify your sins, gay or not. If you say you were born a homosexual, fine, but that doesn’t excuse you from celibacy. What if I were a single heterosexual man and slept around with as many women as I could sleep with?
“Different sins, brother, but all sins nevertheless. I’ll pray that you find your way to the truth and not mock God with your self-theology.
“Obama is making fun of our Church by inviting and using you to represent us. Obama is a self-serving opportunist who mocks us every chance he gets. Wake up kid. I’ll be praying for you.”
Now for heaven’s sake, I hope Pope Francis takes the opportunity to straighten this young man out. He should look him right in the eye and tell him that what he is doing is a sin. Furthermore, that what he is telling the world through his blog, and now with his increased attention, can bring more young souls directly into serious sin.
I know it’s hard to focus on prayer when we are angry, but it’s either punching a wall and hurting your hand, or offering up some serious Hail Marys by praying an extra rosary or two specifically for the conversion of this young man, his mother, and all others who still have a chance to redeem themselves and ask for God’s forgiveness, mercy, and guidance.
This action by the president is a direct slap in the face of God, in the face of the Church, in the face of our Pope, and in the face of all Christians.
Remember, the Pope did not invite this poor soul, Obama did. Also remember that we cannot believe everything thing the secular news media say about the Pope, and we need to remember their love of twisting his words.
I am as disappointed in this matter as much as any of you are, but we must remember that Pope Francis is still our Holy Father here on Earth.
Jesus, have mercy!
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(Rey Flores is a Catholic speaker and writer. Book Rey now for your fall/winter fundraising and gala events. Contact Rey at reyfloresusa@gmail.com.)
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