ONE MAN’S OPEN LETTER TO THE CANADIAN BISHOPS, by Paul Michael Wood, Church Militant (September 09, 2018)

Ex-seminarian Paul Wood wrote this open letter to the Canadian Conference of Catholic Bishops, copying a lawyer and addressing it specifically to his ordinary, Toronto archbishop Cdl. Thomas Collins. Collins responded, claiming that the "problem of homosexual immorality was dealt with several decades ago" and what Wood experienced in the past "is definitely not true" in the seminary today. Collins reiterated Church teaching that chastity is required of all and that marriage can only be between a man and a woman, concluding, "This is a long struggle, for we are going against powerful forces in the media and society that oppose the Gospel, but the faith is clear and that is what we proclaim."

I am writing you requesting to know what steps you are going to finally take about the undeniable rampant homosexual practice and sexual abuse in our parishes, schools and seminaries. By now, and in light of McCarrick, we all know that the Catholic Church since the 60s has been deliberately rocked by homosexuals, rectors and bishops leading gays into the seminaries — hence the unheard-of callous abuse of young people. This is not a mere McCarrick issue; he represents thousands of abusive priests and abused faithful young men. The time has come! The horse is out of the stable.

This must not be the road or attitude you must take now. We know the problem is homosexuality. I hold two master's degrees in Catholic theology. I know what is going on. My vocation and that of many outstanding candidates was destroyed because of the gayism and gay-friendly rectors. And no one could say I was nasty, loud, uninformed or belligerent. I was devotional, well-researched and reverent.

Never have I ever heard a bishop or priest speak against homosexuality, about sin, about life issues — never — not since the days of beloved Frs. Ted Colleton, Cummerford and McGoey. Pope John Paul's encyclicals were totally ignored in theological studies, and the gay culture in our schools is "thick" anti-male and all they get. I have 35 years experience in the school system. This omission reveals cover-up, acceptance and even promotion of homosexuality and gayism in our Church. Some agree that the Church wants to normalize gayism. We won't tolerate this anymore. Additionally, we are horrified by the clergy's insensitivity to the many victims of clerical homosexual abuse.

Decent leaders in decent organizations fling out the source immediately; their consciences are intact and they retain love in their hearts. Our Church leaders have not done that. You have made us feel "uncool," old-fashioned, "a pain in the butt" when we address sin, the sins of gayism. We as faithful Catholics do not except gayism as the secular culture does. The gay culture, like it or not, is unhealthy, lonely, dangerous and devious. In sum, instead of opposing gayism in the Church, clerics have accepted it and have joined the culture. Nothing very evangelical about that, is there?

If it will be hard for you to address this issue due to public acceptance, that is still your task, and it is your fault for saying nothing over the decades and sending us many gay priests to preach to us about "homophobia." They're not too concerned about the lives they have destroyed or about the billions spent on legal fees and payouts, which should have been used for the needy. Any good atheist would have been sickened by this ongoing raping of our youth and would have eradicated it immediately. But in the name of the Church and Christian charity, you have not done that.

How do you think we Catholics feel about the ice-cold refusal to protect young people, and instead to be silent on activity that destroys lives? We know you are all aware because we informed you.

Indeed, our clerics have fallen from grace! I myself saw photos of McCarrick nude on all fours on a seminarian's bed. That didn't outrage bishops who saw the same photos and videos, yet any non-Catholic and faithful Catholic in the pews vomits from disgust. A prince of the Church on all fours, and he went on and on, until caught. No one said anything until caught. We all saw similar behaviours of many priests over the decades. Good, moral Catholic seminarians were made unwelcome.

We are wondering if you are going to collectively finally teach what the Church teaches, has always taught on homosexuality. Will you pass this on to all clergy so that all teach "with the mind of the Church"? We will tolerate no less, we are incensed and your salvation depends on it. The Church is aflame because of you. Only addressing the infiltration of gays in our Church will put the flame out.

We are now very informed, outraged and concerned about our Church and our people — seemingly more so than you. You must react. You are rendering our Church meaningless and a haven for gays. Encouraging gay-friendly bishops and cardinals does not help — Cdl. Joseph Tobin, Fr. James Martin, S.J., Cdl. Kevin Farrell, et al.

This time around, we will not go away. We trusted you for 50 years. No longer! We will not tolerate you dismissing our reports and covering up the filth so that it may continue. We won't tolerate People's Magazine-style homilies.

Kindly respond stating to us what you plan to do to address homosexual activity among clergy in the Church and when and how you will finally preach on Church moral teachings and condemn clerical gay predation.