Question 199 – Why was Bishop Strickland criticized for his stand on Homosexuality?

Transcript:

For this reason, Bishop Strickland is simply fulfilling the duty of a Catholic bishop. He is one of the rare voices in the Church in the United States who courageously proclaims the basic Catholic faith and raises his voice in protest against the destruction of the faith or blasphemous acts against it. What Bishop Strickland is doing is heroic and, in our time, deeply meritorious. We must be profoundly grateful for his example as a Catholic bishop.

In the future, the Church will undoubtedly recognize and thank Bishop Strickland for his fidelity and courage. This brings to mind the words of St. Basil the Great during the Arian crisis in the fourth century. At that time, nearly all the important positions in the Church were occupied by heretical or Arian bishops and their supporters. St. Basil wrote that, in his day, any blasphemous bishop or priest could speak freely, but the only punishment for speaking the Catholic faith was to remain faithful, to uphold the teachings of the Church, and to preserve the faith handed down by the forefathers.

These words of St. Basil are almost directly applicable to Bishop Strickland’s situation. In the United States today, some churchmen openly speak heresies and blasphemies, and yet they are promoted, while bishops like Strickland, who faithfully proclaim the truth and seek to maintain the Catholic life among priests, sisters, and the laity, are punished and persecuted. History will surely remember them, much as it remembers the bishops of the fourth century, such as St. Athanasius, St. Hilary, and St. Basil, who stood firm for the faith during the Arian crisis. These courageous bishops were often persecuted in their time, but their names are honored throughout history for their unwavering commitment to the truth.

Likewise, those who are faithful today will also be remembered. We are not seeking glory or honor, we are simply doing our duty as Catholics.