Archbishop denounces war between 'modern man' and 'man as created by God'

Buenos Aires, Argentina, May 5, 2010 / 09:58 am

Archbishop Emeritus Carmelo Juan Giaquinta of Resistencia, Argentina said the world today is witnessing a “war between the modern man and man as created by God.” He added that Christians must “come to the defense of the dignity and distinction of the sexes, marriage and the family.”

During his homily on Sunday, the archbishop noted that “with the fall of Communism, many thought there would be a resurgence of the Christian faith and an era of peace and of true religious freedom.” The West “offered the countries of the East and the entire world the same fundamental human realities assumed and defended by Christianity. That is: the distinction between the sexes ... marriage and the family.”

“Today a true war has been unleashed between modern man and man as created by God, in order to recreate him, not according to the divine image, but according to his image,” the archbishop said. “This is the motive behind efforts to idolatrize the word ‘discrimination,’ and then use it against the natural distinction of the sexes, against marriage between man and woman and against the family composed of a father, mother and children.”

“Christians must root out all violence,” he continued, “lest they be overcome by the evil they wish to combat. Verbal violence and all types of physical violence are weapons unworthy of a Christian,” the archbishop said.

“Christians must do good, as members of the Church and as citizens of this world,” he continued. “As members of the Church, they must offer heartfelt prayers for all those who contradict the Gospel or defame the Church. As citizens of this world, they have the grave duty to actively participate in the defense and promotion of the common good and for this reason they must come to the defense of the dignity and distinction of the sexes, marriage and the family.”