(LifeSiteNews) — On this episode of Faith and Reason, John-Henry Westen, Father Charles Murr, and Frank Wright discuss prominent exorcist Father Carlos Martins being cleared of all misconduct allegations, Detroit Archbishop Edward Weisenburger’s purge of three renowned conservative seminary professors, a San Diego auxiliary bishop celebrating an “LGBT pride” Mass featuring a “drag queen” activist, German bishops’ plans to promote gender ideology in schools, and more.
The panel opened the episode by discussing the recent announcement that all criminal charges filed against popular exorcist Father Carlos Martins, which had stemmed from a misunderstanding last year, had been dismissed.
READ: Exorcist Father Carlos Martins cleared of all charges over ‘absurd’ misconduct allegations
Murr emphasized that it’s easy for priests like Martins to face false accusations because they are approached for help by many people struggling with their mental health.
“Priests deal with a lot of people with a lot of problems, and some of those problems are not just spiritual. Some of those problems are mental,” the priest said. “And we have to have the patience to sit with people, talk them off cliffs, off ledges, and be kind and charitable.”
“The problem with dealing with people with … deeply emotional problems is that they can turn on you immediately, and you have no defense,” he added.
Wright agreed, noting that false accusations against clergy are often a result of the psychology of the transference, in which a patient or parishioner receiving treatment will develop a malicious attachment to their psychiatrist or priest.
“This can result in the production of fantasies and … malicious allegations, whose origins are murky to begin with, but really lie within the mind of the plaintiff, or the patient, or the person seeking the counsel of the priest in the first place,” he said. “It is not an unknown phenomenon, I think it’s something with which the Church was familiar before the psychoanalysts largely attempted to hijack the counsel of the Church and monetize it in yet another perpetual addiction economy.”
“It’s a tremendous relief (Fr. Martins’ case has) been resolved,” he added.
Later in the episode, the panel turned to news from San Diego, where auxiliary Bishop Ramón Bejarano recently celebrated the annual pro-LGBT “All are Welcome” Mass during which a “drag queen” activist was invited to speak. The heterodox Mass had the full backing of the Diocese of San Diego under Bishop Michael Pham, one of Pope Leo XIV’s first bishop’s appointments.
READ: San Diego bishop celebrates ‘All are Welcome’ Mass, allows ‘drag queen’ activist to speak
Westen asked Murr if Pope Leo’s appointment of Pham and several other questionable bishops’ appointments offered any indication of the direction of this pontificate. The priest said it’s still too early to tell. But he stressed that if the Church goes in the direction of approving same-sex “marriage” and gender ideology, it will be finished like the Anglican church.
“It’s puzzling to me that we have learned absolutely nothing from the Church of England, (which) began ordaining women priests and then bishops, and then are very much into the LMNOP politics,” he said. “All you have to do is look at where the Church of England is. It’s finished. … There are more practicing Catholics in England than there are members of the Church of England. This is incredible!”
“The Church of England has lost 85 percent of anybody following them, and the other 15, the remaining percentage, go through formalities; they really have no faith in that church,” he added. “We should learn from that, but we have not. It seems we want to get in line to jump off the cliff.”
For more discussion on the Diocese of San Diego’s recent “All are Welcome” Mass, whether the Church will embrace the LGBT agenda, Fr. Carlos Martins’ exoneration, and much more, tune in to this episode of Faith and Reason.
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Exorcist Father Carlos Martins cleared of all charges over ‘absurd’ misconduct allegations
Detroit archbishop fires renowned conservative professors from Sacred Heart Seminary
Detroit archbishop fires third professor in seminary purge
San Diego bishop celebrates LGBT ‘All are Welcome’ Mass, allows ‘drag queen’ activist to speak
German bishops looking to promote gender ideology in schools
