Many in recent times have lamented the state of American Christianity, pointing out that nowadays a great many churches prioritize wokeness over holiness. But there’s no such issue in St. Henry’s Parish in Buckeye, Arizona — at least not when Father William Kosko is giving the sermon.
He proved this not long ago, delivering a homily in which he excoriated Joe Biden for embracing anti-Christian views, the voters who enable him, and the bishops whose ignorance and “cowardice” allowed this situation to develop. He also said that he was “tempted to ask” pro-prenatal-infanticide Catholics to leave his parish, but wouldn’t because it might jeopardize their salvation.
Kosko bluntly stated in his sermon, posted in synopsized “highlight” form on YouTube Tuesday by the group Catholic Vote, that we’ve “just elected a Catholic president who is diametrically opposed to all of the basic moral principles proclaimed by the Roman Catholic Church; not only abortion and the sanctity of human life, but the sanctity of marriage and this gender silliness.”
For both prenatal infanticide’s acceptance and Biden’s ascendancy Kosko blames the American bishops, who “have been silent for 60 years through bad catechesis [teaching] and cowardice,” he said.
This mention of sins of omission brings to mind a joke that, I understand, priests sometimes tell. “I don’t want to be a bishop,” they say, “because bishops don’t go to Heaven” (meaning that since much is given to them, much is expected, and it’s hard measuring up).
Kosko was under no illusions. He knew his preaching was politically incorrect, but he compared his anger to that of Jesus in the temple. Jesus “didn’t hate those people, but He was outraged with a sense of righteous anger,” the priest explained.
“I’ll probably get my butt kicked, but it’s [speaking out is] the right thing to do,” he also stated. “Woe to me if I don’t preach the Gospel.”
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Among other things, Kosko vowed that if Biden ever came to his parish, he’d refuse him Communion. “Over my dead body; not until he repents,” said the priest. Biden is “a public figure; he needs to publicly repent, and we need to pray for his conversion.”
Kosko further explained that merely acknowledging God’s existence doesn’t suffice, for even “Lucifer can stand up here and say, because he does, [that] he believes that there is one God.” We must also act rightly.
He thus had some words for his parishioners as well. To wit: I am angry “to the point where I am tempted to say this: If you are pro-abortion … leave St. Henry Parish.”
“This is the Catholic Church, the Holy Catholic Church of God, that teaches this [that prenatal infanticide is wrong],” Kosko elaborated. “What parish would accept your views?”
“Sadly, you would find one, and that is an indictment against the bishops,” he plaintively admitted.
Kosko went on to say, however, that he wouldn’t ask such parishioners to leave because he wanted them to have a chance at salvation. They were welcome, he said — but their views weren’t (video below).
Kosko, who delivered his sermon earlier this month, is setting the standard for clergymen, who absolutely have an obligation to speak out against the evils of the age. Some may use the “church should stay out of politics” line as a cop-out or a condemnation of clergy who thus proceed. But while it’s oft observed that “politics is downstream from culture,” mostly unrecognized is that culture is downstream from philosophy and faith. A person demonic spiritually won’t be healthy culturally or politically.
In fact, whether it was ending the Roman arena’s brutality, taming warlike knights in post-Viking-invasion Britain, or ending slavery, Christians have repeatedly ushered in historic and heavenly change — when they’ve hewed to Truth.
Clergymen, and priests in particular, are perfectly situated to fight our culture-war battles, too. After all, a priest doesn’t have to worry about losing advertisers, votes, support, or income. He’s virtually immune to cancel culture. So if anything, the clergy should be leading the troops.
So why are most cowering? “Might makes right,” the saying goes, but we could also say that right makes might. That is, when we know we’re espousing Truth — that it’s not just the mob’s applause telling us we’re “right,” but that we are so in an absolute sense — it strengthens us. For what is the promise of man’s approval relative to God’s?
The problem with too many clergy today is that, while it’s difficult reading hearts, many don’t really seem to have faith. Instead, they’re like most modern laymen: moral relativists who, being so, follow the spirit of the age, not the Holy Spirit. They care about wokeness more than will of God.
Yet they should ask themselves: Is this because wokeness comes from man, who I know is real; but God, well, I’m really not so sure about Him?
