I spoke recently with Fr Jeffrey Kirby, a moral theologian and priest in South Carolina, whose book Sanctify them in Truth is a response to the prophetic words of his mentor Cardinal Ratzinger who, in 2005, spoke of a “dictatorship of relativism”.
As an expert on conscience formation, the natural moral law and the effort to introduce moral truth within pluralistic societies, he is in high demand to lead conferences and retreats throughout the US.
It is no wonder, for like Pilate unable to recognise truth when he is staring it in the face, our culture has no answer to the deepest yearnings of the human heart. In the relatively short space between my birth and the birth of my children, I tell him, nonsense poems that we used to laugh at have given way to a nonsense reality that we’re not allowed to laugh at.
“We are told that we live in a post-truth era, but the answer is the same now as it always was and always will be, and the Church has a duty to reveal it,” he says.
Sanctify them in Truth is Fr Kirby’s attempt to do just that in an easy-to-read guide on some of the most pressing social issues of our time including abortion, euthanasia, racial justice, women priests, ecology, immigration and the LGBTQ+ movement. His book applies divine wisdom and the guidance of the Church as it dissects oft-debated topics and presents the reader with ways in which they can navigate today’s contentious world with conviction and a clear conscience.
“It was the cries from the people of God for help, for clarification on teaching that led me to deliver the homilies which, in turn, led to my writing this book,” he says.
I tell him that I have been watching his homilies online for almost a year and have been so grateful for his courage and clarity; this is about as close as I can get to standing tall with my arms in the air and shouting “Preach!” – never a good look for a pasty middle-aged woman from Hertfordshire. “There is something in the way you speak that lights a fire under me,” I say. “Many people say that,” he replies, more gently than in his homilies.
Away from the pulpit he is softly spoken, and laughs with me about his time studying under Cardinals Ratzinger and Ladaria in Rome, when he would go from one to the other asking for clarification on some searching questions. “Cardinal Ratzinger would say something and then I would go tell Fr Ladaria, who would begin: “Well, you tell Josef this…” Between them they were exposing lies and revealing truth.”
So steeped was Fr Kirby in the work of Pope Benedict XVI, that his professors weren’t sure whether to award a PhD to him or give another one to Benedict. The influence of Benedict XVI is clear. Fr Kirby understands the danger of relativism and the need to bring people to truth so that they may be sanctified. This gentle priest transforms into Old Testament prophet as he preaches.
“Why don’t all priests preach as you do?” I ask him. “It’s possible that some think they aren’t sufficiently trained to address critical issues, or have never seen a more prophetic style of preaching and are uncertain how to do it; in this case I would encourage them to find a mentor and remedy the hesitations. We also have to address the uncomfortable reality that some priests are not strong in their own disc-ipleship, have become morally compromised, or no longer trust in the workings of grace.”
Fr Kirby pulls no punches and is clear that the best missionary territory in the church is the parish. “It is the proving ground of all our efforts at evangelisation and catechesis. It stands at the crossroads between faith and secularism and is the crucible that contains the battle between moral truth and relativism. In the centre of the parish there is the Lord Jesus and his Eucharistic sacrifice.”
I ask him how his homilies are received, knowing that the further removed we are from truth, the more likely it is to offend. “A few have rejected it and left,” he says. “I grieve whenever someone leaves, but I know the work of conversion is the work of the Holy Spirit. My task is to preach the gospel without compromise, to offer the sacraments of our salvation and to offer pastoral guidance and direction the best I can. The results of these efforts are not up to me.” He then quotes Luke 17:10. “We are worthless slaves; we have done only what we ought to have done.”
Fr Kirby is doing what he ought to do, and the fruits speak for themselves, with more than 300 Catholic adults attending weekly formation at his parish. In these dark and muddled times Sanctify them in Truth offers clarity for any lay Catholic seeking to labour in the plentiful harvest. The labourers may be few, but a few like Fr Kirby are worth more than many lukewarm men.
Areas of Catholic Herald business are still recovering post-pandemic.
However, we are reaching out to the Catholic community and readership, that has been so loyal to the Catholic Herald. Please join us on our 135 year mission by supporting us.
We are raising £250,000 to safeguard the Herald as a world-leading voice in Catholic journalism and teaching.
We have been a bold and influential voice in the church since 1888, standing up for traditional Catholic culture and values. Please consider donating.