Scottish monk arrested for distributing leaflets promoting sexual morality

By Thaddeus Baklinski

(LifeSiteNews.com) A Scottish monk has been arrested for distributing a series of leaflets in the Cambridgeshire area critical of homosexuality, fornication, contraception, euthanasia, abortion, and divorce.

Brother Damon Jonah Kelly, head of the Glasgow based charity the Black Hermits, was arrested by Cambridgeshire Police on December 8 on suspicion of a Section 5 (religious/racial) public order offence after he wrote a letter to the homosexual news publication, Pink News, claiming responsibility for the distribution of leaflets in the city of Ely, as well as in Cambridge, King’s Lynn and several other Cambridgeshire towns and cities.

Initially police declined to take any action following a number of complaints about the leaflets, saying that neither the distribution of the leaflets nor the messages they contain were a crime, and in fact protected by free speech laws.

A spokeswoman for Cambridgeshire Police said in a statement to Ely News, "Leaflets of a homophobic nature were distributed in Cambridge earlier this year. Additionally, similar material has been distributed in other areas of the county and indeed, the country.”

"While the material being distributed earlier this week will in many cases offend, irritate, shock or disturb, the content, context and actions of the male concerned fall short of any criminality at this time,” the spokeswoman added.

However, once the source of the leaflets identified himself, the police arrested him. They then released him on bail with a promise to appear on January 20.

The leaflets in question have titles such as "The Works of Darkness," "Homosexuality," and "Christmas, Christ and AntiChrist."

"Homosexuality" states that "God created man and woman for their mutual compatibility and for the procreation of children," and that, "all sexual activity outside of matrimonial union of one man and one woman is sin, and therefore immoral."

Warning that "through the sin of lust the Devil tempts man to sexual impurity, excess and perversion," the leaflet states that homosexuality is in reality a mental illness, but has become a cult that belongs to the culture of death.

“Homosexuality, as well as being a sin and a vice, is essentially a neurosis, a pathological condition; the result of several factors including childhood experiences. It is a dangerous temptation rather than a healthy orientation,” it reads.

“If the practice of homosexuality is acceptable, then in time any form of sexual deviation, perversion and experimentation will be acceptable, including the progressive lowering of the age of consent, taking it below the age of puberty and thus legalizing paedophilia. A common form of homosexuality is pederasty."

The leaflet goes on to say, “The condition of homosexuality can be treated and healed, as all distorted sexuality can be healed, and as many cases in recent years have proved," adding that homosexual people should not be persecuted but that homosexual inclinations should “not be encouraged."

“They need healing, not approval,” the leaflet says.

"The Works of Darkness" leaflet states that, "The deliberate killing of the baby in the womb is infanticide, is homicide, and those who perpetrate such an act are guilty of murder," and that, "Divorce wreaks havoc in society and is part and parcel of the plague of the 'one-parent family' which is a great evil."

It states that, "Homosexuality is not inborn, it is a development disorder, a traumatized condition arising out of a dysfunctional family, or it is a lifestyle choice. It is utterly opposed to the law of God and to nature, and should in no way be condoned or promoted."

This leaflet also comments on fornication, contraception, assisted fertilization, pornography, transgenderism, euthanasia, and atheism as serious societal problems.

"Christmas, Christ and AntiChrist," which was delivered in Cambridge last week, states that, “Christmas is the invasion by God into the world He created out of pure love; which through man’s evil has become a polluted landscape of de-humanized people, debasing themselves with their false gods and fetishes."

In his letter to Pink News, Brother Damon claims to have been arrested on nine occasions for leafleting, and despite this has brought his 2014 campaign to a “satisfactory conclusion.”

He closed the letter saying, "I wouldn’t be a good monk if I didn’t exhort you to repentance and conversion to Christ."

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• Scottish monk arrested for distributing leaflets promoting sexual morality 

Italian Monk Wearing a Funeral Mask

1892

Which monastic order fits you best? - Carthusian

Result: Carthusian

Devoted to simplicity, self-denial, and silence, this order was founded by Saint Bruno of Cologne in 1084, includesboth monks and nuns, and has its own Rule, called the Statutes, which combines elements of both the eremitical and cenobitic life. A Carthusian monastery might best be described, paradoxically, as a community of hermits. There are no abbeys and each monastery is headed by a prior and is populated by choir monks and lay brothers. The monk lives most of his day in the hermitage: he meditates, prays the Liturgy of the Hours on his own, eats his meals, studies and writes (Carthusian monks have published scholarly and spiritual works), works in his garden or at some manual trade.

The Carthusian monk leaves the cell daily only for three prayer services in the monastery chapel, including the community Mass, and occasionally for conferences with his superior. Additionally, once a week, the community members take a long walk in the countryside during which they may speak; on Sundays and feast-days a community meal is taken in silence. The Carthusians do not engage in work of a pastoral or missionary nature. Unlike most monasteries, they do not have retreatants and those who visit for a prolonged period are people who are contemplating entering the monastery. As far as possible, the monks have no contact with the outside world. Their contribution to the world is their life of prayer, which they undertake on behalf of the whole Church and the human race.

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Benevolent Bakery

About Cistercian Brandy Cake

These little cakes pack a lot of Christmas cheer. Our monk bakers load the batter of each cake with dates and pecans and two shots of brandy. When they come out of the oven, we lace them with more brandy then wrap them in brandy-soaked cheesecloth for good measure to keep them moist and flavorful. A perfect holiday cake for people who are looking for an alternative to traditional fruitcake.

About St. Bernard's Bourbon Honey Cake

This delicious spiced, honey cake, infused with Bourbon, Apple Brandy and coffee , is named after St. Bernard of Clairvaux, known as the "Mellifluous Doctor", because of his gift of word and honey-like, eloquent speech.

About St. Barbara's Cherry Kirsch Cake

The legend of St. Barbara tells us that while she was in prison, the young saint comforted herself by sprouting a dry cherry branch with some of the water her jailers brought her each day. In many places, it's a tradition to bring cherry branches into the house on December 4, St. Barbara's Day, so that there will be cherry blossoms for Christmas. Our St. Barbara Cake is made with walnuts, dried cherries and cranberries then we make the flavor bloom with a generous watering of cherry kirsch.

Fr. Robert wraps the St. Barbara Cakes in kirsch-soaked cheesecloth.

h/t to NLM

• Laser Monks
• Benevolent Bakery: Eat a Cake for a Good Cause
  

Musical Christian Monks Cross Over Onto Pop Charts

By David Ian Miller
7/31/2008

San Francisco Chronicle (www.sfgate.com)

"Always, the Gregorian chant has been our form of spirituality as monks ... the text is from the Bible, sung in Latin, and we sing it back to God through those wonderful melodies from the first millennium."

A CD of Gregorian chants by a group of Cistercian monks is a surprise crossover hit, reaching the pop charts. David Ian Miller interviews one of the recording artists who shares not only about the beautiful music but about his deep faith in God.

SAN FRANCISCO (San Francisco Chronicle) - It isn't every day that a group of Catholic monks find themselves on the pop charts.

Yet that's what happened to the monks of Stift Heiligenkreuz, a 12th-century Cistercian monastery near Vienna, whose CD of Gregorian chants has become a runaway hit.

After its European release in May, "Chant: Music for the Soul" became the top classical album in Britain before crossing over to the pop charts, at one point outselling recordings by Madonna and Amy Winehouse. Even before its U.S. release on July 1, the album became the most popular classical recording in this country, thanks to copious downloads on iTunes.

Call it divine intervention, or perhaps clever marketing on the part of Universal Records, which signed the monks to a recording contract after launching a search in Catholic publications in February. The record company had wanted to capitalize on the growing sales of chant music — which were due in part to the popularity of the video game Halo, which uses chantlike melodies in its soundtrack.

Universal found the monks after their spokesperson, Father Karl Wallner, who also runs their theological academy and Web site, sent in a link to a YouTube video of their chanting that he had posted last September following a visit to the monastery by Pope Benedict XVI.

I spoke with Father Karl, 45, last week by phone about the growing interest in Gregorian chants, their spiritual significance and how he and his brothers are handling all the publicity.

This is music from 1,000 years ago, sung entirely in Latin, without accompaniment. Has the popularity of your CD surprised you?

Yes, very much. When we started (the project), we thought we would sell a few thousand copies, and now it's a big success all over the world. I think what's very impressive to us is that people are interested in our spirituality — because we are just doing what we do every day, singing three hours to praise God. And that's the biggest success of all.

How do you explain the attraction of ancient, sacred music to a modern, largely secular audience?

I think it's because the music is calm. It's healthy. It's touching. And you can feel that we sing it with some religious enthusiasm. People write me e-mails, and they say: "I feel touched by the finger of God when I'm listening to your singing."

We can also see that people, even atheistic or agnostic people, are very much attracted by our way of living. Many of them come to us (the monastery) and they listen, they just sit back and listen. I think we are showing them as a religious community, by praising God, that our way of life represents something that has been lost to them. I know it's something that many people in Europe feel they have lost.

How this CD came into being is an interesting "Old World meets New World" kind of story. Should we be surprised that monks like you are posting videos on YouTube and are generally pretty technologically savvy?

I don't know what people in the outside world think about monks in the monastery, but we are men of the 21st century. We are living in a monastery, but we aren't aliens or Neanderthals. According to the rule of St. Benedict and also that of the Cistercians written 1,500 years ago, every monk has to have something to write. And now the computer is the means by which we are writing. So everybody must know how to deal with the Internet, how to send e-mails. That's quite normal for us.

Isn't monastic life generally about disconnecting from the outside world to pursue a spiritual path without distractions, like e-mail?

It is, but this happens in other ways. Our liturgy is with the big tradition of the holy Church, and we are singing the Gregorian chants in Latin — yes, we are living in a very strict way. But, of course, we use the communication that is made possible by the Internet to promote the beauty of our vocation.

Has life at your monastery changed since the music came out?

Well, it's changed for me and for Father Abbot, because we are both doing interviews with the press, and we have had some journalists at the monastery, but I think we are handling it quite well. For my other brothers life is the same. You have to believe me, none of them is really interested in where we are on the charts in England or France or Australia or the United States. I am occupied with those questions, but the other monks don't even ask me about it.

I'm very proud that my brothers are not proud about being pop stars. I'm proud of them because it shows that our young community has a very good sense of what religious life means. It means being together with God and not taking care of the things of this world.

Gregorian chants, which date to the seventh century, are a form of prayer. ...
How are they used in religious life at your monastery?

My monastery was founded in 1133, and monastic life there has never been interrupted. Always, the Gregorian chant has been our form of spirituality as monks — it is the way we live out that continuity ... the text is from the Bible, sung in Latin, and we sing it back to God through those wonderful melodies from the first millennium. Everything is about singing thanks to God.

What's a typical day like for you? How often are you singing?

We gather in church to pray five times a day, starting at 5:15 in the morning, including Sundays and feast days. Altogether we're singing for about three and a half hours each day.

Are Gregorian chants difficult to learn?

It is not difficult if you do it three and a half hours every day. When I entered the monastery, we had no introduction (to chanting). I was put there between the other brothers, they gave me a big book, and I just opened it and started. Of course, everybody has to learn Latin before he enters the monastery. That is very important because it is not only singing for singing's sake, but you also have to understand at least most of what you are singing about.

How did the monks at your monastery become such accomplished singers, other than the fact that they are singing three hours a day?

We have a lot of young brothers who have good voices, and I think that is one reason. We also at the moment have a very good religious atmosphere. These young monks really have in their hearts a burning fire to do this service, and you can hear it in the recording.

I've read that some monks at Stift Heiligenkreuz worried that putting Gregorian chants into a commercial product amounted to a kind of profanity. I take it that you do not agree.

Well, I did not know what Universal Music was when I started this project. I was really naive. But some of our brothers — who had lived in the outside world and knew that Eminem or some artists like that who are not Christian or are living very far from the way a Christian man should live — they were very concerned. They told me, "Don't do this." But when they saw that Universal Music was just promoting our spirituality (by releasing the CD), they all agreed, and now everybody is happy.

Does that money that you raise go to the monastery?

Yes, but it's not so much. Many people think that now we are going to be rich like Michael Jackson or something. That's nonsense.

You were chosen by the rest of the monks to act as their spokesperson. They call you the "press monk." Why did they choose you?

Because I already have some experience. In 2007, I was responsible for organizing the visit of the Holy Father to my monastery, and so I am used to speaking in front of cameras and TV teams and talking to journalists. Also I love it very much that people are interested in what we're doing. I'm really in love with this style of living.

What do you like best about monastic life?

For me, the most beautiful thing is to pray in the morning. I love to get up early. Then the whole day is clear in front of me. In the evening, I am always tired, and my head is full with all of the thoughts of what I did that day. But when I start in the morning, I have a clear head, and that is the best time for me. I love to walk through our medieval monastery into the church. Then we start at 5:15, yeah, and all is so new.

You have lived at the monastery since you were 19. Have you always wanted to be a monk?

No. I did not plan this life. I always thought I would study biology, get married, have children. I was very surprised when — I always say that I fell in love with God, as a boy falls in love with a girl. And this love still continues.

What was the turning point?

I did not know how to pray until I was 18. Then I started to pray, and it happened that God immediately became the biggest reality, the most beautiful reality in my life. I learned to say "you" to Him. It started to be a personal thing for me, and I think I fell in love with Him.
You say that you didn't know how to pray — I'm not sure what you mean. Was your family religious?

My family is very faithful. But of course, I was a young man who wants to have his own ways, as many young people do, and I'm very happy that my parents at that time — they prayed a lot for me, and I'm very grateful for this, because then I could meet God.

I was told that you don't like to appear in any photos. Why is that?

Yes, because I'm just a speaker, and I think a priest should not be so much in photos because it is against humility. But indeed I cannot always avoid it.

Some people believe that Gregorian chants have healing properties. I read one press release in which a neuroscientist was quoted as saying that chanting has been shown to lower blood pressure and increase levels of the performance hormone DHA, etc. What do you make of that?

I suppose it could be right. But that is not the main reason why we are singing Gregorian chants. The most important thing is, we want to give a voice to the whole of all creation. And by our voices, everything — animals, plants, the planets, are praising God. That is what monastic praising of God means, that we give voice to all beings to praise God because He is worthy to be praised by all that He has made.

Of course, some people may just enjoy the music on its own merits.

Yes, of course! In the Gospel it is written that everybody who is in the monastery is chosen by God, but those who are listening to our Gregorian chant do not need to be monks. They do not even need to be Catholics. This is music for everybody.

Will the monks be recording more albums?

It depends. I would like it very much. But it is not my decision. If God wants, we shall do it. If He does not want it, we shall not weep a tear about it.

David Ian Miller writes "Finding My Religion" for the San Francisco Chronicle. This column is used with permission.

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Austrian monks ride high in charts

Sun May 25, 2008 7:01pm BST

LONDON (Reuters) - A group of Austrian monks have entered the British album charts with a recording of Gregorian chants, the Official UK Charts Company said on Sunday.

The Cistercian monks of the Stift Heiligenkreuz monastery are Universal Classics' latest unlikely stars, entering the British album charts at number nine with their debut "Chant -- Music for Paradise".

It also clinched the top spot in the classical chart.

"We're overjoyed, and really did not think that so many people would like the album so much," said the order's Father Karl on Sunday.

"We hope that all who listen to it find calm and strength in those thousand-year-old melodies."

The money made from the album will be used to train priests from Vietnam and other poor countries, he said.

The monks were signed up by Universal -- the same record label as Amy Winehouse and Eminem -- after beating more than 200 entries from around the world with their YouTube video submitted in response to the label's advertisement for a choir.

The brothers' chants -- the oldest written form of music in the world -- are already believed to be a favourite of Pope Benedict...

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Hat tip to the NLM.

• Austrian monks ride high in charts
• http://www.chantmusicforparadise.com/