Hawaii Bishop Silva's Homily at Annual Red Mass

Yesterday was the annual Red Mass at the Cathedral of Our Lady of Peace. It is a tradition here in Hawaii for the Bishop of the Honolulu Diocese to invite the local politicians of all faiths and to have a Mass celebrated for them as they start the new legislative season. The following are excerpts of the Homily by Bishop Larry Silva where he spoke of bloodless violence:

..."In the sixteenth century, St. Ignatius of
Loyola, the founder of the Jesuit order, wrote his Spiritual Exercises. He emphasized the importance of discernment of spirits, and in speaking of how the
enemy of our souls sometimes acts, Ignatius said this: “The enemy is accustomed to propose apparent pleasure.... He thus causes them to imagine sensual delights and pleasure in order to hold them more and more easily and to increase their vices and sins.” (Rules for Discernment, First Week #1) “It is characteristic of the evil one to transform himself into an angel of light, to work for the soul in the beginning but in the end to work for himself.” (Rules for Discernment, Second Week #4)

It is this portrait of Satan that Ignatius presents that is even more frightening – and even more destructive – than the portrayal wrought by Hollywood. In the movie {Note: The Bishop is referring to The Exorcist}, Satan’s evil was clear and unmistakable, and anyone witnessing it would be repulsed by it. But in real life, it is subtle, appearing at first to be good and pleasing, but in the end leading to
destruction"...

..."When we speak of violence, very clear images come to
mind: stabbings, rape, shootings, beatings... Society has found them so repulsive that we have created laws to protect people from these forms of violence and sanctions against those found guilty of perpetrating them. It is our constant challenge to find ever more effective ways to defend society against such obvious violence.

Yet I believe there are forms of violence that can be just as devastating as the acts for which we have laws to protect us. And these forms of violence are perfectly legal, and may even, at first
sight, appear to be good. But in the end, they drain the life from all of us and work against the common good. Let me give a few examples"...

Click above title for the complete Homily and to find out what forms of bloodless violence is being inflicted on the people in Hawaii and other places.