Fasting definitely curbs the passions, especially fornication. This is a fact. The Fathers have taught us so. However, I find it prepostrous to suggest that the pedophilia scandal is due to a lack of fasting. The lack of fasting in the Latin church is not the source of the Latin church's problem, it is merely a symptom of a far greater disease. I certainly think that the urge to engage in sexual acts with children would lessen, although insignificantly, if one were to fast on Weds/Fri, but fasting alone does not quell the pedophilic urge. Perhaps extreme aceticism, profound mortification of the body as lived out by the Fathers in the desert, could quell the passion, but not Wednesday/Friday fasting. People with such a sexual orientation are profoundly disordered, to borrow a term from the CCC. Such a profound disorder requires a profound intervention.
Thank you for that!
No one here I believe, least of all me, would question the fact that fasting is an enormous aid in combating our passions, fleshly and otherwise. I think that the "far greater disease" you speak of is not at all unique to the "Latin church", but is rather endemic in our society as a whole and infects virtually every part of it to greater or lesser degree. But I think that might be a different discussion and I don't think that I have the credentials or qualifications to go into detail about that. I'm sure others here do, however.
And yes, profound intervention, as you say, is most certainly required when the disorder manifests so horrifically.
I'll stick my neck out here and go so far as to say that fasting, in and of itself, may only help so much. Prayer and more prayer, along with good spiritual direction, and partaking of the Sacraments can only enhance greatly that which fasting may effect.
I'm still very curious though, if Maria or anyone else can provide some evidence that I asked for in replies 78 and 91 of the above-mentioned thread.
