The Evangelical Lutheran Church in America (ELCA) installed its first openly transgender bishop on Saturday during a ceremony at Grace Cathedral in San Francisco with 65 bishops and more than 150 pastors in attendance.
Bishop Megan Rohrer will lead the Sacramento-based Sierra Pacific Synod, which includes almost 200 congregations in California and Nevada. The 41-year-old biological female uses the pronouns “he” and “they” and is married to a wife, Laurel. The couple has two children.
According to the San Francisco Chronicle, Rohrer “served as pastor at Grace Evangelical Lutheran Church in the Parkside neighborhood and chaplain for the San Francisco Police Department before being elected to a six-year bishop term” earlier this year.
“I step into this role because a diverse community of Lutherans in Northern California and Nevada prayerfully and thoughtfully voted to do a historic thing,” Rohrer said in a statement. “My installation will celebrate all that is possible when we trust God to shepherd us forward.”
The Chronicle reported, “The two-hour service featured messages, prayers, music and Bible readings chosen by Rohrer, including the story of a follower of Jesus who met and baptized a eunuch – groundbreaking in ancient times.”
Full story at The Daily Wire.
Hmmmm…. judging from that photo, haven’t you published the Halloween pics a little too early?
Will some women identify as men and demand ordination in the Catholic Church next?
That is a “possible” way around the constant Tradition and Magisterial teaching of the Church (and the Orthodox Churches) that only men can be ordained to Holy Orders.
She/he might sue, if not “ordained.” After all, demanding Sacraments now seems to be the norm with “devout” Catholics Nancy Pelosi and Joe Biden leading the way.
Better yet, maybe Bro. Joe or Sister Nancy might self-identify as priests, even popes, and start their own “churches.” This is (still) a free country and it would help make things clearer.
A transgender man cannot be ordained.
Gender cannot be changed on a baptismal certificate.
Stop giving people bad ideas.
We already have bad ideas.
If I can sue you and make you pay for your own defense just because I “think” you helped someone have an abortion, you can bet that a trans man will sue to be ordained. Both suits will fail, but the accused uber driver still has to pay for his own defense even if he wins.
Such a fraudulent, morally and psychologically dangerous “hippie church” should never exist in any good, decent, normal American neighborhood with families and children. There should be no “marriage licenses” for such sick perverts, and no children anywhere near them.
How many “LGBT” “families” go to these “hippie churches?” How many of their kids are in our neighborhood public schools? And how many ELCA Lutheran “LGBT” parents sit on school boards, or run for public offices? Or work for “LGBT” programs for kids and adults, at local library branches– including, “LGBT” “family” children’s books, cartoons, and “Drag Queen Children’s Story Hours?”
I would guess quite a few. I don’t think there are many hippies among them, though, as hippies tend to avoid church. But I think there are quite a few Fellow Lutherans. They are your brothers and sisters in Christ.
YFC– No, the ELCA Lutherans are not with Christ, and are certainly not our “fellow brothers and sisters in Christ.” Seriously, they are actually rejecting authentic Lutheranism, and rejecting Christ and Biblical beliefs and teachings! I just did some reading, and found out that their very radical denomination, which is very liberal and was recently formed in the 1980s– has been steadily declining since it was formed. So far, in my reading, I have found that the two branches of the U.S. Lutherans closest to Catholicism– and which uphold true Christian Biblical beliefs and teachings– are the Missouri and Wisconsin Synod Lutherans. These two branches of Lutherans have likewise lost members since the 1960s “hippie” era– but are very loyal and steadfast in their Christian Biblical beliefs and teachings.
These Lutherans are your brothers and sisters in Christ through the font of Baptism which runs among all Christians. Your Wikipedia Lexio Divina nothwithstanding.
YFC– No, they are our “fallen brethren,” on their way to– an awful place! They have actually rejected authentic Christian teachings– and this is not nice to say– but they are “living in sin”– a fake “sex pervert” “marriage”– causing great scandal!– and corrupting their children! Everyone knows what happenned to Sodom and Gomorrah. They are a diabolic example of Christian leadership abandoning Christ and the Bible. (Of course, they are not Catholic to start off with– the sin problem could really look awful if we get into theological issues too deeply!) There is always repentance of sin– and to become at least a good Lutheran Christian — that’s all one can hope for! Or else… read what St. Paul says about such situations!
Yes, this bothered me too. Baptism is what makes us a brother of the Lord.
This is very controversial even in their own denomination apparently.
They posted on their twitter account asking for donations to make up for all the people who decrease donations because of this.
There have been some notable Christian homosexuals throughout history, who led chaste lives and served God. Some were even famous saints. In Heaven, it is wonderful, because all of these problems and sufferings will no longer exist. While on earth, every Christian must “fight the good fight” as St. Paul encourages us to do, and lead good, chaste, humble lives of virtue, and loving, selfless service to God.
That’s why Martin Luther started his own church.
Their lack of offspring will eventually doom them.
How on earth does a Christian “church” perform a “wedding” ceremony between a transgender lady who has “switched her gender” to be a pretended “man,” and a lady she/he is “marrying?” Does this couple drive their two “preacher’s kids” “bananas” at home? Not a very “Christian” family– and not right with God. All those clergy and laymen of this church– believe in such utterly non-Christian nonsense? And what about those poor children? Do they call her/him “Daddy”– or what? And they are actually– two “mommies?” Then– where did the two children come from– adoption?
The children could have come from artificial insemination.
Honestly, I have to re-read these a couple times and finally give up of every understanding. “biologically male identifies as woman married to a wife (biologically woman identifies as a male” — so confusing … God made it so simple: one man and one woman, each with identifiable parts that fit together.
An electrical outlet has a “male” part and a “female” part. No current is possible by putting two “male” parts together with other “male” parts, no matter hard one tries. Same for one “female” outlet with another “female” outlet. So simple a “Neanderthal” can understand it (as a friend always says).
When a church becomes a freak show it’s time to just close the doors. Seriously deceived from their beginning, Lutherans are still living their train wreck.
ELCA membership is down about 1/3 since 1990. The other two Lutheran “churches,” more traditionally Lutheran, have also declined in membership, but not to that degree. We shouldn’t boast, however. It seems our Catholic Church in the U.S. would’ve experienced a significant decline (which still may well be coming), if not for immigration. Let’s pray we don’t follow the path of liberal Protestants into oblivion. (Of course, the gates of hell cannot prevail against Christ’s Church, but we could be driven underground again.)
For those who want our beloved Church to embrace abortion, gay “marriage,” transgenderism, priestesses, “sacraments” for all and more, why don’t they join the dying Episcopalians, Lutherans and Methodists (if they still want to go to “church” at all)?
There they can have their practicing gay, lesbian, and trans “priests” and “bishops” in temporary peace and let us Catholics continue to carry on, as Catholics, in our churches.
Darling, their goal is to destroy the church from within
The ignorance displayed on this topic is anti-Christian
There are those born with an extra chromosome that can cause an individual to display both sex organs among other gender confusing issues. It is not perverted, it is not sinful, it is part of God’s plan even when we do not understand it. God gives us the opportunity to practice Christian acceptance to all people God created.
Not sure where that came from. The article says this church installed a transgender bishop, not an intersex bishop.
Michael, a genetic defect is not a sin, whether it be Down Syndrome or Klinefelter Syndrome (the latter born with a second X chromosome as well as a Y chromosome). The latter occurs in well less than one out of 5,000 live births. About that number (approximately 0.02 percent) of babies born have some type of disorder of sexual development (DSD). Those who display both sex organs suffer from ovo-testicular DSD, formerly called true hermaphroditism, which occurs in one of every 100,000 births (0.001%). Children with DSDs are treated by identifying the predominant underlying sex and then taking measures to provide health and functioning, as far as possible, via medical treatments, including hormones or possibly surgery. This is tragic. Yet, these are physical disorders, diseases that God does permit. This is entirely different than those, like this “bishop,” suffering from a mental disorder. This person has two X chromosomes. She needs help with her gender dysphoria. Of course, we should love all persons, but, let’s not confuse the trans movement and “drag queens” with genetic disorders.
So you tell your children that the man who is a Bishop (under God) was originally a woman. The now man/Bishop married a woman and have 2 children…but the woman who turned into a man cannot impregnate his wife because he was a women to begin with so they will either adopt or get a man to empregnate his wife…who actually will be the real father but under the parenting of the woman who became a man and the woman he married…..
REALLY???
This has better info:
https://www.npr.org/2021/05/09/995271758/megan-rohrer-elected-as-1st-openly-transgender-bishop-in-u-s-lutheran-church
And they write children’s books. You can see them on amazon
This article was confusing but their website says she uses they, their and them as their preferred pronouns.
Martin Luther would be a Roman Catholic if he were alive today.
It’s not nice for our Catholic Church to be involved in any types of ecumenical activities with Protestant churches that used to uphold Biblical Christian teachings– and then suddenly rejected it for non-Christian immoral, liberal “hippie” beliefs. Our country needs to be re-Christianized, and re-dedicated to God.
I must say that Christifidelis, perhaps predictably, has contradicted himself/herself. If the Catholic Church is to be the leader in the effort to “re-Christianize” the US, the Church therefore needs to be involved in, and be engaged with as many Protestant denominations as possible, including (and especially) those who may have strayed from the principles of the Bible. The Church cannot reach out with the full truth of the Gospel those with whom she has no “involvement” with. Christifidelis’ way is not the example of Our Lord who conversed with the Samaritan woman at the well. Christifidelis’ way is not the teaching of the Second Vatican Council which directed the Church to involvement in the secular world, which encouraged the Church to involvement among other Christian denominations, and which thrust the Church to further dialogue with the world’s religions. Cooperating with other denominations and religions does not mean compromising our Catholic beliefs; it means being confident and faithful witnesses to the Catholic religion and sharing it. It is not “nice,” nor “Christian,” nor “Catholic” to be isolationist and to exclude other denominations regardless how far they’ve strayed from Biblical truths; this is antithetical to being a Catholic evangelist; this is antithetical to everything that is Catholic and Christian. Such an attitude, I daresay, can never renew and re-Christianize any society, much less the United States of America.
Sorry, jon. The Protestant and Catholic Christian Founders of our great country would never agree with what you wrote. What is Christisnity? It is a definite teaching of Christ, and of all that is in the Bible. You must never dare insult Christ, turn your back on Him, lie, and teach His teachings wrongly, “inclusively,” to falsely win favor with men (and women) who deliberately sin and reject Him. That is a grave mortal sin! Read what St. Paul has to say!
Christ came to call sinners to repentance– and to a much higher life! He was not mean. He was truthful! And He died on a terrible Cross for our sins! He warned us against sin, and to seek to enter Heaven by the “Narrow Gate,” not by the “broad road.” We all know why. It’s all in the Bible. “Many are called, few are chosen.” It is a hard path, but the rewards are tremendous! If you want a chance at Christ’s Salvation that He offers– you have to do things on His terms. Not yours, nor anyone else’s. You must never tell lies in the Name of Jesus Christ, and falsely pretend to others that this is His Truth– to falsely please sinful men (and women!) That is the work of Satan!
Recently, Harvard University hired an atheist “minister” to serve as their “Chaplain.” “Ministers” of the “Church of Satan” have sometimes applied to be Chaplains for various occasions. They have also insisted that Abortion is “one of their Sacraments ” There is a reasonable limit to what can be legitimately called a “church,” and a “clergyman.” There is a reasonable limit to which denominations our Catholic Church may reasonably work with, for charitable projects, ecumenism, and other joint Christian activities.
So, Christifidelis has just changed the goal post people. First, she/he mentions “Protestant” minister in the initial comment (which is what I am addressing) and now he/she is changing the goal post to an “atheist” minister, even to Satanists. What are talking about here, Christifidelis? I am not referring to “atheists” nor to Satanists. Stick to the topic at hand—you criticized the Church’s cooperating and being involved with “protestant” denominations. If you are conceding that point, then concede.
Christian evangelism is a great gift of God. It is God’s gift, given to great souls who desire to evangelize, help souls, and convert souls to Him. All for the Glory of God! It is a great wonder, that such gifted souls as St. Francis of Assissi, for example, had the gift of evangelism, and converted millions for Christ, and revitalized the Church.
John it’s about winning souls, not conceding points.
Again, Christifidelis contradicts herself/himself. Christifidelis, how can you “call sinners to repentance” if you’re not involved in any way with them? How can you warn them or tell them about Him Who is Truth if you are in fact “excluding” them? Admit it, Christifidelis, your way will never work to renew anything. What will work is the way of Our Lord Who taught His disciples to be a neighbor to the Samaritan, Who cured the Canaanite woman’s daughter, Who spoke to the despised Samaritan woman at the well.
There are faithful Christian evangelists– and fake ones, too. Some of the fake evangelists get caught by the law for womanizing, drugs, embezzlement, etc. Our Catholic Church can effectively join with Protestant and Orthodox denominations that accept basic Christian doctrine, and basic Christian Morality, just as the Bible teaches. For example, Catholics and Protestant Bible-based Evangelicals have teamed up to help pass Pro-Life laws in Texas and other states. They can also work together to teach Christian Marriage as well as Pro-Life, to young people, and help evangelize our Nation for Christ. Many of our Catholic and Protestant Pro-Life and Pro-Christian Marriage groups are doing this great and wonderful work of Jesus Christ, together winning souls for Him. 40 Days For Life, plus many other excellent, dedicated Pro-Life, Pro-Christian Marriage and other good authentically Christian groups, are all doing great work for Christ. Franklin Graham, Billy Graham’s son, and his Biblically-based, evangelist Graham family, are likewise Pro-Life and Pro-Christian Marriage. They are doing great work for Christ, all over the country, and across the world. And daily, bravely facing harassment and severe mistreatment, to preach Christ’s true teachings! That is what you do, jon. Die a martyr if you must, and always joyfully, lovingly, honestly tell Christ’s True Teachings– for the Glory of God.
To my original point, Christifidelis, you can never be an authentic Catholic evangelist with the attitude of “it is not nice to be involved with other Christian protestant denominations,” including those who have strayed from Biblical principles. You simply can’t.
We should evangelize those who do not know God and those who do not know Christ.
No, jon. False evangelists, Catholic and Protestant, who reject Biblical truths, do not last long. They do not do Christ’s true work, and are a fraud– and they get found out! It is very important to publicly stand for Christ and speak His Biblical Truth! Christ said, in St. Matt. 10:33, “He who denies me before men, him will I also deny before My Father, Who is in Heaven.” Never publicly lie, in the holy Name of Jesus Christ! A very great sin! Some Catholic nuns and priests today, who falsely teach Christ’s Biblical Truth, may deny Christian Marriage, promote “Sodom and Gomorrah” “gay lifestyles,” and promote Baby Murder– Abortion.
Just to make this even more plan for you, Christifidelis. It is you yourself, specifically your exclusionary and holier-than-thou attitude, that is not suitable for a Catholic evangelist.
jon, you cannot lie, cheat, steal, and sin at work, nor misrepresent the company you work for, nor do your work badly, and cause harm to others and to your company. You must have integrity, jon. If you have no integrity, and do many terrible things, on-the-job– you will get found out, and fired. Same thing goes with evangelical work. You must love Jesus Christ, and sincerely work for Him, with integrity. You must lead a good Christian life, sincerely dedicated to Him, and teach His teachings correctly.
Abp. Fulton J. Sheen was one of our great Catholic evangelists. He also helped both Catholic and Protestant clerics in their evangelizing work. He was loved and admired by everyone And he was very famous for his promise to God,, at his ordination in 1919, to make a daily Holy Hour– and Sheen kept his promise, lifelong! When some Protestant ministers came to him for help in starting a daily Holy Hour, Sheen gave them the suggestion of opening the Bible daily, and sitting in quiet prayer and reflection before God for their daily Holy Hour. This is because they all revered the Bible, but of course, didn’t believe in the Blessed Sacrament.
Christifidelis, you keep changing the subject and each subject is worthy of discussion but it doesn’t get discussed because you keep changing the subject.
jon seems to be sticking to the subject which was ecumenism with a Church who ordains women or LGBTQ people. I do not see any reason why it would matter depending on what it was. We can do works of mercy with anybody.
A lot of the time it is our Church that is rejected in ecumenical efforts.
Other subject: Can a sinful person evangelize? We can’t wait until we are sin-free. In my experience, we should be doing a lot more but then Fr. Martin gets criticized for doing that.
When you evangelize you will find that a lot of people believe in God but don’t worship, some do not believe in God, some believe in Jesus but don’t really know the Word, some know the Word and reject it, some have grown up unchurched and have no idea who God is but give their desires to the Universe, some know nothing but this world.
God knows who is who and He knows who His friends are. He will bring you the people He wants you to evangelize or He might send you out.
Doing a daily Holy Hour is a great idea and spending it reading the Bible is a great idea too.
nobody needs to get personal or mean.
i don’t mean to be vague but I think that reading certain people’s comments you can discern that there is more going on with them than just Catholicism.
Then it is probably better just to let them say what they want to say. They have a right.
I really don’t like the “look at this fool” approach.
If you are responding to the person, talk to the person, not about the person.
It is a way of shaming them and that is not charitable.
Everybody is wrong sometime about some thing. golden rule.
I am appreciative of correction. If somebody corrects me and they are wrong then I just pray for them.
Always chastising, never praising, Jon you must be a bear to live with.
Simmer is wrong. I have indeed praised certain comments on this here blog. They are few and far in between.
What about the bear part?
Your lack of self awareness is staggering
This is a comment section on a news article. It is not appropriate to even say what you said in the first comment and certainly not in the second.
Please be respectful. Please be courteous.
Comment should be on the article or a related issue. Comments to other commenters should be about issue not about their personality, although I understand that it is easy to be snarky, I have fallen for that temptation at times, too and it is completely inappropriate. It has nothing to do with the subject or even the comment.
jon doesn’t understand and probably never will. It is simply the truth– that it is “not nice ” for one of our good prelates, such as our SF Archbishop Cordileone, to have to work together– in Christ’s holy Name– with a radically immoral, unChristian “Sodom and Gomorrah” cleric like Megan Rohrer. Just as it would be a terrible thing, for Abp. Cordileone to have to work together — in Christ’s holy Name– with a church that declares “God is Dead,” or one that supports Abortion. Immoral Christian leaders are false to Christ, and their evils destroy neighborhoods, communities, and entire countries. Our Nation– and all of Western Civilization– needs to be brought back to Christianity.
Simply put, Christifidelis, if Cordileone or any bishop for that matter is moved by the Holy Spirit to work together with any baptized non-Catholic for the common good, even for the opportunity to evangelize, they are totally free to do so; and no one–get that Christifidelis–no one (except perhaps you) will judge that bishop as “not nice.”
Christifidelis, people who condemned Rohrer using the Bible (when they were a lesbian) are the reason they became a minister. Christ himself said ” I reject no one who comes to me.” John 6:37
As a Catholic reading about this denomination and their decision to ordain only LGBTQ people who are in a committed relationship, I go “wait…what?’
It is not our Church. It is theirs. They lost a lot of members by doing that.
We have problems to deal with in our own Church. The holier we are as individuals and as a Church, the more we will attract those seeking holiness.
smh, you are right, and I apologize to jon for commenting on his domestic situation which is none of my business. However, my position on his plentiful chastisements still stands.
I used to belong to that denomination. Back then, it was already heading downhill, but the bishop at the time still seemed to realize that he was a guy. I did at least one thing right in my life: becoming Catholic.
Welcome home.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Evangelical_Lutheran_Church_in_America
I don’t know this person’s story. I know they don’t like this but I still see transgenderism as a mental condition. It’s cause could be biological or hormonal. One of human errors is to jump to conclusions before getting all the facts. I know it is a very painful condition for those who have it. But I know also that the way the are treated is very painful. I am sure in 50 years this will be looked back on as an era of ignorance. I think in some cases people are trying to embrace something they think makes them look cool or progressive and it may actually harm others.
It has been predicted by some historians, that our country, and Western Civilization, may not survive much longer, and may utterly collapse, in about twenty years– by about the 2040s. Just as ancient Rome collapsed, in the evil days of Nero and Caligula. A nation, and civilization, that has lost and given up on its moral framework, and the self-sacrifice, diligence, and work ethic to properly maintain and prosper a good country and civilization– is bound for a quick demise. I doubt if I will be around, by the time that this prophecy may come to pass– but many others will– and what a terrible shock they may experience! The collapse of a country and a civilization is a horror! And to where will the terrorized refugees emigrate? Freedom is never “free.” “Freedom,” and a good way of life, requires hard work, sacrifice, and dedication to sound moral principles. Without God, and a commitment to live by the Judeo-Christian principles that birthed this Nation, and all of Western Civilization– there is very little hope of success. Without God– all shall fail. And those who commit great sins must make an account of their evil deeds, before God.
Regardless of predictions by various historians abd others, we were taught in school, long, long ago, to respect our Church and fundamental Judeo-Christian principles of our country and of Western Civilization. And we were taught that to maintain our country and civilization, is a huge responsibility, requiring obedience, respect for, and worship of God, keeping His Commandments– morality, virtue, self-sacrifice, self-control, hard work, and loyalty to God and country. Many have sacrificed their very lives for it. The democracy of ancient Greece only lasted about 150 years– about three generations. The Roman Republic (508-27 B. C.) and then the Roman Empire (27 B.C-476 A.D.) finally collapsed. What will be our fate?
Above all else, we owe our love, respect and obedience to God. And God calls us to accountability in all that we do. Once, a well-known cleric happenned to mention that he did not believe a priest or bishop should ever go to jail, as that is “beneath his state in life.” Even if he should commit child sex abuse crimes, or embezzle Church money, or etc., he must not be arrested and put in jail– because that is “beneath him,” as a man of God. I replied, “oh, no. All of us are equal, before God, and His Divine Justice– and before the law, in society. Christ was an innocent man, the Son of God, and yet He humbly allowed Himself to be wrongfully arrested and put on trial, telling St. Peter to “put away his sword.”
yes and then we legalize marijuana. There are still a lot of good people here.
Hmmm…. It seems to me that Jesus Christ our Lord and Savior associated with a lot of people considered “not nice” by the larger society at the time. Jesus hung out with the poor, sick and disabled people and changed their lives….he also changed the lives of many of the “nice” people by opening their eyes to the reality of life: many people have to struggle just to get by because of things out of their control.
Jesus associates with everybody. He is God. He is everywhere. Not everybody acknowledges Him and those who do acknowledge Him sometimes do not have a real relationship with Him or obey His commands.
I know a self-professed Catholic who has been horrible to me and I have tried very hard to follow Jesus’ commands but I did get angry. There are people who exploit Christians and their value of loving and forgiving people.
Dino– Jesus associated with everybody– and called all to repentance of sin, and to a new life of holiness– and still does, even to this day. He died on a Cross for our sins. Jesus was very controversial, and was despised by the prideful Pharisees, as many were living sinful lives, and did not want to repent. Jesus drove the “not nice” money changers out of the Temple, as they were desecrating the holy house of God.