“Pope Blesses Gay Weddings”, declares the headline in Metro, one of Britain’s largest newspapers, over the subhead, “Homosexuals Are Children of God … They Have a Right To Civil Unions”.
True? Accurate? Close enough? Not really. Sort of. Maybe.
Pope Francis’s comments, which appear in the documentary Francesco, which premiered today in Rome, were not quite as clear as many of the headlines indicate, even if the actual comments were just as attention-grabbing.
“Homosexuals have a right to be a part of the family. They’re children of God and have a right to a family. Nobody should be thrown out, or be made miserable because of it,” Pope Francis stated, later adding, “What we have to create is a civil union law. That way they are legally covered … I stood up for that.”
I don’t know the specific question asked of Francis, but Catholic News Agency reports that the “film chronicles the approach of Pope Francis to pressing social issues, and to pastoral ministry among those who live, in the words of the pontiff, ‘on the existential peripheries.’” I don’t live in Italy, but the notion that homosexuals in, say, the United States are confined to the “existential peripheries” is rather humorous (though to say so is, I’m sure, considered homophobic and intolerant.) It is nearly impossible to go out of one’s house, or turn on the TV or radio, or read a newspaper or magazine and not be bombarded with the existential omnipresence of homosexuality. Needless to say, gay is always presented as normal, great, and requiring even more—if possible—affirmation. In fact, the Reign of Gay is so 2014; we now are fully living in the Tyranny of Trans….
The above comes from an Oct. 21 commentary by Carl Olson in Catholic World Report.
What damage this pope has caused by spouting off his personal opinion. God’s laws trump the Francis interpretation. Homosexual activity is sinful, there’s no way around it. If someone tries to convince you that bad is good, RUN, even if he is called the Holy Father!
That’s the problem when you carry water for the Left: you are always left behind.
Your statement clarifies that you are NOT a traditional Catholic. Are you moving to Avingnon?
The papacy moved to Avignon, and it took the encouragement of a lay woman to bring it back to Rome. Oh yeah, and we now call this woman St. Catherine of Siena. Nothing wrong with the laity speaking up to the Holy Father. Don’t know to whom your comment was directed but do enjoy the response.
As I understand the Pope’s suggestion for civil unions, he was trying to assure that secular law did not discriminate against gays. Nowhere did he approve of homosexual acts. Love the sinner hate the sin.
Mike you make a valid point without attacking the papacy, which is my problem with some other comments. The Holy Father is talking about rights that should not be denied to anyone, not about changing the teachings of the Church.
No Tyquan, for the Church to accept homosexual civil unions would mean she has changed her moral teachings. The pope, and you, might want this but sanctioning homosexual activity of any kind is impossible and inconsistent with God’s law.
My understanding from all I have read is when Pope Francis referred to a homosexually orientated person having a right to a family, he was talking about the person’s own family of origin, not that any had a right to have children by IVF, etc. Some report he was saying that their own family of origin should not kick them out.
Of course that is always a prudential judgement. If an adult person is sleeping with a lover or having wild parties in his/her parents’ or relative’s house, the people have a right to insist they go live on their own. Some parents are way too permissive because of their own bad behavior.
I wonder how many Catholics have left the true Church, because of the pope’s opinions, off the cuff comments, and ambiguous teaching. I pray that the Holy Spirit guides them back. Please those of you considering leaving the Church, don’t leave Jesus because of Judas.
If God wants people to stay in the Church, he can take care of Francis the way God knows how. The fact that God is letting or causing everything in the world to go to pot, the fact that he is letting Francis do all this damage, is a pretty convincing argument against providence. I’ve told God that I’m on strike. I’m not leaving the Church, but I’m not going out of my way to do any more heavy lifting until God does some heavy lifting himself. Your turn, God. Let’s see you do something. And if phony Catholic Biden becomes the president? That’s pretty much the last straw.
Such hubris Kevin, and it won’t serve you well in this instance or any other. Don’t play cute games with God.
I was saddened by the news of the 3 people murdered in the Cathedral of Nice. Why does God allow such horrific things to happen? But from the perspective of faith and love, where better to die than at Church? They were setting up for Mass. How better to die than serving God? Perhaps it counts as martyrdom. They are in a much better place then, but we still pray for them. We are supposed to want to go to Heaven. We are supposed to want to die in God’s service.
We need to pray for the murderer. I hope the Church bells ringing all over France call the people of France back to Church.
God knew all this was going to happen since before He created the world.
Anonymous, you nailed it! With a spot on comment like this, too bad you didn’t put your name to it. Bravo you!
The praise was for the Anonymous poster at at 8:19pm on October 28.
The Pope has been again asked to clarify. I know that NO answer IS an answer. For example, If I keep asking a guy I’m hooking up with, if we are going to get married?, and he doesn’t answer. I have the answer.
Need I say the answer is “we’re not”. Even though he doesn’t say it.
Be awake, Jesus tells us.