Pope Says He Won't Judge Gay Priests

philly.com ^ | 7/29/13 | Nicole Winfield

[SoFloFreeper]

Pope Francis reached out to gays on Monday, saying he wouldn't judge priests for their sexual orientation in a remarkably open and wide-ranging news conference as he returned from his first foreign trip...

"If someone is gay and he searches for the Lord and has good will, who am I to judge?" Francis asked.

His predecessor, Pope Benedict XVI, signed a document in 2005 that said men with deep-rooted homosexual tendencies should not be priests. Francis was much more conciliatory, saying gay clergymen should be forgiven and their sins forgotten.

Francis' remarks came Monday during a plane journey back to the Vatican from his first foreign trip in Brazil.

He was funny and candid during a news conference that lasted almost an hour and a half. He didn't dodge a single question, even thanking the journalist who raised allegations reported by an Italian newsmagazine that one of his trusted monsignors was involved in a scandalous gay tryst.

[henkster]

All I know about what Jesus would say to a homosexual is found in John 8:1-11. I believe the Pope is basically saying the same thing.

[Mrs. Don-o]

"It seems a lot of people that should not have been ordained..get ordained."

True, and terribly harmful and painful.

It raises questions going all the way back through the centuries to Judas (not as to his sexual orientation, but to his being chosen to be among the Twelve, though Jesus knew what manner of man he was.)

[NYer]

How is this thread considered Breaking News?

[Phillyred]

All people have one or many weaknesses that cause them to sin. It is not a sin for a married person to find another person attractive, but it is a sin to act on that attraction. Very simple.

[Mrs. Don-o]

No, HiTech, you didn't wake up in Bizarro World this morning, but you did get a strong shot of Nicole Winfield/ Associated Press, which is more Bizarro World than most of us can easily handle.

Winfield is --- as is so common --- exploiting the ambiguity between "orientation" and "conduct" by using the word "gay" to cover both.

If Pope Francis were a bit more nimble on his verbal feet, he would have underlined this difference at the outset. He tried to make the same point by specifying someone who "searches for the Lord and has good will" --- which implies cooperation with grace and striving for ultimately perfect victory over sin; but don't expect Associated Press --- or hostile commentators --- to pick up on that.

This #160 (Link) may be of interest.

[TheThirdRuffian]

That’s what the media is spinning.

It’s actually, “hate the sin, love the sinner”

The media is leaving off his condemnation of homosexual deviancy.

[TheThirdRuffian]

Sorry, off topic, but how do you put a poster on ignore?

[keats5]

Yes, I agree.

After I looked at the Pope’s complete statement, I would put forth that he’s saying, yes, homosexuals can repent of their homosexual lifestyle and come to Christ. Even if feelings of same sex attraction remain, that temptation alone is not sin- it is sucumbing to that temptation that is sin.

And we know that if that homosexual accepts Christ and “falls off the wagon,” God will again forgive if the sinner again repents and acknowledges his sin. But a “repentant Christian” cannot regularly and actively participate in the homosexual lifestyle without remorse.

[Solson]

I found this to be quite helpful and allowed me to step back off the ledge a little bit.

http://www.ncregister.com/blog/jimmy-akin/7-things-you-need-to-know-about-what-pope-francis-said-about-gays

[Mrs. Don-o]

Now that's confusing. Not sure quite what you mean by "out of the closet." The Church has always taught that we must not judge souls, but must justly judge conduct (words and actions.)

What "closet" is it you're talking about?

[Mrs. Don-o]

"Didn’t they themselves have prophecies that Francis would be the final pope?"

No.

[Admin Moderator]

Do you have a thread relating to this that was posted earlier?

[MEGoody]

I am saying that we are talking about homosexuality per the headline

You were the one who made the claim that the Pope could not change what the church teaches. He certainly can, and it has happened in the past. (Not saying it has with this Pope, but in the history of the church.)

If you didn't want anyone to comment on that statement in your post,you probably shouldn't have included it.

I have no idea why you are being so defensive. Perhaps you have experienced some things in the past that cause you to react that way. I wasn't attacking the church or this Pope. I was just pointing out that church teaching can change, and has in the past. Whether that is a good thing or not is up to you.

[RummyChick]

So what does all of that mean??
Lusting after a young Alter Boy who trusts you is okay as long as you don’t act on it?

I thought Catholics had 7 Deadly Sins

You can’t procreate man to man.

[SoFloFreeper]

Because it would be a pretty big deal if Pope changed the church’s policy on sodomy.

[Mrs. Don-o]

I started reading your comment and thought, "Hm, this makes sense..." and then saw who it was.

Good, honey, we're double-teamin' 'em.

[Biggirl]

I just stop posting. Not going to waste precious time on those posters who cannot be reasoned with.

[Mrs. Don-o]

"Someone who hasn’t achieved significant gospel conquest over the demonic hatred embodied in a buggery centered practice (sorry to be so explicit) ought not to be a pastor yet."

Shouldn't even be in seminary, according to explicit Catholic teachings concerning preparation for Holy Orders.

But there is always big trouble when people blow off explicit Catholic teachings.

[fwdude]

News reports are that he was speaking in Italian, with Spanish interspersed.

[Uncle Miltie]

It’s not my business, not being Catholic. But as a non-Catholic, I wish their leader would stand up and say,

“Free Markets are good for people. Homosexual behavior is bad for people. G-d and History have shown us these facts. We will operate our church accordingly.”