Posted on 07/12/2019 6:14:50 PM PDT by lightman
James Martin, a Roman Catholic priest who advocates for LGBT causes, gave the homily at the pre-pride mass at the Church of St. Francis of Assisi on June 29.
In his homily, Martin focused on how the ancient stories of the Bible applied to the contemporary Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual and Transgender (LGBT) Catholic community.
“The Bible is the Living word of God and, if we are open to it, God’s voice will always be revealed when we read or hear these readings, no matter how ancient,” Martin preached.
The homily equated Jesus’ rejection and persecution to the experience of contemporary persons who identify as LGBT. Martin cited biblical stories to inspire the LGBT community, like Jesus, to rise above persecution. Martin was both hopeful and solemn in his message regarding the future for the LGBT Catholic community.
Martin presumed that there were three lessons to be learned from ancient readings of the Bible. The first lesson was to be tough. Martin noted that Pope Francis has shown a willingness to accept the LGBT community, allowing LGBT-identifying Catholics to be more open regarding sexual identity (although Francis has, most recently, come out against progressive gender ideology).
The Jesuit priest asserted persecution and hard times among the Catholic LGBT community despite what he deems as positive steps taken by Pope Francis. He alluded to the firing of Catholic school workers in same-sex marriages, official church leaders and documents denouncing LGBT ideology, and what he termed local level, homophobic pastors and parishioners. Martin instructed the Catholic LGBT community to:
“Claim your rightful place in your church. Look, if you are a baptized Catholic and you are LGBT or are an LGBT parent or family member, you are as much a part of the church as the Pope, your local bishop, your pastor, or me. Root yourself in your baptism and claim your place in your church.”
Martin drew from the story of Jesus’ rejection by the people of Samaria who made him unwelcome. But like Jesus, Martin instructed the parishioners to move forward and to not only be accepted by the Church by laying their claim to it but also to advocate for their right to be involved in the ministry of the Church.
The second lesson Martin gleaned from the gospel readings was to be free like Jesus. He told LGBT Catholics to live a life unconcerned by rejection for their sexual identity. Comparing the situation to Jesus not caring if the Samaritans or his disciples rebuke him, Martin told LGBT Catholics that, like Jesus who was supremely free to “follow the Father’s will,” they are as well.
The America editor did not elaborate on the meaning of “Following the Father’s will” or how his will should be interpreted in the context of scripture.
Lastly, Martin insisted that the Catholic LGBT community stay hopeful because the Christian life is not a burden but rather easy. It is made easy if each Christian accepts Jesus Christ then [Christians] “are wrapped under what the theologian Barbara Reid calls the “protective cloak of his spirit.”
As an ordained clergyman, Martin is bound to both the word of God and also to church teaching. According to church teaching, the Bible is the inerrant word of God and is clear on sexual behavior as noted in 1 Corinthians 6:9-11, Romans 1:26-28, Mark 10:6-9, 1 Timothy 1:10-11, and Genesis 19:1-5. The Roman Catholic Church espouses a traditionalist position that human sexual expression is to be within the context of marriage between a man and a woman. This is noted in Vatican documents including lines 2232-2243 of the Catechism of the Catholic Church, Humanae Vitae, and Pope Francis’ 2016 Post-Synodal Apostolic Exhortation.
Martin mentions following the Father’s will and even stated that “The Bible is the Living Word of God”. But this is presented as fitting his own definition of God’s word, not God’s actual word shown through the prophets and apostles on resisting sexual impurity.
Martin unashamedly condemned church teaching on sexuality that he is bound to uphold. It is critical in today’s secular culture that — at minimum — church officials preach the actual word of God, not the ideologically agenda-driven “word of God” that they themselves define.
Kyrie eleison.
Ping.
Not edifying, but we need to expose the sheep-vested wolves.
. . . .what the theologian Barbara Reid calls the “protective cloak of his spirit.”
The Holy Spirit cannot be present where there is unrepentant sexual immorality.
so the divorced are u acceptable to catholics but those living in a blasphemous pretend marriage are ok? Nice
Wrong on both counts. Thanks for playing.
as an admitted lousy Catholic, I think we will need to separate and have individual parishes, like so many protestants do.....let the parishioners run the church and the school, let them hire priests as they see fit....no more kowtowing to Rome....
if that be heresy, so be it....
not according to some in your denomination. Read the article
God is clarity in truth. Evil is ambiguity and deception and falsehood.
Did you read clarity in his words or did it sound like a legalistic fencewalking deception?
Nuf sed.
The Catholic doctrine is that sexual expression is permitted and blessed only in a man-woman marriage which is free (consenting), faithful (monogamous), permanent (the bon can only be broken by death) and fruitful (open to its natural fertility.) --- and nowhere else.
The Catholic Church teaches also that homosexual acts cannot, under any circumstances, be justified.
Careful reading --- like, to the end of the article --- will result in better understanding.
By definition.
The faithful follow God's Law and godly shepherds. Not wolves-in-shepherds' clothing like James Martin.
And nobody is smacking down moral heretics like James Martin.
It's almost midnight here, so I gotta go for now. Let us pray for each other, and for all snners.
If I get back on tomorrow, I may tell you about what happened at our parish-sponsored talk on "Homosexuality: the WHY of what the Church teaches" --- when a self-proclaimed gay ETSU undergrad came in clutching James Martin's book, and...
Tell you tomorrow!
A divorced Catholic is always welcome in the Church. They just cannot remarry in the Church until their spouse has died. If they stay single until then, they are not in a state of sin and can partake of the sacraments.
A homosexual that continues to have sexual relations with a person of the same sex is continuously in a state of sin. Their sinful behavior cannot be encouraged or condoned by fellow Catholics, let alone a Catholic priest.
It might help if you did some basic research before going on the attack against the Catholic Church. Maybe you wouldn’t look so foolish and/or spiteful.
Looking forward to reading about this!
I don’t think it’s a sin to be gay, but it’s a sin to act on it.
Or in the case of a divorce Catholic,goes through the proper anullment process.
Exactly.
Even if there turns about to be a "gay gene" the parallel is to the known genetic predisposition to alcoholism or similar addictions.
No sin to be born with it but it is a sin to act on it--much less wallow in it.
A Catholic who goes through a civil divorce and wants to get married again in the Church must go through what is called the anullment process.
A Catholic who goes through a civil divorce and wants to get married again in the Church must go through what is called the anullment process.
Please see post 18.
I don’t consider Apostates or Heretics to be part of my denomination.
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