“Speaking of Pope Francis -— how long until the Catholic Church is the only church that doesn’t do gay marriage?”
Meh....give them time. They could officially condemn it while allowing local synods to deal with same-sex marriage on a case-by-case basis...much like divorce. That sort of legalistic language should be vague enough to delude the conservative supporters of Catholic doctrine whilst allowing the liberals to practically engage in same-sex ceremonies.
I don’t know, Mrs. Don-O.
The priests lead us in almost every Mass to pray for the Pope. I can tell they are nervous; agitated by what’s transpired out of Rome the last couple of years.
Also, I see some who are weak in the Faith to begin with who are using the rhetoric coming out of the Vatican as an excuse for doing whatever they want - which mostly is counter to traditional Church teaching.
There are some who are turned off by ‘fire and brimstone’ teaching, but look at the fruits of going in the other direction! The Catholics of yesteryear are not the Catholics of today (largely). I see almost no Nuns anymore; they are missed, as they enjoy a very special role and complete the Church, imo.
Upon this rock, Jesus built his Church with St. Peter as the first Pope, and the gates of hell shall not overcome it. I stand on that.
"Officially," or in practice?
The Orthodox Church has also stood firm against the gay agenda, viewing it as one of the most debased manifestation of lives overtaken by the passion of lust.
Tonight many Orthodox prayed the Great Canon of Repentance by St. Andrew of Crete, which includes these pointed petitions:
David, the forefather of God, once sinned doubly, pierced with the arrow of adultery and the spear of murder. But thou, my soul, art more gravely sick than he, for worse than any acts are the impulses of thy will.
Have mercy on me, O God, have mercy on me.
David once joined sin to sin, adding murder to fornication; yet then he showed at once a twofold repentance. But thou, my soul, hast done worse things than he, yet thou hast not repented before God.
Have mercy on me, O God, have mercy on me.
David once composed a hymn, setting forth, as in an icon, the action he had done; and he condemned it, crying: ‘Have mercy upon me, for against Thee only have I sinned, O God of all. Do Thou cleanse me.’
Have mercy on me, O God, have mercy on me.
When the Ark was being carried in a cart and the ox stumbled, Uzzah did no more than touch it, but the wrath of God smote him. O my soul, flee from his presumption and respect with reverence the things of God.
Have mercy on me, O God, have mercy on me.
Thou hast heard of Absalom, and how he rebelled against nature; thou knowest of the unholy deeds by which he defiled his father David’s bed. Yet thou hast followed him in his passionate and sensual desires.
Have mercy on me, O God, have mercy on me.
Thy free dignity, O my soul, thou hast subjected to thy body; for thou hast found in the enemy another Ahitophel, and hast agreed to all his counsels. But Christ Himself has brought them to nothing and saved thee from them all.
Have mercy on me, O God, have mercy on me.
Solomon the wonderful, who was full of the grace of wisdom, once did evil in the sight of Heaven and turned away from God. Thou hast become like him, my soul, by thine accursed life.
Have mercy on me, O God, have mercy on me.
Carried away by sensual passions, he defiled himself. Alas! The lover of wisdom became a lover of harlots and a stranger to God. And thou, my soul, in mind hast imitated him through thy shameful desires.
Have mercy on me, O God, have mercy on me.
O my soul, thou hast rivaled Rehoboam, who paid no attention to his father’s counselors, and Jeroboam, that evil servant and renegade of old. But flee from their example and cry to God: I have sinned, take pity on me.
Have mercy on me, O God, have mercy on me.
Alas, my soul! Thou hast rivaled Ahab in guilt. Thou hast become a dwelling-place of fleshly defilements and a shameful vessel of the passions. But groan from the depths of thy heart, and confess thy sins to God.
Have mercy on me, O God, have mercy on me